NewzIntel.com

Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SJ visits Vietnam

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Justice Paul Lam continued his Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) visit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

    In the morning, Mr Lam met China Business Association Ho Chi Minh City Branch Chief Supervisor Sun Guo Qiang to explore business opportunities in Hong Kong and the Vietnamese city, and learn about the demand for legal services in the local business sector.

    He then had lunch with Hong Kong Business Association Vietnam Vice-Chairman Fred Burke for a better understanding of Vietnam’s business environment and need for cross-jurisdictional legal services.

    In the afternoon, Mr Lam exchanged views with representatives from the Vietnam International Arbitration Center on recent developments in the arbitration landscape in both places and explored ways to strengthen collaboration.

    During a meeting with the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association, he discussed the development of the legal profession and explored potential future collaborations in building stronger and closer ties.

    Mr Lam also attended a dinner with Acting Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Ho Chi Minh City Xu Zhou and shared with him the latest developments in Hong Kong’s legal and alternative dispute resolution sector.

    Upon arriving in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday, he attended a forum, followed by a networking dinner to meet the local legal and business sectors.

    The justice chief will conclude his visit to Ho Chi Minh City and depart for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia tomorrow to attend a seminar to promote Hong Kong’s legal and dispute resolution services.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: What tiny marine organisms eat can affect how the deep ocean stores carbon

    Source: US Government research organizations

    The dietary preferences of bacteria that eat organic molecules called lipids can affect how carbon dioxide from the ocean’s surface moves to the deep ocean, where it can be sequestered away for hundreds of years, potentially affecting future climate change, according to a new U.S. National Science Foundation-supported study published in Science.  

    “Our study marks a significant leap in understanding the molecular basis for why some carbon sinks to the deep sea and is sequestered,” said Benjamin Van Mooy, a co-author and senior scientist in the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department.  

    The study suggests that if the bacteria cannot eat specific lipid molecules, the carbon-rich lipids are more likely to sink into the deep ocean, potentially sequestering the carbon in the lipids. 

    “Bacteria seem to have very distinct diet preferences for different lipid molecules,” Van Mooy said in a university press release. “This study used state-of-the-art methods to link the molecular composition of the sinking biomass with its rates of degradation, which we were able to link to the dietary preferences of bacteria.” 

    “Until now, we’ve been aware of dietary preferences in higher organisms such as zooplankton and fish, but generally haven’t thought about bacteria having dietary preferences,” said Elizabeth Canuel, an NSF program director.

    Credit: Helen Fredricks, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

    Co-lead authors Lars Behrendt (left; ETH-Zürich) and Jon Hunter (right;WHOI) aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong, sampling sinking particles for lipid analysis.

    About 5 to 30% of surface ocean particulate organic matter is composed of lipids, carbon-rich fatty acid biomolecules that microbes use for energy storage and cellular functions. As the organic matter sinks to the deep sea, microbes degrade and use the lipids.  

    Understanding this process can improve our ability to forecast global carbon changes. For example, geographic areas where more lipids reach the deep ocean without being degraded, or consumed, by bacteria could be hotspots for natural carbon sequestration. 

    The study relied on two NSF-funded projects, one on lipids in the upper ocean and one on fats in the upper ocean. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SEC Charges Merrill Lynch and Harvest Volatility Management for Ignoring Client Instructions

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    SEC penalizes firms, recovers more than $6 million of excess fees tied to options trading strategy

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Harvest Volatility Management LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. for exceeding clients’ designated investment limits over a two-year period beginning in March 2016, which resulted in clients paying higher fees, being subjected to increased market exposure, and incurring investment losses. As part of the separate settlements, Harvest and Merrill have agreed to pay a combined $9.3 million in penalties and disgorgement to resolve the SEC’s claims. 

    According to the SEC’s orders, Harvest was the primary investment adviser and portfolio manager for the Collateral Yield Enhancement Strategy (CYES), which traded options in a volatility index with the aim of generating incremental returns. The SEC’s orders find that, starting in 2016, Harvest allowed scores of accounts to exceed the exposure levels that investors designated when they signed up to the CYES strategy, including dozens of accounts that exceeded the limit by 50 percent or more. Merrill and Harvest received larger management fees when investors’ exposure levels climbed above pre-set levels and exposed investors to greater financial risks. The SEC order as to Merrill finds that it introduced its clients to Harvest and received part of Harvest’s management and incentive fees, as well as trading commissions. It also finds that Merrill was aware that investors’ exposure to CYES was exceeding pre-set exposure levels and failed adequately to inform affected CYES investors, most of whom had existing advisory relationships with Merrill. The SEC’s orders also find that Harvest and Merrill neglected to adopt and implement policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that they disclosed all material facts to their clients and alerted them to the excessive exposure.

    “In this case, two investment advisers allegedly sold a complex options trading strategy to their clients, but failed to abide by basic client instructions or implement and adhere to appropriate policies and procedures,” said Mark Cave, Associate Director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division. “Today’s action holds Merrill and Harvest accountable for dropping the ball in executing these basic duties to their clients, even as their clients’ financial exposure grew well beyond predetermined limits.”

    The SEC’s orders find that Harvest and Merrill violated Sections 206(2) and 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 206(4)-7 thereunder. Without admitting or denying the findings, Harvest and Merrill agreed to be censured, to cease-and-desist orders, and to penalties of $2 million and $1 million, respectively. Harvest will also pay $3.5 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest, while Merrill will pay $2.8 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest.

    The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Bobby Gray, Matthew Finnegan, and Suzanne Romajas, under the supervision of Jeff Leasure and Mr. Cave.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Canada to host ministerial conference on human dimension of Ukraine’s 10-point peace formula

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French 1

    Press release

    September 25, 2024 – New York, New York – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada, with the support of Norway and Ukraine as co-hosts, will host the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine’s 10-Point Peace Formula on October 30-31, 2024.

    The Ministerial Conference will bring together foreign ministers to advance the vision set out in the Joint Communiqué on the Peace Framework, developed at the Ukraine Peace Summit in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, in June 2024.

    During the conference, the ministers will exchange views with the aim of developing a concrete plan, guided by international principles of human rights and humanitarian law, for the return to Ukraine of prisoners of war, as well as the civilian population and deported children. The conference participants will also aim to strengthen the International Coalition for the Repatriation of Ukrainian Children, to integrate the perspective of women, peace and security into the 10-point peace formula, and to identify approaches for the rehabilitation and reintegration of Ukrainian women and men repatriated to the country.

    Quotes

    “Canada continues to work hard to raise awareness and advocate on the issue of illegally detained and deported Ukrainians, a major issue that dates back to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and has been exacerbated since Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression in 2022. I look forward to welcoming my counterparts to Canada and discussing how the international community can support Ukraine in its efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.”

    – Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada

    “The release of all prisoners and detainees, as well as all those deported to Russia, including children, is Ukraine’s top priority. I look forward to working together to find solutions that will ensure the return of our citizens and the restoration of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”

    – Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

    “The return of our people, that is, all detained and deported Ukrainians, is an essential condition for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. The human dimension is one of the essential elements of Ukraine’s peace formula. It is essential that we, as the international community, join forces with Canada to find solutions that will allow all Ukrainians to return home.”

    – Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine

    “Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has been going on for over two and a half years. The ongoing hostilities and occupation of Ukrainian territory place the Ukrainian civilian population at constant risk of detention by Russian forces or agents and other aggression. The scale and complexity of the detention of thousands of Ukrainians, both children and adults, demands that the global community take a closer look at how to end it, and I look forward to working closely with my colleagues from Ukraine and Canada on this important issue.”

    – Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway

    Quick Facts

    President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented Ukraine’s 10-Point Peace Formula in November 2022 at the G20 Summit. In August 2023, ten working groups were established, each dedicated to a pillar of the 10-Point Peace Formula. Canada and Norway co-chair Working Group 4, which focuses on the return of prisoners of war, civilians in detention, and illegally transferred and deported children.

    Canada and Ukraine co-lead the International Coalition for the Repatriation of Ukrainian Children. Launched in February 2024 in Kyiv, this coalition has expanded to 40 states, including some non-Western countries.

    In June 2024, Ukraine and Switzerland hosted the Ukraine Peace Summit, a diplomatic initiative aimed at garnering international support for Ukraine’s peace formula. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the summit and chaired a discussion session on the human dimension of the war in Ukraine. He also announced that Canada would host a ministerial conference on the human dimension this year.

    Related links

    Contact persons

    Media Relations OfficeGlobal Affairs Canadamedia@international.gc.caFollow us on Twitter: @CanadaPELike us on Facebook: Canada’s foreign policy – Global Affairs Canada

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Translation: 2025 Budget: compliance with the debt brake, compensation for cost increases and reduction of the tax scale

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    Source: Canton of Neuchatel Switzerland

    09/25/2024

    ​The State Council presents its 2025 budget project, in a situation still marked by a favorable economic climate. Despite the increases in expenses in certain areas of activity, the income statement shows a surplus of revenue of 29.9 million francs and meets the requirements of the debt brake. Significant investments are also expected. In addition, a further reduction in the tax scale is proposed.

    After three accounting and budgetary years particularly marked by a favourable economic context, the 2025 budget of the State of Neuchâtel presents a surplus of revenue of 29.9 million francs on a total of 2.5 billion in expenses. Fulfilling the requirements of the debt brake, it makes it possible to amortize 1% of the State’s overdraft while ensuring the self-financing, up to 71.2%, of a significant investment envelope.

    Significantly up on previous years, investments amount to nearly 147 million, with a decisive share representing 5.2% of revenues. While an envelope of this size represented an additional challenge in terms of self-financing, it reflects the many projects started in recent years that are now in their implementation phase. For the Council of State, this is a decisive period during which investment expenditure will have to remain at a high level in order to meet the major challenges of modernizing, making the canton more attractive and improving its infrastructure.

    Positive revenue dynamics

    Despite some signs of slowdown already perceived in the Neuchâtel economy, tax forecasts continue for the time being to benefit from the good economic situation, the fall in unemployment and inflation. Tax revenues should therefore remain at a level close to 2023, a sign of positive dynamics of resources that will help to mitigate significant increases observed in several areas of expenses.

    Among other important sources of financing, the 2025 budget benefits from a significant increase in revenues received by the Canton as part of the federal financial equalization and takes into account an improvement in the outlook linked to a resumption of ordinary payments from the Swiss National Bank (SNB). While they allow us to approach 2025 with a certain serenity, these developments nevertheless call for the greatest caution given the high level of uncertainty that characterizes them and the total lack of influence exercised by the Canton. This caution is all the more important given that multiple issues are currently threatening the stability of public finances.

    Need to control loads

    As a sign of the many challenges that the Canton is currently facing, the 2025 budget includes significant increases in charges, particularly in the social and health sectors, where demographic change is now clearly having an impact. The rise in health costs requires, in particular, ever-increasing resources allocated to health institutions, but also to health insurance subsidies or in the area of supplementary benefits.

