TUCSON, Ariz. – Armando Puentes-Melendez, 38, of Mexico, was sentenced on April 24, 2025, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 60 months in prison. Puentes-Melendez previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.
On January 18, 2024, law enforcement agents intercepted a drug transaction involving over 100 pounds of methamphetamine. Puentes-Melendez and two co-conspirators met with an undercover agent in Phoenix to facilitate the drug deal. While the methamphetamine was being retrieved from a nearby stash house, Puentes-Melendez discussed potential future drug transactions with the undercover agent. Once law enforcement confirmed the drugs were en route, agents moved in and arrested Puentes-Melendez and his co-conspirators.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR24-00681-TUC-SHR RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-069_Puentes-Melendez
ALBUQUERQUE – A former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge and his wife are facing federal charges related to alleged evidence tampering in a case involving a suspected member of a Venezuelan criminal organization.
According to court records, on April 24, 2025, Jose Luis “Joel” Cano, 67, and Nancy Ann Cano, 68, were arrested at their Las Cruces home following a federal investigation into their connection with Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, an undocumented Venezuelan national suspected of being affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang. Federal authorities allege that the Canos hired Ortega-Lopez for home repairs and later allowed him to reside in their guesthouse.
On February 28, 2025, Ortega-Lopez was arrested at the Cano residence and charged with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms. Investigators identified evidence, including clothing, tattoos, and social media content, which indicates Ortega-Lopez’s association with Tren de Aragua, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
Following Ortega-Lopez’s arrest, authorities allege that Jose Cano destroyed a cellphone belonging to Ortega-Lopez by smashing it with a hammer and discarding the remains, believing it contained incriminating photos and videos. Nancy Cano is accused of conspiring to delete Ortega-Lopez’s Facebook account to eliminate evidence.
“The allegations against Judge Dugan and Judge Cano are serious: no one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Doing so imperils the safety of our law enforcement officers and undermines the rule of law. The Department of Justice will continue to follow the facts — no one is above the law.”
“Sanctuary jurisdictions that shield criminal aliens endanger American communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Justice Department will not stand by as local officials put politics over public safety. Reckless sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for one class—criminals. Those days are over.”
Jose Cano is charged with tampering with evidence, while Nancy Cano faces conspiracy to tamper with evidence. Both have been released on $10,000 bond each, are prohibited from contacting Ortega-Lopez, and must restrict tenants and guests at their properties to those who can provide proof of citizenship or legal residency.
“Judges are responsible for upholding our country’s laws. It is beyond egregious for a former judge and his wife to engage in evidence tampering on behalf of a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member accused of illegally possessing firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to dismantling this foreign terrorist organization by disrupting its criminal operations in New Mexico. That starts by prosecuting those who support gang members — including judges.”
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo, Randy Castellano, and Elizabeth Tonkin is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
FLORENCE, S.C. — David Antwan Johnson, 45, of Florence, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Evidence presented to the court showed that, on the evening of Dec. 22, 2022, a Florence County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Johnson in Florence. Johnson initially refused to stop but eventually stopped in a yard and ran from the car. During the chase, Johnson changed from running away from law enforcement to running toward law enforcement with a hand in his pocket. As law enforcement worked to detain Johnson, a loaded.357 firearm fell from Johnson’s jacket. Johnson later admitted to possessing the gun.
In addition to the firearm, law enforcement found various drugs at the scene. A marijuana blunt was found near where Johnson had been apprehended, and a bag with approximately 26 grams of marijuana was found on the path Johnson had run during the foot chase. Johnson admitted there was likely cocaine and crack cocaine in his vehicle. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found nearly 4 grams of crack cocaine and nearly 7 grams of cocaine, split among more than 30 baggies.
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III, sentenced Johnson to 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is prosecuting the case.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Honduras pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served of approximately 31 days of imprisonment and removal from the United States on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Julian Alberto Rios-Andasol, 31.
According to information presented to the Court, Rios-Andasol was arrested by the Moon Township Police Department for driving an unregistered vehicle and driving without a license, charges to which he pleaded guilty, according to the public docket. Following this encounter, immigration officials determined that Rios-Andasol was illegally present in the United States and arrested the defendant on March 29, 2025, on this charge. Rios-Andasol was previously removed from the United States on three separate occasions between 2013 and 2019, and had not received the required permission to be in the United States. Rios-Andasol has been in custody since his March arrest, and will be returned to immigration custody for his removal from the U.S., to which Rios-Andasol agreed as part of his plea and sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rios-Andasol.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Defendant Allegedly Took Part in Global Ransomware Scheme Using “Nefilim” Ransomware Strain
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a superseding indictment was unsealed charging Artem Stryzhak with conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity, including extortion, in connection with computers, for his role in a series of international attacks using the Nefilim ransomware. Stryzhak, a Ukrainian citizen, was arrested in Spain in June 2024 and extradited to the United States on April 30, 2025. The arraignment will be held later today before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher J.S. Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield, Illinois Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendant was part of an international ransomware scheme in which he conspired to target high-revenue companies in the United States, steal data, and hold data hostage in exchange for payment. If victims did not pay, the criminals then leaked the data online,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “The criminals who carry out these malicious cyber-attacks often do so from abroad in the belief that American justice cannot reach them. The extradition of the defendant and today’s charges prove that they are wrong.”
Mr. Durham also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the FBI’s New York Field Office and the Government of Spain for their crucial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from Spain of Stryzhak.
“The FBI has long recognized that combating international ransomware schemes requires strong partnerships,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnson. “The successful extradition of the defendant is a significant achievement in that ongoing collaboration and it sends a clear message: those who attempt to hide behind international borders to target American citizens will face justice.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment, Nefilim ransomware was deployed to encrypt computer networks in countries around the world, including in the Eastern District of New York. These ransomware attacks caused millions of dollars in losses, both from ransomware payments and damage to victim computer systems. The perpetrators of Nefilim typically customized the ransomware executable file for each victim, creating a unique decryption key and customized ransom notes. If the victims paid the ransom demand, the perpetrators sent the decryption key, enabling the victims to decrypt the computer files locked by the ransomware program.
In June 2021, Nefilim administrators gave Stryzhak access to the Nefilim ransomware code in exchange for 20 percent of his ransom proceeds. He operated the ransomware through his account on the online Nefilim platform, known as the “panel.” When he first obtained access to the panel, Stryzhak asked a co‑conspirator whether he should choose a different username from the one he used in other criminal activities in case the panel “gets hacked into by the feds.”
Nefilim’s preferred ransomware targets were companies located in the United States, Canada, or Australia with more than $100 million in annual revenue. Stryzhak and others researched the companies to which they gained unauthorized access, including by using online databases to gather information about the victim companies’ net worth, size, and contact information. In one exchange with Stryzhak in or about July 2021, a Nefilim administrator encouraged him to target companies in these countries with more than $200 million in annual revenue.
After gaining sufficient access to the victims’ networks, Stryzhak and his co‑conspirators stole data in furtherance of their scheme to extort ransom payments from them. Nefilim ransom notes typically threatened the victims that unless they came to an agreement with the ransomware actors, the stolen data would be published on publicly accessible “Corporate Leaks” websites, which were maintained by Nefilim administrators.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charge, Stryzhak faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander F. Mindlin and Ellen H. Sise of the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth.
Donald Trump promised he could sort out a peace deal for the Ukraine war in 24 hours. It still hasn’t happened. Instead the US administration has taken 100 days just to sign a mineral deal with Ukraine.
This agreement will give the US access to revenue from Ukrainian natural resources, including 100 major deposits of critical minerals. It also has huge symbolism. Ukrainians see it as a sign that the US is committed to staying involved in their country, and also as a warming of the relationship between Ukraine’s president and Trump. It will also be a signal to Russia that what hurts Ukraine could also hurt the US economy.
Of course, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt calls the deal “historic” and puts its brilliance down to Trump’s amazing negotiation skills.
However, in the week that Trump celebrated 100 days in office, others would argue that Trump’s deal-making skills are nowhere near as astute as he thinks they are. That he gave Russia way too much room to manoeuvre in the early months of 2025 by leaning so clearly in Putin’s direction, allowing the Russian leader to think he could pretty much do anything he fancied and win as much of Ukraine as he desired.
US and Ukraine sign a mineral deal.
But US national security advisor Michael Waltz, who has announced he is standing down, has signalled that the balance may now be shifting, when he said the minerals deal was “a momentous step” and: “Russia needs to come to the table.”
As Bridget Storrie from UCL’s Institute for Global Prosperity has pointed out, this deal was all about what the global super power was going to get as justification for its support in the war, rather than about how it could increase prosperity in a war-torn country.
Andrew Gawthorpe, a lecturer in history and international studies at Leiden University, has looked at the details and believes Kyiv is getting more than many expected, and more than was on offer earlier in the year, when Trump fell out so publicly with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, at a White House press conference. As part of the deal Ukraine will retain ownership of its natural resources. All profits are to be invested in Ukraine for ten years after the agreement comes into force. It also looks like Washington will contribute new military aid.
Trump’s first 100 days have been tumultuous, not just for the US, but for most of the world. His “liberation day” tariffs on international goods have turned existing economic balances and expectations upside down.
