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Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI Security: Omaha Man Sentenced for Possessing with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl Analogue

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jaden Stuart, age 32, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced January 29, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of fentanyl analogue. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Stuart to 36 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Stuart is released from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.

    On November 24, 2023, Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 80. The vehicle stopped was being driven by co-defendant, Kyle Bahnsen and the passenger was Jaden Stuart. During the traffic stop, NSP conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle and located approximately 59 small blue pills marked with M-30 that were fentanyl pills, 13.3 grams of a white substance that tested positive for fentanyl, and 1.4 grams of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. The narcotics were meant for distribution.

    Bahnsen was sentenced on September 19, 2024, to 12 months and 1 day, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Overdose Task Force.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Takes to Senate Floor to Oppose Trump’s Trade Philosophy: No to Tariffs, Yes to Innovation, Collaboration & Growth

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.05.25

    Cantwell Takes to Senate Floor to Oppose Trump’s Trade Philosophy: No to Tariffs, Yes to Innovation, Collaboration & Growth

    In speech on Senate floor, Cantwell advocates for new U.S. trade agreements with Southeast Asia, the Middle East, & the Americas to strengthen ties with allies & grow the economy at home; Cantwell slams proposed Trump tariffs: “The payers in this dispute are never the government leaders … it’s the workers who lose their job.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for the United States to establish new trade agreements with Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America – and to repudiate the trade philosophy of President Donald Trump, whose proposed tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China would spark a trade war, drive up costs for American consumers, harm domestic businesses across hundreds of industries, and compromise the United States’ global leadership in the free trade ecosystem.

    “It’s better to have a job than be attracted to join a terrorist organization. It’s better to create economic stability than fueling poverty and migration […] Last week, I spoke about additional investments the United States needs to make in Panama, Latin America, and others, to link and modernize bilateral agreements that help us counter China,” Sen. Cantwell said. “Free trade agreements are a way for us — not tariffs — to gain the leverage we want. South Asia could play an important role in this coalition building, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. But I want us to go further. I want us to understand that U.S.-led negotiations in a Middle East free trade agreement to build on the momentum of a ceasefire in Gaza could further stabilize that region.”

    In her speech, Sen. Cantwell railed against President Donald Trump’s tariff’s proposal, likening his isolationist trade policies to an attempt to make time stand still – a futile goal at any point, but especially during the modern information age, when countries are more interconnected than ever and the United States is locked in an innovation race in artificial intelligence and quantum technology. She also called on the United States to invest in its workforce, research & development, science, and capital investment to modernize its manufacturing and stay competitive.

    “To outcompete our adversaries, we need coalitions, not go-it-alone strategies. Why do we fear this if we think our principles are correct? But somehow the current administration thinks that we’ve been hurt more than we’ve been helped in this global equation, and they want us to believe that somehow there is a win-win situation on tariffs that they can deliver on,” Sen. Cantwell said.

    “Tariffs are a distortion of markets. Tariffs mean we disagree. It very rarely means the disagreement will be resolved quickly. It usually means people will retaliate, and the escalation of that retaliation will hurt consumers so much so that eventually someone will blink,” she continued. “The payers in this dispute, though, are never the government leaders. No, it’s the workers who lose their job. It’s the family that pays higher cost. It’s the community that loses their economic activity and tax revenue.”

    In Washington state: Two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and related industries. In 2023, the state imported $19.9 billion of goods from Canada – primarily oil, gas, lumber, and electrical power — making our northern neighbors Washington state’s largest trade partner. Also in 2023, the state imported $1.7 billion in goods from Mexico, including motor vehicles, vehicle parts, and household appliances. More information about how President Trump’s proposed tariffs will impact businesses and consumers in the State of Washington is HERE.

    Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of free trade to grow the economy in the State of Washington and nationwide. Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20% retaliatory tariff on American apples, which devastated Washington state’s apple exports.  India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after then-President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted.  The impact on Washington apple growers was severe:  apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023.  In September 2023, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.

    In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers finally get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. In June 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), then-chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in Washington state for a forum with 30 local agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the Farm Bill.

    In 2022, Sen. Cantwell spearheaded passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a law to crack down on skyrocketing international ocean shipping costs and ease supply chain backlogs that raise prices for consumers and make it harder for U.S. farmers and exporters to get their goods to the global market.

    In August 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting aid funds be distributed to wheat growers. In December 2018, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the passage of the Farm Bill, which included $500 million of assistance for farmers, including those who grow wheat.

    In 2019, Sen. Cantwell helped secure a provision in the $16 billion USDA relief package, ensuring sweet cherry growers could access emergency funding to offset the impacts of tariffs and other market disruptions.

    Video of today’s speech is available HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union, Rail Labor Leaders Demand Safety Reform on Two-Year Anniversary of East Palestine Disaster

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM Rail Division representatives joined members of Congress and leaders from fellow U.S. rail unions in calling on Congress to act on rail safety two years after the toxic East Palestine train derailment. 

    “On behalf of all our members, our hearts still go out to the people of East Palestine. They want answers, they want results and so do we,” said Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) National Legislative Director David Arouca. “The so-called Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) era has been nothing short of just cutting head counts to the bone and then harassing those who remain to pick up the slack.”

    TCU/IAM represents various crafts, one of the largest being carmen, who maintain, repair and critically inspect rail cars all across the country. 

    “Whether it’s our carmen being harassed to perform safety inspections on insane timelines or signalmen maintaining our national network of safety detectors, we’ve all been saying the same thing: PSR is going to kill people,” said Arouca. “We need legislation passed now to reduce the risk of another East Palestine. The time to act was yesterday. Rail safety is not, nor should it ever, be a partisan issue.”

    IAM District 19 President and Directing General Chair Reece Murtagh was also present to answer questions for the press. Members of Congress joining rail included House Transportation Committee Vice Ranking Member Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio), House Rail Subcommittee Ranking Member Dina Titus (D-Nev.), House Transportation Committee Member Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and House Transportation Committee Member Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.).

    The rail leaders demanded that Class I railroad companies adopt the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), which allows rail workers to report safety concerns without retaliation from employers. 

    While addressing the public with his own press conference in East Palestine, Ohio on the disaster’s anniversary, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who co-sponsored the bipartisan Railway Safety Act as Senator, said that passing legislation “is a very viable and a very reasonable goal.” 

    Senator Maria Cantwell sent a letter to U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chairman Ted Cruz urging him to “advance the re-introduced Railway Safety Act to ensure President Trump and Vice President Vance have the tools they need to hold the railroads accountable for improving safety. “

    “Rail safety is not a partisan issue or a regional issue, it is a human issue,” said Congresswoman Sykes. “I am proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on and off the Transportation Committee to put forth a piece of legislation we can be proud of, but we can only truly make it right for the people of East Palestine if we actually pass meaningful rail safety legislation.”

    “I think we have a real opportunity here,” said Congresswoman Titus. “I think we can get it done, just reintroduce those bills, bring it together in a package, and move it forward. I’m committed to it, other members of Congress and the great representatives from unions are, so I’m leading this with optimism.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jefferson Parish Man Sentenced for Federal Gun and Drug Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAZZ GILDS (“GILDS”), age 39, a resident of Jefferson Parish, was sentenced on January 30, 2025, by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter, after previously pleading guilty to Counts 1 and 3 of a 3-count indictment.  Count 1 charged him with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C).  Count 3 charged him with being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).

    GILDS was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment as to Counts 1 and 3 of the indictment, to run concurrently.  Judge Vitter also ordered GILDS be placed on supervised release for 3 years and pay a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.

    According to court documents, GILDS became involved in a physical altercation with two individuals at a Jefferson Parish hotel before fleeing in a stolen vehicle.  Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies later apprehended GILDS, who had attempted to flee on foot.  A search of the vehicle uncovered a Ruger Model P942 .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a stolen Anderson Manufacturing Model AM-15, 5.56×45 millimeter caliber semi-automatic rifle.  Additionally, during a search of GILDS’s hotel room, deputies seized illegal narcotics and ammunition.

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

    U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Stafford, Mo., man who purchased more than 50 firearms has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally trafficking firearms and methamphetamine.

    David Allen Gaunt, 57, was charged in a 16-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against Gaunt on Jan. 16, 2025.

    The federal indictment alleges that Gaunt participated in a conspiracy to traffic firearms from June 21, 2023, to Jan. 23, 2025. Those firearms, according to the indictment, included a Kalashnikov pistol, a Century Arms pistol, a Tokarev shotgun, a Canik pistol and an HS Produkt pistol. In addition to the conspiracy, Gaunt is charged with one count of trafficking those firearms to a recipient who was legally prohibited from possessing them.

    The federal indictment also charges Gaunt with being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of 15 different firearms. Gaunt is charged with four counts of making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in order to purchase firearms, four counts of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, four counts of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of distributing methamphetamine.

    According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Gaunt has personally purchased more than 50 firearms. On every purchase, the affidavit says, Gaunt marked “No” on the federal form that asked, “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?” Eighteen of these firearms have been recovered by law enforcement, from Gaunt and others. Additionally, 11 of the firearms Gaunt purchased have been either sold to or pawned at pawn shops.

    Springfield police officers seized three of those firearms during the execution of two search warrants in separate drug-trafficking investigations in June 2023, and the Greene County Sheriff’s Department seized one of those firearms during enforcement activities in July 2023. All of the firearms were seized from individuals who were legally prohibited from possessing firearms, the affidavit says, and were traced to Gaunt as the original purchaser.

    On Aug. 16, 2023, Springfield police officers stopped Gaunt near S. Glenstone Avenue and E. St. Louis Street. When officers searched his vehicle, they found six firearms. On Nov. 6, 2024, Springfield officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Gaunt. Officers seized a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from Gaunt’s waistband. A clear plastic bag of methamphetamine was found in the center console of the vehicle.

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

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Death of Ervin Zacarias Antonio Agustin

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Ervin Zacarias Antonio Agustin, who died on May 19, 2024 following a motor vehicle collision involving a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer in Queens County. Following a thorough investigation, which included review of the vehicle’s dashboard camera, an interview with the involved officer, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI determined that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer committed a crime, and therefore criminal charges would not be pursued in this matter.

    In the early morning hours of May 19, 2024, an NYPD officer was traveling in a marked police vehicle with his turret lights and siren activated, traveling to the scene of a motor vehicle collision investigation in Queens. The officer was traveling southbound on the Van Wyck Expressway, a multi-lane highway that runs north-south with three lanes in each direction, separated by a concrete divider, and no pedestrian traffic. The speed limit of the expressway was 50 MPH, and 40 MPH in construction zones. As the officer approached the vicinity of Archer Avenue, he was traveling at a speed of 63 MPH. Mr. Agustin attempted to run across the expressway and was struck by the officer’s vehicle. The collision occurred near a construction site, with construction equipment parked behind the concrete barriers lining both sides of the southbound lanes.

    Under OSI’s analysis of New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law, Penal Law, and case law from New York’s highest court, a police officer who causes a death while properly responding to an emergency in a police vehicle cannot be charged with a crime unless the officer acts recklessly or intentionally. The criminal charge that requires recklessness is Manslaughter in the Second Degree, in which a person is guilty when they recklessly cause the death of another person. “Recklessly” means that the person consciously disregards a “substantial and unjustifiable” risk of death and that their actions are a “gross deviation” from a reasonable standard of conduct.

    In this case, while the officer caused Mr. Agustin’s death, the evidence does not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer’s conduct was a gross deviation from the standard that would have been observed by a reasonable officer in the same circumstances, or that the officer consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death. The officer was speeding because he was responding to an emergency. In addition, the officer had no reason to expect that a person would attempt to cross the expressway on foot, as the Van Wyck Expressway is closed to pedestrians. There was no evidence that the officer was impaired by drugs or alcohol, and no evidence that he was otherwise distracted at the time of the collision. Therefore, OSI concluded that there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: SOITEC REPORTS FY’25 THIRD QUARTER REVENUE

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SOITEC REPORTS FY’25 THIRD QUARTER REVENUE

    • Reaching €226m, Q3’25 revenue was almost stable vs. Q2’25 and down 10% at constant exchange rates and perimeter compared with Q3’24
    • 9M’25 revenue reached €564m, down 12% on a reported basis and decreased by 13% at constant exchange rates and perimeter vs. 9M’24
    • FY’25 guidance revised: revenue expected to decrease by high single digit year-on-year at constant exchange rates and perimeter (compared to flat previously), and EBITDA1margin2expected between 32% and 34% (compared to around 35% previously)
    • Given the current lack of visibility on end markets, Soitec expects at this stage quite limited growth for FY’26

    Bernin (Grenoble), France, February 5th, 2025 – Soitec (Euronext Paris), a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor materials, today announced consolidated revenue of 226 million Euros for the third quarter of FY’25 (ended December 29th, 2024), down 6% on a reported basis compared to the third quarter of FY’24. This reflects a 10% decline at constant exchange rates and perimeter, a positive currency impact of 5% and a negative scope effect3 of 1%.

    Pierre Barnabé, Soitec’s CEO, commented: “After a very strong sequential rebound in the second quarter, we maintained the third-quarter revenue at a fairly similar level. The good performance of the Mobile Communications division was driven by sustained momentum in POI, and a seasonal tailwind in RF-SOI sales. Despite seasonal restocking in the second half of the fiscal year, the customers continue to optimize RF-SOI inventory levels based on seasonality and market conditions, which will keep driving fluctuations over the next few quarters. At the same time, we are strengthening our position as a leader, notably with the introduction of new innovative 300mm products. The Automotive and Industrial division continues to be impacted by a weak automotive market. In Edge & Cloud AI, the momentum remains strong, supported by significant investments in cloud infrastructure across the industry to accelerate AI computing power, as well as increasing demand at the edge for lower energy consumption and processing costs.

    Due to worsening conditions in the Automotive and Consumer markets, a couple of customers have requested to put some delivery requests on hold. As a consequence, we are adjusting our guidance for fiscal year 2025, with annual revenue expected to decrease by high single digit year-on-year. We are managing our EBITDA margin to be between 32% and 34%.

    With the lack of visibility on our end markets for now, it is also too early to provide specific guidance for fiscal year 2026. Given current market conditions, we expect at this stage quite limited growth for fiscal year 2026.

    Our fundamentals remain solid and will allow us to accelerate as end markets recover. We continue to enhance our technology leadership, to strengthen our SOI positioning with both existing and new customers, and to deploy our expansion into compound semiconductors with the acceleration of POI volumes and a fifth customer in qualification on SmartSiCTM.”

    Third quarter FY’25 consolidated revenue (unaudited)

      Q3’25 Q3’24 Q3’25/Q3’24
             
             
    (Euros millions)     change reported chg. at const. exch. rates & perimeter
             
    Mobile Communications 154 130 +18% +11%
    Automotive & Industrial 25 44 -43% -47%
    Edge & Cloud AI 47 65 -28% -30%
             
    Revenue 226 240 -6% -10%

    Q3’25 revenue reached 226 million Euros. After the sharp sequential increase achieved in Q2’25, it was up 4% versus Q2’25 on a reported basis (down 2% at constant exchange rates and perimeter). Compared to Q3’24, it was down 10% at constant exchange rates and perimeter.

    Q3’25 revenue reflected an improved performance in Mobile Communications and a weaker performance in Automotive & Industrial as well as in Edge & Cloud AI which was due to a different phasing in Imager-SOI wafer sales.

    Mobile Communications

    Mobile Communications revenue reached 154 million Euros in Q3’25, up 11% at constant exchange rates and perimeter compared to Q3’24. In the context of a healthier smartphone market and inventory situation, Mobile Communications revenue continued to recover in Q3’25 after the sharp rebound already experienced in Q2’25.

    As expected, growth in RF-SOI wafer sales has resumed. Q3’25 sales were significantly higher than in Q2’25, and also higher than in Q3’24. While reflecting different situations, inventories in the overall supply chain now seem to progressively normalize. Soitec is confident that growth in RF-SOI wafer sales will continue in Q4’25. Soitec continues to reinforce its strong customer intimacy, leveraging state-of-the-art Innovation capabilities to develop leading-edge products, as evidenced by the announcement of its commitment to provide GlobalFoundries with its latest generation of RF-SOI 300mm wafers to support GF’s most advanced 9SW platform.

    Sales of POI (Piezoelectric-on-Insulator) wafers dedicated to RF filters continue to grow quarter after quarter, as the adoption of Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filters on POI is accelerating with ten active customers in production, and more than ten in qualification. Q3’25 POI wafer sales were significantly higher than in Q2’25 and Q3’24. Soitec is engaged with all leading US fabless companies.

    Sales of FD-SOI wafers, the only solution for fully integrated 5G mmWave system-on-chip, have made further progress in Q3’25, showing an increase from Q2’25 as well as growth compared to Q3’24.

    Automotive & Industrial

    Automotive & Industrial revenue reached 25 million Euros in Q3’25, lower than in Q2’25 and down 47% at constant exchange rates and perimeter compared Q3’24, reflecting the ongoing difficulties of the automotive market.

    Power-SOI wafer sales reached a particularly low level in Q3’25, as the ongoing weakness of the automotive market is leading to some inventory adjustments at customer level. Power-SOI remains a key component for gate drivers, in vehicle networking and in Battery Management ICs.

    Conversely, FD-SOI wafers recorded a better level of sales in Q3’25 than in Q3’24. Automotive FD-SOI continue to be mostly driven by adoption for microcontrollers, radar and wireless connectivity, delivering on superior performance and power efficiency.

    Further SmartSiCTM samples and prototypes were delivered during Q3’25, paving the way for new qualifications. Soitec has engaged with a fifth customer in a qualification process. The current weakness of the automotive market and the longer than initially anticipated customers’ qualification cycles confirm a delay in the expected wafer production ramp-up, as stated earlier this year.

    Edge & Cloud AI

    Edge & Cloud AI revenue reached 47 million Euros in Q3’25, down 30% at constant exchange rates and perimeter compared to Q3’24. Performance was however contrasted from one product to another.

    Demand in Photonics-SOI wafers continue to benefit from a very positive momentum driven by high investments in Cloud infrastructure. Sales of Photonics-SOI were much stronger in Q3’25 than in Q2’25, and significantly higher than in Q3’24. This reflects the need for more powerful and more energy-efficient data centers to support the exponential growth of AI-related computing power capabilities. Photonics-SOI has become a standard technology platform for high-speed and high bandwidth optical interconnections in data centers, adopted in pluggable optical transceivers, and used for the development of Co-Packaged Optics.

    Sales of FD-SOI wafers remained as strong as in Q2’25 but were lower than in Q3’24. FD-SOI technology is a key enabler for AI-driven consumer and industrial IoT applications due to its unique power efficiency, performance, thermal management and reliability advantages.

    Sales of Imager-SOI wafers for 3D imaging applications are down year-on-year, reflecting the phase out of this product.

    First nine months FY’25 consolidated revenue (unaudited)

      9M’25 9M’24 9M’25/9M’24
             
    (Euros millions)     change reported chg. at const. exch. rates & perimeter
             
    Mobile Communications 326 388 -16% -18%
    Automotive & Industrial 84 119 -29% -31%
    Edge & Cloud AI 154 133 +15% +16%
             
    Revenue 564 641 -12% -13%

    Consolidated revenue reached 564 million Euros in 9M’25, down 13% at constant exchange rates and perimeter compared to 641 million Euros in 9M’24.

    Overall, the decrease in Soitec’s 9M’25 revenue essentially reflects lower volumes in both RF-SOI and Power-SOI wafers, partly offset by strong performances in POI, Photonics-SOI and Imager-SOI wafers.

    Mobile Communications revenue reached 326 million Euros in 9M’25 (58% of total revenue), down 18% at constant exchange rates and perimeter compared to 9M’24, with significant improvement quarter after quarter over FY’25.

    Automotive & Industrial revenue amounted to 84 million Euros in 9M’25 (15% of total revenue), down 31% at constant exchange rates and perimeter compared to 9M’24, reflecting the current weakness of the automotive market.

    Edge & Cloud AI revenue reached 154 million Euros in 9M’25 (27% of total revenue), up 16% at constant exchange rates and perimeter compared to 9M’24, supported by strong growth of photonics SOI products.

    FY’25 outlook

    Soitec expects FY’25 revenue to be down high single digit year on year, at constant exchange rates and perimeter (compared to flat revenue previously) as a couple of customers requested to put some deliveries on hold on the back of worsening conditions in the Automotive and Consumer markets. This implies strong sequential growth in Q4’25, primarily driven by the continued recovery in RF-SOI wafer sales supported by some seasonal restocking. Additionally, Soitec will continue to benefit from strong demand for Photonics-SOI products and the growing adoption of POI.

    Soitec is managing FY’25 EBITDA1margin2 to be between 32% and 34%.

    FY’26 outlook

    With the lack of visibility on our end markets for now, it is too early to provide specific guidance for fiscal year 2026. Given current market conditions, Soitec expects at this stage quite limited growth for fiscal year 2026.

    Q3’25 key events

    Divestment of Dolphin Design’s main businesses

    Dolphin Design’s mixed-signal IP activities have been acquired on November 5th, 2024, by Jolt Capital, a private equity firm specializing in European deeptech investments. Dolphin Design’s ASIC activities were sold to NanoXplore, a major player in SoC and FPGA semiconductor design, on December 30th, 2024.

    Dolphin Design, acquired by Soitec in 2018, has long been at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge semiconductor design solutions in mixed-signal IP and ASICs.The sale of Dolphin Design’s two main business activities will support Soitec’s focus on strategic development and growth opportunities in its core advanced semiconductor materials business.

    Following these operations, Dolphin Design revenue will no longer be reported from Q4’25 onwards, and will have no impact on Soitec financial statements from FY’26.

    Appointment of Frédéric Lissalde as Chairman of the Board

    During the meeting of the Board of Directors held on November 20th, 2024, upon recommendation of the Compensation and Nominations Committee, Frédéric Lissalde, who has been Director since the Annual General Meeting held on July 23rd, 2024, was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors as of March 1st, 2025, for the remainder of his term of office as Director.

    Soitec to collaborate with GlobalFoundries in the production of high-performance RF-SOI semiconductors

    On December 4th, 2024, Soitec announced its commitment to deliver 300mm RF-SOI substrates to GlobalFoundries (GF) for the production of GF’s leading RF-SOI technology platforms, including the company’s most advanced RF solution, 9SW. Building on the longstanding relationship between the two companies, this commitment will ensure the supply of advanced RF-SOI engineered substrates required for 5G, 5G-Advanced, Wi-Fi, and other smart mobile device Radio Frequency Front-End (RFFE) modules. To support advanced connectivity, GF’s 9SW RF-SOI platform with its superior switching, low-noise amplifiers (LNA) and logic processing capabilities offers significant advantages and value for premium smartphones by delivering enhanced RF performance, improved power efficiency and scalability. These features are critical for ensuring a superior user experience in high-end devices.

    Soitec continues its collaboration with MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratories, thereby strengthening its presence in the United States

    On December 12th, 2024, Soitec announced the continuation of its research collaboration with the Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This agreement covers research in innovative semiconductor materials for diverse applications, including mobile communications, power devices, sensors and quantum computing. Soitec is thereby further solidifying its presence in the North American semiconductor sector, intensifying its efforts amidst favorable industrial and regulatory dynamics supporting semiconductor development.

    # # #

    Analysts conference call to be held in English on Thursday 6thFebruary at 8:00 am CET.

    To listen this conference call, the audiocast is available live and in replay at the following address: https://channel.royalcast.com/soitec/#!/soitec/20250206_1

    # # #

    Agenda

    FY’25 results are due to be published on May 27th, 2025, after market close.

    # # #

    Disclaimer

    This document is provided by Soitec (the “Company”) for information purposes only.

    The Company’s business operations and financial position are described in the Company’s 2023-2024 Universal Registration Document (which notably includes the Annual Financial Report) which was filed on June 5th, 2024, with the French stock market authority (Autorité des Marchés Financiers, or AMF) under number D.24-0462, as well as in the Company’s 2024-2025 half-year financial report released on November 20th, 2024. The French versions of the 2023-2024 Universal Registration Document and the 2024-2025 half-year financial report, together with English courtesy translations for information purposes of both documents, are available for consultation on the Company’s website (www.soitec.com), in the section Company – Investors – Financial Reports.

    Your attention is drawn to the risk factors described in Chapter 2.1 (Risk factors and controls mechanism) of the Company’s 2023-2024 Universal Registration Document.

    This document contains summary information and should be read in conjunction with the 2023-2024 Universal Registration Document and the 2024-2025 half-year financial report.

    This document contains certain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to the Company’s future prospects, developments and strategy and are based on analyses of earnings forecasts and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties as they relate to future events and are dependent on circumstances that may or may not materialize in the future. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of the Company’s future performance. The occurrence of any of the risks described in Chapter 2.1 (Risk factors and controls mechanism) of the 2023-2024 Universal Registration Document may have an impact on these forward-looking statements.

    The Company’s actual financial position, results and cash flows, as well as the trends in the sector in which the Company operates may differ materially from those contained in this document. Furthermore, even if the Company’s financial position, results, cash-flows and the developments in the sector in which the Company operates were to conform to the forward-looking statements contained in this document, such elements cannot be construed as a reliable indication of the Company’s future results or developments.

    The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or make any correction to any forward-looking statement in order to reflect an event or circumstance that may occur after the date of this document.

    This document does not constitute or form part of an offer or a solicitation to purchase, subscribe for, or sell the Company’s securities in any country whatsoever. This document, or any part thereof, shall not form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract, commitment or investment decision.

    Notably, this document does not constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase, subscribe for or to sell securities in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from the registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Company’s shares have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act. Neither the Company nor any other person intends to conduct a public offering of the Company’s securities in the United States.

    # # #

    About Soitec

    Soitec (Euronext – Tech Leaders), a world leader in innovative semiconductor materials, has been developing cutting-edge products delivering both technological performance and energy efficiency for over 30 years. From its global headquarters in France, Soitec is expanding internationally with its unique solutions, and generated sales of 1 billion Euros in fiscal year 2023-2024. Soitec occupies a key position in the semiconductor value chain, serving three main strategic markets: Mobile Communications, Automotive and Industrial, and Edge & Cloud AI (previously Smart Devices). The company relies on the talent and diversity of its 2,300 employees, representing 50 different nationalities, working at its sites in Europe, the United States and Asia. Soitec has registered over 4,000 patents.

    Soitec, SmartSiC™ and Smart Cut™ are registered trademarks of Soitec.

    For more information: https://www.soitec.com/en/ and follow us on X: @Soitec_Official

    # # #

    # # #

    Appendix

    Consolidated revenue per quarter (Q3’25 unaudited)

    Quarterly revenue Q1’24 Q2’24 Q3’24 Q4’24 Q1’25 Q2’25 Q3’25   9M’24 9M’25
     

    (Euros millions)

    		                    
                         
    Mobile Communications 89    169    130    222 48    124    154      388 326   
    Automotive & Industrial 37 38 44 44 26 33 25   119 84
    Edge & Cloud AI 31 37 65 70 46 61 47   133 154
                         
    Revenue 157    245    240    337 121    217    226      641    564   
    Change in quarterly revenue Q1’25/Q1’24 Q2’25/Q2’24 Q3’25/Q3’24   9M’25/9M’24
      Reported
    change    		 Organic change1 Reported
    change    		 Organic change1 Reported
    change    		 Organic change1   Reported
    change    		 Organic change1
    (vs. previous year)                  
                       
    Mobile Communications -45% -46% -27% -25% +18% +11%   -16% -18%
    Automotive & Industrial -29% -31% -13% -11% -43% -47%   -29% -31%
    Edge & Cloud AI +49% +47% +62% +66% -28% -30%   +15% +16%
                       
    Revenue -23% -24% -11% -9% -6% -10%   -12% -13%
    1. At constant exchange rates and comparable scope of consolidation (there was no scope effect in Q1’25 and Q2’25 vs. Q1’24 and Q2’24 – in Q3’25 Soitec sold Dolphin Design’s mixed signal IP activities on November 5th, 2024)

    # # #

    1 The EBITDA represents operating income (EBIT) before depreciation, amortization, impairment of non-current assets, non-cash items relating to share-based payments, provisions for impairment of current assets and for contingencies and expenses, and disposals gains and losses. This alternative indicator of performance is a non-IFRS quantitative measure used to measure the company’s ability to generate cash from its operating activities. EBITDA is not defined by an IFRS standard and must not be considered an alternative to any other financial indicator

    2 EBITDA margin = EBITDA from continuing operations / Revenue

    3 The scope effect is related to the divestment of Dolphin Design’s mixed signal IP activities which was completed on November 5th, 2024

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New climate plan set to be scrutinised

    Source: City of Plymouth

    A range of new measures designed to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout Plymouth are set to be discussed by members next week.

    The latest incarnation of the Net Zero Action Plan (NZAP), a three-year delivery strategy that sets out the City Council’s response to its pledge to reach net zero, will be debated by the Natural Infrastructure and Growth scrutiny panel on Wednesday 12 February.

    While detailing updates on a number of ongoing actions like the continuing electrification of fleet vehicles, as well as the retro-fitting of low-carbon heating methods on buildings, new initiatives are also in the pipeline.

    These include:

    • Beginning the delivery of the externally-funded £400m heat network which will see major buildings in the city centre with the waterfront connected and heated by a central source
    • Submitting an expression of interest for participation in the Department of Transport’s e-scooter trial scheme
    • Support the delivery of the UK’s first end-to-end commercial waste recycling plant for electric vehicle batteries in Plymouth
    • Following the lead of other similar-sized cities by exploring the feasibility, potential role and benefits of emissions-based vehicle charging tariffs.

    Councillor Tom Briars-Delve, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change, will present the plan to colleagues.

    Tom said: “This latest version of the Net Zero Action Plan is bold and brings forward a raft of measures that will make great strides towards our net zero ambitions.

    “Although previous plans have also been effective, this time we have gone back to the data and thus have an increased focus on the city’s most high emitting sectors, namely transport and buildings.

    “I do understand that for some people, parts of this plan may seem ambitious but ambitious is what we must be if we are to ensure the environmental sustainability of our city and planet.”

    The NZAP covers two areas – commitments to reduce emissions from Council-owned facilities and also how the Council can use its influence to help the city as a whole move towards net zero.

    The Council has been producing the plan with annual updates since it first declared a climate emergency in 2019, and through actions already completed has reduced its own carbon emissions by 18.1 per cent between 2019 and 2022.

    Following its appearance at the cross-party scrutiny committee, any recommendations will be considered before the NZAP is voted on by Full Council on 17 March.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Director Tracy Toulou of the Office of Tribal Justice Testifies Before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Oversight Hearing “Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) — Five Years Later: How Have the Justice Systems in Indian Country Improved?”

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Remarks as prepared for delivery

    Chairman Barrasso, Vice-Chairman Tester and Members of the Committee:

    I am honored to appear before you to discuss the implementation efforts of the Department of Justice to fulfill our responsibilities as established in the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA) and, ultimately, to improve public safety in Indian country.  In introducing this Act in April 2009, Chairman Dorgan illuminated some of the hard realities faced by tribes in modern times, including: astonishingly high rates of violence, criminal exploitation of complex and sometimes confusing jurisdiction and crippling limitations on the legal authorities of tribal governments to ensure safety on their lands.  The introduction of TLOA included a charge to the federal government to provide tribal governments with the tools they need to better protect their communities, to live up to our treaty and trust obligations and to be more accountable for our efforts to enhance public safety in Indian country.  Thank you for the opportunity to provide an overview of the department’s efforts over the past five years to fulfill our responsibilities under this Act and honor our broader obligations to Indian country.  

    In October 2009, the department held a listening session with tribal leaders to help guide and inform the department’s policies, programs and activities affecting Indian country going forward.  Our leadership recognized the need to swiftly and meaningfully improve our contributions to public safety in Indian country and as a result of this listening session, launched a department-wide initiative to enhance public safety in Indian country, which is ongoing.  With the passage of TLOA in July 2010, the department’s initiative expanded to absorb new responsibilities and assumed a renewed sense of urgency.  Our work to enhance public safety has been and continues to be, shaped by our commitment to empower tribal governments; to improve coordination and collaboration at the federal, tribal, state and local levels; and to be appropriately accountable for the work we do.

    Empowering Tribal Governments

    The department views tribes as partners in ensuring public safety in Indian country and is committed to maximizing tribal control over tribal affairs.  It is our belief, informed by experience, that challenges faced by tribes are generally best met by tribal solutions.  In support of this commitment and the government-to-government nature of our relationships with tribes, the department has worked to fulfill its responsibilities under TLOA in a way that will ultimately empower tribes to operate with more autonomy.

    In order to support law enforcement activity by tribal officials in Indian country, tribes require access to law enforcement databases.  Under TLOA, the department must ensure that tribal law enforcement officials have access to national crime information databases.  The ability of tribes to fully engage in national criminal justice information sharing via state networks, which are the long-time conduit for such activities, has been dependent upon regulations, statutes and policies of the states that may not consistently enable tribal participation.  In order to improve access for tribes, the department has established two new programs and partnered on a third.

    First, the Justice Telecommunications System (JUST) program, which was launched in 2010, provided participating tribes with access to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).  This program is ongoing and currently serves 23 tribes.  This program, as well as the other two programs to improve data base access, were the result of on-going, substantive dialog with tribal governments and law enforcement.  

    Second, the department recently launched a more comprehensive access program based on feedback from tribes and lessons learned from the JUST program: the Department of Justice’s Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP).  The TAP program, first announced in August 2015, is designed to provide access to CJIS services, including: Next Generation Identification (NGI); National Data Exchange (N-DEx); Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP); National Crime Information Center (NCIC); National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS); and Nlets, the International Justice and Public Safety Network.  Nlets is an interstate public safety network for the exchange of law enforcement, criminal justice and public safety information owned by the states.  Nlets supports inquiry into state databases, such as motor vehicle, driver’s license and criminal history, as well as inquiry into several federal databases, such as Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Drug Pointer Index, ICE’s Law Enforcement Support Center and FAA’s Aircraft Registration and Canada’s Canadian Police Information Center.  With funding from the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART), the TAP program has selected ten tribal participants to help provide user feedback on the training, technical assistance, equipment, and maintenance of this program.  Early feedback has been very positive and it is our intention to eventually make this program available to any interested tribe.  We will continue to work with Congress for additional funding to more broadly deploy the program.

    The TAP Program was the result of a 2014 working group, which consisted of representatives from the Departments of Justice and the Interior.  From this same close collaboration, the department partnered with Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) in a third program known as  “BIA Purpose Code X,” which gives tribes the ability through BIA-OJS to perform emergency name-based background checks for child placement purposes.  This is a crucial capability for tribal social service agencies seeking emergency placement of children in Indian country.

    The Department of Justice has increased its efforts to support tribal governments that are exercising expanded sentencing authority rooted in TLOA.  While TLOA properly does not require the department to review or certify a tribe’s use of enhanced felony sentencing authority or the status of a tribe’s efforts to amend its codes and court processes to provide defendants with the due process protections described in TLOA, we have taken steps to help ensure that tribes interested in exercising enhanced sentencing authority have knowledge of and access to relevant resources.  For example, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance Program has provided training and technical services to support tribal civil and criminal legal procedures, legal infrastructure enhancements, public education and the development and enhancement of tribal justice systems.  More specifically, training and technical services have included the following: indigent legal defense services; civil legal assistance; public defender services; and strategies for the development and enhancement of tribal court policies, procedures and codes.

    The provision of high-quality training to tribal representatives has been an area of increased activity within the department since the passage of TLOA.  The department believes that ensuring access to quality training is a necessary element to bolstering tribal autonomy.  In July 2010, the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) launched the National Indian Country Training Initiative (NICTI) to ensure that federal prosecutors and agents, as well as state and tribal criminal justice personnel, receive the training and support needed to address the particular challenges relevant to Indian country prosecutions.  Importantly, the department covers the costs of travel and lodging for tribal attendees at classes sponsored by the NICTI. This allows many tribal criminal justice officials to receive cutting-edge training from national experts at no cost to the student or tribe.  The NICTI has sponsored approximately 75 training courses, and reached over 200 tribal, federal and state agencies.

    Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced a forthcoming training course to be held at the FLETC campus in Artesia, New Mexico.  Jointly taught by FBI and BIA “mentors” and FLETC common core instructors, the course will include instruction in forensic evidence collection and preparatory instruction on investigations common to Indian country, such as domestic violence, child abuse, violent crimes, human trafficking and drug trafficking.  This course will be held four times each year, with a total of 24 students in each session.  This course, the result of collaboration between FBI, BIA and FLETC, was developed out of a recognized need to train federal and tribal law enforcement officers together.  Another recent training was held by the DEA.  In September 2015, the National Native American Law Enforcement Association held a collaborative training event where the DEA provided on-site training on clandestine lab awareness for first responders, emerging technologies, and money laundering.  The training included federal, state, local, and tribal partners with Indian country responsibility.   

    One of the most meaningful displays of the department’s commitment to a government-to-government relationship with tribes is in our efforts to cross-deputize tribal law enforcement officials.  In doing so, we not only expand their authorities, but we send an important message that we are partners and allies with tribes in our collective efforts to enhance public safety in Indian country.  The Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Program was developed prior to the passage of TLOA to train tribal prosecutors in federal criminal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase prosecutions in federal court, tribal court, or both.  The program enables tribal prosecutors to bring cases in federal court and to serve as co-counsel with federal prosecutors on felony investigations and prosecutions of offenses originating in tribal communities.  The program has grown considerably since the passage of TLOA.  To date, there are 25 SAUSAs representing 23 tribes.  In addition to the SAUSA program, the Department of Justice investigative agencies have cross-deputized tribal law enforcement officers through joint task forces.  For example, the FBI has deputized 85 tribal law enforcement officers as part of the Safe Trails Task Forces.  There are currently 15 active Safe Trails Task Forces located around the country, working to combat violent crime, drugs, gangs and gaming violations. 

    In 2014, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) fulfilled a key provision of TLOA by accepting certain tribal offenders sentenced in tribal courts for placement in BOP institutions.  The pilot program allowed any federally-recognized tribe to request that the BOP incarcerate a tribal member convicted of a violent crime under the terms of Section 234 of TLOA and authorized the BOP to house up to 100 tribal offenders at a time, nationwide.

    A fundamental goal of the BOP is to reduce future criminal activity by encouraging inmates to participate in a range of programs that have been proven to help them adopt a crime-free lifestyle upon their return to the community.  Through the pilot program, tribal offenders have access to the BOP’s many self-improvement programs, including work in prison industries and other institution jobs, vocational training, education, treatment for substance use disorders, classes on parenting and anger management, counseling, religious observance opportunities and other programs that teach essential life skills.  BOP has also ensured that there are culturally-appropriate offerings for native inmates.  In addition to increasing access to critical programs and treatments, the pilot program facilitated tribes’ ability to exercise enhanced sentencing authority under TLOA, which is an important indication of support for tribal sovereignty.  The pilot program was, by all accounts, a success and both tribes and the department would be supportive of necessary Congressional action to reauthorize this program.

    An important part of our support to tribes is necessarily tied to funds.  The department launched the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) in 2010, as a response to tribes’ request for increased flexibility.  Through CTAS, tribes and tribal consortia are able to submit a single application to apply for a broad range of the Department of Justice tribal grant programs.  Through CTAS, the department has awarded over 1,400 grants totaling more than $620 million.  Over time, we have refined this solicitation to enable tribes to take a truly comprehensive approach to improving public safety in tribal communities.  Under TLOA, the department was required to offer specific grants for delinquency prevention and response and to include dedicated funding for regional information sharing.  To date, we have awarded more than $44 million in support of tribal youth programs and more than $108 million to support regional information sharing systems.  The department continually seeks feedback from tribes on ways to improve CTAS and each year with our solicitation announcement we also communicate steps we have taken during the previous year to improve the process.  The most recent solicitation was released on Nov. 19, 2015, with an application deadline of Feb. 23, 2016.  It incorporates a number of changes, including the elimination of certain eligibility requirements, broadening allowable activities and extending the award period for certain grants.  Each year, the intention is to increase the accessibility and usefulness of CTAS grants.   

    In parallel to our outward-facing efforts, the department has made a number of internal structural changes to ensure our revamped presence in Indian country is long-lived.

    Evolution of Agency Infrastructure 

    To ensure that the day-to-day operations at the department are supportive of the policy and programmatic changes we have made since the passage of TLOA, we have made a number of internal adjustments across the department, from headquarters to field offices.  The intent in making these changes was to absorb the principles that drive the TLOA and our response to that Act, thus integrating them into the way we do business at the department.  Indeed, although not a direct response to TLOA, the department issued Attorney General Guidelines Stating Principles for Working with Federally Recognized Tribes (Statement of Principles) in December 2014 to guide and inform all of the department’s interactions with federally-recognized tribes.  This Statement of Principles serves as a point of reference for department employees and, importantly, a standard to which tribes can hold the department accountable.  

    In 1995, then-Attorney General Janet Reno established the Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ).  OTJ has operated continuously since then, although it was not made permanent until the passage of TLOA.  On Nov. 17, 2010, less than four months after TLOA’s enactment, the department published in the Federal Register a final rule that established OTJ as a permanent, standalone component of the department.  My office serves as a principal point of contact in the department for federally-recognized tribes, provides legal, policy and programmatic advice to the Attorney General with respect to the treaty and trust relationship between the United States and Indian tribes, promotes internal uniformity of department policies and litigation positions relating to Indian country and coordinates with other federal agencies and with state and local governments on their initiatives in Indian country. 

    The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices with Indian country in their districts play a primary role in our interactions with tribes.  U.S. Attorneys’ Offices often are the nexus of activity when federal involvement on reservations is necessary, from investigations to prosecutions to providing services to victims.  Every U.S Attorney’s Office, whose district includes Indian country or a federally-recognized tribe, has at least one Tribal Liaison and some districts have more than one.  Along with the TLOA-driven requirement that each relevant office appoint a Tribal Liaison, the U.S. Attorneys are required to hold annual consultations with tribes in their districts.  In order to assist the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s Native American Issues Subcommittee, as well as to serve as a liaison to other department components, the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys formally established the position of Native American Issues Coordinator.          

    These changes to the structure of the department were driven by the department’s support for and fulfillment of its responsibilities under TLOA.  There have been a series of policy shifts that are not a direct response to the Act but are in keeping with the spirit of that legislation.  For example, the issuance of the Department of Justice Statement of Principles, discussed earlier, marks an important shift in our approach at all levels of the department to interacting with tribes.  Similarly, the Department of Justice Consultation Policy is based on three guiding principles: that the department must engage with tribal nations on a government-to-government basis; that tribal sovereignty and Indian self-determination are now and must always be, the foundations of every policy or program; and that communication and coordination with our tribal partners, among federal agencies and with our state and local counterparts are essential to accountability and to success.

    Greater Accountability

    Accountability is a critical element in a true partnership and the department has taken a number of steps to increase our accountability to tribes.  The TLOA-mandated reports were intended to promote greater transparency of department activities in Indian country and the process of responding has been a useful exercise for our agency to scrutinize trends and patterns of activity.  In some cases, the reports have revealed a need to expand our agency response to meet specific needs and organize our resources more effectively, such as those related to long-term detention.  In other cases, the reporting process highlighted positive impacts that department activity has had in Indian country over time and a need to perpetuate beneficial initiatives, such as the BOP pilot program report and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Report.  In tracking prosecutions and crime data, the department has benefitted from taking a focused look at our response to trends in Indian country and as a result is in a better position to adjust our resources internally to address emerging trends and issues.

    The department has made progress over the past five years in bolstering our government-to-government relationship with tribes and in honoring our treaty and trust obligations.  We are all fully cognizant that there is significant work still to be done to live up to our responsibilities in Indian country and we are committed to seeing this work through.  We appreciate Congress’ efforts to foster public safety and look forward to working closely with our partners in Indian country to fully honor our responsibilities.  I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.    

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Delivers Keynote Address on Counterterrorism and International Cooperation

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Thank you, Dr. [Robin] Niblett, for that kind introduction; for your leadership here at the Royal Institute of International Affairs; and for your lifetime of dedicated work in the service of international cooperation and global security.  I also want to thank Prime Minister [David] Cameron and the members of Her Majesty’s government for their hospitality during my visit to the United Kingdom.  And I’d like to thank this group of distinguished colleagues, inspiring leaders and devoted public servants for participating in this important conversation.  It’s a privilege to join you here today as we honor the unique bond between our nations; as we reaffirm the cherished values and ideals that we share; and as we rededicate ourselves to building the stronger, safer, and more united world for which we have fought together in the past, and toward which we continue to strive today.

    The United Kingdom and the United States have long been close partners and staunch allies and the connection between us – which Winston Churchill referred to as our “special relationship” – is one with deep roots and a rich history.  Almost all of America’s founders proudly considered themselves Englishmen and many were hesitant to shed that honorable title, even after the start of the American Revolution.  And the revolution itself – though it pitted us against one another in armed conflict – was inspired by the ideals of the British Enlightenment: responsive government, robust rights and liberties, and the fundamental equality of all people.      

    Those ideals have been a source of mutual understanding and shared strength ever since – and while they have been threatened by injustice within our nations and hostility from beyond our shores, they have continued not only to endure, but to expand.  Through the courageous struggles of prominent leaders and humble citizens; of freed slaves and former colonial subjects; of suffragists, ethnic minorities, religious dissenters and gay and lesbian advocates – we have extended the rights of liberty, equality and justice.  Through the tremendous courage and sacrifice of our countrymen –in two World Wars, in battlefields of Korea and today in the skies over Syria and Iraq– we have defended our beliefs against tyranny and oppression.  And together, we have come to the aid of others inspired by the principles that we share.

    Today, the values that have guided and defined us for centuries are facing a persistent threat: the rise of global terrorism and extremism – a scourge that has inflicted its pain on both of our nations in the recent past.  Ten years ago, this great city endured devastating attacks on its public transportation system, and you suffered another attack in the Underground only this week.  In the United States, as you know, we have also suffered terrorist attacks and we are currently investigating last week’s tragic shootings in California as an act of terror.  And as recent events in Paris, Beirut, and Mali remind us, we are far from alone in being targeted by these agents of violence.  These attacks are carried out with a single, repugnant purpose: to harm, frighten and intimidate anyone who believes in open and tolerant societies; in free and democratic governments; and in the right of every human being to live in peace, security and freedom.  As two nations who serve as beacons of those ideals to people around the world, we have a special responsibility to take on this terrorist threat, and to prevent it from causing the destruction it is so desperate to inflict.

    As Attorney General of the United States, my highest priorities are the security of our country and the safety of the American people.  At the Department of Justice, we are working tirelessly to uncover and disrupt plots that take aim not only at the United States, but at nations around the world.  We are acting aggressively to defuse threats as they emerge.  And we are vigorously investigating and prosecuting individuals who seek to harm innocent people.  To stop plots before they can be brought to fruition, we are going after individuals engaged in preparatory activities like fundraising, recruitment, planning and training.  Our approach has yielded important results: since 2013, we have charged more than 70 individuals for conduct related to foreign terrorist fighter interests and homegrown violent extremism and we continue to take action designed to monitor and thwart potential extremist activity. 

    But no nation can fight terrorism alone.  As our world continues to grow more interconnected and interdependent, cooperation and joint action are more essential than ever to combating cross-border threats like terrorism, cybercrime, corruption and human trafficking.  And while modern technology has helped to widen the circle of opportunity for so many citizens around the globe, it has also provided new channels that criminals can exploit for their own ends.  Online, violent ideologies can rapidly proliferate and spread and threats can leap borders and oceans in an instant.  No nation can exist in a bubble of isolation; no country can imagine themselves immune from world events; and the security of each state increasingly depends on the security of all states.  The words of four centuries past ring ever true today, “no man is an island entire of itself.”  In this environment, our strategic understanding and our common humanity demand that we supplement nationwide vigilance with international cooperation.

    That is why the United States is working with organizations like INTERPOL and EUROPOL to share information on foreign fighters.  It’s why we have provided resources, including FBI agents, to support INTERPOL’s Fusion Cell, which investigates the training, financing, methods and motives of terrorist groups around the world.  And it is why we have crafted information-sharing agreements with more than 45 international partners to identify and track suspected terrorists – a partnership that has now provided INTERPOL with approximately 4,000 profiles on foreign terrorist fighters.  From efforts to degrade terrorist capabilities, to building cooperative networks that help to preserve and share information and evidence after an attack, we are demonstrating our deep commitment to collaboration worldwide. 

    Let me give one example of how critical it is that we work together.  Terrorists, like other criminals, count on the difficulties that law enforcement agencies have in sharing information across borders – difficulties that are magnified now that electronic information may be stored in many different countries and may quickly disappear.  But starting some years ago, criminal justice experts from the U.S., the UK, France and the other G7 countries created the 24/7 cyber network – a rapid reaction system that now links approximately 70 countries.  Thanks to that system, after the recent horrific attacks in Paris, French investigators were able to work immediately with the U.S. Department of Justice and with U.S. Internet Service Providers, to preserve data from social media accounts and webpages identified as connected to the attacks, and to seek emergency disclosures to protect lives.  It is this kind of innovative thinking about international information sharing that we need to increase.

    Of course, it is also important to emphasize that our efforts to fight terrorism must always be compatible with safeguarding privacy and civil liberties – exactly as the 24/7 cyber system is designed to be.  Often, in conversations like this one, there is an implicit assumption that our safety must be balanced against our rights and our values; that there is a necessary trade-off between the hopeful optimism of our ideals and the cold reality of our national security.  But the view that we must abdicate our values to maintain our security presents a false choice.  Rather, our security exists to protect our values, because they are the wellspring of all that we are.  Progress within our nations has always been driven by our desire to live up to our ideals – of inclusiveness and opportunity, of equal rights and equal justice – and if we curb those rights in a misguided bid for short-term security, we betray not only our ancestors; not only ourselves; and not only our children – but all those for whom the United States and the United Kingdom represent the possibility of a better, freer future.

    In this regard, I am proud to say that the Obama Administration, with the support of Congress, has made the protection of civil liberties and privacy a priority in the fight against terrorism.  The record is a remarkable one: President Obama has created unprecedented transparency regarding our guidelines for collection and use of signals intelligence, including signals intelligence collected in bulk.  The President nominated and the senate has confirmed, an independent Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, as envisioned by Congress.  And just last week, independent public advocates were appointed to advise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, as called for by the USA Freedom Act.  

    Moreover, in all of these efforts, as President Obama has made clear, our goal is to extend privacy protections not only to U.S. citizens, but to foreign nationals as well.  That is why, after years of negotiation, I am very happy to say that we were able to initial in September the U.S./EU “Umbrella” Data Privacy and Protection Agreement regarding law enforcement information.  And it is why – in a truly unprecedented step – the Administration has supported legislation to extend judicial redress rights to foreign nationals for privacy breaches regarding law enforcement information – legislation that, thanks to strong Congressional support, already has passed our House of Representatives, and is now pending in the Senate.  

    These actions are not only unprecedented, but reflective of the United States’ deep commitment to the principles they protect, as well as the importance of our relationship with our European partners in this struggle.  That is why it is particularly disappointing that the European Court of Justice – in a case based on inaccurate and outdated media reports – recently struck down the Safe Harbor Agreement in the Schrems decision.  And it is highly concerning to us that data privacy legislation advancing in the European Parliament might further restrict transatlantic information sharing – a step that not only ignores the critical need for that information sharing to fight terrorism and transnational crime, but also overlooks the enormous steps forward that the Obama Administration and Congress have taken to protect privacy.  It is important that all of us – on both sides of the Atlantic – work to set the record straight regarding our commitment to protect not only the safety of our citizens, but also their civil liberties and privacy.

    But one thing I am confident of in our work on these issues and in the larger fight against terrorism – we will not lose ourselves to fear.  We will respond to this and other threats the way we know best – by reaffirming the very ideals that distinguish us from those who wish us harm: freedom of speech; religious tolerance; the open exchange of ideas; and government that represents the will of its people.  These are the principles of Runnymede and Philadelphia, of the Glorious Revolution and the American Revolution – the principles that we have risen to defend time and again and emerged victorious.  For centuries, these ideals have inspired countless men and women around the world to seek the better life that is the promise of humanity and to demand that the elemental dignity of all mankind be recognized and respected.  And we must keep their promise alive.  

    There is no doubt that we come together at a time of uncertainty, facing dangerous threats and determined adversaries.  But in this moment of global challenge, we remain dedicated to the task that remains before us and to the work that so many have given their last full measure of devotion to fulfill.  Our nations may have been bloodied, but we will remain unbowed – in defense of our citizens, in solidarity with our allies and in allegiance to the values that make us who we are. 

    The road ahead will not always be easy.  We will encounter more times of uncertainty and setbacks.  But as we move forward in the work that will secure our homelands and prove our principles once more, we are fortified with the strength of our time-tested traditions, by the partnership of our longstanding allies and by the legacies of the brave men and women who fought to make our nations everything they are today.  I am confident about the road ahead.  I know that our promise will endure.  And if we can lean on our faith in our enduring values – and hold fast to our unshakeable belief in the cause of justice and the rule of law – then I have no doubt that out of a long and difficult night of challenge, a brighter day will come.

    Thank you.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Sentenced to 44 Years in Prison for Terrorism Offenses

    Source: US State of California

    Minh Quang Pham, also known as “Amim”, 41, was sentenced today to 44 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for attempted suicide bombing in alliance with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

    “The defendant was sentenced for an attempt to commit an act of terrorism and plotting a suicide bombing on behalf of AQAP,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will not rest in seeking justice for acts of terrorism and will continue to thwart any attempt to jeopardize global security.”

    “Pham coordinated with known terrorist Anwar al-Aulaqi on a plot to conduct a suicide bombing at Heathrow International Airport which could have killed or injured many people, but fortunately that plan was stopped,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Pham also tried to recruit others to commit acts of terrorism. The FBI will work with our partners to hold accountable those who align themselves with terrorist organizations and attempt to carry out acts of violence.”

    “Minh Quang Pham’s actions were not just an affront to the safety of this country, but to the principles of peace and security that we hold dear,” said U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s sentencing underscores our collective resolve to stop terrorism before it occurs, and place would-be terrorists in prison.”

    According to court documents, in December 2010, Pham informed others that he planned to travel to Ireland while residing in London. From Ireland, he traveled to Yemen, the principal base of operations for AQAP. Pham traveled to Yemen in order to join AQAP, wage jihad on behalf of AQAP, and martyr himself for AQAP’s cause. After arriving in Yemen, he swore an oath of loyalty to AQAP in the presence of an AQAP commander.

    While in Yemen in 2010 and 2011, Pham provided assistance to and received training from Anwar al-Aulaqi, a U.S.-born senior leader of AQAP. Al-Aulaqi advised Pham to return to the U.K. for the purpose of finding and making contact with individuals who, like Pham, wanted to travel to Yemen to join AQAP. Al-Aulaqi also provided Pham with money, as well as a telephone number and e-mail address that Pham was to use to contact al-Aulaqi upon his return to the U.K. In addition, Pham exchanged his laptop computer with al-Aulaqi, who provided him with a new “clean” laptop to take with him when he returned to the U.K. so that the authorities would not find anything if they searched his computer.

    In or about June 2011, prior to his departure from Yemen, Pham approached al-Aulaqi about conducting a suicide attack whereby he would “sacrifice” himself on behalf of AQAP. Al-Aulaqi personally taught Pham how to create a lethal explosive device using household chemicals and directed Pham to detonate such an explosive device at the arrivals area of Heathrow International Airport following Pham’s return to the U.K. in 2011. Al-Aulaqi instructed Pham to carry an explosive in a concealed backpack and target the area where flights arrived from the U.S. or Israel. During this time, Pham made videos depicting his preparation to carry out that attack. In one video, Pham is shown wiring an electrical device for the use of making an explosive device. In another video, he sketches an explosive device to be contained in a backpack, and in a third, Pham wears a backpack with wiring for explosives on it, which he turns on in the video.

    During this time, around June or July 2011 — shortly before Pham returned from Yemen to the U.K. — Pham recorded a video in which he attempted to recruit and encourage individuals in the West to engage in violent jihad abroad or in their home countries. In this video, he also expresses a desire to martyr himself. At the outset of this video, consisting of an approximately 13-minute-long monologue, Pham states that, “America itself is not fighting a war with a group or an organization, they are fighting with the army of Allah, the believers.” He continues, in part, “We have that opportunity, that ability to be in their midst, in their land . . . and I advise the brothers inshallah to, whatever you can, to gather and prepare and strike the enemy in their own land . . . The saying, a thousand cuts, you hit them with as much as you can until inshallah the enemy will bleed to death.” During his time in Yemen, Pham also assisted with the preparation and dissemination of AQAP’s propaganda magazine, Inspire. Pham, who has college degrees in both graphic design and animation, worked directly with now-deceased U.S. citizen, Samir Khan, who was a prominent member of AQAP responsible for editing and publishing Inspire.  

    Pham also received a six-page document entitled “Your Instructions” from al-Aulaqi in Yemen, which provided detailed instructions on how Pham was to commit his suicide attack at Heathrow. The document from al-Aulaqi instructed Pham, “[d]o not do anything for the first three months” and “[y]ou should target Christmas/ New Year season[.]” The instructions from al-Aulaqi provided explicit direction about the importance of using shrapnel to kill as many people as possible, including that “[t]he proper use of shrapnel is as important as the main charge itself. The detonation wave from a main charge of AP by itself is most likely not going to cause the death of anyone except those who are in its immediate vicinity. It is the shrapnel that would do the job. You may imagine this IED as a shotgun that is firing in all directions.” The document therefore instructed Pham to take “special care” with the “proper arrangement and choice of shrapnel,” and to “poison” it to inflict maximum death.

    On July 27, 2011, Pham returned to the U.K. Upon his arrival at Heathrow, U.K. authorities detained Pham, searched him, and recovered various materials from him, including a live round of 7.62mm caliber armor-piercing ammunition, which is consistent with ammunition that is used in a Kalashnikov assault rifle, a type of weapon for which Pham received training from AQAP in Yemen. U.K. authorities released Pham and cautioned him for his possession of the live round of ammunition, before, in December 2011, arresting him pursuant to their authorities under U.K. immigration law. In searches of Pham’s residence, other locations, and vehicles, U.K. authorities recovered several pieces of electronic media. Among other things, a forensic analysis of Pham’s electronic media showed that he was accessing speeches and writings of al-Aulaqi as late as December 2011 — months after Pham’s return to the U.K.

    On May 24, 2012, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Pham with terrorism offenses and U.S. authorities sought Pham’s extradition from the U.K. He was provisionally arrested with a view towards extradition on June 29, 2012, and he was extradited to the United States on Feb. 26, 2015. On Jan. 8, 2016, Pham pleaded guilty to terrorism offenses related to certain of the same underlying conduct. On May 27, 2016, Pham was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan principally to a term of 40 years in prison. On Sept. 12, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed Pham’s conviction and sentence. Thereafter, Pham made a motion that, based on intervening Supreme Court decisions, resulted in the vacatur of one of the counts of his conviction. Ultimately, the government, with Pham’s consent, moved to vacate Pham’s earlier convictions. On April 8, 2021, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment, reinstating certain charges and filing other new charges against Pham, and which formed the basis for Pham’s May 11, 2023, guilty plea and conviction.

    The FBI Washington and New York Field Offices investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Metropolitan Police Service/SO 15 Counter Terrorism Command at New Scotland Yard, Crown Prosecution Service, and the Home Office provided assistance in the investigation, extradition, and prosecution of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob H. Gutwillig for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Bill Baer Delivers Remarks at Second International Conference on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Remarks as prepared for delivery

    Thank you, Jennifer [Smith of the International Legal Foundation] for your kind words. 

    I want to thank Minister of Justice [German] Garavano, Vice-Minister of Justice [Santiago] Otamendi and Chief Federal Public Defender General Stella Maris Martinez of the Government of the Republic of Argentina, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Development Programme and the International Legal Foundation, for coordinating this important gathering so that we may, together, explore how to strengthen and improve access to criminal legal aid globally.

    And equally important, I want to thank all of you – the gathered Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Attorneys General, Supreme Court Justices and criminal legal aid providers and experts – for participating in this conference.  All of the leaders in this room – and so many others across the globe – are indispensable partners in our efforts to fulfill the promise of access to criminal legal aid.  Your work is moving us closer to the ideals of equality, opportunity and justice under law.

    The United States participated with enthusiasm at the historic first international convening on criminal legal aid, held in Johannesburg, and it is a privilege to join you in Buenos Aires at the second biannual conference.

    Today, with our Presidential election just concluded, I address you not only as an official of the United States Department of Justice, but also as a representative of American democracy.  Since George Washington first relinquished his office to incoming President John Adams in 1797, a peaceful transition of power has symbolized the stability of the United States government.  On January 20, for the 44th time, a President will transfer his authority and responsibilities to his democratically elected successor.  With that transition may come changes in policies and priorities.  That is normal and in the natural course.  But what will not change – what has not changed for over 200 years, from Administration to Administration – is the promise that all people – regardless of wealth or want, status or stature, color or creed – are entitled to a set of undeniable rights:  equal protection, fundamental fairness and impartial justice.

    This commitment to equal justice is rooted in the founding ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.   It has been enshrined by our Supreme Court in milestone decisions like Brown v. Board of Education, which struck down racial segregation in schools, and Gideon v. Wainwright, which guaranteed that a defendant in a criminal case has the right to a lawyer whether or not that person can afford one.  It has been embraced by Presidents of both parties, as exemplified by the creation of the Legal Services Corporation, the largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans, by President Richard Nixon and President Bill Clinton’s signing of the landmark Violence Against Women Act, which provides legal aid for victims of domestic violence.  And it is embodied in the renewed debate on the criminal justice system, in which Americans from a range of backgrounds and political beliefs have come to agree on the need to address persistent inequities and inefficiencies in our criminal justice system, from the fairness of our sentencing laws, to the injustice in imposing fines and fees against those unable to pay, to how we reintegrate into civic and economic life those individuals convicted of crimes who have paid their debt to society.

    Our progress towards fulfilling these promises has not been uninterrupted.  At times, we have made great strides, dedicating resources, energy and ideas to the task.  At other times, we have fallen short of our own ideals.  But with each triumph and setback, we have been reminded that justice is as much a journey as it is a destination – as much a process as it is an outcome – and that the fairest criminal justice system gives equal attention to both.

    Addressing this challenge has been a priority of the Department of Justice in the eight years of the Obama Administration.  In 2010, the department launched the Office of Access to Justice – which I oversee and which seeks to improve access to legal aid to everyone in the United States who needs it.  Much of the Office’s work is directed at strengthening criminal defense for the poor by focusing on many of the same values outlined in the 2012 U.N. Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems.

    Among our most significant accomplishments has been to ensure the reality of Gideon’s promise, for the right to counsel is not only a constitutional imperative but vital to the effective functioning – and legitimacy – of the U.S. criminal justice system.  Fulfilling this promise is not easy.  Between 1999 and 2007, the number of public defenders – the front-line lawyers in our country who provide legal aid to indigent criminal defendants – increased by only four percent while their caseload increased by 20 percent.  When managing such huge caseloads, it is difficult and often times impossible, for public defenders to carry out their legal and ethical duties to their clients.  To help alleviate that problem, the Department of Justice has awarded millions of dollars to cities, states and defense advocacy organizations to support their indigent defense work.  These awards expanded the number of cities that participate in the department’s “Smart Defense” program, where cities use data, research and research partnerships to enhance criminal justice systems and programs.  These funds have also been invested in bringing risk assessment to the pre-trial detention stage, so that judges are making informed pre-trial release decisions that improve cost-effectiveness while protecting public safety and defendants’ due process, and to ensure that our public defenders have the skills necessary to be effective pretrial advocates.   And where states have proven unwilling to dedicate the necessary resources to public defender services, the department has filed amicus briefs in our courts arguing that it is a constructive denial of the constitutional right to counsel for a public defender system to be so under-resourced, so understaffed and so underfunded that an indigent defendant has access to counsel in name only. 
     
    The priority on access to criminal legal aid has extended to forging partnerships with American Indian tribes – our nation’s indigenous communities.  As Robert Kennedy rightly noted when he served as Attorney General, it is a tragic irony that the first Americans have endured a long and painful history of broken promises, deferred action and denied rights at the hands of the United States Government.  As one of many steps taken by the Justice Department to right these injustices, we have authored and supported landmark legislation to expand American Indian tribal governments’ criminal jurisdiction and sentencing authority while at the same time enhancing protections for criminal defendants in tribal courts.  To further that effort, the department has worked hard to support tribes through funding and training that improves the trial skills of tribal public defenders as well judges and prosecutors. 

    Of course, advancing access to justice for all also requires that we look critically at the Justice Department’s own role – and its own responsibility – as a central player in the federal criminal justice system.  Three years ago, the department launched the Smart on Crime initiative – a groundbreaking effort designed to reorient the way we approach criminal justice issues by diminishing the use of harsh mandatory sentences for low-level drug offenses; investing in rehabilitation and reentry programs that can reduce the likelihood of recidivism; and supporting vulnerable communities to prevent them from being caught up in the criminal justice system in the first place.  Additionally, we have embarked on an historic clemency initiative, allowing the President to commute sentences for more individuals than the last 11 Presidents combined.  And we have worked hard to get the incentives right in ensuring access to counsel in the federal system, including no longer requiring defendants in plea deals to waive future claims about whether their counsel was effective, and no longer allowing an immigrant convicted of a crime to be found deportable on the basis of alleged facts never established in the criminal case – a process unfair to immigrants who lack counsel and who may have agreed to plead guilty specifically to avoid immigration consequences. 

    Internationally, we have been proud partners with you on promoting equal access to justice, both in the criminal and civil arenas.  Since the U.N.’s unanimous adoption, just over a year ago, of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, we have been working with the international community to breathe life into Global Goal 16, which calls on countries – including the United States – to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”  To that end, the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable (LAIR) was formally established. 

    The Roundtable works to identify how and when legal aid can improve federal programs that serve our nation’s vulnerable and underserved populations. By integrating civil legal aid into a wide array of federal programs designed to improve access to housing, health care services, employment and education, and enhance family stability and public safety, the programs are strengthened and objectives better met.  This month, the Roundtable will issue its first annual report to the President.  This report will detail the history of this interagency effort and provide concrete examples of how civil legal aid has been integrated into federal programs that support the poor and vulnerable.

    The Roundtable’s report will not be our only effort to track the progress toward fulfilling Goal 16 – and specifically Target 16.3, which calls on countries to “promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.”  In September, I announced the United States’ commitment to identifying national indicators for Target 16.3, joining other nations around the world, including in the Americas, who have started regional efforts to identify indicators. The United States’ effort, which is being led by the Department of Justice, and includes experts from across the federal government, will help develop national criminal and civil access to justice indicators so that we can rigorously gauge our progress towards the goal of equal justice for all Americans.   While we are still assessing what these indicators might be, we are exploring whether we can track the impact of criminal and civil legal aid on myriad aspects of the justice system.

    And because the United States is so strongly supportive of ensuring quality and effective criminal defense, we introduced the groundbreaking resolution at this year’s United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (UN Crime Commission) that you heard about yesterday to promote access to indigent defense, including through the creation of national, regional and international networks of legal aid providers.  Resolution 25/2: Promoting legal aid builds on past international activity, including the 2012 U.N.  Principles and Guidelines, and on the common sense idea that the best way to improve defense services across the globe is through peer-to-peer exchanges and learning.  The United States stands ready to share its experiences in promoting indigent defense and to learn from yours.

    Let me end where I began:  by thanking all of you for your participation in this conference, and for your commitment and perseverance to the work of promoting equal access to justice.  When my predecessor Tony West spoke at the inaugural gathering in South Africa, he was clear-eyed about both the progress that had been made in the provision of the right to counsel and the hard work that remained to be done.  Two years later, I echo Tony’s message.  Global efforts to support the right to counsel have never been stronger.  But we have much left to do. 

    Conferences like this one are a beginning not an end.   Long after this conference concludes, after all of us have returned home, after all the keynote speeches have been given and outcome documents adopted, there will remain the work of continuing to build criminal and civil legal systems that deliver the promise of equal justice under law for every individual, regardless of where they were born, their color or class, their religious faith or their sexual orientation.  That work will not be easy.  The progress will not always be uninterrupted.  But rest assured that the United States stands with you in this mutual endeavor.  We will remain an outspoken advocate on the importance of access to criminal legal aid at home and abroad.   We will continue to be a staunch ally in the fight for justice.  And we will remain a steadfast partner in the endeavor to build legal systems that are fair and effective for all.  I look forward to all that we will achieve – together – in the years ahead.  Thank you.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Delivers Remarks at United States Military Academy

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Remarks as prepared for delivery

    Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for that warm welcome.  I am so grateful to be here today.  I also want to thank Lieutenant General [Robert] Caslen and Brigadier General [Diana] Holland for their tremendous leadership here at West Point, and for their gracious invitation to address the Cow Class of the Corps of Cadets.  And I want to acknowledge my colleague, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General [Bill] Baer, who is here with me today.  Bill does a tremendous job of leading the Justice Department’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, which is our most important program to secure the rights of our men and women in uniform.

    What an honor it is to stand before you today in this venerable place.  This campus is unlike any other in the United States – and not just because it’s the only one that Benedict Arnold once tried to sell to the British.  Few institutions have had a greater hand in molding the United States into the nation it is today than West Point.  Your fellow alumni include two distinguished presidents: Dwight Eisenhower, who I believe said that failing to make the West Point baseball team was one of his life’s greatest disappointments, and Ulysses S. Grant, who wrote in his memoirs that each year at West Point “seemed about five times as long” as a year back home.  They may have grumbled about their time here by the Hudson – something I am sure you have never done – but this much is clear: the path that led them to the highest office in public service began right here at West Point.

    There is no doubt that this institution has a proud and rich history.  But West Point is not simply a monument to the past.  It is a gateway to our future.  And that is why I look on each of you with such great pride and excitement.  Because each of you has taken that future into your hands.  When you were not yet 18, you made a choice.  You chose to embark on an education that demands more of you than almost any other institution demands of students your age. You made a choice to forego many of the traditional comforts of college for a more challenging path.  Before you could even vote, you made a choice that for at least the next nine years, the watchwords of your life would be “Duty, Honor, Country.”  That is an enormous testament to your character.  And that is a tremendous gift to our nation.

    I am moved by the sacrifices that you have made, and that you will make.  The conflict of my childhood was Vietnam, a place that meant nothing to me until it reached into my world and took my family members away.  It’s a history lesson now, but I still vividly remember my cousins and uncle going off to Vietnam, when I was a young girl.  My father, a minister, had a family prayer service for them the night before they left.  I remember being struck by the magnitude of their sacrifice.  It was the first time I ever really knew someone who was prepared to give his or her life for an ideal – for someone else’s freedom.  Their country had called and they had answered, and that was more important than their own comfort or safety.  Over the years I watched as other family members, including my own brother, made the choice to serve their country in the armed forces.  Their example has stayed with me throughout my life, and it has never been far from my mind during my years with the Department of Justice.   That sense of sacrifice and devotion to a greater mission – which was instinctive to my family members who served, and which has brought all of you to West Point – is perhaps the most important ingredient I can think of in the creation of a leader.  As a famous graduate of this school, General [Norman] Schwarzkopf, once said: “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character.  But if you must be without one, be without strategy.”

    And that is what I want to talk to you about today: why we need your character more than ever.  It seems that our news cycles too frequently feature stories of rancor and division.  Many of those stories give voice to those raising the question of what kind of leadership we want for our nation.  I believe the answer to that question can be found here at West Point.  And not simply because of your substantive knowledge, or your training to lead one of our most vital institutions in the most difficult of situations.  Rather, it is because a West Point education is concerned not only with what you know, but with who you are.  It is concerned not only with your mastery of strategy, but with your empathy and ability to understand those who are starkly different from you – whether they serve in your platoon or sit across from you at the negotiation table.  It is concerned not only with your physical prowess, but with the resilience of your moral core.  It is concerned not just with your sterling credentials, but your resolve to use those abilities to serve others.  In short, I believe that your West Point education is giving you the very tools we need in all walks of life, military and civilian alike: the ability – and the responsibility – to bridge the gap among our fellow Americans.  

    It is clear why you are receiving this important and rigorous education.  You will lead men and women through the most trying of circumstances.  It will be up to you to show those in your command that their common goals transcend their individual differences.  It will be up to you to ask them to do things they may not believe themselves capable of doing.  It will be up to you to bring out the best in those you lead.  And you will only be able to convince them to do those things if you do them yourself – exactly as you are learning to do here.  And when you do that – when you realize that leadership is the ultimate form of service to and for others – then those in your command will surprise you, and themselves, with their selflessness, with their decency, and with their ability to join in a common cause.  This is precisely the leadership that we also need, at this moment, in our national discourse, in our communities, and in our homes.  Because as challenging as your military career will be, some of your greatest leadership challenges will come when you are out of uniform, in a world that doesn’t always exemplify the lessons you have learned here.  How will you lead when a child you know is being bullied for being of a different race or religion?  How will you lead when someone with whom you disagree needs your help?  How will you lead when someone feels ignored or even targeted by the very government we are all sworn to serve?  People will listen and look up to you.  What will you say to them?  Those are the times when you will truly lean on the lessons of this great institution – that true leaders speak up for those whose voice cannot be heard, protect the weak from the strong, and always focus on the common goals and principles that overcome our differences. 

    Being a leader often brings fulfillment, recognition and rewards.  But it also brings unexpected moments.  People once your peers may surprise themselves and you by not being completely happy for you, and that will hurt.  Along with the acclaim you will also receive criticism, questioning your decisions, your motives, even your integrity, and that will sting.  And, although it may be hard to believe – especially for you engineers out there – there will come a time when you will make mistakes, and disappoint others and yourself.  We all fall down.  It’s how you get up that tells the world who you are, even more than the rank on your sleeve.  And how you respond to these challenges will confirm or deny everything that you have said about leadership in less fraught times.  Because these are the times you show the content of your character.  These are the times you must summon what is best in you – your courage, your integrity and your honor.  These are the moments that count.  These are the moments when you realize that true leadership focuses not on you, but on the institution you lead and the mission it serves.  

    In my life, I have been fortunate that that institution is the Department of Justice, and the mission is the protection of the American people and the upholding of the rule of law.  And in my most difficult moments, first as a U.S. Attorney, and now as Attorney General of the United States, I have always been well served by reminding myself that my first responsibility is not to what others think of me, but to what my institution can do for others.

    You have also committed to serving an institution: the U.S. military.  I have no doubt that you will use your talents to uphold its proud traditions and to leave it an even stronger institution than you found it.  We will be a safer and better people for your service defending our country and its values.  But I also ask you to consider yourselves servants of these United States.  The motto of this institution is not “Duty, Honor, Army” – although it will be, for a brief moment, on December 10.  The motto is “Duty, Honor, Country.”  And I want you to take that motto seriously.  Because the division and disunity that we now see too often is symptomatic of a deeper pain in our people – pain that we must learn to heal. At a time when rhetoric and ideology divide us, and bitterness and mistrust tear at the fabric of our democracy, we need you to model service to a larger cause.  We need you to remind us that our responsibility as Americans is to promote the welfare of all our people; to protect the vulnerable and the weak; and to ensure that the nation we leave for our children is better than the one our parents inherited.   We need you to bring us back to the heart of our greatness, the beauty of our different voices, paths and faces coming together as one people.  We need you to remind us of what we have achieved together, in the early motto of this great country:  E pluribus unum.  Out of many, one.

    That is my challenge to you today: be leaders not just of our military, but of our country.  Wherever life takes you beyond West Point – whether you stay in the armed forces for life, or whether you choose a different path – I challenge you to continue to be servant leaders.  Inspire others to serve causes larger than themselves.  Bring the lessons of sacrifice and selflessness that you have learned to our boardrooms, our classrooms, to the halls of Congress.  Show the American people that “Duty, Honor, Country,” is a motto not only for the proud few who pass through West Point, but for every person, in every community.  You are uniquely positioned to perform this essential work, and as I look out over this exemplary group of men and women, I am filled with hope: hope that we will continue marching together toward a brighter future; hope that we will transcend our divisions and bridge our divides; and hope that our nation’s best days still lie ahead. 

    I want to thank you all for having me here.  I look forward to seeing everything you will achieve as you assume the heavy – and honorable – mantle of leadership. 

    May God bless you all, and shelter your dreams with his everlasting grace.  May God bless all of our men and women in uniform, and hold their safety in the palm of his hand.  And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

    Thank you.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Head of the Civil Rights Division Vanita Gupta Delivers Remarks at University of North Carolina Center for Civil Rights Conference

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Good morning, everyone, and thank you, Ted [Shaw], for that warm welcome.  I want to thank the University of North Carolina’s Center for Civil Rights for organizing this energizing conference and inviting me to join you today.  It’s humbling to be part of a program with such a distinguished group of civil rights leaders.  I see many dear friends and colleagues in this room.  Through advocacy and academia, through service and leadership – you have devoted your careers to the cause of justice and the fight for equality.                                                                                                                                    

    For just over two years, I’ve had the enormous privilege and great honor to lead the Civil Rights Division’s work in that fight.  At times, my tenure has been filled with moments of tragedy and anguish.  And there is no doubt that events in recent years have exposed and exacerbated stark divisions of ideology and open wounds of racial tension across America.  I’ve sat with grieving families who lost their loved ones in officer-involved shootings.  I’ve attended funerals of officers killed in the line of duty.  I’ve seen how the inequities in our criminal justice system can destroy lives and derail futures.  And I’ve been all too aware of how some of the most vulnerable among us encounter a real gap between what the law guarantees, on one hand, and what they experience in their daily lives, on the other – from courtrooms, to voting precincts, to public bathrooms.

    Yet I firmly believe that these are also times of possibility, of opportunity and of hope.  Because amidst the tragedies and divisions, I’ve seen police officers and residents working together to promote community-oriented policing strategies.  I’ve seen firsthand these past two years – in meetings, conferences and roundtables around the country – law enforcement leaders stand up and speak out to transform the profession, embracing de-escalation tactics, procedural justice and a smart-on-crime approach.  And I’ve seen how people from different walks of life can come together to engage in America’s imperfect, but unyielding journey of progress towards a more inclusive country and a more just union.

    For nearly six decades – from prosecuting the 1964 murder of three civil rights workers in Mississippi; to combating segregation in education; to enforcing the Fair Housing Act; to preventing discrimination in lending, whether in redlining or underwriting; to defending the civil rights of LGBT men and women here in North Carolina – the division’s career lawyers have played a pivotal role in our country’s quest for justice.  The division vigorously enforces civil rights laws to make the promises of equal justice, equal protection and equal opportunity real for all.  We work to restore faith in the legitimacy of our justice system.  And we work to defend the integrity of our democracy.  Because discrimination, inequality and injustice don’t only harm individuals.  They threaten entire communities.  They breed cynicism and despair.  And they erode trust in our public institutions – trust essential to upholding the rule of law, to advancing public safety and to engaging in our centuries-old democratic experiment of effective self-governance.

    In stark terms and in real time, we’ve seen this connection between discrimination and distrust play out around the country through the lens of community-police relations.  Sometimes, a particular incident ignites public outrage and unrest.  And let be me clear: when law enforcement officials flout the law, the Civil Rights Division works to prosecute criminal misconduct and hold them accountable.  But I’ll be honest with you, the federal statute that applies is narrow.  In use-of-force cases, federal law requires us to prove both that the officer used “objectively unreasonable” force and that she or he acted willfully – “for the specific purpose of violating the law” – the highest standard of criminal intent in the federal code.  Mistake, misperception, negligence and poor judgment are not prosecutable at the federal level.  That said, during this administration, we have charged more than 580 law enforcement officials for committing willful violations of civil rights and related crimes.

    But we know that the true causes – the real reasons – for unrest run far deeper than any individual incident.  And we know that while public attention to these issues might be new, these causes are long-standing and systemic.  We’ve found these causes time and again through several of the 23 civil pattern-or-practice investigations we’ve opened into local police departments during this administration.  These cases focus not on individuals but on systems.  Broken systems – plagued by unlawful practices and tainted by bias – can devastate a community and corrode public trust, letting down not just the victims of police misconduct but the officers who seek to proudly wear the badge.

    We saw the impact of broken systems in Baltimore, where a “zero tolerance” street enforcement strategy became a quest to produce numbers – pedestrian stops of African Americans in particular – regardless of their limited impact on solving crime and the damage they did to community relationships.  Officers routinely arrested people for loitering or trespassing if they could not provide a “valid reason” for standing on the sidewalk or near a public housing development.  In one instance, a shift commander emailed a template for describing such trespassing arrests.  The template had blank fields.  Except that it had the words “black male” pre-filled for the suspect description.  Blanket assumptions and stereotypes about certain neighborhoods and certain communities led many residents to see the justice system as illegitimate and authorities as corrupt. 

    We saw the impact of broken systems in Ferguson, where the criminalization of poverty – and intentional racial bias in police and court practices – eroded public trust.  The city relied on enforcement strategies “to fill the revenue pipeline” without due consideration for whether officers could better protect the city by focusing on neighborhood policing, rather than debt collection.  We found the city issuing multiple citations with excessive fines and fees for minor violations – $302 for jaywalking, $427 for disturbing the peace and $531 for allowing high grass and weeds to grow on your lawn – and then arresting and even jailing residents when they couldn’t afford to pay.

    We saw the impact of broken systems in New Orleans as well, where officers lacked the ability to effectively communicate with immigrant communities.  At the time of our investigation, the New Orleans Police Department relied primarily on just two officers – one fluent in Spanish and one fluent in Vietnamese – to assist on all service calls and investigations involving limited English proficient residents.  As one Spanish-speaking immigrant testified, “[W]e don’t feel safe, we don’t feel supported.  We, the immigrants don’t feel support from them [the police].  We cannot call them for any kind of problem for help.”

    And we saw the impact of broken systems in Seattle, where the use of excessive force against individuals in crisis left families dealing with mental illness or addiction with nowhere to turn for help, without access to services and too fearful to call the police when the denial of treatment created dangerous situations for themselves and their loved ones.

    While each of these communities struggled with unique problems, the broken systems and police misconduct caused residents to view the police, the courts or even government itself as arbitrary, biased and unfair.  And when residents didn’t trust law enforcement, they became less willing to share information – information critical to solving and preventing crimes.  Entire communities felt that the justice system was not protecting or serving them, perpetuating disillusionment and exacerbating tensions.  Simply put, unconstitutional policing threatens the security and well-being of our communities.  And that hurts us all. 

    Of course, broken systems and unconstitutional policing practices don’t operate in isolation from other inequities in our justice system.  Indeed, throughout the justice system – from arraignment to sentencing – when people experience a two-tiered system of justice that stacks the deck against those living in poverty, these broader failures erodes trust, too.  The entire Department of Justice – including our team at the Office for Access to Justice, led by Director Lisa Foster – has helped lead the charge against criminal justice policies that punish poverty.  We’ve sent a dear colleague letter to state and local judges to help end unlawful fine and fee practices that result in inescapable cycles of debt and incarceration.  We’ve shined a light on the right-to-counsel crisis by filing briefs around the country – arguing that if due to underfunding and high workloads, public defenders can’t meaningfully test the prosecution’s case, that violates the Sixth Amendment.  We’ve taken on the criminalization of homelessness, arguing that because every human being must sleep at some time and in some place, arresting and punishing a person for sleeping in public – when there aren’t enough shelter beds in the city and she has nowhere else to go – criminalizes the status of being homeless.  We’ve addressed unlawful bail practices that result in jailing presumptively innocent people solely because of their poverty, without consideration of their ability to pay or alternatives to incarceration, causing people to lose their jobs, their health benefits or their homes without any benefit to public safety.  As with the issue of systemic police misconduct, addressing these issues – by preventing the punishment of poverty and by ensuring access to justice for all – is critical to restoring and maintaining the public’s faith in the legitimacy of our institutions and the integrity of our democracy.

    The integrity of our democracy also depends on ensuring that every eligible voter can participate in the electoral process.  Voting forms the bedrock of our democracy.  In our democracy, no matter what policy issue we care about most, we get closer to these goals through the ballot box.  The Justice Department works to ensure that every eligible voter enjoys the full range of voting rights protected by federal law.  It makes no difference to us what candidate a voter selects or what party she supports.  But we fight day-in and day-out, in elections big and small, not just in November but throughout the year, to protect her right to have a say.  Even with the severe setback of the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, we’ve continued to use every tool at our disposal, including the Voting Rights Act, to protect voters from discrimination and provide the opportunities federal law guarantees.  And when it comes to protecting the process, we have been winning.

    This year, courts around the country issued pivotal rulings to protect the franchise, including in landmark cases brought by the Justice Department and private plaintiffs in North Carolina and Texas.  In July, a federal appeals court ruled that “because of race, the legislature enacted one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern North Carolina history,” striking down a law that “target[s] African Americans with almost surgical precision.”  And after years of litigation prolonged by Shelby County, in July the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down a Texas voter ID law for violating the Voting Rights Act.  Roughly half a million Texans lacked the form of ID needed to vote.  As Sammie Louise Bates – an elderly African American woman living on a fixed income of $321 per month, who lacked the birth certificate she needed to get a Texas ID – testified, “I had to put the $42 [I needed to get the birth certificate] where it was doing the most good … because we couldn’t eat the birth certificate … and we couldn’t pay rent with the birth certificate.”  From Alabama to Connecticut, we’ve also reached critical settlements to ensure that eligible voters can register with the ease and access that federal law requires.

    In the general election last month, the Justice Department sent more than 500 personnel to 67 jurisdictions in 28 states to monitor polling places in the field.  Of course, no matter how vigorously and effectively we protect this most fundamental right – through enforcement and monitoring, with government action and support from private plaintiffs – eligible voters need to go out and exercise it.  Democracy requires active participation.  Self-government, after all, doesn’t happen by chance.  But I recognize that people need to believe in the legitimacy of government – in the guarantee that government will treat them fairly, with dignity and decency – in order to participate in the process.

    Defending the integrity of our democracy also requires protecting all people – no matter who they are, what they look like, whom they love or where they worship – from harm.  Violence against people based on their identity not only violates the law and harms individuals.  It also denies entire communities the promises of equal protection and true freedom.  Following recent heinous acts of terrorism and divisive rhetoric – we’re combating a backlash of religious discrimination targeting Muslim communities and others perceived to be Muslim.  Just two days ago, we convicted a Minneapolis man of a hate crime for writing and mailing a threatening letter to a local Islamic Center, where he threatened to “blow up your building with all you immigrants in it.”  Beyond hate crimes, this discriminatory backlash also includes bullying in schools and unlawful barriers to building houses of worship.

    For the past eight years, the Civil Rights Division has also worked tirelessly to make the promise of equal protection real for gay, lesbian and transgender individuals.  Just last month, we celebrated the seventh anniversary of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.  This law expanded the federal definition of hate crimes to include protections against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation.  It marked the first time that the words, “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender” appeared in the United States Code.  It enhanced the legal toolkit available to prosecutors.  And it increased the ability of federal law enforcement to support our state and local partners.  In the years since, the Civil Rights Division has vigorously enforced this landmark statute.  And we continue to work with our partners on the federal, state and local levels to ensure the robust enforcement of hate crime statutes.

    Hate violence may mark the most severe form, but discrimination anywhere – and in any form – offends the Constitution and corrodes the ideals of our democracy.  In United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges, the Justice Department argued successfully that our Constitution guarantees the equal protection of the law to all people.  In citing the Supreme Court’s previous decisions – and in recounting America’s painful history of discrimination against gay and lesbian individuals – we explained that bans on same-sex marriage “exclude a long-mistreated class of human beings from a legal and social status of tremendous import” and are “incompatible with the Constitution.”  And then in June 2015, the Supreme Court agreed, ruling that here in America, our Constitution guarantees all people “equal dignity in the eyes of the law.”  The Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell stands as a beacon of light – not only for gay and lesbian individuals but for the cause of justice itself.

    The cause of justice is never static.  It is always searching for the next barrier to dismantle, for the next right to vindicate and for the next freedom to secure.  Earlier this year, I joined Attorney General [Loretta] Lynch to announce our lawsuit against North Carolina for violating the civil rights of transgender individuals.  Just like Obergefell was about more than just marriage, our challenge to H.B. 2 was about more than just bathrooms.  Justice [Anthony] Kennedy wrote in Obergefell that gay men and women have a right to “dignity in their own distinct identity.”  And, in 1964, in a case vindicating the Justice Department’s efforts to enforce the Civil Rights Act against the Heart of Atlanta Motel, which refused to let African Americans use its facilities, Justice [Arthur] Goldberg wrote that the “primary purpose” of our nation’s antidiscrimination laws “is the vindication of human dignity.”  Laws like H.B. 2 force transgender people to choose between their dignity and basic participation in public life.  The humiliation, frustration and embarrassment transgender people feel when they are denied access to a facility others of their gender are free to use – when they receive the message that they are less worthy of equal status and dignity than their peers – is the pain of discrimination and always has been.  Fighting discrimination is the mission of the Civil Rights Division, and it always has been. 

    In all of the areas I spoke about today, we – as a nation and as a people – have far more work to do.  Whether it’s in North Carolina or in countless other places across America – from rural towns to large states – this fight is centered around the cause of hope.  To me, civil rights work has always been built upon a foundation of hope.  It’s the hope that despite the zigs and the zags of our nation’s history, we have been marching forward, imperfectly yet inexorably.  The long struggle for equal justice and equal opportunity in this country has always required a deep and abiding reservoir of hope.  Hope gives us the struggle and the struggle gives us hope.  It’s the hope that this work transforms the nation, fulfills dreams and changes lives.

    While we will face new and emerging challenges to equality in the days ahead – just as we always have – civil rights work has always been designed to endure, to build new, infectious momentum in both public and private action.  And when I look at the distinguished leaders in this room, I know that with your determination, your creativity and your compassion, together we will continue to advance America’s march for progress and quest for justice.  Thank you.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer Delivers Remarks Before the National Asian American Coalition and National Diversity Coalition

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Thank you Faith for those kind words and for your outstanding leadership of the National Asian American Coalition (NAAC).  The NAAC and its partners in the National Diversity Coalition have become important voices and strong advocates for communities – in particular, minority and poor communities – that far too often go unheard in our society.  Day in and day out, you provide hope and a helping hand to many hardworking Americans struggling to attain the American dream.  In my three years in this job, one highlight is meeting regularly with your coalition.  You are always informed and effective advocates on behalf of your communities.

    But I appreciate that advocating on behalf of consumers when you visit D.C. is only a small part of what the NAAC and the National Diversity Coalition do.  You provide training to the laid-off father searching for a job that will put food on the table and a roof over his family’s head.  You provide financial advice and resources to the mother hoping to start her own business.  You help families purchase their first home or refinance their mortgage so they can hold onto the home they purchased with their life savings.  You inspire countless young people to dream big and to strive for excellence by providing them with mentoring, after-school programs and scholarships.  I spoke with some of these students this morning.  I believe, as President Obama has noted, that “[t]here is no stronger weapon against inequality and no better path to opportunity than an education that can unlock a child’s God-given potential.”

    The mission of the Antitrust Division also involves ensuring economic opportunity for all consumers.  Our antitrust laws seek to promote fairness in our marketplaces, safeguard the economic freedom of our citizens and strengthen our economy through vigorous competition.  Our first antitrust law – the Sherman Act – was passed 125 years ago.  That law seeks to protect American consumers and businesses from the harm to competition that results when too much economic power is held by only a few corporations and individuals.  The Sherman Act became a vital tool under President Theodore Roosevelt – a progressive reformer often referred to as the “trust buster” – as he spearheaded the movement to bring fairness to the marketplace and to ensure that consumers benefit from healthy competition for their hard earned dollars.  Some years later, his distant cousin – President Franklin D. Roosevelt – established the Antitrust Division at the Justice Department to help continue the fight to protect hardworking Americans from the higher prices and reduced innovation that can result from the consolidation of economic power in a few hands.

    Here are a couple of examples of the Antitrust Division’s work.  Earlier this year, I stood with Attorney General Loretta Lynch when she announced the criminal guilty pleas of five of the world’s largest and most influential financial institutions – Citicorp, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, UBS and The Royal Bank of Scotland – for manipulating the massive foreign currency exchange market.  As part of their guilty pleas, these institutions were required to pay almost $3 billion in criminal fines, including the largest antitrust fines ever obtained in the Justice Department’s 145-year history.

    A few years ago, we uncovered international conspiracies to fix the prices for all kinds of automobile parts, including seatbelts, airbags and antilock brake systems.  This illegal conduct made it more costly for companies like General Motors, Ford and Toyota to manufacture cars.  At the end of the day, we all know who paid the price for these cartels – the American consumer.  As of today, we have charged 58 corporate executives and 37 companies and obtained more than $2.6 billion in criminal fines.  And we are not done yet.

    Sometimes antitrust crimes are local.  Here in Northern California, our San Francisco office has spent the last several years prosecuting individuals who rigged the bids on foreclosed homes being sold at public auctions.  As you know, many Californians lost their homes during the Great Recession because they could not afford to pay their mortgages.  Some real estate investors saw the misfortune of these homeowners as an opportunity to line their pockets by agreeing not to bid against each other when these homes were auctioned.  They took turns winning these auctions at suppressed prices and deprived the banks and homeowners of the benefits of a competitive auction.  Thus far, we have charged more than 110 individuals who engaged in this type of bid rigging here in Northern California and other parts of the country.  Our San Francisco office also successfully prosecuted a conspiracy to fix the prices of liquid display panels sold worldwide.  LCDs are used in all kinds of electronic products, including flat screen televisions, computer monitors and tablets.  This conspiracy made it more expensive for companies to manufacture electronics, which, in turn, caused millions of Americans to pay higher prices.

    These cases showcase the Antitrust Division’s strong record of criminal antitrust enforcement during the Obama Administration.  Since President Obama took office, we have charged over 400 individuals and 140 corporations with criminal misconduct.  We obtained over $8.5 billion in criminal fines and penalties.  These large criminal fines and penalties serve an important deterrent effect because they directly affect something that corporate executives and investors care deeply about: a company’s bottom line.  But another thing to note: the criminal fines obtained by the Antitrust Division provide funding for the Justice Department’s Crime Victim’s Fund, which helps victims of all types of crime obtain the medical, legal and financial services that they need to move forward with their lives.  In California, this fund has helped victims of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault.

    We challenge other misconduct that raises – or threatens to raise – the prices that you as a consumer pay.  Here are some recent examples.

    Think about e-books, a popular alternative to hard copies.  Because they cost less to produce, they should be cheaper.  And until early 2010 they were.  Suddenly, prices shot up.  Why?  Because certain book publishers and Apple entered into an illegal agreement to raise prices.  We sued Apple and the publishers to put an end to their unlawful coordination.

    What happened to e-book prices when the publishers and Apple were forced to compete?  Prices for e-books fell.  In 2010, when the price fixing conspiracy was in place, you often had to pay $12.99 or $14.99 for a best-seller.  After we obtained judgments against Apple and the publishers, prices for best-sellers fell significantly, with many available for $9.99 or less.  Thus, competition, once restored, worked to benefit you and other consumers.

    But what about those who were victims of higher prices during the e-books conspiracy?  Based on the facts we developed, state attorneys general and private plaintiffs have thus far secured over $160 million in refunds for the victims of this conspiracy.  These refunds were directly credited to the consumers’ accounts with Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple.

    At the Antitrust Division we also worry about mergers between competitors that put the American public at risk of higher prices and lower quality products.  That was our concern a few years ago when AT&T wanted to buy its rival, T-Mobile.  AT&T claimed that by eliminating T-Mobile as a competitor, you, as a consumer, would be better off.  Our job at the Antitrust Division is to kick the tires on those claims and make sure they are accurate.  Here, the facts we uncovered told us that the elimination of T-Mobile as a competitor risked having you pay higher prices and receiving worse contract terms for mobile service.  We challenged the deal and AT&T ended up abandoning it.

    And guess what happened next?  Just like e-books, when the antitrust laws are enforced, competition flourishes.  T-Mobile went back to competing to win your business.  It spent billions of dollars improving the products it offers; it fought to woo customers by offering lower prices and better services; and it gave customers freedom of choice by offering to pay the early termination fees for those who switched to T-Mobile.

    And T-Mobile’s competitors were compelled to respond.  Sprint began offering lower prices and better plans.  AT&T targeted T-Mobile customers with a $200 credit, plus money for smartphone trade-ins, if they switched to AT&T.  T-Mobile responded by offering plans that allow customers to upgrade their phones twice a year.  AT&T, Verizon and Sprint all felt compelled to match these plans.

    A couple of months ago, in one of his final speeches as the lawyer for the American people, former Attorney General Holder summed up the role and purpose of antitrust enforcement.  He said: “In the appropriate enforcement of the antitrust laws we make real the promise of our democracy and our founding documents.  Vigorous competition in all spheres is what makes this nation exceptional.  It makes progress more likely and promotes the general welfare.”

    The hardworking men and women of the Antitrust Division remain true to this mission.  We should be proud of them and grateful to them.  They make the economy work for all of us.

    Similarly, we are grateful for the work that the NAAC and the National Diversity Coalition do on a daily basis to help some of our most vulnerable citizens and communities.  Together we can help to promote marketplaces where companies compete on price and quality for the hard earned dollars of American consumers.

    Thank you for your time today and congratulations on organizing another great conference.

    AAG Baer Remarks to NAAC 10-23-15 (53.39 KB)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years for Possession of Firearm

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Sherron Gary (41, Tampa) to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Gary pleaded guilty in October 2024.

    According to court documents, on April 9, 2023, officers with the Tampa Police Department (TPD) attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Gary after observing the vehicle had a broken taillight. Gary failed to pull over and instead fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. A police helicopter followed Gary. After Gary’s vehicle was boxed in by law enforcement, Gary fled from the officers on foot, which the helicopter was also able to capture.

    As Gary fled, the helicopter crew observed Gary discard an item as he was running that resembled a firearm. TPD officers apprehended Gary. After the arrest, the helicopter crew directed officers back to the location where they had observed Gary discard the firearm. Officers located a 9mm Walther Creed semiautomatic pistol at the location.

    At the time, Gary had four prior felony convictions, including aggravated battery and armed burglary of a dwelling, trafficking of cocaine, delivery of cocaine, and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of church. As a convicted felon, Gary is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jacksonville Convicted Child Sex Offender Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Entice A 13-Year-Old To Engage In Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jeremy Wayne Leggett (38, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a child to engage in sexual activity. Leggett faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison, and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Leggett is a registered child sex offender, having been previously convicted in Florida in 2020 of traveling to meet a minor to commit an unlawful sexual offense and transmitting harmful materials to a minor. Leggett was arrested on June 19, 2023, and has been in custody since then. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 28, 2025.   

    According to court documents, on June 16, 2023, an undercover FBI agent (UC) in the Jacksonville area, posing as a minor child, was working online in a particular social media application (app) to identify individuals seeking to contact and engage in sexual activity with children. The UC engaged in an online conversation with an app user “dAddi” who posted a notice in a public chatroom that read “Lookingfor[under 18 emoji] wannaspoiladaughter.” During this online conversation, user “dAddi,” who was subsequently identified as Leggett, was advised that the “child” was 13 years old. Leggett asked if the “child” “[l]ike[d] older men,” and sent the “child” a photo of himself. After more conversation, Leggett suggested that they meet in person for sexual activity, and he sent the “child” an explicit photo of himself. On June 17, 18, and 19, 2023, Leggett reinitiated text messages with the UC and continued attempting to persuade the “child” to meet for sex and to send him sexually suggestive photos.

    On June 19, 2023, Leggett and the “child” made arrangements to meet at a location in Jacksonville. Later that evening, Leggett went to the agreed-upon location and drove around the parking lot for about 30 minutes. When law enforcement officers attempted to make contact with Leggett, he quickly reversed his vehicle and fled the scene. A short time later, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and FBI agents located Leggett at a home in Jacksonville and he was arrested. 

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

    It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ukraine has every right to determine its own future: UK Statement to the OSCE

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    UK Military Advisor, Joby Rimmer, says Russia’s war of aggression has achieved little except the catastrophic loss of life, the loss of Russia’s military credibility, and the loss of Russia’s international reputation.

    Thank you, Mr Chair. Sadly, we have started this year like the last, and the overwhelming concern of this forum remains: Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. The UK remains resolutely committed to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their homeland. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the UK has provided over £3 billion per year in military, humanitarian and financial assistance, and this support will continue for as long as necessary to ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are fully restored.

    What has Russia accomplished so far? Russia’s full-scale invasion has been nothing short of a disaster. The Russian state’s bold assertion that the subjugation of Ukraine would be accomplished within a matter of days was made almost three years ago. Having failed in pursuit of its own strategic aims, the campaign has achieved little except the catastrophic loss of life on both sides, the loss of Russia’s military credibility, and the loss of Russia’s international reputation.

    The UN estimates that more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians and some 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed as a direct result of Russian aggression. Independent reports suggest approximately 830,000 Russian casualties, a number that demonstrates President Putin’s disregard for his own countrymen sent to fight in a war they did not choose. On 29th January alone, the Russian military lost 1,670 men with Russian casualties for January averaging over 1,500 per day. At the current rate of loss, Russia will have suffered over 1 million casualties by June 2025. As Russian casualties mount, Russian recruitment in Moscow has reduced, with military recruitment currently at 40 personnel a day, five times lower than the Summer-Autumn 2024 average of 200 recruits a day. Half of these recruits are reportedly indebted Russians and foreign nationals. The direct participation of DPRK troops in combat operations is another dangerous expansion of Putin’s illegal war. Of the 11,000 DPRK troops deployed in Kursk, reporting indicates that 4,000 are already casualties, including 1,000 fatalities.

    What has Russia accomplished militarily? Reports from the region paint a stark image of Russian military mediocrity. Russia has reportedly now lost over 3,700 Main Battle Tanks, over 8,000 armoured vehicles and 1,800 pieces of artillery. Any marginal Russian gains around Donetsk, Toretsk and Pokrovsk have been extremely costly, with progress augmented through the cynical use of glide bombs, drone and missile attacks, causing widespread damage to local housing, medical facilities and critical infrastructure. Independent reports state that Russia launched over 1,250 aerial bombs and over 1,000 attack drones into Ukraine in the last week of January. Nearly all resulted in civilian casualties.

    Last week, the Ukrainian army’s general staff reported that Russian forces bombed a boarding school in an area of Kursk under Ukrainian control, where civilians were sheltering and preparing to evacuate. Four people were killed and dozens injured. Russia’s continued disregard for human life cannot, and will not, be overlooked.

    Russia is also suffering the cost to its international reputation. The war in Ukraine clearly violates the UN Charter and contravenes our shared commitments of the Helsinki Final Act – respecting sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of force. This full-scale invasion is not just an illegal act that contravenes international law; it is a serious miscalculation and one that fundamentally represents loss; most appallingly, the loss of human life, the loss of Russia’s international reputation, and the loss of Russia’s military credibility.

    Finally, the UK remains firm in its belief that any path to peace must be grounded in a position of strength for Ukraine. Ukraine must not be coerced into peace talks under duress or pressure from the aggressor. Ukraine has every right to determine its future, and its right to self-determination must be upheld. The UK is proud to be a steadfast friend of Ukraine and will not rest until Ukraine achieves peace on its own terms – Russia must cease hostilities in Ukraine and remove its forces from Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders. Thank you, Mr Chair.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 February 2025

    Invasion of Ukraine

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  • MIL-OSI: Invesco Ltd: Form 8.3 – PRS REIT, The; Public dealing disclosure

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1. KEY INFORMATION  
       
    (a) Full name of discloser: Invesco Ltd.  
    (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
    The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		    
    (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
    Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 PRS REIT plc, The  
    (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:    
    (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:
    For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 04.02.2025  
    (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
    If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A  
       
    2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE  
       
    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.  
    (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)  
       
    Class of relevant security: 1p ordinary GB00BF01NH51  
      Interests Short Positions  
      Number % Number %  
    (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 71,586,793 13.03      
    (2) Cash-settled derivatives:          
    (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:          
      Total 71,586,793 13.03      
       
       
    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    		  
       
       
    (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)  
       
    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:    
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:    
       
    3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE  
       
    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    		  
    (a) Purchases and sales  
       
    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit  
    1p ordinary GB00BF01NH51 Purchase 13,563 1.08 GBP  
       
    (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions  
       
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit  
               
       
    (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)
     
    (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying
     
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
                   
       
    (ii) Exercise  
       
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit  
               
       
    (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)  
                 
    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable)  
             
       
    4. OTHER INFORMATION  
       
    (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements  
       
    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”    		  
    None  
       
    (b) Agreements, arrangements, or understandings relating to options or derivatives  
       
    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”    		  
    None  
       
    (c) Attachments  
       
    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO  
       
    Date of disclosure 05.02.2025  
    Contact name Philippa Holmes  
    Telephone number +441491417447  
       

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan Nationals Charged for Alleged Possession of Firearms Following IH-35 Road Rage Complaint

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WACO, Texas – Two Guatemalan nationals were arrested in Waco on criminal charges related to their alleged aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm as undocumented noncitizens.

    According to court documents, Anderson Morales-Calderon and Ever Morales-Calderon were subjected to a traffic stop on Jan. 24, by officers from the Troy Police Department (TPD) and Lorena Police Department (LPD) as response to a road rage complaint called into 911. The 911 caller alleged that an individual pointed a rifle at a semi-truck on IH-35. During the traffic stop, officers observed two air rifles and one .22 rifle in plain view in the back seat and on the back floorboard of the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that both Anderson and Ever Morales-Calderon were unlawfully present in the United States.

    The two defendants were in federal court in Austin Tuesday for their initial appearances. If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are investigating the case with the assistance of the TPD and LPD.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mississippi Man Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Federal Prison After Being Convicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

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

          JONESBORO—Robert Wilburn, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 100 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Lee P. Rudofsky.

          On March 15, 2022, deputies from the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office responded to a vehicle that was stopped on the side of the road. Deputies located Wilburn asleep behind the wheel of the vehicle. While attempting to wake Wilburn, deputies noticed the smell of intoxicants and marijuana in the vehicle. After repeated attempts, deputies were finally able to wake Wilburn, whose speech was incoherent. Deputies removed Wilburn from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs. During a search of Wilburn’s vehicle, deputies located in plain view next to the center console a Glock 43, 9mm firearm that contained a loaded magazine and one round in the chamber. In the center console, deputies located a box of 9mm ammunition that matched the ammunition found inside of the firearm. Deputies also located a second magazine in the glovebox. Deputies found an open beer can in the center cup holder that was cold to the touch and a small amount of marijuana in the pocket of the driver’s side door.

          On February 9, 2023, Wilburn, 32, of Inverness, Mississippi, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. On August 21, 2024, a jury found Wilburn guilty after a two-day jury trial conducted in the Jonesboro federal courthouse.

          Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Wilburn to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

          The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin O’Leary and Katie Hinojosa.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Firms which took customers’ deposits but didn’t fit their kitchens are shut down following phoenix concerns

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Insolvency Service investigations found the Manchester-based companies took upfront payments from more than 20 customers, but there is no evidence they installed the kitchens as promised

    • Customers complained they did not receive the kitchens they had paid deposits for to Smart Choice Kitchens Limited and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms Limited  

    • A phoenix company, Connect Kitchens Limited, was suspected of being set up to continue the same operation 

    • The three companies, connected by a shared director, were shut down in court following investigations by the Insolvency Service 

    A group of linked kitchen design and fitting companies based in Manchester have been shut down after taking upfront payments from more than 20 customers for products they did not provide. 

    Smart Choice Kitchens Limited, Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms Limited, and Connect Kitchens Limited were all wound-up at a hearing of the High Court in Manchester on Tuesday 4 February following an investigation by the Insolvency Service into their business practices which also identified a pattern of phoenixism. 

    The companies encouraged customers to make payments before the kitchens were delivered and installed. 

    They then failed to supply the kitchens and customers were left unable to obtain refunds. 

    A total of 21 customers complained to Action Fraud about the actions of Smart Choice Kitchens and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms. Combined, the complainants had paid deposits of more than £50,000 to the two companies. 

    The victims all said that after paying a deposit, they were then falsely informed that the companies had gone into liquidation, or “went bankrupt”. 

    Insolvency Service investigators were also concerned that Connect Kitchens was acting as a successor company to Smart Choice Kitchens and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms, putting consumers at risk of losing further sums of money due to phoenixism. 

    David Hope, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 

    Our investigations into Smart Choice Kitchens and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms concluded that they were taking money from customers for kitchens they never had any intention of fitting. The victims found out about the companies through Facebook or Google and were then treated in very similar ways, losing hundreds if not thousands of pounds. 

    We were concerned that Connect Kitchens was a phoenix company created to continue the same operation. Our concerns only increased when our investigations uncovered three previous companies run by the same director and her associate, all of which appeared to use the same objectionable and dishonest trading practices. 

    Phoenix companies being set up with the sole purpose of causing clear financial harm to the public will not be tolerated by the Insolvency Service. 

    Stopping these companies from trading will protect potential future victims, disrupt suspected fraudulent activity, and act as a deterrent to others considering a similar business model.

    Smart Choice Kitchens, Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms, and Connect Kitchens were all established between November 2022 and July 2023. 

    The three companies shared a director, known as Toni Amana or Toni Amana Warrington. 

    Connect Kitchens appointed a second director in October 2024 but Warrington remained the sole person with significant control over the company. 

    Warrington and a known associate of hers were directors of three other companies which operated a similar business model to Smart Choice Kitchens, Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms, and Connect Kitchens. 

    Those three companies, Your Style Kitchens Ltd, Your Style Kitchens & Bathrooms Ltd, and Designer Kitchens and Bathrooms Limited, all stopped trading and were struck-off the Companies House register in August 2023, October 2023, and January 2024. 

    Bank statements obtained by the Insolvency Service for Smart Choice Kitchens and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms revealed that the majority of payments were made to Warrington’s associate. 

    Warrington also failed to co-operate with the Insolvency Service’s investigations. 

    No accounting records were produced for any of the three companies and both Smart Choice Kitchens and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms did not file accounts at Companies House on time.  

    The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of Smart Choice Kitchens Limited, Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms Limited, and Connect Kitchens Limited. 

    All enquiries concerning the affairs of the three companies should be made to the Official Receiver of the Public Interest Unit: 16th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London, E20 1HZ. Email: piu.or@insolvency.gov.uk. 

    Further information 

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, December and Annual 2024

    Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

    The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $98.4 billion in December, up $19.5 billion from $78.9 billion in November, revised.

    U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Deficit
    Deficit: $98.4 Billion  +24.7%°
    Exports: $266.5 Billion  –2.6%°
    Imports: $364.9 Billion  +3.5%°

    Next release: Thursday, March 6, 2025

    (°) Statistical significance is not applicable or not measurable. Data adjusted for seasonality but not price changes

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, February 5, 2025

    Exports, Imports, and Balance (exhibit 1)

    December exports were $266.5 billion, $7.1 billion less than November exports. December imports were $364.9 billion, $12.4 billion more than November imports.

    The December increase in the goods and services deficit reflected an increase in the goods deficit of $18.9 billion to $123.0 billion and a decrease in the services surplus of $0.6 billion to $24.5 billion.

    For 2024, the goods and services deficit increased $133.5 billion, or 17.0 percent, from 2023. Exports increased $119.8 billion or 3.9 percent. Imports increased $253.3 billion or 6.6 percent.

    Three-Month Moving Averages (exhibit 2)

    The average goods and services deficit increased $4.7 billion to $83.8 billion for the three months ending in December.

    • Average exports decreased $1.2 billion to $268.8 billion in December.
    • Average imports increased $3.5 billion to $352.7 billion in December.

    Year-over-year, the average goods and services deficit increased $19.2 billion from the three months ending in December 2023.

    • Average exports increased $9.8 billion from December 2023.
    • Average imports increased $29.0 billion from December 2023.

    Exports (exhibits 3, 6, and 7)

    Exports of goods decreased $7.5 billion to $170.2 billion in December.

      Exports of goods on a Census basis decreased $6.7 billion.

    • Consumer goods decreased $1.8 billion.
      • Pharmaceutical preparations decreased $1.4 billion.
    • Industrial supplies and materials decreased $1.8 billion.
      • Crude oil decreased $0.9 billion.
      • Other petroleum products decreased $0.3 billion.
      • Other precious metals decreased $0.3 billion.
      • Fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides decreased $0.3 billion.
    • Capital goods decreased $1.4 billion.
      • Computers decreased $0.9 billion.
      • Civilian aircraft increased $1.4 billion.
    • Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines decreased $0.9 billion.
      • Trucks, buses, and special purpose vehicles decreased $0.4 billion.
      • Other automotive parts and accessories decreased $0.3 billion.

      Net balance of payments adjustments decreased $0.8 billion.

    Exports of services increased $0.4 billion to $96.3 billion in December.

    • Travel increased $0.3 billion.
    • Financial services increased $0.1 billion.

    Imports (exhibits 4, 6, and 8)

    Imports of goods increased $11.4 billion to $293.1 billion in December.

      Imports of goods on a Census basis increased $11.3 billion.

    • Industrial supplies and materials increased $10.8 billion.
      • Finished metal shapes increased $9.2 billion.
      • Nonmonetary gold increased $1.0 billion.
    • Consumer goods increased $2.2 billion.
      • Toys, games, and sporting goods increased $0.8 billion.
      • Cell phones and other household goods increased $0.8 billion.
    • Capital goods increased $1.3 billion.
      • Computers increased $1.2 billion.
      • Computer accessories increased $0.9 billion.
      • Civilian aircraft decreased $1.1 billion.
    • Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines decreased $2.2 billion.
      • Passenger cars decreased $1.6 billion.

      Net balance of payments adjustments increased $0.1 billion.

    Imports of services increased $1.0 billion to $71.8 billion in December.

    • Transport increased $0.5 billion.
    • Travel increased $0.3 billion.

    Real Goods in 2017 Dollars – Census Basis (exhibit 11)

    The real goods deficit increased $14.9 billion, or 15.4 percent, to $111.9 billion in December, compared to a 17.3 percent increase in the nominal deficit.

    • Real exports of goods decreased $5.4 billion, or 3.7 percent, to $141.9 billion, compared to a 3.8 percent decrease in nominal exports.
    • Real imports of goods increased $9.5 billion, or 3.9 percent, to $253.8 billion, compared to a 4.0 percent increase in nominal imports.

    Revisions

    In addition to revisions to source data for the November statistics, the seasonally adjusted goods data were revised for January through November so that the totals of the seasonally adjusted months equal the annual totals.

    Revisions to November exports

    • Exports of goods were revised up $0.1 billion.
    • Exports of services were revised up $0.1 billion.

    Revisions to November imports

    • Imports of goods were revised up $0.8 billion.
    • Imports of services were revised up $0.1 billion.

    Goods by Selected Countries and Areas: Monthly – Census Basis (exhibit 19)

    The December figures show surpluses, in billions of dollars, with Netherlands ($5.0), South and Central America ($3.5), United Kingdom ($2.3), Hong Kong ($0.7), Brazil ($0.4), Saudi Arabia ($0.4), Belgium ($0.3), and Australia ($0.2). Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with China ($25.3), European Union ($20.4), Mexico ($15.2), Switzerland ($13.0), Vietnam ($11.4), Canada ($7.9), Germany ($7.6), Taiwan ($6.9), Ireland ($6.2), South Korea ($5.6), Japan ($5.5), India ($4.9), Italy ($4.1), Malaysia ($2.5), France ($1.1), Israel ($0.8), and Singapore ($0.4).

    • The deficit with Switzerland increased $9.1 billion to $13.0 billion in December. Exports decreased $0.7 billion to $1.2 billion and imports increased $8.4 billion to $14.2 billion.
    • The deficit with Canada increased $2.9 billion to $7.9 billion in December. Exports decreased $0.4 billion to $29.1 billion and imports increased $2.5 billion to $37.0 billion.
    • The deficit with Ireland decreased $3.1 billion to $6.2 billion in December. Exports decreased $0.1 billion to $1.2 billion and imports decreased $3.2 billion to $7.5 billion.

    Annual Summary for 2024

    Exports, Imports, and Balance (exhibit 1)

    For 2024, the goods and services deficit was $918.4 billion, up $133.5 billion from $784.9 billion in 2023. Exports were $3,191.6 billion, up $119.8 billion from 2023. Imports were $4,110.0 billion, up $253.3 billion from 2023.

    The 2024 increase in the goods and services deficit reflected an increase in the goods deficit of $148.5 billion, or 14.0 percent, to $1,211.7 billion and an increase in the services surplus of $14.9 billion, or 5.4 percent, to $293.3 billion.

    The goods and services deficit was 3.1 percent of current-dollar gross domestic product in 2024, up from 2.8 percent in 2023.

    Exports (exhibits 3, 6, and 7)

    Exports of goods increased $38.6 billion to $2,083.8 billion in 2024.

      Exports of goods on a Census basis increased $47.1 billion.

    • Capital goods increased $40.2 billion.
      • Computer accessories increased $11.3 billion.
      • Civilian aircraft engines increased $8.7 billion.
      • Computers increased $8.2 billion.
      • Semiconductors increased $8.1 billion.
    • Other goods increased $17.9 billion. (See the “Notice” for more information.)
    • Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines decreased $10.8 billion.
      • Other automotive parts and accessories decreased $4.3 billion.
      • Passenger cars decreased $4.0 billion.
      • Trucks, buses, and special purpose vehicles decreased $3.0 billion.

      Net balance of payments adjustments decreased $8.5 billion.

    Exports of services increased $81.2 billion to $1,107.8 billion in 2024.

    • Travel increased $26.3 billion.
    • Other business services increased $16.0 billion.
    • Telecommunications, computer, and information services increased $11.9 billion.
    • Financial services increased $11.6 billion.

    Imports (exhibits 4, 6, and 8)

    Imports of goods increased $187.1 billion to $3,295.6 billion in 2024.

      Imports of goods on a Census basis increased $187.2 billion.

    • Capital goods increased $103.3 billion.
      • Computer accessories increased $33.5 billion.
      • Computers increased $28.3 billion.
      • Semiconductors increased $9.4 billion.
      • Other industrial machinery increased $9.0 billion.
    • Consumer goods increased $48.4 billion.
      • Pharmaceutical preparations increased $43.6 billion.
    • Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines increased $16.1 billion.
      • Passenger cars increased $10.0 billion.
      • Other automotive parts and accessories increased $4.8 billion.
    • Foods, feeds, and beverages increased $15.9 billion.
      • Meat products increased $3.5 billion.
      • Fruits, frozen juices increased $2.3 billion.
      • Bakery products increased $2.2 billion.
      • Other foods increased $2.0 billion.
      • Vegetables increased $1.7 billion.

      Net balance of payments adjustments decreased $0.2 billion.

    Imports of services increased $66.2 billion to $814.4 billion in 2024.

    • Travel increased $19.2 billion.
    • Charges for the use of intellectual property increased $12.2 billion.
    • Transport increased $11.7 billion.
    • Insurance services increased $11.5 billion.

    Real Goods in 2017 Dollars – Census Basis (exhibit 11)

    The real goods deficit increased $98.8 billion, or 9.6 percent, to $1,132.4 billion in 2024, compared to a 13.2 percent increase in the nominal deficit.

    • Real exports of goods increased $41.7 billion, or 2.5 percent, to $1,737.8 billion, compared to a 2.3 percent increase in nominal exports.
    • Real imports of goods increased $140.5 billion, or 5.1 percent, to $2,870.2 billion, compared to a 6.1 percent increase in nominal imports.

    Goods by Selected Countries and Areas – Census Basis (exhibits 14 and 14a)

    The 2024 figures show surpluses, in billions of dollars, with Netherlands ($55.5), South and Central America ($47.3), Hong Kong ($21.9), Australia ($17.9), and United Kingdom ($11.9). Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with China ($295.4), European Union ($235.6), Mexico ($171.8), Vietnam ($123.5), Ireland ($86.7), Germany ($84.8), Taiwan ($73.9), Japan ($68.5), South Korea ($66.0), Canada ($63.3), India ($45.7), Thailand ($45.6), Italy ($44.0), Switzerland ($38.5), Malaysia ($24.8), Indonesia ($17.9), France ($16.4), Austria ($13.1), and Sweden ($9.8).

    • The deficit with the European Union increased $26.9 billion to $235.6 billion in 2024. Exports increased $2.6 billion to $370.2 billion and imports increased $29.4 billion to $605.8 billion.
    • The deficit with Taiwan increased $26.1 billion to $73.9 billion in 2024. Exports increased $2.4 billion to $42.3 billion and imports increased $28.5 billion to $116.3 billion.
    • The surplus with the Netherlands increased $12.7 billion to $55.5 billion in 2024. Exports increased $8.3 billion to $89.6 billion and imports decreased $4.4 billion to $34.1 billion.

    All statistics referenced are seasonally adjusted; statistics are on a balance of payments basis unless otherwise specified. Additional statistics, including not seasonally adjusted statistics and details for goods on a Census basis, are available in exhibits 1-20b of this release. For information on data sources, definitions, and revision procedures, see the explanatory notes in this release. The full release can be found at www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/current_press_release/index.html or www.bea.gov/data/intl-trade-investment/international-trade-goods-and-services. The full schedule is available in the Census Bureau’s Economic Briefing Room at www.census.gov/economic-indicators/ or on BEA’s website at www.bea.gov/news/schedule.

    Next release: March 6, 2025, at 8:30 a.m EST
    U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, January 2025

    Notice

    Impact of Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Release of CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM)

    The CBSA introduced a new accounting system (CARM) on October 21, 2024. As a result, importers in Canada have experienced delays in filing shipment information. These delays affected the compilation of statistics on U.S. exports of goods to Canada for September through December 2024, which are derived from data compiled by Canada through the United States – Canada Data Exchange. A dollar estimate of the filing backlog is included in estimates for late receipts and, following the Census Bureau’s customary practice for late receipt estimates, is included in the export end-use category “Other goods” as well as in exports to Canada. This estimate will be replaced with the actual transactions reported by the Harmonized System classification in June 2025 with the release of “U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, Annual Revision.” Until then, please refer to the supplemental spreadsheet “CARM Exports to Canada Corrections,” which provides a breakdown of the late receipts by 1-digit end-use category. This spreadsheet will be updated as late export transactions are received to reflect reassignments from the initial “Other goods” category to the appropriate 1-digit end-use category.

    If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Census Bureau, Economic Indicators Division, International Trade Macro Analysis Branch, on 800-549-0595, option 4, or at eid.international.trade.data@census.gov or BEA, Balance of Payments Division, at InternationalAccounts@bea.gov.

    Upcoming Changes to the Real (Chained-Dollar) Series

    Effective with the release of the February 2025 statistics on April 3, 2025, the Census Bureau will continue to use the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes to calculate the chained-dollar series (exhibits 10 and 11). The BLS will be implementing changes to the indexes with the release of the February 2025 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes on March 18, 2025. The changes to the indexes could impact the chained-dollar values. Please refer to the BLS notice for additional information on the Upcoming Change to Data Source for Import and Export Price Indexes: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Census Bureau, Economic Statistical Methods Division, International Trade Statistical Methods Branch, on 301-763-3080.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harbour Grace — Driver flees from Harbour Grace RCMP, arrested after colliding with police car

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Twenty-eight-year-old Geoffrey Parsons from Bay Roberts fled from police in Carbonear and was arrested overnight by Harbour Grace RCMP after colliding with a police car on February 4, 2025.

    Shortly after 2:00 a.m. yesterday, Harbour Grace RCMP attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in Carbonear. The driver failed to stop for police and fled towards Tilton. A spike belt was deployed but was unsuccessful as the driver doubled back and struck the police car. The suspected vehicle further fled and was located behind a nearby business in Tilton.

