NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI: Cegedim: Release of its 2024 Universal Registration Document

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

     

    PRESS RELEASE

    Financial Information

      Cegedim: Release of its
    2024 Universal Registration Document

    Boulogne-Billancourt, April 8, 2025

    Cegedim, an innovative technology and services company, announces that its 2024 Universal Registration Document (in French) has been published in compliance with Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) regulations on April 7, 2025, under the number: D.25-0233. The report is available free of charge:

    • At the company headquarters

    Cegedim, Financial Department, 137 rue d’Aguesseau, 92100 Boulogne Billancourt

    • on its website

    https://www.cegedim.com/finance/documentation/Pages/reports.aspx

    The English version will be uploaded in the next few days.

    The 2024 Universal Registration Document includes notably:

    – The 2024 consolidated financial statements of the Group;

    ‐ The 2024 statutory financial statements of Cegedim S.A.;

    ‐ The related auditors’ reports on the consolidated and the statutory financial statements;

    ‐ The 2024 management report including notably the Sustainability statement;

    – The certification report on the Sustainability statement;

    ‐ The Board of Directors’ report on corporate governance;

    ‐ Information regarding internal control and risk management;

    ‐ The draft resolutions submitted to the Shareholders’ Meeting of 13 June 2025;

    ‐ Information regarding fees paid to the Statutory Auditors.

    Shareholders’ agenda: Q1 2025 revenue – Thursday 24 April 2025

    About Cegedim:
    Founded in 1969, Cegedim is an innovative technology and services group in the field of digital data flow management for healthcare ecosystems and B2B, and a business software publisher for healthcare and insurance professionals. Cegedim employs nearly
    6,700 people in more than 10 countries and generated revenue of over €654 million in 2024.
    Cegedim SA is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: CGM).
    To learn more please visit: www.cegedim.fr
    And follow Cegedim on X: @Cegedimgroup, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

    Aude Balleydier
    Cegedim
    Media Relations and
    Communications Manager

    Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 09 68 81
    aude.balleydier@cegedim.fr

    		 Damien Buffet
    Cegedim
    Head of
    Financial Communication

    Tel.: +33 (0)7 64 63 55 73
    damien.buffet@cegedim.com

    		 Céline Pardo
    Becoming RP Agency
    Media Relations Consultant

    Tel.:         +33 (0)6 52 08 13 66
    cegedim@becoming-group.com

    		  

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New City Learning Quarter training facility shortlisted for regional award

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    The £8.1 million Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre (ATAC) at City of Wolverhampton College’s Wellington Road campus in Bilston is in the running for the Building Project of the Year honour.

    Winners will be announced at an awards dinner on Thursday 1 May, at Edgbaston Cricket Ground.

    ATAC opened to students in September following an 11 month build by contractor Speller Metcalfe.

    It will secure hundreds of jobs in the local economy and create learning opportunities for thousands of students – specialising in engineering and automotive, including electric vehicles (EV).

    Only last month, luxury car manufacturer, Bentley, enrolled 18 of its manufacturing technicians on electrical apprenticeships at the centre.

    Construction of ATAC was funded by £7.7 million from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with the remainder from the Black Country LEP.

    It has been designed for engineering and automotive studies – with facilities for new electric, hybrid and traditional vehicles, as well fabrication, manufacturing, welding, CAD and robotics.

    The centre is delivering a multi skilled flexible workforce addressing skills shortages in the city. Almost 5,500 learners and 954 apprenticeships are forecast over the first 10 years of the centre.

    Phase 2 of the City Learning Quarter masterplan is in progress with McLaughlin & Harvey constructing a city centre campus that will pave the way for the college to move from its Paget Road site, while Speller Metcalfe is delivering transformational works on the neighbouring Adult Education Wolverhampton and Central Library facilities.

    The courses the purpose built Bilston centre host are not suitable for the city centre location.

    City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, Councillor Chris Burden, said: “The Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre is a fantastic new facility and to be shortlisted for this award is testament to that.

    “It was built on time and on budget and is already delivering positive outcomes in terms of our education and skills offer in Wolverhampton.

    “Advanced technology and automotive is a rapidly growing economic sector, creating learning and jobs opportunities for people of all ages in our city and beyond.

    “It aligns with Wolverhampton’s strong credentials as a front runner in green industries, which will be further supported by the development of our Green Innovation Corridor as one of the 3 pillars in the West Midlands Investment Zone.”

    Peter Merry, Deputy Principal and Chief Executive of the College, said: “The Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre was designed with the requirement of students, apprentices, employers and the wider engineering and automotive sectors at its heart and enabled courses to be transferred from our Paget Road campus for the start of the academic year in September 2024.

    “Students are benefitting from learning in purpose built premises with industry standard equipment and facilities and, with so much construction taking place across the region, we are delighted that it has been shortlisted for the Building Project of the Year Award.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Save the date as Vaisakhi celebration returns to West Park

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    The popular cultural festival will return to West Park on Sunday 4 May between 12pm and 5pm.

    The Council of Sikh Gurdwaras in Wolverhampton has promised entertainment for all the family, including a fun fair, stalls and prominent Asian musicians and singers performing live on stage.

    There will be speeches by religious leaders, a variety of local organisations will showcase their services, and free food will also be served throughout the day. Entry is also free.

    Councillor Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills said: “Vaisakhi is always hugely popular and we look forward to this year’s celebrations. With weeks to go, preparations are underway by the Council of Sikh Gurdwaras in Wolverhampton and people who live in the city, to ensure another fun filled family event.  

    “We are pleased that the event is returning to West Park and are looking forward to being able to celebrate the festival again as it is an extremely important event in the city’s calendar. 

    “There is limited parking around West Park, so attendees are kindly requested to park responsibly or to make use of nearby car parks on Fold Street and Clifton Street.

    “The City of Wolverhampton Council urge everyone to put the date in their diary and see West Park come alive to the sights and sounds of the Vaisakhi Festival.”

    Beforehand, there will be a parade from the Guru Nanak Satsang Gurdwara on Cannock Road to West Park, starting at 8:30am.

    To support the safe arrival of the parade as it makes its way into the park, maintain emergency access and reduce disruption to residents, motorists are advised a full road closure will be in place from 8am to 6pm on the roads detailed below:

    • Lansdowne Road – closed 8am to 6pm
    • Park Avenue – closed 8am to 6pm
    • Park Road East – closed between junctions with Park Road West/Southgate and Devon Road 8am to 6pm
    • Park Road West – closed between junctions with Park Road East/Southgate and Summerfield Road 8am to 6pm
    • Southgate – closed 8am to 6pm

    More details have been sent to those residents who will be affected.

    Vaisakhi is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar. It is the Sikh New Year festival, and this year marks the 326th Anniversary of the Creation of the Khalsa Order and making of Saint-Solider by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1699.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Investigation continues into death following Lethbridge police arrest

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Showcased at Food, Fuel, Fertilizer Global Summit

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 8, 2025

    Third Annual Summit Brings Together Business Leaders from Across Canada

    Today, Premier Scott Moe delivered the keynote address to more than 300 business leaders and policymakers at the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Food, Fuel, Fertilizer Global Summit in Regina.  

    “It has never been more clear how vital Saskatchewan is to ensuring food and energy security around the world,” Moe said. “The Food, Fuel, Fertilizer Global Summit emphasizes the province’s critical role in global trade and sustainable development, which is of utmost importance during this time of uncertainty. More and more countries are understanding the value that we bring to the table, realizing that choosing Saskatchewan is not just a good choice, but the right choice.”

    The summit explored the global role the province plays, particularly in the sectors of agriculture, mining and energy. Through his keynote, Premier Moe discussed food, and energy security, cutting the carbon tax, the province’s tariff response plan and the importance of diversifying export markets.

    “Saskatchewan’s approach to trade and investment has helped position our province as a reliable global partner in food, fuel and fertilizer,” Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO, Prabha Ramaswamy said. “With international engagement offices in 9 countries across the world, Saskatchewan is poised to diversify markets, expand market access for businesses, and supply these vital resources to the world. Events like the Food, Fuel, Fertilizer Global Summit showcase the leadership and resilience that make Saskatchewan a steady and trusted partner in uncertain times.”

    In 2024, Saskatchewan’s exports reached over 160 countries, with eight markets that totaled over $1 billion. Last year the province saw international merchandise exports reach $45.4 billion, a top three record for Saskatchewan.

    Private capital investment in Saskatchewan increased last year by 17.3 per cent to $14.7 billion, ranking first among provinces for growth. Private capital investment is projected to reach $16.2 billion in 2025, an increase of 10.1 per cent over 2024. This is the second highest anticipated percentage increase among the provinces.

    Statistics Canada’s latest GDP numbers indicate that Saskatchewan’s 2023 real GDP reached an all-time high of $77.9 billion, increasing by $1.8 billion, or 2.3 per cent. This ties Saskatchewan for second in the nation for real GDP growth and above the national average of 1.6 per cent.

    All of this allows the Government of Saskatchewan to prioritize affordability, health care, education, and safer communities and deliver the services Saskatchewan people need and deserve.

    For more information, visit: InvestSK.ca.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Stefanik, Mace Lead Bill to Support Maternal Healthcare Access for Military Moms and Families

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)

    Stefanik, Mace Lead Bill to Support Maternal Healthcare Access for Military Moms and Families | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bacon, Hurd, Gottheimer, Meeks, Introduce Bill to Restore Congress’ Constitutional Role in Trade

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON – Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE-02), along with Reps. Jeff Hurd (R-CO-03), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), and Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05) introduced bipartisan legislation to return Congress’ constitutionally authorized role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy. H.R. 2665 The Trade Review Act of 2025 requires that unilateral tariffs proposed by the executive branch receive congressional authority.

    Bacon has publicly stated his support for some tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration while also maintaining that the Constitution gives Congress the task of imposing tariffs under Article I Section 8. This legislation is the companion bill to Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Maria Cantwell’s (D-WA) legislation, The Trade Review Act of 2025, which mirrors Grassley’s 2019 Section 232 tariff reform efforts as Senate Finance Committee Chairman during the first Trump administration.

    “The Constitution clearly gives the authority for taxes and tariffs to Congress, but for too long, we have handed that authority to the executive branch,” said Rep. Bacon. “This is less about the actual tariffs laid by the Trump Administration, some of which I support because they are reciprocal, but more a commitment to uphold the Constitution. Congress has the power of the purse. Our Founders created checks and balances for a reason.”

    “As a constitutional conservative, I am proud to co-lead the ‘Trade Review Act of 2025’, reasserting our congressional responsibility in imposing tariffs,” said Rep. Hurd. “Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution is clear: ‘The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises.’ This isn’t a political issue for me. I believe Congress must reclaim its constitutionally mandated authority, and I would support this measure regardless of who is in the White House.”

    “When people are already struggling with higher costs, we must do everything possible to make their lives more affordable. President Trump’s tariffs are doing just the opposite — raising the cost of nearly everything from coffee to cars and clothing while slashing people’s retirement savings and sending markets plummeting,” said Rep. Gottheimer. “That’s why I’m introducing the bipartisan Trade Review Act with Rep. Bacon to restore Congress’ constitutional authority to oversee foreign trade.”

    “For too long, presidents have wielded tariffs as political weapons rather than strategic tools,” said Rep. Meeks. “The Trade Review Act restores constitutional checks and balances by ensuring Congress has a voice before American families are hit with higher costs. If a president wants to raise taxes on the American people through tariffs, they should be required to explain why—and get Congressional approval to do it.” 

    What is included?

    The bill establishes a process for Congressional review of new or increased tariffs (duties) imposed by the President. Specifically, it would:

    • Require the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing or increasing a duty on imported goods, including an explanation and an assessment of its impact on U.S. businesses and consumers.
    • Limit the duration of such duties to 60 days, unless Congress enacts a joint resolution of approval to extend them.
    • Allow Congress to end the duty early by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.
    • Exclude antidumping and countervailing duties, which are governed by other statutes.
    • Provide expedited procedures in Congress for considering resolutions of approval or disapproval.

    Overall, the bill increases Congressional oversight over the executive branch’s ability to unilaterally impose tariffs.

    The full text of the bill is available here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illinois Man Sentenced for Stolen Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Illinois man was sentenced today for possession of a stolen firearm.

    Steven Ray Dennis, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 120 months in federal prison without parole.

    On July 7, 2020, Dennis pleaded guilty to a Superseding Information, admitting that he possessed a stolen firearm. According to his plea agreement, an officer with the Columbia, Mo. Police Department had been notified by private security for a local bar that a man in a Chicago Bulls hat and jacket was going to his vehicle to get a firearm. The officer located Dennis, who matched that description, but when asked if he had any guns on him, Dennis began to run. He was arrested after a brief foot chase during which he discarded his hat and jacket. When officers located the Chicago Bulls jacket, it contained a .32 caliber revolver in the pocket. The revolver was stolen and loaded with five rounds of ammunition. Dennis also had prior felony convictions.

    Although Dennis pleaded guilty in 2020, government court filings indicated that he subsequently failed to report and was a fugitive until he was arrested in the Chicago area in January 2025.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo. Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods

    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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat alien smuggler sent to prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 32-year-old Roma resident has been sentenced for his involvement in alien smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Felipe Montez pleaded guilty Jan. 23.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Montez to serve 46 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Montez had four prior state arrests for human smuggling within the seven months preceding his federal arrest in December 2024. Several of these prior smuggling attempts involved fleeing from law enforcement. Two resulted in injury to illegal aliens present in his vehicle. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Montez’s dangerous activities.

    “If you smuggle, assist, or attempt to bring people into this country illegally, you are going to serve federal time,” said Ganjei. “The Department of Justice is going to be relentless in its pursuit of those that make their money violating our nation’s immigration laws.”

    On Dec. 23, 2024, Montez attempted to transport seven illegal aliens.

    He was driving a vehicle waiting by the Rio Grande River near Escobares as the individuals ran from the river towards him.  

    Upon the sight of law enforcement, they all attempted to flee, but authorities apprehended them.

    Further investigation revealed Montez was involved in four previous alien smuggling events which involved attempts to evade law enforcement. All five occurred in the area of Roma.

    Montez’s smugglings attempts have involved a total of 41 illegal aliens.

    He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety and Roma Police Department conducted the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Update on Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Update on Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee

    A new chair has been appointed to the Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee

    Maura Sullivan has been appointed as Chair of the Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee for a term of three years. 

    The Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee offers an independent perspective on the department’s financial, risk, and control arrangements. It also reviews and recommends the approval of accounts for the Cabinet Office, Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, Civil Superannuation, and the Royal Mail Statutory Pension Scheme.

    The Committee supports the Cabinet Office Board, which provides strategic and operational leadership for the department. It comprises of Cabinet Office ministers, senior executives, and non-executives from outside government.

    Maura is a finance professional with an executive career spanning Board level CFO roles in Banking, Asset Management and Pensions. 

    She has worked in complex international organisations, managed large teams and led and supported large transformation programmes. 

    Her non executive portfolio currently includes Chair of Audit and Compliance Committee for Marsden Building Society and Chair of Audit & Risk for Gov Facilities Management Services Limited (GovFSL), an arms length body of the MoJ.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Office of Congressman Donald Norcross Releases Updated Statement on Recent Medical Event

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

    CHERRY HILL, NJ — Today, the office of Congressman Donald Norcross released an updated statement on the Congressman’s recent medical event.

    “Last night Congressman Donald Norcross was transferred to Cooper University Health Care in Camden City. He is in intensive care and stable. He is tired but glad to be back in South Jersey. His condition is improving, and he is on his way to making a full recovery. Donald wants to thank everyone who has sent well wishes and prayers to him, his staff and family. He also wants to thank again all the medical staff at both UNC Rex and Cooper University Hospital.” 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wasserman Schultz Leads House Dems to Demand DHS Restore Oversight Offices, Overhaul Inhumane Detention Conditions

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

    The Members wrote that, “people detained at Krome have faced alarming conditions, including prolonged confinement in unsanitary environments, lack of medical care, overcrowding, and mistreatment by staff. At least three deaths have occurred in ICE custody and several detained men and women and their families have alleged serious abuses. Immigration advocates have called it an ‘international human rights disaster.’ One detainee labeled Krome ‘a concentration camp.’”

    Washington DC – Today, U.S Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) led 48 other House members who wrote Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to demand an immediate restoration of Congressionally-mandated oversight agencies, and called for an immediate end to the immoral mistreatment of detained individuals. Closure and mass firings at oversight offices within the Department of Homeland Security have coincided with allegations of inhumane conditions and abuses, especially inside Krome Detention Center in South Florida.

    The Members wrote that, “people detained at Krome have faced alarming conditions, including prolonged confinement in unsanitary environments, lack of medical care, overcrowding, and mistreatment by staff. At least three deaths have occurred in ICE custody and several detained men and women and their families have alleged serious abuses. Immigration advocates have called it an ‘international human rights disaster.’ One detainee labeled Krome ‘a concentration camp.’”

    Wasserman Schultz was joined by fellow Florida Reps. Kathy Castor, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Maxwell Frost, Darren Soto, and Frederica Wilson. Among the other Members signing the letter were U.S. Reps.: Yassamin Ansari; Nanette Barragán; Suzanne Bonamici; André Carson; Troy Carter; Judy Chu; Yvette Clarke; Jason Crow; Danny Davis; Diana DeGette; Veronica Escobar; Adriano Espaillat; Laura Friedman; Jesús García; Robert Garcia; Daniel Goldman; Pablo Hernández; Jonathan Jackson; Pramila Jayapal; Henry Johnson; Robin Kelly; Ro Khanna; Rick Larsen; George Latimer; Betty McCollum; James McGovern; Grace Meng; Seth Moulton; Eleanor Holmes Norton; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; Ilhan Omar; Brittany Pettersen; Mark Pocan; Brad Sherman; Marilyn Strickland; Shri Thanedar; Bennie Thompson; Rashida Tlaib; Paul Tonko; Norma Torres; Gabe Vasquez; Marc Veasey; Nydia Velázquez. No Republican House Members signed this letter.

    The Wasserman Schultz-led letter is supported by several immigration and human rights advocacy groups, including the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Americans for Immigrant Justice (AIJ), National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, National Immigration Project, and the National Immigrant Justice Center.

    Wasserman Schultz has led Congressional Democrats in the fight to restore Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Venezuelans, and she’s challenged the Trump Administration’s efforts to deport parole recipients from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Wasserman Schultz also sponsored the legal statute guaranteeing Members of Congress access to detention facilities, and has consistently called out the Trump Administration’s failure to prioritize criminals and neglect of migrant detainees.  

    Read the final signed letter here or below:

    The Honorable Kristi Noem

    Secretary of Homeland Security

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security

    2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE

    Washington, D.C. 20528

    Secretary Noem:

    We write to express our outrage regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to shut down key oversight offices responsible for ensuring civil rights and humane treatment of migrants in detention. The closure of these offices raises serious questions about DHS’s transparency and compliance with the law, particularly as reports continue to surface detailing inhumane conditions at facilities like Krome Detention Center in Florida. We demand immediate action to restore oversight and halt the immoral mistreatment of detained individuals.

    Recent reporting from the Miami Herald indicates that people detained at Krome have faced alarming conditions, including prolonged confinement in unsanitary environments, lack of medical care, overcrowding, and mistreatment by staff. At least three deaths have occurred in ICE custody and several detained men and women and their families have alleged serious abuses. Immigration advocates have called it an “international human rights disaster.” One detainee labeled Krome “a concentration camp.” 

    Krome is overcrowded far beyond its capacity Advocates have alleged that ICE is underreporting the detained population in public data. As the Administration seeks to unlawfully terminate the legal status of over 1 million TPS and humanitarian parole recipients—all of whom were vetted by DHS upon entry or after applying for protections—conditions will likely worsen.

    Rather than acting in response to dozens of complaints, reports, and lawsuits regarding inhumane conditions and civil rights violations at ICE detention facilities, the Administration has opted to cut off personnel and expertise tasked with ensuring medical, hygiene, mental health, and due process standards. On March 21, DHS effectively closed several oversight offices, the USCIS Ombudsman, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), and the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO). This will have impacts far beyond detention: it will cut off avenues for the public to file complaints about DHS policies and practices from airport screenings to

    ICE raids against schools, hospitals, and religious centers.

    The elimination of oversight mechanisms leaves individuals detained at Krome and around the country without recourse, undermines transparency, and erodes public trust in the Department’s ability to uphold basic human rights and responsibly manage billions of taxpayer dollars. This decision is particularly troubling given previous findings of abuse and neglect in DHS facilities, which underscore the necessity of independent oversight.

    DHS has an obligation to ensure that all individuals in its custody are treated with dignity in accordance with the law and that federal spending on private contracts receives appropriate oversight and monitoring. The removal of essential oversight functions—whose activities are mandated by Congress—defies this obligation and places vulnerable populations at even greater risk of abuse. Given these concerns, we request answers to the following questions:

    1.         What was the justification for shutting down oversight offices within DHS that Congress has tasked with ensuring humane conditions and compliance with civil rights laws at DHS detention facilities?

    2.         What specific legal authority has DHS claimed in effectively shutting down internal oversight functions and withholding information from Congress and the public?

    3.         How will funds appropriated by Congress for these offices be utilized going forward?

    4.         What steps, if any, has DHS taken to ensure accountability and oversight in the absence of these offices, particularly in detention contracts with private prison companies?

    5.         How does DHS plan to address the specific issues reported at Krome, including allegations of prolonged solitary confinement, overcrowding, physical abuse, and denial of medical treatment? Have additional medical staff or other personnel been surged to the facility considering reported overcrowding?

    6.         What actions have been taken by DHS or ICE officials to guarantee access to detained persons for their family members and legal counsel?

    7.         Has DHS conducted any internal reviews on the impact of reduced oversight on the conditions within detention centers? If so, what were the findings?

    We demand you reverse this decision and provide Congress with a detailed plan for how DHS will restore humane conditions for detained migrants and provide transparency in detention operations. We look forward to your prompt response to these critical questions to ensure that the Trump Administration’s immigration policy does not devolve further into callous cruelty.

    Sincerely,

    ####

    Wasserman Schultz lidera a los demócratas de la Cámara de Representantes para exigir que el DHS restablezca las oficinas de supervisión y revise las condiciones inhumanas de detención.

    Washington DC – Hoy, la representante estadounidense Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) encabezó a otros 48 miembros de la Cámara de Representantes que escribieron a la secretaria de Seguridad Nacional, Kristi Noem, para exigir el restablecimiento inmediato de las agencias de supervisión establecidas por el Congreso y el fin inmediato del maltrato inmoral a las personas detenidas. El cierre y los despidos masivos de las oficinas de supervisión del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional han coincidido con denuncias de condiciones inhumanas y abusos, especialmente en el Centro de Detención Krome, en el sur de Florida.

    Los miembros escribieron que “las personas detenidas en Krome han enfrentado condiciones alarmantes, incluyendo confinamiento prolongado en entornos insalubres, falta de atención médica, hacinamiento y maltrato por parte del personal. Al menos tres muertes han ocurrido bajo custodia de ICE, varios hombres y mujeres detenidos y sus familias han denunciado graves abusos. Defensores de los derechos de los inmigrantes lo han calificado de “desastre internacional de derechos humanos”. Un detenido calificó a Krome de “campo de concentración”.

    Wasserman Schultz estuvo acompañada por otros representantes de Florida: Kathy Castor, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Maxwell Frost, Darren Soto, and Frederica Wilson. Entre otros miembros que firmaron la carta se encontraban representantes de EE. UU.: Yassamin Ansari; Nanette Barragán; Suzanne Bonamici; André Carson; Troy Carter; Judy Chu; Yvette Clarke; Jason Crow; Danny Davis; Diana DeGette; Veronica Escobar; Adriano Espaillat; Laura Friedman; Jesús García; Robert Garcia; Daniel Goldman; Pablo Hernández; Jonathan Jackson; Pramila Jayapal; Henry Johnson; Robin Kelly; Ro Khanna; Rick Larsen; George Latimer; Betty McCollum; James McGovern; Grace Meng; Seth Moulton; Eleanor Holmes Norton; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; Ilhan Omar; Brittany Pettersen; Mark Pocan; Brad Sherman; Marilyn Strickland; Shri Thanedar; Bennie Thompson; Rashida Tlaib; Paul Tonko; Norma Torres; Gabe Vasquez; Marc Veasey; Nydia Velázquez. Ningún miembro republicano de la Cámara de Representantes firmó esta carta.

    La carta, dirigida por Wasserman Schultz, cuenta con el apoyo de varios grupos de defensa de la inmigración y los derechos humanos, entre ellos el Centro Nacional de Derecho de Inmigración, la Coalición de Inmigrantes de Florida, la Unión Americana de Libertades Civiles, Americanos por Justicia Immigrante, la Campaña Religiosa Nacional Contra la Tortura, la Red de Defensa de los Inmigrantes de las Montañas Rocosas, el Proyecto Nacional de Inmigración y el Centro Nacional de Justicia para Inmigrantes.

    Wasserman Schultz ha liderado a los demócratas del Congreso en la lucha por restaurar el Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) para haitianos y venezolanos, y ha desafiado los esfuerzos de la Administración Trump para deportar a beneficiarios de libertad condicional de Cuba, Haití, Nicaragua y Venezuela. Wasserman Schultz también impulsó el estatuto legal que garantiza a los miembros del Congreso el acceso a los centros de detención, y ha denunciado constantemente la falta de prioridad de la Administración Trump para los delincuentes y la negligencia hacia los detenidos migrantes.

    Lea la carta final firmada aquí o abajo:

    La Honorable Kristi Noem

    Secretaria de Seguridad Nacional

    Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de los Estados Unidos

    2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE

    Washington, D.C. 20528

    Secretaria Noem:

    Escribimos para expresar nuestra indignación por la decisión del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) de cerrar oficinas clave de supervisión, responsables de garantizar los derechos civiles y el trato humano a los migrantes detenidos. El cierre de estas oficinas plantea serias dudas sobre la transparencia y el cumplimiento de la ley por parte del DHS, en particular ante la continua aparición de informes que detallan condiciones inhumanas en centros como el Centro de Detención Krome en Florida. Exigimos medidas inmediatas para restablecer la supervisión y poner fin al maltrato inmoral de las personas detenidas.

    Informes recientes del Miami Herald indican que las personas detenidas en Krome han enfrentado condiciones alarmantes, incluyendo confinamiento prolongado en entornos insalubres, falta de atención médica, hacinamiento y maltrato por parte del personal. Al menos tres personas han fallecido bajo custodia del ICE y varios hombres y mujeres detenidos, junto con sus familias, han denunciado graves abusos. Defensores de los derechos de los inmigrantes lo han calificado de “desastre internacional para los derechos humanos”. Un detenido calificó a Krome de “campo de concentración”.

    Krome está sobrepoblado, superando con creces su capacidad. Defensores de derechos han alegado que el ICE no reporta la población detenida en los datos públicos. A medida que el gobierno intenta cancelar ilegalmente el estatus legal de más de un millón de beneficiarios del TPS y de la libertad condicional humanitaria —todos ellos examinados por el DHS al ingresar o después de solicitar protección—, es probable que las condiciones empeoren.

    En lugar de actuar en respuesta a las decenas de quejas, informes y demandas sobre las condiciones inhumanas y las violaciones de los derechos civiles en los centros de detención del ICE, el Gobierno ha optado por recortar el personal y los expertos encargados de garantizar los estándares médicos, de higiene, de salud mental y del debido proceso. El 21 de marzo, el DHS cerró varias oficinas de supervisión: el Defensor del Pueblo de USCIS, la Oficina para los Derechos Civiles y las Libertades Civiles (CRCL) y el Defensor del Pueblo para la Detención de Inmigrantes (OIDO). Esto tendrá consecuencias mucho más allá de la detención: eliminará las vías para que el público presente quejas sobre las políticas y prácticas del DHS, desde los controles en aeropuertos hasta las redadas del ICE en escuelas, hospitales y centros religiosos.

    La eliminación de los mecanismos de supervisión deja a las personas detenidas en Krome y en todo el país sin recursos, socava la transparencia y erosiona la confianza pública en la capacidad del Departamento para defender los derechos humanos fundamentales y gestionar responsablemente miles de millones de dólares de los contribuyentes. Esta decisión es particularmente preocupante, dados los hallazgos previos de abuso y negligencia en las instalaciones del DHS, que subrayan la necesidad de una supervisión independiente.

    El DHS tiene la obligación de garantizar que todas las personas bajo su custodia reciban un trato digno conforme a la ley y que el gasto federal en contratos privados reciba la supervisión y el monitoreo adecuados. La eliminación de las funciones esenciales de supervisión — cuyas actividades son exigidas por el Congreso — contraviene esta obligación y expone a las poblaciones vulnerables a un riesgo aún mayor de abuso. Dadas estas preocupaciones, solicitamos respuestas a las siguientes preguntas:

    ¿Cuál fue la justificación para cerrar las oficinas de supervisión dentro del DHS a las que el Congreso encargó garantizar las condiciones humanas y el cumplimiento de las leyes de derechos civiles en los centros de detención del DHS?

    ¿Qué autoridad legal específica ha reivindicado el DHS para cerrar efectivamente las funciones de supervisión interna y retener información al Congreso y al público?

    ¿Cómo se utilizarán en el futuro los fondos asignados por el Congreso para estas oficinas?

    ¿Qué medidas, si las hubiera, ha adoptado el DHS para garantizar la rendición de cuentas y la supervisión en ausencia de estas oficinas, en los contratos de detención con empresas penitenciarias privadas?

    ¿Cómo planea el DHS abordar los problemas específicos reportados en Krome, incluyendo las acusaciones de aislamiento prolongado, hacinamiento, abuso físico y denegación de tratamiento médico? ¿Se ha incrementado el personal médico u otro personal en las instalaciones considerando el hacinamiento reportado?

    ¿Qué acciones han tomado los funcionarios del DHS o del ICE para garantizar el acceso de sus familiares y abogados a las personas detenidas?

    ¿Ha realizado el DHS alguna revisión interna sobre el impacto de la reducción de la supervisión en las condiciones dentro de los centros de detención? De ser así, ¿cuáles fueron las conclusiones?

    Exigimos que revoque esta decisión y proporcione al Congreso un plan detallado sobre cómo el DHS restaurará las condiciones humanas para los migrantes detenidos y garantizará la transparencia en las operaciones de detención. Esperamos su pronta respuesta a estas preguntas cruciales para garantizar que la política migratoria de la Administración Trump no se convierta en una crueldad aún mayor.

    Atentamente,

    ####

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Urges Administration to Support Maine Fire Departments Harmed by Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Senator Collins requests fire truck contracts signed by fire departments prior to imposition of tariffs be exempted.

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins sent a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, urging the Administration to address the hardship that tariffs will impose on fire departments and businesses in Maine, particularly the tariffs imposed on Canadian metals. She is specifically requesting an exemption for fire truck orders that were under contract between Maine fire departments and a Maine manufacturer prior to President Trump’s February 10, 2025, announcement of Canadian tariffs. 

    “I was recently contacted by K&T Fire Equipment in Island Falls, Maine, a family-owned business that manufactures and sells fire trucks for fire departments in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont,” Senator Collins wrote. “The business begin assembly at its facility in Maine by attaching fire apparatuses to truck chasses before sending the trucks to a metal fabricator in Centerville, New Brunswick, Canada, to complete the steel and aluminum fabrication and assembly. The business has operated this way for more than three decades. K&T indicated to me that the proposed tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum would increase the cost of each truck by $80,000-$90,000.”

    “At present, K&T Fire Equipment has contracts for trucks with eight fire departments, with one set to be delivered to the Allagash Fire Department in Allagash, Maine, later this month. K&T’s other contracted departments in Maine include Lamoine, Newfield, Sullivan, Surry, and Somerville. To reduce hardships on fire departments and family-owned companies such as K&T Fire Equipment, I request that the Department of Commerce exempt items that were under contract before President Trump’s announcement on February 10, 2025,” Senator Collins concluded.

    Senator Collins has been a longstanding advocate for Maine firefighters and first responders. Through the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations process, Senator Collins secured nearly $31 million for 24 projects across the state that will support local fire and rescue stations, law enforcement, and emergency response services. 

    The complete text of the letter can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden Reintroduce Legislation to Guarantee Legal Representation for Unaccompanied Children in Immigration Proceedings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    April 08, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined colleagues in reintroducing the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2025, legislation to provide unaccompanied children with legal representation in court when they appear in proceedings before an immigration judge. This comes as the Trump Administration attempts to terminate the contract that provides legal services for approximately 26,000 unaccompanied children who appear in immigration court.

    “President Trump’s inhumane immigration policies are putting kids in danger by forcing unaccompanied children to represent themselves in court,” said Merkley. “It’s unimaginably cruel, and we must fight to ensure every child has a fair chance to accurately present their case for legal protection in our country.”

    “No kid should ever have to represent themself in court – period,” said Wyden. “It should go without saying that courts are meant to be navigated by the attorneys who understand America’s complex legal system. The Trump administration’s decision to gut legal representation for unaccompanied kids is not only immoral but also blatantly illegal. Forcing unaccompanied babies, toddlers, and youth to go without representation will leave kids vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and trafficking. Congress must ensure children have real legal counsel and protect them from harm.”

    Nearly half of all unaccompanied children represent themselves during legal proceedings and it is extremely difficult for children to successfully navigate the U.S. immigration system without an attorney—unrepresented children appear alone in immigration court to face a judge and an adversarial government attorney seeking their removal from the United States. Immigration judges are nearly 100 times less likely to grant relief to unaccompanied children without counsel compared to those with counsel. The federal government provides legal representation to some unaccompanied minors in accordance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, which created special protections for children who arrive in the U.S. without a parent or a legal guardian. Now, the Trump Administration is working to terminate those services completely.

    Specifically, the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act:

    1. Requires that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provide counsel to noncitizen unaccompanied children appearing before the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or a state court, unless the child has obtained counsel at their own expense;
    2. Extends the government’s duty to ensure counsel for unaccompanied children to the end of the immigration proceedings, even if the child turns 18 during proceedings;
    3. Ensures that children are informed of their right to representation within 72 hours of entering HHS custody and creates infrastructure to identify, recruit, and train pro bono lawyers to provide representation;
    4. Allows unaccompanied children to reopen their case if HHS fails to provide counsel;
    5. Requires the government and stakeholders to create guidelines and duties for counsel representing unaccompanied children, largely based on American Bar Association recommendations;
    6. Clarifies that the government may, at its choosing, also provide counsel to other individuals in immigration court;
    7. Requires noncitizens, and their attorneys, to receive a complete copy of the noncitizen’s immigration file at least 10 days before the removal proceedings;
    8. Guarantees access to counsel for all noncitizens detained in DHS facilities; and
    9. Requires a report on children’s access to counsel.

    The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act was led by U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono. In addition to Merkley and Wyden, this bill is cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

    Full text of the bill can be found by clicking here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why tax literacy should be a national priority in Canada

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Esteban Vallejo Toledo, PhD Student in Law and Society, University of Victoria

    The last time Canada’s political parties campaigned during a tax season was more than a decade ago. This year, taxes are a hot topic, and for good reason. Shortly after the federal election was called, the political parties began rolling out promises of tax cuts to win over voters.

    At the same time, although Canada’s consumer carbon tax was scapped last month, debates about the industrial carbon tax are likely to continue.

    As the election campaign continues and political parties make more tax-related promises, approximately 3,520 tax clinics and 18,090 volunteers are doing their best to help people file their taxes until April 30. Some of the volunteers are struggling to help as many people as possible.

    No candidate has talked about a tax issue that is essential for life in free and democratic societies: tax literacy. If Canada is to maintain an informed, financially responsible and democratic society, tax literacy must become part of the national conversation.

    A longstanding idea with modern relevance

    The notion of tax literacy has been gaining traction in recent years, but it’s far from a new idea.

    One of the earliest advocates for tax literacy and education was Charles Montesquieu, a French judge and political philosopher of the Enlightenment.

    Portrait of Charles Montesquieu by an anonymous artist.
    (Wikimedia Commons)

    In his 1748 book The Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu argued for tax literacy and education for two key reasons.

    First, he was convinced that knowledge about taxation was necessary to defend oneself against the corruption and abuse that characterized private tax collectors, known at the time as tax farmers.

    Second, he believed education in democratic societies could enhance people’s sense of responsibility for public affairs and help hold authorities accountable for their actions. In his view, tax literacy and education were instrumental in how societies organized themselves for the common good.

    More than 275 years later, Montesquieu’s argument remains just as relevant.

    Tax literacy is neglected in Canada

    In Canada, tax literacy continues to be neglected despite efforts by tax agencies like Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Revenu Québec to promote it.

    There are important reasons to treat tax literacy as a national priority. It helps people understand and navigate federal, provincial and municipal taxes, recognize the social importance of taxation and responsibly exercise their rights. It also allows people to manage their financial affairs according to the law.

    Tax literacy is also instrumental in contesting economic populism, a political approach that claims to represent the interests of “ordinary people” against perceived elites, often by oversimplifying complex issues like taxation.

    It also helps counter the spread of of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation about taxes in the media, online and on social networks.



    Read more:
    The Canada Carbon Rebate is still widely misunderstood — here’s why

    In Canada, recent examples include misleading claims that Canada has the highest taxes in the world, mischaracterizations of climate tax policies, flawed analyses of the carbon rebate’s cost and other misconceptions about the carbon rebate.

    Tax literacy vs. financial literacy

    While Canada has done considerable work to further financial literacy since 2001, tax literacy has received far less attention from both authorities and scholars.

    In fact, only two peer-reviewed studies have examined tax literacy in Canada. Published in 2016 and 2020, these studies analyze tax literacy within the context of financial literacy and mostly in relation to the income tax.

    Similar to financial literacy, the authors of these studies define tax literacy as “having the knowledge, skills and confidence to make responsible tax decisions.”

    Canada’s federal and provincial governments, as well as non-profit organizations and tax preparers, tend to use a benefit-based narrative to promote tax literacy and encourage tax compliance.

    This narrative frames filing income taxes as positive because it allows people to receive direct payments from the government. In Canada, the income tax system is closely linked to the social support system that benefits everyone, particularly low-income people for whom filing taxes is the primary way to access benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit, the GST/HST Credit and the Canada Workers Benefit.

    The missing fiscal dimension

    While the benefit-based approach aligns with international standards and has clear advantages, it also has drawbacks.

    Most notably, it overlooks the fiscal dimension of tax literacy. This dimension highlights the role taxes play in raising revenue to support government programs, promoting collective well-being, regulating economic activity, addressing social inequalities, strengthening democratic institutions and advancing social goals like environmental protection.

    Taxes are far more than mandatory payments to government. Recognizing this enables citizens to actively participate in decision-making processes and hold governments accountable.



    Read more:
    10 things everyone should know about taxation

    The fiscal dimension also broadens public understanding beyond the income tax. On one hand, it helps people interact with tax authorities beyond the CRA, including those administered by provinces, municipalities and First Nations.

    On the other hand, it helps citizens better understand public budgets and recognize that while income tax is an important source of revenue, it is not the only one.

    The fiscal dimension also challenges harmful narratives that attempt to create social divisions by using the terms “taxpayer” and “taxpayer money.” It also counters the spread of wrongful stereotypes of Indigenous people. These narratives are often used in populist rhetoric to undermine democracy by excluding marginalized groups.

    What needs to happen now

    Tax literacy must become a national priority in Canada, and public institutions must lead this process. To move in this direction, Canada’s public institutions should:

    1) Adopt a holistic approach to tax literacy that includes both the fiscal and financial dimensions.

    2) Address misinformation and discrimination experienced by Indigenous people regarding tax exemptions. This is essential to honouring the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

    3) Offer long-term partnerships and support to teachers and educational institutions to integrate tax literacy into schools.

    4) Lead the production of education resources to ensure a holistic approach. Education resources produced or sponsored by the private sector tend to focus on individual responsibility and frame financial choices in moral terms without considering broader social contexts.

    5) Ensure tax literacy initiatives serve not only children and youth but adults as well, in line with UNESCO’s vision of education as a lifelong right.

    6) Ensure adult tax literacy resources follow the recommendations of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). They should be thorough but easy to understand, offered in multiple formats, concise and supplemented by additional resources. Public authorites should expand podcasts, learning platforms and tax initiatives.

    The history of taxes in Canada has been one of important developments but also of social and economic conflicts, wrongful discrimination and colonial racism. It must not also become a history of populism and missed opportunities.

    Now is the time for Canada to write a different chapter. By advancing tax literacy, both authorities and society as a whole can strengthen democracy and build a more informed public.

    Esteban Vallejo Toledo receives funding from the Law Commission of Canada Emerging Scholars Program. He has previously received funding from SSHRC, LFBC, and UVic.

    – ref. Why tax literacy should be a national priority in Canada – https://theconversation.com/why-tax-literacy-should-be-a-national-priority-in-canada-252722

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canadians need to use the language of freedom in fighting American annexation

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Eric Van Rythoven, Instructor in Political Science, Carleton University

    Canadians looking for relief from the trade war launched by United States President Donald Trump are bound to be disappointed. The Trump administration has just announced it’s more than doubling Canadian softwood lumber duties, adding to an already punishing flurry of tariff actions.

    These tariffs are designed to squeeze Canada, pressuring us into giving up our sovereignty. And while Trump may have cooled his annexation talk lately — likely because of how it was resurrecting the Liberal Party’s fortunes in the ongoing federal election campaign — we cannot simply pretend this threat has gone away.



    Read more:
    Amid U.S. threats, Canada’s national security plans must include training in non-violent resistance

    In response, Canada must use every tool at its disposal. It should leverage retaliatory tariffs and target trade action at vulnerable Republican districts if Trump targets Canada with more tariffs.

    Canadian consumers need to continue boycotting American goods and Canada should ban American firms from bidding on public contracts. It also needs to revitalize trade and diplomatic relationships with reliable allies.

    But alone, even these measures will be insufficient.

    Public diplomacy like no other

    To succeed, Canada needs the most ambitious and energetic campaign of public diplomacy in its history. The target of this campaign should not be the Trump administration, but the ultimate voice of authority in U.S. politics — the American public. Canadian diplomacy should aim to convince
    American citizens that the idea of annexing Canada, already unpopular, is a toxic betrayal of U.S. values.

    Doing so, however, requires using the right language. Public diplomacy fails when it ignores the values of its audience, and especially when the audience has a strong emotional attachment to those values.

    This means that just because something sounds righteous to Canadian ears doesn’t mean it resonates with Americans. Protecting Canadian sovereignty certainly sounds good to Canadians, but this concept is too abstract and distant from Americans’ everyday lives.

    Likewise, Canadians are fiercely proud of our identity as “good neighbours,” but most Americans live far from us and do not know us. Nor can we invoke a shared history that the majority of Americans do not remember or have never learned.

    The value of freedom

    Instead, if Canadians are going to speak to Americans, then they must speak to their culture — and in U.S. culture, no value speaks more loudly than the value of freedom. As American historian Eric Foner writes: “No idea is more fundamental to Americans’ sense of themselves as individuals and as a nation than freedom.”

    For American cognitive psychologist George Lakoff, most of contemporary U.S. politics can be read as a struggle over different conceptions of freedom. From the Declaration of Independence launching a newborn United States into a war for its freedom to the bravery of the Freedom Riders during the Civil Rights Movement, there is no other American value that has the broad resonance and emotion appeal of freedom.

    If America has a civil religion, in fact, it is almost certainly a faith in freedom.

    Canadians need to embrace this language and speak it relentlessly at every opportunity. Americans need to know that Canadians want the freedom to choose their leaders and their laws. They want the freedom to trade without the interference of tariffs. They want the freedom to choose who enters our country.

    They want the freedom to speak different languages. The want the freedom to choose what is taught in Canadian schools, for women to choose, to criticize our government, to choose who we are and who we love. And if Canadians don’t have the freedom to say “no thank you” to becoming the 51st state, then they don’t really have any freedom at all.



    Read more:
    Canada a 51st state? Here’s how American annexation could actually favour Canada

    Putting Americans on the defensive

    Embracing this language does more than simply signal shared values, it puts advocates of annexation on the defensive. By claiming the mantle of freedom, Canadians can put pro-annexation voices on the back foot by forcing them into defending an unpopular position.

    Why should Canadians lose their freedom to elect their own leaders or make their own laws, lose their independence or bend the knee to an American president? Americans would never accept a similar choice.

    Advocates of annexation, including members of the Trump administration, need to be relentlessly challenged over why they think Canadians should be deprived of their freedoms and forced to become American subjects.

    The Trump administration has spent weeks suggesting Canadians have a stark choice: endure economic pain or submit to annexation. Fortunately, the American public knows that the choice between pain and submission is never a free choice, and that the denial of freedom is profoundly un-American.

    Canada needs to tell American citizens that is exactly what their government is doing.

    Eric Van Rythoven 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. Canadians need to use the language of freedom in fighting American annexation – https://theconversation.com/canadians-need-to-use-the-language-of-freedom-in-fighting-american-annexation-252366

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Rep. Hinson Connects with Iowans Across Linn and Poweshiek Counties

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-01)

    Washington, D.C. — Over the past couple of weeks, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) attended and participated in numerous events with Iowans throughout Linn and Poweshiek Counties.

    On Rep. Hinson’s first stop in Linn County, she toured BAE Systems, Inc. The first ever GPS signal was received in 1977 in Cedar Rapids, and BAE continues that legacy by developing cutting-edge technology and helping our military preserve our highest national security interests.

    Rep. Hinson visited Kirkwood Community College’s Aviation Maintenance Technician Program. Less than two years after it began, this program is already preparing Cedar Rapids’ next generation for in-demand, high-skilled aviation careers. With the federal funding Rep. Hinson helped to secure in 2023, this program has taken off and is already making a lasting impact on Cedar Rapids and the surrounding communities.

    Rep. Hinson also met with Tim Kindl of the Fun Not Fancy Restaurant Group. They discussed the congresswoman’s support for ending tax on tips, the challenges that small businesses in Iowa regularly face, recovering from four years of rampant inflation, and the need to preserve tax cuts for hardworking Iowans.

    Rep. Hinson continued her 22 County Tour catching up with the Cedar Rapids business community at the Cedar Rapids Economic Alliance’s Policy on the Rocks event.

    Hearing directly from local business owners about their challenges and successes is always invaluable—these entrepreneurs are essential to Iowa’s economy, creating jobs and driving growth across the region.

    Rep. Hinson traveled to Poweshiek County to serve as a judge in the Brooklyn Ruritan Club Chili Cook Off. This event brought together community members from around Poweshiek County to show off their skills and support the Ruritan Club’s 175-year celebration taking place this summer.

    After the cook-off, Rep. Hinson had the honor of presenting ribbons and congratulating the first-place winners!

    1st Place in Traditional Chili, Terry Clayton

     

    1st Place in White Chili, Kim Bauman

    1st Place in Spicy Chili, Jody Clayton

     

    On Friday, Rep. Hinson visited Candice Luter Art + Interiors in Cedar Rapids. Candice turned her passion into a nationwide success story, selling her designs across the country where they continue flying off shelves. Rep. Hinson is always proud to advocate for her district’s small businesses and enjoys taking these stories back to Washington!

    Afterwards, Rep. Hinson attended the St. Patrick Catholic Church Fish Fry in Cedar Rapids. This tradition brings communities together during Lenten season for an evening of faith, fellowship, and fantastic food.

    On Saturday morning, Rep. Hinson traveled to Hiawatha to attend the USS Iowa Commissioning watch party. Rep. Hinson recently gave a speech on the House Floor to honor this significant moment for Iowa in American history! Watch Rep. Hinson’s full speech here.
     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Reintroduces Bipartisan End Kidney Deaths Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    (WASHINGTON, DC) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and Congressman Josh Harder (CA-09) introduced the End Kidney Deaths Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide a refundable tax credit to living kidney donors who donate kidneys to strangers, specifically those waiting the longest on the kidney waitlist.

     

    Specifically, this legislation will provide a $10,000 refundable tax credit per year for five years ($50,000 total) to living kidney donors who donate kidneys. If enacted, this legislation is expected to save up to 100,000 Americans currently on the waitlist and save taxpayers an estimated $10 to $37 billion.

     

    “I am proud to reintroduce this legislation with my colleague as there are hundreds of thousands of Americans waiting for life-saving organ transplants,” said Rep. Malliotakis. “Our legislation will save thousands of lives by offering an incentive for eligible donors to donate a healthy kidney to a fellow American in need and reduce the lengthy and costly wait times for thousands of Americans on the kidney transplant list who are undergoing treatment.”

     

    “Every year, thousands of families lose a loved one waiting for a kidney transplant. It’s devastating because it’s entirely preventable,” said Rep. Harder. “This bill is simple: it encourages people to donate a kidney to save a life, and in return, the government gives them a tax break. A clear win-win for the donor and public health.”

     

    Between 2010 and 2021, 100,000 previously eligible Americans became too sick or passed away while waiting for a kidney transplant. For the last 15 years, more than 50% of those on the waitlist died before receiving a kidney transplant. Currently, 800,000 Americans suffer from kidney failure, a number that will likely exceed one million by 2030. From 2010 to 2021, 100,000 waitlisted candidates either died or became too sick to be transplanted and died on dialysis. In the past 25 years, there has been no increase in the number of living kidney donors, which has remained steady at around 6,000 annually.

     

    View the Bill text HERE.

     

    Last Congress, Malliotakis cosponsored H.R.6860 – Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act, which aims to ensure that individuals with End Stage Renal Disease continue to have equitable access to private healthcare and to provide protection of the Medicare Trust Fund.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Salford celebrates community champions at the Spirit of Salford Community Awards 2025

    Source: City of Salford

    Salford has honoured some of its most inspiring residents and community groups at this year’s Spirit of Salford Community Awards, which took place on Thursday 3 April at Salford Community Stadium.

    The awards shine a light on local people who go above and beyond to make a difference in their communities – from supporting others through difficult times to creating positive change in their neighbourhoods.

    This year’s winners include volunteers, health champions, grassroots organisations and frontline workers, all of whom have been recognised for their dedication, compassion and commitment to Salford.

    City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “The Spirit of Salford Community Awards are one of the most meaningful events in our city’s calendar. They give us the chance to reflect and celebrate the incredible people who make Salford such a strong and caring place. These individuals and groups don’t do what they do for recognition. They get on with it quietly – supporting others, improving lives, and making their communities better for everyone.

    “I was genuinely humbled to hear their stories – from volunteers transforming green spaces to neighbours tackling loneliness, and young people leading with empathy and courage. Each one of them shows what the Spirit of Salford is all about. Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate, to our judging panel, and most of all to our finalists and winners. You make us proud to be part of this great city.”

    This year’s awards received more than 500 nominations across ten categories, with an independent panel shortlisting finalists. Three of the categories were then opened up to a public vote, with over 4,000 votes cast online.

    2025 winners:

    • Citizen of the Year: Ian Carberry
    • Community Group of the Year: Talk About It Mate
    • Public Servant of the Year: Steve Warburton
    • Volunteer of the Year: Daniel Maylor
    • Young Volunteer of the Year: Jackson Haworth
    • Best Health Achievement: Tony Chorley
    • Best Community Safety Project: Salford Loaves and Fishes
    • Best Environmental Improvement: Buile Hill Mansion Association
    • Good Neighbour of the Year: Jen Thomas 
    • Best Child-Friendly Organisation: Quick Brick

    For more information about the awards, visit the Spirit of Salford Community Awards website.

    Share this

    Date published
    Tuesday 8 April 2025

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Portsmouth joins a royal celebration of community music

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    Portsmouth musicians joined a special reception hosted by his Majesty King Charles at Windsor Castle to celebrate the work of community musicians across the country.

    Matt Dixon, David Mallett and Heather Uden had the honour of representing Portsmouth Music Hub, joining around 350 guests for an evening that placed music – and the people who make it – at its heart.

    The celebration began with a concert featuring performances from the London Gay Men’s Chorus, students from the Royal College of Music, the Sing for Freedom Choir, and saxophonist YolanDa Brown.

    During the reception, guests were treated to further performances from The Songs for Ukraine Chorus and the wonderfully inventive London Vegetable Orchestra. One of the most memorable moments came when His Majesty joined in with the orchestra, playing along with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on a carrot.

    Portsmouth City Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt said: “Portsmouth Music Hub offers an innovative, award-winning musical education to Portsmouth children and young people from different backgrounds, so it’s great the Music Hub and staff were part of this national celebration. It was an evening that proved once again how music brings communities together in really meaningful ways.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The Kremlin’s actions reflect no desire for peace that I can detect: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    The Kremlin’s actions reflect no desire for peace that I can detect: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

    As we’ve heard on Friday, Russia’s ballistic missile attack on Kryvyi Rih struck a residential area in the city, resulting in the deaths of 20 people, including nine children, the youngest of whom was just three years old. 

    At least 70 people were injured. 

    The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described this as the deadliest single strike harming children since the start of the full-scale invasion. 

    As High Commissioner Türk said, this attack was an unimaginable horror, nine children killed, most while playing in a park, as a military weapon exploded into shrapnel above them.

    We also saw Russia’s attacks this weekend on Kharkiv and Kyiv, resulting in at least 5 more civilian deaths and many more injured.

    So we find ourselves here once again to condemn yet more Russian attacks that have killed and injured many Ukrainian civilians in violation of the UN Charter and in violation of Russia’s responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

    President Putin continues to stall the ceasefire proposal, dragging his feet and insisting on maximalist conditions.

    While intensifying drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.

    Which have now resulted in the deaths of nine more innocent children. 

    The Kremlin’s actions reflect no desire for peace that I can detect. 

    They are the actions of a government that remains hell-bent on destroying Ukraine; a government that disdains mediation efforts, and holds cheap the lives of civilians.

    Under US leadership, a ceasefire proposal is on the table. 

    The ball has been in Russia’s court for weeks now. 

    It’s time for the Kremlin to stop stalling. 

    It’s time they show that they are committed to peace as they claim to be.

    Because President Zelenskyy has made Ukraine’s will clear. 

    He wants to see the war end and has agreed to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, subject to Russia’s agreement.

    It is time for the killing to stop. 

    It is time for the Kremlin to end its aggression against Ukraine and to uphold its obligations under the UN Charter. 

    It is time for President Putin to agree to a full and immediate ceasefire, as a vital step towards negotiations to end the war for good.

    So our message to the Kremlin is that we will not be deterred by your reckless and barbaric actions. 

    The UK will continue to stand resolutely by Ukraine to secure a just and lasting peace, in line with the principles of the UN Charter.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ATF Announces 2025 Raven’s Challenge Interoperability Explosives Exercises

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Center for Explosives Training and Research (NCETR) in partnership with the U.S. Army, announce the locations for the 2025 Raven’s Challenge Interoperability Exercises.

    The event trains explosives-expert participants on preparing for and countering the threat of improvised explosive devices. The training occurs at multiple locations throughout the U.S.

    • April 13 – 18, Volunteer Training Site, Tunnel Hill, Georgia
    • May 18 – 23, Camp Gruber, Braggs, Oklahoma
    • June 8 – 13, Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colorado
    • July 13 – 18, Camp Dawson, Kingswood, West Virginia

    Raven’s Challenge started in 2004 as an ATF-led training exercise for military explosives ordinance disposal teams and civilian public safety bomb squads in the Pacific Northwest. The exercise grew into the largest explosives disposal public safety training exercise in the world. Last year’s challenge had more than 900 participants and included training staff from the U.S. and 18 countries.

    “This training is vital in strengthening partnerships between multiple organizations allowing us to protect the public from these evolving threats,” said Greg Smith, Law Enforcement Training Specialist and ATF Raven’s Challenge Program Manager. “Our training team continues to lean forward and remains focused on providing realistic scenarios in operational environments.”

    Raven’s Challenge includes participants from all U.S. military branches, local and state bomb squads, and teams from the Department of Justice. International participation has increased to include countries from Europe and north Africa.

    The training emphasizes the U.S. military’s explosives ordnance disposal role in Defense Support of Civil Authorities and their interoperability with public safety bomb squads in support of homeland defense.

    Raven’s Challenge is funded by the U.S. Army and executed by ATF and partner agencies including the U.S. Army, the FBI, and local and state law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

    ATF provides training facilities and the expertise of its training staff in delivering life-saving advanced explosives and arson training for our nation’s explosives handlers, bomb technicians and certified fire investigators.

    NCETR manages ATF’s key explosives, fire, and response operations at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. NCETR consists of the Explosives Enforcement and Training Division, Explosives Research and Development Division, and the Fire Investigation and Arson Enforcement Division. Other components include the National Canine Division located in Front Royal, Virginia. The main NCETR facility and explosives ranges in Huntsville make this center a unique resource in the fight against violent crime.

    For more information and videos, visit Raven’s Challenge Interoperability Exercise.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Sunlight Simplify Announces New Partnership with Optimalex

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ORLANDO, Fla., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sunlight Simplify is excited to now be partnered with Optimalex, a predictive analytics and workflow automation insurtech.

    “Sunlight Simplify is committed to innovating on behalf of our clients’ most complex challenges,” said Bernadette Leh, President and Co-Founder at Sunlight Simplify. “Enriching our offering with Optimalex gives our clients access to the most recent claims predictive analytics techniques. This integration provides more options for our clients to increase efficiencies.”

    Optimalex’s award-winning predictive analytics and workflow automation solution offers Medical Professional Liability insurance carriers, self-insureds, and attorneys the means to reduce cycle time and optimize outcomes in a variety of claim types.

    “Optimalex is delighted to partner with Sunlight Simplify, a core systems reference in the Medical Professional Liability industry,” said Founder and CEO Frank Giaoui. “We believe this collaboration will be beneficial for Sunlight Simplify, Optimalex, and all future users.”

    About Sunlight Simplify
    Sunlight Simplify is a cloud based, no-code & low-code, Policy Administration software solution for Insurance Carriers and MGAs. The enterprise suite is tailored to support the specific requirements of the Medical Professional Liability Insurance line of business. The highly flexible, multi-language, multi-currency configurable solution allows for quick implementation across states, territories and countries.

    About Optimalex
    Optimalex’s team combines decades of practical business experience, academic law & economics research and data & software engineering development. Its suite of AI workflow assistance and predictive analytics solutions assists P&C insurance carriers, self-insureds and defense attorneys in enhancing efficiency, mitigating risk and achieving the best possible claims outcome. Optimalex’s flagship solution, Agatha, is fueled with millions of data covering the vast majority of the Medical Professional Liability market in all U.S. jurisdictions. It is available alongside other solutions such as data structuring, report generation, and nuclear loss detection.

    Contacts:
    Martin Kowal
    Sunlight Simplify
    mkowal@sunlightsolutions.com        
    708-668-3794

    Frank Giaoui
    Optimalex Solutions 
    contact@optimalexsolutions.com
    646-427-2737

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c56bc7f1-2ac1-4d76-907a-0a569012e2e8

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/611e7085-c4b9-45ef-9f8c-32be9b21129d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Renasant Announces 2025 First Quarter Webcast and Conference Call Information

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TUPELO, Miss., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Renasant Corporation (NYSE: RNST) (the “Company”) will announce 2025 first quarter results following the NYSE’s closing on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. The Company will hold executive management’s quarterly webcast and conference call with analysts on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (9:00 AM Central Time).

    The webcast is accessible through Renasant’s investor relations website at www.renasant.com or https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=3wLevIin. To access the conference via telephone, dial 1-877-513-1143 in the United States and request the Renasant Corporation 2025 First Quarter Earnings Webcast and Conference Call. International participants should dial 1-412-902-4145 to access the conference call.

    The webcast will be archived on www.renasant.com and will remain accessible for one year. A replay can be accessed via telephone by dialing 1-877-344-7529 in the United States and entering conference number 6525571 or by dialing 1-412-317-0088 internationally and entering the same conference number. Telephone replay access is available until May 7, 2025.

    ABOUT RENASANT CORPORATION:

    Renasant Corporation is the parent of Renasant Bank, a 121-year-old financial services institution. Renasant has assets of approximately $26.0 billion and operates more than 280 banking, lending, mortgage, and wealth management offices throughout the Southeast as well as factoring and asset-based lending on a nationwide basis.

    NOTE TO INVESTORS:

    This news release may contain, or incorporate by reference, statements which may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements usually include words such as “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “strategy,” “plan,” “potential,” “possible” and other similar expressions.

    Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include significant fluctuations in interest rates, inflation, economic recession, significant changes in the federal and state legal and regulatory environment, significant underperformance in our portfolio of outstanding loans, and competition in our markets. Management believes that the assumptions underlying the Company’s forward-looking statements are reasonable, but any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Investors are urged to carefully consider the risks described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) from time to time, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are available at www.renasant.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time.

    Contacts       For Media:
    John S. Oxford
    Senior Vice President
    Chief Marketing Officer
    (662) 680-1219
    joxford@renasant.com    		       For Financials:
    James C. Mabry IV
    Executive Vice President
    Chief Financial Officer
    (662) 680-1281
    jim.mabry@renasant.com
             

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Announces Latest SmartThings Update

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics today announced an update to its global connected living platform, SmartThings — further enhancing the AI Home experience. SmartThings introduces new features and improvements each quarter to deliver a more convenient and seamlessly connected lifestyle for users.
     
    The highlight of this update is the integration of SmartThings with Samsung Health, designed to improve users’ sleep environments while enabling more personalized automation experiences. The update also expands Calm Onboarding to support a wider range of devices and adds compatibility with the Matter 1.4 standard.
     
    “SmartThings’ latest update represents our ongoing efforts to make the smart home more intuitive, connected and personalized,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of SmartThings at Samsung Electronics. “We’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of smart home innovation by empowering users though enhanced personalization and automation, including sleep wellness.”
     
    Samsung Newsroom outlines some of the key changes below.
     
    ▲ (Left) A sleep environment summary card displayed in Galaxy Now Briefing, (Right) a detailed sleep environment report
     
    ▲ (Left) The automation routine setup screen with Samsung TV Plus actions, (Right) a broadcasting feature using SmartThings linked speakers
    * The UI in the above image may differ from the actual app screen or may be subject to change.
     
     
    Smarter Sleep Environments With Samsung Health Integration
    Sleep environment reports1 from Samsung Health on Galaxy devices help users create optimal conditions for rest by providing detailed insights into key factors — such as temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels and light intensity — through connected devices and sensors. These reports summarize the previous night’s sleep conditions and offer personalized suggestions for improvement.
     
    When paired with a Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Ring, the latest update enables SmartThings to automatically adjust the environment based on the user’s actual sleep and wake times.2 For example, routines can be set to turn off lights and the TV at bedtime or to open curtains and play music in the morning.
     

    Greater Flexibility With SmartThings Routines
    With the latest update, SmartThings now supports automation routines based on recurring schedules — weekly, monthly or annual — offering added flexibility for a variety of scenarios. For instance, users can automatically change the color of smart lights to celebrate special occasions like family birthdays.
     
    In addition, SmartThings routines now integrate with Samsung TV Plus on 2025 Samsung TV models. This allows users to include entertainment preferences in their smart home routines — whether it’s setting the TV to turn on the news in the morning or switching to a favorite channel at a preset time to ensure they don’t miss a show.
     
     
    Broadcasting via SmartThings-Connected Speakers
    A new broadcasting feature allows users to send voice messages across SmartThings-connected speakers, making in-home communication more convenient. For example, if a parent is away and sends a voice message through the SmartThings app — “I’ll be home soon, but have a snack from the fridge if you’re hungry” — it will automatically play on the designated home speaker. With real-time message delivery, families can stay connected no matter where they are.
     

    Expanding Calm Onboarding to More Devices
    Samsung has offered the Calm Onboarding3 feature since late 2023, streamlining setup for Samsung home appliances purchased through Samsung.com or official Samsung stores by linking the entire product journey — from order and delivery to connection with the SmartThings app.
     
    In the latest SmartThings update, Samsung is expanding Calm Onboarding beyond its own products to include compatible third-party smart home devices for a more seamless and intuitive connectivity experience. Users who purchase SmartThings-compatible smart home devices directly from Samsung.com will now receive purchase and delivery updates within the SmartThings app. Additionally, users will receive step-by-step onboarding instructions to simplify product setup. The rollout will begin in Korea, with plans to expand to other countries.4
     

    Matter 1.4 Support
    SmartThings continues to advance the IoT landscape by expanding its support for Matter 1.4. The latest version of the standard includes a wide range of energy management devices — such as water heater, heat pump, solar power device, battery storage device, mounted on/off control switch and mounted dimmable load control device. These newly supported device categories build on existing popular device types like lights, thermostats, switches, air conditioners, air purifiers, fans, door locks and more.
     
    By integrating AI-powered routines, broadening device compatibility and adopting the latest Matter standard, SmartThings reinforces its ongoing commitment to innovation — making the connected home more intelligent, energy-efficient and seamless for users and their families.
     
     
    1 The Sleep environment report feature is available on Samsung Galaxy smartphones running One UI 7.0 or later and Samsung Health version 6.29 or later. Availability may expand in the future. For more information on compatible devices that can measure sleep environments, refer to the Sleep condition report under the “How to Use” section in the SmartThings app.2 Setting routines based on sleep conditions may not be supported in certain countries. This feature is available on Samsung Galaxy smartphones with One UI 7.0 or Samsung Health version 6.29 or later, with plans for future expansion. A connected device capable of detecting sleep and wakefulness — such as Galaxy Watch4/5/6/7, Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Fit3 and Galaxy Ring — is required. For more information, refer to the “Accessories” section in the sleep tab of the Samsung Health app.3 As of April 2025, the Calm Onboarding feature for Samsung products is available in 14 countries including Korea, the United States, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. Further expansion is planned throughout the year.4 This support is planned for countries where the IoT Marketplace, which sells SmartThings compatible smart home devices on Samsung.com, is available. It will be first applied in Korea and gradually expanded to other countries.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Atlanta announces results of multiagency operations across Georgia

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    ATLANTA — U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement announced April 4 the results of interagency enforcement operations targeting illegal aliens present in Georgia.

    Since Jan. 22, federal agents have arrested about 1,500 illegal aliens statewide, through a targeted enforcement effort aimed at protecting public safety and upholding the rule of law. These arrests were made possible through strong collaboration among federal agencies including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the United States Marshalls Service.

    Since March 24, agents and officers have made over 150 arrests for criminal and civil immigration violations across Georgia with a focus on gangs, drug trafficking, violent crimes, organized crime, and other public safety threats. During these actions, agents seized narcotics, firearms, and bulk currency drug proceeds from illegal aliens. ICE Homeland Security Investigations simultaneously led a large-scale labor trafficking operation which resulted in the rescue of trafficking victims and criminal arrests. These arrests are a crucial part of ICE’s ongoing commitment to identifying and removing aliens who pose a risk to public safety and communities across the state of Georgia and the United States.

    Key Highlights of the Operation: 

    • ICE assisted the Cobb County Police Department with the arrest of a Honduran national, who is illegally in the United States, for the alleged murder and rape of an unidentified female. The subject was previously ordered removed by an immigration judge in July of 2023.
    • During an ICE, ATF, and DEA operation, law enforcement arrested four individuals and seized 13 firearms. One of the subjects arrested is in the United States illegally and was in possession of a firearm.
    • During an ICE, DEA, ATF, and FBI operation, law enforcement arrested 13 illegal aliens and seized two firearms and approximately $170,000 in cash. One subject will be charged with possession of a firearm.
    • ICE, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigations, and the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, arrested the owner of a flooring manufacturing company and the owner’s nephew during a labor trafficking operation in Cartersville, Georgia. In total, eight search warrants were executed, and more than 60 victims were rescued. The victims were allegedly brought to the United States and forced to live in deplorable housing conditions and work long hours under poor conditions for unfair wages.

    “HSI remains unwavering in its mission to protect the safety and security of our communities,” said ICE HSI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank, which covers Georgia and Alabama. “The individuals arrested in these operations are not only in the U.S. illegally but have also been involved in activities that harm American citizens and residents. Through these operations, we are sending a clear message that criminal activity will not be tolerated, regardless of immigration status.”

    Many of those arrested were previously convicted of serious crimes such as assault, drug distribution, weapons offenses, child exploitation, and other felonies. These individuals were apprehended through coordinated efforts with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

    In addition to its criminal enforcement operations, ICE, alongside its federal, state, and local partners, continues to focus on dismantling human trafficking networks, disrupting smuggling operations, and working to combat transnational criminal organizations. The agency’s focus on criminal illegal aliens aligns with its commitment to enhancing national security and public safety.

    ICE encourages the public to report suspicious activity to the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423.

    For more information about HSI’s work, please follow us on X: @HSIAtlanta.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Devastating Impact of Federal Cuts on Infrastructure

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today shared a breakdown of how the Trump administration’s cuts to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program will impact critical infrastructure and community resilience projects in New York State. With this action, the federal Department of Homeland Security has revoked over $325.5 million in funding for projects that have not yet begun construction. Additionally, there is another $56 million worth of projects where work has already begun, that are potentially at risk.

    “In the last few years, New Yorkers have faced hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, wildfires and even an earthquake –– and FEMA assistance has been critical to help us rebuild. Cutting funding for communities across New York is short sighted and a massive risk to public safety. Without support for resilience projects now, our communities will be far more vulnerable when disaster strikes next,” Governor Hochul said. “As I’ve said all along: no state in the nation can backfill the massive cuts being proposed in Washington, and it’s critical New Yorkers stand united to call out the damage this will cause.”

    New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “It is far more expensive to rebuild than it is to prevent damage before it happens. Mitigation is the best way to save taxpayer dollars and increase resiliency. These projects were created with the sole purpose of helping prevent further damage from the storms that continue to impact the residents of New York State.”

    The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program supports states, local and territorial governments and Tribal Nations as they work to reduce their hazard risk. The program aims to support communities as they build capability and capacity. BRIC also encourages and aids innovation. It helps partnerships grow; supports infrastructure projects; and fosters flexibility and consistency.

    Selected Federal Cuts by the Numbers:

    • NYC – NYC DEP Central Harlem Cloudburst Flood Mitigation
      • Federal funds: $50 million
      • The Central Harlem Cloudburst Hub aims to reduce storm-related runoff and flooding spurred by high intensity rainfall events through the strengthening and improvement of stormwater infrastructure. The project is focused on a 370-acre area with primarily disadvantaged and low-income neighborhoods and contains six schools, two daycare centers, three hospitals, six places of worship and three elder care facilities.
    • NYC – NYC DEP East Elmhurst Cloudburst Flood Mitigation
      • Federal funds: $50 million
      • The East Elmhurst Hub aims to reduce storm-related runoff and flooding spurred by high intensity rainfall events through the strengthening and improvement of stormwater infrastructure. The project is focused on a 485-acre area with primarily residential neighborhoods.
    • NYC – NYC EDC Seaport Coastal Resilience Project
      • Federal funds $42.4 million
      • The NYCEDC Seaport Coastal Resilience Project will reduce flood risk to the Historic South Street Seaport by strengthening and improving infrastructure to mitigate impacts from multiple hazards including coastal flooding, sea level rise, extreme precipitation and urban heat island effect. The Historic South Street Seaport is a highly vulnerable mixed-use neighborhood that provides critical services to Lower Manhattan and beyond. The area houses many businesses, community facilities and a growing residential population.
    • NYC – NYC DEP Kissena Corridor Cloudburst Hub
      • Federal Share funds: $46.6 million
      • The project aims to reduce storm-related runoff and flooding spurred by high intensity rainfall events by integrating traditional underground drainage infrastructure with above-ground solutions into ongoing urban infrastructure planning. Specifically, the focus is to enhance stormwater management through storage and surface flow infrastructure, while developing urban areas with benefits for citizens, local businesses and the city alike.
    • NYC – NYC DEP Corona East Cloudburst Hub
      • Federal Share funds: $47 million
      • The project aims to reduce storm-related runoff and flooding spurred by high intensity rainfall events by integrating traditional underground drainage infrastructure with above-ground solutions into ongoing urban infrastructure planning. Specifically, the focus is to enhance stormwater management through storage and surface flow infrastructure, while developing urban areas with benefits for citizens, local businesses and the city alike.
    • NYC – NYC DOB Stormwater Flooding Building Codes Provision Development
      • Federal funds: $468,000
      • Stormwater Flooding Building Codes Provision Development aims to support the development of stormwater flooding building code provisions that would address safety risks and reduce damages from stormwater flooding at the building level. Once developed and adopted, these code provisions would apply to buildings at-risk of stormwater flooding across New York City.
    • NYC – NYCHA Polo Grounds Houses Coastal Storm Surge Barrier
      • Federal funds: $11.5 million
      • The project aims to support the construction of floodwalls on the northeast side of the NYCHA Polo Grounds Tower Development and the adjacent P.S. 046 Arthur Tappan public school to protect from coastal storm surge and future sea level rise.
    • NYC – Breukelen Houses Stormwater Protection
      • Federal funds: $16 million
      • This is a phased flood mitigation project for a public housing complex to mitigate flood risk from a 10-year storm with a 4.8′ sea level rise. Mitigation will include bioretention and underground drainage basins.
    • NYC – Hunts Point Food Security Mitigation
      • Federal funds: $13 million
      • The project aims to increase community resilience and protect New York City’s food supply by protecting two critical facilities against flooding. This project also reduces flood risk to community lifelines in the area, including food, water, shelter, safety and security.
    • NYC – Stormwater Protections for Nostrand and Sheepshead Bay Houses
      • Federal funds: $18.8 million
      • The project aims to bring a flood risk reduction strategy to a Public Housing development that is vulnerable to stormwater flooding during a rain event of any magnitude, contributing to flood control in more extreme rain events. A backup power generation strategy will provide emergency power to a community center if it is needed in the event of a grid power disruption.
    • Westchester – Upper Minkel Dam Decommissioning and Riparian Corridor Restoration
      • Federal funds: $731,000
      • The project is a result of a 2017 study which concluded that removing the Upper Minkel Dam, a high hazard Class “C” Dam, and restoring the stream and surrounding land would be of great environmental benefit, specifically by reducing the potential flood hazard associated with the dam, as well as restoring the stream’s natural systems. The design will allow for a low flow channel into Purdy Pond and includes a higher elevation flood storage shelf that will reduce and possibly eliminate any future flood events.
    • New York Power Authority Vischer Ferry Dam Ice Jam and Flood Mitigation Project
      • Federal funds: $24 million
      • Until recently, NYPA had no organized method for addressing ice jam formation anywhere on the NYS Canal system. This project will reduce the formation of ice jam flooding and flush ice from the Vischer Ferry impoundment. This would avoid ice jam flooding and the potential for ice dam formation between Vischer Ferry Dam and Lock E-8.
    • Buffalo – Building Codes: Modernizer workforce or expedited results
      • Federal funds: $284,000
      • Building Codes: Modernized Workforce for Expedited Results is a project designed to improve the City of Buffalo’s ability to meet and exceed the State’s mandates for building construction, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other emerging technologies. This project has three major components: Workforce Training and Development, Building Code Support and Efficiency Management.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former UNM Football Player Convicted of Methamphetamine Trafficking in Cibola County Correctional Center

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury convicted a former University of New Mexico football player on charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine while incarcerated at Cibola County Correctional Center. The verdict came after a five-day trial and approximately three-and-a-half hours of deliberation.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, while in custody awaiting trial for the 2022-armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee, Rayshawn Boyce, 29, was implicated in a separate case involving drug trafficking within the Cibola County Correctional Center (CCCC). On May 17, 2022, CCCC personnel conducted a search of a unit and discovered a bag containing approximately one pound of methamphetamine in the shower area.

    Photo of drugs in shower area

    Review of surveillance footage revealed that on the evening of May 16, 2022, Correctional Officer Gabriella Torres smuggled a bundle of methamphetamine into the facility under her hoodie and dropped it in cell in an area that was not covered by a camera for Boyce to retrieve. A short time later, Boyce retrieved the bundle, concealed it in a blanket, and walked back to his cell. When he learned that the jail was being searched the next day, Boyce moved the bundle from his cell in the middle of the night, submerged it in water, and left it near the showers, where it was found that morning by CCCC personnel.

    Federal investigators determined that Boyce and Torres were in a romantic relationship, during which Boyce persuaded Torres to smuggle drugs into the CCCC. On two separate occasions, Torres successfully smuggled marijuana into the facility for Boyce to distribute. Boyce instructed buyers to send payments through a CashApp account he had Torres established specifically for these transactions. On May 16, 2022, Boyce coordinated the delivery of a methamphetamine shipment to Torres for smuggling into CCCC.

    Torres pled guilty to one count of conspiracy and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which is not currently scheduled. At sentencing, Torres could face 10 years to life in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

    Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Boyce remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Boyce faces a mandatory minimum term of ten years of imprisonment and up to life.

    In April 2024, a federal jury convicted Boyce of robbing a postal carrier, stealing an arrow key belonging to the United States Postal Service, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At sentencing for this prior conviction, Boyce faces up to ten years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Cibola County Correctional Center and CoreCivic. Assistant United States Attorneys Letitia Carroll Simms and Joseph M. Spindle are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Moran Joins Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Restore Congress’ Constitutional Role in Trade

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in introducing legislation to restore Congress’ constitutionally authorized role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy. The Trade Review Act of 2025 would require congressional approval of unilateral tariffs proposed by the executive branch. The legislation mirrors Sen. Grassley’s 2019 Section 232 tariff reform efforts during the first Trump administration.
    “Every state has unique industries that are impacted differently by changes in global markets and trade policies, such as agriculture, car manufacturing and aircraft production,” said Sen. Moran. “The Constitution gives Congress the authority to make decisions regarding foreign commerce, including tariffs. This legislation allows the President to use tariffs to respond to emergencies while permitting Congress to weigh the appropriateness of any tariffs that are imposed.”
    The bill restores Congress’ authority and responsibility over tariffs as outlined in Article I, Section 8. Under this legislation:
    To enact a new tariff, the President must notify Congress of the imposition of (or increase in) the tariff within 48 hours
    The congressional notification must include an explanation of the president’s reasoning for imposing or raising the tariff, and
    Provide analysis of potential impact on American businesses and consumers
    Within 60 days, Congress must pass a joint resolution of approval on the new tariff, otherwise all new tariffs on imports expire after that deadline
    Congress has the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval
    Anti-dumping and countervailing duties are excluded
    Click HERE to view the full bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Moran Joins Colleagues in Reintroducing Legislation to Expand Telehealth Access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined a bipartisan group of 60 senators in reintroducing the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act. The CONNECT for Health Act will expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors. Current flexibilities are set to expire on September 30 unless Congress extends them.
    “The COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in our health care infrastructure while also demonstrating how telehealth can be an effective way to provide care to patients,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation would expand telehealth services and help make certain that Kansans, especially those in rural communities, continue to have access to the health care services they need.”
    In addition to Sen. Moran, the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Angus King (I-Maine.), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.).
    Telehealth provides essential access to care with nearly a quarter of Americans accessing telehealth in a month, according to the most recent available data.
    The CONNECT for Health Act would:
    Permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to the location of the patient, including homes
    Permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services
    Allow more eligible health care professionals to utilize telehealth services
    Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirement for telemental health services
    Allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies
    Require more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care and how it can be improved to support patients and health care providers.
    The CONNECT for Health Act was first introduced in 2016 and is considered the most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress. Since 2016, several provisions of the bill have been enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including provisions to remove restrictions on telehealth services for mental health, stroke care and home dialysis.
    Companion legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), Mike Thompson (D- Calif.) and Doris Matsui (D-Calif.).
    The CONNECT for Health Act has the support of more than 150 organizations including the American Medical Association, AARP, American Hospital Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Rural Health Clinics and American Telemedicine Association.
    Click HERE for the full text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –