SITREP and Orange is the Color of the Day for Friday, May 9, 2025

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NEWLY LISTED EVENTS

The 21st Floor, 26 Federal Plaza IOC will be closed for renovations from January 12, 2025 through May 2025. Please contact Crisis Management, MS-21 for alternate locations or with any questions.

COLOR OF THE DAY

Orange

AIR QUALITY INDEX As of 7am (AQI) Value of Index = 53 OZONE=14 Daily AQI Color = Yellow Reference: AirNow.gov

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE Chance of showers with a low of 52.

SIGNIFICANT NEWS EVENTS

Director Patel Supports President Trump's FBIBudget Proposal After House Testimony Fox News (05/08, Chu, Arias) and the New York Times (05/08, Barrett) reported that Director Patel on Wednesday said he fully backed the Trump administration's proposed FBI budget after testifying to a House panel. "As I said today during my testimony, I am in full support of President Trump's budget, which fully funds the FBI and its critical mission. Any suggestion to the contrary is wrong and dishonest," Director Patel said following the hearing before the House Appropriations Committee. The article explained that the proposal, introduced last Friday, would cut the FBI's budget by $545 million as part of President Donald Trump's plan to slash government spending by $163 billion. "We cannot cover down on the mission at the levels that we would have to go to, which would be the 2011 levels, should all the budget cuts you just outlined be implemented," Director Patel said during his testimony. He also urged the panel to approve a budget that would combat what he described as increased levels of crime and terrorism across the country. Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, noted that the agency's deadline for submitting its spending plan for the current year had passed a week ago, and that lawmakers could not draft a budget without one. Asked by Murray when lawmakers would see the spending plan, Director Patel replied, "I don't have an answer." "I am doing the best I can: he added. "I can't make up answers: Murray called that response "insufficient and deeply disturbing." Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana, pressed him on the expected release of more documents involving the financier Jeffrey Epstein, who hung himself in a federal Jail while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. An earlier release of some material was met with derision by right-wing pundits and online influencers, who have long insisted that the government is covering up evidence of broader crimes committed by elites. "When do you think you'll have it done, Kash?" Kennedy asked. "I think in the near future, sir," Director Patel replied. "Like before I die?" Kennedy responded tartly. "Senator, we've been working on that, and we're doing it in a way that protects victims and also doesn't put out into the ether information that is irrelevant," he said. The Washington Times (05/08, Picket) added that Senator Murray clashed with Director Patel over accusations of weaponizing the bureau against President Trump's "perceived enemies". Director Patel denied the accusations, citing the FBI's achievements, such as 8,276 federal arrests and 3,000 firearms seized, and stated that he is not politicizing the bureau. WVNews (05/08, Staff Writer) reported that among senators who questioned Director Patel was Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). Capito directed much of her questioning toward the FBI's Criminal justice Information System facility in Clarksburg., know on April 17, you traveled to West Virginia to visit the CJIS facility: Capito told Director Patel. "I think It's amazing the work that they do out there. The employees out there really appreciated your visit. You've already mentioned that maybe some of the diffusing of some of the Washington, D.C. FBI would be going to, hopefully, into the Clarksburg facility. What was your impression when you were there; did they have the resources to do everything they need to do?" Director Patel responded: "My general impression aligns with yours. I was wildly impressed with the work that's done out there. It's the unsexy work that the FBI does on a daily basis, whether it's gun background checks, national criminal information background checks. State and local law enforcement relies on us, and every time they have a traffic stop, they're calling and adjudicate the individual they're confronting or when they're going to get a search warrant" Director Patel noted he would like to see further expansion of the facility's capabilities. "You can never have enough computer data being ingested: he said. "What I'm working on specifically to improve CJIS, which will improve the work that happens in every single state, is the reporting in data cycle from state and local authorities, because without that, CJIS doesn't work." Capito then asked about the agency's recruiting efforts, which Director Patel said have increased significantly, growing from an average monthly application pool of about 2,700 to about 5,700 per month for his first two full months as FBI director. WGME (CBS-13) (05/08, Staff Writer) reported that the FBI says it's ramping up its response to illegal marijuana grow houses in Maine. According to the article, Senator Susan Collins said hundreds of houses that authorities have spent years busting are connected to transnational Chinese criminal organizations. She asked Director Patel on Thursday what he's doing about it. "What we've done since I've taken this seat as director of the FBI is reprioritize assets to push out into the field, to cover down in not just pieces of Maine, but all of Maine: Director Patel said. "And when we finish this redeployment cycle, hopefully within the next six to nine months, we will not only just have the manpower in the field, but at headquarters, I've prioritized intelligence collection against the CCP that is directly tied to these marijuana grow houses!' Alabama Political Reporter (05/08, Staff Writer) reported that US. Representative Dale Strong questioned Director Patel about the Bureau's Fiscal Year 2026 budget request, highlighting Huntsville's growing role in national security efforts. Director Patel praised the FBI's facility at Redstone Arsenal, calling it the Bureau's "premier" training and operations center, and announced plans to relocate 1,300.1,400 more employees to the site over the next three years. The article noted that the FBI will require an additional $160 million for construction and $60 million for operations to complete and sustain expansion at Redstone's South Campus, with Patel stressing the importance of the location for interagency collaboration and training bomb technicians. Additional reporting on the story was provided by the Associated Press (05/08, Tucker), The Center Square (05/08, Sweeney), The Daily Beast (05/08, Forster, Adolphus), Daily Caller (05/08, Hutchinson), The Epoch Times (05/08, Stieber) (2), Fox News (05/08, Video), Gateway Pundit (05/08, Linebarger), HuffPost (05/08, Moye), The Hill (05/08, Polley), New Republic (05/08, Rashid), Reuters (05/08, Goudsward, Lynch), Roiling Stone (05/08, Bort), Roll Call (05/08, Tarinelli), and WABI (CW-5) (05/08, Staff Writer).

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TRAFFIC ALERT

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26 Federal Plaza 23rd Floor Gym Closure Schedule:

Facilities will close the 23rd floor Gym every Tuesday evening from 3:30 pm-12:00 am for cleaning. Men's and Women's locker room will be cleaned out the first Tuesday of the month and all items left in the locker room will be disposed of. Please direct any questions to Facilities at extension x3900.

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