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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Colleagues Call for Reinstatement of Inspectors General Illegally Fired by President Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.07.25

    Cantwell, Colleagues Call for Reinstatement of Inspectors General Illegally Fired by President Trump

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined a group of 37 senators writing to President Trump strongly condemning the President’s recent order to remove Inspectors General (IGs) from at least 18 government agencies and called on the President to immediately reinstate the officials.

    According to the Inspector General Independence and Empowerment Act, which was signed into law in 2022, the President is required to provide a 30-day notice and substantive reasons for removal in writing to Congress before an Inspector General can be removed. President Trump failed to alert Congress or provide substantive reasoning.

    “These officials, which include those appointed by Presidents of both parties, including many during your first Administration, collectively conduct oversight of trillions of dollars of federal spending and the conduct of millions of federal employees,” wrote the senators. “Removing these non-partisan watchdogs without providing a substantive and non-political reason is not lawful, and undermines their independence, jeopardizing their critical mission to identify and root out waste, fraud, and abuse within federal programs.”

    The senators continued, “While the President has the authority to remove Inspectors General from office, Congress has established clear requirements to ensure such removals are transparent and are not politicized.  The law requires that the President provide a written 30-day notice to both Houses of Congress and include “the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons for any such removal or transfer.” With respect to your firings Friday night, Congress has not received either the mandatory 30-day notice or a rationale for their removal. Because your actions violated the law, these Inspectors General should be reinstated immediately.”

    IGs are responsible for providing independent oversight of federal programs and play a key role in improving government efficiency and effectiveness. IGs were removed from at least 18 departments and agencies, including Departments of Defense, State, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

    The letter was led by U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA). In addition to Sen. Cantwell, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Patty Murray (D-WA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and John Fetterman (D-PA). 

    The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

    Dear Mr. President,  

    Your decision Friday evening to remove Inspectors General (IGs) from at least 18 offices across government—including those overseeing the Departments of Defense, State, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, and the Social Security Administration, as well as the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction—does not comply with current law and could do lasting harm to IG independence.  These officials, which include those appointed by Presidents of both parties, including many during your first Administration, collectively conduct oversight of trillions of dollars of federal spending and the conduct of millions of federal employees.  Removing these non-partisan watchdogs without providing a substantive and non-political reason is not lawful, and undermines their independence, jeopardizing their critical mission to identify and root out waste, fraud, and abuse within federal programs. 

    Inspectors General are responsible for providing independent oversight of federal programs by working to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and protect taxpayer dollars – oversight our federal agencies desperately need.  They play a key role in improving government efficiency and effectiveness and have helped identify and recover billions of taxpayer dollars.  IG independence is the foundation of this work, and IGs must be free of political influence so that they can carry out their important mission with integrity and credibility.  The federal government and the American people count on these officials to operate in a professional and non-partisan way to hold our government accountable—regardless of who is in power.  Without strong, qualified, and independent officials to lead these critical efforts, the Administration risks wasting taxpayer dollars, and allowing fraud and misconduct to go unchecked. For example, just this week the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued an unlawful memo directing agencies to pause nearly all federal grants and loans, which significantly disrupts the administration of over a trillion dollars of critical assistance to communities, businesses, and organizations across the country.  It is especially vital to have independent watchdogs at each of these agencies to conduct oversight of the impacts of this unconstitutional and unprecedented directive.     

    While the President has the authority to remove Inspectors General from office, Congress has established clear requirements to ensure such removals are transparent and are not politicized.  The law requires that the President provide a written 30-day notice to both Houses of Congress and include “the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons for any such removal or transfer.” With respect to your firings Friday night, Congress has not received either the mandatory 30-day notice or a rationale for their removal.  Because your actions violated the law, these Inspectors General should be reinstated immediately, until such time as you have provided in writing “the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons” for each of the affected Inspectors General and the 30-day notice period has expired.   

    Lastly, if you believe it is necessary to place any of the affected IGs on administrative leave before the 30-day notice period has ended, the law requires that you submit a separate notification to Congress explaining how the IG presents a threat as defined in the Administrative Leave Act. 

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump-Ordered Hiring Freeze Threatens Peak Season Access to Washington’s National Parks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    02.07.25
    Trump-Ordered Hiring Freeze Threatens Peak Season Access to Washington’s National Parks
    National Park Service revoked employment offers for seasonal staff in response to freeze; In letter to Interior Sec Burgum, Cantwell calls for immediate reissue of seasonal employment offers to ensure park campgrounds & visitor centers remain open during the busy summer season
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, joined a letter with 21 other senators calling on Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to immediately reissue seasonal employment offers for the National Park Service, including offers to seasonal employees at Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks.  These three iconic parks host over five million visitors a year with visitation levels concentrated during the summer months. Combined these three parks generate over $350 million in economic benefits to gateway communities, supporting thousands of local jobs.
    “We are alarmed that the National Park Service revoked employment offers for seasonal staff for the upcoming summer season,” wrote the Senators. “Incoming seasonal staff – whose work is critical to managing the influx of visitors during the summer ‘peak season’ – had offers in their hands that were yanked away just days after the inauguration.”
    “National park units experience a summer surge in visitation that peaks in July, and the Service hires more than 6,000 seasonal employees to manage that extra work.  Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether cancelled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable,” the Senators added.
    The outdoor recreation economy contributes $22.5 billion in value added annually to the State of Washington and supports over 121,000 direct jobs.
    Mount Rainier National Park typically hires about 175 seasonal employees and Olympic National Park usually doubles the number of employees during this time. Temporary positions include laborers, maintenance workers, biological technicians, visitor use assistants who handle fees at entrance station and campgrounds, and park rangers. There are also a limited number of openings for clerical staff and trades and crafts professionals. 
    National Park units in Washington state regularly struggle to hire the number of employees needed to keep National Parks clean and safe. Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks have experienced permanent staff losses since 2013 while park visitation has increased. Delays in hiring seasonal employees could result in National Parks being understaffed at the busiest time of year, making it difficult to maintain park operations and keep visitors safe.
    If the parks are not able to hire seasonal employees soon, it will be difficult to recruit employees later.
    Sen. Cantwell is a longtime advocate for the economic and health benefits of outdoor recreation. In January, President Biden signed the EXPLORE Act, which contains several provisions to increase outdoor recreation secured by Sen. Cantwell. She is also the leading Senate supporter of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which provides grants to improve local community parks. Cantwell successfully led the fight to reauthorize the fund when authorization expired, and ultimately make LWCF funding permanent.
    The full text of the letter is HERE and below.
    Dear Secretary Burgum:  
    We urge you to immediately reissue seasonal employment offers for the National Park Service, to rescind damaging and short-sighted deferred resignation and early retirement offers, and to instead work to safeguard, grow, and shape the National Park Service workforce to meet the needs of our national parks and their visitors.
    We are alarmed that the National Park Service revoked employment offers for seasonal staff for the upcoming summer season.  Incoming seasonal staff – whose work is critical to managing the influx of visitors during the summer “peak season” – had offers in their hands that were yanked away just days after the inauguration.
    National Park Service rangers carry out a wide array of functions critical to protecting natural resources, keeping visitors safe, providing for recreation, and creating an inspiring and educational experience for visitors.  National park units experience a summer surge in visitation that peaks in July, and the Service hires more than 6,000 seasonal employees to manage that extra work.  Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether cancelled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable. 
    We are also alarmed that the administration’s offer of deferred resignation and voluntary early retirement, made without clear legal authority, as well as open threats about future terminations will lead to a damaging loss of full-time staff at the National Park Service, which is already operating well below prior staffing levels despite significant increases in visitation.  As a result of onerous budget caps during the 2010s, the National Park Service lost 15% of its staff while park visitation also increased by 15%.  If a significant number of National Park Service employees take one of the offers – or further terminations are made – park staffing will be in chaos.  Not only does this threaten the full suite of visitor services, but could close entire parks altogether. 
    Gutting staffing at national park units will devastate local “gateway” communities where parks generate significant economic activity – from hotels to restaurants to stores to outfitters.  In 2023, an estimated 325 million park visitors spent an estimated $26.4 billion in local gateway regions, supporting an estimated 415,000 jobs and $55.6 billion in total economic output in the national economy.
    Americans showing up to national parks this summer and for years to come don’t deserve to have their vacations ruined by a completely preventable – and completely irresponsible – staffing shortage.  And local economies don’t deserve to have their livelihoods destroyed for political gain.  We urge your cooperation in protecting national parks for the enjoyment of everyone by ensuring National Park Service staffing meets the needs of the 433 national park units in all 50 states. 
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton, Boozman, Crapo Introduce Hearing Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    February 7, 2025

    Cotton, Boozman, Crapo Introduce Hearing Protection Act 

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas) joined Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to introduce the Hearing Protection Act, legislation to help law-abiding gun owners better access suppressors to preserve hearing and safety. The bill would reclassify suppressors and treat them like traditional firearms for the purpose of regulation. 

    The legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-Louisiana), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Roger Wicker (R- Mississippi), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin).

    “Burdensome regulations on firearm suppressors are doing more harm than good to sportsmen and women. Our legislation will ensure law-abiding gun owners can easily access hearing protection without having to navigate bureaucratic red tape or exorbitant taxes,” said Senator Cotton.

    “Increasing access to hearing protection for sportsmen and hunters is common sense, law-abiding, responsible gun owners should not have to fight burdensome regulations to enjoy their hobbies safely and with the accessories that can protect their hearing. I am proud to join my colleagues to update unreasonable limitations on suppressors and stand with shooting sports enthusiasts,” said Senator Boozman.  

    “Federal red tape continues to follow the false Hollywood narrative that suppressors are silent and ignores the reality that they serve a genuine purpose in protecting the hearing of law-abiding American citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights. It is past time Congress removes the burdensome barriers to accessing this equipment for the safety of Idaho’s hunters and sportsmen,” said Senator Crapo. 

    Text of the bill may be found here.  

    The Hearing Protection Act would:

    • Remove suppressors from regulation under the National Firearms Act (NFA);
    • Replace the burdensome federal transfer process with an instantaneous National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background check, making the purchase and transfer process for suppressors equal to the process for a rifle or shotgun; and  
    • Increase funding into state wildlife conservation agencies by taxing suppressors under the Pittman-Robertson Act instead of the NFA.

    On average, suppressors diminish the noise of a gunshot by 20-35 decibels, roughly the same sound reduction provided by earplugs or earmuffs.  The most effective suppressors on the market can only reduce the peak sound level of a gunshot to around 110-120 decibels, which is roughly equivalent to a jackhammer.

    The Hearing Protection Act is endorsed by the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the American Suppressor Association (ASA), Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA).

    “The Hearing Protection Act will increase access to important hearing protection for millions of Americans,” said President of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology Amyn Amlani, Ph.D. “While the use of conventional hearing protection tools, such as earplugs and earmuffs are fundamental for preventing noise induced hearing loss in firearm users, conventional hearing protection alone does not always offer adequate protection from noise exposure. Firearm noise suppressors can be an effective supplement to traditional hearing protection.”

    “These safety devices reduce the report of a firearm to a level that won’t cause instant and permanent hearing damage,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. “Despite Hollywood’s depictions, they do not silence the sound of a firearm. The focus should be on removing barriers to safe and responsible use of firearms and dedicating resources to ensuring firearms are safeguarded from those who should never possess them. Strict regulatory control of firearm accessories, and the parts of those accessories that have no bearing on the function of a firearm, is unnecessary and not the wisest use of federal resources.”

    “It’s absurd that our unrestrained federal bureaucracy requires Americans to jump through hoops to buy simple hearing protection devices. Momentum continues to grow for common sense reforms that would end the stranglehold of government on the rights of her people,” said President and Executive Director of the American Suppressor Association Knox Williams.

    “Gun owners around the world are using suppressors to reduce the impact of noise and hearing loss while using their firearms. Even in countries with the strictest firearms laws, suppressors are often unregulated products that anyone can buy over the counter. However, outdated federal law makes it difficult for Americans to access these useful safety devices,” said Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action John Commerford. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister announces the appointment of senators

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, appointed the following individuals as independent senators to fill vacancies in the Senate:

    • Baltej Dhillon, for British Columbia
    • Martine Hébert, for Quebec
    • Todd Lewis, for Saskatchewan

    Baltej Dhillon is a retired career police officer, a community leader, and a lifelong advocate for diversity and inclusion. In 1991, Mr. Dhillon made history as the first Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer to wear a turban. He went on to have a successful 30-year career with the RCMP, playing a key role in several high-profile investigations. Since 2019, he has worked with British Columbia’s anti-gang agency, while remaining active in his community as a youth leader.

    Martine Hébert is a renowned economist, former Quebec diplomat, and public figure with over 25 years of experience in economic relations, governance, and public affairs. She has made significant contributions to the economic development of Quebec and Canada, notably during her time as Quebec’s Delegate to Chicago and later to New York City. She is also the former Senior Vice-President and National French Spokesperson for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

    Todd Lewis is a fourth-generation farmer and a dedicated champion for Saskatchewan’s agricultural community. He is the former President of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and currently serves as the first Vice-President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. A lifelong volunteer, he has been a strong voice for his community on numerous boards and working groups, and he continues to give back through his work as  a municipal councillor.

    These new senators were recommended by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments and chosen using a merit-based process open to all Canadians. Introduced in 2016, this process ensures senators are independent and able to tackle the broad range of challenges and opportunities facing the country.

    Quote

    “Congratulations to Mr. Dhillon, Ms. Hébert, and Mr. Lewis on their appointment as Parliament’s newest independent senators. Their broad range of experience will be a great benefit to the Senate, and I am confident they will continue to be strong voices for their communities.”

    Quick Facts

    • The Senate is the Upper House in Canada’s parliamentary democracy.
    • Candidate submissions were reviewed by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, which provided recommendations to the Prime Minister. The Board is guided in its work by public, transparent, non-partisan, and merit-based criteria to identify highly qualified candidates for the Senate.
    • With today’s announcement, there have been 93 independent appointments to the Senate made on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. All of them were recommended by the Board.
    • Under the Canadian Constitution, the Governor General appoints individuals to the Senate. By convention, senators are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister.
    • Once appointed by the Governor General, new senators join their peers to examine and revise legislation, investigate national issues, and represent regional, provincial and territorial, and minority interests – important functions in a modern democracy.

    Biographical Notes

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Provides Regional State of the State to Boulder Chamber, Celebrates Colorado’s Schools, and Discusses Efforts to Build More Housing Coloradans Can Afford

    Source: US State of Colorado

    BOULDER/LARIMER/WELD COUNTIES – Today, Governor Polis made visits across through Boulder, Larimer, and Weld Counties. Governor Polis started the day by delivering a regional State of the State address to the Boulder Chamber of Commerce and local leaders.

    “I’m focused on the issues Coloradans care about most. From lowering costs by building more housing people can afford, expanding low-cost and convenient transit options, to investing in law enforcement to keep our communities safe, and ensuring all kids get the high-quality education needed to thrive, we are delivering real results. But in Colorado, good enough is not good enough, and we continue to climb higher to make Colorado more affordable, sustainable, and liveable for everyone,” said Governor Polis.

    Governor Polis then visited Rocky Mountain Elementary School in Longmont, a recipient of the Governor’s Math Bright Spot Award in 2023, and a Universal Preschool Provider.

    “Giving our students a strong start is important for their success in the classroom and our future workforce. As a Universal Free Preschool Provider and Bright Spot award recipient, Rocky Mountain Elementary demonstrates Colorado’s commitment to student success on a daily basis. I was thrilled to visit today to learn about the school’s success and see how their best practices can be applied to help students in all four corners of our state thrive,” said Governor Polis.

    After visiting Rocky Mountain Elementary School, Governor Polis will meet with Tracey Johnson, the General Manager of Clayton Homes to discuss how they are creating more housing that Coloradans can afford.

    “Like most Coloradans, the high cost of housing remains a top priority for me and my administration. Last year we made historic progress to break through the government barriers that prevented more housing from being built. Innovative builders like Clayton Homes are an important part of our next steps to build more housing Coloradans can afford and I was excited to learn about their work in the Fort Collins area,” said Governor Polis.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Conversation with Mothers on Affordability

    Source: US State of New York

    Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul convened a conversation with mothers at Fox’s Deli in Rochester to highlight her 2025 State of the State affordability agenda.

    B-ROLL of the Governor meeting with mothers at Fox’s Deli can be found on YouTube and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format.

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

     Well, I guess you’ve already seen my lunch partners here. I want to thank Sarah Sherwood and Keana DuBoise and Sophia – hi, Sophia – and Emily Jensen for sharing with me for a few moments at Fox’s Deli. Great place.

    Just the stresses of being a mom in today’s society – trying to raise kids, trying to deal with the ever rising cost of everything you need. We’re talking about the cost of the fruits that the little kids like, the strawberries and the blueberries. I mean, you want to give your kids healthy foods, but their costs are – so we talked about the cost of eggs – unbelievably high. There’s a lot going on for families and I wanted to take some time to share with them my priorities as New York’s first mom Governor who actually had to go experiencing the same worries, not that many years – well, actually a few years ago. I’ll admit that, a few years ago.

    But it seems like it was yesterday when the cost of diapers and formula and just the clothes that they outgrew every three months – it’s a lot then and now with the cost of everything because of inflation being so much higher, and it’s been really rough since the pandemic. So it’s important for me to just get out into our communities.

    I’ve spent a lot of time in the Finger Lakes region. I used to represent parts of this area in Congress. And I’ve been to this community many, many times. And I just wanted to let them have a chance to share with me those concerns, but also the cost of child care.

    When you hear what people pay to have their children watched, and whether you have a little one or you’re expecting another little one, this is something that you’re thinking about all the time. And we also talked about the high cost of rent – how expensive it is and will I be able to stay here? I love this neighborhood, but the costs keep going up and up and up.

    I just wanted to assure them that I’ve heard their cries for help. I knew this, and that’s why my Budget, just unveiled a few weeks ago, really talks about what I want to do, which is to make your family my fight.

    And so, what does that mean? Putting more money back in your pockets. Countless ways, but starting with a child tax credit that before I became Governor was literally zero for little kids. We’re going to put $1,000 in the pockets of families for each child under the age of four. It adds up quickly, a significant amount of money. We also talked about a middle class tax cut, the largest in 70 years. So we’re excited about getting that approved by the legislature.

    The inflation rebate, what does that mean? It means that because of inflation, people spent lots more money on everything, and we collected more at the state level. We collected $3 billion more than anticipated. So what do you do with it? You give it back to the people who overpaid all those years and so that’s going to result in over $500 back in people’s pockets as well.

    And lastly, two more things. I want to point out that the cost of breakfasts and lunches for kids who are school age, we’re going to cover that cost for a number of reasons. One is it gives time back to busy parents, it also becomes a great equalizer. There are children today who are skipping lunch and meals because of the stigma associated if they’re on a subsidized plan or they’re getting support from the government because their parents don’t make enough money. We want these kids to be fed. We don’t want them to be stigmatized and feel different than the other children, and also busy parents do not have to worry about the time involved in breakfast and lunches. But also it comes out to about another $1,600 per year per child back in parents’ pockets. You add all that up, we’re talking about $5,000 more in families pockets.

    If I can get this through the legislature, I’m excited about the opportunities. Let families know we hear them, we understand what they’re going through, and anything we can do to alleviate that burden and put more money back in their pockets will always be my priority.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta in New Court Filing: Trump Administration Not Complying with Court Order to Unfreeze Certain Federal Funding

    Source: US State of California

    In light of evidence of Trump Administration continuing to block state funding under the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act, states file motion to enforce existing court order 

    Preliminary injunction motion highlights the significant threats posed by the Trump Administration’s funding freeze, affecting access to food, healthcare, and crucial services that states provide  

    More than $100 billion in Medicaid funding, tens of billions in infrastructure and climate funding, among the funding at risk in just California 

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing a motion to enforce and a motion for preliminary injunction in NY v. Trump, the ongoing lawsuit challenging actions by President Trump, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and federal agencies attempting to pause nearly $3 trillion in federal assistance funding allocated to the states that support critical programs and services that benefit the American people. The coalition today seeks to preliminarily enjoin the Trump Administration’s actions to impose a funding freeze, emphasizing the widespread and irreparable harm to states, which rely on billions of dollars of critical federal assistance for public services that ensure access to education, clean air and water, and health care and that support essential infrastructure projects.  

    The motion further highlights the harm states face if funds under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) are not allocated as required by statute. IRA and IIJA funding strengthens domestic energy security, reduces energy costs, diversifies our domestic energy resources, rebuilds our domestic manufacturing economy, bolsters and modernizes critical infrastructure, and creates well-paying jobs while simultaneously reducing harmful pollution. Citing evidence of ongoing disruptions impacting disbursements to states, and federal funds that remain blocked under the IRA and IIJA despite the court’s Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), which remains in place, the coalition also seeks to enforce the TRO to require the Trump Administration to disperse these funds.  

    “Let’s be crystal clear: the power of the purse belongs to Congress, not the President,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The Trump Administration’s dangerous and unconstitutional actions have created chaos and confusion across this country, and caused significant harm to states across the country and the millions of Americans who rely on federal funding, from children to the elderly. In yet another unlawful move, we have evidence that despite the Temporary Restraining Order we secured, the Trump Administration has continued to block funds needed for our domestic energy security, transportation, and infrastructure provided under the IRA and IIJA. We’re asking the court to enforce its order and ensure that the Trump Administration reinstates access to this critical funding. No one is above the law, and at the California Department of Justice, we will not waver in our commitment to uphold the law and ensure that necessary funding for critical programs and services in states across our country can continue.”

    In just this fiscal year, California is expected to receive $168 billion in federal funds – 34% of the state’s budget – not including funding for the state’s public college and university system. This includes $107.5 billion in funding for California’s Medicaid programs, which serve approximately 14.5 million Californians, including 5 million children and 2.3 million seniors and people with disabilities. Additionally, over 9,000 full-time equivalent state employee positions are federally funded. As detailed in the preliminary injunction motion, without access to federal financial assistance, many states could face immediate cash shortfalls, making it difficult to administer basic programs like funding for healthcare and food for children and to address their most pressing needs.

    Additionally, as of January 2025, California has been awarded $63 billion from the IIJA and nearly $5 billion from the IRA, not including funds going to California cities, air and water districts, or other political subdivisions. Due to ongoing disruptions impacting disbursements to states despite the court’s TRO, efforts that bolster clean energy investments, transportation, and infrastructure have been put at risk, including:

    • The Home Electrification and Appliances Rebates Program, for which the IRA appropriates $4.5 billion to the Department of Energy. The rebate program, administered by state energy offices under final federal grants, subsidizes low- and moderate-income households’ purchase and installation of electric heat pump water heaters, electric heat pump space heating and cooling systems, and other home electrification projects. Thousands of California homeowners have signed up for these programs, received approvals, and even started installation in reliance on these rebates, and are stuck paying their contractors an extra $8,000 if our state energy offices cannot draw down funds. As of February 5, that remained the case: the home rebate grants were being held “for agency review.”
    • The Solar for All program, administered by EPA and funded by the IRA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, awarded $7 billion to 60 grantees to install rooftop and community solar energy projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities. These awards—all subject to final grant agreements—support the construction of cheap, resilient power in underserved neighborhoods, and provide particular protection to communities in which wildfire risk regularly causes utilities to de-energize transmission lines. As of February 5, numerous states in the coalition were unable to access their Solar For All grant accounts. 
    • The Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, administered by EPA and funded by a $5 billion IRA appropriation, supports states, tribes, and local governments in planning and implementing greenhouse-gas reduction measures. For example, the regional air district covering Los Angeles received a $500 million award, subject to a final grant agreement, to clean up the highly polluting goods movement corridor between the Imperial Valley’s logistics hubs and warehouses to the Port of Los Angeles. As of February 5, this grant and other Climate Pollution Reduction Grants remained inaccessible. 
    • The national air monitoring network and research program under Clean Air Act sections 103 to 105, which has been administered by EPA for the last sixty years to protect communities from dangerous pollution. The IRA appropriated $117.5 million to fund air monitoring grants under this program to increase states’ abilities to detect dangerous pollution like particulate matter (soot) and air toxics, especially in disadvantaged communities. These pollutants create a particular public health emergency in areas recovering from wildfires. As of February 5, air monitoring grants remained inaccessible. 

    Amid evidence that the Trump Administration has continued to block these critical funds, in violation of the court’s order, the attorneys general filed a motion to enforce to ensure that the funds are swiftly dispersed so that states can put them to use to protect for the health and well-being of their residents. 

    Attorney General Bonta, along with the attorneys general of New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Illinois, led the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin in filing the motions.  

    The motion to enforce and motion for a preliminary injunction is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Cornerstone Funds Announce Continuing Monthly Distributions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cornerstone Strategic Investment Fund, Inc. (NYSE American: CLM) (CUSIP: 21924B302) and Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. (NYSE American: CRF) (CUSIP: 21924U300), (individually the “Fund” or, collectively, the “Funds”), each a closed-end management investment company, announced that in keeping with each Fund’s previously adopted monthly distribution policy, each Fund is declaring the following distributions.

      Record Date Payable Date Per Share
    CLM April 15, 2025 April 30, 2025 $0.1224
    CLM May 15, 2025 May 30, 2025 $0.1224
    CLM June 16, 2025 June 30, 2025 $0.1224
           
    CRF April 15, 2025 April 30, 2025 $0.1168
    CRF May 15, 2025 May 30, 2025 $0.1168
    CRF June 16, 2025 June 30, 2025 $0.1168
           

    Each Fund’s distribution policy provides for the resetting of the monthly distribution amount per share (“Distribution Amount”) annually, based on each Fund’s net asset value on the last business day of October and the annualized distribution percentage approved by the respective Board of Directors (individually the “Board”, or collectively, the “Boards”).

    Each Board believes each Fund’s distribution policy maintains a stable, high rate of distribution. These distributions are not tied to each Fund’s investment income or capital gains and do not represent yield or investment return on each Fund’s portfolio. The Distribution Amount from one calendar year to the next will increase or decrease based on the change in each Fund’s net asset value. The terms of each distribution policy are reviewed and approved at least annually by each Fund’s Board and may be modified at their discretion for the benefit of each Fund and its stockholders.

    Each Fund’s Board remains convinced its stockholders are well served by a policy of regular distributions which increase liquidity and provide flexibility to individual stockholders in managing their investment in each Fund. Stockholders have the option of reinvesting these distributions in additional shares of their Fund or receiving them in cash. Stockholders may consider reinvesting their regular distributions through their Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan, which may at times provide additional benefit to stockholders who participate in their Fund’s plan. Stockholders should carefully read the description of the dividend reinvestment plan contained in each Fund’s report to stockholders.

    Under each Fund’s distribution policy, each Fund may distribute to stockholders each month a minimum fixed percentage per year of the net asset value or market price per share of its common stock or at least a minimum fixed dollar amount per year. In determining to adopt this policy, the Board of each Fund sought to make regular monthly distributions throughout the year. Under each policy, each Fund’s distributions will consist either of (1) earnings, (2) capital gains, or (3) return-of-capital, or some combination of one or more of these categories. A return-of-capital is the return of a portion of the stockholder’s original investment.

    Given the current economic environment and the composition of each Fund’s portfolio, a portion of each Fund’s distributions made during the current calendar year is expected to consist of a return of the stockholder’s capital. Accordingly, these distributions should not be confused with yield or investment return on each Fund’s portfolio. The final composition of the distributions for 2025 cannot be determined until after the end of the year and is subject to change depending on market conditions during the year and the magnitude of income and realized gains for the year.

    In any given year, there can be no guarantee each Fund’s investment returns will exceed the amount of the net distributions. To the extent the amount of distributions paid to stockholders in cash exceeds the total net investment returns of the Fund, the assets of a Fund will decline. If the total net investment returns exceed the amount of cash distributions, the assets of a Fund will increase. Distributions designated as return-of-capital are not taxed as ordinary income dividends and are referred to as tax-free dividends or nontaxable distributions. A return-of-capital distribution reduces the cost basis of a stockholder’s shares in the Fund. Stockholders can expect to receive tax-reporting information for 2025 distributions by the middle of February 2026 indicating the exact composition per share of the distributions received during the calendar year. Stockholders should consult their tax advisor for proper tax treatment of each Fund’s distributions.

    Volatility in the world economy helps to create what Cornerstone Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) views as significant opportunities through investments in closed-end funds. In addition to holding closed-end funds which invest substantially all of their assets in equity securities, the Adviser may also choose to take advantage of situations in funds which invest in fixed income or other investment categories. Closed-end funds, with their broadly diversified holdings, enhance diversification within each Fund’s portfolio.

    Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but the total return on such investments at the investment company level is reduced by the operating expenses and fees of such other investment companies, including advisory fees. To the extent each Fund invests its assets in investment company securities, those assets will be subject to the risks of the purchased investment company’s portfolio securities, and a stockholder in the Fund will bear not only their proportionate share of the expenses of a Fund, but also, indirectly the expenses of the purchased investment company. There can be no assurance the investment objective of any investment company in which a Fund invests will be achieved.

    Under the managed distribution policy, each Fund makes monthly distributions to stockholders at a rate which may include periodic distributions of its net income and net capital gains (“Net Earnings”), or from return-of-capital. If, for any fiscal year where total cash distributions exceeded Net Earnings (the “Excess”), the Excess would decrease each Fund’s total assets and, as a result, would have the likely effect of increasing each Fund’s expense ratio. There is a risk the total Net Earnings from each Fund’s portfolio would not be great enough to offset the amount of cash distributions paid to Fund stockholders. If this were to occur, a Fund’s assets would be depleted, and there is no guarantee a Fund would be able to replace the assets. In addition, in order to make such distributions, a Fund may have to sell a portion of its investment portfolio at a time when independent investment judgment might not dictate such action. Furthermore, such assets used to make distributions will not be available for investment pursuant to the Fund’s investment objective.

    Each Fund’s Board has previously approved a share repurchase program. The share repurchase program authorizes management to make open market purchases, from time to time. Such purchases may be made opportunistically at certain discounts to net asset value per share when management reasonably believes such repurchases may enhance stockholder value. There is no assurance each Fund will purchase any shares or the share repurchase program will have an impact on the liquidity or value of the respective Fund or the Fund’s shares. To the extent each Fund engages in share repurchase activity, such activity will be disclosed in each Fund’s stockholder reports for the relevant fiscal period.

    Cornerstone Strategic Investment Fund, Inc. and Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. are traded on the NYSE American LLC under the trading symbols “CLM” and “CRF”, respectively. For more information regarding each Fund please visit www.cornerstonestrategicinvestmentfund.com and www.cornerstonetotalreturnfund.com.

    Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. An investment in a Fund is subject to certain risks, including market risk. In general, shares of closed-end funds often trade at a discount from their net asset value and at the time of sale may be trading on the exchange at a price which is more or less than the original purchase price or the net asset value. A stockholder should carefully consider a Fund’s investment objective, risks, charges and expenses. Please read a Fund’s disclosure documents before investing.

    In addition to historical information, this release contains forward-looking statements, which may concern, among other things, domestic and foreign markets, industry and economic trends and developments and government regulation and their potential impact on a Fund’s investment portfolio. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the factors set forth in each Fund’s disclosure documents, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and actual trends, developments and regulations in the future, and their impact on the Fund could be materially different from those projected, anticipated or implied. Each Fund has no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Mexco Energy Corporation Reports Financial Results for Third Quarter

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIDLAND, TX, Feb. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mexco Energy Corporation (NYSE American: MXC) today reported net income of $1,077,370, or $0.51 per diluted share, for the nine months ending December 31, 2024.

    Operating revenues in the first nine months of fiscal 2025 were $5,368,327, an increase of 12% when compared to the first nine months of fiscal 2024. This increase was primarily due to an increase in oil and natural gas production volumes and partially offset by a decrease in the average sales prices of oil and natural gas. Natural gas prices have been low due to limited pipeline capacities in the Permian Basin. Oil contributed to 86% of our operating revenues for the first nine months of fiscal 2025.

    Net income of $469,133, or $0.22 per diluted share, for the Company’s third quarter of fiscal 2025, an increase of 36% compared to $345,610, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. Operating revenues in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 were $1,891,265.

    The Company currently expects to participate in the drilling of 28 and completion of 19 horizontal wells at an estimated aggregate cost of approximately $1.8 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, of which $1.1 million has been expended to date.

    Also, the Company has expended to date, approximately $2 million for royalty and mineral interest acquisitions in approximately 700 producing wells with additional potential development located in 37 counties in 9 states.

    Mexco Energy Corporation, a Colorado corporation, is an independent oil and gas company located in Midland, Texas engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of oil and gas properties primarily in the Permian Basin. For more information on Mexco Energy Corporation, go to www.mexcoenergy.com.

    In accordance with the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Mexco Energy Corporation cautions that statements in this press release which are forward-looking and which provide other than historical information involve risks and uncertainties that may impact the Company’s actual results of operations. These risks include, but are not limited to, production variance from expectations, volatility of oil and gas prices, the need to develop and replace reserves, exploration risks, uncertainties about estimates of reserves, competition, government regulation, and mechanical and other inherent risks associated with oil and gas production. A discussion of these and other factors, including risks and uncertainties, is set forth in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024. Mexco Energy Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements.

    For additional information, please contact: Tammy L. McComic, President and Chief Financial Officer, at Mexco Energy Corporation, (432) 682-1119.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Statement: Trump Claims He’s on the Side of the Working Class. Really?

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    BURLINGTON, Feb. 7 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released the following statement: 
    At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when 60% of our people live paycheck to paycheck, millions of Americans understand that if they are going to make it to the middle class, they need to be in a trade union so they can negotiate for decent wages, benefits and working conditions.   
    When Trump campaigned for president, he claimed he was on the side of the working class. But that’s not what he’s delivering. Rather than standing up for average Americans, he’s protecting the interests of some of the wealthiest people in the world. 
    When Donald Trump fires the most pro-union General Counsel in the history of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and illegally removes a member of this independent board, he is not a champion of the working class. He is a champion of unfettered corporate greed and union busters.
    As a result of Trump’s unprecedented move, the NLRB no longer has a quorum and has effectively been shut down. What does this mean? It means that it will be far, far harder for workers to exercise their constitutional right to form a union and improve their standard of living. It means that during a union election, corporate bosses can illegally fire workers who vote to join a union. It means that corporate CEOs have free rein to illegally intimidate and coerce pro-union workers without recourse. It means that corporations can aggressively decide not to bargain in good faith with union workers or sign a first contract.   
    And because the NLRB is now dysfunctional, workers have no recourse.  
    Trump’s decision has already had disastrous consequences. Last week, workers at a Whole Foods grocery store in Philadelphia voted 130-100 to join the United Food and Commercial Workers union. But Whole Foods, owned by Jeff Bezos, has made it crystal clear that they will ignore this union victory and will not bargain with their union workers in good faith. Without a functioning NLRB, Whole Foods cannot be held accountable for its illegal behavior.   
    For months, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, the two wealthiest men alive, have been working overtime to abolish the NLRB. Why is that? These notorious anti-union billionaires want the absolute power to exploit their workers and violate labor law.  The lower the wages they pay, the more money they make. Since Election Day, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have become $184 billion richer and are now worth $669 billion. But, apparently, that’s not enough.  
    As the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee I will continue working with the trade union movement to oppose Trump’s decision and make it easier for workers to join unions, not harder.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Manufacturing and Using Counterfeit Bills

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit $100 bills and using them in retail stores.

    MARQUISE SHORES used chemicals and a printer in his Chicago residence to manufacture approximately $92,000 in counterfeit $100 bills.  Shores then used Facebook Messenger to recruit young women, including girls as young as 16 years old, to use the counterfeit bills to buy merchandise at retail stores, while Shores waited outside.  He later instructed the young women to return the merchandise for genuine currency, with Shores retaining most of the illicit proceeds.

    Shores, 28, pleaded guilty last year to a federal counterfeiting charge.  U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall on Wednesday sentenced Shores to seven years and three months in prison.

    The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dai Tran, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Siegal.

    “Marquise Shores manufactured counterfeit currency and used it to defraud local businesses and enrich himself,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual.  “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute counterfeiters and ensure the integrity of our economy.”

    “The U.S. Secret Service is dedicated to combatting crimes that threaten or harm our nation’s financial infrastructure,” Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Tran said.  “Counterfeiting not only harms that infrastructure, but also hurts law-abiding citizens as evidenced by the businesses defrauded in this case.  I’m proud of our agents, and I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent work on this case.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Massachusetts State Senator Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for COVID and Tax Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean A. Tran was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

    Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to 18 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Tran was also ordered to pay $25,100 in restitution to the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and $23,327 to the Internal Revenue Service, as well as a $7,500 fine and a mandatory assessment of $2,300. In September 2024, Tran was convicted of 20 counts of wire fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023.    

    Tran served as an elected member of the Massachusetts State Senate, representing Worcester and Middlesex Counties from 2017 to January 2021. After Tran’s State Senate term ended in 2021, Tran fraudulently received pandemic unemployment benefits while simultaneously employed as a paid consultant for a New Hampshire-based retailer of automotive parts (the Automotive Parts Company). While working as a paid consultant for the Automotive Parts Company, Tran fraudulently collected $30,120 in pandemic unemployment benefits.  

    In addition, Tran concealed $54,700 in consulting income that he received from the Automotive Parts Company from his 2021 federal income tax return. This was in addition to thousands of dollars in income that Tran concealed from the IRS while collecting rent from tenants who rented his Fitchburg property from 2020 to 2022.

    “When Dean Tran took his oath of office as a Massachusetts State Senator, he willingly entered into a world of being in the public eye. He chose to violate the public’s trust not once, but twice by defrauding the government out of unemployment benefits and willfully omitting his taxable income. His fraud and calculated deception erode the public’s trust in elected officials and diverted money away from those who truly needed it,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out public officials who violate the law and holding them accountable for their actions.”

    “Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran stole taxpayer funds intended for American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to prioritize and investigate allegations of fraud involving the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) unemployment insurance (UI) program. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who exploit this critical benefit program,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

    “Today’s sentencing of Dean Tran demonstrates that no one is above the law, even elected officials,” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Elected officials are held to a higher standard when they take an oath to serve but to Tran, his oath meant nothing when he chose to steal from the America taxpayers on two separate occasions. Tran stole from a pandemic unemployment program designed to help those most in need. Tran proceeded to harm the American public further when he decided not to report his taxable income, the most basic of principles all Americans are expected to follow.”

    “Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran blatantly defrauded a government program meant to keep businesses and workers afloat during the pandemic, using the money for his own personal expenses, effectively stealing funds from others who needed them,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to crack down on frauds like this because willfully defrauding the government and cheating honest taxpayers is a federal crime.”

    U.S. Attorney Foley, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone, Acting IRS-CI SAC Thomas Demeo and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and John T. Mulcahy of the Office’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions prosecuted the case.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Whitefish Housing Authority executive director sentenced to prison for embezzling from organization; $144,842 restitution ordered

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MISSOULA — The former executive director of the Whitefish Housing Authority was sentenced today to four months in prison and four months of home confinement, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $144,842 for embezzling from the organization, which receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    The defendant, Dwarne Lamont Hawkins, 46, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to theft from organization receiving federal funding.

    U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court also ordered Hawkins to perform 200 hours of community service. Hawkins was allowed to self-report to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    In court documents, the government alleged that from about May 2023 to January 2024, while working as the Whitefish Housing Authority’s executive director, Hawkins embezzled from the organization. The Whitefish Housing Authority provides safe, decent and affordable housing options for low-income families in the Whitefish community and received approximately $468,616 in federal funds from HUD during the period of the indictment. Hawkins stole housing authority money by diverting and inflating payroll, fraudulently paying personal expenses with the Whitefish Housing Authority credit card and creating and paying fraudulent invoices to businesses over which he had control. The investigation identified approximately $144,842 in restitution.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Colleagues Launch Probe Into DOGE’s Interference with Department of Education, Access to Federal Student Loan Data

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Musk’s Team May Have Obtained Access to Personal Information of Millions of Borrowers; Raises Concerns About Violations of the Law, Failure to Protect Sensitive Information

    “The millions of families who rely on the Department of Education to help them achieve the American Dream deserve answers about reports that an unelected billionaire and his team now have access to some of their most sensitive personal information.”

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined U.S Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and a group of their colleagues in sending a letter to Acting Secretary of the Department of Education, Denise Carter, launching a probe into recent reports that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has infiltrated the Department of Education (ED) and that “DOGE staffers have gained access to federal student loan data, which includes personal information for millions of borrowers.”

    There are over 40 million federal student loan borrowers in the United States. ED’s student loan database contains millions of borrowers’ highly sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, marital status, and income data. 

    “This deeply troubling report raises questions about potential exposures of Americans’ private data, the abuse of this data by the Trump Administration, and whether officials who have access to the data may have violated the law or the federal government’s procedures for handling sensitive information,” wrote the senators.

    According to public reporting, “a handful of 19-to-24-year-old engineers linked to Musk’s companies, with unclear titles, could be bypassing regular security protocols” during DOGE’s infiltration of federal agencies. The senators also raised concerns that the access provided to DOGE-affiliated staff by the Department may violate the Privacy Act, which generally prohibits the disclosure of such information.

    “We are especially troubled by this reporting given President Trump’s stated pledge to abolish the Department,” concluded the lawmakers. “The millions of families who rely on ED to help them achieve the American Dream deserve answers about reports that an unelected billionaire and his team now have access to some of their most sensitive personal information.”

    Additional reporting suggests that DOGE has “fed sensitive data from across the Education Department into artificial intelligence software to probe the agency’s programs and spending.” The 16 senators requested answers from Acting Secretary Carter about DOGE’s access to federal student loan data and any other sensitive databases by February 13, 2025.

    In addition to Luján, Warren, and Schumer, the letter was joined by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    The full text of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Demand VA Secretary Collins Step Up and Defend Veterans’ Private Information from Elon Musk

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 25 Senate Democrats to urge Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to immediately secure veterans’ personal information provided by the VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). This call follows Musk’s takeover of the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which includes private information of veterans and their families, and reports of DOGE employees accessing VA computer systems at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

    In a letter, the senators demanded that VA Secretary Collins deny and sever Musk and DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and to delete any veterans’ information in their possession.

    “Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans…Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain,” the senators wrote.

    “Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to the VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information,” the senators continued.

    “Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by administrations of both parties,” the senators stated.

    There are millions of veterans’ medical records stored in VA’s computer systems. These confidential records include veterans’ prescriptions, diagnoses, and procedures they have undergone. Access to these medical records could give Musk and DOGE the ability to identify veterans who have received abortions or abortion counseling in the past. The Million Veteran Program, which manages the genomic data of its more than one million veteran participants for authorized research programs, also stores its data in VA data systems. In addition, the U.S. Treasury’s payment system stores private information of veterans, surviving spouses, and their families, including their monthly disability compensation amount, home address, and bank account numbers.

    “During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at the VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files,” the senators concluded.

    The letter was led by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).

    The full text of the letter is here and below.

    Dear Secretary Collins,

    Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans. Today, we call on you to immediately secure any personal and related information regarding veterans provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and associates under the auspices of the “Department of Government Efficiency” established under Executive Order 14158. Further, we call on you to deny and sever their access to any VA or other government system that includes information about veterans, and to require them to immediately and permanently delete any information in their possession. Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.

    Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information. Veterans and VA employees entrusted the Department with this information with the understanding that it would be kept private and only used to help deliver the highest quality of services to veterans, their families, and survivors.

    Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties.

    These actions are in direct violation of federal laws meant to protect our national security and the privacy of our citizens’ personal information. This includes information on Social Security payments, Medicare, Medicaid, student loans, veterans’ disability compensation payments, GI Bill payments, federal civil servants’ personnel records, and much more. With every hour, we see DOGE further expand its efforts to create a massive private database of previously guarded data outside the federal government’s cyber and legal protections. It is an abhorrent and illegal overreach of executive powers, which conflicts with various federal statutes, including the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, the Privacy Act, the E-Government Act of 2002, and likely several other cyber and national security laws.

    During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján, Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to End Harmful Freeze on Health Communications and Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Senators emphasize the damage Trump’s freeze on funding has already inflicted on patient care and public health oversight

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 34 Senate Democrats to call on Acting Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Dorothy Fink to end the unprecedented freeze on all external communications and funding at HHS.

    This freeze has disrupted clinical trials and prevented HHS operating divisions, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), from communicating with patient groups and scientific advisory committees without a plan for restoration. The directive prohibits agencies from issuing vital public health advisories, publishing scientific reports, updating websites, announcing regulatory decisions, and distributing federal grants. CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), considered the nation’s premier publication for disseminating public health updates, is delayed for the first time in over 60 years. This political interference is a threat to public health.

    “We write to express our deep concern over the administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),” wrote the senators. “The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes.”

    “This political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable. … The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision,” the senators continued.

    The letter was led by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass,), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    The full text of the letter is available here and below.

    Dear Acting Secretary Fink:

    We write to express our deep concern over the Administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes.

    On January 22, all 13 HHS operating divisions – including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were told to immediately “pause” all external communications and grant disbursements until at least February 1, with no clear plan for restoration. This directive prohibits agencies from issuing public health advisories, publishing scientific reports, updating websites, announcing regulatory decisions, or conducting outreach to patient groups – unless such activity is explicitly approved by politically appointed leadership.

    With the Administration’s own deadline having passed, it remains unclear when these restrictions will be lifted. While limited exceptions exist for critical health, safety, or national security concerns, the freeze has already severely impeded essential public health and biomedical research functions.

    The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the nation’s premier publication for disseminating public health updates, was abruptly delayed for the first time in over 60 years, limiting reporting on the H5N1 bird flu outbreak and other emerging infectious disease threats. The MMWR often includes clinical recommendations for doctors, such as guidance on how to treat diseases that are currently circulating in the United States – and delaying the MMWR means that doctors may not have all the latest information they need to keep their patients healthy.

    At the NIH, new clinical trials have been delayed and external peer-review grant processes have faced disruptions. NIH study sections – which legally must review grant applications before funding can be disbursed – were initially canceled, creating uncertainty about when federal research funds will be awarded. Despite efforts by the Administration to provide clarity, it remains unclear whether the full peer-review process has resumed and how long grant funding decisions will continue to be delayed. This uncertainty has placed billions in federal research funds in limbo, directly threatening ongoing medical studies and academic research programs.

    The freeze has also blocked NIH from engaging with patient groups on ways to recruit participants into ongoing clinical trials. This means that patients with rare diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions who rely on clinical trials for treatments may be prevented from enrolling, directly jeopardizing their access to life-saving care.

    This political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable. While it is not unusual for a new administration to conduct brief reviews of existing programs, no past transition has implemented a blanket freeze of this magnitude.

    Accordingly, we request an immediate and detailed response to the following questions by Monday, February 10:

    Provide a full accounting of all scientific reports, disease surveillance updates, grant decisions, public health advisories, events, calls, research reviews, reports, issue briefs, inspections, surveys, and postings that have been postponed or cancelled since noon on January 20.

    Which of the postponed or cancelled items will be rescheduled or published, and by what date?

    Has the pause affected communications between HHS and other federal Departments or state agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture. If so, in what capacity?

    Can you confirm that all external communications, including those listed above in your answer to the first question, have already resumed or will resume by February 10? If not, please provide a detailed explanation for any continued delay.

    Has the communications and funding freeze affected the department’s ability to respond promptly to public health threats and ongoing outbreaks? If so, in what ways?

    Given that we are at the height of virus season, how has this pause affected the department’s ability to fulfill its core mission of protecting public health?

    The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision.

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. We look forward to your response and to working with the Department to protect public health and ensure Americans can get the care they need.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister announces new Special Envoy for Syria

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    After decades of atrocities committed by the Assad regime, its rule has come to an end, starting a new chapter for Syria. The Syrian people have endured unimaginable hardship, and during this period of transition, Canada will continue to stand by them in their pursuit of a just and inclusive society.

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the appointment of the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Member of Parliament for Mississauga Centre, as Canada’s new Special Envoy for Syria.

    In this role, Mr. Alghabra will advise the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, on Canadian efforts to support the Syrian people in addressing their pressing needs and transition toward an inclusive and peaceful future. To do this, he will consult with a range of stakeholders, including subject matter experts, regional actors, and international partners, to promote inclusive governance and ensure the protection of human rights.

    Mr. Alghabra was first elected to the House of Commons in 2006. He then held several parliamentary roles, including Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister as well as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade Diversification and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also served as Minister of Transport. A Syrian Canadian with deep ties to the country, he brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to the role. Throughout his career, Mr. Alghabra has been a passionate advocate for Syrian refugees, working tirelessly to support those displaced by the devastating civil war that plagued Syria for over a decade.

    Canada remains committed to supporting the immediate delivery of humanitarian assistance in Syria and the development of a stable and inclusive government in the country. By working together, we can help turn the page on this dark chapter in Syria’s history and promote peace and prosperity for generations to come.

    Quote

    “Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting the people of Syria. With the appointment of Mr. Alghabra as Canada’s new Special Envoy for Syria, we are strengthening our efforts to promote dialogue, deliver critical humanitarian aid, and build a future where all Syrians can live in safety and dignity for years to come.”

    Quick Facts

    • Since 2016, Canada has committed more than $4.7 billion in funding for Syria and countries hosting refugee populations, including Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon.
    • Last month, Canada announced $17.25 million in humanitarian assistance to address the urgent needs of the Syrian people. This funding will be delivered through experienced humanitarian partners, such as United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
    • Canada remains committed to working with partners to investigate, document, and preserve all evidence of crimes committed by the Assad regime, including its use of chemical weapons.
    • Over 16 million people in Syria, approximately 70 per cent of the country’s population, urgently require humanitarian assistance. It is estimated that well over 250,000 people have died in the Syrian civil war, with hundreds of thousands more wounded.
    • Since fall 2015, Canada has helped to resettle more than 100,000 Syrian refugees.

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, colleagues demand answers from Trump administration over plans to lay off key defense and intelligence personnel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Director of National Intelligence Lora Shiao to request answers about the Trump administration’s recent actions that have put our national security at risk by threatening and politicizing thousands of non-partisan jobs in the Department of Defense and intelligence community.
    In a new letter, the lawmakers expressed alarm that the administration’s actions are eroding the federal government’s merit-based civil service system—a system that has been in place for most of our nation’s history and has ensured positions are filled based on qualifications, not partisan political patronage. This poses significant risks to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.
    The lawmakers wrote, “During the first week of his administration, President Trump issued several directives that appear intended to politicize and demoralize the federal workforce, and which, if implemented, will erode the federal government’s merit-based civil service system. The manner in which your departments and agencies have implemented these directives constitute a generational risk to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. As a result, we strongly urge both of you to take immediate steps this week to insulate your national security workforce from the effects of this dangerous campaign.”
    Civilian federal employees play critical roles for our intelligence and national defense, from gathering intelligence to advancing military acquisitions. President Trump’s attempt to purge the federal workforce would result in the mass exodus of highly skilled workers, many of whom are sought after in other fields. Their swift departure will create a brain drain that would make the United States vulnerable to foreign threats.
    “More than 46,000 military spouses work for the Department of Defense, and civilians make up 80 percent of its financial management and audit staff. In testimony to Congress last year, the Department of Defense emphasized the need to increase civilian personnel in the areas of ‘cyber, data, artificial intelligence, coding, and software,’” the legislators wrote.
    They continued, “Intelligence community civilians are no less critical to protecting our nation. While much of their work is classified, these professionals provide analysis and warning on threats to the United States and its interests and risk their lives in secretive global operations that never see the light of day. In both communities, civilian personnel execute these missions cost-effectively, allowing the federal government to avoid more expensive contract personnel.”
    Last week, over 2 million civilian employees, including many in the Defense Department and intelligence community, received an email from the Office of Personnel Management presenting an offer to resign from their job by early February while keeping their pay and benefits through the end of September. As the deadline looms, questions about the program remain, including whether the program is legal, what money will be used for deferred compensation, and whether or not the Trump administration will follow through on its promise. 
    “Historically, your agencies have pursued analysis of important functions and issued decisive guidance prior to pursuing any workforce policies. In this instance, however, the Acting [Director] of National Intelligence has not promulgated any guidance to its workforce, creating anxiety and confusion among personnel looking for clarity. Meanwhile, the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness has embraced the deferred resignation program in a memorandum to its personnel without exempting critical functions,” the lawmakers wrote.
    The Trump administration’s federal hiring freeze and buyout offer impacts 3,948 federal civilian employees in Delaware, many of whom contribute to the safety of our nation and our communities.
    You can read the full letter here.
    Senator Coons is the Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Statement on the Firing of Federal Election Commission Commissioner and Chair Ellen Weintraub

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the firing of Federal Election Commission Commissioner and Chair Ellen Weintraub by the Trump Administration. 

    “A fully functioning Federal Election Commission is critical to safeguarding our democracy. At a time when we should be working to take on corruption and strengthen trust in our political institutions, President Trump is trying to illegally dismiss a Commissioner of the FEC, a body that is by law independent and bipartisan. Ellen Weintraub should continue to serve.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Global forum suggests fresh ideas for 21st century UN peacekeeping

    Source: United Nations 4

    Peace and Security

    UN peacekeeping must be fit for purpose as the nature of conflict evolves in the 21st century along with new weapons technology, more than 60 nations heard this week at a global forum on the future of peace operations, taking place in Indonesia.

    “Our thinking should be grounded by the fact that we have more conflicts today than at any time since World War Two and by the evolving nature of conflict,” said Catherine Pollard, UN Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, in her opening remarks to the two-day meeting held 4 and 5 February.

    “We are seeing an increase in conflicts within and between States,” she warned. “The drivers of these conflicts are not limited by borders. Transnational organized crime, the exploitation of natural resources, non-State armed groups and terrorism overlap in many of these contexts.

    “Technology is helping to solve and exacerbate conflict, including through misinformation and disinformation.”

    UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti

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

    ‘Blue Helmets’ need 21st century tools

    Delegates offered up some recommendations to give UN peacekeepers better tools they need to face multiple challenges.

    These include the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by peacekeepers for situational awareness and self-defence, streamlined decision-making mechanisms, more informal briefings to the Security Council and strengthened training in urban warfare.

    In preparation for a ministerial meeting on UN peacekeeping in Germany in May, civilian, military and police experts came together at the Peacekeeping Training Centre of the Indonesian Armed Forces to help deliver on the vision of the UN Secretary-General to make peacekeeping “fit for the needs of the 21st century”.

    Today’s challenges require adapting the UN’s approach to peacekeeping and the way peacekeeping operations are put in place, panelists said.

    Defensive drones

    Such adaptation includes authorizing the use of new technologies some of which are already used by adversaries, such as UAVs that carry weapons.

    Colonel Ismael Andrés, Deputy Director of Uruguay’s National System of Peacekeeping Operations, recalled that major UN missions operating today were initially authorised to only use UAVs for surveillance and intelligence gathering. That must change, her argued.

    “We need to get Security Council authorisation for the use of drones for self-defence as well,” he added, emphasising new threats to peacekeeping linked to UAVs.

    Shamala Kandiah Thompson, executive director of Security Council Report, an independent think tank, said regular briefings to the Security Council on the challenges faced by operational missions and the availability of peacekeeping models – a sort of menu of options to fit different situations – could speed up decision making and make peacekeeping more effective.

    “There are undoubtedly geopolitical tensions that influence decision making in the Security Council, but more informal briefings and engagement could help the Council response better to realities on the ground,” she said.

    Cost-effective solutions

    The UN’s peacekeeping missions combine unique capabilities and capacities honed through decades of lessons learned from UN operations around the globe.

    Over their long history, UN peacekeeping missions have created space for political dialogue between parties to a conflict, facilitated and acted as guarantors of peace agreements, fostered regional stability by containing the spread of violence, protected civilians, built sustainable institutions of rule of law and worked with host countries to help rebuild governance structures.

    “Many studies have shown that UN peacekeeping is a very cost-effective tool to stop armed conflicts and maintain peace, particularly when complex, multidimensional missions are involved,” said El-Ghassim Wane, lead author of a study on the future of peacekeeping, commissioned by the UN Department of Peace Operations.

    “As a case in point, see what happened in countries like Haiti and Sudan after the pull out of UN peacekeeping forces.”

    Sharing ideas and adapting new models

    The global forum, co-hosted by the governments of Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Netherlands and the United States, aimed to bring together Member States and other stakeholders in advance of the ministerial meeting in Germany to share ideas and propose courses of action for adapting new models, structures, processes and responsibilities.

    The gathering also aimed to identify resources and Member State capabilities to ensure that UN peacekeeping can respond to evolving multidimensional challenges and remain fit for purpose.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Agriculture Recovery Center to Open Friday in Ashe County

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Agriculture Recovery Center to Open Friday in Ashe County

    Agriculture Recovery Center to Open Friday in Ashe County

    HICKORY, N.C. – A one-day Agriculture Recovery Center will operate in Ashe County Friday at Wilkes Community College-Ashe Campus (Kent Poe Hall) to help farmers recover from Tropical Storm Helene.Two other centers will operate this week in Avery and Yancey counties. All centers are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.These walk-through events will provide information on addressing agricultural or rural needs that are not covered by standard programs offered by FEMA or the state and offer opportunities for farmers, ranchers, nursery owners, vineyards, honeybee growers and fish producers to meet with agricultural officials to learn about specific assistance available as they recover.  The centers have representatives from FEMA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, North Carolina Department of Commerce and Natural Resources, U.S. Small Business Administration, local Farm Service Agency offices and other government agencies.  Farmers are asked to bring documentation of ownership, photos of damaged or lost tools and equipment, along with estimated replacement costs to expedite an application.  For more information: Help for Self-Employed.The schedule: Feb. 5Avery County:Avery Cooperative Extension Office661 Vale Rd.Newland, NC  28657 Feb. 6Yancey CountyYancey County Senior Center503 Medical Campus Dr.Burnsville, NC 28714 Feb. 7Ashe CountyWilkes Community College-Ashe Campus (Kent Poe Hall)363 Campus Dr.West Jefferson, NC 28694
    joseph.arbid
    Fri, 02/07/2025 – 13:38

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PSA: Earvin “Magic” Johnson warns Los Angeles fire victims about property predators

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 7, 2025

    LOS ANGELES — Governor Gavin Newsom, LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman, Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, and NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson have teamed up through LA Rises to release a new PSA warning fire victims about predatory real estate speculators, and highlighting protections under the Governor’s recent executive order. The order bans unsolicited, undervalued offers for three months in fire-affected communities to prevent opportunistic investors from exploiting families in crisis.

    “Too many of you are getting hit up out of the blue by people making unasked-for, lowball offers on your property. You do not need to take these offers. This is your land, and you know what it’s worth.” 

    “Those kinds of offers are currently illegal, because of Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order – and if you get one, you can report it to law enforcement agencies, like the LA District Attorney or the California Attorney General.”

    Earvin “Magic” Johnson

    The PSA, which can be downloaded here for TV networks to air statewide, features Magic Johnson urging homeowners to beware of predatory investors and know their rights under the Governor’s new order. In the video, Johnson emphasizes the importance of protecting communities from displacement and ensuring families receive fair treatment as they navigate the recovery process.

    LA Rises, a unified recovery initiative co-chaired by Johnson, brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles. The initiative also supports unified communication efforts to arm Angelenos with up-to-date, factual information, timelines for rebuilding, and available resources. 

    Governor’s order tackles predators

    The Governor’s executive order, issued earlier this month, bars opportunist and predatory investors from making unsolicited undervalue offers to those impacted by the firestorms to buy their land, taking advantage by offering fast cash for destroyed property. Specifically it:

    ✅ Makes unsolicited, undervalued offers to buy property unlawful for three months in fire-affected zip codes.
    ✅ Directs the Department of Real Estate and other agencies to provide public resources on homeowners’ rights and enforcement measures.
    ✅ Enables prosecution of violators by the Attorney General and local district attorneys.

    Report low-ball offers

    California law makes it a misdemeanor to violate a Governor’s order during a state of emergency, which can be prosecuted by the Attorney General or local district attorneys. To protect yourself and others from real estate speculation, contact your law enforcement agencies:

    California Attorney General’s Office:
    Violations can be reported at oag.ca.gov/report
    Phone: (800) 952-5225

    LA District Attorney’s Office: 
    Phone: (800) 380-3811 

    To submit a complaint, visit the California Department of Real Estate’s LA WildFire Updates page 

    Californians can go to CA.gov/LAfires – a hub for information and resources from state, local and federal government.

    Governor Newsom has issued a number of executive orders in response to the Los Angeles firestorms to help aid in rebuilding and recovery, create more temporary housing, and protect survivors from exploitation and price gouging. 

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 7, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery for Los Angeles his top priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors.  LOS ANGELES – In the one month following the Los Angeles firestorms, Governor Gavin…

    Feb 6, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom signed an executive order to launch key initiatives to continue adapting to future extreme firestorm events in urban communities and leading the way to build a more resilient state. Sacramento, California – Adding to…

    Feb 6, 2025

    News What you need to know: Building on yesterday’s positive meetings on Capitol Hill and with President Trump, Governor Newsom continued his bipartisan outreach in meetings with House and Senate leadership that focused on securing critical disaster aid for the…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: One month since LA firestorms: here are all the actions Governor Newsom has taken to support survivors

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 7, 2025

    What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery for Los Angeles his top priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors. 

    LOS ANGELES – In the one month following the Los Angeles firestorms, Governor Gavin Newsom has directed an aggressive and coordinated whole-of-government response to support those impacted. 

    The Governor deployed resources before the fires broke out – growing to over 16,000 boots on the ground at the peak of the state’s response. And in the hours that followed, Governor Newsom launched historic recovery and rebuilding efforts to help Los Angeles get back on its feet, faster. 

    Since the day these firestorms ignited, my Administration has been on the ground working to get survivors the support they need. Our goal is simple: a full recovery for the people of Los Angeles as fast as possible. We’re working closely with communities and the federal government to rebuild Los Angeles faster and stronger.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    By the numbers

    Launched historic recovery and rebuilding efforts — faster than ever before

    • Cutting red tape to help rebuild Los Angeles faster and stronger. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding of homes and businesses destroyed — suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act. The Governor also issued an executive order further cutting red tape by reiterating that permitting requirements under the California Coastal Act are suspended for rebuilding efforts and directing the Coastal Commission not to issue guidance or take any action that interferes with or conflicts with the Governor’s executive orders. The Governor also issued an executive order removing bureaucratic barriers, extending deadlines, and providing critical regulatory relief to help fire survivors rebuild, access essential services, and recover more quickly.
    • Providing tax and mortgage relief to those impacted by the fires. California postponed the individual tax filing deadline to October 15 for Los Angeles County taxpayers. Additionally, the state extended the January 31, 2025, sales and use tax filing deadline for Los Angeles County taxpayers until April 30 — providing critical tax relief for businesses. Governor Newsom suspended penalties and interest on late property tax payments for a year, effectively extending the state property tax deadline. The Governor also worked with state– and federally-chartered banks that have committed to providing mortgage relief for survivors in certain zip codes.
    • Fast-tracking temporary housing and protecting tenants. To help provide necessary shelter for those immediately impacted by the firestorms, the Governor issued an executive order to make it easier to streamline construction of accessory dwelling units, allow for more temporary trailers and other housing, and suspend fees for mobile home parks. Governor Newsom also issued an executive order that prohibits landlords in Los Angeles County from evicting tenants for sharing their rental with survivors displaced by the Los Angeles-area firestorms.
    • Mobilizing debris removal and cleanup. With an eye toward recovery, the Governor directed fast action on debris removal work and mitigating the potential for mudslides and flooding in areas burned. He also signed an executive order to allow expert federal hazmat crews to start cleaning up properties as a key step in getting people back to their properties safely. The Governor also issued an executive order to help mitigate risk of mudslides and flooding and protect communities by hastening efforts to remove debris, bolster flood defenses, and stabilize hillsides in affected areas. 
    • Safeguarding survivors from price gouging. Governor Newsom expanded restrictions to protect survivors from illegal price hikes on rent, hotel and motel costs, and building materials or construction. Report violations to the Office of the Attorney General here.
    • Directing immediate state relief. The Governor signed legislation providing over $2.5 billion to immediately support ongoing emergency response efforts and to jumpstart recovery efforts for Los Angeles. California quickly launched CA.gov/LAfires as a single hub of information and resources to support those impacted and bolsters in-person Disaster Recovery Centers. The Governor also launched LA Rises, a unified recovery initiative that brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts. Governor Newsom announced that individuals and families directly impacted by the recent fires living in certain zip codes may be eligible to receive Disaster CalFresh food benefits.
    • Getting kids back in the classroom. Governor Newsom signed an executive order to quickly assist displaced students in the Los Angeles area and bolster schools affected by the firestorms.
    • Protecting victims from real estate speculators. The Governor issued an executive order to protect firestorm victims from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase their property.
    • Helping businesses and workers get back on their feet. The Governor issued an executive order to support small businesses and workers, by providing relief to help businesses recover quickly by deferring annual licensing fees and waiving other requirements that may impose barriers to recovery.

    Partnered with the federal government – across both administrations – to boost California’s rapid response

    • At the Governor’s request, President Biden approved a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to support ongoing response efforts. The Major Disaster Declaration has been expanded to support communities with repairs or replacement of firestorm-damaged public facilities and infrastructure. 
    • In a cell phone call from the firestorm, Governor Newsom requested from President Biden additional federal assistance to cover 100% of California’s fire management and debris removal costs for 180 days, up from the traditional 75%.
    • Governor Newsom traveled to Washington, DC to meet with President Trump and members of Congress — focusing on securing critical disaster aid for survivors and ensuring impacted families who lost their homes and livelihoods have the support they need to rebuild and recover.

    Deployed unprecedented firefighting and first responder force – including early pre-positioning before the fire

    • At the peak of the state’s response, Governor Newsom deployed over 16,000 personnel, including firefighters, California National Guard service members, highway patrol officers and transportation teams. These efforts are supported by the biggest state investment in fire response in history — nearly doubled since the beginning of the administration. Response efforts include more than 2,000 pieces of firefighting equipment, including 1,490+ engines, 80+ aircraft, 200+ dozers and 210+ water tenders to aid in putting out the fires. The Governor deployed a surge of California Highway Patrol Special Response Teams to provide ongoing law enforcement capacity to further protect fire damaged communities in Los Angeles.
    • Governor Newsom ordered the activation of more than 2,500 California National Guard service members to augment firefighting operations and support local law enforcement to protect communities from looting. The Governor’s National Guard activation started with his emergency proclamation on Tuesday, January 7 with over 600 service members deployed. The Governor doubled the number of those deployed on January 11, and increased that by 1,000 the next day to a total of 2,500. Also strengthening public safety efforts, the Governor signed an executive order directing state agencies to support local law enforcement partners as they lift evacuation orders.   

    Find the Governor’s actions by day here.

    Featured, Press Releases

    Recent news

    Feb 6, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom signed an executive order to launch key initiatives to continue adapting to future extreme firestorm events in urban communities and leading the way to build a more resilient state. Sacramento, California – Adding to…

    Feb 6, 2025

    News What you need to know: Building on yesterday’s positive meetings on Capitol Hill and with President Trump, Governor Newsom continued his bipartisan outreach in meetings with House and Senate leadership that focused on securing critical disaster aid for the…

    Feb 6, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom today announced he will issue an executive order to harden communities from wind-propelled wildfires that turn into urban firestorms.  Washington, D.C. — After meeting with key state and federal leaders on recovery…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kalispell man sentenced to prison for possessing stolen firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MISSOULA — A Kalispell man who admitted to possessing a stolen gun was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    The defendant, Joseph Christopher Steele, 24, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to possession of a stolen firearm.

    U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.

    In court documents, the government alleged that in December 2022, a man, identified as John Doe, filed a report with the Kalispell Police Department that his firearm safe containing a .45-caliber pistol and two magazines, along with the title to his pickup truck, had been stolen from his vehicle. Five days later, while investigating an unrelated incident, police officers found Doe’s stolen pickup title in a Subaru that also had been reported stolen. While being interviewed about the Subaru, Steele admitted he had been driving the vehicle but denied knowing it was stolen. Doe’s pickup title was not discussed. In January 2024, Whitefish Police Department officers executed a search warrant on Steele’s residence to locate evidence related to a stolen cell phone. Steele was on state probation at the time. During the search, officers located a pistol in a gun case with two magazines. Based on the gun’s serial number, officers determined the pistol was the firearm Doe had reported stolen.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Kalispell and Whitefish police departments and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: El Salvador: Ratification of the constitutional reform deepens the risk of human rights abuses

    Source: Amnesty International –

    The consolidation in El Salvador of a form of executive power without checks and balances is advancing rapidly. Ratification of the amendment of Article 248 of the country’s Constitution on 29 January 2025 constitutes a serious threat to the protection of human rights by drastically reducing space for debate and civic engagement in decisions of fundamental importance for the country. In this regard, Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, stated:

    “Ratification of this constitutional reform poses a worrying risk of further erosion of human rights in El Salvador. By removing the requirement for constitutional amendments to be approved by two separate legislative assemblies, the ruling party guarantees a fast-track path to constitutional change without due deliberation processes or public participation. In a context where the independence of the judiciary and the right to a fair trial have been systematically eroded, this measure could pave the way for the implementation of reforms that further undermine the human rights of the population.”

    “Ratification of this constitutional reform poses a worrying risk of further erosion of human rights in El Salvador. (…) In a context where the independence of the judiciary and the right to a fair trial have been systematically eroded, this measure could pave the way for the implementation of reforms that further undermine the human rights of the population”

    -Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

    From May 2021, with its absolute control over the legislative branch of government, the ruling party has pushed through legal reforms that have weakened access to justice, removed accountability mechanisms and suspended human rights for over 1000 days, such as the right to a fair trial and other guarantees of due process, under a state of emergency that included disproportionate measures and a series of criminal reforms that have resulted in the arbitrary detention of more than 84 000 persons.

    The removal of the requirement of two legislatures to reform the Constitution excludes the population from key processes in the formulation of the country’s legal framework and other measures that affect them. This amendment opens the way for future reforms that could continue to violate human rights and facilitates structural changes that could perpetuate impunity.

    “Constitutional reform must be based on broad consensus and guarantee control mechanisms that allow the people to exercise their right to meaningful participation in public affairs. This reform creates the conditions for future amendments to respond only to the interests of those in power, without a rigorous and broad debate and without any consideration for the rights of the population,” added Piquer.

    “Constitutional reform must be based on broad consensus and guarantee control mechanisms that allow the people to exercise their right to meaningful participation in public affairs. This reform creates the conditions for future amendments to respond only to the interests of those in power, without a rigorous and broad debate and without any consideration for the rights of the population”

    -Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

    In view of this scenario, it is crucial that the international community continues to monitor the situation in El Salvador and demands that the Salvadoran state refrain from taking any measures that could jeopardize the human rights of the population or undermine the institutions that are responsible for guaranteeing and protecting these rights.

    See also: El Salvador: Constitution “à la carte” could deepen human rights crisis in coming years.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Sudan: Civilians at imminent risk of ‘deadly reprisals’ as forces escalate fighting in Khartoum

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Target lists reported to be circulating with activists, human rights and medical workers’ names on them

    All parties must stop attacking civilians and civilian areas

    ‘Leadership of both sides must immediately and publicly order their troops and allies not to commit reprisals, and to allow safe passage for civilians to leave’ – Tigere Chagutah

    Amnesty International has received reports of lists of potential targets indicating that civilian activists, human rights defenders, medical workers and humanitarian workers are at imminent risk of deadly reprisals as the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces escalate their fighting in Khartoum.

    A Sudanese Armed Forces offensive has pushed the Rapid Support Forces out of some parts of Khartoum, Khartoum Bahri and Omdurman – the three cities where most people in Sudan’s Khartoum state live.

    Residents of Khartoum state fear retaliation following mass reprisals in the Gezira state capital Wad Madani by the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied forces after their capture of the city from the Rapid Support Forces in early January.

    The Rapid Support Forces must also stop targeting civilians and civilian areas. On 1 February it bombed a market in Omdurman, killing 54 people, according to the Ministry of Health and the Secretary General of Médecins Sans Frontières, who was there at the time.

    Targeting civilians and human rights defenders

    On 31 January, the UN Human Rights Office reported that at least 18 people, including one woman, were killed in incidents attributed to Sudanese Armed Forces-affiliated fighters and militia since Sudanese Armed Forces regained control of parts of Khartoum Bahri in late January and early February.

    Members of local Emergency Response Rooms, which are part of a nationwide network of youth humanitarian volunteers, told Amnesty that they were worried for the safety of their members given the recent pattern of violence against civilians and the inclusion of some of their members in some of the circulated lists. 

    Amnesty also received worrying reports of lists being circulated of people to be targeted as alleged “partners of the Rapid Support Forces”. The lists include the names of politicians, activists, medical workers, public prosecutors and members of protest groups.

    Although Amnesty is still working to verify the authenticity of the lists, given the fast-moving situation and repeated past violations by Sudanese Armed Forces and allied forces after gaining ground over the Rapid Support Forces, the organisation reiterates that all sides must not target civilians.

    All parties to the conflict must not carry out reprisals on civilians or prisoners of war and must cease targeting civilians and civilian areas with airstrikes or shelling.

    Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said:

    “Again and again in Sudan’s ongoing war, when the frontlines change, civilians have faced brutal reprisal attacks. This has included summary executions of accused collaborators by whichever side gains the upper hand.

    “In Khartoum state, Sudanese Armed Forces, Rapid Support Forces, and their allies must protect civilians. Leadership of both sides must immediately and publicly order their troops and allies not to commit reprisals, and to allow safe passage for civilians to leave.

    “Sudan’s international and regional partners including the UN, African Union and others must apply pressure to ensure the two sides respect the rights of civilians and prisoners of war.

    “We have seen in the past how the Sudanese Armed Forces and their allied militia have killed or arrested anyone labeled as Rapid Support Forces collaborators, including small business owners or volunteers in humanitarian Emergency Response Rooms and other activists and civilians. These deadly reprisals must not take place again as Sudanese Armed Forces advances in Khartoum state.

    “Conflating medical workers, legal workers, politicians, political parties, civil society and humanitarians with members of an armed group is extremely dangerous. Sudanese Armed Forces and its allies must immediately order their troops not to conduct any reprisals against civilians, including human rights defenders, humanitarians and prisoners of war.

    “No matter who is in control of an area, civilians are the ones targeted, and the risk spikes whenever territory changes hands. As the frontlines rapidly shift throughout Khartoum state, both sides have an absolute legal obligation to protect civilians. The leadership of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces may be criminally responsible if they fail to ensure their troops and allies do not harm civilians.”

    Both sides must also cease targeting of civilians, civilian areas and infrastructure amid increased fighting and airstrikes in Darfur around the cities of El Fasher, Nyala and elsewhere.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Statement on President Trump’s Attempted Firing of Independent FEC Chair

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla Statement on President Trump’s Attempted Firing of Independent FEC Chair

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, issued the following statement after President Trump moved to fire Ellen Weintraub, the chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission:
    “President Trump’s illegal attempt to remove Chair Weintraub is a disturbing effort to sweep away any remaining limits on the dark money flooding our elections. This follows an election where billionaires spent unprecedented sums to exert their influence — including Elon Musk’s nearly $300 million, which has earned him free rein to dismantle federal agencies.
    “The FEC was created by Congress 50 years ago following Watergate, and now we are seeing a new golden age of corruption. The American people want an independent campaign finance watchdog like Chair Weintraub — not more big money from billionaires trying to dominate our elections.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Merkley, King, Heinrich Sound the Alarm Over National Parks Staffing Shortages Due to Trump’s Hiring Freeze

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Energy and Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee Ranking Member Angus King (I-ME), and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) urged newly confirmed U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to immediately take action to resolve looming staffing shortages at the National Park Service.

    The letter follows President Trump’s hiring freeze, his cancellation of thousands of job offers for seasonal National Park Service employees, and his buyout offers made without clear legal authority. These actions pave the way for a damaging loss of staff at national parks across the nation in the coming summer months and beyond.

    “Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether cancelled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable,” wrote the Senators.

    “We are also alarmed that the administration’s offer of deferred resignation and voluntary early retirement, made without clear legal authority, as well as open threats about future terminations will lead to a damaging loss of full-time staff at the National Park Service, which is already operating well below prior staffing levels despite significant increases in visitation,” the Senators continued. “As a result of onerous budget caps during the 2010s, the National Park Service lost 15% of its staff while park visitation also increased by 15%. If a significant number of National Park Service employees take one of the offers – or further terminations are made – park staffing will be in chaos.  Not only does this threaten the full suite of visitor services, but could close entire parks altogether.”

    The Senators concluded, “Americans showing up to national parks this summer and for years to come don’t deserve to have their vacations ruined by a completely preventable – and completely irresponsible – staffing shortage. And local economies don’t deserve to have their livelihoods destroyed for political gain. We urge your cooperation in protecting national parks for the enjoyment of everyone by ensuring National Park Service staffing meets the needs of the 433 national park units in all 50 states.”

    In addition to Murray, Merkley, King, and Heinrich, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff (D-GA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).

    Full text of the letter can be found by clicking HERE and follows below:

    Dear Secretary Burgum: 

    We urge you to immediately reissue seasonal employment offers for the National Park Service, officially rescind damaging and short-sighted deferred resignation and early retirement offers, and to instead work to safeguard, grow, and shape the National Park Service workforce to meet the needs of our national parks and their visitors.

    We are alarmed that the National Park Service revoked employment offers for seasonal staff for the upcoming summer season. Incoming seasonal staff – whose work is critical to managing the influx of visitors during the summer “peak season” – had offers in their hands that were yanked away just days after the inauguration.

    National Park Service rangers carry out a wide array of functions critical to protecting natural resources, keeping visitors safe, providing for recreation, and creating an inspiring and educational experience for visitors. National Park units experience a summer surge in visitation that peaks in July, and the Service hires more than 6,000 seasonal employees to manage that extra work. Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether cancelled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable. 

    We are also alarmed that the administration’s offer of deferred resignation and voluntary early retirement, made without clear legal authority, as well as open threats about future terminations will lead to a damaging loss of full-time staff at the National Park Service, which is already operating well below prior staffing levels despite significant increases in visitation. As a result of onerous budget caps during the 2010s, the National Park Service lost 15% of its staff while park visitation also increased by 15%. If a significant number of National Park Service employees take one of the offers – or further terminations are made – park staffing will be in chaos.  Not only does this threaten the full suite of visitor services, but could close entire parks altogether.

    Gutting staffing at national park units will devastate local “gateway” communities where parks generate significant economic activity – from hotels to restaurants to stores to outfitters. In 2023, an estimated 325 million park visitors spent an estimated $26.4 billion in local gateway regions, supporting an estimated 415,000 jobs and $55.6 billion in total economic output in the national economy.

    Americans showing up to national parks this summer and for years to come don’t deserve to have their vacations ruined by a completely preventable – and completely irresponsible – staffing shortage. And local economies don’t deserve to have their livelihoods destroyed for political gain. We urge your cooperation in protecting national parks for the enjoyment of everyone by ensuring National Park Service staffing meets the needs of the 433 national park units in all 50 states.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – EU-supported human rights violations against asylum seekers – E-002476/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The protection of human life and the respect for human rights and human dignity are fundamental principles of migration management, in line with obligations under EU and international law.

    In EU funded programmes, the Commission adopts a human rights-based approach, with human rights being considered in each phase of the project cycle.

    The Commission monitors EU funded programmes through several means, including regular reports from implementing partners, on the spot verifications, results oriented monitoring exercises and external evaluations.

    Furthermore, all contractual obligations include clauses, which entitle the Commission to suspend or terminate any contract if it has evidence that, or needs to verify whether, the beneficiary has breached any of its obligations. Respect of human rights is also reflected in the Commission’s dialogue with partner countries.

    The Commission, in close cooperation with the European External Action Service and EU Delegations, is currently reflecting on ways to further reinforce internal tools to strengthen the implementation of the human rights-based approach in all its interventions.

    In line with the President of the Commission political guidelines[1], the Commission will further reflect on new ways to counter irregular migration, while respecting international law and ensuring sustainable and fair solutions for the migrants themselves.

    Particular attention will be paid to the respect of fundamental rights, including the respect of the principle of non-refoulement.

    • [1] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Georgia’s law on ‘transparency of foreign influence’ and its compliance with EU law and fundamental values – E-002521/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU has been following the developments in Georgia, including the adoption of the law on ‘transparency of foreign influence’ and its entry into force, with great concern.

    As underlined in the June and October 2024 European Council conclusions[1], Georgia’s democratic backsliding — marked notably by the adoption of the law ‘on transparency of foreign influence’ — has led to de facto halting Georgia’s accession process.

    This was also highlighted in the 2024 Enlargement report[2], which calls on Georgia to recommit to the nine steps and to repeal problematic laws, including the one on ‘transparency of foreign influence’.

    The EU has reacted with concrete measures. Direct assistance to the authorities and assistance to the armed forces under the European Peace Facility assistance measure 2024 have been suspended and political contacts with the Georgian authorities have been downgraded.

    The Foreign Affairs Council of November 2024[3] confirmed that the measures remain in place until the Georgian authorities recommit to the EU path with concrete actions, including by repealing the law on ‘transparency of foreign influence’.

    Developments in Georgia were discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 December 2024[4] and on 27 January 2025[5]. Several new measures were discussed and are being implemented.

    • [1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/qa3lblga/euco-conclusions-27062024-en.pdf,
      https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/2pebccz2/20241017-euco-conclusions-en.pdf
    • [2] https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7b6ed47c-ecde-41a2-99ea-41683dc2d1bd_en?filename=Georgia%20Report%202024.pdf
    • [3] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/foreign-affairs-council-press-remarks-high-representative-josep-borrell-after-meeting-17_en
    • [4] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/fac/2024/12/16/
    • [5] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/fac/2025/01/27/
    Last updated: 7 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –