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Waterfowl Season for Youth and Veterans/Active Military Personnel Runs the Weekend of Sept. 26-27

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Observer Staff
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(Idaho Fish and Game Press Release, September 14, 2026)

Duck and goose hunting is among the coolest ways to introduce a youngster to the excitement of hunting. There’s usually plenty of birds in the sky and the opportunity for a novice to experience the blinds, the decoys, and the dogs — all under the supervision and guidance of an adult.

But, you don’t just have to be an over-eager 10-year-old to enjoy the weekend kickoff. Veterans and active military personnel can also participate in the early, two-day hunt Sept. 26-27.

Here’s everything you need to know for the youth and veterans/active military personnel waterfowl hunting weekend:

  • Migratory Bird (HIP) Permit — required
  • Federal Migratory Bird (Duck) Stamp — not required for hunters 15 and younger; required for all hunters 16 and older.
  • Daily duck, goose, and coot limits are the same as regular season limits statewide
  • At least one adult 18 years or older with a valid hunting license must accompany each youth hunting party into the field at all times. Adults are not authorized to hunt; however, veterans and active military personnel may hunt and harvest.
  • All other state rules and federal regulations pertaining to take of migratory game birds are in effect for this hunt. Veterans and active military personnel are eligible to participate in this hunt.
  • To participate as a youth, hunters must be licensed and 17 years of age or younger.
  • Anyone who hunts under the Hunting Passport program must be accompanied by a mentor who is an Idaho licensed hunter at least 18 years old. (Learn more at Fish and Game’s Hunter Passport program webpage.)
  • To be eligible to participate as veteran/active duty military personnel, a hunter must be licensed and:
    • Be a veteran who served on active duty in the United States military, naval, or air service and was discharged or separated under honorable conditions after 90 days of continuous active duty, or was separated or discharged from military service earlier than 90 days under honorable conditions because of a service-connected disability, or be a member of the Armed Forces on active duty (which does not include members of the National Guard and Reserves performing drills or training).
    • Carry proof of eligibility in the field, such as an official military or veteran identification card, DD214 form, or a state-issued driver’s license or identification card with veteran designation.

To learn more about waterfowl hunting in Idaho, check out Fish and Game’s Migratory Game Bird webpage and the 2026-2027 seasons and rules booklet. To find places to hunt, check out the Hunting Access page.

Union Pacific’s Big Boy to Embark on First-Ever Holiday Tour for Make-A-Wish Foundation

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Observer Staff
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Big Boy No. 4014 - Outside Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming

(Union Pacific Press Release, September 17, 2026; Cover photo credit: Union Pacific)

Omaha, NE–In another historic first, Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 will take to the rails this November for a limited holiday tour in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with the world’s largest operating steam locomotive set to be on display Nov. 21 in the Denver, Colorado, area.

This will be Big Boy’s first-ever holiday tour and comes several months after the beloved 1941-era steam locomotive completed its historic coast-to-coast tour from California to New York, culminating in Philadelphia on the Fourth of July. The 14-state journey celebrating America’s 250th anniversary attracted millions of viewers.

The public is being offered a rare chance to purchase tickets for the holiday tour and ride in vintage passenger cars pulled by Big Boy as it travels from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Denver. The trip will support the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and include a donation from Union Pacific’s Community Ties Giving Program.

Ticket sales for patrons of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum will begin Oct. 16. Any remaining tickets will be available to the general public Oct. 19.

Big Boy will be accompanied by some very special guests from the North Pole. Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and a few elves will be at the Denver stop, delighting children with limited edition gifts.

Twenty-five Big Boy locomotives were built for Union Pacific to haul freight over the steep grade of the Wasatch Mountain Range in Utah during World War II. Eight were preserved after the locomotives were retired six decades ago, but only Big Boy No. 4014 is still in operation.

Union Pacific reminds all rail fans to keep safety top of mind and stay 25 feet back from the tracks when taking a picture or viewing this mammoth machine. That means never take a picture or video standing on the track or the ballast and never climb on the locomotive or equipment.

HHS Seeks Public Input on Electromagnetic Fields and Wireless Radiation

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Observer Staff
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(Department of Health and Human Services Press Release, September 17, 2026)

Washington, D.C.–The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today issued a Request for Information (RFI) calling on Americans, scientists, physicians, industry, and public health experts to submit evidence and information on the potential health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs), radiofrequency (RF) radiation, and wireless radiation exposure.

