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Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Stansbury Fights to Secure Millions for New Mexico

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)

    $158.45 million in federal Community Project Funding (CPF) requests will support essential local projects

    WASHINGTON D.C. — As the U.S. House of Representatives begins marking up appropriations bills in the House this week, Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) submitted 15 Congressionally funded community projects, totaling $158,450,000 for communities across New Mexico in the upcoming 2026 budget process. Since coming to office, Rep. Stansbury has secured CPF funding for 37 projects focused on tackling New Mexico’s biggest challenges in public safety, housing, healthcare, education, protecting our lands and waters, and investing in our future.   

    “I came to Congress to support the needs of New Mexico using every tool available,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). “As the Administration targets funding and resources our communities depend on, Community Project Funding is one of the most powerful tools we have to deliver investments necessary to support lasting and generational change for communities across our state. These 15 projects will help deliver vital healthcare and behavioral health services in rural communities, help seniors and families experiencing homelessness, help tackle the fentanyl crisis and public safety issues, protect our cultural heritage, and deliver water to communities across the state.  I am proud to work with the state, local, and tribal leaders who are working every day to address these needs on the ground.” 

    After more than a decade, Congress resumed congressionally directed spending for community projects four years ago.  Since then, Rep. Stansbury has secured millions in funding for fire, emergency, and public safety services, housing and food assistance, healthcare and behavioral health programs, economic development, and youth and education programs across the state.  Past submissions for Fiscal Year 2022,Fiscal Year 2023, and Fiscal Year 2024 budgets are available online. Last year, Rep. Stansbury submitted $104 million in CPF requests to support New Mexico, but Republicans stripped FY25 Community Project Funding from their Continuing Resolution.

    This year Rep. Stansbury submitted 15 projects to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration, pending approval through the Congressional budget and appropriations process. Projects this year were restricted to a limited number of federal programs, and only state, local, and Tribal governments and eligible entities are permitted to receive funding. The House Appropriations Committee will consider these requests alongside other submissions as part of the FY 2026 appropriations process, which begins with Appropriations Committee markups this week.

    Once the Appropriations Committee approves projects, they will be subject to passage in both Chambers of Congress before being signed into law. This process will likely extend into fall, with the Fiscal Year 2016 beginning on October 1. 

    A summary of the 15 projects submitted by Rep Stansbury is provided below: 

    Investing in Public Safety Across the State 

    Lincoln County, Regional Wildfire Mitigation Public Safety and Training Complex – $3,000,000 
    Funding will support building a new Regional Public Safety and Training Center to help address wildfires and boost the region’s ability to hire, train, certify, and retain firefighters.

    Fort Sumner, Fire and Rescue Fire Station – $ 1,300,000  
    Funding will support building a new fire station in Fort Sumner to serve the community on the West side of the Pecos River, allowing timely emergency response and a new community hub in the Sunny Side subdivision.

    State Police Department, Technical Capabilities Improvements – $1,650,000  
    Funding will enable NM State Police to improve wireless and other technical capabilities statewide. This includes improving 5G technologies, cellular routers, and Automated License Plate Readers, increasing real-time situational awareness and allowing for more informed and rapid decision-making for first responders. 

    Albuquerque Police Department, Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Mobile Lab Vehicle – $800,000  
    Funding will enable the City of Albuquerque to add a new CSI Mobile Lab vehicle to update its current fleet and help meet expanded public safety needs across the Albuquerque metro area. 

    Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Public Safety Vehicles – $1,000,000  
    Funding will support BCSO’s replacement of an aging fleet of vehicles to enhance operations and reduce maintenance costs to meet public safety needs across the Bernalillo County area.   

    Addressing Rural Healthcare and Behavioral Health Needs 

    Valencia County, Acute Care Hospital – $8,000,000  
    Funding will support construction of a state-of-the-art acute care hospital in Los Lunas, designed to meet the healthcare needs of the growing rural communities of Valencia County. This hospital will be a critical lifeline for local residents increasing access to both emergency and inpatient care.  

    Sandoval County, Behavioral Health Clinic – $8,000,000  
    Funding will support the construction of a comprehensive behavioral health and resource center in the Town of Bernalillo, in partnership with a broad set of local, tribal, and county stakeholders to address community needs related to addiction, housing, mental health and family services. This center will serve a large number of rural and remote communities across Sandoval County, providing a first-of-its-kind regional hub for urgent and ongoing medical and behavioral health needs.  

      

    Addressing Homelessness, Housing Insecurity, and Supporting Vulnerable Families 

    Bernalillo County, Affordable Housing – $2,000,000  
    Funding will provide housing for low- and moderate-income families in Downtown Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. This project will provide safe and stable temporary housing for seniors and families in need of housing support.   

    Albuquerque, Transitional Housing for Families – $1,000,000  
    Funding will support the purchase and rehabilitation of transitional housing for vulnerable families experiencing crisis. This project will help families grow out of emergency and short-term shelters and into longer term housing while they continue to get back on their feet. 

    Albuquerque, Senior Stability Shelter – $1,700,000  
    Funding will support building a new permanent shelter for seniors who are experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in Albuquerque. This project will provide safe and stable permanent housing in a vulnerable part of the city.   

    Protecting Our Water Infrastructure

    Middle Rio Grande Pueblos, Rio Grande Pueblo Irrigation Infrastructure – $82,700,000   
    Funding will provide long-overdue support for improving acequia and irrigation infrastructure for the six middle Rio Grande Pueblos and addressing deferred maintenance, repairs, and upgrades needed for improvements in agricultural irrigation on Pueblo lands.

    City of Santa Rosa, Drinking Water Pipelines Project – $4,000,000  
    Funding will support construction of a major project for improving drinking water supplies in the City of Santa Rosa and replacing aging infrastructure impacting drinking water pipelines.  

    Town of Bernalillo, Wastewater Project – $20,000,000  
    Funding will support the rehabilitation of the Town of Bernalillo’s aging wastewater treatment plant, extending the service life of its infrastructure and future growth in the community to protect water supplies.   

    Village of Corrales, Wastewater Treatment Facility – $20,000,000  
    Funding will help install a treatment facility and expand wastewater collection across the Village of Corrales to protect local groundwater from septic system contamination, conserve water resources by recycling treated wastewater, and supporting long-term sustainability.  

    Protecting our Cultural Heritage and Historic Buildings 

    Estancia and East Mountains, Estancia Town Hall Renovation – $3,300,000 
    Funding will support planning and capital improvement repairs of the historic Estancia Community Center. The community center serves as a vital hub, offering access to essential services, educational programs, and support for generations of New Mexicans. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: GAZA – Dozens of Palestinians massacred at US-Israel backed food distribution sites- MSF

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

    Jerusalem: Dozens of Palestinians were killed and hundreds more injured yesterday, 1 June, as they waited for food at the newly created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution centres in Rafah and close to the Netzarim Corridor, according to the Ministry of Health.

    Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) teams joined the mass casualty response in Nasser hospital, Khan Younis. Patients told MSF they were shot from all sides by drones, helicopters, boats, tanks and Israeli soldiers on the ground.

    “Today’s events have shown once again that this new system of aid delivery is dehumanising, dangerous and severely ineffective. It has resulted in deaths and injuries of civilians that could have been prevented. Humanitarian aid must be provided only by humanitarian organisations who have the competence and determination to do it safely and effectively,” states Claire Manera, MSF emergency coordinator.

    MSF teams at Nasser hospital treated patients with serious injuries today. Some patients in critical condition are still undergoing surgery. But with the blood banks almost empty, medical staff themselves have had to donate blood.

    “The hospital corridors were filled with patients, but unlike what I have witnessed before, where most of the patients were women and children, today it was mainly men. They lay in their beds in the hallways because the rooms are already packed with injured people. They had visible gunshot wounds in their limbs, and their clothes were soaked with blood,” says Nour Alsaqa, MSF communications officer. “They looked shattered and distraught after trying to secure food for their children, returning instead injured and empty handed. Outside, there was shouting, sirens, a constant rush of new arrivals to the emergency room. Amid the chaos, we received confirmation that a colleague’s brother had been killed while attempting to collect aid from the distribution centre,” she adds. Mansour Sami Abdi, a father of four, described the chaos: “People fought over five pallets. They told us to take food—then they fired from every direction. I ran 200 metres before realising I’d been shot. This isn’t aid. It’s a lie. Are we supposed to go get food for our kids and die?”

    “I was shot at 3:10am. As we were trapped, I bled constantly until 5:00am. There were many other men with me. One of them tried to get me out. He was shot in the head and died on my chest. We had gone there for nothing but food — just to survive, like everyone else,” says Mohammad Daghmeh, 24, a displaced person in Al-Qarara, Khan Younis.

    This is the second time this new system of aid distribution has led to bloodshed. On 27 May, the first afternoon of distribution in Rafah, Israeli forces shot dozens of people as wholly insufficient amounts of basic lifesaving supplies were distributed amid chaos.

    As a result of the total siege that was imposed by the Israeli authorities on 2 March, 100 per cent of Gaza is now at risk of famine, according to the United Nations. Since 19 May, the few hundred food trucks brought in – an insufficient fraction of what is needed – have spread despair among the 2 million plus people who have been largely deprived of food, water, and medication for three months now. Totally or partially blocking humanitarian aid to enter Gaza has aggravated the situation of all Gazans.

    MSF reinforces that, along with displacement orders and bombing campaigns that kill civilians, weaponising aid in this manner may constitute crimes against humanity. Only a lasting ceasefire and the immediate opening of Gaza’s borders for humanitarian aid – including food, medical supplies, fuel and equipment – can ease this man-made catastrophe.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Canada: First Ministers’ statement on building a strong Canadian economy and advancing major projects

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    “Today, Canada’s First Ministers met in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to build a stronger, more competitive, and more resilient Canadian economy. This marks the first time that a First Ministers’ Meeting has taken place in Saskatchewan in over 40 years.

    “First Ministers expressed their deep concern regarding the wildfire situations across Canada, including in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, and pledged to continue to provide assistance and support to impacted provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities.

    “First Ministers discussed the federal government’s plan to remove trade barriers and advance major projects of national interest, including by tabling their One Canadian Economy legislation, so Canada can be stronger at home and abroad.

    “First Ministers agreed to work together to accelerate major projects in support of building a strong, resilient, and united Canada. As a first step, First Ministers discussed projects of national interest which fit the following criteria, subject to consultation with Indigenous Peoples whose rights may be affected:

    • Strengthen Canada’s autonomy, resilience, and security.
    • Offer undeniable benefits to Canada and support economic growth.
    • Have a high likelihood of successful execution.
    • Are a high priority for Indigenous leaders.
    • Have clean growth potential, such as the use of clean technologies and sustainable practices.

    “First Ministers also agreed to continue the discussion on projects of national interest, working with provincial and territorial governments.

    “This is a first step in implementing a broader set of reforms to overhaul the project assessment process. A significantly improved, streamlined project assessment process is necessary for Canada to grow its economy to become the strongest in the G7 and a global energy superpower.

    “First Ministers are committed to immediately begin to address project approval and permitting efficiency and timelines for all projects. Premiers welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment to ensuring all federal assessment decisions are rendered within two years, beginning with projects of national interest. First Ministers also agreed to work toward efficiently and effectively implementing ‘one project, one review’ with the goal of a single assessment for all projects, in a manner that respects federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdiction, enhancing co-ordination activities on permitting and eliminating duplication. This will help kickstart economic growth and ensure that projects get built in a timely manner. First Ministers pledged to fulfil the Crown’s duty to consult with Indigenous Peoples and discussed ways to strengthen Indigenous ownership and partnerships to provide Indigenous communities with generational economic opportunities.

    “Nation-building infrastructure and corridors, such as highways, railways, ports, airports, pipelines, nuclear projects, clean and conventional energy projects, and electricity transmission systems, are crucial for driving Canadian productivity growth, energy security, and economic competitiveness. First Ministers agreed that Canada must work urgently to get Canadian natural resources and commodities to domestic and international markets, such as critical minerals and decarbonized Canadian oil and gas by pipelines, supported by the private sector, that provide access to diversified global markets, including Asia and Europe. First Ministers also agreed to build cleaner and more affordable electricity systems to reduce emissions and increase reliability toward achieving net zero by 2050. In order to generate economic and social benefits, this work must be done by bringing together the right conditions, including Indigenous equity and participation, and deferring to provincial and territorial environmental assessments, where applicable.

    “First Ministers also discussed needed investments in dual-use infrastructure in Northern and Arctic communities that will address Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and security goals, meet local community needs, advance national energy independence, and unlock the North’s economic potential. Indigenous equity and participation will be pivotal to the success of these projects. Premiers acknowledged the federal commitment to move quickly to improve Canada’s defence capabilities and meet international spending targets.

    “Through recent federal, provincial, and territorial efforts and actions led by the Committee on Internal Trade and the Forum of Labour Market Ministers, significant progress has been made toward removing internal trade barriers and further facilitating the movement of goods, services, and workers across the country. Recognizing there is more work to do, First Ministers committed to unlock multilateral, economy-wide mutual recognition and labour mobility, while respecting Québec’s specificity. First Ministers directed the Committee on Internal Trade to rapidly conclude a comprehensive Mutual Recognition Agreement covering consumer goods, in alignment with the Committee on Internal Trade discussions, with implementation by December 2025. In addition, they directed their Ministers of Transport to work together to rapidly expand the trucking pilot. They also agreed to a 30-day service standard for pan-Canadian credential recognition.

    “First Ministers also stressed the importance of creating a new economic and security relationship with the United States to remove the unjustified American tariffs – including longstanding unjustified duties on softwood lumber – and create a more stable and predictable trade environment. They underscored they all have a role to play to achieve this.

    “The federal government committed to working urgently to remove Chinese tariffs on Canadian agriculture and seafood products. First Ministers emphasized the critical importance of regular and ongoing engagement with China at the highest level to improve the overall trade relationship. In the face of ongoing tariffs, they also discussed opportunities to diversify trade and broaden market access for Canadian exporters.

    “First Ministers emphasized the importance of joint efforts to maintain safe and secure communities, including by enhancing the criminal justice system through meaningful and urgent bail and sentencing reforms supporting law enforcement, addressing delays in the criminal justice process, and reviewing risk assessment for sentencing and release of repeat sex offenders and individuals charged with intimate partner violence and gender-based violence crimes. First Ministers recognized the devastating impact the toxic illegal drug supply is having on Canadian communities and committed to dismantling the illicit drug trade, including fentanyl and its precursors. First Ministers directed federal-provincial-territorial Attorneys General and Ministers of Justice and Public Safety to bring forward an action plan to promote safe and vibrant communities for consideration at a future meeting.

    “First Ministers agreed to continue to work collaboratively and address the priorities of all Canadians in every region of the country. To that end, they will meet regularly to drive action on shared priorities vital to Canada’s security and economic resilience.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: Russian military destroyed 205 Ukrainian UAVs outside the Russian-Ukrainian conflict zone — Russian Defense Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, June 2 (Xinhua) — Over the past 24 hours, Russian air defense systems have shot down 316 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the aircraft type, including 205 outside the Russian-Ukrainian conflict zone, the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

    In addition, two Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles and four Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guided bombs were also shot down.

    Operational-tactical aviation, attack drones, missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces have damaged workshops for the production of attack drones, ammunition depots, as well as temporary deployment points of the Ukrainian army and foreign mercenaries in 152 districts, the Russian Defense Ministry indicated. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Statement by IOM Spokesperson on the Devastating Floods in Nigeria

    Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

    Geneva/Abuja, 2 June 2025 – The international Organization for Migration (IOM) is deeply saddened by the devastating floods that struck Niger State, in Nigeria’s North-Central Region, on the night of 29 May 2025.  

    According to latest data from IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, more than 3,000 people have reportedly been affected, with at least 153 lives lost and 11 reported injuries. The floods have destroyed homes, farmlands, water sources, essential infrastructure and health facilities, leaving families without shelter, food, clean water and access to critical health services. 

    IOM is working in close coordination with the Federal and State Governments, through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to support response efforts. IOM has deployed a team of enumerators to assess the damage and identify urgent needs. 

    Together with government authorities and local and international partners, IOM is mobilizing urgent assistance to provide life-saving support to those affected. 

    IOM extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to all those impacted by this heartbreaking disaster. 

    For More information, please contact IOM Media Center. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police attending sudden death in Muriwai

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police are in attendance at a car fire in Muriwai this morning.

    Fire and Emergency advised Police of the fire on Jack Butt Lane at 8.34am.

    The fire has been extinguished and a person’s body has been located next to the vehicle.

    The immediate area has been cordoned off for a scene examination to be carried out.

    Police will be carrying out enquiries into the circumstances of the fire.

    As these enquiries are still in the very early stage, we are unable to comment further at this stage.

    Police ask that anyone in the area this morning with information make contact.

    You can update Police online now or call 105 using the reference number P062750420.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Two-Hundred-Eighty-Two Charged in New Cases Related to SDTX’s Continuing Efforts to Secure Southern Border

    Source: US FBI

    HOUSTON – In support of Operation Take Back America, the Southern District of Texas has filed another 281 cases in immigration and border security-related matters from May 23-29, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    Among those are 105 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 163 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while seven cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration crimes, child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and firearms.

    One such person charged this week is Carlos Enrique Gonzalez-Pena, an alien present in the United States with a work visa who was allegedly found in possession of CSAM. The charges allege he had visited the darknet where he viewed child pornography sites. A forensic examination of his computer allegedly resulted in the discovery of two video files involving a female child approximately four to six years of age, one of which showed her being sexually assaulted. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. 

    Another one of the cases involves Humberto Vasquez – a Mexican male who allegedly attempted to exit the United States via the Donna Port of Entry. Upon inspection, law enforcement discovered four pistols belonging to him as well as 870 rounds of assorted ammunition, according to the charges. The complaint alleges he did not possess an export license that would authorize him to transport such items into Mexico and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of illegal exportation of firearms. 

    Authorities also found three Mexican nationals near Mission this week with no legal permission to be in the United States, according to the complaints against them. Victor Manuel Ornelas-Ochoa, Alfredo Samuel Gallegos-Esquivel and Exequiel Solano had allegedly been previously removed from the country and have felonies to include possession with intent to deliver marijuana, human smuggling and aggravated sexual assault of a child, respectively. They are all charged with illegal reentry and could receive up to 20 years in prison. Another man who faces the same charges and penalty is Julio Sanchez-Lorenzo. He is a Mexican male who had just been removed from the United States via Brownsville May 21 with no permission to return, according to the charges. However, authorities allegedly found him just six days later near Roma. 

    In addition to the new cases, a federal jury in Houston convicted a Mexican citizen for illegally reentering the United States under an assumed identity. On June 11, 2024, authorities found Jose Martin Valdez-Galvan in Laredo. At that time, he provided a false name and claimed to be a U.S. citizen. Testimony revealed Valdez-Galvan originally stole the person’s identity to avoid previous charges for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Valdez-Galvan was an illegal alien who had been previously removed but returned to the United States without permission. He had assumed the other person’s identity in 2015 after his second removal. He faces up to a 20-year prison sentence. 

    “Both public safety and basic common sense require us to know who is entering and residing in our country. Those that adopt false or stolen personas to hide their identities pose an increased criminal risk to our community,” said Ganjei. “Theft of an American citizen’s identity by a foreign national will not be tolerated, and those that engage in such criminality will be charged, punished, and, if appropriate, deported.”

    In Corpus Christi, an intoxicated driver admitted he was an alien illegally in possession of firearm. Honduran national Josias Eliseo Ulloa-Pavon had been driving under the influence of alcohol before crashing Feb. 18. Upon arrival at the scene, authorities found him pinned inside the fully overturned vehicle. He had red bloodshot eyes, appeared unsteady on his feet and had a strong odor of alcohol. A search revealed a magazine containing six rounds of ammunition in his pocket and a Bersa Model Thunder .380 caliber pistol in his car.  

    Two men from Brownfield admitted to conspiring to transport illegal aliens in Laredo federal court this week. On March 22, authorities observed a Ford Expedition circumventing a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Laredo. Mac Quese Howard was driving, and De Richardson Miller was in the front passenger seat providing directions. Authorities conducted a traffic stop and found three illegal aliens hidden in the back seat. Miller and Howard admitted they had travelled to Laredo for the sole purpose of picking up the aliens and transporting them to San Antonio for payment.

    Also announced was the sentencing of a Mexican national with a felony criminal history and multiple prior removals for illegally reentering the country again. Juan Humberto Lara Molina’s has a lengthy drug, weapons and immigration criminal history including two other illegal reentry convictions. He was also convicted of dealing cocaine in Indiana and unlawful sale of firearms in Illinois and was previously ordered removed from the United States on multiple occasions, most recently in November 2021. However, law enforcement discovered him at the Falfurrias BP checkpoint Dec. 12, 2024. He was one of seven individuals being transported farther north by human smugglers in a tractor-trailer. He was ordered to serve 24 months in federal prison. 

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

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

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Charged with Hate Crime in Attack on Boulder Gathering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Mohammed Sabry Soliman, age 45, of Colorado Springs, has been charged with one count of a hate crime involving actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin.

    According to the criminal complaint, on June 1, 2025, at approximately 2pm, Soliman threw two lit Molotov cocktails at individuals participating in a gathering near the Boulder Courthouse of members of “Run for Their Lives,” which organizes weekly walks to call attention to the Israeli hostages in Gaza.  When he threw the Molotov cocktails, Soliman yelled “Free Palestine!”  The Molotov cocktails ignited in the crowd of people, causing burn injuries to eight individuals.

    The complaint also alleges that when Soliman was detained by local law enforcement, at least fourteen unlit Molotov cocktails and a backpack weed sprayer, potentially containing a flammable substance, were found nearby.  A car registered to Soliman, parked a block away, contained a red gas container, red material consistent with rags used in the Molotov cocktails, and paperwork with the words, “Israel,” “Palestine,” and “USAID.”

    The complaint further alleges that, during an interview with local and federal law enforcement, Soliman stated that he had researched on YouTube how to make Molotov cocktails, purchased the ingredients to do so, and constructed them.  He traveled to Boulder in his vehicle with the Molotov cocktails and threw two of them at individuals participating in the gathering.  He stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead.  He stated that he would do it (conduct an attack) again.  Throughout the interview, Soliman stated that he hated the “Zionist group” and did this because he needed to stop them from taking over “our land,” i.e., Palestine.  He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year.

    The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations Denver Field Office and the Boulder Police Department.  The prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the Civil Rights Division and the National Security Division, both of the Department of Justice, and in coordination with the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office (Twentieth Judicial District).

    Case Number:  25-mj-000108-NRN

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Modernize Investor Disclosure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ted Budd (R-NC), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Katie Britt (R-AL) recently introduced the Improving Disclosure for Investors Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation requiring the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to propose rules allowing for the default electronic delivery of regulatory documents to investors. 

    “U.S capital markets have embraced the digital age and rely on far less paper now than they did 25 years ago, and it is past time that we bring disclosure requirements into the 21st century,” said Senator Tillis. “Nearly 80% of surveyed Americans already utilize electronic delivery and this commonsense legislation will heighten efficiency and cut down on unwanted paper while still preserving investors’ ability to receive printed hard copies if they wish.”  

    “Today’s economy runs in the digital age, and we need to catch up,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “Cutting red tape is as simple as going paperless.” 

    “As business and industry modernize, the SEC must allow financial firms to do the same,” said Senator Budd. “Making E-Delivery the default for firms and their clients will enhance security and cut unnecessary red tape. I am proud to work alongside Senator Tillis and my colleagues to ensure investors can efficiently access to their information without experiencing delays caused by outdated paper systems.”

    “As our capital markets have evolved and digitized, investor communications must adapt,” said Senator Britt. “This commonsense legislation would allow for more efficient and convenient access to financial information for investors who already overwhelmingly choose electronic delivery to receive these disclosure documents. This legislation saves time and resources and reduces unnecessary costs for both financial firms and consumers.”

    “The time is overdue to make electronic delivery the default means for delivering investor communications, while giving investors the power to choose paper delivery if preferred. Survey results show that a large majority of retail investors, regardless of income or age, want e-delivery for its environmental benefits, speed, and convenience. SIFMA commends Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ted Budd (R-NC), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Katie Britt (R-AL) for introducing The Improving Disclosure for Investors Act. This important bipartisan legislation is the natural next step in modernizing the SEC’s framework in light of changing investor preferences and technology.”- Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA)

    “The bipartisan Improving Disclosure for Investors Act will allow millions of investors to receive information electronically, the overwhelming preference for most Americans,” said ICI CEO and President Eric J. Pan. “This is a big step forward in modernizing information delivery, while allowing those that prefer to receive paper statements to continue to do so. ICI applauds Senators Hickenlooper, Tillis, Shaheen, Rounds, Peters, Budd, and Britt for furthering this important legislation in the interest of investors. Their leadership in enhancing the retail investment experience will make US capital markets even stronger. We urge the swift passage of this legislation.”

    “Fidelity Investments applauds Senators Thom Tillis and John Hickenlooper for the bipartisan re-introduction of the Improving Disclosure for Investors Act, which directs the SEC to make electronic delivery (eDelivery) the primary way to receive disclosures, with significant investor protections in the transition. eDelivery has been shown to be a more secure, effective, and timely way to receive critical investment information. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress and the SEC to advance this commonsense reform.” – Fidelity Investments 

    “Charles Schwab commends Senators Tillis and Hickenlooper for their efforts in crafting this legislation, which would require the SEC to promulgate rules to default to the e-delivery of regulatory documents required under the securities laws, while still allowing those who prefer to receive documents in paper form. Default e-delivery is long-overdue, as a large majority of investors prefer the speed and convenience of receiving documents electronically. E-delivery allows Schwab to deliver our products at lower cost, avoids waste, and is environmentally friendly. Schwab looks forward to working with these Senators and their colleagues to move this important legislation forward.” – Charles Schwab 

    “LPL Financial supports the Improving Disclosure for Investors Act of 2025, introduced by Senators Tillis, Hickenlooper, Rounds, Shaheen, Budd, Peters, Britt. The benefits of e-delivery have been well documented. Disclosures can be available on demand, interactive, and easier to navigate. Reducing paper helps the environment. The visually impaired and savers whose first language is not English can benefit from features of digital communications, including translation options. And for those who want paper delivery, the ability to receive one at any point assures continued access. We applaud the Senators for introducing this bill and look forward to working with lawmakers to enact this bipartisan legislation.” – LPL Financial

    “Environmental Paper Network commends this bipartisan effort to reduce waste and improve efficiency while preserving consumer choice. Mandated paper delivery of investor documents results in over 830 million printed pages each year, consuming 101,000 trees and producing emissions equal to nearly 7,000 cars. The Improving Disclosure for Investors Act updates outdated rules by making electronic delivery the default. Most investors prefer faster, more convenient digital access. This common-sense shift will cut costs and environmental harm while still allowing anyone to opt for paper.” – Environmental Paper Network 

    Background: 

    The SEC currently permits electronic delivery of certain documents, subject to requirements that a registrant provides notice that the information is available electronically, the investor has adequate access to such information, and the registrant either obtains evidence to show actual delivery or obtains informed consent from the investor (“opt-in” requirement). The SEC has not comprehensively updated this framework in over 20 years. This legislation requires the SEC establish a means for investment disclosure documents to be delivered electronically by default, while still providing a clear pathway for investors to opt out of electronic delivery and revert to paper documents at any time.  

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Four-Hundred-Thirteen New Immigration Cases This Week in the Western District of Texas

    Source: US FBI

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 413 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 23 through May 29.

    Among the new cases, Salvadoran national Jaqueline Del Carmen Aleman-Aguilar was charged with one count of illegal re-entry in San Antonio. According to a criminal complaint, Aleman-Aguilar was convicted for transportation of aliens in June 2015 and sentenced to six months in federal prison. She was then removed from the United States to Mexico in July 2015.

    Christian Ruben Corea-Benavides, a Nicaraguan national, was charged in El Paso with attempting to transport illegal aliens. U.S. Border Patrol agents allegedly observed Corea-Benavides pick up five illegal aliens just over four miles west of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges that during a traffic stop, the investigating USBP agent observed a female passenger in the front seat of the vehicle, and four additional passengers lying on top of one another in the backseat—all appearing to be wet and muddy.

    Mexican national Sabino Renteria-Alvarado was arrested May 28 at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry after he attempted to enter through the pedestrian entrance and allegedly presented the Customs and Border Protection officer (CBPO) with a false claim that he had been a Legal Permanent Resident, but that police in Nevada possessed his LPR card. The CBPO referred Renteria-Alvarado to Passport Control Secondary, where records revealed he had been previously removed in January 2024 through Nogales, Arizona. His criminal record includes a 15-year prison sentence for a sexual assault of a minor conviction in 2017. Renteria-Alvarado is currently charged with one count of illegal re-entry.

    Two U.S. citizens were arrested in the Del Rio area as the result of separate human smuggling attempts, as alleged in criminal complaints. Nancy Anna Gwyn, of Houston, was encountered during a May 22 traffic stop near Carrizo Springs. USBP agents allegedly uncovered three passengers in her vehicle who were identified to be citizens of foreign countries and illegally present in the U.S. On May 24, an immigration checkpoint inspection near Eagle Pass allegedly revealed that Anastasia Lee Daneill Godfrey, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was attempting to transport two illegal aliens to San Antonio in the trunk of a sedan.

    Honduran national Walter Alonso Martinez-Chandias is charged with illegal re-entry. He has one prior removal—in June 2013 through Alexandria, Louisiana—and a lengthy criminal record that includes convictions in Birmingham, Alabama for drug trafficking and homicide, for which he was sentenced in 2018 to five years and 20 years in prison, respectively. In 2017, he was convicted in Birmingham for unlawful transport of firearms and sentenced to 81 months in prison. A criminal complaint alleges that when he was arrested on May 25, Martinez-Chandias refused to comply with Border Patrol agents’ commands and resisted attempts to be placed in custody and handcuffs by running and kicking.

    Luis Alberto Olivarez-Hernandez, of Mexico, was arrested May 27 near Eagle Pass for illegal re-entry. He has two prior removals, the last one being Feb. 25 through Laredo, five days after a felony conviction for unlawfully carrying a weapon in prohibited places. Additionally, Olivarez-Hernandez was convicted in 2010 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

    Armando Vazquez-Ruiz, also a Mexican national, is charged with illegal re-entry after being found near Eagle Pass less than two weeks after his most recent removal. Vazquez-Ruiz had been convicted in Georgetown May 7 for assault causing bodily injury and was deported May 8 through Laredo.

    In Austin, Mexican national Basilio Luna-Luna was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Travis County Jail May 24, where he was detained for what would be his seventh DWI, if convicted. Luna-Luna was previously removed from the U.S. in November 2014 and voluntarily returned to Mexico twice—once in 1998 and once in 2009.

    Juan Alberto Zarate-Salgado, also of Mexico, was encountered at the Travis County Jail as well and is charged with illegal re-entry. Zarate-Salgado has two prior removals and multiple convictions for assault of a family/household member and assault causing bodily injury to a family member.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

    These cases are 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).

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Father and Son Indicted for Providing Material Support to Mexican Cartel Engaged in Terrorism

    Source: US FBI

    Defendants are alleged to have illegally imported tens of millions of dollars in crude oil

    BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two family members with ties to South Texas have been charged with allegedly conspiring to materially support a Mexican cartel previously designated as a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to commit money laundering and related smuggling charges, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    The superseding indictment, returned May 22, alleges Maxwell Sterling Jensen, 25, Draper, Utah, and James Lael Jensen, 68, Sandy, Utah, conspired to provide material support to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) in the form of U.S. currency. The Secretary of State designated CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization Feb. 20. 

    “This case underscores the more aggressive and innovative approach the Southern District of Texas is taking towards combatting the scourge of drug cartels,” said Ganjei. “This strategy focuses not just on the traffickers and trigger-pullers directly employed by the cartels, but also targeting their confederates and enablers. Whether you are handing the cartel a gun, providing a car or safehouse for smugglers, or putting money in the cartel’s pocket, you will be held to account.”

    The Jensens allegedly operated Arroyo Terminals, an enterprise based in Rio Hondo.

    Both are also charged with allegedly conspiring to conduct financial transactions to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the proceeds of illegally smuggled goods, crude oil. They also aided and abetted the fraudulent entry of approximately 2,881 shipments of the oil in violation of the Tariff Act, according to the charges.  

    “Cases like this highlight the often-dangerous relationships between alleged unscrupulous U.S. businesses and terrorist organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio. “Through strong collaborations and relentless investigative work, we and our partners exposed a possible large-scale operation that allegedly attempted to move millions in illicit crude oil and launder the proceeds. HSI remains committed to protecting our economy and holding offenders accountable.”

    “What began as a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) drug trafficking investigation evolved into a multifaceted case involving an alleged complex criminal operation generating millions of dollars from crude oil – the largest funding source for Mexican drug cartels,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of DEA – Houston. “Given the charges have profound implications for both the United States and Mexico, we will continue to explore all leads and identify any believed to be involved. The collaboration with federal law enforcement, prosecutors, and state agencies proved critical to unraveling these alleged crimes and will continue until such operations are destroyed.”

    “It is a top priority of the FBI to eliminate foreign terrorist organizations by depriving them of the funding they need to operate and by seizing their most valued assets,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the San Antonio Field Office. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will use every resource and capability at our disposal to ensure violent cartels and anyone who corruptly facilitates their operations are held accountable to the American people and unable to establish a foothold in our communities.”

    “Our commitment to taking down drug cartels and organized crime leverages IRS Criminal Investigation’s (CI) specialty in forensic accounting that identifies the alleged money trail and shuts down the flow of cash, just like we did in this case,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan, of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “Some of our best special agents are using their law enforcement expertise to build unshakeable cases to ensure criminals are taken off the streets and their ill-gotten gains are returned to the American people.”

    At the time of the initial arrests, authorities seized four tank barges containing crude oil, three commercial tanker trucks, an Arroyo Terminal pickup truck and one personal vehicle. The Arroyo Terminal property in Rio Hondo, crude oil contained Arroyo Terminal storage tanks and additional real properties are also sought for forfeiture. The superseding indictment also contains notice that the United States will seek a $300 million money judgment upon conviction. 

    The conspiracies to provide material support and to commit money laundering both carry a possible prison term of up to 20 years. If convicted of aiding and abetting the smuggling of goods into the United States and doing so by means of false statements, both men could also face up to 10 and five years, respectively. James Jensen also faces one count of money laundering spending which carries an additional 10 years in prison, upon conviction.  

    With the exception of the money laundering charge which has the possibility of up to a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved, the remaining counts carry a maximum $250,000 potential fine. 

    The investigation was a joint effort among many law enforcement partners to include FBI, ICE-HSI and DEA with substantial assistance of IRS CI along with Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Department of Public Safety.

    Operation Liquid Death involved the combined efforts of DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI and IRS CI and others and is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) James Sturgis and Laura Garcia are prosecuting the case. AUSAs Mary Ellen Smyth and Tyler Foster are handling seizure and forfeiture matters.

    An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s steel tariffs are unlikely to have a big impact on Australia. But we could be hurt by what happens globally

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott French, Senior Lecturer in Economics, UNSW Sydney

    Shestakov Dymytro/Shutterstock

    Just one day after the US Court of Appeals temporarily reinstated the Trump Administration’s Liberation Day tariffs of between 10% and 50% on nearly every country in the world, Trump announced tariffs on all US imports of steel and aluminium will increase from 25% to 50%.

    He told the rally of steel workers in Pennsylvania the increase would come into effect Wednesday US time.

    Trump said the increase “will even further secure the steel industry in the United States.” But Australia’s trade and tourism minister, Don Farrell, called them “unjustified and not the act of a friend” and “an act of economic self-harm that will only hurt consumers and businesses who rely on free and fair trade.”

    There was hope Australia would obtain an exemption from the original tariffs introduced in February. But it now seems clear Trump is intent on applying the tariffs across the board. And, unlike the Liberation Day tariffs, these are unlikely to face significant legal challenges.

    So, how will the steel tariffs affect Australians? To understand this, it is important to understand how it will affect the US and its other trading partners.

    The direct effect will be small

    As with the original 25% tariffs, the direct effect on Australian steel and aluminium producers will not be profound.

    Only about 10% of Australia’s steel and aluminium exports, and less than 1% of its overall production, goes to the US. Australia’s own BlueScope Steel’s North Star mill in Ohio is actually set to benefit from the tariffs.

    But most Australians will feel the effects of the tariffs through the indirect effects on US manufacturing and America’s trading partners.

    Impact on the US

    We know a lot about how US manufacturing will be affected because this has all happened before. In 2002, George W. Bush imposed tariffs of 8%-30% on steel products, before withdrawing them less than two years later. And Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium in his first term.

    Research has shown the tariffs did slightly increase US metal production but at great cost. In addition to increasing prices for US consumers, as tariffs typically do, the Bush steel tariffs reduced overall employment, as manufacturers that use steel as an input laid off workers or went out of business.

    Further, while these tariffs were only in place for a short time, the affected US industries took years to recover, and many never have.

    The same thing happened with the tariffs from Trump’s first term, where any gains in steel and aluminium production were more than offset by losses in metal-consuming industries.

    For Australians, this means many products we buy from the US are going to get more expensive. This includes vehicles and aircraft as well as machinery and medical equipment used by Australian producers. And if the past is a guide, many products will simply become unavailable.

    Effects on trading partners

    While Australia does not export large amounts of steel and aluminium to US, other countries do. The higher tariffs will further depress the Canadian and Mexican metals industries, which can affect Australian industry in several ways.

    First, if North American consumers are buying less of everything, that reduces demand for Australia’s exports, both directly and indirectly as the reduced spending makes is way down the supply chain.

    Australia exports very little steel to the US so is less likely to be hurt by the direct impact of the tariffs.
    IndustryViews/Shutterstock

    Second, the affected metals manufacturers will look for other markets for their products. Canada is not likely to flood Australia with cheap aluminium, but it may, for example, displace some of our exports to South Korea. And this is happening as the OECD is warning of excess steel capacity, driven in part by China’s outsized steel subsidies.

    But this is not all bad news for Australians. While local steel and aluminium producers will suffer from the diversion of supply from the US, a temporary fall in prices would offer some relief after the post-pandemic rise in building and infrastructure costs.

    Retaliatory tariffs

    On top of all these effects are the effects of retaliatory tariffs by other countries, as the EU has already threatened. Like the US tariffs, these tariffs will make consumers on both sides poorer, reducing demand for Australian exports. But they will open new markets as well. For example, China’s retaliatory tariffs on US almonds have caused a boom in Australian exports.

    The big question for Australia is how this will affect the price of iron ore, by far our largest export. So far, we have not seen major price swings. But if the latest salvo in Trump’s trade war causes the global economy to slow significantly, or if China backs off its steel subsidies, this could change.

    State of uncertainty

    And perhaps the most significant impact of the latest change in US tariff policy is the effect of ongoing uncertainty over US and global trade policy. Trade policy uncertainty reduces international trade flows and chills business investment.

    Whether a business is considering a venture dependent on an input that will be affected by tariffs or, like BlueScope’s Ohio steel mill, might stand to benefit from US tariffs, the uncertainty over what the policy will be tomorrow, let alone five years from now, will make any company hesitant to commit major funds.

    A case in point is Whyalla Steelworks, which has received a $2.4 billion rescue package and is currently in administration and seeking a buyer.

    With Donald Trump able to upend the global steel industry again at any moment, buyers will be thinking twice before investing billions of dollars, which is bad news for nearly everyone, not least of which the residents of Whyalla, who await the fate of a major local employer.

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

    – ref. Trump’s steel tariffs are unlikely to have a big impact on Australia. But we could be hurt by what happens globally – https://theconversation.com/trumps-steel-tariffs-are-unlikely-to-have-a-big-impact-on-australia-but-we-could-be-hurt-by-what-happens-globally-257959

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Speaks About Trump’s Attack on Green Jobs at Energy Action Network (EAN) and EAN Climate Workforce Coalition Forum

    US Senate News:

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

    WINOOSKI, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, joined a forum hosted by the Energy Action Network (EAN) and the EAN Climate Workforce Coalition on how Congressional policy and budget decisions may impact Vermont’s energy transformation and climate action initiatives, including Vermont’s climate workforce. 
    “President Trump has put Big Oil first, and his attacks on green jobs prove it. He and his administration are walking back our global climate goals, gutting tax credits that help folks make energy efficiency home upgrades, and slashing green jobs and climate research. Vermonters have made their opposition to Trump’s actions clear—I’ve heard from hundreds of folks across our state who are deeply concerned about how Republicans’ budget will raise costs for families, businesses, and farmers,” said Senator Welch. “I’ll continue to join Senate Democrats in standing up to these attacks and fighting for a clean energy future.” 
    Republicans’ reconciliation bill will repeal clean energy programs established through the historic Inflation Reduction Act and raise energy costs for American households and businesses. It will eliminate jobs in manufacturing, clean technologies, and budding industries, and has already sown economic uncertainty throughout the energy sector. 
    The legislation advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives would effectively repeal many of the clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act while expanding fossil fuel production and subsidies. Specifically, the bill: 

    Rescinds unspent funding for clean energy grant programs in the Inflation Reduction Act;  
    Eliminates or effectively eliminates most clean energy tax credits including: 

    Electric Vehicles Tax Credit for new and used vehicles;  
    Energy Efficiency Home Improvement Tax Credit; 
    Clean Electricity Investment and Production Tax Credits; 
    Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit; and 

    Mandates oil and gas leases on public lands and allows Big Oil companies to pay the government to fast-track environmental reviews. 

    All told, Republicans’ plans will have drastic consequences for the economy. Studies predict that repealing the Inflation Reduction Act will eliminate 790,000 jobs, increase energy costs for American consumers by $32 billion between 2025-35, and shrink the U.S. economy by $190 billion in 2035. President Trump’s policies have already killed $14 billion in clean energy investments and 10,000 new energy jobs since he took office. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Receives Report on Independent Investigation Regarding Vehicle Use

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has received the final report of the independent investigation he commissioned regarding the use of state-owned motor vehicles assigned to the Office of the Governor. The investigation was conducted by Shipman & Goodwin LLP.

    “I asked for an investigation to be conducted by an independent firm because I believe the people of Connecticut deserve transparency and accountability from their government, and I remind my team every day that we need to lead by example,” Governor Lamont said. “To correct this issue and ensure better accountability, my office immediately adopted internal controls and policies around acceptable use of state vehicles and returned pooled vehicles to DAS.”

    Late last year around the same time that he commissioned the investigation, the governor mandated that all staff who use vehicles assigned to the office take a training course on the proper use of state-owned motor vehicles.

    Last month, a decision was made to return the two motor vehicles assigned to the office back to the fleet maintained by the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services. Accordingly, the Office of the Governor no longer has any motor vehicles assigned to it and staff are no longer using them.

    **Download: Final report of independent investigation conducted by Shipman & Goodwin LLP

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust Declares its Monthly Common Shares Distribution of $0.070 per Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust (the “Trust”) has declared its regular monthly distribution of $0.070 per share on the Trust’s common shares (NYSE: XFLT), payable on July 1, 2025, to common shareholders of record as of June 16, 2025, as noted below. The amount of the distribution represents a 9.09% decrease from the previous month’s distribution amount of $0.077 per share.

    The Trust’s investment objective is to seek attractive total return with an emphasis on income generation across multiple stages of the credit cycle. Due to recent market volatility, the loan and CLO asset classes have experienced drastic interest rate spread compression, which has negatively impacted asset class yields. In the most recent quarter, market conditions were marked by heightened volatility stemming from tariff developments and ongoing trade tensions. With the new distribution amount of $0.070 per share, the Trust’s annualized distribution rate on market price was 14.51% and the annualized distribution rate on NAV is 13.86% as of market close on May 30, 2025.

    The following dates apply to the declaration:

         
    Ex-Dividend Date   June 16, 2025
       
    Record Date   June 16, 2025
       
    Payable Date   July 1, 2025
       
    Amount   $0.070 per common share
       
    Change from Previous Month   9.09% decrease
         

    Common share distributions may be paid from net investment income (regular interest and dividends), capital gains and/or a return of capital. The specific tax characteristics of the distributions will be reported to the Trust’s common shareholders on Form 1099 after the end of the 2025 calendar year. Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Trust is net income or profit. For further information regarding the Trust’s distributions, please visit www.xainvestments.com.

    XFLT Q1 Webinar

    The Trust plans to host its Quarterly Webinar on June 4, 2025, at 12:00 pm (Eastern Time). Kevin Davis, Managing Director at XA Investments will moderate the Q&A style webinar with Kimberly Flynn, President at XA Investments, and Lauren Law, Senior Portfolio Manager at Octagon Credit Investors.

    TO JOIN VIA WEB: Please go to the Knowledge Bank section of xainvestments.com or click here to find the online registration link.

    TO USE YOUR TELEPHONE: After joining via web, if you prefer to use your phone for audio, you must select that option and call in using a number below, based on your current location.

    Dial: (312) 626-6799 or (646) 558-8656 or (267) 831-0333 or (213) 338-8477 or (720) 928-9299

    Webinar ID: 817 1030 7383

    REPLAY: A replay of the webinar will be available in the Knowledge Bank section of xainvestments.com.

    The Trust’s net investment income and capital gain can vary significantly over time; however, the Trust seeks to maintain more stable common share monthly distributions over time. The Trust’s investments in CLOs are subject to complex tax rules and the calculation of taxable income attributed to an investment in CLO subordinated notes can be dramatically different from the calculation of income for financial reporting purposes under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), and, as a result, there may be significant differences between the Trust’s GAAP income and its taxable income. The Trust’s final taxable income for the current fiscal year will not be known until the Trust’s tax returns are filed.

    As a registered investment company, the Trust is subject to a 4% excise tax that is imposed if the Trust does not distribute to common shareholders by the end of any calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gain or loss) for the calendar year and (ii) 98.2% of its capital gain in excess of its capital loss (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period generally ending on October 31 of the calendar year (unless an election is made to use the Trust’s fiscal year). In certain circumstances, the Trust may elect to retain income or capital gain to the extent that the Board of Trustees, in consultation with Trust management, determines it to be in the interest of shareholders to do so.

    The common share distributions paid by the Trust for any particular period may be more than the amount of net investment income from that period. As a result, all or a portion of a distribution may be a return of capital, which is in effect a partial return of the amount a common shareholder invested in the Trust, up to the amount of the common shareholder’s tax basis in their common shares, which would reduce such tax basis. Although a return of capital may not be taxable, it will generally increase the common shareholder’s potential gain, or reduce the common shareholder’s potential loss, on any subsequent sale or other disposition of common shares.

    The distribution shall be paid on the Payment Date unless the payment of such distribution is deferred by the Board of Trustees upon a determination that such deferral is required in order to comply with applicable law to ensure that the Trust remains solvent and able to pay its debts as they become due and continue as a going concern, or to comply with the applicable terms or financial covenants of the Trust’s senior securities.

    Future common share distributions will be made if and when declared by the Trust’s Board of Trustees, based on a consideration of a number of factors, including the Trust’s continued compliance with terms and financial covenants of its senior securities, the Trust’s net investment income, financial performance and available cash. There can be no assurance that the amount or timing of common share distributions in the future will be equal or similar to that described herein or that the Board of Trustees will not decide to suspend or discontinue the payment of common share distributions in the future.

    The investment objective of the Trust is to seek attractive total return with an emphasis on income generation across multiple stages of the credit cycle. The Trust seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a dynamically managed portfolio of opportunities primarily within the private credit markets. Under normal market conditions, the Trust will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in floating rate credit instruments and other structured credit investments. There can be no assurance that the Trust will achieve its investment objective.

    The Trust’s common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “XFLT,” and the Trust’s 6.50% Series 2026 Term Preferred Shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “XFLTPRA”.

    About XA Investments

    XA Investments LLC (“XAI”) serves as the Trust’s investment adviser. XAI is a Chicago-based firm founded by XMS Capital Partners in 2016. XAI serves as the investment adviser for two listed closed-end funds and an interval closed-end fund. The listed closed-end funds, the XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust and XAI Madison Equity Premium Income Fund both trade on the New York Stock Exchange and the interval fund, Octagon XAI CLO Income Fund is available via direct subscription and through select broker/dealers and wealth management platforms.

    In addition to investment advisory services, the firm also provides investment fund structuring and consulting services focused on registered closed-end funds to meet institutional client needs. XAI offers custom product build and consulting services, including development and market research, sales, marketing, fund management.

    XAI believes that the investing public can benefit from new vehicles to access a broad range of alternative investment strategies and managers. XAI provides individual investors with access to institutional-caliber alternative managers. For more information, please visit www.xainvestments.com.

    About XMS Capital Partners
    XMS Capital Partners, LLC, established in 2006, is a global, independent, financial services firm providing M&A, corporate advisory and asset management services to clients. It has offices in Chicago, Boston and London. For more information, please visit www.xmscapital.com.

    About Octagon Credit Investors
    Octagon Credit Investors, LLC (“Octagon”) serves as the Trust’s investment sub-adviser. Octagon is a 25+ year old, $32.1B below-investment grade corporate credit investment adviser focused on leveraged loan, high yield bond and structured credit (CLO debt and equity) investments. Through fundamental credit analysis and active portfolio management, Octagon’s investment team identifies attractive relative value opportunities across below-investment grade asset classes, sectors and issuers. Octagon’s investment philosophy and methodology encourage and rely upon dynamic internal communication to manage portfolio risk. Over its history, the firm has applied a disciplined, repeatable and scalable approach in its effort to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for its investors. For more information, please visit www.octagoncredit.com.

    XAI does not provide tax advice; please consult a professional tax advisor regarding your specific tax situation. Income may be subject to state and local taxes, as well as the federal alternative minimum tax.

    Investors should consider the investment objectives and policies, risk considerations, charges and expenses of the Trust carefully before investing. For more information on the Trust, please visit the Trust’s webpage at www.xainvestments.com.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction.

    NOT FDIC INSURED        NO BANK GUARANTEE    MAY LOSE VALUE
             

    Paralel Distributors, LLC – Distributor

    Media Contact:

    Kimberly Flynn, President
    XA Investments LLC
    Phone: 888-903-3358
    Email: KFlynn@XAInvestments.com
    www.xainvestments.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Arbor Realty Trust Closes Landmark $802 Million Collateralized Loan Obligation Securitization

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    UNIONDALE, N.Y., June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) today announced the closing of a unique build-to-rent loan securitization totaling approximately $802 million (the “Securitization”) on May 30, 2025. An aggregate of approximately $683 million of investment grade-rated notes were issued (the “Notes”) and Arbor retained subordinate interests in the issuing vehicle of approximately $119 million and approximately $41 million of the investment grade Notes. The funding structure includes approximately $50 million of capacity to acquire additional loans for a period of up to 180 days from the closing date of the Securitization.

    The Securitization is unique in including loans secured by build-to-rent properties in various stages of horizontal and vertical construction. Construction loan advances will be funded, in part, by the issuing entity and, in part, by an Arbor affiliated holder of participation interests in the mortgage loans. The Securitization includes a $200 million senior revolving note, proceeds of which will be used by the issuer to fund construction and other loan advances, to acquire collateral interests on the closing date or to acquire replacement collateral assets during the replenishment period. Approximately $50 million was drawn on the revolving note at closing.

    The investment grade Notes placed with investors have an initial weighted average spread of 2.48% over Term SOFR, excluding fees and transaction costs. The facility has a two year replenishment period that allows principal proceeds from repayments of the portfolio assets and the revolving note fundings to be reinvested in qualifying replacement assets, subject to certain conditions.

    The offering of the investment grade-rated Notes was made pursuant to a private placement. The investment grade-rated Notes were issued under an indenture and secured initially by a portfolio of real estate related assets and cash with a face value of $652 million, with such real estate related assets consisting primarily of first mortgage construction and bridge loans.

    Arbor intends to own the portfolio of real estate related assets through the vehicle until its maturity and expects to account for the Securitization on its balance sheet as a financing. Arbor will use the proceeds of this Securitization to repay borrowings under its current credit facilities, pay transaction expenses and fund future loans and investments.

    Certain of the Notes were rated by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and all of the Notes were rated by DBRS, Inc.

    The Notes are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

    About Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.

    Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) is a nationwide real estate investment trust and direct lender, providing loan origination and servicing for multifamily, single-family rental (SFR) portfolios, and other diverse commercial real estate assets. Headquartered in New York, Arbor manages a multibillion-dollar servicing portfolio, specializing in government-sponsored enterprise products. Arbor is a leading Fannie Mae DUS® lender and Freddie Mac Optigo® Seller/Servicer, and an approved FHA Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) lender. Arbor’s product platform also includes bridge, CMBS, mezzanine and preferred equity loans. Rated by Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings, Arbor is committed to building on its reputation for service, quality, and customized solutions with an unparalleled dedication to providing our clients excellence over the entire life of a loan.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    Certain items in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Arbor can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Arbor’s expectations include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions generally, and the real estate markets specifically, continued ability to source new investments, changes in interest rates and/or credit spreads, and other risks detailed in Arbor’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and its other reports filed with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Arbor expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Arbor’s expectations with regard thereto or change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

    Contact: Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.
    Investor Relations
    516-506-4200
    InvestorRelations@arbor.com
       

    The MIL Network –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Tackling barriers to collecting road traffic fines and parking charges from foreign motorists – E-001123/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Parking policy and enforcement is primarily a municipal matter falling under Member States’ competence.

    Technical barriers to be addressed at national level in the future could include for example the use of the latest digital and technical interoperable solutions for parking to scan licence plates.

    As regards parking fees levied by city authorities, there is currently no EU legislation for the cross-border data transfer of vehicle- or vehicle holder-data to follow up parking offences, unless such offences constitute road safety related traffic offences (such as, dangerous parking).

    If so, Directive (EU)2015/413 as amended[1] will be applicable in the future and the EU-wide information exchange system (e.g. based on EUCARIS[2]) will be available for cross-border data exchange for enforcement purposes.

    For parking fees levied by private companies, the European Small Claims Procedure[3] to collect unpaid fees may be used.

    Council Framework Decision 2005/214/JHA on the application of the principle of mutual recognition to financial penalties[4] can be applied in cross-border cases for non-payment of financial penalties in case its strict conditions are met.

    The procedure applies to all offences for which financial penalties can be imposed, including road traffic offences. The final decision imposing the financial penalty must be issued by a criminal court or an administrative authority.

    In the latter case the law has to provide for the person concerned the opportunity to have their case tried by a court having jurisdiction in particular in criminal matters[5].

    Only the most severe parking offences (dangerous parking or stopping) meet these criteria. Member States can refuse to recognise and execute the decision, if the financial penalty is below EUR 70.

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202403237.
    • [2] https://www.eucaris.net/.
    • [3] https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/dealing-with-customers/solving-disputes/european-small-claims-procedure/index_en.htm. The procedure covers claims up to EUR 5 000 (excluding expenses) in any EU country except for Denmark.
    • [4] OJ L 076 22.3.2005, p. 16.
    • [5] See Article 1 (a) (ii) and (iv) of Council Framework Decision 2005/214/JHA.
    Last updated: 2 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: State Highway 1, Clarence closed

    Source: New Zealand Police

    State Highway 1, Clarence is currently closed near Clarence Valley Road due to a vehicle fire.

    The fire was reported at around 6:20am.

    No injuries have been reported.

    Detours are in place and motorists are advised to expect delays.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Ensuring New Yorkers Keep Cool during Extreme Heat

    Source: US State of New York

    n Global Heat Action Day, Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted new and enhanced resources available to protect New York communities from extreme heat this summer. Measures will help New Yorkers access affordable cooling at home and at cooling centers, provide additional support for cool and resilient buildings, help keep kids cool at schools, and offer new tools and expanded funding for communities to prepare for and adapt to extreme heat and mitigate urban heat islands. The New York State Department of Health also launched its interactive New York State Heat Risk and Illness Dashboard that will allow the public and county health care officials to determine the forecasted level of heat-related health risks in their areas and raise awareness about the dangers of heat exposure.

    “Scorching summer temperatures and increasing extreme weather events threaten the lives and well-being of New Yorkers across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why I’m directing State agencies to take action and ensure all New Yorkers can afford and access relief from the full spectrum of heat risks.”

    Heat waves and other extreme heat events are likely to happen again this summer and New York State agencies are working to implement initiatives recommended by the State’s Extreme Heat Action Plan to help New Yorkers prepare for heat’s negative health and environmental impacts. A range of new and enhanced resources are available for individuals, local governments, and community-based organizations, including:

    • New support for cooling at home: With the new Essential Plan Cooling program, NY State of Health will provide eligible Essential Plan members a free air conditioner to help keep their homes cool. This will complement assistance available in 2025 through the HEAP Cooling program which served more than 23,000 households in 2024.
    • Better access to cooling centers: New resources are available to help connect New Yorkers with safe spaces for cooling. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) will continue to coordinate with local health departments and emergency managers to update the Cooling Center Finder throughout summer 2025. DOH offers new resources to provide information about best practices for setting up cooling centers and how these locations could serve as clean air centers. Round 8 of the Climate Smart Communities grant program is now open, making $22 million available to fund GHG mitigation and climate adaptation projects, including establishing cooling centers.
    • Additional support for cool buildings: Funding available through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) supports weatherization and clean and efficient heating and cooling that can improve extreme heat resilience at homes, community anchor institutions, schools, and more. The Office of General Services’ new “Decarbonization and Climate Resiliency Design Guide” was released for new and majorly renovated State building projects to assess and reduce climate risk (including extreme heat and Urban Heat Islands) through proactive design.
    • New investments in cool schools: The Education Law newly requires public school districts and BOCES to develop an extreme heat policy, which establishes certain temperature thresholds. NYSERDA offers additional funding to install clean cooling and heating at schools, for example through funding as part of the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act.
    • Enhanced tools and funding for cool communities: Preliminary extreme heat exposure maps and DOH’s Heat Vulnerability Index help communities understand exposure and vulnerabilities. Programs such as Climate Smart Communities fund communities in planning, designing, and implementation solutions. New and expanded funding supports nature-based solutions such as urban forests, urban farms, and community gardens to cool neighborhoods and mitigate heat islands. Governor Hochul’s New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative expanded outdoor swimming through the Connect Kids to Swimming Instruction Transportation grant program and advanced capital projects for swimming facilities in underserved communities through the NY SWIMS Round One competitive grant program.

    Implementation of the Extreme Heat Action Plan

    New York State also marks significant progress on the first year of implementation of the Extreme Heat Action Plan (EHAP) with the first readiness update now available. In June 2024, Governor Hochul, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the EHAP Work Group released the plan with nearly 50 actions by State agencies to address extreme heat impacts across four tracks (local planning and capacity building, community preparedness and workers’ safety, resilient buildings and access to cooling, and advancing ecosystem-based adaptations). DEC is coordinating the implementation of the plan in partnership with NYSERDA and the members of the Work Group, including the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and the State Department of Health (DOH).

    During the first year implementing the plan, State agencies made significant progress in developing new resources that help communities address impacts of extreme heat. The full update on implementation progress is available here.

    Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Extreme heat driven by our changing climate is contributing to serious public health consequences and threats to New Yorkers, particularly New Yorkers in communities of color and communities historically overburdened by pollution. DEC and our agency partners released the Extreme Heat Action Plan last year under Governor Hochul’s directive and applaud the significant programs and efforts underway to protect lives and advance efforts to ensure our communities are better prepared to respond to severe weather.”

    New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “On Global Heat Action Day, New York State is strengthening its commitment to providing access to reliable, efficient, and affordable cooling solutions in communities across the state. The resources announced today show tremendous progress in implementing the Extreme Heat Action Plan, assuring all New Yorkers – including the most vulnerable – that relief will be available during the hottest months of the year.”

    Staying Safe During Extreme Heat

    The dangers of extreme heat can affect everyone, regardless of age, physical shape, or existing health conditions. The body works extra hard to maintain a normal temperature during extreme heat and, without taking proper measures, this can lead to heat-related illness or even death.

    Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Extreme heat can be deadly, so it’s important that New Yorkers take it seriously. Governor Hochul has made addressing extreme heat a priority as multiple days of high temperatures are becoming more common here in New York. Our state agencies have worked together to make resources available for communities and residents, including free air conditioners to help those eligible keep their homes cool and a comprehensive online tool to assist individuals looking for cooling centers. I urge everyone to prepare now for the extreme temperatures coming our way this summer.”

    State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “As extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe due to climate change, it’s critical that we equip New Yorkers with the tools and resources they need to stay safe and healthy. These new initiatives will not only expand access to cooling centers and protect vulnerable populations, but also help build healthier, more resilient communities. We’re proud to work alongside Governor Hochul and our state partners to ensure that every New Yorker, especially those most at risk, can find relief from extreme heat.”

    Information about what the public can do during hot weather and how to locate cooling centers can be found on DOH’s Extreme Heat website.

    The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) can also provide an air conditioning unit to income-eligible households that include someone with a documented medical condition exacerbated by extreme heat, or households with young children or older adults. Applications will continue to be accepted until funding runs out. For more information, visit the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance website or contact your local office for the aging at 1-800-342-9871.

    Groups most at risk are:

    • People who work outdoors or indoors without air conditioning
    • Adults aged 60 years and older
    • Infants, children, and those who are pregnant
    • People with chronic health conditions
    • Those with physical and cognitive disabilities
    • Those with no access to air conditioning
    • Individuals who live alone or are unhoused
    • Athletes
    • Pets and service animals
    • People living in cities because asphalt and concrete store heat longer and release heat more slowly at night. This produces higher nighttime temperatures and is known as the “urban heat island effect.”

    Another important heat safety tip is to never leave children or pets unsupervised in hot cars. There is a real and severe danger when leaving children or pets unsupervised in a car even when temperatures don’t “feel” hot. At 60 degrees outside, after just one hour a closed car can get as hot as 105 degrees.

    Supporting Local Extreme Heat Action

    New York State continues to make investments in programs to help mitigate extreme heat and other climate impacts. Currently, $22 million is available through the Climate Smart Communities grant program to fund climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, including for projects that help communities plan for and adapt to extreme heat. The deadline for applications is July 31, 2025. More information is available on DEC’s website.

    New York State’s Climate Agenda

    New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER STATEMENT ON COMPLETION OF ALSTOM’S $75 MILLION, 250+ JOB EXPANSION AT HORNELL CAR BODY SHELL PRODUCTION FACILITY; SENATOR SECURED $3.4 MILLION IN FED FUNDING TO BRING EXPANSION TO LIFE &…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today released the following statement on the completion of Alstom’s Plant 4, a new $75 million, 250+ job expansion at its Hornell campus, to house a new state-of -art, car body shell production facility to support production of 200 new multi-level commuter cars for the Chicago Metra Commuter Rail System, and enhance the company’s competitiveness for future projects in Hornell. In 2021, Schumer helped secure $3.4 million in critical federal funding to make the construction of Alstom’s Plant 4 a reality. 

    “It’s full steam ahead for Plant 4, Alstom’s new Hornell cutting-edge manufacturing facility! I was proud to secure $3.4 million in federal funding to put Alstom on the fast track to expand and house this new manufacturing facility. The opening of Plant 4 today is a win-win-win for American manufacturing leadership, the Southern Tier economy, and Alstom’s powerhouse union workforce, getting even stronger with 250 new good-paying jobs,” said Senator Schumer. “Today, Alstom solidifies the Southern Tier and New York State as the beating heart for its North American operations. I’ve long fought to support Alstom’s growth in Steuben County and will continue to fight to ensure Hornell has the resources it needs to be one of the nation’s main hubs for rolling stock manufacturing.”

    In 2021, after his direct advocacy, Schumer announced a $3.4 million federal grant from the Economic Development Administration to the Hornell IDA to make improvements to the Shawmut Park site to pave the way for Alstom’s facility expansion. Schumer explained that the project allowed Alstom to build one of the only U.S.-based manufactured rail car shell operations, onshoring manufacturing from overseas and bolstering the rolling stock domestic supply chain. Schumer also helped support Alstom’s successful bid to make passenger rail cars for the Chicago Metra Commuter Rail System at its Hornell facility. 

    Schumer, a long-standing fighter for Alstom, its workers, and the City of Hornell, has worked tirelessly to support growth at its Steuben County facility, a site that for more than 170 years has been manufacturing and servicing high-quality trains in Hornell. Through his efforts, the workforce has doubled, and the facility has expanded, cementing Alstom and Hornell’s future as a leader in rail car manufacturing in North America.  He led the charge, urging USDOT to green light Amtrak’s efforts to buy brand new Next Generation High-Speed trains, a necessary step to keep Alstom’s Acela contracting opportunity on track, paving the way for them to compete and win the prestigious contract to build a replacement fleet of Acela high speed trains, adding an estimated 400 jobs at Alstom in Hornell and helping attract over 50 other supplier companies.

    Most recently, he successfully delivered nearly $16 million to the Steuben County IDA, who in partnership with Alstom, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Binghamton University’s New Energy New York (NENY) consortium, will develop next generation battery technology for more energy-efficient trains.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plymouth means business at UKREiiF 2025

    Source: City of Plymouth

    By Cllr Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council

    This May, I had the privilege of leading Plymouth’s delegation to the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds – and what a week it was.

    We went to UKREiiF with a clear purpose: to shout loud and proud about Plymouth’s ambition, our potential, and our readiness for growth. We weren’t just there to attend – we were there to lead, to connect, and to inspire. Because for Plymouth, growth isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a necessity. It’s about jobs, homes, innovation, and opportunity. It’s about building a city that works for everyone.

    From the moment we arrived, the energy was electric. Day one kicked off with a bang – our stand was buzzing with interest, and we hit the ground running with meetings, networking, and a strong presence across the event. We were there alongside major cities and regions, but we made sure Plymouth’s voice was heard. We’re not just a coastal city – we’re a city of ideas, of resilience, and of bold ambition.

    One of the highlights was our panel session, where we brought together key voices to talk about the future of cities like ours. We spoke about the power of place, the importance of sustainable development, and the need for long-term investment in infrastructure and skills. I was proud to see Plymouth leading that conversation – not just reacting to change, but shaping it.

    Throughout the week, we met with investors, developers, government officials, and partners from across the UK. We showcased our major regeneration opportunities – from the Freeport and Oceansgate to the city centre and waterfront. We talked about our strengths in marine, defence, digital, and clean energy. And we made it clear: Plymouth is open for business.But UKREiiF wasn’t just about promotion – it was about connection.

    It was about building relationships that will unlock real benefits for our city. We had meaningful conversations that we’re already following up on – conversations that could lead to new investment, new jobs, and new opportunities for our residents.

    For example, we had a fantastic conversation with Homes England. Earlier this year, we launched a bold new plan together to deliver up to 10,000 new homes in the heart of Plymouth. This isn’t just about numbers – it’s about creating a vibrant, liveable city centre that supports our growing workforce and attracts new talent. At UKREiiF, we built on this momentum with strategic conversations about other key sites.

    Marcus Ralling from Homes England was clear: Plymouth offers one of the most compelling investment stories in the country. With the right partners, we can deliver high-quality homes, strong returns, and transformational change. This partnership is already bearing fruit – and it’s only just beginning.

    What struck me most was the shared sense of purpose in all our conversations. Across the country, councils are grappling with similar challenges – housing, climate change, economic resilience. But there was also a shared optimism. A belief that with the right partnerships, the right vision, and the right leadership, we can build better places. And Plymouth is absolutely part of that story.

    So what do we hope to get out of it? Tangible outcomes. We want to see investment flow into our city. We want to accelerate delivery of key projects. We want to bring partners on board who share our vision for inclusive, sustainable growth. And we want to keep raising Plymouth’s profile – nationally and internationally – as a city that’s going places.

    UKREiiF 2025 was a milestone for us. It showed that Plymouth belongs on the national stage. It showed that we have the ambition, the assets, and the leadership to drive real change. And it reminded me – once again – why I’m so proud to lead this city.

    Growth matters. Not for its own sake, but because of what it means for people. For families looking for a decent home. For young people seeking opportunity. For businesses ready to expand. For communities that deserve investment and pride in place.

    Plymouth is ready. And we’re just getting started.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Granite Credit Union Announces Grand Opening Celebration of New Sandy Branch

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SALT LAKE CITY, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Granite Credit Union is excited to announce the official grand opening of its new Sandy Branch, located at 9383 S 700 E, Sandy, Utah 84070. The celebration will take place on Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

    The community is invited to enjoy food from local food trucks, GirlsWhoSmash and Udder Rivals, music, prize drawings, giveaways, and activities for all ages, including a cash machine.

    A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available in this link.

    “We’re thrilled to celebrate the opening of our new branch with our members and the community,” said Charlotte Toone, branch manager. “This location offers exceptional convenience, centrally located near shopping and in one of Sandy’s fastest-growing areas. It’s a place where members can connect with our team for personalized financial guidance and support in achieving their financial goals.”

    The new Sandy Branch features a modern, open design that creates a welcoming and innovative environment for members to manage their finances. Granite Credit Union offers various services, including savings and checking accounts, insurance, investments, automobile loans, ITIN loans, real estate, commercial, and business lending.

    As Granite Credit Union continues to celebrate its 90th anniversary, it remains grounded in its core values and focused on the future. Whether through expanded access to financial products, deeper community engagement, or its pledge to serve the underserved, Granite Credit Union is—and always will be—”always there…so you can make life happen.”

    To learn more about the event, please visit Granite Credit Union.

    About Granite Credit Union

    Founded in 1935, Granite Credit Union serves over 37,000 members and has nearly $900 million in assets. Committed to helping members achieve their financial goals, Granite Credit Union offers a variety of financial products and services, including competitive rates, flexible lending options, and personalized financial guidance. With a vision of “always there… so you can make life happen,” the credit union strives to empower members with the tools and support they need to succeed financially. Members enjoy access to secure mobile banking services, online tools, and personalized in-branch assistance at locations across Utah. Granite Credit Union is dedicated to positively impacting its communities through financial education, trusted relationships, and exceptional service. Granite Credit Union is always there…so you can make life happen. Learn more at granite.org.

    Media Contact:
    marketing@granite.org

    The MIL Network –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Minister Smyth address to Medicine 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Minister Smyth address to Medicine 2025

    Minister Smyth addressed the Royal College of Physicians annual conference

    Since 1948, this organisation has been one of the greatest allies advocating for universal access to health care, high standards in clinical practice, and evidence based medicine.

    And today, I really want to thank our members for everything that you have done over the past 14 years to hold our NHS together.

    Through no fault of your own, you’ve been through the worst crisis in the history of the NHS waiting list at historic highs, patient satisfaction at record lows, people struggling to see a GP, ambulances not turning up on time. Any department is full to bursting.

    That founding promise that the NHS will always be there for us when we needed it, broken.

    But as someone who had my own career 30 years ago in the health service, I completely understand how demoralising this has been for so many staff, how powerless people have felt desperately trying to stop standards slipping or holding a broken system together.

    That’s how I felt as an NHS leader locally, watching the disastrous 2012 reorganisation imposed from the top down, despite all the warnings from frontline leaders and staff. And since then we’ve also had to deal with underinvestment and the global pandemic.

    But while those blows may have left the NHS broken, it’s not beaten.

    Every day there are amazing people delivering outstanding and compassionate care.

    Despite all of those challenges, day in, day out, you show up for work and you fight to deliver the very best care possible for your patients.

    Since coming into office, this government has done everything we can to support you. To restore that basic founding principle that the NHS should always be there for us when we need it. With our Plan for Change, we have hit the ground running.

    As our first step, we promised two million more appointments in our first year.

    Promise made, promise kept: we delivered our promise seven months early and we’ve reached our target, delivering not two, but three million more appointments since July and counting.

    We’ve got waiting lists down by over 200,000 people.

    We ended the strike within three weeks and have now delivered two above-inflation pay rises for NHS staff.

    We’ve invested an extra £26 billion in health and care.

    We’ve recruited 1,500 more GPs, and agreed a GP contract for the first time since the pandemic.

    We’ve delivered the biggest investment to hospitals in a generation.

    The biggest expansion of carer’s allowance since the 1970s.

    A boost for older and disabled people through the Disabled Facilities Grant.

    The biggest real-terms increase to the Public Health Grant in nearly a decade.

    We’ve given pharmacies the biggest funding uplift in a generation.

    For patients, we’ve frozen prescription charges.

    We’ve struck a new deal that will mean women will be able to get the morning-after-pill from pharmacies across the country, absolutely free of charge.

    A lot done, but we know, a hell of a lot more left to do.

    But from day one, we have been clear that investment must come with reform.

    Our job is twofold.

    First, to get the NHS back on its feet, treating patients on time again, and second, to reform the service for the long term, so it is fit for the future.

    This summer we will publish our 10 Year Plan for Health.

    Shifting the focus of healthcare out of hospital and into the community with more investment in primary and community care.

    Bringing our analogue health service into the digital age, arming staff with modern equipment and cutting edge technology.

    And thirdly, turning our sickness service into a preventative health service to help people live well for longer and tackle the biggest killers.

