RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged an airman stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, with Second Degree Murder.
Quinterius Charles Chappelle, age 24, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on March 17, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to a federal Criminal Complaint.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count. Restitution may also be ordered.
The complaint charges Chappelle with killing Sahela Toka Win Sangrait on Ellsworth Air Force Base in August 2024. Sangrait’s body was found earlier this month in a wooded area near Hill City, South Dakota.
“This charge, filed just ten days after the victim’s remains were discovered, reflects the dogged work of federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals who seamlessly collaborated to run down every lead with absolute expediency and care,” said Alison Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “Under the criminal justice system, this charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is innocent until proven guilty; the facts and evidence in this case will be litigated before a federal judge and jury. At this time, our hearts are with the victim’s family and friends, who after many agonizing months of searching for answers, are now grieving the tragic death of their loved one.”
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Petersen and Benjamin Schroeder are prosecuting the case.
Chappelle was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Published: March 17, 2025
Click HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE for individual photos.
Bangor, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins visited Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) to speak with students and staff and to get a firsthand look at newly upgraded classroom instructional equipment at EMCC. Senator Collins secured nearly $3 million in Congressionally Directed Spending to support EMCC’s purchase of this new equipment in the Fiscal Year 2024 and 2023 appropriations packages. Senator Collins is Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“In Maine and throughout the nation, many communities are experiencing shortages of critical health care professionals,” said Senator Collins. “Visiting EMCC today, I had the chance to see how investments in new classroom technology and training equipment are helping to ensure that graduates are well prepared to enter the health care workforce. I was proud to secure funding to support EMCC’s efforts to train Maine’s next generation of nurses, emergency medical service providers, medical radiographers, and other health professionals.”
“This funding is a game-changer for our students and Maine’s healthcare system,” said Liz Russell, President of Eastern Maine Community College. “We’re bringing high-quality education straight to the communities that need it most, helping to fill critical workforce gaps and making it easier for students to get the education they need without uprooting their lives.”
Specifically, the funding secured by Senator Collins has been used to purchase new equipment and technology for EMCC’s Nursing, Medical Radiography, and Emergency Medical Services programs, including upgraded equipment in the nursing simulation lab and a new fully equipped ambulance, better preparing students for real-world emergency situations.
In addition to securing funding for EMCC’s Bangor campus, Senator Collins secured $4 million in Congressionally Directed Spending in Fiscal Year 2022 to expand the early childhood education center at Eastern Maine Community College’s Katahdin Region Higher Education Center in East Millinocket. The now renovated facility offers increased access to child care and additional job training resources for residents in the region.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, age 27, a native of Honduras, was indicted on March 13, 2025, for re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to the filed indictment, on or about March 7 2025, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the defendant, EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, was found in the United States, after having been officially deported and removed therefrom, on or about June 8, 2018.
EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00, if convicted of re-entry of a removed alien.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge, and the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
LA CROSSE, WI – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) kicked off her “Hands Off Medicaid Tour” in La Crosse to call out President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans’ plan to slash Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. In La Crosse, Senator Baldwin was joined by Wisconsinites who shared their stories about how Medicaid helps them and their families afford the care they need to stay healthy.
“Republicans are planning to terminate health care for Wisconsin grandparents, kids, and loved ones on Medicaid – all to pay for new tax breaks for big corporations and billionaires,” said Senator Baldwin. “Today, I was in La Crosse to show Republicans what cuts to Medicaid would mean for real Wisconsinites and send the message loudly and clearly: Hands off Medicaid.”
Senator Baldwin was joined by the following Wisconsinites who shared their stories and appealed to Congressional Republicans to stop their efforts to terminate the health care that keeps them and their families well:
Kim Fredrick – Mindoro, WI – Kim shared the story of her 17-year-old son Matt who has Down Syndrome and has been on Medicaid since he was a few months old.
Rachel Maxon – Stoddard, WI – Rachel shared that her 5-year-old daughter with autism and 78-year-old father-in-law with dementia rely on Medicaid for their health, safety, and increased independence in the community.
Dana Horstman – Bangor, WI – Dana has relied on Medicaid since a spinal cord injury in 2013 left her in a wheelchair.
Tina Pohlman – La Crosse, WI – Tina was diagnosed with lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome in 2002 and receives Medicaid assistance.
Bethany McAlister – La Crosse, WI – Bethany shared her story of multiple people in her family who rely on Medicaid, including her brother with down syndrome and mother-in-law with dementia.
Republicans are planning deep cuts to Medicaid that will jeopardize the coverage of 72 million Americans. In Wisconsin, over 1.2 million are enrolled in Medicaid. About 1 in 3 children in both Wisconsin’s rural and metro communities have Medicaid coverage. More than 300,000 kids under age 19 are members of BadgerCare Plus or another Wisconsin Medicaid program.
Across the country, Medicaid covers nearly half of all children, 31.5 million, over 8.3 million seniors, and around 15 million people with disabilities. Medicaid also pays for 6 out of 10 residents in nursing homes, with 5.6 million Americans counting on Medicaid for their long-term care bills and Medicaid paying for over half of long-term care in the United States. Severe cuts to Medicaid will also jeopardize rural hospitals and clinics’ ability to keep their doors open. Over 12 million rural Americans rely on Medicaid for health care.
The next stops of the “Hands Off Medicaid Tour” include:
Eau Claire on Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Madison and Racine on Thursday, March 20, 2025
Waukesha on Friday, March 21, 2025
What was left unsaid is that the individuals would be knowingly placed into a prison system in which a range of sources have reported widespread human rights abuses at the hands of state forces.
A first transfer of U.S. deportees from Venezuela has now arrived into that system. On March 16, the U.S. government flew around 250 deportees to El Salvador despite a judge’s order temporarily blocking the move. Bukele later posted a video online showing the deportees arriving in El Salvador with their hands and feet shackled and forcibly bent over by armed guards.
We have also heard firsthand of the human rights abuses that deportees and Salvadorans alike say they have suffered while incarcerated in El Salvador, and we have worked on hundreds of asylum cases as expert witnesses, testifying in U.S. immigration court about the nature and scope of human rights abuses in the country. We are deeply concerned both over the conditions into which deportees are arriving and as to what the U.S. administration’s decision signals about its commitments to international human rights standards.
For the past three years, Bukele has governed with few checks and balances under a self-imposed “state of exception.” This emergency status has allowed Bukele to suspend many rights as he wages what he calls a “war on gangs.”
The crackdown manifests in mass arbitrary arrests of anyone who fits stereotypical demographic characteristics of gang members, like having tattoos, a prior criminal record or even just “looking nervous.”
As a result of the ongoing mass arrests, El Salvador now has the highest incarceration rate in the world. The proportion of its population that El Salvador incarcerates is more than triple that of the U.S. and double that of the next nearest country, Cuba.
Safest country in Latin America?
Bukele’s tough-on-gangs persona has earned him widespread popularity at home and abroad – he has fostered an immediate friendship with the new U.S. administration in particular.
But maintaining this popularity has involved, it is widely alleged, manipulating crime statistics, attacking journalists who criticize him and denying involvement in a widely documented secret gang pact that unraveled just before the start of the state of exception.
Bukele and pro-government Salvadoran media insist that the crackdown on gangs has transformed El Salvador into the safest country in Latin America.
But on the ground, Salvadorans have described how police, military personnel and Mexican cartels have taken over the exploitative practices previously carried out by gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18. One Salvadoran woman whose son died in prison just a few days after he was arbitrarily detained told a reporter from Al Jazeera: “One is always afraid. Before it was fear of the gangs, now it’s also the security forces who take innocent people.”
Bukele has ordered a communication blackout between incarcerated people and their loved ones. This means no visits, no letters and no phone calls.
Such lack of contact makes it nearly impossible for people to determine the well-being of their incarcerated family members, many of whom are parents with young children now cared for by extended family.
Despite the blackout, scholars, international and national rights’ groups and investigative journalists have been able to build up a picture of conditions inside El Salvador’s prisons through interviews with victims and their family members, medical records and forensic analysis of cases of prison deaths. What they describe is a hellscape.
Incarcerated Salvadorans are packed into grossly overcrowded cells, beaten regularly by prison personnel and denied medicines even when they are available. Inmates are frequently subjected to punishments including food deprivation and electric shocks. Indeed, a U.S. State Department’s 2023 country report on El Salvador noted the “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions.”
The human rights organization Cristosal estimates that hundreds have died from malnutrition, blunt force trauma, strangulation and lack of lifesaving medical treatment.
Often, their bodies are buried by government workers in mass graves without notifying families.
Although El Salvador is a signatory to the United Nations’ Convention Against Torture, Amnesty International concluded after multiple missions to the country and interviews with victims and their families that there is “systemic use of torture” in Salvadoran prisons.
