Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
PM call with President Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: 28 February 2025
The Prime Minister spoke with the President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier this afternoon.
The Prime Minister spoke with the President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier this afternoon.
The Prime Minister reflected on his recent visit to the US and the importance of working with international partners to uphold European security.
Discussing the war in Ukraine, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary to deter Russian aggression.
The Prime Minister went on to set out his aims for the Leaders’ Summit he is convening in London on Sunday and said he was looking forward to Türkiye’s Foreign Minister participating in these talks.
Jesus Mendez-Vargas Was a Leader of the Ruthless La Familia Michoacana Cartel’s Narcotics Trafficking Enterprise, Responsible for Importing Vast Quantities of Methamphetamine and Cocaine into the United States
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging JESUS MENDEZ-VARGAS, a/k/a “Chango,” with conspiring to import cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S. MENDEZ-VARGAS was taken into U.S. custody from Mexico and was presented on the charge contained in the Indictment today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “As alleged, Jesus Mendez-Vargas was a leader of the violent drug trafficking organization, La Familia Michoacana, based in Mexico, with primary responsibility for the organization’s drug trafficking activities from approximately 2006 to 2011. La Familia imported vast quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico and engaged in extensive violence in furtherance of its drug trafficking activities, including against those Mexican law enforcement officials who stood in its way. This Office and our law enforcement partners will not stop working to see that those who lead violent drug trafficking organizations are met with the consequences of their actions. Mendez-Vargas will now face justice in an American courtroom.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino said: “The indictment against Jesus Mendez-Vargas, leader of La Familia Michoacana cartel is another example of the DEA’s determination to identify, target and eliminate drug traffickers poisoning our communities with fentanyl and methamphetamine. This removal demonstrates the New York Division’s relentless pursuit and unwavering commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our communities and traffic violence and drugs across our borders.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:1
MENDEZ-VARGAS was a leader in La Familia Michoacana (“LFM”), a powerful, violent drug trafficking organization based in the state of Michoacan, in southwestern Mexico. LFM controlled drug manufacturing and distribution within and around the state of Michoacan, as well as the port of Lazaro Cardenas, a key drug transshipment point. LFM imported vast quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S. from Mexico. LFM leadership forbade the sale or use of methamphetamine in the areas under its control in Mexico, and instructed LFM members that its methamphetamine was solely for export to the U.S. From approximately 2006 to 2011, MENDEZ-VARGAS was a leader of LFM, with primary responsibility for LFM’s drug trafficking activities.
LFM engaged in violence, including assault, murder, and kidnapping to support its narcotics trafficking activities. LFM also used heavy weaponry, including military-grade weapons, assault weapons, and ammunition smuggled from the U.S. to Mexico by LFM’s associates for use by LFM. On or about July 14, 2009, approximately two days after the arrest of a high-level LFM leader, the bodies of 12 Mexican federal police officers believed to have been murdered were discovered in Michoacan. Days later, another member of LFM contacted a local television station in Michoacan and, among other things, claimed that LFM was in a battle against the Mexican federal police and prosecutors, and that LFM kidnaps people who owed LFM money and those whose family members worked in state and federal governments.
* * *
MENDEZ-VARGAS, 51, of Mexico, is charged with conspiring to import cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S., which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Field Division, as well as the assistance of the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the U.S. Marshals Service.
This prosecution is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The OCDETF New York Strike Force provides for the establishment of permanent, multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the New York Strike Force is to target, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, reduce the illegal drug supply in the United States, and bring criminals to justice.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Jane Y. Chong, Sarah L. Kushner, Alexander N. Li, Daniel G. Nessim, David J. Robles, and Kyle A. Wirshba are in charge of the prosecution.
The charge contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
1 As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
racias a un programa del Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Oregon (Oregon Department of Human Services, ODHS), dos universidades de Oregon están ayudando de forma gratuita a muchas personas a presentar su declaración de impuestos. El Programa de Subvenciones para Infraestructura Tributaria del ODHS (ODHS Tax Infrastructure Grant Program) hace posible esta ayuda gratuita para personas y familias con ingresos inferiores a $84,000 al año.
En 2024, el programa fue responsable de la presentación de 14,246 declaraciones de impuestos actuales y de años anteriores, más del triple de las declaraciones presentadas hace dos años, antes de que comenzara el programa de subvenciones. Oregon State University (OSU) y Western Oregon University son dos de los muchos beneficiarios de las subvenciones que ofrecen ayuda gratuita para la presentación de declaraciones de impuestos, con más de 100 estudiantes contratados que ayudan a las personas a presentar sus impuestos, de forma gratuita.
Emily Plant, que está trabajando en su licenciatura en Ciencias en OSU, es una de esas estudiantes contratadas. Este es su segundo año en esta tarea.
Contó que todo tipo de personas se acercan para recibir el servicio gratuito. Aproximadamente un tercio son estudiantes de OSU, y también hay miembros de la comunidad, algunos empleados de OSU, e incluso algunos que conducen una hora o más para obtener ayuda con los impuestos.
“Es un trabajo realmente importante, realmente significativo. Ayuda a las personas que tienen bajos ingresos, con discapacidades, personas mayores de 65 años y personas para quienes el inglés es un segundo idioma. Simplemente no saben que pueden recibir un reembolso. Vienen y reciben varios miles de dólares de reembolso. Para algunos, esto es un cambio de vida”, agregó.
Otra estudiante contratada es Kelleen Green, una estudiante de maestría en educación en Western Oregon University. Ella reconoce que muchas personas se sienten ansiosas y asustadas de tener que presentar sus impuestos.
“Cuando recibimos a los contribuyentes, es asombroso. Los vemos tan ansiosos y abrumados. Piensan que sucederá lo peor. Estamos aquí para ayudarlos. Vemos que reciben reembolsos casi todo el tiempo. Esto los hace sentir empoderados”, dijo.
Camila Martínez, otra estudiante contratada de Western Oregon University, dijo que: “Ninguna situación es demasiado difícil de manejar. Utilizamos todos nuestros recursos para ayudarlos”. Además, es gratuito.
“El sábado pasado, presenté una declaración de impuestos para alguien que fue a un contador de impuestos privado el año pasado. Le cobraron $350 por la declaración de impuestos; el mismo monto que recibió este año del estado. En total, recibió un reembolso considerable este año, ¡más de $1,000! Dijo que estaba muy agradecido por nuestros servicios y lo accesible que es nuestro programa”, agregó Martínez, una estudiante de último año que se especializa en contabilidad.
Lo que le gustaría decirles a las personas es que, “es gratuito y está disponible para cualquiera que sea elegible. Puede ser intimidante hacer una declaración de impuestos, pero estamos aquí para ayudar, responder preguntas y guiarlo en la dirección correcta”.
Estos programas gratuitos utilizan el Programa de Ayuda Voluntaria para la Declaración de Impuestos (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program) o VITA del IRS. Los voluntarios de VITA que preparan las declaraciones deben realizar y aprobar una capacitación sobre la ley impositiva que cumpla o supere los estándares del IRS.
El Programa de Infraestructura Tributaria financia organizaciones culturalmente relevantes o específicas, gobiernos tribales y organizaciones comunitarias rurales para ayudar a educar y proporcionar ayuda gratuita en la presentación de impuestos a personas que tienen bajos ingresos. La ayuda se encuentra disponible en varios idiomas. El dinero de la subvención también se utiliza para aumentar la cantidad de preparadores de impuestos certificados en Oregon.
Obtenga más información en elsitio webdel ODHS sobre el Programa de Subvenciones para Infraestructura Tributaria.
Dónde obtener ayuda gratuita para presentar impuestos
211Info: Llame al 2-1-1 o envíe un correo electrónico a help@211info.org para obtener ayuda gratuita para presentar su declaración de impuestos.
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO); TAX@irco.org; 971-427-3993; Portland, Ontario
Defendant defrauded a company to obtain tens of millions of dollars of Mass Save funds through paying bribes and kickbacks to company employees
BOSTON – A former Stoneham Police Officer has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for a bribery and kickback scheme that netted millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.
Joseph Ponzo, 51, of Stoneham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 27 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Joseph Ponzo was also ordered to pay $115,528 in restitution and a $100,000 fine. In November 2024, Joseph Ponzo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud; 24 counts of honest services wire fraud; one count of making false statements to government officials; and four counts of causing false tax returns to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service from 2016 to 2019. Joseph Ponzo was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023 along with his brother Christopher Ponzo.
“Joseph Ponzo was a sworn officer, who pledged an oath to uphold the law, not violate it. However, he chose greed over integrity,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Joseph Ponzo’s greed came at the cost of consumers who were left paying the bill. A prison sentence is the price he will now pay for taking bribes and kickbacks.”
“When an officer shrugs off his sworn oath and breaks the law to pad his paycheck like Joseph Ponzo did, he betrays the people of his community – and all of us who wear a badge,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Every year, Massachusetts homeowners spend millions of dollars to fund energy conservation projects for consumers. Joseph Ponzo and his brother cheated them by shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars in a steady stream of bribes and kickbacks to an insider who steered contracts their way, ignoring all ethical boundaries. Know that the FBI will continue to tenaciously investigate such corruption, and bring those involved to justice.”
“Today’s sentencing of Joseph Ponzo demonstrates IRS-CI’s commitment to routing out corruption from all levels of the government.” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Ponzo orchestrated an elaborate kickback scheme to improperly obtain contracts from a government backed program designed to aid the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Programs like Mass Save are designed to help all citizens of Massachusetts, especially the less fortunate, who otherwise would not be able to afford these upgrades to their homes.”
Joseph Ponzo, along with his brother and co-conspirator Christopher Ponzo, conspired to pay, and did pay, tens of thousands of dollars in cash bribes, kickbacks, and other in-kind benefits, including a John Deere tractor, a computer, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work, among other things, to Company A employees (Associates 1 and 2) in exchange for the Associates’ assistance in getting the defendants millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.
Massachusetts law requires utility companies to collect an energy efficiency surcharge on all Massachusetts energy consumers. These funds, which amount to hundreds of millions of dollars each year, are to be disbursed by the utility companies to fund energy efficiency programs and initiatives in Massachusetts. Under the Mass Save program, the utility companies select lead vendors, like Company A, to approve and select contractors to perform energy improvement work for residential customers. This contracting work – performed by contractors at no-cost or reduced cost to the customer – is then paid for by Company A with Mass Save funds.
On a weekly basis, from 2013 to 2017, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $1,000 in cash. At times, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $5,000 to $10,000 in cash, telling Associate 1 that the extra money was from Joseph Ponzo for his part in the bribery scheme. In return for these payments, Associate 1, among other things, helped Joseph Ponzo set up a shell company, Air Tight, to do insulation work and get approved as a Company A contractor under the Mass Save program. Joseph Ponzo put his spouse’s name on Air Tight incorporation documents and contracting licenses in order to conceal his involvement in his corrupt side business. Despite having no professional experience in residential insulation work, Joseph Ponzo collected over $7 million under the Mass Save program.
After Associate 1 left Company A in 2017, Christopher Ponzo and Joseph Ponzo recruited Associate 2 to the bribery-kickback scheme from approximately 2018 to 2022, paying Associate 2 thousands of dollars in cash and hiring a relative of Associate 2 as part of the ongoing scheme.
During the course of the bribery-kickback scheme, Joseph Ponzo aided in the filing of false tax returns from 2016 to 2019 by claiming hundreds of thousands of dollars in false business deductions. To disguise personal expenses as business deductions, Joseph Ponzo used his company credit card to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in purchases at The Home Depot, Lowes and Staples, claiming to his tax preparers that charges at those establishments were business-related. In reality, Joseph Ponzo used the company credit card at those stores to purchase gift cards that he and his spouse then used to make thousands of dollars in personal expenditures.
In April 2022, both Joseph Ponzo and Christopher Ponzo falsely denied making bribe payments to any Company A employees when interviewed by federal agents.
In February 2025, Christopher Ponzo was sentenced to 27 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Christopher Ponzo was also ordered to pay a $300,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Foley; FBI SAC Cohen; and IRS Acting SAC Demeo made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Dustin Chao of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Purpose Investments Inc. (“Purpose”) announced today that it has temporarily absorbed a portion of the management fees on Series F and Series A shares of Purpose Premium Money Market Fund (the “Fund”). Until Purpose confirms otherwise, the annual management fee payable by investors in Series F shares of the Fund will be 0.20%; the annual management fee for Series A shares will be 0.45%.
There are no changes to the investment objective of the Fund. Current shareholders of the Fund are not required to take any actions as a result of this absorption.
About Purpose Investments Inc.
Purpose Investments is an asset management company with over $23 billion in assets under management. Purpose Investments has an unrelenting focus on client-centric innovation and offers a range of managed and quantitative investment products. Purpose Investments is led by well-known entrepreneur Som Seif and is a division of Purpose Unlimited, an independent, technology-driven financial services company.
For further information, please email us at info@purposeinvest.com
Media inquiries: Keera Hart keera.hart@kaiserpartners.com 905-580-1257
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual fund securities are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer. There can be no assurances that the fund will be able to maintain its net asset value per security at a constant amount or that the full amount of your investment in the fund will be returned to you. Past performance may not be repeated.
Forward-looking information
Purpose cautions the reader not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements contained herein, which speak only as of the date they are made. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “on pace”, “anticipates”, or “does not anticipate”, “believes”, and similar expressions or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might”, or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved.
Forward-looking statements are based on information available to management at the time they are made, management’s current plans, estimates, assumptions, judgments and expectations. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Purpose to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical, technological and social uncertainties. Although the forward-looking information contained in this press release is based on assumptions that Purpose believes to be reasonable at the date such statements are made, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Purpose does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Washington (February 28, 2025) – Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) on February 26 delivered opening remarks during a committee hearing on the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) flagship 7(a) lending program. 7(a) encompasses the Community Advantage Small Business Lending Company (CA SBLC) program, which serves small business owners in underserved communities, levels the playing field, and provides capital for people who have difficulty securing it elsewhere. Ranking Member Markey warned against attacks on programs like Community Advantage. Watch the full opening remarksHERE.
Democratic witnesses included:
Mr. Raymond Lanza-Weil, President of Common Capital, Springfield, MA
Ms. Mayrena Guerrero, Founder and CEO of Colorful Resilience, West Springfield, MA
In his remarks, Ranking Member Markey said: “SBA has a responsibility to address the inefficiencies in private lending to support true competition. It is the government’s responsibility to make sure that there is capital for all entrepreneurs, regardless of background. The Biden administration understood this. They doubled the amount of small dollar loans, maintained a healthy 7(a) loan program, and ensured a 99 percent repayment rate. My witness here today from Massachusetts, Ms. Guerrero, is a clear example of an entrepreneur who just wanted to serve her community, but struggled to get the funding to do so. She was unable to receive funding from her community bank, who is also an SBA lender, and she did not have generational wealth to rely on. That’s where Common Capital, a Massachusetts-based lender in SBA’s Community Advantage program, stepped in. Thank you, Ms. Guerrero for taking the time to share your experience with the committee. Your story is just one example of why SBA programs, like the Community Advantage program, are so important.”
Mr. Lanza-Weil noted: “Common Capital serves a four-county region with 820,000 residents. Our annual operating budget is just shy of $2 million. Even though we are a small organization serving only a fraction of the state’s geography and population, Common Capital is the leading SBA Microlender and SBA Community Advantage lender in Massachusetts… Our continued success, and the success of the small business community in Western Massachusetts, depends upon the availability of SBA Microloans and the SBA CA program. I urge you to continue supporting the Community Advantage program, and to expand it so that more mission-focused lenders like Common Capital can increase access to capital for low-to-moderate income and low-wealth entrepreneurs.”
Ms. Guerrero remarked: “I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and entrepreneur in Massachusetts. I am honored to be here to talk about my experience with the SBA Community Advantage loan through Common Capital. My business is Colorful Resilience, a mental health clinic that provides outpatient mental health services to Black Indigenous People of Color, Lesbian, Gay Bi Trans Queer, and others with various sexual and gender identities, immigrants, first-generation people, and our allies… The SBA Community Advantage loan changed my life and the lives of many others. I am grateful that this program exists and was lucky to have access to it. Please continue to provide organizations like Common Capital with the support necessary to make businesses like mine possible.”
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, to congratulate him on his re-election and discuss shared priorities.
Prime Minister Trudeau commended Premier Ford’s commitment to contributing to a Team Canada approach to the Canada-U.S. relationship. The two leaders reiterated their desire to stand up for and protect Canadian interests. They discussed the ongoing threat of unjustified U.S. tariffs, and their commitment to continue working to prevent their imposition on Canadian goods. They agreed on the need for a firm response to any tariffs, including on aluminum and steel.
The Prime Minister and the Premier agreed to continue working together on these and other issues of importance to Ontarians and Canadians.
SAN DIEGO – Marcus Ray Chavez was sentenced in federal court today to 262 months in prison for providing the fentanyl pills that resulted in the fatal overdose of a 15-year-old girl in 2022.
According to court documents, on at least four occasions between September and November 2022, Chavez provided the girl with “M30” pills he knew were counterfeit and contained fentanyl, in exchange for sex with the girl. Chavez also admitted to knowing the girl was underage. On November 12, 2022, she fatally overdosed from pills that Chavez provided.
According to the government’s sentencing memo, the victim was in the ninth grade at the time of her death. Family and friends described her as an energetic girl who “brightened any room she entered” and who hoped to one day own her own hair salon.
“Any loss of life is tragic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “The loss of a child is particularly devastating. While nothing can bring this lost child back, we are committed to holding this dealer and others like him accountable.”
“Mr. Chavez traded fake fentanyl pills for sex with a vulnerable child,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “Fentanyl’s grip tightens the chains of exploitation. As her family grieves and we honor her memory, Mr. Chavez now has over 20 years to remember his actions stole an innocent life.”
“The San Diego Police Department mourns with the family and friends of the victim in this case,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. “We must stop the senseless loss of life due to fentanyl overdoses and stand together to hold dealers accountable for the destruction they cause.”
Fentanyl remains a serious threat. The latest DEA laboratory testing, announced last fall, indicated that five out of 10 pills tested contained a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine McGrath. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen Roth provided substantial assistance in this case.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr1354
Marcus Ray Chavez Age: 30 Bonita, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Sex Trafficking of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1591(a)(1), (b)(2)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, maximum life in prison and $250,000 fine
Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a), 841(b)(1)(C)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, maximum life in prison and $1 million fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10)
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act to increase scrutiny surrounding the purchase of agricultural land by foreign adversaries like China. The bipartisan bill would permanently add the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to add additional scrutiny of farmland and agricultural industry purchases by foreign adversaries like China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran and help prevent improper foreign disruption to the U.S. agriculture industry.
“Wisconsin’s farms are the backbone of our state,” said Senator Baldwin. “They’re not just about food, they’re about people’s livelihoods, our economy, and our way of life. That’s why I’m fighting to protect our family farms and agricultural communities from bad actors like China that threaten our food supply, economy, and national security. I’m proud to work with Democratic and Republican colleagues to protect our farmers and rural communities and ensure our Made in Wisconsin agricultural economy stays strong for the next generation.”
CFIUS is the governmental body that oversees the vetting process of foreign investment and acquisition of American companies. In addition to permanently adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS, the bill would require that the Secretary report any transaction that could threaten national security, specifically concerning purchases made by adversarial nations like China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran.
Over the past few years, the United States has experienced a rapid increase in foreign investment in the agricultural sector, particularly from China. Growing foreign investment in agriculture and other essential industries, like health care and energy, threatens our country’s national security.
According to USDA data from December 2023, foreign investors own approximately 45 million acres of U.S. agricultural land. This represents an increase of over 1.5 million acres in one calendar year. Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land increased modestly from 2012 to 2017 at an average increase of 0.6 million acres per year. However, since 2017, this number skyrocketed to an average of 2.6 million acres annually. Additionally, between 2010 and 2021, entities or individuals from China increased their ownership of U.S. agricultural land more than twentyfold, from 13,720 acres to 383,935 acres.
Data from the 2023 Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) report shows that Kansas agricultural land with foreign interest totals over 1.3 million acres.
CFIUS is authorized to oversee and review foreign investment and ownership in domestic businesses as it relates to national security. Currently, the Committee does not directly consider the needs of the agriculture industry when reviewing foreign investment and ownership in domestic businesses.
Specifically, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act would:
Add the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of CFIUS
Protect the U.S. agriculture industry from foreign control through transactions, mergers, acquisitions, or agreements
Designate agricultural supply chains as critical infrastructure and critical technologies
Require a report to Congress on current and potential foreign investments in the U.S. agricultural industry from USDA and the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
The bill is led by Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and also co-sponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Todd Young (R-IN), and Deb Fischer (R-NE). U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04) also introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
Full text of the legislation can be found here.
