Latest news with #AdamLee
India Today
07-08-2025
- India Today
US soldier allegedly tried to share classified tank data with Russia
A US Army soldier was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly seeking to pass sensitive information about American battle tanks to the Russian government, according to the US Justice Adam Lee, 22, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas, is facing two federal charges accusing him of attempting to transmit national defence information and export controlled technical data without a licence, according to court arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the US – especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect Americans and safeguard classified information," Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division said in a statement. Lee has not yet entered a plea on the charges, which were filed in US District Court for the Western District of Texas. Attorney information for Lee was not immediately accused Lee, who holds a top-secret security clearance, of attempting to share information on the operation and vulnerabilities of the M1A2 Abrams, the main US battle tank, with the Russian government in exchange for Russian month, Lee shared an SD card that contained documents and information about the tank and other US military operations with someone he believed to be a Russian intelligence officer. The documents contained technical data Lee was not authorised to provide and some were marked "Controlled Unclassified Information," according to prosecutors."Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment," said Brigadier General Sean Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command.- Ends
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine House and Senate cast votes on slew of gun bills
Tim Russell of Sydney was among the gun rights proponents who attended a day of action for gun safety at the Maine State House on Jan. 3, 2024. (Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star) Maine lawmakers took up more than a dozen bills related to firearms late last week, covering a variety of issues including concealed carry laws, safe storage and the definition of a machine gun. While many have already been killed, some proposals are still waiting for further action to determine if they will make it to Gov. Janet Mills' desk. Here's a closer look at what happened with the legislation. Following recommendations from the Judiciary Committee, the chambers rejected four proposals introduced this session to amend the state's concealed carry laws. This included LD 1049, which sought to eliminate the requirement that someone carrying a concealed weapon without a valid permit needs to inform law enforcement immediately during routine traffic stops, arrests or detainment. During discussion on the House of Representatives floor, Rep. Adam Lee (D-Auburn) said that removing that requirement would 'disrupt the balance' that allows Maine to be a constitutional carry state. 'I wanted to stress again that all of the testimony that we heard from law enforcement was supportive of the 'ought not to pass' in this bill, and that the current law as it exists is the product of a compromise that brought us constitutional carry in the state of Maine,' Lee said. The House and Senate rejected a proposal (LD 829) from Sen. David Haggan (R-Penobscot) that he said would clean up confusion in existing law by making it clear that someone can carry a concealed firearm in a state park, so long as they are not otherwise prohibited from possessing one. Lawmakers in both chambers also voted down a proposal to reduce the age limit that a person can carry without a permit (LD 424) and LD 998, which would have removed the requirement that an employee have a valid concealed carry permit to store a firearm in their vehicle at work. Lawmakers in both chambers opted to kill LD 1109, which started as a proposal to ban the possession of large-capacity magazines. Before it hit chamber floors, the bill divided Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. Some opted to amend the bill to focus on the trafficking of those items while others backed an amendment to limit magazines to 10 rounds for long guns and 15 for handguns. Committee chair Sen. Anne Carney (D-Cumberland) asked the Senate to pass the amendment that would address the trafficking of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, which is defined as accepting more than 20 rounds of ammunition. However, they rejected that 15-20 before opting to kill the bill. The House voted 67-81 and the Senate voted 16-19 against passage of LD 1120. That proposal sought to expand current firearm storage laws so someone would be liable if their negligent storage led to a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm gaining access to one. The Senate also voted down an amended version of LD 1299, which would prohibit a person from storing a handgun in an unoccupied vehicle, unless it is out of view and locked specifically in a hard-sided container with the car locked. The House still has yet to take up the bill. Both chambers supported an amended version of LD 1174, which would limit the liability on gun shops that enter into firearm hold agreements. That bill was initially more narrow and sought to give a gun shop immunity when taking possession of a firearm owned by a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or