NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day for Federal Cares Act Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that NIPUN DESAI (“DESAI”), formerly of Hammond, La., but now a California resident, age 56, was sentenced to 12 months plus one day by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter for making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

    On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  The two primary sources of funding for small businesses were the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program.

    According to court records, on or about January 25, 2021, DESAI made false statements to an approved lender in order to obtain an SBA backed PPP loan in the amount of $146,947.50 for a hotel in Metairie, LA.  At the time of the loan application, DESAI’s hotel was permanently closed and had no employees or payroll.

    In addition to incarceration, which is to be divided between time in the Bureau of Prisons and home incarceration, DESAI was sentenced to 2 years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to repay the SBA approximately $234,000 and the Louisiana Workforce Commission $26,000.  He also paid a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 and a fine of $25,000.

    For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 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 at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response.  The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.  This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee’s Office (Region 5) in investigating this matter.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Browning, Montana, Man Found Guilty of Attempted Strangulation and Assault Charges on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

    Source: US FBI

    GREAT FALLS – A Browning man who assaulted a woman on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was found guilty today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Following a one-and-a-half-day trial, a federal jury found William Alvin Potts, 62, guilty of attempted strangulation and assault by striking, beating, or wounding. Potts faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for October 8, 2025. Potts will remain released on conditions pending further proceedings.

    The government alleged in court documents that on June 28, 2024, Potts physically assaulted Jane Doe. That morning a verbal argument escalated to name-calling. Potts then threw a chair to the side and grabbed Jane Doe by the neck. He pushed her backward while applying pressure to her throat and neck. Eventually he pushed her into the corner of the entry wall to the living room. Potts pushed her backward for approximately ten feet, at which point, their legs tangled, and Doe fell to the ground. Potts landed on top of Jane Doe and proceeded to physically strike her with his fists. A witness stopped the assault and physically pulled Potts off Jane Doe. Jane Doe experienced significant pain after the assault and sought treatment at the Browning Community Hospital. Doe suffered a spinal fracture and continues to experience pain.

    Potts was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to pushing Doe. He said he pushed her to make her go down the hall and they then both fell. He denied striking her.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.

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

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tax concessions on super need a rethink. These proposals would bring much needed reform

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Murphy, Visiting Fellow, Economics (modelling), Australian National University

    fizkes/Shutterstock

    The federal government has proposed an additional tax of 15% on the earnings made on super balances of over A$3 million, the so-called Division 296 tax. This has set off a highly politicised debate that has often shed more heat than light.

    Yet back in 2009, the wide-ranging Henry Review of the tax system cogently identified the three main problems with the super tax system and recommended reforms to fix them. The Henry Review recommendations, after some updating, are a better, more comprehensive solution than the controversial Division 296 tax.

    The three problems are:

    1. tax concessions for contributions are heavily skewed to high income earners

    2. with an ageing population, it is unsustainable to keep the retirement phase tax-free

    3. the system is so complex that most people do not fully understand it.

    It is critical to properly address these problems with how super is taxed because Australians now have a massive $4.1 trillion in superannuation savings.

    Let us look at the main Henry Review recommendations and then see how the proposed Division 296 tax stacks up. Unlike some super tax systems, our system does not tax super pension payments, so the two key issues are how we tax contributions and earnings.

    Tax concessions are skewed to high income earners

    Employers pay workers in two ways.

    First, they directly pay a cash salary that is taxed under a progressive income tax scale. The effective marginal tax rates, including the Medicare levy, rise in steps with income from 18% through to 32% (for the average wage earner), 39% and 47%.

    Second, employers pay a contribution on workers’ behalf into their superannuation fund. From July 1, under the superannuation guarantee charge (SGC), this contribution will rise to 12% of cash salary. The contribution is taxed at a flat 15% when it is made into a fund, regardless of what income tax bracket the worker is in.

    The way contributions are taxed is a massive concession for high income earners. They pay 47% tax on additional cash salary – but only 15% on their super contributions. In contrast, low income earners receive a tiny concession because the contributions tax rate of 15% is only just below their usual effective marginal tax rate of 18%.

    The Henry Review recommended that instead, everyone should receive the same rate of tax concession as the average wage earner. This is how that idea would work today.

    First, super contributions would be taxed in the hands of employees alongside their cash salary, rather than this tax being deducted by the super fund as is currently the case. Second, everyone would receive the same tax offset calculated as 17% of their contributions as their super tax concession.

    One side effect of this Henry recommendation is that the average wage earner would now be paying the 15% contributions tax out of their own pocket, instead of the super fund paying this tax on the member’s behalf.

    However, this loss of cash income can be avoided by tweaking the Henry recommendation.

    Under my modified recommendation, the superannuation guarantee rate would be reduced to 10%, employers would be encouraged to fully pass on their savings from this by increasing wages by 1.8%, and the tax offset rate would be lifted to 20%. These policy settings would maintain both cash incomes and super balances for the average wage earner.

    Pension mode should not be tax-free with an ageing population

    In accumulation mode, the current system taxes fund earnings at 15%, with a lower effective rate of 10% on capital gains. However, after you retire and your account changes from accumulation mode to pension mode, the tax on earnings stops and your pension benefits are also tax-free.

    The Henry Review recommended that earnings should continue to be taxed in pension mode in the same way as in accumulation mode. That way, retirees make a contribution to income tax revenue, which is important with an ageing population. A uniform earnings tax would also simplify what is an overly complex super tax system.

    The Henry Review also recommended the earnings tax rate be reduced to 7.5% because long-term saving through superannuation is desirable. However, that proposal is probably unaffordable today because of the budget deficit.

    The proposed change is just a patch-up job

    The proposed Division 296 tax further complicates the tax system by introducing a third tax treatment for earnings, whereas the Henry Review simplifies the system with a uniform earnings tax. The complexities of Division 296 can be seen from the 304-page explanatory memorandum.

    The new tax also raises less revenue than the Henry Review recommendations yet we are experiencing a structural budget deficit. The new tax is more open to avoidance than the Henry recommendations. The new tax also does nothing to address the problem that tax concessions for contributions are heavily skewed to high income earners.

    Taxing unrealised capital gains under the new tax may cause financial hardship for some retirees who are asset rich but income poor. The $3 million threshold for the new tax is not indexed, unlike all of the other super tax system thresholds.

    Overall, the proposed Division 296 tax is best seen as a rough attempt to counteract past policy errors that allowed excessive contributions into super.

    The federal government should first address the main problems with the super tax system by implementing the Henry Review recommendations, suitably updated. Then, a considerably reworked Division 296 tax could potentially play a useful supporting role.



    Read more:
    New taxes on super didn’t get much attention in the election campaign. But they could be tricky to implement

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

    – ref. Tax concessions on super need a rethink. These proposals would bring much needed reform – https://theconversation.com/tax-concessions-on-super-need-a-rethink-these-proposals-would-bring-much-needed-reform-257716

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is the private hospital system collapsing? Here’s what the sector’s financial instability means for you

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, The University of Melbourne

    lightpoet/Shutterstock

    Toowong Private Hospital in Brisbane is the latest hospital to succumb to financial pressures and will close its doors next week. The industry association attributes the psychiatric hospital’s closure to insufficient payments from and delayed funding negotiations with private insurers.

    Meanwhile, the future of Australia’s second-largest provide hospital provider, Healthscope, remains uncertain, after its parent company went into receivership last week.

    Healthscope’s 37 private hospitals are being kept afloat with a A$100 million loan and will continue to operate for now. But the hospitals will be sold to repay lenders, so their future depends on who buys and what the new owners decide to do.

    Across the board, private hospitals are struggling with soaring costs for staff and supplies, while private health insurance isn’t paying enough to cover these expenses.

    These underlying issues will not disappear magically. More private hospitals will face similar financial troubles and some will be forced to close. But we’re unlikely to see the collapse of the entire private sector.

    A mix of public and private

    Australia operates a unique public-private health-care mix, with around 700 public and 647 private hospitals.

    Public hospitals are largely government-owned and provide free care, funded by taxes. Private hospitals are owned and managed by private organisations, some of which are non-profit.

    The private health-care sector plays a large role in Australia, providing 41% of all hospitalisations, however 74% are same-day stays.

    Private hospitals are often smaller than public hospitals, without emergency departments, focusing on simpler, same-day care, and are more likely in cities. Some 83% of private hospitals are in metropolitan, 9% in regional centres and 8% in rural towns.

    In contrast, 27% of public hospitals are in the major cities, 57% in regional areas and 16% in remote areas.

    The role of private health insurance

    Access to private hospitals requires private health insurance.

    In 2022-23, the total A$21.5 billion was spent on private hospitals. Private health insurance covered about 45% ($9.7 billion), which comes from members’ premiums. Patients contributed 11% ($2.4 billion) in out-of-pocket costs.

    The government contributed a substantial 37% ($8 billion) mainly through Medicare. This is separate from the additional $8 billion the government provides annually as rebates to individuals for buying private health insurance.

    The majority of private hospitals are in metro areas.
    Ground Picture/Shutterstock

    A key issue is this rebate money doesn’t directly flow to private hospitals, leaving them vulnerable in negotiations with insurers, as we saw with Toowong Private Hospital.

    Evidence suggests these rebates might not be the most effective government investment. Experts, including me, have argued for direct funding into hospitals instead.

    So, as more private hospitals face troubles, what does this mean?

