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  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA files amicus brief with U.S. Supreme Court to ensure inclusive education for all students

    Source: US National Education Union

     WASHINGTON — Today, the National Education Association filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case in which the Court will rule on parents’ religious objections to inclusive education that reflects the diversity of identities in our public schools and communities. At issue in Mahmoud is whether parents have a constitutional right to force public schools to provide advance notice, opt-out procedures, and alternative learning arrangements to deny their children access to books with LGBTQ+ characters or any other content that may offend their religious beliefs. NEA’s brief argues that doing so would hamstring efforts to provide students with a full, engaging and inclusive education.   

    The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle: 

    “An inclusive education is fundamental to public education no matter where students live, who they are, or the language they speak. Public education is founded on the core educational principle of engaging students on a broad range of ideas will bring together disparate elements in our society, prepare them for citizenship, and allow them to become productive members of an increasingly interconnected world. 

    “Students deserve nothing less than to feel supported and valued on that journey. Denying them exposure to diverse perspectives robs them of the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation, develop empathy, and understand the lived experiences of others. Schools should be a place where students connect, collaborate, and expand their worldview. When that’s taken away, we only limit their creativity, ability to grow, and discover who they are.  

    “The Mahmoud case is looking to ignore the expertise of trained professionals in the classrooms and have federal courts insert themselves into day-to-day educational decisions about what students can learn and what educators can teach. This would have a chilling effect on public education. As a result, educators will self-censor, face book bans, and, more importantly, prevent some students from being seen and acknowledged.”  

    The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case on April 22. 

    Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social & https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social  

    # # # 

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Felon Indicted After Discharging Firearm in Air Near Southeast D.C.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

               WASHINGTON – Dewayne Keith Miles, 29, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal firearm charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

               Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

               Miles was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon.

               According to court documents, On March 15, 2025, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers were investigating a robbery in Southeast Washington, D.C., when they heard gunfire nearby. Officers observed defendant Dewayne Keith Miles allegedly discharging a firearm into the air in front of a residence on Benning Road, SE.

               It is alleged that as officers approached, Miles fled into the residence. At the scene, police recovered thirteen 9mm cartridge casings and a Smith & Wesson SD9 handgun, which was located near the casings. The firearm matched the type used and was later confirmed to be reported stolen from the Richmond City Police Department.

               Court documents say that officers then secured the residence, detained its occupants, and ultimately took Miles into custody after he exited the building. A search revealed a live 9mm round in his possession, consistent with the ammunition found on the street. The firearm was determined to be functional, unregistered, and transported through interstate commerce, as there are no firearms or ammunition distributors in the District.

               A criminal records check confirmed Miles had a prior felony conviction, making him legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was transported to the Sixth District for processing.

               The ATF and MPD are investigating this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.
     

    View Miles Indictment

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Men Sentenced in Largest-Ever Bird Mount Trafficking Case

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    $900,000 Fine is One of the Largest Ever Ordered for an Endangered Species Act Case

    A federal judge in Brooklyn today sentenced two men for trafficking protected birds and eggs into the United States in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

    Dr. John Waldrop of Cataula, Georgia, was ordered to pay a $900,000 fine — one of the largest-ever for an ESA case — and serve three years of probation. Toney Jones of Eufala, Alabama, was sentenced to six months of probation. Waldrop pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiracy to smuggle wildlife and ESA violations, while Jones pleaded guilty to an ESA charge.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Waldrop amassed an extensive collection of 1,401 taxidermy bird mounts and 2,594 eggs which included:

    • Four eagles protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act,
    • 179 bird and 193 egg species listed in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and
    • 212 bird and 32 egg species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This included incredibly rare specimens like three eggs of the Nordmann’s Greenshank, an Asian shorebird with only 900 to 1,600 remaining birds in the wild; no North American museum has any Nordmann Greenshank eggs in their collection.

    “Waldrop’s gigantic and rare bird collection was bolstered in part by illegal imports, where he and his enlisted co-conspirators intentionally avoided permit and declaration requirements,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We applaud the efforts of the various federal and state law enforcement entities in investigating and prosecuting this case.”

    “The scale of this investigation underscores the critical importance of protecting our natural resources,” said Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement. “Waldrop’s collection included thousands of bird specimens and eggs, many of which are among the rarest in the world. This is one of the largest bird trafficking cases in history, and the commercialization of species protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and CITES highlights the conservation impact of Waldrop’s crimes. We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement are unwavering in our commitment to safeguarding wildlife for future generations. We will remain vigilant and will continue to hold accountable those who exploit our shared natural resources for personal gain.”

    Photo of birds and other mounts, from the sentencing memo in United States v. John Waldrop, et al., 1:23-cr-00378 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
    Photo of a portion of Waldrop’s egg collection, from the sentencing memo in United States v. John Waldrop, et al., 1:23-cr-00378 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

    Between 2016 and 2020, Waldrop imported birds and eggs without the required declarations and permits. After USFWS inspectors at John F. Kennedy International Airport and elsewhere intercepted several shipments, Waldrop recruited Jones, who worked on his Georgia farm, to receive the packages. Jones also deposited approximately $525,000 in a bank account that Waldrop then used to pay for the imports and hide his involvement. Waldrop and Jones used online sales sites such as eBay and Etsy to buy birds and eggs from around the world, including Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay.

    Waldrop forfeited his collection. The USFWS National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab examined the items and determined it to be the largest seizure of bird mounts in their 37-year history. The ESA requires that all wildlife imports be declared to USFWS and have required permits, including species protected by CITES.

    Photos of a freshly killed Roseate Spoonbill (left) and mount from Waldrop’s collection (right), from the sentencing memo in United States v. John Waldrop, et al., 1:23-cr-00378 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

    The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Valley Stream, New York, conducted the investigation as part of Operation Final Flight. The operation focused on the trafficking of protected birds into the United States. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources assisted with the investigation.

    Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Karamigios for the Eastern District of New York prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sonoran Man Sentenced to Over 3 Years in Prison for Attempting to Smuggle Firearms into Mexico

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Abel Airam Franco Garcia, 22, of Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 37 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Franco Garcia previously pleaded guilty to Smuggling Goods from the United States.  

    On June 25, 2024, Franco Garcia, a Mexican citizen, was stopped at the San Luis, Arizona Port of Entry as he tried to leave the United States. A search of his car led to the discovery of four firearms, six magazines (including two high-capacity magazines), ammunition, and suspected fentanyl. Franco Garcia admitted that he had driven to Phoenix earlier that day, and that individuals were paying him to transport the firearms to Mexico.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice has launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Goldberg, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR 24-01250-PHX-SPL
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-051_ Franco Garcia

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    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Massachusetts Man Sentenced to More Than a Year in Prison for Dogfighting

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Sentence adjudicates first-ever federal dogfighting case in District of Massachusetts

    BOSTON – A Hanson, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing dogs at his Massachusetts home for participation in a dogfighting venture.

    John D. Murphy, 51, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to one year and one day in prison, with the last three months to be served in community confinement, followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 and ordered prohibited from possessing pit-bull type dogs. In November 2024, Murphy pleaded guilty to nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture, in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Murphy was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.  

    “Dogfighting is a blood sport rooted in cruelty and greed. For years, Mr. Murphy brutalized defenseless animals for profit and sport – training them to fight, suffer and die for his own financial gain. His actions were not only illegal but deeply disturbing,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This sentencing marks a historic moment in the first federal dogfighting conviction in Massachusetts and serves as a stark warning: those who engage in this barbaric practice will be exposed, prosecuted and punished. We will not tolerate animal cruelty in our communities.”

    “Dog fighting is a brutal and inhumane form of entertainment and is associated with other organized criminal activity, including illegal gambling,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are committed to holding violators accountable. We commend the collaboration between federal and multiple state and local law enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting this case.”

    “The Office of Inspector General is committed to working with all of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in pursuing individuals who choose to participate in animal fighting activities and engage in violations involving animal welfare,” said Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region.

    In 2021, Murphy was identified discussing dogfighting on recorded calls with a New York-based dogfighting target. A subsequent search of his Facebook accounts revealed Murphy’s years-long involvement in dogfighting. Murphy communicated with other dogfighters via Facebook where they discussed the results of dogfights, injuries sustained by fighting dogs, as well as breeding dogs. Murphy also belonged to private dogfighting Facebook groups used to share fight results, buy and sell fighting dogs and exchange information on training and conditioning fighting dogs, among other things.

    Photos and videos found on Murphy’s Facebook account showed a pit bull-type dog with scarring and discolorations on its head and leg consistent with that of dogfighting as well as a photo of a pit bull-type dog restrained in a breeding stand. Videos from his account showed pit bull-type dogs physically tethered to different treadmill-like devices that dogfighters commonly use to physically condition dogs for dogfights. One of the videos depicted a live raccoon caged in front of the carpet mill, to serve as a stimulus for the pit bull-type dog to run faster and harder.  

    In June 2023, a search of Murphy’s residence in Hanson revealed that he was keeping nine pit bull-type dogs at his home. Several of the dogs had scarring consistent with being involved in organized dogfighting.

    Animal fighting paraphernalia was also found during the search of Murphy’s residence, including: 

    • Flirt poles, used to entice a dog to chase a stimulus;
    • Spring poles, used to build a dog’s jaw strength and increase aggression;
    • Several treadmills, slat mills and carpet mills, used to condition dogs to build stamina and muscle;
    • A jenny mill, used to develop a dog’s endurance and musculature by enticing the animal to run on a circular track;
    • Rabbit training scent for dogs;
    • Break sticks, used to force a dog’s bite open, specifically at the termination of a fight or while training;
    • A dog bite sleeve;
    • Disposable skin staplers, used to attempt to close wounds resulting from dogfights;
    • Several types of steroids and painkillers;
    • Fertility medications and a breeding stand, used to restrain female dogs during breeding;
    • Printouts of fighting dog pedigrees; and
    • Dog fighting literature, DVDs and CD-ROMs.

