Labor’s historic election victory means the Albanese government has a rare opportunity to pursue a big, bold reform agenda. The scale of the victory all but guarantees a third term in office after the next election in 2028, and entrenches Anthony Albanese’s authority as prime minister.
The government may opt to play it safe and limit its legislative agenda to the policies it took to the election. But if it was to chance its arm, which substantial changes should it pursue that could make a real difference to Australia’s long-term future?
We asked three experts to nominate the top policy priorities for a second Albanese government. Here are their responses.
Yee-Fui Ng
Associate Professor of Law, Monash University
Advancing Voice and Truth with Indigenous Australians should be a priority. This would build on the comprehensive rejection of the politics of division by the Australian people.
After the defeat of the Voice referendum on Indigenous constitutional recognition, the Coalition reignited the culture wars by criticising “woke” schools and Peter Dutton’s attack on Indigenous welcome to country at Anzac Day ceremonies.
But that negative message did not resonate with modern multicultural Australia, with its diverse population and identities. Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong’s victory speeches on Saturday night emphasised a kinder and more inclusive politics, where all Australians are recognised and no one is left behind.
The Labor government now has a strong mandate to take more significant action on Indigenous issues. Aboriginal people experience higher rates of incarceration, and significant disparities in health, education and employment compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Reform measures could be introduced through legislation, rather than by trying to change the constitution.
Closing the gap and revisiting Voice and Truth should be a priority for the second Albanese government. ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock
Another pressing reform is bolder action on climate change. There is a growing urgency to tackle the effects of global warming, with an increase in environmental degradation and natural disasters globally.
Peter Dutton’s proposal to build seven nuclear reactors on Australian soil was comprehensively repudiated at the election.
European countries have harnessed the potential of regenerative energies, with the proliferation of wind farms and electric cars. Australia needs to lift its game and be on the same path towards a more sustainable future.
We are custodians of the Earth for future generations. It is incumbent on the Labor government to put forward a stronger agenda for a cleaner, more liveable planet.
Helen Hodgson
Professor at Curtin Law School and Curtin Business School, Curtin University
Second terms are often regarded as the best time strategically for governments to legislate difficult, but necessary reforms. It will be no different for the re-elected Albanese government, which will command a large majority in the new parliament.
While many people consider negative gearing to be the main concern in relation to investment in housing, reforming the CGT discount would be a more effective way to address increases in housing prices.
Negative gearing is only effective as a wealth-building strategy if there is a payoff at the end through the concessional taxation on the capital gain. Reducing the CGT discount would limit the appeal of negative gearing.
It would also flow through to other forms of investment that might not be delivering productivity gains, including some investments within family trusts.
Reforming CGT would revisit a contentious Labor policy that was roundly rejected at the 2019 election. But the housing crisis has deepened since then and many voters would now see an overhaul as necessary and timely.
The second recommendation I would make would be to address the inequalities that arise from tax exempt superannuation. Prior to 2007, withdrawals from super funds were taxed concessionally, but were not fully exempt.
In the retirement phase, members are required to withdraw a minimum amount from their superannuation accounts. But these days they do it totally tax-free.
The government should consider taxing these withdrawals, subject to a tax credit that reflects the tax paid by the fund prior to retirement phase. It would also be subject to the existing Seniors and Pensioners Tax Offset, which can reduce the amount of tax paid.
The rates of these credits could be tweaked to ensure that only those in the wealthiest 20% are affected. This would level the playing field so the tax payable by most retirees with modest superannuation balances would fall within these two concessions.
These two reforms would help reduce wealth inequality in Australia and raise funds for social spending, including increases in the JobSeeker payment.
Intifar Chowdhury
Lecturer in Government, Flinders University
Despite being one of the most pressing concerns for young Australians, mental health did not get much airtime during the election campaign.
This is striking given the evidence. According to the 2024 Australian Youth Barometer, 98% of young people aged 18–24 report feelings of anxiety or depression, and nearly 40% experience a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year. These aren’t fringe numbers, they are endemic.
Labor has pledged $1 billion to expand access to free public mental health care, with a welcome focus on young people. But funding more services is only part of the solution.
Experts argue that simply increasing the number of people given access to treatment and support won’t go far enough if those people only receive short term or fragmented care. A more meaningful step would be to double the number of free sessions available to people suffering complex mental health needs. Good care takes time, trust and continuity.
More fundamentally, the current policy focus remains too clinical. By contrast, the most effective models for youth care are more holistic. Many young people grappling with mental illness are also dealing with unstable housing, drug use, educational disruption, or loneliness.
Psychosocial supports such as social workers, peer mentors and housing liaisons, are essential to wraparound care. Yet, they remain underfunded.
The new Medicare Mental Health Centres and Youth Specialist Care Centres, which were promised by Labor during the campaign, should not just offer more of the same. Policymakers must rethink the model entirely: multidisciplinary, community-driven, culturally safe, and youth-informed.
They must also address why young men, who make up a majority of suicide deaths, are the least likely to seek help.
Mental health policy should be local, flexible, and expansive. Right now, it still feels centralised, cautious, and underdone.
Improving the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians, especially young people, would be a valuable way of ensuring the government doesn’t squander the time and space its been given by voters to do something truly valuable and reformative.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Shapiro Administration Calls for New Investments in Maternal Health and the Rural Health Care Workforce During Visit to Uniontown Hospital’s New, Reopened Maternity Unit
Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh toured the newly-opened WVU Medicine Children’s Birthing Center at Uniontown Hospital, which brings labor and delivery services back to Fayette County and the surrounding area. While there, Secretary Arkoosh highlighted Governor Josh Shapiro’s common-sense, strategic investments in the 2025-26 proposed budget to expand maternal health services and alleviate ongoing workforce recruitment challenges facing many rural hospitals by continuing to invest in rural health systems.
“Everyone deserves access to high-quality, supportive, and accessible care before, during and following their birthing experience. Timely, comprehensive, and trusted pre- and postnatal care make a big difference in the overall health of both parents and newborns, but we know that when people do not have access to health care locally, it can be a significant barrier to healthy outcomes,” said Secretary Arkoosh. “The reopening of Uniontown Hospital’s birthing center is a shining example of progress being made in our rural communities to support growing families and ensure that no matter where people live in the Commonwealth, they benefit from a stable health care presence in their community. The Shapiro Administration is committed to being a partner as communities and health care providers work to improve access to high quality maternity care for all, including in our rural communities.”
Speakers Include: Carrie Willetts, WVU Medicine Uniontown Hospital President and CEO Dr. Lawrence Glad, Medical Director, WVU Medicine Children’s Birthing Center at Uniontown Hospital Dr. Val Arkoosh, DHS Secretary
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Breyanna Cornish, 30, Jawayne Brown, 40, and Ahmad Nasir, aka Hussain Abdussamad, 44, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered pleas of guilty before United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert this week in connection with a scheme to smuggle contraband — including drugs, phones, chargers, cigarettes, and knives — into the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (“PICC”) from April through July of 2021.
The defendants were charged by indictment in August of last year, with Nasir pleading guilty this morning to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine.
Brown pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine.
Cornish pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and one count of federal program bribery.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendants, Nasir, who was then detained pre-trial at PICC, worked with Brown, who was not incarcerated, Cornish, who was then a PICC correctional officer (“CO”) employed by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (“PDP”), and several other associates to purchase and assemble contraband. Cornish then smuggled the contraband into PICC, where Nasir sold the contraband to other inmates for a profit. Nasir then instructed associates to pay Cornish for her role smuggling the contraband into the prison and Brown for his work purchasing and assembling the packages.
On July 10, 2021, PDP conducted a search of the cell Nasir shared with another inmate. In a compartment in the ceiling behind a light fixture, officers recovered 19 cellphones, 20 cellphone chargers, one rapid charger, two super glues, two screwdrivers, one roll of tape, three hunting knives, one Ziploc bag containing the synthetic cannabinoid commonly known as K2, one Ziploc bag of tobacco, one alprazolam pill, and at least 110 packets of Suboxone.
Following the search of the cell, officers conducted a search of Nasir and his cellmate. Officers recovered a cellphone from the person of each of them. Text messages and WhatsApp messages extracted from the cell phone recovered from Nasir’s person revealed that from June 19, 2021, to July 6, 2021, CO Cornish, Nasir, and Brown discussed via text specific contraband items to be acquired, the delivery of contraband packages, and payments for the items and to co-conspirators. Nasir simultaneously sent messages to multiple inmates about the purchase and delivery of contraband.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in August. Cornish faces a maximum possible term of 15 years’ imprisonment, Brown a maximum possible term of 25 years’ imprisonment, and Nasir a maximum possible term of 35 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Ruth Mandelbaum.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard Thompson, 57, of Falls Church, Virginia, Shaun Hanrahan, 66, of Hampton, Virginia, and Darren Hannam, 57, of Haymarket, Virginia, were charged by indictment with honest services fraud through bribery for engaging in schemes to pay off Thompson, in exchange for Thompson steering millions of dollars in Amtrak work to companies owned by Hanrahan, Hannam, and others.
Thompson was the Director of Network Planning and Engineering for Amtrak and had a leadership role in designing information technology (“IT”) systems and selecting IT vendors and subcontractors to perform IT work for Amtrak. Hanrahan was the owner of Awarity, LLC, a small business providing management consulting and computer-related services. Hannam and Co-schemer #1 were the principals of Arch Technology, an IT company.
The indictment alleges that, from about 2015 through 2021, Thompson engaged in bribery schemes with each of three companies who were his favored vendors in the Amtrak contracting process — Awarity, Arch Technology, and 20/20 Teknology, owned by Co-schemer #2. In each of these schemes, as alleged, Thompson repeatedly shared proprietary Amtrak bid information and other documents with his favored vendors before Amtrak contracts were awarded, giving the favored vendors advantages in the Amtrak contracting processes.
The indictment further alleges that Thompson likewise collaborated with them on bid and contracting documents, manipulated bidding lists, and structured existing contractual relationships, so that his favored vendors would get lucrative subcontracting deals and bypass Amtrak’s competitive bidding process. The defendants allegedly tried to conceal their scheme from Amtrak and other authorities by communicating with Thompson on his personal email accounts rather than his Amtrak email.
The Amtrak work involved in these schemes included, among other things, the design and installation of nationwide WiFi networks, IT equipment purchases, the installation of audio-visual equipment in Amtrak’s offices in Washington, DC, and a major project to improve the gates that provided access to Amtrak railroad tracks across the country. According to the indictment, for steering and attempting to steer this work to his favored vendors, Thompson received a stream of benefits from each vendor. For example, Hanrahan provided Thompson with payments of cash totaling at least $97,000; Hannam and Co-schemer #1 provided Thompson with expensive electronics valued at approximately $9,500, including Apple computers. Co-schemer #2 provided Thompson with an automobile, free hotel and condominium stays in Ocean City, Maryland, and $40,000 in cash.
The defendants are all charged with multiple counts of honest services wire fraud through bribery. Hannam is also charged with falsification of records for allegedly trying to cover up the scheme after federal agents executed search warrants in this matter.
If convicted, the defendants face maximum possible sentences of 20 years in prison for each count of honest services fraud in the indictment.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Amtrak Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jason Grenell.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington has sentenced Noe Alegria (30, Ruskin) to 15 years and 1 month in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Alegria pled guilty on December 3, 2024.
According to court documents, on July 13, 2023, Alegria sold cocaine to an undercover officer outside of Alegria’s residence. During the sale of cocaine, Alegria had a Glock firearm in his pants pocket. After completing the sale, the undercover asked about purchasing a firearm. Alegria and the undercover then went inside Alegria’s residence, where Alegria sold him a separate firearm. Alegria also sold the undercover firearms on future occasions. In total, law enforcement purchased or recovered 14 firearms from Alegria over the course of the investigation.
Alegria was previously convicted for possessing controlled substances in 2020. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
City Councilor for Boston’s District 7, Tania Fernandes Anderson, pocketed $7,000 cash from staff member’s city-funded bonus
BOSTON – Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to public corruption charges after receiving a $7,000 kickback from a staff member’s city funded bonus.
Tania Fernandes Anderson, 46, of Boston, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 29, 2025. Fernandes Anderson was indicted in December 2024. Per the plea agreement, the government is recommending a sentence of one year and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000.
“Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund. Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Her guilty plea today says what she refuses to admit in her media interviews: she broke the law, lied to the public, and used her office for her own personal gain. Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit. The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring elected officials are held accountable for this kind of corruption and dishonesty.”
“Tania Fernandes Anderson used the city of Boston. She wielded her official powers for her own financial gain, and grossly betrayed the trust of the residents she was elected to serve,” said James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Insidious corruption like this undermines people’s faith in, and expectations of, their government. Today’s conviction should reinforce, to both Boston’s politicos and the public, that the FBI remains committed to bringing to justice any elected official who deprives constituents of the honest services to which they are entitled.”
“The guilty plea of Tania Fernandes Anderson demonstrates IRS-CI’s commitment to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting all instances of public corruption, both in the Commonwealth and across New England,” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Elected officials are held to a higher standard when they take an oath to serve their constituents, but Fernandes Anderson forsook this oath when she conspired to orchestrate a kickback scheme to enrich herself at the cost of the American taxpayers.”
Fernandes Anderson currently serves as City Councilor for Boston’s District 7, which includes Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and part of the South End. She was first elected to a two-year term in November 2021 and won re-election in November 2023.
In or about 2022, Fernandes Anderson hired two members of her immediate family as salaried employees of her City Councilor Staff. Because City Councilors are prohibited by law from hiring immediate family members to their paid staff, Fernandes Anderson was required to terminate their salaried employment in or about August 2022. Additionally, in May 2023, the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission notified Fernandes Anderson that it would be seeking a $5,000 civil penalty payment from her as a result of the violation.
In or about November 2022, Fernandes Anderson emailed a City of Boston employee regarding her hiring of Staff Member A – a relative of Fernandes Anderson who was not an immediate family member – as a salaried employee. In her email to the City of Boston employee, Fernandes Anderson falsely represented that she and Staff Member A were not related:
From in or about early to mid-2023, Fernandes Anderson was facing personal financial difficulty, which included the outstanding $5,000 civil penalty payment to the Ethics Commission. In or about early May 2023, Fernandes Anderson told Staff Member A that she would give them extra pay in the form of a large bonus, but that Staff Member A would have to give a portion of the bonus back to Fernandes Anderson. Staff Member A agreed to the arrangement with Fernandes Anderson.
On May 3, 2023, Fernandes Anderson emailed a City of Boston employee instructing them to process a $13,000 bonus for Staff Member A – more than twice the total bonuses given to her other staff – without disclosing the repayment arrangement. Staff Member A deposited the check on May 26, 2023 and, following Fernandes Anderson’s instructions, made three separate cash withdrawals over the following weeks in the amounts of $3,000; $3,000; and $4,000. Following the last withdrawal on June 9, 2023, the two met in a bathroom at Boston City Hall, where Staff Member A handed Fernandes Anderson $7,000 in cash.
According to the signed plea agreement, in 2022 and 2023, Fernandes Anderson used funds from her campaign account for her own personal enrichment, and not for campaign-related expenses. Additionally, for tax years 2021, 2022 and 2023, Fernandes Anderson filed fraudulent federal income tax returns with the IRS. Specifically, Fernandes Anderson omitted approximately $11,000 in income that she earned from a Massachusetts-based corporation from her 2021 tax return; willfully omitted campaign funds that she used for her own personal enrichment from her 2022 and 2023 tax returns; and willfully omitted the $7,000 kickback that she received from Staff Member A from her 2023 tax return.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Foley, FBI Acting SAC Crowley and IRS Acting SAC Demeo made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
Joseph Nocella, Jr. has begun serving as Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York as per the authority of United States Attorney Pamela Bondi. Judge Nocella was sworn in on Monday, May 5, 2025 by United States Chief District Judge Margo K. Brodie. He will serve as Interim United States Attorney for a period of 120 days or until a Presidential nominee has been confirmed by the Senate.
Judge Nocella stated: “I am deeply honored that President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pamela Bondi have appointed me United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. It is especially gratifying to return to the very District where I began my prosecutorial career. Together with the exemplary staff that has made the Eastern District renown for its excellence, and the dedicated law enforcement agencies that work with the District, I look forward to prosecuting zealously the narcotics-traffickers, gang members, terrorists, human-traffickers and other criminals who have plagued the people of Nassau, Suffolk, Kings, Queens and Richmond Counties. I would also like to thank Acting United States Attorney John J. Durham for his service and leadership.”
Immediately before his appointment, Judge Nocella, 60, was serving as a Nassau County Family Court Judge, following several years of service as a Nassau County District Judge. Judge Nocella began his career in public service as the first law clerk to the Honorable Lawrence M. McKenna, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York. Judge Nocella continued his career in public service as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of the Eastern District of New York, where he served from 1991 to 1995, prosecuting cases involving narcotics-trafficking, organized crime, money laundering and fraud, among others. Judge Nocella was in private practice in New York and Los Angeles from 1989 to 1990, and from 1995 to 2010. He also held various public service roles in government on Long Island, including Hempstead Town Attorney, Oyster Bay Town Attorney, Managing Attorney of the Nassau County Attorney’s Office and Counsel to the Nassau County Executive and Legislative Offices. Judge Nocella graduated from Chaminade High School in 1982, received his bachelor’s degree from Fordham University in 1986 and graduated from Columbia University School of Law in 1989.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Joshua Paul Stewart Turner, 25, of Summerville, and Noah Olen Fowler, 26, of Moncks Corner, have each been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to straw-purchase a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Fowler, knowing Turner was prohibited from possessing and/or purchasing a firearm, purchased a firearm for Turner. During the purchase of the firearm, Fowler false certified on the ATF Form 4473 that he was purchasing the firearm for himself. Evidence also revealed that Turner sent Fowler information on which firearm to purchase and, further, paid him for the firearm via CashApp. When Fowler purchased the firearm for Turner he was employed as a correctional officer at the Berkeley County Detention Center.
“Straw purchases undermine our efforts to keep firearms out of the hands of those legally prohibited from possessing them,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We’ll continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals who attempt to circumnavigate the proper procedure to purchase firearms.”
“Straw purchasing is a dangerous tactic that circumvents our laws and puts guns in the hands of prohibited individuals,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “Whether you are the prohibited individual in possession of a firearm or the individual who lied to supply that firearm, both are considered threats to public safety and both face serious consequences.”
“Weapons in the hands of those prohibited from possessing them are a direct threat to public,” said Reid Davis, acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “These sentences underscore the serious consequences of violating federal firearms laws and send a clear message: the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to ensuring those who violate these laws are held accountable.”
United States District Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Turner to 20 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. United States District Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Fowler to a time-served sentence, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI Columbia field office, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Steven Osbey, of Kernersville, N.C., has agreed to entry of a consent judgment against him in the amount of $4,711,159.00 in favor of the United States and State of North Carolina (the Governments), subject to a separate agreement regarding his participation in the Governments’ ability to pay process. The judgment represents repayment to the government for allegations that Reign & Inspirations, LLC (R&I), a clinic co-owned by Osbey and Aljihad Shabazz, charged Medicaid for physician home visits that never occurred.
More specifically, the Governments alleged Osbey and Shabazz conspired to carry out an extensive health care fraud scheme wherein they submitted or caused to be submitted claims to NC Medicaid for in-home physician visits with patients that simply never occurred—in all, billing more than 30,000 hours of these purported physician visits and sometimes billing as if the physician provided over 100 in-home visits in a single day, purportedly lasting an hour each (an obvious physical impossibility).
This investigation was conducted in parallel between the civil and criminal divisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Shabazz pleaded guilty to criminal healthcare fraud conspiracy and money laundering charges and was sentenced to 52 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
The civil settlement obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Department of Justice and the FBI field offices in Charlotte, with assistance from the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. AUSAs Caroline McLean and Seth Johnson were responsible for the civil investigation.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
05.02.25
Senator Advancing Legislation to Strengthen Enhanced AT-CTI Program at UND, Address ATC Staffing Shortages
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented new recruitment and retention programs for air traffic controllers (ATC) consistent with the provisions in Hoeven’s ATC Workforce Development Act of 2025. Hoeven introduced the bill with Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) to help address ATC staffing shortages, improve working conditions and ensure safe transportation within U.S. airspace. Specifically, the FAA, in coordination with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), established the following limited-time incentives:
$5,000 award for academy graduates who successfully complete the initial qualification training.
$5,000 award for new hires who successfully complete the initial qualification training.
$10,000 award for academy graduates who are assigned to one of 13 hard-to-staff air traffic facilities.
A 20 percent lump sum payment for certified professional controllers eligible to retire but under the mandatory retirement age (56) for each year they continue to work.
“Our nation needs more qualified air traffic controllers to ensure safe and efficient air travel, and we appreciate the FAA for following the blueprint we laid out in our legislation when creating these new incentives,” said Hoeven. “I appreciate Secretary Duffy and Acting Administrator Rocheleau taking this first step, but more needs to be done to get students moving into the ATC workforce. To this end, our legislation would strengthen the Enhanced AT-CTI program, like the one at UND, while supporting a more efficient certification process. That means graduates can start working sooner and fulfill this critical aviation safety need.”
In addition to the recruitment and retention incentives, Hoeven’s legislation would:
Expand the ATC workforce training pipeline by codifying and strengthening the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program.
The bill authorizes $20 million per year for grants to AT-CTI schools to invest in curriculum, high-fidelity simulators, faculty and classroom supplies.
The legislation also removes disincentives that discourage retired air traffic controllers from working as instructors at AT-CTI schools.
Hoeven worked to advance UND’s selection as an Enhanced AT-CTI program, under which graduates are immediately eligible for hire by the FAA and to begin localized training at an air traffic facility. Currently, four schools, including UND have been selected for the Enhanced AT-CTI program.
Authorize the procurement and placement of Tower Simulator Systems at ATC facilities nationwide, supporting more efficient certification of ATC trainees.
Support the development of mental health services equipped to address the particular stressors faced by the ATC workforce.
The ATC Workforce Development Act is supported by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), Airlines for America (A4A), Regional Airline Association (RAA), American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), U.S. Contract Towers Association and the Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA).
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia)
WASHINGTON, DC–U.S. Representative Jay Obernolte (CA-23) has introducedlegislation to reduce the United States’ reliance on China and other foreign nations forcritical minerals. Critical minerals and rare earth metals are used to manufactureconsumer electronics, military equipment, electric vehicle batteries, and other advancedtechnologies vital to America’s homeland security and economic competitiveness. Chinais currently the largest source for more than half of the critical minerals on the U.S.Geological Survey’s 2022 list. The Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Actwould address this concern by identifying opportunities to increase the domesticproduction and recycling of critical minerals.“Critical minerals are essential to our economy, our national security, and thedevelopment of our country’s energy grid,” saidRep. Jay Obernolte.“TheIntergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force will bring stakeholders together toidentify how we canenhance our supply chains and shore up production of criticalminerals here at home.”“Access to critical minerals is essential for our national security and energy grid. Ourbipartisan bill will identify new ways to reduce our dependency on foreign nations likeChina for critical minerals,” saidCongresswoman Susie Lee (NV-3). “We can’t affordany disruptions to our critical mineral supply chain.”This legislation requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director toappoint representatives from federal agencies to consult with state, local, and tribalgovernments. The Task Force will work to determine how to address national securityrisks associated with America’s critical mineral supply chains and identify new domesticopportunities for mining,processing, refinement, reuse, and recycling of critical minerals. Thebillalso requiresthe Task Force to send a report to Congress and publishfindings, guidelines, and recommendationson reducingthe United States’ reliance onChina and other foreign nations for critical minerals.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia)
Today, Congressmen John Moolenaar, Jay Obernolte (R-CA), and Craig Goldman (R-TX) introduced the LOCOMOTIVES Act to limit the State of California’s ability to place unsustainable regulations on trains crossing into the state. The legislation revises Section 209 of the Clean Air Act to close a loophole which allows the California Air Resources Board to request waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency which would require interstate trains to abide by environmental standards stricter than the federal government’s.
“Nearly every industry relies on railway to ship their goods and access markets across the world. Unfortunately, bureaucrats in California maintain the ability to supersede federal standards and institute policies that would keep vital parts of Michigan’s economy, including the agriculture and auto industries, from accessing global markets. The LOCOMOTIVES Act is a commonsense proposal that stops California’s policies from impacting our state, and the rest of the country,” said Moolenaar.
“California should not be hijacking national freight policy with unreasonable emissions mandates,” said Obernolte. “CARB’s proposed locomotive standards would have wreaked havoc on interstate commerce, driven up costs for American families, and crippled rail operations across the country. I’m thankful that, after sustained pressure, CARB recognized the consequences of its overreach and withdrew its request. I’m proud to support the LOCOMOTIVES Act to prevent these illogical actions in the future and protect the infrastructure that keeps our economy moving.”
“As railways continue to serve as a cost-effective and reliable means of transporting goods, California’s extreme green energy regulations will prevent most locomotives from operating within the state. I’m proud to co-sponsor Representative Moolenaar’s LOCOMOTIVES Act, which prevents states like California from imposing unnecessary restrictions that would disrupt Texas’ interstate commerce and drive-up costs for consumers. This bill is an important measure to standardize locomotive regulations across states and ensure that Texas remains a key hub for interstate trade,” said Goldman.
The LOCOMOTIVES Act is endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Association of American Railroads, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, the North American Millers Association, the Supply Chain Federation, and the National Grain and Feed Association.
“We applaud Congressman Moolenaar’s leadership in introducing legislation that would prevent the possibility of unworkable and infeasible state regulation of locomotives involved in interstate commerce. This bill would close a Clean Air Act loophole that could be used by a state to circumvent federal regulation of locomotives and create a de facto national rule that would risk the viability of small business freight railroads,” said Chuck Baker, President of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
“Railroads remain the most fuel-efficient way to move goods over land and continue to deliver reliably for the nation’s businesses and communities,” said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “Currently, there are no commercially viable zero-emissions locomotives available—despite claims made by the California Air Resources Board in its now-abandoned in-use locomotive rule. As the industry pursues scalable, alternative solutions, Rep. Moolenaar’s legislation would provide much-needed regulatory certainty and prevent an impractical and infeasible state mandate from disrupting the entire nation’s supply chain.”
“Railroads are among the most fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible modes of freight transport. Subjecting them to a patchwork of state-level emissions standards would not only disrupt the flow of goods, but also discourage investment in cleaner technologies by creating uncertainty,” said Sarah Wiltfong, Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer, the Supply Chain Federation. “By reinforcing the federal government’s longstanding authority over mobile emissions on existing locomotives and their engines, the LOCOMOTIVE Act helps preserve regulatory consistency for a freight rail system that is critical to our supply chain and national economy.”
“Railroads are among the most fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible modes of freight transport. Subjecting them to a patchwork of state-level emissions standards would not only disrupt the flow of goods, but also discourage investment in cleaner technologies by creating uncertainty,” said Sarah Wiltfong, Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer, the Supply Chain Federation. “By reinforcing the federal government’s longstanding authority over mobile emissions on existing locomotives and their engines, the LOCOMOTIVES Act helps preserve regulatory consistency for a freight rail system that is critical to our supply chain and national economy.”
In 2023, the California Air Resources Boardrequested a waiverfrom the EPA, which would prohibit trains older than 23 years old operating from operating in the state unless it operates on a zero emissions configuration. The waiver was withdrawn last year, however, California is able to resubmit a similar request at any time. If California’s waiver request was granted, effectively two-thirds of all currently operating trains could not cross into the state, leaving them unable to access two of the largest ports in the country.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Bill Text (PDF) | One-Pager
Washington (May 1, 2025) –SenateCommittee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025, which would make permanent and expand the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (SBIR/STTR). House Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) is introducing companion legislation in the House.
For over 40 years, the SBIR and STTR programs have delivered more than $70 billion in research and development (R&D) funding to over 30,000 small businesses nationwide, ushering in technological breakthroughs that have benefited everyday Americans across the country and strengthened our national security. The SBIR and STTR programs are set to expire on September 30, 2025, if they are not reauthorized by Congress.
“Thanks in part to the SBIR/STTR programs, America has experienced a ‘golden age of innovation’ over the last forty years. And now, as Trump’s reckless tariffs threaten to decimate our most effective innovators–our small businesses–and the Administration slashes research dollars to institutions, it is even more urgent that we make the SBIR and STTR programs permanent,” said Ranking Member Markey. “These programs work because they prioritize merit and promote competition, and I am committed to ensuring that they retain their initial intent of fostering innovation in truly small businesses. I thank Ranking Member Velázquez for her partnership in promoting innovation through small businesses and providing certainty for these programs for decades to come.”
“For over 40 years, SBIR and STTR have helped America’s small businesses lead the way in cutting-edge research and innovation,” said Ranking Member Velázquez. “At a time when the Trump administration is working to dismantle vital public programs, it is more important than ever to protect what works. This bill gives these programs the long-term support they need by providing stable funding, expanding access, and strengthening safeguards against foreign threats. I am proud to work with Ranking Member Markey to secure the future of these programs.”
Specifically, the SBIR and STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025 would:
Make permanent the SBIR and STTR programs. Permanently authorizing the SBIR and STTR programs would give both small businesses and government agencies the stability needed to continue their collaboration to spur innovation.
Maintain competitiveness of SBIR and STTR programs. The legislation maintains the program’s 40-year long practice of facilitating merit-based competition to determine which innovative small businesses receive awards. This legislation would place no caps or limits on small businesses or the number of awards they can receive to ensure unbridled innovation for America.
Increase research funding for small businesses and partnering research institutions. Agencies, over the course of 7 years, would be required to allocate at least 7 percent of their extramural R&D budgets to SBIR and 1 percent to STTR—up from 3.2 percent and 0.45 percent, respectively.
Strengthen commercialization efforts. Agencies often fail to identify SBIR/STTR-funded technologies that demonstrate a solution to their needs, fueling a belief that many technologies simply do not showcase commercialization potential. Requiring agencies to designate a Technology Commercialization Official and undergo acquisition training would result in a greater number of SBIR/STTR technologies being commercialized by the federal government.
Maintain bipartisan foreign due diligence efforts. The legislation extends the bipartisan due diligence program until 2030.
Dismantle barriers to broaden participation. The time and resources required to develop an SBIR/STTR proposal can be a significant barrier to entry for many small businesses, particularly those who have limited resources. By reauthorizing the Federal and State Technology Partnership (FAST) Program and allowing agencies to use a portion of their SBIR/STTR funding to assist businesses in developing competitive proposals, the bill would help diversify the applicant pool and bring in new participants, including those from states that have historically received fewer awards. The bill also allows agencies to use a portion of their SBIR and STTR funding to establish internship and fellowship opportunities to spur innovation with a targeted effort to reach women and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
Massachusetts has the highest per-capita award rate of any state and is the second largest recipient of SBIR/STTR awards in the country, receiving more than 24,000 SBIR awards totaling $8.3 billion, and 2,000 STTR awards totaling over $720 million.
“The Small Business Technology Council (SBTC) is pleased to offer its endorsement to the bicameral SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025. The SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025 will build on the successes of the programs, while maintaining what has made them successful in the first place. We particularly appreciate the SBIR/STTR programs being made permanent, a long-overdue step for programs that have proven their worth for over 40 years in the case of SBIR. Small businesses thrive on certainty and making these programs permanent sends a powerful message to small businesses that the government will continue to be a reliable partner and customer for them. SBTC also supports increasing the SBIR and STTR allocations, for the first time since 2011. These programs continue to provide an enormous return on the taxpayer investment, and deserve to a larger investment of Federal R&D expenditures,” said Jere Glover, Executive Director of Small Business Technology Council.
“The New England Innovation Alliance, a coalition of small, disruptive innovation businesses located in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, strongly supports The SBIR and STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025 introduced by Senator Edward Markey, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Representative Nydia Velázquez, Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee,” said the New England Innovation Alliance. “The SBIR and STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025 would maintain the competitive, merit-based fundamentals of the programs to ensure the best technology is developed to keep America as the world leader. The measure appropriately recognizes that there should be no arbitrary award caps, submission limits, or forced graduation from programs.”
“Startups in medical technology face a daunting timeline of development, FDA clearance, and coverage determination. The CMS process alone can take more than five years. As a result, the industry has seen private investment move to other sectors with quicker returns. SBIR grants fill a critical gap in early-stage capital for healthcare innovation, a key growth driver for the Commonwealth. MassMEDIC deeply appreciates Sen. Markey’s leadership, collaboration, and commitment to building upon the success of the SBIR program and enthusiastically endorses his SBIR and STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025,” saidBrian Johnson, President of MassMEDIC.
“VentureWell supports the strategic emphasis on entrepreneurial support in the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025, particularly the expansion of the I-Corps program. By recognizing that SBIR and STTR funding is essential—but not alone sufficient—for bridging the ‘valley of death’ between research and commercialization, this legislation rightly positions the federal government as a proactive partner in cultivating top-tier innovators and ensuring their work produces the maximum return on America’s investment in science,” said Phil Weilerstein, President and CEO of VentureWell.
The legislation is also endorsed by the National Small Business Association (NSBA).
Ranking Member Markey has been a longtime champion of the SBIR and STTR programs. In 2011, during his time serving in the House of Representatives, Ranking Member Markey played an integral role in SBIR and STTR’s reauthorization efforts. This reauthorization effort was the last time the program’s budget was increased significantly. Ranking Member Markey also introduced a reauthorization bill to improve the programs in 2019 and advocated on behalf of SBIR and STTR small businesses to the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2025, Ranking Member Markey attended a Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee hearing titled, “Golden Age of American Innovation: Reforming SBIR-STTR for the 21st Century,” where his witness highlighted the success of the SBIR/STTR programs.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, has officially handed over a newly completed four-kilometre pipeline from the upgraded Kwa-Ximba Package Plant, aimed at ensuring a reliable and sustainable water supply to various sections of Ward 1 in Kwa-Ximba.
Joined by Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Sello Seitlholo, uMngeni-uThukela Water Board Chairperson Advocate Vusi Khuzwayo, Inkosi Mlaba of Kwa-Ximba, and eThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba, Majodina visited the plant on Friday, to assess progress on the broader reticulation project, which includes a 7.4-kilometre pipeline transporting potable water to two key command reservoirs — DV 1822 and DV 1818.
The handing over of a plant follows Majodina’s recent oversight visit of the R378 million, two-phase package plant project, marking the conclusion of National Water Month and Human Rights Month.
The package plant project includes the completed first phase of a portable water treatment plant, which supplies 2 megalitres per day (ml/d), and a second one that was upgraded to supply 7 ml/d.
However, some villages had experienced inconsistent water access due to insufficient capacity at the command reservoirs.
Majodina made a commitment to return to Kwa-Ximba to assess progress made to maintain the pipeline which will feed the reservoirs.
The eThekwini Municipality has addressed several pipeline issues, including water leaks, to help ensure that the reservoirs are sustainably filled with water.
Once fully operational, the two reservoirs will supply clean water to 18 villages in and around Kwa-Ximba, including Mvini, Bhobhonono, Nkandla, Nonoti, Msunduze, Mhali, Esiweni, Livapo, Nconcosi, Ntukusweni, Zwelisha, Kajabula, Othweba, Kwanyoni, Skhoxe, Kwadenge, and Emngacwini.
Previously, the area of Kwa-Ximba relied on Cato Ridge reservoir, which received water from the Midmar Water Treatment Works through the Western Aqueduct.
However, due to population growth, Cato Ridge reservoir could no longer provide reliable water supply to communities due to its reservoir not receiving sufficient volumes to be able to cater all the areas, including the villages.
The commissioning of the new package plants will improve water supply to the communities and improve service delivery.
Addressing the community of Kwa-Ximba at the local school hall, Majodina expressed her satisfaction with the progress registered to address challenges with the pipeline and urged the communities to protect the infrastructure.
“This an indication of government’s commitment to prioritise issues of water and sanitation in eThekwini Municipality and to the country as whole. We are confident that this project will guarantee uninterrupted water supply and bring much-needed relief to Kwa-Ximba and surrounding villages. We appeal to members of the community to protect this infrastructure,” Majodina said.
The Kwa-Ximba Package Plant, commissioned last year, remains under the custodianship of uMngeni-uThukela Water.
Meanwhile, in a separate event, Majodina, together with Deputy Ministers Mahlobo and Seitlholo, visited Oakford Ward 60, near Verulam, where she handed over three newly built houses to families relocated for the construction project of raising Hazelmere Dam.
During construction, 13 families were moved to temporary accommodation, with three additional families also needed to be relocated from the High Flood Line.
To date, nine permanent houses have been handed over, with four more still to be completed and handed over. – SAnews.gov.za
As thousands of South African football fans are expected to descend on Durban for the highly anticipated 2025 Nedbank Cup final, the eThekwini Municipality has urged visitors and tourists to remain vigilant when booking accommodation, to prevent falling victim to online scams.
A thrilling showdown between South African football giants, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, is set to take place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, on Saturday afternoon.
This marks the tournament’s return to Durban since it was last hosted in the city in 2019. The match promises to deliver a thrilling spectacle that will captivate fans across the country.
EThekwini Municipality Mayor, Cyril Xaba, welcomed the return of the event, highlighting that the economic and tourism benefits it brings.
“We encourage visitors to immerse themselves in the rich cultural offerings, stunning beaches, and diverse attractions that make our city a premier destination for both local and international travellers,” Xaba said.
However, Xaba warned visitors, and tourists to remain vigilant when booking accommodation, to prevent falling victim to online scammers.
“Visitors are also encouraged to carefully verify any packages that advertise “free tickets” and to obtain their tickets exclusively through registered outlets,” Xaba said.
Travel safety tips
To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, visitors are advised to follow these essential travel and accommodation safety tips:
• Research your accommodation: Before booking, look for customer reviews and ratings across multiple platforms. Be cautious if reviews appear overly positive or generic, as they may be fabricated.
• Contact the property directly: Use verified contact information to reach out to the property. If you cannot find this information on trusted sites, proceed with caution.
• Check for professionalism: Legitimate businesses typically maintain professional websites featuring clear contact information, terms and conditions, and policies regarding cancellations and refunds.
• Compare prices: If a deal seems too good to be true, ensure you compare prices with established booking sites to get a sense of reasonable rates.
• Verify the URL: Ensure the website has a secure connection (look for “https://” rather than just “http://”) and check for any spelling errors in the domain name.
Important safety precautions
Use trusted platforms: Stick to well-known travel booking websites or apps, which usually offer customer service support to address issues.
• Avoid wire transfers: Always opt for secure payment methods that offer protection, such as credit cards, over wire transfers or cash.
• Read the fine print: Thoroughly review booking terms and conditions, especially regarding cancellation policies and any additional fees.
• Stay informed: Keep up with updates from local tourism authorities concerning safe travel practices and potential scams.
• Share your itinerary: Inform someone of your travel plans, including accommodation details, for added safety.
• Keep an eye on your belongings: Always keep your bags where you can see them and avoid displaying valuables like jewellery or electronics publicly.
• Report any suspicious illegal activities to the nearest police station.
To further enhance the excitement around the Nedbank Cup final, the municipality will host public viewing areas in various parts of Durban to afford everyone an opportunity to watch the game.
Details for the public viewing areas will be announced on the Municipal platforms. – SAnews.gov.za
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has lauded the launch of the Transformation Fund as a significant step towards inclusive economic growth and transformation in South Africa.
The Deputy President was delivering a keynote address at a Business Breakfast Session and launch of the Transformation Fund at the Freedom Park Heritage Site and Museum in Pretoria on Monday.
“Today is an important and historic day for South Africa as it marks a key milestone in our journey towards economic transformation. We fully welcome the launch of the Transformation Fund, as it will serve as a strategic vehicle for businesses to embrace change, foster innovation, and drive growth.
“This fund will serve as a catalyst for financial support, guiding organisations through crucial transitions and enabling them to seize new opportunities that arise in the market,” the Deputy President said.
The Transformation Fund, which brings together both public and private sector contributions, aims to unlock the potential of Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) and the Equity Equivalent Investment Programme, with a strong emphasis on economic inclusion and participation by historically disadvantaged communities.
“As enterprises seek improved access to capital and the need to remain competitive in this dynamic environment, I believe that the Transformation Fund will be invaluable. The proposed Transformation Fund will unleash Enterprise and Supplier Development’s (ESD’s) potency in driving economic inclusion and participation,” Deputy President Mashatile said.
He emphasised the centrality of the initiative within government’s economic agenda.
“We are going to make sure that the Transformation Fund is at the centre of government, specifically the Presidency,” he said, adding that they will work with the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau as well as key Economic Cluster Ministers to ensure that targets are met, especially in the procurement of goods and services.
He noted that the National Treasury and Department of Women, Youth, and People with Disabilities have already collaborated to develop a framework. The focus now is to ensure speedy execution and equally implement the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act.
The Deputy President moved to recognise the involvement of the private sector in co-funding the initiative.
“It is commendable that the fund is anchored by private and public sector contributions to the Enterprise Supplier Development and Equity Equivalent Investment Programme obligations,” he said.
The centralised administration of the fund in partnership with business will help increase access to funding, especially for black-owned businesses operating in rural and township settings.
“Funding will be allocated to various productive sectors of the economy, which includes, among others, services industry, tourism, and agriculture, thereby supporting majority black-owned entities. Technical support and market access will be prioritised to ensure sustainability through inclusive interventions,” he said.
The Deputy President underlined the long-term benefits of the fund, noting that it would foster resilience and adaptability in the face of economic challenges.
Investing in a Transformation Fund signifies a commitment to progress and a dedication to long-term sustainability. “It will enable businesses to navigate challenges with resilience, adjust in response to changing dynamics, and establish themselves as adaptive leaders in their respective industries,” he said.
Fighting corruption key to an inclusive economy
The Deputy President made it clear that economic transformation cannot be achieved without tackling the scourge of corruption in both the public and private sectors.
Corruption undermines small businesses by increasing costs, reducing profits, and creating instability.
“To promote an inclusive economy, we must commit to addressing corruption by strengthening our institutions, fostering transparency and accountability, and promoting citizen engagement.
“This includes developing and implementing robust anti-corruption frameworks, strengthening our criminal justice system, and encouraging public participation and oversight,” he said.
Access to finance for black businesses
The Deputy President further stressed the need to find solutions pertaining to access to finance for Black businesses.
He emphasised that it was important to recognise that the funding deficits in South Africa are a contributing factor to the failure of small businesses.
Despite government intervention, such as Enterprise and Supplier Development, which is a critical component of the B-BBEE framework, he said there was still a need for additional measures to be taken to expand fund access to SMMEs.
“Loans are the most common financial instrument for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in South Africa, but they often have stringent underwriting standards, making them difficult for smaller businesses with limited collateral and financial records to secure.
“This is why we encourage small businesses seeking financial assistance to explore government funding programmes, and business support agencies such as the National Empowerment Fund, Small Enterprise Finance Agency and the Small Enterprise Development Agency,” the Deputy President said. – SAnews.gov.za
Jordan, where 75 per cent of the land is classified as arid desert, is taking significant steps toward nuclear desalination. The government is exploring Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), compact reactors that could power desalination plants. In 2023, an IAEA team evaluated Jordan’s studies on using SMRs to provide drinking water from the Red Sea to Amman, where water demand is rising.
“Desalination is considered the primary source of fresh water in Jordan to fulfil the expected demand and reduce the supply-demand deficit,” says Khalid Khasawneh, Commissioner for Nuclear Power Reactors at the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC). “It offers competitive prices for fresh water to end consumers, in comparison with imported energy sources.”
Saudi Arabia: The Desalination Leader Exploring Nuclear
Saudi Arabia, already the world’s largest desalinated water producer, began exploring the use of nuclear energy for desalination in the late 1970s. As part of its strategy to move from an oil-based economy toward a diversified power production, the country is now considering nuclear plants to achieve its net zero ambitions and meet its long-term water needs.
According to the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), “the Kingdom is planning a sustainable energy mix that includes atomic energy to meet the energy needs of the Kingdom to produce electricity, desalinated water and thermal energy,” which aims to reduce reliance on hydrocarbons and support economic growth.
Egypt: Nuclear Power and Water Strategy
Egypt is also integrating nuclear technology into its water strategy. With the country’s first nuclear power plant, El-Dabaa, under construction, discussions are underway about pairing nuclear energy with desalination in coastal regions. According to the Egyptian State Information Service: “Nuclear energy contributes to enhancing energy security and achieving environmental balance and water security.” As “nuclear facilities can supply the energy required for desalination plants to produce potable water.”
Kuwait: Exploring Nuclear Desalination for Sustainable Water Solutions
Kuwait, which depends heavily on seawater desalination to meet its freshwater needs, is increasingly turning to nuclear technologies to find more sustainable solutions for water and the environment. “Kuwait is facing the effect of climate change, ocean acidification, pollution from the oil and shipping industry, power and desalination activities,” said Nader Al-Awadi, the Executive Commissioner for International Cooperation at the Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR). In line with its efforts to address these environmental challenges, Kuwait has also established a large-scale facility to carry out research on ocean acidification, aiming to further understand the impacts of changing ocean conditions on marine ecosystems, which are directly tied to the effectiveness of desalination technologies.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
PARIS, France, May 5, 2025/APO Group/ —
Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, will address global investors at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025 Forum in Paris next week. As a keynote speaker, Minister Ncube will present Zimbabwe’s energy investment outlook, economic reform agenda and efforts to mobilize private capital across the power, hydrocarbons and renewable energy value chains.
Zimbabwe is targeting rapid energy sector expansion to meet rising industrial and consumer demand, reduce reliance on electricity imports and support long-term economic transformation. Key investment opportunities span power generation, transmission infrastructure, oil and gas exploration and the deployment of renewable energy – with a particular emphasis on solar and hydroelectric resources. The country is estimated to have a $4.8-billion funding gap for large-scale solar projects and is actively working to expand the pool of available capital. Efforts are also underway to enhance financial inclusion and secure more favorable terms for foreign investors in energy infrastructure.
IAE 2025 (http://apo-opa.co/3GH3mpN)is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visitwww.Invest-Africa-Energy.com.To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contactsales@energycapitalpower.com.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is home to the Muzarabani Prospect in the north, currently being explored by Australian-listed Invictus Energy. The company has identified eight high-potential gas and condensate prospects in the eastern portion of its Cabora Bassa Basin project, with the Musuma prospect emerging as a key target for exploration drilling in 2025. Recent survey results revealed significant prospectivity in the eastern basin, estimating approximately 2.9 trillion cubic feet of gas and 184 million barrels of condensate across the eight prospects on a gross mean unrisked basis.
Minister Ncube’s participation signals Zimbabwe’s commitment to fostering an enabling investment environment and positioning energy as a central pillar of national development. The country’s strategic location, resource potential and improving macroeconomic stability make it a compelling destination for long-term infrastructure and energy investment.
“Minister Ncube’s keynote will offer investors direct insight into the policy direction and financing mechanisms shaping Zimbabwe’s energy future. His presence at IAE 2025 underscores the country’s strong push to deepen international investment partnerships in support of energy access and industrialization,” says Sandra Jeque, Events & Project Director at Energy Capital & Power.
Headline: Unlock what’s next: Microsoft at May 19-22 Red Hat Summit 2025
Learn more about the solutions that Microsoft and Red Hat have to offer that drive technological advancements and empower organizations.
As the tech world eagerly anticipates Red Hat Summit 2025, Microsoft is proud to announce its role as a platinum sponsor at the event. Red Hat Summit is a premier enterprise open source event for IT professionals to learn, collaborate, and innovate on technologies from the datacenter and public cloud to edge and beyond. This year, Microsoft’s collaboration with Red Hat promises to be a highlight, showcasing the power of partnership and the innovative solutions that arise from it.
Over the years, this partnership has achieved significant milestones, transforming the way businesses operate and deliver value to their customers. By combining Microsoft’s cloud expertise with Red Hat’s open-source leadership, we have created a synergy that drives technological advancements and empowers organizations to achieve more.
One of the key benefits of this partnership is the seamless integration of Red Hat technologies with Microsoft Azure. This integration provides customers with a robust and flexible platform to build, deploy, and manage their applications. Whether it’s modernizing legacy systems or developing new cloud-native applications, the combination of Azure and Red Hat offers a plethora of capabilities and support. For instance, Red Hat OpenShift on Azure enables organizations to run containerized applications with ease, leveraging the scalability and security of Azure. Additionally, Red Hat Enterprise Linux on Azure provides a reliable and secure operating system for mission-critical workloads.
Build your next great app with free Azure services today >
At Red Hat Summit 2025, attendees will have the opportunity to explore these technologies in depth. Microsoft and Red Hat will showcase new features and integrations that enhance the capabilities of Azure and Red Hat solutions. From improved performance to enhanced security, these advancements are designed to meet the evolving needs of businesses in today’s digital landscape.
RHEL for WSL: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is now available for use with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). WSL is a feature of Microsoft Windows that allows developers to run Linux distributions. With RHEL for WSL, developers can run a RHEL development environment on Windows without having to spin up a traditional virtual machine (VM). With a no-cost Red Hat Developer subscription, developers can download the latest release of RHEL as a WSL image during their install and easily run both Windows and RHEL at the same time on their Windows machine.
Azure Red Hat OpenShift: Microsoft and Red Hat are enhancing security with Confidential Containers on Azure Red Hat OpenShift, now in public preview. This feature offers hardware-level protection for workloads via memory encryption and secure execution environments, addressing compliance needs in sectors like healthcare and financial services. Managed identity for Azure Red Hat OpenShift is also in public preview, transitioning organizations from static service principals to dynamic, token-based credentials. This reduces operational complexity and security risks, facilitating container platform adoption in regulated environments. Azure Red Hat OpenShift has expanded to the Spain Central region with plans for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Central and Microsoft Azure Government (MAG) regions by Q2 2025. Enhancements include OpenShift 4.16 support, enterprise-grade cluster-wide proxy, and Ddsv5 instance performance optimization. Additionally, OpenShift Virtualization on Azure Red Hat OpenShift is entering public preview, enabling customers to accelerate VM migration to Azure without refactoring while unifying management of VMs and containers on a single platform.
RHEL landing zone: The Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) on Azure Landing Zone guide provides everything needed to deploy, manage, and scale RHEL instances using Azure-specific system images. Software lifecycle automation is simplified with Red Hat Satellite and Red Hat Satellite Capsule, ensuring timely updates and patches. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) are enhanced through Azure’s on-demand capacity reservations, guaranteeing reliable availability in Azure regions. Optimized identity management infrastructure deployment minimizes latencies and eliminates replication failures.
Application awareness and wave planning in Azure Migrate: The new application-aware method sets the stage for grouping dependent resources into waves and provides technical and business insights for the entire application to help you decide on Azure targets and tooling. Migrate applications with dependent workloads, as one to collocate in Azure for optimal performance and cost.
JBoss EAP on App Service: JBoss EAP on App Service is a jointly developed and supported managed solution from Red Hat and Microsoft for running enterprise Java applications with maximum productivity. We have recently made important changes to make JBoss EAP on App Service as cost-effective as possible. This includes a 60% plus license fee price reduction for Pay-As-You-Go plans, memory optimized SKUs, a free tier for a lower barrier to entry, the availability of JBoss EAP 8, as well as a soon-to-be-released ability to Bring-Your-Own-Subscription to App Service.
JBoss EAP on Azure Virtual Machines: Robust solutions to run JBoss EAP on Azure Virtual Machines are now generally available (GA). The solutions are developed and supported by Red Hat and Microsoft. The solutions include templates available in the Azure Portal to automate most boilerplate resource provisioning tasks. The solutions also include JBoss EAP VM images published in the Azure Marketplace.
Customer success stories
The success of the Microsoft and Red Hat partnership is best demonstrated through the experiences of our customers. Organizations across various industries have leveraged Azure and Red Hat solutions to achieve remarkable results. For example, Teranet utilized Azure Red Hat OpenShift for a digital transformation, migrating mission-critical systems from on-premises to Azure. Outcomes included improved automation, enhanced customer confidence, and significant cost savings to the tune of CA5.6 million.
Western Sydney University adopted Red Hat Enterprise Linux on Azure to enhance the security and reliability of its critical systems.
By providing innovative solutions and exceptional support, we empower our customers to overcome challenges and drive business growth.
What to expect at Red Hat Summit 2025
Red Hat Summit 2025 promises to be an exciting event, with a wide range of sessions, workshops, and presentations. Microsoft will be actively involved, sharing insights and expertise on various topics. Attendees can look forward to exclusive announcements and product launches that will shape the future of technology.
This is a unique opportunity to connect with industry leaders and gain valuable insights into the latest trends and innovations. Our vision is to deliver cutting-edge solutions that enable organizations to thrive in the digital age. We remain committed to our customers, ensuring that they have access to the best technologies and support.
Learn more about Red Hat on Azure
Join us to explore the innovative solutions that Microsoft and Red Hat have to offer. Register now to attend the summit and engage with our experts to learn more about how our collaboration can benefit your organization.
Visit the Red Hat on Azure page to learn more about our offerings and join us at the Microsoft booth number 424 at Red Hat Summit 2025!
A Yemeni soldier inspects the damage reportedly caused by U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 27, 2025.AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman
In the first 100 days of his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has shown a willingness to lean on airpower when his administration decides that military force is necessary abroad.
This turn to airpower for Trump makes sense to me. Airpower is cheap when compared with ground wars, and it usually comes with fewer casualties for those conducting the strikes. This helps explain why U.S. leaders, including Trump as a self-proclaimed “anti-war president,” typically find it attractive.
But if the Trump administration is not careful, it could fall into what military strategists informally call the “airpower trap.” This happens when the stated objectives of military force are too big for airpower alone to achieve, potentially leading to a face-saving escalation of conflict that could – if history is a guide – draw in ground forces from the U.S. or their local allies.
U.S. presidents such as Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all fell into this trap. In Vietnam, the Balkans and Syria, respectively, all ended up with far bigger wars than they bargained for, with consequences for civilian casualties, international peace and damage to America’s reputation abroad.
As an expert on U.S. national security policy and the Middle East region, I believe the Trump administration is in danger of falling into the airpower trap in Yemen and could potentially do the same in Iran should it elect to use direct force against Tehran. Recognizing this military and historical risk, and opting for some kind of off ramp from continued airstrikes, might be the best hope the U.S. government has to avoid a further escalation into full-scale war.
The limits of air bombardment
Research shows airpower is most effective when it’s used for limited objectives – things like taking out leaders of terrorist groups or degrading rival capabilities – or in support of ground operations for more ambitious ends, like bolstering or overturning governments.
Given the sophistication of U.S. airpower, a common fallacy among American strategists in particular is to think big strategic gains can be achieved solely by dropping bombs from above.
But when airpower alone fails, leaders can feel the pressure to expand the scope of conflict and end up with bigger military commitments than expected.
Johnson’s initial airpower-only strategy for attempting to stop communism in South Vietnam failed miserably, leading to his decision to commit half a million U.S. troops into war. That expanded conflict presaged years of war, with massive humanitarian and political consequences for people in Southeast Asia and America, as well as lasting reputational damage to the U.S.
Yemenis carry the coffins of civilians killed in U.S. airstrikes while participating in their funeral procession on May 1, 2025, in Sanaa, Yemen. Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images
Worried about U.S. and NATO credibility, Clinton escalated airstrikes – nearly to the point of introducing ground troops – for the ambitious end of stopping genocide in the Balkans during the early 1990s. Likewise, Obama’s initial airpower-only strategy to “degrade and destroy” the Islamic State group quickly faltered, leading Obama, under intense pressure at home and abroad, to introduce thousands of ground troops to combat the group’s territorial gains across Syria and Iraq.
In each case, relying on airpower alone ultimately failed to meet their objectives.
The airpower trap in Yemen
There are reasons to believe that conditions in Yemen mean that Trump, too, could be falling into a similar trap.
The humanitarian crisis from the brutal bombing campaign by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis in the late 2010s had a similar effect.
Airpower played a big part then, too. The Saudi coalition, supported by the U.S., engaged in some 25,000 air raids against the Houthis, killing or maiming approximately 19,000 civilians. Yet despite such overwhelming force, the Houthis kept seizing territory and eventually won the civil war, according to experts.
They have been the country’s de facto rulers ever since.
Now, Trump is exploring options to further escalate to defeat the Houthis. Reports indicate his administration is considering arming, training and enabling anti-Houthi resistance fighters who are loosely affiliated with Yemen’s government in exile to launch ground operations.
Often, U.S. proxies fail on both strategic and humanitarian terms, leading to further escalation, strategic quagmires for the U.S., and loss of life and political sovereignty for the people under attack. South Vietnam was an instructive example.
Riven by corruption, poor governance, weakness and political infighting, the South Vietnamese army and government proved so ineffective at fighting the North Vietnamese that Johnson decided to launch a ground war once U.S. airpower failed.
Today, the anti-Houthi resistance in Yemen looks a lot more like the South Vietnamese government than the Kurdish YPG. According to a 2025 report from the Soufan Center, a security think tank, the anti-Houthi forces are poorly trained and considered incapable of pulling off victories over the Houthis without major U.S. support.
Meanwhile, the anti-Houthi resistance consists of an estimated 85,000 fighters, compared with some 350,000 for the Houthis.
Absent continuing the air war or escalating it into a more all-encompassing conflict, U.S. officials can still pursue diplomacy in order to try to find a political solution to the Yemen conflict.
Despite the Trump’s administration public threats, the U.S. is already negotiating with the Houthis’ main sponsor, Iran.
For their part, the Houthis continue to insist that they will stop attacking ships in the Red Sea if the U.S.-backed Israeli war in Gaza halts, something that happened during the recent Gaza ceasefire.
The Trump administration might consider seeking alternatives, such as direct or indirect talks, if it wants to avoid getting stuck in a widening conflict in Yemen. History is full of examples of what happens when airpower takes on a logic of its own.
Charles Walldorf is a Senior Fellow at the think tank Defense Priorities.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Ezell (Mississippi 4th District)
Today, Congressmen Mike Ezell (D-MS-04) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) introduced H.R. 3177, the Keep It In The State (KITS) Act to ensure that projects under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act are handled by professionals who are licensed in the states where disaster recovery projects take place. The bill seeks to improve the accuracy, safety, and efficiency of federally funded disaster recovery efforts by requiring that cost estimates, material acquisition, and other project-related activities be carried out by state-licensed professionals.
“When disaster strikes, our communities rely on FEMA to help rebuild stronger and safer,”Ezell said.“But that only happens when the work is done right. By ensuring FEMA projects are overseen by professionals licensed in our home state, we’re making sure local standards, materials, and practices are respected throughout the process. The KITS Act will help prevent government bureaucrats from states away from overruling local experts. We want to rebuild smarter, not just faster—and that starts with using qualified professionals who understand our terrain, our codes, and our people.”
“Post-disaster rebuilding should be led by local experts who deeply understand the affected region,”Carbajal said.“This legislation will go a long way toward empowering communities to accelerate their region’s recovery efforts.”
As a coastal city that understands firsthand the urgency of disaster recovery, we strongly support Congressman Ezell’s Keep it in the State (K.I.T.S.) Act. Ensuring FEMA projects are managed by licensed professionals within the state not only respects local knowledge but also enhances the quality and speed of our recovery efforts. Local experts are more familiar with our building codes, environmental conditions, and infrastructure systems, which leads to better-informed decisions and more resilient outcomes. This legislation is a practical step forward in empowering communities like Gautier to rebuild stronger and smarter after disaster strikes,”Mayor Casey Vaughan, City of Gautier said.
“As Mayor of Biloxi, we have been impacted by several major hurricanes. Our City works with FEMA everyday. We are grateful for Representative Ezell’s leadership and efforts to streamline the regulatory process and ensure that future rebuilding efforts are under the control of our state and local officials. Requiring state-licensed professionals makes good common sense, and we fully support this legislation,”Mayor Andrew “Fo Fo” Gilich, City of Biloxi said.
“Here in Pascagoula, we know how important it is to rebuild our community the right way after a disaster. Making sure that rebuilding is done by licensed professionals from our own state means safer homes, stronger infrastructure and a faster return to normal for our families and businesses. I’m grateful for Congressman Ezell’s leadership for pushing forward this effort that will strengthen recovery operations by putting the work in the hands of those who know our state best. It’s a common-sense step that will make a real difference for communities like ours along the coast,” Mayor Jay Willis, City of Pascagoula said.
“This certainly makes sense for the protection of a City and or County, to secure the services of a professional in determining the extent of storm damage, development of the scope of work necessary to restore to pre-storm conditions or, should an improvement be considered for mitigation and for the development of project plans and specification which would ensure appropriate materials and work methods adhere to specific engineering standards,”D’Iberville City Manager, Bobby Weaver said.
“The City of Moss Point certainly supports Congressman Ezell’s effort to ensure quality and efficiency in disaster rebuilding. Recognizing the importance of local perspective and expertise can go a long way in speeding up recovery processes,”Moss Point Mayor Billy Knight, Sr. said. “We appreciate the congressman’s focus on disaster-related issues, as South Mississippi sits in a disaster-prone zone.”
The legislation responds to long-standing concerns from local leaders and industry professionals who have raised issues with out-of-state or unlicensed individuals making critical decisions in the wake of disasters. These decisions often lead to delays, unnecessary costs, or construction that fails to meet state and local requirements.
Under the KITS Act, FEMA will be required to:
Use professionals who are licensed in the relevant state for cost estimating, procurement, and other major project tasks.
Prioritize the use of local expertise to improve accountability and ensure compliance with state and local codes.
Work more closely with state agencies and stakeholders during disaster response and recovery.
[. The Alberta Recovery Model is focused on ensuring Albertans have access to evidence-based mental health and addiction care to pursue recovery and personal wellness. This approach has included significant capital investments for new infrastructure, to build more capacity and open more beds within the mental health and addiction system.
To continue development of the Alberta Recovery Model, government is putting forward more than $141 million of capital funding for site improvements and new infrastructure at the Alberta Hospital Edmonton (AHE) campus. AHE has been delivering mental health services for more than 100 years, first opening its doors in 1923. With little capital investment for several decades for AHE, it is time to bring new life to the facilities and expand services delivered.
“Alberta Hospital Edmonton has provided psychiatric care to Albertans for more than 100 years. Adding new addiction treatment facilities to the campus is a step forward in building mental health and addiction system capacity. This investment will ensure Alberta Hospital Edmonton is helping Albertans pursue recovery for years to come.”
The capital funding will support upgrades for campus infrastructure, unit renovations and demolition of vacated buildings at Alberta Hospital Edmonton. This investment will also support building the Edmonton Recovery Community and the Northern Alberta Compassionate Intervention Centre on the AHE campus. Overall, the capital investment will help maintain important hospital infrastructure for the existing 460 treatment beds and outpatient psychiatric services while also increasing addiction treatment capacity within Edmonton by 225 beds.
Construction of both the Edmonton Recovery Community and the Northern Alberta Compassionate Intervention Centre is expected to begin in 2026.
“For many years, the Alberta Hospital Edmonton has played an important role supporting Albertans with complex mental health issues. We are proud to support a modernization project that will not only enhance this facility but also ensure that the most advanced and effective care is available for those in need.”
“Our commitment to delivering compassionate, evidence-based care goes hand in hand with our responsibility to provide safe, modern environments for both patients and staff. This investment in new infrastructure allows us to better support Albertans on their recovery journey while ensuring Recovery Alberta’s clinicians and teams have the facilities they need to do their vital work safely and effectively.”
Edmonton Recovery Community
A capital investment of $38 million will go towards building the Edmonton Recovery Community, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2027. The 75-bed facility will provide residents with holistic, long-term addiction treatment for up to one year.
Recovery communities focus on mental health and well-being, individual and group therapy, development of healthy habits and social skills, employment training and other supports that put residents on a pathway to success. The goal is for every participant to leave the program not only drug free, but as healthy members of society with strong connections to the community.
Northern Alberta Compassionate Intervention Centre
More than $90 million in capital funding will go towards building the Northern Alberta Compassionate Intervention Centre, which is expected to be completed in 2029. This new 150-bed centre will provide patients with access to a full spectrum of mental health and addiction supports to address their complex health needs. The centre will include spaces for intake assessments, medically supported detox, counselling, individual and group therapy and more for those receiving care under the proposed Compassionate Intervention Act.
As part of the public health care system in Alberta, the Northern Alberta Compassionate Intervention Centre will be operated by Recovery Alberta and provide intensive treatment to patients under a secure compassionate intervention care plan. The goal is to provide stabilization, assessment and treatment so Albertans can successfully transition to community supports, such as a recovery community or psychiatric treatment, to continue their recovery journey.
Alberta Hospital Edmonton revitalization
More than $13 million in capital maintenance and renewal funding will go towards updating the AHE campus infrastructure, including various mechanical upgrades, water main repairs, boiler repairs, roof replacements and unit renovations (building 8). Two vacant buildings, building 1 and building 11, will be demolished along with the water tower. Planning for the demolition of three more vacant buildings (buildings 2, 5 and 7) is also underway.
Since 1923, AHE has played an important role in caring for those with complex mental health needs. Today, the hospital continues to provide both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care to Albertans. This includes 460 treatment beds for forensic psychiatric care, adult psychiatric care and the Protection of Children Abusing Drugs program. Treatment beds for youth under mandatory treatment orders will eventually move to the Northern Alberta Youth Recovery Centre upon completion, which will create more treatment space for adult care at AHE.
Patient care at AHE will not be impacted by the construction of the new buildings or the demolition of the vacant buildings.
Key Facts
Alberta Hospital Edmonton opened in 1923 following the First World War, and was primarily focused on treating veterans with what is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder.
AHE has a strong history of mental health care with a focus on recovery-oriented care and addressing substance use challenges.
In the 1970s and 80s, Alberta Hospital Edmonton was the province’s largest psychiatric treatment facility with about 650 treatment beds.
Building 1 was the first dormitory on the hospital campus and contained the Highwood School until closing in 2006; building 11 was known as the Cottonwood building.
Related information
Compassionate Intervention
Recovery Communities
Alberta Recovery Model
Related news
Delivering on compassionate intervention (April 15, 2025)
Laying the foundation for compassionate intervention (Feb. 24, 2025)
Province more than doubling youth treatment beds (Nov. 26, 2024)
Alberta opens another world-class recovery community (Aug. 15, 2024)
“School bus drivers play an integral role in our education system, safely and efficiently transporting more than 335,000 Alberta students to and from school every day. In recognition of these everyday heroes, I am pleased to proclaim the first Monday of May as School Bus Driver Appreciation Day in Alberta, every year.
“Alberta’s school bus drivers are responsible for more than just transportation – they are the first friendly face a student sees each morning and the steady hand that brings them home each afternoon.
“School Bus Driver Appreciation Day is an opportunity for all Albertans to recognize the hard work, professionalism and care with which drivers do their job.
“Thank you to Alberta’s school bus drivers for everything you do.”
DENVER – Today, Governor Polis and Union Pacific Railroad President Beth Whited, celebrated the signing of a historic lease agreement for Colorado’s Moffat Tunnel, replacing the original 1926 lease. This new agreement follows the Memorandum of Understanding signed on November 1, 2024, and includes a 25-year lease, a 25 year access agreement for Mountain Passenger Rail, and finalizing the purchase and sale of the Burnham lead line which will unlock transit-oriented development potential for the Burnham Yard property. This public-private partnership assures continued freight operations through the Moffat Tunnel for 25 years with established passenger rail access from Denver through the Moffat Tunnel to Winter Park, Granby, Steamboat Springs and Craig for soon-to-be Mountain Passenger Rail Service, bringing new transportation options and economic opportunities to Colorado communities. These three agreements demonstrate a new model of collaboration that can support the state’s needs for moving goods and commerce and giving Coloradans more transportation options.
“This agreement begins a new era of partnership between the State of Colorado and Union Pacific that will expand passenger rail into our beautiful Rocky Mountains, assure continued freight movement through the Continental Divide, and unlock access to the Burnham Yard, a very special state property with unparalleled transit-oriented development potential. Moffat Tunnel represents an important part of Colorado’s history, as well as a bright part of our future. With this work, we are showing the country a new model for pursuing passenger rail through collaboration with the railroad. I am thrilled with the three new agreements and look forward to seeing the positive benefits to our state,” said Governor Jared Polis.
“Mountain rail Service will soon run year-round from Denver Union Station to Winter Park, to Fraser, to Granby, Steamboat Springs, Craig and Hayden, a corridor renowned for its scenery and beauty,” continued Governor Polis.
Mountain Rail Service Pattern Map showing the route from Denver to Craig.
“Union Pacific is proud of the hard work and spirit of collaboration that went into this agreement with the State of Colorado. We came together as true partners and the result is an agreement that benefits the citizens of Colorado and the businesses and people who rely upon Union Pacific to deliver the goods and material vital to today’s economy,” said Union Pacific President Beth Whited.
“It was an honor to help lead the Colorado negotiation team on this unique partnership that will benefit the state of Colorado for the next 25 years. When this daily train service begins connecting Denver to Winter Park, Granby, Steamboat Springs, and on to Craig it will undoubtedly be one of the most beautiful train rides in the country if not the world and provide a safe, affordable alternative to being stuck in traffic. I am thrilled we were able to purchase the Burnham Lead line, a short freight line easement. This purchase unlocks safe passage into the Burnham Yard property, the original rail yard of Colorado that predates statehood and one of the last undeveloped parcels in Denver. The new lease,
the new access agreement, and the purchase of the Burnham lead line are a win, wi,n and win for the state of Colorado. I want to thank the Union Pacific team for their efforts and creative problem solving that made these agreements possible,” said Lisa Kaufmann, Senior Strategic Advisor for Governor Polis.
“Today’s agreement will offer residents and visitors throughout Colorado new opportunities and choices to get where they’re going. More passenger rail trips between the Front Range and mountain communities in Winter Park, Granby, and beyond will offer an option in addition to the drive over Berthoud Pass. The purchase of the Burnham lead line will also improve local mobility surrounding Lincoln Park in Denver, ensuring this historic neighborhood can continue to offer residents safe access to all the surrounding amenities,” said CDOT Chief of Staff Sally Chafee.
The 25-year access agreement establishes Colorado’s license for three daily roundtrips or up to 506,000 train miles annually for Mountain Passenger Rail, as the payment from Union Pacific for their use of the Moffat Tunnel for 25 years. The state plans to start a daily roundtrip year-round to Granby by 2026 and flexibility for the state to expand service in future phases to connect Denver to Winter Park Resorts, Granby, Steamboat Springs on to Craig and Hayden. Future phases will commence after a procurement process for a designated contract operator and upon needed capital improvements completed that are identified in the access agreement. highlighted by traveling under the continental divide through the 6.2 mile long Moffat Tunnel, the highest operating railroad tunnel in the United States.
The Moffat Tunnel has been one of the first and most successful public private partnerships in Colorado’s history, where 6 counties and private investors came together over a 100 years ago to build the Moffat Tunnel to ensure Denver as the commerce hub of the Rocky Mountain West, after Union Pacific the first transcontinental railroad bypassed Colorado and routed through Wyoming instead. For 99 years Union Pacific or their predecessors have held a lease that expired on May 1, 2025.
The 100-year-old, 6.2-mile-long Moffat Tunnel cuts through the Continental Divide at 9,239 feet above sea level. Created to provide an important east-to-west connection from Denver to the West coast for commerce, the Moffat Tunnel helped Denver become a center of commerce and growth in the Rockies.
Demand for rail transportation in Colorado is significant. In partnership with Amtrak and Winter Park Resorts, the state made investments to lower the cost and increase the frequency of the Winter Park Ski train. During the 2024-25 ski season, Coloradans and visitors booked more than 44,000 trips on the Ski train compared to 17,500 last season – a 153% increase.
Governor Dan McKee, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Director Peter Alviti, Jr., and Quonset Development Corporation (QDC) Managing Director Steven King today joined with state and local officials to break ground on one of RIDOT’s newest projects, the I-95 “Missing Move” and Quonset Ramps Construction Project.
This $144 million project has been in discussion for decades. It includes construction of two critical ramps that were never built when Route 4 was constructed in the 1960s and will afford direct highway connections between I-95 North and Route 4 South, and Route 4 North and I-95 South. The project also will make numerous improvements at and near the Quonset Business Park, the state’s largest industrial park.
RIDOT was able to move forward with this project after receiving an $81 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA).
“This project has been talked about for decades, and today, we’re finally turning words into action,” said Governor Dan McKee. “This crucial infrastructure investment will improve traffic flow and unlock economic potential at Quonset�one of our state’s major job creators. I want to thank Rhode Island’s congressional delegation and all of our partners for helping us move this project forward.”
“This is a big win for drivers because it will improve efficiency, shorten commutes, and reduce congestion while also improving access for truck and freight operators approaching Quonset Business Park,” said Senator Reed. “This was a collaborative effort that builds upon decades of federal investment into Quonset. I was pleased to help lay the groundwork for this project by securing a $4-million planning grant in 2020.”
“The INFRA Program I championed through the Environment and Public Works Committee and into law is supporting a slew of major infrastructure projects across Rhode Island,” said Senator Whitehouse, who worked to create the INFRA Program to help meet Rhode Island’s need for large-scale infrastructure investments. “Today’s INFRA Grant-funded groundbreaking will support continued economic growth at Quonset and finally add the missing move to go between Route 4 and I-95.”
“By finally connecting Route 4 North to I-95 South, we will reduce congestion, improve safety, and make daily travel easier for tens of thousands of people every day,” said Congressman Magaziner. “I am pleased that we are able to deliver this meaningful federal funding for a local project like this and I am committed to continuing to fight for every federal dollar we can secure for Rhode Island.”
“Today’s announcement will improve our transportation system to benefit Ocean State residents, businesses, and visitors alike. I’m proud to have worked with our delegation to secure $81 million in federal funding to support the “Missing Move” and Quonset Ramps Construction Project,” said Congressman Amo. “This investment in Rhode Island’s infrastructure will make life easier and safer for all those who travel through I-95 and Route 4.”
“Once again our Congressional delegation put their shoulders into the federal grants process and helped Rhode Island get this funding so we can finally build these missing ramps,” Director Alviti said. “Their construction will reduce travel times, provide more efficient movement of freight traffic and alleviate congestion and delays, especially at the Division Street/South County Trail intersection which is overloaded with traffic that has had no choice but to use local roads to make certain connections between I-95 and Route 4.”
“Quonset Business Park is known for its convenient network of land, sea, air and rail infrastructure. By better connecting Route 403 to the West Davisville portion of the Business Park, getting to and moving throughout Quonset will be easier than it has ever been before,” said QDC Managing Director King. “I offer my sincere thanks to our federal delegation for delivering the funding to alleviate local traffic and create a more convenient commuting experience for the nearly 15,000 people who come to work at the Business Park each day.”
The project is divided into two main components. The first portion to be constructed includes three ramps on Route 403 in North Kingstown to connect the Quonset Business Park’s west Davisville district. The project also includes a new roundabout south of Route 403 at Compass Circle. The improvements will provide improved connectivity to all parts of the Business Park and add in ramps that were not included in the Route 403 reconstruction project in the late 2000s. These will be complete in summer 2026.
The second component, which will begin construction in early 2026, includes the missing moves at the I-95/Route 4 interchange in Warwick. RIDOT will build a new flyover bridge to link Route 4 North to I-95 South. The ramp will use an existing right-of-way for an at-grade link between I-95 North and Route 4 South. The missing moves are expected to be done in summer 2027.
To compensate for the missing ramps, RIDOT has made numerous adjustments to the traffic signals on Division Street and at its intersection with South County Trail (Route 2). As the area has continued to be developed, especially the growth at the nearby New England Institute of Technology campus, traffic and congestion has steadily increased. The Division Street/South County Trail intersection alone is the site of 60 crashes per year.
RIDOT also will make safety improvements on I-95 South at the Route 2 interchange on the Warwick/West Warwick line. RIDOT will rebuild the entrance to the Route 2 South to I-95 South ramp so those traveling on Route 2 North can use it. With that ramp accommodating both northbound and southbound traffic on Route 2, RIDOT will permanently close the Route 2 North to I-95 South ramp, removing a weaving conflict on I-95 South.
All these new ramps will give passenger vehicles, heavy trucks and other freight traffic freeway access without using local roads while reducing emissions from idling vehicles. The improved access also will make the Business Park more attractive to companies who wish to locate there.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather. Final completion of the entire project is expected in spring 2028.
The Missing Move project is made possible by RhodeWorks. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cameron D. Newton, 21, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 240 months and one day in prison for his roles in four armed robberies against postal carriers.
According to court documents, between December 2022 and May 2023, Newton aided and abetted the aggravated robberies of mail and the use of a firearm during the crimes of violence.
Newton, who was on probation and consequently wearing a GPS ankle monitor at the time, recruited two juveniles to assist with an armed robbery in German Village on Dec. 22, 2022. Newton also arranged for the use of the handgun that his co-conspirator used during the crime.
On Jan. 23, 2023, Newton provided surveillance for an armed postal robbery on East Columbus Street. Newton was in his vehicle nearby, using the cover of making DoorDash deliveries to evade his home confinement.
Later that same day, Newton provided surveillance again for a third postal robbery and worked to arrange buyers for the stolen postal keys.
Newton also obtained a firearm for a co-conspirator to use in the May 11, 2023, robbery of an elderly female postal worker. He picked up accomplices near Goodale Park following the robbery. Newton then paid the robbers several hundred dollars via CashApp.
On May 18, 2023, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Newton’s residence and discovered $22,000 in cash, hundreds of washed and altered checks and money orders totaling more than $590,000, two Postal keys and hundreds of pieces of stolen mail.
A total of six defendants have been charged in connection with six separate armed robberies of postal carriers in central Ohio.
“Newton and his accomplices terrorized postal workers in an effort to steal their keys and loot mailboxes,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “Through the hard work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, local police, and the FBI, we were able to arrest those responsible for these violent crimes and ensure they are held accountable.”
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler and Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen announced the sentence imposed this afternoon by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in these cases.
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced legislation to lower the cost of drug prices for Americans. The Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act would offer relief for millions of patients while ensuring Americans are no longer financing lower drug costs for foreigners.
This legislation would correct decades of policies that benefited pharmaceutical companies but left American patients holding the bag. While other developed nations pay reasonable prices for prescription drugs, Americans pay substantially higher prices for the same medications. In his first term, President Trump pursued “international price index” and “most favored nation” policies on drugs covered by Medicare to end these practices.
“For too long, Americans have subsidized prescription drug costs for foreigners while paying outrageous prices for their own medications,” Senator Hawley said.“President Trump previously advanced major reforms to ensure that American patients pay the same prices as consumers abroad. This bipartisan legislation would continue that work to end a drug market that favors Big Pharma, make prescriptions affordable again, and empower Americans to get the care they need.”
“No one should ever be forced to choose between paying for the prescriptions they need or putting food on the table. But Big Pharma’s price gouging has made that a reality for many Americans, forcing them to pay four or five times more for the same lifesaving medications as folks in other countries—it’s unacceptable,” said Senator Welch. “In his first term, President Trump pursued a most-favored nation policy to level the playing field for American patients. I’m glad to partner with Senator Hawley on this bipartisan bill that offers the administration a template to work with Congress to make that goal a reality. We have an obligation to ensure folks in Vermont, Missouri, and across the country get the best possible price for their prescription drugs.”
The Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act would:
Prohibit pharmaceutical companies from selling drugs in the United States at higher prices than the international average, ending the practice of forcing Americans to pay the world’s highest prices for medications
Impose stiff civil monetary penalties on pharmaceutical companies that violate this rule. Specifically:
The penalty would equal 10 times the difference between the U.S. list price and the average price of the drug sold in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Penalties would be calculated and charged for each unit of drug or biological product sold at an inflated price.
1 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Army Lt. Col. Travis Michelena, center, the theater support team chief assigned to the 79th Theater Sustainment Command (Forward), speaks with Maj. Joshua Veal, left, a theater sustainment planner assigned to the 79th Theater Sustainment Command (Forward), and their Tunisian Armed Forces counterpart during port operations in preparation for Exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025.Multiple units joined the port operations in an effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. This photo has been altered for security purposes by blurring out the license plate. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL
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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)
GABES, Tunisia — A stevedore shouted over the diesel hum of cranes as the first storage container was lifted out of the cargo ship and onto Tunisian soil. For the untrained eye, it may have looked like just another port delivery. But for the Soldiers and civilians waiting at the port of Gabes, it marked the start of something much bigger.
This was the opening move in setting the theater for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25).
Without the shipment of 95 pieces of cargo, including vehicles, equipment and weapon systems, the exercise would be dead in the Mediterranean water.
“We’re not just moving cargo; we’re enabling the entire exercise to happen,” said U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin VanFleet, a mobility officer assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command.
1 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload the very first shipping container from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL
Along with setting the theater, VanFleet also set the record straight. A stevedore, he clarified, is a longshoreman who works at a port and is responsible for moving goods on and off ships.
“We’re the first ones in,” VanFleet explained. “Before troops land or vehicles roll, we’re on the ground establishing the logistical foundation that allows the rest of the force to operate. That’s how we set the theater.”
This does not happen overnight.
Setting the theater is a strategic concept that goes beyond logistics. It means having an adaptable and agile military with the infrastructure, agreements and relationships in place to shape conditions for successful Army, joint and combined operations. The combined force in Gabes validated those capabilities in a real-world environment.
“This is my first time participating in African Lion and working with the Tunisians. It’s been a seamless process allowing for the clearance of cargo at a rapid pace,” said VanFleet.
The Portuguese-flagged vessel, BBC Bergen, arrived to a welcome-party of Italians, Americans and Tunisians, highlighting the multinational effort involved. The Bergen’s journey took two and a half days across the Mediterranean from Livorno, Italy and all 95 pieces — including shipping containers filled with equipment, trailers, water purification systems, air defense vehicles and M119 howitzers — were offloaded in less than a day and a half.
1 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload a generator trailer during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL
Multiple units joined the 839th Transportation Battalion’s offloading effort, including Soldiers assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (1-57 ADAR) and the 240th Composite Supply Company (240th CSC) — all there to ensure a successful offloading process.
Two members of the 1-57 ADAR accompanied the crew of the Bergen on its voyage from Italy. The escort is a requirement anytime sensitive U.S. military equipment, dubbed “super cargo,” is transported on a foreign-flagged vessel.
“Without the port operation, nothing downstream moves forward,” said VanFleet.
This first port operation in Tunisia set the foundation for the broader SETAF-AF-led African Lion exercise, showcasing the U.S. Army’s ability to operate in complex environments. Gabes was simply the first stop.
Immediately after offloading, equipment was loaded onto Tunisian Armed Forces vehicles and transported to exercise locations throughout the country.
The 839th Transportation Battalion is unique compared to most Army units. Along with Soldiers, it also employs two U.S. Army civilians and up to 10 local nationals per detachment. During port operations, the assigned detachment leads contract responsibilities, documentation and cargo handling, while the battalion sends military leadership to provide command oversight.
“Utilizing our local nationals is a huge asset,” said VanFleet. “Some individuals have been doing this for more than 30 years. Their knowledge of the area of operations and relationships with host-nation authorities are critical to mission success.”
1 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload a shipping container during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) (Photo Credit: Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin VanFleet, second from left, a mobility officer assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, speaks with civilian officials prior to offloading equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)3 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, speak with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials prior to offloading equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)VIEW ORIGINAL
In the first months of 2025 alone, the battalion supported missions in Poland, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Italy and Croatia, with additional deployments planned throughout the year.
“It’s vital we keep exercising these ports and working with our partners,” said VanFleet. “It allows everyone to create that muscle memory that only makes our relationships stronger.”
AL25, U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual exercise, brings together more than 10,000 troops from over 40 nations to enhance interoperability and strengthen multinational readiness. But before the first formation steps into the training area, port operations like the one in Gabes must succeed.
Every stevedore handshake and each offloaded vehicle contributes to the larger picture: the ability to quickly and efficiently project lethality anywhere, anytime.
About the 839th Transportation Battalion
The 839th supports both U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, functioning as the single port manager for U.S. military cargo entering and exiting strategic seaports in both theaters. Its responsibilities include staging, reception, onward movement, customs clearance, agricultural inspections and overall integration of DoD assets at ports of embarkation and debarkation.
About African Lion
African Lion 25 (AL25) is set to be the largest annual military exercise in Africa, bringing together 41 nations, including seven NATO allies, and about 10,000 troops. Led by U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM), the exercise will take place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia.
AL25 is designed to restore the warrior ethos, sharpen lethality and strengthen military readiness alongside our African partners and allies. This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations—preparing forces to deploy, fight and win when it matters most.
African Lion provides an opportunity to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative readiness training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands including U.S. Africa Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Central Command; as well as strategic maritime choke points and global shipping lanes.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury convicted Vannesa Violante-Lujano of attempting to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in June 2022, federal authorities at the U.S.-Mexico border seized approximately 220 pounds of Cartel-sourced methamphetamine destined for Minnesota. Special agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) then conducted an undercover operation in Lakeville, Minnesota. During the undercover operation, Violante-Lujano and a co-conspirator met an undercover officer at a Lakeville truck stop and attempted to pick up the 220-pound shipment of methamphetamine. The attempted drug deal was captured on video, and Violante-Lujano and her co-conspirator were apprehended by the Minnesota State Patrol (MSP) shortly thereafter.
“Minnesota has become a hub for Cartel-sourced methamphetamine,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “In 2022, the Cartel was flooding the border with their poison. In this case, the Cartel sent 220 pounds of deadly methamphetamine—worth $6 million—across the border, bound for Minnesota. I am grateful to the excellent work of law enforcement, who not only seized these drugs, but also utilized an undercover operation to catch the state-side drug dealers.”
After a four-day trial before Judge Susan Richard Nelson in U.S. District Court, Violante-Lujano was convicted by a jury on one count of attempting to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Following the verdict, Violante-Lujano was taken into custody pending sentencing.
This case is the result of an investigation by the DEA and MSP.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David P. Steinkamp tried the case.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that DARWIN XAVIER GONZALEZ-MUNOZ (“GONZALEZ-MUNOZ”), age 30, pled guilty on April 30, 2025 to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the bill of information filed against him, GONZALEZ-MUNOZ reentered the United States after being previously deported on or about June 24, 2024.
At sentencing, GONZALEZ-MUNOZ faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Enforcement Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.