    We’re supporting the effort of prevention through our Smoking and Vapes Bill, to protect children and the most vulnerable to make this generation of kids the first smoke-free generation, and to save untold billions spent on their future care.

    The ban on junk food advertising targeted at children will be a first step in addressing the growing problem of childhood obesity, and those same kids are benefiting from breakfast clubs, so they start school with hungry minds and not hungry bellies.

    Our Mental Health Bill will stop the disgraceful incarceration of learning-disabled adults.

    We’re working with health unions, councils and employers to deliver the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for social care staff.

    And Louise Casey is leading the Commission on Social Care, which will finally get a grip on a system that is broken for too many families.

    Because, as you all know so well, the pressures facing hospitals don’t start in hospitals, just as the problems facing the NHS don’t necessarily start in the NHS, they are a reflection of wider society.

    Fixing broken Britain will require more than fixing a broken NHS.

    After this speech, I’m going to add my own post-it note to your interactive map.

    When my team asked me to think about the most pressing issue in my constituency of Bristol South, I was very quick to answer. Poverty.

    The health service can fix people when they’re broken, but we don’t want people broken.

    The factors that make my constituents unwell are wide ranging, socioeconomic and environmental.

    In other words, the conditions in which we are born, grow, live and work. Secure jobs. Fair pay. Decent housing. Safe streets. Clean air. Accessible transport. The time and affordable facilities to exercise and nutritious food.

    These are the essential building blocks of a healthy life.

    And that’s why this government is focused on economic growth and improving healthy life expectancy for all, while halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between different regions of England.

    And it’s why reform of the health service is so important, because every pound we spend on the health service is a pound that can’t be spent on what you and I call the social determinants of ill health.

    But what everyone else calls feeding hungry children, building warm homes and cleaning up our water and the air that we breathe.

    The NHS has often been compared to an oil tanker that has immense capacity but is slow to change direction. Shifting the focus of our health service will be an immense task, and one that we can only accomplish with your help.

    We’ve already been clear that we’re embarking on a decade of national renewal and that’s why we’re launching a 10 Year Plan.

    Since coming into office, we’ve sought to reset the relationship with medics to improve working lives and restore value.

    This government was never going to be able to completely reverse a decade and a half of decline in only ten months, but this year’s pay awards, the second above inflation pay rise in a row, demonstrates our commitment to rebuilding the NHS and rebuilding the pay conditions and morale of all NHS staff.

    When I joined the NHS 30 years ago, I saw the NHS at what I thought was the worst.

    I remember later on working with the team at the Bristol Royal Infirmary on urgent care, discussing those awful trolley waits, coming into work every day, people trying to find a space or somewhere to discharge people from A&E, conversations that, sadly, are all too familiar again today.

    But I also saw, especially in the years leading up to 2010, the pride people have when they’re working in an improving, well-run system.

    When you’re able to go home at the end of the day, knowing that your patients received the best possible care and the pride, you know that you’re working at the top of your license as part of a team rebuilding a healthier Britain.

    The NHS cannot be saved by one person sitting behind a desk in Whitehall.

    We will only succeed if this is a team effort. From the Prime Minister to the 1.5 million people who work in the service, and the millions of us who use it to take decisions needed to lead healthier, more active lives.

    Turning the NHS around will take time.

    It really won’t be easy, but the prize, the prize available to us is huge and if we get this right, we will be able to say that we were the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history, got it back on its feet and made it fit for future generations.

    Updates to this page

    Published 2 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Highway 101 — Update: Kings District RCMP charges man with multiple offences following fatal collision

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Kings District RCMP has charged a man with a total of ten offences following an investigation into a fatal collision that occurred in October 2024, RCMP investigates two fatal collisions on Highway 101 | Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

    On October 12 at approximately 8:26 a.m., Kings District RCMP, fire, and EHS responded to a five-vehicle collision on Highway 101 in Wolfville. Two occupants of a black GMC Acadia, a 62-year-old woman and a child, both of East Kingston, were located deceased at the scene. A third occupant of that same vehicle, a 40-year-old woman, was transported via EHS LifeFlight with life threatening injuries.

    On May 16, Kings District RCMP safely arrested Jeffery Doyle, 52, of Kentville. He is charged with Criminal Negligence Causing Death (two counts), Criminal Negligence Causing Bodily Harm (three counts), and Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance (five counts).

    Doyle was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in Kentville Provincial Court on July 9 at 9:30 a.m.

    An RCMP collision reconstructionist and RCMP Forensic Identification Services (FIS) supported the investigation that led to these charges.

    Our thoughts continue to be with the victims’ loved ones.

    File #: 2024-1507179

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael A. Lewis, Professor of Operations and Supply Management, University of Bath

    Melnikov Dmitriy / Shutterstock

    Ukrainians are celebrating the success of one of the most audacious coups of the war against Russia – a coordinated drone strike on June 1 on five airbases deep inside Russian territory. Known as Operation Spiderweb, it was the result of 18 months of planning and involved the smuggling of drones into Russia, synchronised launch timings and improvised control centres hidden inside freight vehicles.

    Ukrainian sources claim more than 40 Russian aircraft were damaged or destroyed. Commercial satellite imagery confirms significant fire damage, cratered runways, and blast patterns across multiple sites, although the full extent of losses remains disputed.

    The targets were strategic bomber aircraft and surveillance planes, including Tu-95s and A-50 airborne early warning systems. The drones were launched from inside Russia and navigated at treetop level using line-of-sight piloting and GPS pre-programming.

    Each was controlled from a mobile ground station parked within striking distance of the target. It is reported that a total of 117 drones were deployed across five locations. While many were likely intercepted, or fell short, enough reached their targets to signal a dramatic breach in Russia’s rear-area defence.


    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.


    The drone platforms themselves were familiar. These were adapted first-person-view (FPV) multirotor drones. These are ones where the operator gets a first-person perspective from the drone’s onboard camera.

    These are already used in huge numbers along the front lines in Ukraine by both sides. But Operation Spiderweb extended their impact through logistical infiltration and timing.

    Nations treat their airspace as sovereign, a controlled environment: mapped, regulated and watched over. Air defence systems are built on the assumption that threats come from above and from beyond national borders. Detection and response also reflect that logic. It is focused on mid and high-altitude surveillance and approach paths from beyond national borders.

    But Operation Spiderweb exposed what happens when states are attacked from below and from within. In low-level airspace, visibility drops, responsibility fragments, and detection tools lose their edge. Drones arrive unannounced, response times lag, coordination breaks.

    Spiderweb worked not because of what each drone could do individually, but because of how the operation was designed. It was secret and carefully planned of course, but also mobile, flexible and loosely coordinated.

    The cost of each drone was low but the overall effect was high. This isn’t just asymmetric warfare, it’s a different kind of offensive capability – and any defence needs to adapt accordingly.

    On Ukraine’s front lines, where drone threats are constant, both sides have adapted by deploying layers of detection tools, short range air defences and jamming systems. In turn, drone operators have turned to alternatives. One option is drones that use spools of shielded fibre optic cable. The cable is attached to the drone at one end and to the controller held by the operator at the other. Another option involves drones with preloaded flight paths to avoid detection.

    Fibre links, when used for control or coordination, emit no radio signal and so bypass radio frequency (RF) -based surveillance entirely. There is nothing to intercept or jam. Preloaded paths remove the need for live communication altogether. Once launched, the drone follows a pre-programmed route without broadcasting its position or receiving commands.

    As a result, airspace is never assumed to be secure but is instead understood to be actively contested and requiring continuous management. By contrast, Operation Spiderweb targeted rear area airbases where more limited adaptive systems existed. The drones flew low, through unmonitored gaps, exploiting assumptions about what kind of threat was faced and from where.

    Tu-95 bombers were among the planes destroyed.
    Almaz Mustafin

    Spiderweb is not the first long-range drone operation of this war, nor the first to exploit gaps in Russian defences. What Spiderweb confirms is that the gaps in airspace can be used by any party with enough planning and the right technology. They can be exploited not just by states and not just in war. The technology is not rare and the tactics are not complicated. What Ukraine did was to combine them in a way that existing systems could not prevent the attack or maybe even see it coming.

    This is far from a uniquely Russian vulnerability – it is the defining governance challenge of drones in low level airspace. Civil and military airspace management relies on the idea that flight paths are knowable and can be secured. In our work on UK drone regulation, we have described low level airspace as acting like a common pool resource.

    This means that airspace is widely accessible. It is also difficult to keep out drones with unpredictable flightpaths. Under this vision of airspace, it can only be meaningfully governed by more agile and distributed decision making. Operation Spiderweb confirms that military airspace behaves in a similar way. Centralised systems to govern airspace can struggle to cope with what happens at the scale of the Ukrainian attacks – and the cost of failure can be strategic.

    Improving low-level airspace governance will require better technologies, better detection and faster responses. New sensor technologies such as passive radio frequency detectors, thermal imaging, and acoustic (sound-based) arrays can help close current visibility gaps, especially when combined. But detection alone is not enough. Interceptors including capture drones (drones that hunt and disable other drones), nets to ensnare drones, and directed energy weapons such as high powered lasers are being developed and trialled. However, most of these are limited by range, cost, or legal constraints.

    Nevertheless, airspace is being reshaped by new forms of access, use and improvisation. Institutions built around centralised ideas of control; air corridors, zones, and licensing are being outpaced. Security responses are struggling to adapt to the fact that airspace with drones is different. It is no longer passively governed by altitude and authority. It must be actively and differently managed.

    Operation Spiderweb didn’t just reveal how Ukraine could strike deep into Russian territory. It showed how little margin for error there is in a world where cheap systems can be used quietly and precisely. That is not just a military challenge. It is a problem where airspace management depends less on central control and more on distributed coordination, shared monitoring and responsive intervention. The absence of these conditions is what Spiderweb exploited.

    Michael A. Lewis receives funding from the ESRC, AHRC and EPSRC

    – ref. Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-drone-strikes-on-russian-airbase-reveal-any-country-is-vulnerable-to-the-same-kind-of-attack-258005

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 3, 2025
  • NCERT intensifies crackdown on pirated textbook racket, seizes over 5 lakh copies nationwide

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), in collaboration with police authorities, has escalated its efforts to combat the illegal manufacture, distribution, and sale of pirated NCERT textbooks, a serious offense under the Copyright Act, 1957. Over the past 14 months, NCERT has seized more than 5 lakh pirated textbooks, along with printing paper and machinery valued at over ₹20 crore, while filing 29 FIRs against printers, warehouse owners, and retailers engaged in the illicit trade.

    In a recent operation, NCERT, working with the Uttar Pradesh Police, conducted a raid on a warehouse in Muzaffarnagar, confiscating over 1.5 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks worth more than ₹2 crore. The raid also resulted in the seizure of one truck, two cars loaded with pirated books, and numerous printing plates, with eight individuals arrested on the spot. In a follow-up action, authorities raided a printing press in Samalkha, Haryana, seizing additional pirated textbooks, printing plates, and machinery. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the masterminds behind this piracy racket.

    Pirated textbooks not only cause significant revenue losses to NCERT and the government but also pose health risks to students due to the use of substandard paper and ink. To address this issue, NCERT has enhanced the quality of paper and printing for its textbooks, ensured timely printing and sufficient market availability, and made textbooks accessible on major e-commerce platforms at the maximum retail price without delivery charges. Additionally, NCERT has taken action against a paper mill in Kashipur producing illegal NCERT watermarked paper. To further strengthen its anti-piracy measures, NCERT has introduced a technology-based solution developed by IIT Kanpur, piloted on 10 lakh copies of one textbook title, with plans to expand this to all titles in the next academic year, replacing the outdated watermarked paper system that pirates have easily replicated.

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Spree of Bank Robberies in Maryland and D.C. Sends Previously Convicted Felon Back to Federal Prison for 63 Months

    Source: US FBI

    WASHINGTON – Jonathon Brown-Murphy, 44, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 63 months in federal prison for committing a spree of bank robberies— both attempted and successful—on May 23 and May 25, 2022, in Maryland and Washington, DC.

               The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

               Brown-Murphy pleaded guilty on July 12, 2023, to an Information charging him with three counts of bank robbery. In addition to the 63-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon ordered Brown-Murphy to serve three years of supervised release. 

                According to court documents, Brown-Murphy robbed or attempted to rob six banks over two days in Maryland and Washington, DC.  Brown-Murphy covered his face in each robbery and wore different clothing to avoid detection. After one attempt to rob a bank failed, he quickly traveled to his next target—hitting five banks on a single day in the span of about two hours. 

                On the morning of May 23, 2022, after unsuccessful attempts to rob two other banks, Brown-Murphy entered a Truist bank in Temple Hills, Maryland at 11:08 a.m. He approached a teller and passed her a note, stating “Give me the money or I will kill you.” The teller did not give him any money and Brown-Murphy left.  

                About 12:04 p.m. on May 23, 2022—shortly after another failed attempt elsewhere—Brown-Murphy entered a branch of Capital One bank on Alabama Avenue, SE. Brown-Murphy walked up to a teller and passed her a note, which stated “Give Me The Money Don’t Get Killed !!” The teller told police that she then saw Brown-Murphy nod and lift up his shirt as though he had a gun. Fearing for her life, the teller gave him cash from her register.

                Two days later, on May 25, 2022, at 11:04 a.m., Brown-Murphy entered a Wells Fargo bank in District Heights, Maryland. He passed a teller a note, which stated “GIVE ME THE MONEY!!! DON’T GET KILLED!!!.” A fellow bank employee saw the note and pressed an alarm. Brown-Murphy fled without receiving anything.

                As he left the Wells Fargo, a witness saw Brown-Murphy get into a black Cadillac and alerted the Prince George’s County Police officers then arriving on scene. Police attempted a traffic stop, but Brown-Murphy led them on a chase to nearby Suitland, Maryland. Brown-Murphy bailed out from his vehicle. When police arrested him after a foot pursuit, Brown-Murphy was wearing the black hat and glasses he had worn during the robberies, and police found in his car other clothing that he had worn as well.

                Brown-Murphy was arrested on federal charges on August 29, 2022, and has been held in custody since. He has two previous convictions for bank robbery and robbery.

                This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force with valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. It was indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey. 

    22cr227

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Jamaal Antwan Pimms Sentenced to Federal Prison for His Role in the Murder of Rosenda Strong

    Source: US FBI

    Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Jamaal Antwan Pimms, age 44, to 26 months in prison for Misprision of a Felony related to his role in the 2018 murder of Rosenda Strong. Chief Judge Bastian also imposed 1 year of supervised release.

    According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Jedidah Iesha Moreno shot and killed Rosenda Strong on or about October 5, 2018, following an argument at a residence, known as the House of Souls in Wapato, Washington. Following the murder, Moreno asked for help disposing of Strong’s body.  Pimms and Andrew Norris Zack assisted Moreno by rolling Strong’s body into a freezer.  The freezer, and other appliances, were loaded onto the back of a truck. The body, still inside the freezer, was then dumped near M&R Towing, which is off Highway 97 in Toppenish, Washington.

    On July 4, 2019, approximately nine months after Strong’s tragic death, a citizen discovered human remains, which later were identified through dental records as belonging to Strong. Pimms did not report the crime to Federal law enforcement, even when interviewed by FBI Special Agents in July, 2019.

    “Jamaal Pimms had the opportunity – and even the obligation – to come forward with the truth about Rosenda Strong’s death when the FBI interviewed him in 2019,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rich Barker. “Instead, Mr. Pimms chose silence, compounding the harm to Ms. Strong’s family and delaying justice for years. His failure to speak denied a grieving family and community the answers they deserved, and allowed uncertainty and anguish to linger far too long.”

    “Coping with the loss of a loved one is always a painful process. It can be even more so when, as in this instance, she is the victim of a crime about which so much remained unknown for so long,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Not only did Mr. Pimms help dispose of the victim’s body, but he also actively concealed vital information that unfairly deprived a grieving community of answers for nearly six years. I commend the investigators and our partners from Yakama Nation for their steadfast work in seeking justice in this case, as we are committed to do for all others like it on our state’s reservations.”

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Yakama Nation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas J. Hanlon and Michael D. Murphy.

    Defendant Andrew Norris Zack, pleaded guilty to charges in this case. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21, 2025.

    23-CR-02037-SAB

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, federal partners arrest nearly 1,500 illegal aliens in Massachusetts during immigration enforcement operation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal law enforcement partners apprehended almost 1,500 illegal aliens during a monthlong enforcement operation focusing on transnational organized crime, gangs and egregious illegal alien offenders throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. During the enhanced operation, named Operation Patriot, officers from ICE Boston partnered with the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the ATF, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Coast Guard to arrest 1,461 illegal alien offenders throughout the month of May.

    “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a safer place today thanks to the hard work and determination of the men and women of ICE and our federal partners. Working together, we were able to arrest almost 1,500 illegal aliens throughout the Commonwealth, most of whom had significant criminality in the United States or abroad,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Make no mistake: Every person that we arrested was breaking our immigration laws, but most of these individuals had significant criminality. They are criminal offenders who victimized innocent people and traumatized entire communities — murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, child sex predators and members of violent transnational criminal gangs. Some were convicted of violent crimes in the United States, and others were wanted for criminality in their native countries. All made the mistake of attempting to subvert justice by hiding out in Massachusetts.”

    More than half the 1,461 arrested had significant criminal convictions or charges. Seven-hundred and ninety of the alien offenders were charged with or convicted of crimes in the United States or abroad.

    “We are working diligently alongside our fellow law enforcement partners to make our communities safer through the arrest and ultimate removal of nearly 1,500 individuals who flouted the laws of our nation when they chose to remain here without legal status. Among those arrested include truly alarming criminals: murderers wanted in their home countries, child predators, and drug traffickers,” said Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “Public safety and national security remain our number one priority, and we will continue to work every day with our partners toward this goal.”

    Throughout the duration of Operation Patriot, ICE and its federal law enforcement partners targeted egregious criminal alien offenders, including transnational criminal organizations known to operate in and around Boston and throughout Massachusetts. These organizations include the notorious MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Trinitarios and 18th Street gangs.

    “This was a massive, multiagency immigration enforcement operation aimed at keeping our region safe from habitual lawbreakers who have flouted our country’s immigration laws and, in many cases, committed violent crimes that have endangered our families, friends, and neighbors for far too long,” said FBI Boston acting Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Milka. “Together, with our partners, we have identified and removed hundreds of illegal alien offenders from the Commonwealth, including murderers, gang members, child predators and a possible associate of a suspected terrorist, and our work is not done.”

    ICE and its federal law enforcement partners prosecuted numerous targets who had foreign arrest warrants and Interpol Red Notices, apprehending criminal alien offenders wanted by authorities in several foreign countries.

    “Over the past month, CBP has worked diligently alongside our federal law enforcement partners to apprehended criminal aliens illegally present in our country,” said Jennifer De La O, director of field operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Boston. “CBP is unwavering in our commitment to protect the American people and make our country safer. We will continue to ensure that all criminal aliens that violate our laws are taken into custody and removed.”

    ICE and its federal law enforcement partners made many of the apprehensions after local jurisdictions refused to honor immigration detainer requests to turn over the offenders and instead chose to release them from custody, forcing officers and agents to make at-large arrests in Massachusetts communities.

    “DEA is proud to be actively supporting our federal law enforcement partners in these concentrated enforcement operations to remove violent criminal aliens from our communities,” said DEA New England acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau. “We continue to prioritize our drug investigations on those involving violent illegal criminals, particularly those identified as members of designated foreign terrorist organizations. DEA’s mission remains the same: Seize deadly and dangerous drugs before they reach our communities, and bring to justice those criminals responsible for drug manufacturing and distribution.”

    Among the alien offenders apprehended during Operation Patriot, 277 had been previously ordered removed from the United States by a Justice Department immigration judge. However, they refused to comply with the removal order and remained in the country illegally.

    “ATF has worked alongside all of our federal law enforcement partners to assist ICE throughout New England during this enforcement initiative,” said ATF Boston Special Agent in Charge James Ferguson. “We will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months as a part of our mission to keep our communities safe.”  

    During the operation, ICE employed expanded immigration enforcement tactics, which included simultaneous operations on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, where they arrested around 40 illegal aliens, including at least one child sex predator and a member of a violent transnational gang. The U.S. Coast Guard assisted ICE with the safe transport of the aliens from the islands.

    “The Diplomatic Security Service is proud to work with our federal law enforcement partners in support of major enforcement operations like this which undoubtedly make our communities safer and strengthens our national security,” said DSS Boston Special Agent in Charge Matthew O’Brien. “DSS remains an integral law enforcement partner providing daily support to reduce illegal immigration and root out those who endeavor to exploit the U.S. travel system.”

    Among those arrested during Operation Patriot include:

    • An illegally present 55-year-old Salvadoran national with an active Interpol Red Notice for aggravated homicide, robbery, aggravated kidnap and theft in El Salvador. ICE officers arrested him in Lynn.

    • An illegally present 32-year-old Guatemalan national and registered sex offender who is pending criminal charges in Boston for five counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over and trafficking a person for sexual servitude. He was also arrested in Roxbury for aggravated rape of child with a 10-year age gap and indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over. ICE lodged two detainers that local jurisdictions refused to honor.

    • An illegally present 37-year-old Honduran national whose most recent arrest in Fall River was for rape, indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over, witness intimidation, and kidnapping of a minor by relative. He has other arrests in Massachusetts for lewd and lascivious conduct and sexual conduct for fee. He also has several convictions in Massachusetts for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, he has been convicted for operating under the influence of alcohol and operating while intoxicated in Iowa, where he served a year prison.

    • An illegally present 22-year-old Colombian national charged with breaking and entering building during the daytime for a felony, kidnapping, aggravated rape, and indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over. Local authorities released him back into the community despite an ICE immigration detainer being in place.

    • An illegally present 39-year-old Honduran national who has convictions in Lynn for obscene material to a minor, enticing a child under 16 and attempt to commit crime. Additionally, he has convictions in Stoughton for larceny and larceny from a person over 60 and disabled.

    • An illegally present 45-year-old Guatemalan national who has a 2020 conviction for murder in Boston, for which he received a life sentence.

    • An illegally present 29-year-old Brazilian national charged in Edgartown with aggravated rape of a child by force, possession of child pornography and dissemination of obscene material. He has and additional arrest in Edgartown for assault and battery (family) and kidnapping.

    • An illegally present 48-year-old Salvadoran national whose criminal history includes charges of aggravated rape of child by force, indecent assault and battery on a person under 14, and open and gross lewdness.

    • An illegally present Ecuadoran national who has a 2018 conviction for soliciting to commit murder. He was sentenced to a year in prison and released back into the community despite the presence of an ICE immigration detainer. ICE officers arrested him in Brockton.

    • An illegally present a Colombian national who was convicted in his native country for trafficking/manufacturing/carrying narcotics. Colombian authorities are currently seeking his custody to serve his sentence of 14 years in prison.

    • An illegally present 40-year-old Guatemalan national charged with assault and battery dangerous weapon (a hammer), threatening to commit crime, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a vehicle), assault and battery on a family member, strangulation/suffocation and intimidation of witness. ICE officers arrested him in Lynn.

    • An illegally present 69-year-old registered sex offender and citizen of Uruguay convicted of indecent assault and battery on a 7-year-old girl.

    • An illegally present 32-year-old citizen of Brazil who has an active Interpol Red Notice from Brazil for drug trafficking and drug trafficking association. In an effort to avoid apprehension in his native country, he fled on a motorcycle from Brazilian military police and threw a brick of cocaine at them.

    • An illegally present 24-year-old citizen of Brazil who has an active Interpol Red Notice out of Brazil, where he is wanted for murder.

    All aliens detained during Operation Patriot will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of their removal proceedings or their deportation from the United States.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X at @EROBoston and @HSINewEngland.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 3, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Pubnico — RCMP investigates fatal crash in Pubnico

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Yarmouth Rural RCMP is investigating a fatal crash that occurred in Pubnico.

    On May 30, shortly after midnight, RCMP officers, fire services, and EHS, responded to a report of a single vehicle crash on Hwy. 335 near Cross Rd. RCMP officers learned that a GMC Sierra was travelling on the road when it left the roadway and came to rest in the ditch.

    The driver, an 18-year-old man from West Pubnico, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

    The passenger, a 21-year-old man from Lower West Pubnico, suffered serious injuries and was transported to hospital by EHS.

    A collision reconstructionist attended the scene and the investigation is ongoing.

    The highway was closed for several hours but has since reopened.

    Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.

    File #: 2025-740962

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 3, 2025
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