Dear Friends, After several years and several attempts, Idaho finally has a law supporting real school choice. As with most all legislation, it’s not perfect, but it’s a good start for something that plays an outsized role in our state – meeting the educational needs of our kids. Education has never been effective as a one-size-fits-all approach, and our test scores reflect that, despite almost $2.5 billion dollars of taxpayer money every year sent to public schools. HB93 – now signed into law – is a step forward. This bill even received the unexpected endorsement of President Trump who said the bill had his, “complete and total support.” To no one’s surprise, there are those who oppose the idea of school choice, claiming that any public money spent on private education weakens a dismally under-performing system, and only by increasing the flow of money into the failing system can the outcomes be improved. Anyone watching the ever-growing education budgets overlaid with declining performance knows this argument is intellectually flawed. The weakest argument levied against Idaho’s new school choice law is that it violates Idaho’s Constitution, which prohibits public monies from being used to support religious education. This is known as the Blaine Amendment, and you will see this cited by school choice opponents regularly. Idaho is one of 37 states to have a Blaine Amendment. The Idaho Constitution says: “Neither the legislature nor any county, city, town, township, school district, or other public corporation, shall ever make any appropriation, or pay from any public fund or moneys whatever, anything in aid of any church or sectarian or religious society, or for any sectarian or religious purpose, or to help support or sustain any school, academy, seminary, college, university or other literary or scientific institution, controlled by any church, sectarian or religious denomination whatsoever…”However, in the 2020 Supreme Court case of Espinoza v. Montana, the Supreme Court determined that applying the Blaine Amendment in cases where the state is giving funds to non-sectarian institutions while excluding religious institutions violates the Free Exercise Clause of the United States Constitution, which reserves the right of citizens to practice any religious belief of their choice without discrimination.In Espinoza, the Montana legislature had established a program to provide tax credits for people who donated to organizations that award scholarships for private school tuition. To reconcile this statute with Montana’s Blaine Amendment, their Department of Revenue established a rule prohibiting families from using the scholarships at religious schools. Parents of students attending a private Christian school filed a lawsuit that made its way to the United States Supreme Court. The reasoning for the SCOTUS decision is that while a state may prohibit private schools from receiving public funds, religious schools can’t be excluded if public funds are made available to private, non-religious schools. The Supreme Court said in Espinoza v. Montana: “The Supremacy Clause provides that “the Judges in every State shall be bound” by the Federal Constitution, “any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.” “[T]his Clause creates a rule of decision” directing state courts that they “must not give effect to state laws that conflict with federal law[ ].” That “supreme law of the land” condemns discrimination against religious schools and the families whose children attend them. They are “member[s] of the community too,” and their exclusion from the scholarship program here is “odious to our Constitution” and “cannot stand.”If Idaho’s new school choice law discriminates against children attending religious schools by refusing to provide tax credits to those families, Idaho parents could bring a lawsuit like the Espinoza case against the state. For Idaho’s Blaine Amendment to survive such a lawsuit, a federal court would have to find that application of the Idaho Blaine Amendment advanced a narrowly tailored, compelling government interest, known as “strict scrutiny.” Montana’s Blaine Amendment was not able to satisfy that requirement in Espinoza. It would likewise be very challenging for Idaho’s Blaine Amendment to pass this “strict scrutiny” hurdle. The trend in the courts disfavors any laws that prohibit generally available funds from being used at or for religious schools. Last year, in Loffman v. California Department of Education, Orthodox Jewish schools and families sued California’s law that prohibited the state from contracting with religious schools to provide education for students with disabilities, claiming it violated their rights under the Free Exercise Clause. California’s law provided funding for special education and related services and allowed non-religious private schools to be certified to receive the funds and to provide the services needed to students. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that California’s requirement that a private school be non-religious failed strict scrutiny and therefore violated the Free Exercise Clause. Idaho’s new law will probably be challenged in court by those who oppose school choice based on the misapplication of the Blaine Amendment. However, as your Attorney General, I will be there to vigorously defend our school choice law every step of the way. As the Supreme Court justices wrote, the families and children who attend religious schools are members of our community too, and their exclusion is “odious to our Constitution.” Best regards,
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CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CalAmp, a leading provider of telematics and connected intelligence solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas Polan as Product Director for its Student Safety Business Unit. Polan, a co-founder of the Synovia K-12 solution acquired by CalAmp in 2019, brings extensive expertise in student transportation technology and a proven dedication to innovation.
Polan’s leadership in developing Synovia’s industry-leading solutions transformed school transportation by improving safety, efficiency, and transparency for school districts, contractors, and transportation consortiums. In his new role, he will spearhead product strategy, focusing on customer-centric solutions that enhance operational effectiveness and student safety.
“Thomas Polan is a recognized leader in student transportation technology, and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to drive our Student Safety product strategy,” said Mark Gaydos, General Manager of Student Safety at CalAmp. “His deep industry insight and passion for innovation align perfectly with our mission to deliver cutting-edge solutions to school districts, contractors, and consortiums.”
Polan’s appointment reflects CalAmp’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its education offerings through advanced telematics, fleet management, and safety technologies. His expertise will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of student transportation solutions and solidifying CalAmp’s market leadership.
“I’m excited to rejoin CalAmp and continue advancing solutions that matter to the student transportation industry,” said Polan. “School districts rely on dependable, innovative technology to ensure student safety and operational efficiency. I look forward to collaborating with CalAmp’s talented team to deliver exceptional value to our customers.”
About CalAmp
CalAmp provides flexible solutions to help organizations worldwide monitor, track, and protect their vital assets. Our unique device-enabled software and cloud platform enables commercial and government organizations worldwide to improve efficiency, safety, visibility, and compliance while accommodating the unique ways they do business. With over 10 million active edge devices and 220+ approved or pending patents, CalAmp is the telematics leader organizations turn to for innovation and dependability. For more information, visit calamp.com, or LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube or CalAmp Blog.
CalAmp, LoJack,TRACKER,Here Comes The Bus,Bus Guardian,CalAmp Vision,CrashBoxxand associated logos are among the trademarks of CalAmp and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Spireon acquired the LoJack® U.S. Stolen Vehicle Recovery (SVR) business from CalAmp and holds an exclusive license to the LoJack mark in the United States and Canada. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Joseph Edward Gallagher, 67, of Greenville was sentenced to more than three years in federal for committing wire fraud after defrauding his company to build a beach house.
Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing established that Gallagher served as the president and CEO of AFL Telecommunications, which is owned by Fujikura, Inc. Despite receiving yearly compensation in excess of $2 million, Gallagher devised a scheme to have AFL pay for the construction of a personal beach house. Gallagher created a false business documents indicating EPIC Development Group, LLC, was serving as a consultant for AFL Telecommunications in the field of government contracts and optical infrastructure. In truth, EPIC was a builder and was constructing Gallagher’s beach house on Kiawah Island.
When EPIC submitted invoices for construction costs, Gallagher would alter them to indicate that the recipient of the services was AFL and that the services involved consulting rather than construction. Gallagher would further submit the altered invoices to AFL for payment. Gallagher succeeded, through fraud and deceit, in obtaining approximately $2.5 million from AFL for the construction of the beach house. EPIC had no knowledge that Gallagher was defrauding his employer.
“Gallagher’s actions represent a serious breach of trust. He abused his position of authority diverting millions from his company to fund a personal luxury,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “This sentence underscores that such brazen acts of fraud, regardless of an individual’s status, will be met with serious consequences.”
U.S. District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin sentenced Gallagher to 41 months imprisonment. She also ordered Gallagher to pay a $34,000 fine. She will decide the issue of restitution at a later hearing.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Watkins prosecuted the case.
SAN ANTONIO – Providence Park, Inc., doing business as Ascension Living Providence Village, and Ascension Providence, formerly known as Providence Health Services of Waco, have agreed to pay the United States and the State of Texas $6,526,851.64 to resolve allegations under the Federal False Claims Act and the Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act.
The United States alleged that Providence Park, which owns and operates a skilled nursing facility in Waco, submitted medically unnecessary Ultra-High Resource Utilization Group therapy claims to federal healthcare programs. The United States further alleged that Ascension Providence, which owns and operates an acute care hospital in Waco, submitted false claims to federal healthcare programs for individual outpatient therapy services at the Lacy Lakeview Clinic when group therapy was being provided, and for therapy services at Woodway, Providence Sports & Physical Therapy, and Lacy Lakeview when there was no plan of care signed by a physician.
“My office will hold providers accountable when they submit inaccurate claims or seek reimbursement for medically unnecessary services,” said Acting United States Attorney Margaret F. Leachman of the Western District of Texas. “I encourage providers that identify instances of improper billing to work proactively to remedy the issue, as happened in this case.”
Providence Park and Ascension Providence received cooperation credit under the terms of the settlement pursuant to the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation, and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters. They cooperated with the United States’ investigation by, among other things, disclosing the results of an internal investigation at Ascension Providence that resulted in an overpayment refund to Medicare, voluntarily identifying overpayments for outpatient therapy services at Ascension Providence pursuant to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Healthcare Fraud Self-Disclosure Protocol, and identifying corrective actions to address the issues identified in the self-disclosure.
The civil settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned United States and Texas ex rel. Bland and Ellison v. Ascension Health Senior Care, et al., No. 5:21-CV-269(W.D. Tex.).
Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Parnham negotiated the settlement on behalf of the United States.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Welch Demands Explanation from Secretary Rubio
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding an urgent response to the baseless mass-firings of over 5,500 federal employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In the letter, Senator Welch demanded answers from the State Department on Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE’s, actions that directly violate funds appropriated by Congress through the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act.
Senator Welch released the following statement:
“I’m deeply distressed by the Trump Administration and Secretary Rubio’s reckless and illegal actions terminating thousands of experienced, dedicated USAID employees without cause or credible justification. These public servants, many of whom have spent decades serving their country and protecting U.S. interests around the world, were given less than 15 minutes to clear out their desks. It’s immoral and illegal.
“I’m also appalled by how Secretary Rubio and Elon Musk’s DOGE have unlawfully cut off funding appropriated by Congress for vital international assistance programs that protect U.S. security interests around the world. In recent weeks, Secretary Rubio has terminated billions of dollars in U.S. foreign assistance programs on which hundreds of millions of people depend for their health, safety, and well-being, in direct contravention of the law. These funds were provided on a bipartisan basis in prior appropriations acts which included many pages of provisions requiring the Administration to obligate the funds for explicit purposes. While DOGE’s mission might be to ‘save money,’ it cannot do so in ways that plainly violate federal law and the Constitution. And it should not do so if the result would undermine U.S. national interests and damage our international credibility.
“As the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, I’ll state what every American knows and DOGE needs to learn: the Constitution does not allow the President to ignore the law. Trump’s blatant disregard for the Constitution and the destruction of hard-earned goodwill around the world is beyond distressing and requires immediate action. Congress and the American people deserve answers from Secretary Rubio regarding how he intends to ensure that the State Department complies with the law.”
Under the Trump Administration, hundreds of millions of dollars in State Department programs have been illegally terminated under categories and programs explicitly required by the FY24 Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. By law, funds appropriated by Congress are to be spent as specified for each of the countries, programs, projects, and activities.
By way of example, the FY24 Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act provides no less than:
$960,000,000 for food security and agricultural development programs to carry out the purposes of the Global Food Security Act of 2016, including for the Feed the Future Innovation Labs.
$451,000,000 for water supply and sanitation projects.
