Latest news with #FreedomofInformationAct
Metro
3 hours ago
- Health
- Metro
Hazardous chemicals including acid and 'ice melt' found on Tube network
Hazardous chemicals flagged on the Tube network include asbestos, 'ice melt' and a release of acid, newly released information shows. A dozen cases concerning potentially dangerous substances took place in or near the London Underground between last July and May. In one of the cases, acid was released in an incident logged as 'assault – physical' in the Transport for London (TfL) document. The list was revealed after the Metro asked for the information in light of a reported release of the 'devil's breath' drug on the Tube. In June, Deborah Oscar described how she felt 'high' and 'sleepy' within moments of a woman sitting beside her slowly waving a newspaper in an empty carriage on the Elizabeth Line. The content creator feared she was being targeted for robbery after running into two suspicious men in another carriage as she fled. There is no record of any such substance having been released in the spreadsheet provided by TfL under the Freedom of Information Act. However, other incidents were recorded, the most dangerous of which was the acid release on July 12 last year, thought to have taken place on or near Wood Lane outside White City Tube before the victim sought refuge with station staff late at night. No action was taken by TfL, with British Transport Police (BTP) being informed, according to the log. The 'ice melt' on January 13 led to a station being closed and the area cleaned, with the material logged as a 'chemical health hazard'. In five cases, asbestos was discovered, including on November 13, when the find was logged as a 'near miss incident' by the operator. The investigation outcome for each incident reads: 'Asbestos was discovered during maintenance activities and removed or managed in accordance with TfL policies. 'No asbestos fibres were released into the air because of the incident.' A further three cases related to dust being removed – with one classed as: 'Environmental – air quality.' A TfL spokesperson said: 'The majority of these 12 incidents were the discovery of concealed asbestos, which was safely removed with no fibres being released. 'There was only one occasion of potentially harmful substance and TfL treats any suspected chemical release on the network extremely seriously. 'Any incident is managed following appropriate health and safety guidance and the safety of customers is always our highest priority.' Releasing the information, TfL stated that airborne particulate matter levels on the Tube are 'well below' the Health and Safety Executive limits, as well as the more stringent Institute of Occupational Medicine recommendations on most of the network. More Trending However, the operator said that the dust is classified as a hazardous substance in accordance with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations, so has been included in the records. A BTP spokesperson said the acid attack was a Metropolitan Police case. Metro has approached the Met for comment. Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact MORE: What's it like unravelling the 'puzzle' of Covid-19? MORE: Woman 'spiked with Devil's Breath' by stranger who sat next to her on empty Tube carriage MORE: What is devil's breath? The truth behind the 'world's scariest drug'
Axios
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
Noncriminal ICE arrests surge in Washington, Oregon and Alaska
More than half of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests last month in Washington, Oregon and Alaska involved people with no criminal charges or convictions — a sharp increase from recent norms, newly obtained data shows. Why it matters: The numbers illustrate a major shift that came soon after the Trump administration tripled ICE's arrest quota. Zoom in: In June, people without criminal charges or convictions made up an average of 53% of daily ICE arrests in the area covered by the agency's Seattle field office (Oregon, Washington and Alaska). That's up from 28% in April, before the quota increase. The average number of daily arrests for those with charges or convictions also increased in June, but not to the same degree. How it works: The data was obtained by the UC Berkeley School of Law's Deportation Data Project via Freedom of Information Act requests, and is based on seven-day trailing averages. Zoom out: As of June 26 — the most recent data available — ICE was reporting a nationwide average of 930 arrests per day, about 42% of which involved people without charges or convictions. The big picture: The spike in non-criminal ICE arrests came despite the Trump administration's claimed focus on criminals living in the country illegally. And it happened just after the Trump administration told ICE to arrest at least 3,000 people daily, up from 1,000. Context: Being in the U.S. illegally, such as by overstaying a visa, is a civil, not criminal, violation. What they're saying: Malou Chávez, executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, told Axios the only way for ICE to meet its new quota is to arrest people who have no criminal backgrounds. That's "creating so much fear" locally — even among immigrants who aren't undocumented, she said. "The reality is they are going after anyone who they see as a potential person they can place in deportation proceedings," Chávez said. The other side: Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin disputed reports that ICE isn't targeting criminal immigrants, telling Axios by email that some people labeled "non-criminals" are "actually terrorists, human rights abusers or gang members — they just lack a U.S. criminal record."
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bank trade groups push back on crypto firms' bank charter pursuit
This story was originally published on Banking Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Banking Dive newsletter. In a major pushback against the cryptocurrency industry's banking ambitions, the American Bankers Association and four other bank trade groups have urged the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to postpone decisions on several national trust bank charter applications. The joint letter sent July 17 comes in response to a slew of applications filed since April 2025 by crypto firms, including Fidelity Digital Assets, Ripple, Circle, and National Digital TR CO – all seeking specialized banking charters that would grant them federal recognition and more simplified regulatory oversight. The ABA, America's Credit Unions, Consumer Bankers Association, Independent Community Bankers of America and National Bankers Association argued that the public portions of the applications lack sufficient information for meaningful public scrutiny and that more transparency is needed about the applicants' business plans. 'Given these substantial concerns, and the policy, legal, and commercial implications that chartering the Applicants would have for the banking system, the Associations urge the OCC to postpone consideration of the Applications,' the trade groups wrote. 'The delay should continue until such time as the OCC has released enough information concerning the Applicants' intended business plans, as well as other aspects of the Applications, to inform the public's review and interested stakeholder comment, consistent with the historical transparency of the OCC's charter application review process.' The groups pointed out that a delay would buy more time for the public to 'meaningfully assess the Applications and the novel issues they present' and offer their input on the broader policy shift that granting these national trust bank charters would present, since they will not be involved in fiduciary activities. The trade groups' letter has surprised bank charter experts, who don't necessarily expect more information to be made public. Patrick Hanchey, a partner at law firm Alston & Bird, said a standard regulatory process includes both public and confidential portions of applications. Confidential parts are protected from Freedom of Information Act requests and public disclosure to safeguard proprietary business information. The OCC's established policy does not involve publishing detailed application information for public review, although the agency thoroughly evaluates all application details internally with multiple follow-up questions over weeks or months — a standard process for traditional de novo bank charter applications, he said. 'Even if the OCC delays or refrains from acting in an expedited fashion on these applications, I would not expect there to be detailed information released to the public, for the public to react to,' Hanchey noted. At times, the OCC holds public hearings, typically focusing on community development impact, Community Reinvestment Act considerations and competitive factors, but not on applicants' specific business plans or strategies, he added. 'There's nothing nefarious here; this is very common practice,' said Michele Alt, a partner at consulting firm Klaros Group, echoing Hanchey's views on the two-part application process. A national trust bank charter differs from a traditional bank charter in that it has a more limited scope of authorization for financial activities. Its primary custody or fiduciary activities on behalf of customers are similar to a trust company, Hanchey said. A trust company manages assets and administers trusts on behalf of individuals or organizations; it cannot lend or take insured deposits since it is not an insured depository institution. Capital requirements for trust banks also differ from those of traditional banks – traditional banks' capital requirements are based on asset size as a risk proxy, whereas trust banks hold assets in trust and not on their balance sheets, according to Alt. The regulatory differences raise questions about consumer protection and liability if a trust bank fails, as it is not typically insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. However, the OCC has specific procedures for resolving uninsured banks, she pointed out. The resolution framework dates back to 2016 — almost during the same time as early fintech charter considerations, Alt noted. The process involves the OCC appointing an independent receiver, rather than acting as the receiver itself. The claims prioritization system is similar to that of bankruptcy proceedings, where the receiver's costs are typically covered first, followed by creditors and other claimants. The primary risk concerns for trust banks, according to Alt, involve focusing on safeguarding assets rather than loan defaults or deposit runs, safeguarding against potential hacking vulnerabilities and specific risks related to crypto assets, when applicable. The national trust bank charter applications were filed before the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act, which aims to create a framework for stablecoin regulation, was signed into law Friday. Hanchey noted that the applications were submitted strategically, anticipating but not certain of the GENIUS Act's outcome. The federal charter would provide regulatory legitimacy in the marketplace, the ability to conduct activities in a regulated, safe and sound manner, and the flexibility to operate under federal oversight, he said. The ABA's request for delay highlights the need to understand 'exactly how these charters would be used and what they would accomplish,' Hanchey said, since there's not much use-case evidence in this regard. 'I certainly agree with that as well. I think it remains to be seen exactly how these companies would intend to use their charters,' Hanchey said. Recommended Reading Circle applies for national trust charter Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
FBI confirms it assisted Avon police and ICE with traffic stop arrests on July 22
The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that it provided federal warrants to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the Avon Police Department, who were conducting arrests of undocumented migrants on July 22. Fox59 first broke the news on July 23 that ICE and Avon police were working together to conduct a "traffic blitz" in Avon, Indiana, approximately three miles from the Marion County border. The "traffic blitz" resulted in the arrests of approximately 20 people after police conducted traffic stops based on traffic violations, registration violations and aggressive driving, according to Fox59. When Avon officers encountered individuals who were "undocumented and/or unlicensed foreign nationals," officers contacted ICE agents to investigate the person, according to a statement Avon Police Chief Sean Stoops provided to Fox59. It's unclear where the people arrested currently are. They did not appear in the Hendricks County jail roster on July 23 or July 24. In an email to the IndyStar, an FBI spokesperson confirmed that the agency had been assisting ICE with operations for several months, and that it provided federal agents with federal warrants "as needed." The spokesperson added that FBI agents did not physically assist in July 22 arrests. IndyStar reached out to the Avon Police Department for comment but did not receive an answer by the time of publication. Neither the Avon Police Department nor the Hendricks County Sheriff's office have sent in a formal application to participate in ICE's 287(g) program, which allows ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to identify and remove criminal migrants who agree to leave the U.S. An uptick in non-criminal ICE arrests In late May, Stephen Miller, a deputy White House chief of staff and architect of Trump's immigration agenda, set a quota for at least 3,000 arrests per day and told ICE leadership to target anyone without legal status. This call to action has led to a significant spike in migrants detained by ICE, according to data collected by the Deportation Data Project, which is a dataset built by journalists, researchers, lawyers, and policymakers using the Freedom of Information Act. The database showcases that in June 2025 the number of non-criminal arrests had surpassed the number of people being arrested with either a criminal conviction or pending charges. Axios Indianapolis recently reported that in June, "23% of the 309 people ICE arrested in the state had no criminal charge," according to Axios. Indiana Governor Mike Braun told Axios that, "If that data is correct, I'd say that should raise eyebrows." "Because I've been clearly on record: the worst first. And there are many of them out there," he said. In June 2025, IndyStar reported on several ICE detainments that had either been captured on file or shared by community leaders. These detainments were a notable contrast to how federal agents had conducted arrests in prior months. Witnesses told IndyStar that some of those arrests started off as traffic stops before the person found themselves detained by federal agents. In July 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted on social media that its Indianapolis team had made more than 30 arrests in a 24-hour period, saying that this number was due to the "cooperative agencies across Indiana, including 287(g) partners." Noe Padilla is a Public Safety reporter for IndyStar. Contact him at npadilla@ follow him on X @1NoerPadilla or on Bluesky @ This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: FBI confirms it assisted Avon police and ICE with arrest on July 22
Indianapolis Star
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
FBI confirms it assisted Avon police and ICE with traffic stop arrests on July 22
The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that it provided federal warrants to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the Avon Police Department, who were conducting arrests of undocumented migrants on July 22. Fox59 first broke the news on July 23 that ICE and Avon police were working together to conduct a "traffic blitz" in Avon, Indiana, approximately three miles from the Marion County border. The "traffic blitz" resulted in the arrests of approximately 20 people after police conducted traffic stops based on traffic violations, registration violations and aggressive driving, according to Fox59. When Avon officers encountered individuals who were "undocumented and/or unlicensed foreign nationals," officers contacted ICE agents to investigate the person, according to a statement Avon Police Chief Sean Stoops provided to Fox59. It's unclear where the people arrested currently are. They did not appear in the Hendricks County jail roster on July 23 or July 24. In an email to the IndyStar, an FBI spokesperson confirmed that the agency had been assisting ICE with operations for several months, and that it provided federal agents with federal warrants "as needed." The spokesperson added that FBI agents did not physically assist in July 22 arrests. IndyStar reached out to the Avon Police Department for comment but did not receive an answer by the time of publication. Neither the Avon Police Department nor the Hendricks County Sheriff's office have sent in a formal application to participate in ICE's 287(g) program, which allows ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to identify and remove criminal migrants who agree to leave the U.S. In late May, Stephen Miller, a deputy White House chief of staff and architect of Trump's immigration agenda, set a quota for at least 3,000 arrests per day and told ICE leadership to target anyone without legal status. This call to action has led to a significant spike in migrants detained by ICE, according to data collected by the Deportation Data Project, which is a dataset built by journalists, researchers, lawyers, and policymakers using the Freedom of Information Act. The database showcases that in June 2025 the number of non-criminal arrests had surpassed the number of people being arrested with either a criminal conviction or pending charges. Axios Indianapolis recently reported that in June, "23% of the 309 people ICE arrested in the state had no criminal charge," according to Axios. Indiana Governor Mike Braun told Axios that, "If that data is correct, I'd say that should raise eyebrows." "Because I've been clearly on record: the worst first. And there are many of them out there," he said. In June 2025, IndyStar reported on several ICE detainments that had either been captured on file or shared by community leaders. These detainments were a notable contrast to how federal agents had conducted arrests in prior months. Witnesses told IndyStar that some of those arrests started off as traffic stops before the person found themselves detained by federal agents. In July 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted on social media that its Indianapolis team had made more than 30 arrests in a 24-hour period, saying that this number was due to the "cooperative agencies across Indiana, including 287(g) partners."