Countries that have long seen themselves as confident allies of the US – Canada, Denmark and Germany, for instance – now see the landscape somewhat differently, given the high US tariffs that have landed on their doorsteps. No longer convinced of the strength of their relationship with the world’s superpower, many are rethinking both their economic plans and their alliances.
Meanwhile, China, the main focus of Trump’s tariffs, can see opportunities opening up to forge stronger relationships with, and sales to, other countries also looking for new markets. China has not crumbled yet under the weight of 145% US tariffs. And China’s president, Xi Jinping, is showing no sign of blinking first and heading to Washington to negotiate as Trump was clearly expecting.
Trump now swings daily from claiming he is negotiating with China and that their tariffs can come down, to stating that Beijing will cave. All that sound and fury sounds a good deal like wavering. And with US supermarket bosses warning of empty shelves around the corner, and US ports expecting traffic from China to significantly slow this month, as Nottingham University’s Chee Meng Tan sets out, there is every reason to expect Trump will cave and open negotiations before Xi Jinping does.
Many nations now see the US as a far less trustworthy partner now than in the past. The most obvious of these is Canada, which just elected the leader of a party that was 20 percentage points behind in the polls in January and expected to be beaten badly not long ago. But when Trump decided that he wanted Canada as the 51st state, normality went out the window over its northern border.
This week, newly elected Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said he would seek meetings with Trump with the “full knowledge that we have many, many other options than the United States”, promising to strengthen relations with “reliable partners” in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.
“We are over the shock of America’s betrayal,” he said. He is ready to write a new foreign policy. He’s not the only one.
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Two of the US’s firm friends for decades, South Korea and Taiwan, are now not so sure that they see Washington as a dependable ally, according to a report from research organisation the Brookings Institution. It saw a significant jump in the numbers of people who saw the US as untrustworthy from July 2024, to March 2025.
This matters, as Steve Dunne, a political scientist at the University of Warwick points out, because without trust people and nations are likely not to honour their commitments. After the second world war, the western allies decided to create a series of international bodies to avert such a disaster happening again, and to encourage nations to follow a set of rules that would encourage democracy and trust in each other.
In his first 100 days, says Dunne, Trump broke the compact of trust with countries that had a long alliance with the US, and that could have a deep impact on the trust that has existed for decades between western nations.
Declining trust in the US could well reduce other forms of its global power. As well as financially and politically, in the post-war decades the US has influenced the world, by exporting its culture, its films, its television programmes and its ideas, as well as importing tourists to visit its national treasures, from Yosemite national park to New York City.
In the past 100 days, international tourists are reported to be cancelling their bookings, partly worried about the welcome, or the lack of it, they may encounter at the border. Summer airline bookings from Canada (21%), Germany (17%) and the Netherlands (12%) to the US have fallen significantly for this year, although other countries such as UK show only a minor fall.
Admittedly, Trump told voters that he wanted to put “America first”. However, at his inauguration, the president declared he wanted to make America the “most respected nation on earth”. That achievement is looking quite far off at the moment. In fact, in many countries it is going the other way.
That international respect took a significant hit at one of the most remarkable moments of the past 100 days, when Trump proceeded to take Zelensky to task publicly for a range of offences including not being grateful enough for US support and not wearing a suit.
So what has Trump achieved domestically in his first 100 days and how does that match up against the promises he made? Let’s look at some of the plans he set out in his inauguration speech.
Trump said he wanted to increase US wealth. But current economic indicators are more than a bit shaky, with US stock markets falling and rising on a regular basis as they follow Trump’s on-and-off-again announcements on tariff negotiations with various countries. On April 30, the day after Trump’s big 100 days rally, stocks fell after data was released showing a contraction in the GDP of the US in the first quarter.
But Trump has told his supporters that, in the long term, tariffs will work and manufacturing jobs will benefit. So far, Republican voters still believe in Trump’s policies on jobs and the economy, with 82% approving, according to a recent Economist/YouGov poll. Only 8% of Democrats and 32% of independent voters do though.
Many of the big decisions we have seen playing out in the first 100 days – including the Elon Musk-led dismantling of some parts of government and Trump’s swing at driving down immigration – were detailed in the Project 2025 document, published the conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation before the election, says Dafydd Townley of the University of Portsmouth. But it also hints at what may come next, including more legislation restricting American women’s access to abortion further.
On January 20 Trump thought that Americans stood “on the verge of the four greatest years in American history”. For many Americans worried about their pensions, savings and the cost of groceries, the future is not looking so great right now. But for those who were sharp focused on cutting immigration, Trump may have made the great start they were hoping for.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gavin D. J. Harper, Research Fellow, Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements & Critical Materials, University of Birmingham
Ukraine and the US have signed a much-anticipated deal on natural resources. The deal would open up some of the war-torn country’s mineral and energy resources to the United States.
The Conversation spoke to Dr Gavin Harper a Critical Materials Research Fellow at the Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements and Critical Materials about the deal and what it means for both Washington and Kyiv.
What mineral resources exist in Ukraine?
The agreement between Ukraine and the US provides a list of 57 mineral resources which it applies to. Ukraine has reserves of lithium and rare earth metals valued in the trillions of dollars. Rare earth metals are a group of 17 elements, including scandium and yttrium, that are used in technology and important industrial processes.
Ukraine is also a producer of manganese, a key material in metallurgy and some of the widely used lithium-ion batteries, as well as graphite which is also used in lithium ion batteries. Ukraine also holds major deposits of zirconium silicate, which is indispensable in the ceramics industry. Ukraine’s extraction of graphite is limited, and lithium deposits have gone untouched due to the ongoing war and the need for new mining technology and investment.
The regions of Ukraine that are currently occupied by Russia are known to possess considerable reserves of critical minerals, which are vital for modern technologies. These critical minerals include lithium, titanium, graphite, and rare earth elements.
There are, however, significant challenges. Many geologists have contended that some of the critical materials Ukraine possesses are not particularly desirable to extract from an economic point of view. Some in the mining industry believe that other aspects of the deal, such as oil and gas, and access to mining infrastructure, may in the near term be the more desirable components of the deal.
While the agreement considers the primary, mined resources from the ground, Ukraine is also a large importer of new and used electric vehicles. When the components in these vehicles reach the end of life, there is an enormous opportunity to harvest and recycle these critical materials “above the ground”. There may be ways to processing these materials in tandem with the new industries that will be developed to take advantage of Ukraine’s mineral wealth.
Why is the US so interested in Ukraine’s mineral resources?
Elements and materials that are economically important, but at risk of short supply are known as critical materials. There are various reasons why these might be in short supply.
Sometimes one or a small number of countries have a monopoly on the supply of a material and can leverage that position for geopolitical influence. For some materials, it is not about the accessibility of material in the ground, but the ability to process and refine it. This is known as “mid-stream processing”.
The US realises that critical materials are key to the technologies that will power the economies of the future, and seeks to secure their supply. This allows them to capitalise on the economic opportunity.
Many of these materials are essential to building the technologies that will aid decarbonisation. Given that China currently controls around 60% of global critical materials supply chains and 85% of processing capacity, it is clear why the US sees a strategic interest in developing other supply chains.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already caused significant challenges around the supply of certain materials, and the ongoing war presents significant challenges to being able to take advantage of and develop the mineral resources Ukraine possesses.
What applications are these minerals used in?
Graphite and lithium are key to electric vehicle batteries and are considered important critical materials due to their essential roles in the booming lithium-ion battery industry, powering everything from smartphones to electric vehicles and grid storage.
Beryllium, valued for its exceptional lightness, stiffness, and thermal conductivity, is crucial for demanding specialised applications in aerospace, defence and electronics. Manganese is vital in steel production, because it significantly enhances steel’s strength and resistance to wear. It’s also an increasingly important component of some batteries.
Uranium’s most well-known application is as the fuel source in nuclear reactors, and it also has niche uses in medicine and industry.
The implementation of the US-Ukraine minerals deal will be challenging because of Russia’s war. A primary concern revolves around the significant geographical overlap between Ukraine’s critical mineral deposits and the active war zones in the eastern and southern regions of the country.
The significant damage to Ukrainian infrastructure presents a challenge to the development of new industries and the movement of extracted goods to onward markets.
The economic case for developing critical material deposits rests on a clear and accurate understanding of the mineral wealth that exists, and for some of the resources, it is unclear how accurate that data is.
For some of the types of deposit that are in Ukraine, extractive technologies have not been currently developed to a level where they can be commercialised. It takes a long time to develop new mines and the industries associated with them. So the timescales of developing Ukraine’s mineral wealth will be longer than those of political administrations.
It has taken some time for the parties to negotiate the deal, which at times has been contentious. The deal has evolved significantly from the initial proposals, and Ukraine has now agreed to the revised terms.
One thing to note is that the US was one of the signatories, alongside the UK and Russia, of the Budapest Memorandum in 1994. The memorandum’s signatories agreed “to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine” and to refrain from threat and use of force and economic coercion against Ukraine. Given the distressed situation Ukraine finds itself in, the at times challenging negotiations sometimes felt at odds with the wording of this document.
Gavin D. J. Harper does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
April 30, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) yesterday met with representatives from Champaign County First to discuss the region’s priorities and advocating for federal policies that improve the lives of those in Central Illinois. During the meeting, Durbin and Duckworth spoke about the Trump Administration’s decision to freeze federal funding, threatening the completion of major infrastructure projects planned in Illinois.
“Whether imposing sweeping tariffs then pausing them with no warning, starting trade wars or freezing federal funding, Trump’s chaotic and uncertain decision making is harming Illinois’s workforce and local economies,” Duckworth said. “The consequences of Trump’s actions continue to jeopardize key Illinois manufacturers and small businesses, which employ many hardworking, middle-class workers across our state’s communities. I’m proud to work alongside Senator Durbin and our Champaign County leaders as we continue to push back against Trump while helping local economies grow and thrive.”
“The decisions made at the federal level directly impact Illinoisans. As the Trump Administration cuts off critical transportation funding, major infrastructure projects – and the jobs they create – are in danger,” said Durbin. “As I said to members of Champaign County First who came to visit Senator Duckworth and me in Washington, I will continue to push back against the Trump Administration and fight for the federal funding Illinois needs.”
Photos of the meeting are available here.
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Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
May 15, 2025
In an open letter to the American public, Senate Democrats emphasize that Republicans’ plan to give tax breaks to billionaires will decimate funding for SNAP
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, joined Senate Democrats, led by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), in sending an open letter to the American public warning that congressional Republicans are trying to cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in order to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. After promising to lower prices for families, Republicans in Congress are instead raising grocery costs and making it harder for families to put food on the table.
“Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by taking away food assistance from millions of Americans,” wrote the Senators.
“SNAP supports 42 million Americans, including nearly 8 million seniors, 16 million children, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans, in putting food on their tables each month. Cuts of this magnitude—or anything close to it—would be devastating to American families in every state,” the Senators continued.
Along with Duckworth, Durbin and Klobuchar, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Coons (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).
Earlier this week, Durbin joined leaders from the Lessie Bates Davis Foodbank to discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on food pantries. USDA has halted $1 billion from the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA), which reimburses states for purchasing fresh produce from local farmers, which is then distributed to food pantries like the St. Louis Area Foodbank. Without this federal funding, the IL-EATS program, which is funded through USDA’s LFPA program, has been suspended, causing more than 175 small Illinois farmers and hundreds of food banks throughout the state to be left in the lurch.
The full text of the letter is below and can be found here.
April 14, 2025
An open letter to the public:
The Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans are planning to give another round of tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy and corporations paid for by gutting the food assistance that helps American families pay for groceries at a time when they are struggling to afford food, health care, housing, and other household basic needs. If enacted, cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will have severe consequences for millions of veterans, seniors, children, and hard-working farmers.
We write to make our position on this legislation perfectly clear: Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by taking away food assistance from millions of Americans.
Earlier this year, both the House and the Senate passed budget bills that pave the way for deep cuts to SNAP. The House budget bill would require at least $230 billion in cuts. The Senate bill sets a floor of $1 billion in cuts with nothing to prevent it from going as high as the House bill. This would be a more than 20 percent cut to a program that helps millions of struggling families afford groceries.
SNAP supports 42 million Americans, including nearly 8 million seniors, 16 million children, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans, in putting food on their tables each month. Cuts of this magnitude—or anything close to it—would be devastating to American families in every state. SNAP benefits currently average only $6.20 per person per day. At a time when people across the country are struggling with the high cost of groceries, a cut of this magnitude could result in an immediate increase in food costs, dropping the annual, per person SNAP benefit by over $500 per year per person.
Congressional Republicans might claim that their plan is to merely require states to pay for a portion of food benefits for the first time. In truth, such an unprecedented cost shift could force states to cut benefits, severely restrict program eligibility, or both. If combined with a similar Medicaid cost shift, these unfunded mandates could decimate state budgets and cut healthcare and food assistance for millions of Americans.
Taking away SNAP would also hurt the farmers who grow our food, the manufacturers that package it, truckers who distribute it, and small businesses in our communities that sell it. Each SNAP dollar stimulates the economy: every $1.00 in food assistance provided by the program in a weak economy generates an additional $1.50 in economic activity. Because adequate nutrition is so important for children’s health and development, the long-term return on investment is even greater: every $1.00 invested in SNAP for children returns $62 in value. In 2020 alone, SNAP supported 200,000 grocery industry jobs and created nearly 45,000 new jobs in supporting industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and municipal services.
Republicans are writing the most consequential tax and budget legislation in decades entirely behind closed doors. That’s because Trump and Congressional Republicans must hide the ugly truth—their legislation feeds corporate and wealthy individuals’ greed by taking food assistance away for tens of millions of Americans. You, your family, and your neighbors deserve far better.
Democrats are fighting to protect Americans’ ability to feed their families from Republican cuts.
Join us and keep up the fight.
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Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) reintroduced legislation to enhance Americans’ retirement security by ensuring they have the information they need to make more informed decisions about when to begin claiming Social Security benefits.
“Social Security is the foundation of most older Americans’ retirement plans, but many of them don’t have the information they need to maximize the social security benefits that they’ve earned,” said Senator Coons. “This is a commonsense solution that makes it easier for every American to make an informed decision about when to claim benefits at the best time and get the most out of their retirement income.”
“Americans have earned their benefits. When planning for retirement, let’s make sure they have the best information available and receive what they deserve,” said Senator Cassidy.
One of the key financial decisions facing older Americans is when to claim Social Security retirement benefits. Social Security benefits are available to Americans who are as young as age 62, but those who choose to claim their benefits later receive higher monthly payments, with maximum benefits available to those who claim at age 70 or older. Most people do not claim benefits at the age that would maximize their income in retirement. By doing so, they forgo a significant amount of retirement income. To provide additional clarity for Americans deciding when to claim their benefits, this legislation changes the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) terminology from “early eligibility age,” “full retirement age,” and “delayed retirement credits” to “minimum monthly benefit age,” “standard monthly benefit age,” and “maximum monthly benefit age” to better reflect how the program works.
The legislation would also help Americans better plan for retirement by requiring the SSA to mail Social Security statements about how much a person has paid into Social Security and Medicare every five years to individuals with Social Security accounts between the ages of 25 and 54, every two years for those between the ages of 55 and 59, and annually for those 60 and above.
You can read the bill text on nomenclature here. You can read the bill text on regular statements for beneficiaries here.
Source: The White House
Today, Mercedes-Benz announced it will move production of another vehicle to the U.S. — the latest result of President Donald J. Trump’s relentless pursuit of American manufacturing dominance.
The automaker will produce the vehicle at its Tuscaloosa, Alabama, plant following signals earlier this year that the company will make additional investment in its U.S.-based operations.
Mercedes isn’t the only automaker onshoring production as President Trump incentivizes making things in America again:
BMW is considering adding shifts to boost production at its South Carolina plant.
Honda plans to shift production of the Civic from Japan to the U.S.
Hyundai announced a $20 billion investment — including $5.8 billion for a new Louisiana steel plant to support its U.S.-based vehicle production — amid their pledge to “further localize production in the U.S.”
Kia plans to produce hybrid vehicles at its affiliate Hyundai’s Georgia factory.
Nissan is considering moving production from Mexico to the U.S.
Stellantis announced it will reopen its Belvidere, Illinois, plant to build a new midsize pickup truck.
Toyota announced it will boost hybrid vehicle production at its West Virginia plant.
Source: The White House
ESTABLISHING THE RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the Religious Liberty Commission to safeguard and promote America’s founding principle of religious freedom.
The Religious Liberty Commission will be comprised of a Chairman and Vice Chairman designated by the President, ex officio government officials, and additional members from diverse religious and professional backgrounds, including clergy, legal experts, academics, and public advocates.
The Commission is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, strategies to increase awareness of and celebrate America’s peaceful religious pluralism, current threats to religious liberty, and strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations.
Key focus areas include parental rights in religious education, school choice, conscience protections, attacks on houses of worship, free speech for religious entities, and institutional autonomy.
The Commission will advise the White House Faith Office and the Domestic Policy Council on religious-liberty policies and recommend executive or legislative actions to protect these freedoms.
Advisory boards of religious leaders, lay leaders, and legal experts will provide specialized guidance as subcomponents of the commission.
PROTECTING AMERICA’S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT: President Trump is addressing emerging threats to religious liberty to ensure Americans can freely practice their faith without government interference.
The United States Constitution enshrines the fundamental right to religious liberty in the First Amendment.
Recent Federal and State policies have undermined this right by targeting conscience protections, preventing parents from sending their children to religious schools, threatening funding and non-profit status for faith-based entities, and excluding religious groups from government programs.
The previous administration’s Department of Justice targeted peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses.
This Commission will investigate and recommend policies to restore and safeguard religious liberty for all Americans.
STANDING UP FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: President Trump has a proven record of defending religious liberty and is committed to preserving this cornerstone of American democracy.
In his first term, President Trump signed an Executive Order on “Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty.”
He also protected conscience rights, ensured equal access to funding for religious institutions, and defended faith communities against government overreach.
On the campaign trail, President Trump reaffirmed his commitment to protecting America’s religious freedoms.
Since returning to office, President Trump has signed several executive actions to strengthen religious liberty, including:
Marshalling all Federal resources to combat the explosion of anti-Semitism on our campuses and in our streets since October 7, 2023.
Establishing a White House Faith Office to bring faith leaders from across the nation to the table and ensure their voices are heard at the highest levels of our government.
Creating the “Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias” at the Department of Justice to end the anti-Christian weaponization of government and unlawful targeting of Christians.
Government is proclaiming May 2025 as Sexual Violence Prevention Month in Saskatchewan in partnership with Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan.
Sexual Violence Prevention Month is a collaborative approach that unites communities, government agencies and advocacy groups in a shared mission to end sexual violence in Saskatchewan.
“We are proud to continue partnering with Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan on this important initiative,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said. “As a government we are committed to addressing and raising awareness about sexual violence as part of our ongoing work to build a healthy, vibrant Saskatchewan where everyone can live safely and free from violence.”
In 2025-26, government will invest $31.7 million for interpersonal violence programs and services through the justice system. This includes $328,000 for second-stage housing and an additional $720,000 for community-based organizations, including those that deliver supports and services to individuals and families impacted by interpersonal violence, including sexual and physical violence.
“Sexual Violence Prevention Week is a time to reaffirm our commitment to preventing and ending sexual violence in all forms,” Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Alana Ross said. “Everyone deserves to feel safe physically, in their relationships and in their communities. During Sexual Violence Prevention Week, we stand with survivors and work towards a future free from harm.”
Government supports a variety of programs and initiatives that work to address and reduce sexual violence across the province, including:
“Sexual Violence Prevention Month is a time to raise awareness, inspire action and strengthen our efforts to end sexual violence in Saskatchewan,” Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan Executive Director Kerrie Isaac said. “With our province facing one of the highest rates in Canada, it’s critical to address root causes like addiction, which is closely linked to sexual violence. We call on communities, government and advocacy groups to work together for real prevention and support.”
If someone you know may be at risk of sexual violence, or is looking for support and information about human trafficking and sexual exploitation, please find a complete directory of resources at sk.211.ca/abuse.
More information on events being held this month please visit: https://sassk.ca/initiatives/shining-a-light/svpm/.
For more information on programs and services provided by the Government of Saskatchewan, visit:
Major Investments Made to End Gender Based Violence | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan.
Human Trafficking Posters Featured at Country Thunder for First Time | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan.
Government of Saskatchewan Invests $42.6 Million In Community-Based Funding to Address Interpersonal Violence | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan.
You can also find the videos and more information about the ‘Face the Issue’ campaign on Saskatchewan.ca.
[. According to the Alberta Electric System Operator’s analysis, the regulations in question would make Alberta’s electricity system more than 100 times less reliable than the province’s supply adequacy standard. Albertans expect their electricity to remain affordable and reliable, but implementation of these regulations could increase costs by a staggering 35 per cent.
Canada’s constitution is clear. Provinces have exclusive jurisdiction over the development, conservation and management of sites and facilities in the province for the generation and production of electrical energy. That is why Alberta’s government is referring the constitutionality of the federal government’s recent net-zero electricity regulations to the Court of Appeal of Alberta.
“The federal government refused to work collaboratively or listen to Canadians while developing these regulations. The results are ineffective, unachievable and irresponsible, and place Albertans’ livelihoods – and more importantly, lives – at significant risk. Our government will not accept unconstitutional net-zero regulations that leave Albertans vulnerable to blackouts in the middle of summer and winter when they need electricity the most.”
“The introduction of the Clean Electricity Regulations in Alberta by the federal government is another example of dangerous federal overreach. These regulations will create unpredictable power outages in the months when Albertans need reliable energy the most. They will also cause power prices to soar in Alberta, which will hit our vulnerable the hardest.”
Finalized in December 2024, the federal electricity regulations impose strict carbon limits on fossil fuel power, in an attempt to force a net-zero grid, an unachievable target given current technology and infrastructure. The reliance on unproven technologies makes it almost impossible to operate natural gas plants without costly upgrades, threatening investment, grid reliability, and Alberta’s energy security.
“Ottawa’s electricity regulations will leave Albertans in the dark. They aren’t about reducing emissions – they are unconstitutional, ideological activist policies based on standards that can’t be met and technology that doesn’t exist. It will drive away investment and punish businesses, provinces and families for using natural gas for reliable, dispatchable power. We will not put families at risk from safety and affordability impacts – rationing power during the coldest days of the year – and we will continue to stand up for Albertans.”
“Albertans depend on electricity to provide for their families, power their businesses and pursue their dreams. The federal government’s Clean Electricity Regulations threaten both the affordability and reliability of our power grid, and we will not stand by as these regulations put the well-being of Albertans at risk.”
Related information
Conference Board of Canada socio-economic Impacts of Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan – (April 2025)
Alberta Electric System Operator’s position on Canadian Energy Regulations
Related news
Federal rules add electricity costs and increase unreliability (March 2025)
Responding to Ottawa’s electricity regulations: Joint Statement (Dec. 2024)
Impact Assessment Act lands Ottawa in court again (Nov. 2024)
Proposed clean electricity regulations: Premier Smith (Aug. 2023)
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Hillary Scholten – Michigan
WASHINGTON, DC – This week, U.S. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI03) and U.S. Congressman Tom Barrett (MI07) introduced theTransitioning Retiring And New Service Members to Port, Ocean, Rail, and Truck (TRANSPORT) Jobs Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to strengthen both veteran employment opportunities and the American supply chain workforce by developing a comprehensive plan to connect veterans with high-demand jobs in the transportation and logistics sector.
“Veterans who have devoted their lives to serving our nation should never face obstacles in finding employment. Our home is the land of the free because of the brave, and it’s our duty to ensure that when their mission ends, a new path begins,” said Scholten. “The least we can do is help streamline the process and identify barriers to a career post-service. That’s why I am proud to co-lead the bipartisan TRANSPORT Jobs Act with Rep. Barrett, which would be an important first step in developing a more conducive job market for veterans in the supply chain industry.”
“No one is better trained or more mission-focused than our veterans, yet too many are left struggling to find meaningful employment after leaving the military,” said Barrett. “It’s time we tear down the roadblocks that stand between those who served and the jobs that need doing in our economy. The TRANSPORT Jobs Act is a critical first step in that process and achieves two goals at once – supporting our veterans and strengthening our nation’s supply chain. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Rep. Scholten and look forward to working together to get it across the finish line.”
Specifically, the bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to work with other federal agencies to develop and release a plan that will identify barriers to hiring veterans in trucking, rail, shipping, and other critical infrastructure roles. It will also require the department to make policy recommendations to eliminate them.
Nearly two-thirds of newly separated service members face challenges transitioning to civilian life with “finding a job” being their top concern. TheTRANSPORT Jobs Actaddresses this issue by aligning federal workforce development policy with the needs of both veterans and employers, bolstering economic opportunity, and national resilience.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
Listen to audio from Senator GrassleyHERE
WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) reintroduced three bipartisan bills to help students and families make informed decisions when choosing a college and taking out loans.
From the initial college search, to the acceptance of financial aid, to counseling once in college, the bills would help students avoid sticker shock, find the best school for their budget and avoid taking out ill-advised and oversized loans.
“When it comes to college costs, we ought to focus on fixing the process on the front-end before students get in over their heads. The federal government should be offering commonsense resources to better prepare borrowers. Our bipartisan bills will provide additional counseling, resources and clarity to the student loan process so that students can know before they owe. I’m working to help America’s next generation pursue higher education opportunities without breaking the bank,” Grassley said.
“We need to better equip students and their families with information about the costs of college, from the initial search all the way up to when they receive financial aid offers. My bipartisan bills with Senator Grassley would help fix these problems,” Smith said. “Among other things, we would ensure that financial aid offers can be easily compared between schools, because time and again students and families are faced with inconsistent and incomplete information, making apples-to-apples comparisons impossible. These reforms will help students have more transparency when making one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives—how to pay for college and take the next step in their education.”
Legislative Summaries:
The Net Price Calculator Improvement Act would improve the effectiveness of and access to net price calculators. Net price calculators provide students with early, individualized estimates of higher education costs and financial aid figures before they decide where to apply. Rep. Brett Guthrie (Ky.) plans to introduce companion legislation in the House of Representatives. A summary of the Net Price Calculator Improvement Act is available HERE.
The Understanding the True Cost of College Act would create a universal financial aid offer form and standardize terms used to describe financial aid to allow students to more easily compare financial aid packages between schools. This move aims to prevent troubling findings by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that over 90% of college financial aid offer letters currently understate the price students would pay. Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) are original cosponsors of the bill, and Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. A summary of the Understanding the True Cost of College Act is available HERE.
The Know Before You Owe Federal Student Loan Act would strengthen the Higher Education Act to enhance the current loan counseling requirements for institutions of higher education. The bill would make loan counseling an annual requirement before new loans are disbursed, rather than a one-time requirement for first-time borrowers. The legislation would also allow students to decide exactly how much they would like to borrow, rather than offering the maximum possible loan amount as the default option. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) plans to introduce companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. A summary of the Know Before You Owe Federal Student Loan Act is available HERE.
Background:
Grassley has long warned of the fiscal danger posed by blanket cancelation after the fact and is an advocate for increased transparency to empower prospective and current students. Last Congress, Grassley joined Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) in introducing the Student Transparency for Understanding Decisions in Education Net Terms (STUDENT) Act to provide student loan applicants with an estimate of the total amount of interest they would pay prior to accepting a loan.
Click HERE for audio of Grassley discussing this trio of bills, as well as the Education Department’s announcement that it will resume collections for federal borrowers with defaulted loans on May 5.
Support for the Know Before You Owe Federal Student Loan Act:
“Education Finance Council supports Senator Grassley’s efforts to improve federal student loan counseling. Students deserve regular and more comprehensive information about paying for postsecondary education, and the Know Before You Owe Federal Student Loan Act equips them with the tools they need to make informed decisions,” saidGail daMota, President, Education Finance Council.
“NACAC supports the Know Before You Owe Federal Student Loan Act of 2025 as a critical step toward ensuring students receive clear, personalized, and timely information about borrowing. Strengthening loan counseling requirements will help students make informed decisions, minimize unnecessary debt, and navigate a more equitable path to higher education,” said Angel Pérez, CEO, National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).
Support for the Understanding the True Cost of College Act:
“At uAspire, we advise students every day on finding an affordable path to college—and we see firsthand how confusing and inconsistent financial aid offers can be. Too often, students struggle to understand how much they’ll actually owe or compare costs between schools. Financial aid offers must clearly communicate what students are expected to pay. We’re grateful to Senators Grassley, Smith, Hassan, and Tuberville and Representative Kim for leading the Understanding the True Cost of College Act, which would bring much-needed clarity and transparency to the process,” said Anika Van Eaton, Vice President of Policy, uAspire
“As a longtime advocate for financial aid transparency and consumer protection, I know firsthand how confusing and opaque financial aid offers can be—both from my time counseling low-income students and from over a decade of research at New America. The Understanding the True Cost of College Act is the result of years of evidence, advocacy, and bipartisan collaboration. It’s a commonsense solution that brings higher education in line with other major financial decisions that already require standardized, comparable information—like buying a home, financing a car, or choosing a health plan. This bill ensures that all students can make apples-to-apples comparisons and truly understand how much college will cost. I applaud Senators Grassley, Smith, Hassan, and Tuberville and Representative Kim for championing this long-overdue reform.” Rachel Fishman, Director, Higher Education, New America.
“We applaud Senators Grassley, Smith, Hassan, and Tuberville and Representative Kim for spearheading the Understanding the True Cost of College Act. College is one of the biggest financial decisions facing American families, yet too many higher education institutions continue to provide unclear and misleading cost information. This bipartisan bill would make common-sense reforms and empower students and families by ensuring colleges provide them with clear, transparent, and easily comparable information about expenses and financial aid options,” said Michele Zampini, Senior Director of College Affordability, The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS).
“In our work, IECA members witness, firsthand, the difficulty that exists in interpreting financial aid offers from U.S. colleges and universities. This proposed act is a critically important step towards providing students, and their families, with clear, consistent information regarding the accurate cost of higher education pursuits. We, thus, sincerely thank Senator Grassley (and his hardworking staff) for his intent to reintroduce this piece of legislation and strongly urge his fellow senatorial colleagues to cosponsor it, so that Congress can help students across the country make informed decisions about their education that will, in turn, ‘stem the tide’ as it pertains to the issue of staggering student debt,” said Leigh R. Allen II, Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
Download broadcast quality video HERE.
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) today introduced the bipartisan Comprehensive Health and Integrity in Licensing and Documentation (CHILD) Act to ensure all individuals with unsupervised access to children – including contractors hired by schools – are authorized to receive a nationwide background check.
Reps. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“Parents should feel more confident that every individual who works with their children has been properly and thoroughly vetted. My bipartisan legislation with Senator Durbin would amend the Child Protection Improvements Act to help ensure all child care workers, including contractors, undergo nationwide background checks,” Grassley said. “Our legislative fix will help keep kids safe and give parents greater peace of mind.”
“When parents drop their kids off at school, they shouldn’t have to worry if their children are safe in the care of the school’s faculty. While the Child Protection Improvements Act was passed with the intent of keeping children safe, it created an inadvertent complication in securing nationwide background checks for all personnel with unsupervised access to children, namely contractors hired by schools,” Durbin said. “Schools often rely on contractors for a number of services geared toward children, including providing safe transportation. Today, I’m introducing bipartisan legislation with Senator Grassley to correct the current patchwork approach to securing nationwide background checks for those who work with children.”
The CHILD Act is endorsed by Students Against Destructive Decisions, Student Transportation & Education Equity, Roundtable, Parents Helping Parents Inc., National Diversity Coalition, RaisingHOPE Inc., National Center on Adoption & Permanency, Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE) and HopSkipDrive.
“Safety has always been, and will always be, our top priority at HopSkipDrive and background checks are an integral component of our 15-step certification process. We are proud to support the bipartisan CHILD Act to amend the National Child Protection Act and enhance access to safe, reliable student transportation. This crucial amendment will help ensure the highest standards of safety are met nationwide, and we extend our gratitude to the bill sponsors for their leadership on this important issue,” said Joanna McFarland, Co-Founder and CEO of HopSkipDrive.
Download bill text HERE.
Download a broadcast quality video of Grassley discussing the legislation HERE.
Background:
The National Child Protection Act of 1993 authorized nationwide background checks for all child care workers. However, the Child Protection Improvements Act of 2018 amended the National Child Protection Act and inadvertently removed the provision that allowed states to request nationwide background checks on child care contractors.
The CHILD Act would amend the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to ensure child care contractors are authorized to receive the same national background checks as all other child care employees.
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man to life in prison for the murder of a New Jersey man in 2022.
Moreion Lindsey, 35, was found guilty at a trial in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire. Evidence and testimony showed that Lindsey fatally shot Titus Armstead on April 21, 2022, in Penrose Park in St. Louis.
Lindsey had been hired for the murder by Jerome Williams, at the request of a Seattle man, Ray Bradley, who trafficked cocaine and marijuana to St. Louis and other cities. Bradley falsely blamed Armstead for the theft of drugs and millions of dollars from a Bradley “stash” house in New Jersey. Bradley had Armstead fly to St. Louis, purportedly to protect him from possible harm. Bradley’s real goal was to have him killed in St. Louis because Williams said he knew someone who could do the job, evidence and testimony showed. Lindsey met Armstead at the airport and drove him to Penrose Park, where he fatally shot Armstead with a .45-caliber handgun, evidence showed. He then took a photo of the body using a prepaid “burner” phone to provide proof of the death to Williams and Bradley.
Lindsey was later paid $15,000 by Williams. Williams disposed of evidence, including the burner phone, Armstead’s Social Security card and other belongings. Lindsey had the SUV that he used to drive Armstead to the park reported stolen and then used $5,000 to buy another SUV.
In a victim impact letter to the court, Armstead’s sister wrote, “In a world full of limitless opportunities—where every day offers a chance to grow, create, and build a meaningful life—why choose a path of destruction and harm? It is deeply saddening that amidst all the gifts and possibilities life offers, some would resign themselves to a life of drugs and violence.”
“Moreion Lindsey, you threw away your life for $15,000—an amount you could have earned in six months of full-time work at minimum wage,” she added. “Instead, you chose a path that has deprived your children of a father and your mother of her son. You will spend the rest of your life without freedom—unable to enjoy a warm shower, a comfortable bed, or even the simple joys of being with your family.”
Williams, 52, pleaded guilty in December to a charge of destruction of evidence to obstruct a federal investigation. He was sentenced April 23 to 138 months in prison.
Bradley, 46, pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced in September to 25 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Atlanta Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wilmington man and a Bolivia man were arrested Tuesday on separate charges of child sex trafficking and producing child sexual abuse material. A Louisburg man, William Justin Lewis, was arrested today on child sexual abuse material charges.
John Matthew Miller, 35, is charged with sex trafficking of a minor; enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct; and producing, distributing, receiving, and possessing child sexual abuse material. Miller was previously convicted of sexual battery and was a registered sex offender at the time of the offense. Miller faces at least 25 years and up to life in prison if convicted on all counts.
Jesse Lonzo Teal, 72, also known as “Lonnie” and “Mark,” is charged with sex trafficking of a minor, enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct, producing child sexual abuse material, and using the internet to promote an illegal prostitution business enterprise. He faces at least ten years and up to life imprisonment if convicted on all counts.
William Justin Lewis, 54, is charged with distributing child sexual abuse material and possessing child sexual abuse material. He faces at least five years’ imprisonment and up to twenty years’ imprisonment on each distribution count and up to twenty years’ imprisonment on the possession count.
“These important cases reflect the unwavering commitment of our office and our justice system to protect the most vulnerable members of our community—our children. Wewill continue to work closely with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners to ensure that those who commit such heinous acts are held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “There is no place in our community for those who prey on children, and we will do everything we can to not only seek justice for the victims, but to prevent additional child exploitation crimes.”
“Producing and exchanging child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is a sickening reality in our world and it’s not just happening on the dark web. Pedophiles use the same platforms your family and friends use. No matter where this crime is occurring the FBI will find you. The Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program is uniquely positioned to work complex global and multijurisdictional crimes against children with he capacity to counter threats of abuse and exploitation of children,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and Robert M. DeWitt, FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge, made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Hanover County Sherriff’s Office, Brunswick County Sherriff’s Office, Wilmington Police Department, Onslow County Sherriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sherriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the cases and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charity L. Wilson and Erin C. Blondel are prosecuting the cases.
NEW ORLEANS – ActingU.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DEVIN HILLIARD,age 49, of New Orleans, was sentenced on April 24, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon, for selling drugs and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.
According to court documents, DEVIN HILLIARD was engaged in drug trafficking in the New Orleans area and was apprehended carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.
The defendant was sentenced to sixty-six (66) months of imprisonment followed by five (5) years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of three hundred dollars.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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.
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Gregory Coleman III (28, Leesburg) has been arrested on an indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Coleman faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to the court records, Coleman has been convicted of four state felonies, including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting law enforcement with violence, fleeing or attempting to elude, and possession of cocaine. Following these convictions, on November 4, 2023, Coleman sold a firearm to a confidential source who was working with federal law enforcement. Coleman told the source that he had more firearms, but he wanted to keep them for himself. As a convicted felon, Coleman is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eustis Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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).
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Nathaniel Cox (34, Jacksonville) and Ahli Fields (33, Jacksonville) for their respective roles in a series of armed robberies and attempted robberies from commercial business locations throughout the Middle District of Florida. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Cox, who has a prior conviction for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in 2015, faces a minimum penalty of 75 years’ imprisonment. Fields faces a minimum penalty of 7 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on June 9, 2020, Cox and Fields conspired to commit and committed an armed robbery of a grocery store in Ormond Beach, during which they brandished a firearm. A few months later, Cox committed two additional robberies and brandished a firearm on each occasion. During the same timeframe, Cox attempted three additional robberies. Cox is also charged with possessing ammunition as a convicted felon on two occasions in September 2020. As a convicted felon, Cox is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Ormond Beach Police Department, the Titusville Police Department, the Palmetto Police Department, and the Ocala Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
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).
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging ROMAN SANTIAGO JR., 41, of Danbury, with cocaine trafficking offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, from September 2024 to February 2025, Santiago engaged in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that involved the shipment of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut through the U.S. Mail. During the investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted multiple packages containing a total of more than 11 kilograms of cocaine that were mailed from Puerto Rico to various addresses in Connecticut. Each package was intended for Santiago and contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine.
The indictment charges Santiago with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Each offense carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Santiago was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on February 12, 2025. He is currently released on a $50,000 bond.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, with the assistance of the Plainville and Danbury Police Departments. The task force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Hartford, Plainville, and Meriden Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Guevremont and Christopher Lembo.
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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Austin, Texas, May 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Telnyx, a global leader in communications infrastructure, today announced a significant update to its product offering with advanced AI-driven capabilities. This launch includes groundbreaking new features such as Multimodal Conversations, AI-powered Insights, human-like Contextual Memory, an intuitive SMS Scheduling Assistant, and Dynamic Variables for real-time personalization.
Telnyx showcases these innovative solutions with a redesigned homepage, providing developers and businesses easy access to interactive demonstrations, comprehensive use-case information, detailed developer documentation, and streamlined pathways to deployment.
Our latest enhancements underscore Telnyx’s commitment to redefining customer engagement through AI-powered communication,” said Ian Reither, COO of Telnyx. “We’re excited to offer businesses smarter, more intuitive, and highly personalized conversational experiences across voice and SMS channels, all backed by our robust, carrier-grade infrastructure. With these tools, organizations can engage their customers like never before, reducing friction and driving satisfaction.”
Key features now available include:
Multimodal Conversations: Seamlessly engage customers with multimodal interactions across voice and SMS.
Insights: Analyze and optimize customer interactions with conversation summaries, sentiment analysis, and actionable insights.
Contextual Memory: Provide personalized, continuity-rich customer experiences by recalling details from previous interactions.
Scheduling Assistant: Automate and simplify scheduling workflows via intuitive SMS interactions.
Dynamic Variables: Enable highly tailored communications with real-time personalized information integrated dynamically into conversations.
This comprehensive launch emphasizes Telnyx’s continued evolution into a full-stack provider that combines AI and telephony, simplifying integration complexity and enhancing communication effectiveness for businesses globally.
Experience the future of intelligent customer interactions today at telnyx.com.
About Telnyx: Telnyx delivers global, carrier-grade communications infrastructure combined with advanced conversational AI, providing businesses with reliable, scalable, and intelligent customer interaction solutions. Organizations worldwide choose Telnyx for its robust infrastructure, intuitive tools, and unmatched support.
EAGLE, Idaho, May 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pacific Crest Services (“PCS”), a leading platform for independent insurance agents, announced today that it has secured a minority growth investment from Long Ridge Equity Partners (“Long Ridge”), a growth-focused private equity firm with deep experience in the financial technology and services sectors. PCS will continue to operate under the leadership of its existing management team, with no change to day-to-day operations.
PCS has established itself as a premier partner for entrepreneurial agents through its unwavering focus on mission, culture, and agent success. The company serves more than 250 independent agencies across 36 states and maintains relationships with over 250 carriers. The growth capital will fuel continued investment in key areas of the business, including technology, business development, geographic expansion, and capital solutions – all aimed at equipping independent agents with a full suite of tools and resources.
“We’re excited to partner with Long Ridge as we enter this next chapter of growth,” said Shawn Webb, President of PCS. “Their experience scaling high-growth financial services businesses will be invaluable as we continue building a comprehensive platform for entrepreneurial agents to launch, grow, and scale their agencies.”
Shawn Webb and Jason Webb founded PCS in 2008 with a mission to empower independent agents to build and grow successful businesses. Today, PCS provides a unique platform that offers agents access to top carriers, training, back-office support, technology, and compliance resources – enabling agents to better serve their customers and achieve their ambitions.
“PCS offers a strong value proposition to its agents and partners, combining a robust platform with a broad network of carrier relationships,” said Jason Melton, Partner at Long Ridge. “Shawn, Jason, and the PCS team have built a trusted brand within the agent community, and we are excited to support them as they continue to scale and deliver exceptional service to their agents and carrier partners.”
Evolve Capital served as exclusive financial advisor and Wiggin and Dana LLP served as legal counsel to PCS. Choate, Hall, & Stewart LLP served as legal counsel to Long Ridge.
About Pacific Crest Services
Pacific Crest Services (PCS) is a leading insurance alliance dedicated to empowering licensed independent agents. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Eagle, Idaho, PCS provides agents with access to more than 250 national and regional carrier appointments and a full suite of support services, including training, mentorship, and technology tools. Serving a broad base of agents across 36 states, PCS is committed to helping agents start, grow, and scale their businesses with the resources and flexibility they need to succeed. For more information, visit www.pacificcrestservices.com.
About Long Ridge Equity Partners
Founded in 2007, Long Ridge Equity Partners is a private investment firm focused on the financial and business technology sectors. Leveraging deep sector knowledge and an extensive network of industry resources, Long Ridge serves as a value-added partner to high-growth businesses. Since its founding, Long Ridge has sponsored many successful growth companies in the financial and business technology sectors, providing founders and management teams with partnership, strategic resources, and capital to drive profitable expansion. Long Ridge manages over $1.75 billion of committed capital. For more information on Long Ridge Equity Partners, please visit www.long-ridge.com.
overnor Hochul announced the reopening of Storm King Art Center with new buildings and landscapes, including visitor welcome pavilions with consolidated parking and accessible amenities; the construction of a conservation, fabrication, and maintenance building; and a holistic approach to landscape stewardship and environmental sustainability. The $53 million project is supported by a $11.3 million investment from the New York State Council on the Arts, Empire State Development and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
“Storm King Art Center combines world-class art and culture with one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world,” Governor Hochul said. “With this incredible expansion of Storm King Art Center, Hudson Valley will benefit from increased tourism, expanded opportunities for growth and the restorative power of art and culture.”
Storm King Art Center in the Town of New Windsor, Orange County, offers local, national, and international audiences a chance to discover sculpture amid 500 acres of Hudson Valley landscape. In response to growth, Storm King launched a capital project to enhance the visitor experience and protect its art, nature, and people. The completed project includes multiple elements: a ticket and information pavilion, restroom pavilion, and group pavilion — new spaces for visitor hospitality that are united by an outdoor lobby and framed by native plantings; and the state-of-the-art David R. Collens Building for Conservation, Fabrication, and Maintenance, which supports the museum’s work with artists and the care of its collection. The project also reclaims two former parking lots within the museum grounds, creating five acres of new landscape for art and programming.
New York State Council on the Arts Executive Director Erika Mallin said, “Critical investments like this demonstrate the Governor and Legislature’s understanding of the importance and impact of our sector and of supporting the diversity of arts and culture across the state. With this support, Storm King will attract thousands of new visitors to experience this breathtaking destination that will serve residents and visitors for generations to come.”
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “With captivating installations and exhibits set against dramatic views of the Hudson Valley that have inspired artists for generations, Storm King is an only-in-New-York experience. Empire State Development and the Mid Hudson Regional Economic Development Council are proud to support Storm King’s expansion, which will not only boost intense interest from visitors, residents, and art lovers but also strengthen this cultural destination’s economic impact within the region and across the state.”
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Doreen M. Harris said, “Today we celebrate the power of public-private partnerships to advance energy progress for New Yorkers through creative solutions. The incorporation of sustainable building practices into the new Storm King Art Center visitor experience is an example of how this incredibly important work can blend seamlessly into New York’s existing landscape and support economic development in the Hudson Valley.”
Storm King Executive Director Nora Lawrence said, “I am thrilled to welcome visitors back to Storm King as we unveil the completed capital project and open an exciting exhibition season. This project has resulted in thoughtfully designed spaces that elevate and enhance what Storm King does best–provide people with a singular experience of art in nature. It embodies our mission and commitment to a sustainable future, ensuring that Storm King can thrive and share that experience with generations to come.”
State Senator James Skoufis said, “Storm King Art Center’s capital project is an outstanding, transformative addition for our region, providing for enhanced creative opportunities and proper stewardship of this remarkable place. I am thrilled to witness the Center’s continued expansion of arts education programming and accessibility for all who visit, and I applaud the Governor and Storm King’s leadership for supporting this extraordinary vision.”
Cornwall Town Supervisor Josh Wojehowski said, “Storm King Art Center’s $53 million-dollar visionary project is a good example of what a public private partnership can deliver when local, county and state governments work together on a regionally significant project. The end result will enhance the way visitors, staff, and artists experience the Art Center. The Town of Cornwall and local business community look forward to working with SKAC on creating additional opportunities for Art Center visitors to enhance their trips in our downtown areas and take advantage of all our community has to offer.”
Learn more about Storm King Art Center here.
About the New York State Council on the Arts
The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $162 million for FY2025, serving organizations and artists across all 10 state regions. The Council on the Arts further advances New York’s creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.
About Empire State Development
Empire State Development (ESD) is New York’s chief economic development agency. The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of “I LOVE NEW YORK,” the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov
About New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
The project received $600,000 in funding through NYSERDA’s Building Cleaner Communities Competition to implement sustainable building practices, such as air source heat pumps, passive design strategies, energy recovery ventilation, an enhanced building envelope, roof mounted solar, as well as infrastructure 12 electric vehicle charging stations.
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointments of Jay Sweeny of St. Albans Bay and Joe Benning of Lyndonville to fill assistance judge vacancies in Franklin and Caledonia counties, respectively.
“Jay and Joe both have demonstrated integrity throughout their decades of public service,” said Governor Phil Scott. “I believe they will each bring valuable experience to their new roles and I’m appreciative of their willingness to serve.”
Sweeny began his career as a deputy sheriff for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office where he spent 34 ½ years before retiring as the chief deputy in 2019. During this time, he worked within the court system in both the criminal and civil systems and worked closely with various assistant judges during annual budget preparation. In retirement, Jay works part time for Heald Funeral Home as well as maintains two cemeteries in St. Albans Bay. Jay also recently completed a 6-year appointment with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board.
“It is truly an honor to be appointed by Governor Scott to fill the vacant assistant judge position in Franklin County. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve the people of Franklin County,” said Sweeny. “I look forward to working with the many professionals within the judiciary to maintain a fair and impartial process for all community members seeking access to assistance in the judicial system.”
Sweeny is a lifelong resident of St. Albans Bay where he lives with his wife Ruth. He attended the University of Vermont and is a graduate of the Vermont Police Academy. Sweeny is a member of Franklin Masonic Lodge #4, MT Sinai Shriners, and is an active member of the St. Albans Town Fire Department where he has served since 1980.
Benning recently closed his law practice after working as a trial attorney for over forty years. During that time, he also served for twelve years as a state senator for Caledonia County and held multiple leadership roles including minority leader, chair of the Senate Institutions committee, and chair of the Human Rights Commission during the Douglas Administration. Benning formerly served on the Lyndon Town School Board, as Lyndon town moderator, and as chair of the Lyndon State College Foundation.
“It is an honor and a privilege to have been chosen as assistant judge to fill the shoes of retiring Judge John Hall. I very much look forward to this opportunity to continue serving my state and community,” said Benning.
Benning graduated with honors from Lyndon State College and Vermont Law School. He currently resides in Lyndonville with his wife Deb, an elementary school teacher, and has two children: Emily and Justin.
Headline: AI agents in Copilot Chat are ready to assist teachers and students with routine tasks
Discover how Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat agents in education can enhance learning with personalized student support, instructor assistance, and more.
AI is changing the way we work across a multitude of industries, and education is no exception. Agents—specialized AI assistants—take the power of generative AI a step further by allowing customization and the ability to work for you or alongside you. Agents in education can be tailored to support you with expertise in instructional design, unique student preferences, institutional data analysis, and many other tasks.
Transforming education with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat
We believe there’s an opportunity to empower everyone with a copilot and transform education experiences with agents. That’s why we offer agents in Copilot Chat, available at no additional cost when referencing data from the web and on a pay-as-you-go basis when using institutional data. Agents are also available with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
You can build an agent using natural language and additional configuration in Copilot Chat or get started with an agent template. With Copilot Chat, agents can be accessed and managed directly in the chat and enterprise data protection helps keep your experience safe and secure.
Try agents in Copilot Chat
Using Copilot Chat agents in education
Whether you’re building a custom agent or taking advantage of agent templates, there are numerous ways that agents in Copilot Chat can make a positive impact on your day-to-day activities. Here are some of the ways eligible students, educators, administrators, and leaders can benefit from agents in Copilot Chat:
Provide immediate support – Answer commonly asked questions using your data sources and help navigate institutional resources in real-time. Agents can help troubleshoot IT issues, provide guidance from resources on school policies, programs, or processes like enrollment.
Generate tailored content – Create the materials you need based on your instructions and reference resources whether it’s a study guide, lesson plan, professional development, or school communication. Upload your files like standards, curriculum documents, guidelines, or requirements to tailor your agent for the task.
Test your knowledge – Build agents to help students succeed in their classes by designing them with specific instructions and materials. Agents can then support students as they study with custom quizzes, feedback, and practice through simulations of relevant real-world scenarios.
Uncover and dive into insights – Instantly summarize, analyze, and explore insights across multiple files or a folder of knowledge. Understand and ask questions about trends in your data across areas like student performance, finance, operations, or community feedback.
Download the agent overview guide
Using agent templates in Copilot Chat
Microsoft 365 Copilot comes with a set of agent templates that are ready to use and perform a wide range of tasks to help support you. Here are a few existing agents that are ready to customize and use:
Idea Coach – Enhance brainstorming with fun and engaging agenda and action plans.
Writing Coach – Refine your writing to boost effectiveness.
Career Coach – Receive personalized career advice, goals, and action plans.
Select “Get agents” in the right-side panel of Copilot Chat to find agent templates, including the ones above. You can search for specific agents or simply browse the library within Copilot Chat to find additional agents that work for you. Additionally, your institution may have created tailored agents for you to use.
Creating agents in Copilot Chat
It’s quick and easy to create customized agents in Copilot Chat. Here’s how to start building your own agents:
Create an agent. Select “Create an agent” in the right-side pane of Copilot Chat to open the agent builder. You can create and name your new agent or choose a provided template.
Define your agent’s instructions. Use the chat to describe what you’d like your agent to do. You should also include the style and tone it should use while completing tasks. For example: “Create an agent to help students in my Intro to Business Comms study and prepare for the midterm.”
Configure your agent. If you’d like to make improvements or changes to your agent, you can add documents, data, and files to its knowledge base. You can also edit your agent’s instructions at any time to adjust its responses.
Publish the agent. When you’re happy with your agent’s output, you can publish your agent for you and others in your institution to use. As the needs of your institution change, you can continue to adjust your agent or create new ones for different purposes.
Here are some ways you can use your customized agents:
Answering frequently asked questions.
Helping new students navigate school resources.
Giving feedback based on existing rubrics or frameworks.
Explore insights from data in accessible ways.
Tailoring lessons to specific content, standards, or student needs.
You can keep agents up to date by selecting “Create an agent” to open the agent builder and expanding the drop-down menu at the top to select “View all agents.” This will allow you to view, edit, and share agents within your institution and ensure they’re still meeting your needs.
Managing agents in Copilot Chat for IT admins
The key to successful agent management for IT administrators is understanding how agent usage is measured and billed. Each agent’s usage is tracked by the number of messages they handle, and the total cost for your institution is calculated based on the sum of these messages.
For IT admins, purchasing messages is straightforward. You can buy them through the Copilot Studio meter in Microsoft Azure, which offers a convenient pay-as-you-go option. Once you’ve got your messages, Microsoft Power Platform admin center is where you’ll set up billing and assign message capacity to Copilot Chat and individual agents.
Download the agent set up guide
It’s important to note that agent message usage can vary. Factors such as an agent’s complexity, how frequently they’re used, and the specific features they employ all play a role in determining their message count. See a quick walkthrough of agent management within Microsoft Power Platform admin center and learn more about agent management.
Agent innovation in education
Agents in Copilot Chat offer ways to enhance and streamline your daily activities. You can build one using natural language or start with an agent template. Managing agents directly within Copilot Chat is designed to be seamless, and enterprise data protection helps keep your experience secure. Discover how agents can provide immediate support by answering common questions and navigating institutional resources, generate tailored content like study guides and lesson plans, and uncover valuable insights from your data.
Try agents in Copilot Chat
We’re excited to continue developing resources to support your use of AI in education. Whether you choose to create custom agents or use templates, Copilot Chat helps to ensure a secure and efficient way to make AI work for you. Explore how using agents in education can support your unique needs and help free up your time to focus on what matters most.
Coercive or controlling behaviour in an intimate or family relationship became a criminal offence in the UK in December 2015. The legislation was the result of a long campaign by the charity Women’s Aid to extend understanding of domestic abuse beyond physical violence. But, over 150 years earlier, Emily Brontë placed coercive control at the heart of her celebrated gothic romance, Wuthering Heights.
In the novel, Cathy declares that “My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff!” Coercive control, like Cathy’s love, may not be fully visible, but it nonetheless underpins the emotional logic of Brontë’s plot.
This article is part of Rethinking the Classics. The stories in this series offer insightful new ways to think about and interpret classic books and artworks. This is the canon – with a twist.
Wuthering Heights is a novel of two halves. The first focuses on spirited, passionate Cathy, caught between her tamely domestic husband Edgar Linton and the thrilling wildness of Heathcliff, her soulmate from childhood. To revenge himself on Cathy for marrying Edgar, Heathcliff elopes with Edgar’s infatuated sister Isabella. Isabella initially sees Heathcliff as a brooding romantic hero, but she soon repents, fleeing with their baby son Linton.
Heathcliff’s abuse of Isabella is sometimes physical, but more often psychological. He takes care, as he tells the family servant Nelly Dean, to “keep strictly within the limits of the law” to avoid giving Isabella “the slightest right to claim a separation”.
The law grants him ownership of his wife’s money and property, but subtler refinements of abuse include humiliation, isolation from family and friends, and deprivation of food, privacy and personal care. At Wuthering Heights, Nelly is shocked to see Isabella unwashed, shabbily dressed. She’s “wan and listless; her hair uncurled: some locks hanging lankly down”.
Isabella has already reported that she is forced to sleep in a chair because Heathcliff keeps “the key of our room in his pocket”. Heathcliff delights in humbling her before Nelly and his own servants, calling her “an abject thing”, “shamefully cringing”, “pitiful, slavish, and mean-minded”.
Isabella escapes Heathcliff clad only in “a girlish dress” and “thin slippers”, and goes into hiding with her brother’s financial help. After her death, Heathcliff recovers their son Linton and uses him to engineer a second coercive marriage to his cousin, Cathy and Edgar’s daughter Catherine.
A sickly, peevish adolescent, Linton Heathcliff is perhaps the most unappealing character in Victorian fiction, lacking altogether the strength and charisma of his father. But his puny physicality casts the coercive nature of his abuse into relief.
Catherine is imprisoned at Wuthering Heights and blackmailed into consenting to marry Linton, who becomes the legal owner of all her property. Incapable of dominating her physically, Linton delights in psychological torment, conspiring in his father’s surveillance and depriving her of beloved possessions:
All her nice books are mine; she offered to give me them, and her pretty birds, and her pony Minny, if I would get the key of our room, and let her out; but I told her she had nothing to give, they were all, all mine. And then she cried, and took a little picture from her neck, and said I should have that; two pictures in a gold case, on one side her mother, and on the other uncle [Catherine’s father], when they were young. That was yesterday – I said they were mine, too.
After Linton’s death, Heathcliff inherits everything, leaving the widowed and orphaned Catherine his penniless dependant. Wuthering Heights is a dark parable about the absolute power that marriage can grant to abusive men.
Real-life inspiration
Brontë’s plot was rooted in a real-life local case of domestic torment. In 1840, a Mrs Collins came to Haworth Parsonage to ask Emily’s father Patrick’s advice about her alcoholic, abusive husband. He was Patrick’s colleague and fellow clergyman, Rev. John Collins, assistant curate of Keighley.
Unusually for the time, Patrick advised her to leave him and take her two children with her. In April 1847, just seven months before Wuthering Heights’ publication, Mrs Collins returned to Haworth to thank him. She told the Brontë family how she had settled in Manchester with her children, supporting them all by running a lodging house.
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Mrs Collins’ experience of abuse did not only shape the chilling psychodrama of Wuthering Heights. There are echoes of Patrick’s advice in Emily’s sister Charlotte’s novel Jane Eyre (1847), and her eponymous heroine’s famous declaration of autonomy: “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will, which I now exert to leave you.”
Mrs Collins’ strength and resilience also inspires the bravery of Helen Huntingdon in Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848). Like Emily’s “eternal rocks,” coercive control lurks beneath the Brontës’ best-loved fictions, warning Victorian readers of the terrifyingly real dangers of psychological abuse long before the law caught up.
Beyond the canon
As part of the Rethinking the Classics series, we’re asking our experts to recommend a book or artwork that tackles similar themes to the canonical work in question, but isn’t (yet) considered a classic itself. Here is the suggestion from Hannah Roche and Katy Mullin:
Like the Brontës’ famous novels, George Gissing’s The Odd Women (1893) shows an acute awareness of the impact of psychological abuse. Against her better judgement, the 21-year-old Monica Madden marries Edmund Widdowson, a man 23 years her senior who attempts to police every aspect of her domestic, social, intellectual and psychological life.
Gissing’s fictional abuser is a classic coercive controller, a perpetrator of a crime that did not yet exist, and his pattern of behaviour is now so familiar and identifiable that it appears both prescient and predictable. Intensely jealous and possessive, Widdowson deploys tactics of surveillance, stalking, regulation and isolation, making decisions about where Monica goes, who she sees, and even what she reads.
Of course, like Heathcliff and Linton, Widdowson does not have access to online communication tools or spyware. But the many red flags in his treatment of Monica are likely to appear strikingly modern to readers today.
Katy Mullin receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (“Coercive Control: From Literature into Law”, an AHRC Research Network).
Hannah Roche receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (“Coercive Control: From Literature into Law”, an AHRC Research Network).
The latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s movie slate, Captain America: Brave New World, arrived earlier this year with the hopes of continuing the legacy of the beloved sub-franchise. But the film struggled to hit the heights of the three earlier instalments. Critics hit out at its messy plot, unremarkable characters, tired visuals – and an overall absence of creativity.
This raises an interesting and broader question about creativity at work. Most advice on this focuses on having one creative idea. But what does it take to stay creative over time? After all, creativity at work isn’t just about having great ideas – it’s about having them consistently.
Yet over time, even the most innovative minds and organisations like the Marvel Cinematic Universe can hit a creative slump that they struggle to recover from.
Long-term creativity is often hindered by two broad factors. The first is the “expertise trap”. Expertise can initially be great for creativity. After all, as a person develops greater knowledge and skills, they can combine different elements of that knowledge to develop unique ideas and solutions to problems.
Over time however, expertise can actually limit flexibility and creativity. When people become exceptionally skilled or knowledgeable in a particular field, they tend to experience “cognitive entrenchment”, a fixation where deeply ingrained knowledge of a topic leads to rigid ways of thinking.
This might work well in familiar situations, but it can also make it harder for people to see things in a new light.
The second factor is the “success trap”. Research suggests that success – and receiving recognition for a creative idea or outcome – can affect creativity in unexpected ways.
Creative success can motivate people to come up with more ideas, increasing the quantity and pace of their output. But on the other hand, it can also encourage creators to focus on the things that worked well in the past. They often try to replicate or tweak them instead of coming up with something genuinely new.
Of course all is not lost. There are inspiring examples of people and organisations who break out of a creative slump. Taylor Swift faced being pigeonholed after her initial country-pop success, but came back even stronger with her shift to synth-pop in 2014.
It’s hard to believe Danish firm LEGO ever struggled – but it built back better. olrat/Shutterstock
And Danish firm LEGO, which was on the brink of bankruptcy in 2003, regained its supremacy in the toy sector by coming up with new ways of making their core products – LEGO bricks – popular again. This even included taking the creative leap into movies based on their bricks.
Get your creative spark back
Research indicates that if you want to be consistently creative, it is important to break away from the things that helped you achieve creative success in the past.
This can mean moving away from familiar environments as your career advances. Or it could be adding to your knowledge sources so that you are not merely reliant on the depth of your knowledge but also on the breadth. You may also benefit from collaborating with people who already have that additional knowledge so you can combine your brainpower.
Second, if you have had a recent success this can often come with expectations to replicate it and chase more opportunities. While this may have some short-term benefits, in the long run insulating yourself from those expectations – and the rapid increase in opportunities – can give you the time and space to come up with new ideas instead of retreading old ground.
My own research suggests that sustaining creativity over time is not just about generating ideas repeatedly, it is also about managing a portfolio of developing ideas. This is a better approach than merely focusing on one central idea.
It involves putting aside (or stockpiling) ideas that have limited use or value right now and turning your attention to other ideas in the portfolio. Stockpiled ideas can exist and develop in the background, but you can return to them in the future and use them flexibly to learn from, seek inspiration or develop new projects.
For people who work in the knowledge economy, ideas can be their primary currency. But beyond that, creativity can also improve wellbeing and so is a fundamental part of being human. By following these tips to reignite your creative spark, you can reap those benefits of continued creativity over a long period of time.
Poornika Ananth does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