$365,750,000 for biodiversity conservation programs.
$300,000,000 to carry out the purposes of the Countering Russian Influence Fund, as authorized by the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017.
$250,000,000 to implement a multi-year strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including efforts to combat a variety of forms of violence against women and girls.
$225,500,000 for programs in sub-Saharan Africa.
$117,040,000 to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor for programs that support good governance, credible and competitive elections, freedom of expression, association, assembly, and religion, human rights, labor rights, independent media, and the rule of law.
$111,000,000 for activities to combat trafficking in persons internationally, including for the Program to End Modern Slavery.
Read the full letter and watch a video of Senator Welch’s remarks on DOGE’s Unlawful USAID Firings and Termination of Billions of Dollars of in Aid.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Seymour, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for a more than $850,000 fraud scheme in which she used the personal identity information of her fellow inmates in state prison to obtain student loans and tax refunds.
Renee Delann Clouse, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Clouse to pay $857,618 in restitution and to forfeit to the government $857,618. Clouse was taken into custody at the end of the hearing to immediately begin serving her sentence.
On April 23, 2024, Clouse pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. Clouse admitted that she harvested the personal information of fellow inmates while she was incarcerated on a state drug conviction, then after being released from prison used that information to fraudulently obtain a total of $338,610 in student loan funds and tax refunds to which she was not entitled.
Clouse fraudulently obtained federal education loans of 18 other individuals totaling $285,435, in addition to more than $500,000 that was sent to the educational institutions, for a fraud scheme that totaled $804,434. Clouse also fraudulently obtained IRS refunds of 10 other individuals totaling $53,174.
According to court documents, Clouse continued her fraud scheme even after she knew she was being investigated by federal agents, and after agreeing to plead guilty.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, Kansas City, Mo.
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was charged today with (i) being a felon in possession of a firearm, (ii) possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, and (iii) possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Michael Weaver, 38, of Irvington, New Jersey was charged today by superseding indictment with the above-referenced charges, and his arraignment will be scheduled before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court.
As a result of Weaver’s significant and violent criminal history, which includes numerous convictions in Essex County for robbery, aggravated assault, unlawful weapons possession, and drug trafficking, he was charged under the Armed Career Criminal Act. That charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. In total, as a result of all the charges in the Superseding Indictment, Weaver faces a total mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of imprisonment of life in prison. Each offense carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Chief Mitchell G. McGuire, and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Emanuel Miranda, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The visit of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House has not gone to plan – at least not to his plan. There were extraordinary scenes as a press conference between Zelensky and Trump descended into acrimony, with the US president loudly berating his opposite number, who he accused of “gambling with world war three”.
“You either make a deal or we’re out,” Trump told Zelensky. His vice-president, J.D. Vance, also got in on the act, accusing the Ukrainian president of “litigating in front of the American media”, and saying his approach was “disrespectful”. At one point he asked Zelensky: “Have you said thank you even once?”
Reporters present described the atmosphere as heated with voices raised by both Trump and Vance. The New York Times said the scene was “one of the most dramatic moments ever to play out in public in the Oval Office and underscored the radical break between the United States and Ukraine since Mr Trump took office”.
Underlying the angry exchanges were differences between the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government over the so-called “minerals deal” that Zelensky was scheduled to sign. But any lack of Ukrainian enthusiasm for the deal is understandable.
In its present form, it looks more like a memorandum of understanding that leaves several vital issues to be resolved later. The deal on offer is the creation of what will be called a “reconstruction investment fund”, to be jointly owned and managed by the US and Ukraine.
Into the proposed fund will go 50% of the revenue from the exploitation of “all relevant Ukrainian government-owned natural resource assets (whether owned directly or indirectly by the Ukrainian government)” and “other infrastructure relevant to natural resource assets (such as liquified natural gas terminals and port infrastructure)”.
This means that private infrastructure – much of it owned by Ukraine’s wealthy oligarchs – is likely to become part of the deal. This has the potential of further increasing friction between Zelensky and some very powerful Ukrainians.
Meanwhile, US contributions are less clearly defined. The preamble to the agreement makes it clear that Ukraine already owes the US. The very first paragraph notes that “the United States of America has provided significant financial and material support to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022”.
Western and Ukrainian analysts have also pointed out that there may be fewer and less accessible mineral and rare earth deposits in Ukraine than are currently assumed. The working estimates have been based mostly on Soviet-era data.
Since the current draft leaves details on ownership, governance and operations to be determined in a future fund agreement, Trump’s very big deal is at best the first step. Future rounds of negotiations are to be expected.
Statement of intent
From a Ukrainian perspective, this is more of a strength than a weakness. It leaves Kyiv with an opportunity to achieve more satisfactory terms in future rounds of negotiation. Even if any improvements will only be marginal, it keeps the US locked into a process that is, overall, beneficial for Ukraine.
Take the example of security guarantees. The draft agreement offers Ukraine nothing anywhere near Nato membership. But it notes that the US “supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace”, adding that: “Participants will seek to identify any necessary steps to protect mutual investments.”
The significance of this should not be overstated. At its bare minimum, it is an expression of intent by the US that falls short of security guarantees but still gives the US a stake in the survival of Ukraine as an independent state.
But it is an important signal both in terms of what it does and does not do – a signal to Russia, Europe and Ukraine.
Trump does not envisage that the US will give Ukraine security guarantees “beyond very much”. He seems to think that these guarantees can be provided by European troops (the Kremlin has already cast doubts on this idea).
But this does not mean the idea is completely off the table. On the contrary, because the US commitment is so vague, it gives Trump leverage in every direction.
He can use it as a carrot and a stick against Ukraine to get more favourable terms for US returns from the reconstruction investment fund. He can use it to push Europe towards more decisive action to ramp up defence spending by making any US protection for European peacekeepers contingent on more equitable burden-sharing in Nato.
And he can signal to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, that the US is serious about making a deal stick – and that higher American economic stakes in Ukraine and corporate presence on the ground would mean US-backed consequences if the Kremlin reneges on a future peace agreement and restarts hostilities.
That these calculations will ultimately lead to the “free, sovereign and secure Ukraine” that the agreement envisages is not a given.
For now, however, despite all the shortcomings and vagueness of the deal on key issues –– and the very public argument between the parties – it still looks like it serves all sides’ interests in moving forward in this direction.
This article has been updated with details of the meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.
Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.
Tetyana Malyarenko 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.
Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK must be cancelled, say the Scottish Greens.
Responding to President Trump’s extraordinary meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, the party Co-Leader, Patrick Harvie, called for the invitation to be withdrawn.
“Only 24 hours ago Keir Starmer was fawning over Donald Trump and telling us how close their relationship was, but surely even he must see from the scenes this evening what a profound danger that friendship represents.
“President Zelensky has shown the self respect and integrity that was so lacking from Starmer’s grovelling performance.
“Donald Trump hasn’t changed. He is the same dangerous bully that he was yesterday, and he’s only going to get worse. It is wrong for Starmer and so many others to pretend otherwise.
“The invitation for a state visit should never have been made in the first place, and it is time for it to be withdrawn. It must be obvious how much danger there is in it, both for Starmer’s government and for the country.
“All democratic leaders need to stand up to Trump and the toxic, hateful and authoritarian politics that he represents.”
Myanmar is mired in one of the world’s worst human rights crises, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday, describing conditions there as “a litany of human suffering.”
Addressing the Human Rights Council on Friday, he detailed the devastating toll of the ongoing conflict and economic collapse on civilians – many of whom have been displaced by the fighting.
Earlier in the day the Council discussed the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, having heard a report from rights investigators serving on the Commission on Human Rights in the country.
“Conflict, displacement and economic collapse have combined to cause pain and misery across Myanmar and civilians are paying a terrible price,” Mr. Türk said.
The number killed in violence last year was the highest since the military coup in 2021. Over 1,800 civilians were killed in 2024, many in indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery shelling, with attacks on schools, places of worship and healthcare facilities having become routine.
Mr. Türk condemned the military’s brutal tactics, including beheadings, burnings, mutilations, and the use of human shields. He also noted that nearly 2,000 people have died in custody since the coup, most due to summary executions and torture.
Deepening humanitarian crisis
Fighting between the junta forces and opposition armed groups has fuelled a humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 3.5 million people displaced and 15 million facing hunger – two million of whom are at risk of famine.
In Rakhine state, clashes between the military and the Arakan Army have intensified, with thousands of civilians killed and Rohingya communities caught in the crossfire.
Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in 2024, despite border restrictions. More than 8,000 fled by sea – an 80 per cent increase over 2023 – but at least 650 people, nearly half of them children, perished on the dangerous journey.
Furthermore, scam centres in eastern Myanmar have become notorious for human trafficking, where victims are coerced into cybercrime and subjected to torture, sexual violence, and forced labour.
Military conscription
Mr. Türk also condemned the junta’s activation of military conscription laws, which have led to arbitrary arrests and forced recruitment, particularly targeting young men and women. Fear of conscription has driven many to flee the country, exposing them to trafficking and exploitation.
“Given the humanitarian, political and economic impacts fuelling instability across the region, the international community must do more,” Mr. Türk underscored.
He reiterated his call for an arms embargo, coupled with targeted sanctions – including on jet fuel and dual-use goods – to better protect the people of Myanmar.
Displaced South Sudanese people arrive at a camp in Upper Nile State. (file)
South Sudan: Leaders failing their own people
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan presented its latest report to the Human Rights Council earlier in Geneva, detailing widespread violations, including extrajudicial killings, forced recruitment of children and systematic sexual violence.
Despite South Sudan winning independence over a decade ago and repeated commitments to peace during years of civil war, the Commission found that the same patterns of abuses persist, often implicating high-ranking officials.
“It is unconscionable that so many years after its independence, political leaders continue their violent contestations across the country and are abjectly failing the people of South Sudan,” said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission.
Extreme ethnic violence
The report described the situation in Tambura, where armed forces and militias inflicted extreme violence along ethnic lines in 2024, reigniting tensions from the 2021 conflict.
Political elites at both local and national levels have actively fuelled this violence while remaining in power despite past crimes.
The Commission also raised alarms over the “Green Book” law introduced in Warrap State in 2024, which authorizes extrajudicial executions for suspected cattle raiding and communal violence.
Address corruption
South Sudan’s leaders agreed in September 2024 to extend the transitional political arrangements by two years, citing funding constraints.
The Commission’s report noted that the government generated $3.5 billion in revenue between September 2022 and August 2024, while essential institutions – such as courts, schools, and hospitals – remain underfunded and civil servants go unpaid.
“Financing essential services and rule of law institutions requires an end to the corruption. The theft of national wealth robs citizens of justice, education, and healthcare,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández.
“Without addressing this systemic looting, no peace agreement will ever translate into meaningful change,” he added.
The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council. First established in March 2016, it has been renewed annually since. Its three Commissioners are not UN staff, they are not paid for their work and serve in an independent capacity.
Conservatives now claim we are in the middle of a “movement” of workers away from the New Democratic Party, which has historically been seen as the party of labour, toward both federal and provincial conservative parties.
Former Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O’Toole reached out to workers in the last federal election and current Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, continues to do so.
However, the actual extent of union support for Ford must be put into context. There is no evidence to suggest a major political re-alignment of unions with conservative parties. At the same time, the ability of Ford’s brand of populism to engage with a strategic transactionalism in some unions is a serious challenge to labour movement solidarity.
Local autonomy is part of a democratic labour movement, and many of the endorsements for Ford came from union locals, not the entirety of a union’s membership.
Some unions have policies of not endorsing any party, while others allow endorsements by union locals of individual candidates. More importantly, even if unions decide to endorse a candidate or party, individual members vote for whoever they want. Union members continue to vote in complex and contradictory ways, and they can be swayed by populist politicians as much as any other voter.
Right-wing populism presents a challenge to unions whose members are not isolated from populist politics. Ford’s brand of populism has proven effective in attracting and dividing organized labour, especially public versus private sector union members. He uses populist rhetoric to challenge public sector unions while making more moderate overatures to non-union and private sector workers.
This pivoting populism has proven effective. Promises of a “buck-a-beer” and allowing liquor into corner stores appeals to workers while potentially reducing unionized jobs at LCBO outlets and government revenue for health care and education.
Ford has also demonstrated the ability to shift his populist message when needed. He quickly positioned himself as a leading voice against tariffs proposed by United States President Donald Trump. He successfully engaged a nationalist economic populism defending workers, specifically in Ontario’s manufacturing sector.
Despite being caught saying he was “100 per cent” happy with Trump’s victory, he pivoted to a message that muzzled, at least temporarily, the racist, anti-immigrant, anti-transgender and anti-climate change sentiments of Trumpian populism.
Ford’s folksy rhetoric was flexible enough to maintain his appeal. Union leaders representing workers supportive of Ford, especially in the private sector, either felt pressure to reflect their members politics or were supportive themselves. As a result, some unions were more open to being transactional with the Ontario PCs than in the past.
Transactional approach to politics
In their recent book Shifting Gears, labour experts Stephanie Ross and Larry Savage document Unifor’s shift toward a more transactional approach when dealing with political parties. They argue the union abandoned its traditional party-union alliance with the NDP for more pragmatic relationships with those in power.
Transactional politics are increasingly practised by many unions, and Ford has used it to his advantage. Private sector unions in the building trades and hospitality industries that endorsed Ford have secured millions in training funds from the government.
Ford’s transactional relationships with unions are not without growing pains. Several unions that supported the Ontario PCs in the 2022 election condemned Bill 28, which would have removed the right to strike for 55,000 educational workers. After thousands walked off the job in response, the government withdrew the bill.
Here, we see a broader form of transactional politics in play. If Ford wanted to maintain even minimal union support, he had to recognize basic rights for unionized workers.
The current levels of union support for the Ontario PCs may have an exaggerated significance. After all, the Conservatives only slightly increased their popular vote and lost three seats, dropping to 80 from 83. Similarly, the NDP remains the official opposition, but had their seat count and popular vote diminished, while the Liberals increased both.
The future of labour
Shifting union support for political parties can have an impact, as unions have people and resources that can be allocated to campaigns. But there are limits to the union support conservative parties can build.
First, much of this support is driven by right-wing populism, which can fade over time. The traditional conservative business community can reinstate neoliberal policies that restricts unions and their power.
Second, transactional politics that use taxpayer money are expensive for governments. After all, not every union can be awarded a new training centre.
Perhaps the most significant implications are for the future of the labour movement itself. The politics between unions that collaborate with right-wing populists and those who are attacked by them remain divisive as labour leaders have publicly debated the issue. At what point will the fissures erupt and threaten overall solidarity?
It may be time for the labour movement to go on the offensive against support for right-wing populists among their own memberships — the unions giving endorsements in exchange for resources and the bare minimum, in terms of union recognition.
At this juncture, this will be a struggle. Union political education has always been a challenge, and it’s more difficult in the era of right-wing legacy and social media. Any attempt by central labour bodies, such as the Ontario Federation of Labour, to sanction or expel affiliates who support right-wing parties would have high political costs.
But accommodating, rather than confronting, right-wing populist sentiments among workers and maintaining inter-union solidarity may eventually lead to the movement and political realignment conservatives are hoping for.
Steven Tufts receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. He also sits on the board of an organisation that has recevied past funding from the Ontario Skills Development Fund mentioned in the article.
Source: The White House
Today, President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance made clear to the world that the United States will not be taken advantage of — a sentiment echoed by the cabinet and members of Congress from across the country.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “Thank you @POTUS for standing up for America in a way that no President has ever had the courage to do before. Thank you for putting America First. America is with you!”
Sen. Lindsey Graham: “I’ve never been more proud of President Trump for showing the American people — and the world — you don’t trifle with this man … He wanted to get a ceasefire. He wants to end the war and Zelenskyy felt like he needed to bait Trump in the Oval Office.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem: “I am so proud of our Commander-in-Chief. Thank you President @RealDonaldTrump and @VP for standing up for America. We will not tolerate the political games and disrespect of America. America is back.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: “Amen, Mr. President.”
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent: “Thank you, President Trump, for standing up for the American people and our nation on the global stage.”
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum: “Thank you @POTUS for standing strong for America while working to end the killing abroad.”
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins: “American leadership is back — in the Oval Office — and on the world stage. FEARLESS. BOLD. RELENTLESS. We will save America.”
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy: “Thank you @POTUS for standing up for the United States. The American people will not stand for disrespect of our President, Oval Office, or our generous taxpayers. Peace is only accomplished through strength and our allies need to understand that.”
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner: “President Trump is standing up for forgotten Americans, not endless foreign wars. Biden’s legacy — increased homelessness, record high interest rates, all-time highs to buy a house, and Americans footing the bill. That ended January 20th. The American people are behind @POTUS.”
Sen. Jim Banks: “Thank you President Trump for standing up for America!”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: “Thank you President Trump and VP Vance or standing up for America.”
Sen. Bill Hagerty: “The United States of America will no longer be taken for granted. The contrast between the last four years and now could not be more clear. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Sen. Josh Hawley: “Remember: the U.S. Senate has repeatedly and for years voted BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars to Ukraine with no strings attached and with no true oversight. It’s time for some ACCOUNTABILITY.”
Sen. Jim Justice: “Glad to have a @POTUS and @VP in charge that absolutely put America FIRST.”
Sen. Mike Lee: “Thank you for standing up for OUR COUNTRY and putting America first, President Trump and Vice President Vance!”
Sen. Bernie Moreno: “Finally we have a President who will speak the TRUTH and stand up against Washington’s endless wars. American taxpayers have been funding this war, it’s time to stop the killing and stop risking World War 3!”
Sen. Markwayne Mullin: “Under this President— the greatest, freest, and most generous nation on Earth is putting America First. I’d encourage anyone who has a problem with that to reevaluate their priorities.”
Sen. Rick Scott: “Thank you President Trump for standing up for America.”
Sen. Eric Schmitt: “It’s about time we have leaders who say what the American people are really thinking and prioritize the core national interests of America. The American taxpayer is tapped out, and President Trump and VP Vance are spot on.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville: “Thank you Mr. President and Vice President Vance for putting America first”
Majority Leader Steve Scalise: “President Trump is fighting for PEACE around the world and is putting America First as our best negotiator—he’s the only one to get Russia to the table to consider a serious and lasting peace agreement with Ukraine.”
Chairwoman Lisa McClain: “President Trump inherited this war. He has said from the beginning he wants to bring peace. @POTUS is a strong leader, and I know his negotiations will bring a deal together.”
Rep. Andy Biggs: “Gone are the days of foreign leaders walking all over us and snubbing their noses at America’s generosity. There’s a new President and Vice President in town. World leaders would be wise to humble themselves.”
Rep. Tim Burchett: “Job well done by @realDonaldTrump and our VP @JDVance. Give respect to get respect.”
Rep. Mike Collins: “Thank God we finally have a @POTUS who is willing to put America FIRST. Blessed are the peacemakers.”
Rep. Eli Crane: “America First. Thank you, President Trump and Vice President Vance.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw: “If you are the leader of a country in a dire situation with no path to peace without American support, do not come into the Oval Office and argue with the President of the United States in public. Just a word of advice.”
Rep. Andrew Clyde: “President Trump and Vice President Vance are standing up for the AMERICAN PEOPLE. Our great country will NOT be taken advantage of or disrespected.”
Rep. Byron Donalds: “This is what putting the AMERICAN PEOPLE FIRST looks like. Thank you @realdonaldtrump and @JDVance for standing up for our nation.”
Rep. Brandon Gill: “America First in action. Thank you, @realdonaldtrump and @JDVance, for prioritizing our people and for promoting peace!”
Rep. Lance Gooden: “President @realdonaldtrump and Vice President @JDVance will never allow the United States to be disrespected or taken advantage of. America First, always!”
Rep. Paul Gosar: “Thank you, Mr. President and Vice President. The days of the USA getting pushed around are clearly over.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: “President Trump and Vice President Vance will put America First every single time. Putting Zelensky in his place while he disrespects the U.S. in the Oval Office is exactly what American leadership should look like. This is what We The People want to see!”
Rep. Pat Harrigan: “America’s priorities come first. @POTUS and @VP made it clear—Ukraine’s interests are not America’s interests. We’ve spent hundreds of billions with no accountability, no clear objectives, and no plan for peace. It’s time to put America first and end this war.”
Rep. Mark Harris: “Thank you, President Trump and Vice President Vance, for boldly defending America’s interests. This is PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH”
Rep. Diana Harshbarger: “The act displayed by Zelenskyy in the Oval Office was nothing short of a massive show of disrespect for the Trump Administration and the American people. Despite this, President Trump and Vice President Vance are holding the line and trying to end this conflict peacefully. God bless them both.”
Rep. Wesley Hunt: “You do NOT blame the people fighting to save your country! America leads—no more excuses!”
Rep. Nancy Mace: “Peace through strength live from the Oval”
Rep. Thomas Massie: “Is this the end of Zelensky’s presidency? He hitched his wagon to Biden and the deep state. They lost and now he doesn’t seem to be playing his cards well.”
Rep. Brian Mast: “American won’t be taken advantage of and America won’t be taken for granted. Thank you, President Trump and Vice President Vance for standing up for America.”
Rep. Addison McDowell: “AMERICA AND THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER ALWAYS COME FIRST”
Rep. Mary Miller: “What has happened in Ukraine is a travesty. Joe Biden threw “gas on the fire.” Ukraine lost an entire generation, and Americans hundreds of billions in tax dollars. We thank God for giving us strong leadership. Thank you @POTUS and @VP for putting America’s interests first, and working to end this terrible war.”
Rep. Riley Moore: “It is amazing to have a President and VP who put America First! Thank you President Trump and VP Vance for fighting for our country and our people!”
Rep. Troy Nehls: “President Trump and Vice President Vance are standing up for the American people. This is America First leadership on display. Thank you POTUS and VP!”
Rep. Ralph Norman: “THIS is strong leadership that is ensuring we put the American people FIRST. Thank you @realDonaldTrump and @JDVance for standing up for our nation.”
Rep. Andy Ogles: “This is what it looks like to stand up for America.”
Rep. Mike Rulli: “You don’t have the cards!”
Rep. Keith Self: “TOUGH and FAIR. The world is witnessing American leadership back in the White House. Thank you President Trump and Vice President Vance.”
Rep. Victoria Spartz: “Zelensky is doing a serious disservice to the Ukrainian people insulting the American President and the American people – just to appease Europeans and increase his low polling in Ukraine after he failed miserably to defend his country. This is not a theater act but a real war!”
Rep. Greg Steube: “Ridiculous grandstanding by Zelensky in the Oval Office. The United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to defend Ukraine. And this is the thanks the American people get? It’s time to end this war.”
Rep. Marlin Stutzman: “TRUMP IS THE GREATEST NEGOTIATOR AMERICA HAS EVER HAD! AMERICA IS BEING MADE GREAT BEFORE OUR VERY EYES!”
Rep. Andy Weber: “America FIRST. Strong, unapologetic leadership on the world stage is BACK!”
Rep. Joe Wilson: “I agree with President Trump that Ukrainian soldiers have been unbelievably brave! Critical Minerals Deal a major step forward toward ending the war responsibly. More sanctions on Russia & arms for Ukraine create maximum leverage for FULL land swap Art of the Deal!”
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
February 28, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ)—founding co-chairs of the Senate’s first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus—along with U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester urged EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to reopen the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR), which Duckworth and Booker led the charge to create, so the office can continue helping our most disadvantaged communities in rural, urban and tribal areas by improving access to clean drinking water, addressing legacy pollution that has led to higher cancer, asthma and death rates and more. Additionally, the Senators are demanding a more detailed explanation behind why the Trump Administration decided to abolish such a critical office and how the Administration is planning to ensure victims of environmental harm receive the attention, resources and protections they deserve.
“The closure of this office which assisted underserved communities across the country leaves us seriously questioning your commitment to adhere to the Congressional appropriations process of the agency and address the impacts of pollution on communities in urban, suburban, and rural America,” wrote the lawmakers. “The 168 EPA staff placed on administrative leave were dedicated, trusted in their community, and worked to help Americans overcome the public health and economic effects of pollution. We strongly urge you to reinstate this workforce and to provide Congress and the American people a reasonable strategy to make their communities healthier and cleaner.”
In addition to Duckworth, Booker and Blunt Rochester, the letter is co-signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:
Dear Administrator Zeldin,
We write to you today to express our deep concern regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent decision to shut down the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR). In the United States, communities across the country lack access to safe and reliable drinking water and sewer systems, and remain exposed to pollution that causes cancer and respiratory illnesses. These issues impact every state and community type from cities to rural and farming communities, to tribal lands. Many of these areas were deliberately targeted due to their demographics for the siting of polluting activities.
The closure of this office which assisted underserved communities across the country leaves us seriously questioning your commitment to adhere to the Congressional appropriations process of the agency and address the impacts of pollution on communities in urban, suburban, and rural America. The 168 EPA staff placed on administrative leave were dedicated, trusted in their community, and worked to help Americans overcome the public health and economic effects of pollution. We strongly urge you to reinstate this workforce and to provide Congress and the American people a reasonable strategy to make their communities healthier and cleaner. Established in 1992 under a different name by President George H.W. Bush, OEJECR has played a pivotal role in ensuring that these communities, often marginalized and ignored, receive the attention, resources, and protections they deserve.
This office and its staff ensure the EPA prioritizes its work to lend a hand for these communities in their fight to reduce environmental disparities and promote health outcomes. This office ensured the EPA centered its work on the experiences and concerns of Americans. Its closure, especially without an adequate replacement, suggests that EPA’s posture will be one that ignores the concerns of families experiencing the health and economic effects of a polluted environment.
We are seriously concerned that the closure of this successful office comes with no alternative vision or strategy to help Americans overcome the public health issues pollution poses to their communities. For example, in February 2023, the EPA worked with the U.S. Department of Justice to file a suit against Denka Performance Elastomer for emitting cancerous air pollutants 14 times the recommended level 450 feet from a majority Black elementary school. Also, in June of 2023, a settlement agreement with the City of Houston was announced because of illegal dumping taking place in a majority Black and Latino neighborhood. Lastly, in July 2024, the EPA announced a settlement agreement with Marathon Oil arising out of the company’s violation of air emission regulations and permit laws at nearly 90 oil and natural gas production facilities on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. These are only a few legal actions initiated by the EPA that displays the need of a dedicated office tasked with engaging and providing resources to communities who are the victims of environmental harm.
Without the specialized expertise of this office and its 168 employees, the EPA will be ill equipped to achieve your stated outcome that “every American should have access to clean air, land, and water.” Instead, what we fear is an EPA that is devoid of the strategies necessary to confront the challenges faced by environmental justice communities disproportionately affected by the impacts of environmental degradation and climate change. Further, OEJECR managed the environmental justice mapping tool, EJScreen, which you have scrubbed from your website. EJScreen is a valuable tool, not only for EPA to ensure fully informed permitting, enforcement, outreach, and compliance decisions, but also for other federal agencies, state and local partners, industry, and communities across the country.
Absent strong leadership by the EPA and the resources to address these concerns, a dangerous precedent will be set, signaling that the federal government will no longer be a resource to all Americans, especially those in areas overburdened by pollution and the accompanying health burden. Congress has been clear that the EPA must prioritize combating pollution in marginalized communities around the country. It has directed appropriations toward offices like the OEJECR and programs that address environmental justice. For many years, the EPA has had an environmental justice line item under the agency’s enforcement unit. Congress explicitly directed the EPA to work on environmental justice in the explanatory statement to Public Law 117-103, going so far as to direct the EPA to provide to Congress a “comprehensive briefing” on how environmental justice work will be executed by the Agency and to create a proposal of a “national program office” centered on the work.
We strongly urge you to reinstate the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights and its workforce. Further, to better help us understand how and why you reached this decision and your strategies to combat these real public health concerns, please provide responses to the following requests for information by no later than March 17, 2025:
Please explain in detail the process by which this decision was made and how it was communicated to staff.
Please explain thoroughly how you will continue to execute programs such as the Environmental Justice Community Change Grants Program, Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program, the Environmental Justice Small Collaborative Problem Solving Grants Program, the Environmental Justice Government to Government Grants Program, and the Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program initiatives that help communities access grants to address water contamination, air pollution, and lead reduction. a. Will you continue to provide technical assistance so the most impacted communities can have a chance to compete for EPA’s national federal funding programs?
Please explain in detail how the agency will ensure fair access to grant programs and support economically and socially disadvantaged communities – including communities of color, rural and farm communities, and Tribal communities – in competing for funding and addressing critical issues in their community.
What is your strategy to combat pollution in marginalized communities across the country?
What plans do you have for continuing to engage with community organizations and local governments on environmental justice issues in the absence of the office?
How do you intend to work with local governments to expand access to clean water and improve air quality?
How will the agency assist local governments in developing and enforcing pollution reduction regulations?
Explain how you intend to support local leaders and officials in building capacity and expertise in environmental justice work at the community level?
How will EPA identify areas that may have higher environmental burdens without access to EJScreen, what agency personnel will be tasked with maintaining that information, and how will EPA proactive share that information with the public?
How will you ensure transparency and accountability in the agency’s environmental justice work after the closure of the office?
How will you rebuild trust with community-based organizations after the closure of this office and work to ensure they have the necessary resources to combat pollution?
How will you rebuild trust with local government, communities, Tribes and stakeholders who are now concerned about the lack of budget assurance for millions of dollars in projects funded through with Congressional allocated Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act resources?
You stated to the Environment and Public Works Committee that you believe “every American deserves access to clean air and water” and that you would “commit to working hard to meet the needs of all communities.” We trust that you will stand by your commitment to communities across the nation who rely on the EPA’s commitment to environmental justice and work to ensure that the agency continues to serve all Americans fairly and effectively.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
February 28, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee—joined her fellow SFRC Democratic colleagues Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) in issuing the following statement on the Trump Administration’s reckless termination of nearly all U.S. foreign assistance programs:
“It is clear that the Trump Administration’s foreign assistance ‘review’ was not a serious effort or attempt at reform but rather a pretext to dismantle decades of U.S. investment that makes America safer, stronger and more prosperous. There is no indication Secretary Rubio conducted a program-by-program review of the more than 9,000 awards or considered the dire national security implications of these rash actions. Ending programs first and asking questions later only jeopardizes millions of lives and creates a power vacuum for our adversaries like China and Russia to fill.
“While it’s easy to assume that these cuts will only affect people thousands of miles away, the fact is, the impact will be felt by American farmers who will no longer get top dollar for their crops to feed the hungry, churches who will no longer have the support of the U.S. government in their missions, American families who fall sick when diseases like Zika, Ebola and Malaria once again reach our shores and U.S. biotech companies who will no longer sell their drugs to treat the vulnerable overseas. Secretary Rubio should immediately come before our Committee. We expect him to not only consult with Congress but follow the law,” said the Senators in their statement.
NEWARK, N.J. – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil complaint today to forfeit more than 9,000 boys’ suits that were intercepted at the Port of New York/Newark after being imported from China, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
As alleged in the civil forfeiture complaint, the boys’ suits were seized by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in March 2020, after the buttons on the boys’ suits were tested by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and found to contain prohibited levels of lead. Further, and as alleged in the civil forfeiture complaint, this was at least the third instance in which the importer, Angels New York US, Inc., attempted to import children’s clothing that contained unsafe levels of lead.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited members of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of New York/Newark, under the direction of Port Director Jeffrey Greene, and members of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Laserna of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering and Recovery Unit.
The accusations in the complaint, and the description of the complaint, constitute only allegations.
BOSTON – A Northborough man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for wire fraud and money laundering charges after embezzling approximately $366,477 from a non-profit organization in Sturbridge.
