Damon Rallis was sentenced today in federal court in Central Islip by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 84 months in prison for distribution of child pornography. As part of his sentence, Rallis, a former Town of Southold employee and scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts, will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“The defendant possessed and distributed horrific images of child sex abuse, including the brutal rape of young children, and the years he will serve in prison will both protect our communities and help to bring justice to victims who were sexually exploited as children,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute and seek significant prison sentences for individuals like Rallis who contribute to a depraved marketplace that causes the abuse of children to satiate the perverse demand for these disturbing images.”
“Damon Rallis violated his scoutmaster duty to serve as an ethical and moral leader by supplying obscene pornographic material to a twisted platform,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “His actions perpetuated the sexual abuse of young children without remorse. The FBI remains dedicated to holding accountable those who use the sexual exploitation of minors for personal gratification.”
As set forth in court filings and during the sentencing hearing, the FBI began investigating Rallis after his participation in a chat group on the Kik messaging app of users who shared child pornography. An undercover agent who had joined the chat group received numerous images and videos of child pornography from the defendant, whose screenname was “dirtydaddy431.” The images shared by Rallis included the rape of children as young as approximately five years old. On February 23, 2021, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Southold and seized several electronic devices, including his cell phone, which contained numerous images and videos of child pornography. In an unrelated investigation into sexual exploitation of children, law enforcement recovered a series of chats with Rallis from the cell phone of another individual (the Iowa defendant). In one of these chats, after the Iowa defendant described how he sexually abused his stepdaughter from age 4 to 7, Rallis stated: “She doesn’t remember bro. You’re good. The memories don’t really develop until nine or ten. I would love that opportunity.”
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Paul G. Scotti is in charge of the prosecution.
WASHINGTON – Isis Lee, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on April 11, 2025, to 12 months and one day in prison for randomly attacking a woman walking home from Mount Vernon Metro Station, in November 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lee pleaded guilty, in February 2025, to one count of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon (pepper spray), in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, before the Honorable Judge Judith Pipe.
According to the government’s evidence, around 8:00 p.m., on November 17, 2024, Lee and her associates followed the victim and her boyfriend, who they had never met or interacted with before, as they walked home from the Mount Vernon Metro Station before ambushing them in the area of 9th and L Street NW. Lee pepper sprayed the victim directly in her eyes while her companion held a knife to the victim’s boyfriend’s throat. Lee and her associates also hit the victim and her boyfriend with their hands before the victim and her boyfriend were able to flee. The defendant and her associates continued to pursue the victim and her boyfriend, assaulting them again on the street, before chasing them into a nearby restaurant, where Lee was captured on surveillance footage throwing glass bottles at the victim. The victim and her boyfriend were transported to George Washington Hospital, where they received treatment for their injuries. Lee fled the scene and was later apprehended on an arrest warrant.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Lieberman who investigated and prosecuted the case.
The UK is deeply concerned at recent political tensions and increased fighting across South Sudan: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on South Sudan.
I will make three points.
First, the United Kingdom is deeply concerned at recent political tensions and increased fighting across South Sudan between parties to the 2018 peace agreement and other opposition forces. This includes the ongoing conflict in Upper Nile State.
We are appalled by the attack on a UN helicopter in Nasir which resulted in the death of an UNMISS contractor.
The current escalation risks South Sudan’s hard-won peace.
A return to widespread conflict would devastate the country and have damaging consequences for the broader region, especially in the context of the ongoing crisis in Sudan.
The escalation of violence in the Upper Nile State has already caused dozens of civilian casualties and displaced at least 120,000 people.
So we urge the parties to ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to civilian populations in Nasir and Ulang who are in need of emergency assistance and protection.
Second, we are concerned by the arrest and ongoing detention of First Vice President Machar.
This action undermines the core principles of the 2018 peace agreement.
Alongside the AU and other international partners, we call for this action to be reversed to enable both parties to return to dialogue.
We welcome efforts by regional partners, including the African Union and IGAD, to work with the South Sudanese leadership to de-escalate tensions.
And we call on South Sudan’s collective leadership to cease hostilities, release political detainees, including First Vice President Machar, and to engage seriously with regional mediation efforts.
Third, President, the recent instability is a reminder of the importance of UNMISS as a peace partner for South Sudan.
The United Kingdom commends UNMISS’ work to de-escalate tensions and protect civilians.
In this challenging context, their work to monitor human rights violations and support the provision of humanitarian assistance is critical.
And we call on the South Sudanese leadership to ensure the mission has freedom of movement, without political interference, so that it can effectively carry out its mandate from this Council.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The development of the platform economy, interaction between business and the state, as well as the urgent need to expand regulatory mechanisms were discussed at the plenary session of the international conference Data Fusion with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister – Head of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko.
The session participants noted that large digital platforms are emerging in a variety of industries, from public administration and medicine to trade and transport. At the same time, they have been developing separately for a long time, remaining in the grey zone of the rules and regulations that are familiar to trade and market relations.
“The absence of regulation is not synonymous with freedom. Rather, it means the absence of rules that are clear to all participants in the process. Today, platforms are an important part of our lives. But at the same time, the new order has also identified new tasks in the field of consumer protection and the formation of a transparent legal field. We are creating these rules in close cooperation with businesses, but at the same time we put the interests of our citizens first,” said Dmitry Grigorenko.
As the Chairperson of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina noted, regulation must always be balanced.
“We must create conditions for the development of a platform economy. The task is not to limit innovation in any way, but to create conditions for fair competition, for transparent rules for all market participants, including customers and suppliers of goods and services. All this will contribute to the construction of a trusted environment – a platform economy,” said Elvira Nabiullina.
VTB President and Chairman of the Management Board Andrey Kostin also called for a careful approach to regulating digital platforms and finding a balance of interests. He noted that banks do not feel threatened by marketplaces.
“Platforms have developed enormously in recent years. Of course, a law is needed. Because even in relation to banks, where regulation is very strict and detailed, the use of their own financial institutions by e-commerce companies gives them certain advantages. But the regulation of digital platforms must be approached carefully, finding a balance of interests,” said Andrey Kostin.
According to the head of RVB, founder of Wildberries Tatyana Kim, due to its nature, the platform economy covers a wide range of needs of all its participants.
“The more platforms penetrate the lives of their consumers, trying to satisfy their needs as best as possible, the more data we accumulate. This is a great responsibility, which requires, among other things, state regulation and separate legal development,” said Tatyana Kim.
The government has developed a bill on the platform economy. It is currently being prepared for submission to the State Duma. Legal regulation is aimed at creating conditions for the development of digital platforms, forming transparent rules of interaction for all participants in this area, and protecting the rights of citizens.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The appointment of Mahomed Mahier Tayob as the new Business Rescue Practitioner (BRP) for the troubled North West Transport Investment (NTI) has been welcomed.
This follows the recent Gauteng High Court’s ruling in favour of the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, which led to the removal of the then BRP, Thomas Hendrick Samons.
The department confirmed that NTI had applied for a voluntarily business rescue in July 2022, after facing financial difficulties.
According to the department, Samons was tasked with turning the entity around to make it more sustainable and to generate income to pay creditors, primarily the employees.
However, he failed to account for the funds that the government had injected into the entity.
The BRP also failed to pay salaries, which resulted in the cancellation of employees’ medical aid coverage, as well as the non-payment of their pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) and Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) contributions.
The salaries of over 1 500 employees at NTI companies were not paid from September to December 2022, March to May 2023, June to November 2023, and February to March 2024.
The NTI group, through its subsidiary Northwest Star, was established in 1973 as a wholly owned company of the North West Provincial Government and has served as the primary transport source in the province for decades.
NTI can still be rescued
Meanwhile, the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management, led by Freddy Sonakile, said it remains resolute in its belief that NTI can still be rescued.
“To this end, we will conduct a follow-up oversight visit to the NTI headquarters and depots within a month to assess the current state of the entity and to receive the official turnaround plan from both the newly appointed BRP and the department.
“We note with concern that the former BRP, Mr Thomas Sammons, has launched a further appeal against the ruling. However, we take comfort in the fact that the Court invoked Section 18 of the Superior Courts Act, which ensures that the judgment is enforceable despite any application for leave to appeal,” said Sonakile.
The committee expressed concern that the BRP continues to issue correspondence despite his removal.
“What is deeply alarming, however, is the information received by the committee indicating that Mr Sammons continues to issue correspondence to NTI staff purporting to act as the BRP, despite his removal. Should these allegations prove to be true, we call on the department to urgently investigate this matter, and to lay criminal charges for fraud where appropriate.”
The committee has also called on the new BRP to prioritise a comprehensive turnaround strategy, within the 25-day window prescribed by the Companies Act.
“At the heart of this plan must be the regularisation of NTI’s structural challenges, the restoration of salary payments to its employees who have suffered prolonged uncertainty, and a clear audit of previous disciplinary processes, many of which were reportedly handled arbitrarily,” said the Chairperson.
The have since committed to maintaining its strict oversight role to ensure accountability, transparency, and ultimately, the restoration of NTI as a viable public transport entity that can serve the people of the North West with reliability and dignity.
The department stated that Tayob is a senior BRP with impressive qualifications obtained from South Africa and the United Kingdom.
“Among other entities Mr Tayob has rescued, include a State bus company in Gauteng and has also investigated R2.6 billion investment scheme on behalf of the Hawks.”
According to the department, Tayob will collaborate closely with Dr Ntlhopeng Dikobe, who has been appointed by the department as the Acting CEO of NTI.
Tayob is also expected to present a turnaround plan and provide regular reports to the shareholder representative, ensuring that NTI is restored to profitability. – SAnews.gov.za
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), in collaboration with its social partners, will be building nine new houses for families who were affected by the recent formation of a crater.
CoGTA MEC, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, made the announcement during a recent visit to the affected households in Ophiyaneni, in Nongoma, to assess the damage and offer support.
The MEC handed over essential relief supplies to 100 families in the area who have been affected by the recent severe weather conditions.
Buthelezi announced that the department, through its social partners, including Old Mutual, the Red Cross, Al Imdaad Foundation, and the Themba Njilo Foundation, will be constructing a total of nine new houses for the families.
Addressing community members, Buthelezi emphasised the importance of responding effectively to the communities’ needs in the aftermath of the adverse weather conditions.
“Our primary concern is to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected families, and we deeply appreciate the commitment of our social partners – Old Mutual, the Red Cross, Al Imdaad Foundation, and the Themba Njilo Foundation – in providing vital support through the construction of these new homes for those displaced by the crater and the provision of immediate relief,” Buthelezi said.
Chinese government disaster relief donation
Meanwhile, Buthelezi welcomed the R1 million donation by the Chinese Government for disaster relief.
The donation was handed over during the official launch of the Winter Season Disaster Awareness Campaign held recently at Mandeni Local Municipality.
Representatives from the Chinese Embassy joined the MEC at the event, where the donation of essential relief material was formally presented.
In his address, Buthelezi expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for their ongoing support to the people of KwaZulu-Natal during times of disaster.
“We are deeply thankful for this generous support from the Chinese government. This donation will significantly assist communities affected by disasters and enhance our relief efforts,” Buthelezi said.
The Disaster Awareness Campaign seeks to inform communities about disaster risks, promote preparedness at the household level, and foster collaboration among government entities, stakeholders, and international partners.
Residents received information about the weather incidents typically experienced by the province during winter and were educated on essential safety precautions. – SAnews.gov.za
The decades-long struggle of living in informal settlements without land ownership has finally come to an end for Nonkosi Koom from Red Location in the Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape.
The 62-year-old was among the beneficiaries of the Red Location housing development and received the keys to her brand-new home this week, a moment which she describes as a dream come true.
This as Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, officially handed over 24 new houses to the beneficiaries on Monday.
The houses are part of a larger project that will see the construction of 171 houses, aimed at addressing historic housing inequalities in the area.
The beneficiaries have been living in shacks for several years while waiting for the houses to be built, as part of the greater Red Location project that was approved to address the historical imbalances of houses in the area.
“I now own property and have a title deed for my house for the first time in my life. I have been moved from place to place due to the unsuitable conditions of our shacks and areas that we occupied but have kept the faith that one day I will get a house,” said an elated Koom.
The project which is located within the broader Red Location Museum precinct, has long been anticipated by the local community. It was originally expected to be completed by 18 September 2024; however, progress was delayed due to consultations over the design and size of the houses.
Speaking at the handover event, Lobishe reaffirmed the government’s commitment to delivering on its promises.
“We were here four years ago to brief you about this project. We have been walking this journey with you all these years. Today we have started to deliver with these 24 houses, and more houses will follow, as per the R14 million budget approval,” Lobishe said.
The mayor urged the beneficiaries to take care of the houses, as they will now be their responsibility.
Municipality’s Head for Human Settlements, Thembinkosi Mafana, highlighted ongoing efforts by the city’s Human Settlements Directorate to secure additional funding from both provincial and national government to ensure the full completion of the Red Location project.
“We will continue to deliver houses in a manner that has got a heart and a human face. In every project that we deliver, there must be elderly, physically challenged, child-headed and other vulnerable sectors of the society,” Mafana said. – SAnews.gov.za
As South Africa grapples with the effects of global geopolitical developments, President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country can only overcome these challenges through a united effort.
Delivering the opening remarks at the meeting between the National Executive and the Eastern Cape Provincial Executive Council, the President emphasised the importance of collaboration in the face of mounting external pressures.
“We would like today to be a productive engagement in sustainable solutions that will uplift our communities and, in the end, improve the lives of our people. Yes, as we deal with the impact of what is happening at the geopolitical level, with tariffs that are imposed on us which will have an impact on a number of companies that operate here in Eastern Cape as well as nationally.
“Those are the challenges that we need to deal with and address, and it is only with collective effort that we will be able to succeed, and by working together we can confront and indeed overcome the challenges that are holding us back,” the President said.
The President and his National Executive met with Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and his executive council at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to discuss conditions and opportunities in the province.
The meeting formed part of strengthening intergovernmental cooperation, collaboration and consultation. President Ramaphosa said engagements such as these were critical for South Africa to realise its full potential.
“We will continue addressing the challenges we face. It is only when we have these types of engagement and put our thoughts together that we will be able to achieve our true potential,” he said.
President Ramaphosa reaffirmed his government’s commitment to strengthening intergovernmental relations. The President said the engagement marked the fifth formal meeting between the national and provincial executives since November last year, following similar sessions in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng.
“We hope to conclude our first round of visits to all the provinces in the next few months. This is part of our commitment as the Government of National Unity to engage with provinces on a more regular and structured basis. The purpose of these engagements is to open a new frontier for inter-governmental cooperation,” he said.
He said the engagements are meant to complement existing structures like the President’s Coordinating Council and foster a more integrated and effective governance model, in line with the District Development Model (DDM).
The DDM, he explained, seeks to break down silos in government and enable smarter, more efficient delivery of services across all spheres of government.
During the meeting, the President acknowledged the strategic alignment between the Eastern Cape’s Provincial Development Plan and the national priorities of the seventh administration, which include inclusive economic growth, job creation, reducing poverty and the cost of living, and building a capable, ethical, and developmental state.
“We are pleased that the Eastern Cape Provincial Government has aligned its Provincial Development Plan with these priorities. In your State of the Province Address in February, you identified a number of ‘growth frontiers’ that will be the focus for the Eastern Cape for the coming financial year.
“We look forward to the upcoming presentation, which will outline these priorities in greater detail and provide a roadmap for implementation,” he said.
However, the President painted a sobering picture of the challenges facing the province.
These include high levels of poverty, inequality and unemployment, a significant infrastructure backlog, and poor service delivery in key sectors such as health and education.
He expressed concern over the findings of the Auditor-General’s 2023/24 Consolidated General Report, which showed that although there had been progress in clean audits, increasing from five to nine departments, the Eastern Cape had the highest number of material irregularities among all provinces, amounting to an estimated R197 million in financial losses.
“Despite progress in many areas, the province’s growth and development is also significantly hampered by poor governance, mismanagement of public resources, and corruption – particularly at a municipal level,” President Ramaphosa said.
He cited specific failures in the education and health departments, where performance indicators were not met, warning that financial management must be coupled with improved service delivery outcomes.
“We must be concerned when we see the collapse of services and the deterioration of infrastructure in our metros, cities and towns.
“We must be concerned at the sight of pensioners being forced to cross raging rivers in drums because there are no bridges, or sick patients lying on the floors of hospitals because there are no beds,” the President said.
The President added that the extent of these and other challenges meant that there was a need to make critical decisions about resource allocation and spending in a difficult economic climate.
“We are called upon to drive inclusive growth and job creation within an ever more volatile global economy. We are called upon to answer the cries of our people for better service delivery, for jobs, for decent healthcare and education, and for protection from crime and gender-based violence,” he said.
The President urged both national and provincial leaders to work together to ensure that the province’s natural wealth and potential are translated into meaningful development for its people. – SAnews.gov.za
The US president, Donald Trump, has unleashed a string of controversial policies since returning to the White House that have put his administration at odds with most of the world. He has, at the same time, forged an alliance with one country that is willing to do his bidding abroad.
This country is El Salvador, a tiny central American nation nestled between Guatemala and Honduras. El Salvador has found itself at the forefront of overseeing Trump’s contentious drive to deport undocumented migrants.
In recent months, hundreds of foreign-born men have been deported from the US to the Center for Terrorism Confinement (Cecot) mega-prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador. This is part of an agreement between Trump and the self-declared “world’s coolest dictator”, Nayib Bukele.
Such is the warmth between Trump and El Salvador’s leader that the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, recently hailed their alliance as “an example for security and prosperity in our hemisphere”.
The comment came shortly before Bukele met with Trump at the White House and said he will not return Kilmar Abrego García, a man that the US government admits was mistakenly deported. Bukele referred to the suggestion as “preposterous”.
This is despite a US Supreme Court ruling that the Trump administration “facilitate” García’s return. The US government says a court does not have the power to order the release of a person in a foreign prison.
Bukele, the grandson of Palestinian Christian immigrants, is considered something of a maverick. His background is in advertising. Through his business, Obermet, Bukele advertised two election campaigns for the ruling Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) in the 2000s.
He joined the FMLN as a member in 2012, and was elected as mayor of El Salvador’s capital, San Salvador, three years later. Bukele’s relationship with the FMLN soon became strained. After several public spats, he was expelled from the party. This included calling Luis Martínez, the country’s then attorney-general, a “gangster, very corrupt, [and] the worst of the worst”.
Bukele subsequently launched his own political front, Nuevas Ideas. And when the country’s electoral court refused to register the party for the 2019 presidential elections, he ran as the candidate for the right-wing Grand Alliance for National Unity. Bukele won with 53% of the vote and, since then, his political fortunes have been in constant ascent.
While many outside El Salvador see Bukele as a serial human rights abuser, his countrymen consider him a political messiah. His popularity is such that he won an unprecedented second presidential term in 2024 with over 84% of the vote.
The country’s constitution had previously restricted a sitting president from contesting two terms in a row. Bukele’s critics say he circumvented the rules by using his congressional majority to replace Supreme Court judges.
The court later ruled that the president can serve two consecutive terms in office. In the past, Bukele has remarked that restrictions on re-election only exist in developing countries.
Bukele’s popularity stems from having rid his country of gang violence. El Salvador was once known for having the highest per capita homicide rate in the world, with 105 murders per 100,000 people in 2015. But under Bukele’s leadership, it is now considered a haven of peace in an otherwise unstable region.
In 2022, after a spate of gang killings, Bukele declared a state of emergency. The decree curtailed the right to be informed of the reason for arrest and access to a lawyer upon being detained. It also allowed for administrative detention of more than 72 hours.
Tens of thousands of people were rounded up and thrown in jail without trial. El Salvador now has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with roughly 110,000 people in jail. The proportion of its population that is incarcerated is twice that of the next nearest country, Cuba.
Many of the alleged criminals – as well as those deported from the US – are held in Cecot. The prison has been described by activists as “a black hole of human rights”. When Bukele first unveiled the facility, he said prisoners would receive “not one ray of sunlight”.
Bukele’s tough anti-criminal stance has been lauded across Latin America. Many regional leaders have embraced Bukele-style policies to tackle criminal violence in their respective countries. His policies have also clearly been appreciated by Trump.
Bukele and Trump share the same ideological persuasion. Both are conservative right-wing populists. But while there is a deep convergence in their ideology, their alliance is also one of convenience.
Trump wants to rid the US of undocumented migrants from south of the border. El Salvador has, so far, provided a convenient avenue to address his administration’s needs.
And for Bukele, it is financially worthwhile to house deportees from the US. The Bukele and Trump administrations have reportedly signed an agreement that will pay El Salvador US$20,000 (£15,000) per prisoner. This is a significant sum for El Salvador’s economy.
His alliance with Trump will also help him shore up his political position at home and consolidate his image as a “do gooder” in an otherwise violent continent.
Bukele’s security strategy has certainly rid El Salvador of gang violence. However, opening up El Salvador as a destination to address other countries’ criminality sets a bad precedent.
Encouraged by Bukele’s policies, more states could choose to violate human rights and ignore judicial process by simply dumping their own citizens and others in prisons abroad. This is a reality that more courts may soon struggle to prevent.
Amalendu Misra is a recipient of British Academy and Nuffield Foundation fellowships.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani is marking the first 100 days of the 119th Congress by celebrating the key wins that benefit Arizona’s 6th Congressional District.
“I hit the ground running in January, continuing on our success during my first term, serving our district and prioritizing the needs of our community,” said Ciscomani. “From working with President Trump to secure the border, to passing legislation for our nearly 80,000 veterans, to working with my colleagues to get rid of waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government while protecting vital services for the most vulnerable among us, to returning nearly $3 million directly back to constituents, to appointing more than 20 students to our military academies, and more, I am fully committed to continue delivering real results – which earned me the honor of being named the most effective member of the Arizona congressional delegation. I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish so far and we’re just getting started!”
Ciscomani participates in a mining lunch in Casa Grande (left), attends Vail Unified School District Pride Day (middle), and talks to students (right)
Ciscomani’s 100 Days of the 119th Congress:
Ranked as the most effective member of Congress from Arizona during the 118th Congress, the 3rd most effective freshman, and the 15th most effective member of the House of Representatives by the Center for Effective Lawmaking
Returned $2.8 million in savings to constituents in the 119th Congress, including $1.25 million for veterans, and over $1 million in savings in one week.
