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  • MIL-OSI USA: Five Outstanding Business Leaders Inducted into the Hall of Fame

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The School of Business inducted five extraordinary business leaders into its Alumni Hall of Fame on Friday night, at a joyful ceremony that included a sold-out crowd of 400 at the Hartford Marriott Downtown.

    The new inductees included:

    • Trisha M. Bailey, Ph.D. ’99, ’23 H, a serial entrepreneur and owner and CEO of Bailey’s Pharmacy & Medical Equipment & Supplies;
    • Laurie A. Havanec ’82, ’94 JD, the retired Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at CVS Health;
    • John Hodson ’85 President of True Benefit;
    • Gregory P. Lewis ’92 retired Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Honeywell International; and
    • Robert J. Skinner ’93, Founding Partner & Co-CEO of IEQ Capital.

    Each of the inductees, all alumni who have had remarkable careers and made significant contributions to society, shared their personal stories about their journeys, their passion for helping others and their love of UConn.

    Bailey: UConn Saw the Light in Her When Others Didn’t

    Bailey is a serial entrepreneur who, in addition to running her flagship company, oversees 15 other businesses. She has been named the JP Morgan Chase Woman of the Year. She made the largest single donation in history to UConn Athletics, and is involved in numerous philanthropic endeavors in the U.S. and Jamaica. Bailey, a mother of five, is also the author of the book “UNBROKEN’’ about her life’s journey and her unwavering values of compassion, excellence, and empowerment.

    She told the audience that in 1990 she left behind a life of poverty of Jamaica to relocate to Hartford. A high school counselor had once told her she wasn’t “college material,’’ she recalled. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about!’’ Bailey remembered thinking that day. The UConn audience cheered at her response. UConn, she said, saw the light in her when others didn’t, and gave her a full scholarship.

    She hopes that her success inspires many other girls and women.

    “Make sure your excellence is so profound it cannot be denied,’’ she said. “I want young girls across the globe to see that this honor is for you. Keep striving. You are amazing!’’

    Havanec Astonished by Today’s UConn Students

    Havanec, who recently retired from CVS Health, oversaw 300,000 employees in her role in talent development and acquisition, compensation and benefits, and diversity, equity and inclusion. She earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from UConn, and six weeks after the birth of her second child, she returned to earn her JD degree from UConn Law. In 2019, she endowed a need-based scholarship to help other women attend law school. She is a two-time cancer survivor who advocates for early detection and prevention.

    She returned to Storrs last week, for the first time in 20 years, and said the experience was exhilarating. She was impressed by the sophistication, real-life decision-making, and leadership she found in the students. She said the student investors at the School of Business’ Hillside Ventures are exceptional.

    “When they leave UConn, they’ll be amazing sponsors for the university,’’ she said. “I know it is scary leaving college. Be courageous. Go out there and show the world what you have!’’

    Havanec, a passionate UConn basketball fan, also gave a shout-out to the UConn women’s basketball team, just days after they won the national championship. “They overcame so much adversity,’’ she said. “They are role models for all of us!’’

    Hodson Spoke About The Deeper Meaning of Dreams

    Hodson, founded his employee benefits company, True Benefit, to foster inclusivity, ethics, and community engagement. He has worked tirelessly to improve insurance policies for the transgender community. In addition, he has created scholarships for transgender students and has supported UConn’s ‘Name, Image and Likeness’ initiatives.

    In his award acceptance speech, he spoke about a recurring dream that he was on the golf course and something—a tree branch, an octogenarian, or a storm—prevents him from completing his round.

    “I know it was a metaphor for ‘Am I good enough?,’” he said. As his company grew, so did his stress and the pressure to not disappoint his stakeholders. He was in his early 50s when he met his wife, who believed in him and pushed him to the next level. Now he dreams of standing on the fairway and “smoking’’ the shot. He said he wouldn’t be where he is today without help from great friends.

    His message to students is one of compassion. “I think it is a lot harder to be a student today than it was when I was growing up,’’ he said. “Just be yourself, be kind to yourself, and don’t do it alone. Lean on others and you’ll be OK.’’

    Lewis: Push Past Fear; Don’t Lose Your Humanity

    Lewis has worked for Honeywell, a Fortune 100 company, since 2006. Most recently he was the Senior Vice President and CFO, providing leadership through corporate headquarter relocation, COVID-19, and economic and geo-political shifts. In February, he stepped down as CFO and became a special advisor to the CEO as the company separates into three.

    He praised his parents for showing him the pathway to success, teaching him care and compassion, and to strive to be the best every day. He told students and young alumni that he owes his success to doing hard things and doing them well; demonstrating leadership; and always caring about others.

    “Push past fear and uncertainty, say yes a lot, and don’t lose your humanity,’’ he said. “No one succeeds alone. Don’t live with regret. Struggle and failure is a step toward growth.’’

    Lewis, who met his wife Barbara (Reynolds ’89) at UConn, and raised two daughters together, spoke of his love for his family and the 40 people there to support him. He is active in community organizations including serving as the Chair of the Charlotte (NC) Small Business Innovation Fund, as a member of an organization fighting homelessness, and on the Board of Medtronic.

    Skinner: Play for the Name on the Front of the Jersey

    Skinner’s company, IEQ Capital, merges intellectual and emotional factors in investing. He has been named one of America’s top wealth advisors by Forbes. He is active in the board of several golf charities including PGA REACH, the foundation associated with PGA of America.

    Planning to become a lawyer, Skinner instead found himself in the business world and wanted to build a company.

    “UConn is my family. I have great memories and great friendships from those years,’’ he said. “At UConn I found myself. I developed the grit, excellence, and the belief that I can do something really big.’’

    In accepting his award, he told the audience to “play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back.’’

    He praised former UConn men’s basketball head coach Jim Calhoun, who was in attendance with current coach Dan Hurley and assistant coach Luke Murray, whom he met his freshman year. “He got my fire burning, got me to believe in winning and doing things that others don’t think you can,’’ he said. “I’m beyond grateful for the recognition. Every day I think about being a Husky!’’

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Expresses Willingness to Provide Federal Support for Storm Response in Northern Michigan, Eastern Upper Peninsula

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    Published: 04.09.2025

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) joined U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (MI) and U.S. Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI-01) in expressing their willingness to support any requests for federal aid following last week’s historic ice storm that struck Northern Michigan and the eastern Upper Peninsula, which caused power outages for more than 160,000 customers across 12 counties. In a letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the lawmakers commended the ongoing response and ensured they are ready to take necessary steps to support the state in requesting federal assistance if recovery needs exceed state and local capacity. 
    “We write to offer our full support for recovery efforts following the unprecedented ice storm that recently impacted Northern Michigan and the eastern Upper Peninsula. We commend the dedication of first responders, utility crews, volunteers, and State and local officials who have been working tirelessly to restore power and ensure public safety during this difficult time,” wrote the lawmakers.  
    They continued: “We are committed to doing everything we can at the federal level to help Michiganders recover and rebuild. Please do not hesitate to contact our offices if we may be of any assistance.”  
    Last week’s storm also caused widespread closures of the Mackinac Bridge, and the indefinite closure of 15 Michigan State Parks. You can read the full letter here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: DGL Investments No. 1 Inc. Announces Proposed Qualifying Transaction with Rep Group Limited and Perspectives Productions Limited

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or for dissemination in the United States

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DGL Investments No. 1 Inc. (“DGL” or the “Company”) (TSXV: DGL.P) is pleased to announce details concerning a proposed arms-length “Qualifying Transaction” involving a business combination with two complimentary businesses named Rep Group Limited (“REP”) and Perspectives Productions Limited (“Perspectives” and collectively with REP, the “Targets”).

    Overview of the Targets

    REP is a privately-held corporation that was formed in June 2020 under the laws of England and Wales. Perspectives is in the process of becoming a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of REP Group and was formed in February 2024 under the laws of England and Wales. Each of the Targets’ head office is in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.

    REP have developed a narrative therapy based self-care mental health and wellbeing app, that combined with their AI profiling system allows organisations to better engage with their workforce to develop and deliver tangible and measurable ‘social’ programmes that advance company culture and collective wellbeing.

    The REP corporate wellness app and service focuses on three key areas:

    –  Enabling individuals to feel empowered about managing their mental health and wellbeing.
    –  Equipping organisations with expert-led tools and data insights to lead a change in culture for sustainable positive wellbeing.
    –  Creating a workforce that is connected, performing, engaged and well.

    As an extension to REP’s offering, in June 2024 the company executed a collaboration with a National Health Service (‘NHS’) Trust in the United Kingdom, to assess and validate the system and services for healthcare sector deployment.

    Perspectives is a technology company that has developed an innovative production and OTT (‘Over-the-Top’) platform for the distribution of impactful stories related to mental health; transforming written stories captured by REP into bespoke and unique training and educational content to improve the understanding, knowledge and management of mental health in the workplace. The company has already developed the basic OTT platform and has applied for patent protection over its architecture.

    Summary of the proposed Transaction

    DGL has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent with each of the Targets dated April 10, 2025 (the “LOI”) pursuant to which DGL and the Targets intend to complete a business combination (the “Transaction”) to form a company (the “Resulting Issuer”) and pursuant to which the businesses of the Targets will become the business of the Resulting Issuer. The final structure of both the business combination and the capitalization of the Resulting Issuer is subject to receipt of tax, corporate and securities law advice for both DGL and the Targets.

    Pursuant to the LOI it is currently anticipated:

    1. the shareholders of DGL on completion of the proposed Transaction will cumulatively hold approximately 2,273,141 common shares of the Resulting Issuer and DGL will conduct a consolidation of its common shares at the required ratio to achieve the same;
    2. the Resulting Issuer will issue approximately 13,638,844 common shares of the Resulting Issuer (the “Resulting Issuer Shares”), proportionally to the current holders of the Targets’ common shares (the “Target Shares”) to acquire such Target Shares and each of the Targets will conduct a share split such that the Resulting Issuer Shares will be issued on a 1:1 basis;
    3. either DGL, REP or Perspectives will conduct a financing (on a post share split or post consolidation basis as applicable) to close prior to or concurrent with the closing of the Transaction, for aggregate gross proceeds of not less than GBP£1,000,000 (approximately CAD$1,800,000) at a price commensurate with market conditions (the “Financing”).