Kyriakos Kapiris, a/k/a Rick Kapiris, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to two years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Kapiris was also ordered to pay $371, 088.97 in restitution. In June 2022, Kapiris pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
From April 2015 to May 2020, Kapiris worked as the Information Technology Manager at Venture Community Services (VCS), a non-profit organization in Sturbridge, Mass. that services developmentally disabled members of the community. As part of his responsibilities, the organization provided Kapiris access to two company credit cards to purchase equipment and services as needed. Beginning in 2016, Kapiris used the two company credit cards to purportedly purchase equipment from two vendor accounts on the web app Square and one account on Amazon. In reality, Kapiris created the three vendor accounts to embezzle the funds and fabricated sales invoices for purportedly purchased equipment to conceal the scheme. Kapiris used the names of legitimate Massachusetts companies for the two Square accounts and created the Amazon account in the name of a company that he controlled, “NetworkingPlus.”
Kapiris linked the three vendor accounts to several of his own personal accounts at Bank of America into which he transferred the fraudulent proceeds. Kapiris then used the stolen funds for personal expenses, including to build a house. The house was forfeited by the government and sold.
At sentencing, the Court noted that the defendant had been previously convicted of stealing from a prior employer and was on probation for that offense at the time of his theft from VCS.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Sturbridge and Northborough Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
MOMBASA, Kenya, February 28, 2025/APO Group/ —
Afreximbank to finance development and operationalisation of industrial parks and special economic zones to bolster industralisation and export manufacturing
Afreximbank also commits to three-year US$3 billion Kenya country programme to support trade and trade-related investments
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com), Africa’s foremost trade development Bank, today in Mombasa, Kenya, ratified a series of initiatives designed to support Kenya’s industrialisation and export-led development agenda. Under the terms of the initiatives, formalised at a signing ceremony with the Kenyan authorities, Afreximbank will finance the development and operationalisation of industrial parks (IPs) and special economic zones (SEZs) to bolster the country’s industrialisation and export manufacturing.
The proposed industrial parks, to be developed by Afreximbank through its affiliate company, Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), will create and sustain an environment in which export-oriented industries can thrive, by leveraging economies of scale, shared infrastructure and access to global markets.
Two projects to be undertaken by Afreximbank, with the support of the Government of Kenya and other strategic collaborators, are the development of the Dongo Kundu Integrated Industrial Park and the Naivasha Special Economic Zone II (Naivasha II), for which, having secured leases of the relevant land, Afreximbank intends to leverage the expertise and experience of Arise IIP, a special economic zone developer with experience in the development of integrated industrial parks in Africa.
Both the Dongo Kundu Integrated Industrial Park and the Naivasha Special Economic Zone II are included in the Fourth Medium Term Plan (2023-2027) of the Kenyan government’s Vision 2030, entitled “Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda for Inclusive Growth”, reflecting the high priority which state institutions are giving to measures that strengthen, expand and accelerate Kenya’s capacity to export value-added goods within Africa and globally.
Speaking on the signing, the President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. Dr. William S. Ruto said; “We have a responsibility to steer the country in the right direction, harnessing the immense potential of manufacturing, industrialization, agro-processing, and value addition within Special Economic Zones. The signing of these agreements today marks a significant milestone in Kenya’s development, expanding opportunities to enhance our manufacturing sector and create a more conducive environment for investment. We convene here today to sign an investment – and not a loan – undertaken by people whose faith in this country and its possibilities motivates their decision. This is our country, let’s continue to do whatever it takes to make it an attractive destination for those who want to invest.”
In his own comments, Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, said:
“Africa has been heralded as a land of opportunity, blessed with resources that power the world. Yet, we have struggled to translate this wealth into lasting prosperity for our people. For decades, we have watched as others reap the rewards of our natural resources, leaving us tethered to a cycle of dependency—exchanging our riches for aid and loans that kept us on the fringes of the global breadbasket.
“Those days are behind us. Today, Kenya takes a bold step to reshape this story in a profound and impactful manner. These Parks are an integral part of the Government’s plan to boost the country’s economic growth under the Vision 2030 development blueprint.
Today’s signatures are more than ink on paper—they are a promise to the people of Kenya, a pledge that the country will rise as a beacon of industrial might and self-reliance.”
Mrs. Oluranti Doherty, Managing Director of Export Development at Afreximbank, and Captain William K. Ruto, Managing Director of the Kenya Ports Authority, signed the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone agreement. Dr. Kenneth Chelule, Chief Executive Officer of the Special Economic Zones Authority, and Mrs. Doherty signed the Naivasha Special Economic Zone agreement, with H.E. Dr. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, and Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, witnessing the signing of both agreements for the State and for the Bank, respectively.
The Dongo Kundu Industrial Park within the Mombasa SEZ is expected, upon completion, to boost the area with a state-of-the-art industrial park that will contribute significantly to economic growth and industrialisation efforts in Mombasa County and in Kenya as a whole.
The Naivasha II Special Economic Zone – Naivasha II project is located at Mai Mahiu and will include a free trade zone, an industrial park, a logistics zone and a public utility area with a supporting road network. The project will occupy an area of approximately 5000 acres.
The Naivasha II project will also derive value from its strategic geographic position as it sits on the gateway to East and Central Africa through the Northern Corridor Transport System, which comprises both a standard gauge railway and a major highway. Moreover, the SEZ will be close to the Naivasha Inland Container Depot, which serves the East African hinterland countries of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda.
Other dignitaries in attendance included Mrs Oluranti Doherty, Managing Director, Export Development, Afreximbank; Hon. Davis Chirchir E.G.H, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary; Hon. Hassan Ali Joho, Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs; Hon. Salim Mvurya, Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports of Kenya and Honourable Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry. Additionally, Captain William K. Ruto, Managing Director, Kenya Ports Authority; Dr. Kenneth Chelule, Chief Executive Officer, Special Economic Zones Authority; His Excellency Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, Governor of Mombasa County; the Honourable Benjamin Tayari, Chairman, Kenya Ports Authority, and Mr. Fredrick Muteti, EBS, Chairperson, Special Economic Zones Authority attended the event.
The cost of living crisis, which saw inflation in the US peak at a four-decade high of 9.1% in 2022, played a significant role in determining the outcome of last November’s presidential election.
Exit polls across ten of the key battleground states showed 32% of voters considered the economy to be the most important election issue. Among that group of voters, a staggering 81% voted for Donald Trump.
Trump had spent most of his election campaign saying his administration would tackle high prices – even vowing to bring them down on day one. However, the latest figures suggest inflation in the US has increased since he took office, rising unexpectedly to a six-month high of 3% in January.
This rise is largely because of the economy Trump inherited. But some experts have expressed concerns that his stated economic strategy, including trade tariffs, major tax cuts and lower interest rates, will only add to inflation.
While tax cuts and interest rate changes are familiar policies, the use of tariffs has been less common in recent decades. These are used by governments to balance trade relationships or in retaliation to tariffs imposed by other countries. They generally make foreign imported goods more expensive while also raising tax revenues for governments.
The Trump administration has set tariffs of 25% on all steel and aluminium imports, and imposed 10% trade tariffs on a wide range of consumer imports from China. While proposed tariffs of 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada have been temporarily paused, the US has signalled its intention to introduce tariffs on imports from the European Union.
A General Motors car assembly facility in Ontario, Canada, where economists predict the proposed tariffs would have a catastrophic effect. JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock
Will tariffs lead to inflation?
Trump’s aides insist the tariffs won’t have a negative impact on American consumers and businesses. On February 18, Peter Navarro, senior counsel for trade and manufacturing at the White House, told the New York Times: “It’s not going to be painful for America. It’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
Navarro argues that foreign exporters, concerned about losing market share, will reduce the pre-tariff price they charge US importers.
But economic theory suggests that tariffs generally do lead to higher prices. Peter Lavelle, a trade expert at the UK’s Institute for Fiscal Studies, says that evidence from Trump’s first term – when tariffs were imposed on solar panels, washing machines, steel and aluminium – shows these costs were “almost entirely passed on to domestic consumers”, thus adding to inflation.
A key reason for the tariffs is to make US domestic manufacturing more competitive on the international stage. This could bring manufacturing jobs back to the US. Manufacturing employment declined by 35% in the US from its peak of 19.6 million in 1979 to 12.8 million in 2020.
However, there was no evidence of tariffs bringing manufacturing jobs back to the US during Trump’s first term. In fact, manufacturing employment remained static between 2017 and 2021.
There are fears that tariffs could instead trigger a trade war, where countries retaliate with tariffs of their own. Canadian officials, for instance, have made it clear they will introduce retaliatory tariffs on the US – “selected in order to hit particularly red and purple [Trump-supporting] states”.
Economists analyse such scenarios using game theory. A trade war takes the form of what economics-speak calls a “non-cooperating Nash equilibrium”, where the economic outcome is negative for all countries involved.
Some recent modelling on the impact of Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico supports this view. Tariff retaliation is likely to raise inflation rates even further than otherwise in all three economies.
A trade war could also squeeze profit margins for exporting producers in the US, by making some US-produced goods relatively more expensive. This would show up in lower real income through reduced employment and wages. This outcome, like higher prices, is unlikely to be popular with US voters.
Given the evidence from Trump’s first term, it is difficult to see how tariffs will be anything but inflationary. Trump’s proposed tax cuts valued at US$5-11 trillion would also add to inflationary pressures, as would the lower interest rates he has called for.
Ana Swanson, a trade and international economist at the New York Times, believes the threat of tariffs is being used merely as a negotiating strategy. However, like many other economists, Swanson sees uncertainty as the biggest impact of Trump’s tariff policy.
In a podcast on February 4, she said: “If you, as the business, are watching out for the threat of tariffs, are you going to make an investment in a new factory or hire new workers?” Uncertainty leads to reduced investment and lower growth.
Realistically, Trump was never going to bring down prices for US consumers. To do that would be deflationary, and economists generally fear deflation even more than inflation. Falling prices lead to deferred spending and can be devastating for economic growth.
The best outcome for US consumers is that prices increase at a slower rate, close to the US Federal Reserve’s inflation target of 2%. However, given the recent uptick in inflation, as well as Trump’s strategy of tariffs, tax cuts and lower interest rates, the direction of travel all points towards higher price rises.
Recent evidence from elections in many advanced economies shows that voters do not like inflation, and will punish administrations who are in power during inflationary periods.
Since inflation peaked in many advanced economies in 2022, more than 70% of incumbent administrations have been voted out of government. Trump should keep this in mind as he embarks on his quest to make America’s economy great again.
Conor O’Kane 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.
Elon Musk is wielding a chainsaw against US government departments, potentially culling tens of thousands of jobs, as part of a huge plan to shrink the government and slash federal spending.
This large-scale purge of public servants, coordinated through Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), may end up creating one of the biggest employment cuts in US history. Tech company IBM laid off 60,000 people in 1993, and about 25,000 workers (some outside the US) lost their jobs when Lehman Brothers bank went bust in 2008, but this swathe of job losses could outstrip them both, with numbers predicted to hit around 300,000.
On Friday February 21, Musk sent a “productivity email” to all federal employees demanding that they summarise the work they’d done in the past week. President Donald Trump hailed Musk’s ultimatum as “ingenious” and echoed that failure to comply would mean that employees would be “semi-fired or fired”.
By the Monday, chaos reigned in Washington. The bedlam left career civil servants unsure of how, or even whether, to reply, marking the latest flashpoint in a tumultuous last month created by Doge and aimed at trimming the federal workforce. Adding insult to injury, Musk later admitted the email was a ruse to test whether federal workers “had a pulse”. A follow-up email is rumoured to be coming this weekend.
On X, Musk doubled down, posting an image of the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants looking at a “Got Done Last Week” list that included: “Cried about Trump, Cried about Elon, Cried about Trump and Elon some more.” Days earlier, at the annual gathering of the US right wing, the Conservative Political Action Conference, Musk brandished a chainsaw and screamed “Chainsaw!” to show the uproarious Maga crowd how he intended to eviscerate the federal bureaucracy.
Political payback?
Doge’s proposed job cuts are vast and deep. So far, much of Musk’s ire has been directed at the US Agency for International Development (USAid), where 4,700 employees have already been put on leave – with 1,600 of those positions terminated.
It’s perhaps no surprise that Doge started with this soft target. Although the US spends only about 1% of federal money on development aid, polls consistently show that Americans, especially Republicans, think Washington overspends on foreign assistance.
The cuts also come amid rising speculation that these firings could be part of a political retaliation by the White House. Influential adviser Stephen Miller claimed, without showing evidence, that 98% of workers at USAid “either donated to Kamala Harris or another leftwing candidate”.
The Trump administration has also forced out dozens of officials across the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency charged with investigating attempts at foreign interference in US elections.
Even the Pentagon, traditionally a “third rail” for Republican presidents when it comes to spending reductions, is feeling the squeeze. The US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, has promised to slash military spending by 8% over the next five years from its US$850 billion (£674 billion) annual budget. While US service members in uniform are currently exempt from job losses, many expect civilian workers, especially those in their probationary period, to be shown the door soon.
There are many thousands of federal jobs across the US.
Washington DC, which voted for former vice-president Harris over Trump by a margin of 92.5% to 6.6%, is home to the largest number of government jobs: about 2.2 million civilians. However, federal workers are spread across the US. That includes red states where Trump won in 2024. For example, there are more than 129,000 federal jobs in Texas, more than 94,000 in Florida, and more than 79,000 in Georgia.
For Trump, this complicates the Doge agenda to make a dent in America’s US$36 trillion (£28.6 trillion) debt through mass job terminations. While many Maga supporters cheered campaign pledges to eliminate government “waste, fraud and abuse”, many now confront the stark reality of job losses in their communities (or even their own jobs).
Trump has promised to get spending by the national government under control, but without addressing reform of essential services – such as Medicare and social security – it’s unclear how he can achieve this goal.
Backlash and legal battles
Public opinion towards Musk breaks sharply along partisan lines. According to recent polling by YouGov, 42% of Americans have a positive view of Musk (52% unfavourable), including 79% of Republicans but just 10% of Democrats. The same percentage, 42%, think favourably of Doge, with similar partisan divides. But the number of Americans who rate Musk positively has been dropping in the past few weeks, although he is seen as increasingly influential.
Contributing to negativity, Musk’s rollout of Doge to oversee cuts to the federal labour force hasn’t come without major flubs. For example, he recently fired (before un-firing) workers at the National Nuclear Security Administration, tasked with overseeing the country’s nuclear weapons stockpiles.
Even some Trump loyalists are pushing back. After Musk’s “document work or resign” email was blasted to the FBI, newly minted director Kash Patel sent his own message telling employees not to respond, declaring: “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes.”
On X, Harvard political scientist Maya Sen called the reaction “probably a good development for the rule of law”, adding: “Musk got a head start but separate & distinct interests of new political appointees over their own workforces will clash more and more w/Musk.”
The Trump administration now faces mounting legal challenges to Doge’s agenda. An amended lawsuit filed by a cadre of unions, including the nation’s largest federation of unions, AFL-CIO, alleged that mass firings of probationary workers is illegal, and that only federal agencies have control over human resources decisions.
Beyond legal chokepoints, Musk confronts increasing scepticism – even within Doge itself. On Tuesday February 25, 21 employees from Doge resigned, saying they would not use their professional skills to “dismantle critical public services”.
Even among some Republican lawmakers, there’s worry about the breakneck speed of firings. Republican representative Jeff Van Drew, for example, said that “we have to be really careful that we’re cutting things that don’t hurt everyday people”. Some have criticised Musk’s flippant attitude toward longstanding public servants. Others think Musk is taking a hatchet to a problem that requires a scalpel.
Whether a hatchet, a scalpel or a chainsaw, Musk’s slash-and-burn approach carries risks. By the 2026 midterms (when 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be up for election), the picture of Musk gleefully slicing government jobs could be less a symbol of efficiency, more a symbol of Trump-era hubris.
Thomas Gift 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.
Donald Trump’s grab for Ukraine’s minerals, which the US president is demanding as compensation for his country’s wartime assistance to Kyiv, might seem like a new low in a week of US-Ukraine relations lows.
The latest draft of Trump’s “minerals deal” would grant the US substantial control of a new fund that would invest in Ukrainian reconstruction. The fund would receive 50% of the profits from the future monetisation of government-owned Ukrainian natural resources such as lithium and titanium, as well as coal, gas, oil and uranium.
This deal, despite offering no guarantee of continued US military support, is a slight improvement on Trump’s first offering. That bid would have imposed financial conditions on Ukraine harsher than those forced on Germany after the first world war.
However, the deal will still require future generations of Ukrainians to shoulder the cost of a war for which they bear no responsibility. Commentators, including British foreign minister David Lammy, have noted that it would be more just to seize frozen Russian assets and use them to cover the cost of repairing the damage Russia has wreaked across the country.
But, while many in the west have balked at Trump’s barefaced extractivism, his actions are entirely in line with the way western capitalists have approached Ukraine and its resources since the 19th century.
The Donbas region of Ukraine is a major coal mining and industrial area. deniks315 / Shutterstock
Ukraine’s east, referred to as Donbas, is often thought to have been industrialised in the 1930s, when Joseph Stalin was leading the Soviet Union. At this time, Donbas was marketed to the world as a symbol of proletarian superabundance. It was a place where miners and steelworkers exceeded their production quotas by 30 or 40 times.
But the development of industrial extraction in eastern Ukraine dates back much earlier and was powered, in part, by European capital and technology.
In the mid-19th century, when this part of Ukraine was controlled by the Russian empire, the Russian tsars opened the country’s borders to foreign capital investment in the hopes of accelerating its industrialisation drive. A series of fiscal measures were introduced that made it more attractive to foreigners to invest in the empire’s emerging industrial markets.
This encouraged a wave of economic migration from western Europe to all regions of the multinational state. Foreign capitalists often partnered with Russian business elites based in Saint Petersburg and other major cities and set about generating huge amounts of profit from the extraction of the empire’s valuable resources.
Donbas, with its wealth of minerals, was a region of particular interest for foreign capitalists. French, Belgian, German, Dutch and British industrialists all relocated to the region in the second half of the 19th century hoping to make their fortunes by excavating the region’s salt, chalk, gypsum, and coal. In fact, there was so much Belgian capital circulating at one point that Donbas became known as “the tenth Belgian province”.
Despite the paternalism of some foreign managers, the extraction of Ukraine’s minerals did little to improve the life of local communities. Rather, it contributed to the displacement of indigenous people and caused massive environmental and ecological damage.
Urban planning often replicated the segregated conditions of European colonies in Africa and India. Foreign settlers lived apart from local workers, in privileged housing located in better provisioned parts of town downwind of the toxic fumes of the blast furnaces and the chimney stacks.
In the settlement of Hughesovka (now known as Donetsk), which was named after the Welsh industrialist John Hughes, Welsh settlers attempted to reconstruct the trappings of British life on the Ukrainian steppe.
They built tennis courts and an Anglican church, arranged tea parties, and even had an amateur dramatics society. Meanwhile, the local workforce lived in abject poverty, often accommodated in barracks or mud dugouts.
In these dismal conditions, infectious disease and dissatisfaction were widespread. There are several reports of riots following large-scale outbreaks of cholera and local hospitals were reportedly overflowing.
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this period of European capitalist exploitation was drawing considerable interest from researchers.
The “European” industrial heritage of Donbas was being used to tell different stories about the region and to highlight its complex, multicultural history. This heritage was seen to hold potential as a counter-narrative to the toxic “Russian world” propaganda emanating from the occupied territories, which maintains that Ukraine is an integral part of Russia’s historic sphere of cultural influence.
But there is a danger in being too romantic about this chapter in history. Foreign capitalist investment in the extraction of Ukrainian minerals was not a classic example of settler colonialism. However, it bore many similarities to western European colonial practices in other parts of the world at this time.
What this history reminds us is that Ukraine has long been located at the intersection of empires. And these empires have often collaborated to plunder the country’s resources, offering little or nothing in return.
We can see this kind of predatory collaboration of imperial and neo-imperial regimes once again taking shape. Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, is trying to tempt Trump away from a deal with Ukraine with promises of access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in the occupied territories.
We must continue to gather and protest, as many of us did on the three-year anniversary of the full-scale invasion this week, to resist such politics of resourcification.
Victoria Donovan’s research has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, 2019-2023.
Application selection date 02/28/2025. Unique application selection identifier 22025044. Deposit currency rubles. Type of funds – funds of the single treasury account. Maximum amount of funds placed on bank deposits, million monetary units 1,160,000. Placement period, in days 4. Date of depositing funds 02/28/2025. Date of return of funds 03/04/2025. Interest rate for placement of funds (fixed or floating) FIXED. Minimum fixed interest rate for placement of funds, % per annum 20.05. Basic floating interest rate for placement of funds-Minimum spread, % per annum-Terms of conclusion of the bank deposit agreement (fixed-term, replenishable or special)Fixed-term. Minimum amount of funds placed for one application, million monetary units 1,000. Maximum number of applications from one credit institution, pcs. 5. Application selection form (open or closed)Open.
Schedule of application selection (Moscow time). Venue of application selection: Moscow Exchange PJSC. Application acceptance: from 18:30 to 18:40. Applications in preliminary mode: from 18:30 to 18:35. Applications in competition mode: from 18:35 to 18:40. Formation of a consolidated register of applications: from 18:40 to 18:50. Setting the cutoff rate and (or) recognizing the application selection as unsuccessful: from 18:40 to 18:50. Sending an offer to credit institutions to conclude a bank deposit agreement: from 18:50 to 19:30. Receipt from credit institutions of acceptance of the offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement: from 18:50 to 19:30. The time of transfer of the deposit in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 63 and 64 of the Order of the Federal Treasury dated April 27, 2023 No. 10n.
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