    A forensic examination of Murphy’s cell phone revealed significant additional evidence of his involvement in dogfighting. This included multiple dog fighting videos and WhatsApp messages between Murphy and other individuals discussing elements of dog fighting. In one of the messages, Murphy expressed his anger over having animal control called to his property and the 25 years he invested in breeding and conditioning dogs, and asserting that he will “never never never” quit what he is doing with the dogs.

    In March 2024, the United States also filed a civil forfeiture complaint against 13 pit bull-type dogs, seized in June 2023 from Murphy’s residence and another residence in Townsend, Mass., that were possessed for participation in an animal fighting venture. In September and October 2024, the Court ordered the dogs to be forfeited to the United States.

    To report animal fighting crimes, please contact your local law enforcement or the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General complaint hotline at: https://usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline or 1-800-424-9121.

    U.S. Attorney Foley; ENRD Acting AAG Gustafson; USDA-OIG SAC Parker; Geoffrey D. Noble, Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Karen L. LoStracco, Director of the Animal Rescue League of Boston – Law Enforcement Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshal’s Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Maine State Police; New Hampshire State Police; Massachusetts Office of the State Auditor; Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; and the Hanson, Boston and Acton Police Departments.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danial E. Bennett and Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office and Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Environmental Crimes Section, prosecuted the case. Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Caitlyn F. Cook of ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section are prosecuting the civil forfeiture case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cheswick Resident Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 240 months of incarceration, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, on his conviction of receiving material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Cam John Zmenkowski, 28.

    According to information presented to the Court, from August 2022 through September 2022, during online chats, Zmenkowski induced a minor to send to him nude and sexually explicit images and videos that law enforcement recovered from Zmenkowski’s personal cell phone.

    Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Pittsburgh and FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, including the Allegheny County Police Department and Sharpsburg Police Department, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Zmenkowski.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hickman, Kentucky Felon Indicted Federally For Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy and Illegally Possessing Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury sitting in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment today charging a Hickman, Kentucky felon with conspiracy to possess with the intent to fentanyl and illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division made the announcement.

    According to the indictment, Christopher Tyler Wilson, 31, was charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture and with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Wilson was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.

    On April 22, 2021, in Fulton Circuit Court, Wilson was convicted of first-degree unlawful imprisonment and assault under extreme emotional disturbance.

    The defendant previously made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on a federal complaint and arrest warrant. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case is being investigated by the ATF Paducah Satellite Office, the USPIS Bowling Office, the HSI Bowling Green Office, and the DEA Paducah Post of Duty, with assistance from the Kentucky State Police, the Hickman Police Department, and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.

    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).

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Martin County Man Sentenced for Distributing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW BERN, N.C. – A North Carolina man was sentenced today to more than 16 years imprisonment (201 months) followed by 30 years of supervised release for Distribution of Child Pornography.  

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, Alexander Madison Chambers, age 26 of Martin County, was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.  An undercover agent from Homeland Security saw that Chambers was messaging on an application distributing child sexual abuse materials in a group chat. The under-cover agent began chatting in private messages with Chambers, where Chambers claimed to have sexually abused a child with whom he had contact.  Additionally, Chambers expressed a desire to sexually abuse the undercover agent’s purported 4-year-old child.  

    As a result of this undercover investigation, HSI agents executed a search warrant on Chambers’ residence in Williamston, which resulted in numerous devices being seized. On those devices, law enforcement found images and videos of child pornography. Additionally, law enforcement found a messaging application commonly used for trading child sexual abuse material. On this messaging application, law enforcement found the conversations where Chambers’ distributed child pornography to the undercover agent as well as to other users on the platform. 

    “The sentencing of this individual should serve as a clear message: HSI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting children and bringing to justice those who exploit them,” said Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte, which oversees North and South Carolina. “There is no place in our communities for those who traffic in child sexual abuse material. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to identify offenders, hold them accountable, and safeguard the most vulnerable members of our society.”

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The Department of Homeland Security investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:24-CR-62-FL-RN.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Waynesville Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Waynesville, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for sharing child pornography over the internet.

    Michael Howard Collard, 44, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Collard to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration and to pay $3,000 in restitution to his victims. Collard has been in federal custody since his arrest.

    Collard will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

    On June 17, 2024, Collard pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. According to court documents, Collard admitted that he used Kik messenger to share images of child sexual abuse material with an undercover law enforcement officer.

    On May 4, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Collard’s residence and seized Collard’s Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Kyocera E6920 cell phones. A forensic evaluation found evidence of the receipt and distribution of child pornography on the phones, including over 160 images and 90 videos.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

    Project Safe Childhood

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: LiBama Power Awarded $100,000 SuperBoost Grant to Advance Breakthrough Lithium Metal Anode Technology

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BINGHAMTON, N.Y., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LiBama Power, a leader in next-generation lithium battery anode technology, has been awarded a $100,000 SuperBoost grant from the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York. The funding will accelerate the commercialization of LiBama’s Advanced Metal Anodes (AMAs), a transformative lithium-metal technology designed to increase energy density, reduce costs, and enhance battery safety for electric vehicles (EVs), drones, wearables, and power tools.

    LiBama’s patented AMA technology delivers twice the energy density of conventional lithium-ion batteries while reducing cell costs by 30%. Unlike many next-gen battery materials, AMAs are designed for drop-in compatibility with existing manufacturing processes, enabling seamless industry adoption without the need for costly retooling.

    “The energy storage industry is shifting rapidly toward higher-performance, cost-effective solutions, and LiBama Power is leading the way,” said Wentao Li, founder and CTO of LiBama Power. “With this support from the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York, we are moving quickly to scale and commercialize our Advanced Metal Anodes, enabling safer, more powerful, and more accessible lithium-metal battery solutions.”

    The SuperBoost program, a flagship initiative of the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York, is designed to accelerate battery technology commercialization, cutting traditional development cycles from five or more years to under two years. By providing funding, access to testbeds, and regional partnerships, SuperBoost helps startups bridge the gap between R&D and market deployment.

    LiBama’s work aligns with the Engine’s broader efforts to position upstate New York as a leader in energy storage innovation. Fernando Gómez-Baquero, translation pillar director for the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York, noted the significance of LiBama’s advancements: “LiBama Power is redefining what’s possible for lithium battery anodes, combining high energy density with cost efficiency and scalability. By leveraging the Engine’s network of resources, they are positioned to make a rapid transition from prototype to commercial production — exactly what SuperBoost was designed to support.”

    The NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York is committed to building a robust, interconnected ecosystem that strengthens the U.S. battery supply chain. Meera Sampath, CEO of the Engine, highlighted how investments like these drive broader impact. “Our goal is to accelerate the market readiness of transformative battery technologies, ensuring they can scale rapidly and contribute to national energy security,” she said. “SuperBoost provides startups with the critical resources they need to shorten commercialization timelines and position Upstate New York as a global hub for energy storage innovation. LiBama Power exemplifies this mission by bringing breakthrough battery solutions closer to real-world deployment.”

    With this funding, LiBama Power will refine its AMA production process and produce prototype batteries for key applications in EVs, aviation, and grid storage. The investment represents a critical step toward strengthening the domestic energy storage industry, reinforcing the U.S. supply chain, and advancing high-performance, cost-effective battery solutions.

    About LiBama Power

    LiBama Power designs, manufactures, and markets AMAs for lithium-metal batteries. Its patented technology enables higher energy density, faster charging, and lower costs while ensuring compatibility with existing manufacturing infrastructure. With applications in EVs, drones, wearables, and grid storage, LiBama is advancing the next generation of safe and scalable energy storage solutions.

    For more information, visit www.libamapower.com.

    Contact:
    Mark Sperry, CCO
    mark@sperryenergy.com

    About the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York
    The NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York, led by Binghamton University, is a National Science Foundation-funded, place-based innovation program. The coalition of 40+ academic, industry, nonprofit, state, and community organizations includes Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, Launch-NY and NY-BEST as core partners. The Engine advances next-gen battery technology development and manufacturing to drive economic growth and bolster national security. Its vision is to transform upstate New York into America’s Battery Capital.

    For more information on the Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine, visit https://upstatenyengine.org/.

    Contact:
    Fernando Gómez-Baquero Ph.D.
    Translation Pillar Director
    NSF Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine
    fernando@cornell.edu

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Here’s how a ‘silent’ tax hike is balancing the budget – with the heaviest burden on the lowest paid

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Murphy, Visiting Fellow, Economics (modelling), Australian National University

    With just over three weeks to go until the federal election, both major parties are trying to position themselves as Australia’s better economic managers.

    Labor was able to hand down two consecutive budget surpluses in its current term. But the most recent federal budget shows a return to deficit this financial year.

    After the deficit peaks – at 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) next financial year – it will then take a decade to balance the budget. My own economic forecasts also imply the budget can return to balance in this time frame.

    However, this slow budget repair work is done silently by “bracket creep”, not by policy actions of the government.

    Under a progressive tax system, as incomes rise with inflation, the additional income is taxed more heavily.

    For example, a worker on average, annual wages of A$79,000 pays 20.3% of that in tax. But they pay tax of 32% (including the medicare levy) on any wage increases, even if those wage increases are only just enough to keep pace with inflation.

    The higher tax rate on additional wages pushes up average tax rates – known as bracket creep. This piece explains it well.