    Police located and arrested the driver, Geoffrey Parsons, after a search of the area. He attended court yesterday and remains in custody to appear in court again today in relation to the following charges: resisting arrest, flight from police (two counts), dangerous driving (two counts), assault with a weapon (two counts), and mischief causing damage over $5,000.

    No one was injured during this incident. The investigation is ongoing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [ALLIANCE PHARMA PLC – 04 02 2025] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 ALLIANCE PHARMA PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 04 FEBRUARY 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 1p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 12,260,907 2.2682    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 12,260,907 2.2682    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    1p ORDINARY SALE 7,167 61.2111p
    1p ORDINARY PURCHASE 7,167 61.297p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 05 FEBRUARY 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP PLC – 04 02 2025] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 04 FEBRUARY 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 0.375p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 9,644,726 1.2170    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 9,644,726 1.2170    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    0.375p ORDINARY SALE 4,419 91.0055p
    0.375p ORDINARY SALE 2,130 91.5p
    0.375p ORDINARY SALE 6,270 91.6p
    0.375p ORDINARY PURCHASE 4,419 91.09p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 05 FEBRUARY 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: American Rebel CEO Andy Ross to Appear on ABC-TV Tampa Weekday Morning Show Morning Blend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Appearance Scheduled to Air on Friday, February 7 Broadcast Between 10 – 11 am Eastern

    Nashville, TN, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) (“American Rebel” or the “Company”), creator of American Rebel Beer (americanrebelbeer.com) and a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of branded safes, personal security and self-defense products and apparel (americanrebel.com), is excited to announce that its CEO Andy Ross will appear on the Friday, February 7 broadcast of Morning Blend (abcactionnews.com/morning-blend) on ABC Action News Tampa. Andy’s segment will appear between 10- 11 am Eastern Standard Time. Andy will promote the SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout (prosuperstarshootout.com) and his Saturday concert appearance on the American Rebel Beer stage near the starting line at the conclusion of racing, discuss the company’s sponsorship of Tony Stewart Racing’s Funny Car driven by Matt Hagan and the ongoing launch of American Rebel Beer.

    “The PRO Superstar Shootout is the Pro Bowl of the NHRA drag racing season,” said Andy Ross. “Last year’s debut event was a massive success and American Rebel and I are honored to participate. The PRO Superstar Shootout is a chance for the race teams to have some friendly competition and a dress rehearsal for the NHRA season. There’s nothing better than a weekend at the track, except a weekend at the track with an after party. I can’t wait to play my brand of country patriotic rock ‘n’ roll for these great fans.”

    “Coming to Florida to support the PRO Superstar Shootout and the Matt Hagan Dodge//SRT Hellcat American Rebel Light Funny Car is very important for American Rebel,” continued Andy Ross. “We recently had a launch party for American Rebel Beer in Nashville at Kid Rock’s bar on Broadway and Tony, Matt and some of the other Tony Stewart Racing Team folks came into town to support us…it meant the world to me and our company. It’s more than business, it’s family.”

    “I can’t wait to unleash the American Rebel Beer Funny Car with Andy Ross at Bradenton,” said Matt Hagan. “Andy and the American Rebel Beer Team are going full throttle as they launch a new premium domestic light beer. We’re proud to promote his brand and watch them expand into more states and bars nationwide. I’m honored to represent them and stand behind their bold American spirit.”

    “It’s always a good time when Andy plays a concert at the racetrack,” continued Matt Hagan. “He likes to rock and that suits us just fine.”

    About American Rebel Light Beer

    Produced in partnership with AlcSource, American Rebel Light Beer (americanrebelbeer.com) is a premium domestic light lager celebrated for its exceptional quality and patriotic values. It stands out as America’s Patriotic, God-Fearing, Constitution-Loving, National Anthem-Singing, Stand Your Ground Beer.

    American Rebel Light is a Premium Domestic Light Lager Beer – All Natural, Crisp, Clean and Bold Taste with a Lighter Feel. With approximately 100 calories, 3.2 carbohydrates, and 4.3% alcoholic content per 12 oz serving, American Rebel Light Beer delivers a lighter option for those who love great beer but prefer a more balanced lifestyle. It’s all natural with no added supplements and importantly does not use corn, rice, or other sweeteners typically found in mass produced beers.

    About Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Nitro

    As tenacious as Stewart is in the cockpit of a racecar, he’s proven equally adept at providing cars and equipment for racing’s elite. The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion can also list 31 owners’ titles to his resume, from NASCAR to USAC to the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. In 2023 Stewart earned his 31st owner title when Matt Hagan and the TSR Funny Car team earned the championship on November 11th. His team, Tony Stewart Racing, fields a powerhouse lineup in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series with Tony in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan in Funny Car. After more than four decades of racing around in circles, Stewart has embarked on a straight and narrow path, albeit at more than 300 mph. For more information on TSR Nitro go to tsrnitro.com.

    About American Rebel Holdings, Inc.

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) has operated primarily as a designer, manufacturer and marketer of branded safes and personal security and self-defense products and has recently transitioned into the beverage industry through the introduction of American Rebel Light Beer. The Company also designs and produces branded apparel and accessories. To learn more, visit www.americanrebel.com and www.americanrebelbeer.com. For investor information, visit www.americanrebel.com/investor-relations.

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc.
    info@americanrebel.com

    American Rebel Beverages, LLC
    Todd Porter, President
    tporter@americanrebelbeer.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. American Rebel Holdings, Inc., (NASDAQ: AREB; AREBW) (the “Company,” “American Rebel,” “we,” “our” or “us”) desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “forecasts” “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include benefits of marketing outreach efforts, actual placement timing and availability of American Rebel Beer, success and availability of the promotional activities, our ability to effectively execute our business plan, and the Risk Factors contained within our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Company Contact:
    tporter@americanrebelbeer.com
    info@americanrebel.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Trump’s rage defies historical and literary comparisons, according to a classics expert

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Rachel Hadas, Professor of English, Rutgers University – Newark

    Donald Trump’s anger has been building and now seems volcanic. Abstract Aerial Art/Getty Images

    The Greek divinity Nemesis, rarely depicted in art, has no place in the Olympian pantheon of a dozen gods and goddesses. But she’s an omnipresent force of retribution, an implacable force of punishment that arrives, if not sooner, then later.

    Nemesis can bide her time for generations, but there’s no escaping her.

    So too, it seems, with President Donald Trump, who is “clearly not a man who discards his grudges easily,” William Galston of the Brookings Institution said recently. This observation is an understatement.

    Trump’s resentment has been steaming since the 2020 presidential election. Now that he is again president, he’s far from appeased; his ire is boiling over.

    “Flooding the zone,” a term borrowed from football, was former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s way of describing the Trumpian tactic of issuing a barrage of statements whose sheer pace and multiplicity, not to mention contents, are intended to stymie any impulse at rational response.

    As he has gained fame and power, Trump’s contemptuous rage at his opponents and his appetite for vengeance appear to have sharpened.

    Like Nemesis, Trump is now pursuing his perceived enemies, using the power of the presidency. Among his recent retribution: He has
    fired Department of Justice officials and staff who worked on criminal investigations and prosecutions of him; he has revoked security clearances for intelligence officials to “punish his perceived opponents,” as one news story put it. And he has removed the portrait of Gen. Mark Milley from the Pentagon wall that traditionally features portraits of the retired chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as Milley was. In 2024, journalist Bob Woodward reported that Milley had told him, “No one has ever been as dangerous to this country as Donald Trump. Now I realize he’s a total fascist. He is the most dangerous person to this country” – clearly sparking Trump’s ire.

    As a poet and student of the classics, my impulse is to find analogs for this behavior, this temperament – precedents that might help provide some perspective.

    Trump displays his anger during a rally on Nov. 3, 2024, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

    Tyrants, heroes and horses

    Historians, I thought, would be able to come up with analogs. For example, Trump’s initial choice of a political ally, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, as attorney general – widely seen as unqualified for the post and who later withdrew – was likened to the Roman emperor Caligula, who made his horse a senator. Figures from Greek history, from the Athenian tyrant Pisistratus to Alexander the Great, could be famously power-hungry and vindictive.

    Classical epic and drama furnish plenty of rage, which is the first word of the Homeric epic “The Iliad.”

    Since epic and tragic heroes are in positions of power, temperament and action mesh. The Greek hero Achilles’ clash with the Greek army’s commander Agamemnon at the outset of “The Iliad” is psychologically plausible. Each man feels insulted and slighted by the other; both have cause for resentment.

    Achilles nurses his rage at all his fellow Greeks until, much later in the epic, his grief at the death of his beloved Patroklos sends him back into battle. This larger-than-life hero is vulnerable, changeable and human.

    Perhaps the most famous example of vengeance in Greek tragedy is Aeschylus’ trilogy, “The Oresteia.” When Clytemnestra murders her husband, Agamemnon, on his return from Troy, she has three comprehensible motives. Agamemnon has sacrificed their daughter; he has brought home a mistress, Cassandra; and Clytemnestra feels loyalty, both personal and political, to Aegisthus, her husband’s cousin, whom she has taken as a lover in her husband’s absence and who has his own reasons for hating Agamemnon.

    So vindicated does Clytemnestra feel in having murdered Agamemnon – and Cassandra as well – that she proudly compares her action to rain that fertilizes the crops. As rain is part of the cycle of the seasons, her act has righted the balance of justice.

    Agamemnon was murdered in cold blood by Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, in vengeance for Iphigenia’s death and all the grief he’d given them both.
    Flaxman, artist, from The Print Collector/Getty Images

    Cunning rage leads to death

    Turning to a few of Shakespeare’s more vengeful characters, Iago in “Othello” is an embodiment of a cunning rage that leads him to systematically destroy the innocent Othello’s marriage. He does this by falsely hinting – and then planting a chain of evidence suggesting – that Othello’s bride, Desdemona, is unfaithful.

    Othello eventually kills both Desdemona and himself. But the Romantic critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge famously referred to Iago’s “motiveless malignancy,” since it’s hard to be sure exactly why Iago is so set on destroying Othello.

    Hamlet himself is a reluctant avenger who keeps putting off the act of revenging his father’s murder. In the history play named for him, Richard III’s resentment, going back to having been a deformed and unloved child, makes more sense. Richard lusts after power; he systematically and clandestinely murders his own brother and nephews, who would stand between him and his elder brother Edward’s throne.

    Whether motivated by political ambition, generalized rancor or an inherited assignment, none of these figures ends well. They all have enemies, and they all – except Iago, who will be tortured and executed – die on stage. All have done plenty of damage; none survives long to feel vindicated. Even Clytemnestra’s triumph is short-lived, since her own son, Orestes, will soon avenge his father’s death by murdering his mother – Clytemnestra.

    But all these figures seem to feel personal passion. Even the opaque Iago has one chief target: Othello. They don’t present compelling parallels to Trump, whose anger appears to be simultaneously private and public.

    Easily offended, Trump is quick to strike back with insults; but he also seems to have an insatiable appetite for broader and deeper punishment, meted out to more people and even after a lapse of time. Hence literary parallels are less than compelling.

    Trump’s anger seems more general than personal. His aggrieved sense of having been wronged, victimized by his enemies, is a constant in his career. But his targets shift. One day it’s judges; another day it’s election officials. Yet another day, it’s the “deep state.”

    And Trump’s implacable resentment has struck a chord among many Americans whose resentment has a more rational basis. Trump’s base may believe he is speaking for them – “I am your warrior. I am your justice,” he said in a speech at a conservative forum, but his first priority has always been himself.

    A spirit, ranging for revenge

    The damage done by Trump is often inflicted by others. Their threats, harassment and even violence are done in the name of Trump.

    He has pardoned almost all of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, some of whom have now boasted they will acquire guns.

    Trump has removed government protection from figures who have dared to disagree with him and have received death threats, including Dr. Anthony Fauci.

    Shakespeare, turning history into great poetry, comes to mind after all. In “Julius Caesar,” knowing that his funeral oration over the body of the assassinated Caesar will stir up an angry mob, Mark Antony muses:

    “And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge,
    With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
    Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice
    Cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war”

    Antony imagines Caesar’s vengeful spirit rising from the underworld to incite further violence. Not only will Caesar’s assassins be punished, but the hell of civil war will be let loose to cause widespread suffering. Precisely who Trump wants to punish appears secondary to his delight in releasing precisely those hellish dogs. Everyone is a potential enemy and a potential victim.

    “I am your retribution,” Trump has said. Nothing in Trump’s continuing story more clearly echoes the classics than this ominous melding of self with a superhuman principle of revenge.

    Such a merging of a mortal individual with a pitilessly abstract power like Nemesis is closer to myth than to history. Or so it would be comforting to assume.

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

    – ref. Why Trump’s rage defies historical and literary comparisons, according to a classics expert – https://theconversation.com/why-trumps-rage-defies-historical-and-literary-comparisons-according-to-a-classics-expert-248510

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Auctions of personalised vehicle registration marks to be held on February 22 and 23

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Auctions of personalised vehicle registration marks to be held on February 22 and 23
    Auctions of personalised vehicle registration marks to be held on February 22 and 23
    ************************************************************************************

         The Transport Department (TD) today (February 5) announced that two auctions of personalised vehicle registration marks (PVRMs) will be held on February 22 (Saturday) and 23 (Sunday) in Meeting Room N101, L1, New Wing, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.      “A total of 240 approved PVRMs will be put up for public sale at each auction. The lists of the marks have been uploaded to the department’s website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/index.html,” a department spokesman said.      The reserve price of each of these marks is $5,000. Applicants who have paid a deposit of $5,000 should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price). Otherwise, the PVRM concerned may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.      People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auctions should take note of the following points: (1) Bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after successful bidding: (i) the identity document of the successful bidder;(ii) the identity document of the purchaser (if the purchaser and the successful bidder are different persons);(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation (if the purchaser is a body corporate); and(iv) a crossed cheque made payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” or “The Government of the HKSAR”. For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed. Successful bidders may also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS), but are reminded to note the maximum transfer amount in the same day of the payment card. Payment by post-dated cheque, cash, credit card or other methods will not be accepted. (2) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the Memorandum will not be permitted. (3) A PVRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate. (4) The display of a PVRM on a motor vehicle should be in compliance with the requirements stipulated in Schedule 4 of the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations. (5) Any change to the arrangement of letters, numerals and blank spaces of a PVRM, i.e. single and two rows as auctioned, will not be allowed. (6) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the PVRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the PVRM within 12 months, allocation of the PVRM will be cancelled and arranged for reallocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.      “Upon completion of the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM, the purchaser will be issued a receipt and a Certificate of Allocation of Personalised Registration Mark. The Certificate of Allocation will serve to prove the holdership of the PVRM. Potential buyers of vehicles bearing a PVRM should check the Certificate of Allocation with the sellers and pay attention to the details therein. For transfer of vehicle ownership, this certificate together with other required documents should be sent to the TD for processing,” the spokesman added.      For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of PVRM, which is available at the department’s licensing offices or can be downloaded from its website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/pvrm_auction/index.html.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 5, 2025Issued at HKT 14:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Assistance Available for Self-Employed Wildfire Survivors

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Assistance Available for Self-Employed Wildfire Survivors

    Assistance Available for Self-Employed Wildfire Survivors

    LOS ANGELES – Self-employed individuals in Los Angeles who became unemployed as a direct result of the wildfires, may apply for FEMA Individual Assistance, Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) and/or U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loans.  FEMA Individual AssistanceFEMA may be able to provide funds to repair or replace disaster-damaged tools and equipment required for your job. This help is available to a wide variety of applicants, including artists, musicians, mechanics, and many other occupations.Eligible Occupational ToolsOccupational tools are tools and equipment required for self-employment or not provided by an employer but required for employment. Examples of essential tools include:Computers required by an employer or for self-employment when you are responsible for the replacement of the computer. Technology and equipment involved in the creation of art, music, photography, etc.Tools and equipment such as power tools, tractors, plows, seeders, planters, harvesters, sprayers, hay balers, utility vehicles, lawnmowers, etc.Art materials, paint, brushes, canvas, clay, musical instruments, theatrical tools such as movable flooring, drapery, makeup, costumes as well as sound and lighting equipment.Uniforms required for work when you are responsible for replacement of the uniforms.This assistance may be available if the items were damaged by the disaster, you do not have another working item that can meet this need, and the loss of the item was not covered by insurance.Required DocumentationTo be eligible for self-employment assistance, you must provide documentation that proves you are self-employed, such as federal tax return documents, and meet the general eligibility criteria for FEMA assistance. Self-employed survivors should provide FEMA with:Insurance documents for all potential coverages and benefits.Itemized receipts or estimates for repairing or replacing the requested items. A written statement that explains the items are needed for self-employment.To find out if you are eligible, apply to FEMA:Go online to disasterassistance.gov/.Download the FEMA App for mobile devices.Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.Visit a Disaster Recovery Center.UCLA Research Park West10850 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064Open Daily: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.Altadena Disaster Recovery Center540 W. Woodbury Rd., Altadena, CA 91001Open Daily: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.The deadline to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance is March 10, 2025.Disaster Unemployment Assistance Los Angeles County workers impacted by the severe wildfires and winds can now apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) or regular unemployment benefits. The Employment Development Department (EDD) administers these benefits. DUA is for workers – such as self-employed people – who are not eligible for regular unemployment benefits and lost their jobs or had hours reduced because of the disaster. The deadline to submit a DUA application is March 10, 2025. Visit the State of California’s Employment Development Department for more information on how to apply. U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster LoansThe U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), FEMA’s federal partner in disaster recovery, offers low-interest disaster loans to help homeowners, renters, private non-profit organizations, and business of all sizes recover from declared disasters, Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA gov/disaster. Disaster loan information and application forms can be obtained by scheduling an in-person appointment at a SBA Disaster Recovery Center or by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955.
    sasha.kirsch
    Wed, 02/05/2025 – 02:10

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