    Further, pursuant to the LOI, it is a condition precedent for the parties to enter into a definitive agreement that commitments for the minimum amount of the Financing must be received prior to June 30, 2025.

    The Resulting Issuer Shares will be issued at a price per share equivalent to the closing price of the common shares of DGL on the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange”) on April 11, 2025, adjusted to take account of any required consolidation of the common shares of DGL required to facilitate the proposed Transaction.

    It is intended that the proposed Transaction, when completed, will constitute DGL’s “Qualifying Transaction” (“QT”) in accordance with Policy 2.4 – Capital Pool Companies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange”) Corporate Finance Policies. A comprehensive news release will be issued by DGL disclosing details of the proposed Transaction, including the proposed capital structure of the Resulting Issuer, financial information respecting the Targets, the names and backgrounds of all persons who will constitute insiders of the Resulting Issuer, and information respecting sponsorship, once a definitive agreement has been executed and certain conditions have been met, including satisfactory completion of due diligence.

    It is not expected that shareholder approval will be required with respect to the proposed Transaction under the rules of the Exchange applicable to capital pool companies, because the proposed Transaction does not constitute a “Non-Arm’s Length Qualifying Transaction” pursuant to the Policy 2.4 of the Exchange.

    In addition, the structure of the proposed Transaction is being finalized, and based on the final structure as reflected in the definitive agreement, shareholder approval of certain ancillary matters, including any consolidation or share split and any proposed change of name may be required.

    Trading in the common shares of DGL has been halted and is not expected to resume until the proposed Transaction is completed or until the Exchange receives the requisite documentation to resume trading.

    It is expected that upon completion of the proposed Transaction, the Resulting Issuer, will be renamed to a name mutually agreeable to DGL and the Targets and will be listed as a Tier 2 Technology Issuer on the Exchange.

    For further information, please contact:

    Gurpreet S. Sangha,
    President and CEO
    Telephone: 778-245-2282
    Email: gsangha2x4@hotmail.com

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

    Forward Looking Information

    Statements in this press release regarding DGL’s business which are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties, such as terms and completion of the proposed Transaction. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

    Completion of the proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to completion of the Financing, execution of a binding definitive agreement relating to the proposed Transaction, Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange requirements or the requirements of applicable securities law, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the proposed Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the proposed Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

    Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the proposed Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the proposed Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

    The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Goldman, Congresswoman Meng, Assemblymember Lee Host Press Conference Condemning Trump’s Disastrous Tariff War, Highlighting Devastating Impact on AAPI New Yorkers and Small Businesses

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    China Imposes 125% Tariffs on U.S. Goods in Response to 145% U.S. Tariffs on Chinese Imports 

    Trump Trade War Disproportionately Impacting Asian American Communities and Families  

     

    NYC, Home of Many Historic Asian American Communities, Pays Price For Trump’s Recklessness 

      

    View Pictures and Video of Press Conference Here 

     

    New York, NY – Today, Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10), Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), Chair of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Assembly Member Grace Lee, Chair of the New York State Assembly Asian Pacific American Task Force (APA Task Force), Council Member Susan Zhuang, and other elected officials and local advocates, hosted a press conference to demand President Trump stop his ongoing trade war which will harm Asian American families and businesses in New York. 

     

    The President’s tariffs are pushing many Asian American-owned small businesses in New York City toward financial ruin, especially those dependent on foreign imports. The trade war, driven by the White House, threatens to devastate historic Asian American neighborhoods. These reckless policies are creating economic volatility and disproportionately affecting businesses reliant on international trade. As a result, many small businesses are uncertain about their future, placing a significant financial strain on Asian American families and entrepreneurs across the city.

     

    “From Manhattan’s Chinatown to Sunset Park and beyond, Donald Trump’s reckless and destructive trade war is crippling New York’s AAPI small businesses and pushing entire communities to the brink of financial ruin,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “Mom-and-pop shops are struggling to make ends meet. Livelihoods are on the line. If Trump doesn’t reverse these tariffs immediately, his dangerous brinkmanship will shutter AAPI small businesses not only in New York City but across the country.” 

     

    Congresswoman Meng said, “As the new Chair of CAPAC, I’m proud to partner with New York State APA Task Force Chair Grace Lee, and my colleague Congressman Goldman to shine a light on the harm that this trade war will have on the Asian American community, in particular Asian-owned small businesses. These tariffs will deliver devastating blows to everybody from our local entrepreneurs to owners of mom-and-pop establishments, with many being forced to pass higher costs onto their customers or suffer financial hits to their livelihoods. Those working to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic will be hit especially hard. It will also impact jobs and investments in our neighborhoods. We will continue pushing for these tariffs to be rescinded.”

     

    Assemblymember Grace Lee said, “Trump’s reckless tariff policies are driving up costs for small businesses and raising prices for everyday people. In Chinatown, family-run shops that have been part of the community for generations are struggling to survive. And when hostility toward China drives policy, it too often leads to racism against the Asian American community. These policies aren’t just bad economics — they’re bad for Asian Americans.”

     

    NY State Senator John Liu said, “Trump’s punitive tariff charade is causing irreparable harm to immigrant communities and small businesses throughout the country, and especially here in New York City. In their pursuit of the American Dream, Asian American small businesses have revitalized our economy and strengthened our communities, but now their livelihoods are on the line as they’re forced to either absorb skyrocketing costs or pass them onto their customers, who are already struggling. It’s time to end this zero sum trade war that is threatening to stall so many economic engines for our city, state and country.” 

     

    Council Member Susan Zhuang said, “As the Councilmember for Brooklyn’s District 43, a majority Asian-American district, I see the direct impact of all federal changes on my constituents.I regularly say immigrant business owners provide essential services for New Yorkers. These tariffs hinder these business owners from doing their work which will put a burden on every single working class New Yorker.” 

     

    Council Member Sandra Ung said, “Just recently hit hard by COVID-19, a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, inflation, and rising rents, the economic recovery remains fragile. Many immigrant-owned small businesses that rely heavily on international trade are still struggling to get back on their feet. Moreover, many budget grocery stores provide a vital lifeline for working-class families. The potential shocks to the market these tariffs will cause follow on the heels of recent cuts by Washington Republicans to the SNAP program that prevent stolen funds from being replaced. We need clear and compassionate federal guidance and targeted local support to protect these businesses from further setbacks and to ensure the economic recovery in our Asian American communities stays on track.”

     

    Council Member Julie Won said, “Federal tariffs threaten the livelihoods of Asian-owned small businesses in District 26. High import fees will force Bangladeshi, Filipino, and Chinese business owners to pay more to purchase goods. Tariffs also hurt working-class New Yorkers who already struggle to pay for rent, groceries, and other necessities. I join my colleagues in Congress and the Assembly to urge Trump to reverse these harmful tariffs.”

     

    Karen Liu, second generation owner of Grand Tea and Imports said, “Almost every business in Chinatown is an import business in some way. These tariffs threaten our ability to restock—and for many of our neighbors, their ability to stay open. As we move through this uncertain time, I hope policymakers remember Chinatown. We shouldn’t have to face this alone.”

     

    All have made protecting and supporting small businesses, as well as the Asian American community, a priority of their time in office.

     

    In March, Congressman Goldman and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand secured $50 million in IRS Employee Retention Tax Credits for 585 small businesses. This release was fought for by Congressman Goldman, Senator Chuck Schumer, and nine of their New York congressional colleagues in the winter of 2024, urging the agency to expedite the processing and resolution of legitimate Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims.

     

    In February, Congressman Goldman joined Senator Smith, and Congresswoman Underwood in introducing the ‘Job Protection Act,’ which would expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to millions of workers who are currently unable to take time off to care for themselves or their families. Nearly 2.6 million workers every year decline to take family or medical leave out of fear that they will lose their jobs due to gaps in FMLA coverage.  

     

    In Spring of 2023,  Congressman Goldman joined Congresswoman Meng in introducing the ‘Teaching Asian Pacific American History Act’ which would require Presidential and Congressional Academies’ grant applicants and recipients to include Asian Pacific American history in American history and civics curricula. 

     

    Congressman Goldman is an Executive Board Member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Rygen Technologies named one of Inbound Logistics’ Top 100 Logistics and Supply Chain Technology Providers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GREENVILLE, S.C., April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inbound Logistics, a supply chain and logistics publication focused on providing education and guidance to enterprise leaders in the industry, named Rygen Technologies as one of the Top 100 Logistics and Supply Chain Technology providers of 2025. This award spotlights companies that are paving the way in the logistics and supply chain industry, from top-of-the-line Transportation Management Systems to implementing advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence.

    Rygen’s innovative solutions include Corsair Transportation Management System (TMS), X1 Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), and Blackbird Business Intelligence. With the user experience at top of mind, Rygen’s solutions were developed by an experienced team of supply chain experts that focus on enabling their users, rather than restricting them. They emphasize the importance of pain-free logistics management, with their users being able to efficiently manage freight, connect with partners, and uncover data insights.

    Tony Winters, Rygen’s Chief Technology Officer stated, “We’re so thrilled to be selected as a Top 100 Technology Provider. Our products are modern, lightweight, nimble and scale with your business. It’s great to see that those attributes are recognized by the industry as well, it’s a huge honor. We are continuing to push the industry forward, and now with the rise of AI, I can’t wait to see what comes next!”

    Inbound Logistics’ Top 100 list recognizes companies that exemplify operational efficiency, innovation, and business excellence. The list provides decision-making support to key players in industries, including manufacturing, retail, and warehouse and inventory management.

    “It’s an incredible honor for Rygen to be recognized by Inbound Logistics as one of the Top 100 Technology Providers for 2025. This award reflects our commitment to building technology that truly serves our customers, helping them solve real world challenges, operate more efficiently, and create better experiences for their teams and their customers. At the end of the day, our success is driven by our customers’ success, and we’re proud to play a role in helping them move their business forward,” says Jonathan Wollschleager, Director of Partnerships and Enterprise Sales at Rygen Technologies.

    To view the full list of winners, visit https://www.inboundlogistics.com/articles/top-100-logistics-it-providers/.

    About Inbound Logistics
    For nearly three decades, Inbound Logistics has been the hub for logistics and supply chain news and trends. Inbound Logistics coined the term 3PL and has built an audience of over 1.4 million supply chain decision makers. They were the first publication to acknowledge the important role technology plays in the logistics and supply chain industries. Priding themselves on their educational publication, their focus remains to shed light on infrastructure, education, and transportation policy issues.

    About Rygen Technologies
    Rygen Technologies is a leading provider of state-of-the-art supply chain solutions that empower users to quickly, easily, and efficiently execute and manage freight, connect with partners, and seamlessly integrate with other operating systems. By leveraging advanced technology, the company is creating smarter, data-driven solutions, supported by excellent customer service to deliver real value.
    For more information, visit www.rygen.com.

    Contact:
    Jonathan Wollschleager
    Director of Partnerships and Enterprise Sales
    jwollschleager@rygen.com
    732-546-7894

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Mike Molstead Motors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    Published: April 14, 2025

    Throughout this Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.

    RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Mike Molstead Motors of Floyd County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
    “Mike Molstead built a successful family-owned and operated business by keeping his community in the driver’s seat,” said Chair Ernst. “Today, under the leadership of Mike’s four sons, Molstead Motors continues to fuel folks in north Iowa one vehicle at a time by focusing on personalized financing, real-time market pricing, and top-tier auto repair and detail servicing. As Mike continues his 25-year battle with lung cancer, my thoughts and prayers are with him and the entire Molstead family.”
    In 1982, while attending the University of Northern Iowa and playing football, Mike Molstead began selling cars at a local dealership in Cedar Falls. He worked his way up to general sales manager before deciding to start his own dealership. In 1995, Mike opened Mike Molstead Motors in Charles City. Over the years, the business has expanded from selling primarily General Motors vehicles to a full-service dealership that sells, services, and details Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, GMC, and Ford vehicles across two locations. Today, Mike and his four boys, Josh, Jordan, Jackson, and Jared, along with many other family members, work together to run the company. This month, Mike Molstead Motors will celebrate its 30th anniversary.
    Stay tuned as Chair Ernst recognizes more Iowa small businesses across the state with her Small Business of the Week award.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: WILSON ROAD, MYLOR (Grass Fire)

    Source: South Australia County Fire Service

    MYLOR

    Issued on
    15 Apr 2025 05:36

    Mylor Grassfire

    Issued for MYLOR near Aldgate in the Mount Lofty Ranges.

    The CFS is responding to a grass fire near Mylor in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia.

    30 CFS volunteers on 7 trucks, supported by SA Police, are on scene and have contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to a nearby property.

    The cause of the fire is yet to be determined and Fire Investigators will attend the scene later today.

    Emergency services may be working on and around roads in the area, and motorists are advised to stay away. If you need to travel on roads in the area, please take care and drive to the local conditions.

    Message ID 0008517

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Begins Capacity Restoration Services at Wake County Detention Center

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS Begins Capacity Restoration Services at Wake County Detention Center

    NCDHHS Begins Capacity Restoration Services at Wake County Detention Center
    jawerner

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office are partnering to offer additional services for defendants with mental illness whom the court has determined Incapable to Proceed (ITP) to trial. Building on the success of NC RISE in Mecklenburg and Pitt Counties, the program in Wake County is part of the department’s continued work to ensure the right behavioral health care is available at the right time for all North Carolinians. 

    People who are deemed ITP require services to restore their ability to understand and continue trial proceedings. The additional NC RISE program at the Wake County Detention Center will allow ITP criminal defendants who are not eligible to access community-based services to receive treatment within the detention center. 

    “By making capacity restoration services available in detention centers and communities, we are able to get people the care they need faster and moving through the judicial process more quickly,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “This effort builds on our existing work to improve capacity restoration in North Carolina and invest in health care strategies that break costly cycles where folks get stuck in the justice system.” 

    Before NCDHHS launched NC RISE and began piloting community-based programs for capacity restoration, these services were only available in North Carolina through state hospitals – even though many individuals who are ITP do not necessarily need the level of care offered in a hospital setting. By increasing options for capacity restoration in other settings, the department is working to provide people who are ITP with quicker access to services, while also keeping state psychiatric hospital beds available for those who require more intensive behavioral health treatment.  

    “This program provides our agency and community with a valuable tool to support individuals while also helping move cases through the court system more efficiently,” said Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe. “We’re committed to partnering with NCDHHS on a program that strengthens mental health care for defendants and supports the services of our criminal justice system and hospitals.”

    Early data indicate that since NC RISE launched at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center in December 2022, referrals to Broughton Hospital for individuals with ITP status have reduced by 60%. To date, 82% of defendants who participated in NC RISE have had their capacity restored to be able to move forward in the justice system. Additionally, the average time to restore capacity in the detention-based program is approximately 50 days, compared to more than 140 days when an individual receives these same services at a state psychiatric hospital.  

    The Mecklenburg County pilot was implemented by Recovery Solutions (formerly Wellpath Recovery Solutions), which will also operate and provide services for the new NC RISE program in the Wake County Detention Center. The program will offer an array of services, including psychiatric care, individual and group counseling, psychoeducation and targeted case management.  

    “Detention center-based capacity restoration programs are an innovative and cost-effective model for improving services for people who are ITP,” said Dr. Robert Cochrane, NCDHHS Director of Forensic Services for the Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities. “Results from NC RISE have been overwhelmingly positive and show we are meeting our goals to expand access to treatment options and decrease the strain on state psychiatric hospitals. We are excited to partner with Wake County to move this work forward.”

    NC RISE is funded in part by an unprecedented $835 million investment to support NCDHHS’ priority to transform behavioral health and resilience for North Carolina children and families. Of this investment, $99 million is committed to improving mental health services and outcomes for individuals involved in the justice system.  

    By continuing to expand service options for justice-involved individuals, NCDHHS aims to strengthen and improve capacity in both the legal and behavioral health systems to better meet the needs of all North Carolinians across the state. 

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte y la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Wake se han asociado para ofrecer servicios adicionales a los acusados con enfermedades mentales que el tribunal ha determinado que son incapaces de proceder (ITP) a juicio. Basándose en el éxito de NC RISE en los condados de Mecklenburg y Pitt, el programa en el condado de Wake es parte del trabajo continuo del departamento para garantizar que la atención de salud conductual adecuada esté disponible en el momento adecuado para todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte.

    Las personas que se consideran ITP requieren servicios para restaurar su capacidad de comprender y continuar los procedimientos del juicio. El programa adicional NC RISE en el Centro de Detención del Condado de Wake permitirá a los acusados de delitos considerados ITP que no son elegibles para acceder a los servicios comunitarios para recibir tratamiento dentro del centro de detención.

    “Al hacer que los servicios de restauración de la capacidad estén disponibles en los centros de detención y las comunidades, podemos brindar a las personas la atención que necesitan más rápido y avanzar más rápidamente en el proceso judicial”, dijo el secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, Dev Sangvai. “Este esfuerzo se basa en nuestro trabajo existente para mejorar la restauración de la capacidad en Carolina del Norte e invertir en estrategias de atención médica que rompan los costosos ciclos en los que las personas se quedan atrapadas en el sistema de justicia”.

    Antes de que NCDHHS lanzara NC RISE y comenzara a poner a prueba programas comunitarios para la restauración de la capacidad, estos servicios solo estaban disponibles en Carolina del Norte a través de hospitales estatales, aunque muchas personas que están incapacitadas a proceder (ITP) no necesariamente necesitan el nivel de atención que se ofrece en un entorno hospitalario. Al aumentar las opciones para la restauración de la capacidad en otros entornos, el departamento está trabajando para proporcionar a las personas que son ITP un acceso más rápido a los servicios, mientras mantiene las camas de hospitales psiquiátricos estatales disponibles para aquellos que requieren un tratamiento de salud conductual más intensivo.

    “Este programa proporciona a nuestra agencia y comunidad una herramienta valiosa para brindar apoyo a las personas, mientras tambien ayuda a agilizar el trámite de los casos dentro del sistema judicial”, señaló el alguacil del condado de Wake, Willie Rowe. “Estamos comprometidos a colaborar con el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte (NCDHHS, por sus siglas en inglés) en un programa que fortalezca la atención de salud mental para los acusados y respalde los servicios de nuestro sistema de justicia penal y los hospitales.”

    Los primeros datos indican que desde que NC RISE se lanzó en el Centro de Detención del Condado de Mecklenburg en diciembre de 2022, las remisiones al Hospital Broughton para personas consideradas ITP se han reducido en un 60%. Hasta la fecha, el 82% de los acusados que participaron en NC RISE han recuperado su capacidad para poder avanzar en el sistema de justicia. Además, el tiempo promedio para restablecer la capacidad en el programa basado en la detención es de aproximadamente 50 días, en comparación con más de 140 días cuando una persona recibe estos mismos servicios en un hospital psiquiátrico estatal.

    El programa piloto del Condado de Mecklenburg fue implementado por Recovery Solutions (anteriormente Wellpath Recovery Solutions), que también operará y proporcionará servicios para el nuevo programa NC RISE en el Centro de Detención del Condado de Wake. El programa ofrecerá una variedad de servicios, que incluyen atención psiquiátrica, asesoramiento individual y grupal, psicoeducación y gestión de casos específicos.

    “Los programas de restauración de la capacidad basados en centros de detención son un modelo innovador y asequible para mejorar los servicios para las personas consideradas ITP”, dijo el Dr. Robert Cochrane, director de Servicios Forenses de NCDHHS para la División de Centros de Salud Operados por el Estado. “Los resultados de NC RISE han sido inmensamente positivos y muestran que estamos cumpliendo nuestros objetivos de ampliar el acceso a las opciones de tratamiento y reducir la carga sobre los hospitales psiquiátricos estatales. Estamos entusiasmados de asociarnos con el condado de Wake para avanzar en este trabajo”.

    NC RISE está financiado en parte por una inversión sin precedentes de $835 millones para apoyar la prioridad de NCDHHS de transformar la salud del comportamiento y la resiliencia para los niños y las familias de Carolina del Norte. De esta inversión, $99 millones se comprometen a mejorar los servicios y resultados de salud mental para las personas involucradas en el sistema de justicia.

    Al continuar ampliando las opciones de servicio para las personas involucradas en la justicia, NCDHHS tiene como objetivo fortalecer y mejorar la capacidad tanto en los sistemas legales como de salud conductual para satisfacer mejor las necesidades de todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte en todo el estado.

    Apr 14, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Andover Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison for Possessing Over 30 Firearms and Explosives as a Convicted Felon

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A North Andover, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing over 30 firearms and explosives as a convicted felon.

    Daniel Medina, 65, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 63 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In December 2024, Medina pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machine gun, unlawful possession of explosive materials and felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sentencing is scheduled for April 3, 2025. In October 2024, Medina was charged by criminal complaint.

    On July 1, 2024, law enforcement was dispatched to the area of Medina’s North Andover residence after receiving a report of an explosion. Upon arrival, damage to two vehicles was observed as well as a piece of mail addressed to Medina beneath the damaged rear passenger door of one vehicle. The damage to the vehicles and materials left behind were consistent with common items used in manufacturing homemade explosive devices, specifically ball bearings or shrapnel. Witnesses observed Medina running from the damaged vehicles toward his residence following the explosion.

    During a search of Medina’s residence, the following items were seized: more than 32 firearms, including 12 rifles, 15 pistols, three shotguns and two antique firearms; 9,000 rounds of various calibers of modern ammunition manufactured outside of Massachusetts; 75 magazines for various caliber firearms; various firearm parts; a Glock switch device; books pertaining to the building of firearms and manufacturing of explosives and drugs; shrapnel accessories such as BB’s and ball bearings; multiple firework containers; and various containers of powders produced and shipped in interstate commerce.

    Potassium chlorate and aluminum powder – the same flash powder found in the suspected explosive material used in the explosion – were found in the containers.
     

    Medina is prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition and explosive material due to a 2002 state conviction of assault and battery in Lawrence District Court, for which he was sentenced to two and a half years in jail.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the North Andover Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Waterbury Gang Member Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JUSTIN CABRERA, also known as “J.U.,” 26, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 204 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses stemming from his participation in the 960 gang, a violent Waterbury street gang.

    Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang.  On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Cabrera and 15 other alleged 960 gang members with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder and assault, and obstruction of justice offenses.

    On October 31, 2017, four 960 members used a stolen car to carry out a drive-by shooting of members of ATM, a rival gang, at the corner of Bank Street and Porter Street in Waterbury.  An ATM member was shot and wounded in the attack.  Cabrera drove a second vehicle, or “trail car,” used in the shooting, conducted surveillance of ATM members prior to the shooting, and picked up the shooters after the event.

    Cabrera has been detained since September 16, 2021.  On September 16, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

    This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Waterbury Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Southington Police Department, Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the DEA Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo, who were cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter.

    This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

    PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Winter Haven Man Indicted For Narcotics And Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Dontavious Grant (31, Winter Haven) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on all counts, Grant faces a minimum penalty of five years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Grant that the United States intends to forfeit a Glock firearm used in the commission of the offense. 

    According to the indictment, on September 18, 2024, Grant possessed a Glock firearm knowing he had been convicted of multiple felonies, including robbery, attempted manslaughter, armed false imprisonment, attempted robbery, and a prior conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a convicted felon, Grant is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. On the same day, Grant also possessed marijuana with the intent to distribute it and his possession of the Glock firearm was in furtherance of that offense. 

    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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. 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).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Stealing Federal Benefits Meant for Missing Girlfriend’s Disabled Son and Violating Supervised Release

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 38 months in prison for stealing federal benefits meant for the disabled child of his former girlfriend shortly after she went missing, and for an additional 8 months in prison for violating supervised release, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Asmar Earp, 37, of Newark, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to three counts of an Indictment charging him with two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Earp was in a romantic relationship and shared a house in Newark, New Jersey with V.W.  Through a program administered by Social Security Administration, V.W. received monthly payments on behalf of Victim-1, her disabled minor son, who was not capable of managing these benefits on his own.  On December 24, 2017, V.W. went missing and her whereabouts remain unknown. Six days after V.W.’s disappearance, Earp fraudulently gained control of Victim-1’s benefits by changing the PIN code on the debit card used to access those funds.  In March and April 2018, Earp also fraudulently used V.W.’s name, date of birth, and social security number to receive a replacement debit card to continue accessing and using Victim-1’s benefits.  Overall, from December 2017 through February 2020, Earp and others acting at his direction repeatedly and fraudulently took the money intended to help Victim-1 and used it on themselves.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Amy Connelly, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the leadership of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, with the investigation that led to the sentencing in this case.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Rosenblum of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: Timothy Donahue, Assistant Federal Public Defender 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/CONGO RD – In war-torn Kivu the Bishop of Butembo-Beni urges the faithful not to lose faith

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – “We must never lose faith, whatever happens to us. Even when everything seems dark, God never abandons us,” urged Msgr. Melchisédech Sikuli Paluku, Bishop of Butembo-Beni, during Palm Sunday Mass.Msgr. Sikuli expressed his compassion for the often forgotten victims of the war in Kivu and called on Christians to become witnesses of hope, stating that “evil will not have the last word in history”.The area of Butembo and Beni in North Kivu (east of the Democratic Republic of Congo) is still in the hands of the Congolese government, after M23 rebels captured the provincial capital, Goma (see Fides, 27/1/2025).The war in North and South Kivu continues sowing death and destruction. At least 50 people died in Goma on the night of 11-12 April in a series of fighting that affected some neighbourhoods in the western part of the city.The M23 and the Congolese army (FARDC) accuse each other for the massacre of civilians. According to local sources, the fighting erupted when a group of Wazalendo (pro-government Congolese militiamen) attempted a raid to regain control of the city.The problem of the control of the Wazalendo militiamen is also felt in the neighbouring province of South Kivu, whose capital, Bukavu, was conquered by the M23 in mid-February (see Fides, 17/2/2025).According to a report sent to Fides by the local civil society association ACMEJ (Association against Evil and for the Management of Youth) in the areas of South Kivu not occupied by the M23, the inhabitants are worried by the indiscriminate shooting carried out by Wazalendo militiamen and government soldiers who have come to protect them from the rebels. The problem is especially felt in the Ruzizi and Uvira plains. “ACMEJ facilitators have contacted a number of sources in the Ruzizi and Uvira Plain: all of them say that firing by security forces or security officers must first be banned, while M23 and its allies and Rwandan soldiers have not yet arrived,” the report states. The shootings originate from disputes between the different forces that should be allies in fighting the M23. The ACMEJ makes two observations in this regard. The first is that there is a need to harmonize the different self-defence groups that have come to the area from other parts of the province. The second is that mutual mistrust between the defenders persists due to proven cases of defection especially among regular army soldiers in favour of the M23. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 14/4/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/MYANMAR – Palm Sunday and Holy Week among the rubble: “Christ is among the displaced”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Archdiocese of Mandalay

    Mandalay (Agenzia Fides) – In Mandalay, Palm Sunday was celebrated among the rubble “as a sign of resilience and Christian joy in the midst of devastation and suffering,” says Fr. John Kyaw Thu Ya, parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, a historic church in the municipality of Yamethin, in the diocese of Mandalay, completely destroyed by the earthquake of 28 March. The parish priest wanted to gather the community and celebrate the Eucharist right in front of the rubble of the church, as a sign of faith and hope: “The church has been destroyed, but the faith of the baptised is firm, it is like the house founded on the rock”. It was a touching moment in the parishes wounded by the earthquake. Outside the churches, the priests of Mandalay tell Fides, the rites of Holy Week will be celebrated. The celebration of the Palms, full of ‘hosannas’, joy and acclamation to the ‘King of kings’ was a moment in which the faithful, all displaced, were able to find themselves, gather and renew their faith in Christ, both in the diocese of Mandalay and in the other affected areas.As Fides learns, in the diocese of Myitkyina, capital of the state of Kachin, Bishop John Mung Ngawn La Sam, celebrated Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of St Columbun, encouraging the faithful “not to despair, not to seek the praise of men, but the will of God”. “Remember that the difficulties and adversities of today,” he said, “are the cross we bear with the Lord Jesus, who is a blessing”. “If we commit ourselves to walking according to God’s will, we receive the grace of victory with the Lord Jesus at Easter. Not only will we receive a hundredfold blessings on earth, but we will also receive heavenly treasures.” “Whenever we see and carry the cross,” he continued, “let us remember that the Lord Jesus is on the cross and that in the midst of our suffering, the Lord Jesus is always with us. Christ is with us in the midst of our suffering in Mandalay, Sagaing and the pain of war. The Lord Jesus is with the internally displaced persons suffering today”.In Yangon, an area less affected by the earthquake, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, during the celebration of the Eucharist on Palm Sunday in the cathedral, recalled that this celebration “expresses peace, joy, humility and hope”, inviting the faithful to “rejoice for the gift received from the Lord, salvation”.The Cardinal dwelt on the figure of the lamb, “a humble creature, obedient to God’s will: the people of Myanmar are called to take an example from that lamb,” he said. “Today, in a context of ‘polycrisis’ afflicting our country, we cry out to God and ask: why this suffering? Lord why do you not answer us? We do not know God’s times, his mysterious plans. However, we know by faith that God’s answer for us is the resurrection. We cling to Him amidst difficulties and uncertainty. We pray for unity and a future full of light”.Melvin Aung, a Catholic youth from St Augustine’s Church in Yangon recounts: “I went to church and prayed to the Lord Jesus that, as we raised our palms in remembrance of his entry into Jerusalem, he might enter into our lives, our hearts and our hopes. A light rain and a cool breeze made the moment of the Palm procession even more meaningful, as if nature itself joined in the peace of this holy day. We remembered in prayer all the people of Myanmar, tormented by struggles and difficulties. We prayed for peace and for the healing of our nation”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 14/4/2025)

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/LIBERIA – Medical support for people with disabilities or in situations of extreme poverty

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Monday, 14 April 2025

    SMA

    Foya (Agenzia Fides) – For some years now, the parish of St. John Vianney in Foya, a remote strip of land in Liberia, with the formation of a charitable group, has begun to support the medical expenses of those who are unable to do so, especially the disabled and people in extreme poverty. Fr. Lorenzo Snider, a priest of the Society of African Missions (SMA) has been taking care of the community for the past few years and has launched a project that provides, among other things, medical visits and basic medicines for people with physical disabilities or in extreme poverty; supplies of basic medicines for people with epileptic disorders and treatment for other mental illnesses; powdered milk and peanut paste for malnourished children; and support for emergency surgery.“From treatment for malaria, to infections, prenatal visits,” says the missionary, who is parish priest of St John Vianney. As we started to help, new scenarios opened up: people with epileptic seizures, unable to pay for their therapy of 20 cents a day, then malnourished children, due to the death of the mother because of post-natal problems or other situations. There are also those who present themselves to the parish with neglected sores due to poverty, which they have suffered perhaps for years or in some cases decades.”If all goes well, explains Fr. Snider, 500 people a year will benefit from this support at the Foya Health Centre, followed by the SMA fathers, (about 40 people a month), at the hospital in Borma or the one in Gueckedou (Guinea – the only centre with a good analysis laboratory); 20 people with epileptic disorders, 20 families with malnourished children. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 14/4/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/BRAZIL – Nazareno Lanciotti, missionary and martyr, will be proclaimed Blessed

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Monday, 14 April 2025

    Diocese de São Luiz de Cáceres

    São Paulo (Agenzia Fides) – “We have come to kill you because you bother us too much.” These were the last words Father Nazareno Lanciotti heard before he was shot dead in his rectory in Jauru, in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, in February 2001. Twenty-four years later, Pope Francis, during an audience with the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, recognized his martyrdom.The missionary of Roman origin, who for thirty years dedicated himself to proclaiming the Gospel in the forests and poorest regions of Brazil, and especially to protecting young people from the forms of slavery inflicted on them by pimps and drug traffickers, will therefore be proclaimed blessed.Ordained a priest on June 29, 1966, at the age of 26, he held various pastoral roles in several parishes in Rome for five years. In 1972, after discovering Operation Mato Grosso, he chose, along with other young Italians, to dedicate himself to the mission. He left for South America and was entrusted with the care of the parish of Jauru, in the young diocese of Caceres, located in western Brazil, on the border with Bolivia.”A difficult reality,” as Father Enzo Gabrieli, postulator of the cause for canonization of Father Lanciotti, told Fides (see Fides, 22/3/2021), because it was “made up of many communities scattered in the forest.” He did not lose heart and on the back of a mule he reached what would become, thanks to his passion and faith, a garden city around the parish church of Our Lady of Pilar. His deep devotion to the Virgin Mary, the centrality of the Eucharist in his missionary work, and his devotion to the Pope were at the origin of his work in Jauru, which quickly became the center of diocesan activities.Among his first actions, Father Nazareno decided to build a sanatorium: Jauru was a very poor village, and the missionary noticed that many mothers died during childbirth and many children lost their lives due to common illnesses. The nearest hospital was 200 kilometers away, but over time, this sanatorium became a true Catholic hospital that today operates within the national network.To caring for the body, Father Nazareno added care for the spirit, beginning the construction of a parish center and several chapels in the forest (he built about 40 in total) to assist the many faithful scattered throughout the villages. Next to the parish church, several “peripheral cells” were created where prayers were held (and still are held today) every day, even in the missionary’s absence.In 1987, he joined the Marian Movement of Priests and was appointed its national Director for Brazil the following year. In this capacity, he made frequent trips throughout Brazil to organize prayer cenacles with the Priests and families of the Movement.In addition to building a home for the elderly, a school for younger people, and a minor Seminary (where the first ten local vocations were born), Lanciotti worked to curb the drug trade and prostitution. When the authorities decided to build a new dam to meet electricity needs, workers from all over Brazil and neighboring Bolivia flocked to the area. Drug and prostitution outlets proliferated. Every Saturday evening, he organized activities to entertain the young people and warn them of the dangers: “Eucharistic adoration, the rosary, and devotion to the Virgin will save you.” These were words he also addressed to the workers who traveled daily to the dam construction site, passing through areas where drug traffickers ruled.During those years, as the website of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints states, “strong tensions arose among members of a Masonic lodge, opposed to Father Nazareno’s actions.”He had also met with his young people on the afternoon of February 11, when he was killed in odium fidei. He was aware of the danger he was facing, and that evening, as it was raining, he said: “These are the tears of Heaven for me.” In one passage, with a veil of sadness, almost of premonition, he said to those who were with him: “When you look for me, you will always find me at the foot of the tabernacle.” And that is precisely where he was buried after his death.The martyrdom took place shortly after 9 p.m., when two men with covered faces burst into the rectory where the missionary was dining with his collaborators and some guests. Pointing a gun at those present, they demanded money and asked where the safe was. They threatened everyone to stage a robbery gone wrong. Father Nazareno reassured them; he had offered to help, and those present had laid everything they had on them on the table. But the killers had only one goal.They themselves revealed that they had been sent by certain local figures who were annoyed by the actions of the Church and the missionary. They staged a game of Russian roulette, but the bullet exploded against Father Nazareno by surprise.The two killers fled, leaving the money on the table. The local police, whose headquarters were a few hundred meters from the rectory, did not arrive on the scene until the next day. Father Lanciotti was first taken to the hospital in Cuiabá, then to the Syro-Lebanese Hospital in São Paulo, where he died on February 22, 2001, at the age of 61.His last words were to forgive his killers. It was around 6:00 a.m. on February 22, 2001, when Father Nazareno Lanciotti died after ten days of agony. His murder, far from being an unsuccessful robbery, “proves to have been premeditated. There was a perverse system in place prior to the murder, to which his pastoral work was hindering,” states the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, according to which “his murder immediately benefited from a solid and widespread reputation as a martyr, as well as a clear reputation for signs.” (FB) (Agenzia Fides, 14/4/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI: DIAGNOS Provides Additional Information on Amendment to Convertible Debentures

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BROSSARD, Quebec, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diagnos Inc. (“DIAGNOS” or the “Corporation”) (TSX Venture: ADK, OTCQB: DGNOF, FWB: 4D4A), a pioneer in early detection of certain ophthalmic health issues using advanced technology based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), wishes to provide additional information to the February 28, 2025 announcement on amendment to convertible debentures.

    One insider of the Corporation, Mr. André Larente, is the beneficial owner of 2 convertible debentures being amended for a nominal aggregate value of $20,000. Assuming the conversion of the convertible debentures owned by him and exercise of all of his outstanding securities, Mr. Larente would own 2,188,115 Common Shares of the Corporation representing 2.15% of the total issued Common Shares, on a partially diluted basis. Mr. Larente is considered a “related party” of the Corporation within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”). The amendment to convertible debentures is exempt from the valuation requirement and the minority approval requirement prescribed in MI 61-101, based on sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), as the fair market value of the related party participation in the amendment to convertible debentures does not exceed 25% of the Corporation’s current market capitalization. The board of directors of the Corporation has reviewed and approved the amendment to convertible debentures to ensure that it was in the best interest of DIAGNOS and its shareholders.

    The amendment to convertible debentures remains subject to the TSX Venture Exchange acceptance as well as execution of formal documentation. All monies quoted in this press release shall be stated and paid in lawful money of Canada.

    About DIAGNOS
    DIAGNOS is a publicly traded Canadian corporation dedicated to early detection of critical eye-related health problems. By leveraging Artificial Intelligence, DIAGNOS aims to provide more information to healthcare clinicians to enhance diagnostic accuracy, streamline workflows, and improve patient outcomes on a global scale.

    Additional information is available at www.diagnos.com  and www.sedarplus.com.

    This news release contains forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these statements. DIAGNOS disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 04.14.2025 Sen. Cruz Resolution Rescinding Biden-Harris Appliance Regulation Passes Senate, Proceeds to President Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued a statement after the Senate passed his Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind an appliance regulation on water heaters, which was imposed by the Biden-Harris administration in December 2024, and which if left in place would have increased costs and limited the consumer choice of everyday Texans and Americans across the country.
    Sen. Cruz said, “The Biden-Harris administration knew they were increasing costs on Americans and they didn’t care. Their rule would have forced Americans to either pay hundreds of dollars more for efficient water heaters or purchase less efficient models. I applaud Congress for passing my resolution rescinding this rule, and when the President signs it in the coming days it will restore fairness, consumer choice, and affordability to the American people.”
    This bill is endorsed by National Federation of Independent Business and the American Public Gas Association.
    Adam Temple, NFIB Senior Vice President for Advocacy said, “Small businesses believe that consumers and business owners should have the freedom to decide which product works best for their specific needs, no matter what fuel source the product uses. Unfortunately, DOE finalized a rule that would set new arbitrary energy efficiency standards for natural gas-fired water heaters that would effectively ban more affordable appliance options for consumers and small businesses, such as tankless water heaters. As small businesses continue to list inflation as a significant problem, regulations restricting or banning common household appliances will only increase costs for small businesses.”
    Dave Schryver, President and CEO for the American Public Gas Association said, “The American Public Gas Association (APGA) commends Senator Cruz and colleagues for taking decisive action to challenge a deeply flawed rulemaking dating back to the Biden Administration, which imposes new minimum efficiency standards for Gas Instantaneous Water Heaters. This rule would have effectively eliminated an entire class of affordable, reliable, and efficient appliances from the market, driving unnecessary and costly fuel switching. APGA believes that Americans should have the freedom to choose the appliances that best meet their household needs and budgets.” 
    BACKGROUND
    Industry experts estimate that the Biden-Harris rule would have added $450-$665 to the cost of each affected water heater, and that beyond the initial increased cost, forty percent of Americans directly affected by the rule would have also seen a net cost increase over the life of the appliance. Sen. Cruz introduced this CRA to repeal the rule in January.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, King, Bipartisan Group Introduce Bill to Expand Telehealth Access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Angus King, and a bipartisan group of 58 senators introduced legislation to expand telehealth access in Maine and across the country. The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act would permanently expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors. Current flexibilities are set to expire on September 30 unless Congress approves the extension.
    “One fifth of the U.S. population resides in rural or medically underserved communities where access to virtual care is vital, allowing patients to receive necessary care from the comfort and safety of their homes,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation will permanently remove barriers to telehealth and ensure that more Americans can efficiently and safely connect with their health care providers.”
    “As one of the most rural states in the nation, Maine people already face many challenges when accessing affordable, quality healthcare,” said Senator King. “The bipartisan CONNECT for Health Act would ensure that telehealth – which so many rural Maine people rely on – remains available for the foreseeable future. I am happy to work with all of my colleagues on common sense legislation that keeps Maine people living healthier lives.”
    Specifically, the CONNECT for Health Act would:
    Permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to the location of the patient, including homes;
    Permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services;
    Allow more eligible health care professionals to utilize telehealth services;
    Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirement for telemental health services;
    Allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and
    Require more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care, and how it can be improved to support patients and health care providers.
    The CONNECT for Health Act was first introduced in 2016 and is considered the most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress. Since 2016, several provisions of the bill have been enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including provisions to remove restrictions on telehealth services for mental health, stroke care, and home dialysis.
    The bill has the support of more than 150 organizations including the American Medical Association, AARP, American Hospital Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, and American Telemedicine Association.
    In addition to Senators Collins and King, the bill was introduced by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Mark Warner (D-VA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Peter Welch (D-VT), John Barrasso (R-WY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Thune (R-SD), Tina Smith (D-MN), James Lankford (R-OK), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Fetterman (D-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jim Justice (R-WV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Todd Young (R-IN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Gary Peters (D-MI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Steve Daines (R-MT), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and John Boozman (R-AR).
    The full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Push VA to Build Roseburg Veterans’ Home

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    April 14, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), are calling on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prioritize funding for the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) proposed Roseburg Veterans’ Home project.
    Currently, ODVA operates two high-quality, award-winning Oregon Veterans’ Homes: the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles, a 151-bed skilled nursing facility, and the Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home in Lebanon, a 154-bed assisted living facility. These facilities provide skilled and long-term nursing, memory, and rehabilitative care to veterans, their spouses, and Gold Star parents, allowing veterans to live in a culture of community with fellow veterans and those with shared military experiences. The lawmakers are urging VA Secretary Collins to support the Roseburg Veterans’ Home project to expand this model of small home care to more veterans in the state.
    “Since 2011, ODVA has worked closely with the VA to develop this critical project to serve veterans in southern Oregon — and the time to build the Roseburg Veterans’ Home is now,” the lawmakers said.
    Roseburg has a sizable veteran population, with current estimates suggesting that Douglas County is home to over 10,000 veterans, many of whom served in the Vietnam War era or earlier. A new facility in the community would provide an affordable, high-quality, long-term care option for the estimated 68,000 veterans across the VA Southern Oregon Healthcare System service area which includes Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, and Lake counties in Oregon as well as Siskiyou and Del Norte counties in California.
    The Oregon lawmakers have long supported the Roseburg State Veterans’ Home project, which remains in the preliminary stages of preconstruction. Currently, the project has secured the required 35 percent funding commitment from the State of Oregon to qualify for federal funding from the VA. With Oregon doing its part to make the long-awaited project a reality, Merkley, Wyden, and Hoyle are urging the VA to do the same. They are calling for Secretary Collins to commit the remaining 65 percent in federal funds in FY25. Additionally, they are encouraging the VA to prioritize the transfer of the more than 13 acres identified for this project on the Roseburg VA Medical Center campus to the ODVA.
    “Veterans have served our country with tremendous courage and sacrifice. We owe them the highest standard of care and services our nation has to offer,” the lawmakers said.
    Full text of the letter can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Expand Child Care Relief to Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    To alleviate childcare costs for working families, Murray, Smith, Shaheen, Warnock, and Wyden introduce Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act to permanently expand child care tax credits
    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), and Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act, legislation to help more working families cover a greater share of the high cost of child care.
    The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act would permanently expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC). This bill would help ease the burden of high childcare costs on working families by increasing the maximum tax credit to $4,000 per child, allowing families to receive up to $8,000 in tax credits to offset up to $16,000 in expenses. It would also make the credit refundable to ensure low-income working families can benefit. The credit would also be indexed to inflation to retain its value over time.
    “Instead of addressing the growing child care crisis, Trump is indiscriminately firing the very workers who help child care and Head Start centers keep their doors open—making child care more expensive and harder to get for working parents,” said Senator Murray. “While Trump raises families costs by nearly $4000 a year and pushes child care even farther out of reach, my Democratic colleagues and I are continuing to fight to lower families’ costs in every possible way, and I am proud to reintroduce the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act as one additional way to help get families some additional relief to afford the child care they need.”
    “I constantly hear from families in Minnesota who are struggling with the high cost of childcare. For some, it rivals mortgages and is even higher than tuition at the University of Minnesota. Families need real relief and this bill will lower costs and put more money back into the pockets of parents,” said Senator Smith. “When childcare works, everything else does, too—families thrive, the economy grows, and our communities get stronger. That’s why I’m committed to fighting to lower costs and improve access to childcare.”
    “No matter where I go in New Hampshire, families tell me about how much they struggle to access affordable child care,” said Senator Shaheen. “The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit is a proven and effective tool for bringing quality, affordable child care within reach for more families. Expanding this credit to keep up with the rising cost of child care is the right thing to do for workers, families and our nation’s economy.”
    “American families have to deal with hefty expenses when raising a child or caring for a loved one. That’s why the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act is so crucial, especially right now,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “It will help parents and caregivers afford caretaking costs in a time when margins are tight for many families across the country. Tax cuts should go to hardworking Americans, not the wealthiest people in the nation.”
    “The cost of raising a family in this country is already way too high, and it’s getting even more expensive as Trump’s global tariffs jack up the cost of food, cars and products families use every day,” said SenatorWyden. “This proposal is a commonsense, pro-family policy aimed at helping parents and people caring for loved ones, and it’s striking that this kind of bill is nowhere to be found in the Republican tax agenda that costs a staggering $7 trillion. Trump and Republicans are locked in on giving trillions in new handouts to corporations and the wealthy and sticking everybody else with the bill, but pro-family proposals like this one prove that there’s a better way forward.”
    The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act would:
    Increase the maximum credit amount to $4,000 per child, allowing families to receive up to $8,000 in tax credits to offset up to $16,000 in expenses;
    Automatically adjust it to keep pace with inflation;
    Save money by phasing out the credit for families making more than $400,000; and
    Ensure low-income families can benefit from the tax credit by making it refundable.
    Senator Murray has led the fight to tackle the child care crisis in Congress. She was instrumental in ensuring Congress took action when the COVID pandemic forced the child care sector to the brink of collapse. She authored the stabilization provisions in the American Rescue Plan alongside Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) and helped secure a historic $24 billion in stabilization funds and an additional $15 billion for CCDBG in the legislation. One third of child care providers who received a stabilization grant said their child care program would have closed permanently without the grants. She introduced legislation and pushed to extend the stabilization grants—and has continued to push to deliver supplemental funding to address the child care crisis, particularly given the tight fiscal constraints the Fiscal Responsibility Act has imposed on annual appropriations. Critically, Senator Murray has introduced and continues working to build the support needed to pass her Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to tackle the child care crisis and ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need.
    In addition to Senators Murray, Smith, Shaheen, Warnock, and Wyden, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act is cosponsored by Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
    The bill is also endorsed by the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Child Care Aware of America, Save the Children, First Focus Campaign for Children, First Five Years Fund, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Moms Rising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Zero to Three, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC).
    Read more about the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Budget Proposal to Fully Eliminate Head Start

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    New reporting shows the Trump administration is considering proposing to eliminate Head Start altogether—a key goal of Project 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), responded to new reporting that President Trump is considering proposing to zero out funding for Head Start in his forthcoming budget request—a goal proposed in Project 2025, which would cut off essential services and early childhood educational opportunities for hundreds of thousands of families nationwide.
    “While families feel the crunch with a worsening child care crisis and much higher daily costs thanks to Trump’s tariffs, President Trump wants to eliminate Head Start and kick hundreds of thousands of kids out of the classroom, fire teachers, and make child care and early learning more expensive and less safe.
    “This administration believes we cannot afford to help families get preschool or help kids get basic health services, but we can afford trillions of dollars more in tax breaks for billionaires. It’s offensive and just plain wrong, and let me be clear: Democrats won’t let a proposal like this go anywhere in Congress. But that doesn’t mean Head Start and so many other programs aren’t under grave threat—because Trump has proven he’ll ignore our laws and do whatever he can to break these programs on his own. Trump has already tried illegally blocking funding for Head Start earlier this year, and programs across the country continued having problems accessing their funding long after his administration promised everything was fine. He has already fired the very people who keep Head Start running with no plan in place to ensure hundreds of thousands of families will keep getting the care they count on, so it’s on every one of us to keep speaking out and opposing this administration’s anti-family, pro-billionaire agenda.”
    Head Start currently serves over 750,000 kids nationwide, and the program has served nearly 40 million children and their families nationwide since its inception in 1965. There are over 17,000 Head Start centers nationwide that help kids and families thrive, and these centers are particularly important in serving rural communities with fewer options for care.
    Since taking office, President Trump has gutted the offices that keep Head Start centers and child care programs across the country running. In late February, the Trump administration fired scores of staff at the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care. Earlier this month, Trump continued to hollow out HHS, including by shuttering half of the regional offices at the Office of Head Start, which are responsible for ensuring high-quality Head Start services are available to families nationwide. The Trump administration has failed to articulate how it will ensure that uninterrupted services are available to families and that appropriate oversight will be carried out despite gutting the very offices charged with these responsibilities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. DeGette Pens Op-Ed for Washington Post: “This is a crisis for American public health.”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

    Washington Post: The Trump-Kennedy cuts at NIH will crush our leadership in biomedicine.

    When Donald Trump accepted the 2024 GOP nomination for president, he included in his speech the importance of American leadership in biomedical innovation. “We’re going to get to the cure for cancer and Alzheimer’s and so many other things,” he said. “We’re so close to doing something great. But we need a leader that will let it be done.”

    Trump is failing to be that leader. In late March, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a U.S. DOGE Service directed restructuring of HHS, which included firing 10,000 staff and combining vital agencies. The men and women fired included staff who support research into groundbreaking cures and treatments.

    Eliminating such a large portion of the HHS workforce will put the lives of millions of Americans at risk as lifesaving cures and treatments are pushed further into the future and public health takes a back seat to personal grievance and paranoia.

    As the authors of the 21st Century Cures Act, adopted by Congress in 2016, we are mortified at these extreme actions and what they will do to the future of American biomedical innovation.

    America did not get to be a world leader in biomedical research by accident. When we were crafting that law, we sat down with Francis Collins, then the director of the National Institutes of Health, and asked him what he needed to propel biomedical research forward and speed up the development of new treatments and cures.

    Together, a Democrat and a Republican, we authored and enacted the bill, passing through the House by a vote of 392-26 and through the Senate by a vote of 94-5 in 2016. The measure strengthened the NIH, spurred innovation and set the stage for lifesaving medical breakthroughs.

    Yet, today, the NIH has been paralyzed. Grant awards slowed dramatically in part because advisory councils had been frozen for months, and many critical grants to research institutions have been canceled.

    Even worse, the Trump administration is firing thousands across HHS, causing chaos and confusion as researchers are reportedly waiting for the email that says they no longer have a job. They are forcing out highly respected leaders like Peter Marks, one of the top vaccine officials at HHS. His resignation letter speaks for itself: “I was willing to work to address the Secretary’s concerns regarding vaccine safety and transparency. … However, it has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.”

    Kennedy is making clear that he does not trust the science, and that is going to ruin our ability to lead in biomedical research.

    Critical research on the next frontier of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes is being canceled. PhD programs are rescinding offers of admission because of uncertainty. And the pipeline of young, brilliant scientists — our next generation of biomedical pioneers — is in jeopardy.

    This is a crisis for American public health. From 2010 to 2019, NIH funding contributed to 354 out of 356 new drug approvals. NIH-supported research has driven progress in cancer treatments, Type 1 diabetes management and countless other medical breakthroughs that have improved and saved lives.

    Without a strong NIH, the biopharmaceutical industry stagnates, medical advancements stall and the United States risks falling behind in the race for the next generation of treatments and cures. That is why we call on Trump, Kennedy and newly confirmed NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya to take direction from the president’s 2024 own nomination speech.

    The price of the administration’s action is already adding up. Just recently, NIH scientists published a new paper on a breakthrough toward using a patient’s own cells to combat gastrointestinal cancers. However, that work is in jeopardy because layoffs hit the NIH the same day that paper was published.

    Also caught in the layoffs at HHS are those responsible for research into cures and treatments for Alzheimer’s. Reducing federal funding for this research is going to delay lifesaving cures and reduce hope for the Americans living with Alzheimer’s and their families who care for them.

    We need leaders who recognize the value of the NIH and the minds who fuel our biomedical research. All of us — research institutions, industry, congressional leaders and patients — should support the lifesaving work done by the NIH and by American scientists and researchers.

    Bhattacharya and Kennedy have a choice. They can set aside past grievances and political disputes to ensure that the U.S. remains the world’s premier biomedical research center. Or they can follow misguided beliefs and allow paralysis and division to imperil America’s advantage in science and research. 

    Diana DeGette, a Democrat, represents Colorado’s 1st Congressional District in the House. Fred Upton is a former Republican congressman from Michigan. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Prepares Second Asteroid Encounter

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s Lucy spacecraft is 6 days and less than 50 million miles (80 million km) away from its second close encounter with an asteroid; this time, the small main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson.

    [embedded content]
    Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio.NASA/Dan Gallagher

    This upcoming event represents a comprehensive “dress rehearsal” for Lucy’s main mission over the next decade: the exploration of multiple Trojan asteroids that share Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun. Lucy’s first asteroid encounter – a flyby of the tiny main belt asteroid Dinkinesh and its satellite, Selam, on Nov. 1, 2023 – provided the team with an opportunity for a systems test that they will be building on during the upcoming flyby.
    Lucy’s closest approach to Donaldjohanson will occur at 1:51pm EDT on April 20, at a distance of 596 miles (960 km). About 30 minutes before closest approach, Lucy will orient itself to track the asteroid, during which its high-gain antenna will turn away from Earth, suspending communication. Guided by its terminal tracking system, Lucy will autonomously rotate to keep Donaldjohanson in view. As it does this, Lucy will carry out a more complicated observing sequence than was used at Dinkinesh. All three science instruments – the high-resolution greyscale imager called L’LORRI, the color imager and infrared spectrometer called L’Ralph, and the far infrared spectrometer called L’TES – will carry out observation sequences very similar to the ones that will occur at the Trojan asteroids.
    However, unlike with Dinkinesh, Lucy will stop tracking Donaldjohanson 40 seconds before the closest approach to protect its sensitive instruments from intense sunlight.
    “If you were sitting on the asteroid watching the Lucy spacecraft approaching, you would have to shield your eyes staring at the Sun while waiting for Lucy to emerge from the glare. After Lucy passes the asteroid, the positions will be reversed, so we have to shield the instruments in the same way,” said encounter phase lead Michael Vincent of Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado. “These instruments are designed to photograph objects illuminated by sunlight 25 times dimmer than at Earth, so looking toward the Sun could damage our cameras.” 
    Fortunately, this is the only one of Lucy’s seven asteroid encounters with this challenging geometry. During the Trojan encounters, as with Dinkinesh, the spacecraft will be able to collect data throughout the entire encounter.
    After closest approach, the spacecraft will “pitch back,” reorienting its solar arrays back toward the Sun. Approximately an hour later, the spacecraft will re-establish communication with Earth.
    “One of the weird things to wrap your brain around with these deep space missions is how slow the speed of light is,” continued Vincent. “Lucy is 12.5 light minutes away from Earth, meaning it takes that long for any signal we send to reach the spacecraft. Then it takes another 12.5 minutes before we get Lucy’s response telling us we were heard. So, when we command the data playback after closest approach, it takes 25 minutes from when we ask to see the pictures before we get any of them to the ground.”
    Once the spacecraft’s health is confirmed, engineers will command Lucy to transmit the science data from the encounter back to Earth, which is a process that will take several days.
    Donaldjohanson is a fragment from a collision 150 million years ago, making it one of the youngest main belt asteroids ever visited by a spacecraft. 
    “Every asteroid has a different story to tell, and these stories weave together to paint the history of our solar system,” said Tom Statler, Lucy mission program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The fact that each new asteroid we visit knocks our socks off means we’re only beginning to understand the depth and richness of that history. Telescopic observations are hinting that Donaldjohanson is going to have an interesting story, and I’m fully expecting to be surprised – again.”
    NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, designed and built the L’Ralph instrument and provides overall mission management, systems engineering and safety and mission assurance for Lucy. Hal Levison of SwRI’s office in Boulder, Colorado, is the principal investigator. SwRI, headquartered in San Antonio, also leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft, designed the original orbital trajectory and provides flight operations. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace are responsible for navigating the Lucy spacecraft. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, designed and built the L’LORRI (Lucy Long Range Reconnaissance Imager) instrument. Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, designed and build the L’TES (Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer) instrument. Lucy is the thirteenth mission in NASA’s Discovery Program, which is managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
    By Katherine Kretke, Southwest Research Institute
    Media Contact:Karen Fox / Molly WasserHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
    Nancy N. JonesNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Don Pettit, Crewmates Return

    Source: NASA

    NASA astronaut Don Pettit, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, will depart the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft and return to Earth on Saturday, April 19.
    Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner will undock from the orbiting laboratory’s Rassvet module at 5:57 p.m. EDT, heading for a parachute-assisted landing at 9:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m. Kazakhstan time, Sunday, April 20) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan. Landing will occur on Pettit’s 70th birthday.
    NASA’s live coverage of return and related activities will stream on NASA+. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms.
    A change of command ceremony also will stream on NASA platforms at 2:40 p.m. Friday, April 18. Ovchinin will handover station command to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi for Expedition 73, which begins at the time of undocking.
    Spanning 220 days in space, Pettit and his crewmates will have orbited the Earth 3,520 times and completed a journey of 93.3 million miles over the course of their mission. The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft launched and docked to the station on Sept. 11, 2024.
    This was Pettit’s fourth spaceflight, where he served as flight engineer for Expedition 71 and 72. He has a career total of 590 days in orbit. Ovchinin completed his fourth flight in space, totaling 595 days, and Vagner has earned an overall total of 416 days in space during two trips to the orbiting laboratory.
    After returning to Earth, the three crew members will fly on a helicopter from the landing site to the recovery staging city of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Pettit will board a NASA plane and return to Houston, while Ovchinin and Vagner will depart for a training base in Star City, Russia.
    NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to changed based on real-time operations):
    Friday, April 18:
    2:40 p.m. – Expedition 72/73 change of command ceremony begins on NASA+.
    Saturday, April 19:
    2 p.m. – Farewells and hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+.
    2:25 p.m. – Hatch closing
    5:30 p.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+.
    5:57 p.m. – Undocking
    8 p.m. – Coverage begins for deorbit burn, entry, and landing on NASA+. 
    8:26 p.m. – Deorbit burn
    9:20 p.m. – Landing
    For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge, and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing more resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of Artemis in preparation for future human missions to Mars.
    Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/station
    -end-
    Claire O’Shea / Josh FinchHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
    Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: With NASA’s Webb, Dying Star’s Energetic Display Comes Into Full Focus

    Source: NASA

    Gas and dust ejected by a dying star at the heart of NGC 1514 came into complete focus thanks to mid-infrared data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Its rings, which are only detected in infrared light, now look like “fuzzy” clumps arranged in tangled patterns, and a network of clearer holes close to the central stars shows where faster material punched through.
    “Before Webb, we weren’t able to detect most of this material, let alone observe it so clearly,” said Mike Ressler, a researcher and project scientist for Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California. He discovered the rings around NGC 1514 in 2010 when he examined the image from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). “With MIRI’s data, we can now comprehensively examine the turbulent nature of this nebula,” he said.
    This scene has been forming for at least 4,000 years — and will continue to change over many more millennia. At the center are two stars that appear as one in Webb’s observation, and are set off with brilliant diffraction spikes. The stars follow a tight, elongated nine-year orbit and are draped in an arc of dust represented in orange.
    One of these stars, which used to be several times more massive than our Sun, took the lead role in producing this scene. “As it evolved, it puffed up, throwing off layers of gas and dust in in a very slow, dense stellar wind,” said David Jones, a senior scientist at the Institute of Astrophysics on the Canary Islands, who proved there is a binary star system at the center in 2017.
    Once the star’s outer layers were expelled, only its hot, compact core remained. As a white dwarf star, its winds both sped up and weakened, which might have swept up material into thin shells.

    Webb’s observations show the nebula is tilted at a 60-degree angle, which makes it look like a can is being poured, but it’s far more likely that NGC 1514 takes the shape of an hourglass with the ends lopped off. Look for hints of its pinched waist near top left and bottom right, where the dust is orange and drifts into shallow V-shapes.
    What might explain these contours? “When this star was at its peak of losing material, the companion could have gotten very, very close,” Jones said. “That interaction can lead to shapes that you wouldn’t expect. Instead of producing a sphere, this interaction might have formed these rings.”
    Though the outline of NGC 1514 is clearest, the hourglass also has “sides” that are part of its three-dimensional shape. Look for the dim, semi-transparent orange clouds between its rings that give the nebula body.

    The nebula’s two rings are unevenly illuminated in Webb’s observations, appearing more diffuse at bottom left and top right. They also look fuzzy, or textured. “We think the rings are primarily made up of very small dust grains,” Ressler said. “When those grains are hit by ultraviolet light from the white dwarf star, they heat up ever so slightly, which we think makes them just warm enough to be detected by Webb in mid-infrared light.”
    In addition to dust, the telescope also revealed oxygen in its clumpy pink center, particularly at the edges of the bubbles or holes.
    NGC 1514 is also notable for what is absent. Carbon and more complex versions of it, smoke-like material known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are common in planetary nebulae (expanding shells of glowing gas expelled by stars late in their lives). Neither were detected in NGC 1514. More complex molecules might not have had time to form due to the orbit of the two central stars, which mixed up the ejected material. A simpler composition also means that the light from both stars reaches much farther, which is why we see the faint, cloud-like rings.
    What about the bright blue star to the lower left with slightly smaller diffraction spikes than the central stars? It’s not part of this nebula. In fact, this star lies closer to us.
    This planetary nebula has been studied by astronomers since the late 1700s. Astronomer William Herschel noted in 1790 that NGC 1514 was the first deep sky object to appear genuinely cloudy — he could not resolve what he saw into individual stars within a cluster, like other objects he cataloged. With Webb, our view is considerably clearer.
    NGC 1514 lies in the Taurus constellation approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth.
    The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.
    To learn more about Webb, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/webb
    Downloads
    Click any image to open a larger version.
    View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

    Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.govNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
    Claire Blome – cblome@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
    Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

    Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL)

    Read more about other planetary nebulae
    Watch: ViewSpace video about planetary nebulae
    View images of other planetary nebulae on AstroPix
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Inmate Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy While Serving Time for Prior Drug Cases

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – A man serving twenty years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for several prior drug offenses was sentenced today for federal Drug Conspiracy charges, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

    U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Shane Eugene Miller, 39, to 252 months followed by five years of supervised release.

    “Miller ran an extensive drug conspiracy from prison with the aid of contraband cell phones and other co-conspirators,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.  “The use of a contraband cellphone by prisoners cannot be tolerated.  The actions of Miller threatened our communities with dangerous narcotics.  My office, in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, will continue to prosecute individuals who deal drugs, whether they are in prison or out.”

    “This investigation demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to ensuring those who pollute our communities with dangerous drugs are brought to justice,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “We will continue to work side by side with our law enforcement partners to dismantle criminal enterprises, regardless of where they operate.”

    Miller conspired with others to operate a drug conspiracy while in custody at the Department of Corrections. Court documents show that Miller used contraband cellphones to communicate about the drug distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Miller further directed others to negotiate with buyers and collect payments. 

    Brenda Raelene Blakeley, 65, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced in March 2025 for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Judge Hill ordered Blakeley to 235 months imprisonment, followed by five years supervised release. Blakely was stopped by law enforcement in 2023. Officers found methamphetamine concealed in the vehicle.

    Cierra Michelle Warner, 32, of Ponca City, was sentenced in March 2025 for Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony. Judge Hill ordered Warner to 24 months imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release. Warner helped communicate with co-conspirators to coordinate the distribution of fentanyl.

    Johnathan Allen Perryman, 43, pleaded guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl and is awaiting sentencing.

    Miller will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    The FBI, the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey, Attila Bogdan, and Joel-lyn McCormick prosecuted the case.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: ‘Kilo Weight Dealer’ Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE – A Massachusetts man described in court documents as being a “kilo weight dealer” of cocaine has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Juan Betancourt Sosa, 29, pleaded guilty on October 16, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 70 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release.

    At the time of his guilty plea, Betancourt admitted that he was a source of supply of cocaine to a person who was providing kilograms of cocaine to a Rhode Island-based conspiracy that trafficked crack cocaine and fentanyl.

    According to information presented to the court, Betancourt supplied at least six kilograms of cocaine to a person who then delivered the drugs to the leader of the conspiracy. At the time of his arrest, two kilos of cocaine were found inside the trunk of a car in which Betancourt was traveling.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey A. Erickson .

    The matter was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, DEA, and Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service and East Providence Police Department.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pike County Man Sentenced to 30 Years’ Imprisonment for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Anthony Westemeyer, 37, of Nebo, Illinois, was sentenced on April 9, 2025, to 30 years’ imprisonment for sexual exploitation of a child. The term of imprisonment is to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release.

    At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Westemeyer created a coercive environment of physical and emotional abuse. He forced the minor victim, through threats of violence, into engaging in sexual acts while he filmed the victim. Westemeyer provided compensation to other men, including two co-defendants, in exchange for their participation in sexual acts with the minor victim; some of these men knew they were being filmed and others did not. Westemeyer became verbally and physically abusive if the minor victim was not successful in filming the videos – even if it was one of the men who ended the contact. The government also presented evidence at sentencing that Westemeyer provided methamphetamine to others to entice them to or compensate them for engaging in sexual activity with the minor victim. He also provided methamphetamine to the minor victim.

    Also at the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless found that multiple sentencing enhancements applied including one based on Westemeyer’s role as the leader of the offense and another based on the fact that the minor victim was in Westemeyer’s custody, care or supervisory control. Judge Lawless also referred to the “level of cruelty and abuse” to which the victim was subjected and noted the “heinous nature” of the crime.

    “This case highlights that many children are victimized by someone known to them,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Seberger. “I applaud the victim’s resilience and courage throughout this prosecution. We are also grateful for our partnerships with state and local law, enforcement, which led to this outcome. It was a team effort.”

    “Children should never be subjected to the depraved behavior demonstrated by this defendant,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “Thanks to the outstanding teamwork and tireless effort by HSI special agents and our law enforcement partners, this child predator has been removed from the community and put in federal prison for a 30-year sentence.”

    The defendant pleaded guilty in July 2024. He has been detained since his arrest. The statutory penalties for a count of sexual exploitation of a child are 15 to 30 years’ imprisonment, up to a life term of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and various special assessments. 

    Agencies participating in the investigation include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; the Illinois Attorney General’s Office; the Pike County Sheriff’s Office; and the Pike County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Seberger and Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.

    This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced To More Than 10 Years In Prison For Kidnapping Elderly Victim

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jordan Nathaniel Hedden, 32, was sentenced today to 121 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for the 2023 kidnapping of an elderly victim, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Hedden’s co-conspirator, Stephanie Miranda Neace, 32, of Blairsville, Georgia, is currently awaiting sentencing, after a federal jury last week convicted her of kidnapping.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

    According to filed documents, court proceedings, and trial evidence presented at Neace’s trial, on November 30, 2023, the victim, a 71-year-old female, was driving from Georgia to North Carolina, when she saw the defendants walking. The victim offered the defendants a ride because it was cold outside. The defendants accepted the ride, and soon after they entered North Carolina, Hedden instructed the victim to drive to his car. When they arrived at the location, a car was not there. Hedden then ordered the victim to stop the vehicle, and when the victim refused, Hedden forced the victim to stop the car and get in the back seat. Hedden then took over driving.

    According to court records, the victim began to cry and Hedden yelled at her and told her to shut up. Hedden appeared to be high and agitated and became paranoid that the victim had a tracking device. At one point, Hedden stopped the vehicle, and he and Neace searched the car and the victim herself for tracking devices. Then, they took the victim’s phone and disabled it. Hedden also demanded money from the victim, but the victim only had $2. Fearing for her safety, the victim told the defendants to take her to an ATM and the defendants agreed. During the drive into Tennessee, Hedden made the victim promise that she would not identify them to the police.

    During the drive to the ATM, the victim convinced Hedden to let her withdraw money from a gas station ATM instead of a bank. The victim also told Hedden that she would give the defendants the money if they let her stay behind safely at the gas station. When they arrived at the gas station, the victim took her purse and her car key fob. She told Hedden to turn off the car so the headlights could not be seen from the people inside the gas station, and Hedden complied. As the victim and Hedden were walking toward the gas station, the victim began to run to the door and scream for help. Hedden ran back to the car, attempted to use it to flee but was unable to start the car without the key fob. Hedden and Neace then fled on foot and escaped into the woods but were apprehended days later.

    On November 13, 2024, Hedden pleaded guilty to kidnapping and aiding and abetting. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI for their investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Gast and Alexis Solheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are in charge of the prosecution.

     

     

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