Likewise, a case-by-case study by Cristosal, which included forensic analysis of exhumed bodies of people who died in prison, determined in 2024 that “torture has become a state policy.”
‘At risk of irreparable harm’
What makes this all the more worrying is the scale of potential abuse.
El Salvador now houses a prison population of around 110,000 – more than three times the number of inmates before the state of exception began.
To increase the country’s capacity for ongoing mass incarceration, Bukele built and opened the Terrorism Confinement Center mega-prison in 2023. An analysis of the center using satellite footage showed that if the prison were to reach its full supposed capacity of 40,000, each prisoner would have less than 2 feet of space in their cells.
It is to this prison that deportees from the U.S. have been taken.
There are serious concerns over both the process and the legality of transferring U.S. prisoners to a nation that has not protected the human rights of its detained population.
Moreover, the agreement through which the Trump administration is seeking to moving migrants detained in the U.S. to El Salvador faces scrutiny under international law, given what is known about the country’s prison conditions.
International human rights is governed by laws that prohibit nations from transferring people into harm’s way, be it returning foreign nationals to countries where “there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be at risk of irreparable harm,” or transferring detainees to jurisdictions in which they are at risk of being tortured or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The efforts of human rights organizations, journalists and scholars to document prison conditions point to an unequivocal conclusion: El Salvador does not meet the terms necessary to protect the human rights of deported and incarcerated migrants.
Mneesha Gellman received funding from Emerson College’s Faculty Development Fund. She is the Director of the Emerson Prison Initiative.
Sarah C. Bishop has received research funding from the Fulbright Organization, The Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society at Villanova University, the Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation, and the Professional Staff Congress at the City University of New York. She serves on the board of directors of the nonprofit organization Mixteca.
From Fraser Health: https://www.fraserhealth.ca/news/2025/Mar/New-mobile-MRI-arrives-at-Surrey-Memorial-Hospital-as-enhancements-to-medical-image-take-shape
A new $3.3-million mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit has arrived at Surrey Memorial Hospital, ensuring patients have uninterrupted access to vital diagnostic services while work continues on two new advanced MRI scanners for the imaging department.
“This new MRI unit is a significant step forward in ensuring that our community continues to receive timely, high-quality care,” says Amna Shah, MLA for Surrey City Centre. “As construction progresses on two new advanced MRI scanners, this mobile unit will help make sure there are no disruptions in essential diagnostic services for patients. With over 10,000 MRI scans conducted annually at Surrey Memorial, this mobile MRI unit is an invaluable addition, helping reduce wait times and improving access to life-saving imaging for residents of Surrey and neighboring communities.”
The new MRI is inside a 15-metre trailer located behind the Critical Care Tower at the north end of the hospital campus. A new space will connect the mobile MRI unit to Surrey Memorial Hospital, providing protection from the elements while staff transfer patients between the hospital and the trailer. The mobile MRI unit is expected to begin seeing patients in late July, once construction and necessary testing and permitting is complete.
The GE Signa Voyager 1.5T MRI System accommodates children and adults, is quieter than older machines, produces sharper images and reduces scan times.
“Access to timely diagnostics and treatment is a key pillar of our health care system,” says Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “This new mobile MRI Unit will ensure that people in Surrey have uninterrupted access to life-saving diagnostic services while work on two new state of the art MRI Scanners occurs.”
Advanced MRI can help detect abnormalities of the brain and spine, as well as tumours, cysts and soft-tissue injuries in other parts of the body. MRI is used to detect cancers in the breast, brain, abdomen, prostate, and lymph nodes, as well as cardiac and neurological diseases.
“Ensuring continuity of care during hospital construction requires careful planning and creative solutions like the new mobile MRI unit,” says Dr. Lynn Stevenson, interim president and CEO, Fraser Health. “Currently, more than 10,000 MRI scans are done annually at Surrey Memorial Hospital, so the mobile unit is necessary to ensure residents of Surrey and neighbouring communities continue to receive the imaging they need while we upgrade for today and the future.”
MRI uses strong magnetic fields to generate three-dimensional pictures of the organs, bones and tissue inside the human body. Early diagnosis of abnormalities can lead to earlier treatment and better outcomes.
The MRI project is part of the 30 prioritized actions announced in June 2023 aimed at transforming health services at Surrey Memorial Hospital. To date, 19 of those actions have been completed, with an additional 11 currently in progress.
EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 11 other attorneys general in opposing the U.S. Department of State’s proposed changes to passport application requirements, which would prevent transgender and non-binary individuals from obtaining passports that accurately reflect their gender. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the proposed changes would conflict with state laws, cause significant confusion, increase administrative burdens, and threaten public safety. The changes would also infringe on the rights of transgender and non-binary individuals to travel freely and safely, while exposing them to potential harassment, discrimination, and harm.
“All Americans deserve to have identification documents that accurately reflect their gender and who they are, and any attempt to take away that right is an attack on the dignity and freedom of transgender and non-binary individuals,” said Attorney General James. “The Trump administration’s proposed changes threaten the safety and well-being of our communities, create unnecessary barriers to travel, and put transgender and non-binary Americans at unnecessary risk. The federal government cannot trespass on Americans’ rights, and that includes the rights of transgender and non-binary people.”
On January 20, the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order declaring that the United States will only recognize two sexes, male and female, and instructing the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, among others, to “implement changes that require that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holder’s sex,” as defined by the Executive Order. The EO not only goes against acceptable medical standards and science, but attempts to erase the existence of intersex, transgender, and nonbinary people. The U.S. Department of State then proposed changes to several passport application forms that would prevent transgender and non-binary Americans from obtaining a passport consistent with their gender and ignores the existence of intersex Americans. The Executive Order and proposed application form changes break with decades of federal policy on gender identity, including the ability for individuals to align their gender markers on identifying records and documents with their gender identity.
In their letter, Attorney General James and the coalition highlight the harmful consequences of this policy, including the potential for transgender and non-binary individuals to be outed, harassed, or denied access to essential services. Forcing a transgender or non-binary person to have identity documents that do not match their gender impedes their ability to live freely and could cause confusion, delays, or harassment when they travel within the United States and internationally. This is only compounded by the individual psychological harm that the new policy could cause.
The attorneys general also emphasize that many states, including New York, have enacted laws that allow individuals to change gender markers on birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and other legal documents without medical documentation. State laws also allow individuals to seal their original birth certificate or name change from disclosure. The proposed federal changes would create inconsistencies between state and federal identification documents, leading to confusion for state agencies, employers, public accommodations, and law enforcement. In such cases, individuals would likely experience harassment or delays when trying to access resources, and states would likely be forced to expend needless resources to review mismatched documents and ensure compliance with the law.
Attorney General James and the coalition strongly urge the State Department to withdraw the proposed changes and instead uphold policies that respect the rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity.
Joining Attorney General James in submitting the comment letter, which was co-led by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Davis County man pleaded guilty in court today to embezzling approximately $1.7 million from his employer for his own benefit.
Timothy Sean Edgar, 44, of Farmington, Utah, was charged by felony information March 11, 2025, for wire fraud and money laundering.
According to court documents and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, beginning in 2021 and continuing until October 2024, Edgar defrauded his employer to obtain money and property by stealing and lying. As part of Edgar’s scheme, he fraudulently opened a sales channel through a popular online marketplace and used his employment credentials to access the vendor portal and redirect Automated Clearing House payments to his personal bank account. Edgar then made payments back to his employer using his personal credit card. Edgar embezzled approximately $1,778,251 from his employer.
Edgar is scheduled to be sentenced August 7, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, and the North Salt Lake City Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Woolf and Jacob J. Strain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDDIE LIMAS, 35, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force received information that Limas and others were receiving kilogram quantities of fentanyl from sources in the Dominican Republic, storing the drug at a stash house in the Bronx, New York, and distributing it in central Connecticut. Between January and April 2022, investigators made five controlled purchases of distribution quantities of fentanyl from Limas.
On May 13, 2022, Connecticut State Police stopped a vehicle driven by Limas’ uncle, Hector Limas, on I-84 in Danbury after investigators suspected that he had delivered narcotics to Eddie Limas’ residence on Chapman Street in New Britain. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 700 grams of fentanyl and approximately $19,000 in cash.
Also on May 13, 2022, law enforcement attempted to arrest Eddie Limas in Hartford, but he crashed his vehicle into a Hartford police cruiser and fled at a high rate of speed. At the same time, investigators maintaining surveillance at Eddie Limas’ residence saw a neighbor remove bags and boxes from the residence, lock them in a car that was parked in front, and give the key fob to Carmen Hernandez, who had also exited the residence. A search of the car revealed more than two kilograms of fentanyl, more than 300 grams of cocaine, approximately one kilogram of marijuana, items used to process and package narcotics, and a .380 caliber pistol. Hernandez also possessed a quantity of fentanyl, and a search of Limas’ residence revealed a loaded .40 caliber pistol and additional narcotics.
Eddie Limas eluded capture until May 9, 2023, when he was arrested in New Britain after conducting additional drug sales. He has been detained since his arrest. On September 18, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Hector Limas, 59, of the Bronx, and Hernandez, 61, of Hartford, pleaded guilty to related charges. On November 8, 2023, Hector Limas was sentenced to 90 months of imprisonment, and on January 14, 2025, Hernandez was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the Hartford Police Department, the East Hartford Police Department, the New Britain Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham.
FRESNO, Calif. — Antonio Sorondo Jr., 52, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 12 years and seven months in prison for conspiring to traffic methamphetamine and cocaine as well as illegally possessing firearms, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, in January and February 2022, Sorondo conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. On Feb. 1, 2022, when law enforcement officers tried to contact Sorondo, he fled and tossed a firearm over a chain-link fence. The officers apprehended Sorondo and then recovered the abandoned, loaded firearm. Two weeks later, a police officer arrested Sorondo in possession of another two firearms and about 100 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Sorondo is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony convictions.
This case is the product of an investigation by FORT, a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ENRIQUE TORRES-BEIZA, a/k/a “Enrique B. Torres,” age 39, a native of Mexico, was indicted on March 13, 2025, for re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to the filed indictment, on or about October 26, 2024, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the defendant, ENRIQUE TORRES-BEIZA, a/k/a “Enrique B. Torres,”,was found in the United States, after having been officially deported and removed therefrom, on or about December 26, 2018
ENRIQUE TORRES-BEIZA, a/k/a “Enrique B. Torres,” faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00, if convicted of re-entry of a removed alien.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A man accused of forcing a victim to engage in commercial sex acts and forcing the victim to provide him with the proceeds while he was behind bars for an unrelated state offense appeared in court today for federal sex trafficking charges.
Aaron Kern, 27, most recently of St. George, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 11, 2025. During his initial appearance on the indictment, he was ordered detained by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Kohler in St. George.
According to court documents, from November 2023 to December 2024, Kern allegedly recruited and violently threatened a victim to engage in commercial sex acts and provide him with a large portion of the proceeds. Kern’s illegal acts to traffic an individual for sex acts were allegedly committed while Kern was incarcerated for an unrelated state offense. Kern also forced the victim to attempt to smuggle suboxone, a controlled substance, into the correctional facility where he was housed. When the victim demonstrated any resistance to Kern’s attempts to have her engage in commercial sex acts, he would threaten her. On one occasion, he told the victim, “obviously the only thing that is going to work is me breaking your face when you don’t want to listen,” and “you are going to have a lot of days where you are drinking through a straw.”
Kern also made threats to the victim regarding her family members’ safety. During the investigation, law enforcement found online prostitution advertisements that Kern dictated and ordered the victim to place. Investigators also found in Kern’s jail cell a handwritten contract that he wanted the victim to sign as well as handwritten notes and journal entries describing how he needed to break the victim down.
Acting United States Attorney Felice Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Washington County Drug/Gang Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Freedom of the press — a bedrock principle of American democracy — is under threat in the United States.
Here at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism we are witnessing and experiencing an alarming chill. We write to affirm our commitment to supporting and exercising First Amendment rights for students, faculty, and staff on our campus — and, indeed, for all.
After Homeland Security seized and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate of Columbia’s School of Public and International Affairs, without charging him with any crime, many of our international students have felt afraid to come to classes and to events on campus.
They are right to be worried. Some of our faculty members and students who have covered the protests over the Gaza war have been the object of smear campaigns and targeted on the same sites that were used to bring Khalil to the attention of Homeland Security.
President Trump has warned that the effort to deport Khalil is just the first of many.
These actions represent threats against political speech and the ability of the American press to do its essential job and are part of a larger design to silence voices that are out of favour with the current administration.
We have also seen reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is trying to deport the Palestinian poet and journalist Mosab Abu Toha, who has written extensively in the New Yorker about the condition of the residents of Gaza and warned of the mortal danger to Palestinian journalists.
There are 13 million legal foreign residents (green card holders) in the United States. If the administration can deport Khalil, it means those 13 million people must live in fear if they dare speak up or publish something that runs afoul of government views.
There are more than one million international students in the United States. They, too, may worry that they are no longer free to speak their mind. Punishing even one person for their speech is meant to intimidate others into self-censorship.
One does not have to agree with the political opinions of any particular individual to understand that these threats cut to the core of what it means to live in a pluralistic democracy. The use of deportation to suppress foreign critics runs parallel to an aggressive campaign to use libel laws in novel — even outlandish ways — to silence or intimidate the independent press.
The President has sued CBS for an interview with Kamala Harris which Trump found too favourable. He has sued the Pulitzer Prize committee for awarding prizes to stories critical of him.
He has even sued the Des Moines Register for publishing the results of a pre-election poll that showed Kamala Harris ahead at that point in the state.
Large corporations like Disney and Meta settled lawsuits most lawyers thought they could win because they did not want to risk the wrath of the Trump administration and jeopardize business they have with the federal government.
Amazon and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos decided that the paper’s editorial pages would limit themselves to pieces celebrating “free markets and individual liberties.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration insists on hand-picking the journalists who will be permitted to cover the White House and Pentagon, and it has banned the Associated Press from press briefings because the AP is following its own style book and refusing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
The Columbia Journalism School stands in defence of First Amendment principles of free speech and free press across the political spectrum. The actions we’ve outlined above jeopardise these principles and therefore the viability of our democracy. All who believe in these freedoms should steadfastly oppose the intimidation, harassment, and detention of individuals on the basis of their speech or their journalism.
The price of eggs has risen dramatically in recent years across the US. A dozen eggs cost US$1.20 (92p) in June 2019, but the price is now around US$4.90 (with a peak of US$8.17 in early March).
Some restaurants have imposed surcharges on egg-based dishes, bringing even more attention to escalating costs. And there are also shortages on supermarket shelves.
In the coming months, the US plans to import up to 100 million of this consumer staple. Government officials are approaching countries from Turkey to Brazil with enquiries about eggs for export.
Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins, who previously said that one option to the crisis was for people to get a chicken for their backyard, suggested in the Wall Street Journal that prices are unlikely to stabilise for some months. And Donald Trump recently shared an article on Truth Social calling on the public to “shut up about egg prices”.
The main cause of the problem is an outbreak of avian flu that has resulted in over 166 million birds in the US being slaughtered. Around 98% of the nation’s chickens are produced on factory farms, which are ripe for contagion.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the flu has already spread to several hundred dairy cattle and to one human. The USDA recently announced a US$1 billion plan to counter the problem, with funding for improved bio-security, vaccine research and compensation to farmers.
In January 2025, Donald Trump’s White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, blamed the previous administration for high egg prices. It is true that birds were slaughtered on President Joe Biden’s watch, but this was and remains standard practice at times of bird flu outbreaks and had also been the case during the Obama and first Trump administrations.
However, this points to the way the rising price of eggs has become a political touchstone. It was referred to regularly in campaign speeches and press briefings as a sign of things going wrong and a symbol of the US economy faced. Donald Trump promised to fix the price of eggs swiftly if elected, but so far the issue shows no sign of going away.
Prices are still trending up. Even when prices suddenly drop, as they have this week, the public know how much cheaper they used to be until recently, and do not tend to feel better.
There are a number of reasons why egg prices have become an important to US politicians. First, almost everyone buys eggs. So the shortage and subsequent price rise is newsworthy and affects consumers in all income brackets.
Secondly, they are a measure of broader economic vulnerabilities, so egg-related problems tend to be part of a larger story about how weak the economy is. And thirdly, egg prices are political because of Trump’s promise to bring them down.
Polls showed that the economy and inflation were key factors in voter choice on election day 2024. In February 2025, Donald Trump did an interview with NBC News in which he said he won the election on the border and groceries.
On immigration, voters often base their opinions on what they perceive to be true. For example, tough rhetoric on building a wall may equate with a sense of feeling that the president is taking strong action, whether anything tangible actually materialises or not.
With groceries, reality trumps perception. The price of eggs is printed on the box and the cost is paid directly by voters.
Donald Trump on what he’s doing on egg prices and the economy.
Then there are the egg producers. US farmers tended to overwhelmingly support Trump on election day, so it is prudent for him to feel their pain, or at least appear to. Farming areas voted for him increasingly in his three election efforts, even increasing their support for him in 2020 after trade wars and price increases which would have negatively impacted them.
Another factor that may push up egg prices is that an estimated 70% of the factory farm workforce is immigrant labour, and as many as 40% are undocumented. Should the administration’s plans for high tariffs and mass deportations come to fruition, the industry would struggle to function.
Further food price increases will be inevitable, with potential exacerbation via the funding freezes for some USDA programmes that Trump has enacted. As of March 2025, US$1 billion in cuts has been announced, the consequences of which are already being felt by farmers. The “pain now for gain later” message is a tricky political sell.
Even in the current era of international turbulence, elections are largely won on more pedestrian matters. Specifically, “kitchen-table” economics is relatable to every voter, regardless of how grand, or not, their table is.
Americans will be aware that in neighbouring Canada, egg prices have not risen dramatically and there have not been shortages. But prices in Canada have been traditionally higher than the US, this is in part at least because farming standards differ.
The US does not have high welfare standards for agricultural workers or animals, and this shortcoming needs to be addressed in order to help reduce future risk of flu, but this is likely to also raise prices.
Blaming the previous incumbent is not a durable stance for Donald Trump. As former president Harry Truman might remind him: “The buck stops here.” Right at his desk.
Clodagh Harrington does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jonathan Cazabonne, Doctorant en mycologie et écologie des vieilles forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT)
Fungi are among the most important organisms on Earth. Even though most of the world’s described 157,000 fungal species are only visible with a microscope, these organisms are essential to our ecosystems, our societies and economies.
Fungi are also important to human cultures — including as a source of food, medicine and art. Economically, fungi also support a growing economy centred around mycotourism — with a growing number of travellers visiting Canada and Spain each year to forage for wild mushrooms.
All the benefits fungi provide to humans are estimated to be worth the equivalent of US$54.57 trillion. This is why it’s an understatement to say that the world’s ecosystems and human societies are shaped by fungi.
And yet fungi continue to be an important but overlooked element of conservation strategies.
Why fungi are forgotten
Conservation efforts have long focused on protecting well-studied animals and plants. This is reflected in the number of species that have been assigned a conservation status by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Around 84 per cent of known species of vertebrates have received an IUCN conservation status. But just 0.5 per cent of all described fungi — 818 fungal species — are currently present on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Considering scientists estimate that there could be around 2.5 million fungal species in the world — of which we currently only know about six per cent of them — this means just 0.03 per cent of all fungi have been assigned a conservation status.
Several factors explain this alarming reality.
Fungi are difficult to study in both nature and under experimental conditions. This is because of many species’ microscopic size, their short lifespan and the hidden habitats they call home — such as soils, the tissues of other organisms and dung deposits.
Many species of fungi are difficult to study because of their microscopic size. (Shutterstock)
Fungi are also considered “uncharismatic” — meaning they don’t have the level of human appeal that some other species have. Much of their diversity is cryptic, as well. This means that while many fungi were once considered to be a single species, in reality they’re made up of multiple species that may look similar but are genetically distinct from one another. Because of this, conservation projects for fungi are poorly funded and do not easily capture public interest.
Protecting the unknown
In recent years, there’s been momentum within the scientific community to recognise fungi as a distinct kingdom within conservation strategies — one that’s on equal footing with animals and plants.
A significant milestone in this movement has been the adoption of the term “funga,” which mirrors “fauna” and “flora”. This designates the fungal diversity within a given environment or habitat.
Another important advancement was the recent pledge for fungal conservation that was presented at the 2024 Conference of Parties (COP16) in Colombia. This pledge urged parties to make fungal conservation a priority given fungi are central to achieving the biodiversity targets set out by the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework.
More local initiatives are also emerging. In Québec, over 70 mycologists and biologists signed an opinion letter encouraging the government to integrate fungi into its legislative framework.
Such progress is not trivial and may help correct misconceptions about fungi that continue to be present among the public, economic sectors and policymakers. For example, the misconception that fungi are plants is something that still persists to this day. Allowing this misconception to continue being perpetuated is harmful to the field of mycology, and may be preventing it from becoming a standalone discipline that deserves dedicated funding and specialists.
Still, there’s much we don’t know about these unique, important organisms. And in order for us to be able to protect and preserve the planet’s fungi, we need to begin by formally identifying areas where knowledge is lacking and close these gaps.
Last year, researchers used Laboulbeniomycetes — a class of poorly understood microfungi — as a case study to understand what biodiversity and conservation shortfalls continue to affect funga. This group of fungi includes species that rely on arthropods to disperse their spores or act as hosts for them. Many of these fungi live as minute parasites on the surface of insects such as cockroaches and ladybirds.
The case study uncovered four major biodiversity shortfalls that are undermining the conservation of funga. These include knowledge gaps in species diversity, distribution, conservation assessments and species persistence.
Part of conservation
Failing to protect fungi means, by extension, failing to protect the roles they play in our ecosystems and daily lives.
This is especially timely, as fungi, like animals and plants, are also facing numerous threats. Habitat degradation, pollution, invasive species and climate change may all increase their risks of extinction.
And, as recently exemplified in vertebrates, many undescribed species of fungi may be even more at peril than we might know. This is because they’re most likely to be found in remote geographical regions — such as tropical rainforests — and thus heavily susceptible to human-induced changes.
A key priority to better integrate fungi into conservation biology is to accumulate data on species diversity. But in order to accumulate data and understand how we can better protect fungal species worldwide, we need to fund research on fungi and make mycology a more attractive field for young scientists.
One thing remains certain: the more we explore, the more we realise just how little we know.
Jonathan Cazabonne is financially supported by a B2X doctoral research fellowship from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT).
Danny Haelewaters receives funding from the Czech Academy of Sciences (Lumina Quaeruntur Fellowship LQ200962501).
Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council
The Commission on the Status of Women entered its second week today with an interactive dialogue on inclusive development, shared prosperity and decent work. Speakers emphasized the urgency of turning gender equality commitments into concrete, actionable policies to ensure women have equal opportunities to improve their employment prospects and livelihoods.
The Commission’s two-week annual session focuses on accelerating the implementation of the Platform for Action adopted at the 1995 conference on women in Beijing, where world leaders pledged to achieve gender equality and uphold women’s rights. Discussions also focus on contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Women Friendly Tax Administration
Diane Elson, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Essex, England, said that systemic barriers to women’s enjoyment of decent work include discrimination in hiring, misogyny, sexual harassment, violence in the workplace and lack of investment to reduce and redistribute unpaid work. “Unfortunately, some of these barriers are actually intensifying in some countries, where there are now attempts to wipe from the record the gains that women and ethnic minorities and other minorities have made,” she said. However, there are many things that can be done. While inclusive development policies tend to garner wide support, there are many forms of inclusion that are impoverishing and exploitative. It is therefore important to focus on “rights at work as well as the right to work, and to understand that economic growth does not necessarily create more jobs,” she stressed. To that end, it is critical to improve women friendly tax administration systems for filing taxes. “We need the elimination of tax breaks that do not increase investment and productivity and serve only to reduce tax payments for well off people and businesses,” she said.
Access to Technology Training Key to Empowering Women
Corina Rodriguez, researcher at the National Council of Research and the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Public Policy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, said that artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization presents many opportunities to reduce gender disparities but also creates challenges and presents risks. Technology might lead to a displacement of the working population to get cheaper labour, particularly in certain sectors where women are overrepresented, and those perhaps where the qualifications are lower. Technology creates new employment opportunity in design, in goods and services, technological services, logistics, customer care — opportunities that women can seize. “But it depends, of course, on whether they’re able to first access training in these careers,” she said. “Women are under much more time pressure, because in addition to work, they have to very often care for other members of the family,” she said. It is essential to ensure that women do not “fall into the work trap” and take on additional hours without additional pay while also having to balance numerous other responsibilities.
Lekha S. Chakraborty, Professor at National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) in New Delhi, India, called on Governments to “move beyond the paradigm” of the gross domestic product (GDP). “The fiscal policy space is shrinking,” she went on to underscore, noting that funds to women’s programmes have been substantially cut in the post-pandemic landscape. However, it still remains true that the “smartest and fastest” way to increase GDP is to have women involved in economic growth through employment and empowerment. “There are challenges with the care economy infrastructure,” she emphasized, spotlighting a sector of the economy where women are overrepresented. In the post-pandemic paradigm “conscious public policy decisions are crucial”, she added. Gender-responsive budgeting should not be confined solely to “what is specifically targeting women”. She discussed the connection between gender bonds and fiscal policy, stating that in countries with high fiscal deficits, internal bond financing could be tied to gender equality outcomes. However, she cautioned against linking bond financing to external funding, as it is subject to external factors, which carry inherent risks. She emphasized that there are innovative approaches to addressing this issue. “Public financial management reforms for climate change are currently under way without being tied to a job guarantee,” she added.
Gender Mainstreaming
Barbara Ky, director of gender at the West African Economic and Monetary Union, discussed how the Union is working to translate gender perspective and gender equality commitments into practical public policies that can be implemented by Governments and thereby enhance women’s employment prospects and livelihoods. The Union has developed guidelines, digital tools and information technology procedures that are carried out by the sectoral ministry in each of the Union’s member country. Public policy is based on goals that will integrate a gender perspective. “This requires mainstreaming the gender perspective and integrating it into every stage of planning, programming, budgeting and implementation,” she said. At the highest level all documents prepared by Government ministries should include a gender-related aspect “so that public policy is truly permeated by an awareness of these issues and gender has to be taken into account from the initiative of the process,” she said. For example, to address the issue of women’s unpaid employment, the hours that women spend bringing water to the household, compared with men, has been assessed. Planning programmes need to be aware of women’s contributions.
Women Spend 4.5 Hours Daily on Unpaid Care Work
Marija Babovic, a professor affiliated with the University of Belgrade, shared her perspective on the sustained negative impact that unpaid work has on women’s employment, income and economic security. These negative impacts are increasing as more women work in unpaid care and in unprotected domestic work. She noted that while in developed countries many women have entered the formal labour market since the 1970s, women and girls still provide more than three fourths of the unpaid care work around the world. For example, women spend 4 hours and 25 minutes each day on these activities while men spend 1 hour and 23 minutes each day on the same type of activities. More than 600 million women are working outside the paid labour force because of their care responsibilities, compared with 41 million men. “Unpaid work lowers women access to the labour market and paid work and is a factor in their higher financial poverty and time poverty,” she said. The paid care economy accounts for 11.5 per cent of the global economy, including jobs in such areas as childcare, disability care, aged care and paid domestic work. However, “across the world, paid care work remains characterized by a lack of rights, benefits or protections, low wages or non-compensation,” she said, adding that some women are subject to physical, mental and even sexual harassment.
The discussion was moderated by Anita Kemi DaSilva-Ibru, founder of the Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), a leading non-profit organization that addresses the prevalence of sexual violence in Nigeria and Africa.
The Commission also held a second interactive dialogue this afternoon on poverty eradication, social protection, and social services.
A federal judge swiftly blocked the deportations and ordered the planes carrying Venezuelans heading to El Salvador to return. But the White House, which has appealed the ruling, said that the court order came too late on a Saturday night, after it had already sent the Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador.
Legal analysts were trying to determine where the planes carrying the Venezuelans were shortly before 7 p.m. on March 15, when the judge issued the order stopping their removal, in an attempt to determine if the Trump administration had violated the judge’s order.
The Alien Enemies Act empowers presidents to apprehend and remove foreign nationals from countries that are at war with the United States. U.S. presidents have issued executive proclamations and invoked thislaw three times: during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. All three instances followed Congress declaring war.
Why bother dusting off a 227-year-old law?
Invoking the Alien Enemies Act could make it far easier for the Trump administration to quickly apprehend, detain and deport immigrants living without legal authorization in the U.S. That’s because the law lets presidents bypass court review of the deportation.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele at his residence at Lake Coatepeque in El Salvador, on Feb. 3, 2025. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool
Repressive origins and populist backlash
The Alien Enemies Act traces back to the late 1700s, when the Federalists, an early political party, controlled Congress. The Federalists wanted strong national government as well as harmonious diplomatic and trade relations with Great Britain.
The opposing Democratic-Republican Party, led by Thomas Jefferson, supported France in its fight against Great Britain.
The Federalists in Congress considered Jefferson’s pro-France position to be against U.S. interests. They also were troubled that the Democratic-Republicans were backed by thousands of French and Irish immigrants who had some political clout in big cities such as Philadelphia and New York.
So in 1798, the Federalists tried to quell domestic opposition by passing the Alien and Sedition Acts, a series of controversial laws that banned political dissent by limiting free speech. The laws also made it harder for immigrants to become citizens.
One of these laws was the Alien Enemies Act, which gave presidents broad authority to control or remove noncitizens ages 14 or older if they had ties to foreign enemies during times of a declared war.
The Alien and Sedition Acts elicited a firestorm of criticism soon after they were passed, including from Jefferson and James Madison, who asserted that states have the right and duty to declare some federal laws unconstitutional. The populist backlash against the Alien and Sedition Acts helped propel Jefferson and Democratic-Republicans to victory in the 1800 presidential election. Nearly all of the Alien and Sedition Acts were then either repealed or allowed to expire.
Only the Alien Enemies Act, a law enacted without an expiration date, survived.
History of the Alien Enemies Act
Madison, the fourth U.S. president, first invoked the Alien Enemies Act during the War of 1812 with Great Britain, which was sparked for several reasons, including trade and territorial control of North America.
Madison invoked the act in 1812 by proclaiming that “all subjects of His Britannic Majesty, residing within the United States, have become alien enemies.”
But rather than imposing mass deportations, Madison’s administration simply required British nationals living in the U.S. to report their age, home address, length of residency and whether they applied for naturalization.
Wilson used the Alien Enemies Act to impose sweeping restrictions on the residency, work, possessions, speech and activities of foreign nationals from places that the U.S. was at war with – Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. U.S.-born women married to any people born in these places were also deemed “enemy aliens.”
Two decades later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt notoriously used the Alien Enemies Act in World War II.
In 1941, Roosevelt authorized special restrictions on German, Italian and Japanese nationals living in the U.S. More than 30,000 of these foreign nationals, including Jewish refugees from Germany, spent the war imprisoned at internment camps because the government considered them potentially dangerous. The U.S. government released these detainees after World War II ended.
The Trump administration wrote in its order that the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua is “conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States.”
The American Civil Liberties Union and another legal nonprofit, Democracy Forward, filed a lawsuit on March 15, the same day the Trump administration announced it was invoking the act.
The Alien Enemies Act’s text and history present formidable legal hurdles for the Trump administration proving that Tren de Aragua is at war with the U.S. While the organization is primarily based in Venezuela, Tren de Aragua members in the U.S. have been arrested in Pennsylvania, Florida, New York, Texas and California for crimes including shooting New York police officers.
The 1798 law is clear that an “invasion or predatory incursion” must be undertaken by a “foreign nation or government” in order for it to be invoked.
Yet Congress has not declared war on any country, including Venezuela, in over 80 years, nor has another government launched an invasion against U.S. territory.
And drug cartels are not actual national governments running Latin American countries, so they don’t meet the criteria in the Alien Enemies Act.
In the past, Trump’s senior advisers have said with no clear evidence that the administration can justly claim that some Latin American governments, such as Mexico and Venezuela, are run by drug cartels that are attacking U.S. security.
Whatever the argument, the tenacious problem that the Trump administration will face is that neither the letter of the law nor historical precedents support peacetime use of the Alien Enemies Act.
None of these textual and historical realities will matter, however, if the courts ultimately decide that a president – simply saying that the country is being invaded by a foreign nation – is sufficient to legally invoke the act and is not subject to judicial review.
This makes it impossible to automatically dismiss blueprints for using an 18th-century law, however dubious, and it appears the Venezuelan deportations case appears headed for the Supreme Court. If Trump succeeds at invoking the Alien Enemies Act, I believe it would add another chapter to the Alien Enemies Act’s sordid history.
Daniel Tichenor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
More people in North Okanagan will soon have better access to healthy, fresh food as funding bolsters support for critical food infrastructure.
The Land to Table Network Society received $1 million through the provincial Critical Food Infrastructure Fund (CFIF) to develop the Food Shed, a North Okanagan-based warehouse, which will support the distribution of nutritious food to those in need across multiple regions.
“We know that due to the global inflation and uncertainties, some people in B.C. and in our region are struggling to put good food on the table and to buy daily essentials like groceries; therefore, our government is continuing to take action,” said Harwinder Sandhu, parliamentary secretary for agriculture. “We are funding critical infrastructure updates that will connect community service agencies with local food suppliers, helping more people access fresh and local food to address this challenge.”
The project will involve upgrading a centrally located cold-storage warehouse in Armstrong to collect, combine, process, store, market and distribute food. The upgrades will help schools, institutions, food banks and non-profit organizations in nearby regions connect to year-round, local, affordable food.
The $14-million CFIF, announced in September 2023, will span three years and is administered by United Way British Columbia (United Way BC). It provides grants for food-infrastructure projects that increase a community’s capacity to offer nutritious and culturally appropriate food to people who need it.
“This unique, centralized distribution will increase sales opportunities for local producers, increasing employment and revenue,” said Liz Blakeway, executive director, Land to Table Network. “At the same time, it will help meet the growing demand that schools, food banks and non-profits experience for affordable food for the people they serve.”
The CFIF addresses some of the key challenges faced by communities, strengthening food security for those who need it the most.
Quotes:
Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction –
“We all want people to have access to nutritious food, so we’re taking more action to help people withstand the impacts of the trade war and global inflation. That’s why on top of hundreds of other projects, we’ve funded new critical infrastructure that helps people access fresh food in the North Okanagan and throughout B.C.”
Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture and Food –
“When it comes to strengthening food security and food supply for British Columbians, collaboration is key. This project brings together important community partners, non-profits and government to strengthen the local food system and help more people access affordable nutritious food.”
Alžběta Sabová, director, food security, community impact and investment, United Way BC –
“Despite its abundant farmland, the North Okanagan faces food security challenges as families struggle with access to fresh, nutritious food and farmers have a hard time reaching secure markets. Transforming a cold-storage warehouse into a food hub for storage, processing and distribution tackles these issues directly. United Way BC is proud to help strengthen the local food system through this project, an inspiring rural food-security model with lasting impact across British Columbia.”
Eric Larocque, school food co-ordinator, Rocky Mountain School District No. 6 –
“Having worked in the food-security sector for several years now, it has become apparent that there are large infrastructure and logistical challenges facing the Interior of British Columbia. A lot of rural and remote communities face issues accessing fresh and B.C.-grown foods, especially in our food banks and school food programs. It is through initiatives like this that real, positive changes can be made in food access and food security for all families in our province.”
Quick Facts:
In 2024, the B.C. government announced that more than $7.2 million of the CFIF has been distributed to more than 100 organizations to support small and medium-sized projects that help people throughout B.C. put food on the table.
Grants from the CFIF are helping community organizations, including Indigenous organizations and First Nations, build, buy and improve warehouse storage space and equipment, buy refrigerated vehicles to transport food, and buy equipment to preserve and process food for extended shelf life.
By increasing the capacity for storing, transporting and redistributing food locally, the grants help increase year-round availability of nourishing and culturally appropriate foods.
Learn More:
To learn more about the CFIF, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023SDPR0057-001516 and https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024SDPR0013-001349
To learn more about Land to Table Network, visit: https://landtotablenetwork.com/
For more information about United Way British Columbia, visit: https://uwbc.ca/program/food-security/
Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States
TORONTO, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PIMCO Canada Corp. (“PIMCO Canada”) today announced the 2025 first quarter cash distributions for the ETF series (“ETF Series”) of the PIMCO Canada mutual funds that distribute quarterly (“Funds”). Unitholders of record of the ETF Series, at the close of business on March 21, 2025, will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable on or about March 31, 2025.
Details of the per-unit cash distribution amounts are as follow:
Fund Name
Ticker
Cash Distribution per Unit
PIMCO Managed Conservative Bond Pool
PCON
$0.15106
PIMCO Managed Core Bond Pool
PCOR
$0.15602
PIMCO Canadian Core Bond Fund
CORE
$0.15218
The Manager, PIMCO Canada, administers and manages the PIMCO Canada ETFs, and retains Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (“PIMCO”) to provide sub-advisory services to the Funds.
About PIMCO
PIMCO is a global leader in active fixed income with deep expertise across public and private markets. We invest our clients’ capital across a range of fixed income and credit opportunities, drawing upon our decades of experience navigating complex debt markets. Our flexible capital base and deep relationships with issuers have helped us become one of the world’s largest providers of traditional and nontraditional solutions for companies that need financing and investors who seek strong risk-adjusted returns.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions “expect”, “intend”, “will” and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Funds. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the Funds’, PIMCO Canada’s and/or PIMCO’s current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to, market factors. Although the Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. The Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors which affect this information, except as required by law.
No offering is being made by this material. Interested investors should obtain a copy of the prospectus, which is available from your Financial Advisor.
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.
All investments contain risk and can lose value. For a summary of the risks of an investment in a specific fund, please see the Funds prospectus.
The Fund’s distribution rates may be affected by numerous factors, including but not limited to changes in realized and projected market returns, fluctuations in market interest rates, Fund performance, and other factors. There can be no assurance that a change in market conditions or other factors will not result in a change in the Fund’s distribution rate or that the rate will be sustainable in the future.
For instance, during periods of low or declining interest rates, the Fund’s distributable income and distribution rate may decline for many reasons. For example, the Fund may have to deploy uninvested assets (whether from purchases of Fund units, proceeds from matured, traded or called debt obligations or other sources) in new, lower yielding instruments. Additionally, payments from certain instruments that may be held by the Fund (such as variable and floating rate securities) may be negatively impacted by declining interest rates, which may also lead to a decline in the Fund’s distributable income and distribution rate.
Funds can offer different series, which are subject to different fees and expenses (which may affect performance), having different minimum investment requirements and are entitled to different services.
The products and services provided by PIMCO Canada may only be available in certain provinces or territories of Canada and only through dealers authorized for that purpose.
PIMCO Canada has retained PIMCO LLC as sub-adviser. PIMCO Canada will remain responsible for any loss that arises out of the failure of its sub-adviser.
Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
Published: 03.14.2025
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) released the following statement on his vote to allow debate to proceed on the continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown:
“Under a normal administration, a government shutdown would be devastating to families in Michigan and across the country who count on federal programs for health care, veterans’ benefits, and small business loans. Shutdowns are also incredibly damaging, the last shutdown cost the U.S. economy $11 billion. Make no mistake, a shutdown under President Trump right now would be catastrophic.
“A government shutdown would give President Trump, Elon Musk, and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought unchecked power to continue their illegal campaign of dismantling agencies that provide services Americans need. In a shutdown, the President and OMB have ultimate control over which parts of the government stay open and which workers stay on the job – and I know their decisions would not be in the best interests of the American people.
“In a shutdown, the Trump Administration would be emboldened to deem countless more federal workers as non-essential, making those civil servants prime targets for future rounds of mass layoffs. This action will make our country less safe and make it much harder for Americans to access programs they count on.
“When the first Trump Administration shut down the government, they repeatedly broke the law. This time, they would take it even further. A shutdown would also give them free rein to keep some agencies closed indefinitely – including the Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and more. “This is a difficult choice, but with the deadline quickly approaching, I believe Congress must do its most basic job to keep the lights on. I voted to move this process forward and give the Senate a chance to take a vote so that agencies remain open and providing services, independent watchdogs can stay on the job, and Democrats can keep fighting in both Congress and in the courts to stop Republican tax cuts for billionaires and President Trump’s harmful agenda.”
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement on the passing of former United States Congresswoman Nita Lowey:
“Today, New York mourns the loss of former Congresswoman Nita Lowey. Nita was not only my colleague for many years, but she was also a close friend who exemplified persistence and compassion. She loved our nation and had a passion for public service that never wavered throughout her 32 years in office.
Throughout her career, Nita broke barriers that changed the course of our state and improved her community. As the first woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee, she held a deeply influential role in ensuring New York got the federal dollars it deserved. Her decisions and leadership helped get critical infrastructure projects completed and money into the pockets of New Yorkers. When I was a new member in Congress, I learned so much from Nita. Her service to our country will never be forgotten. My condolences go out to her husband, children, and grandchildren. May her memory be a blessing.”
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
In New York, the cancellation of funding jeopardizes more than $63 million for food purchases for food banks, schools, child care centers
Senator Gillibrand joined a group of 31 senators demanding a reversal of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cancellation of food purchase programs across the United States, warning of the harmful impacts this move will have on New York families and farmers.
The USDA has canceled funding through the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS). These programs allow state, territorial, and Tribal governments to purchase food from American farmers to be distributed to food banks, schools, and child care centers across the country. In New York, cancellation of LFPA and LFS funding puts more than $63 million for food purchases at risk in Fiscal Year 2025.
“I have grave concerns about the impact that this cancellation will have on New York’s farmers and the families that rely on food banks, school lunch programs, and child care centers for their daily meals,”said Senator Gillibrand.“At a time of uncertainty in farm country, farmers need every opportunity to be able to expand market access for their products, and this move jeopardizes that access. Furthermore, this will decrease the availability of local foods for the programs that rely on them to feed New Yorkers in need. I am vehemently opposed to the USDA’s decision, and I will fight for its reversal.”
In the letter, which is led by Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lawmakers said the reported $1 billion in canceled funding adds further pain at a time of high food prices and instability within U.S. agricultural markets.
The full letter sent to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins can be found here and below:
Dear Secretary Rollins:
We write to express serious concerns regarding the cancellation of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs supporting local and regional food purchases providing assistance to those in need. These successful programs, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), allow states, territories, and Tribes to purchase local foods from nearby farmers and ranchers to be used for emergency food providers, schools, and child care centers.
At a time when food insecurity remains high, providing affordable, fresh food to food banks and families while supporting American farmers is critical. Notably, LFPA and LFS have benefitted producers and consumers by providing funding for purchases through all 50 states, four territories, and 84 tribal governments. Through LFPA and LFS, USDA has prioritized the procurement and distribution of healthy, nutritious, domestic food. It has also taken an important step towards igniting rural prosperity by expanding and strengthening markets among farmers and rural economies. As of December 2024, the programs had supported over 8,000 producers, providing increased marketing opportunities.
Most importantly, we ask that you reverse the cancellation of LFPA and LFS. We also ask that you provide a thorough and complete update on USDA’s implementation of LFPA and LFS, including answers to the following questions:
What is the status of reimbursements for entities that have agreements with USDA through LFPA and LFS? What is the last date for which states, territories, and Tribes received reimbursements for food purchases under LFPA and LFS?
Has the Administration conducted any assessments of how these program cancellations will impact producers and recipient organizations (e.g., food banks, schools, child care centers)? If so, please provide a copy of any such assessments.
We have grave concerns that the cancellation of LFPA and LFS poses extreme harm to producers and communities in every state across the country. At a time of uncertainty in farm country, farmers need every opportunity to be able to expand market access for their products.
Please provide responses to the information requested in our questions no later than Friday, April 4. Thank you for your attention to this urgent and important matter.
Fourteen years of war have left Syria’s people in desperate need – but international support is dwindling, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Monday, calling for urgent investment in the country’s recovery.
In a video message to the conference Standing with Syria: Meeting the Needs for a Successful Transition, organized by the European Union in Brussels, he underlined the gravity of the situation.
“This is a watershed moment,” said the UN chief, stressing that the future of Syria depends on ensuring access to food, shelter, healthcare and sustainable livelihoods.
Over two-thirds of the population requires humanitarian assistance. However, critical aid efforts are in jeopardy due to severe underfunding.
The $1.25 billion UN-coordinated humanitarian response for the country is only 12.5 percent funded, with vital sectors such as shelter, non-food relief, water and sanitation, and agriculture and nutrition suffering from lack of resources.
Reconsider funding cuts
Mr. Guterres underscored the need for support from the international community.
Donors must urgently expand humanitarian support and reconsider funding cuts, he said. They must also invest in Syria’s recovery – including addressing sanctions and other restrictions – alongside helping an orderly and inclusive political transition.
“Let us work together to help the people of Syria as they take these momentous next steps in their journey towards a free, prosperous and peaceful future,” he added.
People cross back into Syria from Lebanon through the Masnaa border point.
Commentary aside
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher reinforced the Secretary-General’s call for action, warning that humanitarian operations face a severe funding gap.
“The people of Syria do not need us to be commentators and problem observers – they need us to move with urgency,” he said.
Despite these challenges, the UN has expanded its reach, delivering aid to millions, including areas previously inaccessible due to conflict.
More humanitarian convoys have entered Syria from Türkiye this year than in all of 2024, and assistance is now reaching former frontline areas in rural Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo. However, ongoing funding cuts threaten these gains, with essential services at risk of collapse.
“After so long waiting for hope, the people of Syria…expect us to meet this moment with decisive action, with generosity and with solidarity. The price of failure will be much greater for all of us than the cost of success,” he warned.
Refugees returning, but to what?
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, highlighted a significant shift – the return of Syrian refugees.
Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, more than one million displaced Syrians have returned home, including 350,000 from neighbouring countries. Surveys suggest that up to 3.5 million more could return in the coming months.
However, Mr. Grandi cautioned that without adequate support, these returns may not be sustainable.
“If we fail to help them stay in Syria, make no mistake: the impact will be disastrous,” he said, warning that refugees unable to rebuild their lives may be forced to leave again.
In Damascus, UNFPA Director Arakaki listens to women affected by conflict in Syria talk about their situations and the support they need.
Healthcare, protection for women at risk
Meanwhile within Syria, the humanitarian crisis remains acute, especially for women and girls.
Having concluded a mission to the country, Shoko Arakaki, Humanitarian Director at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighted the devastating impact of war on Syria’s healthcare system, with four in ten hospitals damaged or destroyed.
Lack of resources have further complicated the situation and recent funding cuts have forced the closure of over 100 UN-supported health facilities in northwest Syria.
She warned that gender-based violence has become “normalised” after years of conflict, but financial constraints may force UNFPA to withdraw support for protection efforts such as safe spaces for women.
“Women and youth in Syria still need our support,” she stressed, urging donors to invest in healthcare, protection, livelihoods and education.
Hope amid the apprehension
“These are deeply uncertain times for Syria,” she said, adding that in the midst of apprehension, she sensed a feeling of hope.
She noted her meetings with “extraordinary women” providing lifesaving reproductive health services, protecting survivors of violence, offering vocational training – even while they themselves are vulnerable.
“[I felt] hope in the Syrian people who are defying the odds to help each other, despite immense hardship,” she added.
The UN on Monday expressed concern over the continued threat posed to shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi attacks from their bases in Yemen as well as recent airstrikes by the United States which have left over 50 reportedly dead.
In a statement released to correspondents in New York, the UN denounced the Houthis’ targeting of merchant and commercial vessels in the key waterway which includes the Suez Canal and reported attacks against military vessels.
The UN is concerned about the continued threats by the Houthis to resume their attacks targeting merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, as well as about their reported attacks against military vessels in the area, calling for “full freedom of navigation.”
US strikes
“We reiterate our concern at the launching of multiple strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen by the United States in recent days,” the statement continued.
“According to the Houthis, the airstrikes over the weekend resulted in 53 deaths and 101 injuries, reported from Sana’a City, Sa’ada and Al Baydah governorates, including reports of civilian casualties, and led to disruptions in the power supply in nearby localities.”
The Houthis who control large swathes of Yemen including the capital, began targeting Israeli-linked shipping in the waterway out of solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinian people, following the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023. Last week they said attacks would resume due to the continuing aid blockade of the enclave.
The UN called for restraint on all sides and an end to “all military activities”
“Any additional escalation could exacerbate regional tensions, fuel cycles of retaliation that may further destabilize Yemen and the region and pose grave risks to the already dire humanitarian situation in the country,” the statement continued.
It emphasised that international law must be respected by all parties, including Security Council resolution 2768 (2025) related to Houthi attacks against merchant and commercial vessels.
Top envoy urges restraint
UN Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, has been in close contact with Yemeni, regional and international stakeholders in recent days.
“He has called for utmost restraint and adherence to international humanitarian law, and he has pushed for a refocus on diplomacy to avoid uncontrollable destabilization in Yemen and in the region. Further contacts are held by his office on numerous levels,” said UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.
Mr. Grundberg called for support from the international community so that UN-led mediation efforts can “deliver results”.
Gaza: Israeli blockade continues to hamper relief efforts
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Monday that nearly all the 2.4 million children in the occupied Palestinian territory have been affected by the ongoing conflict and violence.
UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder expressed deep concern at the situation in Gaza at the end of a four-day assessment mission.
He said that roughly one million children now live without the very basics they need to survive because of the Israeli aid blockade.
This includes more than 180,000 doses of essential childhood routine vaccines, enough to fully vaccinate and protect 60,000 children under two, as well as 20 lifesaving ventilators for neonatal intensive care units.
It has now been more than two weeks since Israeli authorities closed all crossings into Gaza.
Olga Cherevko from UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reminded that when the ceasefire began “we were able to deliver life-saving support to hundreds of thousands of families.”
They also “delivered hope” – but that is now turning into fear and concern: “Time is not on our side. It is imperative that the flow of supply is restored. Aid must be allowed to enter.”
Prices surging
The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that aid crossing closures have led to a surge in prices. This month, the cost of cooking gas soared by up to 200 per cent compared to February and is now only available on the black market.
Aid partners are also reporting a lack of cash. “Shop owners are unable to restock or pay their suppliers. The situation is particularly acute in North Gaza and Khan Younis,” said deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq.
“Despite the suspension of cargo entering Gaza, the UN and its partners continue to provide life-saving services for as many vulnerable people as possible.
More than 3,000 children have been screened by aid partners for malnutrition across Gaza in the past two weeks and only a small number of cases of acute malnutrition have been identified, Mr. Haq added.
But they warn that the situation could worsen if the halt on aid into Gaza continues.
UNICEF says large quantities of critical supplies are stalled just a few dozen kilometres outside the Strip, including 20 ventilators for neonatal intensive care units and more than 180,000 doses of essential childhood routine vaccines.
Interest payments outweigh climate investments in almost all developing countries
Finally, a warning from UN economists at UNCTAD that almost all developing countries pay more in interest on their debts than essential climate resilience investments.
UNCTAD chief Rebeca Grynspan said that today’s global financial architecture comes at a high cost to developing countries who suffer from chronic under-investment.
There is still no universal safety net to shield countries from external shocks, or any multilateral financial system to provide affordable long-term resources at scale, Ms. Grynspan continued.
UNCTAD data shows that 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on servicing their debt than on health or education.
In 2023, the average developing country spent 16 per cent of their export earnings to service their debt, which is more than three times the limit set for Germany’s post-war reconstruction, Ms. Grynspan explained at the start of the UN agency’s International Debt Management Conference seeking solutions for the management of public debt, transparency and good governance.
As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.
ACT Ambulance Service (ACTAS) Chief Officer Howard Wren will be retiring from his role after over 50 years in the ambulance and healthcare fields.