The RFI will help HHS evaluate the state of the science, compare U.S. and international safety standards and regulatory approaches, identify critical research gaps, and develop practical, evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, families, schools, communities, and public health professionals.

“Wireless technologies are part of daily life, and our science must keep pace,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “The MAHA Strategy directed HHS to examine electromagnetic radiation and health research, and we are acting on that directive. I encourage scientists, physicians, industry, public health experts, workers, parents, and citizens to bring us the best available evidence so we can identify the gaps and focus federal research where it is needed most.”

HHS is seeking information on RF/EMF exposures associated with mobile phones, Wi-Fi, smart meters, wireless infrastructure, wearable technologies, wireless medical devices, 5G, 6G, satellite communications, Internet of Things devices, smart homes, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and other emerging technologies.

The Department is requesting information across several key areas:

  • Health experiences and clinical observations. HHS invites individuals and families to share experiences involving potential adverse health effects they believe may be associated with RF/EMF exposure. The Department also seeks observations from healthcare professionals, researchers, and public health practitioners that may help identify patterns warranting further study.
  • Exposure standards and risk assessment. HHS seeks evidence concerning existing national and international exposure standards, guidelines, and regulatory frameworks. The Department also seeks information about whether scientific, technical, or regulatory changes could improve the assessment, disclosure, or regulation of wireless radiation exposure.
  • Exposure measurement and public health surveillance. HHS is requesting information about methods for measuring individual and population-level exposure, potential improvements for assessing real-world exposure, information that should be disclosed to the public, and existing or potential surveillance systems.
  • Potentially sensitive populations. The RFI asks whether exposure assessment or risk evaluation should differ for populations including children, pregnant women, older adults, people with implanted medical devices, workers with elevated occupational exposure, and people with preexisting medical conditions.
  • Existing scientific evidence. HHS seeks evidence concerning potential adverse health effects associated with RF radiation exposure, including exposure below current federal limits. The Department also seeks information about cumulative exposure patterns associated with existing and emerging wireless technologies and potential environmental effects.
  • Federal research priorities. HHS asks researchers and the public to identify the highest-priority gaps in RF/EMF and public health research and recommend ways federal health agencies can better coordinate research, including through the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

HHS asks respondents to identify the basis for their submissions, including peer-reviewed research, government reports, industry data, clinical observations, or other sources. The Department encourages respondents to submit supporting research, datasets, technical reports, citations, and other relevant evidence whenever available.

More information about the RFI can be found at the Federal Register.

DOJ: Federal Ban on Handgun Sales to 18 to 20-Year-Olds is Unconstitutional, Cannot Be Criminally Enforced

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Observer Staff
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(U.S. Department of Justice Press Release, September 18, 2026)

Today, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel released a legal opinion concluding that the federal prohibition may not be enforced against licensed dealers selling handguns to otherwise law-abiding adults ages 18 to 20 consistent with the Second Amendment.

The Office of Legal Counsel’s new opinion explains that federal statutes 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) are inconsistent with the Second Amendment as interpreted by the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen, and subsequent decisions including Wolford v. Lopez. These statutes generally prohibit federally licensed dealers from selling handguns or handgun ammunition to individuals under 21.

The Office of Legal Counsel determined that 18 to 20-year-olds are among “the people” protected by the Second Amendment. “Eighteen-year-olds may vote, serve on juries, be drafted, and face adult criminal penalties, including capital punishment,” said Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser for the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. “The Constitution protects the people’s right to keep and bear arms. The Department of Justice may not constitutionally seek to impose criminal penalties on dealers who sell handguns to law-abiding adults who, in nearly every other relevant respect, are members of the political community.”

Because the restrictions burden the ability of members of “the people” to acquire commonly used arms, they fall within the Amendment’s plain text and are presumptively unconstitutional. The Office of Legal Counsel found no Founding era history or tradition of precluding legal adults from purchasing firearms to protect public safety. To the contrary, at the Founding, militia statutes overwhelmingly required service beginning at 18 and required enrollees to furnish their own arms.

The Office of Legal Counsel concludes that Section 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) may not be enforced to impose criminal penalties on dealers who sell handguns to a class of law-abiding adults who, in nearly every other relevant respect, are members of the political community.