    Bracket creep has the political advantage of being a silent way of gradually increasing average tax rates. Both major parties are heavily relying on it. But is it good economic policy?

    The ‘silent’ tax hike

    Though Australia’s personal income tax system is progressive, it’s possible to work out the average tax rate faced by Australians collectively. This is total personal income tax paid as a percentage of total taxable income.

    In the first two decades of this century, personal income tax accounted for an average of 22.9% of taxable incomes. There was no clear trend.

    Since then, the trend has been up, because announced tax cuts haven’t been enough to offset silent bracket creep.

    The average tax rate this financial year, 2024-25, is estimated to be 24.3%.

    In the latest budget, the government reduced the lowest marginal tax rate – from 16% to 15% in 2026-27, then to 14% in 2027-28 and beyond.

    This almost stabilises the average tax rate for two years. However, it then resumes its upward trend under the silent influence of bracket creep, reaching 28.1% in 2035-36.

    This will be an all-time high average tax rate. Living standards will be squeezed and incentives to work and save will diminish.

    Some countries limit bracket creep by indexing personal income tax brackets to price inflation. This stops price inflation alone pushing workers into higher tax brackets.

    To illustrate how indexing could work, if inflation was 2%, all of the tax thresholds would move up by 2%. For example, the tax free threshold of $18,200 would increase to $18,564.

    A worker whose pay had increased by 2% would similarly pay only 2% extra tax, keeping their average tax rate unchanged.

    However, most of the time wages rise faster than prices because of productivity growth.

    Why bracket creep is unfair

    The unfairness of bracket creep can be illustrated with examples.

    Under the budget, the average rate of tax (for everyone) rises over the next 11 years by 3.8% points of income.

    The average wage earner with an annual income of $79,000 fares a little better. Their average tax rate goes from 20.3% in 2024-25 to 23.6% in 2035-36, an increase of 3.3% points of income, as noted in the recent budget.

    However, a low wage earner, with an annual income of $45,000 fares worse. Their average tax rate jumps from 10.8% to 17.3%, an increase of 6.5% points of income.

    Do we think it is fair that someone with an annual income of only $45,000 today should have to pay about 17% of their income in income tax in 11 years time?

    While this is an extreme example, it illustrates the fact that bracket creep is regressive and has serious unintended consequences.

    Less of a “Robin Hood” effect

    All of this has implications for the fairness of our tax system overall.

    To measure how much a country’s personal income tax system reduces inequality in income distribution, economists use something called the “Reynolds-Smolensky redistribution index”. Let’s call it the “R” index.

    A higher R index for a country means a stronger “Robin Hood” element in its tax system – that the system is doing more to redistribute income.

    Bracket creep disproportionately affects those on low incomes.
    muse studio/Shutterstock

    The International Monetary Fund reports that in 2018, the R index for Australia was 6.8%, compared to the average for OECD countries of under 5%. In 2024-25, the Australian R index is already a little lower at 6.5%.

    The R index can also be used to measure how benefits reduce inequality, but here, we’re only using it for personal income tax.

    Without any budget measures, the regressive nature of bracket creep would have caused the R index to fall further to a value of 6.3% in 2035-36.

    However, this budget’s “top-up tax cut” to the lowest marginal tax rate limited this fall to 6.4%, because it was a progressive tax change.

    Time for indexation

    Politicians from both major parties should stop relying so much on their silent partner, bracket creep, to slowly repair budget deficits.

    Instead of misleading announcements of tax cuts in only some budgets, my modelling shows how we could benefit from automatically indexing the tax brackets to prices in every budget.

    This will mean that the average rate of personal income tax will rise more modestly over the next 11 years, from 24.3% to 25.5%, instead of to 28.1%. Indexation also limits the fall in the R index to a value of 6.4%.

    The resulting revenue shortfall could be filled in ways that are more transparent, efficient and fairer than bracket creep.

    Possible ways include better priorities and higher efficiency in government spending, more reliance on indirect taxes such as the GST and expanding the tax base itself through reforms to boost productivity.

    Chris Murphy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Here’s how a ‘silent’ tax hike is balancing the budget – with the heaviest burden on the lowest paid – https://theconversation.com/heres-how-a-silent-tax-hike-is-balancing-the-budget-with-the-heaviest-burden-on-the-lowest-paid-253442

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 1 in 10 tunnel workers could develop silicosis, our new research shows

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Cole, Occupational Hygienist, PhD Candidate, University of Sydney

    Around 10% of underground tunnel workers in Queensland could develop silicosis, our new study has found.

    Silicosis is a serious, incurable lung disease caused by inhaling small particles of silica dust. You might have heard about it in people who work with engineered stone. But silica is more widespread.

    Silica is found in rocks and concrete, so workers in industries such as construction, mining and tunnelling are at high risk if proper safety measures aren’t in place.

    When silica dust is breathed in, it gets trapped in the lungs, causing inflammation and scarring. Over time, this scarring makes it harder to breathe and can be fatal.

    As symptoms of silicosis can take decades to appear, workers may not realise they’re sick until long after they’ve started working, or even after they stop.

    But silicosis is preventable.

    When silica dust is breathed in, it gets trapped in the lungs in tiny air sacs (the alveoli), causing inflammation and scarring.
    Pikovit/Shutterstock

    How does silicosis affect tunnel workers?

    Thousands of people are involved in tunnelling projects in Australia.

    Tunnelling involves breaking up large amounts of silica-containing rock with heavy machinery.

    Tunnel workers rely on advanced ventilation systems to provide fresh air underground, water systems to keep the rocks wet and suppress dust, and they wear respirators on their face to keep the air they breathe clean. But some people have raised concerns these measures do not always work properly.

    There are also national legal limits in place for silica dust exposure, currently 0.05 milligrams per cubic metre over an eight-hour work day.

    However, a media investigation last November revealed one-third of air monitoring tests from a Sydney tunnel project were above legal limits.

    While air monitoring tests are required by law, the results of routine air monitoring tests are often not made public.

    An expert taskforce has recently been set up in New South Wales to address the silica-related health risks for tunnel workers, promising to make high silica results above legal limits publicly available.

    But while attention has been focused on tunnel workers in Sydney, the problem of lung disease in underground workers is more widespread.

    Our Queensland study

    The results of air monitoring tests are important because they show whether legal silica dust limits are being adhered to.

    Another valuable use of this data is it can help us predict future disease risk. Instead of waiting to see how many workers develop silica-related diseases such as silicosis and lung cancer, this data can be used to estimate cases in advance.

    In 2017, a Queensland parliamentary inquiry raised concerns about the health of Brisbane’s tunnel workers, particularly regarding the harmful effects of exposure to silica dust.

    We worked through the parliamentary inquiry documents to uncover the results of hundreds of individual air monitoring tests conducted on three major Queensland tunnel projects between 2007 and 2013.

    We analysed this data to estimate how many workers were exposed to silica dust and at what levels. We then modelled how many cases of silicosis and lung cancer would occur over the workers’ lifetimes.

    We estimated that in a group of around 2,000 workers involved in these Queensland tunnel projects, 200 to 300 would develop silicosis over their lifetime as a result of silica dust exposure (roughly one in every ten workers).

    We also estimated between 20 to 30 workers would develop lung cancer due to their exposure.

    We had limited information on workplace conditions in the specific projects, so we made a number of assumptions based on publicly available information and our own experience. These included assumptions around the use and protective nature of masks. The fact we had to make some assumptions could be a limitation of our study. Due to the lack of data transparency we don’t know if these figures apply more broadly to tunnel workers throughout Australia.

    Silicosis can appear decades after occupational exposure.
    Marco Di Stefano/Shutterstock

    Our projected rate of silicosis, 10%, is the same as the rate of silicosis recorded by a government inquiry in 1924 which investigated silicosis among workers who built Sydney’s sewers.

    So it doesn’t seem things are any better in terms of silicosis risk in underground work than a century ago.

    We need to do more to protect tunnel workers

    Continued secrecy around silica dust data reduces our ability to understand the scale of the problem and respond effectively. Nonetheless, the small amount of data that has been made available supports the need for urgent action.

    With Australia’s ongoing infrastructure expansion, policymakers must act now. This should include enforcing stricter legal limits for silica dust exposure. There is concern among health experts that current limits don’t sufficiently protect workers’ health.

    Policymakers should also ensure protective measures such as advanced ventilation and dust suppression systems are in place for all tunnel projects, set up national tunnel worker health surveillance, and make exposure data available to workers and the public.

    There are several examples where things are done better. Internationally, Norway and Switzerland have strong systems to protect tunnel workers’ health such as air and health monitoring being conducted by an independent government agency. In Switzerland, this agency also insures the project. Noncompliance results in higher insurance premiums or, in some cases, the withdrawal of insurance, effectively stopping the project.

    Nationally, Australia’s mining industry is more heavily regulated than tunnelling, with stricter enforcement of compliance.

    Without immediate intervention, thousands of tunnel workers will continue to face serious health risks and Australia will face a growing wave of preventable occupational diseases.

    Kate Cole receives higher degree by research funding from The University of Sydney; is a member of the Asbestos and Silica Safety Eradication Council; the NSW Dust Diseases Board; the Chair of the External Affairs Committee for the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists; and acts as an expert witness for law firms concerning silica-related diseases in tunnel workers.

    Renee Carey has previously received funding from the Australian Council of Trade Unions. She is a member of the Occupational Lung Disease Network Steering Committee formed by Lung Foundation Australia.

    Tim Driscoll has acted as an expert witness, and written government reports, in relation to silica exposure but not specifically connected to tunnelling. He chairs the Occupational and Environmental Cancer Committee of Cancer Council Australia and chairs the Occupational Lung Disease Network Steering Committee of Lung Foundation Australia.