first responders. Though a majority of the Judiciary Committee did not support that proposal, the amended version that won over the chambers was backed by most Republicans on the committee and one Democrat. The bill also received an enactment vote from the House Friday. It needs final approval from the Senate before it can be sent to Mills. After the House rejected it, the Senate narrowly supported a bill that would allow municipalities to adopt policies prohibiting firearms within municipal buildings and polling places. LD 1743 was also supported by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who told the Judiciary Committee that towns should have the option to regulate firearms in polling places because there is often anxiety over threats to election workers that data collected by her office shows persist. Haggan said during the floor debate that creating this sort of patchwork policy in the state could cause firearm owners to unintentionally be in violation. The House has yet to revisit the bill, leaving it still in nonconcurrence. Lawmakers in the House voted 77-70 to support an amended version of LD 1126, which would require serial numbers for so-called ghost guns that are assembled at home or those made with a 3D printer. It would also prohibit undetectable firearms, meaning those that can't be spotted with a metal detector — which is the case for many 3D printed guns. Rep. Sam Zager (D-Portland), the bill's sponsor, said it is 'crucial' for enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement amid the growing prevalence of 'ghost guns.' However, opponents of the bill argued it would infringe on the rights and traditions of Mainers. The Senate originally supported the bill, as well, but then moved to reconsider on Friday leaving it in limbo. On Thursday, the House and Senate rejected the version of LD 411 that was backed by Democrats on the committee, instead opting for the version backed by Republicans. The proposal asks the attorney general to update the rules relating to the disposition of forfeited firearms so that the majority of proceeds from auctioning those guns goes to the state's Safe Homes Program. That program supports the safe storage of firearms, prescription drugs and other dangerous weapons. The bill also received its second vote of approval from the House Friday. The Senate still needs to give its final approval before the bill can head to Mills. Without discussion on the floor, the House voted 76-72 to reject LD 1062, which sought to roll back background checks on the private sales of firearms. Essentially, it would have repealed a law that was part of a slate of reforms introduced last year by Mills in response to the Lewiston shooting that expanded background checks to advertised sales. The Senate also voted down the measure 18-15 on Friday. LD 1867, which prohibits financial institutions and merchants from using firearm codes to track purchases, initially passed the Senate 20-15, but then the upper chamber reconsidered its decision and tabled the bill to be taken up again later. On the Senate floor, Sen. Matthew Harrington (R-York), who sponsored the bill, described it as prohibiting financial institutions from creating a 'de facto gun registry.' The House still has yet to take up the bill. Carney said during the Senate floor debate that LD 677 addresses a 'glaring gap' in statute by essentially banning bump stocks or other accessories that turn semi-automatic firearms into machine guns. However, Haggan argued the change could 'leave the door wide open for banning all firearm modifications,' including those used by people with disabilities. Mills made a similar argument when she vetoed a proposal Carney put forward last session to update the statutory definition of machine gun. In her veto message, Mills said she worried the bill would have unintentionally banned weapons that responsible gun owners use for hunting or target shooting. Carney said she took those words to heart when drafting her bill this session; however, the Senate and House still rejected it. But that wasn't the final word on the state's definition for a machine gun. LD 953, which seeks to align Maine's definition with the federal definition, was tabled in the Senate after it narrowly failed passage. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wokingham Food Bank sees donations from supermarkets drop
A food bank in Berkshire has said it has seen donations from supermarkets fall by 15%.Wokingham Food Bank has given out 4,500 emergency food parcels in the past year and has reported a 5% increase in people using the Annette Medhurst said "people see us as part of the high street and quite possibly incorrectly think that we have government funding, or receive financial support from the local council".The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) described the "mass dependence" on food banks as unacceptable and said it was working to "fix the system and make work pay" so people can become more financially secure. Ms Medhurst said about 75% of donations come from supermarkets, where people place items they have bought in collection cages. But with many facing rising costs, it has impacted how much food can be spared, she added."We have clients coming in to the food bank telling us that normally they donate to the food bank and they are in disbelief that they now need to use our services," Ms Medhurst told the BBC."We are now in a position that we need to purchase items to make sure to plug any gaps." Adam Lee uses food banks in Reading and relies on Universal Credit after losing his job last 51-year-old moved to Berkshire from Australia more than 10 years ago and said "there's too much month at the end of the money"."I've seen a significant drop in donations but also a drop in healthier foods so a lot of the foods that seem to be donated are croissants and muffins," he recalled when he was made redundant how the DWP told him the first thing to do was register at a food bank. "The government has shifted the responsibility for providing people who need social care, they have deliberately moved it to the generosity of the British people and [food banks]," Mr Lee DWP said it has increased the National Living Wage, uprated benefits and introduced a new Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit to bring a £420 boost to over one million households. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Committee advances bill that would prohibit the state from seizing Wabanaki land
Passamaquoddy Tribal Rep. Aaron Dana testifies in support of prohibiting eminent domain on tribal lands before the Judiciary Committee on April 4, 2025. (Photo by Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star) The Judiciary Committee advanced legislation on Wednesday to prevent the state from being able to seize Wabanki land for public use without consultation, though amended it in a way that appears to assuage at least some of the concerns raised by Gov. Janet Mills' administration. The committee voted 10-4 in favor of an amended version of LD 958, incorporating a proposed amendment from the Maine State Chamber of Commerce that the prohibition would only apply to current tribal trust lands, meaning land for which the federal government holds the legal title of on behalf of a tribe, and not land that may be put into trust in the future. Earlier in April, the governor came out in opposition to the bill, with her legal counsel citing the inability to predict the future needs of state government and uncertainty over the future location of tribal trust land, as the Wabanaki Nations are still eligible to acquire more under the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act. This thinking was why some on the committee did not back the plan. Sen. David Haggan (R-Penobscot) said he cast an opposing vote because he believes the power of seizing private property for public use, a principle known as eminent domain, is vital for government to properly function. The vote did not fall along party lines. Haggan was among the three Republicans who voted against the legislation — also including Reps. Rachel Henderson of Rumford and Mark Babin of Fort Fairfield — with Democratic Rep. Dani O'Halloran of Brewer joining them in opposition. While the Judiciary Committee may often be known to complicate matters, Rep. Adam Lee (D-Auburn), who voted for the legislation, argued this issue is straightforward. 'Our relationship with the Tribes is a government relationship and we should not be able to take their land, full stop,' said Rep. Adam Lee (D-Auburn). The relationship between the Wabanaki Nations and the state is complicated by the 1980 Settlement Act, which has overall resulted in the Wabanaki Nations being treated more akin to municipalities than sovereign nations. LD 958 is the next piecemeal change lawmakers and Wabanaki leaders are seeking to make to afford the Tribes greater sovereignty. While incremental alterations to the Settlement Act have been made in recent years, sweeping change has so far failed due to opposition from Mills, a Democrat. Mills did not respond to a request for comment about the amendment by the time of publication. The U.S. government's authority to exercise eminent domain is restricted by the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which requires just compensation for land taken, as well as some federal laws. The 1834 federal Indian Nonintercourse Act prohibited land transactions with tribes unless authorized by Congress. However, the Settlement Act specified that that federal law was not applicable to the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation. LD 958 would amend the Settlement Act to prohibit the state from exercising eminent domain on current trust and reservation land, which is protected under federal law, though fee land — private property for which the owner owns the title — would still be subject to the state taking. The bill would also amend the 2023 Mi'kmaq Nation Restoration Act to make this change for the Mi'kmaq Nation, which wasn't included in the Settlement Act. As advanced by the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, the bill was also amended at the request of Wabanaki leaders to remove the portion that had stipulated how the Tribes could reacquire land with such proceeds, which Passamaquoddy attorney Corey Hinton criticized as a paternalistic process. Instead, the bill now simply points to the federal takings process. LD 958 now heads to the Maine House of Representatives and Senate for floor votes. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine bill aims to send a message to Nebraska concerning electoral votes
Apr. 14—A Democratic lawmaker from Maine is hoping to preserve the state's unusual system of splitting its electoral votes for president by sending a message to Nebraska that it should do the same. Rep. Adam Lee, D-Auburn, formally introduced a bill Monday that says if Nebraska switches to a winner-take-all electoral vote process in a presidential election, Maine would do the same, and the electoral votes would likely cancel each other out. Lee said he hopes the bill, LD 1356, will discourage efforts by partisan forces to gain an advantage by changing the electoral system in Nebraska. And that, in turn, would discourage similar efforts in Maine. "Support this bill, be proactive and establish a deterrent and remove the incentive for out-of-state money, power and partisan pressure to destroy our system," Lee said. "This bill is a solution and strategy between parties and states to secure our system from outside pressure." Maine and Nebraska are the only states in the country that divide electoral votes based on outcomes in congressional districts. Other states throw all their Electoral College votes to the statewide winners. Nebraska's 2nd District tends to give its single electoral vote to Democrats while the rest of the state votes for Republicans. Maine's 2nd District, on the other hand, has recently tended to give its one electoral vote to Republicans, while the rest of the state supports Democrats. The bill comes after Nebraska Republicans have repeatedly pushed for a change to winner-take-all elections to prevent the loss of one of that state's five electoral votes to Democrats in the Omaha area. A bill in the Nebraska Legislature was defeated last week, but the issue is expected to come up again. If Nebraska switched to winner-take-all, Lee said, Maine could expect to see a similar push from Democrats here to change Maine's system to cancel out the shift in Nebraska. Lee's proposal got the support of several people who testified during a public hearing before the veterans committee. Joanne Mason of Readfield, board president of the Family Violence Project in Augusta, said Maine's current system ensures that the state's less populous and more rural 2nd District has a say in the presidential election. A change in Nebraska could have "disastrous consequences" in Maine, Mason said, and result in the 2nd District losing its voice. "We need to send a strong message to those seeking to meddle in Nebraska, and by default here in Maine, that we won't stand for any outside interference," she said. The Maine Policy Institute, a conservative think tank, opposed the bill in written testimony, saying it wrongly gives control over Maine's electoral process to Nebraska, disempowering Maine lawmakers and voters, and could result in the loss of Maine's current system, which the institute said better reflects the diversity of opinions across the state. Committee members also heard testimony Monday on a pair of bills that would repeal a law passed last year committing Maine to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The compact seeks to ensure that the presidential candidate who wins the most popular votes nationwide is elected president. The compact would be activated after enough states join to control 270 Electoral College votes, the minimum number needed to win the presidency. At that point, the member states would cast their electoral votes for the national popular vote winner, regardless of the outcomes in their own states. Rep. Barbara Bagshaw, R-Windham, introduced legislation, LD 252, to withdraw from the compact, saying that a national popular vote weakens the impact of Maine votes on the overall election outcome. A similar bill, LD 1373, from Rep. Ken Fredette, R-Newport, would repeal the law put in place last year. Bagshaw said Maine's system of dividing electoral votes is more fair. She noted that in 2024, President Donald Trump's victory in the 2nd Congressional District meant Maine gave one of its four electoral votes to Trump, but the rest of the state got to register support for Kamala Harris. "While the nationwide winner in this case would not have changed, three of Maine's four electoral votes (for Harris) served as a direct representation of the will of Maine voters, a voice that would be silenced under the NPV compact," Bagshaw said. Supporters of a national popular vote defended the law, telling the committee that it's more fair and equitable. "We believe that every vote across all 50 states and the District of Columbia should matter equally when electing the president," said Al Cleveland, director of advocacy at the League of Women Voters of Maine, a nonpartisan group dedicated to informed and active participation in government. Gov. Janet Mills allowed the bill having Maine join the compact to become law without her signature last year after it passed on narrow margins. The bill was enacted 73-72 in the House of Representatives and 18-12 in the Senate, with some Democrats in each chamber joining Republicans who opposed it. It was clear Monday that some Democrats still have reservations about the compact. Sen. Jill Duson, D-Portland, who voted against joining the compact last year, said at points during the hearing that she was puzzled by the arguments put forward by supporters and asked if candidates would continue to overlook less populated places like Maine in favor of visits to urban areas. "I have to admit that I can't get to a place where I can convince myself that I'm not voting against the interest of Maine voters when I vote in support of the national compact," Duson said. Copy the Story Link