Chief Officer Wren’s last day in office will be Friday, 28 February 2025. ACTAS General Manager, Clinical Governance Unit, Mr Patrick Meere, will be interim ACTAS Chief Officer while a recruitment process is underway.
Throughout his career Chief Officer Wren’s impact on NSW and ACT healthcare has been significant, leaving a legacy for many years to come. Some of the key initiatives that Chief Officer Wren has been part of include:
Guaranteeing a defibrillator is available in every frontline ambulance
Ensuring effective pain relief is accessible to patients
The education and training of many paramedics
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Dr Marisa Paterson, has paid tribute to Chief Officer Wren for his dedicated service to the Canberra community.
“Chief Officer Wren’s career progression is a remarkable representation of what it means to build from the ground up. His journey as a paramedic reflects an unwavering commitment to his peers and the community.
“The Canberra community is indebted to Chief Officer Wren in leading reform that has set our ambulance service up for years to come.”
Quotes attributable to outgoing ACTAS Chief Officer, Howard Wren:
“When I started my career as a paramedic in 1974, all that was required was to be over 18, have an unrestricted driver’s license and a few first aid certificates. Back then, never did I envision that the service would grow so much, with paramedics now being qualified health professionals.
“This is one of many changes I have witnessed across my five decades of service. Paramedics are now also more gender diverse than they have ever been and are equipped with life-saving tools that just weren’t available 50 years ago. I am proud to have been a part of each change no matter how big or small, helping improve healthcare, not just in the ACT, but across the nation.
“I’m retiring knowing the ACT community is in safe hands. ACTAS truly is one of the most forward-thinking and innovative ambulance services in the country, filled with exceptional people. It has been a privilege to have been a part of this organisation and to have served the Canberra community.
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Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Michael Pettersson MLA, said the 2024 Family Matters Report, released by SNAICC on 21 November 2024, highlights progress in addressing the over representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in out of home care.
“Notably, the ACT is one of only two jurisdictions that have reduced the rate of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in out of home care,” Minister Pettersson said.
“The rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in the ACT in out of home care has decreased from 14 children per 1000 in 2022 to 11.7 in 2023. Contributing to this positive result is the comprehensive reform program being undertaken across the Children, Youth and Families system and the ongoing implementation of the recommendations from the Our Booris Our Way Final Report.”
“The Family Matters report underscores the importance of children growing up safe and cared for within their family, community, and culture. It also provides critical data on children’s interactions with child protection systems and projects future trends in over-representation if current conditions persist.”
“Today also marks a significant moment between the Community Services Directorate and the Our Booris Our Way Implementation Oversight Committee. Both parties will recommit to continued collaboration to implement the recommendations from the Final Report.”
”Our Booris Our Way Implementation Oversight Committee, in partnership with the ACT Government, has worked hard over the last 6 years to drive real and enduring change. Changes that benefit our children and families but will also have a positive impact on the experiences of ALL children and families in the ACT,” said Natalie Brown, Chair of Our Booris Our Way Committee.
Several milestones have been achieved through the partnership between the Our Booris Our Way Implementation Oversight Committee and the ACT Government, including:
Embedding the Child Placement Principle into the Children and Young People Act 2008;
Continued funding of the Care and Protection Legal Advocacy Service;
Commencement of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner.
“Together we must ensure that our children and young people in the Canberra community have greater opportunity to reach their full potential by growing up safe and supported”, Natalie Brown, Chair of Our Booris Our Way Committee said.
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Released 07/03/2025
ACT Corrective Services has implemented a comprehensive strategy to prevent, track, and respond to sexual coercion and violence at the Alexander Maconochie Centre. The new plan addresses a recommendation from an independent review, while also reaffirming the ACT Government’s commitment to addressing sexual violence, as well as upholding a safe environment for detainees and staff.
Minister for Corrections, Dr Marisa Paterson, said the strategy aimed to foster a safe, respectful environment for both detainees and staff.
“Sexual coercion or violence has no place in our correctional system. Our main objective of this strategy is to foster a correctional environment where everyone feels safe and respected, whether in our care or in our employment. This strategy is a crucial step in reaching that goal,” Dr Paterson said.
Dr Paterson said the strategy’s focus on prevention, response, and monitoring reflected a proactive approach to tackling sexual coercion and violence in all its forms.
“We are committed to preventing incidents of sexual coercion and violence through education, awareness, and early identification of risks. Staff are trained to respond to disclosures in a trauma-informed, person-centred manner, ensuring that those in the care of corrective services receive the support they need,” she said.
The strategy includes several key initiatives:
Conducting risk assessments during admission to ensure appropriate cell placement.
Informing detainees about our zero-tolerance stance and the disciplinary process.
Ensuring detainees are aware of supports available, including access to police and external reporting agencies.
Offering information and awareness programs on sexual coercion and violence.
Building staff capability to support detainees during disclosures with trauma-informed practices.
Improving record-keeping and data analysis to identify trends and areas for improvement.
Holding perpetrators accountable and prompt disciplinary measures is a core principle of the strategy.
Quotes attributable to Leanne Close, ACT Corrective Services Commissioner:
“ACT Corrective Services takes the issue of sexual coercion and violence very seriously. This strategy has been developed following extensive consultation with experts, staff and detainees, representing a modern, person-centred response to such incidents.
“We know that sexual coercion and violence are among the most underreported crimes in the general community. This is exacerbated in the correctional environment, where organisational and sub-cultural barriers can hinder disclosure.
“This strategy addresses those barriers and reinforces our zero-tolerance approach to sexual coercion and violence. We’re dedicated to continuous improvement and will review the effectiveness of our actions within 12 months of implementation.”
NOGALES — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed Miguel Antonio Verdugo-Garcia, a 49-year-old Mexican fugitive wanted in Mexico for homicide, March 13.
ICE transported Verdugo-Garcia from the Florence Detention Center to the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, where he was transferred to the custody of Mexican authorities.
“The return of this fugitive to Mexico is a prime example of how ICE works closely with our international law enforcement partners to identify, locate and remove criminal aliens who are wanted in their native countries,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Phoenix Field Office Director John Cantu. “This fugitive attempted to flee justice in Mexico and take refuge in Arizona while presenting a significant threat to our residents.”
Verdugo-Garcia illegally entered the United States at an unknown location, on an unknown date, and was removed on three separate occasions in 2019. Verdugo-Garcia has been arrested for filing a false report to law enforcement while in the U.S. illegally.
Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives, transnational gang members or other criminal aliens who are in the U.S. illegally are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.
For more news and information on how ICE carries out its immigration enforcement mission in Arizona, follow us on X at @ERO__Phoenix.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –LOVON WHITE (“WHITE”), age 22, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to possession with the intent to distribute tapentadol and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, WHITE used social media to sell drugs and machinegun conversion devices. These are devices that turn a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic firearm. In June of 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at WHITE’s residence and recovered an Anderson Manufacturing Model AM-15 pistol and a Glock Model 21, .45 caliber pistol, both equipped with machinegun conversion devices; tapentadol and marijuana that WHITE intended to sell; drug trafficking supplies; and hundreds of dollars in drug sale proceeds.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, WHITE will serve 10 years in prison. WHITE also faces a term of supervised release of at least three years up to life. Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
DEL RIO, Texas – A Texas man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 41 months in prison for resisting arrest and endangering a United States Border Patrol agent in 2022.
According to court documents, Draylon Floyd, 25, was driving on Highway 277 near Del Rio on May 26, 2022. A USBP agent noticed several passengers in the back seat, crouched down in an attempt to conceal themselves. The agent conducted a traffic stop and, instead of pulling onto the road’s shoulder, Floyd simply stopped in the righthand lane. The USBP agent conducted an immigration inspection on three backseat passengers, determining that they were Guatemalan nationals without any legal authority or documentation to have entered or remain in the U.S.
The agent instructed Floyd to turn off the engine and informed him that he was under arrest. Floyd opened his door just partially, and when the agent grabbed his wrist to remove him from the vehicle, Floyd pushed away, turned on the car’s ignition and shifted the car into drive. The vehicle moved several feet as the agent struggled with Floyd over control of the steering wheel and gear shift. He succeeded in shifting the vehicle into neutral just as Floyd slammed his foot on the gas pedal. The agent then turned off the vehicle, drew his service weapon, and arrested Floyd. During the arrest of Floyd’s passenger, Ryan Matthew Brashier, who is also a U.S. citizen, the agent discovered a cell phone that displayed their GPS route back home.
The three illegal aliens in the backseat were lawfully arrested and transported to the Border Patrol station for further investigation and processing. A plea agreement states that Floyd and Brashier had picked up the three aliens at a church around 11pm on May 25, honking four times per a pre-arranged signal. Each of the migrants had traveled for more than two weeks from Guatemala after their families paid at least $10,000 each to an alien smuggling organization.
Brashier was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison on July 10, 2024.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
USBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Warsame Galaydh prosecuted the case.