Co-led or co-sponsored 107 pieces of legislation
Had two bills pass the House of Representatives with bipartisan approval:
The Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act (H.R. 35) to impose federal penalties on individuals who engage in high-speed car chases with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents or law enforcement officers assisting CBP within 100 miles of the border.
The Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivors Act (H.R. 1228) to ensure that surviving families of veterans receive the benefits and support they deserve, even after their loved one has passed away.
Sent a letter to Speaker Johnson urging him to protect Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and Pell Grants, which Ciscomani is a recipient of.
Named as Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.
Led a letter to the Secretary of the Army to review regulations and provide greater flexibility to ensure veterans and servicemembers are able to receive their Purple Heart award.
Named as Vice Chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus.
Hosted the third annual Service Academy Day for students planning to attend a prestigious military academy.
Attended a roundtable with Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins
Published the following op-eds:
Met with constituents and attended events across all five counties in Arizona’s 6th District.
Attended a fireside chat with the U.S. Hispanic Business Council.
By the numbers:
Returned $2.8 million in casework for constituents in the 119th Congress.
Attended 74 meetings with constituents, stakeholders, elected leaders, and more both in the district and Washington D.C.
Appointed 24 students to Military Service Academies.
Took 20 flights between Tucson and Washington D.C.
Introduced 13 pieces of legislation
Passed 2 bills through the House
Gave 15 speeches from the floor of the House of Representatives.
#1 – Most effective member of Arizona’s congressional delegation in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate
In the News
You can find a list of pictures from the 119th Congress here!
The responsible time to deter these threats is right now.
Asymmetric deterrence
Deterrence works when the imposed cost of an action is higher than its expected benefit. That means a hostile power won’t attack Canada if the risks of invasion are higher than the value of seizing our natural resources.
Given that Canada is extremely resource-rich, that’s a challenge.
While the Canadian government can makesmartchoices on military procurement, there is little any Canadian leader can do to transform the Canadian Armed Forces into a superpower army.
Even if Canada redirected every penny of its budget to defence spending, it could not catch up with American, Russian or Chinese military power. Given this asymmetry, is deterrence possible?
Absolutely.
To get there, Canada must take two big steps: first, adopt a “whole-of-society” defence system to protect the homeland; and second, contribute to a democratic nuclear umbrella.
In “whole-of-society” defence, all citizens play a role in national security and emergency response. This approach requires mandatory military service and nationwide civil defence preparations.
Whole-of-society defence not only improves societal resilience, but it also scares away potential invaders.
Many of Canada’s democratic allies have already embraced whole-of-society defence. Norway, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland all have mandatory military service and civil defence, and sensiblegunregulations that allow law-abiding citizens to contribute to national security.
Norwegians, Finns and Swedes are peaceful people who have learned to survive next to a dangerous superpower. Canadians must look at their own vulnerabilities and see the logic and wisdom behind the Scandinavian approach.
A democratic nuclear umbrella
Although the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty prohibits nuclear weapons development, the Trump administration’s utter disdain for democratic allies has prompted a global rethink. Trump has demanded NATO countries stop relying on the U.S. military and spend more on their own defence.
Nuclear weapons acquisition complies with his demand.
Instead of asking the U.K. and France to further stretch their limited arsenals, Canada could step up and contribute to the solution.
Canada is already a nuclear-threshold state with both the know-how and raw materials to develop a nuclear weapon. It would take time and money, but Canada is in a better position to help than most other European countries.
Once across the nuclear threshold, Canada would have a bulletproof defence of its homeland. It could then work with the U.K. and France as an equal and reliable partner, contributing to a democratic nuclear umbrella to protect vulnerable allies.
This would require formal withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, but that action doesn’t need to be provocative or unilateral. Canada could co-ordinate its withdrawal with European allies as part of a collective defence of liberal democracies.
In the face of rising tyranny and superpower conquest, Canada can either choose to be a burden on its overstretched French and British allies or a source of renewed safety for its democratic friends.
Defending democracy
Deterrence is hard work, but it is infinitely better than the horrors of invasion.
Mandatory military service and nuclear weapons may be new ideas for Canadians, but other friendly democracies have been using these strategies for decades.
The good news is that successful deterrence means stability and peace, so citizens can relax and carry on with their lives. Canadians want this safety for themselves, and for their allies, too.
The time for Canada to act is now, when threats are foreseeable but not imminent. Waiting until an army amasses at the border is too late.
To deter aggression, Canadians need to step up and be a little more like their Scandinavian, British and French allies. That is the price of continued freedom.
Aisha Ahmad receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Aghorn Operating and Kodiak Roustabout to Pay $1.4M in Criminal Fines; Aghorn VP to Serve Five Months in Prison
Aghorn Operating Inc., an oilfield company, Trent Day, an executive of Aghorn, and Kodiak Roustabout Inc., entered guilty pleas and were sentenced yesterday in relation to criminal worker safety and federal clean air and safe drinking water violations. According to court documents, Aghorn owns and operates oil wells in and near Odessa, Texas. Odessa is in the Permian basin where oil reserves are “sour,” meaning they have high hydrogen sulfide content. Hydrogen sulfide gas can be deadly at high concentrations.
The case leading to these pleas is the result of an investigation of the Oct. 26, 2019, death of Aghorn employee Jacob Dean and his wife Natalee Dean. Both were overcome by hydrogen sulfide at an Aghorn facility in Odessa.
Day agreed to plead guilty to a Clean Air Act (CAA) negligent endangerment charge and serve five months in prison. Aghorn pleaded guilty to CAA negligent endangerment and an Occupational Safety and Health Act willful violation count for the death of Jacob Dean. Kodiak pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act for falsifying oil well integrity tests. Aghorn will pay a $1 million criminal fine and Kodiak will pay a $400,000 criminal fine. These pleas were made under agreements the defendants entered into with the United States. Under the agreements, other pending charges will be dismissed. Yesterday, the court accepted the defendants’ guilty pleas and sentenced them in accordance with their plea agreements.
“Through these guilty pleas, the defendants accept responsibility for allowing hazards that should have been prevented,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “If they had done what the law requires, Jacob and Natalee might still be with us today. The Justice Department can’t stand by when employers put workers at such risk.”
“Energy production is vital, but it must be done competently and lawfully,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Operators who gravely endanger and kill others and those who lie to the government will be held accountable for their criminal conduct. EPA’s criminal investigation of these tragic deaths led to today’s plea deal.”
According to a factual statement accepted by Day and Aghorn, Jacob Dean responded to a call to check a pump at an Aghorn facility. There, he encountered deadly hydrogen sulfide gas, was overcome, and died. His wife, Natalee Dean, knew where Jacob had gone and started calling him when he did not return in a timely manner. When those calls went unanswered, Natalee drove to the facility. When Natalee arrived at the facility, she was also overcome while looking for Jacob and died.
Trent Day admitted that he should have controlled hydrogen sulfide emissions as part of his duties and that because he did not, he placed others in imminent danger of death. Aghorn admitted the same criminal negligence and to a separate charge that it willfully violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations requiring companies to implement respiratory protection programs to address hazards like those at the facility. In addition to paying a $1 million fine, the company will maintain a set of improvements it made after the tragedy during its period of probation.
The investigation also uncovered false statements by Kodiak about injection well testing related to Aghorn’s oil operations. The mechanical integrity of an injection well must be evaluated by conducting pressure tests. These tests are part of programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act to prevent leaks from those wells. Such leaks could, under some circumstances, contaminate groundwater. In its plea agreement, Kodiak admitted that it sent forms and charts to the Texas Railroad Commission, claiming they were tests for specific wells when Kodiak knew they were not actual records of tests of those wells. Kodiak, in addition to its $400,000 fine, will guarantee that at least 33 tests conducted for Aghorn wells during its year of probation are witnessed or conducted by a third party.
The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. The Justice Department and EPA would like to thank the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Railroad Commission, Ector County Environmental, and the Odessa Fire Department for their support of the investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Costantini, Trial Attorney Mark Romley, and Assistant Section Chief Thomas T. Ballantine of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Fox and Bow at Farrer shops brings a bustling vibe to a quiet local centre. Image: Visit Canberra
In brief:
Canberra has lots of great cafes in suburban areas.
Visiting the local shops in other areas helps you discover great new places to eat.
This article covers some of the city’s best local cafes.
Whether you’re after a relaxed brekkie or a coffee that packs a punch, Canberra is full of tasty hidden gems.
Venture beyond the larger centres to sample the tastes and community of neighbourhood cafes.
Baristas who know your name (and your order), easier parking and undiscovered suburbs – you’ll find all this and more when you visit some of Canberra’s best local cafes.
SOUTHSIDE
This eclectic café is a long-time local favourite. Relax in one of the cosy armchairs or in the sunny courtyard. You’ll find everything from Zucchini and Corn Fritters to Pulled Pork Bao Buns on the all-day menu. You can even toast the weekend with a mimosa.
The team here roast their own signature beans from Papua New Guinea. You can pick some up next time you buy a latte or tasty treat – ideal for savouring as the kids use the playground next door. There’s also a sister café at Curtin shops.
Fox and Bow’s original café brings a bustling vibe to this quiet centre. If the Goldilocks Porridge doesn’t grab your attention, there’s always the Brûlée French Toast or the vitamin-packed Greta Roll. Kids will love the Cubs menu.
This social enterprise cafe is based at the Gordon Community Centre. It operates to build community connections in Lanyon and raises money for the centre while offering training opportunities for local young people. It also serves a mean chai latte.
From the great minds behind Terra and Barrio comes this suburban all-day dining destination. Recess roast their own beans, so you know the coffee is excellent. With sandwiches, pancakes, pasta dishes and sweet treats on the menu, your every craving is sorted.
This local meeting place offers a range of classic breakfast and lunch options, including sandwiches, salads, pastries and sweet treats. A slice of the Sweet Potato Date Loaf pairs wonderfully with the Ona coffee served.
Maple and Pine gets its name from the trees found in nearby Isaacs Ridge. The café serves Veneziano coffee, along with a cracking breakfast and lunch menu. From Masala Chilli Scrambled to the SLAT sandwich (with smoked salmon) there’s something here for everyone.
Tucked away in the quiet Carleton Street Shops, Café Blanco delivers plenty of Latin American flavour to Tuggeranong. Tacos and tostadas feature on the seasonal breakfast and lunch menu alongside local Red Brick coffee.
Fully vegetarian, Stand By Me nails its breakfast game with Rosti, Okonomiyaki and French Toast that changes weekly. Dogs are welcome (with special puppy blankets and puppuccinos on the menu). It’s handily located across the road from Lyons Oval Playground.
Pitch Black serves up a popular menu of breakfast and lunch classics. There’s also Seven Miles coffee and no matter when you visit, you’ll also find a range of delicious baked goods made in-house. The walls are adorned with local artwork for sale.
Torrens shops is quickly becoming a foodie haven. St. Elmo is a deli and coffee shop that sells great coffee, freshly baked goods and a curated selection of meats and cheeses. Pick up some dinner while you’re there with daily-made pasta and fresh sauces.
Locals flock to this neighbourhood favourite for its Red Brick coffee, daily specials and tasty breakfast and lunch menu. Kids are welcomed with story books and colouring materials, and the nearby playground makes this a popular community hub.
