NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: Plan for around-the-clock alternating traffic on SR 109 north of Moclips beginning July 28

    Source: Washington State News 2

    Work intended to help prevent debris slides along the highway

    TAHOLAH – Travelers will soon see reduced speeds and one-way traffic on State Route 109 near Moclips, as a project designed to help prevent long-term highway closures gets underway.

    Beginning Monday, July 28, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will activate temporary traffic lights on SR 109. The traffic lights will alternate travelers one direction at a time around the clock near Moclips Highway. This allows crews to remove vegetation overgrowth, rocks and other debris from the hillside.

    The speed limit through the area will be reduced from 50 to 25 mph for about a half-mile stretch between mileposts 33 and 34. Both the lower speed limit and one-way traffic are expected to remain in place through mid-October.

    After clearing the hillside, crews will reinforce it with trenches filled with crushed rocks. These rocks will add support and stability. Crews will also install horizontal drainage pipes within the hill above the highway, then plant trees and shrubs around the work zone.

    Why this is needed

    This section of SR 109 has a history of large debris slides. They are typically triggered by powerful Pacific Northwest rainstorms. From December 2018 through January 2020, heavy rains caused a series of slides that closed the highway multiple times. These improvements are intended to reduce the likelihood of future slides by improving drainage and preventing soil saturation.

    WSDOT travel tools

    There is a lot of road work happening around the Olympic Peninsula. WSDOT has the tools to keep you informed. Check the WSDOT app and real-time travel map before heading out the door. Sign up for email updates for the latest on highway projects in Grays Harbor County.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Face of Widespread Blowback, Trump Admin Finally Releases Education Funds It’s Blocked for Weeks—Forcing Layoffs, Program Closures, & Needless Chaos

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Senator Murray responds after raising alarms bells for weeks
    ICYMI: Senator Murray Demands All Remaining Education Funds Blocked By Trump Get Released Immediately
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after the Trump administration finally relented and gave notice it will release the remaining $5.5 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools and adult education programs that it has been blocking for weeks:

    “Instead of spending the last many weeks figuring out how to improve after-school options and get our kids’ reading and math scores up, because of President Trump, communities across the country have been forced to spend their time cutting back on tutoring options and sorting out how many teachers they will have to lay off.
    “There is no good reason for the chaos and stress this president has inflicted on students, teachers, and parents across America for the last month, and it shouldn’t take widespread blowback for this administration to do its job and simply get the funding out the door that Congress has delivered to help students.
    “This administration deserves no credit for just barely averting a crisis they themselves set in motion. You don’t thank a burglar for returning your cash after you’ve spent a month figuring out if you’d have to sell your house to make up the difference.
    “It’s time for President Trump, Secretary McMahon, and Russ Vought to stop playing games with students’ futures and families’ livelihoods—and end their illegal assault on our students and their schools.”

    The Trump administration’s decision to withhold nearly $7 billion dollars in funding has sent school districts nationwide scrambling to determine how they could fill the, in many cases, massive budget hole and whether they’ll have to lay off teachers or end after school programs in the coming weeks. Over the last few weeks, school districts have made clear they will have to end afterschool programs and lay teachers off, told parents to prepare backup options, and adult literacy programs have been forced to lay off staff.
    Today, the Trump administration finally relented and confirmed it will get this funding out, as the law requires, after weeks of creating panic and stress for schools and families alike.
    Here are the funding streams President Trump blocked for weeks—all of which are programs he requested to eliminate in his budget request:
    $2.19 billion: Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size.
    $1.33 billion: 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), which support high-quality before and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students.
    $1.38 billion: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others.
    $890 million: English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
    $376 million: Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
    $715 million: Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants), which support adult education and literacy programs to provide the basic skills to help prepare adults and out-of-school youth for success in the workforce.
    These funds typically flow on July 1st of every year—but the Trump administration let states and stakeholders know on July 1st that it would not be moving the funding. It failed to provide any rationale, with the Department of Education directing questions to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and it has still failed to articulate an acceptable reason for withholding the funds.
    Senator Murray immediately called on Trump to release the funding, led her colleagues in demanding the funds flow, and last week, objected to fast-track consideration of President Trump’s nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education while the funding blockage continues. When the Trump administration moved but one fraction of the blocked funds last Friday, she called on Trump to immediately move the rest.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Keating Cross Road flyover will improve safety, traffic flow

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The new northbound flyover on Patricia Bay Highway connecting to Keating Cross Road will be open for drivers on Monday, July 28, 2025, bringing significant safety and traffic-flow improvements to the region.

    “People driving through this region need to be able to count on safe and smooth travel when they’re heading to their homes, work, the airport or ferries,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit. “Opening the Keating Cross Road flyover means we’ve removed a dangerous left turn and have made travel safer for families, commuters, tourists and commercial transport drivers who rely on this corridor every day.”

    While moving traffic onto the new flyover is the most significant milestone, final work on the broader project will continue through summer 2025 and conclude in fall 2025. This will include paving the southbound on-ramp toward Victoria, drainage improvements and landscaping. Once complete, the project will include a new sidewalk on Keating Cross Road to improve safety and will support future bus rapid transit to reduce congestion further.

    “The opening of the Keating Cross Road flyover is a tremendous achievement for the Saanich peninsula,” said Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South. “This investment makes travel on this busy corridor safer and more reliable for families, commuters and commercial drivers. It also strengthens ties to our local business community and supports the region’s growth well into the future.”

    The total project budget is $76.8 million, with the Government of British Columbia contributing $57.6 million, the Government of Canada contributing $16.7 million and the District of Central Saanich providing $2.5 million.

    “With the Keating Cross Road flyover open, drivers and pedestrians in Central Saanich will benefit from improved safety and better access to the region,” said Will Greaves, member of Parliament for Victoria. “Our government is proud to invest in projects that support the expansion of local public transit and make life easier and safer for all Canadians.”

    More than 52,000 vehicles use this part of the Patricia Bay Highway every day, with more than 4,000 vehicles per hour at peak travel times. The flyover project was identified as a priority in the South Island Transportation Strategy and supports the Province’s commitment to improving safety, expanding transit infrastructure and building strong, connected communities.

    “The new flyover aims to make travel through the Saanich peninsula faster and our neighbourhoods safer. It’s an important connection to the Keating Business District, a key industrial and business centre for our region,” said Ryan Windsor, mayor, District of Central Saanich. “This has been a long-standing priority for our community. We’re grateful to the provincial and federal governments for recognizing its importance and we’re thrilled to see the flyover opening.”

    Learn More:

    To keep up to date with the latest progress on the Keating Cross Road flyover, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation-projects/other-transportation-projects/highway-17-keating-cross-overpass

    To learn more about the South Island Transportation Strategy, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-reports-and-reference/reports-studies/vancouver-island/south-island-transportation-strategy

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement on the NEA handbook

    Source: US National Education Union

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

    “The National Education Association has opposed antisemitism throughout its history and is deeply committed to ensuring the safety and inclusion of Jewish educators and students. NEA regularly shares resources and supports educator workshops on Holocaust education, antisemitism, and ways to promote understanding of Jewish culture, heritage and history. This reflects NEA’s ongoing commitment to teach about Holocaust history and to counter the antisemitism that laid the groundwork for the systematic murder of six million Jews and the persecution and murder of millions of others by the Nazi regime. This document is not a handbook for use in the classroom, but a compilation of the more than 100 new business items adopted by NEA last year, which largely relate to the variety of materials NEA provides. These new business items also include calls to stand up against antisemitism, promote Holocaust Remembrance and education, and promote content to mark Jewish American Heritage Month.” 

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

    # # #

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Educators react to Trump administration unfreezing remaining federal funds

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON — According to media reports, the Trump administration will release the remaining $5.5 billion in delayed federal K-12 funding. Students, educators and school leaders across the country have been in limbo for nearly a month and warned that the unlawful freeze threatened summer and afterschool programs, school staffing, and academic supports for the upcoming school year. On June 30, the Department of Education announced to state education associations in a three-sentence email that it would withhold almost $6.9 billion in funding. However, on July 18, after facing mounting bipartisan pressure, the administration said it would release $1.3 billion in grants for summer and after-school programs if states provided new assurances as to how the funds would be spent.

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

    “Playing games with students’ futures has real-world consequences. School districts in every state have been scrambling to figure out how they will continue to meet student needs without this vital federal funding, and many students in parts of the country have already headed back to school. These reckless funding delays have undermined planning, staffing, and support services at a time when schools should be focused on preparing students for success. 

    “Sadly, this is part of a broader pattern by this administration of undermining public education—starving it of resources, sowing distrust, and pushing privatization at the expense of the nation’s most vulnerable students. And they are doing this at the same time Congress has passed a budget bill that will devastate our students, schools, and communities by slashing funds meant for public education, health care, and keeping students from their school meals—all to finance massive tax breaks for billionaires. The members of the National Education Association will continue to advocate for stable, transparent, and timely support for every public school and every child they serve. We will stand up, speak out, and take action to ensure every classroom is a place of dignity, opportunity, and respect.” 

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

    # # #

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Political Organizer and Former President of City Council of Atlantic City Sentenced to 24 Months for Submitting Fraudulent Mail-In Ballots

    Source: US FBI

    CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in the procurement, casting, and tabulation of fraudulent mail-in ballots submitted in connection with the general election held on November 8, 2022, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Craig Callaway, 64, a former member and President of the City Council of Atlantic City and a political organizer who assisted campaigns for elected offices in New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an Information charging him with depriving, defrauding, and attempting to deprive and defraud the residents of the State of New Jersey of a fair and impartially conducted election process by the fraudulent procurement, casting, and tabulation of ballots.

    “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine New Jersey’s electoral process: that such conduct will result in serious consequences.  The sentence also reflects our Office’s commitment to protecting free and fair elections, one of the bedrock principles of our democracy.”

    – U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

    “The right to vote is a fundamental aspect of our democracy, one that the FBI and our law enforcement partners strive to protect. Craig Callaway’s nefarious plot to hijack mail-in ballots resulted in his arrest and subsequent sentencing, and serves as a reminder to like-minded criminals, voter fraud will not be tolerated in New Jersey,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.

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

    Beginning in or about October 2022, approximately one month before the general election held on November 8, 2022 (the “2022 General Election”), Callaway and others who were working at Callaway’s direction approached numerous individuals in Atlantic City, promising to pay them between approximately $30 and $50 to act as purported authorized messengers for voters who supposedly wished to vote by mail.

    After receiving Vote-By-Mail Applications from Callaway or his subordinates, these purported messengers entered the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office carrying anywhere from one to four completed Vote-By-Mail Applications. Inside the County Clerk’s Office, as instructed by Callaway or his subordinates, these individuals provided County Clerk’s Office personnel proof of identification and signed the Vote-By-Mail Applications in the authorized messenger portion before handing those signed applications to office personnel.  Further as instructed by Callaway or his subordinates, these purported messengers waited while office personnel processed the applications and, if the applications were approved, provided to the purported messengers mail-in ballots for the voters listed on the applications.

    Under New Jersey law, a messenger is required to deliver any mail-in ballot they received directly to the voter who requested the ballot and must certify that they would do so.  However, after receiving mail-in ballots, these purported messengers left the County Clerk’s Office and handed the ballots to Callaway or his subordinates, instead of delivering the ballots to the voters.

    Many of the mail-in ballots collected by Callaway or his subordinates were ultimately cast in the names of voters who have confirmed that they did not vote in the 2022 General Election—either in-person or by submitting a mail-in ballot—and that they did not authorize Callaway, his subordinates, or anyone else, to cast ballots for them in the 2022 General Election.  Many of these mail-in ballots were counted towards the 2022 General Election.

    In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge Bumb sentenced Callaway to three years of supervised release. 

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency’s Public Corruption Task Force, including the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds; the Atlantic City Police Department, under the direction of Officer-in-Charge Chief James A. Sarkos; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan; as well as special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone; the Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins; and the postal inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence. 

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney James H. Graham of the Special Prosecutions Division.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: Megan J. Davies, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty After Crash that Left Passenger with Life-Threatening Injuries

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to federal charges after a 2018 drunk driving crash seriously injured his passenger.

    According to court records, January 11, 2018, Philbert Mark, 46, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving on Navajo Route 13 while extremely intoxicated and consequently crashed his car. Mark’s passenger sustained permanent and life-threatening serious bodily injuries as a result of the crash.

    Mark pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. At sentencing, Mark faces up to 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Mark will be subject to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former New Jersey Resident Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud for Telemarketing Scheme Targeting Timeshare Owners Over the Age of 55

    Source: US FBI

    CAMDEN, N.J. – A former New Jersey resident recently pled guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his participation in a telemarketing scheme to defraud timeshare owners over the age of 55 from 2016 to 2020, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.

    James Toner, a/k/a “Jason Turner,” a/k/a “James Turner,” a/k/a “Jason Thomas,” 43, of Lake Mary, Florida pleaded guilty today, before the Hon. Karen M. Williams, U.S. District Judge, Camden, to Counts One and Two of a 13-count Indictment, charging conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing that targeted or victimized timeshare owners over the age of 55 (Count One) and wire fraud in connection with telemarketing that targeted or victimized timeshare owners over the age of 55 (Count Two). Toner’s sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2025.

    Toner was previously charged by indictment along with William O’Hanlon, a/k/a “Patrick Burns,” a/k/a “William Burns,” 61, Karen Stefanowski, 63, and William Chiusano, Jr., then-48, of Laguna Niguel, California. Chiusano is now deceased, and charges against him have been dismissed. O’Hanlon and Stefanowski previously pleaded guilty before Judge Williams to their roles in fraudulent telemarketing schemes from 2016 to 2023 on May 9, 2025 and April 30, 2025, respectively.

    In addition, Alex Klemash, 32, of Williamstown, New Jersey, Michael Lambe, 45, of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, and La’Tresa Jackson, 59, of Lindenwold, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Williams on March 8, 9, and 13, 2023, respectively, to related Informations charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the 2016 to 2020 telemarketing scheme.

    Accordingly, all living defendants charged for their roles in the telemarketing scheme from 2016 to 2020 have now pleaded guilty. The sentencings for the defendants are currently scheduled as follows:

    La’Tresa Jackson September 25, 2025
    Alex Klemash September 23, 2025
    Michael Lambe September 30, 2025
    William O’Hanlon September 24, 2025
    Karen Stefanowski September 4, 2025
    James Toner December 2, 2025

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

    The wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charge to which Toner pleaded guilty arise out of his participation in a timeshare fraud scheme operated through businesses WILLIAMS ANDREWS BURNS LLC, RESORT BNB, INC., and WILLIAMS & BURNS, INC. (collectively referred to as “WAB”). As part of his plea agreement, Toner admitted that he was a manager and supervisor at WAB.

    From in or about October 2016 through in or about October 2020, Toner and additional co-conspirators (collectively referred to as “Conspirators”), engaged in a scheme to financially enrich themselves by selling fraudulent services to timeshare owners offered through WAB, including offering to rent and/or buy the owners’ timeshares under false and fraudulent pretenses or representations, and offering to recover monies timeshare owners had previously paid in connection with other scams. The Conspirators obtained lists of timeshare owners and their contact information, and cold-called them to pitch their various services in return for upfront fees.

    The Conspirators made numerous false and misleading statements to the timeshare owners, including falsely stating that the timeshare owners had “bonus” timeshare weeks which WAB would rent for them in return for an upfront fee, and falsely guaranteeing thousands of dollars in rental income for the timeshare owners. Once the timeshare owners had signed up and paid their fees for the phony rentals services, the Conspirators also generally pitched collections/recovery services, offering to obtain refunds of monies previously paid by the timeshare owners in other fraudulent scams, in return for fees. Again, the Conspirators made numerous false and misleading statements in many instances to both timeshare owners and the banks that issues their credit cards. One of the fraudulent pitches used by the Conspirators was to falsely claim that the timeshare owner had been identified as a victim of timeshare fraud and was entitled to monies that were held by a government entity, often referred to as the attorney general’s office or the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), and that WAB would obtain those monies for the timeshare owner in return for the payment of an upfront fee. The Conspirators also offered additional fraudulent services to timeshare owners, including occasionally offering timeshare buyouts/take-overs.

    Toner agreed to make restitution for any proven losses to victims of WAB.

    Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 30 years in prison, including an enhancement of 10 years in prison for committing such fraud via telemarketing that targeted persons over the age of 55 or victimized 10 or more persons over the age of 55. The sentences on each count may run consecutively. Each offense also carries a potential fine of the greater of $250,000,or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and the defendant may be sentenced to a term of supervised release after any term of imprisonment imposed.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs; special agents of the IRS Criminal Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge, Cooperative Disability Investigations – Eastern Region, Conor Washington, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elisa T. Wiygul and Diana Vondra Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

                                                                           ###                               

    Defense Counsel:

    Lee Vartan, Esquire and Melissa Wernick, Esquire for William O’Hanlon

    Zach Intrater, Esquire for Karen Stefanowski

    Megan Davies, Esquire for James Toner

    Michael Baldassare, Esquire for La’Tresa Jackson

    Perry DeMarco, Sr., Esquire for Alex Klemash

    Ira M. Slovin, Esquire for Michael Lambe

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts South Carolina man on sex trafficking and firearms charges

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a South Carolina man today on charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; production of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct; transportation with the intent to engage in prostitution; transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in prostitution; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, during July 2024, Johnny Thiel Banks, 30, of Summerville, transported a minor, identified as Jane Doe, from North Carolina to Virginia on multiple occasions. While in Virginia, he sex-trafficked Jane Doe at hotels, a truck stop, and a gas station in Hampton Roads, including in Suffolk and Virginia Beach. Jane Doe was 15 years old at the time and had just finished the 8th grade. Banks repeatedly threatened Jane Doe and her family to get her to comply with his demands. He also had her pose for and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM). When she did not want to go back to Virginia to engage in commercial sex, he threatened to have her “floating in a creek.”

    On July 31, 2024, while armed with a firearm, Banks took Jane Doe from a residence and brought her to a hotel in Virginia Beach to sex traffic her. He set up multiple commercial sex appointments that night. After they arrived in Virginia Beach, he argued with Jane Doe and strangled her, and she called a family member for help. After receiving information that Jane Doe was missing from Charlotte, the Virginia Beach Police Department quickly located Jane Doe in the parking garage of a hotel. As officers spoke with Jane Doe, Banks walked by and was detained.

    Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and recovered Banks’ loaded handgun from his rental vehicle. As a previously convicted felon, Banks cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Police also obtained search warrants for three cellphones that contained CSAM and evidence of sex trafficking.

    Banks is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19 and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life 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; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the verdict.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Gantt and Megan M. Montoya are prosecuting the case.

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

    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. 2:25-cr-15.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian National Indicted for Selling Firearms

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

    BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully living in the Clinton and Framingham areas has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.

    Patrick Rodrigues DeOliveira, 25, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 30, 2025. Rodrigues DeOliveira had previously been charged by criminal complaint Sept. 18, 2024.

    According to the charging documents, between August and September 2024, Rodrigues DeOliveira conspired to obtain firearms in South Carolina and sell them in Massachusetts. Specifically, in August 2024, Rodrigues DeOliveira allegedly traveled with others to South Carolina to obtain firearms. Additionally, it is alleged that Rodrigues DeOliveira sold a shotgun and a pistol outside of a motel in Framingham on Sept. 10, 2024 for $3,500.  

    The charges of conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Framingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FORMER MAYORAL CANDIDATE SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR ARMED ROBBERY OF DOLLAR GENERAL

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

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Whitfield Leland III, 45, was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment in federal court today for Hobbs Act Robbery, Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and being an Armed Career Criminal in Possession of a Firearm. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this career criminal will no longer be able to victimize and terrorize our community.  My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting violent criminals to hold them accountable to the full extent of the law in order to keep our communities safe.”

    Court documents reflect that Leland robbed a Tallahassee Dollar General at gunpoint on May 20, 2024. During the robbery, Leland pointed a pistol at the store manager and demanded that the manager open the safes. A customer observed the robbery in progress and called 911. Officers from the Tallahassee Police Department responded within minutes and surrounded the store while Leland was still inside. Leland then stole the manager’s Dollar General shirt and exited the store pretending to be an employee. Leland made it outside the store in his disguise but kept running when ordered to stop. Officers chased Leland and were able to follow a trail of dropped money to where he was hiding in nearby bushes, still wearing the Dollar General shirt and with additional money stuffed into his pants. Officers were able to recover $689 stolen during the robbery.

    Leland is a 13-time convicted felon who qualified as an Armed Career Criminal because he had convictions for three violent felonies committed on separate occasions: two separate incidents of resisting a law enforcement officer with violence and one conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Leland was a 2022 candidate for Tallahassee mayor.

    Leland received a sentence of 22 years in prison, which will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Leland was also ordered to pay restitution.

    “The safety of our community is always our top priority,” said Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department. “Thanks to the quick actions of our officers and strong collaboration with our federal partners, a repeat violent offender is off the streets. This outcome reflects our continued commitment to protecting Tallahassee’s residents and businesses from harm.”

    The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: KC Man Indicted for Illegal Firearms, Meth Trafficking

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

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing firearms and drug trafficking.

    Victor Roseberry, 60, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on June 27, 2025.

    The indictment was unsealed and made public today following Roseberry’s arrest.

    The indictment charges Roseberry with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

    The indictment alleges Roseberry possessed firearms on June 9, 2023, and July 4, 2024.  The indictment also alleges that on July 4, 2024, Roseberry possessed 5 or more grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.  The indictment alleges Roseberry is an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.

    Roseberry has prior felony convictions for robbery, domestic assault, aggravated assault, tampering, and possession of a firearm by a person with three prior convictions for crimes of violence.

    The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

    Under federal statutes, Roseberry is subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

    Operation Take Back America

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Neanderthals likely ate fermented meat with a side of maggots

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Melanie Beasley, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Purdue University

    Black soldier fly maggots can feed on decomposing animals. Melanie M. Beasley

    Scientists long thought that Neanderthals were avid meat eaters. Based on chemical analysis of Neanderthal remains, it seemed like they’d been feasting on as much meat as apex predators such as lions and hyenas. But as a group, hominins – that’s Neanderthals, our species and other extinct close relatives – aren’t specialized flesh eaters. Rather, they’re more omnivorous, eating plenty of plant foods, too.

    It is possible for humans to subsist on a very carnivorous diet. In fact, many traditional northern hunter–gatherers such as the Inuit subsisted mostly on animal foods. But hominins simply cannot tolerate consuming the high levels of protein that large predators can. If humans eat as much protein as hypercarnivores do over long periods without consuming enough other nutrients, it can lead to protein poisoning – a debilitating, even lethal condition historically known as “rabbit starvation.”

    So, what could explain the chemical signatures found in Neanderthal bones that seem to suggest they were healthily eating tons of meat?

    I am an anthropologist who uses elements such as nitrogen to study the diets of our very ancient ancestors. New research my colleagues and I conducted suggests a secret ingredient in the Neanderthal diet that might explain what was going on: maggots.

    A black soldier fly adult. The larvae of this fly are one of the species of maggots studied.
    GordZam/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Isotope ratios reveal what an animal ate

    The ratios of various elements in the bones of animals can provide insights into what they ate while alive. Isotopes are alternate forms of the same element that have slightly different masses. Nitrogen has two stable isotopes: nitrogen-14, the more abundant form, and nitrogen-15, the heavier, less common form. Scientists denote the ratio of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 as δ¹⁵N and measure it in a unit called permil.

    As you go higher up the food chain, organisms have relatively more of the isotope nitrogen-15. Grass, for example, has a very low δ¹⁵N value. An herbivore accumulates the nitrogen-15 that it consumes eating grass, so its own body has a slightly higher δ¹⁵N value. Meat-eating animals have the highest nitrogen ratio in a food web; the nitrogen-15 from their prey concentrates in their bodies.

    By analyzing stable nitrogen isotope ratios, we can reconstruct the diets of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens during the late Pleistocene, which ran from 11,700 to 129,000 years ago. Fossils from various sites tell the same story – these hominins have high δ¹⁵N values. High δ¹⁵N values would typically place them at the top of the food web, together with hypercarnivores such as cave lions and hyenas, whose diet is more than 70% meat.

    But maybe something else about their diet was inflating Neanderthals’ δ¹⁵N values.

    Uncovering the Neanderthal menu

    We suspected that maggots could have been a different potential source of enriched nitrogen-15 in the Neanderthal diet. Maggots, which are fly larvae, can be a fat-rich source of food. They are unavoidable after you kill another animal, easily collectible in large numbers and nutritionally beneficial.

    To investigate this possibility, we used a dataset that was originally created for a very different purpose: a forensic anthropology project focused on how nitrogen might help estimate time since death.

    I had originally collected modern muscle tissue samples and associated maggots at the Forensic Anthropology Center at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to understand how nitrogen values change during decomposition after death.

    Maggots feeding on and decomposing an animal carcass.
    Hari Sucahyo/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    While the data can assist modern forensic death investigations, in our current study we repurposed it to test a very different hypothesis. We found that stable nitrogen isotope values increase modestly as muscle tissue decomposes, ranging from -0.6 permil to 7.7 permil.

    This increase is more dramatic in maggots feeding on decomposing tissue: from 5.4 permil to 43.2 permil. To put the maggot values in perspective, scientists estimate δ¹⁵N values for Pleistocene herbivores to range between 0.9 permil to 11.2 permil. Maggots are measuring up to almost four times higher.

    Our research suggests that the high δ¹⁵N values observed in Late Pleistocene hominins may be inflated by year-round consumption of ¹⁵N-enriched maggots found in dried, frozen or cached animal foods.

    Cultural practices shape diet

    In 2017, my collaborator John Speth proposed that the high δ¹⁵N values in Neanderthals were due to the consumption of putrid or rotting meat, based on historical and cultural evidence of diets in northern Arctic foragers.

    Traditionally, Indigenous peoples almost universally viewed thoroughly putrefied, maggot-infested animal foods as highly desirable fare, not starvation rations. In fact, many such peoples routinely and often intentionally allowed animal foods to decompose to the point where they were crawling with maggots, in some cases even beginning to liquefy.

    This rotting food would inevitably emit a stench so overpowering that early European explorers, fur trappers and missionaries were sickened by it. Yet Indigenous peoples viewed such foods as good to eat, even a delicacy. When asked how they could tolerate the nauseating stench, they simply responded, “We don’t eat the smell.”

    Reconstruction of a Neanderthal man butchering a goat at the Neanderthal Museum in Mettman, Germany.
    Pressebilder Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Neanderthals’ cultural practices, similar to those of Indigenous peoples, might be the answer to the mystery of their high δ¹⁵N values. Ancient hominins were butchering, storing, preserving, cooking and cultivating a variety of items. All these practices enriched their paleo menu with foods in forms that nonhominin carnivores do not consume. Research shows that δ¹⁵N values are higher for cooked foods, putrid muscle tissue from terrestrial and aquatic species, and, with our study, for fly larvae feeding on decaying tissue.

    The high δ¹⁵N values of maggots associated with putrid animal foods help explain how Neanderthals could have included plenty of other nutritious foods beyond only meat while still registering δ¹⁵N values we’re used to seeing in hypercarnivores.

    We suspect the high δ¹⁵N values seen in Neanderthals reflect routine consumption of fatty animal tissues and fermented stomach contents, much of it in a semi-putrid or putrid state, together with the inevitable bonus of both living and dead ¹⁵N-enriched maggots.

    What still isn’t known

    Fly larvae are a fat-rich, nutrient-dense, ubiquitous and easily procured insect resource, and both Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens, much like recent foragers, would have benefited from taking full advantage of them. But we cannot say that maggots alone explain why Neanderthals have such high δ¹⁵N values in their remains.

    Several questions about this ancient diet remain unanswered. How many maggots would someone need to consume to account for an increase in δ¹⁵N values above the expected values due to meat eating alone? How do the nutritional benefits of consuming maggots change the longer a food item is stored? More experimental studies on changes in δ¹⁵N values of foods processed, stored and cooked following Indigenous traditional practices can help us better understand the dietary practices of our ancient relatives.

    Melanie Beasley received funding from the Haslam Foundation for this research.

    – ref. Neanderthals likely ate fermented meat with a side of maggots – https://theconversation.com/neanderthals-likely-ate-fermented-meat-with-a-side-of-maggots-261628

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Seek Answers on So-Called “One Big Beautiful Bill’s” Impact on Illinois Hospitals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    July 25, 2025
    In a letter that was sent to every hospital in Illinois, Duckworth and Durbin request information about how each hospital anticipates to be impacted by Republicans’ so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill”
    [CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to every hospital in Illinois requesting information about the projected impact analysis of the Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. As a result of the legislation, over 15 million Americans are projected to lose health insurance coverage, including approximately half a million people in Illinois, and hospitals that rely on Medicaid funding, especially those in rural areas, face risk of closure. Further, it’s estimated that 30,000 health care jobs will be lost over the next decade as a result of the bill.
    “Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans passed and President Trump signed into law the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. We voted against the measure. We write to request information about how this Republican-passed law will affect your hospital, health care workforce, and the patients you serve across Illinois,” the Senators began their letter.
    “The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that federal Medicaid spending for Illinois will be reduced by 19 percent. These cuts include freezing and reducing provider taxes and state directed payments that hospitals across Illinois depend on to help finance the Medicaid system and make up for low reimbursement rates. The Republican-passed law also will raise uncompensated care costs for hospitals by restricting eligibility and raising out-of-pocket costs for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act beneficiaries,” the Senators continued. “Based upon the estimated 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding, and increased uncompensated care costs from deep insurance coverage losses, we worry that hospitals will face severe financial hardship, and patients will suffer.
    Duckworth and Durbin closed their letter by requesting detailed information about the impacts of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act on each hospital, including if patients can expect critical services like obstetrics to be eliminated, how many health care jobs may be lost, and how hospital uncompensated care costs will increase as Illinoisans lose access to their insurance.
    “To help inform legislative efforts to improve health care and strengthen hospitals across Illinois, we request the following information and analysis from your hospital about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by August 22, 2025,” the Senators requested.
    “If faced with a 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding as a result of this law, what changes would your hospital be forced to make to maintain viability?” the Senators asked as they concluded their letter.
    Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:
     
    Dear Hospital Administrator:
    Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans passed and President Trump signed into law the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). We voted against the measure. We write to request information about how this Republican-passed law will affect your hospital, health care workforce, and the patients you serve across Illinois.
    Republicans in Congress voted for legislation that cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that federal Medicaid spending for Illinois will be reduced by 19 percent. These cuts include freezing and reducing provider taxes and state directed payments that hospitals across Illinois depend on to help finance the Medicaid system and make up for low reimbursement rates. The Republican-passed law also will raise uncompensated care costs for hospitals by restricting eligibility and raising out-of-pocket costs for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act beneficiaries.
    Fifteen million Americans are projected to lose health insurance coverage, including approximately half a million people in Illinois—impacting children, pregnant women, seniors, and individuals with disabilities across rural and urban areas. In Illinois, it is estimated that 30,000 health care jobs will be lost over the next decade as a result of this legislation. For rural hospitals that are often the largest employers in a community, this could be devastating.
    Hospitals, like any business, must make forecasts and plan their budgets months and years in advance to ensure proper resource allocation and capacity. Based upon the estimated 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding, and increased uncompensated care costs from deep insurance coverage losses, we worry that hospitals will face severe financial hardship, and patients will suffer.
    In addition to opposing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we have worked on bipartisan legislation to strengthen the health care system, including bills to: bolster the pipeline and recruitment of physicians, nurses, behavioral health providers and dentists; increase funding for rural ambulance services; save rural hospitals facing financial hardship, address maternal mortality and chronic disease; and lower prescription drug costs.
    To help inform legislative efforts to improve health care and strengthen hospitals across Illinois, we request the following information and analysis from your hospital about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by August 22, 2025.
    What percent of your inpatient and outpatient services are paid for by Medicaid, and what percent of such patients are covered by the program?
    What is your hospital’s current operating margin, and, as a result of this law, what do you anticipate it to be in 2028, 2031, and 2034?
    What is the projected annual financial loss to your hospital as a result of this law?
    What is the projected increase in annual uncompensated care provided by your hospital as a result of this law?
    If faced with a 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding as a result of this law, what changes would your hospital be forced to make to maintain viability?
    Please identify which service lines would be the most likely or first to face reductions or termination.
    If your hospital currently offers obstetrics/labor and delivery services, do you anticipate continuing to do so in the same manner by 2030?
    How do you project emergency room wait times will be impacted by this law?
    How do you expect your projected financial losses to affect the economy of your local communities?
    If Congressional Republicans attempt to implement additional Medicaid or Affordable Care Act cuts this Congress, including by reducing or eliminating the 90 percent federal cost-share for Medicaid expansion states, how do you expect this would affect your finances?
    Thank you for your attention to this matter, we look forward to your response. Please contact our offices with any questions and to transmit your response.
    Sincerely,
     
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan, Senate Colleagues Advocate for Critical NIH Research Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    07.25.25

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and 12 of their Republican colleagues, sent a letter to Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating for the disbursement of appropriated funds for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in order to advance President Trump’s goals of curing diseases and making America healthy again.

    The letter requests that the administration implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, which President Trump signed into law earlier this year. This legislation contains critical funding to support NIH initiatives across a range of critical research areas, including, but not limited to, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and rare pediatric disorders.

    “We are concerned by the slow disbursement rate of FY25 NIH funds, as it risks undermining critical research and the thousands of American jobs it supports. Suspension of these appropriated funds – whether formally withheld or functionally delayed — could threaten Americans’ ability to access better treatments and limit our nation’s leadership in biomedical science. It also risks inadvertently severing ongoing NIH-funded research prior to actionable results,” wrote the Senators.

    The Senators continued, “We share your commitment to ensuring NIH funds are used responsibly and not diverted to ideological or unaccountable programs. We are confident Secretary Kennedy and Director Bhattacharya are well positioned to uphold gold standard research by ensuring that NIH awards are grounded in transparency, scientific merit, and a clear alignment with national interests. Our shared goal is to restore public trust in the NIH precisely because its work is focused on results, accountability, and real-world impact. Withholding or suspending these funds would jeopardize that trust and hinder progress on critical health challenges facing our nation. Ultimately, this is about finding cures and seeing them through to fruition.”

    Senators Sullivan and Britt were joined by Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

    Full text of the letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Secures Funding for Great Lakes, Michigan’s Water Infrastructure in Appropriations Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC?– U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped the Senate Appropriations Committee pass the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bipartisan legislation would provide funding for Michigan priorities and high-impact local projects to strengthen water infrastructure, protect our wildlife and environment, and improve access to clean drinking water for Michiganders. As Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, Peters also advocated and secured funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which plays a critical role in protecting and restoring Great Lakes waterways and habitats. The bill now advances to the full Senate.

    “Protecting our Great Lakes and Michiganders’ access to clean drinking water have been some of my top priorities,” said Senator Peters, Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force.“This bipartisan legislation helps us accomplish those things by investing in our state’s water infrastructure, removing dangerous lead pipes, and working to protect folks from exposure to toxic PFAS contamination. The bill also makes sure the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a historic program that keeps our Great Lakes healthy and vibrant, continues to receive funding to carry out essential cleanup projects in our state.”  

    The bill includes numerous measures led and supported by Peters, including:

    Protecting our Great Lakes, Fisheries, and Environment

    Funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Peters fought and secured continued funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The GLRI is the largest investment in the Great Lakes’ health, ecosystem, and water quality. Since the program’s inception in 2010, $4 billion has been used to fund over 8,000 projects to combat the greatest threats to the Great Lakes, including invasive species, harmful algal blooms, and loss of fish and wildlife habitats. During his time in the Senate, Peters has championed the GLRI, and earlier this year led the effort to introduce the?Great Lakes Restoration Act of 2025,?which would reauthorize the program and increase its annual authorized funding levels.

    Keeping Invasive Carp Out of the Great Lakes: Invasive carp pose a grave risk to the lasting health of our Great Lakes. That’s why this bill provides funding for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Aquatic Invasive Species program, which supports Great Lakes Basin-wide efforts to combat aquatic invasive species, including invasive carp. This work helps assess the threats posed by invasive carp to the Great Lakes and supports efforts to detect and respond to new invasive species. The bill also provides funding for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program which produces essential research, detection methods, and tools to help keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. Finally, the bill also provides funding for efforts to monitor, detect, and respond to aquatic nuisance species within the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Systems.

    Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration: The bill protects funding for The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, which helps fund critical fish and wildlife projects in the Great Lakes Basin. Funding from this program has helped establish ecosystem management tools, restored wetlands and aquatic habitat, and advanced fish and wildlife monitoring and modeling.

    Great Lakes Science Center: Peters secured funding in the bill to support the Great Lakes Science Center, which works to enhance our understanding of the Great Lakes’ complex ecosystem through studies and collaboration with a wide range of partners.

    Forest Service: The bill provides robust funding for the Forest Service. These resources will help ensure adequate staffing levels and improve forest restoration and fire risk reduction efforts.

    Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill allocates funding for federal land acquisition and financial assistance to states through the?Great American Outdoors Act. This program is critical for improving recreational access to our federal lands, protecting iconic landscapes, delivering grants to states and local governments to create and protect urban parks and open spaces. It also provides farmers and ranchers with easements to allow them to continue to steward their private lands in the face of development pressures.

    Addressing Wildfires: As catastrophic wildfires grow in size and frequency, it is essential that support for, and investments in, the federal firefighting workforce keep pace. As such, this bill fully funds essential wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts by providing $4.25 billion for wildfire suppression, of which $2.85 billion is for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund. The Reserve Fund provides the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior with an assured amount of funding to be used when major fire activity requires expenditures exceeding regular base suppression operations funding. This bill also provides much-needed funding to help prevent a devastating pay cut for the federal firefighting workforce. 

    Strengthening Michigan’s Water Infrastructure & Ensuring Clean Drinking Water

    Addressing PFAS: Michigan communities and residents continue to face severe challenges with toxic PFAS contamination. Michigan is home to a number of military installations where PFAS contamination has been detected, including Camp Grayling and the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda. The bill provides much needed funding for PFAS research and remediation efforts. Peters has led and championed numerous efforts in the Senate to address PFAS. Peters convened the first-ever hearing on PFAS contamination in the Senate, then convened a field summit in Grand Rapids in November 2018 to shine a light on how local, state and federal governments are coordinating responses to address PFAS contamination. Peters introduced and advanced bipartisan legislation to reduce the spread of PFAS chemicals at commercial airports. Peters’ Preventing PFAS Runoff at Airports Act, which was signed into law in 2022, is working to deploy more existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding for commercial airports to purchase devices to test their firefighting equipment without discharging toxic PFAS chemicals. In 2022, Peters’ bill to help protect firefighters and emergency responders from PFAS exposure in the line of duty was also signed into law.

    Bolstering Lead Abatement Programs: Lead poisoning continues to be a public health challenge in areas with aging infrastructure, causing life-long health impacts particularly among children. Peters helped secure funding for critical programs that support communities seeking to clean up lead contaminated waste sites, replace toxic lead pipes, and minimize exposure in surrounding areas. The bill includes funding for the Lead Testing in Schools Program and Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Program.

    Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds: The bill restores funding for both the Drinking Water and the Clean Water State Revolving Funds, which the Trump Administration had proposed slashing by nearly 90 percent. The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds are vital to protecting Michigan’s water resources and rebuilding critical water infrastructure. These projects provide Michigan residents with significant benefits, ranging from reduced exposure to pollution to lead-free drinking water. While the primary focus of the state revolving funds is offering financing solutions for water infrastructure for wastewater, storm water, and drinking water systems, the funds also reduce energy waste and decrease water system rates, improving affordability. 

    Mitigate PFAS Contamination, Provide Safe Drinking Water for Residents of Grayling Township: The bill provides $3,000,000 to deliver clean, safe drinking through a new municipal water system to residents whose water wells have been contaminated from PFAS migrating off the Grayling Army Airfield and Camp Grayling.

    Improve Water Reliability in Grand Blanc: The bill provides $1,000,000 to modernize critical water infrastructure throughout Grand Blanc, reducing inefficiencies and water loss and improving water reliability for residents and businesses.

    Strengthen St. Ignace’s Water and Wastewater System: The bill provides $36,000 for St. Ignace to update its system that controls the alarms and communication between water wastewater plants as well as other facility operations.

    Upgrade the Aging Freud & Conners Creek Pump Stations: The bill provides $1,000,000 to make improvements to the aging Freud and Conner Creek pump stations.

    Improve Wastewater Management in Oakwood: The bill provides $1,000,000 to improve wastewater management in Oakwood, Michigan.

    Upgrade Marquette County K.I. Sawyer Wastewater Treatment Plant: The bill provides $1,370,000 to upgrade the disinfection system at the K.I. Sawyer Wastewater Treatment Plant.

    Pontiac Drinking Water System Improvements: The bill provides $1,000,000 to improve drinking water quality and reliability for Pontiac residents.

    Lead Service Lines Replacement in Redford Charter Township: The bill provides $1,000,000 to replace lead service lines in Redford Charter Township.

    Supporting New Drinking Water Well for Village of Bellevue: The bill provides $144,000 to help build a new drinking water well in the Village of Bellevue to ensure continued safe drinking water for the residents and surrounding community.

    Protecting and Preserving Public Lands and Cultural Resources

    Preservation of the Historic Freer House at Wayne State University: The bill provides $550,000 for Wayne State University to repair and replace damaged and deteriorating parts of the historic Charles Lang Freer House, which is an important part of Detroit’s cultural heritage.

    Funding for the National Park Service: The bill includes nearly $3 billion to support National Park Service (NPS) operations. This funding will allow NPS to more effectively manage its 433 national parks, monuments, historical sites and other recreational areas that encompass nearly 84 million acres of land across the United States. Michigan is proud to be home to five National Parks, which draw more than 2.5 million visitors to the state annually.

    Supporting the National Heritage Areas Program: Peters helped secure funding for the National Park Service’s Heritage Partnership Program. National Heritage Areas (NHAs) across the country commemorate, conserve, and promote important natural, scenic, historic, and cultural resources, delivering recreational and educational opportunities to visitors, residents, and entire regions. NHAs are key for economic development in their communities. Michigan’s MotorCities NHA alone creates an economic impact every year of nearly $490 million including?5,343 jobs and $40 million in tax revenues.

    Protecting Tribal Nations

    Tribal Programs: In total, the bill provides $12 billion for Tribal programs across the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service, rejecting President Trump’s proposed cuts of nearly $1 billion from Tribal programs. 

    Indian Health Service (IHS):The bill provides $8 billion in total resources for IHS to maintain critically important health care services and maintain current staffing for doctors, nurses, and health services staff.

    Supporting Tribal Self-Governance and Essential Services: The bill provides $1.91 billion, an increase in funding, for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ operations of Indian programs. This funds essential government services in critical areas like roads and infrastructure, housing improvement, natural resources protection, Tribal courts, economic development, and social services. This funding is essential for Tribal governments exercising self-determination and crucial to upholding the federal government’s trust responsibility.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator McConnell Joins Colleagues in Advocating for Critical NIH Research Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) signed on to Senator Katie Britt’s (R-AL) letter to Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating for the disbursement of appropriated funds for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The letter requests that the administration fully implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, which contains critical funding to support NIH initiatives across a range of research areas — cancer, cardiovascular disease, rare pediatric disorders, and more. 
    The Senators wrote: “We are concerned by the slow disbursement rate of FY25 NIH funds, as it risks undermining critical research and the thousands of American jobs it supports. Suspension of these appropriated funds – whether formally withheld or functionally delayed — could threaten Americans’ ability to access better treatments and limit our nation’s leadership in biomedical science. It also risks inadvertently severing ongoing NIH-funded research prior to actionable results. 
    “We share your commitment to ensuring NIH funds are used responsibly and not diverted to ideological or unaccountable programs. We are confident Secretary Kennedy and Director Bhattacharya are well positioned to uphold gold standard research by ensuring that NIH awards are grounded in transparency, scientific merit, and a clear alignment with national interests. Our shared goal is to restore public trust in the NIH precisely because its work is focused on results, accountability, and real-world impact. Withholding or suspending these funds would jeopardize that trust and hinder progress on critical health challenges facing our nation. Ultimately, this is about finding cures and seeing them through to fruition.” 
    Joining Senators Britt and McConnell on the letter were Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tim Scott (R-SC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Todd Young (R-IN) 
    Full text of the letter can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders: America Must End the Atrocities and Starvation in Gaza 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    BURLINGTON, Vt., July 25 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement calling on the United States to act to end Israel’s illegal war in Gaza.

    After 21 months of brutal war, the Netanyahu government’s extermination of Gaza is entering a new and terrible phase. America and the world cannot continue to look away. We must reckon with what is being done with our taxpayer money, our weapons and the support of our government.

    More than that, we must act to stop it.

    After many months of Israel blocking humanitarian aid, children and other vulnerable people are starving to death in increasing numbers. The World Food Programme says that the food crisis has reached “new and astonishing levels of desperation, with a third of the population not eating for multiple days in a row.” Children’s bodies are eating themselves from within, their organs are shutting down. Starving mothers cannot breastfeed their infants, and no formula is available, with little clean water to make it in any case. Hospitals have run out of nutritional treatments, and doctors themselves are fainting from hunger.

    When mass death from starvation begins, it is difficult to reverse. Aid groups say Gaza faces a tidal wave of preventable death. This is the direct result of the Israeli government’s policies. From March 2 to May 19, Israel did not allow a single shipment of aid into Gaza — no food, water, fuel or medical supplies for a population of more than 2 million people. Israel has since allowed a trickle of aid to get in, but nowhere near enough to meet the enormous needs of a population starved for so long.

    Earlier this week, 28 of our closest allies, including Britain, Japan and numerous European nations, issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s “drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.” More than 1,000 Palestinians have been shot down while trying to get food aid over the past two months. Most of these deaths are the result of Israel’s replacement of the established United Nations distribution system with the untested Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose few distribution points have become death traps for Palestinian civilians, with near-daily massacres.

    This is the reality: Having already killed or wounded 200,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the extremist Israeli government is using mass starvation to engineer the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Don’t take my word for it, listen to Israeli minister Amichay Eliyahu, who said this week: “All Gaza will be Jewish… the government is pushing for Gaza being wiped out. Thank God, we are wiping out this evil.”

    Despite these war crimes, carried out daily in plain view, the United States has provided more than $22 billion for Israel’s military operations since this war began. In other words, American taxpayer dollars are being used to starve children, bomb civilians and support the cruelty of Netanyahu and his criminal ministers.

    Enough is enough. The White House and Congress must immediately act to end this war using the full scope of American influence. No more military aid to the Netanyahu government. History will condemn those who fail to act in the face of this horror.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Leads Bipartisan Bill to Protect Musicians, Artists, and Creators from Unauthorized AI Training

    US Senate News:

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

    TRAIN Act is Supported by the Recording Industry Association of America, the Human Artistry Campaign, SAG-AFTRA, Recording Academy, Nashville Songwriters Association International, SESAC, ASCAP, BMI, Authors Guild and more
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senate Judiciary Committee members Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Adam Schiff (D-Ca.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reintroduced the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act, bipartisan legislation to help creators—musicians, artists, writers, and others—access the courts to protect their copyrighted works if and when they are used to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) models. The TRAIN Act allows copyright holders to access training records used for AI models to determine if their work was used—a process currently used for internet piracy. 
    Musical artists and other creative industry leaders have raised the alarm about the use of copyrighted works to train generative AI models, calling out AI companies for using artists’ work without consent or compensation. The TRAIN Act seeks to solve the “black box” problem by allowing creators to know when and how their works are being used. Few AI companies currently share how their models are trained and nothing in the law requires them to do so. 
    “This is simple: if your work is used to train AI, there should be a way for you, the copyright holder, to determine that it’s been used by a training model, and you should get compensated if it was. We need to give America’s musicians, artists, and creators a tool to find out when AI companies are using their work to train models without artists’ permission,” said Senator Welch. “As AI evolves and gets more embedded into our daily lives, we need to set a higher standard for transparency. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to safeguard creators and their incredible contributions to our country.”  
    “Tennessee is home to a thriving creative community filled with musicians, artists, and creators who must have protections in place against the misuse of their content,” said Senator Blackburn. “The TRAIN Act would protect creators by allowing them to access the courts to find out if their work is being used to train generative AI models and seek compensation for that misuse.” 
    “The TRAIN Act gives creators a direct pathway to determine if their works were used to train an AI model, promoting transparency and ensuring that the creative community is not left behind as AI’s capabilities advance. I’m proud to join Senators Welch, Blackburn, Hawley on this bipartisan effort to affirm creators’ rights of action. And as Ranking Member of the Intellectual Property Subcommittee, I will continue my long-standing work to establish appropriate guardrails that continue American leadership in AI and the creative industry,” said Senator Schiff. 
    “AI should be in service to the American people—not the other way around. But under current law, Big Tech’s AI companies are stealing the works of today’s creators as they box out the next generation of creators. Congress should ensure that copyright holders can assert their rights against AI companies that are pirating creative works, and this bill gives Americans the tools to do so,” said Senator Hawley. 
    The TRAIN Act has the support of the creative community and is endorsed by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)*, The American Society for Collective Rights Licensing (ASCRL), American Federation of Musicians (AFM), American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Association of American Publishers (AAP), Authors Guild, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), Human Artistry Campaign**, Global Music Rights, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA), National Music Council (NMC), National Music Publisher’s Association (NMPA), Nashville Songwriters Association International, Recording Academy, Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD), Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), SAG-AFTRA, Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC), The Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL), The Songwriters Guild of America (SGA)***, SoundExchange, Transparency Coalition, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group.  
    *The trade organization for independent record labels, which include 650 organizations in 35 states—including Vermont  
    **Representing nearly 200 members spanning the creative and technology communities  
    ***SGA’s organizational membership stands at approximately 4,500 members 
    Read what leading voices in the creative industries are saying about the TRAIN Act:   
    “Artists deserve to know when their works are used and determine the parameters – the Transparency & Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act empowers rightsholders with valuable insight into which specific inputs AI companies are copying to train their models. Just as importantly, it also ensures a clear path to the courts when authorization has not been given. RIAA commends Senator Welch and Senator Blackburn for their vision championing this vital and measured legislation, and strongly urge passage into law,” said Mitch Glazier, Chairman & CEO, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). 
    “The TRAIN Act is a vital step toward ensuring transparency and protecting creators from the unauthorized use of their copyrighted work. The Recording Academy® applauds Senator Welch and Senator Blackburn for their leadership and dedication to upholding creators’ rights.” – Harvey Mason jr., CEO, Recording Academy 
    “Human authors and their copyrights must be valued and protected. The TRAIN Act is an important step toward creating guardrails around Generative Artificial Intelligence that, unchecked, threatens the livelihoods of human creators. We are appreciative to Senators Blackburn and Welch for their leadership on this issue and look forward to providing America’s songwriters the tools they need to protect their work in an ever-changing digital environment,” said Nashville Songwriters Association International. 
    “The Transparency & Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act is a thoughtful step forward for creators’ rights in the AI landscape. By allowing artists and rightsholders to subpoena information about what inputs were used in an AI program, the bill will increase transparency and create an avenue for recourse when work is used without consent. Transparency is a key tenet of the Human Artistry Campaign’s principles for responsible and ethical AI, and we’re grateful to Senator Welch for his leadership on this issue,” said Dr. Moiya McTier, Senior Advisor, Human Artistry Campaign. 
    “SAG-AFTRA applauds Sen. Peter Welch for introducing the much-needed TRAIN Act. Intellectual property must be protected in the A.I. age and we’re encouraged that lawmakers like Sen. Welch are taking critical action to prioritize human creativity in this new era,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, Executive Director & Chief Negotiator, SAG-AFTRA National. 
    “SESAC applauds the TRAIN Act, which clears an efficient path to court for songwriters whose work is used by AI developers without authorization or consent. Senators Welch and Blackburn’s narrow approach will promote responsible innovation and AI while protecting the creative community from unlawful scraping and infringement of their work,” said John Josephson, Chairman and CEO, SESAC Music Group. 
    “The future of America’s vibrant creative economy depends upon laws that protect the rights of human creators. By requiring transparency about when and how copyrighted works are used to train generative AI models, the TRAIN Act paves the way for creators to be fairly compensated for the use of their work. On behalf of ASCAP’s more than one million songwriters, composer and music publisher members, we applaud Senators Welch and Blackburn for their leadership,” said Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP). 
    “Some AI companies are using creators’ copyrighted works without their permission or compensation to ‘train’ their systems, but there is currently no way for creators to confirm that use or require companies to disclose it. The TRAIN Act will provide a legal avenue for music creators to compel these companies to disclose those actions, which will be a step in the right direction towards greater transparency and accountability. BMI thanks Senator Welch for introducing this important legislation,” said Mike O’Neill, President & CEO, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). 
    “We greatly appreciate Senators Welch and Blackburn’s leadership on addressing the complete lack of regulation and transparency surrounding songwriters’ works being used to train generative AI models. The TRAIN Act proposes an administrative subpoena process that enables rightsholders to hold AI companies accountable by instituting precise record-keeping standards and giving rightsholders the ability to see whether their copyrighted works have been used without authorization. We strongly support the bill which gives creators a pathway to justice from massive AI platforms exploiting their work,” said David Israelite, President & CEO, National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA). 
    “The Authors Guild applauds Senator Peter Welch for introducing the TRAIN Act. Authors have a right to know when their works have been copied into AI systems without their permission.  This bill helps to achieve that commonsense goal by creating an administrative subpoena process that allows copyright owners to obtain information from AI companies about the works used to train their models. As the Guild has long recognized, this kind of transparency is essential to giving authors the ability to enforce their rights. We look forward to working with Senator Welch and other members of Congress in moving the bill toward swift passage,” said the Authors Guild. 
    “The American Society for Collective Rights Licensing (ASCRL), the largest photography and illustration organization in the United States, whose constituents include over 40,000 photographers and over 17,000 illustrator members, thanks Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) for introducing the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act. The bill seeks to promote transparency concerning unauthorized uses of copyrighted works by generative AI systems through the creation of a new administrative subpoena process.  ASCRL was established by and for authors and looks forward to working with Senator Welch to add another tool in the toolbelt for authors to protect their rights in this very challenging, new technological environment,” said James Silverberg, CEO, The American Society for Collective Rights Licensing (ASCRL). 
    “The Songwriters Guild of America (SGA) extends its sincerest thanks to Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt) for the initiatives his office is undertaking in seeking to protect the rights of songwriters and composers through introduction of the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act. Among other positives, the bill seeks to promote transparency concerning unauthorized uses of copyrighted works by generative AI systems through the creation of a new administrative subpoena process. SGA remains a strong supporter of the pending No Fakes Act to protect performers’ rights of publicity in the new, generative AI world, but is additionally elated that Senator Welch and others recognize that far more needs to be done legislatively to protect music creators’ rights in this very challenging, new environment.  The TRAIN Act represents another indispensable step in that process. We applaud its introduction, and intend to work with the Senator’s office in helping it to consider the most effective methodologies possible to protect American creators and musical culture in the context of GenAI,” said Rick Carnes, President, Songwriters Guild of America (SGA).  
    “A2IM applauds Senators Peter Welch and Marsha Blackburn for introducing the TRAIN Act—an essential move to protect artists, musicians, and independent creators from having their copyrighted work exploited to train generative AI models without permission. In the age of AI, transparency isn’t optional—it’s fundamental. This legislation arms creators with the tools to uncover unauthorized use of their work, reinforcing the rights that fuel a thriving, independent music ecosystem,” said Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE, President and CEO American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). 
    “There can be no ethical AI development without transparency. Musicians deserve to know when their work is used in machine learning. The TRAIN Act provides all creators meaningful legal recourse without hindering innovation and creativity. We thank Senators Blackburn and Welch for standing with working musicians against intellectual property theft,” said Tino Gagliardi, President, American Federation of Musicians. 
    “The Society of Composers & Lyricists applauds Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt) for his introduction of the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act, which is a crucial step in safeguarding the rights of composers and songwriters. The TRAIN Act offers vital protections against the unjust practices that have too often undermined our ability to earn a living from our creations. By standing up for the rights of creators, you are not only supporting those who write the music that enriches our culture, but also strengthening the entire music ecosystem. We are grateful for your continued advocacy on behalf of our community, and stand ready to help in whatever way we can,” said Ashley Irwin, President, Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL). 
    “The National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) applauds Sen. Welch’s common sense TRAIN Act and the transparency it will provide to all copyright holders. As artists whose biometric data is contained in copyrighted material, voice actors are particularly concerned about the misuse of their voices for misinformation and disinformation. A basic level of transparency will help protect the many voices that are the foundation of these generative AI systems,” said The National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA). 
    “RAMPD proudly supports the TRAIN Act because transparency is key to fairness, access, and protecting the rights of all music creators. The TRAIN Act is a vital step toward equitable innovation that respects human authorship and artistic integrity,” said Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities. 
    “The Transparency Coalition welcomes the introduction by Sen. Welch of the TRAIN Act which will provide creators and copyright owners additional protection from their copyrighted works being used in AI training without their consent.” said Jai Jaisimha, Co-Founder, Transparency Coalition. “The Act deftly addresses the need for transparency around AI training inputs and empowers creators to seek redress from the appropriate judicial forum.” 
    Senator Welch is focused on strengthening consumer protections and safety around emerging technologies, including AI. During a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing last week, Senator Welch emphasized the importance of passing the TRAIN Act to help creator access the courts to ensure their copyrights are respected and safeguard their content from AI. 
    Last Congress, Senator Welch introduced the Artificial Intelligence Consumer Opt-In, Notification Standards, and Ethical Norms for Training (AI CONSENT) Act, legislation that would require online platforms to obtain consumers’ express informed consent before using their personal data to train AI models. Senator Welch also introduced the Digital Platform Commission Act, legislation to create an expert federal agency to provide comprehensive regulation of digital platforms to protect consumers, promote competition, and safeguard the public interest. 
    Learn more about the TRAIN Act and read a section-by-section summary. 
    Read and download the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: More deaths reported as starvation spreads

    Source: United Nations 2

    In an update on Friday, OCHA said that the starvation crisis is deepening across the enclave, with the local health authorities announcing that two more people had died from starvation the previous day.

    Hunger and malnutrition increase the risk of illnesses that weaken the immune system, particularly among women, children, older people and persons with disabilities or chronic diseases, with deadly consequences. 

    Food scarcity also impacts pregnant and breastfeeding women, increasing the risk of their babies being born with health complications and affecting mothers’ ability to breastfeed. 

    Aid constrictions

    The small trickle of supplies making it into the Strip is nowhere near adequate to address the immense needs as Israeli authorities continue to impose constraints on humanitarians and hamper their response. 

    Out of 15 attempts to coordinate humanitarian movements inside Gaza on Thursday, four were outright denied, three were impeded, one was postponed and two others had to be cancelled by the organisers, with only five missions facilitated.

    Even though the limited amount of fuel received yesterday was fully allocated to community kitchens, healthcare and water and sanitation facilities, the fuel shortage continues as the quantities entering Gaza remain insufficient to maintain essential facilities.

    UN preparations

    Despite severe constraints, UN teams are prepared to ramp up aid delivery and address these severe needs as soon as they are allowed to do so. 

    For the UN to accelerate the delivery of food aid, health services, clean water and waste management, nutrition supplies and shelter materials, Israel must open its crossings, allow fuel and equipment in and permit humanitarian staff to operate safely.

    The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, said in a social media post on Thursday that “we must save as many lives as we can – and we have a plan.” 

    The plan he shared with Member States outlines the necessary steps to stop the horror and alleviate constraints on humanitarian operations. 

    Mr. Fletcher has also written to the head of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the aid distribution model backed by Israel and the United States, reiterating that the UN is ready to engage with any partner to provide desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza.

    He stressed that any such partnership must adhere to the globally accepted principles of humanity, impartiality neutrality and independence, with aid going where needs are greatest and without discrimination and that humanitarians answer to civilians in need, not the warring parties. 

    Mr. Fletcher also said that he welcomes dialogue on how to reach as many people as possible to alleviate suffering without causing harm. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: The One Big Beautiful Bill is a Historic Investment in Rural Healthcare

    Source: US Whitehouse

    Today’s White House memo “The One Big Beautiful Bill is a Historic Investment in Rural Healthcare” outlines in detail how the President’s landmark legislation makes historic investments in vulnerable communities to ensure healthcare options are made sustainable for Americans who rely on these options for their care.

    TRANSFORMING RURAL CARE WITH HISTORIC INVESTMENTS AND RADICAL TRANSPARENCY

    The Rural Health Transformation Program will provide unprecedented new funding to states for a range of uses designed to make rural healthcare more effective and sustainable for the long term. Collaborating with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), states must submit detailed rural health transformation plans on how these resources will be put to work improving access to healthcare providers in their communities and ultimately improving health outcomes. CMS will monitor implementation and hold states accountable to this plan to ensure resources are appropriately distributed and going to the most deserving, not the most politically connected.

    ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL CARE BY ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES

    Unlike smaller programs that have been traditionally the main mechanisms to support rural care, the Rural Health Transformation Program is uniquely designed to promote innovation and long-term sustainability of rural healthcare.

    Rural hospitals suffer from chronic challenges with extremely low patient volume. They have both smaller bed counts than urban hospitals and occupancy rates that are much lower (37%) than those of their urban counterparts (62%). Therefore, when programs link funding to reimbursements for services provided—as these legacy programs do—these programs do not promote long-term sustainability as the overall volume of services provided in these facilities remains low. In other words, these programs do not actually provide hospitals with investments that would help them sustain themselves.

    Distinct from these other programs, the Rural Health Transformation Program is designed to promote innovation in payment and flexibility. These funds can be used to help these facilities make investments necessary to better meet the needs of the communities they serve and become more sustainable over the long term.

    HEALTH INDUSTRY PROMOTES FLAWED ANALYSES TO HIDE THE REAL POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL

    Rural hospitals only receive 7% of Medicaid hospital spending. Yet, industry leaders and lobbyists continue to cry foul, and fearmonger that the law puts rural care facilities at risk when in actuality the OBBB delivers historic investments into the Rural Health Transformation Program to ensure underserved rural hospitals are strengthened, a monumental victory that should be celebrated after years of neglect and lack of financial support.

    The disparity between urban and rural hospitals clearly shows how the waste, fraud, and abuse that proliferated under the Biden Administration did not benefit the most vulnerable hospitals. The OBBB aggressively goes after that waste, fraud, and abuse by enforcing eligibility requirements, prioritizing work over welfare, and putting Americans first by removing non-citizens and ending financing gimmicks used to subsidize coverage for illegal immigrants. This momentous effort to combat waste, fraud, and abuse is what allowed Congress and the Trump Administration to make this historic investment in rationalizing our health care system by actually ensuring new healthcare dollars reach facilities in vulnerable communities to help make them sustainable for good.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger, Lee Introduce Legislation to Reverse Biden-Era LNG Regulation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — As first reported in The Daily Caller, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) and Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) introduced legislation to reverse a misguided Biden-era regulation on American LNG Exports. The Cutting LNG Bunkering Red Tape Act codifies a Trump-era Department of Energy (DOE) order clarifying that ship-to-ship transfers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) used as marine fuel—commonly known as LNG bunkering—are not considered exports under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act unless conducted in foreign waters.

    “LNG exports unequivocally benefit our economy, domestic prices, national security, and partners and allies around the world that want our product. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration spent four years imposing one regulation after another on these exports, stifling the energy industry,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This legislation permanently reverses one of these misguided policies to ensure American LNG can compete on the global stage by removing regulatory uncertainty and streamlining its use as a cleaner, more efficient fuel source for maritime transportation. I am proud to lead this legislation with my good friend from Florida, Representative Laurel Lee.”

    “The Biden Administration’s harmful energy policies have created unnecessary regulatory burdens that stall innovation and weaken American energy leadership,” said Rep. Lee. “Liquefied natural gas is a more efficient, cleaner, and cost-effective energy source. My bill ensures that LNG bunkering is not hindered by red tape, so that ports in Florida and across the nation can continue to expand, drive job creation, and compete globally.”

    Read the full text of this legislation here.

    Background:

    ·     In December 2024, the Biden Administration issued a DOE order that asserted new oversight for LNG bunkering—transfers between ships in U.S. ports—subjecting it to burdensome federal regulations and requiring a public interest determination under the Natural Gas Act.

    ·     This policy disrupted domestic LNG markets and created unnecessary red tape for companies investing in LNG infrastructure and fuel options.

    ·     The Trump Administration later reversed the Biden-era interpretation, clarifying that LNG bunkering is not an export unless it occurs in foreign waters.

    ·     This bill codifies this Trump-era decision, ensuring long-term regulatory certainty and allowing the U.S. LNG market to continue growing without additional federal barriers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board Concludes 2025 Article IV Consultation with Equatorial Guinea and IMF Management Approves the First and Second Reviews Under the Staff Monitored Program for Equatorial Guinea

    Source: APO


    .

    • The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded today the 2025 Article IV consultation with Equatorial Guinea. IMF Management approved in June the combined first and second reviews under the Staff Monitored Program (SMP) and a 12 month SMP extension.
    • Equatorial Guinea registered a mild economic recovery in 2024, but the economy is projected to grow weakly and a drain on regional reserves is expected to continue in the medium term as hydrocarbon production declines. The banking sector is showing clear signs of improvement.
    • Performance under the program has been strong, with significant reforms implemented and a substantial fiscal adjustment that met the SMP conditionality. However, contrary to longstanding commitments, the authorities decided not to publish asset declarations of public officials. The program extension will provide the authorities with an opportunity to complete an alternative governance reform measure aimed at strengthening transparency in the extractive sector.

    The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Article IV Consultation for Equatorial Guinea.[1] IMF Management approved the completion of the first and second reviews and a 12-month extension of the Staff Monitored Program (SMP) for Equatorial Guinea on June 25, 2025. The authorities have consented to the publication of the Staff Report prepared for this consultation.[2]

    Equatorial Guinea registered a mild economic recovery in 2024, growing by 0.9 percent following a strong contraction in 2023. However, non-hydrocarbon GDP growth slowed in 2024 to 1.3 percent, and the economy is expected to grow only modestly in the medium term as hydrocarbon production declines. Inflationary pressures have persisted, with inflation increasing from 2.5 percent in 2023 to 3.4 percent in 2024.

    The banking sector showed clear signs of improvement in 2024 but remains undercapitalized. The average capital adequacy ratio of the system is marginally below the regulatory minimum, but substantially higher than at the end of 2022.

    The authorities’ substantial fiscal adjustment in 2024 improved the non-hydrocarbon primary balance from -22.3 percent of non-hydrocarbon GDP in 2023 to -17.0 percent in 2024. Public debt decreased from 39.1 percent to 36.4 percent of GDP. Equatorial Guinea’s contribution to foreign reserves at the regional central bank remained negative in 2024, following a reserve loss in 2023. The authorities planned further fiscal adjustment will aim to keep public debt below 50 percent of GDP despite the projected decline in hydrocarbon revenues and restore external balance in the medium term.

    The authorities have implemented substantial reforms over the past year in the context of the SMP. The significant fiscal adjustment in 2024 helped initiate stabilization of the public debt dynamics and restoration of external balance. They enacted a new tax law that broadens the tax base, prepared a plan to phase out fuel subsidies, began making payments under a new arrears clearance strategy and reformed the customs administration. The authorities took concrete steps toward restoring the health of the financial sector. In an effort to improve governance and transparency, they also developed an AML/CFT strategy and published contracts in the extractive sector and an audit of spending following the accidental explosions in Bata in 2021.

    The authorities’ policies have allowed them to meet almost all of the SMP’s quantitative conditionality as well as complete actions related to most of their structural reform program commitments in the areas of governance, financial sector development and structural fiscal policy. The authorities missed two structural benchmarks following their decision not to publish the asset declarations of public officials. The 12-month SMP extension will afford the authorities the opportunity to complete an alternative governance reform measure – the publication of an extractive industry transparency report in line with EITI standards – while continuing to implement their broader reform agenda.

    Executive Board Assessment[3]

    Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. Directors welcomed the authorities’ progress on their reform agenda under the Staff‑Monitored Program, noting its 12‑month extension. They stressed, however, that the macroeconomic environment remains challenging, particularly because of the continued decline in hydrocarbon production that is placing sustained pressure on fiscal and external balances. Directors urged steadfast reform implementation going forward, particularly to address long‑standing and serious governance challenges, which would help economic diversification and lay the foundation for private sector‑led, sustainable, and inclusive growth.

    Directors welcomed the authorities’ decision to anchor public debt to preserve debt sustainability and restore external balance. They emphasized that this will require a gradual and sustained fiscal adjustment in the face of declining hydrocarbon revenues. Directors welcomed the commitment to achieving the 2025 budget and stressed the need for continued efforts to mobilize domestic non‑hydrocarbon revenues and strengthen fiscal institutions. Improving public financial management remains essential. Directors called for ambitious social spending reform to improve social outcomes and boost human capital development. They stressed the importance of approving the social protection law to enable the building of comprehensive social safety nets.

    Directors commended the progress made toward restoring the health of the financial sector—including the completion of the audit of the systemic public bank and the creation of an arrears clearance strategy—but noted that vulnerabilities remain. Directors highlighted the importance of obtaining approval from the regional banking supervisor for the arrears clearance plan, further strengthening private banks’ balance sheets, and implementing the financial inclusion strategy.

    Directors urged the authorities to redouble their efforts to substantially improve transparency and governance. They regretted the authorities’ decision to step back from the long‑standing commitment to publish asset declarations of public officials, and many Directors urged the authorities to reconsider this option. Directors considered that the publication of an annual report on financial flows in the extractive sector could help demonstrate the authorities’ commitment to address their governance deficit. They recommended further governance reforms to address issues highlighted in the 2019 governance diagnostic, including implementing the AML/CFT strategy. A predictable and transparent business environment with reliable and efficient application of laws is needed to create a level playing field that would attract domestic and foreign investment.

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

    Table 1. Equatorial Guinea: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 2024–26

    Estimates

    Projections

    2024

    2025

    2026

    (Annual percentage change, unless otherwise specified)

    Production, prices, and money

    Real GDP

    0.9

    -1.6

    0.5

    Hydrocarbon GDP1

    0.4

    -6.4

    -2.6

    Non-hydrocarbon GDP

    1.3

    2.3

    2.8

    GDP deflator

    2.5

    3.0

    1.0

    Consumer prices (annual average)

    3.4

    2.9

    2.9

    Consumer prices (end of period)

    3.4

    2.9

    3.5

    Monetary and exchange rate

    Broad money

    2.6

    2.7

    2.9

    Nominal effective exchange rate (- = depreciation)

           …

    …

    …

    External sector

    Exports, f.o.b.

    -7.1

    1.6

    -8.7

    Hydrocarbon exports

    -8.4

    1.7

    -10.2

    Non-hydrocarbon exports

    2.6

    1.8

    1.0

    Imports, f.o.b.

    -8.9

    2.2

    -1.9

    Government finance

    Revenue

    -14.3

    0.7

    -5.0

    Expenditure

    -0.7

    4.9

    -1.3

    (Percent of GDP, unless otherwise specified)

    Government finance

    Revenue

    17.9

    17.8

    16.7

    Hydrocarbon revenue

    14.5

    14.3

    13.0

    Non-hydrocarbon revenue

    3.4

    3.5

    3.7

    Expenditure

    18.5

    19.1

    18.6

    Overall fiscal balance (Commitment basis)

    -0.6

    -1.3

    -1.9

    Overall fiscal balance (Cash basis)

    -1.0

    -2.0

    -2.6

    Non-hydrocarbon primary balance2

    -11.7

    -12.6

    -12.3

    Non-hydrocarbon primary balance (as percent of non-hydrocarbon GDP)

    -17.0

    -17.4

    -16.4

    Change in domestic arrears

    -0.3

    -0.7

    -0.7

    External sector

    Current account balance (including official transfers; – = deficit)

    -3.2

    -3.3

    -4.5

    Imputed Foreign Reserves (net), US$billion

    0.4

    0.4

    0.2

    Debt

    Total public debt

    36.4

    37.0

    38.4

    Domestic debt

    28.7

    28.0

    27.9

    External debt

    7.8

    9.0

    10.5

    External debt service-to-exports ratio (percent)

    6.2

    5.7

    6.2

    External debt service/government revenue (percent)

    7.9

    7.4

    7.7

    Memorandum items

    Oil price (U.S. dollars a barrel)3

    79.9

    67.7

    63.3

    Nominal GDP (billions of CFA francs)

    7,740

    7,846

    7,959

    Nominal GDP (millions of US dollars)

    12,769

    12,881

    13,138

    Hydrocarbon GDP (billions of CFA francs)

    2,401

    2,193

    1,971

    Non-hydrocarbon GDP (billions of CFA francs)

    5,340

    5,653

    5,987

    Government deposits (in percent of GDP)

    17.7

    17.5

    17.2

    Oil volume (crude and condensado, millions of barrels)

    29.1

    26.8

    25.1

    Gas volume4 (millions of bbls oil equivalent)

    51.8

    49.2

    49.5

    Total Hydrocarbon Volume (in millions of barrels of oil equivalent)

    81.0

    76.0

    74.7

    Exchange rate (average; CFA francs/U.S. dollar)

    606.2

    …

    …

    Sources: Data provided by the Equatoguinean authorities; and staff estimates and projections.

    1 Including oil, LNG, LPG, butane, propane, and methanol.

    2 Excluding hydrocarbon revenues, hydrocarbon expenditures, and interest earned and paid.

    3 The reference price for crude oil is the Brent.

    4 Includes LNG, propane, butane and methanol.

    [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] Under the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, publication of documents that pertain to member countries is voluntary and requires the member consent. The staff report will be shortly published on the www.imf.org/Countries/GNQ page.

    [3] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chair 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.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from the Department of Energy on Nomination of David Eisner

    Source: US Department of Energy

    The Department of Energy (DOE) today released the following statement from DOE Chief of Staff Carl Coe on the President’s nomination of David Eisner to serve as the Assistant Secretary of International Affairs

    Energy.gov

    July 25, 2025

    WASHINGTON— The Department of Energy (DOE) today released the following statement from DOE Chief of Staff Carl Coe on the President’s nomination of David Eisner to serve as the Assistant Secretary of International Affairs:

    “After careful consideration, David Eisner has made the decision to withdraw his nomination as the Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary of International Affairs. Eisner is a thoroughly qualified nominee with decades of experience working at the highest levels of the private and public sector. While we are disappointed that he will not be serving alongside the talented staff in DOE’s Office of International Affairs, we thank him for his service to the U.S. government and wish him the best in all future opportunities.”
     

                                                                                                            ###

    Demolition of former NNSA Albuquerque Complex Eliminates Over $11 Million in Deferred Maintenance

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Building stronger communities across rural Alberta

    [. That is why Alberta’s government is providing $114.6 million in grant funding to ensure rural communities have safe and efficient roads, bridges and community airports, as well as modern water and wastewater facilities to support their growing populations.

    The funding will be distributed through the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP), the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership (AMWWP) and Water for Life program. STIP provides grants to small and rural municipalities to maintain and improve local road bridges, community airports and local resource roads. AMWWP and the Water for Life program provide grants to municipalities to assist in the construction of high-priority municipal water supply and treatment facilities, as well as wastewater treatment and disposal facilities.

    “Rural Alberta is the backbone of our province, driving economic growth, feeding the world and strengthening our communities. Our government is investing in the infrastructure rural communities need to grow and thrive, whether it’s reliable roads, modern bridges, safe community airports or water facilities. These are the essentials that support families, attract investment and keep our rural economy moving. Through Budget 2025, we’re proud to partner with municipalities to deliver real, on-the-ground results that build stronger communities and a stronger Alberta.”

    Danielle Smith, Premier

    “Rural communities are vital to Alberta’s success. In Budget 2025, we are making targeted investments through the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program and our water grant funding programs to ensure rural communities across the province have effective transportation and water infrastructure to support their continued growth and prosperity.”

    Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors

    A total of 51 local road, bridge and community airport projects are receiving funding this year under STIP. They include a $2.6-million grant for reconstruction of Range Road 150 in Newell County, west of Brooks. This road is an important part of the county’s future truck route, providing connectivity for residents and commercial traffic between Highway 1 and Highway 542. STIP grants also include a $2.5-million grant for airfield pavement rehabilitation at the CYLB airport in Lac La Biche County and a $3.6-million grant to support the replacement of the Township Road 352 bridge over the Little Red Deer River, 23 kilometres west of Innisfail.

    Additionally, a $3.5-million grant will support an industrial rail extension project in Coaldale, which will allow local producers to transport southern Alberta-grown and manufactured goods to a global customer base in the agrifood processing sector.

    Funding is being provided for 35 water and wastewater projects this year in small and rural communities across Alberta. Approved projects under the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership include an $8.9 million grant to the City of Brooks to design and build a mechanical membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment plant to replace the lagoon-based system, a $2.4 million grant to the Wabasca Water Treatment Plant that will improve services at the existing facility while the community plans for a new water treatment facility, and a $923,000 grant to the town of Sylvan Lake to drill three new wells and upgrade an existing well to increase its water supply and ensure the community has reliable access to clean drinking water.

    “We’re very pleased to receive this substantial support from the Government of Alberta. The $8.9 million in funding for our new wastewater treatment facility is a critical investment in Brooks’ future. This project will help us meet the needs of a growing population, support economic development and ensure long-term sustainability for our community.”

    John Petrie, mayor, City of Brooks

    Projects funded under the Water for Life program include a $1-million grant to the Bonnyville Regional Services Water Commission to support engineering for Phase 2 of the regional waterline extension from Bonnyville to Glendon, providing clean drinking water to many communities along this route. As well, a $14.8-million grant is being provided to the Darwell Lagoon Commission for the Northeast Lagoon Extension project, which will help ensure long-term capacity, protect local watersheds and support future community growth. Additionally, a $1.6-million grant will allow Mountain View Regional Water Services Commission to connect its regional water supply lines to the new reservoirs in the Towns of Didsbury and Carstairs, supplying water to these communities, including water for use in firefighting.

    “Rural municipalities are the backbone of Alberta’s economy, fuelling industrial growth across our province. The RMA welcomes these targeted investments in roads, bridges and water infrastructure as a vital step to maintaining safe and reliable rural transportation networks, and we look forward to building on this progress to address remaining priorities. A sustained, collaborative partnership between the RMA and the Government of Alberta will ensure a prosperous future not just for rural municipalities, but for all Albertans.”

    Kara Westerlund, president, Rural Municipalities of Alberta

    This funding is included in Budget 2025 and is part of the Alberta government’s commitment to supporting rural and small municipalities in building and maintaining critical local transportation, and water and wastewater infrastructure.

    Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.

    Quick facts

    Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) grants:

    • 51 projects approved for 2025 will receive a total of $41 million in funding under the following STIP components:
      • Local Road Bridge Program – 38 projects receiving $23.8 million in provincial funding.
      • Community Airport Program – Five projects receiving $3.7 million in provincial funding.
      • Local Municipal Initiatives – Four projects receiving $8.6 million in provincial funding.
      • Resource Road Program – Four projects receiving $4.9 million in provincial funding.

    Water grants:

    • The 35 water and wastewater infrastructure projects approved for 2025 will receive $73.6 million:
      • Nine projects will receive about $33.4 million under Water for Life program.
      • 26 projects will receive about $40.2 million through AMWWP.

    Related information

    • Budget 2025
    • Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program
    • Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership
    • Water for Life

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Brown files a lawsuit against the Trump administration for subverting Congress by canceling millions in funds to provide shelter for migrants

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE – Attorney General Nick Brown today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for unlawfully canceling more than $4 million in congressionally approved funds intended to help the state provide shelter and support to migrants as they await further action on their asylum or other immigration claims.

    Since 2019—in a law signed by President Trump in his first term—Congress has provided funds to help states, local jurisdictions, and nonprofit organizations offer emergency food and shelter to noncitizen migrants after their release from DHS custody. As tens of thousands of humanitarian migrants arrived in Washington between 2022 and 2024, local shelters and municipalities struggled to meet the needs of these newcomers, which prompted the state to take action, including by applying for federal funds through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program.

    FEMA, which is part of DHS, awarded Washington more than $4 million in SSP funds. But before Washington could request payment under the award, FEMA unlawfully froze and later terminated the funding in a continuation of the Trump administration’s efforts to deprive states, like Washington, of federal funding to support the health and safety of migrants.

    “Once again, the Trump administration is breaking the law and ignoring Congress,” Brown said. “Congress created a program to provide funding for shelter for migrants. But now the president has illegally yanked the funds, ignoring the separation of powers, simply because he doesn’t like the program.”

    As the complaint notes, by creating a program intended to relieve overcrowding in federal short-term detention facilities, Congress “made a conscious choice to provide funds in a manner that would benefit some individuals who may have entered into the United States unlawfully.”

    As a result of broader migration trends that resulted in millions of people crossing the southwest border into the U.S. between 2019 and 2024, the number of noncitizen migrants present in Washington climbed ten-fold to 45,603 in 2024 from 4,156 in 2022. The state’s housing and homeless crisis response system was strained, and most emergency shelters were already filled each night, leaving thousands of newly arrived migrants homeless.

    Washington responded by appropriating $25 million for the Washington Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Support Project (the WA MASS Project), which was launched in October 2024 to help newly arrived migrants meet their basic needs such as shelter, food, and access to medical care. But the state recognized that more was needed and sought federal funding through the Shelter and Services Program.

    Brown argues in the complaint that DHS violated the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine because the Constitution grants “the power of the purse” to Congress and not the president. That means the administration can’t refuse to pay out funds already approved by Congress “simply because of policy objections,” the complaint states. He also alleges that DHS has violated the Administrative Procedure Act by taking actions that are arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law.

    Brown is asking the court to declare DHS’s decision to terminate the Shelter and Services Program unlawful and order the federal agency to restore the funding program.

    A copy of the complaint is available here.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta, Coalition Secure Temporary Agreement Pausing Restrictions on Head Start, Other Public Benefit Programs

    Source: US State of California

    Friday, July 25, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    Agreement prevents Trump Administration from making any changes to eligibility requirements based on immigration status for these programs before September 3, 2025 

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 20 other attorneys general today announced securing an agreement temporarily preventing the Trump Administration from implementing various agency notices significantly expanding federal public benefit ineligibility based on immigration status before September 3, 2025. Earlier this week, the coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s abrupt reversal of nearly three decades of federal practice that allowed access, regardless of immigration status, to certain public benefits programs that have historically been determined to protect life or safety and contribute to the overall welfare of communities. These programs include Head Start, childcare services for low-income people, adult education, mental health and substance use disorder programs, and shelters for at-risk youth and domestic violence survivors, among others. The coalition continues to seek a court order enjoining the Trump Administration from implementing the order for the duration of the litigation. 

    “The Trump Administration threw Head Start and other social safety net programs into chaos when it abruptly reversed nearly three decades of federal law and policy that opened these programs up to all,” said Attorney General Bonta. “With today’s agreement, these critical programs — and the families who rely on them — can breathe a little easier. California will not back down in the fight to protect access to these programs that help ensure that our communities thrive.”

    A copy of the stipulation is available here. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disposable Surgical Stapler Cartridge Correction: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC Issues Correction for Endopath Echelon to Address Inadvertent Lockout During Surgical Procedures

    Source: US Food and Drug Administration

    This recall involve correcting certain devices and does not involve removing them from where they are used or sold. The FDA has identified this recall as the most serious type. This device may cause serious injury or death if you continue to use it without correction.
    Affected Product

    Product Names: Endopath Echelon Vascular White Reload for Advanced Placement Tip (35mm, 4 row); Product code VASECR35
    Unique Device Identifier (UDI)/Model: 10705036014591
    Affected Lots: 917C65, 895C93, 918C15, 938C92, 936C69, 929C38, 948C78, 990C81, 979C81, 400D82, 962C74, 506D29, 379D80, 413D56, 418D41, 419D47, 415D43, 427D07, 434D35, 442D78, 442D83, 444D96, 456D87, 455D03, 493D27, 468D88, 482D30, 502D90, 489D62, 134D80, 112D03, 155D33, 159D49, 181D11, 194D77, 125D04, 167D13, 223D59, 175D72, 234D11, 238D70, 261D10, 270D69, 317D74, 194D76, 349D54, 347D73, 317D73, 356D54, 326D66, 319D76, 338D99, 336D39, 356D53, 367D26, 378D04, 214D1

    What to Do
    Confirm that all personnel using Endopath Echelon Vascular White Reload for Advanced Placement Tip (35 mm, 4 Row), product code VASECR35, understand the Instructions for Use (IFU) for the Echelon Flex Powered Vascular Stapler (product code PVE35A).
    Scan the QR Code below or follow the link provided for a video demonstration on how to manage a device lockout. Note: Technical support can be accessed 24/7 by calling 1-877-ETHICON (1-877-384-4266) option 4.

    Watch on YouTube
    On April 22, 2025, Ethicon sent all affected customers an Urgent Medical Device Correction letter recommending the following actions:

    Share the notification with all users of Endopath Echelon Vascular White Reload for Advanced Placement Tip (35 mm, 4 Row), product code VASECR35.
    Post a copy of this communication.
    If any subject product has been forwarded to another facility, contact that facility to share this information. 
    Complete the Business Reply Form confirming receipt of this notice within three business days.

    Reason for Correction
    Ethicon Endo-Surgery is correcting this product due to an inadvertent lockout during surgical procedures. The device will momentarily activate but will not cut or staple tissue. Additional steps will be required to open it and remove it from tissue. The device has been designed such that an instrument lockout event should not lead to patient harm. During a lockout, the device may briefly activate but will not cut or staple tissue, requiring additional steps to release and remove it safely. The knife does not advance far enough to cut, staples remain below the tissue contact surface, and a built-in gap between the anvil and staple cartridge face helps prevent vessel injury during clamping and unclamping.  
    A representative from Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC will be contacting customers to ensure familiarity with all aspects of the Echelon Flex Powered Vascular Stapler instructions for use.
    The use of affected product may cause serious adverse health consequences, including life-threatening hemorrhage, surgical delay, and death.
    There has been one reported death and one injury related to this issue.
    Device Use 
    The Echelon Flex Powered Vascular Stapler with Advanced Placement Tip and Endopath Echelon Vascular White Reload for Advanced Placement Tip (35mm, 4 Row) reloads are sterile, single patient use devices that simultaneously cut and staple tissue. There are four staggered rows of staples, two on either side of the cut line.
    This reload is used exclusively with the Echelon Flex Powered Vascular Stapler, product code PVE35A. The instrument’s lockout feature is designed to prevent a used or improperly installed reload from being fired, or an instrument from being fired without a reload.
    Contact Information
    Customers in the U.S. with questions about this recall should contact the Ethicon Resource Department at 1-877-ETHICON (1-877-384-4266).
    Additional FDA Resources:

    Unique Device Identifier (UDI)
    The unique device identifier (UDI) helps identify individual medical devices sold in the United States from manufacturing through distribution to patient use. The UDI allows for more accurate reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse event reports so that devices can be identified, and problems potentially corrected more quickly.

    How do I report a problem?
    Health care professionals and consumers may report adverse reactions or quality problems they experienced using these devices to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

    Content current as of:
    07/25/2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor awards $1M to support employment, assistance, for Arkansas residents affected by severe storms, flooding

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $1 million in grant funding to Arkansas for cleanup and recovery activities after severe storms caused extensive damage and flooding in April. 

    Between April 2-22, 2025, a strong weather system struck Arkansas, bringing severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding. The storm caused widespread devastation, destroying homes and businesses, displacing residents, causing utility outages, and disrupting critical public services throughout the state.

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a major disaster declaration on May 21, 2025, enabling Arkansas to request this funding. This award will assist with cleanup and recovery efforts in Dallas, Hempstead, Izard, Lafayette, Little River, Marion, Miller, Nevada, Pulaski, Searcy, and Sevier counties, and will be spread across four local workforce development areas. 

    This Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant allows the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services to provide residents with temporary jobs focused on cleanup and recovery efforts, as well as offer employment and training services to eligible participants in affected communities.

    Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, National Dislocated Worker Grants provide a state or local board with funding for direct services and assistance in areas experiencing a major economic dislocation event that leads to workforce needs exceeding available resources.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Announces Nearly $2 Million Settlement with Janitorial Franchising Companies Barring Use of Franchising to Misclassify Workers

    Source: US State of California

    Settlement includes $1,700,000 in restitution for underpaid CleanNet janitorial workers 

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a nearly $2 million settlement with CleanNet USA, Inc. and its four California Area Operators resolving an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office, which found that some of CleanNet’s janitorial franchisees were misclassified as independent contractors under CleanNet’s franchising model in violation of state law. CleanNet USA is a nationwide company that provides janitorial franchising and commercial cleaning services under the “CleanNet” brand name and grants franchising rights to its California Area Operators, who sell CleanNet unit franchises to individuals and entities in California and enter into franchise contracts with these unit franchisees. After the payment of an initial franchise fee, CleanNet assigns cleaning services contracts to unit franchisees, who then provide cleaning services for CleanNet’s customers. As a result of CleanNet’s unlawful misclassification of certain individual franchisees who personally performed cleaning work, these workers were denied the protections of California’s employment laws, such as the right to minimum and overtime wages, regular meal and rest periods, reimbursement of business expenses, and accurate and itemized wage statements, and were further subjected to unlawful deductions from their wages. Under the settlement, CleanNet will pay $1,700,000 in restitution and $150,000 in civil penalties and comply with injunctive terms requiring it to cease its misclassification of certain cleaners, notify all former and current workers of the settlement, and undergo monitoring for three years, among other terms. 

    “Too often, franchising is used by predatory businesses to misclassify vulnerable workers and avoid paying a fair wage and other employee benefits,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I hope this settlement sends a strong message to others in the janitorial or other sectors who might consider skirting the law to save a quick buck. My office is watching, and we won’t hesitate to enforce our employment laws.”

    Misclassification of workers occurs when an employer improperly classifies their employees as independent contractors so that they do not have to pay payroll taxes, minimum wage or overtime, or comply with other wage and hour law requirements such as providing meal periods and rest breaks. “Employees,” unlike “independent contractors,” are entitled to a wide range of rights, benefits, and protections under California law, including workers’ compensation coverage if injured on the job, the right to family leave, unemployment insurance, the legal right to organize or join a union, and protection against employer retaliation. As courts across the country have found, the use of a franchising business model does not shield companies who use these models to misclassify their workers from liability.

    Under the settlement, CleanNet USA and its four California area operators, CleanNet of Southern California, Inc. (DBA CleanNet of Southern California), D&G Enterprises, Inc. (DBA CleanNet of the Bay Area), Paqnet, Inc. (DBA CleanNet of San Diego), and FCDK, Inc. (DBA CleanNet of Sacramento), (collectively, CleanNet) will change their franchising business model, pay civil penalties, and provide restitution to their cleaners for the losses the cleaners incurred due to their unlawful deductions, failure to reimburse cleaners for their supplies, and failure to pay at least the minimum wage for all hours worked. All current and former cleaners will be notified by CleanNet with next steps to claim restitution.

    Additionally, CleanNet will preserve all documents and records necessary to demonstrate its compliance with the terms of the stipulated judgment and make those records available to the California Department of Justice for at least three years. CleanNet will also provide training to all current and future cleaners as part of a mandatory initial certification program to ensure that all cleaners understand their duties as employers when they hire other workers to perform cleaning work for CleanNet’s customers, and that they are aware of the liabilities and risks associated with misclassifying their own employees as independent contractors. The franchise will also remove a clause from its template customer service agreement that restrains employee mobility.

    Attorney General Bonta is dedicated to upholding workers’ rights and combating unfair labor practices. In 2024, Attorney General Bonta filed 31 criminal charges against US Framing for wage theft and tax evasion; defended wages and overtime owed in the West Coast Drywall lawsuit; and secured a settlement with Amalfi Stone & Masonry Company, Inc., resolving allegations of unfair competition, payroll tax, and labor violations. In 2023, Attorney General Bonta launched a historic investigation into gender discrimination in the National Football League; joined 17 attorneys general in supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed rule limiting non-compete agreements; launched a legal fight for in-home-healthcare workers; and fought for the rights of transportation workers and immigrant children.

    A copy of the complaint and stipulated judgment, which is subject to court approval, is available here and here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –