NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Padilla Denounces SCOTUS Presidential Immunity Ruling During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

    US Senate News:

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

    WATCH: Padilla Denounces SCOTUS Presidential Immunity Ruling During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

    WATCH: Padilla warns immunity decision contradicts fundamental democratic principles and basic accountabilityWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC), joined a hearing titled “‘When the President Does It, that Means It’s Not Illegal’: The Supreme Court’s Unprecedented Immunity Decision,” to question witnesses on the Supreme Court’s dangerous ruling in Trump v. United States that now grants former presidents — including Donald Trump — criminal immunity for a wide range of activities taken while in office.
    Padilla sharply rebuked the decision, underscoring the Supreme Court’s upending of centuries of history and tradition that presidents can be held accountable for crimes committed while in office. He criticized the Court for inventing a new form of presidential criminal immunity and for declining to designate a single action that Donald Trump took in the lead-up to the January 6th riot at the Capitol as “unofficial.”
    Padilla asked Professor Mary B. McCord, Executive Director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University Law School, about dangerous potential scenarios that could exploit this immunity ruling, including a president ordering the Department of Justice to stop investigating their family for criminal conduct or directing the military to attack a political rival.
    Key Excerpts:
    PADILLA: Let’s be clear, the court’s decision to effectively let Trump off the hook has already caused devastating harm for our country, especially to voters and election workers. Trump has essentially been given a pass for weaponizing the Department of Justice to bully states into drumming up false election fraud charges for his attempts to pressure Vice President Pence into helping him steal the election and for inciting a violent mob to storm the Capitol on January 6.
    […]
    PADILLA: I want to ask a few simple yes or no questions about hypothetical, but not farfetched scenarios. If a future President were to order the Department of Justice to cease investigating their spouse, their child, or themselves for alleged criminal conduct, would that be an official act?
    PROFESSOR MCCORD: It would appear that under the court’s ruling, yes, that would be immune. Actually, even more than official act as core constitutional powers.
    PADILLA: Because the president directs the executive branch. Scenario number two: if a future President were to direct the Armed Services to attack the home of a political rival, would that be an official act?
    MCCORD: I think that is one of the questions the court leaves open for us, if…
    PADILLA: The fact that it’s not a clear ‘no’ is the problem because the President is the Commander in Chief. Look, Mr. Chair, I can go on and on with example after example that should alarm us and the American people. But I will conclude by just acknowledging this: It’s particularly auspicious that this committee is meeting today to examine this wildly consequential and wildly unprecedented decision, 235 years to the day since the Supreme Court was established by an act of Congress. So in closing, I’ll just echo Justice Sotomayor’s powerful words. Every president in our history has governed with the understanding shared by the American people that they could be held accountable for crimes committed while in office. And with that no longer the case, I share her fear for our democracy, and I stand firmly with the spirit of her dissent.
    Video footage of Senator Padilla’s full remarks is available here.
    The Supreme Court issued a misguided 6-3 decision in July that “the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority. And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. There is no immunity for unofficial acts.”
    The ramifications of the Supreme Court’s decision have already harmed voters and election workers. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s election integrity unit recently led targeted raids of several Latino voting rights organizers, officials, and candidates on the basis of unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud. In Florida, law enforcement has targeted individuals who signed a petition for a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights. Across the country, there has been a surge in abusive public records requests aimed at election offices.
    In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s unprecedented decision, Senator Padilla criticized the ruling and traveled with President Biden to Austin, Texas as the President announced three proposed reforms to restore trust in, and accountability for, our judiciary, including a constitutional amendment making clear that no President is above the law or immune from criminal prosecution. Padilla also joined Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 32 of his Democratic Senate colleagues in introducing the No Kings Act, which would reaffirm that Presidents and Vice Presidents do not have immunity for actions that violate federal criminal law and clarify that Congress, not the Supreme Court, determines to whom federal criminal laws may be applied.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Readout of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Meeting with Commander of the Brazilian Navy Adm. Marcos Sampaio Olsen

    Source: United States Navy

    Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with Commander of the Brazilian Navy Adm. Marcos Sampaio Olsen for a formal bilateral engagement during the Inter-American Naval Conference (IANC), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, today.

    The two leaders discussed strengthening their naval partnership through increased interoperability and applauded their 200 years of bilateral diplomatic relations celebrated this year, which they said is an opportunity to chart a course for an even brighter future, highlighting the profound impact the U.S. – Brazil relationship has had on their countries and their people.  

    Franchetti thanked Olsen for hosting IANC, the Brazilian Navy’s leadership in the region and South Atlantic as a major non-NATO ally, and their collaboration with partners in the area. She also commended their participation in UNITAS LXV and Southern Seas 2024, as well as their command of the multi-national Combined Maritime Forces’ Combined Task Force 151 from January to September this year.

    The Heads of Navy spoke about their shared values of democracy and their shared commitment to upholding the rules-based international order in the Red Sea and around the world to protect global commerce. They also talked about Franchetti’s recently released strategic guidance – the Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy – and the role of robotic and autonomous systems in future conflict and in supporting maritime domain awareness across the Joint and Combined force.

    Franchetti noted that the U.S. continues to closely partner with Brazil and remains committed to maintaining a relationship founded upon shared strategic interests and looks forward to future opportunities to integrate, train and operate together.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Biggest infrastructure project in Western NSW taking shape

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 25 September 2024

    Released by: Minister for Regional Transport and Roads

    Work on the once-in-a-generation New Dubbo Bridge continues to progress with one third of the concrete deck, which will eventually support traffic crossing, now in place.

    The Australian and NSW governments are investing $263.2 million to deliver this region-shaping piece of infrastructure on the Newell Highway in Dubbo.

    The Australian Government has committed $210.6 million towards the project, with the NSW Government committing the remaining $52.6 million.

    The decking along the 660-metre bridge structure is being built in sections, with each section involving the pouring of about 105 cubic metres of concrete to provide a deck slab of up to 25 centimetres in depth.

    The deck pours will be carried out progressively while the rest of the bridge takes shape, with the final deck pour expected in mid-2025.

    Once the concrete deck is completed, the final step in building the bridge surface will be to add an eight-centimetre thick layer of asphalt.

    Pile driving was recently completed along the entire length of the new structure which crosses the Macquarie River and a section of the floodplain east of the river.

    Construction is also underway for the network of roads that will link the bridge to the Dubbo road network, including road widening work at the intersections of Whylandra and Thompson streets and River and Bourke streets.

    The New Dubbo Bridge project is due to be completed in late 2026, weather permitting.

    Quotes attributable to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “It is exciting to see the new bridge rapidly taking shape and I’m proud to see the Australian and NSW governments’ investments delivering for regional communities.

    “New infrastructure like this is critical for the growth of regional communities and it will set Dubbo and western NSW up for the future.”

    Quotes attributable to NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison:

    “This bridge will provide vital flood resilience and unlock more housing in Dubbo – providing essential infrastructure for an estimated 5,500 homes.

    “The Minns Labor Government is proud to be partnering with the Albanese Labor Government to deliver this project, supporting nearly 1,500 direct and indirect jobs in western NSW.

    “On my recent visit to see the bridge I saw how transformative this bridge will be to Dubbo and I thank the workers who have given so much to this project and I thank the people of Dubbo for their patience.”

    Quotes attributable to Senator for NSW Deborah O’Neill:

    “Once completed, the New Dubbo Bridge will transform the way western NSW residents, tourists and freight operators travel through Dubbo.

    “The Bridge will reduce travel times in the city centre and improve access across the Macquarie River, particularly during flood events.”

    Quotes attributable to NSW Labor’s spokesperson for Dubbo Stephen Lawrence MLC:

    “The Minns and Albanese governments are delivering transformative regional road infrastructure for Dubbo. It’s been wonderful to see the progress of the new Dubbo Bridge construction.

    “I’m pleased to see more than half of all people working on this project are from my local area, including many local apprentices and aspiring tradies through innovative employment programs. Many Dubbo businesses are benefiting from the economic activity being generated.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Readout of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Meeting with Argentine Chief of Navy General Staff Vice Adm. Carlos María Allievi

    Source: United States Navy

    Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with Argentine Chief of Navy General Staff Vice Adm. Carlos María Allievi for a formal bilateral engagement during the Inter-American Naval Conference, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sept. 23.

    The two leaders discussed opportunities to strengthen their naval partnership and their shared commitment to maritime security. Franchetti also congratulated Allievi for the Argentine Navy’s robust participation in UNITAS LXV and Southern Seas 2024 and discussed future opportunities to exercise together.

    During their meeting Franchetti noted that Argentina will greatly enhance regional and bilateral partnerships and maritime security as a new member of the multi-national naval partnership Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and noted how the CMF enables participants to build their shared knowledge.

    The two leaders also discussed Argentia’s recent fleet modernization efforts and Franchetti encouraged their participation in future Hybrid Fleet Campaigns – a learning campaign aimed at operationalizing new capabilities – led by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command.

    Franchetti stressed the U.S. and Argentina enjoy a strong partnership and share positive military-to-military ties based on shared values and interests.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Readout of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Meeting with Commander of the Colombian Navy Vice Adm. Juan Ricardo Rozo Obregón

    Source: United States Navy

    Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with Commander of the Colombian Navy Vice Adm. Juan Ricardo Rozo Obregón for a formal bilateral engagement during the Inter-American Naval Conference, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sept. 23.

    The two leaders discussed ways to continue to strengthen their long-standing naval partnership and expand collaboration to promote regional security and stability to support the rules-based international order.

    Franchetti said she was very grateful for the Colombian Navy’s role as a regional leader, demonstrated through their participation in exercises such as UNITAS LXV and partnership during Southern Seas 2024. The Heads of Navy said they look forward to future opportunities to exercise together.

    During their meeting they also talked about the Diesel Electric Submarine Initiative and how it strengthens their interoperability and their shared commitment to countering illicit maritime operations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Readout of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Meeting with Commander in Chief of the Chilean Navy Adm. Juan Andrés De La Maza

    Source: United States Navy

    Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met Chief of the Chilean Navy Adm. Juan Andrés De La Maza for a formal bilateral engagement during the Inter-American Naval Conference, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, today.

    The two leaders discussed opportunities for further collaboration and cooperation as they continue to build maritime capacity in the Pacific, to include increased opportunities for Professional Exchange Program officers.

    Franchetti also congratulated De La Maza for the Chilean Navy’s leadership in major bilateral and multinational training events including serving as Deputy Commander of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 as well as host for UNITAS LXV, and the launch of their new icebreaker, “Almirante Viel”.

    During their discussion, Franchetti, expressed appreciation for Chile’s regional leadership, for their support of the USS George Washington (CVN 73) Carrier Strike Group during Southern Seas 2024, and discussed future opportunities for multilateral exercises in the coming years.

    Franchetti regarded that Chile remains one the most strategic allies in Latin America and plays a key role in ensuring a Western Hemisphere that is democratic, prosperous and secure.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Readout of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Meeting with Commander Royal Canadian Navy Vice Adm. Angus Topshee

    Source: United States Navy

    Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with Vice Adm. Angus Topshee, Commander, Royal Canadian Navy for a formal bilateral engagement during the Inter-American Naval Conference, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, today.

    The two leaders discussed opportunities to strengthen their naval partnership and operations in the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific and expressed their shared commitment to continental security, and to working in collaboration with regional and international Allies and partners to uphold the rules-based international order.

    During their meeting Franchetti applauded Topshee for the Canadian Navy’s Arctic shipbuilding program and its expanded capabilities in Anti-submarine warfare, and reinforced the importance of multilateral cooperation with Arctic countries.

    The leaders also discussed Franchetti’s recently released strategic guidance – the Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy – and how the changing character of war requires maritime officers to think, act, and operate differently. They stressed the need to operationally integrate the use of robotic and autonomous systems for missions such as maritime domain awareness, and the role of Information Warfare domain in command-and-control centers.

    The Heads of Navy shared their initiatives to recruit and retain talent and said they look forward to future opportunities for their navies to train, exercise and operate together.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Explainer: Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Editor’s note: Chinese President Xi Jinping has consistently championed the rule of law throughout his political career. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi put forward a series of new ideas, new thinking and new strategies to advance law-based governance in all respects. In this infographic, China.org.cn highlights key aspects of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman hosts fall Defense Senior Enlisted Leader Council

    Source: US Defense Joint Chiefs of Staff

    JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — Senior enlisted leaders from across the Department of Defense and partner agencies gathered for the Defense Senior Enlisted Leader Council (DSELC) at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sept. 23-24, 2024.

    The bi-annual two-day event, led by the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Troy Black, brought together key stakeholders to align strategies on quality of life, military compensation, and family support networks. The conference also focused on enhancing cooperation between DoD and the Department of Veterans Affairs, with a goal to improve care for service members, families, and veterans.

    Key participants included Mr. John Hall, Director and CEO of the Defense Commissary Agency (DECA); Patricia M. Barron, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy; Honorable Tanya Bradsher, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Jeffrey P. Angers, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs; Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John F. Bentivegna; and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Heath B. Jones.

    The conference centered on discussions related to the SEAC’s Strategy Alignment, focusing on Quality of Life (QoL), the Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation (QRMC), and the Family Support Network (FSN). Leaders examined the challenges and opportunities within these domains, ensuring that the enlisted force is well-equipped and supported.

    Mr. John Hall of DECA emphasized the agency’s commitment to service members and their families, outlining improvements in savings calculations, product stocking, Click2Go, off-installation delivery, and internal system modernization. His focus was on ensuring commissary services deliver increased benefits to those they serve.

    Ms. Barron highlighted significant advancements in the Military OneSource program, which has expanded since the pandemic. She also spoke about initiatives in spouse education, career programs, and the Military Family Readiness Council—all geared toward taking better care of military families.

    The Honorable Tanya Bradsher addressed improvements in VA programs, expanded healthcare coverage, and the ongoing effort to create better synergy between DoD and VA systems to provide a seamless experience for veterans.

    Mr. Angers spoke on behalf of OSD P&R, discussing enhancements to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and planned adjustments to better support service members and their families.
    Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John F. Bentivegna provided an update on force design and management within the Space Force, emphasizing the importance of combat readiness and resource allocation. The Senior Enlisted Leaders shared lessons on force management and discussed how the Space Force can leverage its “fresh start” to avoid legacy issues faced by other services.

    Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Heath B. Jones spoke about the unique challenges and advantages the Coast Guard faces under the Department of Homeland Security, rather than the Department of Defense, particularly those surrounding budgets. He explained his reasoning for calling Coast Guardsmen “Sentinels,” drawing inspiration from Alexander Hamilton’s writings in Federalist Paper No. 12, where Hamilton envisioned how “a few armed vessels, judiciously stationed at the entrances of our ports, might at a small expense be made useful sentinels of the laws.” This early vision laid the foundation for what would become the U.S. Coast Guard, with the mission of protecting America’s shores and enforcing national laws. Jones connected this historical role to the modern-day mission of Coast Guardsmen, emphasizing their enduring role in safeguarding the nation’s coasts as vigilant protectors.

    Additionally, spouses attending the conference participated in a separate briefing on the DoD School Liaison Program, which aims to empower military spouses to advocate for the educational needs of military children.

    “We’re here to help improve anything and everything possible for the military family,” said Retired U.S. Marine Corps First Sergeant Stacie Black, the SEAC’s spouse. “As spouses, we have a wide set of experience as veterans, private industry professionals, and especially as customers of the military family support network. We’ve come together to share our culture and talents to support all the families like ours across the Armed Forces.”

    In his closing remarks, SEAC Sgt. Maj. Troy Black stressed the importance of bringing together Senior Enlisted Leaders to address the issues impacting the enlisted force, families, and veterans. He emphasized that the engagements over the two days would help prepare the force for its ultimate mission: warfighting and war winning.
    The day concluded with a shared commitment to improving the quality of life and operational readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    SOUTH KOREA  –  

    Elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary concluded more than a month of training in South Korea Aug. 6 to Sept. 7, including participation in Exercise Ssang Yong 24, which featured the first amphibious assault using Amphibious Combat Vehicles during their inaugural deployment.

    The Marines and Sailors of the 15th MEU arrived in South Korea aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) during the first week of August. Partnered with the ROK Marine Corps 7th Brigade, the combined force of Marines conducted two weeks of live-fire training ranges and unit-level training at ROKMC bases near Pohang.

    Battalion Landing Team 1/5, the ground combat element of the 15th MEU, employed ACVs at ROKMC training areas surrounding Pohang, South Korea, exercising the vehicles’ off-road mobility and automated crew-served weapons. Alpha Company, BLT 1/5’s designated mechanized company, and its ACV Platoon also provided ROK Marines opportunities to tour and familiarize themselves with the U.S. Marine Corps’ newest ship-to-shore connector Aug. 20 and 22.

    Units from across the 15th MEU also conducted partnered non-live fire events, including: tactical planning, mountain warfare training, fast rope inserts from an MV-22B Osprey, unmanned aerial and waterborne systems familiarization, small boat operations and reconnaissance, operations in urban terrain, communications integration, chemical attack response, and other training. This training strengthened and improved the interoperability between ROK and U.S forces in defense of the Korean Peninsula.

    The culminating event in South Korea for 15th MEU and its ACVs was the amphibious assault Sept. 2 as part of Ssang Yong. Alpha Company Marines and Sailors, under the cover of the combined force’s air and surface fire support, landed at Hwajin-ri Beach near Pohang alongside nearly 40 Korean amphibious assault vehicles. Using their ACVs’ stabilized weapon systems, the company identified and reduced simulated enemy positions as they approached the shoreline, then dismounted to secure the beach prior to continuing the attack inland.

    This marked the first time Marine Corps ACVs with embarked infantry demonstrated their beach assault capabilities with a host nation’s forces during a major exercise.

    “Seventy-four years after our landing at Inchon, I can’t think of a better place and partner with whom to showcase the Marine Corps’ latest, most lethal amphibious assault capability,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Nicholas Freeman, commanding officer of BLT 1/5. “Any amphibious assault is a complex operation, and that’s especially true with a combined force featuring new equipment. Today, we benefitted from decades of steadfast commitment between our countries, years of development and testing by our service, many months of hard work by this first-of-its-kind mechanized company, and several weeks of excellent training and integration with our allies. It’s gratifying and inspiring to be here to see the impressive result of all these efforts.”

    The Marine Corps expects this first deployment of ACVs to continue to provide insights for platform embarkation and maintenance requirements, logistics, and integration with our allies and partners. These insights are vital for the service to ensure we continue to provide our Marines with the most operationally ready and capable platforms.

    “As the U.S. Marine Corps’ new generation of amphibious assault vehicle, it was special and meaningful to have ACVs deployed to the Korea Theater of Operations for the first time. Especially, during the decisive action, the most complex and sophisticated phase of the amphibious operation, the ACVs not only revealed its strength and capabilities but also the firm commitment to ROK-U.S. Alliance,” said ROKMC Lt. Col. Chol-Uk Kang, lead SY24 exercise planner, 1st ROK Marine Division. “Going forward, I sincerely hope that the ROK and the U.S. can further develop on combined amphibious operational method and concept with its new capability.”

    After the completion of Ssang Yong, the 15th MEU’s forces reembarked Boxer and Harpers Ferry at ROK Naval Base Busan, South Korea, to resume their deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet Area of operations.

    The ACV Platoon, Alpha Company, and other elements of the 15th MEU began their deployment in late March 2024, departing San Diego aboard Harpers Ferry.

    Since then, ACVs were first employed overseas May 4 during Exercise Balikatan 24 at Oyster Bay in the Philippines. During the exercise, the ACV Platoon launched from Harpers Ferry, made movement in the water toward an objective, and attacked targets from offshore using the vehicles’ stabilized heavy machine guns before reembarking.

    The ACV Platoon’s first time ashore in a foreign country was June 24 after a ship-to-shore movement from Harpers Ferry to White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan. During that event, the mechanized company rehearsed troop egress procedures and shared best practices with leaders from III Marine Expeditionary Force, which received its first ACVs in July.

    Elements of the 15th MEU are under the command and control of Commander, Task Force 76, which the U.S. 7th Fleet employs to cooperate with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    As the U.S. 7th Fleet’s primary Navy advisor on amphibious matters in the 7th Fleet area of operations, CTF 76 is responsible for conducting expeditionary warfare operations to support a full range of theater contingencies, ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations to full combat operations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Langworthy Announces FEMA Major Disaster Declaration for the Southern Tier Following Hurricane Debby Flooding

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Langworthy announced that New York State’s Major Disaster Declaration was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the extreme weather during August 8-10 in Allegany, Steuben, Broome, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Ontario, St. Lawrence, and Yates Counties.

    “Seeing the damage up close in some of the hardest hit areas, it became clear how essential federal assistance was for these communities to recover, and I was proud to be a vocal advocate for the Southern Tier throughout this process,” said Congressman Langworthy. “With homes, businesses, and key infrastructure severely impacted, this Major Disaster Declaration will allow people to rebuild their lives. Now that this assistance is in place, we can focus on helping our neighbors get back on their feet after such a devastating storm.”

    Immediately following the flooding, Congressman Langworthy toured the Steuben County areas that were hardest hit, including Canisteo, Jasper-Troupsburg High School, Greenwood, Woodhull, and the Jasper sewage plant.

    Congressman Langworthy also penned a letter to President Joe Biden urging the swift approval of New York State’s Major Disaster Declaration request following the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Debby in August 2024. Congressman Langworthy’s letter comes after New York State completed damage assessments and submitted its request. 

    In his letter, Congressman Langworthy highlighted the severe damage to major roadways, including state Route 417 and county Route 36, that have left residents cut off and businesses unable to operate. The Congressman also emphasized the need for additional Individual Assistance to ensure that residents can rebuild their homes.

    Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Declaration Secured for Tropical Storm Debby Impacts

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that President Biden has approved her request for a Major Disaster Declaration to provide federal assistance to communities impacted by Tropical Storm Debby on August 8-10. This declaration allows for federal financial assistance to support public infrastructure reconstruction efforts in Allegany, Broome, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Ontario, Steuben, St. Lawrence and Yates counties.

    “The effects of Tropical Storm Debby caused extreme damage across parts of New York last month, and I’m thankful President Biden has approved my request for a Major Disaster Declaration,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration will continue to work with FEMA to ensure those affected receive the critical funding they need to begin the recovery and rebuilding process.”

    A Major Disaster Declaration secures financial assistance from the federal government, primarily through FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, and provides funding to local governments and eligible non-profits for debris removal, protective measures, and repairs to buildings and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water and wastewater treatment facilities, critical infrastructure sites, schools, parks and other facilities.

    As part of the declaration, New York was also granted access to FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs. Following a Presidential disaster declaration, FEMA provides funding for states to administer grant programs supporting local hazard mitigation planning and long-term hazard mitigation measures to reduce the loss of life and to improve property damaged by natural disasters. Local governments and certain non-profits that perform government-like functions are eligible to apply for these grants. All counties in the State will have the ability to apply for this funding. More information will become available in the coming months.

    In advance of the storm, Governor Hochul directed State agencies to ready emergency response assets and stay in real-time communication with local governments to monitor weather impacts and respond to requests for assistance. After the storms, Governor Kathy Hochul announced grants of up to $50,000 to be available to eligible homeowners in Allegany, Delaware, Franklin, Steuben and St. Lawrence Counties to address health and safety-related repairs not covered by insurance or other disaster relief programs.