NORTHSIDE
Two Before Ten’s flagship café sits among thriving veggie patches and fruit trees. Produce from this ‘urban farm’ supplies Two Before Ten’s numerous locations and the space is packed with locals sipping coffees from signature beans roasted nearby.
Located in the Fern Hill precinct, this is a great option for a grab-and-go lunch or a leisurely meal. You’ll find plenty of breakfast options, salads, burgers and more. Whatever your order, be sure to add some chips with aioli to it. They’re hard to beat.
Canberra’s one and only pig-themed café, Little Oink has real character. The brunch menu is packed with puns and delicious-sounding options, and the coffee is so good it’ll make your tail curl. Kids are welcome.
An inner-north favourite, Gang Gang is more than your average café. It’s big on community events, with gigs, trivia and comedy held regularly. As well as breakfast and lunch, Gang Gang is open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday.
From the team behind The Knox Made in Watson, The Irvine is a welcome addition to Florey shops. Weekend brunch gets its own menu and encompasses everything from a Sweet Potato Hotcake to the Florey Sambo (pork belly, bechamel, sriracha – how could you go wrong?).
Café by day, restaurant/bar by night, Frankies is renowned for its vibrant menu, regular specials and friendly vibe. Its location just a hop, skip and jump from Forde playground makes it a parents’ favourite. Fun fact: this was one of the first ACT venues to ditch disposable coffee cups.
The place to go for truly next-level sandwiches, al Lago brings a taste of Tuscany to Yerrabi Pond. Their bread is baked to order in house – inspired by the schiacciata bread the owners discovered in Florence. There’s Ona coffee too. Walk-ins only.
Operating from the owner’s front yard, this eponymous café is the essence of community. Events are held regularly. Locals wander over for their short black or bacon and egg wrap, while others drive across town to check out SV’s award-winning latte art.
Ever tried a croffle? Blossom Café, in Ngunnawal’s Platypus Centre, is the place to do it. This croissant/waffle combo will have you hooked. And if you’re more in the mood for savoury, there are plenty of brunch options to satisfy. There’s also a play area for kids.
As well as Ona coffee, you’ll find a mix of Filipino and western dishes. Sit indoors or out as you try Ube Waffles or Whipped Feta Toast for breakfast, Kare-Kare or Fish Escabeche for lunch or dinner. And there’s always the Biscoff Skewer dessert for whenever the mood takes you.
Located in the smaller of Lyneham’s two sets of shops – on Montford Crescent – Hide and Seek Café is ideal for catching up with family and friends. The menu changes regularly, with the Wild Mushroom Medley always popular.
Don’t be fooled by the café’s location within The Spence Grocer supermarket – the coffee here is excellent. In addition to a tasty selection of gourmet pies, pastries and sweet treats, Grocer and Grind serves hot specials like Turkish Eggs, Breakfast Burritos and Grilled Salmon.
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Aghorn Operating and Kodiak Roustabout to Pay $1.4M in Criminal Fines; Aghorn VP to Serve Five Months in Prison
Aghorn Operating Inc., an oilfield company, Trent Day, an executive of Aghorn, and Kodiak Roustabout Inc., entered guilty pleas and were sentenced yesterday in relation to criminal worker safety and federal clean air and safe drinking water violations. According to court documents, Aghorn owns and operates oil wells in and near Odessa, Texas. Odessa is in the Permian basin where oil reserves are “sour,” meaning they have high hydrogen sulfide content. Hydrogen sulfide gas can be deadly at high concentrations.
The case leading to these pleas is the result of an investigation of the Oct. 26, 2019, death of Aghorn employee Jacob Dean and his wife Natalee Dean. Both were overcome by hydrogen sulfide at an Aghorn facility in Odessa.
Day agreed to plead guilty to a Clean Air Act (CAA) negligent endangerment charge and serve five months in prison. Aghorn pleaded guilty to CAA negligent endangerment and an Occupational Safety and Health Act willful violation count for the death of Jacob Dean. Kodiak pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act for falsifying oil well integrity tests. Aghorn will pay a $1 million criminal fine and Kodiak will pay a $400,000 criminal fine. These pleas were made under agreements the defendants entered into with the United States. Under the agreements, other pending charges will be dismissed. Yesterday, the court accepted the defendants’ guilty pleas and sentenced them in accordance with their plea agreements.
“Through these guilty pleas, the defendants accept responsibility for allowing hazards that should have been prevented,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “If they had done what the law requires, Jacob and Natalee might still be with us today. The Justice Department can’t stand by when employers put workers at such risk.”
“Energy production is vital, but it must be done competently and lawfully,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Operators who gravely endanger and kill others and those who lie to the government will be held accountable for their criminal conduct. EPA’s criminal investigation of these tragic deaths led to today’s plea deal.”
According to a factual statement accepted by Day and Aghorn, Jacob Dean responded to a call to check a pump at an Aghorn facility. There, he encountered deadly hydrogen sulfide gas, was overcome, and died. His wife, Natalee Dean, knew where Jacob had gone and started calling him when he did not return in a timely manner. When those calls went unanswered, Natalee drove to the facility. When Natalee arrived at the facility, she was also overcome while looking for Jacob and died.
Trent Day admitted that he should have controlled hydrogen sulfide emissions as part of his duties and that because he did not, he placed others in imminent danger of death. Aghorn admitted the same criminal negligence and to a separate charge that it willfully violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations requiring companies to implement respiratory protection programs to address hazards like those at the facility. In addition to paying a $1 million fine, the company will maintain a set of improvements it made after the tragedy during its period of probation.
The investigation also uncovered false statements by Kodiak about injection well testing related to Aghorn’s oil operations. The mechanical integrity of an injection well must be evaluated by conducting pressure tests. These tests are part of programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act to prevent leaks from those wells. Such leaks could, under some circumstances, contaminate groundwater. In its plea agreement, Kodiak admitted that it sent forms and charts to the Texas Railroad Commission, claiming they were tests for specific wells when Kodiak knew they were not actual records of tests of those wells. Kodiak, in addition to its $400,000 fine, will guarantee that at least 33 tests conducted for Aghorn wells during its year of probation are witnessed or conducted by a third party.
The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. The Justice Department and EPA would like to thank the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Railroad Commission, Ector County Environmental, and the Odessa Fire Department for their support of the investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Costantini, Trial Attorney Mark Romley, and Assistant Section Chief Thomas T. Ballantine of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
RADNOR, Pa., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Surgent CPE, a leader in continuing professional education for accounting and finance professionals, on April 16 — in celebration of CPA Day — announced the launch of nearly 50 new CPE courses as the 2025 post-busy season begins.
These courses arrive just after the tax filing and year-end audit report deadlines — a critical time for CPAs to pivot their focus toward fulfilling their CPE credit requirements by the June 30 deadline and before summer breaks.
“Understanding the pressing needs of our audience, Surgent is excited to offer a robust selection of timely and practical courses that empower accounting professionals to stay ahead in a dynamic industry,” said Elizabeth Kolar, executive vice president and managing director of Surgent. “Our new offerings include engaging webinars and on-demand options ensuring busy professionals can select learning paths that fit their schedules.”
This new CPE lineup includes 30 live webinars starting April 22, along with 18 new on-demand Microsoft Excel and Power BI courses, which are available now for immediate access.
Nick Spoltore, vice president of tax and advisory content at Surgent, emphasized the importance of staying informed post-tax season. “With new tax laws expected to emerge in 2025, our tax-focused courses provide essential tools for enhancing practitioner effectiveness and delivering value to clients,” said Spoltore.
For professionals navigating the growing influence of technology in accounting, the addition of five specialized courses on artificial intelligence will enhance knowledge and skills in this critical area.
Jack Castonguay, Surgent’s vice president of learning and development, highlighted the relevance of the AI-focused courses, “These courses are designed to help professionals harness the power of generative artificial intelligence and data analysis tools such as Excel and Power BI, thereby transforming how they analyze complex information.”
The new CPE offerings cover a variety of fields of study, including courses on taxes (12), information technology (12), specialized knowledge (three), governmental auditing (two) and regulatory ethics (one).
New Live Webinars:
April 22:Exploring Business Valuation Fundamentals (BVF2) – Learn the foundational concepts and practical application of business valuation and corporate finance in determining what makes a business valuable. Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge | Credits: 2
April 29:A Complete Guide to Form 1099-K (GFK2) – Gain insights into the IRS filing requirements for payment settlement entities and how Form 1099-K helps improve tax compliance. Field of Study: Taxes | Credits: 2
May 7:Introduction to Required Minimum Distributions (RMD2) – Understand the complex rules behind required minimum distributions (RMDs) for retirement accounts and how to help clients meet their obligations efficiently. Field of Study: Taxes | Credits: 2
May 13:Introduction to AI in Accounting (AIA2) – Discover the fundamentals of AI and its transformative potential for accounting practices, including applications, challenges, and future trends. Field of Study: Information Technology | Credits: 2
May 14:Basis Shifting: Final Regulations (BSR4) – Delve into the IRS’s final regulations targeting partnership-based tax abuses and learn how to navigate complex transactions to avoid scrutiny. Field of Study: Taxes | Credits: 4
May 20:AI and Data Ethics in Accounting (ETA2) – Examine the ethical implications of AI use in accounting, focusing on data ethics, regulatory requirements, and best practices for ethical AI implementation. Field of Study: Regulatory Ethics | Credits: 2
May 21:Leveraging AI for Data Analytics in Accounting (LDA2) – Learn to apply AI tools to enhance data analytics in accounting, improving decision-making and operational efficiency. Field of Study: Information Technology | Credits: 2
May 23:A Complete Guide to Reporting Form 1099-DA (FDA2) – Understand the IRS reporting rules for digital asset transactions and how to properly file Form 1099-DA for 2025 sales. Field of Study: Taxes | Credits: 2
June 4:Forms 7217 and 7203 (F722) – Explore new IRS reporting forms, Form 7217 for partnership property distributions, and Form 7203 for S corporation shareholder basis calculations. Field of Study: Taxes | Credits: 2
June 6:IT Systems and Data Management (ITD2) – Strengthen your organization’s IT infrastructure by mastering data management, business resiliency, and disaster recovery strategies. Field of Study: Information Technology | Credits: 2
June 10:Where To Live in Retirement (WTR2) – Help clients evaluate key factors in choosing their ideal retirement location, based on lifestyle, finances, and personal goals. Field of Study: Taxes | Credits: 2
June 17:Fraud In Single Audits (FSA4) – Learn from real-world fraud cases that slipped through single audits, improving your ability to detect and prevent fraud in future audits. Field of Study: Auditing (Governmental) | Credits: 4
June 17:Elder Fraud (EFR2) – Protect vulnerable seniors from fraud by understanding common scams and implementing effective cybersecurity practices. Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge | Credits: 2
June 24:IT Governance and Risk Management (GRM2) – Master IT governance frameworks and risk management techniques to safeguard your organization’s technology infrastructure. Field of Study: Information Technology | Credits: 2
June 24:Home Office Rules (HOF2) – Explore the tax implications of home office deductions for the self-employed and understand the rules for office-related expenses. Field of Study: Taxes | Credits: 2
June 26:Information Security and Privacy (SPR2) – Learn the latest strategies to protect data privacy and security in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. Field of Study: Information Technology | Credits: 2
June 30:System and Organization Controls (SOC) Engagements (SOC2) – Gain a deep understanding of SOC reports and their application in safeguarding financial reporting and operations through effective internal controls. Field of Study: Information Technology | Credits: 2
July 2:Simply Auditing Not-for-Profits Efficiently (SAN4) – Learn how to audit not-for-profit entities effectively by incorporating their unique characteristics into audit planning and execution. Field of Study: Auditing (Governmental) | Credits: 4
July 15:Virtual Currency: Keeping Up with the Tax Code (VCR2) – Explore recent tax law changes and the nuances of virtual currency, including new reporting requirements for tax practitioners. Field of Study: Taxes | Credits: 2
July 22:Tax Planning for Rental Real Estate (RRE4) – Delve into the complex taxation of real estate, exploring exceptions, qualifications for material participation, and strategies for minimizing tax liabilities. Field of Study: Taxes | Credits: 4
Aug. 11:Foundations of Cybersecurity for Financial Professionals (CFY2) – Learn essential cybersecurity concepts tailored to financial professionals and their critical role in risk management and financial reporting. Field of Study: Information Technology | Credits: 2
Aug. 14:Tax Research – Intermediate Concepts (TRS2) – Master intermediate tax research techniques to efficiently answer clients’ questions with clear, concise explanations. Field of Study: Taxes | Credits: 2
Aug. 19:Generative AI and Cybersecurity: Opportunities and Threats (CYG2) – Understand the transformative impact of generative AI on cybersecurity, focusing on both the benefits and risks in financial contexts. Field of Study: Information Technology | Credits: 2
On-Demand Webcasts: The 18 new on-demand Microsoft Excel and Power BI courses can be accessed immediately via Surgent’s course catalog here.
Surgent CPE remains committed to delivering flexible, relevant and premium CPE content tailored for busy professionals. With a goal to keep accounting and finance professionals at the forefront of industry changes, Surgent offers unmatched resources to foster ongoing career development.
Professionals can now register for the nearly 50 new courses through the Surgent CPE website, providing the flexibility needed to earn CPE credits while balancing their busy schedules.
For further details about the new course offerings, please visit SurgentCPE.com.
About Surgent Accounting & Financial Education Surgent Accounting & Financial Education, a division of KnowFully Learning Group, is a provider of the high-impact education experiences that accounting, tax and financial professionals need throughout their careers. For most of the company’s 40-year history, Surgent has been a trusted provider of continuing professional education (CPE), continuing education (CE) and skill-based training that professionals need to maintain their credentials and stay current on industry changes. More recently, Surgent became one of the fastest-growing certification exam review providers, offering adaptive learning-based courses that help learners pass accounting and finance credentialing exams faster. Learn more at Surgent.com.
About KnowFully Learning Group The KnowFully Learning Group provides continuing professional education, exam preparation courses and education resources to the accounting, finance and healthcare sectors. KnowFully’s suite of learning solutions helps learners become credentialed, satisfy required credit hours to maintain credentials and stay informed on the latest trends and critical changes in their industries over the course of their careers. The company provides exam preparation and continuing education for accounting, finance and tax professionals headlined by the Surgent Accounting & Financial Education brand. KnowFully’s healthcare education brands include American Fitness Professionals & Associates, ChiroCredit, freeCE, Impact EMS Training, Online CE, PharmCon, Rx Consultant and Psychotherapy.net. For more information, please visit KnowFully.com.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
The International Scientific and Practical Conference “State and Municipal Administration in the Context of the Implementation of National Development Goals of Russia” has begun its work at the State University of Management.
The official part was opened by the rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroev.
“The topic of today’s meeting is closer to our university than ever, because the specialty “State and Municipal Administration” was born and developed here, and is now implemented in many universities of the country. Many of our graduates hold positions in the state and municipal service, including top positions in ministries, governments and municipalities. And we are pleased that these careers began within the walls of our university,” Vladimir Vitalievich noted.
The welcoming speech was given by the Chairman of the Commission on Territorial Development, Urban Environment and Infrastructure of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Board of the NP “Center for Innovations of Municipalities” Andrey Maksimov.
“I am glad that such a large-scale conference dedicated to the quality of public administration is taking place at the State University of Management. Today we are at an important point: over the past five years, the reform of legislation in the sphere of municipal administration has been completed and the directions for its further development have been laid down. Clear national goals and guidelines for shaping the future of each of us have appeared,” Andrei Nikolaevich emphasized.
On behalf of the conference organizer, the first adviser to the Mayor of Moscow, professor of the Department of State and Municipal Administration of the State University of Management Vladimir Zotov took the floor.
“Our traditional conference is taking place within the walls of the first management university, which has a rich history. Tens of thousands of its graduates work in various sectors of our country’s economy and hold high positions in state and municipal government. This year, Russia is moving to a new system of public authority. Well-formulated goals and programs are the key to our future,” concluded Vladimir Borisovich.
Then the President of the Russian Municipal Academy (RMA) Alexander Aigistov spoke about the history of the development of the new law in the sphere of municipal management and the changes envisaged in it. After that, he presented RMA medals for contribution to the development of local self-government in the Russian Federation to Associate Professor of the Department of State and Municipal Management Elena Khmelchenko and a medal for outstanding labor achievements to Associate Professor of the Department Mikhail Polyakov.
Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Kherson Technical University Viktor Mokrushin thanked the State University of Management for assistance and support in development.
“Thank you for the opportunity to participate, for helping our university. We also have a department of state and municipal management. We are starting almost from scratch, but thanks to the help of the GUU management, we are succeeding,” noted Viktor Ivanovich.
The head of the Vykhino-Zhulebino municipal district Nina Kalkova presented letters of gratitude for their contribution to the training of highly qualified specialists in the field of state and municipal administration to Professor of the Department of State and Municipal Administration Vladimir Zotov and Associate Professor of the department Olga Petrina, as well as gratitude to the specialist in educational and methodological work of the department Valeria Polynnikova.
The head of the Ryazan municipal district, Anatoly Yevseyev, presented letters of gratitude to the head of the department of “State and Municipal Administration” Sergey Chuyev and the assistant of the department Anna Khaustova.
The head of the Lefortovo municipal district, Mikhail Surkov, presented letters of gratitude to specialists in educational and methodological work of the Department of State and Municipal Administration, Ekaterina Lavrova and Ekaterina Volodina
The head of the Tekstilshchiki municipal district, Alexandra Ignatyeva, handed over a letter of thanks to the associate professor of the Department of State and Municipal Administration, Mikhail Polyakov.
After the formal part, the work continued within the framework of seven thematic sections.
On April 17, the conference will include the All-Russian competition “History of Local Self-Government in My Region” and the Final of the All-Russian competition of student project (research) works in the field of state and municipal administration “Managers: New Generation”, and on April 19, a meeting of the young scientists section and the Final of the Open competition of projects of students in grades 9-11 “If I were the head of the city (district)” will take place. Details on the official website of the conference.
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/16/2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is encouraging businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities in Connecticut that have been impacted by recent actions from the federal government to report that information to the state so that it can be compiled into a central database and provide state policymakers with a better understanding of how these directives are affecting various groups, geographical regions, and sectors of the economy.
To facilitate this reporting, the governor has launched an online reporting tool that can be accessed by visitingct.gov/fedimpact.
Users will need to create a login and then will be prompted with a series of questions to report any impacts they may be experiencing. Examples of items that are encouraged to be reported include pauses, cancelations, and reductions in federal funding, reductions in employment, and impacts from tariffs. The information collected will be shared with the relevant state agencies, which will utilize this data to help inform the state’s response as these directives from the federal government continue to be made.
“State government has an important responsibility in responding to any crisis that is happening within our borders, and this reporting tool is intended to shed a light on how these changes from the federal government are affecting people who live, work, and learn in Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “Submitting this data is purely voluntary, but I think everyone understands the importance of sharing this information so that we can better understand what exactly is happening and formulate a response on the state and local levels.”
“Federal policies are shifting every day, and we are constantly assessing what this means for our state,” Comptroller Sean Scanlon said. “We’re asking the public to use this new reporting tool to ensure we have the most accurate and up-to-date information on the impact funding cuts and freezes are having on Connecticut.”
“The consequences and impact of slashed federal funding are being felt by our citizens every day,” Treasurer Erick Russell said. “The reporting system unveiled today not only shines a light on the true scope of the damage being done to our economy and our people, but it provides real-time information that allows us to push back, to demand accountability, and to fight for the resources we all deserve.”
Any information submitted through this reporting tool should be considered public information and may be released by the state to interested parties. This reporting tool serves only to ensure situational awareness to state officials, and no commitments of state action in response to these issues is expressed or implied.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced $12 million is now available to support innovative technologies in New York that help to improve the efficiency of delivering clean energy to the state’s electric grid. Today’s announcement will accelerate the development of new and emerging electric grid solutions that enhance grid performance, improve grid reliability and make it easier to integrate renewable sources of energy like wind and solar into the grid.
“New York is making grid modernization a priority, and continues to advance the latest technologies that can help to meet the growing energy needs of the state,” Governor Hochul said. “This investment will bring forward new solutions that strengthen the resiliency and reliability of our energy system while helping ensure New Yorkers continue to have clean electricity when they need it most.”
The Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), seeks eligible proposers for product development projects, demonstration projects or research studies that will help to enable a high-performing electric grid and have the potential to transform the delivery of clean, renewable energy resources. The maximum funding amount is $3 million per product development or demonstration project and $400,000 per study. Proposals submitted must demonstrate a clear action plan to drive adoption readiness toward commercial deployment and proactively address market risks and uncertainties. Proposals must also reflect cost share requirements outlined in the solicitation, including 50 percent for product development and demonstrations and 25 percent for studies.
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Ensuring New Yorkers can increasingly rely on renewable energy as part of an expanding electric grid requires us to develop new, innovative ways to transfer electricity to homes and businesses. With this funding, we will continue to foster public-private partnerships that drive toward the adoption of cutting-edge products and solutions that are essential to building a smarter, higher-performing electric grid.”
Proposals should address one or more of the following areas:
Transmission Utilization Improvements
Advanced Conductors
Modern Infrastructure
Inverter Based Resource Integration
Stability
Protection Systems
Planning
Operational Situational Awareness
Tools for Operator Decision Making
Assessing Reliability
Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning for Data Analytics
Improved Maintenance methods
Proposals are due on July 15, 2025, by 3:00 p.m. ET. For more information on this funding opportunity please visit NYSERDA’s website.
Department of Public Service CEO Rory M. Christian said, “Kudos to Governor Hochul and the NYSERDA team for funding public-private partnerships that spur the creation and adoption of cutting-edge technology that is needed to create a more efficient electric grid.”
This program has been developed in partnership with the Joint Utilities of New York members Con Edison, Central Hudson Gas & Electric, National Grid, New York State Electric and Gas, Rochester Gas & Electric, and Orange & Rockland and the Advanced Technology Working Group to accommodate the State’s integration of renewable energy sources and understand their impact on the transmission and distribution systems which serve over 13 million households, businesses, and government facilities across the state.
Today’s announcement builds on the success of previous rounds issued under the program, formerly known as Future Grid Challenge, which is part of NYSERDA’s successful Grid Modernization program. Since 2016, NYSERDA has awarded approximately $65 million to over 110 grid technology companies and research organizations through the program for projects that improve low-cost high-accuracy grid sensors, modeling and simulation tools, and advanced engineering solutions.
New York State’s investments in research, development, and commercialization support innovators accelerating the clean energy transition. NYSERDA’s Innovation and Research program is deploying approximately $1.2 billion over 15 years as direct research investments and commercialization support. To date, more than $800 million in investments have supported more than 700 companies and made nearly 300 products commercially available to individuals, businesses, and utilities.
Funding for this initiative is through the Clean Energy Fund (CEF).
New York State’s Climate Agenda New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Scott Township, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 151 months of imprisonment, to be followed by eight years of supervised release, on his conviction of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on James France, 62, on April 15, 2025. A federal jury found France guilty of the charge in March 2022.
According to information presented to the Court, France was a lawyer with an Ivy League degree who worked for several Pittsburgh-based law firms before turning to a life of methamphetamine distribution. On March 16, 2015, France was arrested in Illinois after a search of his car revealed approximately 1,344 grams of methamphetamine along with scales, packaging material, syringes, and more than $4,700 in U.S. currency. In May of 2016, an arrest of one of France’s conspirators by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Rochester, New York, led to the identification of France as a major methamphetamine supplier from the Pittsburgh area.
In late June of 2016, the DEA effectuated a controlled purchase of $2,000 worth of methamphetamine from France at France’s Scott Township residence. A laboratory analysis of the drugs following the controlled purchase found it to be 55 grams of methamphetamine.
At approximately 1:38 a.m. on July 29, 2016, Scott Township Police responded to a report of a home invasion in progress at France’s residence. When the police arrived, they encountered an individual who appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance and reported that six armed men attempted to break into the residence. The officers called out for anyone inside the house to come to the door and, when no one responded, officers entered to clear the residence.
Based on the condition of the home, officers believed that the residence could be a methamphetamine laboratory and contacted the DEA, who determined that the house was not a methamphetamine laboratory and obtained a search warrant for the residence. During the search, officers recovered what later laboratory analysis determined was approximately 430 grams of pure methamphetamine, approximately $8,000 in U.S. currency, and other evidence of methamphetamine distribution.
France was on bond for other offenses when local police officers arrested him on June 30, 2017, after executing another search warrant at his residence. That search resulted in the seizure of a methamphetamine smoking apparatus, syringes, scales, packaging material, large sums of U.S. currency, and quantities of methamphetamine.
Throughout the judicial proceedings, the defendant attempted to obstruct justice by lying to the Court, violating the conditions of his bond, threatening to beat a person’s grandparents “to within an inch of their lives,” and verbally abusing his court-appointed counsel.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Scott Township Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of France.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today, alongside Congressman Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), reintroduced the Countering Hate Against Israel by Federal Contractors Act to ban the federal government from entering into contracts with entities that support the radical, anti-Semitic BDS movement targeting Israel.
Additional cosponsors include Representatives Mike Lawler (NY-17), Ben Cline (VA-6), Greg Steube (FL-17), and Elise Stefanik (NY-21).
Across the United States, thirty-eight states have implemented laws blocking boycotts against Israel, demonstrating their commitment to opposing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. This legislation would bring the federal procurement process in line with the majority of states that have already enacted policies to reiterate America’s vital alliance with Israel.
“The BDS movement promotes and normalizes anti-Semitism by singling out the world’s only Jewish state and targeting Israel’s economy. The United States should not support any entity that engages in or endorses such actions. With over two-thirds of states enacting laws to counter the BDS movement, the federal procurement process must follow these states’ lead by implementing legislation at the national level to ban procurement from entities that engage in this form of anti-Semitism. The Countering Hate Against Israel by Federal Contractors Act sends a clear message that the United States stands firmly against anti-Semitism and remains committed to supporting our greatest ally,” said Congresswoman Tenney.
“Taxpayer dollars should not be going towards groups that engage in antisemitic boycotts targeting Israel. When I was in the Florida Legislature, I helped lead the charge against the BDS movement to make clear it has no place in Florida. Now, Congress ought to do the same and make clear it has no place in federal contracts. The BDS movement is antisemitism, plain and simple, and this bill will ensure we’re using taxpayer dollars responsibly to stand up against hate and stand up for our ally Israel,” said Congressman Moskowitz.
“BDS is nothing more than economic antisemitism and its goal is to destroy the world’s one and only Jewish state. More than 2/3 of U.S states have adopted measures to thwart BDS and it is well past time for the federal government to join the rest of the country with this clear directive: if you choose to boycott Israel, you will not receive a single dollar from U.S. taxpayers. While companies have a constitutional right to engage in BDS, they do not have a right to use American tax dollars to subsidize their antisemitism. This is both a moral and strategic imperative and we are deeply grateful to Reps Tenney and Moskowitz for leading this bipartisan effort,” said CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Parker.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04)
HULL, IOWA – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) joined U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and the entire Iowa congressional delegation in urging President Donald J. Trump to promptly grant Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ request for federal disaster assistance in the state of Iowa.
The request follows severe weather on March 19th that produced high winds and blizzard conditions across much of west, central, and northwest Iowa, causing significant damage to public infrastructure and private property.
“The Governor has determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and supplementary federal assistance is necessary. Thank you for your prompt consideration of this important request,” the lawmakers wrote.
Governor Reynolds has requested Hazard Mitigation statewide and activation of Public Assistance programs for Crawford, Harrison, Monona, and Woodbury Counties.
The full letter can be readHEREor below.
Dear Mr. President:
We respectfully ask that you promptly grant the request made by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for a major disaster declaration for the State of Iowa as a result of severe weather on March 19, 2025, that produced high winds and blizzard conditions across much of west central and northwest Iowa. This severe weather caused significant damage to public infrastructure and private property.
Governor Reynolds has requested Hazard Mitigation statewide and activation of the Public Assistance Program. Public Assistance was requested for Crawford, Harrison, Monona, and Woodbury Counties.
The Governor has determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and supplementary federal assistance is necessary.
Thank you for your prompt consideration of this important request.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse, Associate Professor, University of Kinshasa
The cultural and creative industries are a growing source of income and job creation around the world, generating tens of millions of jobs. The cultural sector is also linked to soft power, to relations between countries.
Because of this, culture is an active part of the agenda of the G20 global economic forum. Under the presidency of South Africa in 2025, the G20 has chosen four key culture focus areas: heritage restitution; socio-economic strategies for inclusivity; digital technologies; and climate action.
Here, as a scholar of the sector, I outline why these four priorities are relevant to both the G20 and the African continent, and to South Africa itself as the host country, in the light of current global trends and issues.
G20 and culture
The relationship between culture and development is increasingly emphasised. The 2022 Unesco World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – or Mondiacult – recommended that culture be a “stand-alone” sustainable development goal.
This proposal is underlined by the UN’s Pact for the Future, adopted in 2024. The 17 sustainable development goals, adopted by the UN in 2015, are to ensure peace and prosperity for all people by 2030. They include goals like zero hunger and reduced inequalities.
As the global order shifts, new actors from the global south are emerging as the Brics group. However, the G20 is the only forum that includes countries from both the global north and south.
The G20, like the G7 and Brics, has a tradition of including culture among the items for discussion at ministerial level, supported by a working group.
Under Brazil’s presidency in 2024, the G20 Culture Working Group highlighted the relationship between education and culture. This was in line with Unesco’s Framework for Culture and Arts Education. Taking over the G20 presidency, South Africa has expanded on the cultural agenda.
Cultural heritage
Priority 1: the safeguarding and restitution of cultural heritage to protect human rights.
This relates to cultural property, mainly stolen during colonisation and displayed in global south museums. It’s one of the key issues in the heritage sector today.
After years of demands by formerly colonised countries, there’s a growing list of high profile objects being sent back home. France returned 26 Dahomey Kingdom royal treasures to Benin and the saber of El Hadj Omar Tall to Senegal; 119 Benin bronzes came from the Netherlands to Nigeria. Akan cultural objects were restituted from Japan to Côte d’Ivoire.
This global issue has particularly affected African countries. South Africa, too, knows its importance, with the repatriation of the human remains of Saartjie Baartman by France.
Statues of the Kingdom of Dahomey returned to Benin by France.Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images
The Mondiacult 2022 declaration calls the return of cultural heritage an “ethical imperative”. It’s part of the respect for cultural rights and human rights.
For South Africa, one of the most influential countries on the continent, this is a good way to support the 2023 position of the African Union (AU) on the urgent return of this heritage. Improving the relationship between the global north and south requires this kind of debate.
Inclusive development
Priority 2: integrating cultural policies in socio-economic strategies to ensure inclusive, rights-based development.
The importance of cultural goods and services in national and international trade has been highlighted many times. Statistics show they make up a healthy share of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
A 2021 study found that the cultural and creative industries contributed 4.3% to South Africa’s GDP. At African level, they are estimated to generate US$45.35 billion in income and 15.87 million jobs. According to the 2024 UN Creative Economy Outlook, exports of creative services globally rose to $1.4 trillion in 2022, an increase of 29% since 2017. Exports of creative goods reached US$713 billion, an increase of 19%.
South Africa can play a leading role in this priority, having drafted a national policy paper on trade agreements involving the creative and cultural industries. The country’s Creative Industries Vision 2040 aims for an annual growth rate of 6.8% of GDP for these industries.
However, the creative economy should be rights-based development and inclusive of local communities, young people and women. The G20 countries will need to work together to support policies that enhance sustainability and equity for creative workers. This is especially important in Africa where the creative economy is largely informal and unprotected.
Digital technologies
Priority 3: harnessing digital technologies for the protection and promotion of culture and sustainable economies.
Digital technology is transforming the creative economy value chain. In my survey of the COVID era’s harsh impact on creative workers, I found that digital media, online games, music and audiovisual content were able to be resilient. Their value chains, from creator to user, don’t require high levels of face-to-face interaction, and online tools can be used effectively.
Maliyo, a games development company in Lagos, Nigeria.Olympia de Maismont/AFP/Getty Images
In 2024 the UN Conference on Trade and Development reported that, in 2022, the most exported creative services globally were software services (41.3%), research and development (30.7%), advertising, market research and architecture (15.5%), audiovisual services (7.9%), information services (4%) and cultural, recreational and heritage services (0.6%).
While digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can be seen as a threat to creativity and intellectual property, they can also be used to promote respect for communities and creators. The development of monitoring software for collecting music rights payments is an example.
In 2021 the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization adopted a recommendation on the ethics of AI. It proposes that AI tools be used for the benefit of the promotion, preservation, enrichment and accessibility of intangible or tangible cultural heritage. This issue is crucial because Mondiacult 2022 declared that culture is a “global public good” and the G20 must fund research and development of the most appropriate and advanced AI tools.
Climate change
Priority 4: the intersection of culture and climate change – shaping global responses.
The challenges of climate change require a range of responses. Intangible cultural heritage (like oral traditions, social practices, rituals) can help to teach how ancient societies organised their relationships with nature and how they dealt with changes.
The Herds, touring the world from central Africa for climate awareness.Hardy Bope/AFP/Getty Images
Art, theatre, film, gaming and many other cultural forms can educate and raise awareness about this urgent issue. The African continent has a rich cultural diversity and is a potential source of many unexpected and insightful solutions.
Keeping it relevant
These four priorities reflect what is important on the continent. Africa will benefit from the collective efforts of the G20 countries in implementing such priorities. The presence of the AU as a permanent member of the G20 will support South Africa’s leadership and advance the continent’s cause.
The challenge to the culture working group is to come up with relevant recommendations that can be endorsed by the G20 Ministerial Meeting. The 2024 G7 Ministerial Meeting on Culture, along with the AU and the African Development Bank, has set the tone. Their Naples Statement on culture for the sustainable development of Africa and the world notes that the G7 countries “intend to work with African governments to harness culture as a key driver of sustainable development”.
A G20 summit on African soil cannot do less. It has all the potential it needs to support the African cultural sector in a variety of ways.
– Culture can build a better world: four key issues on Africa’s G20 agenda – https://theconversation.com/culture-can-build-a-better-world-four-key-issues-on-africas-g20-agenda-253864
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kylie Thomas, Senior Researcher and Senior Lecturer (Radical Humanities Laboratory, University College Cork), NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Ernest Cole is famous for photographing the everyday realities of South Africa’s racist apartheid system. His 1967 book House of Bondage ensured his damning critique of the white minority regime was seen by the world. But its publication sent him into exile and was banned at home.
The startling discovery of a vast archive of his work in a Swedish bank vault in 2017 has returned him to public view.
It would win the documentary prize at the Cannes Film Festival and show around the world, restoring the legacy of a photographer who died penniless in New York in 1990 at the age of 49.
As a researcher of South African photography under apartheid, I was intrigued by how the film would convey this complex life story.
It draws extensively on Cole’s images, made in South Africa, Europe and the US. It’s a beautiful, poetic interpretation of how his images mirrored his own experiences of oppression, displacement and the loneliness of exile.
House of Bondage
Cole was just 10 when the state introduced the Group Areas Act and entrenched racial segregation. He was 22 when his childhood neighbourhood of Eersterust was razed to the ground. His family was among the thousands forcibly removed to a new township.
In his second year of high school, he elected to drop out. The state had introduced Bantu Education, designed to ensure Black children learned only enough for a life of servitude.
Cole began to study by correspondence, taking a course with the New York Institute for Photography. By 18, he’d landed a position as a darkroom assistant at Drum magazine, working alongside German photographer Jürgen Schadeberg.
Cole captured the everyday realities of Black life in South Africa.Ernest Cole/Magnolia Pictures
In 1959, Cole saw a copy of French street photography pioneer Henri Cartier-Bresson’s The People of Moscow, and decided he would create a similar book to convey what it meant to live under apartheid.
He spent six years taking the photographs that would become House of Bondage, a book that exposed the apartheid state.
Determined to publish his images, he fled to the US in 1966, where his book appeared a year later. Acclaimed internationally, it was banned for 22 years in South Africa. Cole was prohibited from returning home and spent the next 20 years stateless.
He hoped to find freedom in America. Instead he felt pigeonholed as a Black photographer, dismayed at only ever being commissioned to document suffering.
He made hundreds of photographs of people in Harlem, often drawn to scenes that were impossible in South Africa. Mixed-race couples holding hands in public, young people of different races hanging out, neon signs offering “Sex, sex, sex” rather than the “Whites only” signs of segregation he documented at home.
Under apartheid, public space was segregated.Ernest Cole/Magnolia Pictures
Commissioned to take photos in the Deep South, he found the same suffering and racism he’d thought particular to South Africa.
In a letter to the Norwegian government requesting an emergency travel certificate to leave the US, he wrote:
Exposing the truth at whatever cost is one thing. But having to live a lifetime of being a chronicler of misery and injustice and callousness is another.
A life in fragments
For me, the most poignant moment of the film is the footage of Cole speaking in his own voice in a 1969 documentary. A slight man with a sorrowful gaze, he’s seated at a table with prints of his photos:
I’ve been banned in absentia, but that doesn’t matter because it (his book) will stand in the future. Because I’m sure South Africa will be free.
His youthful conviction is undercut by the presence, in his voice, of the weight of all he’s experienced. Correspondence shows Cole’s book was sent to government officials in the US and Europe, and to the United Nations, but it would take decades of resistance before apartheid fell.
Black life in America was as painful as back home.Ernest Cole/Magnolia Pictures
Despite his fame, and the support of leading international photographers, writers and editors, Cole’s determination was ground down by the racism he encountered everywhere he went. Although he received grants to continue his work, he descended into poverty and depression.
By the mid-1980s he stopped taking photos – his cameras were lost, stolen, or sold, and he learned that his belongings, including negatives and prints that he’d left in a hotel storage room in New York, had been discarded. Cole was destitute and ill.
Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he watched Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 from his hospital bed. Cole died in New York that same year. All his negatives and the work he’d made during his life in exile were thought to be lost.
Cole also captured street images of childhood joys wherever he went.Ernest Cole/Magnolia Pictures
Finding Ernest Cole
Peck’s meditative film draws on Cole’s notebooks and letters, along with research interviews, in a rather bold attempt to have him “tell his own story”. It’s a story driven by both curiosity and heartbreak, narrated by actor LaKeith Stanfield, whose rather jarring American accent gives voice to a South African experience.
Although she’s not mentioned in the credits, Peck’s script draws heavily on interviews by Swedish curator and researcher Gunilla Knape. Her association with the Hasselblad Foundation might account for why she remains unacknowledged – the organisation is linked to the ongoing controversy over ownership of Cole’s work.
In 2017, Cole’s nephew, Leslie Matlaisane, received an email requesting that he travel to Sweden to discuss the return of items belonging to his uncle, discovered in a bank vault in Stockholm.
The film includes footage of Matlaisane’s journey to Sweden and the bizarre scene that unfolds as Cole’s archive is returned without any explanation about how it came to be either lost or found, or who’d placed it there.
The boxes included 60,000 negatives, and Cole’s notebooks and research materials for House of Bondage. An incredible trove of history has resurfaced, but as Peck’s film shows, Cole himself was irrecoverably lost in exile.
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found is showing in Johannesburg. It can be streamed on various services.
– Ernest Cole: the South African photographer at the centre of a powerful and heartbreaking film – https://theconversation.com/ernest-cole-the-south-african-photographer-at-the-centre-of-a-powerful-and-heartbreaking-film-254508
Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Minister Lin hosts banquet for delegation from New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan
Date：2025-04-15
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
April 15, 2025
No. 096
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on April 15 for a delegation from the New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan. On behalf of the Taiwan government, he sincerely welcomed the delegation and thanked the New Zealand Parliament for its long-standing and staunch cross-party support of Taiwan.
Minister Lin emphasized that Taiwan and New Zealand shared the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights. He added that under the Taiwan-New Zealand economic cooperation agreement (ANZTEC), economic, trade, investment, cultural, and indigenous exchanges had continued to grow steadily. In the face of authoritarian expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region, Minister Lin recognized and thanked New Zealand for repeatedly affirming the vital importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and for firmly supporting Taiwan’s participation in the international community. He expressed confidence that moving forward, both countries would continue working hand in hand to promote regional security and prosperity.
The delegation was led by Senior Whip of the National Party Stuart Smith. He stated that his first trip to Taiwan had been in 2015 and that he was visiting again now to witness Taiwan’s political and economic development over the past decade. Noting that both Taiwan and New Zealand sought free trade and upheld universal values, he indicated that at a time when countries worldwide were facing geopolitical challenges and trade barriers, exchanging views on issues of common concern was particularly important for New Zealand as it responded to global changes. Labour Party Member of Parliament Tangi Utikere, cohead of the delegation, said that the visit would facilitate the New Zealand Parliament’s understanding of the current state of Taiwan-New Zealand relations and allow it to draw on Taiwan’s experience, making development on both sides more successful.
The New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan was established in 2023 and first sent a cross-party delegation of parliamentarians to Taiwan in 2024. This year, the delegation will remain in Taiwan from April 13 to 18, calling on President Lai Ching-te, meeting with representatives of relevant government agencies, and visiting sites of political, economic, and cultural interest to further the Taiwan-New Zealand partnership. (E)
Firing Makes Clear Admin Expects DOJ Employees to Lie to Judges, a Violation of State Law Governing Courtroom Candor
Goldman Argues Lawyers Should Not be Forced to Choose Between Their Jobs and Following the Law
Members Urge Bondi to Facilitate the Return of Garcia Back to America
Read the LetterHere
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today led a letter with 5 of his colleagues urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to reinstate Erez Reuveni, Acting Deputy Chief of the Office of Immigration Litigation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyer who first represented the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Abrego Garcia v. Noem, the federal case concerning the Trump administration’s unlawful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
While representing DHS in court, Mr. Reuveni acknowledged that DHS’s deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia was an “administrative error.” One day later, Deputy Attorney General Blanche placed Mr. Reuveni on indefinite leave and later fired him, citing his failure to “follow a directive from [his] superiors.” Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Mr. Reuveni was suspended for failing to vigorously advocate on behalf of his client.
“While an attorney must balance their obligation to persuasively present their client’s case within their duty of candor to the tribunal, under no circumstances may the attorney “allow the tribunal to be misled by false statements of law or fact or evidence that the attorney knows to be false.” Here, Mr. Reuveni had no choice but to abide by his duty of candor to the court,” the Members wrote.
Under Maryland’s Rules of Professional Conduct, lawyers cannot lie in a court of law or present statements that they know to be untrue or misleading. None of the statements Mr. Reuveni made during the April 4th hearing on the Abrego Garcia v. Noem were false, yet he was fired anyway, making clear Attorney General Bondi has prioritized the administration’s talking points over every attorney’s duty to present the facts as they understand them.
“That Mr. Reuveni was fired because he had the human decency to recognize that there was no defense for the Administration’s position underscores the danger that your firing of Mr. Reuveni presents to attorneys throughout the Department, who are now put in a position where they may have to choose between their jobs and their bar license,” the Members wrote.
The members also argue that there is no legitimate justification for the administration’s failure to facilitate Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return from the El Salvador prison he was unlawfully and erroneously deported to, as the Supreme Court ruled in a 9-0 unanimous decision.
“In order to correct your improper employment action, and to set an appropriate message for other attorneys representing the Department, we request that you immediately reinstate Mr. Reuveni. As the legal advisor for the Executive Branch, we further encourage you to advise the President that he must follow the Supreme Court’s unanimous order to “facilitate” Mr. Abrego Garcia’s safe return from El Salvador, including, if necessary, by stopping payments to El Salvador for Mr. Abrego Garcia’s detention,” the Members concluded.
Read the LetterHere or below.
Dear Attorney General Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Blanche,
We write with grave concern about your removal and firing of Acting Deputy Chief Erez Reuveni of the Office of Immigration Litigation on unethical and improper grounds. Further, we are deeply troubled by the Hobbesian choice you have created for the attorneys in the Department of Justice (DOJ), who may be forced to choose between their jobs and their oath of candor to the courts. We therefore request that you reinstate Mr. Reuveni and clarify that Department attorneys must always be honest and forthright with the court, even if that undermines the Department’s position.
This specific incident stems from Abrego Garcia v. Noem, a case before Judge Paula Xinis in the Maryland District Court, in which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), DOJ’s client, admitted to the court that it improperly and unlawfully deported Mr. Abrego Garcia, a resident of the State of Maryland and husband to an American citizen, to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador – a prison whose conditions would violate an inmate’s constitutional rights if it were in the United States.
At a hearing on April 4, Mr. Reuveni admitted error on behalf of DHS, which failed to follow an order prohibiting Mr. Abrego Garcia’s removal to El Salvador. Specifically, Mr. Reuveni made the following statements during the April 4 hearing:
“We have nothing to say on the merits. We concede he should not have been removed to El Salvador.” See Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 25: 13-14.
“There’s no dispute that the order could not be used to send Mr. Abrego Garcia to El Salvador.” See Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 25:6–7.
When asked by Judge Xinis why Abrego Garcia was held in CECOT, Mr. Reuveni replied “I don’t know. That information has not been given to me. I don’t know.” See Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 34:25-35:5
“This person should – the plaintiff, Abrego Garcia, should not have been removed. That is not in dispute.” Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 19:11–13
When asked by Judge Xinis why Mr. Abrego Garcia cannot be returned, Mr. Reuveni replied “Your Honor, I will say, for the Court’s awareness, that when this case landed on my desk, the first thing I did was ask my clients that very question. I’ve not received, to date, an answer that I find satisfactory.” Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, at 35–36.
“I am also frustrated that I have no answer for you on a lot of these questions. The government made a choice here to produce no evidence.”
None of these statements were incorrect. In fact, on March 31, Robert L. Cerna, Acting Field Office Director at DHS, submitted a declaration to the court which stated: “Through administrative error, Abrego-Garcia was removed from the United States to El Salvador. This was an oversight.” Even until today, after the case has gone up to the United States Supreme Court and back to Judge Xinis, the Department has not provided the courts with any legitimate reason why Mr. Abrego Garcia cannot be returned to the United States in light of the government’s error and the fact that the United States is paying El Salvador to keep him in CECOT.
Yet the day following the court conference, on April 5, Deputy Attorney General Blanche placed Mr. Reuveni on indefinite leave, citing his failure to “follow a directive from [his] superiors.” The following day, Attorney General Bondi appeared on Fox News Sunday and claimed that Mr. Reuveni’s suspension was justified because he had not vigorously advocated on behalf of his client, stating that “[h]e did not argue. He shouldn’t have taken the case. He shouldn’t have argued it if that’s what he was going to do.”
Yesterday, public reports revealed that you outright fired Mr. Reuveni, who has spent 15 years dedicating his life to government service and was recently elevated to a supervisory position and commended for his work.
Under Rule 19-303.3 (a)(1) of Maryland’s Rules of Professional Conduct regarding candor toward the court, an attorney shall not knowingly “make a false statement of fact or law to a tribunal.” While an attorney must balance their obligation to persuasively present their client’s case within their duty of candor to the tribunal, under no circumstances may the attorney “allow the tribunal to be misled by false statements of law or fact or evidence that the attorney knows to be false.” Here, Mr. Reuveni had no choice but to abide by his duty of candor to the court, which conflicted with a “directive from his superiors.”
Further, Maryland’s Rule 19-303.3 (a)(4) prohibits an attorney from offering evidence known by that attorney to be false. The Rules also allow an attorney to refuse to offer evidence that the attorney “reasonably believes” is false under (3.3) (c). In response to the court’s questions, Mr. Reuveni either stated that he did not have answers or that the information provided to him by the Department was not “satisfactory.” In either case, the Rules require Mr. Reuveni to adhere to his obligation of candor to the court.
Attorney General Bondi further clarified that “every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States,” and “[a]ny attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences.” While Ms. Bondi is correct that DOJ attorneys have a duty to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States, that directive must yield to every attorney’s independent obligation to be candid and honest with the court, as required by the rules authorizing that attorney to practice law. In other words, if the Department takes a position that is either unlawful or unsupported by the facts and circumstances of a case, the attorney is prohibited from zealously arguing for that position.
In this case, however, Mr. Reuveni was improperly suspended, and eventually fired, for doing just that.
Having admitted error in this case, there is simply no legitimate justification for refusing to request that El Salvador return Mr. Abrego Garcia to his family in Maryland where he can receive due process and proceed through the immigration system according to the law. That Mr. Reuveni was fired because he had the human decency to recognize that there was no defense for the Administration’s position underscores the danger that your firing of Mr. Reuveni presents to attorneys throughout the Department, who are now put in a position where they may have to choose between their jobs and their bar license. This is unacceptable.
In order to correct your improper employment action, and to set an appropriate message for other attorneys representing the Department, we request that you immediately reinstate Mr. Reuveni. As the legal advisor for the Executive Branch, we further encourage you to advise the President that he must follow the Supreme Court’s unanimous order to “facilitate” Mr. Abrego Garcia’s safe return from El Salvador, including, if necessary, by stopping payments to El Salvador for Mr. Abrego Garcia’s detention.
In this community update, we provide information on the decision on the future of Grenfell Tower shared in February by the Deputy Prime Minister with bereaved, survivors and local residents. There is also information on the annual Tower rewrapping, site works and maintenance, air quality monitoring, and health and wellbeing support, plus contact details.
You can watch a recording of the update on the MHCLG YouTube channel:
Washington, D.C. – Today, President Trump announced a first-of-its-kind overhaul of Federal procurement policy in order to increase competition and efficiency while decreasing costs. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will conduct a sweeping review and rewrite of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
As the world’s largest buyer, spending almost $1 trillion annually on procurement contracts, the Federal Government should be promoting agility, competition, and results. Instead, our procurement process, after decades of regulatory buildup, does the exact opposite. It benefits ineffective and entrenched vendors who can afford massive compliance costs at the expense of every other potential vendor.
Led by OFPP, the FAR Council will rewrite the FAR in plain English, eliminate non-statutory and duplicative regulations, remove DEI and wokeness, and add buyer guides in place of burdensome and outdated requirements. The Federal Government will no longer procure useless and wasteful products like paper straws. It will focus on results above all else – the best products and services at the best cost.
The current FAR is over 2,000 pages long with nearly 3,000 complex and costly directives for potential vendors. These byzantine regulations have created a bureaucratic maze that stifle innovation, snuff out competition, and drive up costs.
A transaction that takes days for a normal business takes months or years for the Federal Government, and costs much more. Buyers and vendors alike spend more time navigating this bureaucratic maze than on delivering the best products and value for the taxpayer. In one case, a mission-support contract was delayed nearly two years after a public comment triggered multiple cascading legal reviews and procedural challenges that resulted in no real change to the acquisition strategy. Too often layered reviews and rigid compliance block progress and fail to meet the government’s needs.
Under President Trump’s leadership, those days are over. This long-overdue Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) will ensure a faster acquisition cycle, lower barriers to entry for small businesses, startups, and other new entrants, and eliminate wasteful bureaucratic bloat.
“This RFO will reduce more than 40 years of bureaucratic buildup that will unleash our procurement system with generational change and results. We are Making America Great Again,” said OMB Senior Advisor Kevin Rhodes. To complement the RFO, a brand-new website will bring an unprecedented level of transparency to the procurement process, so that any member of industry or the general public can stay informed on regulatory updates, buyer guides, and the overall process.
US government officially notifies Taiwan of latest arms sale
Date：2024-11-30
Data Source：Department of North American Affairs
November 30, 2024
No. 443
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has received official notification from the United States government that its executive branch has informed Congress of a US$385 million arms sale to Taiwan, including spare parts and support for F-16 aircraft and active electronically scanned array radars as well as improved mobile subscriber equipment follow-on support. MOFA warmly welcomes this news and thanks the US government for continuing to provide the weaponry and services needed for Taiwan’s defense and for honoring its security commitments as outlined in the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.
This is the 18th arms sale to Taiwan announced during the Biden administration. It continues the US policy of normalized arms sales that ensure Taiwan has adequate self-defense capabilities and reliable defense capacity in response to China’s threats. The sale highlights the US government’s firm support for bolstering Taiwan’s defense resilience and its high regard for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan will continue to demonstrate its commitment to self-defense in response to China’s recurrent military pressure and gray-zone intrusion in the waters and airspace around Taiwan. It will strengthen national defense and whole-of-society resilience, staunchly defend its free and democratic way of life, seek peace through strength, and deepen its close security partnership with the United States. MOFA welcomes further concrete action by the United States and other like-minded partners that advances peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific. (E)
SW North America, Inc., a machining and automation supplier, agreed to pay $1,520,958.14 to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving a loan it was not eligible for in the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide emergency loans to small businesses suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether an applicant qualified for a PPP loan depended on various factors, including employee-count size standards for applicants.
SW North America applied for and received a PPP loan in the principal amount of $1,204,400 in 2021, which was later forgiven in full. It was alleged in the lawsuit, however, that SW North America with its affiliates exceeded the applicable size standards for the loan, and was ineligible for that reason.
“PPP loans were intended, first and foremost, to help eligible small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “This office will continue to aggressively pursue loan recipients who were not eligible to obtain taxpayer funds, whether due to their size or for any other reason.”
The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is case number 3:24-CV-1123-N in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and the qui tam relator, GNGH2 Inc., will receive $187,003.05 in connection with the settlement.
The government was represented in the lawsuit by Assistant United States Attorney Andrea Hyatt, with assistance from Amber Perez of the SBA. The civil claims settled by the agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
ACCRA, Ghana, April 16, 2025/APO Group/ —
Global gold mining company AngloGold Ashanti is implementing an expansion strategy in Ghana, targeting greater gold production across its projects. Amid this expansion, the company has joined the Mining in Motion 2025 summit as a Gold Sponsor, underscoring a commitment to advancing sustainable mining practices and economic growth in the country.
AngloGold Ashanti is implementing a $500 million expansion project to enhance production at the 224,000 ounce-per-annum (koz) Obuasi mine. The mine was placed on limited-operations in 2017, but a redevelopment plan initiated in 2018 breathed new life into the development. Across two phases, AngloGold Ashanti is redeveloping the mine. The project will enable the exploitation of an additional 5.8 million ounces of gold reserves, extending production life at Obuasi with 20 years.
Anglogold Ashanti also operates the 268 koz Iduapriem mine in western Ghana. The open-pit operation produces 5.2 million tons per annum, supporting Ghana’s position as Africa’s top gold producer. In 2023, AngloGold Ashanti and Gold Fields announced plans to create a joint venture between the Iduapriem mine and the Gold Fields-operated Tarkwa mine. Expected to extend the life of mine, increase production while lower costs, the venture is awaiting the requisite government approvals.
AngloGold Ashanti’s participation at the Mining in Motion 2025 summit will support the company’s efforts to increase gold production, providing an opportunity for greater collaboration and deal-signing. Taking place on June 2-4, 2025, in Accra, under the theme Sustainable Mining & Local Growth – Leveraging Resources for Global Growth, the event unites Ghana’s policymakers and mining stakeholders with global partners to discuss the future of gold mining. Mining in Motion is organized by the Ashanti Green Initiative in partnership with the World Bank, the World Gold Council and other international stakeholders.
Stay informed about the latest advancements, network with industry leaders, and engage in critical discussions on key issues impacting small-scale miners and medium to large scale mining in Ghana. Secure your spot at the Mining in Motion 2025 Summit by visiting https://MininginMotionSummit.com. For sponsorship opportunities or delegate participation, contact Sales@ashantigreeninitiative.org.
