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  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to End Harmful Freeze on Health Communications and Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff, Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to End Harmful Freeze on Health Communications and Funding

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and a group of 30 other Senators in calling on Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink to end the unprecedented freeze on all external health communications and funding.

    This freeze has disrupted clinical trials, prevented the National Institutes of Health and other agencies from engaging with patient groups and scientific advisory committees, and delayed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) — the nation’s premier publication for disseminating public health updates — for the first time in over 60 years. This political interference in public health agencies is an unprecedented, dangerous threat to public health.

    With the Administration’s own deadline already having passed, it remains unclear when these restrictions will be lifted.

    “We write to express our deep concern over the Administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),” wrote the Senators. “The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes.”

    “This political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable,” continued the Senators. “… The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision.”

    In addition to Senators Padilla, Schiff, Klobuchar, and Sanders, the letter was also signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    After the Trump Administration paused crucial communications from federal health agencies last month, Senator Padilla joined Senator Schatz in introducing a resolution calling for uninterrupted health warning services for the American people.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Acting Secretary Fink:

    We write to express our deep concern over the Administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes.

    On January 22, all 13 HHS operating divisions – including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were told to immediately “pause” all external communications and grant disbursements until at least February 1, with no clear plan for restoration. This directive prohibits agencies from issuing public health advisories, publishing scientific reports, updating websites, announcing regulatory decisions, or conducting outreach to patient groups – unless such activity is explicitly approved by politically appointed leadership.

    With the Administration’s own deadline having passed, it remains unclear when these restrictions will be lifted. While limited exceptions exist for critical health, safety, or national security concerns, the freeze has already severely impeded essential public health and biomedical research functions.

    The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the nation’s premier publication for disseminating public health updates, was abruptly delayed for the first time in over 60 years, limiting reporting on the H5N1 bird flu outbreak and other emerging infectious disease threats. The MMWR often includes clinical recommendations for doctors, such as guidance on how to treat diseases that are currently circulating in the United States – and delaying the MMWR means that doctors may not have all the latest information they need to keep their patients healthy.

    At the NIH, new clinical trials have been delayed and external peer-review grant processes have faced disruptions. NIH study sections – which legally must review grant applications before funding can be disbursed – were initially canceled, creating uncertainty about when federal research funds will be awarded. Despite efforts by the Administration to provide clarity, it remains unclear whether the full peer-review process has resumed and how long grant funding decisions will continue to be delayed. This uncertainty has placed billions in federal research funds in limbo, directly threatening ongoing medical studies and academic research programs.

    The freeze has also blocked NIH from engaging with patient groups on ways to recruit participants into ongoing clinical trials. This means that patients with rare diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions who rely on clinical trials for treatments may be prevented from enrolling, directly jeopardizing their access to life-saving care.

    This political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable. While it is not unusual for a new administration to conduct brief reviews of existing programs, no past transition has implemented a blanket freeze of this magnitude.

    Accordingly, we request an immediate and detailed response to the following questions by Monday, February 10:

    1. Provide a full accounting of all scientific reports, disease surveillance updates, grant decisions, public health advisories, events, calls, research reviews, reports, issue briefs, inspections, surveys, and postings that have been postponed or cancelled since noon on January 20.

    2. Which of the postponed or cancelled items will be rescheduled or published, and by what date?

    3. Has the pause affected communications between HHS and other federal Departments or state agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture. If so, in what capacity?

    4. Can you confirm that all external communications, including those listed above in your answer to the first question, have already resumed or will resume by February 10? If not, please provide a detailed explanation for any continued delay.

    5. Has the communications and funding freeze affected the department’s ability to respond promptly to public health threats and ongoing outbreaks? If so, in what ways?

    6. Given that we are at the height of virus season, how has this pause affected the department’s ability to fulfill its core mission of protecting public health?

    The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision.

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. We look forward to your response and to working with the Department to protect public health and ensure Americans can get the care they need.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Leads Fellow SFRC Democrats in Demanding Answers from Secretary Rubio on How Much Evacuating USAID Workers Overseas Will Cost American Taxpayers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    February 07, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—led her fellow SFRC Democratic colleagues in demanding immediate answers from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on how much it will cost American taxpayers to pull USAID workers off the job overseas and relocate them back to the United States. In their letter, the lawmakers underscored that the Trump Administration’s attacks on USAID are not only likely illegal, but also counterproductive to U.S. interests and actually cost our country more money despite the Administration’s so-called claim that this move will cut costs. By helping reduce global instability that contributes to conflict and mass migration, USAID’s development work is critical in protecting our national security in addition to saving lives. The lawmakers’ letter comes amid news that the Trump Administration plans to cull the USAID global workforce from about 10,000 individuals to just under 300.

    In their letter, the lawmakers wrote: “While any new administration has a right to review programs, you do not have authority to unilaterally dismantle USAID, an independent agency created and funded by federal law, and destroy its infrastructure and workforce in a manner that would be difficult and even more costly to repair, despite how critical they are to our national security.”

    “We are incredulous that any such plan, which would come with great logistical challenges and cost to taxpayers, could be lawfully organized and funded under current requirements,” the lawmakers continued. “Public reporting that an appointee under your direction suggested that the military would step in if the impossible deadlines that were set for this global retreat were not met raises even more questions about how these appointees would be authorized to obligate U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funds and manpower, at the direct cost of our military readiness.”

    The lawmakers are requesting immediate answers to 14 questions about the costs and legality of the decision to force the return of the global USAID workforce and their families to return to the United States, including: “What is the expected cost of the forced recall of USAID staff from overseas locations?” and “What is the estimated cost to DoD in dollars and in manhours required to support this evacuation?”

    Along with Duckworth, the letter is co-signed by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Chris Coons (D-DE).

    A copy of the full letter is available on the Senator’s website and below:

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    We write with escalating concern about the spiral of destabilizing and likely illegal orders drafted by officials under your direct authority and often approved by you, with said orders providing directives to the global workforce of USAID. While any new administration has a right to review programs, you do not have authority to unilaterally dismantle USAID, an independent agency created and funded by federal law, and destroy its infrastructure and workforce in a manner that would be difficult and even more costly to repair, despite how critical they are to our national security.

    The February 4, 2025, communication to USAID staff announcing administrative leave for the global USAID workforce, along with a declaration that the Agency is working on a plan to force and fund the return of the global workforce—including their family members—raises a series of urgent questions to which Congress is owed immediate answers. While your directive suggests that exceptions will be granted for designated programs and personnel with extenuating circumstances, the necessary guidance hasn’t been provided and many personnel have already been cut off from their emails with little way to seek clarity. We are incredulous that any such plan, which would come with great logistical challenges and cost to taxpayers, could be lawfully organized and funded under current requirements. Public reporting that an appointee under your direction suggested that the military would step in if the impossible deadlines that were set for this global retreat were not met raises even more questions about how these appointees would be authorized to obligate U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funds and manpower, at the direct cost of our military readiness.

    We are extremely skeptical about the legal authority under which such an evacuation may be undertaken but also the counterproductive and inefficient nature of the order.

    Therefore, we request answers to the following series of questions. We look forward to your response no later than February 12, 2025.

    1. What is the expected cost of the forced recall of USAID staff from overseas locations? Please detail the estimated cost of transportation for staff, for dependents, for obligated but unused housing and all other anticipated costs separately.
    2. From what accounts is this funding expected to be withdrawn, and under what authority would the Agency use funding in this manner?
    3. What are the terms of leases for office space that will be impacted by this forced recall, how quickly do you anticipate terminating them and how many months of rent for unused office space will U.S. taxpayers pay for?
    4. Please name the “applicable requirements and laws” to be taken into consideration in planning the evacuation, as referenced in the notification to all USAID staff.
    5. What specific congressional funding directives will go unmet as a result of the forced withdrawal of these personnel?
    6. Given the abrupt nature of the forced recall of USAID staff, what plans would the Agency have to provide a resettlement allowance for resettled staff and what amount is intended for that allowance?
    7. From what accounts would such resettlement allowances be withdrawn and under what authority would the Agency use funding in this manner?
    8. Who is responsible for making case-by-case determinations as referenced in the announcement to all USAID staff, by name and office? What accommodations will be available to those with medical and familial needs?
    9. What is the specific process for requesting and evaluating those determinations and what is the timeline for these decisions?
    10. What coordination is happening with DoD regarding potential support for evacuations?
    11. Who at DoD is responsible for this coordination, by name and by office?
    12. Under what authority is DoD potentially providing assistance for this evacuation?
    13. What specific platforms and assets are being requested of DoD to support this evacuation and how would their capabilities and responsibilities be covered while on this task deviating from their normal mission set?
    14. What is the estimated cost to DoD in dollars and in manhours required to support this evacuation?

    An abrupt withdrawal of overseas personnel for this critical agency directly contradicts your statements during your confirmation that the United States needs to show up and be engaged as we work to counter our adversaries around the world, in support of our own national security. The work of development is critical to this national security mission, as it reduces drivers of global instability that contribute to conflict and mass migration, in addition to saving lives. This preventative action comes at a low cost to the taxpayer for the value provided, and a literal retreat from this global mission would amount to burning taxpayer dollars and even military readiness for an emergency of your own making. Images of withdrawal would provide a defining and lasting stain on the United States’ reputation and our failures, and we urge you to shift course.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Administration Withholding Critical Infrastructure Funding, Making Colorado Roads Less Safe, Costing People Time & Money

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis released the following statement on the Trump administration withholding critical funding, including for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, that makes Colorado roads safer and supports infrastructure like charging stations for wildly popular electric vehicles. This misguided move to withhold NEVI funding comes on the heels of a memo from the Department of Transportation that threatened to prioritize transportation and infrastructure funding for states with higher birth and marriage rates which would put politics above fixing potholes.

    “Fresh off their ludicrous attempt to tie highway funding to birthrates, the Trump administration is attacking the freedom to move, including the freedom to drive, and putting their own agendas above what Americans and the market are demanding.  Coloradans want more charging stations to support the many electric vehicles they are choosing to buy and to drive across our state. Electric vehicles save money, are quiet and fun to drive, driver demand for electric vehicles in our state is high, and the market has rewarded Colorado for breaking down barriers, making it easier for hardworking people to own these vehicles,” said Governor Polis.

    NEVI builds on the many successful efforts happening at the state level, and provides important resources to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure to help meet the extensive demand of Coloradans who are choosing to drive electric across our vast road network. Colorado recently opened the first NEVI fast-chargers for Coloradans and visitors from across the country, with many more under contract and on the way.

    “New guidance from the federal highway administration would seem to stop work on many of the contracts that have already been signed, which would mean stopping companies from work they have already started to deliver the charging infrastructure that Coloradans want, in places people want to go. This would be unfortunate since rapidly rising EV sales are putting high demand on the current supply of chargers along our vast roadway network,” said Shoshana Lew, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Transportation.

    Last week, Colorado joined with other states to successfully bring a temporary restraining order (TRO) to unfreeze federal funds and make them available for this important work. Earlier today, the State of Colorado, along with 22 other states and the District of Columbia, filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction to require federal agencies to release funds that were withheld based on instructions from the Office of Management and Budget and related Executive Orders, and also also filed a Request for Emergency Relief to Enforce Temporary Restraining Order.

    Colorado is the national leader in electric vehicle adoption, with EVs making up 31.5% of new car sales last quarter. Coloradans are purchasing electric vehicles at a higher rate than any other state because EVs offer so much upside. The State is committed to ongoing investment in convenient and reliable access to EV charging as more Coloradans are switching to EVs to reduce emissions and save money on fuel and maintenance costs.

    Overall, EVs have 60% to 68% lower lifetime emissions compared to gas-powered vehicles. EVs are also a quiet, great ride, and people know that these electric vehicles protect our clean air. Consumers in Colorado and across the country have made it clear: electric vehicles are here to stay, and demand will continue to grow.

    Colorado has granted more than $33.6 million in congressionally approved NEVI funds to add 364 new fast-charging ports at 61 sites through the DCFC Plazas Grant program. The Polis administration has contracted for two rounds of projects and announced awards for a third in late-December. Many of these projects will start construction this Spring. Two NEVI-funded sites have opened to date, with numerous more sites anticipated to open in 2025.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Adds Montrose County to Disaster Emergency Due to Flooding and Debris Flow

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis amended a 2024 Executive Order concerning the disaster emergency for flooding and debris flow in Ouray County to include Montrose County.

    The same storm system that impacted Ouray County also damaged a bridge in Montrose County carrying CO 141 over the Dolores River. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is working to repair the bridge before spring runoff to prevent a closure that could cause a four hour detour, impacting the residents of Norwood, Nucla, and Naturita. The amendment to the Executive Order will assist CDOT with securing federal funding to repair the bridge.

    Here is the updated Executive Order.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Strong Winter Storms Expected Through Sunday

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on two winter storms expected to impact areas throughout the State today through Sunday. The first storm arrived earlier today and is impacting Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. The second storm will be more widespread and is expected to affect much of the State Saturday through Sunday. Snowfall rates of up to two inches per hour on Friday and one inch per hour on Saturday in the heaviest bands may create hazardous travel conditions. People should monitor local forecasts and take precautions when traveling.

    “Our State resources are ready and mobilized to keep New Yorkers safe as we respond to this next round of winter weather, and we will continue coordinating with our local partners throughout the storm including taking steps to facilitate emergency salt deliveries,” Governor Hochul said. “Monitoring your local forecast is critical — especially when traveling — and I encourage all New Yorkers to exercise caution as weather conditions can be unpredictable, and many warnings and watches are in effect.”

    The Governor also signed an Executive Order today declaring a State of Emergency, allowing the State to coordinate and share resources with local governments affected by upcoming storms. This includes the State Department of Transportation, which will provide assistance to municipalities impacted by the State of Emergency in excess of existing shared service agreements. The order also waives “hours of service” requirements for truck drivers to facilitate emergency salt deliveries ahead of these storms and includes other measures to facilitate emergency salt deliveries to State and local agencies across the State.

    Today’s storm will impact most of the State through Friday evening, including areas from Herkimer to Oswego County with up to four inches of snow and peak accumulations up to ten inches in some areas. Peak snowfall rates of up to two inches per hour can be expected and may impact commutes in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. Winds could gust up to 45 miles per hour in some locations, which will produce blowing and drifting snow.

    The second storm begins Saturday afternoon and is forecast to continue through Sunday afternoon. Widespread snow will fall across the State with the potential for moderate to heavy accumulations of up to seven or more inches of snow from Central New York to the Capital Region. A widespread three to six inches of snow is expected north of the Thruway with snowfall rates potentially exceeding one inch per hour. Wind gusts are expected to remain below 35 miles per hour with isolated gusts of up to 40 mph. For New York City and Long Island, heavy mixed precipitation is possible with total snow and sleet accumulations between three to five inches and ice accumulations around a light glaze possible through Sunday morning.

    There are several lake effect snow warnings and winter storm watches in place for multiple locations through Sunday. For a complete listing of weather alerts, visit the National Weather Service website. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts by subscribing to NY Alert — a free service providing critical emergency information to your cell phone or computer.

    Agency Preparations

    New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
    The Division’s Office of Emergency Management is in contact with their local counterparts and is prepared to facilitate requests for assistance. State stockpiles are staffed and ready to deploy emergency response assets and supplies as needed. The State Watch Center is monitoring the storm track and statewide impacts closely. Winter preparedness tips can be found here.

    New York State Department of Transportation
    The State Department of Transportation is monitoring weather conditions and prepared to respond with 3,701 supervisors and operators available statewide. All field staff are available to fully engage and respond. All available response equipment is ready to deploy and all residencies in impacted locations will remain staffed for 24/7 operations with operators, supervisors, and mechanics throughout the duration of the event and priority cleanup operations.

    Statewide equipment numbers are as follows:

    • 1,642 large plow trucks
    • 353 large loaders
    • 157 medium duty plows
    • 53 tow plows
    • 35 snow blowers
    • 19 graders

    The need for additional resources will be re-evaluated as conditions warrant throughout the event. For real-time travel information, motorists should call 511 or visit 511ny.org, New York State’s official traffic and travel information source.

    Thruway Authority
    The Thruway Authority is monitoring the forecast and ready to respond with 689 operators and supervisors available. Statewide equipment numbers and resources are listed below:

    • 352 large and medium duty plow trucks
    • 9 tow plows
    • 67 loaders
    • 99,000+ tons of salt on hand

    Variable Message Signs and social media — X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook — are utilized to alert motorists of winter weather conditions on the Thruway.

    New this snow and ice season, all of the Thruway’s more than 250 heavy-duty plow trucks are equipped with green hazard lights, complementing the standard amber hazard lights. Green lights are intended to improve visibility and enhance safety during winter operations, particularly in low-light conditions and poor weather. Drivers are reminded that Thruway snowplows travel at about 35 mph — which in many cases is slower than the posted speed limit — to ensure that salt being dispersed stays in the driving lanes and does not scatter off the roadways. The safest place for motorists is well behind the snowplows where the roadway is clear and treated.

    The Thruway Authority encourages motorists to download its mobile app which is available for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic information, live traffic cameras and navigation assistance while on the go. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert e-mails and follow @ThruwayTraffic on X for the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.

    New York State Department of Public Service
    New York’s utilities have about 5,500 workers available statewide to engage in damage assessment, response, repair and restoration efforts across New York State, as necessary. Agency staff will track utilities’ work throughout the event and ensure utilities shift appropriate staffing to regions that experience the greatest impact.

    New York State Police
    State Police have instructed all Troopers to remain vigilant and will deploy extra patrols to affected areas as needed. All four-wheel drive vehicles are in service and all specialty vehicles, including Utility Terrain Vehicles and snowmobiles, are staged and ready for deployment.

    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
    DEC Emergency Management staff, Environmental Conservation Police Officers, Forest Rangers and regional staff remain on alert and continue to monitor the developing situation and weather forecasts. Working with partner agencies, DEC is prepared to coordinate resource deployment of all available assets, including first responders, to targeted areas in preparation for potential impacts due to snow.

    DEC reminds those responsible for the removal and disposal of snow to follow best management practices to help prevent flooding and reduce the potential for pollutants like salt, sand, oils, trash and other debris from affecting water quality. Disposal of snow in local creeks and streams can create ice dams, which may cause flooding. Public and private snow removal operators should be aware of these safety issues during and after winter storms. Additional information is available at Division of Water Technical and Operational Guidance Series: Snow Disposal.

    Unpredictable winter weather and storms in the Adirondacks, Catskills and other backcountry areas, can create unexpectedly hazardous conditions. Visitors should be prepared with proper clothing and equipment for snow, ice and the cold to ensure a safe winter experience. Snow depths range greatly throughout the Adirondacks, with the deepest snow at higher elevations in the High Peaks region and other mountains over 3,000 feet. Most lower elevation trails are frozen, including many trails in the Catskill Mountains.

    While some waterways are currently frozen, DEC advises outdoor enthusiasts to review ice safety guidelines before heading out.

    Hikers are advised to temporarily avoid all high-elevation trails as well as trails that cross rivers and streams. Hikers in the Adirondacks are encouraged to check the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpages for updates on trail conditions, seasonal road closures and general recreation information.

    Backcountry visitors should Hike Smart and follow proper safety guidelines. Plan trips accordingly. In an emergency, call 9-1-1. To request Forest Ranger assistance, call 1-833-NYS-RANGERS.

    Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
    New York State Park Police and park personnel are on alert and closely monitoring weather conditions and impacts. Response equipment is being fueled, tested and prepared for storm response use. Park visitors should visit parks.ny.gov, check the free mobile app, or call their local park office for the latest updates regarding park hours, openings and closings.

    Metropolitan Transportation Authority

    The MTA is closely monitoring weather conditions to ensure safe, reliable service. MTA employees will be poised to spread salt, clear platforms and stairs where ice exists, and keep signals, switches, and third rail operating, remove any downed trees that may fall across tracks, and attend to any weather-related challenges. MTA Bridges and Tunnels advises motorists to use caution when driving on icy roadways and drive at reduced speeds.

    Customers are encouraged to check https://new.mta.info for the latest service updates, and to use caution while navigating the system. Customers should also sign up for real-time service alerts via text or email. These alerts are also available via the MTA app and TrainTime app.

    Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

    The Port Authority monitors weather conditions across all its facilities. In the event of severe weather, the agency issues travel alerts and updates as needed via facility email alerts and on social media. For the latest information about Port Authority facilities, please check social media, sign up for PA Alerts or download one of the PA mobile apps, including RidePATH, which provides real-time updates and alerts for PATH service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Orange County felon sentenced for federal gun violation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BEAUMONT, Texas – A Vidor convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Dennis Lee Kelley, 32, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 7, 2025.

    According to information presented in court, on July 27, 2023, Kelley was arrested near Hwy 105 in Beaumont pursuant to an active warrant for a parole violation.  At the time of his arrest, a pistol was discovered in the vehicle he was driving. As a convicted felon, Kelley was prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.

    This case was 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.

    This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed, Colleagues Demand Answers About Trump’s Efforts to Restrict & Undermine NSF-Funded Scientific Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – With several major sources of federal research funding in limbo after chaotic directives from the Trump Administration, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has been forced to pause grant review panels, re-examine previously awarded research funding, and initiate the process for dismissing a significant portion of the agency’s workforce.

    Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) joined with 24 colleagues in sounding the alarm over the Trump Administration injecting partisanship into scientific studies, obstructing critical research, potentially derailing the careers of promising American researchers, and attempting to undermine the U.S. scientific research ecosystem.  The Senators wrote to NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan “to express concern about funding delays and widespread confusion at universities and research organizations across the country, resulting from the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders.”  The lawmakers are demanding answers about actions that could damage advancements in scientific discovery and undermine NSF’s mission.

    “In light of NSF’s congressionally mandated mission, we are deeply concerned by recent reports that the Trump Administration’s memoranda and Executive Orders forced the NSF to pause all grant review panels, initiate a re-examination process for existing awards, and develop plans to dismiss a significant portion of the agency’s workforce within the next two months,” the 25 Senators wrote.

    The NSF is an independent federal agency with a $9 billion fiscal year 2024 (FY24) budget that is the funding source for about a quarter of federally supported basic research conducted by U.S. colleges and universities in a variety of fields such as mathematics, biology, computer science, engineering, physics, and marine sciences.  NSF also helps cultivate the nation’s STEM workforce of the future by strengthening academic partnerships and research opportunities with colleges and universities across the country.

    Earlier this month, NSF staff were forced to pause their regular work in order to examine whether any existing grants ran afoul of President Trump’s directive to halt programs aimed at addressing issues of diversity and historic systems of discrimination.

    “We believe these actions are having a devastating impact on our universities and their ability to sustain robust research programs, the Senators continued.  “These pauses will also undermine NSF’s competitive, peer-reviewed research selection process, and could result in a corrupt research system based on ideology and party loyalty rather than independent, scientific inquiry and intellectual integrity.”

    In FY24 alone, NSF awarded $57 million in federal funding to Rhode Island-based research projects. 

    NSF-funded research has helped contribute to numerous, diverse areas of scientific development and discovery, including medical imaging, kidney matching, Doppler radar, geographic information systems (GIS), sign language, and 3D printing.

    In addition to Senator Reed, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The Senators demanded written responses to the following questions no later than February 13, 2025: 

    1.         Have agents of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency established a presence at NSF?  If so, what measures and directives have they established?  What access to NSF’s computer systems do they have?  Do they have sufficient clearances and background checks?

    2.         How much research funding has been placed on hold?

    3.         How many grant review panels has NSF canceled? 

    4.         Will all grant review panels be rescheduled?  If so, for when?

    5.         Will delays in grant approvals impact faculty and students who depend on NSF grants for financial support?

    6.         Is it standard practice for NSF to re-examine existing awards once a new administration takes office?

    7.         How many existing awards is NSF re-examining?

    8.         Will NSF terminate any existing awards?

    9.         Is NSF planning to dismiss “between a quarter and a half of its staff in the next two months,” as reported by E&E News? If so, what authorities enable the NSF to take this action?

    10.       How would NSF ensure that any reduction in force complies with the requirements of Division C, section 505 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–42)?

    11.       How will these proposed layoffs comply with the agency’s union agreements?

    Full text of the letter follows:

    Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan

    Director

    National Science Foundation

    2415 Eisenhower Ave

    Alexandria, VA 22314

    Dear Director Panchanathan:

    We write to express concern about funding delays and widespread confusion at universities and research organizations across the country, resulting from the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders. 

    In 1950, Congress established the National Science Foundation (NSF) as an independent federal agency to “promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes.”  Since then, the NSF has served as a critical facilitator and funding source for U.S. research at universities, and has contributed to countless modern advancements – from medical imaging and kidney matching, to Doppler radar and geographic information systems (GIS), to sign language and 3D printing.  NSF’s achievements have relied on its longstanding, merit-based, independent approach to advancing scientific discovery. 

    In light of NSF’s congressionally mandated mission, we are deeply concerned by recent reports that the Trump Administration’s memoranda and Executive Orders forced the NSF to pause all grant review panels, initiate a re-examination process for existing awards, and develop plans to dismiss a significant portion of the agency’s workforce within the next two months.  We believe these actions are having a devastating impact on our universities and their ability to sustain robust research programs.  These pauses will also undermine NSF’s competitive, peer-reviewed research selection process, and could result in a corrupt research system based on ideology and party loyalty rather than independent, scientific inquiry and intellectual integrity.

    Given the severity of this threat, we request that you provide written answers to the following questions by February 13, 2025:

    1. Have agents of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency established a presence at NSF?  If so, what measures and directives have they established?  What access to NSF’s computer systems do they have?  Do they have sufficient clearances and background checks?
    2. How much research funding has been placed on hold?
    3. How many grant review panels has NSF canceled? 
    4. Will all grant review panels be rescheduled?  If so, for when?
    5. Will delays in grant approvals impact faculty and students who depend on NSF grants for financial support?
    6. Is it standard practice for NSF to re-examine existing awards once a new administration takes office?
    7. How many existing awards is NSF re-examining?
    8. Will NSF terminate any existing awards?
    9. Is NSF planning to dismiss “between a quarter and a half of its staff in the next two months,” as reported by E&E News? If so, what authorities enable the NSF to take this action?
    10. How would NSF ensure that any reduction in force complies with the requirements of Division C, section 505 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–42)?
    11. How will these proposed layoffs comply with the agency’s union agreements?

    We appreciate your attention and prompt response to this important matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Feeding Our Future Defendant Sentenced to 43 Months in Prison For Her “Flagrant” Role in $250 Million Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Sharon Denise Ross, 54, of Willernie, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 43 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. Ross was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,434,360. Ross was further ordered to forfeit to the United States all property derived from fraud proceeds, including her house in Willernie.

    Ross was charged in a 12-count indictment on March 7, 2023, with wire fraud and money laundering for her role in devising and carrying out a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program.  On January 10, 2024, Ross pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.

    According to court documents, Ross was the executive director of House of Refuge Twin Cities, a St. Paul-based non-profit which she enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition. Ross claimed that House of Refuge operated distribution sites at a dozen locations throughout the Twin Cities that served food by a vendor called Brava Café, a restaurant in Minneapolis run by Hanna Marakegn. Between September 2021 through February 2022, Ross falsely claimed to be serving thousands of children each day at her House of Refuge sites, which included fraudulently claiming to feed children at multiple area churches.  In total, Ross fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 900,000 meals and she received approximately $2.4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Ross distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to family members and used the rest of the money to fund her lifestyle, including to pay for vacations to Florida and Las Vegas, to purchase a suite at a Minnesota Timberwolves game, and to purchase her house in Willernie.

    In handing down the sentence today, Judge Nancy E. Brasel commented that Ross “used a position of trust in the community” for her own “flagrant personal gain.” Judge Brasel further noted that Ross’s crime was all the more aggravating because she acquired large amounts of fraudulent money in an “extremely short time span” while Ross was on probation for another fraud.

    The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Salvadoran national pleads guilty to illegal possession of a firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Salvadoran national pled guilty today to unlawful possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, on July 13, 2024, law enforcement responded to a report of a man brandishing a handgun at the Harmony Trailer Park. There, officers located Adalberto Rivas Machado, 20, who matched the description of the subject.

    When a uniformed officer exited his marked vehicle, Rivas Machado fled on foot but was detained after a short chase. During a subsequent pat-down, officers located the handgun in Rivas Machado’s sweatpants above his left ankle. The firearm was loaded with 9mm hollow point ammunition.

    Rivas Machado was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law. Rivas Machado had illegally entered the United States and did not have any legal status in the country. An investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed that he entered the United States without authorization as a juvenile in 2018 and an immigration judge ordered in 2019 that he be removed to El Salvador. Additionally, Rivas Machado could not possess a firearm because he was addicted to and an unlawful user of drugs. Rivas Machado admitted that he was addicted to fentanyl at the time he possessed the firearm. FCPD officers recovered fentanyl from him when he was arrested.

    Rivas Machado is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22 and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kai Wah Chan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum is prosecuting the case.

    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.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-221.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Man Sentenced for Distributing Cocaine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Young Woman Died After Using Cocaine Distributed as Part of Trafficking Conspiracy

    A man who conspired with others to distribute large quantities of cocaine that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman was sentenced today to more than 16 years in federal prison.

    Michael Samuel Knight, age 38, from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, received the prison term after a September 10, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine within 1000 feet of several parks and schools in Dubuque, Iowa, between 2017 and April of 2021, that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman on February 14, 2021.  Knight also pled guilty to personally distributing the cocaine on February 14, 2021, that caused the woman’s death.

    At the plea hearing, Knight admitted he was a member of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Dubuque area near numerous parks and schools.  He admitted getting cocaine from the individual who brought it from Chicago, and then worked with others to distribute the cocaine to customers in Dubuque.  On February 14, 2021, Knight distributed cocaine to a young woman in Dubuque who went home, used the cocaine and died.

    Knight was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Knight was sentenced to 201months’ and 19 days imprisonment and was ordered to make $13,911 in restitution to the victim’s family.  He must also serve a 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

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

    The case file number is 23-CR-01013.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miccosukee Tribal Member Who Shot Another Sentenced to 198 Months Behind Bars

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – This week, a South Florida federal judge sentenced a member of Miccosukee tribe to almost 17 years in federal prison for shooting and seriously injuring an unarmed man on the reservation.   

    During a heated argument with the victim (also a Miccosukee tribal member), Sutanga Rex Cypress, 43, pulled out a Sig Sauer firearm and threatened to shoot the victim. Cypress pulled the trigger, hitting the victim in the abdomen. A helicopter team airlifted the victim to a hospital, where he received medical treatment. The victim survived but suffered permanent injury. In September, Cypress pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

    In addition to a term of incarceration and $50,000 fine, United States District Judge Jacqueline Becerra sentenced Cypress to five years of supervised release once he is out of prison. Judge Becerra will hold a hearing on May 6, to determine the amount of restitution Cypress must pay his victim.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin E. Fleck of FBI Miami, and Chief Roland Pandolfi of the Miccosukee Police Department made the announcement.

    FBI Miami’s Safe Trails Task Force and Miccosukee Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Latoya Brown and Vanessa Bonhomme are prosecuting it.  

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20195.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arkansas man sentenced for possessing machinegun conversion device

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BEAUMONT, Texas – A Little Rock, Arkansas, man has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing a machinegun conversion device in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Jajuan Lee Bonds, 22, pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 7, 2025.

    According to information presented in court, on July 21, 2022, an officer with the Corrigan Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Bonds. The officer observed what appeared to be marijuana in a clear plastic baggie in the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, the officer located a firearm outfitted with a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch”. The modified handgun had been previously reported stolen. Federal law defines a machinegun as a weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.

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

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Corrigan Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Reaction to Senate Republicans’ Proposed Budget Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    BURLINGTON, VT — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today released the following statement after Senate Republicans unveiled a proposed budget resolution that could lead to major cuts to critical programs like Medicaid and clean energy initiatives while providing trillions in tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy: 
    “With this plan, Senate Republicans have shown us that their true priority will always be following President Trump’s extremist agenda over doing what’s good for the American people. This blueprint would take a wrecking ball to the progress we’ve made to strengthen and repair our infrastructure, combat climate change, and lower health care costs. This plan also threatens to cut Medicaid and take away the health care that so many Vermonters and folks across America rely on. We will fight this budget plan at every turn to preserve the programs hardworking Vermont families and seniors rely on.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren on Senate GOP Budget Resolution Proposal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    February 07, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to Senate Republicans unveiling their FY 2025 budget resolution proposal, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement:
    “The federal budget reflects our nation’s values, and Senate Republicans are showing us with their proposal that working people don’t matter to them. If Republicans really wanted to cut costs for families, then they wouldn’t slash the funds we use to educate and feed our kids, cut access to health care coverage, allow oil companies to pollute our air and water, and shovel even more money to defense contractors. This is an insult to the working people who hoped that Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress would use their complete control of Washington to lower their costs.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Ernst: Kelly Loeffler is the Champion Small Businesses Need

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) made the case for the Honorable Kelly Loeffler, based on her success as a business leader, to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA).
    In the Washington Examiner, Ernst lays out how Loeffler, who advanced out of committee this week with bipartisan support, will reverse the damage done over the last four years, increase transparency and accountability at the SBA, and prioritize the needs of small businesses.

    Kelly Loeffler is the champion small businesses need
    By: Chair Joni Ernst 
    In Iowa and across the country, Main Street is in trouble.
    Small businesses are the lifeblood of communities, but under former President Joe Biden’s administration, they were crushed by bureaucratic overreach.
    After four years of price hikes and dismay, optimism on Main Street recently surged to its highest level since 2018 because job creators are eager for Republicans and the Trump administration to revitalize the small business economy.
    That starts with fixing the broken Small Business Administration, which has become a bloated bureaucratic mess.
    Change starts at the top, and we need a proven business leader as SBA administrator to gut the red tape and refocus the agency on serving Main Street.
    As an accomplished businesswoman, Kelly Loeffler is the perfect person for the job.
    Throughout her career, she rose through the ranks at multiple companies due to her determination and grit. She also started many businesses and knows what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
    Most importantly, she knows what it means to be overrun by Washington’s bureaucratic overreach — and that the government must instead get out of the way so businesses can thrive.
    I believe substantial reforms must be made to get the SBA back in shape, and that will require strong leadership.
    While the SBA once may have been characterized as a smaller agency, COVID-19-era small business programs made the agency a household name, as it received $1.1 trillion in taxpayer funding to assist small businesses during the pandemic.
    With that funding came big responsibilities, and I remain concerned that the SBA has too often failed to live up to its mission.
    The Biden administration decided to turn a blind eye to COVID-19 fraud and delinquencies, refusing to properly collect outstanding debt and fraudulent funds, which has huge implications for the taxpayer.
    Reports have indicated the SBA charged about $18.6 billion worth of economic injury disaster loans in fiscal 2024.
    The agency has also been unable to provide an accounting of its loans receivable and loan guarantees, which means the Government Accountability Office hasn’t been able to even issue a financial audit of the agency since fiscal 2020.
    The SBA also mismanaged and misinformed Congress last year regarding its disaster loan account, resulting in a shortfall that lasted 66 days — an unacceptable failure for the disaster victims in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Florida.
    On top of this, it also appears the agency’s workforce continues to stay home, while its more than 246,000-square-foot Washington headquarters sits empty.
    The GAO found that even if everyone did show up to work in person, the SBA’s building space would still only be 67% utilized.
    That is why I introduced a bill to relocate 30% of the headquarters workforce to the SBA district offices across the country and cut 30% of office space. Not only will this save taxpayers money, but it will bring SBA employees closer to the people they serve.
    As chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I will work with Loeffler to ensure that the SBA effectively utilizes its personnel and that small businesses across the country can access resources if they need them.
    Small businesses will drive America into the Golden Age, but only if we get Washington out of the way.
    Loeffler will get the job done, and I encourage my Senate colleagues to confirm her, so we can unleash the small business economy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2024 Article IV Consultation with Nicaragua

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    February 7, 2025

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation[1] with Nicaragua.

    Nicaragua’s economic performance remains robust, underpinned by prudent macroeconomic policies and very strong remittance flows. The economy continues to be open and resilient, on a backdrop of transfers of private property to the state, international sanctions, and a reorientation of official financing. Real GDP growth accelerated to around 4½ percent in 2023 and the first half of 2024, from about 3.8 percent in 2022, on the back of robust domestic demand, while inflation declined. Twin fiscal and external account surpluses are leading to a decline in the public debt-to-GDP ratio and the accumulation of strong buffers.

    Real GDP growth is projected to moderate to 4 percent in the near term and to 3.5 percent in the medium-term, amid a slower pace of remittances growth, limited labor contribution to growth due to recent emigration, and cautious private sector investment decisions. International reserves are expected to grow at a slower pace than in the recent period, with narrowing of fiscal and current account surpluses as the authorities’ increase public investment.

    Risks to the outlook are broadly balanced in the short-term and to the downside in the medium term. Upside risks include stronger domestic demand, while downside risks include lower global growth, a deterioration in the terms of trade, natural disasters, stricter and wider international sanctions, and a change in immigration policies in the U.S. In addition, going forward, domestic and international political developments, and deterioration of the rule of law may also impact economic performance by potentially increasing the cost of doing business.

    Executive Board Assessment[2]

    Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They welcomed Nicaragua’s robust growth, declining inflation and public debt, and fiscal sector and current account surpluses, supported by prudent macroeconomic policies and high remittances. While noting the positive outlook, Directors stressed that risks are to the downside, including from natural disasters, international sanctions, and U.S. immigration policies. They underscored the importance of continued efforts to safeguard macroeconomic stability, strengthen buffers, and support higher and more inclusive growth.

    Directors welcomed the authorities’ commitment to preserving fiscal sustainability, while supporting growth. Efforts to strengthen domestic revenue mobilization, enhance spending efficiency, and support higher capital and social spending are important. Noting the limited availability of concessional financing, Directors highlighted the importance of prudent debt management to safeguard debt sustainability. They underscored the need to mitigate fiscal risks by strengthening fiscal transparency, enhancing oversight of state owned enterprises, and reforming the pension system.

    Directors agreed that monetary policy should remain focused on supporting price stability and the exchange rate regime and highlighted the criticality of policy coordination. They recommended that the Central Bank of Nicaragua adjust monetary and exchange rate policies, as needed, enhance communication, and strengthen monetary policy transmission. Directors encouraged steadfast implementation of the 2021 safeguard assessment recommendations.

    Directors welcomed the commitment to maintaining financial stability. Noting the vulnerabilities, they encouraged proactive provisioning of distressed assets, close monitoring of consumer credit growth, enhanced foreign exchange risk monitoring, and aligning the crisis preparedness framework with international best practice. Measures to increase financial inclusion and deepening, including developing local bond and capital markets, would support medium term growth.

    Directors stressed the need for efforts to promote higher medium term growth and enhance climate resilience. Important measures include increasing human capital investment, targeted social spending, and promoting labor force participation, particularly for women. Directors also called for efforts to enhance the business climate and strengthen government institutions and frameworks to support increased private investment.

    Directors noted the steps taken to enhance governance, anti corruption, and AML/CFT frameworks, and emphasized that further efforts are needed to ensure their effective and appropriate application. They stressed the need to significantly improve the rule of law and safeguard judicial independence. Publishing asset declarations of politically exposed persons and supporting property rights are important. Directors welcomed the authorities’ commitment to enhancing the quality and consistency of statistics.

    It is expected that the next Article IV consultation with Nicaragua will be held on the standard 12 month cycle.

    Table 1. Nicaragua: Selected Social and Economic Indicators, 2023-25

    I. Social and Demographic Indicators

    GDP per capita (current US$, 2023)

    2,606

    Income share held by the richest 10 percent (2014)

    37.2

    GNI per capita (Atlas method, current US$, 2023)

    2,270

    Unemployment (percent of labor force, 2023)

    3.4

    GINI Index (2014)

    46.2

    Poverty rate ($3.65/day line, 2017 PPP, percent, World Bank, 2023)

    12.5

    Population (millions, 2023)

    6.8

    Adult literacy rate (percent, 2015)

    82.6

    Life expectancy at birth in years (2022)

    74.6

    Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births, 2022)

    14.0

    II. Economic Indicators

    2023

    2024

    2025

    Projections

    Output

    (Annual percentage change; unless otherwise specified)

    GDP growth

    4.6

    4.0

    4.0

    GDP (nominal, US$ million)

    17,843

    19,204

    20,771

    Prices

    Consumer price inflation (period average)

    8.4

    4.0

    4.0

     

    (Percent of GDP)

    Gross domestic investment

    23.0

    25.0

    26.5

    Private sector

    15.1

    15.8

    15.5

    Public sector

    7.9

    9.2

    11.0

    Gross national savings

    30.8

    31.8

    32.9

    Private sector

    21.5

    22.5

    22.9

    Public sector

    9.3

    9.3

    10.0

    Exchange rate

    Period average (Córdobas per US$)

    36.4

    36.6

    …
     

    Fiscal sector

    (Percent of GDP)

    Consolidated public sector

    balance1/

    2.8

    1.8

    1.1

    Revenue (including grants)

    32.9

    33.2

    33.1

    Expenditure

    30.1

    31.4

    32.0

    of which: Central Government overall balance2/

    2.6

    2.1

    1.3

    Revenue

    21.7

    21.6

    21.6

    Expenditure

    19.1

    19.5

    20.3

    Cash payments for operating activities

    14.6

    14.5

    13.8

    Net cash outflow: investments in NFAs

    4.5

    5.0

    6.5

    Money and financial

    (Annual percentage change)

    Broad money

    11.9

    12.2

    11.2

    Credit to the private sector

    18.1

    18.3

    11.2

    Net domestic assets of the banking system

    -8.0

    5.8

    1.3

    Non-performing loans to total loans (ratio)3/

    1.2

    1.7

    …

    Regulatory capital to risk-weighted assets (ratio)3/

    19.1

    19.2

    …

    External sector

    (Percent of GDP, unless otherwise indicated)

    Current account

    7.7

    6.7

    6.4

    Remittances

    26.1

    27.2

    26.1

    Capital and financial account

    4.1

    2.5

    3.0

    Gross international reserves (US$ million)4/

    5,190

    5,907

    6,729

    In months of imports excl. maquila

    7.0

    7.4

    7.7

    Net international reserves (US$ million)5/

    4,249

    4,979

    5,724

    In months of imports excl. maquila

    5.7

    6.3

    6.7

    Non-financial public sector debt6/

    49.6

    46.9

    44.9

    Domestic public debt

    10.3

    8.0

    6-9

    External public debt

    39.3

    38.9

    38.0

    Private sector external debt

    31.0

    28.6

    26.2

    Sources: National authorities; World Bank; and IMF staff calculations.

    1/ The consolidated public sector comprises the central government, the municipality of Managua, the state-owned enterprises, social security system (INSS) and the central bank.

    2/ Include transfers to cover the INSS deficit for 2023-25, 0.5 percent of GDP per year, and payment for historical debt (0.7 percent of GDP in 2023).

    3/ 2024 data is as of September 2024.

    4/ Excludes resources from the Deposit Guarantee Fund for Financial Institutions (FOGADE).

    5/ Excludes FOGADE and reserve requirements for FX deposits.

    6/ Assumes that HIPC-equivalent terms were applied to the outstanding debt to non-Paris Club bilaterals. Does not include SDR allocation.
             

    [1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

    [2] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Brian Walker

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/06/pr-2532-nicaragua-imf-executive-board-concludes-2024-article-iv-consultation-with-nicaragua

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Murray, King, Heinrich Sound the Alarm Over National Parks Staffing Shortages Due to Trump’s Hiring Freeze

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Energy and Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee Ranking Member Senator Angus King (I-ME), and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) urged newly confirmed U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to immediately take action to resolve looming staffing shortages at the National Park Service.

    The letter follows President Trump’s hiring freeze, his cancellation of thousands of job offers for seasonal National Park Service employees, and his buyout offers made without clear legal authority. These actions pave the way for a damaging loss of staff at national parks across the nation in the coming summer months and beyond.

    “Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether cancelled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable,” wrote the Senators.

    “We are also alarmed that the administration’s offer of deferred resignation and voluntary early retirement, made without clear legal authority, as well as open threats about future terminations will lead to a damaging loss of full-time staff at the National Park Service, which is already operating well below prior staffing levels despite significant increases in visitation,” the Senators continued. “As a result of onerous budget caps during the 2010s, the National Park Service lost 15% of its staff while park visitation also increased by 15%. If a significant number of National Park Service employees take one of the offers – or further terminations are made – park staffing will be in chaos.  Not only does this threaten the full suite of visitor services, but could close entire parks altogether.”

    The Senators concluded, “Americans showing up to national parks this summer and for years to come don’t deserve to have their vacations ruined by a completely preventable – and completely irresponsible – staffing shortage. And local economies don’t deserve to have their livelihoods destroyed for political gain. We urge your cooperation in protecting national parks for the enjoyment of everyone by ensuring National Park Service staffing meets the needs of the 433 national park units in all 50 states.”

    In addition to Merkley, Murray, King, and Heinrich, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff (D-GA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).

    Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here and below.

    +++

    Dear Secretary Burgum: 

    We urge you to immediately reissue seasonal employment offers for the National Park Service, officially rescind damaging and short-sighted deferred resignation and early retirement offers, and to instead work to safeguard, grow, and shape the National Park Service workforce to meet the needs of our national parks and their visitors.

    We are alarmed that the National Park Service revoked employment offers for seasonal staff for the upcoming summer season. Incoming seasonal staff – whose work is critical to managing the influx of visitors during the summer “peak season” – had offers in their hands that were yanked away just days after the inauguration.

    National Park Service rangers carry out a wide array of functions critical to protecting natural resources, keeping visitors safe, providing for recreation, and creating an inspiring and educational experience for visitors. National Park units experience a summer surge in visitation that peaks in July, and the Service hires more than 6,000 seasonal employees to manage that extra work. Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether cancelled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable. 

    We are also alarmed that the administration’s offer of deferred resignation and voluntary early retirement, made without clear legal authority, as well as open threats about future terminations will lead to a damaging loss of full-time staff at the National Park Service, which is already operating well below prior staffing levels despite significant increases in visitation. As a result of onerous budget caps during the 2010s, the National Park Service lost 15% of its staff while park visitation also increased by 15%. If a significant number of National Park Service employees take one of the offers – or further terminations are made – park staffing will be in chaos.  Not only does this threaten the full suite of visitor services, but could close entire parks altogether.

    Gutting staffing at national park units will devastate local “gateway” communities where parks generate significant economic activity – from hotels to restaurants to stores to outfitters. In 2023, an estimated 325 million park visitors spent an estimated $26.4 billion in local gateway regions, supporting an estimated 415,000 jobs and $55.6 billion in total economic output in the national economy.

    Americans showing up to national parks this summer and for years to come don’t deserve to have their vacations ruined by a completely preventable – and completely irresponsible – staffing shortage. And local economies don’t deserve to have their livelihoods destroyed for political gain. We urge your cooperation in protecting national parks for the enjoyment of everyone by ensuring National Park Service staffing meets the needs of the 433 national park units in all 50 states.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Colleagues Demand VA Secretary Collins Defend Veterans’ Private Information from Elon Musk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined a group of 26 Democratic Senators calling on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to take immediate action to secure veterans’ personal information provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This letter follows Musk’s takeover of the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which includes private information of veterans and their families and could jeopardize critical payments veterans rely on.

    In a letter to Collins, Cortez Masto and the Senators demanded the Secretary deny and sever Musk and DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and to delete any veterans’ information in their possession: “Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans…Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.”

    The Senators underscored the vast amounts of veterans’ private, sensitive information entrusted to VA, at-risk of being abused by Musk. The Senators also stressed their concerns of Musk and DOGE’s ability to freely access this information with no transparency or accountability mechanisms: “Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government…We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties.”

    There are millions of veterans’ medical records stored in VA’s computer systems. These confidential records include veterans’ prescriptions, diagnoses, and procedures they have undergone. Access to these medical records could give Musk and DOGE the ability to identify veterans who have received abortions or abortion counseling in the past. The Million Veteran Program, which manages the genomic data of its more than one million veteran participants for authorized research programs, also stores its data in VA data systems. In addition, the U.S. Treasury’s payment system stores private information of veterans, surviving spouses, and their families, including their monthly disability compensation amount, home address, and bank account numbers.

    Calling on VA Secretary Collins to uphold the promises he made to Senators during his confirmation process, the group of Senators concluded: “During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files.”

    The full text of the senators’ can be found here.

    Senator Cortez Masto is a champion for our service members and their families, as well as our veterans. She passed her Brian Neuman Act into law to remove roadblocks for disabled veterans accessing their benefits. She passed the PACT Act to ensure veterans suffering from toxic exposure in the line of duty get the medical care they need and worked across the aisle to get legislation helping veterans exposed to Agent Orange and expanding benefits for women veterans signed into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine Join Democratic Colleagues in Demanding VA Defend Veterans’ Private Information from Elon Musk’s DOGE

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Ranking Member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and 23 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins pushing him to take immediate actions to secure veterans’ personal information provided by the VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). This call follows Musk’s takeover of the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which includes private information of veterans and their families, and reports of DOGE employees accessing VA computer systems at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

    There are millions of veterans’ medical records stored in VA’s computer systems. These confidential records include veterans’ prescriptions, diagnoses, and procedures they have undergone. Access to these medical records could give Musk and DOGE the ability to identify veterans who have received abortions or abortion counseling in the past. The Million Veteran Program, which manages the genomic data of its more than one million veteran participants for authorized research programs, also stores its data in VA data systems. In addition, the U.S. Treasury’s payment system stores private information of veterans, surviving spouses, and their families, including their monthly disability compensation amount, home address, and bank account numbers.

    In their letter, the senators demanded the Secretary deny and sever Musk and DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and to delete any veterans’ information in their possession writing, “Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans…Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.”

    “Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information,” they continued.

    The senators wrote, “Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties.”

    A copy of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Collins,

    Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans. Today, we call on you to immediately secure any personal and related information regarding veterans provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and associates under the auspices of the “Department of Government Efficiency” established under Executive Order 14158. Further, we call on you to deny and sever their access to any VA or other government system that includes information about veterans, and to require them to immediately and permanently delete any information in their possession. Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.

     Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information. Veterans and VA employees entrusted the Department with this information with the understanding that it would be kept private and only used to help deliver the highest quality of services to veterans, their families, and survivors.

     Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties.

     These actions are in direct violation of federal laws meant to protect our national security and the privacy of our citizens’ personal information. This includes information on Social Security payments, Medicare, Medicaid, student loans, veterans’ disability compensation payments, GI Bill payments, federal civil servants’ personnel records, and much more. With every hour, we see DOGE further expand its efforts to create a massive private database of previously guarded data outside the federal government’s cyber and legal protections. It is an abhorrent and illegal overreach of executive powers, which conflicts with various federal statutes, including the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, the Privacy Act, the E-Government Act of 2002, and likely several other cyber and national security laws.

    During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Young, Coons, Cornyn Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Critical Minerals Supply Chains

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    STRATEGIC Minerals Act would increase U.S. supply of critical minerals essential for energy and national security technologies
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Todd Young, Chris Coons, and John Cornyn reintroduced their bipartisan Securing Trade and Resources for Advanced Technology, Economic Growth, and International Commerce (STRATEGIC) Minerals Act to strengthen America’s critical minerals supply chain by expanding trade with international partners.
    This December, China announced that they would immediately block the export of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the U.S. These minerals are essential to the U.S. defense industry, clean energy, and advanced technologies like microchips.
    “Critical minerals are key to our clean energy future and American innovation,” said Hickenlooper. “China currently controls the supply chain for many of these essential resources. Our international allies will help us diversify our critical mineral supply and strengthen our national security.”
    “Our nation depends on critical minerals for everything from consumer goods to defense technologies, and relying on foreign adversaries for these materials is a national security vulnerability we cannot afford,” said Young. “Negotiating more trade agreements specific to critical minerals with trusted partners will help shore up our supply of these resources, protect American interests, and strengthen our national security.”
     “If America is to remain a superpower, we need resilient supply chains for critical minerals— and that means strong relationships with reliable trading partners around the world,” said Coons. “The STRATEGIC Minerals Act will help us achieve that goal, and it’s one more way Congress is doing its part to position the U.S. to produce the technologies that will define the rest of the 21st century.”
    “China dominates the critical minerals supply chain, which leaves America vulnerable to national security risks,” said Cornyn. “By shoring up America’s critical minerals supply chain, this legislation would increase our competitiveness on the world stage, reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries, and foster greater trade with trusted allies.”
    Critical minerals are essential for U.S. technologies including smartphones, electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines. Experts warn that U.S. dependence on China for these critical minerals poses a significant risk to national security. This legislation addresses these challenges by building up domestic processing and establishing a diverse network of trade alliances that protect U.S. critical mineral supply chains.
    Specifically, the Strategic Minerals Act would:
    Authorize the president to negotiate specialized trade agreements for critical minerals
    Set trade negotiation objectives aiming to reduce or eliminate trade barriers with allies
    Prohibit critical minerals negotiations with countries designated as non-market economies unless approved by a joint resolution of Congress
    Require the president to consult with Congress before negotiations, detailing objectives, potential impacts, and ensuring legislative oversight
    Expand U.S. funding access to foreign critical minerals projects by amending the Defense Production Act
    In the 118th Congress, Hickenlooper introduced several bills to bolster U.S. energy independence and support the transition to renewable energy, including:
    Critical Materials Future Act, which seeks to establish a pilot program for the Department of Energy to financially support domestic critical mineral processing projects.
    National Critical Minerals Council Act, which establishes a National Critical Minerals Council to develop and implement a national critical mineral strategy and coordinate our federal investments and research.
    Unearth Innovation Act, which creates a Mining and Mineral Innovation Program within the Department of Energy to drive the responsible production of domestic critical minerals, with a focus on minimizing the environmental impact of mining.
    Global Strategy for Securing Critical Minerals Act, which works to ensure that the U.S., its allies, and global partners can count on a diverse and secure end-to-end supply of critical minerals.
    Enhancing Public-Private Sharing on Manipulative Adversary Practices in Critical Minerals Projects Act, which directs the intelligence community to develop a strategy to improve information sharing with private sector companies regarding foreign adversaries’ attempts to thwart U.S. involvement in critical minerals, energy generation, and storage projects.
    Critical Minerals Security Act which directs the Department of the Interior to evaluate the global supply and ownership of critical minerals and make it easier for the U.S. to establish stable supply chains with international allies.
    Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Colleagues Raise Concerns About Risks in Delays to Accessing Funding for New Mexico Community Health Centers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M) joined U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and 19 of their colleagues in writing a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Dorothy A. Fink, M.D. regarding reports that Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grantees, including community health centers, are experiencing significant delays in accessing funding. The senators also expressed concerns about restrictions on regular communications between HRSA and grantees. These issues come after an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo that suspended all federal grant and loan funding. The memo has since been rescinded following pressure from the senators, other Democrats in Congress, and the public, but many grantees that rely on federal funding are still experiencing confusion and uncertainty, and have received little to no guidance from the Trump Administration about their funding.

    There are 19 Federally Qualified Health Centers with over 200 locations—a majority of which serve rural areas with limited access to medical care—in New Mexico. Disruption to funding could lead to closures of New Mexico’s community health centers, disrupting access to critical services thousands of New Mexicans rely on. This week, Senator Luján met with leaders from the New Mexico Primary Care Association to discuss ongoing challenges and support for the vital medical care they provide.

    “We are writing to express serious concerns regarding reports that Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grantees, such as Community Health Centers (health centers), continue to experience significant delays in accessing funding to support services, as well as restrictions on regular communications with agency staff as a result of the Trump Administration’s January 20, 2025 executive orders to pause external communication from federal agencies, and subsequent memorandum directing all federal departments and agencies to freeze all financial assistance.” wrote the members.

    The members continued, “While nearly 70 percent of health center revenue comes from payments from Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and self-pay patients, health centers rely on their regular federal grant funding to meet payroll obligations and keep their doors open. Beginning in late January, health centers started reporting issues accessing the Payment Management System (PMS) – getting “locked out”, being denied funding they had been awarded, and experiencing long delays in funding being released. As a result, health centers across the country are experiencing panic, unsure how to pay their staff and keep their doors open.”

    “Despite a judge’s order blocking the funding freeze, we are troubled by reports that health centers are unable to access funding duly appropriated by Congress through the PMS. To compound this issue, our offices have heard troubling reports that since the Trump Administration’s executive orders and funding freeze, funding that has already been appropriated and directed by Congress is still being restricted, and standing webinars, briefings, and meetings are being cancelled at the last minute,” they wrote. “Health centers are receiving little communication regarding these cancellations and changes, and the communication they have received from HRSA has been unclear, directing actions that may conflict with current court orders.”

    In addition to Senators Luján, Kaine, and Warner, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The letter is also signed by U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA-02), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), and Sarah McBride (D-DE-At-Large).

    The full text of the letter is available here and below.

    Dear Acting Secretary Fink,

    We are writing to express serious concerns regarding reports that Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grantees, such as Community Health Centers (health centers), continue to experience significant delays in accessing funding to support services, as well as restrictions on regular communications with agency staff as a result of the Trump Administration’s January 20, 2025 executive orders to pause external communication from federal agencies, and subsequent memorandum directing all federal departments and agencies to freeze all financial assistance.

    Community Health Centers provide high-quality primary and preventive care, dental care, behavioral health and substance use disorder services, and low-cost prescription drugs to more than 32 million Americans annually, serving one in five rural Americans and one in three people living in poverty. Nationally, more than 1,400 health centers operate over 15,000 service sites across every state and Territory, employing more than 500,000 individuals and generating nearly $85 billion in economic output.

    Despite the critical role health centers play in addressing health inequities, many centers struggle to keep up with the growing demand for services and rising costs to deliver high-quality care in their communities. While nearly 70 percent of health center revenue comes from payments from Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and self-pay patients, health centers rely on their regular federal grant funding to meet payroll obligations and keep their doors open. Beginning in late January, health centers started reporting issues accessing the Payment Management System (PMS) – getting “locked out”, being denied funding they had been awarded, and experiencing long delays in funding being released. As a result, health centers across the country are experiencing panic, unsure how to pay their staff and keep their doors open. Due to delays in funding, health centers have reported:

    1. “We have put off signing a contract to replace our mammography machine, which has reached end of life, because of this freeze and the uncertainty.”
    2. “I’m also now getting providers asking if they should be looking for a new job. Without any understanding and guidance, I’m pretty limited with how much I can actually assure them to do other than tighten our belts…”
    3. “Any services that are directly funded by federal funds will be placed on hold…”
    4. “We had to use all reserves in 2024. We will not make payroll or any other payments next week without access to this federal funding. Staff will be dismissed without access to federal funds.”
    5. “If everything stays the same…the best guess is that we could be fully operational for six months.”
    6. “We have the ability to sustain current or full operations for 60 days…Outreach and case management staff…would be in the first wave of layoffs. Unfortunately, those positions rely on federal support as they are typically not reimbursable through third-party payors. In a short period of time, this has had a profound impact on our staff. [Staff are] concerned that we will lose valuable staff members as they are concerned about the stability of the organization.”
    7. “We will step back on hiring and likely implement hiring pause unless this is resolved quickly.”
    8. “We have enough in reserve to cover two payroll periods.”
    9. “The pause in grant funding would create a deficit for us…We would likely need to start reducing staff and healthcare services to the…patients we serve…within the next couple of weeks if the freeze persists.”

    As safety net providers operating on razor-thin margins, health centers need certainty to provide care in underserved communities. In Virginia alone, ongoing delays in accessing funding have caused health centers to close their doors and cancel patient appointments. When health centers close, people with chronic conditions miss appointments, pregnant women miss prenatal visits, and behavioral health services are interrupted, worsening outcomes and increasing costs to the entire health care system.

    Despite a judge’s order blocking the funding freeze, we are troubled by reports that health centers are unable to access funding duly appropriated by Congress through the PMS. To compound this issue, our offices have heard troubling reports that since the Trump Administration’s executive orders and funding freeze, funding that has already been appropriated and directed by Congress is still being restricted, and standing webinars, briefings, and meetings are being cancelled at the last minute. Health centers are receiving little communication regarding these cancellations and changes, and the communication they have received from HRSA has been unclear, directing actions that may conflict with current court orders.

    We request that you provide answers to the following questions in writing no later than Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

    1. How many health centers have draw-down requests pending in the PMS?
      1. How has that number changed, daily, since January 27, 2025?
      2. What is the average wait time from submission of a draw-down request to disbursement of funds prior to January 27, 2025 and after January 27, 2025?
    2. How many health center draw-down requests have been denied since January 27, 2025?
      1. What is the rationale for these denials?
    3. What is the exact timeline for ensuring the PMS is fully operational and disbursing all pending health center draw-down requests?
    4. What specific authority and under which executive action did HRSA or the Department of Health and Human Services use to restrict health center access to the PMS and funding that they had been previously awarded?
    5. Please provide a list of regular standing calls or meetings between HRSA staff and HRSA grantees that have been cancelled since January 20, 2025. Please include the following:
      1. A description of the grantees impacted, including the type of grantees and number of grantees.
      2. Whether funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of the grant are being withheld from being awarded to the grantees.
    6. Please provide a list of webinars, briefings, information sessions, and trainings that have been cancelled since January 20, 2025. Please include the following:
      1. A description of the purpose of each webinar, briefing, information session, or training.
      2. Whether or not the webinar, briefing, information session, or training is required by statute and if so, provide the corresponding citation.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ecuador’s tough on crime approach is popular, but major challenges remain

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Robert Muggah, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow na Bosch Academy e Co-fundador, Instituto Igarapé

    Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa moved quickly to impose the rule of law immediately after his surprise election victory in 2023. In the short-term, the results of the country’s youngest ever leader were impressive, including a reported 18% decline in murder in 2024. The president’s administration also reportedly increased drug seizures by over 30% – up from 188 tons in 2023 to 250 tons last year. Despite what some observers describe as a year of chaos, this has made him popular among many Ecuadorians.

    A central thrust of the president’s tough-on-crime strategy involves the imposition of states of emergency and the consolidation of security institutions under his control. Launched in early January 2024, the so-called Bloque de Seguridad strategy integrates the police, armed forces and ministries of interior and national defence. Prisons have also been declared “security zones” and are firmly under the control of the police and military. The president promises to do more of the same if he is re-elected on Feb. 9, 2025.

    The risks of militarized security

    While the militarization of public security has helped reduce sky-high homicide rates, this is only part of the story. Incidents of extortion and kidnapping actually increased last year, suggesting that far from being dismantled, several criminal organizations may be changing their tactics. The head of the national agency responsible for fighting violent crime, DINASED, claims that criminal groups are diversifying into new illicit economies in order to survive.

    One of the limitations of the Ecuadorian government’s response to organized crime is the absence of preventive measures to keep young people from joining criminal groups in the first place. While there is ample support to crack down on criminals, there is appetite for social, educational, and economic initiatives to encourage at-risk to avoid crime altogether. If there is any home of weakening the structures and networks of crime in the longer-term, more comprehensive strategies are needed.

    Another concern is that militarized security responses could give rise to new armed groups, including paramilitaries. While there is still limited evidence of paramilitary activity in Ecuador, the risk is real. Afterall, there is a tradition of so-called “autodefense” and “militia” across the Americas. Meanwhile, researchers have documented over 160 “criminal sanctuaries” (especially in the country’s Guayas and Esmeraldas provinces) where local gangs offer protection in return for “law and order”.

    A related worry among analysts is that harsh crackdown on criminal groups while improving some aspects of public security, may unintentionally contribute to structural transformation of the organized crime landscape. In Ecuador, as in other parts of Latin America, the risks appear to be particularly acute within the prison system itself. Indeed, over the past five years, criminal groups embedded in the penitentiary system have expanded operations nationwide.

    As in countries like Colombia and Mexico, Ecuador’s criminal networks are using violence to coerce and corrupt local politicians. In some cases, crime groups force local authorities to pay them in return for “protection”. Over time this degrades the latter’s authority and legitimacy and entrenches a kind of criminal governance. The so-called “Metastasis scandal” is revealing. Last year, Ecuador’s Attorney General accused 13 people, including politicians and prosecutors, of being involved in the largest case of corruption and drug trafficking in the country’s history.

    Despite repeated police and military interventions to assert control over Ecuador’s penitentiaries, there are still signs of lively criminal economies within the prison walls. Some of these appear to persist on account of involvement of corrupt police and prison guards officials. And even as the Noboa administration cracks down on criminal entities such as Los Choneros, Los Lobos and Los Tiguerones, their fragmentation has resulted in hyper-violent internal power struggles.

    Resorting to states of emergency

    While controversial, the Ecuadorian authorities have issued roughly half a dozen states of emergency since 2022. Some of these are restricted to specific provinces where crime “hotspots” persist. Ecuador’s Constitutional Court recently curbed Noboa’s emergency decrees, citing lack of justification for “internal armed conflict” and unconstitutional restrictions on rights. These rulings likewise stressed the need for lawful security measures rather than resorting to emergency decrees.

    Ecuador was under a state of emergency for more than 250 days in 2024. The latest state of emergency, issued in January this year, grants broad powers to security forces and calls for the deployment of the national police and armed forces into affected areas and prisons. It also permits inspections, searches, and seizures without a warrant, curbs privacy controls and facilitates arbitrary surveillance. Curfews between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. are enforced in over 22 municipalities.

    Not surprisingly, human rights groups have sounded the alarm, linking the government’s hardline approach to violations of civil liberties on the street and in prisons. Social movements in Guayaquil and towns along the coast have carried-out protests, even as criminal violence escalates. Working in highly insecure conditions, rights activists and defenders continue to mobilize, though public support for Noboa’s law and order approach remains high.

    The enduring appeal of ‘mano dura’ in the Americas

    The spread and influence of transnational organized crime is generating complex challenges across Latin America. On the one hand, it is contributing to rising violence in countries with historically low homicide rates including Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru. On the other hand, it is generating rising insecurity in countries that are experiencing stable or declining homicide rates such as Brazil, Colombia, Panama and across Central America and the Caribbean.

    The hyper-aggressive response of certain governments to organized crime is getting considerable attention. The approach adopted by Nayib Bukele in El Salvador since 2022 is widely admired, including by officials in the new Trump administration in the U.S. Similar approaches were also put in place in neighboring Honduras as well as by Noboa in Ecuador. As admiration of Bukele grows, so to the attraction to so-called “mano dura” – or “iron fist” – measures across the region, including the imposition of states of emergency.

    Ecuador’s states of emergency are already generating reverberations across South America. On the one hand, they are being watched closely by political authorities in neighboring countries: if they are seen to be effective, then they will likely be emulated. On the other hand, they are also being monitored by civil society and human rights activists who are deeply concerned that such approaches may be emulated in ways that undermine basic freedoms and liberties.

    There are other practical ways in which Ecuador’s states of emergency are generating regional impacts. The fragmentation of criminal organizations means that some are relocating to areas far from state control, including near frontiers and neighboring countries. This could lead to so-called “contagion”, “displacement” or “balloon” effects, including across international borders. This could lead to a surge in criminal economies, as well as other externalities such as population displacement and migration.

    Ecuador’s next president must adopt a comprehensive approach to tackling organized crime. Disrupting the country’s 22 criminal groups will require cooperation with international partners to take-on the Colombian, Mexican, and Albanian drug trafficking and money laundering networks that back them. It will also involve reversing the infiltration of criminal networks into politics, many of which are corrupting politicians, prosecutors, police and prison guards. Preventive measures targeting impacted communities and poorly managed prisons are likewise essential if Ecuador stands a chance of changing course.

    Os autores não prestam consultoria, trabalham, possuem ações ou recebem financiamento de qualquer empresa ou organização que se beneficiaria deste artigo e não revelaram qualquer vínculo relevante além de seus cargos acadêmicos.

    – ref. Ecuador’s tough on crime approach is popular, but major challenges remain – https://theconversation.com/ecuadors-tough-on-crime-approach-is-popular-but-major-challenges-remain-249441

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, Great South Road, Manurewa

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Northbound lanes of Great South Road at Manurewa are blocked following a serious crash involving a motorcycle.

    Emergency services were called to the scene, near Mahia Road, about 11.20am. The rider of the bike received critical injuries.

    The Serious Crash Unit will be carrying out a scene examination and traffic management is in place.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Department of Justice Releases Report on Officer-Involved Shooting of Marcos Maldonado

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), today released a report on Marcos Maldonado’s death from an officer-involved shooting in Los Angeles, California, on July 27, 2022. The incident involved officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The report is part of the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ongoing efforts to provide transparency and accountability in law enforcement practices. The report provides a detailed analysis of the incident and outlines DOJ’s findings. After a thorough investigation, DOJ concluded that criminal charges were not appropriate in this case. 

    “The loss of life is always heartbreaking,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We recognize the considerable challenges and difficulties faced by all those impacted, including Mr. Maldonado’s family, the law enforcement agencies involved, and the community at large. The California Department of Justice is dedicated to collaborating with all law enforcement entities to maintain a legal system that is fair, transparent, and accountable to every Californian.”

    On July 27, 2022, LAPD Officers answered a call for service regarding reports that there was a man with a gun walking down the street. They found the man, who was later identified as Marcos Maldonado, and saw that he was holding what appeared to be a gun. They ordered Mr. Maldonado to drop the gun, but he did not comply. After a short period of time, Mr. Maldonado pointed the gun at the officers. When he did so, they fired their own guns, killing Mr. Maldonado. The gun pointed by Mr. Maldonado at law enforcement was later determined to be a replica airsoft handgun.

    Under AB 1506, which requires DOJ to investigate all incidents of officer-involved shootings resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state, DOJ conducted a thorough investigation into this incident and concluded that there is insufficient evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officers involved acted without the intent to defend themselves and others from what each of them reasonably believed to be the imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of the officers. As such, no further action will be taken in this case. 

    As part of its investigation, DOJ has identified several policy recommendations that it believes will help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The first recommendation is regarding officer communication. First, it is recommended that LAPD amend their policies and training regarding communication of significant contextual information impacting responding officers’ use of force decision-making as articulated in their other policies to include additional information.

    The second set of recommendations is regarding scene control. It is recommended that LAPD evaluate their policies and training regarding perimeter control. A significant concern in this incident was the presence of bystanders, both on foot and in vehicles, close to Mr. Maldonado and between Mr. Maldonado and the LAPD officers who arrived at the scene. The presence of these bystanders limited officers’ options and created additional dangers.

    The third set of recommendations is regarding the LAPD use of force policy. Government Code section 7286, enacted by Senate Bill 230 sets minimum standards for use of force policies maintained by law enforcement agencies in California. During the review of LAPD’s use of force policies relevant to this incident, it is recommended two provisions be updated. The recommended updates relate to the requirements of Government Code section 7286, separate and apart from the particular facts of the shooting of Mr. Maldonado.

    A copy of the report can be found here.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Leads Bipartisan Group in Introducing Bill to Improve Access to High-Quality Job Training

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. —U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, bipartisan legislation to help more Americans get good-paying jobs by allowing students to use federal Pell Grants—need-based education grants for lower-income individuals—to pay for shorter-term job training programs for the first time. Currently, students can only use Pell Grants for two- and four-year colleges and universities. By expanding Pell Grant eligibility, the JOBS Act would help close the skills gap by allowing people to access job training they might otherwise be unable to afford but need for careers in high-demand fields. Senator Angus King is a cosponsor of the legislation.

    “Job training programs are proven, successful tools that help people gain the skills they need to prepare for rewarding careers,” said Senator Collins.  “By helping students in Maine and across the country access this career pathway, this bipartisan legislation would assist young people with obtaining good-paying jobs and make it easier for businesses to find qualified workers.”

    “When we give Maine people the tools and resources to access critical career education training, we’re setting them up for a lifetime of success,” said Senator King. “The bipartisan Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act will expand Pell Grant eligibility and, in turn, make a real difference for folks across our state by breaking down financial barriers and opening the door to good-paying jobs. Supporting and strengthening our workforce will also help ensure our businesses thrive with the help of highly-trained, hardworking Maine people. It’s a win-win.”

    “All across Maine there are lower-income people desperate to get the practical, relevant skills they need for good-paying jobs – but they can’t afford it. This legislation would remove the financial barriers that hold those people back. Just this year, one of our colleges struggled to fill a five-week welding course that cost about $1,000 – until they used one-time grant funds to make it tuition-free and about 100 people immediately signed up. The demand is there. The jobs are there. We need to fill the gap with affordable training. Pell Grants for short-term workforce training like that welding class would allow those students ongoing access to training that will fill critical jobs across Maine’s industries,” said David Daigler, President of the Maine Community College System.

    Thanks to historic investments like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the U.S. economy added 14.8 million jobs between January 2021 and January 2025. Senator Collins was part of the core group of 10 Senators who negotiated the text of the IIJA. Still, there remains a skilled labor shortage that is expected to intensify in the coming years, in part because unemployed Americans lack access to the job training needed to fill vacant jobs.

    The JOBS Act would allow Pell Grants to be used for high-quality job training programs that are at least eight weeks in length and lead to industry-recognized credentials or certificates. Under current law, Pell Grants can only be applied toward programs that are over 600 clock hours or at least 15 weeks in length, rendering students in shorter-term high-quality job training programs ineligible for this crucial assistance.

    Specifically, the JOBS Act would amend the Higher Education Act by:

    • Expanding Pell Grant eligibility to students enrolled in rigorous, high-quality, short-term skills and job training programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials and certificates, ultimately preparing them for employment in high-wage, high-skill industries;
    • Ensuring students who receive Pell Grants earn high-quality postsecondary credentials by requiring that they meet Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) standards, are recognized by employers or industry partnerships, align with the skill needs of the state or local economy, and receive approval from both the state workforce board and the U.S. Department of Education; and
    • Defining eligible job training programs as those that provide career and technical education at institutions such as community or technical colleges, meet minimum instructional time requirements, align with local or regional workforce needs, offer transferable credits for continued education, and equip students with licenses, certifications, or credentials that meet hiring requirements across multiple employers in the field.

    The legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dan Sullivan (D-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The JOBS Act is supported by Advance CTE, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association for Career and Technical Education, the Association of Community College Trustees, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Business Roundtable, the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance, Higher Learning Advocates, HP Inc., the Information Technology Industry Council, Jobs for the Future, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, the National Skills Coalition, the Progressive Policy Institute, and Rebuilding America’s Middle Class.

    Full text of the bill is available here, and a summary of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Responsible Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence Critical, Speakers Say, as Economic and Social Council Concludes Its Coordination Segment

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Amid the fourth industrial revolution, responsible global governance of artificial intelligence (AI) is paramount, the Economic and Social Council heard today as speakers at its 2025 coordination segment explored the transformative potential of data, science, technology and innovation to advance sustainable development.

    The first of the four panel discussions held today — moderated by Mahlet Zeleke Redi, Focal Point of Global Youth Caucus on Decent Work and Sustainable Economies Major Group for Children and Youth — focused on “Creating employment and decent work opportunities for all”.

    It began with a fireside chat featuring José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for the United Nations.

    Mr. Salazar-Xirinachs, spotlighting the challenge of job creation, said that in the era of technological and AI revolutions, one of the key drivers of investment flows to countries is not just cheap but skilled labour.  Therefore, he stressed, the quality of education and vocational training systems and the digital skills of the labour force are essential for people to get good jobs and for countries to thrive.

    Ms. Samuel-Olonjuwon underscored that prioritizing decent work for young people pays back “sustained and multifaceted dividends” for their families and nations.  Technological transformation is rapidly driving change in the world of work and beyond, she observed, adding that “skills have become a priority”.  Noting the importance of education, training and entrepreneurship for young businesses, she said that policy actions should be guided by the actual needs of young people and “put them in the driver seat”.

    The panel began with Gerd Müller, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), who underscored — via video message — that “creating decent jobs is the core of our mission” to fight poverty and hunger worldwide.  While spotlighting AI’s massive opportunities — including to improve productivity and competitiveness — he underlined the need to “close the existing digital divides”.  More specifically, it is crucial to address the potential downsides of digitalization and automation, including the risk of job losses and shifting production away from developing countries, he stressed, pointing to UNIDO’s projects which equip young people and women in developing countries with technical skills for decent jobs.

    Abdulaziz M. Alwasil (Saudi Arabia), Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women on its sixty-ninth session, stressed that an inclusive society cannot be built without gender equality.  The empowerment of women and girls is paramount, he said, adding that in many countries, women and girls are deprived of equal access to economic opportunities and leadership roles.  “This undermines the resilience of societies,” he stated, underscoring the need to push for policy outcomes that are “not just ambitious in rhetoric but transformative in practice”.

    “We gather here at a moment of profound reckoning” — from the devastating impacts of conflict and rise of authoritarianism to the assaults on fundamental human rights, said Veronica Brown, Women’s Major Group Coordinator for the Women’s Environment and Development Organization.  Warning against forces that aim to roll back hard-won gains in gender equality, she observed:  “Gender equality is too often treated as an add-on rather than a prerequisite for sustainable development.”

    Echoing her concerns, Jemimah Njuki, Chief of the Economic Empowerment section at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), said the empowerment of women and girls is not just a moral imperative but a necessity for achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring a resilient economy.  Nevertheless, women face a 20 per cent gender pay gap and, in many countries, informal employment — where mostly women are to be found — is as high as 90 per cent.  Accordingly, she called for sustainable financing, ensuring that “gender equality remains at the heart of financial systems”.

    Georges-Simon Ulrich, Director General of the Federal Statistical Office of Switzerland and Chair of the Statistical Commission on its fifty-fifth session, speaking via videoconference, called for comprehensive data and statistical systems which permit evidence-based decision-making and detailed the Commission’s work towards supporting inclusive growth strategies and building resilient economies.

    The second panel, moderated by Quintin Chou-Lambert, Senior Adviser to the Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, focused on “Harnessing data, science, technology and innovation to advance digital progress”.

    The fireside chat included Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University, and Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

    Ms. Fraser-Moleketi said public administration is responsible for ensuring that AI is used to improve lives.  Governance frameworks must leverage scientific expertise to do this, she said, calling for targeted interventions to address the digital divide and technological exclusion.

    Mr. Lamanauskas said:  “Done right, [AI] can mitigate 5-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030”, and highlighted the “AI for Good summit” which showcases responsible innovation and spotlights AI solutions for each SDG.  He also drew attention to the UN System White Paper on AI Governance, which identifies pre-existing instruments that could also cover AI, from broad ethics to sector-specific technical guidelines. 

    The panel began with Muhammadou M.O. Kah (Gambia), Chair of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development on its twenty-eighth session, who stressed that “when we establish transparent and consistent data governance frameworks, we create an environment of legal certainty that empowers innovators, businesses and consumers alike”.  It is also crucial to establish clear avenues for redress, he said, underscoring the importance of interoperability — “by aligning our legal and technical standards, we could create pathways for seamless data flows that enhance cooperation and facilitate the global exchange of ideas and best practices”.

    Next, Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), highlighted its efforts to facilitate trade by streamlining trade-related processes and digitalizing the exchange of information.  ECE hosts the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business, which develops interoperable data exchange standards and policy recommendations, enabling seamless data exchange across systems, borders and value chains.  “Today, many products have AI embedded.  Ensuring their conformity and safety presents new challenges,” she said, adding that ECE has released guidance for regulatory compliance of products and services using embedded AI or other digital technologies.

    Julia Glidden, Group President of Ipsos Public Affairs, said that “it is easy to talk about sexy data-driven topics like GenAI, Edge Computing [and] geospatial intelligence”, but it is also essential to combine established technologies with sophisticated data analytics.  As an example, she said, her organization worked with Mondelez, a multinational food producer, to use data to understand cocoa farmers’ working conditions and economic growth.  Collecting reliable data meant reaching communities in remote areas, often traveling by foot, donkey and canoe to capture and transmit data from areas that often lack electricity, let alone Wi-Fi.  They did so “by using tablet devices enabled by Ipsos’s iField” technology, she added.

    Fernand Bale, Director of the Geographic and Digital Information Center of Côte d’Ivoire, said that because geospatial information integrates diverse data and scientific approaches, it “enables policymakers to process large amounts of data, thereby strengthening the interface between policy and science”.  Communities and Governments can use geospatial information and maps to visualize locations where critical infrastructure is needed, or areas affected by disasters, pollution or biodiversity loss.  By enhancing policies and capacities related to geospatial information, “we democratize access to data and knowledge”, he said.

    Moderated by Lok Bahadur Thapa (Nepal), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council and co-facilitator of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, the sixth panel focused on “Financing and investment solutions for sustainable development in countries in special situations”.

    The speakers for the fireside chat were Jose Antonio Ocampo, Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, and Robert Powell, Special Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    Mr. Ocampo noted that levelling the playing field is not enough for countries in special situations.  Debt and tax cooperation are “pressing problems”, he said, calling for interaction between regional and global institutions and urging the fulfilment of historical commitments for developing countries.  He observed that interaction with Governments and monitoring of graduating countries will uncover systemic inequalities on the ground. 

    Mr. Powell, stating that coordination and trust are critical for efficiency across the UN system, said that Member States in New York are responsible for ensuring that “messaging remains consistent”.  Noting that major financial reforms are already taking place, he spotlighted the Fund’s “historic” special drawing rights (SDRs) allocation of $650 billion and the creation of the Resilience and Sustainability Trust.

    The panel began with Rabab Fatima, High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, stressing that the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development must deliver a renewed global financing framework.

    For her part, Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), pointing to the term “countries in special situations”, observed that States’ perseverance and transformation potential make them “truly special”.  However, there is nothing “special” about small island developing States defaulting on their development to not default on their debt, she said, calling for maximizing the impact of development on technological progress.

    Mathew Gbonjubola, Co-Chair of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, said that developing countries widely adopt the UN Model Double Taxation Convention.  The Committee also supports capacity-development activities and reviews standards — designed from the point of view of developed economies — through the prism of developing countries.  He added that giving the developing countries the ability to sit at the table in designing the world tax system is key.

    “Although Africa has integrated into the global financial system, its economies remain constrained by limited access to stable financing,” observed Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).  The continent’s debt exceeds $1 trillion, and its countries annually spend millions in debt servicing — “resources that could have been invested in other development priorities”, he noted.  Through the African High-Level Working Group, the Commission works to scale up bank financing and ensure better returns.

    “Over the past two days, we have witnessed the [Economic and Social Council] ecosystem in action, providing ideas and solutions on how to turbocharge implementation as we approach the 2030 deadline of the SDGs,” said Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in his closing remarks.  Noting that this year’s coordination segment was the first since the adoption of the Pact for the Future, he said it has delivered “a clear call to strengthen coordination within the UN system, reduce duplication and address misalignment of partnerships”.

    Anatolio Ndong Mba (Equatorial Guinea), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council and Chair of the Coordination Segment, said that this year’s meeting has demonstrated that political will can elevate international cooperation to new heights and deliver concrete solutions. “The coordination segment is not just about reflection; it is about action and charting the way forward”, he stated, urging those present to carry forward the momentum and translate discussions into action.  He added:  “We have a responsibility to the people we represent.  The time for bold and coordinated leadership cannot be postponed anymore.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Cowsert Column: Week Three Under the Gold Dome

    Source: US State of Georgia

    The third week of the 2025 Legislative Session has concluded, and we remain focused on advancing commonsense legislation that prioritizes Georgia’s families, businesses and communities.

    The General Assembly has been hard at work, carefully reviewing agency budget requests to ensure taxpayer dollars are allocated responsibly. As I mentioned last week, passing a balanced budget is our constitutional duty—and the foundation of a responsible government that serves its people.

    This week, our focus shifted to committee meetings. As legislative committees ramp up their work, we are addressing issues that matter most to our communities, from safeguarding our schools to strengthening local infrastructure. I was pleased to participate in meetings of the Senate Rules, Finance, Health and Human Services and Insurance and Labor Committees. I have also been reviewing bills assigned to the Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee, which I chair, to determine which bills should receive committee hearings.

    Tort reform is a key issue that will take center stage in this legislative session. Governor Brian Kemp has made it his top priority for 2025—for good reason. Georgia businesses and their employees are being unfairly burdened by civil lawsuits that result in excessive payouts and create a legal environment that is anything but fair and welcoming to businesses that provide jobs to our citizens. The Governor’s proposals aim to pass meaningful reforms to our civil justice system to make the rules fair for both parties. I’m proud to stand with Gov. Kemp as we work to level the playing field and protect businesses from skyrocketing insurance rates resulting from continued outlandish court rulings and crippling financial judgments.

    But what exactly is tort reform? A tort is a civil wrong for which an aggrieved or injured party can seek monetary compensation through litigation. The most common type of tort is based upon the negligence or carelessness of a person or company that causes harm. The “reforms” are changes in the civil justice system aimed at reducing frivolous lawsuits and limiting excessive damages in personal injury and other civil cases. This complex issue has plagued our state for far too long, and as a result, Georgia has been labeled a “judicial hellhole” by the American Tort Reform Association.

    Consider a few examples of how our current legal system is tilted against hardworking Georgians. Under existing rules of evidence, Georgia jurors are prohibited from knowing whether an injured party in an automobile accident was wearing a seatbelt—a crucial piece of information when evaluating the full context of a case. This is especially important when a person is thrown from a vehicle and killed or severely injured, or when a person slams into the windshield and sustains disfiguring facial scars or a closed head injury. There is a criminal law that requires you to wear your seatbelt for your personal safety. It is negligent for a person to disregard this law and place themselves in danger of injury. However, this information is hidden from the jury and cannot be mentioned by the defense in court. This evidentiary rule will be changed to allow juries to hear evidence of seatbelt use at trial.

    Similarly, under rules of evidence, jurors are often led to believe that plaintiffs are paying medical bills entirely out of pocket when, in reality, insurance may have already covered significant portions of their medical expenses. All Americans are now required to have medical insurance under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The cost of premiums is subsidized if they cannot afford them, and this coverage applies to pre-existing injuries. Medical providers negotiate with insurers to accept discounted payments from insurers as full compensation for their services. However, juries are only informed of the inflated original amounts of the bills. This allows plaintiffs and their attorneys to receive windfalls by recovering damages for expenses never incurred. This rule will be changed to allow juries to hear the truth about medical expenses actually incurred by plaintiffs and reflect the true amount of their damages awarded in verdicts.

    Another important provision of the civil justice reform bill is relief for businesses from lawsuits brought to recover for injuries while on the premises of a business open to the public. Existing laws allow persons injured by criminal actions committed on business premises to hold the business responsible if the business failed to make their premises safe for customers. This duty to keep the premises safe for customers arises when the property owner is aware of criminal activity in the area and fails to take reasonable steps to protect the safety of its customers. The result is that businesses end up having to spend significant amounts on private security to protect customers from criminal harm since if someone is injured or killed they sue both the property owner and the criminal actor. The jury is allowed to apportion the verdict between the defendants in accordance with their respective percentage of fault. However, juries know that the business has the deep pockets to pay a verdict whereas the criminal probably doesn’t. As crazy as it seems, skillful trial attorneys have been able to persuade juries that the business is 95% at fault while the criminal is held to be only 5% at fault. This bill will guarantee that business owners are not responsible for criminal acts occurring off of the premises. In addition, under no circumstances shall a business be held more than 50% responsible for the defendant’s injuries caused by a criminal on its property. These, and other changes, will help make sure that businesses do not close in high crime (often primarily minority) neighborhoods. This is one reason that Democratic legislators will join with Republicans in protecting all Georgians from business closings caused by the current legal environment.

    I was honored to stand alongside Gov. Kemp this week as these issues were addressed at one of the largest press conferences ever held under the Gold Dome. There were citizens from many professions (truck drivers, factory workers, medical professionals and business owners) that came to the Capitol to express their support for this civil justice reform legislation. This issue is critically important to countless hardworking Georgians. I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to advance meaningful civil justice reform throughout this legislative session in an effort to restore balance and fairness for the civil justice system.

    As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about our work at the Capitol, please do not hesitate to reach out. It is an honor to serve you, and I appreciate your trust as we continue working together throughout the 2025 legislative session.

    # # # #

    Sen. Bill Cowsert serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities. He represents the 46th Senate District which includes portions of Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Oconee and Walton Counties. He may be reached at (404) 463-1366 or via email at bill.cowsert@senate.ga.gov

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Orlando Convicted Felon Sentenced To Federal Prison For Illegal Possession Of A Firearm And Ammunition

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Elijah Noah Petit-Frere (24, Orlando) to 46 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Petit-Frere pled guilty on November 12, 2024.

    According to court documents, an officer with the Ocala Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Petit-Frere. When Petit-Frere was placed under arrest for a driving offense, officers discovered Petit-Frere had a loaded firearm holstered on his waistband. Petit-Frere had previously been convicted of state felony offenses, including carrying a concealed firearm, fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer, and possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. 

    This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

    This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran National Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing A Firearm While Intoxicated During A Domestic Incident

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Walner Josue Alvarado-Sabonje (27, Honduras) today pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Alvarado faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to court records, Alvarado illegally entered the United States near Hidalgo, Texas in April 2019, and is subject to a final order of removal. On June 16, 2024, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to multiple callers who reported hearing gunshots from the back of Alvarado’s home. The deputies received permission to search the backyard and found nine 9mm shell casings in the backyard.

    In the afternoon of September 22, 2024, sheriff’s deputies responded to a call from Alvarado’s wife, who told the dispatcher that Alvarado was intoxicated on the front porch of their home and acting recklessly with a gun. Deputies arrived approximately five minutes later, but Alvarado had left the home. A red Chevrolet Suburban sport utility vehicle registered to Alvarado was no longer parked at the house, so deputies determined that he had driven it elsewhere.

    Minutes later, a deputy located Alvarado alone in the driver’s seat of his SUV parked at a 7-Eleven approximately one mile away from Alvarado’s home.  Alvarado had two open beer cans in the center console and smelled like alcohol.  After arresting Alvarado for driving under the influence of alcohol, the deputies found a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol in the center console. The pistol and ammunition are traceable to the offense and subject to forfeiture. 

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Facebook Marketplace Armed Robberies Case Ends in Guilty Plea

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Elijah Porter, 20, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges from two armed robberies, committed in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Porter pleaded guilty to armed robbery for an incident on December 2, 2023; he pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to commit robbery for an incident on November 8, 2023. Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 30, 2025. 

                According to the government’s evidence, on December 2, 2023, Porter, using a false Facebook account, responded to a Facebook Marketplace advertisement for the sale of an Apple MacBook. The defendant arranged for the victim to meet him in the 1300 block of Orren Street NE. When the victim arrived, Porter asked to inspect the MacBook, so the victim handed the MacBook to the defendant. The defendant then pulled out what appeared to be a black handgun and stole the MacBook from the victim. A search, conducted two days later at Porter’s residence, resulted in the recovery of the victim’s MacBook.

                On November 8, 2023, Porter created an advertisement for the sale of Apple iPhones using a false Facebook account and the victim responded to the advertisement, eventually agreeing to meet with the defendant to discuss the purchase of the iPhones posted for sale. Porter arranged for the victim to meet him in the 1300 block of Orren Street NE. When the victim arrived, Porter and an accomplice got into the victim’s vehicle and struck the victim in the face with what appeared to be a handgun. Porter and the accomplice then stole personal property belonging to the victim.

                Porter was apprehended on December 4, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.

                This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf.

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