    Less choice and access for patients

    Patients will experience less choice and potentially harder access for specific types of care.

    In larger metropolitan areas with numerous private and public hospitals (including private wings in public hospitals), patients might switch to other private facilities or seek care as private patients in public hospitals.

    However, in smaller or rural areas with limited or no other private hospitals, choice diminishes significantly. In this case, you will need to reconsider whether you need to buy private health insurance.

    Currently, people earning over $97,000 (or families over $194,000 face an additional Medicare Levy Surcharge if they don’t hold private health insurance.

    This policy is not fair to those who have no access to private hospitals and should be changed.



    Read more:
    Who really benefits from private health insurance rebates? Not people who need cover the most

    While there might be slightly longer waits in the short-term for elective surgeries due to shifting patient loads, our analysis suggests this won’t be a major long-term problem. The primary constraint for wait times is often personnel, not facilities.

    If private hospitals close, doctors and nurses could potentially shift to public hospitals, helping to alleviate staffing shortages and reduce overall wait times.

    Impacts for the public system

    The impact on public emergency departments will be minimal, as most private hospitals lack them.

    Many private hospital admissions are same-day and for simpler procedures. So public hospitals and remaining private hospitals (that are not operating at full bed capacity) should be able to absorb this extra demand in the long run, if they can attract more staff previously employed (or even facilities) in the closing private hospitals.

    These hospitals will also receive additional revenue for these additional procedures.

    Public hospitals should be able to absorb the extra demand.
    Shutterstock

    Consequently, the effect on public hospital wait times for most conditions should not be substantial.

    However, some complex, long-stay, or specific mental health cases (such as those from Toowong) may be hard to absorb without additional supply of specialists and funding.

    What about health budgets?

    In areas where patients are absorbed into existing public hospital capacity or other private facilities, the direct impact on the health budget would be minimal.

    With more patients, the remaining private hospitals may gain more power to negotiate better funding contracts with insurance companies and achieve better supplier costs through economies of scale.

    In areas where private hospitals (or public hospitals offering private care) cease to be viable, and people drop their private health insurance cover to use public hospitals, the government would pay more directly into public hospitals. However, this increased cost would be partially offset by reduced expenditure on private health insurance rebates.

    Patients would also save money on premiums and out-of-pocket costs in private hospitals, though they would lose the choice of private care.

    Ultimately, where a private model isn’t financially sustainable, the government or taxpayers often end up bearing the cost anyway.

    Investing more directly in public hospitals in these areas, rather than relying on inefficient rebates, could be a more effective solution.



    Read more:
    Does private health insurance cut public hospital waiting lists? We found it barely makes a dent

    Yuting Zhang has received funding from the Australian Research Council (future fellowship project ID FT200100630), Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Victorian Department of Health, National Health and Medical Research Council and Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network. In the past, Professor Zhang has received funding from several US institutes including the US National Institutes of Health, Commonwealth fund, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She has not received funding from for-profit industry including the private health insurance industry.

    – ref. Is the private hospital system collapsing? Here’s what the sector’s financial instability means for you – https://theconversation.com/is-the-private-hospital-system-collapsing-heres-what-the-sectors-financial-instability-means-for-you-257886

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Newhouse Demands Accountability in Regional EPA Office

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

    Headline: Newhouse Demands Accountability in Regional EPA Office

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin requesting an investigation into communications between anti-agriculture activist organizations and federal civil service employees. 

    “I am writing today to request you investigate collaboration between environmental activist groups and career staff that has appeared to permeate throughout the Region 10 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office in Seattle, Washington,” Rep. Newhouse wrote. 

    “The purpose of the federal government is to provide Americans with essential services, including navigating the complex regulatory burden placed on farmers. This coordination is appalling and should be investigated; if career staff did in fact coordinate with activists to target farmers, then those staff are not worthy of a taxpayer-funded salary.” 

    Earlier this year, the Cow Palace dairy in Yakima County, Washington, closed its doors after years of litigation from the EPA. This follows the closure of Liberty Dairy, also in Yakima County, in the fall of 2024. 

    Dan Wood, Executive Director, Washington State Dairy Federation, said “We appreciate efforts by Rep. Newhouse to bring appropriate review of years-long suspect behavior by certain EPA staff. Activists, their attorneys, EPA staff, and DOJ staff have been coordinating together to drive animal agriculture out of business.  They have changed science reports, coordinated legal strategies, and hidden public documents. This sort of waste, fraud, and abuse needs to be brought to light and ended. Government at all levels must act with integrity, work within the bounds of laws for accountability, and refrain from carrying activist agendas.” 

    Ben Tindall, Executive Director, Save Family Farming, said “Washington state’s farmers have waited far too long for accountability from the EPA. While rogue officials in Region 10 have run unchecked, family farms and rural communities—especially in Central Washington—have suffered real and lasting harm. We are grateful to Congressman Newhouse for raising this issue directly to the top leadership in Washington DC. His efforts are an important step toward exposing and ending the abuse of power that has gone on for years behind closed doors.” 

    Read the full letter here. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta: Forced Reset Triggers Remain Illegal Under California Law

    Source: US State of California

    Monday, June 2, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a new law enforcement bulletin affirming that “forced reset triggers” (FRTs) remain illegal under California law. At a minimum, FRTs are “multiburst trigger activators” under California Penal Code section 16930, and California Penal Code section 32900 prohibits the possession, sale, offering for sale, manufacture, importation, giving, or lending of such devices. On May 13, 2025, the United States Department of Justice executed a settlement agreement with several plaintiffs to address ongoing federal litigation that contested the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) classification of FRTs as machine guns under the National Firearms Act of 1934. This settlement provides that the U.S. DOJ will stop regulating FRTs as machine guns under federal law and allow individual owners to request the return of FRTs that were seized by or voluntarily surrendered to the ATF, consistent with instructions to be provided by ATF. However, the U.S. DOJ’s settlement does not alter the fact that FRTs remain illegal under California law. 
     
    “No matter who oversees the federal government, California will remain the steadfast beacon of progress on gun safety that it has long been,” said Attorney General Bonta. “It is a devastating fact that in our nation, children and teens are more likely to die by gun violence than any illness or accident. California’s commonsense gun-safety laws save lives, and the prohibition of forced reset triggers is no exception. As firearms become faster, more powerful, and more deadly, the threat of these weapons being used for gun violence only increases. My office will continue to promote and defend gun-safety laws and fight to keep our communities safe.”
     
    An FRT is a device used in semiautomatic firearms that forcibly resets the trigger through operation of the firing cycle, enabling a quicker reset than a conventional spring-based trigger. A firearm that features an FRT allows the user to shoot at a higher rate compared to a standard trigger. The California Department of Justice has concluded that an FRT, at the very least, fits the definition of a multiburst trigger activator as outlined in Penal Code section 16930. As a result, an FRT cannot be owned, sold, offered for sale, manufactured, imported, given away, or lent in California according to Penal Code section 32900. Despite the U.S. DOJ’s settlement, California residents who possessed FRTs that have been voluntarily surrendered to or confiscated by the ATF should refrain from requesting their return under the terms of the settlement, and California dealers should not offer FRTs for sale.
     
    Should you have any questions, please contact the Bureau of Firearms, Customer Support Center at (916) 210-2300 or via email at Firearms.Bureau@doj.ca.gov. 
     
    A copy of the bulletin can be found here. 
     
     

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Fox News Op-Ed, Warren, Sheehy Announce Bipartisan Fight to Guarantee Military Right to Repair Its Equipment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    May 29, 2025

    “On both sides of the aisle, many of us agree that waste, fraud, and abuse are real problems in our government – and it’s worse when it threatens our military readiness. It’s time to show servicemembers we’ve got their backs and restore their right to fix their own equipment.”

    Op-Ed in Fox News Digital

    Washington, D.C. — In a Fox News op-ed, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) underscored how right to repair restrictions imposed by defense contractors hurt the military’s ability to respond to threats and bloat the national defense budget by blocking servicemembers from repairing weapons and equipment. The lawmakers called for every service of the military to follow Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s lead and ensure the military has the right to repair the equipment it owns. The senators also announced a new bipartisan bill to make the right to repair policies permanent. 

    As the lawmakers outline, repair restrictions buried in the fine print of contracts threaten military readiness, raise costs unpredictably, and limit competition for military contracting. Contractors’ monopolization of repairs means that, for some contracts, the repairs are more profitable than the original sale. By some estimates, giving the military the right to repair would save taxpayers billions. 

    “Our military can’t afford to wait 207 days to get a helicopter back online…Imagine how frustrating it would be to be in the field up against an enemy, suffer an equipment break down, and there would be nothing to do about it. We need to end these dangerous right to repair restrictions so that our military is always ready,” wrote the senators. 

    “On both sides of the aisle, many of us agree that waste, fraud, and abuse are real problems in our government – and it’s worse when it threatens our military readiness. It’s time to show servicemembers we’ve got their backs and restore their right to fix their own equipment,” the lawmakers concluded. 

    Ready the full op-ed here and below: 

    SENS WARREN, SHEEHY: Pentagon wastes billions with devastating repair rules. We’re working together to stop it.
    May 28, 2025 

    Our defense industrial base is stumbling. For years, the U.S. Department of Defense – under both Republicans and Democrats – failed to address one of the most fundamental issues within our military industrial complex, perverse incentives for contractors. But with the recently announced Army Transformation Initiative, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and General Randy George are taking a major step to stand up for soldiers and strengthen our military readiness. Driscoll’s plan will help end one source of waste, fraud, and abuse. Every other military branch should follow their lead – and, if they do, they will have our bipartisan support. 

    The Department of Defense is the largest federal agency, consuming half the discretionary budget the federal government spends every year. In 2023, for example, DoD spent almost $450 billion on contracts. But buried down deep in the fine print, many of those contracts included restrictions that prevent our troops from fixing their own weapons and equipment.  

    That fine print means that every time something breaks, DoD must call the contractor, schedule a repair visit, and pay a hefty fee. For some contracts, the repairs are more profitable than the original sale – a dynamic that represents how years of broken bureaucracy has slowed our acquisition process and driven costs higher and higher. 

    Our military buys a lot of gear – from tanks to helicopters to night vision goggles, and the process to buy that gear is longer and more complicated than ever. Even worse, because our service members often can’t make any repairs, they can be stuck waiting weeks or months, even for simple problems they could fix themselves with a little know-how and a 3D printer. 

    Driscoll has identified these problems in the Army, but right to repair restrictions have spread across the military. The Navy was forced to rely on flying contractors out to sea for maintenance. The Air Force is struggling to keep its planes ready for combat because of restrictions and companies that won’t even negotiate.  

    Every hour these servicemembers can’t fix their own weapons undermines their readiness to meet their assignments. Instead of working to help the military be ready for battle, these contractors are focused on squeezing out more revenue. 

    These restrictions lead to three critical problems: readiness, cost and lack of competition. 

    First, when contractors stop soldiers from fixing their own equipment, it threatens military readiness. All around the country, maintainers were struggling to keep the F-35 flying because Lockheed Martin won’t give them the data they need to fix damage to basic parts. When our military could fix a helicopter in Korea themselves, they saved 207 days and roughly $1.8 million. 

    Our military can’t afford to wait 207 days to get a helicopter back online. And, in the most extreme cases, our military can’t afford to have soldiers unable to repair equipment in the heat of battle, either because the contract has tied their hands or because they haven’t had the chance to learn how. 

    Imagine how frustrating it would be to be in the field up against an enemy, suffer an equipment breakdown, and there would be nothing to do about it. We need to end these dangerous right-to-repair restrictions so that our military is always ready.  

    Second, repair restrictions waste billions of dollars. If Boeing got the Pentagon to agree that only Boeing can repair equipment, what stops them from charging whatever they want for that fix? Suddenly a $0.16 clip costs $20, and the defense budget rises even higher. That is a terrible deal for the taxpayer.  

    By some estimates, giving the military the right to repair would save us billions. But more importantly, it would reinvigorate the operational resilience of our forward-deployed elements and allow them to self-sustain. 

    And third, letting a contractor monopolize repairs doesn’t just hurt taxpayers, it hurts small businesses that otherwise could compete for the repair work, depressing competition and thinning out our industrial base. Why would a small business start manufacturing a safety clip when the military is forced to go to its larger competitor to buy it? 

    And equally alarmingly, if that big contractor decided one day to stop producing the part, the military would be out of luck because the contractor had the only game in town. To be sure, the military created this monopolistic environment, incentivizing consolidation through decades of bureaucratic process. Now they are reaping the whirlwind. We need a more diverse array of contractors who can bring free market competition to our defense space, driving costs down and efficiencies up. 

    Until now, the military has enabled a broken status quo, handing over billions of dollars and hoping that there is no emergency when the equipment they need is sidelined. Meanwhile, over 70% of voters support giving the military the right to repair their own equipment. But Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll showed real leadership. He stood up to a broken bureaucracy and announced that every new Army contract would explicitly guarantee the right of the Army to fix its own equipment. That’s a big deal.  

    The new Army policy is a breakthrough in our fight to empower soldiers, but unless every single military service follows his lead, taxpayers will keep getting ripped off. And, because this is a directive from the secretary, a subsequent secretary could go back to the way things were before. 

    But we have a plan to solve that problem. In the coming weeks, we will be introducing a bipartisan bill that would make changes to right to repair permanent. With a single change in the law, we can boost military readiness and cut costs by allowing servicemembers to repair their own equipment.  

    On both sides of the aisle, many of us agree that waste, fraud and abuse are real problems in our government – and it’s worse when it threatens our military readiness. It’s time to show servicemembers we’ve got their backs and restore their right to fix their own equipment. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Speaks About Trump’s Attack on Green Jobs at Energy Action Network (EAN) and EAN Climate Workforce Coalition Forum

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WINOOSKI, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, joined a forum hosted by the Energy Action Network (EAN) and the EAN Climate Workforce Coalition on how Congressional policy and budget decisions may impact Vermont’s energy transformation and climate action initiatives, including Vermont’s climate workforce. 
    “President Trump has put Big Oil first, and his attacks on green jobs prove it. He and his administration are walking back our global climate goals, gutting tax credits that help folks make energy efficiency home upgrades, and slashing green jobs and climate research. Vermonters have made their opposition to Trump’s actions clear—I’ve heard from hundreds of folks across our state who are deeply concerned about how Republicans’ budget will raise costs for families, businesses, and farmers,” said Senator Welch. “I’ll continue to join Senate Democrats in standing up to these attacks and fighting for a clean energy future.” 
    Republicans’ reconciliation bill will repeal clean energy programs established through the historic Inflation Reduction Act and raise energy costs for American households and businesses. It will eliminate jobs in manufacturing, clean technologies, and budding industries, and has already sown economic uncertainty throughout the energy sector. 
    The legislation advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives would effectively repeal many of the clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act while expanding fossil fuel production and subsidies. Specifically, the bill: 

    Rescinds unspent funding for clean energy grant programs in the Inflation Reduction Act;  
    Eliminates or effectively eliminates most clean energy tax credits including: 

    Electric Vehicles Tax Credit for new and used vehicles;  
    Energy Efficiency Home Improvement Tax Credit; 
    Clean Electricity Investment and Production Tax Credits; 
    Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit; and 

    Mandates oil and gas leases on public lands and allows Big Oil companies to pay the government to fast-track environmental reviews. 

    All told, Republicans’ plans will have drastic consequences for the economy. Studies predict that repealing the Inflation Reduction Act will eliminate 790,000 jobs, increase energy costs for American consumers by $32 billion between 2025-35, and shrink the U.S. economy by $190 billion in 2035. President Trump’s policies have already killed $14 billion in clean energy investments and 10,000 new energy jobs since he took office. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alford Requests Report Reviewing Biden Administration’s Use of Race-Based Criteria in Relief for Farmers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)

    Following groundbreaking investigative reporting from NewsNation, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the USDA’s Inspector General (IG), and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting a report within 90 days on the Biden Administration’s continued use of race-based, DEI criteria in loan relief programs for farmers, even after a federal court ruled it unconstitutional.

    Read the full letter here or below:

    “Dear Secretary Rollins, Comptroller General Dodaro, and Inspector General Sorensen,

    “I am writing to urgently request a review of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs authorized by the Biden Administration. As first reported by NewsNation, socially disadvantaged farmers were provided additional loan relief in Section 1005 of the American Rescue Act. Picking winners and losers within American Agriculture is a disservice to both consumers and producers and deserves immediate attention. Simply put, this is racial discrimination.

    “Specifically, Section 1005 provides funding for the USDA to pay off outstanding farm loan debts of up to 120 percent for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. As defined in Section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture Conservation and Trade Act of 1990, ‘socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher’ means a farmer or rancher who is a member of a socially disadvantaged group, essentially ensuring white farmers could not receive loan forgiveness.

    “As a result, several Caucasian farmers sued in federal court alleging that this provision was race-based and unconstitutional. Even though the federal court judge agreed that constitutional harm was found, the Biden Administration’s USDA did not cease their wrongful and racial distribution of assistance. In fact, the administration turned toward the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to continue offering assistance specifically for farmers with socially disadvantaged status. This is outrageous and any program based on race is inherently unconstitutional, racist, and wrong. Our nation’s farmers work sunup to sundown to feed, fuel and clothe the world, regardless of the color of their skin, and none of them deserve this type of discrimination.

    “I am proud of the steps President Trump and his administration have taken and continue to take to eliminate DEI from our government. Which is why it is of the upmost importance we investigate these programs and their implications on American farmers. I implore you to complete a report outlining the scope of socially disadvantaged farmer programs under the Biden administration, their geographical reach, and their financial impact within 90 days.

    It is essential that this egregious overreach never occurs again. Our farmers and ranchers should be empowered as the backbone of America.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Presidential Message on Global Coptic Day, 2025

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    class=”has-text-align-left”>Today, I join the Coptic Orthodox Christian community in observing Global Coptic Day—a celebration of the ancient heritage, rich culture, and reverent worship of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
    Tracing its roots to Saint Mark, the apostle of Jesus Christ and Evangelist who brought the Christian faith to Egypt in the first century, the Coptic Church has been a beacon of Christendom in Africa for nearly 2,000 years.  The Coptic community has left an indelible mark on the hearts of millions of Christians—most evidently seen in their timeless contributions to Christian theology and culture.
    This Global Coptic Day, we also pause to reflect upon the vicious and ongoing persecution of Coptic Orthodox Christians in Africa and across the Middle East.  In 2015, 21 Coptic construction workers were brutally executed by ISIS terrorists in Libya.  Like persecuted Christians all around the world, these heroic martyrs refused to renounce their faith—They exemplified their sacrificial love and steadfast devotion to God, even in the face of certain death.  The Copts’ persistence amid relentless persecution is a living testament to their unbreakable resolve and fearless dedication to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
    As we remember the extraordinary contributions and tragic martyrdoms of Coptic Orthodox Christians, my Administration renews its commitment to vigorously defending the right to religious liberty, a bedrock of the American way of life.  I was honored to recently establish the Religious Liberty Commission, a team of religious leaders tasked with ensuring that Americans can freely practice their faith without government interference.  I also signed an Executive Order to eradicate the pervasive anti-Christian bias sweeping across our Nation—correcting the unjust abuses, investigations, and persecutions of faithful Christians that occurred under the previous administration.
    As our Nation celebrates Global Coptic Day, we pray for an increased love of God and a rebirth of religious faith both in the United States and around the world.  Today and every day, may the treasured traditions of the Coptic Orthodox Christian community serve as a light for all Americans—and may their unwavering devotion to Christ inspire our Nation to renew our love, faith, and trust in Almighty God.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Grassley introduce AI Whistleblower Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Whistleblower Protection Act, which provides explicit whistleblower protections to those developing and deploying AI. Currently, AI companies’ restrictive severance and nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) create a chilling effect on current and former employees looking to make whistleblower disclosures to the federal government, including Congress.  

    The legislation establishes employment protections for current and former AI employees who make disclosures of violations of law or of failures to respond to substantial dangers that AI may pose to public safety, public health, or national security. This includes relief for AI whistleblowers who suffer retaliation, including applicable reinstatement, back pay, and compensation for damages incurred.  The bill would reinforce other efforts that Senator Coons has led, including the bipartisan Platform Accountability and Transparency Act, to provide regulators, independent researchers, and the public important information about the dangers of technology that are currently known only to tech companies.

    “AI is rapidly evolving in ways that have the potential to radically reshape our society and transform our world for the better and for the worse,” said Senator Coons. “I have long been concerned with how much more tech companies know about the risks and harms of their products compared with regulators, independent researchers, and the public. The AI Whistleblower Protection Act is a critical tool, among others, that Congress must enact to ensure that we can get the best out of AI while also learning when it poses a substantial danger to public safety.”

    “Transparency brings accountability. Today, too many people working in AI feel they’re unable to speak up when they see something wrong. Whistleblowers are one of the best ways to ensure Congress keeps pace as the AI industry rapidly develops. We need to act to make these protections crystal clear. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to increase accountability and protect AI whistleblowers,” said Senator Grassley.

    Additional co-sponsors include Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) are introducing companion legislation in the House of Representatives.  

    The legislation is endorsed by the National Whistleblower Center, Government Accountability Project, Center for AI Policy, Encode AI, Americans for Responsible Innovation, and The Anti-Fraud Coalition.

    “The introduction of the [AI Whistleblower Protection Act] answers the call for AI industry employee whistleblower protections that will serve to protect the public, marking a turning point in guaranteeing transparency and accountability over AI companies,” said Stephen Kohn, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of the National Whistleblower Center. “National Whistleblower Center extends its sincere appreciation to [Senator Grassley], and [his] fellow sponsors and cosponsors, for championing this bill and taking a stand for all AI employees.”

    “In a time when AI technologies are advancing faster than many institutions can keep up, it’s absolutely vital that the federal government has access to accurate, truthful information about the dangers AI poses to public health and public safety,” said Jason Green-Lowe, Executive Director of the Center for AI Policy. 

    “[This] bill offers crucial protection for AI whistleblowers,” said Jacklyn DeMar, President & CEO of The Anti-Fraud Coalition. “Sector-based whistleblower protections are desperately needed to allow insiders within the AI industry to best protect investors and ensure proper safety protocols are implemented. Given the rapid development and adoption of AI throughout our society, insiders working within the industry need to be properly protected when they blow the whistle.”

    “As AI systems grow more powerful and autonomous, we must shield those who sound the alarm about emerging risks. The engineers and researchers closest to these systems are the first to spot dangerous vulnerabilities or safety gaps,” said Sunny Gandhi, Vice President of Political Affairs at Encode AI. “The AI Whistleblower Protection Act creates a vital safety valve for our AI ecosystem, ensuring that legitimate national security concerns reach regulators before they spiral into preventable harm.”

    “Ensuring transparency and accountability in the rapidly evolving field of AI is a public interest and national security imperative,” said Brad Carson, President of Americans for Responsible Innovation. “Employees in the industry have firsthand knowledge of practices that may jeopardize public safety and our national security. The AI Whistleblower Protection Act ensures they aren’t silenced by a fear of retaliation.”

    Senator Coons is a member and former Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Intellectual Property Subcommittee. He has led legislative efforts related to AI, focusing on American leadership in the sector, intellectual property, and potential threats associated with AI. 

    The text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Tribunal Continues Order—Thermoelectric Containers from China

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Ottawa, Ontario, June 2, 2025—The Canadian International Trade Tribunal today continued its order made on September 5, 2019, in expiry review RR‑2018‑004, concerning the dumping and subsidizing of certain thermoelectric containers originating in or exported from China.

    The Tribunal found that the expiry of the order was likely to result in injury. As such, the Tribunal continued its order. The Canada Border Services Agency will therefore continue to impose anti‑dumping and countervailing duties on these products.

    The Tribunal is an independent quasi-judicial body that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Finance. It hears cases on dumped and subsidized imports, safeguard complaints, complaints about federal government procurement and appeals of customs and excise tax rulings. When requested by the federal government, the Tribunal also provides advice on other economic, trade and tariff matters.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Receives Report on Independent Investigation Regarding Vehicle Use

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has received the final report of the independent investigation he commissioned regarding the use of state-owned motor vehicles assigned to the Office of the Governor. The investigation was conducted by Shipman & Goodwin LLP.

    “I asked for an investigation to be conducted by an independent firm because I believe the people of Connecticut deserve transparency and accountability from their government, and I remind my team every day that we need to lead by example,” Governor Lamont said. “To correct this issue and ensure better accountability, my office immediately adopted internal controls and policies around acceptable use of state vehicles and returned pooled vehicles to DAS.”

    Late last year around the same time that he commissioned the investigation, the governor mandated that all staff who use vehicles assigned to the office take a training course on the proper use of state-owned motor vehicles.

    Last month, a decision was made to return the two motor vehicles assigned to the office back to the fleet maintained by the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services. Accordingly, the Office of the Governor no longer has any motor vehicles assigned to it and staff are no longer using them.

    **Download: Final report of independent investigation conducted by Shipman & Goodwin LLP

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Reserve Board announces approval of application by Crown Agents Bank Limited

    Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

    Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

    Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock (
    Lock
    Locked padlock icon

    ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Woman Bound for Dubai Arrested at Airport and Indicted in Feeding Our Future Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    MINNEAPOLIS – The 71st defendant in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme has been indicted with two counts of wire fraud following her failed attempt to leave the country for Dubai, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, Hibo Daar, 50, owned and operated an entity called Northside Wellness Center. In 2020, Daar applied to use Northside Wellness Center as a food distribution site in the federal child nutrition program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Using Northside Wellness, Daar purportedly served thousands and thousands of meals to children from a small business park on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. At times, Daar completed and signed meal count forms on which she claimed to be serving 40,000 meals to children from the Northside Wellness site each week. Court documents explain that those meal counts were inflated, and that Daar used false invoices and false attendance rosters to bolster those inflated claims. Daar’s Northside Wellness site submitted over $2.4 million in reimbursement claims. A bank account Daar controlled received more than $1.7 million in taxpayer dollars from those claims. Financial records indicate that Daar used only a tiny portion of those dollars to purchase food and instead transferred most of that money to family, associates, and to herself. Court documents further describe that Daar paid $72,000 in bribes to a Feeding Our Future employee to ensure processing of Daar’s fraudulent reimbursement claims.

    Federal agents apprehended Daar at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this week before she could board a flight booked to Dubai. Daar is currently in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 30.

    “As we have said, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is not stopping.  We will continue to investigate and charge defendants who defrauded the government in the Feeding Our Future case—the largest COVID fraud scheme in the country and the single largest case charged in the history of this office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “Our work is not done.”

    “Fraud against the government takes money out of taxpayers’ pockets,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Criminals who exploit government programs for personal gain will face the full weight of justice. The FBI and our law enforcement partners condemn these actions and will continue to work to protect the public from these damaging schemes.”

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust Declares its Monthly Common Shares Distribution of $0.070 per Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust (the “Trust”) has declared its regular monthly distribution of $0.070 per share on the Trust’s common shares (NYSE: XFLT), payable on July 1, 2025, to common shareholders of record as of June 16, 2025, as noted below. The amount of the distribution represents a 9.09% decrease from the previous month’s distribution amount of $0.077 per share.

    The Trust’s investment objective is to seek attractive total return with an emphasis on income generation across multiple stages of the credit cycle. Due to recent market volatility, the loan and CLO asset classes have experienced drastic interest rate spread compression, which has negatively impacted asset class yields. In the most recent quarter, market conditions were marked by heightened volatility stemming from tariff developments and ongoing trade tensions. With the new distribution amount of $0.070 per share, the Trust’s annualized distribution rate on market price was 14.51% and the annualized distribution rate on NAV is 13.86% as of market close on May 30, 2025.

    The following dates apply to the declaration:

         
    Ex-Dividend Date   June 16, 2025
       
    Record Date   June 16, 2025
       
    Payable Date   July 1, 2025
       
    Amount   $0.070 per common share
       
    Change from Previous Month   9.09% decrease
         

    Common share distributions may be paid from net investment income (regular interest and dividends), capital gains and/or a return of capital. The specific tax characteristics of the distributions will be reported to the Trust’s common shareholders on Form 1099 after the end of the 2025 calendar year. Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Trust is net income or profit. For further information regarding the Trust’s distributions, please visit www.xainvestments.com.

    XFLT Q1 Webinar

    The Trust plans to host its Quarterly Webinar on June 4, 2025, at 12:00 pm (Eastern Time). Kevin Davis, Managing Director at XA Investments will moderate the Q&A style webinar with Kimberly Flynn, President at XA Investments, and Lauren Law, Senior Portfolio Manager at Octagon Credit Investors.

    TO JOIN VIA WEB: Please go to the Knowledge Bank section of xainvestments.com or click here to find the online registration link.

    TO USE YOUR TELEPHONE: After joining via web, if you prefer to use your phone for audio, you must select that option and call in using a number below, based on your current location.

    Dial: (312) 626-6799 or (646) 558-8656 or (267) 831-0333 or (213) 338-8477 or (720) 928-9299

    Webinar ID: 817 1030 7383

    REPLAY: A replay of the webinar will be available in the Knowledge Bank section of xainvestments.com.

    The Trust’s net investment income and capital gain can vary significantly over time; however, the Trust seeks to maintain more stable common share monthly distributions over time. The Trust’s investments in CLOs are subject to complex tax rules and the calculation of taxable income attributed to an investment in CLO subordinated notes can be dramatically different from the calculation of income for financial reporting purposes under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), and, as a result, there may be significant differences between the Trust’s GAAP income and its taxable income. The Trust’s final taxable income for the current fiscal year will not be known until the Trust’s tax returns are filed.

    As a registered investment company, the Trust is subject to a 4% excise tax that is imposed if the Trust does not distribute to common shareholders by the end of any calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gain or loss) for the calendar year and (ii) 98.2% of its capital gain in excess of its capital loss (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period generally ending on October 31 of the calendar year (unless an election is made to use the Trust’s fiscal year). In certain circumstances, the Trust may elect to retain income or capital gain to the extent that the Board of Trustees, in consultation with Trust management, determines it to be in the interest of shareholders to do so.

    The common share distributions paid by the Trust for any particular period may be more than the amount of net investment income from that period. As a result, all or a portion of a distribution may be a return of capital, which is in effect a partial return of the amount a common shareholder invested in the Trust, up to the amount of the common shareholder’s tax basis in their common shares, which would reduce such tax basis. Although a return of capital may not be taxable, it will generally increase the common shareholder’s potential gain, or reduce the common shareholder’s potential loss, on any subsequent sale or other disposition of common shares.

    The distribution shall be paid on the Payment Date unless the payment of such distribution is deferred by the Board of Trustees upon a determination that such deferral is required in order to comply with applicable law to ensure that the Trust remains solvent and able to pay its debts as they become due and continue as a going concern, or to comply with the applicable terms or financial covenants of the Trust’s senior securities.

    Future common share distributions will be made if and when declared by the Trust’s Board of Trustees, based on a consideration of a number of factors, including the Trust’s continued compliance with terms and financial covenants of its senior securities, the Trust’s net investment income, financial performance and available cash. There can be no assurance that the amount or timing of common share distributions in the future will be equal or similar to that described herein or that the Board of Trustees will not decide to suspend or discontinue the payment of common share distributions in the future.

    The investment objective of the Trust is to seek attractive total return with an emphasis on income generation across multiple stages of the credit cycle. The Trust seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a dynamically managed portfolio of opportunities primarily within the private credit markets. Under normal market conditions, the Trust will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in floating rate credit instruments and other structured credit investments. There can be no assurance that the Trust will achieve its investment objective.

    The Trust’s common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “XFLT,” and the Trust’s 6.50% Series 2026 Term Preferred Shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “XFLTPRA”.

    About XA Investments

    XA Investments LLC (“XAI”) serves as the Trust’s investment adviser. XAI is a Chicago-based firm founded by XMS Capital Partners in 2016. XAI serves as the investment adviser for two listed closed-end funds and an interval closed-end fund. The listed closed-end funds, the XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust and XAI Madison Equity Premium Income Fund both trade on the New York Stock Exchange and the interval fund, Octagon XAI CLO Income Fund is available via direct subscription and through select broker/dealers and wealth management platforms.

    In addition to investment advisory services, the firm also provides investment fund structuring and consulting services focused on registered closed-end funds to meet institutional client needs. XAI offers custom product build and consulting services, including development and market research, sales, marketing, fund management.

    XAI believes that the investing public can benefit from new vehicles to access a broad range of alternative investment strategies and managers. XAI provides individual investors with access to institutional-caliber alternative managers. For more information, please visit www.xainvestments.com.

    About XMS Capital Partners
    XMS Capital Partners, LLC, established in 2006, is a global, independent, financial services firm providing M&A, corporate advisory and asset management services to clients. It has offices in Chicago, Boston and London. For more information, please visit www.xmscapital.com.

    About Octagon Credit Investors
    Octagon Credit Investors, LLC (“Octagon”) serves as the Trust’s investment sub-adviser. Octagon is a 25+ year old, $32.1B below-investment grade corporate credit investment adviser focused on leveraged loan, high yield bond and structured credit (CLO debt and equity) investments. Through fundamental credit analysis and active portfolio management, Octagon’s investment team identifies attractive relative value opportunities across below-investment grade asset classes, sectors and issuers. Octagon’s investment philosophy and methodology encourage and rely upon dynamic internal communication to manage portfolio risk. Over its history, the firm has applied a disciplined, repeatable and scalable approach in its effort to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for its investors. For more information, please visit www.octagoncredit.com.

    XAI does not provide tax advice; please consult a professional tax advisor regarding your specific tax situation. Income may be subject to state and local taxes, as well as the federal alternative minimum tax.

    Investors should consider the investment objectives and policies, risk considerations, charges and expenses of the Trust carefully before investing. For more information on the Trust, please visit the Trust’s webpage at www.xainvestments.com.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction.

    NOT FDIC INSURED        NO BANK GUARANTEE    MAY LOSE VALUE
             

    Paralel Distributors, LLC – Distributor

    Media Contact:

    Kimberly Flynn, President
    XA Investments LLC
    Phone: 888-903-3358
    Email: KFlynn@XAInvestments.com
    www.xainvestments.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Province strengthens community-based primary-care services

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The Province is launching an assessment of its primary-care system to ensure it is effectively supporting community-based solutions, including in rural areas, and providing everyone in B.C. with timely access to primary care.

    “We are working to ensure that everyone has access to primary care when and where they need it,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “With a close connection and deep understanding of the people they serve, community health centres are a critical part of this by providing team-based, high-quality services. Collaboration is key to making progress, and I look forward to finding ways to further strengthen community-based primary care.”

    Under the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord 2025, the B.C. government and BC Green caucus committed to:

    • assessing all elements of B.C.’s primary care system;
    • providing $15 million to assist the creation of new or support for existing community health centres (CHC); and
    • establishing targets for the opening of new publicly funded CHCs.

    The assessment is underway, led by a working group co-ordinated by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Green caucus. The working group will engage with key stakeholders to receive input and feedback during the assessment.

    “This assessment is a necessary step, and we expect it will lead to real action on the deep challenges in B.C.’s health-care systems,” said Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, and interim leader, BC Greens. “Community health centres are crucial for delivering team-based, person-centred care for the full spectrum of needs, but access is a major barrier. Fixing primary-health care is essential to improving health outcomes in this province.”

    An initial report will be completed and released publicly in summer 2025. It will set priorities for the use of $15 million to support existing and new CHCs, and also consider options for funding models.

    A final report will be completed and released publicly in fall 2025. It will address the barriers that exist for health professionals and communities that want to establish CHCs and establish data-driven processes for identifying priority communities for CHC expansion in 2026.

    CHCs are community-governed, not-for-profit organizations with services tailored to meet the unique health needs of the community they serve. This includes:

    • providing access to complex medical and social services, such as for people with chronic illnesses and for underserved populations, such as immigrants and members of the LGBTQ2S+ community;
    • integrating team-based programs and services in primary care, health promotion and community well-being; and
    • addressing the social determinants of health.

    Primary care is a foundational element of health care and is often the first point of contact between a person and B.C.’s health-care system. Generally delivered by a family doctor or nurse practitioner, primary care is focused on the overall well-being of patients throughout their lifespan. Primary-care providers develop strong, long-term relationships with patients and offer a range of care, including educating and promoting healthy lifestyle choices, managing chronic conditions, and diagnosing and treating illness and injury.

    In 2018, the Province launched its primary-care strategy to increase patient attachment and access to quality, comprehensive, team-based, culturally safe and person-centred primary-care services throughout the province.

    Quick Facts:

    • Since the launch of its primary-care strategy in 2018, the Province has provided support for:
      • more than 90 primary-care networks to connect health-care teams with community organizations that work together to streamline and co-ordinate patient services and address the unique primary-care needs of each community;
      • 50 urgent and primary care centres, with 41 already open and delivering services;
      • 15 community health centres, with 12 already open and delivering services; and
      • 15 First Nations primary-care centres in partnership with the First Nations Health Authority.
    • Since 2018, more than 675,000 people have been connected to a primary-care provider, either a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about the agreement, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024PREM0075-001656

    To read the terms of reference for the primary-care assessment, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Terms_Of_Reference.pdf

    To learn more about B.C.’s primary-care strategy, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/bcs-primary-care-system

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Arbor Realty Trust Closes Landmark $802 Million Collateralized Loan Obligation Securitization

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    UNIONDALE, N.Y., June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) today announced the closing of a unique build-to-rent loan securitization totaling approximately $802 million (the “Securitization”) on May 30, 2025. An aggregate of approximately $683 million of investment grade-rated notes were issued (the “Notes”) and Arbor retained subordinate interests in the issuing vehicle of approximately $119 million and approximately $41 million of the investment grade Notes. The funding structure includes approximately $50 million of capacity to acquire additional loans for a period of up to 180 days from the closing date of the Securitization.

    The Securitization is unique in including loans secured by build-to-rent properties in various stages of horizontal and vertical construction. Construction loan advances will be funded, in part, by the issuing entity and, in part, by an Arbor affiliated holder of participation interests in the mortgage loans. The Securitization includes a $200 million senior revolving note, proceeds of which will be used by the issuer to fund construction and other loan advances, to acquire collateral interests on the closing date or to acquire replacement collateral assets during the replenishment period. Approximately $50 million was drawn on the revolving note at closing.

    The investment grade Notes placed with investors have an initial weighted average spread of 2.48% over Term SOFR, excluding fees and transaction costs. The facility has a two year replenishment period that allows principal proceeds from repayments of the portfolio assets and the revolving note fundings to be reinvested in qualifying replacement assets, subject to certain conditions.

    The offering of the investment grade-rated Notes was made pursuant to a private placement. The investment grade-rated Notes were issued under an indenture and secured initially by a portfolio of real estate related assets and cash with a face value of $652 million, with such real estate related assets consisting primarily of first mortgage construction and bridge loans.

    Arbor intends to own the portfolio of real estate related assets through the vehicle until its maturity and expects to account for the Securitization on its balance sheet as a financing. Arbor will use the proceeds of this Securitization to repay borrowings under its current credit facilities, pay transaction expenses and fund future loans and investments.

    Certain of the Notes were rated by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and all of the Notes were rated by DBRS, Inc.

    The Notes are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

    About Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.

    Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) is a nationwide real estate investment trust and direct lender, providing loan origination and servicing for multifamily, single-family rental (SFR) portfolios, and other diverse commercial real estate assets. Headquartered in New York, Arbor manages a multibillion-dollar servicing portfolio, specializing in government-sponsored enterprise products. Arbor is a leading Fannie Mae DUS® lender and Freddie Mac Optigo® Seller/Servicer, and an approved FHA Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) lender. Arbor’s product platform also includes bridge, CMBS, mezzanine and preferred equity loans. Rated by Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings, Arbor is committed to building on its reputation for service, quality, and customized solutions with an unparalleled dedication to providing our clients excellence over the entire life of a loan.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    Certain items in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Arbor can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Arbor’s expectations include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions generally, and the real estate markets specifically, continued ability to source new investments, changes in interest rates and/or credit spreads, and other risks detailed in Arbor’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and its other reports filed with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Arbor expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Arbor’s expectations with regard thereto or change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

    Contact: Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.
    Investor Relations
    516-506-4200
    InvestorRelations@arbor.com
       

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Romanian Citizen Pleads Guilty to ‘Swatting’ Numerous Members of Congress, Churches, and Former U.S. President

    Source: US State of California

    Leader of Online Swatting Ring Admits to Targeting over 75 Public Officials, Four Religious Institutions, and Multiple Journalists in Nationwide Bomb Threat Spree

    Thomasz Szabo, also known as Plank, Jonah, and Cypher, 26, of Romania, pleaded guilty today to being the leader of a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims across the United States with “swatting” and bomb threats. Szabo and his co-conspirators falsely reported ongoing violent emergencies at government buildings, houses of worship, and private residences, including the homes of senior government officials.

    “This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation’s security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source.”

    “Today, Szabo pleaded guilty to a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims with swatting and bomb threats, including to government buildings, houses of worship and homes of government officials,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Swatting endangers lives and will not be tolerated by the FBI. We are fully committed to working with our partners to bring to justice those criminals hiding behind keyboards and threatening violence.”

    “This defendant’s targeted and ruthless behavior put countless people in danger, including law enforcement, public officials, and ordinary citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Swatting attacks, that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there, drain precious resources and can result in major injury or even death. Anyone who hijacks police resources for senseless crimes like these will have to answer for their actions.”  

    According to court documents, Szabo was the founder and leader of an online community that, starting in late 2020, engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and “swatting” — that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there.

    As leader of the group, Szabo made false reports to U.S. law enforcement including a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass-shooting at New York City synagogues, and a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill the President-elect. Szabo publicized his “swatting” activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar behavior.

    Beginning on Dec. 24, 2023, and continuing through early January 2024, subordinate members of Szabo’s group perpetrated a spree of swatting and bomb threats that included, as its victims, at least 25 Members of Congress or family members of Members of Congress; at least six then-current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch officials, including multiple cabinet-level officials; at least 13 then-current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, including the heads of multiple federal law enforcement agencies; multiple members of the federal judiciary; at least 27 then-current or former state government officials or family members of such officials; at least four religious institutions; and multiple members of the media.

    During that time period, one of those subordinates bragged to Szabo: “I did 25+ swattings today,” and “creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days.”

    Szabo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and one count of threats involving explosives, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024.

    The U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI’s Washington and Minneapolis Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Szabo’s arrest and extradition and assisted with securing evidence from abroad, including through mutual legal assistance requests. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service’s Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, Springfield Resident Office; the FBI’s Legat Office in Bucharest; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York. The Romanian authorities’ assistance was critical to the successful investigation of the case and extradition of Szabo.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe for the District of Columbia is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Citizen Who Trained and Fought for ISIS Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant engaged in at least one battle with U.S.-led coalition forces.

              WASHINGTON — Lirim Sylejmani, 49, a Kosovo-born naturalized U.S. citizen, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 10 years in prison in connection with undergoing military training with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and then engaging in at least one battle with U.S.-led coalition forces.

              The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Head of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division Sue Bai, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division.

              Sylejmani, aka Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi, pleaded guilty on December 12, 2024, to receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization. In addition to the prison term, Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Sylejmani to serve a lifetime of supervised release.

              “This defendant will spend a decade in prison thinking about the betrayal to this country,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Anyone thinking that ISIS is the answer to their questions, best think again. We will go to any lengths to root out subversive individuals who want to overthrow the government and harm its citizens.”

              According to court documents, from November 2015 through February 2019, Sylejmani received military training from ISIS in Syria. Sylejmani was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2019 and spoke to a number of media outlets about his time with ISIS.

              In November 2015, Sylejmani, a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Kosovo, traveled to Syria with his family to join ISIS. After entering Syria, Sylejmani completed his ISIS intake process. He adopted the name Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi and trained to be a soldier with other ISIS recruits.  Sylejmani’ s military training included instruction on how to assemble and fire an AK-47 rifle, as well as how to use a PK Machine gun, M-16 rifle and grenades.

              Upon completion of the 21-day military training, ISIS assigned Sylejmani to a battalion in Mosul, Iraq, and issued him an AK-47, four AK-47 magazines, a belt to hold the magazines and two grenades. Sylejmani pledged “bayat” (allegiance) to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, and to the ISIS organization, in front of an Iraqi ISIS member. In May 2016, the defendant reported for ribat (guard) duty on the front line of the Manbij offensive. The defendant brought his gun belt, AK-47 and magazines to his ribat assignment. During a battle with Coalition Forces he was hit with shrapnel in his legs. After receiving these injuries, he eventually was reassigned to a new battalion in the fall of 2017. Sylejmani also received payments from ISIS for his services. Between November 2017 and February 2019, Sylejmani moved his family southeast to Baghouz, Syria, as the territorial Caliphate of ISIS collapsed.

              On February 27, 2019, Sylejmani and his family were captured by Coalition Forces. Sylejmani was jailed by the SDF in Syria at the Dashisha prison. He was transferred to United States law enforcement personnel on September 15, 2020, to face criminal charges in the District of Columbia.

              This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

              This case was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S Attorney Brenda J. Johnson, Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Wasserman and Kimberly Paschall of the National Security Section, and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    20cr106

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ross Jay Bailey, 50, of Cool Ridge, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money. Bailey obtained a $2 million loan through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for his business and instead converted at least $1.4 million of the proceeds for his personal enrichment.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about June 30, 2020, Bailey obtained an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) of $150,000 on behalf of his business, R&R Delivery Service Inc. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide EIDL program loans of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Bailey successfully applied to increase the loan amount in August 2021 to $500,000 and in February 2022 to the $2 million maximum. Bailey certified that he would use all loans proceeds solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the pandemic.

    As part of his guilty plea, Bailey admitted that he transferred at least $1.4 million of the EIDL proceeds from his business’s bank account to his personal bank account from on or about March 1, 2022, through on or about May 31, 2022. Bailey further admitted that he converted these funds into purchases of stock and cryptocurrency for his personal enrichment.

    Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Bailey also owes at least $1,518,013.58 in restitution, with a final amount to be determined by the Court.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).

    NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.

    United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case.

    Bailey’s brother, Ryan Keith Bailey, 47, of Beaver, pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025 to theft of government money. Ryan Keith Bailey obtained $2,166,517.40 in loans through the CARES Act for his business and instead converted nearly all of the proceeds for his personal use. Ryan Keith Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12, 2025.

    Mark William Bailey, 52, of Beckley and a cousin of Ross Jay Bailey and Ryan Keith Bailey, pleaded guilty on September 8, 2023, to theft of government monies, admitting he stole approximately $451,237.51 in SBA loans he obtained through the CARES Act. On October 25, 2024, Mark William Bailey was sentenced to five years of federal probation, including one year on home detention, and paid $451,237.51 in restitution and an additional $451,237.98 as a civil penalty to settle False Claims Act allegations.

    Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:24-cr-105.

    ###

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Romanian Citizen Pleads Guilty to ‘Swatting’ Numerous Members of Congress, Churches, and Former U.S. President

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Leader of Online Swatting Ring Admits to Targeting over 75 Public Officials, Four Religious Institutions, and Multiple Journalists in Nationwide Bomb Threat Spree

    Thomasz Szabo, also known as Plank, Jonah, and Cypher, 26, of Romania, pleaded guilty today to being the leader of a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims across the United States with “swatting” and bomb threats. Szabo and his co-conspirators falsely reported ongoing violent emergencies at government buildings, houses of worship, and private residences, including the homes of senior government officials.

    “This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation’s security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source.”

    “Today, Szabo pleaded guilty to a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims with swatting and bomb threats, including to government buildings, houses of worship and homes of government officials,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Swatting endangers lives and will not be tolerated by the FBI. We are fully committed to working with our partners to bring to justice those criminals hiding behind keyboards and threatening violence.”

    “This defendant’s targeted and ruthless behavior put countless people in danger, including law enforcement, public officials, and ordinary citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Swatting attacks, that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there, drain precious resources and can result in major injury or even death. Anyone who hijacks police resources for senseless crimes like these will have to answer for their actions.”  

    According to court documents, Szabo was the founder and leader of an online community that, starting in late 2020, engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and “swatting” — that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there.

    As leader of the group, Szabo made false reports to U.S. law enforcement including a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass-shooting at New York City synagogues, and a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill the President-elect. Szabo publicized his “swatting” activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar behavior.

    Beginning on Dec. 24, 2023, and continuing through early January 2024, subordinate members of Szabo’s group perpetrated a spree of swatting and bomb threats that included, as its victims, at least 25 Members of Congress or family members of Members of Congress; at least six then-current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch officials, including multiple cabinet-level officials; at least 13 then-current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, including the heads of multiple federal law enforcement agencies; multiple members of the federal judiciary; at least 27 then-current or former state government officials or family members of such officials; at least four religious institutions; and multiple members of the media.

    During that time period, one of those subordinates bragged to Szabo: “I did 25+ swattings today,” and “creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days.”

    Szabo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and one count of threats involving explosives, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024.

    The U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI’s Washington and Minneapolis Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Szabo’s arrest and extradition and assisted with securing evidence from abroad, including through mutual legal assistance requests. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service’s Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, Springfield Resident Office; the FBI’s Legat Office in Bucharest; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York. The Romanian authorities’ assistance was critical to the successful investigation of the case and extradition of Szabo.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe for the District of Columbia is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: REP LIEU STATEMENT ON BOULDER ATTACK

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after a Jewish group was attacked in Boulder, Colorado.

    “What happened in Boulder this weekend was a disgusting act of violent antisemitism. Just weeks after two Israeli diplomats were killed leaving a Jewish museum in D.C., we see another horrific politically motivated attack, this time targeting a Jewish group peacefully advocating for the hostages held in Gaza. This kind of violence is deeply disturbing and wholly inexcusable. My thoughts are with the victims and the broader Boulder community reeling from this terrible event. My heart goes out to every Jewish person who feels less safe in our country. The scourge of antisemitism must be extinguished and we must always advocate for a peaceful, safe country for everyone.”

    ###
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Harder Condemns House Passage of Devastating Medicaid Cuts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

    Cuts health care for 42,000 residents, lays off 3,000 health care workers in San Joaquin County

    Finances trillions in tax cuts for billionaires like Elon Musk

    WASHINGTON – Today, following the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the federal budget reconciliation bill, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) released the following statement condemning the devastating health care cuts:

    “Today, politicians voted to strip health care from 14 million people to fund tax breaks for billionaires like Elon Musk. This isn’t an exaggeration. Right here in San Joaquin County, 42,000 people are set to lose their health coverage. That means tens of thousands of families won’t be able to take their kids to the doctor, fill a prescription, or access emergency care. Because of this bill, medical centers will shut down, ER wait times will spike, and thousands of health care workers will lose their jobs. 

    “At a time when families are already stretched thin, this bill puts billionaire tax cuts ahead of working people’s lives. It’s shameful, it’s dangerous, and I’m enraged. I voted no on this cruel bill, and I’ll do everything in my power to stop this nightmare from becoming reality.”

    San Joaquin County impacts by the numbers:

    • Cuts health care for 42,000 residents.
    • Lays off 3,000 health care workers.
    • Raises premiums for thousands of Medicaid and Affordable Care Act enrollees.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Nicaragua 101st WTO member to formally accept Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Nicaragua 101st WTO member to formally accept Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

    DG Okonjo-Iweala said: “WTO members’ adoption of this landmark Agreement in 2022 set us on a more sustainable path toward restoring the abundance and vitality of our oceans. The next step is the Agreement’s entry into force. With Nicaragua’s formal acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, we are closer than ever to getting there. We now need just 10 more acceptances to cross the finish line!
    This 101st acceptance opens the door for the WTO Fish Fund to open a call later this week for developing and least developed WTO members to submit proposals and funding requests for the technical assistance and capacity building they may need to implement the Agreement”, she added.
    Ambassador Bohorquez Palacios said: “Our acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies reaffirms Nicaragua’s support for the rules-based multilateral trading system and our commitment to international efforts to promote the sustainable use of marine resources. As a country bordered by two oceans, Nicaragua recognizes the importance of the blue economy and has always been committed to marine life. We look forward to continuing to work with all WTO members to ensure entry into force of this historic Agreement and its effective implementation.”
    Formal acceptances from two-thirds of WTO members are required for the Agreement to enter into force – representing 111 members. The list of the 101 current instruments deposited with the WTO is available here.
    At the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in Geneva in June 2022, ministers adopted by consensus the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, setting new, binding, multilateral rules to curb harmful fisheries subsidies. The Agreement prohibits subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, for fishing overfished stocks, and for fishing on the unregulated high seas. Ministers also recognized the needs of developing economies and least-developed countries by establishing a fund to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to help governments which have formally accepted the Agreement implement the new obligations.
    WTO members also agreed at MC12 to continue negotiating on remaining fisheries subsidies issues. The objective is to find consensus on additional provisions to further strengthen the disciplines on fisheries subsidies.
    Information for members on how to accept the Protocol of Amendment is available here.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Alderman Stephen Moutray honoured to hold the high office of Lord Mayor

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    Alderman Stephen Moutray has officially taken up office as the new Lord Mayor following the Annual Meeting of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council on Monday 2 June.

    The married father-of-three was co-opted onto council in December 2018 and was subsequently re-elected to represent the Lurgan District Electoral Area in 2019 and in 2023.

    A member of the DUP since 1979, his long and distinguished career in local politics made him a strong candidate among his party colleagues to hold the highest civic office within council.

    Having held leadership positions on key council committees in recent years, his wealth of experience will be an asset as he assumes the responsibilities of Lord Mayor.

    These include Chair of the Economic Development and Regeneration Committee from 2019 to 2020 and later Vice-Chair from 2021 to 2022. He also chaired the Governance, Resources and Strategy Committee from 2022 to 2023.

    He previously served as a councillor on Craigavon Borough Council from 2001 to 2013 and held the office of Mayor from 2010 to 2011.

    While serving as an MLA for Upper Bann from 2003 to 2016, he played a key role in economic development, environmental policies, community engagement, and was actively involved in shaping initiatives that impacted the region.

    Taking over from SF Councillor Sarah Duffy, the new Lord Mayor said:

    “It is a huge honour and privilege to serve as the First Citizen for the borough. I am so proud to take on this important ambassadorial role and I am really looking forward to the year ahead meeting with businesses, residents and communities and welcoming visiting dignitaries from home and abroad.

    “My top priority is to grow the local economy and do all I can to create a more prosperous business environment while also reinforcing the borough’s reputation as a great place to work, live, and invest.

    “Working for my family’s food retail business, I know the local business community is facing significant challenges. I am keen to engage with businesspeople across the borough, with a view to understanding the issues important to them and how the council can further support them.

    “I am focused on delivering initiatives that enhance the borough’s economic and social landscape.

    “We are fortunate to have a well-connected network of community and voluntary groups that play a vital role in providing essential services and supporting the most vulnerable in our community. They are the backbone of our community, and I want to ensure they are recognised and celebrated for the invaluable work they do.

    “I also plan to take time to get to know council staff working in all departments and based at different locations across the borough. I am keen to thank them for their hard work and dedication to providing essential services to the whole community.”

    He also thanked his DUP party colleagues for entrusting him with his senior civic role and his family for their unstinting support during what will be an extremely busy year ahead.

    During his term, the Lord Mayor has pledged to raise funds for the Southern Area Hospice Services and Epilepsy Action Northern Ireland. He has a personal connection to both charities, having observed the positive impact that their respective specialist palliative care and support services have had on close family members.

    Outside of work commitments, he enjoys a range of activities such as travelling, walking, and spending quality time with his family and five grandchildren who bring him so much joy.

    APNI Councillor Jessica Johnston has also been elected Deputy Lord Mayor for the incoming year, taking over from UUP Councillor Kyle Savage.

    The 25-year-old from Donaghcloney is the youngest elected representative to hold this senior position on the council. Councillor Johnston was co-opted onto council in May 2022 to represent the Lagan River Area and was subsequently re-elected in 2023.

    Her appointment is a historic moment for her party as she is the first member to hold this prestigious civic role. The Alliance Party first had representation on the council after gaining three seats at the 2019 local elections.

    The new Deputy Lord Mayor currently works as a researcher for the Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party, Eóin Tennyson MLA.

    Speaking about her appointment, the new Deputy Lord Mayor said:

    “I am immensely proud to step into this honorary role at such an early stage in my political career and thrilled to be representing people in the place I call home.

    “My greatest aspiration is to use this unique platform to make a lasting impact on the local community.

    “As a strong advocate for youth engagement in politics, I hope to encourage young people from all backgrounds to get involved in shaping policies that directly impact their lives.

    “With fitness a big part of my lifestyle, I am passionate about increasing people’s access to local leisure facilities and promoting the benefits of sport and exercise for both physical and mental health.

    “During my term in office, I hope to raise awareness about the Macmillan Move More programme and the vital work it does locally, with council support, to encourage people living with cancer to become more physically active.

    “I am also keen to support local cancer charities as my family, like many others, has been impacted by this disease.”

    After graduating from Queen’s University Belfast in 2021 and working in the local hospitality industry during her studies, she previously worked in a graduate role at the University’s Widening Participation Unit. She is a member of the Donacloney Primary School Board of Governors and the Lurgan College Board of Governors.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cllr McHugh elected Mayor and pledges Inclusive Leadership with a focus on the local community

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Cllr McHugh elected Mayor and pledges Inclusive Leadership with a focus on the local community

    2 June 2025

    Derry City and Strabane District Council tonight elected a new Mayor to represent the City and District for the incoming 2025-26 year; Sinn Fein’s Cllr Ruairi McHugh accepted the Mayoral chain from his predecessor Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr at the Council’s AGM in the Guildhall. 

    The new Mayor will be supported in his role by the DUP Deputy Mayor Alderman Niree McMorris.  Formally accepting the chain of office, Mayor Ruairi McHugh from his predecessor Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr said he felt “very proud and humbled “ to be given the opportunity to take up the Mayoral position and made a commitment that his Mayoral year would be focused on inclusive leadership, continued development, and unwavering support for the community. 

    The Mayor, a proud native of Castlederg, highlighted a deep connection to the community and a strong family legacy of public service. He spoke of the steadfast support from the people of Derg Ward, who have consistently returned him to office since 2008. The Mayor also paid tribute to party colleagues, particularly his own party Sinn Fein, and acknowledged the influence of mentors like Maolíosa McHugh MLA. 

    A poignant moment in the speech was the remembrance of departed party comrades and family members, including the Mayor’s late father, Charlie, who was among the first Sinn Féin Councillors elected to the former Strabane Council in 1985.  He said: “I hope that he is by my side and is also as proud of me, as I am of him, as I take on this position of Mayor.” 

    Mayor McHugh emphasised the exciting period ahead for the Council and District with the ambitious City Deal and capital spending plan to include new state-of-the-art sports and leisure facilities for Strabane and Templemore, and ongoing regeneration efforts in Castlederg and other areas across the District. He said the City and Growth Deal funding had huge transformative potential with the capacity to create jobs and unlock the region’s full economic capability. 

    While acknowledging the impact of sustained cuts from the British Government on local authorities, the Mayor expressed confidence in navigating these challenges through collaboration with the Assembly and Executive, paying tribute to interventions by Economy Ministers Conor Murphy and Caoimhe Archibald regarding the City of Derry Airport as an example of what can be achieved through political will. 

    The Mayor took the opportunity to reflect on global events, specifically addressing the ongoing conflict in Palestine. He said he was extremely proud of the Council’s consistent stance for peace and justice, adding:  “There is a duty on political leaders to speak out against injustice and what we are witnessing in Palestine is a genocide. It cannot be allowed to continue. It must stop. There must be a ceasefire now and an end to the unjustifiable slaughter of a defenceless civilian population.” 

    Mayor McHugh reiterated his commitment to inclusivity saying: “I believe in the concept of an inclusive Mayor and that showing positive political leadership, building reconciliation, respect and prosperity in this society is a collective responsibility, “adding that he was dedicated to work in collaboration with all council members to ensure first-class services and equitable distribution of resources for all citizens. 

    Concluding, Mayor McHugh extended his thanks to the outgoing Mayor Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr and Deputy Mayor Alderman Darren Guy for their year’s service. He extended his congratulations to the Deputy Mayor Alderman McNiree saying he looked forward to working with her during his tenure. 

    In closing, Mayor McHugh announced the two charities that will be the focus of fundraising efforts throughout his Mayoral year: PIPS Suicide Prevention Derry and The Castlederg Patient and Comfort Terminally Ill Fund.  

    Mayor McHugh acknowledging the fantastic work that the charities do said: “There’s probably no-one present here or throughout this District who hasn’t been affected by suicide in some way or had a very sick family member or friend receive medical care at home due to a life limiting illness” highlighting the invaluable work both organisations perform across the council area,” adding that he was committed to doing what he can to raise their profile and raise as much money as possible during his term in office. 

    Waterside based elected member Alderman Niree McMorris accepting her role as Deputy Mayor said it was a proud occasion for her and her family saying: “I pledge to represent everyone from our city and district and I will support our Mayor to carry out all civic duties, both fairly and compassionately. This role is an honour and privilege and I am delighted to be able to serve the good people of both Londonderry and Strabane district.” 

    The meeting is broadcast live on the Council’s Youtube where it can be watched back.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Congress Comes Back into Session, Rep. Craig Continues Leading Charge to Protect SNAP, Urges Senate to Reject Cuts to Food Assistance

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, as Congress comes back into session following a week-long district work period, U.S. Representative Angie Craig is continuing to lead the charge to protect the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and ensure Minnesota’s kids, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities can put food on the table. 

    Last month, House Republicans passed a partisan budget bill that cut nearly $290 billion from SNAP – a program that is under the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Agriculture.

    As the top Democrat on the Committee, Rep. Craig has been sounding the alarm about potential cuts to SNAP for months, consistently speaking out about the impacts they will have on working families across Minnesota – like her own family, who relied on food assistance at various points during her childhood. Last month, Rep. Craig led a two-day markup during which she and her Democratic colleagues offered amendments to the budget bill, while Republicans were largely absent or silent. She also testified against the bill’s SNAP cuts before the House Committee on Rules during an overnight hearing that lasted more than 21 hours. 

    “The Republicans’ budget will make America hungrier, poorer and sicker. Parents struggling to afford groceries for their families and seniors living on fixed incomes will have their food taken away if this bill becomes law,” Rep. Craig said in response to House Republicans’ passage of their partisan budget bill. “At a time when grocery prices are going up and retirement accounts are going down, we must protect the basic needs programs that help people afford food and health care.”

    “As a mother and someone who needed food assistance at periods in my own childhood, I condemn this attempt to snatch food off our children’s plates to fund tax breaks for large corporations,” Rep. Craig continued. “I call on my Senate colleagues to stop this attack on working Americans that takes food away from families and threatens a full, five-year bipartisan farm bill.”

    Below is a timeline of Rep. Craig’s efforts to combat House Republicans’ reckless cuts to SNAP. 

    House Republicans’ budget bill shifts up to 25% of SNAP’s cost share from the federal government to individual states. In Minnesota, the state government would have to fill a $220 million gap in order to ensure that the more than 440,000 Minnesotans who receive food assistance through SNAP are able to stay on the program. 

    SNAP also helps support Minnesota’s economy. According to the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families $1.2 billion in SNAP benefits have been spent at Minnesota grocery stores, farmers markets and food retailers – generating up to $1.50 in economic activity for every dollar spent. 

    According to data from the National Grocers Association, SNAP supports 4,099 jobs, $206 million in wages, $18 million in state taxes and had a $616.7 million economic impact on retailers, grocers and supplier industries in the state. According to an analysis by the Center for American Progress, 88 retailers in Minnesota are in danger of closing due to these cuts. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Election of the 80th President of the General Assembly – UN Chief remarks | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, after the election said, “this is a moment for us to unite, to forge common solutions and to take action to confront these challenges. President elect Baerbock ‘s vision, Better Together, is an inspiring rallying cry for today’s world and the global problem-solving system embodied by the United Nations to address these challenges.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W86cdK72Jps

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: (EN/DEU) Annalena Baerbock (President Elect, General Assembly), on her election | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Comments to the media by Annalena Baerbock, President Elect of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, on her election.

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

    MIL OSI Video –