Read the full opinion here.

Guest Columnist Julianne Young – Voters Deserve Truth: There’s Nothing Pro-life or Catholic about Prop 1

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Observer Staff
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September 17, 2026

Voters Deserve Truth: There’s Nothing Pro-life or Catholic about Prop 1

By: Julianne Young

Julianne Young

Voters beware. In a recent editorial article published in the Idaho State Journal, Dr. Uranga delivered a string of false statements about Idaho law, a medical anecdote that defies reason, and a “pro-life” argument that never once mentions the child.

Prop 1 doesn’t “restore” Roe. It’s far more radical.

Uranga claims Prop 1 returns Idaho “to what worked well for nearly 50 years” — “back to Roe.” Roe permitted states to restrict elective abortion once a baby could survive with medical help, roughly half-way through pregnancy. Prop 1, in contrast, codifies elective abortion up until a baby can survive without medical help, nearly full-term, then adds an any-excuse-will-do medical-emergency exception broad enough to justify destroying a full-term, viable baby over varicose veins. Add to this Prop 1’s elimination of parental consent and Idaho’s physician-only requirement, plus strict scrutiny language barring almost any future regulation of abortion. Prop 1 is no “restoration” of Roe. It’s a pro-abortion policy so radical it would make Roe blush.

Uranga is wrong. Idaho does have a health exception.

Life and health are inextricably linked. Idaho’s “life of the mother” exception is not the broad health exception Uranga apparently desires, but it IS a health exception specific to any life-threatening health condition like preterm premature rupture of membranes or pre-eclampsia. Uranga claims she can’t exercise her professional judgment, yet the Idaho Supreme Court already ruled in 2022 that the legal language “good faith medical judgment,” used in our Defense of Life Act, gives physicians broad latitude to exercise professional judgment (Planned Parenthood v. State of Idaho, 2022). This is the lowest legal bar. A doctor doesn’t have to be certain. They only have to sincerely believe the pregnancy threatens life. Uranga claims she has “no” options” when dealing with life-threatening conditions; that is not the law failing her — it is willful ignorance of the law placing patients at risk.

The anencephaly story doesn’t check out.

Uranga describes life-flighting a pregnant woman to Salt Lake City after an anencephaly diagnosis because she “could do nothing” in Idaho. But anencephaly is not inherently a threat to a mother’s life — it’s a fatal fetal diagnosis. The only thing Uranga couldn’t do was prematurely end the life of the child. It’s a heartbreaking situation for a family, but it is not evidence that Idaho law endangers mothers. If something pregnancy-related beyond anencephaly was threatening the mother’s life, Idaho law does permit abortion. Either way, her life was protected and opportunities to provide care for both mother and baby were abundantly available.

Insurance denying miscarriage treatment is not evidence Prop 1 is needed.

Idaho law explicitly exempts miscarriage treatment from the legal definition of abortion. If an insurance company can’t sort out its own claims codes, the fix is correcting the insurer — not legalizing elective abortion up until birth.

A “pro-life” doctor who never mentions the baby.

Uranga invokes “sanctity” in her article — not for life, but for the relationship between adults who will remain in the room when the child is dead. Not once does she reference the thousands of children who will be destroyed, literally, by elective abortion if Prop 1 passes.

The Catholic framing doesn’t hold up either.

Uranga presents her support for Prop 1 as an expression of her Catholic faith, practiced “in a way that respects both my faith and medical training.” The Catholic Church publicly opposes Prop 1. She’s free to disagree with her Church’s teaching, but she shouldn’t virtue signal using her faith to promote an opinion in direct contradiction to the public doctrinal and political position of her faith.

“Safer” and “shorter wait times” are promises, not policy.

Nothing in Prop 1 reduces wait times for ordinary medical care. Nor does expanding access to elective abortion make it “safer” for daughters to build a family in Idaho — if anything, Prop 1 is the antithesis of family-building protections. These are speculative appeals to emotion dressed up as evidence.

In the end, the irony is hard to escape: the same movement using doctors to sell Prop 1 as “pro-doctor” policy has them promoting an initiative that strips Idaho of our physician-only requirement, cutting doctors out as a safeguard against abortion-gone-wrong.

Uranga is entitled to her opinion on abortion and on Prop 1. She is not entitled to use her faith and her white coat to confuse and mislead voters — not when life and death are literally on the line.

Julianne Young is a Bingham County Mom who loves faith, family, and freedom; a former state representative; founder of the nonprofit Idaho Family Strong; regional coordinator for Idaho Chooses Life; and 2nd Vice Chair of the Idaho State GOP.

Phyllis Lake Project Expands Outdoor Access in Sawtooth National Recreation Area

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Observer Staff
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(Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Press Release, September 17, 2026)

Stanley, Idaho — A long-standing vision to expand outdoor recreation access at Phyllis Lake in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area is becoming a reality through a collaborative project designed to help more people experience Idaho’s high-alpine landscapes.

The Phyllis Lake Liberty Legacy Trails Project is improving primitive-access recreation opportunities at Phyllis Lake, including trail access, camping and fishing areas, and a new bridge across the lake outlet. The improvements are intended to make the area more accessible to people with mobility limitations, including disabled veterans, adaptive athletes, older adults using mobility aids and families, while maintaining the primitive character of the setting.

The project brings together the U.S. Forest Service Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Sawtooth Conservation & Recreation Alliance (SCRA), Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR), Higher Ground, Idaho Trails Association, Titus Trails, Idaho Fish and Game, volunteers and other partners.

The effort builds on work that began more than two decades ago. In 2004, local resident and Higher Ground participant Erik Schultz and his wife, Linn Kincannon, began advocating for improved outdoor access for wheelchair users in the Boulder-White Clouds area. Initial improvements were completed by the Forest Service in 2010 following congressional direction to provide primitive wheelchair access at Phyllis Lake and Murdock Creek. Forest Service crews improved the trailhead, constructed a primitive-access trail to the lake and built a bridge. A second bridge was planned but was not completed at the time.

Today’s project continues that work and provides an opportunity to complete and expand upon the improvements begun in 2010.

“This project demonstrates what can happen when public agencies, nonprofit organizations, volunteers and recreation partners bring their resources and expertise together,” said IDPR Director Susan Buxton. “Outdoor recreation is for everyone, and projects like Phyllis Lake help create more opportunities for people to experience Idaho’s public lands.”

Funding from Idaho’s Sawtooth National Recreation Area specialty license plate program, administered by IDPR, has provided critical support for the on-the-ground improvements. That funding is being combined with partner resources, private support and volunteer labor to advance the project.

The project is also the first Liberty Legacy Trails initiative, established by SCRA as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. The initiative highlights service, stewardship and access to public lands shared by generations of Americans.

The partners hope the improvements at Phyllis Lake will provide a lasting recreation benefit in the Sawtooth Mountains while demonstrating the value of partnerships in expanding access to Idaho’s public lands.

For more information about Idaho State Parks and Recreation and specialty license plate programs, visit idahoparksandrecreation.idaho.gov.

Labrador Letter: Idaho Families Won’t Pay for New York’s Climate Change Agenda

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Observer Staff
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September 18, 2026 (Cover Photo Credit: Karyn Simmons)

Raul Labrador (Photo Credit: Raul Labrador FB)

Dear Friends,

In 2024, New York passed the Climate Change Superfund Act, claiming that the companies producing America’s oil, natural gas, and coal owed the state $75 billion for fuel they produced between 2000 and 2024, and it passed a law to collect. Idaho joined 21 other states to challenge that law, and a federal court has now struck it down.

Under New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act, any company that extracted fossil fuels or refined oil anywhere in the world during those 25 years – and that New York decided had accounted for more than a billion tons of emissions – was strictly liable for a share of a $75 billion fund. Fault did not matter. Where the fuel was produced did not matter. The fact that the fuel production being fined was legal, permitted, and regulated by the EPA did not matter.

New York benefitted from that fuel production like everyone else. New York residents drove their cars with it, heated their homes with it, and ran their businesses. That fuel production pushed economic growth across all sectors and powered job-creating industries for 25 years.

Companies do not just absorb a $75 billion demand. It gets built into the price of gasoline, diesel, heating fuel, and every product that moves by truck, and none of that stops at New York’s border. An Idaho family filling up in Nampa or paying a January heating bill in Idaho Falls would have been paying into New York’s climate fund without ever having a vote on it. That is why Idaho joined the coalition. The Trump Administration backed our position in court, and the coal, oil, and natural gas industries filed their own challenge.

The legal problem with the law is simple. Air pollution that crosses state lines has been a question of federal jurisdiction for over a century. The alternative is 50 states writing 50 different rules for the same emissions. Congress wrote the rules in the Clean Air Act and put the EPA in charge, working with the states. New York can regulate what happens inside New York and only New York. It cannot bill the rest of the country.

New York’s response was that it wasn’t regulating anything, only collecting for past harm. Chief Judge Brenda Sannes rejected that argument. She reasoned that when you make a company pay for its emissions, you are regulating those emissions.  Calling it cost recovery does not change what it is. She wrote that the law was “simply beyond the limits of state law.” Because the law also reached producers outside the United States, the court found it stepped into foreign policy, which belongs to the federal government.

This was the first court ruling on a climate superfund law. Vermont has passed one, and our coalition is challenging it too. Other states have bills pending, and each is built on the same idea, that a state can send its bills to people who live somewhere else.

My office regularly fights against federal overreach, and keeping Washington, D.C. out of our statutes, wallets, and resources. This fight isn’t any different. We’ll do the same when a state like New York tries to push their radical environmental agenda on Idaho families and force Idahoans to pay a bill they had no part in.

Best regards,

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ABOUT THE OFFICE

The Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to the State of Idaho. The Attorney General and his deputies represent state agencies and offices, to better the lives of Idahoans.

For more information about the Office, visit our website here.

Gem State Chronicle Report: Two Idaho CDL Schools Shutdown by DOT

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Observer Staff
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(Image Credit: Gem State Chronicle)

(Gem State Chronicle Publisher Brian Almon, September 17, 2026)

On the last day of August, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the emergency shutdown of 110 commercial driver’s license (CDL) training providers throughout the United States, saying they were associated with more than 5,000 drivers who failed to show proficiency in English. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) maintains a database of registered CDL training providers, as well as those that have been removed.

At least two Idaho firms were among the 110 shut down as part of this action. Intercheck Driving Services LLC and CDL Express appear to have been closely connected, with Intercheck handling hands-on training and testing and CDL Express handling the online theory course.

CDL Express was registered with the Secretary of State’s office in 2023 as a foreign corporation—that is, one formed in another state but doing business in Idaho. Its state of incorporation was Delaware—which has long had a reputation as a friendly place for businesses to register themselves—but its mailing address was in Meridian. Steven Lloyd was listed as the company’s registered agent, governor, and president at the same Meridian address, while Carson Lloyd was listed as governor and CEO with an address in Houston, Texas.

The Idaho registration for CDL Express was revoked in May 2024 for failure to file an annual report. It was recreated as an Idaho LLC in December 2024, then dissolved again last April for the same reason.

CDL Express’ website, cdlexpress.us,remains active, with a notice saying it is unable to accept new enrollments and that current enrollments are also suspended.

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Intercheck has a somewhat longer history. Its initial LLC filing was made in 2011 by Steven and Andrea Lloyd, using a separate address in Meridian. That address was crossed out on the filing paperwork and replaced with one that Google Maps now resolves to the same location where CDL Express was registered.

Andrea Lloyd was dropped from the company in 2020, and its registration was revoked in 2024 for failing to file an annual report. It was reinstated in May 2025 with the same address used by CDL Express.

The addresses for CDL Express and Intercheck resolve to a property in the middle of a Meridian suburban neighborhood. I drove by to see for myself and found the property at the end of a short spur with “No Trespassing” signs posted.

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A closer look at Ada County parcel data shows three adjoining properties associated with the address. One is a small lot directly north of the road, the second contains a residence, and the third is another lot farther north, where satellite imagery shows several semi trucks.

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Intercheck’s website, cdlidaho.com, advertises the practical training and exams needed to obtain a CDL. Steven Lloyd is listed as a contact, while Carson Lloyd is listed as the contact for the online Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) theory course, which is handled by CDL Express.

In short, these two Idaho firms appear to have operated as two parts of the same CDL training operation: Intercheck covered practical training and testing, while CDL Express covered the online portion. Both were removed from the FMCSA Training Provider Registry effective September 3.

Prior to its removal, Intercheck’s address on the FMCSA list was identified as 213 McDermott Road in Nampa, part of a larger industrial property owned by Rock Contractors, Inc. Intercheck’s website gave directions to the property for CDL candidates taking their tests.

The DOT enforcement action was prompted by roadside inspection records identifying commercial drivers cited for failing federal English-language proficiency requirements. FMCSA compared those drivers with records in its Training Provider Registry and identified more than 110 providers that had repeatedly certified drivers who subsequently failed to meet the federal requirements.

However, I have not found specific records showing how many such drivers were directly linked to either of the two Idaho providers, or precisely what led FMCSA to remove them from the registry.

I attempted to contact Steven Lloyd for comment. The email address listed on cdlexpress.us bounced back as undeliverable, and I received no response from the Intercheck email.

The issue of CDL licensing had already received attention in Idaho earlier this year. During the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers passed House Bill 667, eliminating Idaho’s nondomiciled CDL program. Under previous law, certain applicants who were not Idaho residents, including drivers domiciled in foreign countries, could obtain an Idaho commercial driver’s license if they met the required standards. H667 repealed that program, requiring all CDL applicants to establish Idaho residency. Gov. Brad Little signed the bill in March, and it took effect July 1.

Coverage of the new law at freightwaves.com included some numbers:

According to data previously provided by the Idaho Transportation Department, the state issued or renewed 778 non-domiciled CDLs in 2024, up from 482 in 2023 and 328 in 2022. During the first five months of 2025, Idaho had already issued or renewed 609 non-domiciled CDLs, suggesting another strong year before the residency requirement took effect.

That law is separate from the federal action against CDL training providers, but both show increasing attention to how commercial drivers are trained and licensed throughout the country in the wake of numerous high profile collisions involving commercial drivers who were found not to understand English.

About Brian Almon

Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.

Editor’s note:  This article originally appeared in the Gem State Chronicle.  I encourage our readers to visit their website and consider subscribing.  Find this and other informative articles at the Gem State Chronicle here: About – Gem State Chronicle

ISIS-K Terrorist Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Role in Abbey Gate and Other Terror Attacks

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Observer Staff
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(FBI Press Release, September 16, 2026)

Afghan national Mohammad Sharifullah, a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for his participation in a nearly 10 year conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

“Sharifullah spent nearly a decade at the heart of a horrific campaign of terror, providing critical support for attacks against civilians around the world and, ultimately, contributed to the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers and dozens of others at Abbey Gate,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s sentence holds him accountable for the blood on his hands. The United States will pursue, capture, and bring to justice anyone, anywhere in the world, who takes part in the killing of our servicemembers or citizens.”

“Mohammad Sharifullah has dedicated his life to violence and murder for the sake of hatred,’” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We cannot restore the lives he has taken, but we can bring a measure of justice to the families who lost so much on that day.”

“With today’s sentencing Mohammad Sharifullah will be held accountable, on U.S. soil, for his role in the horrific ISIS-K terrorist attack which killed 13 American service members and numerous Afghan civilians,” said Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The bombing occurred in Afghanistan — thousands of miles from the United States — but that did not stop the FBI and our interagency partners from bringing Sharifullah here to face American justice. No matter where you are, and no matter how long it takes, we remain steadfast in our duty to bring to justice those who have harmed our citizens. I’m grateful to the men and women of the FBI, and our domestic and international partners, for their tireless efforts in this case.”

“Sharifullah, an ISIS‑K operative, pledged allegiance to a doctrine of hate and contributed to more than a dozen terrorist attacks — including the Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghan civilians,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Over the years, he was a critical link in ISIS‑K operations, relaying communications, conducting surveillance, and transporting suicide bombers. His sentence demonstrates the lengths the FBI will go to apprehend terrorists who harm Americans and deliver justice for the innocent.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Aug. 26, 2021, American and other Coalition military forces were conducting a non-combatant evacuation operation at the Abbey Gate of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Thousands of civilians were at Abbey Gate for evacuation.

ISIS-K leadership tasked Sharifullah with surveilling a road to the Hamid Karzai International Airport to ensure it was clear of Taliban checkpoints. At about 2:00 pm, Sharifullah travelled his assigned route and communicated to ISIS-K leadership that the route was clear. At approximately 5:36 p.m., ISIS-K operative Abdul Rahman al-Logari, whom Sharifullah knew previously from their time together in an Afghan prison, detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians.

Additionally, on June 20, 2016, a suicide bomber acting for ISIS-K detonated a bomb targeting Nepali security guards protecting the Canadian embassy in Kabul. Prior to the attack, Sharifullah conducted surveillance to prepare the suicide bomber and later transported the suicide bomber to the attack site.

On March 22, 2024, a group of ISIS-K gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall near Moscow. On behalf of ISIS-K, Sharifullah shared instructions on how to use AK-style rifles and other weapons with the attackers, and was in communication with them during the attack. The ISIS-K attackers used AK-style rifles to kill over 100 civilians in the attack.

In all, Sharifullah participated in over a dozen ISIS-K attacks from 2016 through his eventual apprehension in 2025. Throughout these attacks, Sharifullah was involved in various aspects of ISIS-K operations, including providing surveillance for attacks, transporting suicide bombers, transporting and cleaning armaments, communicating messages among ISIS-K personnel, and video recording explosions for ISIS-K propaganda purposes.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Gibbs, Avi Panth, and Reed Sawyers for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Ryan D. White for the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-143.

HHS Launches SPECTRA to Transform Autism Diagnosis and Precision Care

By
Observer Staff
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(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Press Release, September 17, 2026)

Washington, D.C.–The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), today launched the new Systems for Phenotypic Evaluation, Clinical Trajectories, Response, and Agency (SPECTRA) program, a major research effort to transform how autism is understood, diagnosed, and supported across the lifespan. SPECTRA will bring together biological, clinical, behavioral, and real-world data with advanced computational tools to enable earlier and more accurate diagnosis, identify factors that shape individual health and developmental trajectories, and develop more precise approaches to care tailored to each person’s needs.

“Autism is not one-size-fits-all, and our science and care cannot be either,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Millions of American families are impacted by autism, and they need better answers about why it presents so differently from one person to another and which approaches can best meet each person’s needs. SPECTRA will harness the best of American science and innovation to deliver those answers — and turn them into better outcomes for people with autism and their families.”

One in 31 8-year-olds in the U.S. have been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism encompasses widely varying needs and abilities, and it is often associated with sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems, intellectual disability, and behavioral crises. Autistic people also have shorter lifespans on average and face higher risks of some neurological conditions, including dementia and Parkinson’s disease. The economic impact is substantial: a widely cited analysis projected annual U.S. autism-related costs of about $461 billion by 2025, including medical care, support services, and lost productivity for individuals and families.

“Over the past decade, we have become much better at recognizing autism and the substantial differences among people across the spectrum. Yet our approaches to assessment and care have not kept pace, and they overlook the behavioral and biological complexity of each person,” said SPECTRA Program Manager Russell Shilling, Ph.D. “SPECTRA is designed around that complexity. ARPA-H is modernizing autism assessment and care by combining advanced health technologies, next-generation computational tools, and the lived experience of the autism community to better understand each person’s needs and develop technologies that can also improve day-to-day quality of life.”

Evidence shows that early screening and care delivered in critical developmental windows can offer meaningful benefits for autistic children as they grow. Today, however, most autism assessments happen only after developmental differences emerge, and late diagnosis is common.

The current diagnosis model also relies on costly, time-intensive behavioral observation by trained professionals with limited availability in many areas of the country.

In close collaboration with key stakeholders and advocacy groups, SPECTRA seeks to move beyond one-size-fits-all management of ASD by securely integrating objective biological data — such as genetic factors, exposome and epigenetic features, microbiome biology, and other omics data. This innovative approach will create and utilize novel nonlinear computational models of ASD subtypes that more accurately reflect the complex condition. Using these data, researchers will then create an end-to-end system that can identify ASD risk factors, match individuals to appropriate interventions, and accelerate clinical research for new adaptive therapies.

ARPA-H is seeking bold, cross-disciplinary solutions across four focus areas:

  • Analysis (tools to characterize the genetic, environmental, family, metabolic, immune, and developmental factors associated with distinct developmental, health, communication, and functional trajectories);
  • Modeling (federated, privacy-preserving AI platforms that map these trajectories and identify modifiable outcome drivers and actionable targets);
  • Precision Intervention (individualized selection and rigorous testing of interventions to improve outcomes across the lifespan); and
  • Enabling Technologies (accessible tools for communication, quality of life, and embedded assessment that measure real-world function as a byproduct of ordinary use).

Learn more about SPECTRA on its program page, including information about the solicitation.

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