US NATIONAL NEWS

WHITE HOUSE: Senior Administration Officials On Upcoming Action To Continue Holding Russia Accountable

Published

3 years ago

December 22, 2023

3:05 P.M. EST

MODERATOR: Thank you so much. And thanks, everyone, for joining the call. As a reminder, this call is on background, attributable to senior administration officials, and it’s embargoed until 6:00 a.m. Eastern on Friday, December 22nd.

For your awareness, not for your reporting, on the call today we have [senior administration official] and [senior administration official].

With that, I’ll turn it over to our speakers for a few words at the top, and then we’ll take your questions.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Great, thanks. And thanks to everyone for joining today’s call. It’s been almost two years since Russia drove towards Kyiv in a brutal invasion of Ukraine that threatens the very foundation of international peace and stability.

From that moment, the United States has taken strong and decisive actions to impose costs on Russia to hold it accountable for its actions in Ukraine, while also supporting Ukraine and its people. That has included military aid and financial and humanitarian assistance, as you all know. And we have also deployed our economic tools to undercut Russia’s ability to continue its unjust war.

The core to our strategy is denying Russia access to the international financial system, ensuring the costs to Russia’s economy continue to grow over time, and preventing Russia from accessing the equipment, materials, and technology it needs to fuel its aggression.

As part of this strategy, we have imposed powerful sanctions and export control measures against thousands of entities and individuals, including sanctions on multinational procurement networks helping Russia to acquire key defense-related goods from abroad. We’ve also sent teams across the globe to engage directly with foreign governments, companies, and financial institutions to share information and highlight sanctions risks.

We’ve been very clear in all of this, along — in all of this that those who are supplying goods or processing transactions that materially support Russia’s military industrial base are complicit in Russia’s brutal violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The action that we will take tomorrow is at the direction from President Biden and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to further step up our efforts to disrupt Russia’s efforts to expand its military industrial base.

Tomorrow, President Biden intends to sign a new executive order that strengthens U.S. sanctions authorities against Russia, with a focus on financial facilitators for Russia’s war.

This EO is an important step to further disrupt material support for Russia’s defense industrial base and to obstruct Russia’s efforts to increase its military capacity.

It’s also steps that we are taking in coordination with partners and allies. The G7 leaders statement we secured on December 6th previews these actions, committing to further curtail Russia’s efforts to use the international financial system to facilitate expansion of its military industrial base. G7 leaders also spoke to a commitment to curtail Russia’s revenue from other sectors, including non-industrial diamonds.

Before I hand to [senior administration official] for more details on this action, I did want to note that our sanctions on Russia are just one prong of a broader strategy to support Ukraine against Russia’s illegal aggression, alongside essential economic, military, and humanitarian support, which is why it remains essential that Congress pass supplemental funding for Ukraine.

Let me turn it over to [senior administration official] for more details on the action we are taking tomorrow.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you so much. And thanks to you for all the hard work getting this across — getting this done.

We’ve now been doing this in terms of thinking about how to use sanctions and export controls as tools to go after Russia for more than two years now. More than two years ago, we saw Russian troops gathering on the border of Ukraine. The President directed the Secretary to think about what could be done using these tools to hold Russia accountable while limiting the impact on our allies and partners. And that continues to be our objective.

And in doing that, we are seeking to do two things: one, deny Russia access to the revenues they need to fight this war of choice in Ukraine; and, two, put sand in the gears of Russia’s war machine and taking apart their supply chain.

Today’s action and the actions that have been — today’s actions that we’re describing for the executive order that will be signed tomorrow speaks to that second objective.

While many of us will be hitting the road soon to see our families or spend time with loved ones, we know all too well that Ukrainians face another holiday season of unprovoked war from Russia.

The United States has stood with the Ukrainians since the start of the brutal war, and we will continue to do so unequivocally.

Over the last two years, as part of the global coalition representing over half of the world’s GDP, we at Treasury have used our economic tools to disrupt and degrade Russia’s ability to supply its military and limit the Kremlin’s resources to wage this war of choice, as I’ve mentioned.

Our sanctions have had a meaningful impact already. Since February of 2022, Russia’s military has lost over 13,000 pieces of equipment, including tanks, UAVs, and missile systems. It’s now struggling to rebuild and reconstitute its arsenal because of production constraints, the lack of workers, and restricted access to foreign components. Our goal is to make each one of these things harder. And the executive order the President plans to sign will help us do just that.

And Russia is facing increasingly difficult economic pressures as well. As the Kremlin’s defense spending rose by almost 75 percent in the first half of 2023, its energy revenues have dropped by almost 40 percent this year due to the price cap that was implemented by the United States and our allies and partners.

Beyond energy exports, Russia is increasingly isolated in global economic trade while simultaneously facing a brain drain. Immigration out of Russia has reached historic highs. Foreign direct investment has flipped into negative.

Overall, Russia’s economy is 5 percent smaller than predicted prior to the war and is far underperforming other oil-exporting countries.

Due to a lack of alternative, Russia has now converted itself into a war economy. Manufacturing capacity and the labor force have reoriented to weapons production and producing things that will be necessary to fight this war of choice in Ukraine.

This singular wartime focus has weakened the domestic economy. While Russia has the resources to maintain its war in the short term, its leaders face increasingly painful trade-offs that will sacrifice long-term prospects as under-investments, low productivity growth, and labor shortages will only deepen.

But beyond that sobering outlook, a more immediate way we know our economic measures are working is that the Kremlin has spent considerable time and resources in directing its intelligence services to find ways to evade the multilateral sanctions and export controls that we have put in place. They have created cutouts and front companies using both witting and unwitting financial intermediaries to circumvent restrictions and source critical components for the war.

These are items like semiconductors, which of course have been in the news, but also things Russia needs to convert and power their wartime economy, such as machine tools, chemical precursors, ball bearings, and optical systems.

Over the past year, we and our global coalition have exposed and cut off sanctions evasion networks, sanctioning or listing hundreds of front companies, middlemen, and Russian companies who are taking actions to move these types of parts.

The new executive order by the President will simply give us a tool that will allow us to go after financial institutions that failed to make the choice to either stop allowing their companies to ship these goods to Russia’s military industrialized complex or getting out of business with Russia.

This tool will be the first time that we’re introducing a tool that allows us to use secondary sanctions to go after financial institutions during this conflict in order to provide us with a strong tool to disincentivize the type of behavior that is furthering Russia’s ability to build weapons of choice that they are using in Ukraine.

Over the course of the last two years, we have spent time talking to jurisdictions or financial institutions about the importance in making sure that they do not provide material support to Russia’s economy. And with the President’s signing of the executive order, we have a tool that allows us to hold them accountable.

We look forward to keeping our promise to the Ukrainian people that as long as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, we will continue to use sanctions and export controls to hold Russia accountable.

With that, I’m happy to join [senior administration official] in taking your questions.

Q Hi, this is Andrea Shalal with Reuters. I guess we’re wondering whether you couldn’t already go after financial facilitators before. Can you just explain exactly what this changes and how it gives you new authorities to go after institutions? Because, I mean, my understanding was that you already were, you know, looking at these financial institutions for aiding and abetting.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: A great question, Andrea. And I’ll take it and see if [senior administration official] has anything to add.

What the executive order gives us the ability to do is it gives us a surgical tool that allows us to go after the financial institutions that are doing transactions that further Russia’s military industrialized complex.

What we’ve seen to date is that our initial set of sanctions and export controls had a significant impact on Russia’s ability to get access to the goods and technology they needed to build weapons. What the Kremlin then did was order them to go out and to build cutouts and facilitators that would allow smaller companies to be able to move some of these goods into Russia.

And what you’ve seen us do is we’ve sanctioned a number of these companies that we’ve found. But ultimately, the chokepoint for these companies and Russia’s ability to continue to try and circumvent our sanctions is the financial system, because ultimately they need to have financial transactions in order to move things from a third-party jurisdiction into Russia.

What this tool allows us to do is to target those institutions and give them a very stark choice: If you are continuing to ship these types of goods into Russia, you need to be in a position to make sure that those goods are not going to Russia’s military industrialized complex, or you have to stop. If you don’t take one of those two choices, you’re going to be subject to the sanctions regime. And for the first time, we have a sanctions regime that includes secondary sanctions.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Great. I think [senior administration official] covered it well.

I think the only thing I would add is — really, very central to our strategy here — is thinking about how do we take that next step in disrupting Russia’s attempts to be able to produce the weapons systems, the industrial goods that it needs to prosecute its war.

And I think, really, we do see this as a significant step forward by making very explicitly clear that financial institutions are responsible for ensuring that they are not becoming the facilitators of the transfer of the inputs that Russia needs to step up its military industrial base and increase its capacity to produce the weapons that it is using in Ukraine.

And I do think that that is a clarification. It obviously builds on a huge amount of work that we’ve done, including with partners and allies, to go after entities in third countries that are shipping these goods, entities in third countries that are violating or evading our sanctions. But it does put a more targeted focus on financial facilitation, which we think will be, as [senior administration official] said, an important step in slowing down Russia’s efforts to fuel its war.

Q Thanks. Can you guys say if the U.S. is planning to mirror the sanctions the EU adopted this week? And then secondly, what’s the start date? When do the provisions in this new EO kick in?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So, my understanding — and I’ll let [senior administration official] confirm this — is that the President intends to sign the EO tomorrow, which will also be the time in which the authority then is given for us to utilize this tool to hold banks accountable.

And I think the key thing here with this tool is that what we’re trying to do is go after materials that are key to Russia’s ability to build weapons of war. But what we know is that in order for them to get those materials, they need to use the financial system, which makes the financial system a potential chokepoint and is the tool that’s targeted at that chokepoint and making clear to these banks that they need to take actions to prevent Russia’s military industrialized complex from getting access to these goods.

What we’re doing here with this executive order — the sanctions package we’ve already released prior to the 12th package is consistent with what Europe did with the 12th package and also consistent with the actions that the UK has taken, all driven by the leaders statement that came out from the G7 leaders when they met.

Ultimately, we’re increasingly focused on Russia’s ability and willingness and desire to circumvent the sanctions and export controls we’ve already put in place. And we’re each taking actions to try and prevent that, using the different tools in our toolkit. We have a very powerful tool, that the President is now giving us when he signs this executive order tomorrow, that we plan to use in collaboration and coordination with our colleagues throughout the government.

But our hope, frankly, is that jurisdictions and financial institutions will take actions to stop the behavior well before we have to use this tool. And the basic reason we believe this is likely to be true is that, ultimately, for almost any bank in the world, given the choice between continuing to sell a modest amount of goods to Russia’s military industrialized complex or being connected to the U.S. financial system, they’re going to choose being connected to the U.S. financial system, given that our economy is far bigger and our currency is one used around the world. Fundamentally, people are not going to want to take that risk.

And the message we’re going to send clearly to people is that you either do the due diligence that you need to, or you put at risk your ability to have access to our system.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks. I think that covered it well. Let me just add just a few key things.

First of all, just to confirm that the President does intend to sign this EO tomorrow. So the timing of the financial facilitators provisions that we are describing here will come into effect immediately upon that signing.

There’s two other elements of the EO and — or really one major other element which does align with the 12th package, which is the EO will also give the departments — relevant departments — the ability to take the steps necessary to implement bans on products that originated in Russia but were substantially transformed outside of Russia. So that is things like the diamonds action that we are taking in concert with the EU where we’ve already, in the United States, banned the import of Russian diamonds directly — Russian non-industrial diamonds directly. They are now taking the step to ensure that if Russia ships diamonds to another country for processing, those cannot enter the United States.

So the EO also contains that component which aligns with action in the EU’s 12th package.

Finally, I would just echo — remind everyone that we have already this month rolled out a package of over 250 individual targets but aligned within those same categories of the EU’s 12th package. So we have, as is usually our practice, aligned with EU steps. And it has taken sanction steps against individuals and entities already this month that cover many of the same categories and, in some cases, the same targets as the EU’s 12th package.

So I would say that if you took a step back, we can say, yes, we are aligning with the 12th package, although some of that we have already done and some of that will take place through this EO.

Q Hi, this is Missy Ryan from the Washington Post. I actually have a logistical question. Can you all provide a recording of this call? I was disconnected at the beginning. So I’m just — I missed some of the material, so I’m hoping that we can get a recording afterwards so we can cover it properly.

MODERATOR: Missy, yeah, happy to after this.

Q Thanks.

Q Hi, it’s Alan Rappeport from the New York Times. I want to ask: Are there American or European financial services firms that have been in violation or have been facilitating these kinds of transactions already that will be in violation of these sanctions if they don’t stop?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Not to my knowledge, Alan. And the reason for that, frankly, is that many American and European firms don’t do much business with Russia anymore.

If you all didn’t see it, some of our economists at Treasury put out a report that demonstrated that, since the war, Russia has had negative foreign direct investments because companies are pulling out of Russia and financial institutions are pulling out of Russia.

But what American and European firms do have, though, is they have correspond- — they’re the correspondent bank for other banks to get access to the U.S. financial system that are currently doing this type of business in third countries.

And what we’re going to be doing over the course of the next several weeks is working with those U.S. and European banks to inform them about this EO and tell them about the importance of telling the banks that they work with that they need to take steps to prevent themselves from being subject to this executive order, or they’ll have to — or they may be cut off from their relationship.

So part of our goal in issuing — in using this tool is going to be getting banks in Europe, in the United States, that have relationships with banks around the world and other jurisdictions, to help warn them about the importance of taking steps to prevent themselves from being used to move goods into Russia that furthers their military industrialized complex.

Our overall goal here is to put sand in the gears of Russia’s supply chain, which we think is one of the most effective ways to slow Russia down.

But as [senior administration official] said early on, we’re one tool in our overall strategy. And in order for the Ukrainians to have — to speed up, frankly, and to go faster, they need our support. And that’s going to require Congress to act in terms of providing Ukraine with a supplemental to give them the resources to continue to have the weapons to defend themselves and the money to make sure they support their economy.

So, to your question, I’m not aware of any U.S. or European financial institutions that fit into that category. But what we do know is that a number of the banks in third-country jurisdictions that we have concerns with have relationships with U.S. and European banks that could be threatened if they don’t take steps to prevent Russia from getting access to goods that are used for their military industrialized complex.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: You covered this well. I’ll leave that one there.

Q Hey, thanks. Just one housekeeping question. Will the President be making remarks, or this is going to be sort of a paper pushout of the EO being signed? And if you do have an approximate time of when it will be signed.

And then secondly, connected, is there a renewed push to consider seizing Russian bank assets to help Ukraine pay for the cost of the war?

Thank you.

MODERATOR: Aamer, I’ll take your first one there. I’ll be back in touch on timing and the other details for the rollout after this.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Great. On your second one, I think we have been public, and I think you all know that we have been in discussions with our G7 partners, on what is the best and most appropriate way to ensure that Russia doesn’t get to choose when it is it pays back Ukraine for the damage that it’s caused, which, of course, is international law obligation. We’re also in really active discussions about the best ways to engage Russia to cease its illegal aggression.

I don’t think we have anything to announce around a change in the U.S. position on seizing assets, although I think we have been very public that that is a conversation that we are continuing in the context of those strategic aims.

[Senior administration official], I don’t know if there’s anything that you wanted to say additionally on this, but just to emphasize, this is something that we’ve been very clear that we’re in active discussions with our partners and allies around these issues. And we do have a strategic aim of making sure that Russia doesn’t get to choose when and if it compensates Ukraine for the damage it’s caused.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I think you covered that well.

MODERATOR: Thank you. I think that’s all the time we have for today. Thanks, all, for joining. And thanks again for our speakers for taking the time.

As a reminder, this call is on background. All that you heard was attributable to senior administration officials. And this is embargoed until 6:00 a.m. Eastern on Friday, December 22nd.

Thanks, everyone, for joining.

3:28 P.M EST

Entertainment

Kym Whitley, Yvette Nicole Brown to Headline First Ladies Health Initiative Brain Health Luncheon

Published

5 days ago

September 15, 2026

FNN NEWS

Side-by-side headshots of actresses Yvette Nicole Brown and Kym Whitley, speakers at the First Ladies Health Initiative brain health and caregiving luncheon.

Emmy-nominated actresses Yvette Nicole Brown, left, and Kym Whitley will participate in the First Ladies Health Initiative’s “Mindful of the Memories: A Path to Better Brain Health” luncheon Sept. 19 in Marina del Rey, California.

The Sept. 19 luncheon in Marina del Rey will spotlight Alzheimer’s, dementia, caregiving and brain health as the First Ladies Health Initiative celebrates new grant support for programs empowering girls.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FNN) — Emmy-nominated actresses Kym Whitley and Yvette Nicole Brown will headline a First Ladies Health Initiative luncheon focused on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, caregiving and brain health on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Marina del Rey.

The First Ladies Health Initiative, or FLHI, will host its leaders summit luncheon, “Mindful of the Memories: A Path to Better Brain Health,” beginning at 11 a.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey.

Whitley, whose credits include Act Your Age and Raising Whitley, and Brown, known for Community, Act Your Age and The Mayor, will participate in a fireside conversation moderated by Dr. Shalonda “Sunshine” Crawford, co-pastor of Experience Christian Ministries.

The discussion will address the experiences of families affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia, including the demands placed on caregivers and the challenges of balancing caregiving with careers and other responsibilities.

Personal Experiences Bring Caregiving Into Focus

FLHI Co-Executive Director Marquisé Alston-Allison said Whitley and Brown were selected in part because both have personal experience caring for their fathers.

“Alzheimer’s disease has a devastating impact on the African American community, where individuals are approximately twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia,” Alston-Allison said in the organization’s announcement.

The luncheon takes place two days before World Alzheimer’s Day on Sept. 21.

Brain Health and Prevention Take Center Stage

FLHI is also partnering with the INSPIRE-Faith program at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, led by neurologists Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai.

The program emphasizes lifestyle factors associated with brain and overall health, including nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management and social connections.

The initiative brings prevention-focused health education into faith and community settings while addressing conditions such as dementia, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke.

Luncheon to Feature Music and Special Honors

Radio personality Aundrae Russell of 102.3 KJLH-FM will serve as emcee, with a musical performance by recording artist David Daughtry.

FLHI will also pay tribute to its founding president, Tracey Alston, who died last year.

Dr. Betty Ruth Price, former first lady, co-founder and matriarch of Crenshaw Christian Center, will also be honored during the event.

FLHI Among Organizations Receiving Girls Opportunity Alliance Support

The event comes as FLHI celebrates its selection for support through the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance.

According to the announcement, a total of $500,000 will be distributed among 10 organizations working to empower girls, with FLHI among the selected recipients.

FLHI is currently led by second-generation co-executive directors Marquisé Alston-Allison and Taylor Alston-Cleveland, alongside co-founder and National Chair Jamell Meeks of Salem Baptist Church in Chicago and Los Angeles Chair Crawford.

The organization also acknowledged support from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Healthy Mind Initiatives, Black Girl Vitamins and The Ritz-Carlton.

For additional information, visit First Ladies Health Initiative.

Entertainment

Chaka Khan, Q Parker to Lead Living Legends Foundation’s 35th Anniversary Gala in Atlanta

Published

1 week ago

September 12, 2026

FNN NEWS

Chaka Khan and Q Parker, honorary ambassador and honorary gala chair for the Living Legends Foundation’s 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner & Gala.

Ten-time Grammy Award winner Chaka Khan, left, will serve as honorary ambassador, while Grammy-winning singer and founding 112 member Q Parker will serve as honorary gala chair for the Living Legends Foundation’s 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner & Gala on Oct. 2, 2026, in Atlanta. Chaka Khan photo: Nick Nelson; Q Parker photo: Quadir Thomas

Milestone celebration will recognize the executives, radio personalities, entrepreneurs and cultural leaders who helped shape Black music and entertainment

ATLANTA, Ga. (FNN) — Ten-time Grammy Award winner Chaka Khan will serve as honorary ambassador and Grammy-winning singer and founding 112 member Q Parker as honorary gala chair for the Living Legends Foundation’s 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner & Gala, the organization announced.

The milestone celebration is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, in Atlanta and will bring together artists, music executives, radio personalities, creatives, entrepreneurs and cultural leaders to recognize the people whose work has helped shape Black music, media and entertainment.

For Khan, the role marks a return to an organization that recognized her more than three decades ago. She was among the artists honored by the Living Legends Foundation in 1992.

“When you cross a bridge, you don’t think about all the hands that built it. Some of the most important contributions are the ones we never see,” Khan said in the announcement. “Thank you, Living Legends Foundation, for seeing that every story matters and for honoring those hands and hearts that helped build the way for all of us.”

Chaka Khan Returns for Milestone Anniversary

Living Legends Foundation Chairman David C. Linton said Khan’s connection to the organization makes her participation especially significant during its 35th anniversary.

“Having Chaka Khan serve as our Honorary Ambassador during this milestone year is incredibly meaningful,” Linton said. “Chaka’s history with the Foundation reaches back to our earliest years, and her extraordinary career represents the excellence, longevity and cultural impact we have worked to celebrate for 35 years.”

Khan’s appearance also comes as she prepares for another chapter in her recording career. According to the foundation’s announcement, her new album, “Chakzilla,” is scheduled for release Sept. 18. The project, described as her first full-length album in seven years, includes collaborations with Sia, Snoop Dogg and Lenny Kravitz.

The combination of Khan’s new music and her honorary role highlights one of the gala’s central themes: connecting the legacy of Black music with the people continuing to move the industry forward.

Q Parker to Serve as Honorary Gala Chair

Joining Khan is Q Parker, a founding member of Grammy-winning R&B group 112. Parker will serve as honorary gala chair and help promote the foundation’s work recognizing and supporting music industry professionals.

“Black music has given me a career, a community, and an opportunity to use my gifts to impact people around the world, so serving as Honorary Chair for the Living Legends Foundation’s 35th anniversary is truly an honor,” Parker said.

Parker said the industry’s success extends far beyond the artists audiences see on stage.

“This organization understands that our industry is bigger than the names we see on the marquee,” Parker said. “There are countless people behind the scenes who have dedicated their lives to moving our culture forward.”

Parker recently released the single “Stare,” from his forthcoming album, “Evolution of Romance, Volume Two,” expected this fall, according to the announcement.

Honoring the People Behind Black Music and Culture

Founded in 1991, the Living Legends Foundation has built its mission around recognizing professionals whose work has helped bring Black music and culture to audiences around the world.

Beyond its annual honors, the nonprofit provides support to music industry professionals with confirmed needs and invests in future generations through mentorship, scholarships and other assistance.

The anniversary gala will continue that mission by placing executives, broadcasters, advocates, entrepreneurs and other behind-the-scenes leaders alongside some of the most recognizable figures in entertainment.

2026 Living Legends Foundation Honorees

This year’s honorees include:

Ray Harris Lifetime Achievement Award: Louis Carr, president of BET
A.D. Washington Chairman’s Award: Black Promoters Collective
Jerry Boulding Radio Executive Award: Kenny Smoov, vice president of urban programming, Cumulus
Frankie Crocker Radio Personality Award: Greg Street, air personality, V-103 Atlanta
Impact Player Award: Juliette Jones, COO, Alamo Records
Music Executive Award: Tim Reid, senior vice president, repertoire and marketing, BMG Recorded Music
Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award: Phylicia Fant, global director, Black Music + Culture, Amazon Music
Kendall Minter Entertainment Advocate Award: James McMillan, Esq., CEO, ART@WAR Entertainment
Hip-Hop Visionary Award: Ted Lucas, founder and CEO, Slip-N-Slide Records
Entrepreneur Award: Ralph McDaniels, executive producer, “Video Music Box”

Why the 35th Anniversary Matters

The anniversary reflects more than three decades of recognizing people whose contributions to Black music and entertainment have not always received the same public attention as the artists they helped build, promote and sustain.

That history is reflected in Khan’s return. After being recognized by the foundation in its early years, she will now help honor another generation of industry leaders.

The 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner & Gala will continue the Living Legends Foundation’s tradition of celebrating achievement, leadership, innovation and service while preserving the stories of the people who helped build the business and culture surrounding Black music.

Business

DOJ, DOT and DHS Launch Nationwide Crackdown on CDL Fraud, Trucking Schools and Unqualified Drivers

Published

2 weeks ago

September 8, 2026

FNN NEWS

Two 18-wheelers travel along a U.S. interstate. Federal authorities have launched a multiagency initiative targeting alleged commercial driver’s license fraud, improper training and testing practices, and other suspected violations involving the trucking industry. FNN Illustration

Federal agencies say the new Joint Task Force Crossroads of America will target fraudulent CDL training and testing, identity and document fraud, unauthorized employment and suspected criminal activity across the commercial trucking industry.

DETROIT (FNN) — The Justice, Transportation and Homeland Security departments have launched a sweeping federal initiative targeting alleged fraud and public-safety violations in the commercial trucking industry, including questionable driver training, commercial driver’s license testing, identity fraud and suspected criminal activity.

Eight U.S. attorneys joined federal transportation and homeland security officials Aug. 31 to announce Joint Task Force Crossroads of America, a multistate law enforcement partnership initially bringing together U.S. attorney’s offices in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio with federal, state and local agencies.

The initiative brings together DOJ, the Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and other law enforcement agencies.

Among the most immediate actions, FMCSA announced the emergency removal of more than 110 commercial driver training providers associated with more than 5,000 drivers who failed federal English-language proficiency requirements. The agency is also proposing removal of more than 160 additional training providers and launching a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers.

DHS, meanwhile, announced enforcement activity involving more than 200 driving schools and related businesses across 23 states.

Federal Government Targets CDL Fraud

Federal officials say the initiative is designed to identify fraudulent training and licensing practices while determining whether trucking companies, schools, testing operations or other businesses are circumventing federal requirements.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said DOJ will work with federal, state and local partners to investigate and prosecute alleged fraud affecting highway safety.

“The safety of American roadways affects everyone across the country,” Blanche said in the federal announcement.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said federal transportation regulators need law enforcement support to pursue suspected fraud involving training schools and other participants in the commercial licensing system.

The government’s announcement also included broader claims by administration officials concerning immigration enforcement and highway safety. Those statements represent the administration’s characterization of the problem; the specific enforcement actions announced by FMCSA focus on compliance with federal commercial-driver training, testing and qualification requirements.

110 CDL Training Providers Face Emergency Removal

FMCSA said it examined roadside inspection records involving commercial drivers cited for failing federal English-language proficiency requirements and compared those records with its Training Provider Registry.

That analysis identified training providers that repeatedly certified drivers who subsequently failed the federal requirement, according to the agency.

FMCSA said it will emergency-remove more than 110 Entry-Level Driver Training providers from its registry. The affected providers must cease federally recognized training operations, including classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction.

The government says those schools are associated with more than 5,000 drivers who failed English-language proficiency tests.

Removal from the federal registry is an administrative action and should not, by itself, be characterized as a criminal conviction or finding of criminal fraud.

40-State Investigation Finds Training Problems

The enforcement campaign extends beyond the 110 providers.

FMCSA said it deployed 175 investigators across 40 states in July to conduct nearly 400 investigations of entry-level driver training providers.

According to the agency, investigators identified problems including instructors who lacked appropriate licenses, inadequate facilities for required driving maneuvers and missing assessment records.

One provider allegedly claimed its classroom operated from a school bus located inside the back of a trailer, according to FMCSA.

The investigations resulted in more than 160 notices of proposed removal from the federal Training Provider Registry.

FMCSA further said drivers certified by those providers have been linked to 239 commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities.

That figure warrants careful distinction: the agency’s release describes the drivers as linked to those fatalities; it does not establish from that statistic alone that training deficiencies caused each crash.

Nationwide Audit of CDL Skills Testers

Federal regulators are also turning their attention to the people and organizations administering commercial driving tests.

FMCSA announced a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers and state oversight of those testers.

The agency said more than 28,000 commercial drivers have been placed out of service for English-language proficiency violations since June 2025. FMCSA argues that the number raises concerns about whether testing and state oversight are consistently enforcing federal requirements.

States found substantially out of compliance with federal CDL requirements can face corrective action and, eventually, financial consequences.

According to FMCSA, unresolved substantial noncompliance can result in withholding of federal highway funds—up to 4% initially and potentially 8% in subsequent years. Serious deficiencies can also lead toward decertification of a state’s CDL program.

DHS Targets More Than 200 Driving Schools

DHS is conducting a parallel criminal-investigation and immigration-enforcement effort.

Homeland Security Investigations said its initiative is examining suspected CDL fraud, unauthorized employment, identity-document fraud, financial crimes, money laundering and labor exploitation, along with potential connections to human smuggling, drug trafficking and cartel activity.

Those categories describe investigative targets and potential violations identified by DHS; they do not mean every school, trucking company or driver contacted by investigators has committed a crime.

According to the federal announcement, HSI planned coordinated activity involving more than 200 driving schools across 23 states and said more than 1,000 business leads had been distributed to investigators.

Field offices had also issued more than 80 notices of inspection and opened multiple investigations, according to DHS.

Investigations Include DMV Employees, Medical Certifications and Trucking Companies

Federal authorities disclosed several categories of ongoing investigations.

HSI said investigators are examining allegations that some state motor vehicle employees accepted payments to help applicants circumvent driver’s license and CDL requirements.

Other investigations involve suspected misuse of B-1/B-2 visa holders for domestic cargo transportation, potentially improper medical certifications, identity fraud and alleged labor exploitation involving visa holders.

DHS also said investigators are examining possible shell companies, financial crimes and transportation businesses potentially connected to broader criminal activity.

Because many of these matters remain investigations, allegations of misconduct have not necessarily resulted in criminal charges or convictions.

Federal Trucking Enforcement Reaches Florida

The federal initiative also includes activity in Florida.

According to the government’s announcement, DHS’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Miami Field Office coordinated an operation with the Florida Department of Transportation, FMCSA and commercial vehicle enforcement authorities during the week of Aug. 24.

Other coordinated operations were identified in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan and Wisconsin.

DHS also identified several broader enforcement initiatives involving commercial transportation, including Operation ICE Wall, Operation Guardrail and Operation Freightliner.

What It Means for Trucking Companies and CDL Schools

The initiative significantly expands federal scrutiny beyond individual commercial drivers.

Training schools could face removal from FMCSA’s registry, while third-party testers will face a nationwide audit. State licensing agencies could also come under federal review if regulators identify systemic compliance failures.

Trucking companies may face additional scrutiny involving driver qualifications, employment authorization, federal employment records and compliance with commercial vehicle regulations.

At the same time, the government’s actions distinguish between administrative enforcement and criminal prosecution. A provider’s removal from a federal training registry does not automatically establish criminal fraud, while criminal cases require prosecutors to establish violations under applicable law.

Joint Task Force Brings Multiple Agencies Together

Joint Task Force Crossroads of America combines the U.S. attorney’s offices in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio with agencies including FMCSA, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Eight U.S. attorneys participated in the announcement, representing federal districts in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois.

Federal officials say the task force’s goals include reducing highway fatalities and serious injuries, identifying criminal networks, deterring fraudulent trucking practices and improving coordination among federal, state and local authorities.

What’s Next?

FMCSA is expected to proceed with the emergency removal of the identified training providers while continuing proposed-removal proceedings involving more than 160 others.

Federal transportation officials will also conduct the nationwide examination of third-party CDL skills testers and state oversight programs.

DHS and HSI investigations into suspected licensing fraud, unauthorized employment, document fraud and related financial crimes are continuing, while the newly established DOJ task force provides a mechanism for federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to coordinate potential criminal cases.

The next major question will be how many of the regulatory investigations ultimately produce administrative sanctions, license actions or federal criminal charges.

For drivers, trucking companies and CDL schools, the announcement signals that federal enforcement is expanding from roadside driver inspections into the broader system responsible for training, testing, licensing and employing commercial drivers.