    Representative Nick Langworthy said, “Seeing the damage up close in some of the hardest hit areas, it became clear how essential federal assistance was for these communities to recover, and I was proud to be a vocal advocate for the Southern Tier throughout this process. With homes, businesses, and key infrastructure severely impacted, this Major Disaster Declaration will allow people to rebuild their lives. Now that this assistance is in place, we can focus on helping our neighbors get back on their feet after such a devastating storm.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 15th MEU concludes month of training in S. Korea, first ACV amphibious assault during Ex Ssang Yong

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    SOUTH KOREA  –  

    Elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary concluded more than a month of training in South Korea Aug. 6 to Sept. 7, including participation in Exercise Ssang Yong 24, which featured the first amphibious assault using Amphibious Combat Vehicles during their inaugural deployment.

    The Marines and Sailors of the 15th MEU arrived in South Korea aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) during the first week of August. Partnered with the ROK Marine Corps 7th Brigade, the combined force of Marines conducted two weeks of live-fire training ranges and unit-level training at ROKMC bases near Pohang.

    Battalion Landing Team 1/5, the ground combat element of the 15th MEU, employed ACVs at ROKMC training areas surrounding Pohang, South Korea, exercising the vehicles’ off-road mobility and automated crew-served weapons. Alpha Company, BLT 1/5’s designated mechanized company, and its ACV Platoon also provided ROK Marines opportunities to tour and familiarize themselves with the U.S. Marine Corps’ newest ship-to-shore connector Aug. 20 and 22.

    Units from across the 15th MEU also conducted partnered non-live fire events, including: tactical planning, mountain warfare training, fast rope inserts from an MV-22B Osprey, unmanned aerial and waterborne systems familiarization, small boat operations and reconnaissance, operations in urban terrain, communications integration, chemical attack response, and other training. This training strengthened and improved the interoperability between ROK and U.S forces in defense of the Korean Peninsula.

    The culminating event in South Korea for 15th MEU and its ACVs was the amphibious assault Sept. 2 as part of Ssang Yong. Alpha Company Marines and Sailors, under the cover of the combined force’s air and surface fire support, landed at Hwajin-ri Beach near Pohang alongside nearly 40 Korean amphibious assault vehicles. Using their ACVs’ stabilized weapon systems, the company identified and reduced simulated enemy positions as they approached the shoreline, then dismounted to secure the beach prior to continuing the attack inland.

    This marked the first time Marine Corps ACVs with embarked infantry demonstrated their beach assault capabilities with a host nation’s forces during a major exercise.

    “Seventy-four years after our landing at Inchon, I can’t think of a better place and partner with whom to showcase the Marine Corps’ latest, most lethal amphibious assault capability,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Nicholas Freeman, commanding officer of BLT 1/5. “Any amphibious assault is a complex operation, and that’s especially true with a combined force featuring new equipment. Today, we benefitted from decades of steadfast commitment between our countries, years of development and testing by our service, many months of hard work by this first-of-its-kind mechanized company, and several weeks of excellent training and integration with our allies. It’s gratifying and inspiring to be here to see the impressive result of all these efforts.”

    The Marine Corps expects this first deployment of ACVs to continue to provide insights for platform embarkation and maintenance requirements, logistics, and integration with our allies and partners. These insights are vital for the service to ensure we continue to provide our Marines with the most operationally ready and capable platforms.

    “As the U.S. Marine Corps’ new generation of amphibious assault vehicle, it was special and meaningful to have ACVs deployed to the Korea Theater of Operations for the first time. Especially, during the decisive action, the most complex and sophisticated phase of the amphibious operation, the ACVs not only revealed its strength and capabilities but also the firm commitment to ROK-U.S. Alliance,” said ROKMC Lt. Col. Chol-Uk Kang, lead SY24 exercise planner, 1st ROK Marine Division. “Going forward, I sincerely hope that the ROK and the U.S. can further develop on combined amphibious operational method and concept with its new capability.”

    After the completion of Ssang Yong, the 15th MEU’s forces reembarked Boxer and Harpers Ferry at ROK Naval Base Busan, South Korea, to resume their deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet Area of operations.

    The ACV Platoon, Alpha Company, and other elements of the 15th MEU began their deployment in late March 2024, departing San Diego aboard Harpers Ferry.

    Since then, ACVs were first employed overseas May 4 during Exercise Balikatan 24 at Oyster Bay in the Philippines. During the exercise, the ACV Platoon launched from Harpers Ferry, made movement in the water toward an objective, and attacked targets from offshore using the vehicles’ stabilized heavy machine guns before reembarking.

    The ACV Platoon’s first time ashore in a foreign country was June 24 after a ship-to-shore movement from Harpers Ferry to White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan. During that event, the mechanized company rehearsed troop egress procedures and shared best practices with leaders from III Marine Expeditionary Force, which received its first ACVs in July.

    Elements of the 15th MEU are under the command and control of Commander, Task Force 76, which the U.S. 7th Fleet employs to cooperate with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    As the U.S. 7th Fleet’s primary Navy advisor on amphibious matters in the 7th Fleet area of operations, CTF 76 is responsible for conducting expeditionary warfare operations to support a full range of theater contingencies, ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations to full combat operations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Intelligence Leaders Travel to Japan for Engagements with Allies and Partners

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    TOKYO, Japan  –  

    Vice Adm. Karl Thomas visited Japan September 9–14 during his first official international trip as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, N2N6/Director of Naval Intelligence. Thomas was accompanied on the trip by Rear Adm. Rebecca Ore, Assistant Commandant for Intelligence, United States Coast Guard, and Mr. Steve Parode, Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, U.S. Navy.

    The international trip began in Tokyo where Thomas and the U.S. delegation met with Admiral Akira Saito, Chief of Staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the long-standing partnership between the two navies and agreed that information sharing among allies and partners is essential to maintaining maritime security in the region.

    While in Tokyo, Thomas, Ore, and Parode met with Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Ambassador to Japan to discuss the strength of the U.S.- Japan alliance and the importance of the Navy-to-Navy relationship in facing the challenges to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    Thomas and Parode then traveled to Yokosuka for various engagements with elements of the U.S. SEVENTH Fleet. This was Thomas’ first return trip to Yokosuka since serving as SEVENTH Fleet’s 54th commander. While on base, Thomas and Parode spoke at the SEVENTH Fleet Information Warfare Waterfront Conference and received a briefing at the U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Far East.

    The trip concluded with a visit to U.S. Army Japan, Camp Zama, where Thomas, Ore, and Parode received a briefing from the Asian Studies Detachment team on Open-Source Intelligence capabilities.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Durbin Statement on DOJ Lawsuit Alleging Visa Debit Card Practices Violate Federal Antitrust Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), lead sponsors of the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against Visa alleging that the company illegally maintains a monopoly over debit network markets through anticompetitive practices that violate federal antitrust law:
    “According to the DOJ’s lawsuit, Visa made exclusive agreements to hinder the expansion of competing networks and blocked efforts by technology companies to enter the market.  At a time when hard-working Americans and small business owners are struggling with higher costs of everyday essentials, Visa should not be gaming the system to pad their own pockets.
    “Visa and its duopoly partner Mastercard similarly dominate the credit card market.  One way to bring competition to the market is to pass our bipartisan, bicameral legislation—the Credit Card Competition Act—which would enhance competition between credit card networks and ultimately lower costs for small businesses and consumers.  Our bill ensures that the Visa-Mastercard duopoly ends their price gouging tactics that disproportionately hurt American families and small businesses.”
    It is estimated that businesses paid more than $100 billion in swipe fees on Visa and Mastercard branded cards in 2023 alone. In fact, swipe fees can be small businesses’ second highest cost behind only the cost of labor.
    The Credit Card Competition Act of 2023 would enhance competition and choice in the credit card network market which is currently dominated by the Visa-Mastercard duopoly.  Building off of debit card competition reforms enacted by Congress in 2010, the bill would direct the Federal Reserve to ensure that largest credit card-issuing banks offer a choice of at least two networks over which an electronic credit transaction may be processed.  The bill is estimated to save merchants and consumers $15 billion each year.
    Visa and Mastercard wield enormous market power in credit cards; according to the Federal Reserve, they account for nearly 576 million cards, or about 83 percent of general-purpose credit cards. Visa’s and Mastercard’s market power and network structure have enabled them to impose fees on U.S. merchants that are among the world’s highest.  These fees include interchange fees which Visa and Mastercard require merchants to pay to issuing banks, as well as network fees that Visa and Mastercard require merchants to pay directly to them. Consumers ultimately pay for these fees in the price of the goods and services they buy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Crown should prove their rights to Foreshore & Seabed – Te Pāti Māori

    Source: Te Pati Maori

    Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Justice, Tākuta Ferris, has hit out at the Government, demanding the Crown prove its rights to the foreshore, following the Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill, passing its first reading.

    “Māori rights to the foreshore pre-exist the Declaration of Independence, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and any law that this House has ever made. That right still exists today,” said Tākuta Ferris.

    “It should always have been the Crown coming to Māori to prove the rights they believe they have to the foreshore, not the other way around.

    “Let’s not forget that Labour are complicit in this crime. In 2004, they passed the Foreshore and Seabed Bill, directly extinguishing the pre-existing rights Māori had to the takutai moana and enacting the largest land grab in Aotearoa’s history—a whopping 333,000 square kilometres of area.

    “What this Government is doing today is reverting to Labour’s intent of confiscating the takutai moana. It is disgusting that they think their sovereignty of Parliament trumps Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

    “The Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill shifts the goalposts for Māori to prove customary marine title to something that is near impossible, thus slamming the door shut on hapū and iwi and confiscating the takutai moana.

    “It is a disgusting breach of Te Tiriti. This Government is bold in their deliberate reassertion of white dominance.

    “The Government should be considered the applicant to hapū and iwi. I invite them to put their case forward to prove ownership of the takutai moana to us as tangata whenua,” said Ferris.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man arrested over death of infant

    Source: South Australia Police

    A man has been arrested after the death of an infant in July.

    It will be alleged that about 4pm on Wednesday 24 July, a 7-week-old male infant was conveyed by ambulance to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital as a result of injuries sustained that day at a northern suburbs address.

    The infant sadly died from these injuries six days later, on Tuesday 30 July.

    On 31 July 2024, the death of the infant was declared a major crime.

    Today (Wednesday 25 September), Major Crime Investigation Branch detectives arrested a 50-year-old Parafield Gardens man for the manslaughter of the infant.

    It will be alleged the arrested man inflicted the injuries to the infant while in his care on the afternoon of Wednesday 24 July.

    The man was charged with manslaughter and has been refused bail to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today.

    CO2400038901

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What are ‘rent tech’ platforms? Action on reining in these exploitative tools is long overdue

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Przhedetsky, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney

    Bernard Hermant/Unsplash

    This week the New South Wales government announced it would introduce legislation that ensures renters are offered convenient, fee-free options to pay their rent.

    The announcement is just one of many state and territory reforms that aim to address issues arising from the use of rental technology platforms.

    In recent years these platforms and the landlords who use them have come under fire for intruding on renters’ privacy and charging additional fees. While practices such as “rent bidding” have already been outlawed around Australia, governments are now starting to turn their attention to other harmful practices facilitated by new technologies.

    Action on these issues is long overdue, and there’s much more that needs to be done to ensure rental technology platforms actually benefit consumers.

    An expanding industry

    A wide range of digital technology platforms are used to facilitate the use, trading, operation and management of real estate assets. A well-known example is AirBnb, a technology platform that facilitates short-term rentals by connecting hosts with guests.

    The property technology industry in Australia is rapidly expanding. In 2023, there were more than 478 products, start-ups and established companies ranging from marketing tools to data analytics platforms. This was up from 188 in 2019.

    A portion of these companies make services typically designed to be used by renters, real estate agents or landlords.

    A major selling point of rental technology platforms is that they promise to streamline a range of processes. To renters, these technologies are billed as quick, easy and effective ways to submit property applications, request maintenance or pay rent.

    If designed well, these platforms can certainly offer convenience. But many have expressed dissatisfaction with rental technology businesses that pressure renters to pay for costly background checks, collect too much personal data, or use opaque algorithms to “score” applicants.

    People who struggle to access or use technologies may also find these platforms difficult to use. This makes it harder for them to access an essential service.

    Some 41% of renters report feeling pressured to use a third-party rental technology platform to apply for a property. And 29% say they have opted not to apply for particular rentals because they do not trust rental technology platforms. This suggests that the use of these technologies may sometimes deter, rather than attract, applicants.

    Additional fees

    Over 30% of Australians rent their homes, a figure that continues to grow as people find themselves priced out of home ownership. Rising rents and the overall increase in the cost of living have put many renters under substantial financial pressure.

    With this in mind, it’s concerning that some renters have found themselves with little choice but to use rental technology platforms that charge fees to process rental payments.

    For example, renters using a popular platform called Alio are typically charged between 0.25% to 1.50% to make automated rental payments, depending on the method of payment they use. A rough estimate shows that a household paying the median weekly rent (A$627 per week) on a fortnightly basis might see themselves paying between $81.51 and $489.06 in additional fees each year.

    As required by law, Alio does offer a fee-free option to pay rent. But this option is highly inconvenient: it requires renters to enter their bank details anew every month.

    The fee-free options offered by some other rental technology platforms are equally inconvenient. They include paying rent in cash at the local post office.

    For renters who have been asked to use a rental payment platform, this may mean spending additional time and effort every time they pay their rent to avoid paying additional fees.

    The NSW government already requires lessors to offer fee-free ways to pay rent (similar protections are legislated in other states and territories). However, the key element of this week’s announcement is a commitment to making sure these fee-free methods are actually convenient. This should hopefully close the legislative loophole that is enabling these rental technologies to unfairly profit at renters’ expense.

    While the draft legislation is yet to be seen, these reforms might see renters reverting to tried and tested payment methods such as bank transfers and bypassing rental technology payment platforms altogether.

    Effective enforcement

    Introducing laws that ensure renters have access to convenient, fee-free ways to make rental payments is a no-brainer. The next step is ensuring these laws are enforced effectively.

    To achieve this, the regulator must be well resourced to carry out compliance and enforcement activities that ensure lessors and rental technology businesses comply with these protections.

    Beyond these reforms, there is more work to be done to ensure renters are effectively protected from a range of harms that are created or exacerbated by rental technology platforms.

    Issues such as discrimination and unfair treatment through rental technology platforms warrant further attention.

    The key challenge for governments and regulators is to keep up with technological developments so they can identify and address issues as they arise.

    Linda Przhedetsky is a Board Member at the NSW Tenants’ Union, and is a member of the NSW Fair Trading’s Industry Reference Group on Protecting Renter Information. She receives funding from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.

    – ref. What are ‘rent tech’ platforms? Action on reining in these exploitative tools is long overdue – https://theconversation.com/what-are-rent-tech-platforms-action-on-reining-in-these-exploitative-tools-is-long-overdue-239602

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: One person dies following avalanche

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    One person has died following an avalanche in the Arrowsmith Range area today.

    Police were notified of the avalanche at 12.25pm.

    One person was trapped in the avalanche and was in a critical condition when recovered at around 1pm.

    Tragically they died a short time later.

    Nobody is unaccounted for following the avalanche.

    Details of the deceased cannot be provided until all necessary next of kin notifications have taken place.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: BREAKING: Cortez Masto’s Bill to Reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act Passed Into Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    The reauthorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act heads to President Biden’s desk for signature before the act was set to expire on October 1, 2024

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) bill to extend the authorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act for 10 years passed the U.S. House of Representatives today. Cortez Masto’s legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) in the Senate. The Senate passed this bill in July, and it now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

    “I was thrilled to pass the reauthorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act through the Senate this summer, and today’s vote means this critical legislation is officially on its way to becoming law,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m proud of our bipartisan work to deliver funding for vital programs that keep the lake clean, support local jobs, and support our tourism economy. It is an honor to help lead Team Tahoe and fight for the resources the basin needs to thrive.”

    “Lake Tahoe is a treasure, and we must do everything we can to protect it for future generations,” said Senator Padilla. “As the threats from climate change continue to escalate, I’m thrilled to see the House join the Senate to provide critical funding to preserve Lake Tahoe and protect it against pollution, invasive species, and wildfires.”

    “For the last two decades, lawmakers from both parties have come together and worked in a bipartisan way to protect Lake Tahoe and the surrounding communities,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to continue this legacy by working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to pass the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act and reauthorize this much-needed funding to help preserve one of Nevada’s most unique natural wonders for generations to come.”

    “By reauthorizing the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, we protect the iconic landscapes that make California beautiful and support local jobs that rely on a healthy Lake Tahoe,” said Senator Butler. “Although we have made significant progress in keeping Tahoe blue, we must remain steadfast to protect it from climate change, wildfires, and pollution.”

    “The Lake Tahoe Region is grateful to Congress for their leadership in passing this critical piece of legislation to continue the collaborative work to protect and restore Lake Tahoe,” said Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Executive Director Julie Regan. “Extending the federal investment in the EIP will leverage millions of dollars in state and local funding to implement the top priority projects for the lake and our communities.”

    The Lake Tahoe Restoration Act is bicameral, and is cosponsored in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-03), Dina Titus (D-Nev.- 01), Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.-04), John Duarte (R-Calif.-13) and Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.-06). It will allow critical funding to support environmental protection and habitat restoration programs across the basin for the next ten years. This law has delivered millions in federal dollars to Lake Tahoe since the original law passed in 2000.

    Senator Cortez Masto has been a champion for Lake Tahoe, leading efforts in the Senate to conserve the region and protect the Lake. She recently secured $24 million to extend the popular East Shore Trail around Lake Tahoe, and almost $8 million to help the Tahoe Transportation District purchase new electric hybrid busses and improve transit safety. She secured nearly $17 million in funding for the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to critical resources to address microplastic pollution in the Lake and to improve transportation options to and from Reno. She has led calls for a comprehensive, collaborative, and science-based approach to protect Lake Tahoe from the threat of climate change. Cortez Masto helped pass the Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law to repair and maintain public lands nationwide.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met knife arch operation seeks to combat violence in Barking and Dagenham

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Met officers from Barking carried out knife sweeps and a community engagement operation alongside the local council and charities, including the Ben Kinsella Trust, in the town centre to address serious violence and knife crime last week.

    Officers set up a knife arch at Barking train station – the metal detector allows individuals to walk through and can identify concealed knives or other weapons. By using this approach alongside stop and search, officers aim to deter crime and ensure a safer environment for everyone in the community.

    Superintendent David Rhodes, leading the operation, said:

    “Collaborating with local partners is essential in our fight against knife crime. We are committed to enhancing the safety of our community by actively implementing strategies aimed at reducing knife- related incidents. Our initiatives include the installation of knife detection arches, conducting weapon sweeps, setting up information stall to raise public awareness, and increasing police visibility in our neighbourhoods.

    “As a result of these concentrated efforts, we have achieved a remarkable 20% reduction in serious violence and a 38% decrease in robbery over the past year”.

    Barking and Dagenham Council promoted their ‘Lost Hours’ campaign which raises awareness to parents around the risks of youth violence and knife crime as well as showcasing the range of positive activities available for young people to get involved in. The council also share information on their Safe Haven scheme which provides safe places, through local businesses, for residents seeking assistance.

    And a second engagement stall was set up at the Asda superstore in Barking, where bleed kits aimed at providing emergency first aid were donated by the Liam Taylor Legacy and the Daniel Baird Foundation.

    Key council figures such as Deputy Leader of Barking and Dagenham council Saima Ashraf, the Operational Director of Enforcement Regulatory Services, Gary Jones and Julia Kanji, Head of Regulatory Services joined the day.

    The Met is committed to enhancing the safety of London’s streets through its A New Met for London plan, which prioritises working with the community to reduce knife crime. This plan involves forming partnerships with public, private and charitable organisations to create long-term improvements in safety.

    By collaborating with local groups and stakeholders, the Met is rolling out educational programmes and outreach activities that aim to tackle the underlying issues of violence. The emphasis on community involvement is central to the Met’s strategy, ensuring that efforts to address neighbourhood crime, anti-social behaviour and serious violence are proactive and consistent across all boroughs.

    Inspector of Barking and Dagenham Neighbourhood Policing team Carroll Weeden, also said:

    “To effectively tackle knife crime, we must focus on three key pillars enforcement, education and engagement. It’s essential that our officers engage at the grassroots level, fostering positive conversations within the community. The success of initiatives like the knife arch deployments demonstrate the power of collaboration with the local council and charity partners.

    “By honouring the legacies of individuals like Liam Taylor, Daniel Baird and Ben Kinsella, we can create a united front against violence and build a safer environment for everyone.”

    Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community in Barking and Dagenham said:

    “Effective collaboration between the council and the police in Barking and Dagenham underpins our efforts to tackle and make our borough safer to live and work in.

    “This day of action showed this united front. Youth violence and knife crime must stop. This is what sits behind the councils Lost Hours campaign, which was designed with local parents, to raise awareness of things they need to look out for, but also highlighting the many positive opportunities for young people in Barking and Dagenham.”

    Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said:

    “In a recent survey conducted by the Ben Kinsella Trust, it has become evident that the fears young people have about knife crime in Barking and Dagenham are genuine. While the actual risk may be lower than their perceptions suggest, these concerns cannot be dismissed.

    “The Ben Kinsella Trust is dedicated to empowering our youth and working tirelessly to ensure they feel safer and more supported in their communities.”

    If you’ve seen or experienced a crime that is not an emergency, we encourage you to report it to us.

    The Met is committed to collaborating with community partners to reduce violence rates, especially those related to knife crime. Your input is vital in this initiative, we encourage anyone with information, regardless of how insignificant it may appear, to contact Crimestoppersanonymously.

    For non-emergency situations, please call 101, and in case of an emergency, dial 999.

    Notes to Editors:

    For further details on how the council and our charity partners are working towards a safe environment for our youth, please explore the websites below.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Director Rachel Rossi Delivers Opening Remarks at the World Affairs Council’s “From Local to Global: Justice Reform & Community Engagement in the United States and Ukraine”

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

    Thank you, Fraser, for that kind introduction and thank you to the World Affairs Council for organizing this panel. A big thank you to Jared Kimball and our colleagues with the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) for inviting the Office for Access to Justice to partner in this engagement.

    It is an honor to be here in the company of distinguished representatives from Ukraine and Seattle – to learn about their respective community prosecution efforts and to think more deeply about the prosecutor’s role in ensuring equal access to justice for all.

    I must first acknowledge and applaud the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office for its pursuit of community driven approaches to prosecution – especially during such a complex and devastating time.

    Roman Shpyrka is here with us from the Office of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General with a number of his colleagues. Roman – thank you and your team for being here and for all you are doing in the face of unimaginable challenges. We are honored to stand with you as Ukraine plans for a future grounded in the rule of law.

    While our circumstances are quite different, through our collaboration we have seen that that community driven approaches to prosecution align with the mission of equal access to justice for all.

    Achieving “access to justice” requires that all communities can equally access public safety and the promise of justice. This requires equal enforcement of laws, but it also requires us to intentionally dismantle barriers many continue to face, to accelerate innovative strategies and to safeguard the integrity of our legal systems, so that justice doesn’t depend on income, status, who you are or where you live. This, in turn, promotes trust in the rule of law.

    This is the mission of the Office for Access to Justice. As a stand-alone federal office, we are housed within the Justice Department – the United States’ leading federal prosecuting agency – because closing access to justice gaps for all is central to the pursuit of justice.

    Attorney General Merrick B. Garland underscored the importance of our mission in quoting former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy who stated, quote “It must be our purpose … to insure that the department over which I preside is more than a Department of Prosecution and is in fact the Department of Justice.” Attorney General Garland further stated: “We are responsible not only for enforcing the law, but for upholding the Rule of Law. We are responsible for protecting civil rights and pursuing justice for all Americans.”

    As prosecutors stand at the forefront of this pursuit of access to justice, community prosecution strategies incorporate a multi-dimensional approach.

    First, this mission requires consistent engagement with the community. We’ll soon hear more about prosecutorial strategies to engage and collaborate with community members and community-based organizations in a variety of innovative ways.

    And it is with this commitment that our office is working to ensure engagement advances culturally responsive approaches, including for communities that don’t speak or write English. Through our Language Access Program, we have partnered with 38 United States Attorneys’ Offices and 24 other Justice Department offices to translate public-facing materials, include webpages, complaint forms and more.

    We’ve also launched the Access DOJ initiative, to make the Justice Department’s programs and services more efficient and accessible. And we lead the Federal Government Pro Bono Program, assisting federal prosecutors and government employees across the country to engage with communities by volunteering to provide pro bono legal help.

    Prosecutors can also support access to justice by supporting access to counsel for the accused. A robust public defense function helps to ensure the integrity of convictions and that due process rights are protected – central elements to the pursuit of justice. Just last year, our office launched a Public Defense Resource Hub for professionals providing public defense services and related organizations. And we recently partnered with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to conduct a first-of-its-kind comprehensive review of access to counsel in federal pretrial facilities.

    Prosecutors can further pursue equal access to justice through the development of and support for innovative approaches to ensuring justice. For example, our office is supporting leaders across the country who are moving away from the reliance on fines and fees to promote economic justice. We recently published a spotlight report to uplift promising practices across the country, including those lead by prosecutors, to reduce these economic burdens faced by low-income communities.

    And over the last year, our office, led by my colleagues Jarvis Idowu, Jesse Bernstein and Lauren Lambert, has joined OPDAT to support the exchange of knowledge by organizing virtual sessions with Ukraine and U.S. prosecutors and experts from around the country to uplift a variety of innovative prosecutorial strategies.

    Topics have included youth justice, trauma-informed victims and witness engagement, community-based alternatives and partnerships, diversion programs and specialty courts, bail and pretrial detention, restorative justice, data-driven strategies and working with internally displaced persons and the veteran community.

    This week, we’re thrilled to learn more about the innovations driven by the King County Prosecutor’s Office — like their focus on access to justice for those struggling with addiction through LEAD, a community-driven partnership to direct people engaged in low-level drug activity into evidence-based, intensive wrap-around services.

    Finally, prosecutors pursue access to justice through efforts like this one today, to share best practices and engage with our partners at home and abroad. Our office proudly supports U.S. implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, focused on access to justice. We serve as the U.S. authority on access to justice internationally, like at the U.N. Crime Commission and the Cross Border Crime Forum, centering the importance of access to justice as we tackle complex cross-border criminal issues and pursue strengthened democracy and rule of law globally.

    Prosecutors carry a heavy burden and awesome privilege to pursue public safety. They regularly stand with those experiencing our society’s worst violence, trauma and unimaginable harm. They lead the charge to safeguard the integrity of the criminal justice process, advance community collaboration, uphold civil rights, protect due process and pursue the promise of access to justice for all. And in Ukraine today, it is undeniable that this burden has only become more complex and difficult.

    We’re impressed by the dedication of our colleagues, both here in Seattle and abroad in Ukraine to these principles. The Office for Access to Justice looks forward to continued collaboration as we stand shoulder to shoulder with you in this critical mission. Together, we can increase community trust and strengthen the rule of law. I’ll now turn it over to our moderator, and former King County Prosecuting Attorney, Dan Satterburg.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese research ship harassed by Philippine vessels in South China Sea

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A Chinese research ship was approached and harassed by a military speed-gunboat and a coastguard vessel of the Philippines while conducting scientific research in the South China Sea on Tuesday.
    According to personnel aboard the Chinese ship, a speed-gunboat from the Philippine side approached and zigzagged around the Chinese ship Haiyang Dizhi 12, or Ocean Geology 12 in English, in the early morning, disrupting its normal research operations.
    Subsequently, vessel No. 4411 of the Philippine coastguard crossed in front of the Chinese research vessel and passed through with malicious intent, violating international rules on averting maritime collisions and gravely hampering the safety of the Chinese vessel and its operation.
    According to the captain of the Chinese research ship, this was the second time that the Philippine side had harassed China’s research vessels since the start of the scientific research mission.
    Previously, a Philippine vessel with the number 298 painted on its side deliberately covered the name on its bow, turned off its lighting and automatic identification system, and passed in front of the Chinese research vessel about 300 meters away at a high speed during nighttime, the captain said, noting that the Philippine vessel neither steered to make way nor answered radio communication from the Chinese vessel, posing a serious threat to the latter’s safety of navigation.
    The Chinese scientific research mission carried out by the ship is based on peaceful purposes and aimed at enriching humankind’s scientific knowledge of the ocean, said the chief scientist of this mission, adding that the methods and tools used in the mission are scientific and appropriate.
    The mission comply with the general principles outlined in article 240 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea regarding the conduct of marine scientific research, and are both legitimate and legal, the chief scientist said.
    Ding Duo, a researcher with the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, noted that China’s marine scientific exploration activities in relevant waters are based on China’s territorial sovereignty over the Nansha Qundao and its corresponding maritime rights. China’s relevant activities are exercising the rights of coastal countries granted by international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, said Ding.
    China welcomes scientific research institutions of other countries in the South China Sea to conduct joint maritime scientific research activities with China, promote practical maritime cooperation in various fields, and create favorable conditions for peace and stability in the South China Sea, as well as regional development and prosperity, Ding added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal Crash, Galloway Street, Hamilton East

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    One person has died following a crash involving one vehicle at the intersection of Galloway Street and Albert Street, Hamilton East.

    Emergency services responded around 12:15pm.

    One person was located deceased at the scene.

    The Serious Crash Unit was advised.

    Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man jailed for posting and sharing terrorist content online after Counter Terrorism investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A 21-year-old man has been jailed for posting and sharing terrorist content online, as a result of a proactive Met Police Counter Terrorism investigation.

    An investigation led by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command exposed how Ayoub Nacir, 21 (26.07.03) of south-west London, was posting terrorist material on various social media accounts and platforms during the course of 2022 and 2023.

    Nacir was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday, 24 September, to six years and nine months’ imprisonment.

    Acting Commander Gareth Rees, of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “We’re aware of the significant impact that spreading online terrorist material can have on vulnerable individuals may be at risk of being drawn into terrorism. The work that went into this investigation shows how seriously we take online terrorism, and we will continue to identify those individuals who spread this material online”.

    Online material promoting terrorism or extremism can be reported anonymously via www.gov.uk/report-terrorism

    When officers became aware that Nacir was distributing terrorist-related material online, it led to his arrest and seizure of electronic devices in October, 2023 at his home in south-west London. Officers examined Nacir’s devices, and they found that he had not only shared material that was promoting the terrorist group Daesh, but he also had documents that were likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

    In particular, detectives found he was in possession of documents containing instructions on how to make poisonous or noxious substances capable of endangering health, as well as other files containing practical guidance and advice for people interested in potentially preparing and carrying out terrorist acts.

    Nacir was charged on 27 October, 2023 with five counts of dissemination of a terrorist publication, contrary to section 2 of the Terrorism Act (TACT) 2006, which related to videos he shared. He was also charged with five counts of possession of a document or record for terrorist purposes, contrary to section 58 TACT 2000, which related to various digital documents and files found on his devices.

    Nacir pleaded guilty to eight of the ten counts and was sentenced as above on Tuesday, 24 September. Two counts of dissemination of terrorist publication, will lie on file.

    + Communities defeat terrorism, and information from the public is vital to counter terrorism investigations. If you see or hear something unusual or suspicious and think someone may be engaging in terrorist activity, trust your instincts and act by reporting it in confidence at www.gov.uk/act or call police direct on 0800 789 321.

    In an emergency, dial 999.

    Visit the ACT Early website – www.actearly.uk – to find out how you can seek help and support for anyone who you suspect may be being radicalised.

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  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arrest made, drugs seized, Southland

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Attributable to Detectice Sergeant Mark McCloy, Southern District Organised Crime: 

    Firearms, drugs and items consistent with drug supply have been stripped from a Winton address and a man charged following the execution of a search warrant.

    Detectives from the Southland Organised Crime Group arrested a 28-year-old man and discovered an array of firearms and the Class B drug, MDMA, on Monday 23 September.

    Three firearms which were not being handled in accordance with the firearms licensing regulations, $1,860 dollars in cash, 4.8 grams of MDMA, and items consistent with drug supply were seized.

    The man’s firearms licence has been revoked.

    A 28-year-old man has been remanded in custody due to reappear in the Invercargill District Court, Monday 28 October, on eight drug supply and driving related charges.

    This operation was designed to disrupt one of the sources of illicit drugs in our community. It was concerning to locate firearms being improperly and dangerously held.

    Holding a firearms licence is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly, it is important firearms are kept in safe and secure storage and firearms licence holders are held to a high standard.

    We will continue our work to disrupt unlawful activity in an effort to help our community feel and be safe.

    If you see any suspicious or unlawful activity please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Police, either via 111 if it’s happening now or 105 if it’s after the fact.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Adam G. Brief Appointed as Acting U.S. Trustee for Northern Illinois and Wisconsin

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Adam G. Brief has been appointed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland as the Acting U.S. Trustee for Northern Illinois and Wisconsin (Region 11) effective Sept. 28, the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees announced today. Brief replaces Patrick S. Layng, who is retiring after 36 years of dedicated service to the Justice Department, including the last 14 years as the U.S. Trustee in Region 11. Under 28 U.S.C. § 585(a), the Attorney General may fill U.S. Trustee vacancies by appointing an Acting U.S. Trustee.

    Brief has served as the Assistant U.S. Trustee in charge of the Chicago field office since joining the U.S. Trustee Program in 2015 after 14 years in private practice. Brief’s effective coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois has contributed to several successful high-profile criminal prosecutions. In addition to being a frequent speaker at legal seminars and conferences, Brief teaches a lawyering skills course at the University of Illinois Chicago Law School. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Rutgers University Livingston College and his law degree from Seton Hall University. After law school, Brief was a term law clerk for Judge Stephen Stripp of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. For six years before joining the USTP, while still in private practice, he served as an investigator appointed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey to a district ethics committee.

    The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders – debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Owners of Florida Labor-Staffing Companies Make Initial Appearance on Tax and Immigration Fraud and Money Laundering Charges

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Two Ukrainian nationals made their initial appearance yesterday on a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Miami charging them with crimes related to labor-staffing companies they operated in Florida. The two men were extradited from the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States last week. 

    According to the superseding indictment, between August 2007 and July 2021, Oleg Oliynyk, Oleksandr Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in South Florida, including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC. The indictment alleges that the defendants, through these staffing companies, facilitated the employment in the hospitality industry of non-resident aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. In addition, Oliynyk and Yurchyk allegedly conspired to defraud the IRS by, among other things, not withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from these workers paychecks, and causing false corporate tax returns for the labor-staffing companies to be filed with the IRS. 

    Both defendants were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to harbor non-resident aliens and induce them to remain in the country and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy to defraud the United States charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy to harbor aliens and induce them to remain in the United States charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy charge. Each count also carries the possibility of a fine and supervised release upon completion of any sentence of incarceration. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.

    The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Oliynyk and Yurchyk. The United States also thanks the Embassy of the United States in Thailand – Regional Security Office and Thai law enforcement partners including the Royal Thai Police and Office of the Attorney General for their valuable assistance.

    Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson R. Stamm of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Clark for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Adam G. Brief Appointed as Acting U.S. Trustee for Northern Illinois and Wisconsin

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Adam G. Brief has been appointed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland as the Acting U.S. Trustee for Northern Illinois and Wisconsin (Region 11) effective Sept. 28, the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees announced today. Brief replaces Patrick S. Layng, who is retiring after 36 years of dedicated service to the Justice Department, including the last 14 years as the U.S. Trustee in Region 11. Under 28 U.S.C. § 585(a), the Attorney General may fill U.S. Trustee vacancies by appointing an Acting U.S. Trustee.

    Brief has served as the Assistant U.S. Trustee in charge of the Chicago field office since joining the U.S. Trustee Program in 2015 after 14 years in private practice. Brief’s effective coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois has contributed to several successful high-profile criminal prosecutions. In addition to being a frequent speaker at legal seminars and conferences, Brief teaches a lawyering skills course at the University of Illinois Chicago Law School. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Rutgers University Livingston College and his law degree from Seton Hall University. After law school, Brief was a term law clerk for Judge Stephen Stripp of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. For six years before joining the USTP, while still in private practice, he served as an investigator appointed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey to a district ethics committee.

    The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders – debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Bucks County Men Convicted at Trial in Connection with Multiple Fraud Schemes

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

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Alan Kane, 59, of Jamison, Pennsylvania, and Derrell Johnson, 42, of Bensalem, Pa., were convicted Friday at trial for their actions linked to multiple fraud schemes.

    A federal jury convicted Kane, an attorney, on two counts of bankruptcy fraud, one count of filing a false claim in a bankruptcy proceeding, and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.

    Johnson was convicted on two counts of making a false statement to the FBI.

    In January of this year, they and codefendant Jonathan Barger, 55, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., the owner of a local plating company, were charged in a 12-count indictment that laid out three different fraud schemes: (1) a scheme to steal a house from a dead man’s family; (2) a scheme to defraud the City of Philadelphia out of property taxes that were due on the stolen house; and (3) a scheme to defraud Barger’s creditors through bankruptcy. Barger was implicated in all three schemes and pleaded guilty in June to all counts with which he was charged.

    In a suit filed by the family to get their house back, Kane represented the party who had stolen the house, Joseph Ruggiero[1], and made repeated false statements supporting Ruggiero’s claim to good title, despite knowing that the deeds transferring the property away from the family were fraudulent. Kane also filed a false counterclaim against the family, claiming Barger’s company was entitled to more than $133,000 for work purportedly done to improve the house after it had been stolen.

    After claiming in the state court suit that Ruggiero had good title to the house, Kane represented Ruggiero before the Social Security Administration and represented that Ruggiero did not own the house because the deeds were fraudulent. This was done to ensure Ruggiero would still receive SSI benefits.

    Kane next filed a bankruptcy for Ruggiero, in which they claimed that Ruggiero had valid title to the house. The bankruptcy served to stay the family’s state court suit and prevent them from winning back the house. Kane then filed a false claim against Ruggiero in the bankruptcy, on behalf of Barger’s company, in an effort to steal some of the equity in the house for Barger in the event that Ruggiero lost the house to the family.

    Johnson had helped with the preparation and filing of two fraudulent deeds used to steal the house, and also helped with the filing of a false claim with the City of Philadelphia to avoid a large tax bill that was due on the house. Johnson was paid with two checks for his services in helping steal the house and the tax avoidance scam. When Johnson was interviewed by the FBI, he lied, claiming that he didn’t recognize the fraudulent deeds and had nothing to do with the theft of the house. He also claimed the two checks he received were really meant to provide payment to another person.

    Kane and Johnson are scheduled to be sentenced on January 28, 2025. Kane faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $1 million fine, and a $400 special assessment, and Johnson faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and $200 special assessment.

    “The fraud schemes in which the defendants were involved differed in their details,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But they shared a common goal: scheming, cheating, and lying for illicit financial gain — be it at the expense of a family, a city, or a creditor. We will continue to hold accountable those involved in misappropriating money like this or caught lying to the FBI.”

    “White collar crimes, such as bankruptcy fraud, erode confidence in our financial systems,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI and our partners remain committed to protecting the integrity of our financial institutions and bringing to justice those who seek to deceive and defraud the public through devious financial schemes.”

    The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff and Special Assistant United States Attorney Hannah McCollum.
     

    [1] Mr. Ruggiero died in June 2020.

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