    Expenditure is also increasing in the area of training, or in that of mobility with allowances paid to public transport companies which continue to grow. In addition to these, there are the many additional efforts that the Canton has committed to making in climate protection.

    Finally, the redistribution to the municipalities of half of the federal contribution for the compensation of geotopographical overloads, which represents a burden of more than 10 million francs for the Canton, is not subject to any compensation this year and is therefore fully assumed by the State budget.

    Faced with these major challenges, it is now imperative that the Canton of Neuchâtel controls its expenses and achieves a sustainable clean-up of public finances.

    Compensation for cost increases and reduction of the tax scale

    The 2025 budget remains impacted by inflationary pressure which, despite a clear slowdown observed in recent months, still has significant effects on many areas of State activity as well as on household purchasing power. For 2025, the Council of State therefore proposes full compensation for the increase in civil service salaries. It also proposes catching up on the indexation reserve that had to be maintained in 2024. A measure that has an overall impact on the State budget of around 30 million francs.

    Furthermore, convinced that Neuchâtel taxpayers must also benefit from the good economic situation and its positive financial consequences for the State and the municipalities, the Council of State invites the Grand Council to adopt a new temporary reduction in the personal income tax scale, at a rate of 1%, which is added to the previous one. This proposal, the financial implications of which are already included in the 2025 budget, should allow the canton to continue this logic of modest progress in order to maintain and improve its attractiveness.

    Efforts still needed in the medium term

    The 2026-2028 financial and task plan still shows significant deficits of between 30 and 50 million, which do not include the potential deferrals of charges from the Confederation to the cantons or the impact of the responses to the various cantonal initiatives. These worrying projections and prospects should encourage the State to conduct a prudent financial policy in order to maintain sufficient room for maneuver to react in the event of an economic downturn. Significant additional efforts will therefore be necessary during the next legislature to guarantee the stability of public finances, an essential condition for being able to respond effectively to future challenges without jeopardizing compliance with the debt brake.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Peapack Private Hires Vanessa Tortorice as Senior Managing Director

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BEDMINSTER, NJ, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select Market: PGC) and Peapack Private, a division of Peapack-Gladstone Bank, are proud to announce that Vanessa Tortorice has joined Peapack Private’s New York City location as Senior Managing Director.  Vanessa joins a team of highly-skilled commercial bankers at Peapack Private, where she will contribute to the growth of commercial and industrial business in the New York market. She is dedicated to providing tailored banking solutions to help clients achieve their long-term financial goals.

    With a proven track record in financial services, Vanessa brings 12 years of experience to Peapack Private.  Previously, she served as Vice President and Senior Business Banker at M&T Bank, where she managed a portfolio of high-net-worth clients.  Vanessa excelled at fostering relationship stewardship and driving cross-functional collaboration, significantly contributing to revenue growth.  Prior to that as Vice President, Business Banking at Capital One, she managed a diverse portfolio of valued clients, consistently surpassing targeted net portfolio loan and deposit growth objectives.  Veronica exceeded goals in acquiring new clients, managing existing relationships, and forging new banking alliances.  She ranked within the top 10% nationally, affirming her track record of excellence.

    Ms. Tortorice attended the University of Rome, Rome, Italy, and the College of Staten Island CUNY, with a focus on Liberal Arts.

    About the Company

    Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation is a New Jersey bank holding company with total assets of $6.51 billion and assets under management and/or administration of $11.5 billion as of June 30, 2024.  Founded in 1921, Peapack-Gladstone Bank is a commercial bank that offers a client-centric approach to banking, providing high-quality products along with customized and innovative wealth management, investment banking, commercial and retail solutions.  Peapack Private, a division of Peapack-Gladstone Bank, offers comprehensive financial, tax, fiduciary and investment advice and solutions to individuals, families, privately held businesses, family offices and not-for-profit organizations, which help them to establish, maintain and expand their legacy.  Together, Peapack-Gladstone Bank and Peapack Private offer an unparalleled commitment to client service.  Visit www.pgbank.com and www.peapackprivate.com for more information.

    Contact:  Rosanne Schwab, Peapack-Gladstone Bank, Vice President, Public Relations and Corporate Communications Manager, 500 Hills Drive, Suite 300, Bedminster, NJ  07921 rschwab@pgbank.com, (908) 719-6543.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Summerville  — Have you seen this stolen boat and trailer?

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Grand Bay-Westfield RCMP is asking for the public’s help to locate a stolen boat and trailer from Summerville, N.B.

    The theft is believed to have occurred sometime between the overnight hours of September 20, 2024, and the morning of September 22, 2024, at a residence on Milkish Road near Summerville.

    The boat trailer is silver, with New Brunswick licence plate TMG 528.

    The boat is described as a green 2008 14-foot Tracker Grizzly 1448 aluminum boat. The boat has a grey 25 hp Yamaha four stroke outboard motor, with serial number 6BPK1031421, and model number F25LMHB.

    Anyone who has seen the trailer or the boat since the evening of September 20, or who has information that could help further the investigation, is asked to contact the Grand Bay-Westfield RCMP at 506-757-1020. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App, or by Secure Web Tips at www.crimenb.ca.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortinet Announces Progress Toward its Mission to Tackle the Cybersecurity Skills Shortage

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    John Maddison, Chief Marketing Officer at Fortinet
    “Through our longstanding investments to address the cyber talent shortage, Fortinet continues to grow and expand our programs and strategic partnerships by delivering an award-winning cybersecurity training and certification program. Addressing the cyber skills gap is vital to enhancing our society’s collective cyber resiliency and we are committed to developing the current and future cyber workforce through the Fortinet Training Institute. As part of this effort, we remain focused on our pledge to train 1 million individuals in cyber by 2026.”

    News Summary  
    Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced significant progress in its mission to address the cybersecurity skills shortage through its Training Institute programs. As part of the company’s commitment to closing the cyber workforce gap, Fortinet pledged to train 1 million people in cybersecurity by the end of 2026 and through the Fortinet Training Institute programs has achieved significant strides toward this goal. With more than half a million people having been trained since the 5-year span pledge was announced, Fortinet is on track to meet this commitment by the end of 2026.

    As the cybersecurity landscape grows increasingly complex, the demand for skilled professionals continues to grow with an estimated 4.8 million cybersecurity professionals required to address the industry’s workforce gap. At the same time, Fortinet’s 2024 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report reveals that 70% of organizations believe the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals is increasing risks to their security.

    Fortinet is at the forefront of working to address the skills gap by providing award-winning training and certification curriculum designed to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to better mitigate cyber risks. Additional recent key initiatives and achievements include:

    • Award-Winning Cybersecurity Curriculum: Fortinet’s most recent industry acknowledgement includes winning the 2024 SC Awards for Best Professional Certification Program. In the fall of 2023, Fortinet introduced enhancements to the Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) Certification program, providing multiple certification options focused on role-based training – such as administrator, analyst, architect – as well as a foundational certification level. Fortinet has also been honored with Gold for best cybersecurity training and Gold for best security awareness program from the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards; Gold for cyber and education and training and security awareness and training from the Globee 2024 Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards; and Most Innovative in cybersecurity training and certification, and security awareness and training service from the Global Infosec Awards, among others.
    • European Commission’s Cybersecurity Skills Academy Initiative Pledge: Earlier this year, Fortinet pledged to offer its award-winning cybersecurity training and security awareness curriculum to up to 75,000 individuals for free in Europe over the next three years. Since joining this initiative, Fortinet is offering its Certification program curriculum through the Cybersecurity Skills Academy and expanding learning opportunities for individuals across all 27 countries of the European Union, helping develop critical cyber skills in the region.
    • All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and EduSkills Foundation Partnership: Fortinet is partnering with the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and EduSkills Foundation to offer 100,000 virtual internships in the field of cybersecurity across India, as well as providing our Certification program free of cost.
    • Fortinet Cyber Bootcamps Help Develop the Future Cyber Workforce: Fortinet is partnering with organizations across the world to host cybersecurity and networking bootcamps to further increase access to its training curriculum. Earlier this year, Fortinet hosted a threat hunting workshop for participants of the MITRE Embedded Capture the Flag (eCTF) competition, which included students from around the world. Attendees of the Fortinet workshop gained hands-on cybersecurity experience, assuming the role of a security analyst to identify adversarial behaviors using renowned frameworks and procedures.
    • Continuing to Drive a Diverse Cyber Workforce through Partnerships: Through the Education Outreach program and Veterans program, Fortinet cultivates partnerships to drive a skilled, inclusive and diverse cyber workforce. More recently, Fortinet partnered with the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Cyber Catalyst Talent Solutions, and Tech Vets Canada, among others, on an in-person bootcamp specifically for veterans interested in gaining technical and hands-on expertise in cyber. Fortinet also collaborated with several Fortinet Veteran program and Education Outreach program partners earlier this year – including Cerco, Helping Heroes, Hire Heroes USA, Onward 2 Opportunity, TechVets, and VetSec – to offer a nine-week Networking Fundamentals Bootcamp this year to further upskill and reskill veterans. Additionally, Fortinet is continuing to partner with Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) to offer members a Networking Fundamentals Bootcamp designed as an entry point for those wanting to pursue a career in cybersecurity.

    Building on Fortinet’s Longstanding Commitment to Close the Global Cyber Skills Gap
    These initiatives build on Fortinet’s longstanding commitment to address the cybersecurity skills gap worldwide. The Fortinet Training Institute delivers training and certifications to IT and security professionals, students and educators, and underserved communities, through its various programs. The ecosystem supporting these programs – including the Education Outreach program, the Veterans program and the Academic Partner program – is comprised of more than 700 partners across more than 100 countries globally.

    To further help advance this work, Fortinet is a part of various public-private partnerships, including participating in the White House’s National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy commitments by introducing free security awareness training for primary and secondary school educators and students globally including school districts across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Brazil. All these efforts contribute toward Fortinet’s goal to train 1 million people globally in cyber by 2026.

    Additional Resources

    About Fortinet 
    Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere you need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet’s solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including CERTs, government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet’s commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.    

    Media Contact:  Investor Contact:  Analyst Contact: 
    Stephanie Lira
    Fortinet, Inc. 
    408-235-7700 
    pr@fortinet.com 
          		 Aaron Ovadia 
    Fortinet, Inc.  
    408-235-7700 
    investors@fortinet.com     		 Brian Greenberg  
    Fortinet, Inc. 
    408-235-7700 
    analystrelations@fortinet.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Texas Capital Launches Government Money Market Exchange Traded Fund

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Texas Capital Bank Private Wealth Advisors, a subsidiary of Texas Capital Bank, and the Texas Capital Funds Trust today announced the launch of the Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF (NYSE: MMKT) (the “MMKT ETF” or “Fund”). This innovative and first-of-its-kind ETF will hold highly liquid, short-term U.S. government debt instruments and cash equivalents, providing an exchange-traded investment option for investors focused on managing credit risk and preserving capital.

    The MMKT ETF is the latest fund launched by Texas Capital ETF & Funds Management, whose managed ETFs include the flagship Texas Capital Texas Equity Index ETF (NYSE Arca: TXS) that helps investors gain investment exposure to the diversity and growth of the eighth largest economy in the world, Texas1. Complementing Texas Capital’s other funds, the MMKT ETF is designed to provide investors with a government money market fund in the form of an ETF, combining the intraday liquidity and flexibility of an ETF with the risk and return characteristics of a money market fund.

    “With the substantial changes in the interest rate environment over the last few years, the Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF offers an exciting alternative for investors,” said Daniel S. Hoverman, Head of Corporate & Investment Banking at Texas Capital. “As the first ETF committed to following Rule 2a-7, the provision of the Investment Company Act of 1940 that governs money market funds, Texas Capital believes the combination of the tradability of an ETF and the structure of a money market fund will prove an important investment alternative for investors looking to manage liquidity, volatility and credit risks in their securities portfolio.”

    The Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF seeks to provide as high a level of current interest income as is consistent with maintaining liquidity and stability of principal while following Rule 2a-7.

    “As the premier full-service financial services firm headquartered in the state of Texas, the launch of the MMKT ETF continues our commitment to serving our clients’ liquidity and investment needs,” added Hoverman. “Innovation is an integral part of the Texas Capital experience, ranging from Initio, our commercial banking platform that enables new account onboarding within a single business day, to today’s announcement about the revolutionary combination of ETF flexibility and money market sensibility. We look forward to welcoming investors in MMKT to our suite of funds and to Texas Capital.”

    The Texas Capital Funds Trust is a Delaware statutory trust formed in 2023 and registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Trust has retained Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services, Inc., doing business as Texas Capital Bank Private Wealth Advisors, as the adviser to the Fund. Edward Rosenberg, head of ETF & Funds Management for Texas Capital serves as the president of the Texas Capital Funds Trust. The Fund’s portfolio is managed by the chief investment officer of Texas Capital Bank Private Wealth Advisors, J. Steven Orr, who brings more than 30 years of portfolio management experience. The Board of Trustees for the Texas Capital Funds Trust includes Hayman Capital Management Founder and Chief Investment Officer J. Kyle Bass, Texas Capital’s Head of Corporate & Investment Banking Daniel S. Hoverman, Avery Capital Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Avery Johnson, Texas Capital’s Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Development Jocelyn Kukulka and PIXIU Founder and Chief Executive Officer Eddie Margain.

    Additional details on the Fund can be found here.

    About Texas Capital
    Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ®: TCBI), a member of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P MidCap 400®, is the parent company of Texas Capital Bank (“TCB”). Texas Capital is the collective brand name for TCB and its separate, non-bank affiliates and wholly-owned subsidiaries. Texas Capital is a full-service financial services firm that delivers customized solutions to businesses, entrepreneurs and individual customers. Founded in 1998, the institution is headquartered in Dallas with offices in Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth, and has built a network of clients across the country. With the ability to service clients through their entire lifecycles, Texas Capital has established commercial banking, consumer banking, investment banking and wealth management capabilities. All services are subject to applicable laws, regulations, and service terms. Deposit and lending products and services are offered by TCB. For deposit products, member FDIC. For more information, please visit www.texascapital.com.

    Trading in securities and financial instruments, strategic advisory, and other investment banking activities are performed by TCBI Securities, Inc., doing business as Texas Capital Securities. TCBI Securities, Inc. is a member of FINRA and SIPC and has registered with the SEC and other state securities regulators as a broker dealer. TCBI Securities, Inc. is a subsidiary of TCB. All investing involves risks, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Securities and other investment products offered by TCBI Securities, Inc. are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not bank guaranteed.

    Disclosures
    Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks and charges of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this information and other information about the Fund, and it should be read carefully before investing. Investors can obtain a copy of the prospectus by calling 844.TCB.ETFS (844.822.3837). 

    Credit Risk. Issuers of money market instruments or financial institutions that have entered into repurchase agreements with the Fund may fail to make payments when due or complete transactions or they may become less willing or less able to do so.

    Interest Rate Risk. The value of the Fund’s investments generally will fall when interest rates rise, and its yield will tend to lag behind prevailing rates. The Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk due to certain changes in general economic conditions, inflation and monetary policy, such as certain types of interest rate changes by the Federal Reserve.
    U.S. Government Securities Risk. There are different types of U.S. government securities with different levels of credit risk, including the risk of default, depending on the nature of the particular government support for that security. For example, a U.S. government-sponsored entity, such as Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) or Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), although chartered or sponsored by an Act of Congress, may issue securities that are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and are therefore riskier than those that are.
    Repurchase Agreements Risk. Repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, including a possible decline in the market value of the underlying obligations.
    Portfolio Liquidity Risk. Although the Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of high-quality instruments, the Fund’s investments may become less liquid as a result of market developments or adverse investor perception. In stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings.
    Management Risk. The risk that the investment strategies, techniques and risk analyses employed by the Adviser may not produce the desired results.
    Investment and Market Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk. Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or prolonged periods of time.  Markets can decline in value sharply and unpredictably which may affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) per share. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region, or financial market.
    ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and because of the ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:

    Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services; or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
    Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
    Large Shareholder Risk. From time to time, an AP, a third-party investor, an affiliate of the Adviser, or a fund may invest in the Fund and hold its investment for a specific time period to allow the Fund to achieve size or scale. There can be no assurance that any such entity will not redeem its investment or that the size of the Fund will be maintained at such levels, which could negatively impact the Fund.
    Premium-Discount Risk. The Shares may trade above or below their NAV. The market prices of Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Shares on the Exchange or other securities exchanges. The existence of significant market volatility, disruptions to creations and redemptions, or potential lack of an active trading market for Shares (including through a trading halt), among other factors, may result in the Shares trading significantly above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) to NAV.
    Trading Risk. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares.
    Trading Halt Risk. Sharp price declines in securities owned by the Fund may trigger trading halts, which may result in the Fund’s shares trading in the market at an increasingly large discount to NAV during part (or all) of a trading day or cause the Fund itself to halt trading. In such market conditions, market, or stop-loss orders to sell the ETF shares may be executed at market prices that are significantly below NAV or investors might not even be able to transact in Shares if the Fund halts trading.

    New Adviser Risk. The Adviser has only served as an adviser to a registered fund for less than one year. As a result, there is no long-term track record against which an investor may judge the Adviser and it is possible the Adviser may not achieve the Fund’s intended investment objective.
    New Fund Risk. The Fund is new and does not have shares outstanding as of the date of this Prospectus. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decisions. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size. If the Fund does not grow large once it commences trading, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading. Any liquidation of the Fund could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs for the Fund and negative tax consequences for its shareholders.

    Shares are not individually redeemable and are issued and redeemed at their net asset value only in large, specified blocks of shares called creation units. Shares otherwise can be bought and sold only through exchange trading at market price (not NAV). Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value in the secondary market. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.

    Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services, Inc. d/b/a Texas Capital Bank Private Wealth Advisors (“PWA”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Texas Capital Bank and a Registered Investment Advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), serves as investment adviser to the Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF and Texas Capital Texas Equity Index ETF and is paid a fee for its services. Shares of the Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF and Texas Capital Texas Equity Index ETF are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, Texas Capital Bank or its affiliates. The Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF and Texas Capital Texas Equity Index ETF are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency. The Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF and Texas Capital Texas Equity Index ETF are distributed by Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, which is not affiliated with Texas Capital Bank Private Wealth Advisors. 

    INVESTMENTS: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NO BANK GUARANTEE

    1 Source: Texas Economic Development Corporation

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ServiceTrade Releases a New Modular Dashboard Giving Commercial Fire and Mechanical Contractors a “Command Center” to Maximize Productivity and Profit 

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ServiceTrade, Inc., the software platform for commercial mechanical and fire contractors, announces the release of ServiceTrade Fall ‘24, the latest innovations to its industry-leading field service management software. The newest release features capabilities that can maximize tech productivity and improve profit for every job, every customer, every time. Enhanced AI-driven features provide more useful information that helps companies increase technician and customer satisfaction.

    The Fall ‘24 release features a new customizable dashboard that can be personalized to provide relevant data for each operational role. Owners, dispatchers, operations executives, and service managers can create personalized “command centers” that deliver the necessary real-time information they need. Drag and drop widgets make it easy for stakeholders to create a view of the most appropriate information for their job function. In addition, enhanced tasking, scheduling functionality, and dispatch features guide schedules that optimize time and tech profitability by prioritizing the most important customers. The Fall ‘24 release is designed to help companies optimize time on-site, meet customer expectations, and win and keep the most valuable customers. 

    Brian Smithwick, ServiceTrade CTO and co-founder, commented: “For over a decade, we’ve been singularly focused on solutions that help contractors prioritize the most profitable customers, build maximum pipeline, and improve productivity and profits. The Fall ‘24 release brings critical innovations to market and will allow commercial contractors to scale their businesses and deliver exceptional service, build customer loyalty, and drive revenue. With the Fall ‘24 release, we continue to raise the bar with software solutions to support the unique challenges commercial service contractors face.”

    Customized, Role-Based Views Through Drag-and-Drop Widgets
    ServiceTrade has completely transformed its dashboard, enabling a customizable, real-time view of operational data that shows relevant information for specific jobs and business functions. Unlike traditional static dashboards, ServiceTrade’s dashboard is fully customizable, allowing users to select from an extensive library of widgets that integrate real-time operational data across work orders, customer communications, financial performance, and more. By providing users with personalized views that contain insights about the details that matter most to their job function, the dashboard helps users easily find the information they need, increasing productivity and optimizing business performance. 

    Streamlined, Powerful Scheduling and Dispatching
    The latest version of the ServiceTrade dispatch board delivers scheduling and dispatching game changers to simplify the way dispatchers assign and schedule technicians and jobs. These enhancements provide everything business owners need – and nothing they don’t – to make smarter scheduling decisions, reduce travel time, and provide technicians with more information so they can work efficiently and productively. With a refurbished user interface and AI infusions to streamline all workflows, the dispatch and scheduling experience empowers commercial contracting businesses to prioritize the most profitable customers and jobs, optimize technician routes, schedule high-value work, and plan long-term to ensure all technicians are fully utilized. 

    Automated Tasking Ensures Efficiency and Maximum Profit at Each Appointment 
    Streamlining the management of recurring maintenance tasks provides technicians with clear task checklists for each job and piece of equipment, and helps contractors meet service agreements. New task manager features simplify the planning and execution of maintenance activities, allow techs to meet productivity goals, and deliver quality service accurately to meet customer contract commitments and regulations at every service appointment.