    – ref. 1 in 10 tunnel workers could develop silicosis, our new research shows – https://theconversation.com/1-in-10-tunnel-workers-could-develop-silicosis-our-new-research-shows-252186

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia urgently needs to get serious about long-term climate policy – but there’s no sign of that in the election campaign

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Head of Energy, Institute for Climate Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University

    The federal election should be an earnest contest over the fundamentals of Australia’s climate and energy policies.

    Strong global action on climate change is clearly in Australia’s long-term national interest. But it has fallen prey to US President Donald Trump’s disruption of the world order, which has drained global attention from other crucial issues, including climate change.

    The Trump administration’s anti-climate actions might energise some to counteract it, but its overall affect will be chilling.

    Election reality

    A comprehensive platform to strengthen and broaden Australian climate policy towards net zero is needed more than ever.

    But the political reality playing out in the election campaign is very different, with the overriding focus on the cost of living, and the usual emphasis on electoral tactics rather than long-term strategies.

    Even a policy like Labor’s subsidised home batteries is being framed as a hip-pocket measure, rather than as a small contribution to energy infrastructure.

    Likewise, the Coalition’s pledge to halve fuel excise is aimed squarely at easing price pressures at the pump. In fact, the policy would slightly delay progress towards low emissions transport.

    The vexed question of how to ensure sufficient gas supplies for south eastern Australia is also cloaked in energy affordability. We are already seeing industry push back against the Coalition’s policy to require gas companies to withhold a share of production for the domestic market.

    Off target

    Regardless of who wins the election, Australia’s 43% emissions reduction target by 2030 will be difficult to achieve unless there is a change of pace.

    The government’s projections assume sharp
    cuts during 2027–30. But national emissions have flatlined at around 28% below 2005 levels for four years.

    Labor will subsidise the cost of solar batteries if its re-elected on May 4.
    Kathie Nichols/Shutterstock

    Under the Paris Agreement, a 2035 target commitment is required this year. The Climate Change Authority will give its advice to the new government after the election. It has previously floated a reduction range of 65–75%

    This would be compatible with the global goal of keeping warming below 2°C. Yet it might look highly ambitious under current political and international circumstances.

    Renewables reloaded

    The shift from coal to clean energy sources in the power sector is well underway. In 2024, renewables accounted for 39% of the national energy market, three times the share a decade ago.

    But progress has slowed at the same time as older coal plants have become unreliable and costly to run.

    It is clear that the future of an affordable, secure power supply in Australia is mostly wind and solar, supported by energy storage and some gas.

    But progress needs to be much faster. Many renewable projects, transmission lines and also Snowy 2 energy storage, are behind schedule. This is due to supply chain constraints, regulatory clogging and community opposition.

    Blueprint for action

    Deep emission reductions can still be achieved over the next ten years, but only if we pull out all the stops. That would mean:

    • going much faster on electricity transition
    • strengthening incentives and regulation to cut industrial and resource sector emissions
    • getting serious about a transition to clean transport
    • meaningful action towards low-emissions agriculture including changes to land use.

    A re-elected Labor government would likely do more on renewable power, while also strengthening action on industrial and resource emissions through the Safeguard Mechanism.

    But more will be needed to prepare for the 2030s. If the Teals hold the balance of power in a hung parliament, they would push Labor to be more ambitious.

    By contrast, a Dutton government might dial back the existing ambition and adopt a lower 2035 target than labor.

    Nuclear means more coal

    The initial focus of the Coalition’s energy policy going into the campaign has been to build nuclear power stations.

    Nuclear power would be far more expensive than the alternatives, costing hundreds of billions of dollars for only a small share of future power supply. It would need enormous subsidies, probably through government ownership.

    Deployment would inevitably be a very long time off. The near term affect would be to delay the transition to more renewable energy.

    The Coalition’s modelling assumes ageing coal-fired power plants would keep running beyond their announced closure dates. That would mean burning more coal and keeping Australia’s national carbon emissions higher for longer.

    The future of resource exports is green

    Australia’s intrinsic interest in limiting climate change remains urgent. Our opportunity as a green commodity producer and exporter remains solid.

    Green industry policy has been on the rise under the Albanese government, through support for green hydrogen and green iron. But we will not be able to subsidise our way to greatness in clean export industries.

    What is needed is international green commodity markets for Australian supplies of green ammonia, iron and other products. This is best achieved through carbon pricing in commodity importing countries, coupled with border carbon adjustments which give exporters of cleanly produced products an edge in those markets.

    A strong Australian 2035 emissions target would help send a signal to investors and overseas markets that we are serious about the transition.

    A COP in Australia

    Australia has a strong chance of hosting the 2026 UN climate conference. Labor wants it, but the Coalition doesn’t.

    COP31 would be a big chance for Australia to demonstrate positive leadership. It would also create pressure to do more for developing countries, given the conference would be hosted jointly with Pacific island states.

    Disappointment is likely, as rich countries will probably fail to meet expectations. In any case, Australia will be pushed by our Pacific neighbours to do more on climate change.

    We could do with the encouragement.

    This is the fourth article in our special series, Australia’s Policy Challenges. You can read the other articles here

    Frank Jotzo leads various research projects on climate policy. He is a commissioner with the NSW Net Zero Commission, chairs the Queensland Clean Economy Expert Panel and led the federal government’s Carbon Leakage Review.

    – ref. Australia urgently needs to get serious about long-term climate policy – but there’s no sign of that in the election campaign – https://theconversation.com/australia-urgently-needs-to-get-serious-about-long-term-climate-policy-but-theres-no-sign-of-that-in-the-election-campaign-250637

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Labor made plenty of promises at the last election. Did they deliver?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Rindert Algra-Maschio, PhD Candidate, Social and Political Sciences, Monash University

    Election promises are a mainstay of contemporary politics. Governments cite kept commitments as proof they can be trusted, while oppositions pounce on any failure to deliver.

    But beyond the politics, campaign pledges are also central to representative democracy. They telegraph what to expect from a party in government and create a moral obligation for it to follow through.

    Democratic governments across the globe fulfil, on average, roughly two-thirds of their promises, but most voters believe it is far fewer. Since voters will punish governments for breaking promises, it’s vital they have accurate information on their government’s record.

    We set out to provide Australians with that information through RMIT’s Election Promise Tracker. We assessed 66 major promises made by Labor before the last election.

    By presenting evidence through an interactive timeline that follows all the twists and turns since 2022, the tracker allows voters to form their own judgements during the 2025 campaign.

    Tracking election promises

    Our team compiled a long list of promises during the last election campaign by scouring public statements made by both major parties.

    For this, we kept to the definition of an “election promise” used by the Comparative Pledges Project, a research network that employs a common approach to studying promises.

    After the election, we narrowed Labor’s list to 66 promises — based on newsworthiness, coverage of policy areas and, later, feedback from the audience of ABC News.

    The tracker was originally launched as a project of RMIT ABC Fact Check, and it applies a methodology of fact-check journalism that prioritises impartiality and transparency.

    We laid out, from the start, the criteria by which we would eventually assess each promise, to ensure only those that could be assessed by the end of the electoral term were included.

    Three years on, we determined whether those criteria had been met, marking promises as “delivered”, “thwarted” or “broken”. In a few cases, some remain “in progress” or “stalled”.

    Mostly good news for the government

    Overall, the government delivered at least 46 of the promises (roughly 70%) we tracked. Many of these are in areas typically seen as Labor strengths.

    These include key promises in health and aged care, such as funding pay rises for aged care workers, requiring aged care homes to keep a registered nurse on site 24/7, and mandating minimum “care minutes” for their residents.

    On education, employment and social services, the government boosted childcare subsidies and increased workplace protections for gig workers. It also delivered funding for 450,000 fee-free TAFE places and for the states to hire 500 support workers for women in crisis.

    Integrity was a key theme of the 2022 election, and the government has since followed through on establishing an anti-corruption commission, delivering a royal commission into Robodebt and implementing all the recommendations of the Respect@Work report that fell within its remit.

    And on the all-important cost of living, Labor cut the maximum price for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) scripts, boosted payments for disabled veterans, increased the low-and-middle income tax offset by $420 and – following a Senate standoff with the Greens and Coalition — established a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund.

    And some bad news

    But it was not all smooth sailing for the government. It failed to deliver on at least 14 pledges (roughly 20%), including a promise to increase real wages above pre-election levels. It’s pledged to address real wages through a submission to the Fair Work Commission this time around.

    Arguably, it was unlucky on defence spending. Despite injecting $10 billion over its first three years, Labor is poised to miss its target of spending “at least” 2% of gross domestic product on defence, due to an uptick in GDP.

    In other cases, the government never really got close. After promising to deliver 450 gigalitres of environmental water under the Murray Darling Basin Plan, it only managed 27.5GL.

    And some deadlines were simply missed, with the government belatedly establishing 50 urgent care clinics and introducing a new Pacific Engagement Visa.

    Among the most controversial issues was Labor’s restructuring of the stage three tax cuts, having previously pledged to implement the cuts exactly as the Coalition had formulated them. But polling showed voters may forgive the “breaking” of a pledge if they agree with the outcome.

    The government also retreated from its promise to establish a Makarrata Commission following the defeated Voice referendum, providing an example of how changed political circumstances can come to haunt promises made years earlier.

    Not always an easy answer

    Despite the best intentions, some promises don’t fit neatly into the “delivered” or “broken” binary.

    For example, Labor promised Australia would make a joint bid with Pacific Island countries to host a United Nations climate conference. But the government can’t formally submit a bid unless Turkey bows out of the race, meaning this pledge has been “thwarted”.

    And it remains to be seen whether households will receive a much-touted $275 cut to their annual electricity bill (on 2021 levels) by mid-2025. The necessary data won’t arrive until after the election, and Labor’s energy rebates have complicated the picture.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may not have delivered on “every single thing” he promised, but of the promises we tracked, far more were kept than broken.

    This suggests the Albanese government has performed on a fairly level footing with other comparative countries, as well as with the Gillard Labor government.

    But voters will have different views on which promises are most important, so as ever, it’s the details that matter.

    Lisa Waller receives funding from The Australian Research Council

    David Campbell and Frank Rindert Algra-Maschio do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Labor made plenty of promises at the last election. Did they deliver? – https://theconversation.com/labor-made-plenty-of-promises-at-the-last-election-did-they-deliver-251481

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Becca Balint Launches Monopoly Busters Caucus as Founding Member

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Becca Balint (VT-AL)

    Washington, D.C – Today, Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL) joined her Democratic colleagues to launch the Monopoly Busters Caucus. The Monopoly Busters Caucus will help promote a pro consumer, pro worker, and pro small business economic agenda, ensuring members have support to better communicate Democratic work to combat corporate consolidation. The caucus will work on policy like lowering prices and tackling corporate greed from corporate grocery stores, big agriculture, healthcare consolidation and more. 

    During the 2024 election cycle, over 65 percent of voters polled in seven battleground states and Ohio said they supported the government suing to break up monopolies and economically powerful companies. Another poll of voters in these states showed that 67 percent of voters think corporate power and a lack of government pushback is one of the biggest problems facing the country; 58 percent had a favorable opinion of government enforcement of antitrust laws.

    “I’m fired up to be launching the Monopoly Busters caucus because this is an issue that impacts every one of us even though it can feel abstract or distant. So, let’s boil it down: it’s about fairness and about protecting working people from the power and greed of giant corporations,” said Rep. Balint “Because we know when fair competition is stifled, we all pay the price. Rural people feel the squeeze as they see their hourly wage unable to carry them through to the next paycheck. These corporations must be held accountable. It’s obscene. ”

    The caucus will be chaired by Reps. Jayapal, Deluzio, Ryan and Craig. Rep. Balint will serve as a founding member and is a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust. 

    The full livestreamed launch event can be seen here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyle, Jayapal, Khanna Demand Answers Over Unauthorized Military Strikes in Yemen by Trump Administration

    Source: US Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04)

    April 09, 2025

    For Immediate Release: April 9, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Val Hoyle (OR-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Ro Khanna (CA-17), are expressing major concerns over the lack of Congressional approval for U.S. military strikes in Yemen. 

    “The U.S. Constitution is clear: Congress holds the sole power to authorize offensive military action,” wrote the Members. “While we share concerns about maritime security in the Red Sea, we call on your Administration to immediately cease unauthorized use of military force and instead seek specific statutory authorization from Congress before involving the U.S. in an unconstitutional conflict in the Middle East, which risks endangering U.S. military personnel in the region and escalating into a regime-change war.”

    Section 2(c) of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 states that the President can only introduce U.S. forces into hostilities after a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization from Congress, or in a national emergency when the U.S. is under attack. Presently, no congressional authorization of military force exists for the recent hostilities carried out in Yemen, nor is there a declared national emergency. Senior Trump Administration officials even commented, in a non-secure Signal chat, that these strikes could have waited “a few weeks or a month,” making clear there was ample time to consult with Congress and obtain the necessary authorization before initiating these attacks.

    “Congress must have the opportunity to engage in a robust debate on the rationale for offensive force and vote on its merits before U.S. servicemembers are placed in harm’s way and additional taxpayer dollars are spent on yet another Middle East war,” continued the Members. “No president has the constitutional authority to bypass Congress on matters of war.”

    The Administration should be aware of its lack of authority in this matter, as the War Powers Resolution was used in 2019 to compel them to suspend midair refueling for Saudi airstrikes over Yemen. 

    “President Trump’s reckless strikes in Yemen are illegal, counterproductive and dangerous,” said Cavan Kharrazian, Senior Policy Advisor for Demand Progress. “We’re grateful to Representatives Jayapal, Khanna and Hoyle for once again leading the charge to reassert Congress’s war powers—just as they did during the Biden administration. What is clear: Trump must come to Congress for a debate and vote before engaging in further hostilities. This unauthorized military action is killing civilians, costing nearly $1 billion in taxpayer money, emboldening the Houthis and is threatening to create a ground war in a country already shattered by conflict and humanitarian crisis. Upholding congressional authority over matters of war is not a partisan issue; it’s a constitutional imperative and one of the most critical checks on executive power.”

    “Presidents have spent decades undermining Congress’s constitutional authority to declare or otherwise authorize wars, but with President Trump’s authoritarian approach to governance, the stakes are higher than ever,” said Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action. “We applaud the members of Congress who signed this critical letter. Their leadership is essential in reining in this open-ended military adventure in Yemen, which is exacerbating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Congress must step up and reassert its oversight over the use of U.S. military before the president engages in even more reckless military adventurism abroad — or potentially even repression at home.”

    “The U.S. airstrikes on Yemen are making a humanitarian crisis worse,” said Isaac Evans-Frantz, Director of Action Corps. “Congress never authorized these attacks, and members of Congress should use their power to stop them.”

    “The U.S. bombing of Yemen contributes to the destruction of civilian infrastructure, the loss of innocent lives, and the deepening of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises—all without congressional authorization,” said Aisha Jumaan, President, Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation. “I urge Congress to support the War Powers Resolution to end any unauthorized U.S. military involvement in Yemen. It is time for the United States to support accountability, prioritize diplomacy, and play a constructive role in ending the suffering of the Yemeni people.”

    The full text of the letter can be read here. 

    The letter has been signed by Becca Balint (VT-AL), Donald S. Beyer (VA-08), Greg Casar (TX-35), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

    It is also endorsed by Action Corps, American Friends Service Committee, Antiwar.com, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, Brooklyn For Peace, Center for International Policy Advocacy, DAWN, Demand Progress, Emgage Action, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Health Advocacy International, Historians for Peace and Democracy, Just Foreign Policy, L.I. Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, Massachusetts Peace Action, MPower Change Action Fund, National Iranian American Council, NorCal Sabeel, North Country Peace Group, Peace Action, Peace Action New York State, Peace, Justice, Sustainability, NOW!, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, The Libertarian Institute, United for Peace and Justice, WESPAC Foundation, Inc., Western New York Peace Center, Win Without War, Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation, and Yemeni Alliance Committee.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World News in Brief: East Jerusalem schools told to close, Guterres saddened by Santo Domingo deaths, DR Congo and Haiti updates

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Peace and Security

    Six schools run by the UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem have been issued “illegal closure orders” after being forcibly entered by Israeli security forces, according to the agency’s head Philippe Lazzarini.

    The schools were told they must close within 30 days.

    Mr. Lazzarini said that some 800 boys and girls are directly impacted by these closure orders and are likely to miss finishing their school year.

    He noted that UNRWA schools are protected by the “privileges and immunities” of the United Nations. These illegal closure orders come in the wake of Knesset [parliament of Israel] legislation seeking to curtail UNRWA operations.

    Aid access blocked

    UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York that since Tuesday, the Israeli authorities have denied eight of 14 attempts by aid workers to coordinate access to people needing urgent assistance.

    Since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire fell apart and hostilities recommenced on 18 March, the authorities have denied 68 per cent of the 170 attempts by UN aid workers to coordinate access.

    “They also continue to reject all attempts to pick up supplies that were brought into Gaza and dropped at the crossings prior to the decision to shut those crossings on 2 March.”

    Despite the increasingly challenging conditions, humanitarian partners have resumed services in northern Gaza, focusing on urgent case management, psychological first aid, and psychosocial support.

    Dominican Republic: Secretary-General ‘deeply saddened’ by Santo Domingo deaths

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday he was “deeply saddened” by the collapse of a building in the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, in which more than 120 died, according to news reports.

    Many others were injured when the roof of a popular nightclub collapsed during a concert featuring the renowned merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who has been confirmed as among the dead.

    Heartfelt condolences

    It is estimated that between 500 and 1,000 people were inside the venue. Hundreds of rescuers are continuing to search for survivors and the cause of the disaster has yet to be determined.

    Mr. Guterres expressed “his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the people and the government of the Dominican Republic.”

    ‘Persistent violence’ driving displacement and disease outbreaks in DR Congo

    The displacement of people and the outbreak of disease in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is being driven by “persistent violence” according to the UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA.

    Fresh clashes between armed groups near the town of Masisi in North Kivu province on Tuesday displaced more than 45,000 people, local humanitarian partners said.

    In a separate incident in Walikale territory, local sources said armed men raided two critical health facilities on 5 April.

    Medicines and other medical supplies were looted from Kibua Hospital and Kitshanga health centre, hindering access to healthcare for around 120,000 people.

    Cholera spread

    Meanwhile, OCHA has warned that cholera continues to spread in the east of the country, with outbreaks now declared in four provinces: North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika and Maniema.

    UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said concern was mounting after at least eight cases were confirmed in the Mulongwe refugee camp, in South Kivu’s Fizi territory.

    “The camp, which is hosting nearly 15,000 refugees from Burundi, faces acute risks due to poor hygiene, limited access to clean water and inadequate sanitation. Response efforts are hindered by strained healthcare capacity and logistical challenges.”

    In South Kivu’s Kalehe territory, particularly in the Minova area, cholera cases surged to 77 between 31 March and 6 April, just a few days ago.

    “That is nearly five times the epidemic threshold that should trigger emergency response,” Mr. Dujarric said.

    Humanitarian organizations are working alongside local authorities to contain the spread, but the situation remains critical.

    © IOM/Antoine Lemonnier

    Haitians displaced by violence find refuge on the streets of the capital, Port-au-Prince. (file)

    Haiti: Rising violence and cholera threat deepen crisis

    The United Nations on Wednesday raised alarm over renewed violence and worsening conditions in Haiti, particularly in the Centre and Ouest regions, where the capital Port-au-Prince is located.

    Recent armed attacks in Saut d’Eau and Mirebalais in the Centre Department have displaced over 30,000 people, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).

    “The vast majority of them have remained in the department. Our humanitarian colleagues, along with partners, are providing assistance, including food, hygiene kits, safe water and psychosocial support,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the regular news briefing in New York.

    Meanwhile, the cholera outbreak continues to spread.

    As of 29 March, nearly 1,300 suspected cases have been reported, including nine confirmed cases and 19 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

    “Significant increases in suspected cases have been reported in Cité Soleil in Port-au-Prince and in the town of Arcahaie, which included displacement sites where living conditions, as you can imagine, are very precarious,” Mr. Dujarric said.

    The cholera response is being led by Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health.

    “We and our partners are continuing to provide assistance – including surveillance, laboratory support, case management, risk communication, vaccination, water and sanitation services, and infection prevention and control,” Mr. Dujarric said.

    However, response operations remain severely hindered by insecurity, restricted access, and critical funding shortages.

    Coordination office, OCHA, has called for urgent support to scale up aid and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gratitude for Missouri’s Election Champions

    Source: US State of Missouri

     

     

    This column is released for publication in full.

     April 9, 2025

    Gratitude for Missouri’s Election Champions
    By Secretary of State Denny Hoskins

     As Missouri’s Secretary of State, I have the honor of overseeing elections across our great state—but it’s the people on the ground who truly make democracy work. After yesterday’s municipal elections on April 8, I want to take a moment to recognize and thank the local election authorities, boards of elections, and the many poll workers and volunteers who brought this election to life.

    Elections don’t just happen. They’re built—piece by piece—by dedicated professionals who spend weeks, even months, planning every detail. From preparing ballots and setting up polling locations to answering last-minute voter questions and counting results late into the evening, the work is relentless and often underappreciated. And yet, time after time, these public servants show up with purpose, professionalism, and care for their communities.

    On Tuesday, Missourians cast votes for mayors, city council members, school board representatives, and vital local initiatives. These are the decisions that shape our neighborhoods, our schools, and our daily lives. Thanks to the hard work of local election officials, voters were able to participate with confidence—knowing that their voice mattered and their ballot was secure.

    I’ve heard stories from across the state of poll workers who arrived before sunrise, of election judges who stayed late to ensure every vote was counted accurately, and of clerks who patiently helped first-time voters find their way. These stories aren’t rare—they’re the norm in Missouri, and they’re a testament to the strength of our local democracy.

    To our county clerks, boards of election commissioners, election staff, and volunteers: thank you. You’ve once again proven that Missouri’s elections are in capable, trustworthy hands.

    To every voter who showed up—whether it was your first ballot or your fiftieth—you’ve helped keep democracy alive and well in your community.

    We don’t take that for granted. I certainly don’t.

    As we look ahead to future elections, my office and I will continue working hand in hand with our local election officials to ensure that every election in Missouri is safe, accessible, and secure. Because that’s what Missourians deserve—and that’s what our democracy requires.

     

    About Secretary of State Denny Hoskins

    Denny Hoskins, CPA, was elected Missouri’s 41st Secretary of State in November 2024. With a strong background in business and public service, he is committed to improving government efficiency, transparency, and supporting Missouri families.

     

    For more information, please contact: Rachael Dunn, Director of Communications, via email at [email protected].

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bozeman man sentenced to ten years in prison on drug charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MISSOULA – A Bozeman man who possessed methamphetamine and fentanyl was sentenced today to 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Rene Montenegro-Virrey, 51, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

    U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that in August 2022, drug investigators learned that Rene Montenegro-Virrey was planning a trip to Bozeman to deliver 7,000 fentanyl pills and five pounds of methamphetamine. Over the next several months, drugs were purchased from the defendant through undercover purchases and controlled buys. In August 2024, Montenegro-Virrey met with undercover officers for another transaction. Four pounds of methamphetamine was seized from his vehicle.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the Missouri River Drug Task Force.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brooklyn-Based Ninedee Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Covid-19 Unemployment Benefits Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Darnell Jones, also known as “EJ,” pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud and committing aggravated identity theft.  During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 through August 2021, Jones engaged in a fraud scheme using stolen personal identifying information to fraudulently obtain more than $800,000 from federally funded unemployment insurance programs established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  In addition, as part of his guilty plea, Jones admitted to fraudulently obtaining personal identifying information, including bank account information, between May 2021 and October 2024, to commit wire fraud with an intended victim loss of more than $3.5 million.  The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry.  When sentenced, Jones faces up to 32 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of two years’ imprisonment.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea.

    “Today, Jones admitted to his extensive fraud scheme to swindle millions of dollars of unemployment benefits by using the stolen identities of innocent victims,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Even worse, the federal funds were intended to provide relief to those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic and instead were diverted by the defendant to finance violent crimes of the Ninedee gang in Brooklyn.  My Office and our law enforcement partners recognize that a key means of dismantling violent gangs is, as here, to cut off their sources of income.” 

    Mr. Durham also thanked the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General and the New York State Department of Labor, Office of Special Investigations for their assistance on the case.

    “At the height of a global crisis, Darnell Jones exploited the identities of vulnerable New Yorkers to bankroll a violent gang’s criminal enterprise,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “His guilty plea today is a powerful reminder that no scam is too sophisticated, no network too hidden – we will find you, and we will bring you to justice. I commend our investigators, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their relentless pursuit of justice.”

    According to court filings, witness testimony, and the record from the defendant’s detention hearing, Jones is a member of the Ninedee Gang, a violent criminal enterprise operating out of the Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York, Brooklyn, who led the gang’s fraud schemes.  Ninedee Gang members were affiliated with the “5” and “6” Pink Houses apartment buildings and engaged in gang-related violence within and outside of the New York City Housing Authority complex.  The Ninedee Gang protected its turf through violence, made money by selling drugs and committing fraud, and sought to silence those they perceived to be working with law enforcement.  Ninedee Gang members were responsible for the July 2020 murder of Shatavia Walls, a former federal witness who testified against a Ninedee Gang member in Brooklyn federal court in 2019.  Seven Ninedee Gang members have been prosecuted for their gang-affiliated crimes, including the murder in-aid-of-racketeering of Shatavia Walls. Five Ninedee defendants have pled guilty and a sixth, Maliek Miller, was convicted at trial in June 2024.  The remaining defendant, high-ranking Ninedee leader Raquel Dunton, is charged with drug trafficking and acting as an accessory after-the-fact to Walls’ murder, among other crimes, and is awaiting trial.

    Jones and other Ninedee Gang members engaged in “scamming,” or various financial fraud schemes, including check fraud, postal money order fraud, and unemployment benefits fraud.  For example, beginning in approximately November 2020, Jones sent a co-conspirator text messages containing the names of 10 New York residents, the purpose of which was to obtain personally identifiable information (PII) for those individuals without their consent.  The co-conspirator sent Jones the requested individuals’ dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers.  In exchange, Jones paid the co-conspirator with cryptocurrency.  Subsequently, Jones submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits to the New York State Department of Labor using the stolen PII.  As introduced at the trial of Ninedee Gang leader Maliek Miller, text messages in 2020 showed that Jones coordinated with fellow Ninedee Gang member Kevin Wint about pooling their money to purchase “glicks” or “plates,” which are references to firearms.  Notably, in August 2021, law enforcement agents recovered two firearms, which were outfitted with laser sights, in a residence shared by Jones and Wint. 

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Emily J. Dean and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Theodore Rader.

    The Defendant:

    DARNELL JONES (also known as “EJ”)
    Age: 30
    Brooklyn, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-369 (DLI)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Springfield Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Fentanyl Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court today for his leadership role in a large-scale drug-trafficking organization in southwest Missouri that resulted in the overdose deaths of at least two people.

    Delante Leon Worsham, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 30 years in federal prison without parole.

    On Jan. 29, 2024, Worsham pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Worsham admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in Christian and Greene counties from Sept. 23, 2018 to Nov. 14, 2019.

    During a Sept. 23, 2018, traffic stop in Springfield, Mo., law enforcement officers located 21.50 grams of fentanyl in Worsham’s vehicle. On Nov. 15, 2019, Worsham was arrested in Springfield with approximately $2,390 in cash and a golf-ball sized bag containing smaller bags of fentanyl totaling 30 grams. Worsham admitted that he intended to distribute the fentanyl from both incidents and that the money was proceeds from a drug-trafficking conspiracy. Worsham further admitted to “cutting” fentanyl with heroin and powdered sugar in order to maximize his profit.

    According to court documents, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that Missouri was one of only nine states west of the Mississippi River with an age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths of more than 21.1 per 100,000 in 2020. Court documents also cite a widely reported analysis of CDC data by Families Against Fentanyl that fentanyl overdoses are now the leading cause of death among adults between ages 18 and 45 in the United States.

    Worsham is the eleventh defendant to be sentenced in this case, among 14 defendants who have pleaded guilty.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Eatmon and Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Bourbon, Mo., Police Department, and the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

    Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Discharging a Firearm in Neighborhood in Dubuque

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A convicted felon who discharged a firearm in a residential neighborhood in Dubuque, Iowa, in April 2024 was sentenced on April 8, 2025, to three years in federal prison.

    Datreon Adams, age 30, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 19, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

    At the plea and sentencing hearings, Adams admitted to unlawfully possessing a firearm.  Information at those hearings showed that Adams drove through a Dubuque neighborhood discharging the firearm before returning to his motel.  Officers subsequently located the firearm in Adams’ motel room and determined he was a felon.  Adams did not strike anyone or anything while discharging the firearm.

    Adams was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Adams was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    Adams is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-CR-1023.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Boscobel Man Sentenced to More than Ten years in Federal Prison for Meth Conviction

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A man who possessed ice methamphetamine with the intent to distribute was sentenced on April 8, 2025, in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

    Hunter Newberry, age 23, from Boscobel, Wisconsin, pled guilty on October 31, 2024, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on January 27, 2024, law enforcement officers stopped the car Newberry was driving.  During the traffic stop, officers searched Newberry’s car and located a bag containing nearly two pounds of methamphetamine.  Subsequently, Newberry admitted to officers that he had acquired the methamphetamine in Madison, Wisconsin, and brought it to the Dubuque area to distribute.  Newberry admitted that between December 2023 and January 2024, he acquired at least ten pounds of methamphetamine and distributed it in the Dubuque area.  

    Newberry was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Newberry was sentenced to 140 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Newberry remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-CR-1026.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Nasdaq Announces End-of-Month Open Short Interest Positions in Nasdaq Stocks as of Settlement Date March 31, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At the end of the settlement date of March 31, 2025, short interest in 3,140 Nasdaq Global MarketSM securities totaled 13,072,444,217 shares compared with 13,066,514,117 shares in 3,124 Global Market issues reported for the prior settlement date of March 14, 2025. The mid-March short interest represents 2.64 days compared with 2.14 days for the prior reporting period.

    Short interest in 1,625 securities on The Nasdaq Capital MarketSM totaled 2,682,510,166 shares at the end of the settlement date of March 31, 2025, compared with 2,598,104,131 shares in 1,634 securities for the previous reporting period. This represents a 1.12 day average daily volume; the previous reporting period’s figure was 1.17.

    In summary, short interest in all 4,765 Nasdaq® securities totaled 15,754,954,383 shares at the March 31, 2025 settlement date, compared with 4,758 issues and 15,664,618,248 shares at the end of the previous reporting period. This is 2.14 days average daily volume, compared with an average of 1.88 days for the prior reporting period.

    The open short interest positions reported for each Nasdaq security reflect the total number of shares sold short by all broker/dealers regardless of their exchange affiliations. A short sale is generally understood to mean the sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale that is consummated by the delivery of a security borrowed by or for the account of the seller.

    For more information on Nasdaq Short interest positions, including publication dates, visit http://www.nasdaq.com/quotes/short-interest.aspx or http://www.nasdaqtrader.com/asp/short_interest.asp.

    About Nasdaq:
    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions, and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.

    Media Contact:
    Camille Stafford
    camille.stafford@nasdaq.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e732179-9f7c-4e87-b3b9-7b6783f4a5cd

    NDAQO

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Midland States Bancorp, Inc. receives expected notification of deficiency from Nasdaq related to delayed filing of Annual Report on Form 10-K

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EFFINGHAM, Ill., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Midland States Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: MSBI) (the “Company”) today announced that it received an expected deficiency notification letter from the Listing Qualifications Staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) on April 3, 2025 (the “Notice”). The Notice indicated that the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the “Listing Rule”) as a result of its failure to timely file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 (the “Form 10-K”), as described more fully in the Company’s Form 12b-25 Notification of Late Filing (the “Form 12b-25”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 17, 2025. The Listing Rule requires Nasdaq-listed companies to timely file all required periodic reports with the SEC.

    The Notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s common stock or depositary shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

    In accordance with Nasdaq’s listing rules, the Company has 60 calendar days after the Notice to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Listing Rule. Pursuant to the Notice, Nasdaq has the discretion to grant the Company up to 180 calendar days from the filing’s due date, or until September 29, 2025, to regain compliance. The Company intends to take the necessary steps to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s listing rules as soon as practicable.

    As discussed in the Form 12b-25, the Company requires additional time and effort required to finalize its evaluation of the accounting and financial reporting of a third party lending and servicing arrangement, including obtaining third party documentation and analysis. Additionally, the Company is evaluating the impact related to its internal control over financial reporting. The Company expects to file the Form 10-K as soon as practicable.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s expectations as to the anticipated timing of filing the Form 10-K, completion of the Company’s audit for fiscal year 2024, any impact on the Company’s previously reported financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024, and statements relating to the Company’s plan to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s listing rules, as well as all statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are subject to change, and actual results may materially differ from those set forth in this press release due to certain risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause or contribute to changes in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the expected timing and results of the Company’s audit for fiscal year 2024; the risk that the completion and filing of the Form 10-K will take longer than expected; uncertainties about the timing of the Company’s submission of a compliance plan; Nasdaq’s acceptance of any such plan; the duration of any extension that may be granted by Nasdaq; and the risk that the Company will be unable to meet Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements. The foregoing review of important factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements set forth in reports filed with the SEC. Undue reliance should not be placed on any forward-looking statement contained herein. These statements reflect the Company’s position as of the date of this Current Report. The Company expressly disclaims any undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any statements to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change of events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

    About Midland States Bancorp, Inc.

    Midland States Bancorp, Inc. is a community-based financial holding company headquartered in Effingham, Illinois, and is the sole shareholder of Midland States Bank. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had total assets of approximately $7.53 billion, and its Wealth Management Group had assets under administration of approximately $4.15 billion. The Company provides a full range of commercial and consumer banking products and services and business equipment financing, merchant credit card services, trust and investment management, insurance and financial planning services. For additional information, visit https://www.midlandsb.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/midland-states-bank.

    CONTACTS:
    Eric T. Lemke, Chief Financial Officer, at elemke@midlandsb.com or (217) 342-7321

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. Reports March 2025 Assets Under Management

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MILWAUKEE, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (NYSE: APAM) today reported that its preliminary assets under management (“AUM”) as of March 31, 2025 totaled $162.4 billion. Artisan Funds and Artisan Global Funds accounted for $79.2 billion of total firm AUM, while separate accounts and other AUM1 accounted for $83.2 billion.

    PRELIMINARY ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT BY STRATEGY2    
         
    As of March 31, 2025 – ($ Millions)    
    Growth Team    
    Global Opportunities $   19,249  
    Global Discovery   1,736  
    U.S. Mid-Cap Growth   10,282  
    U.S. Small-Cap Growth   2,702  
    Franchise   700  
    Global Equity Team    
    Global Equity   345  
    Non-U.S. Growth   12,988  
    China Post-Venture   109  
    U.S. Value Team    
    Value Equity   4,942  
    U.S. Mid-Cap Value   2,582  
    Value Income   16  
    International Value Group    
    International Value   46,849  
    International Explorer   631  
    Global Special Situations   6  
    Global Value Team    
    Global Value   29,929  
    Select Equity   327  
    Sustainable Emerging Markets Team    
    Sustainable Emerging Markets   1,625  
    Credit Team    
    High Income   12,062  
    Credit Opportunities   287  
    Floating Rate   85  
    Developing World Team    
    Developing World   4,147  
    Antero Peak Group    
    Antero Peak   1,899  
    Antero Peak Hedge   222  
    International Small-Mid Team    
    Non-U.S. Small-Mid Growth   5,353  
    EMsights Capital Group    
    Global Unconstrained   879  
    Emerging Markets Debt Opportunities   1,040  
    Emerging Markets Local Opportunities   1,398  
         
    Total Firm Assets Under Management (“AUM”) $  162,390  

    1 Separate account and other AUM consists of the assets we manage in or through vehicles other than Artisan Funds or Artisan Global Funds. Separate account and other AUM includes assets we manage in traditional separate accounts, as well as assets we manage in Artisan-branded collective investment trusts, and in our own private funds.
    2 AUM for Artisan Sustainable Emerging Markets and U.S. Mid-Cap Growth Strategies includes $112.7 million in aggregate for which Artisan Partners provides investment models to managed account sponsors (reported on a lag not exceeding one quarter).

    ABOUT ARTISAN PARTNERS
    Artisan Partners is a global investment management firm that provides a broad range of high value-added investment strategies to sophisticated clients around the world. Since 1994, the firm has been committed to attracting experienced, disciplined investment professionals to manage client assets. Artisan Partners’ autonomous investment teams oversee a diverse range of investment strategies across multiple asset classes. Strategies are offered through various investment vehicles to accommodate a broad range of client mandates.

    Investor Relations Inquiries: 866.632.1770 or ir@artisanpartners.com
    Source: Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: MSF steps up Myanmar earthquake response story Apr 09, 2025

    Source: Doctors Without Borders –

    On March 28, a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, devastating the regions of Mandalay, Naypyidaw, Sagaing, and Shan state. In the immediate aftermath, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reaffirmed its commitment and capacity to deliver large-scale emergency medical assistance across all impacted areas. 

    MSF has prioritized responding in the hardest-hit and currently accessible cities of Mandalay and Naypyidaw, while serious concerns persist for people living in more remote and less accessible areas such as Sagaing.

    As of April 8, over 3,600 deaths have been reported, more than 5,000 people injured, and an estimated 17 million individuals affected—many severely. Key infrastructure sustained significant damage, including hospitals, roads, and water systems, while ongoing telecommunication disruptions continue to hamper relief efforts.    

    The earthquake struck a country already gripped by several health crises and conflict, compounding the challenges communities face. Limited resources, staff, and supplies have left some facilities overburdened and struggling to respond to the growing health needs.

    While local communities are demonstrating remarkable solidarity, our staff have reported extensive destruction. Many residents remain outdoors for fear of aftershocks, while monasteries have opened their doors to host displaced families. 

    View of the Naypyidaw Hospital after the March 28 earthquake. | Myanmar 2025 © MSF

    Damaged infrastructure compromises health care

    In the hardest-hit cities, damage to infrastructure has severely impacted hospitals’ ability to function. Due to fears of further building collapse, structural damage has forced medical staff to treat patients outside in some cases. 

    In Naypyidaw and Mandalay, where hospital systems were particularly damaged, MSF carried out assessments, delivered medical supplies, and initiated discussions with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health.

    In Mandalay, our teams are working to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions in damaged hospitals by installing water tanks and additional handwashing basins. Teams are reinforcing waste management with dozens of bins and helping patients cope with extreme heat –often reaching 104°F –while awaiting treatment outside damaged facilities by setting up fans.

    At the same time, mobile medical teams began providing consultations in makeshift shelters including monasteries, treating a range of conditions from common illnesses to chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. In southern Myanmar, mobile teams also distributed essential non-food items, restored clean water sources, and continued assessments in affected and displaced communities.

    MSF teams install and fix a water tank at the Mandalay General Hospital. | Myanmar 2025 © MSF

    Psychological impact of the earthquake

    A key priority for our response is mental health. In Mandalay, teams composed of trained staff and student volunteers have been visiting patients in surgical, orthopedic, and trauma wards at local hospitals to provide psychological first aid. In a context where survivors face high levels of psychological stress, these efforts are essential. The disaster and the fear of aftershocks, which continue to be recorded, in addition to the consequences of the ongoing conflict ravaging many parts of the country, contribute to this stress.

    A view of damage to the Thapyay Kone Market in Naypyidaw after the earthquake.

    Major concerns over expected environmental impact

    With the rainy season approaching, floods and landslides could exacerbate existing access challenges, particularly in remote areas. The rainy season also significantly heightens the likelihood of public health threats associated with outbreaks of waterborne disease such as cholera, and vector-borne diseases like malaria or dengue fever. This is due to the potential flood-related contamination of the already reduced number of safe water sources. Immediate actions like scaled up provision of clean water, safe sanitation facilities, distribution of mosquito nets, and hygiene promotion are essential to mitigate the additional threads.

    What needs to happen now?

    In order to address the immense needs, it is crucial for humanitarian aid to reach all affected areas, including hard-to-reach locations, unhindered. To avoid longer-term harmful consequences for people grappling with the aftermath of this earthquake, a further significant scale-up of aid and assurance of access to health care in all affected areas is urgently needed. 

    As part of MSF’s long-standing presence in Myanmar since its first intervention in 1992, we reaffirm our readiness to provide emergency medical humanitarian assistance wherever needed, as we continue to support communities affected by conflict, disease, and now, one of the worst earthquakes to strike the region in recent history.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Norcross Releases Statement in Opposition to Largest Proposed Medicaid Cut in American History

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) released a statement in opposition to Trump and Republicans’ budget plan to direct Congress to slash healthcare and prescription benefits for our seniors, veterans, and more, including a minimum of $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid, so that they can afford to give the wealthy tax cuts.

    “I would vote ‘no’ a thousand times to stop Trump and Republicans from cutting earned benefit programs, including Medicare and Social Security, that our seniors rely on. Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security are all lifelines for millions of Americans across the country, including hundreds of thousands of families, veterans, and seniors in South Jersey,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “It’s disgusting that Republicans would disrespect our veterans, who have sacrificed so much to defend this nation, by cutting the programs they deserve and were promised. The draconian cuts to Medicaid, a program that millions of seniors and people with disabilities depend on for healthcare and long-term care, are just plain wrong. With this budget plan, Trump and Congressional Republicans are making one thing clear: they don’t care about seniors, veterans, or hardworking American families.”   

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union: Workers Ready to Have Voice During Tariff Pause

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    WASHINGTON, April 9, 2025 – Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers), and David Chartrand, IAM Canadian General Vice President, issued the following statement following President Trump’s announcement on pausing most tariffs for 90 days:  

    “As the largest aerospace and defense labor union in the United States and Canada, the IAM Union believes that we should take the next 90 days to help chart a path forward that will benefit workers. We must put an end to the constant anxiety of job losses due to tariff threats between allies. We continue to offer a space for all stakeholders – government, business and labor – to come together to forge a real, comprehensive strategy to protect and grow critical manufacturing here in the United States and Canada while punishing the bad actors across the globe. Workers deserve the right to drive policy conversations about their livelihoods. Working people should be at the table, not on the menu.”   

    The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.

    goIAM.org | @IAM_Union

    Le syndicat de l’IAM : Les travailleurs et travailleuses sont prêts à se faire entendre pendant la pause tarifaire

    WASHINGTON, le 9 avril 2025 – Brian Bryant, président international du syndicat de l’IAM, qui compte 600 000 membres, et David Chartrand, vice-président général de l’IAM au Canada, ont publié la déclaration suivante à la suite de l’annonce du président Trump concernant la pause de la plupart des tarifs douaniers pendant 90 jours : 

    “En tant que plus grand syndicat de l’aérospatiale et de la défense aux États-Unis et au Canada, le syndicat de l’IAM estime que nous devrions profiter des 90 prochains jours pour aider à tracer une voie à suivre qui profitera aux travailleurs et travailleuses. Nous devons mettre fin à l’angoisse constante des pertes d’emploi dues aux menaces tarifaires entre alliés. Nous continuons à offrir un espace à toutes les parties prenantes – gouvernement, entreprises et syndicats – pour qu’elles se réunissent afin de forger une stratégie réelle et globale visant à protéger et à développer l’industrie manufacturière essentielle ici aux États-Unis et au Canada, tout en punissant les mauvais acteurs à travers le monde. Les travailleurs et travailleuses méritent d’avoir le droit de mener des discussions politiques sur leurs moyens de subsistance. Les travailleurs et travailleuses doivent être présents à la table, pas au menu”.  

    L’IAM est l’un des syndicats industriels les plus importants et les plus diversifiés d’Amérique du Nord, représentant environ 600 000 membres actifs et retraités dans les secteurs de l’aérospatiale, de la défense, des compagnies aériennes, des chemins de fer, des transports en commun, de la santé, de l’automobile et d’autres industries aux États-Unis et au Canada.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Health Expands Comprehensive Concussion Care

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    A neurosurgeon with specialized training is leading a new concussion clinic at UConn Health.

    Dr. Brian Kelley, in the roles of neurosurgeon and neurointensivist, seeks to offer an outpatient setting where those who’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can progress with their recovery following their initial acute care.

    Dr. Bryan Kelley is a UConn Health neurosurgeon with specialty training in neurotrauma and neurocritical care. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)

    “There are ongoing processes inside your head that are not necessarily surgical problems, but still very much contribute to the overall pathology,” Kelley says. “There are several aspects related to traumatic brain injury that deal not only with surgical issues, but also with what are called secondary mechanisms of injury. These are processes like hypoxia, free radical formation, or pathologic enzyme activity that happen in a delayed fashion.”

    Free radicals are unstable molecules that can harm cells. Hypoxia refers to when the body’s oxygen levels are low.

    Kelley joined UConn Health in 2022, after completing a fellowship in neurocritical care at the University of Pennsylvania that followed his neurosurgical training. In addition to treating brain-injured patients surgically, he’s interested in coordinating services to help patients transition into longer-term care needs.

    “TBI patients often have long-term neurologic issues, be it cognitive or motor function, and they need resources and a place to go where someone with expertise in the field may not be able to necessarily fix everything but can steer them in the proper direction,” Kelley says. “The ultimate goal of the concussion clinic is to integrate neurotrauma care with physical, occupational, and speech therapies, as well as cognitive treatment down the line. That’s in addition to dealing with any potential surgical or postoperative issues.”

    Kelley envisions a comprehensive model for patients to access interdisciplinary care unique to their needs. His concussion clinic opened March 30 at the Brain and Spine Institute at UConn Health, just off its main campus in Farmington at 5 Munson Road.

    “The concussion clinic is born out of building an academic practice focused on head trauma,” he says. “Post-concussive syndrome can be a little bit of a nebulous diagnosis. Not everybody fits nicely into a box, but if you can drill down on a patient’s chief complaint, then at the very least, we can make sure they’re seeing the right groups of people.”

    Of note, Kelley’s clinic is separate and distinct from Neurosport, which is part of UConn Health’s orthopedics and sports medicine practice and provides comprehensive care for athletes who suffer head injuries.

    To start, Kelley expects most of his referrals to come from the UConn John Dempsey Hospital Emergency Department, with an eye toward cultivating the clinic’s reputation as a resource for community physicians to send their patients who may be struggling with the aftereffects of brain injury.

    “There are patients who suffer what you might think is a fairly innocuous event, but they’re left with fairly significant neurologic issues and kind of stuck,” he says. “They’re not sick enough to be in the hospital, but they can’t go back to work or they’re not enjoying the quality of life they want. The idea is to perform a neurologic exam, provide them with a head-to-toe assessment of what’s going on, and give them the resources to help mitigate some of the ongoing TBI effects.”

    Dr. Ketan Bulsara, chair of UConn Health’s Department of Neurosurgery, says, “Dr. Kelley’s training and expertise uniquely position him to provide a great service to help a large group of post-concussive patients. Combined with his research interest in understanding the pathophysiology of brain trauma, he is also uniquely positioned to help advance treatments for this group of patients.”

    Learn more about UConn Health’s Department of Neurosurgery, or call 860-679-8080 to schedule a consultation.

    Learn more about the Brain and Spine Institute at UConn Health.

    MIL OSI USA News –