    AI-Driven Commenting and Job Summaries 
    New AI-driven features, including SmartTranscribe, SmartComment, and SmartSummary, make it easier for technicians to provide detailed notes and for the office to more efficiently deliver complete customer communication. ServiceTrade’s industry-leading AI infusions help manage the full life-cycle of commercial and industrial building equipment from installation and startup to inspection and maintenance to repair and replace. Unlike other solutions focused on financial data, residential services, or those with limited data in the commercial sector, ServiceTrade Smart AI is powered by over 18 million commercial work orders servicing over 13 million building assets with over 6 million identified equipment issues. 

    To learn more about ServiceTrade:

    About ServiceTrade:
    ServiceTrade, Inc. is a software platform for commercial mechanical and fire and life safety contractors. During a chronic skilled labor shortage, ServiceTrade helps commercial contractors increase profit by improving service and project operations, increasing technician productivity, selling more service agreements, and growing customer loyalty. Located in Durham, North Carolina, ServiceTrade was founded in 2012 to automate and streamline the commercial mechanical and fire protection industry and has grown to have more than 1,300 customers. More than 10% of the commercial or industrial buildings in the United States are serviced by contractors using ServiceTrade. Learn more at www.servicetrade.com.

    Contact:
    Media@KTCMarketingandpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Buchanan Technologies Strengthens Oracle Expertise with Heartland IT Consulting Acquisition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GRAPEVINE, Texas, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Buchanan Technologies, a leading IT and Application Managed Services provider, has acquired Dallas-based Heartland IT, an IT services firm with primary expertise in Oracle technologies, including Oracle Fusion Applications (OFA), Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), Oracle EBS, JD Edwards, and PeopleSoft. This marks the third acquisition Buchanan has completed in the last three years centered around its Oracle solutions.

    Heartland IT was founded in 2010 with a vision to be the premier Oracle consulting firm providing services to multi­national organizations. With exceptional delivery expertise in Oracle technologies and a robust grasp of the needs of diverse industries, Heartland IT has created innovative solutions for its tenured customer base, assisting clients with their journey through the Oracle ecosystem. Buchanan will leverage this expertise to enhance the growth of its Oracle and Applications Services practice.

    Buchanan Technologies is going through a period of rapid growth, and by bringing Heartland IT into the fold, it can utilize the two organizations’ combined strengths to better service the growing demand for managed services across the entire technology stack as a one-stop solution for mid-market and enterprise customers. “Heartland IT’s expertise in Oracle solutions and their proven track record in consulting services further cements Buchanan’s ability to deliver a distinctive, holistic, and innovative approach to customers across the globe who rely on Oracle technologies within their business,” said Jim Buchanan, Founder and CEO of Buchanan Technologies.

    Patrick Donlin, CEO and President of Sales for Heartland IT, commented, “We are proud to be a part of the Buchanan team. Buchanan’s breadth of experience and customers for Oracle-based solutions is a natural fit and perfectly aligns with the vision of Heartland for being a premier Oracle consulting firm. We look forward to supplementing and growing as one team.”

    Buchanan Technologies is backed by Lightview Capital. Heartland IT was represented by Sett & Lucas. With this acquisition, Buchanan Technologies and Heartland IT will set new benchmarks in Oracle-based consulting services.

    About Buchanan Technologies
    Established in 1988, Buchanan Technologies is an award-winning managed services provider offering innovative IT services and customized solutions to mid-tier and enterprise-level organizations across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Buchanan offers flexible and customizable solutions to accommodate any IT needs – whether it is improving customer experience, serving with onsite IT services, or complete managed IT solutions – and believes every interaction matters with each customer to provide a seamless user experience. To learn how Buchanan can simplify your IT solution, visit www.buchanan.com.

    About Heartland IT Consulting
    Heartland IT Consulting is a resource delivery firm that supplies hard-to-locate consultants who specialize in Oracle products including Oracle Enterprise Business suite, JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, Business Intelligence and Oracle Cloud applications. Heartland offers clients a flexible partnership as Heartland’s Resource Delivery Model innovatively creates contract and permanent staffing solutions to fit any client’s needs.

    About Lightview Capital
    Lightview Capital is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in founder-owned companies in the business services and tech-enabled services industries. Lightview partners with its portfolio companies by providing deep industry knowledge, insightful experience, and active resources to unlock growth and drive value. Lightview Capital’s approachable investment style combines deep operational and financial experience with an entrepreneurial spirit that delivers measurable results. For more information, visit lightviewcapital.com.

    Media Contact:

    LaRessa Cox
    Vice President of Marketing,
    Buchanan Technologies
    lcox@buchanan.com
    +1-972-910-7544

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: YPrime Survey Finds 62% of Clinical Site Staff Report eCOA Platforms are Misaligned with Site Needs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MALVERN, Pa., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YPrime, the leading pioneer in clinical trial technology, today announced the release of a comprehensive research report that sheds light on the technology experiences and preferences of clinical trial site personnel. The report, A Sponsor’s Guide to Leveraging Site Insights for Smarter Technology Decisions, offers crucial insights for clinical trial sponsors seeking to enhance site experience, patient compliance, and overall trial efficiency with technologies aligned to users’ needs and preferences.

    The research, based on a survey of 100 clinical trial site personnel (95% investigators, 5% other roles), reveals a significant gap between sponsor-provided technologies and the actual needs of sites. Key findings include:

    • 47% cite difficulties teaching participants how to use their devices and ePRO system as a key issue keeping them up at night.
    • 60% say sponsors rarely or never gain site input when selecting an eCOA platform for a study.
    • 72% do not feel adequately trained in using the eCOA platform(s) before the study begins, and 71% do not feel adequately trained to help their clinical trial participants with ePRO data collection.

    “This research validates YPrime’s proactive focus on user-centric design in clinical trial technologies,” said Mike Hughes, Chief Product Officer of YPrime. “We’ve implemented dedicated teams and systems to develop intuitive applications prioritizing user needs. Our solutions improve efficiency and compliance, enhancing the overall trial experience. We are inspired to make life better for patients and clinicians.”

    The report offers guidance to sponsors about improving technology effectiveness by involving site personnel in technology selection, prioritizing integration and interoperability, investing in comprehensive training programs, emphasizing user-friendly interfaces, and continuously gathering and acting on feedback. These strategies address key concerns such as lack of integration, insufficient training, and the need for greater user-friendliness in clinical trial technologies.

    “Sponsors must integrate the voice of investigators and site stakeholders into technology decisions—not just at the initial selection stage, but throughout the entire process,” stated Jimmy Bechtel, Vice President of Site Engagement at the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS). “The feedback loop must be continuous and iterative, ensuring that the technology evolves to meet the real-world needs of those on the front lines of clinical research. When we prioritize the input of sites and genuinely listen to their experiences, we will pave the way for a better experience for patients as well.”

    The full research paper offers an in-depth analysis of the current clinical trial technology landscape, site personnel challenges, and sponsors’ strategies to bridge the gap between technology selection and user needs. Please visit the YPrime website to download the free report, A Sponsor’s Guide to Leveraging Site Insights for Smarter Technology Decisions.

    To learn more about this important topic from stakeholders with decades of experience, attend today’s webinar, Understanding Site and Patient Challenges: Empowering Sponsors to Drive Trial Success, at 11:00 AM EDT/9:00 AM PDT/4:00 PM BST.

    About YPrime
    At YPrime, we streamline the clinical trial journey with a configurable platform designed for speed, quality, and certainty. With 50% faster IRT startup times, 30% faster eCOA launch times, and quality standards 50% above the industry average, YPrime can help you solve for certainty. Discover how by visiting www.yprime.com or emailing marketing@yprime.com.

    Media Contact        
    Terry Rehm
    Head of Thought Leadership and Public Relations, YPrime
    trehm@yprime.com
    862-288-0329

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7f5e3d1f-0c5b-4afd-92c3-8718eaefe991

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Introducing the FloQast Accounting Transformation Platform: Bringing AI Power to Accounting Automation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FloQast today announced the start of a new era of accounting operational excellence, driven by the debut of its all-new Accounting Transformation Platform, purpose-built by accountants, for accountants. Incorporating the entire FloQast™ solution portfolio, including FloQast Close, FloQast Compliance Management, and FloQast Ops, the Accounting Transformation Platform unveils new AI workflows to deliver value throughout every step of the accounting journey, including:

    FloQast also introduced several all-new solutions that align with each of these four steps, elevating accountants from simply being workflow stewards to critical drivers of organizational strategy – and empowering organizations to achieve transformation without disruption. The Accounting Transformation Platform and these solutions were unveiled at TakeControl, FloQast’s annual user conference, taking place from September 25-26, 2024.

    FloQast developed the Accounting Transformation Platform over more than a decade of innovation, supercharged by the latest advancements in artificial intelligence. Built from direct customer feedback and deep industry expertise, the platform not only addresses evolving market demands, shifting regulatory landscapes, and the growing pressure on accounting leaders to deliver more with fewer resources in the face of a worsening talent shortage but also positions AI as a transformative force. By integrating AI, the platform gives organizations and accounting teams a powerful competitive advantage, driving new efficiencies and actionable insights for better decision-making.

    “We’re launching the FloQast Accounting Transformation Platform at a time when the accounting profession faces unprecedented challenges,” said Mike Whitmire, CEO and co-founder of FloQast, CPA. “With the number of practicing CPAs declining and fewer new professionals entering the field, the pressure on accounting leaders to do more with less has never been greater. This platform is designed to meet that reality head-on, using the power of AI to create solutions that not only streamline and automate critical processes but also enhance the strategic value of accounting teams within their organizations. In today’s landscape, the ability to drive operational excellence isn’t just a competitive advantage—it’s essential for future business success.”

    Today’s launch features three new solutions, FloQast Journal Entry Management, FloQast AI Transaction Matching, and FloQast Consolidation – as well as the introduction of FloHub, an all-new, centralized hub for third-party applications. The announcements also include several key updates to existing offerings, creating a more comprehensive platform experience.

    For more information on the FloQast Accounting Transformation Platform, read the blog post.

    About FloQast

    FloQast, an Accounting Transformation Platform created by accountants for accountants, enables organizations to automate a variety of accounting operations. Trusted by more than 2,800 global accounting teams – including Twilio, Los Angeles Lakers, Zoom, and Snowflake – FloQast enhances the way accounting teams work, enabling customers to automate close management, account reconciliations, accounting operations, and compliance activities. With FloQast, teams can utilize the latest advancements in AI technology to manage aspects of the close, reduce their compliance burden, stay audit-ready, and improve accuracy, visibility, and collaboration overall. FloQast is consistently rated #1 across all user review sites. Learn more at FloQast.com.

    Contact:
    Kyle Cabodi
    FloQast Director of Corporate Communications
    kyle.cabodi@floqast.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Baffle Announces New Data Security Capabilities on Amazon S3

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Baffle, the easiest way to protect sensitive data, today announced new data security capabilities for Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3). As organizations continue to experience unintentional disclosure of data through data stored and shared through S3 buckets, the new offering from Baffle provides customers with easy, comprehensive, and safe technical control to ensure that data is protected at rest, in use, and in motion as it is ingested, stored and processed in generative AI pipelines.

    Amazon S3 is an object storage service from Amazon Web Services (AWS) offering industry-leading scalability, data availability, and security performance and is built to store and retrieve any amount of data from anywhere. S3 is the first step in the journey of sensitive data as it is ingested into Generative AI pipelines. Baffle’s data security capabilities for Amazon S3 require no-code changes, easily protecting data stored in any S3 bucket with masking, tokenization, and encryption at the object or field level. The data is protected before it is inserted into S3, and stays protected when processed, hence achieving a “fail-safe” posture with the data remaining protected even if there is a misconfiguration or a human error.

    “The amount of data organizations store in S3 has continued to grow exponentially year over year driven by the tremendous growth of Generative AI pipelines being built in the cloud and yet, those storing data in S3 have done so without a fail-safe against human error, and the numerous data disclosures of private data stored in S3 reflect the dangers of doing so,” said Ameesh Divatia, co-founder and CEO of Baffle. “Now, with Baffle, enterprises can avoid the accidental disclosure of their S3 data whether it is driven by a cybercriminal or something as simple as human error.”

    Key benefits of the new offering for Baffle and Amazon S3 customers will include:

    • Transparent Reverse Proxy: Baffle provides a seamless, transparent reverse proxy for Amazon S3 that does not require any code changes for deployment, use, or management. Baffle can also leverage AWS server-side encryption acceleration in combination with fine grained policy and tenant management. This makes integration and operation straightforward without disrupting existing workflows.
    • Comprehensive Security: Baffle’s solution offers robust data security through masking, tokenization, and encryption at the field, object, or bucket level. This ensures that sensitive information is securely protected from unauthorized access in all downstream systems, including analytics and generative AI
    • Multi-Tenancy and Data Isolation: Baffle’s solution supports multi-tenancy and data isolation by cryptographically separating each tenant’s data from others. This ensures that each tenant’s information remains secure and private, even in a shared environment.

    Baffle is the easiest way to protect regulated data in the cloud, whether it is at rest, in use, or in transit. Baffle delivers an enterprise-class data security platform that secures data stores for applications, analytics, and AI with “no code” changes. The solution supports masking, tokenization, and encryption with role-based access control at the logical database, column-, row-, or field level, and unstructured data in object stores.

    For additional information about Baffle, please view the webinar here or to learn more about the product, please visit: https://baffle.io/data-security-for-amazon-s3/.

    About Baffle
    Baffle is the easiest way to protect sensitive data. We are the only security platform that cryptographically protects the data itself as it’s created, used, and shared across cloud-native data stores that feed analytics, applications, and AI. Baffle’s no-code solution masks, tokenizes and encrypts data without application changes or impacting the user experience. With Baffle, enterprises easily meet compliance controls and security mandates and reduce the effort and cost of protecting sensitive information to eliminate the impact of data breaches. Investors include Celesta Venture Capital, National Grid Partners, Lytical Ventures, Nepenthe Capital, True Ventures, Greenspring Associates, Clearvision Ventures, Engineering Capital, Triphammer Venture, ServiceNow Ventures, Thomvest Ventures, and Industry Ventures.

    Follow Baffle on LinkedIn.

    Contact:
    Stephanie Schlegel
    Offleash PR
    baffle@offleashpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Šiaulių bankas repays TLTRO III loan

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    On 25th September 2024, Šiaulių bankas AB repaid a EUR 478.81 million loan taken out under the ECB’s TLTRO III programme. The funds were borrowed for a period of three years, starting on 29th September 2021. The final interest rate set on the loan was 1.8475%.

    The objective of the TLTRO III programme was to increase and support bank lending to businesses and individuals during times of economic instability.

    After this repayment, Šiaulių bankas has no outstanding loans under the TLTRO III programme.

    Additional information:
    Tomas Varenbergas
    Head of Investment Management Division
    tomas.varenbergas@sb.lt

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Kandji Introduces Kai, the Industry’s First AI Device Management Assistant for Apple Fleets

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kandji, the Apple endpoint management and security platform, today announced Kai, the first-of-its-kind AI device management assistant for Apple devices. With Kai, Kandji harnesses the power of AI to equip IT teams with fast, insightful answers to questions about their corporate Apple devices, to drive efficiency and make more informed decisions – all while maintaining full data privacy.

    In a 2023 survey of IT leaders in organizations with 1,000 or more employees, 76% said that the use of Apple devices in their companies increased over the past year. But only 35% of IT teams characterized their Apple device management capabilities as “mature,” while 93% said their organizations would benefit from additional management capabilities. Kai gives them just that: By simplifying the reporting process, IT teams can make a larger impact at work by dedicating more time to high-value execution.

    Kai builds upon Kandji Prism, a reporting tool that uses traditional, filter-based queries to provide fleetwide visibility. Now those same queries can be performed using natural language, which empowers IT team members of all technical levels, including those in leadership positions, to quickly and efficiently obtain device information, freeing them up for more strategic work.

    “Today’s IT teams face the challenge of delivering more to meet growing business demands, while navigating shrinking resources. As a result, the pressure to increase productivity is at an all-time high,” said Weldon Dodd, SVP of Global Solutions at Kandji. “Leveraging AI not only drives efficiency, but also amplifies what IT teams can accomplish, allowing them to focus on more strategic projects that drive innovation. Kai opens up a new dimension of efficiency for our customers, helping them to maximize their contribution to the highest value activities instead of being mired in manipulating data to uncover the insights they need.”

    Kai is the first iteration of Kandji’s AI efforts and will be available to select customers for early testing on September 25. Kai will become generally available in 2025 as part of Kandji’s continued efforts to bring the same intelligence to other features. For more information please visit: https://kandji.io/blog/kandji-announces-kai-artificial-intelligence-for-device-management

    Helpful Links

    About Kandji
    Kandji is the Apple endpoint management and security platform. Kandji empowers companies to manage and secure Apple devices in the enterprise and at scale. By centrally securing and managing your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV devices, IT and InfoSec teams can save countless hours of manual, repetitive work with features like one-click compliance templates and more than 150 pre-built automations, apps, and workflows. Learn more at http://www.kandji.io.

    Media Contact
    Erica Anderson
    pr@kandji.io

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Pax8 Names Eric Torres Vice President of Channel and Community Engagement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DENVER, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pax8, the leading cloud commerce marketplace, today announced the appointment of Eric Torres as Vice President of Channel and Community Engagement. In his new role, Torres will lead the strategy, planning, and execution of impactful channel events and community-building initiatives to drive business growth. Torres will report to Rob Rae, Corporate Vice President of Community and Ecosystems at Pax8.

    “As we continue to drive partners’ success through our community engagement events and education, Pax8 is thrilled to bring on more firepower in order to take our programs to the next level. We are doing just that with the addition of Eric Torres,” said Rae. “Under Eric’s leadership, we will expand our community engagement with the goal of continuing to drive partner growth.”

    Before joining Pax8, Torres spent time as a channel leader in multiple organizations successfully serving the MSP community. With over 17 years of experience in the IT channel, Torres consistently delivers on his passion for educating the partner community on new ways to grow their businesses. His most recent role was VP of Channel at ScalePad, an automated asset lifecycle management solution, where he evangelized and educated the MSP community on the growth of ScalePad’s portfolio, including the addition of four new solutions in 2023.

    “We love that Pax8 is doubling down on partner engagement with the addition of Eric,” said Peter Melby, CEO of New Charter Technologies. “I have worked directly with Eric both while he was at ScalePad and Datto, and he has always given us great insights into the latest technology and programs to help support the growth of my business. He’s an excellent connector and seeks to truly understand the partners. He will continue to make a difference for us and other partners leading community engagement at Pax8.”

    About Pax8
    Pax8 is the technology marketplace of the future, linking partners, vendors, and small to midsized businesses (SMBs) through AI-powered insights and comprehensive product support. With a global partner ecosystem of over 35,000 managed service providers, Pax8 empowers SMBs worldwide by providing software and services that unlock their growth potential and enhance their security. Committed to innovating cloud commerce at scale, Pax8 drives customer acquisition and solution consumption across its entire ecosystem.

    Follow Pax8 on Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube

    Media Contact:
    Kristen Beatty
    Sr. Director of Public Relations
    kbeatty@pax8.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Altus Group Releases Q3 2024 CRE Industry Conditions & Sentiment Survey Findings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK and TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Altus Group Limited (“Altus” or “the Company”) (TSX: AIF), a leading provider of asset and fund intelligence for commercial real estate (“CRE”), today released the findings from its Q3 2024 CRE Industry Conditions & Sentiment Survey, a quarterly survey that collects insights on current market conditions and future expectations. The latest survey draws on feedback from 437 seasoned CRE professionals representing over 163 firms in the U.S. and Canada from July 11 to August 6, 2024.

    The Q3 2024 CRE Industry Conditions & Sentiment Survey highlights participants’ perspectives on several topics, including:

    • Operating environment expectations: the majority of respondents (69% in the U.S. and 67% in Canada) described the near-term operating environment as “somewhat challenging” – consistent with the sentiment expressed the prior quarter in both markets.
    • Current focus areas: primary focus over the next six months remains on managing existing portfolios and exposures, with an uptick in respondents indicating they plan to deploy capital (up 11 percentage points in the U.S. and up 2 percentage points in Canada over the prior quarter).
    • Transaction intentions over the next six months: a significant majority of respondents (89% in the U.S. and 75% in Canada) signalled intent to transact, nearly 10 percentage points higher than last quarter for both countries.
    • Perception of pricing shifts: across the largest property sectors in the U.S., participants increasingly described current pricing as being “priced about right”, while in Canada respondents still characterized much of the market as largely “overpriced”.
    • Property performance expectations: industrial and multifamily asset classes continued to be top ranked as best performers, with office consistently ranked as a worst performer.
    • Priority issues: the cost of capital/interest rates remained as the top concern, reflecting overall low expectations for capital availability.

    “The survey results revealed lingering concerns in the commercial real estate market in Q3, though there was increasing optimism about future improvements,” commented Omar Eltorai, Director of Research, Altus Group. “While CRE transaction activity remained muted in the face of high borrowing costs and expectations of impending interest rate cuts, last week’s rate cut in the U.S. should boost investor sentiment, potentially encouraging those on the sidelines to re-engage with the market.”

    To download the full reports by country, please use the following links:

    About Altus Group

    Altus Group is a leading provider of asset and fund intelligence for commercial real estate. We deliver intelligence as a service to our global client base through a connected platform of industry-leading technology, advanced analytics, and advisory services. Trusted by the largest CRE leaders, our capabilities help commercial real estate investors, developers, proprietors, lenders, and advisors manage risks and improve performance returns throughout the asset and fund lifecycle. Altus Group is a global company headquartered in Toronto with approximately 2,900 employees across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific. For more information about Altus (TSX: AIF) please visit www.altusgroup.com.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

    Elizabeth Lambe
    Director, Global Communications, Altus Group
    1-416-641-9787
    Elizabeth.Lambe@altusgroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: High Wire Networks Recognized as Top Cybersecurity Leader in Frost & Sullivan’s 2024 Managed Security Services Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BATAVIA, Ill., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — High Wire Networks, Inc. (OTCQB: HWNI), a leading global provider of managed cybersecurity, received top ranking in the new Frost & Sullivan (F&S) report on the cybersecurity industry, Frost Radar™: Managed Security Services in Americas, 2024.

    Across a field of more than 200 competitors, Frost & Sullivan ranked High Wire among the Top 15 Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) that are delivering the greatest results in the categories of growth and innovation.

    Frost & Sullivan noted that despite High Wire being a relatively new market entrant, “it continues to grow at an impressive triple-digit pace, surpassing almost every competitor in that metric.”

    According to the report, such growth is made possible by the company’s channel-only strategy, which brings in the entirety of an MSP’s customer base instead of individual organizations.

    “High Wire Networks has expanded its portfolio significantly since our last iteration of the Frost Radar,” noted Frost & Sullivan cybersecurity industry analyst, Lucas Ferreyra. “The company has centralized its entire offering around the Overwatch Managed Security Services Ecosystem, which includes its flagship product, the eponymous Overwatch platform that provides managed XDR and managed SOC/SOAR with 24/7 monitoring, detection, threat remediation, and proactive threat hunting across the environment.”

    Operating at the core of High Wire’s security operation center is Overwatch SOAR™, a proprietary security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) technology.

    The unique AI embedded in Overwatch SOAR automatically consolidates alerts from various threat prevention and detection-and-response platforms and processes them with intelligence-based rules that provide enhanced visibility, improved correlation, and faster remediation.

    “The Overwatch ecosystem provides a combination of prevention, detection, and response capabilities in a closed loop,” explained Ferreyra. “This provides comprehensive protection for customers and makes it easy for the provider to upsell its services, enhancing its growth potential.”

    In the category of innovation, the report highlights how High Wire is developing more automation capabilities for its entire stack, regularly adding pre-built automations and integrations to decrease analysts’ workload. R&D activities also include enhancing real-time threat intelligence as it further builds its own threat intelligence network.

    As the report highlighted, High Wire’s ecosystem includes managed detection and response, managed SASE, managed secure edge, continuous vulnerability scanning and management, patch management (to remediate patch vulnerabilities and fix misconfigurations), OT/IoT security, email security and security awareness training. To increase flexibility, High Wire Networks can leverage tools and solutions in the customer ecosystem, integrating tools into its SOAR capabilities.

    Regarding growth, the report notes that while High Wire Networks “has only a small slice of the Americas MSS market, but it continues to grow at an impressive triple- digit pace, surpassing almost every competitor in that metric. Such growth is made possible by the company’s channel-only strategy, which brings in the entirety of an MSP’s customer base instead of individual organizations.”

    High Wire offers its Overwatch managed security services exclusively through a global network of managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers totaling more than 200 worldwide.

    The report also discussed how High Wire Networks’ approach to the MSS space revolves around reducing the workload for security analysts, multiplying efficiency, and automating tasks unrelated to decision-making.

    High Wire’s SOAR technology serves as an exponential force multiplier for its dedicated teams of professional security experts, empowering them to deliver the most secure and cost-effective cybersecurity solutions available on the market today.

    “High Wire Networks’ investments in a security service to disrupt the edge security space, coupled with its current managed SASE and zero trust offerings are appropriate for its target market,” added Ferreyra. “Establishing an effective zero trust strategy is a complex endeavor that requires sizeable resources and expert knowledge; as a result, organizations with lower security maturity will usually look to partner with cybersecurity providers to deploy these technologies. High Wire Networks should continue to invest in this significant growth opportunity.”

    High Wire CEO, Mark Porter, commented: “We are honored to be recognized by Frost & Sullivan for our commitment to innovation and growth in the MSS space. The Top 15 ranking reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire team in delivering comprehensive, cutting-edge security solutions through our Overwatch managed security services ecosystem. By leveraging our platform’s robust suite of offerings—from managed XDR to advanced edge protection—we continue to meet the evolving needs of our partners and customers.”

    “For our channel partners, we create significant opportunities by providing layers of expertise at every engagement with MSPs,” added Porter. “Every deal has the upsell potential for the MSP or reseller to migrate its entire customer base to High Wire Networks’ services, augmenting our growth potential significantly.”

    The company provides further details about the Frost & Sullivan’s report in this YouTube video here.

    High Wire’s Overwatch offering addresses a global cybersecurity market that is projected to grow at a 14.3% CAGR to reach $563 billion by 2032.

    High Wire was also named to CRN’s MSP 500 and Elite 150 lists of the nation’s top IT managed service providers for 2023 and 2024.

    Porter discusses the Frost & Sullivan’s 2024 Managed Security Services report in the company’s YouTube video here.

    About High Wire Networks
    High Wire Networks, Inc. (OTCQB: HWNI) is a fast-growing, award-winning global provider of managed cybersecurity. Through over 200 channel partners, it delivers trusted managed services for more than 1,100 managed security customers worldwide. End-customers include Fortune 500 companies and many of the nation’s largest government agencies. Its U.S. based 24/7 Network Operations Center and Security Operations Center is located in Chicago.

    Learn more at HighWireNetworks.com. Follow the company on X, view its extensive video series on YouTube or connect on LinkedIn.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    The above news release contains forward-looking statements. The statements contained in this document that are not statements of historical fact, including but not limited to, statements identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “appear,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “hope,” “indicate,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and other variations or negative expressions of these terms, including statements related to expected market trends and the Company’s performance, are all “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on assumptions that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performances and are subject to a wide range of external factors, uncertainties, business risks, and other risks identified in filings made by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in the company’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any statement is based except as required by applicable law and regulations.

    High Wire Contact
    Susanna Song
    Chief Marketing Officer
    High Wire Networks
    Tel +1 (952) 974-4000
    Email contact

    Investor & Media Relations:
    Ronald Both or Grant Stude
    CMA Investor & Media Relations
    Tel +1 (949) 432-7557
    Email contact

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e7bae7cf-3bc9-46bd-8170-0f9fe66d3685

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Branch Energy and Voltus Partner to Leverage Behind-the-Meter Energy Storage to Reduce Energy Spend for C&I Customers in Texas

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Voltus, Inc. (Voltus), the leading distributed energy resource (DER) software platform and virtual power plant (VPP) operator, today announced that it will partner with Branch Energy to open new revenue streams for Branch’s battery-hosting commercial and industrial (C&I) customers, improving customer resilience against electric service disruptions and supporting grid reliability in Texas.

    Branch Energy provides businesses with long-term energy price stability through a combination of fixed-price energy supply contracts and behind-the-meter battery storage systems that Branch installs at no-cost to its customers. The charge and discharge of these distributed batteries are optimized for economic arbitrage in real-time by Branch Energy’s proprietary demand management software, which dispatches battery capacity based on analyses of Texas power price data.

    “Our customers work with us because we consistently deliver on our promise to deliver reliable electricity at a below-market cost,” said Branch Energy Co-founder and CEO, Alex Ince-Cushman. “And with ERCOT anticipating a near-doubling of system peak demand by 2030, both the challenge and urgency of delivering on that promise is intensifying. Our partnership with Voltus ensures that our customers can maximize the economic benefit of their behind-the-meter battery assets, while providing a valuable grid resource in this high load growth environment.”

    This partnership integrates Voltus’s platform — which monetizes every type of DER by connecting them to wholesale electricity markets — with Branch Energy’s demand management software. The integration of these technologies equips Branch Energy with the intelligence needed to determine on an hourly basis whether a customer-sited battery will deliver more value to customers by participating in economic arbitrage or by participating in the wholesale market with Voltus.

    “The Texas grid’s vulnerability to extreme weather and rapid load growth underscores the critical need for flexible demand-side resources — both for the reliability and resilience of the system as a whole, as well as a tool for offsetting rising energy costs,” said Dan Svejnar, SVP of Growth at Voltus. “Together, Voltus and Branch will ensure that customers continue to enjoy stable, substantially below-market electricity rates without compromising site reliability.”

    “The Branch-Voltus alliance in Texas joins together two innovators in the distributed energy space where they’re needed most,” said Tim Woodward, Managing Director of Climate Tech focused venture capital firm, Prelude Ventures, which has equity stakes in both Voltus and Branch. “They’re building a new, customer-centric, transactive energy model that holds a great deal of promise for consumers nationwide.”

    At present, the Branch Energy and Voltus partnership encompasses engagements with 15 Branch Energy customers, whose battery energy storage systems will be installed on-site by year’s end. Voltus will connect these devices to ERCOT-operated markets to provide ancillary services. These batteries will continue to have capacity reserved for on-site consumption by host customers, a backstop for potential outages that will not compromise savings potential.

    About Voltus
    Voltus is a leading DER technology platform and virtual power plant operator connecting distributed energy resources to electricity markets, delivering less expensive, more reliable, and more sustainable electricity. Our commercial and industrial customers and DER partners generate cash by allowing Voltus to maximize the value of their flexible load, distributed generation, energy storage, energy efficiency, and electric vehicle resources in these markets. To learn more, visit www.voltus.co.

    Media contact
    Mona Khaldi
    press@voltus.co

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: LM Funding America, Inc. estimates that the 135.7 Bitcoin holdings on August 31, 2024, were valued at approximately $8.7 million in their monthly updates

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LM Funding America, Inc. (NASDAQ: LMFA) (“LM Funding” or the “Company”), a cryptocurrency mining and technology-based specialty finance company, today provided a preliminary, unaudited Bitcoin mining and operational update for the month ended August 31, 2024.

     
    Metrics *    		 Three Months 1st Qtr.  2024  
    One Month April 30, 2024    		  
    One Month May 31, 2024    		  
    One Month June 30, 2024    		 One Month July 31, 2024 One Month August 31, 2024 Eight Months Ended August 31, 2024
    Bitcoin Beginning Balance 95.1   163.4   155.1   163.1   160.5   132.5   95.1  
    Bitcoin Mined, net 86.4   24.7   14.0   5.4   4.6   7.2   142.3  
    Bitcoin Sold (18.0 ) (33.0 ) (6.0 ) (8.0 ) (32.5 ) (4.0 ) (101.5 )
    Service Fee (0.1 ) –   –   –   (0.1 ) –   (0.2 )
    Bitcoin Holdings at Month End 163.4   155.1   163.1   160.5   132.5   135.7   135.7  
                   
    Approximate Miners Deployed at Month End 5,940   5,880   5,510   1,878   3,800   3,700    
    Approximate Miners In-Transit at Month End     370   4,002   2,080   2,200    
    Approximate Potential Hash Rate at Month End (PH/s) 614   639   639   639   639   639    

    *Unaudited

    The Company estimates that the value of its 135.7 Bitcoin holdings on August 31, 2024, was approximately $8.7 million, based on an estimated September 24, 2024, BTC price of $64,250.

    Bruce Rodgers, Chairman and CEO of LM Funding, commented, “We continue to make significant progress on our key initiatives, including the expansion of our new 15 MW hosting facility near Oklahoma City, where we relocated approximately 3,000 Antminer S19j Pro machines. Hosting these machines at cost for the next six months will enable us to significantly reduce our operating expenses.”

    “We are also investing the proceeds from our recent private placement, alongside the $5 million secured non-convertible loan facility, into high-return projects. These strategic investments are expected to be accretive, while accelerating our growth and driving meaningful returns on capital for our shareholders,” concluded Rodgers.

    About LM Funding America
    LM Funding America, Inc. (Nasdaq: LMFA), together with its subsidiaries, is a cryptocurrency mining business that commenced Bitcoin mining operations in September 2022. The Company also operates a technology-based specialty finance company that provides funding to nonprofit community associations (Associations) primarily located in the state of Florida, as well as in the states of Washington, Colorado, and Illinois, by funding a certain portion of the Associations’ rights to delinquent accounts that are selected by the Associations arising from unpaid Association assessments.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” and “project” and other similar words and expressions are intended to signify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guaranties of future results and conditions but rather are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Some of these risks and uncertainties are identified in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its other filings with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, uncertainty created by the risks of entering into and operating in the cryptocurrency mining business, uncertainty in the cryptocurrency mining business in general, problems with hosting vendors in the mining business, the capacity of our Bitcoin mining machines and our related ability to purchase power at reasonable prices, the ability to finance and grow our cryptocurrency mining operations, our ability to acquire new accounts in our specialty finance business at appropriate prices, the potential need for additional capital in the future, changes in governmental regulations that affect our ability to collected sufficient amounts on defaulted consumer receivables, changes in the credit or capital markets, changes in interest rates, and negative press regarding the debt collection industry. The occurrence of any of these risks and uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

    Contact:
    Crescendo Communications, LLC
    Tel: (212) 671-1021
    Email: LMFA@crescendo-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese museums receive nearly 1 billion visits during Jan-Aug period

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, Sept. 25 — Chinese museums registered 940 million visits in the first eight months of this year, maintaining their popularity among Chinese visitors in recent years, official data showed on Wednesday.

    The country’s National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) released the figure at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office.

    About 300 million visits were made in two months during the summer season, accounting for nearly a third of the total figure, said Liu Yang, an NCHA official.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice premier meets ASEAN leaders attending 21st China-ASEAN Expo

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    NANNING, Sept. 25 — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Tuesday met with leaders from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, who are in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to attend the 21st China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit.

    When meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Vietnam Ho Duc Phoc, Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said China is ready to work with Vietnam in accordance with the strategic direction set by the leaders of the two parties and the two countries to consolidate political mutual trust, enhance the synergy of development strategies, advance infrastructure connectivity, upgrade economic, trade and investment cooperation, cement public support, and push forward the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

    Speaking highly of China’s great development achievements, Ho Duc Phoc said Vietnam is willing to work with China to push for more results in practical cooperation in various fields to better benefit the two countries and the two peoples.

    When meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers of Cambodia Vongsey Vissoth, Ding said China is willing to work with Cambodia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, enhance the synergy between the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and Cambodia’s development strategies, expand cooperation in emerging fields such as green development and digital economy, encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Cambodia, implement more projects that benefit local people, and push the development of bilateral relations to a new level.

    Vongsey Vissoth said Cambodia firmly pursues a friendly policy toward China and is willing to work with China to enrich the Diamond Hexagon cooperation framework, and join hands to build a Cambodia-China community with a shared future.

    When meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Laos Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, Ding noted that this year marks the 15th anniversary of the China-Laos comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and China is willing to work with Laos, under the guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation, accelerate the construction of major projects, set a new benchmark for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and work together to advance the process of national modernization.

    Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune said Laos attaches great importance to the building of a Laos-China community with a shared future, and is willing to strengthen high-level interactions with China, deepen practical cooperation and push for long-lasting Laos-China friendly relations.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s equipment, consumer goods renewal program fuels market vitality

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, Sept. 25 — China has achieved significant progress in advancing large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins, boosting both investment and consumption.

    China unveiled an action plan to implement the renewal program in March this year to expand domestic demand and shore up the economy, and stepped up policy support in July with an extra funds injection of 300 billion yuan (about 42.73 billion U.S. dollars) via ultra-long special treasury bonds.

    From Monday to Wednesday, the country’s authorities held three press conferences in a row to present a comprehensive overview of the program, underscoring the government’s commitment to revitalize the super-large market.

    According to Zhao Chenxin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), all the treasury bonds have been fully allocated to projects and local governments, with all supportive policies already in place.

    The program has yielded significant progress, effectively driving investment growth, unleashing consumption potential, improving people’s welfare, and propelling industrial development along with the country’s green transition drive.

    INVESTMENT BOOST

    Half of the ultra-long special treasury bonds to support equipment upgrades have been distributed to over 4,600 projects, and such support will cover projects with a total investment of 800 billion yuan this year, said NDRC official Liu Dechun.

    “Positive progress has been recorded in key areas of equipment upgrades, increasingly contributing to growth stabilization and industrial transformation,” Liu noted.

    In the first eight months of this year, investment in equipment and tool purchases grew by 16.8 percent year on year, and 4.21 million scrapped vehicles were recycled nationwide, up 42.4 percent and accounting for over 90 percent of the total amount last year.

    During this period, fixed-asset investment in municipal utility and construction sector expanded 23.5 percent and 21.6 percent, respectively, Liu said, adding that there are already plans to use the treasury bonds to upgrade over 40,000 residential elevators that have been in service for more than 15 years.

    Policies are also actively supporting renewals and upgrades of energy-inefficient and high-emitting equipment, with over 500 energy-related projects backed by the treasury bonds this year, Liu said.

    This overhaul will save around 3 million tonnes of standard coal annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 8 million tonnes, according to the official.

    Liu pledged further efforts to leverage the policies and funding to deliver benefits to more businesses and promote high-end, intelligent and green industrial development while accelerating the green transition.

    CONSUMPTION PICKUP

    Given that over 3 billion units of home appliances and more than 300 million vehicles are in use across China, the potential for their renewals are tremendous, NDRC official Wen Hua said.

    Since the renewal program kicked off in March, automobile consumption has exhibited notable growth. Citing data from the China Automobile Dealers Association, Wen said the retail sales of passenger vehicles and new energy autos increased 10.8 percent and 17 percent month on month, respectively, in August.

    Home appliance sales have also rebounded significantly. In August, official data reported a 3.4 percent rise year on year in retail sales of household appliances and audiovisual equipment, ending a decline.

    Meanwhile, the trade-in program has indirectly spurred investment and profitability in related sectors, Wen said, noting that from January to August, investment in consumer goods manufacturing expanded by 14.9 percent.

    Looking ahead, efforts will be made to fully implement the supportive policies and leverage the special treasury bonds for the equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins, in a bid to extend policy benefits to more consumers, enhance living standards, and accelerate the green transition of development, Wen said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China starts building first high-voltage AC/DC hybrid power grid project

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    NANJING, Sept. 25 — China on Wednesday started the construction of its first high-voltage alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) hybrid power grid project in Jiangsu Province, marking another step toward a cleaner, safer and more efficient energy system.

    The demonstration project will connect the two cities of Huai’an and Danyang, adding approximately 228 km of DC transmission lines to the existing power grid with two ±200 kV converter stations to be built at both ends, according to the State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd.

    The project is expected to be operational after completion in 2026.

    China’s current main power grid is primarily composed of AC power grids. However, compared with AC transmission, DC transmission at the same voltage level can transmit larger amounts of power with lower energy losses.

    Once operational, the project will significantly alleviate the pressure on north-to-south power transmission in Jiangsu and enhance grid flexibility, further expanding the application of hybrid grid technologies and helping develop a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system, according to the company.

    China recently issued a plan to promote advanced technologies in key energy fields, including hybrid AC/DC power grids

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China allocates funds to support flood, typhoon-hit regions

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, Sept. 25 — Chinese authorities have earmarked 719 million yuan (about 102 million U.S. dollars) to support disaster relief and restore agricultural production in regions hit by Super Typhoon Yagi and several rounds of heavy rainfall, the finance ministry said Wednesday.

    The fund, jointly allocated by the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Water Resources, has been distributed to the regions of Hainan, Guangdong, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Qinghai and Ningxia.

    The fund will be used to buy agricultural supplies and services for crop replanting and reseeding and repair damaged facilities to help disaster-hit regions resume agricultural production, according to the ministry.

    Super Typhoon Yagi, the 11th typhoon of this year, made two landfalls in China earlier this month, first striking Hainan and later Guangdong. It is the strongest autumn typhoon to land in China since 1949, according to meteorological authorities.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: America is increasingly dependent on foreign doctors − but their path to immigration is getting harder

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Selma Hedlund, Postdoctoral Associate at Center of Forced Displacement, Boston University

    For immigrant doctors, the path to permanent residency is fleeting and far from guaranteed. Stefano Spicca/iStock via Getty Images

    The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a pressing issue: The U.S. health care system is increasingly dependent on immigrant physicians, but it’s becoming harder for aspiring ones to work and settle in the U.S.

    Today, 1 in 4 doctors are foreign-born, international medical graduates. Their numbers are even larger in underserved areas – essentially, low-income, more rural parts of the country where many American doctors don’t want to work.

    This immigrant workforce is key to offsetting a dire physician shortage. The need for more doctors is due, in part, to America’s growing and aging population; U.S.-born doctors’ unwillingness to move to poorer and more rural areas; and U.S.-born doctors’ lack of interest in going into primary care, which can be less lucrative and prestigious than other areas of medicine.

    As a result, immigrant doctors have become indispensable in hospitals and clinics across the nation. But while they’re in demand, more and more foreign doctors are starting to see the immigration process as a risky endeavor.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote my dissertation about how immigrant physicians navigate the U.S. immigration system and foreign licensing procedures. My interviewees described how a combination of stricter immigration policies and more competition for residency spots have made the U.S. a less feasible destination.

    Visa vicissitudes

    U.S. visas can be categorized into two categories: immigrant and nonimmigrant. Nonimmigrant visas, such as tourist, student or exchange visitors visas, prohibit holders from having what’s called “immigrant intent,” meaning that they don’t plan to use their visas to permanently stay in the U.S.

    In order for immigrant doctors to be licensed to practice in the U.S., they need to complete licensing exams. They also need to obtain clinical experience in the U.S. This can be completed while on a tourist visa or a student visa, which are relatively easy to obtain.

    However, all immigrant physicians – even if they’re certified specialists in their home country – need to get accepted into and complete a U.S. residency program in order to practice in the U.S. as specialists. These are intensive, supervised training programs that can last up to seven years.

    Nonetheless, a majority of immigrant doctors in the U.S. will complete their American residencies on nonimmigrant visas, even though by this point in the process they quite clearly have immigrant intent.

    It wasn’t always this way.

    There’s a special work visa called the H-1B that allows for both immigrant and nonimmigrant intent. A few decades ago, many immigrant physicians entered residency programs that sponsored H-1B visas, which served as stepping stones to green cards.

    But drastic restrictions to the number of people admitted into this visa program, coupled with cuts in graduate medical education funding, have directed most foreign-born doctors to what’s called a J-1 exchange visitors visa.

    Challenges of working in underserved areas

    The J-1 not only explicitly prohibits immigration intent, it also requires that doctors return to their home country for at least two years upon completing American residency training.

    Foreign-born doctors nonetheless pursue the J-1 because there’s the opportunity to obtain a waiver, with limited slots that will allow them to remain in the U.S. and adjust to an H-1B visa. If selected for the waiver program, they must commit to a minimum of three years of service in a designated medically underserved area in the U.S.

    Through a special waiver, immigrant doctors can work at rural hospitals that are underfunded and understaffed.
    Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

    While this system can offer short-term relief to physician shortages, it can also lead to exploitation.

    As one interviewee told me, “We hear very scary things about the J-1 waiver. The employers can take advantage and make you work more and pay less.”

    For the duration of the waiver program, immigrant physicians have minimal ability to change employers without violating the conditions of the waiver – and their path to immigration. Underserved areas are often understaffed and underresourced, which can make for stressful working conditions.

    Forced to go above and beyond

    The challenges don’t end with the visa process. There are financial burdens as well.

    International medical graduates often spend tens of thousands of dollars to pay for U.S. medical licensing exams, multiple visa applications, international travel and lodging, residency and green card applications.

    They also spend months in unpaid positions in hospital settings to gain the U.S. clinical experience that’s required to apply for residency. Then, in order to match into residency, immigrant physicians typically need to outperform their American peers on exams. They also need to have more prestigious research qualifications and stronger recommendation letters. Still, immigrant doctors are more likely to match into less competitive residency programs.

    While interviewing immigrant physicians, many testified to the competition getting steeper in recent years.

    “I told a friend, if you don’t have scores in upper 90s in all the exams and you’re not a green card holder, don’t even bother,” an Indian physician who immigrated 20 years ago explained to me. “It’s so tough.”

    Stuck in limbo

    Over the course of my research I noticed a trend: Many international medical graduates will come to the U.S. on student visas to pursue U.S. graduate degrees in health-related fields, such as public health, before they even start the licensing process. This helps them get their foot in the door into a very complicated immigration system and build a stronger resume as they prepare for residency applications. It’s also another expensive investment.

    But even those who match into and complete residency won’t necessarily be able to stay and work in America.

    Those with positive experiences from working in underserved communities often struggle to remain in their positions after their waiver contracts are fulfilled because of the green card backlog.

    The average immigrant’s wait time for a green card has doubled since the national quota system was introduced in the early 1990s.

    By 2018, an applicant had to wait an average of 18 months to get approved for their green card and another five years and eight months to receive it. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new barriers and delays.

    Indians, one of the biggest nationalities among immigrant physicians, have the longest wait times under the current system, sometimes waiting up to a decade to obtain the security of permanent residence. Among the 1.8 million cases currently stuck in the employment-based green card backlog, 63% are Indian nationals.

    A pending green card application is often formally considered abandoned if the applicant leaves the country, preventing people from visiting loved ones abroad for years.

    No fix on the horizon

    Despite frequent calls for change and reform, these bottlenecks continue to adversely affect both patients and doctors.

    While the current model has its benefits, it also reflects a trend in which much-needed immigrant professionals live in prolonged, demoralizing uncertainty. Work visas have been subject to increasing cuts and restrictions in recent years under both the Trump and Biden administrations. Conditions will likely worsen if Trump returns to office: The “Muslim ban” he enacted in 2017 adversely affected many immigrant doctors and their patients, and his calls for increased vetting will likely exacerbate existing barriers to legal immigration.

    A paradox has emerged: While the U.S. says it wants to attract and retain world class talent, its byzantine immigration system continually discourages potential hires.

    The doctors I interviewed gave a variety of reasons for wanting to work in the U.S., including better lifestyles and opportunities for professional development. But the complexity and sheer unwieldiness of the U.S. visa regime is causing the nation to lose skilled professionals to other countries with more streamlined processes.

    Selma Hedlund does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. America is increasingly dependent on foreign doctors − but their path to immigration is getting harder – https://theconversation.com/america-is-increasingly-dependent-on-foreign-doctors-but-their-path-to-immigration-is-getting-harder-229980

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Blinken participates in a G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting – 11:30 AM

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken participates in a G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in New York City, New York, on September 25, 2024.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTf8FRlsBXo

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Diet-related diseases are the No. 1 cause of death in the US – yet many doctors receive little to no nutrition education in med school

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nathaniel Johnson, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of North Dakota

    Nearly 60% of respondents to one medical school survey said they received no nutritional education at all. Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images

    On television shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Resident” and “Chicago Med,” physicians seem to always have the right answer.

    But when it comes to nutrition and dietary advice, that may not be the case.

    One of us is an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics; the other is a medical student with a master’s degree in nutrition.

    Both of us understand the powerful effects that food has on your health and longevity. A poor diet may lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and even psychological conditions like depression and anxiety. Diet-related diseases are the leading causes of death in the U.S., and a poor diet is responsible for more deaths than smoking.

    These health problems are not only common and debilitating, but expensive. Treating high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol costs about US$400 billion per year. Within 25 years, those costs are expected to triple, to $1.3 trillion.

    These facts support the need for physicians to give accurate advice about diet to help prevent these diseases. But how much does a typical physician know about nutrition?

    The deficiencies in nutrition education happen at all levels of medical training.

    What doctors don’t know

    In a 2023 survey of more than 1,000 U.S. medical students, about 58% of respondents said they received no formal nutrition education while in medical school for four years. Those who did averaged about three hours of nutrition education per year.

    That is woefully short of the goals set by the U.S. Committee on Nutrition in Medical Education back in 1985: that med students should receive a total of 25 hours of nutrition education while in school – a little more than six hours per year.

    But a 2015 study showed only 29% of medical schools met this goal, and a 2023 study suggests the problem has become even worse – only 7.8% of med students reported 20 or more hours of nutrition education across all four years of med school. If this is representative of medical schools throughout the country, it has happened despite efforts to bolster nutrition education through numerous government initiatives.

    Not surprisingly, the lack of education has had a direct impact on physicians’ nutrition knowledge. In a study of 257 first- and second-year osteopathic medical students taking a nutrition knowledge quiz, more than half flunked the test. Prior to the test, more than half the students – 55% – felt comfortable counseling patients on nutrition.

    Unfortunately, this problem is not limited to U.S. medical schools. A 2018 global study concluded that no matter the country, nutrition education of med students is insufficient throughout the world.

    Bringing nutrition education back

    Even though evidence suggests that nutrition education can be effective, there are many reasons why it’s lacking. Medical students and physicians are some of the busiest people in society. The amount of information taught in medical curricula is often described as overwhelming – like drinking out of a fire hose.

    First- and second-year medical students focus on dense topics, including biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics, while they learn clinical skills such as interviewing patients and understanding heart and lung sounds. Third- and fourth-year students are practicing in clinics and hospitals as they learn from physicians and patients.

    As a result, their schedules are already jammed. There is no room for nutrition. And once they are physicians, it gets no better. Providing preventive care including nutrition counseling to patients would take them more than seven hours per week – and that’s not counting the time they would have to spend on continuing education to keep up with new findings in nutrition science.

    On top of that, the lack of nutrition education in medical schools has been attributed to a dearth of qualified instructors for nutrition courses, as most physicians do not understand nutrition well enough to teach it.

    Ironically, many medical schools are part of universities that have nutrition departments with Ph.D.-trained professors; those academicians could fill this gap by teaching nutrition to medical students. But those classes are often taught by physicians who may not have adequate nutrition training – which means truly qualified instructors, within reach of most medical schools, are left out of the process.

    This doctor said he learned virtually nothing about nutrition in medical school.

    Finding the right advice

    The best source of nutrition information, whether for medical students or the general public, is a registered dietitian, certified nutrition specialist or some other type of nutrition professional with multiple degrees and certification. They study for years and record many practice hours in order to give dietary advice.

    Although anyone can make an appointment with a nutrition professional for dietary counseling, typically a referral from a health care provider like a physician is needed for the appointment to be covered by insurance. So seeing a physician or other primary care provider is often a step before meeting with a nutrition professional.

    This extra step might be one reason why many people look elsewhere, such as on their phones, for nutrition advice. However, the worst place to look for accurate nutrition information is social media. There, about 94% of posts about nutrition and diet are of low value – either inaccurate or lacking adequate data to back up the claim.

    Keep in mind that anyone can post nutrition advice on social media, regardless of their qualifications. Good dietary advice is individualized and takes into account one’s age, sex, goals, body weight, goals and personal preferences. This complexity is tough to capture in a brief social media post.

    The good news is that nutrition education, when it occurs, is effective, and most medical students and physicians acknowledge the critical role nutrition plays in health. In fact, close to 90% of med students say nutrition education should be a mandatory part of medical school.

    We hope that nutrition education, after being devalued or ignored for decades, will soon be an integral part of every medical school’s curriculum. But given its history and current status, this seems unlikely to happen anytime soon.

    In the meantime, those who want to learn more about a healthy diet should meet with a nutrition professional, or at the very least read the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans or the World Health Organization’s healthy diet recommendations.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Diet-related diseases are the No. 1 cause of death in the US – yet many doctors receive little to no nutrition education in med school – https://theconversation.com/diet-related-diseases-are-the-no-1-cause-of-death-in-the-us-yet-many-doctors-receive-little-to-no-nutrition-education-in-med-school-236217

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Blinken hosts a Multilateral Meeting – 1:15 PM

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosts a Multilateral Meeting on Building on Progress to Restore Security in Haiti in New York City, New York.
    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZQMBlMi9TA

    MIL OSI Video –