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  • MIL-OSI Global: Where did the wonder go – and can AI help us find it?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lucy Gill-Simmen, Vice Dean for Education & Student Experience, Royal Holloway University of London

    French philosopher René Descartes crowned human reason in 1637 as the foundation of existence: Cogito, ergo sum – I think, therefore I am. For centuries, our capacity to doubt, question and think has been both our compass and our identity. But what does that mean in an age where machines can “think”, generate ideas, write novels, compose symphonies and, increasingly, make decisions?

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has brought a new kind of certainty, one that is quick, data-driven and at times frighteningly precise, at times alarmingly wrong. From Google’s Gemini to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, we live in a world where answers can arrive before the question is even finished. AI has the potential to change not just how we work, but how we think. As our digital tools become more capable, we may well be justified in asking: where did the wonder go?

    We have become increasingly accustomed to optimisation. From using apps to schedule our days to improving how companies hire staff through AI-powered recruitment tools, technology has delivered on its promise of speed and efficiency.

    This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

    In education, students increasingly use AI to summarise readings and generate essay outlines; in healthcare, diagnostic models match human doctors in detecting disease.

    But in our pursuit of optimisation, we may have left something essential behind. In her book The Power of Wonder (2023), author Monica Parker describes wonder as a journey, a destination, a verb and a noun, a process and an outcome.

    Lamenting how “modern life is conditioning wonder-proneness out of us”, the author suggests we have “traded wonder for the pale facsimile of electronic novelty-seeking”. And there’s the paradox: AI gives us knowledge at scale, but may rob us of the humility and openness that spark genuine curiosity.

    AI as the antidote?

    But what if AI isn’t the killer of wonder, but its catalyst? The same technologies that predict our shopping habits or generate marketing content can also create surreal art, compose jazz music and tell stories in different ways.

    Tools like DALL·E, Udio.ai, and Runway don’t just mimic human creativity, they expand our creative capacity by translating abstract ideas into visual or audio outputs instantly. They don’t just mimic creativity, they open it up to anyone, enabling new forms of self-expression and speculative thinking.

    The same power that enables AI to open imaginative possibilities can also blur the line between fact and fiction, which is especially risky in education where critical thinking and truth-seeking are paramount. That’s why it’s essential that we teach students not just to use these tools, but to question them. Teaching people to wonder isn’t about uncritical amazement – it’s about cultivating curiosity alongside discernment.

    Educators experimenting with AI in the classroom are starting to see this potential, as my recent work in the area has shown. Rather than using AI merely to automate learning, we are using it to provoke questions and to promote creativity.

    When students ask ChatGPT to write a poem in the voice of Virginia Woolf about climate change, they learn how to combine literary style with contemporary issues. They explore how AI mimics voice and meaning, then reflect on what works and what doesn’t.

    When they use AI tools to build brand storytelling campaigns, they practise turning ideas into images, sounds and messages and learn how to shape stories that connect with audiences. Students are not just using AI, they’re learning to think critically and creatively with it.

    This aligns with Brazilian philosopher Paulo Friere’s “banking” concept of education, where rather than depositing facts, educators are required to spark critical reflection. AI, when used creatively, can act as a dialogue partner, one that reflects back our assumptions, challenges our ideas and invites deeper inquiry.

    The research is mixed, and much depends on how AI is used. Left unchecked, tools like ChatGPT can encourage shortcut thinking. When used purposely as a dialogue partner, prompting reflection, testing ideas and supporting creative inquiry, studies show it can foster deeper engagement and critical thinking. The challenge is designing learning experiences that make the most of this potential.

    A new kind of curiosity

    Wonder isn’t driven by novelty alone, it’s about questioning the familiar. Philosopher Martha Nussbaum describes wonder as “taking us out of ourselves and toward the other”. In this way, AI’s outputs have the potential to jolt people out of cognitive ruts and into new realms of thought, causing them to experience wonder.

    It could be argued that AI becomes both mirror and muse. It holds up a reflection of our culture, biases and blind spots while nudging us toward the imaginative unknown at the same time. Much like the ancient role of the fool in King Lear’s court, it disrupts and delights, offering insights precisely because it doesn’t think like humans do.

    This repositions AI not as a rival to human intelligence, but as a co-creator of wonder, a thought partner in the truest sense.

    Descartes saw doubt as the path to certainty. Today, however, we crave certainty and often avoid doubt. In a world overwhelmed by information and polarisation, there is comfort in clean answers and predictive models. But perhaps what we need most is the courage to ask questions, to really wonder about things.

    The German poet Rainer Maria Rilke once advised: “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.”

    AI can generate perspectives, juxtapositions and “what if” scenarios that challenge students’ habitual ways of thinking. The point isn’t to replace critical thinking, but to spark it in new directions. When artists co-create with algorithms, what new aesthetics emerge that we’ve yet to imagine?

    And when policymakers engage with AI trained on other perspectives from around the world, how might their understanding and decisions be transformed? As AI reshapes how we access, interpret and generate knowledge, this encourages rethinking not just what we learn, but why and how we value knowledge at all.

    Educational philosophers such as John Dewey and Maxine Greene championed education that cultivates imagination, wonder and critical consciousness. Greene spoke of “wide-awakeness”, a state of being in the world.

    Deployed thoughtfully, AI can be a tool for wide-awakeness. In practical terms, it means designing learning experiences where AI prompts curiosity, not shortcuts; where it’s used to question assumptions, explore alternatives, and deepen understanding.

    When used in this way, I believe it can help students tell better stories, explore alternate futures and think across disciplines. This demands not only ethical design and critical digital literacy, bit also an openness to the unknown. It also demands that we, as humans, reclaim our appetite for awe.

    In the end, the most human thing about AI might be the questions it forces us to ask. Not “What’s the answer?” but “What if …?” and in that space, somewhere in between certainty and curiosity, wonder returns. The machines we built to do our thinking for us might just help us rediscover it.

    Lucy Gill-Simmen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Where did the wonder go – and can AI help us find it? – https://theconversation.com/where-did-the-wonder-go-and-can-ai-help-us-find-it-258490

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Society needs a systems update to cope with climate crisis – my new film explains why

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By James Dyke, Associate Professor in Earth System Science, University of Exeter

    The climate and ecological crisis is one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. If the world fails to address it, and over the rest of this century we continue to burn fossil fuels and pump even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, we’ll face catastrophe. On this much, almost all governments agree (with some notable exceptions such as the US).

    Even the world’s largest oil and gas companies now acknowledge that their products are behind the alarming increase in global temperatures and that we will have to transition to alternative fuels. Eventually.

    In some oil and gas firms’ net zero policies you will often see the word “eventually” or its equivalent used. Yes, they accept that the age of fossil fuels will be over, but they don’t give any end date. In fact, with continued expansion of new oil and gas fields they appear to give every indication of continuing to be fossil fuel companies for the foreseeable future.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Will such firms actually phase out coal, oil and gas at the rate required to avoid dangerous climate change? How quickly does that now have to happen? Immediately.

    At current rates of emissions, the window to have a 50:50 chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C will close in as little as six years. Given that global emissions are not stabilising but in fact going up, we are in the process of overshooting 1.5°C and heading deep into dangerous climate change territory.

    Does that mean it’s game over, that the climate catastrophes we fear will come to pass? Thinking about these sorts of systemic risks form the basis of much of my current research. This includes some pretty alarming analysis on how societies can react to challenges such as climate change in ways that can make the situation much worse.

    But herein lies a potentially powerful source of hope for the future because what we do as individuals and members of communities and countries will make all the difference. That’s what was on my mind when I started working on a new climate change documentary with filmmaker Paul Maple.

    Radical reductions

    Our new film System Update: Rebooting Our Future argues that, while we may have run out of time to avoid dangerous climate change, we are now only beginning to see how we can not just avoid further environmental damage but make a much better world for all of humanity. To do that, we must go beyond the incremental and timid policies of today. We need to be radical and dig into the drivers of climate change.

    Take economic growth, for example. You will not find a political party in power in any industrialised nation that does not have continued economic growth as one of its core objectives. Economic performance is often the main way politicians are judged. That’s why threats of a recession lead news reports.

    In System Update, I ask what is this economic growth for, if it continues to drive expanded energy and material consumption and drive us further towards climate and ecological collapse?

    If our economic and political systems cannot deliver radical emissions reductions in a sustainable and fair way, then they need to be rebooted. Rather than policies being orientated towards maximising economic growth, we can instead question how the current goods and services an economy produces are used.

    How can local communities be empowered to make themselves more resilient to climate change while reducing their emissions? Where can citizen assemblies strengthen our democracies and help foster the wider support for ambitious climate action? These assemblies work by recruiting a representative cross section of society who hear from a range of climate experts, and then work together to provide policy recommendations.

    I put such questions to an amazing group of activists, academics and policymakers. We quickly discovered from economic anthropologist Jason Hickel that there is no end of new thinking about economics.

    Lawyer and key architect of the Paris agreement Farhana Yamin recounted the epic battle that she and others have been waging with politicians to get them to understand and act on some of the fundamental truths of climate change. Researcher and strategist Laurie Laybourn spoke of the need for leaders to understand how this gathering storm of climate change demands new mindsets.

    Climate change adaptation expert Kathryn Brown made the case for a rapid increase in efforts to protect communities from environmental change, while climate historian Alice Bell put today’s debates into the wider context. Climate campaigner Max Wakefield and climate justice activist Dylan Hamilton connected the big picture elements of the climate crisis to both everyday actions like what you buy and how to you travel, to deeper engagement with politics.

    It’s easy to feel overwhelmed about the scale of climate change. There is a constant stream of bad news about rising temperatures and extreme weather. What I hope System Update shows is that there is no end of ideas for how such an outcome could be averted, and how you could put them into practice.

    We will win. The age of fossil fuels is ending. The question now is, how fast do you want to make that happen?

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

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

    – ref. Society needs a systems update to cope with climate crisis – my new film explains why – https://theconversation.com/society-needs-a-systems-update-to-cope-with-climate-crisis-my-new-film-explains-why-257503

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Appeals court ruling grants Donald Trump broad powers to deploy troops to American cities

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jack L. Rozdilsky, Associate Professor of Disaster and Emergency Management, York University, Canada

    Residents of Los Angeles will need to get used to federally controlled National Guard troops operating on their streets. Due to a ruling from an appeals court on June 19, United States President Donald Trump now has broad authority to deploy military forces in American cities.

    This is a troubling development. All presidents have held in their grasp extraordinary powers to deploy military troops domestically. But Trump stands apart with his apparent keen interest in manufacturing false emergencies to exploit extraordinary power.

    An 1878 law called the Posse Comitatus Act restricts using the military for domestic law enforcement. The broader principle being challenged by Trump’s actions in L.A. is the norm of the military not being allowed to interfere in the affairs of civilian governance.

    Injunctions and appeals

    Five months into Trump’s presidency, L.A. has been targeted for aggressive immigration enforcement. In their pluralistic city where dozens of languages and nationalities peacefully co-exist, some Angelenos believe the city is experiencing an attack on its most essential social fabric.

    On June 7, Trump acted under United States Code Title 10 provisions to take over command and control of California’s National Guard. Federalized military forces were deployed.

    The objective was to counter what Trump argued was a form of rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States. In fact, these “rebellions” were largely peaceful protests in downtown L.A.

    On June 9, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted an injunction restraining the president’s use of military force in L.A. The court order supported Gov. Gavin Newsom’s contention that Trump overstepped his authority.

    On June 19, a decision from a panel of judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned the injunction.

    What this means at the moment is that Trump does not have to return control of the troops to Newsom. California has options to continue litigation by asking the Federal Appeals Court to rehear the matter, or perhaps directly asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.

    Moving toward authoritarianism

    Trump’s June 7 memorandum facilitating his move to overrule Newsom’s authority and seize control of 2,000 National Guard troops was based on the president defining his own so-called emergency.

    He claimed incidents of violence and disorder following aggressive immigration enforcement amounted to a form of rebellion against the U.S.

    As Trump flexes his emergency power might, his second term has been called the 911 presidency. He has used extraordinary emergency powers at a pace well beyond his predecessors, pressing the limits to address his administration’s supposed sense of serious perils overtaking the nation.

    Issues arise when the level of actual danger locally is not at all representative of what the president suggests is a full-scale national emergency. For example, demonstrations over immigration raids occupied only a tiny parcel of real estate in L.A.’s huge metropolitan area. A Los Angeles-based rebellion against the U.S. was not occurring.

    As dissent over aggressive immigration enforcement actions grew, localized clashes with law enforcement did occur. Mutual aid surged into Los Angeles, where neighbouring California law enforcement agencies acted to assist one another. The law enforcement challenges never rose to the level of the governor of California requesting additional federal support.

    Shortly after the federal government took over the California National Guard, Newsom said the move was purposefully inflammatory.

    In addition to declaring dubious emergencies to amass power, stoking violence is a characteristic of authoritarian rulers. Creating fear, division and feelings of insecurity can lead to community crises. Trump did not need to wait for a crisis; it seems he simply invented one.

    No guardrails

    The expression “out of kilter” comes to mind as Trump inches closer to invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807. If so, the situation will look quite similar in practice to what is happening now in Los Angeles.

    Five years ago, Trump flirted with invoking the Insurrection Act during Black Lives Matter unrest in Washington, D.C., in and around Lafayette Park.

    As recent L.A. protests intensified, Trump stated: “We’re going to have troops everywhere.”

    Currently, there are few guardrails in place to prevent a rogue president from misusing the military in domestic civilian affairs. Trump has been coy about whether he would tap into the greater powers available to him under the Insurrection Act.

    Real emergencies presenting existential threats to America do persist. Nuclear proliferation, climate change and pandemics need serious leaders. But politically exploiting last-resort emergency laws designed to provide options to deal with genuine existential threats — not to weaponize them against protesters demonstrating against public policy — is absurd.

    Jack L. Rozdilsky receives support for research communication and public scholarship from York University. He also has received research support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

    – ref. Appeals court ruling grants Donald Trump broad powers to deploy troops to American cities – https://theconversation.com/appeals-court-ruling-grants-donald-trump-broad-powers-to-deploy-troops-to-american-cities-258894

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: To spur the construction of affordable, resilient homes, the future is concrete

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Pablo Moyano Fernández, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Washington University in St. Louis

    A modular, precast system of concrete ‘rings’ can be connected in different ways to build a range of models of energy-efficient homes. Pablo Moyano Fernández, CC BY-SA

    Wood is, by far, the most common material used in the U.S. for single-family home construction.

    But wood construction isn’t engineered for long-term durability, and it often underperforms, particularly in the face of increasingly common extreme weather events.

    In response to these challenges, I believe mass-produced concrete homes can offer affordable, resilient housing in the U.S. By leveraging the latest innovations of the precast concrete industry, this type of homebuilding can meet the needs of a changing world.

    Wood’s rise to power

    Over 90% of the new homes built in the U.S. rely on wood framing.

    Wood has deep historical roots as a building material in the U.S., dating back to the earliest European settlers who constructed shelters using the abundant native timber. One of the most recognizable typologies was the log cabin, built from large tree trunks notched at the corners for structural stability.

    Log cabins were popular in the U.S. during the 18th and 19th centuries.
    Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

    In the 1830s, wood construction underwent a significant shift with the introduction of balloon framing. This system used standardized, sawed lumber and mass-produced nails, allowing much smaller wood components to replace the earlier heavy timber frames. It could be assembled by unskilled labor using simple tools, making it both accessible and economical.

    In the early 20th century, balloon framing evolved into platform framing, which became the dominant method. By using shorter lumber lengths, platform framing allowed each floor to be built as a separate working platform, simplifying construction and improving its efficiency.

    The proliferation and evolution of wood construction helped shape the architectural and cultural identity of the nation. For centuries, wood-framed houses have defined the American idea of home – so much so that, even today, when Americans imagine a house, they typically envision one built of wood.

    A suburban housing development from the 1950s being built with platform framing.
    H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock via Getty Images

    Today, light-frame wood construction dominates the U.S. residential market.

    Wood is relatively affordable and readily available, offering a cost-effective solution for homebuilding. Contractors are familiar with wood construction techniques. In addition, building codes and regulations have long been tailored to wood-frame systems, further reinforcing their prevalence in the housing industry.

    Despite its advantages, wood light-frame construction presents several important limitations. Wood is vulnerable to fire. And in hurricane- and tornado-prone regions, wood-framed homes can be damaged or destroyed.

    Wood is also highly susceptible to water-related issues, such as swelling, warping and structural deterioration caused by leaks or flooding. Vulnerability to termites, mold, rot and mildew further compromise the longevity and safety of wood-framed structures, especially in humid or poorly ventilated environments.

    The case for concrete

    Meanwhile, concrete has revolutionized architecture and engineering over the past century. In my academic work, I’ve studied, written and taught about the material’s many advantages.

    The material offers unmatched strength and durability, while also allowing design flexibility and versatility. It’s low-cost and low-maintenance, and it has high thermal mass properties, which refers to the material’s ability to absorb and store heat during the day, and slowly release it during the cooler nights. This can lower heating and cooling costs.

    Properly designed concrete enclosures offer exceptional performance against a wide range of hazards. Concrete can withstand fire, flooding, mold, insect infestation, earthquakes, hail, hurricanes and tornadoes.

    It’s commonly used for home construction in many parts of the world, such as Europe, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, as well as India and other parts of Southeast Asia.

    However, despite their multiple benefits, concrete single-family homes are rare in the U.S.

    That’s because most concrete structures are built using a process called cast-in-place. In this technique, the concrete is formed and poured directly at the construction site. The method relies on built-in-place molds. After the concrete is cast and cured over several days, the formwork is removed.

    This process is labor-intensive and time-consuming, and it often produces considerable waste. This is particularly an issue in the U.S., where labor is more expensive than in other parts of the world. The material and labor cost can be as high as 35% to 60% of the total construction cost.

    Portland cement, the binding agent in concrete, requires significant energy to produce, resulting in considerable carbon dioxide emissions. However, this environmental cost is often offset by concrete’s durability and long service life.

    Concrete’s design flexibility and structural integrity make it particularly effective for large-scale structures. So in the U.S., you’ll see it used for large commercial buildings, skyscrapers and most highways, bridges, dams and other critical infrastructure projects.

    But when it comes to single-family homes, cast-in-place concrete poses challenges to contractors. There are the higher initial construction costs, along with a lack of subcontractor expertise. For these reasons, most builders and contractors stick with what they know: the wood frame.

    A new model for home construction

    Precast concrete, however, offers a promising alternative.

    Unlike cast-in-place concrete, precast systems allow for off-site manufacturing under controlled conditions. This improves the quality of the structure, while also reducing waste and labor.

    The CRETE House, a prototype I worked on in 2017 alongside a team at Washington University in St. Louis, showed the advantages of a precast home construction.

    To build the precast concrete home, we used ultra-high-performance concrete, one of the latest advances in the concrete industry. Compared with conventional concrete, it’s about six times stronger, virtually impermeable and more resistant to freeze-thaw cycles. Ultra-high-performance concrete can last several hundred years.

    The strength of the CRETE House was tested by shooting a piece of wood at 120 mph (193 kph) to simulate flying debris from an F5 tornado. It was unable to breach the wall, which was only 2 inches (5.1 centimeters) thick.

    The wall of the CRETE House was able to withstand a piece of wood fired at 120 mph (193 kph).

    Building on the success of the CRETE House, I designed the Compact House as a solution for affordable, resilient housing. The house consists of a modular, precast concrete system of “rings” that can be connected to form the entire structure – floors, walls and roofs – creating airtight, energy-efficient homes. A series of different rings can be chosen from a catalog to deliver different models that can range in size from 270 to 990 square feet (25 to 84 square meters).

    The precast rings can be transported on flatbed trailers and assembled into a unit in a single day, drastically reducing on-site labor, time and cost.

    Since they’re built using durable concrete forms, the house can be easily mass-produced. When precast concrete homes are mass-produced, the cost can be competitive with traditional wood-framed homes. Furthermore, the homes are designed to last far beyond 100 years – much longer than typical wood structures – while significantly lowering utility bills, maintenance expenses and insurance premiums.

    The project is also envisioned as an open-source design. This means that the molds – which are expensive – are available for any precast producer to use and modify.

    The Compact House is made using ultra-high-performance concrete.
    Pablo Moyano Fernández, CC BY-SA

    Leveraging a network that’s already in place

    Two key limitations of precast concrete construction are the size and weight of the components and the distance to the project site.

    Precast elements must comply with standard transportation regulations, which impose restrictions on both size and weight in order to pass under bridges and prevent road damage. As a result, components are typically limited to dimensions that can be safely and legally transported by truck. Each of the Compact House’s pieces are small enough to be transported in standard trailers.

    Additionally, transportation costs become a major factor beyond a certain range. In general, the practical delivery radius from a precast plant to a construction site is 500 miles (805 kilometers). Anything beyond that becomes economically unfeasible.

    However, the infrastructure to build precast concrete homes is already largely in place. Since precast concrete is often used for office buildings, schools, parking complexes and large apartments buildings, there’s already an extensive national network of manufacturing plants capable of producing and delivering components within that 500-mile radius.

    There are other approaches to build homes with concrete: Homes can use concrete masonry units, which are similar to cinder blocks. This is a common technique around the world. Insulated concrete forms involve rigid foam blocks that are stacked like Lego bricks and are then filled with poured concrete, creating a structure with built-in insulation. And there’s even 3D-printed concrete, a rapidly evolving technology that is in its early stages of development.

    However, none of these use precast concrete modules – the rings in my prototypes – and therefore require substantially longer on-site time and labor.

    To me, precast concrete homes offer a compelling vision for the future of affordable housing. They signal a generational shift away from short-term construction and toward long-term value – redefining what it means to build for resilience, efficiency and equity in housing.

    An image of North St. Louis, taken from Google Earth, showing how vacant land can be repurposed using precast concrete homes.
    Pablo Moyano Fernández, CC BY-SA

    This article is part of a series centered on envisioning ways to deal with the housing crisis.

    Pablo Moyano Fernández 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. To spur the construction of affordable, resilient homes, the future is concrete – https://theconversation.com/to-spur-the-construction-of-affordable-resilient-homes-the-future-is-concrete-254561

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: No country for old business owners: Economic shifts create a growing challenge for America’s aging entrepreneurs

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nancy Forster-Holt, Clinical Associate Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Rhode Island

    Americans love small businesses. We dedicate a week each year to applauding them, and spend Small Business Saturday shopping locally. Yet hiding in plain sight is an enormous challenge facing small business owners as they age: retiring with dignity and foresight. The current economic climate is making this even more difficult.

    As a professor who studies aging and business, I’ve long viewed small business owners’ retirement challenges as a looming crisis. The issue is now front and center for millions of entrepreneurs approaching retirement. Small enterprises make up more than half of all privately held U.S. companies, and for many of their owners, the business is their retirement plan.

    But while owners often hope to finance their golden years by selling their companies, only 20% of small businesses are ready for sale even in good times, according to the Exit Planning Institute. And right now, conditions are far from ideal. An economic stew of inflation, supply chain instability and high borrowing costs means that interest from potential buyers is cooling.

    For many business owners, retirement isn’t a distant concern. In the U.S., baby boomers – who are currently 61 to 79 years old – own about 2.3 million businesses. Altogether, they generate about US$5 billion in revenue and employ almost 25 million people. These entrepreneurs have spent decades building businesses that often are deeply rooted in their communities. They don’t have time to ride out economic chaos, and their optimism is at a 50-year low.

    New policies, new challenges

    You can’t blame them for being gloomy. Recent policy shifts have only made life harder for business owners nearing retirement. Trade instability, whipsawing tariff announcements and disrupted supply chains have eroded already thin margins. Some businesses – generally larger ones with more negotiating power – are absorbing extra costs rather than passing them on to shoppers. Others have no choice but to raise prices, to customers’ dismay. Inflation has further squeezed profits.

    At the same time, with a few notable exceptions, buyers and capital have grown scarce. Acquirers and liquidity have dried up across many sectors. The secondary market – a barometer of broader investor appetite – now sees more sellers than buyers. These are textbook symptoms of a “flight to safety,” a market shift that drags out sale timelines and depresses valuations – all while Main Street business owners age out. These entrepreneurs typically have one shot at retirement – if any.

    Adding to these woes, many small businesses are part of what economists call regional “clusters,” providing services to nearby universities, hospitals and local governments. When those anchor institutions face budget cuts – as is happening now – small business vendors are often the first to feel the impact.

    Research shows that many aging owners actually double down in weak economic times, sinking increasing amounts of time and money in a psychological pattern known as “escalating commitment.” The result is a troubling phenomenon scholars refer to as “benign entrapment.” Aging entrepreneurs can remain attached to their businesses not because they want to, but because they see no viable exit.

    This growing crisis isn’t about bad personal planning — it’s a systemic failure.

    Rewriting the playbook on small business policy

    A key mistake that policymakers make is to lump all small business owners together into one group. That causes them to overlook important differences. After all, a 68-year-old carpenter trying to retire doesn’t have much in common with a 28-year-old tech founder pitching a startup. Policymakers may cheer for high-growth “unicorns,” but they often overlook the “cows and horses” that keep local economies running.

    Even among older business owners, circumstances vary based on local conditions. Two retiring carpenters in different towns may face vastly different prospects based on the strength of their local economies. No business, and no business owner, exists in a vacuum.

    A small business owner in Rochester, Vt., discusses the challenges of retirement in a news segment from WCAX-TV.

    Relatedly, when small businesses fail to transition, it can have consequences for the local economy. Without a buyer, many enterprises will simply shut down. And while closures can be long-planned and thoughtful, when a business closes suddenly, it’s not just the owner who loses. Employees are left scrambling for work. Suppliers lose contracts. Communities lose essential services.

    Four ways to help aging entrepreneurs

    That’s why I think policymakers should reimagine how they support small businesses, especially owners nearing the end of their careers.

    First, small business policy should be tailored to age. A retirement-ready business shouldn’t be judged solely by its growth potential. Rather, policies should recognize stability and community value as markers of success. The U.S. Small Business Administration and regional agencies can provide resources specifically for retirement planning that starts early in a business’s life, to include how to increase the value of the business and a plan to attract acquirers in later stages.

    Second, exit infrastructure should be built into local entrepreneurial ecosystems. Entrepreneurial ecosystems are built to support business entry – think incubators and accelerators – but not for exit. In other words, just like there are accelerators for launching businesses, there should be programs to support winding them down. These could include confidential peer forums, retirement-readiness clinics, succession matchmaking platforms and flexible financing options for acquisition.

    Third, chaos isn’t good for anybody. Fluctuations in capital gains taxes, estate tax thresholds and tariffs make planning difficult and reduce business value in the eyes of potential buyers. Stability encourages confidence on both sides of a transaction.

    And finally, policymakers should include ripple-effect analysis in budget decisions. When universities, hospitals or governments cut spending, small business vendors often absorb much of the shock. Policymakers should account for these downstream impacts when shaping local and federal budgets.

    If we want to truly support small businesses and their owners, it’s important to honor the lifetime arc of entrepreneurship – not just the launch and growth, but the retirement, too.

    Nancy Forster-Holt 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. No country for old business owners: Economic shifts create a growing challenge for America’s aging entrepreneurs – https://theconversation.com/no-country-for-old-business-owners-economic-shifts-create-a-growing-challenge-for-americas-aging-entrepreneurs-254537

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How the end of carbon capture could spark a new industrial revolution

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Andres Clarens, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Virginia

    Steelmaking uses a lot of energy, making it one of the highest greenhouse gas-emitting industries.
     David McNew/Getty Images

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s decision to claw back US$3.7 billion in grants from industrial demonstration projects may create an unexpected opening for American manufacturing.

    Many of the grant recipients were deploying carbon capture and storage – technologies that are designed to prevent industrial carbon pollution from entering the atmosphere by capturing it and injecting it deep underground. The approach has long been considered critical for reducing the contributions chemicals, cement production and other heavy industries make to climate change.

    However, the U.S. policy reversal could paradoxically accelerate emissions cuts from the industrial sector.

    An emissions reality check

    Heavy industry is widely viewed as the toughest part of the economy to clean up.

    The U.S. power sector has made progress, cutting emissions 35% since 2005 as coal-fired power plants were replaced with cheaper natural gas, solar and wind energy. More than 93% of new grid capacity installed in the U.S. in 2025 was forecast to be solar, wind and batteries. In transportation, electric vehicles are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. automotive market and will lead to meaningful reductions in pollution.

    But U.S. industrial emissions have been mostly unchanged, in part because of the massive amount of coal, gas and oil required to make steel, concrete, aluminum, glass and chemicals. Together these materials account for about 22% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

    The global industrial landscape is changing, though, and U.S. industries cannot, in isolation, expect that yesterday’s means of production will be able to compete in a global marketplace.

    Even without domestic mandates to reduce their emissions, U.S. industries face powerful economic pressures. The EU’s new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism imposes a tax on the emissions associated with imported steel, chemicals, cement and aluminum entering European markets. Similar policies are being considered by Canada, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the United Kingdom, and were even floated in the United States.

    The false promise of carbon capture

    The appeal of carbon capture and storage, in theory, was that it could be bolted on to an existing factory with minimal changes to the core process and the carbon pollution would go away.

    Government incentives for carbon capture allow producers to keep using polluting technologies and prop up gas-powered chemical production or coal-powered concrete production.

    The Trump administration’s pullback of carbon capture and storage grants now removes some of these artificial supports.

    Without the expectation that carbon capture will help them meet regulations, this may create space to focus on materials breakthroughs that could revolutionize manufacturing while solving industries’ emissions problems.

    The materials innovation opportunity

    So, what might emissions-lowering innovation look like for industries such as cement, steel and chemicals? As a civil and environmental engineer who has worked on federal industrial policy, I study the ways these industries intersect with U.S. economic competitiveness and our built environment.

    There are many examples of U.S. innovation to be excited about. Consider just a few industries:

    Cement: Cement is one of the most widely used materials on Earth, but the technology has changed little over the past 150 years. Today, its production generates roughly 8% of total global carbon pollution. If cement production were a country, it would rank third globally after China and the United States.

    Researchers are looking at ways to make concrete that can shed heat or be lighter in weight to significantly reduce the cost of building and cooling a home. Sublime Systems developed a way to produce cement with electricity instead of coal or gas. The company lost its IDP grant in May 2025, but it has a new agreement with Microsoft.

    Making concrete do more could accelerate the transition. Researchers at Stanford and separately at MIT are developing concrete that can act as a capacitor and store over 10 kilowatt-hours of energy per cubic meter. Such materials could potentially store electricity from your solar roof or allow for roadways that can charge cars in motion.

    How concrete could be used as a capacitor. MIT.

    Technologies like these could give U.S. companies a competitive advantage while lowering emissions. Heat-shedding concrete cuts air conditioning demand, lighter formulations require less material per structure, and energy-storing concrete could potentially replace carbon-intensive battery manufacturing.

    Steel and iron: Steel and iron production generate about 7% of global emissions with centuries-old blast furnace processes that use intense heat to melt iron ore and burn off impurities. A hydrogen-based steelmaking alternative exists today that emits only water vapor, but it requires new supply chains, infrastructure and production techniques.

    U.S. Steel has been developing techniques to create stronger microstructures within steel for constructing structures with 50% less material and more strength than conventional designs. When a skyscraper needs that much less steel to achieve the same structural integrity, that eliminates millions of tons of iron ore mining, coal-fired blast furnace operations and transportation emissions.

    Chemicals: Chemical manufacturing has created simultaneous crises over the past 50 years: PFAS “forever chemicals” and microplastics have been showing up in human blood and across ecosystems, and the industry generates a large share of U.S. industrial emissions.

    Companies are developing ways to produce chemicals using engineered enzymes instead of traditional petrochemical processes, achieving 90% lower emissions in a way that could reduce production costs. These bio-based chemicals can naturally biodegrade, and the chemical processes operate at room temperature instead of requiring high heat that uses a lot of energy.

    Is there a silver bullet without carbon capture?

    While carbon capture and storage might not be the silver bullet for reducing emissions that many people thought it would be, new technologies for managing industrial heat might turn out to be the closest thing to one.

    Most industrial processes require temperatures between 300 and 1830 degrees Fahrenheit (150 and 1000 degrees Celsisus for everything from food processing to steel production. Currently, industries burn fossil fuels directly to generate this heat, creating emissions that electric alternatives cannot easily replace. Heat batteries may offer a breakthrough solution by storing renewable electricity as thermal energy, then releasing that heat on demand for industrial processes.

    How thermal batteries work. CNBC.

    Companies such as Rondo Energy are developing systems that store wind and solar power in bricklike materials heated to extreme temperatures. Essentially, they convert electricity into heat during times when electricity is abundant, usually at night. A manufacturing facility can later use that heat, which allows it to reduce energy costs and improve grid reliability by not drawing power at the busiest times. The Trump administration cut funding for projects working with Rondo’s technology, but the company’s products are being tested in other countries.

    Industrial heat pumps provide another pathway by amplifying waste heat to reach the high temperatures manufacturing requires, without using as much fossil fuel.

    The path forward

    The Department of Energy’s decision forces industrial America into a defining moment. One path leads backward toward pollution-intensive business as usual propping up obsolete processes. The other path drives forward through innovation.

    Carbon capture offered an expensive Band-Aid on old technology. Investing in materials innovation and new techniques for making them promises fundamental transformation for the future.

    Andres Clarens receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Alfred P Sloan Foundation.

    – ref. How the end of carbon capture could spark a new industrial revolution – https://theconversation.com/how-the-end-of-carbon-capture-could-spark-a-new-industrial-revolution-257894

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: I’m an expert in crafting public health messages: Here are 3 marketing strategies I use to make Philadelphia healthier

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Sarah Bauerle Bass, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University

    A comic book produced for Black transgender women in Philadelphia explains the benefits of using PrEP to prevent HIV infection. Wriply Bennet for the Risk Communication Laboratory, Temple University

    In Philadelphia, the leading causes of death are heart disease, cancer and unintentional drug overdose. While some of these deaths are caused by things out of our control – like genetics – many are largely preventable.

    Preventable deaths are the result of a series of decisions. Whether a person decides to smoke, eat lots of fried foods or be a couch potato, their decisions – sometimes unconsciously – can affect their health.

    I’m a health communication expert and public health researcher at Temple University in North Philadelphia. I began working in public health in the late 1980s at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and before that I worked in marketing and public relations. I have spent my career thinking about how health decisions are like many of the decisions consumers make each day around which products to buy.

    One key difference with health decisions is the inherent risks involved. There isn’t much risk in trying a new brand of cereal, but there is risk in riding a motorcycle without a helmet.

    Many people have a “that won’t happen to me” attitude when making a decision that involves risk. This element of “risk perception” has guided my interest in health decisions and how to use commercial marketing techniques – the same ones companies use to sell products – to encourage people to get vaccinated, get a colonoscopy or get treated for a medical condition.

    Temple students involved in the RapidVax project talk to Kensington residents about COVID-19 vaccinations during the pandemic.
    Temple University College of Public Health

    Breaking demographics into psychographics

    One strategy I use is segmentation analysis.

    Segmentation analysis is the process of looking at groups of people who may look like they are all similar on the surface – such as Black women from North Philadelphia – and then breaking them into smaller groups based on differences in their attitudes, beliefs or behaviors.

    Looking at these “psychographics” instead of demographics like age or sex can help public health communication researchers better understand how to communicate effectively.

    For example, I led a study in 2021 that looked at how connected transgender women living in Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area felt to other members of the trans community. We wanted to see if messaging about PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, the medication used to prevent HIV infection, would need to be different depending on how connected they felt.

    We found that participants who were more engaged with the trans community were not only more knowledgeable about PrEP, but they were also more likely to see the benefits of using it compared with those who were less engaged.

    This indicates that strategies to reach those not as connected may need to include, for example, providing more basic information about what PrEP is and how it works.

    An example of perceptual mapping that shows different attitudes and beliefs around the HIV prevention medication PrEP.
    Temple University College of Public Health

    Mathematical models and 3D maps

    Another powerful marketing tool that I use is a process known as perceptual mapping and vector message modeling.

    Using simple survey answers, we can mathematically model how people are thinking about a health decision and present it in a three-dimensional map.

    Similar to how someone might think about the relationship between where cities or countries are in relation to each other – such as where Philadelphia is in relation to New York or Chicago – we can take answers from a survey and convert them into distances. We ask people to agree or disagree to statements about the benefits or barriers to a decision and enter their responses into a computer program to create the map.

    We can then do vector message modeling, which shows how to move the group toward the desired decision.

    Think back to high school physics when you may have learned about the amount of force, or pushing and pulling, needed to move one object toward another. Vector message modeling helps us figure out which beliefs to push or pull against to get the group to move toward a particular decision, and it helps us create the most persuasive messages for that group.

    When we use vector modeling along with segmentation analysis, we can also compare how messaging may need to be similar or different for different groups.

    For example, I used segmentation analysis and then perceptual mapping and vector message modeling to understand how medical mistrust might affect the decision to get vaccinated for COVID-19 among a group of Philadelphians who had not yet been vaccinated.

    Education materials created after using commercial marketing techniques to identify persuasive messages about COVID-19 booster shots.
    Temple University College of Public Health

    Our team then looked at perceptual maps and vector message modeling by levels of mistrust. The vectors showed that those with high levels of medical mistrust would be more likely to respond to messages that addressed concerns about the pandemic being a hoax, or the worry that minorities wouldn’t get the same treatment as others.

    This allowed us to think about how to build in messages around those issues in public media campaigns or other communication strategies that encourage vaccination.

    Decision-making tools

    I have used these methods to create and test a number of different communication strategies to influence health decisions.

    For example, I’ve developed web-based tools that have been used in hospitals and clinics in Philadelphia to encourage methadone patients with hepatitis C to receive antiviral treatment for their infection, Black cancer patients to take part in a clinical trial or to get genetic testing, and patients with low literacy and higher risk of colorectal cancer to have a colonoscopy.

    Staff members from the Risk Communication Laboratory organize materials to educate North Philadelphia residents about COVID-19 booster shots.
    Temple University College of Public Health

    My colleagues and I have also developed posters, booklets and social media posts that encourage low-income and vaccine-hesitant Philadelphians in Kensington to get COVID-19 booster shots; educational slides for low-literacy Philadelphia adults on dirty bombs and how the radioactive weapons might be used in a terror attack; and a comic book for trans women to learn about the benefits of PrEP use.

    Getting people to make better decisions about their health can be an uphill battle. We all have our reasons for not doing things that are good for us. For example, what did you eat for lunch today? Was it healthy? If not, why did you eat it?

    My job is to figure out what makes people do what they do, and then help them make decisions that keep them healthy.

    Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.

    Sarah Bauerle Bass has received funding from a number of organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Departments of Health, and independent pharma research grants from Gilead and Merck.

    – ref. I’m an expert in crafting public health messages: Here are 3 marketing strategies I use to make Philadelphia healthier – https://theconversation.com/im-an-expert-in-crafting-public-health-messages-here-are-3-marketing-strategies-i-use-to-make-philadelphia-healthier-254905

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: 3 years after abortion rights were overturned, contraception access is at risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cynthia H. Chuang, Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Penn State

    Women living in states that ban or severely restrict abortion may be especially motivated to avoid unintended pregnancy. Viktoriya Skorikova/Moment via Getty Images

    On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization eliminated a nearly 50-year constitutional right to abortion and returned the authority to regulate abortion to the states.

    The Dobbs ruling, which overturned Roe v. Wade, has vastly reshaped the national abortion landscape. Three years on, many states have severely restricted access to abortion care. But the decision has also had a less well-recognized outcome: It is increasingly jeopardizing access to contraception.

    We are a physician scientist and a sociologist and health services researcher studying women’s health care and policy, including access to contraception. We see a worrisome situation emerging.

    Even while the growing limits on abortion in the U.S. heighten the need for effective contraception, family planning providers are less available in many states, and health insurance coverage of some of the most effective types of contraception is at risk.

    A growing demand for contraception

    Abortion restrictions have proliferated around the country since the Dobbs decision. As of June 2025, 12 states have near-total abortion bans and 10 states ban abortion before 23 or 24 weeks of gestation, which is when a fetus is generally deemed viable. Of the remaining states, 19 restrict abortion after viability and nine states and Washington have no gestational limits.

    It’s no surprise that women living in states that ban or severely restrict abortion may be especially motivated to avoid unintended pregnancy. Even planned pregnancies have grown riskier, with health care providers fearing legal repercussions for treating pregnancy-related medical emergencies such as miscarriages. Such concerns may in part explain emerging research that suggests the use of long-acting contraception such as intrauterine devices, or IUDs, and permanent contraception – namely, sterilization – are on the rise.

    A national survey conducted in 2024 asked women ages 18 to 49 if they have changed their contraception practices “as a result of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.” It found that close to 1 in 5 women began using contraception for the first time, switched to a more effective contraceptive method, received a sterilization procedure or purchased emergency contraception to keep on hand.

    The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs reshaped the landscape of abortion access across the U.S.

    A study in Ohio hospitals found a nearly 16% increase in women choosing long-acting contraception methods or sterilization in the six months after the Dobbs decision, and a 33% jump in men receiving vasectomies. Another study, which looked at both female and male sterilization in academic medical centers across the country, also reported an uptick in sterilization procedures for young adults ages 18 to 30 after the Dobbs decision, through 2023.

    A loss of contraception providers

    Ironically, banning or severely restricting abortion statewide may also diminish capacity to provide contraception.

    To date, there is no compelling evidence that OB-GYN doctors are leaving states with strict abortion laws in significant numbers. One study found that states with severe abortion restrictions saw a 4.2% decrease in such practitioners compared with states without abortion restrictions.

    However, the Association of American Medical Colleges reports declining applications to residency training programs located in states that have abortion bans – not just for OB-GYN training programs, but for residency training of all specialties. This drop suggests that doctors may be overall less likely to train in states that restrict medical practice. And given that physicians often stay on to practice in the states where they do their training, it may point to a long-term decline in physicians in those states.

    But the most significant drop in contraceptive services likely comes from the closure of abortion clinics in states with the most restrictive abortion policies. That’s because such clinics generally provide a wide range of reproductive services, including contraception. The 12 states with near-total abortion bans had 57 abortion clinics in 2020, all of which were closed as of March 2024. One study reported a 4.1% decline in oral contraceptives dispensed in those states.

    Contraception under threat

    The Dobbs decision has also encouraged ongoing efforts to incorrectly redefine some of the most effective contraceptives as medications that cause abortion. These efforts target emergency contraceptive pills, known as Plan B over-the-counter and Ella by prescription, as well as certain IUDs. Emergency contraceptive pills are up to 98% effective at preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex, and IUDs are 99% effective.

    Neither method terminates a pregnancy, which by definition begins when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus. Instead, emergency contraceptive pills prevent an egg from being released from the ovaries, while IUDs, depending on the type, prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg or prevent an egg from implanting in the uterus.

    Conflating contraception and abortion spreads misinformation and causes confusion. People who believe that certain types of contraception cause abortions may be dissuaded from using those methods and rely on less effective methods. What’s more, it may affect health insurance coverage.

    Medicaid, which provides health insurance for low-income children and adults, has been required to cover family planning services at no cost to patients since 1972. Since 2012, the Affordable Care Act has required private health insurers to cover certain women’s health preventive services at no cost to patients, including the full-range of contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

    According to our research, the insurance coverage required by the Affordable Care Act has increased use of IUDs, which can be prohibitively expensive when paid out of pocket. But if IUDs and emergency contraceptive pills were reclassified as interventions that induce abortion, they likely would not be covered by Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act, since neither type of health insurance requires coverage for abortion care. Thus, access to some of the most effective contraceptive methods could be jeopardized at a time when the right to terminate an unintended or nonviable pregnancy has been rolled back in much of the country.

    Indeed, Project 2025, the conservative policy agenda that the Trump administration appears to be following, specifically calls for removing Ella from the Affordable Care Act contraception coverage mandate because it is a “potential abortifacient.” And politicians in multiple states have expressed support for the idea of restricting these contraceptive methods, as well as contraception more broadly.

    On the third anniversary of the Dobbs decision, it is clear that its ripple effects include threats to contraception. Considering that contraception use is almost universal among women in their reproductive years, in our view these threats should be taken seriously.

    Cynthia H. Chuang receives funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

    Carol S. Weisman 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. 3 years after abortion rights were overturned, contraception access is at risk – https://theconversation.com/3-years-after-abortion-rights-were-overturned-contraception-access-is-at-risk-258458

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The sleeper Supreme Court decision that could have profound impacts on the Trump administration agenda – and restore faith in the high court

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ray Brescia, Associate Dean for Research and Intellectual Life, Albany Law School

    The Trump administration has tried to punish or suppress speech and opposition to administration policies. Baac3nes/Getty Images

    The American public’s trust in the Supreme Court has fallen precipitously over the past decade. Many across the political spectrum see the court as too political.

    This view is only strengthened when Americans see most of the justices of the court dividing along ideological lines on decisions related to some of the most hot-button issues the court handles. Those include reproductive rights, voting rights, corporate power, environmental protection, student loan policy, worker rights and LGBTQ+ rights.

    But there is one recent decision where the court was unanimous in its ruling, perhaps because its holding should not be controversial: National Rifle Association v. Vullo. In that 2024 case, the court said that it’s a clear violation of the First Amendment’s free speech provisions for government to force people to speak and act in ways that are aligned with its policies.

    The second Trump administration has tried to wield executive branch power in ways that appear to punish or suppress speech and opposition to administration policy priorities. Many of those attempts have been legally challenged and will likely make their way to the Supreme Court.

    The somewhat under-the-radar – yet incredibly important – decision in National Rifle Association v. Vullo is likely to figure prominently in Supreme Court rulings in a slew of those cases in the coming months and years, including those involving law firms, universities and the Public Broadcasting Service.

    That’s because, in my view as a legal scholar, they are all First Amendment cases.

    Will the Supreme Court continue to protect free speech rights, as it did unanimously in 2024?
    Geoff Livingston/Getty Images

    Why the NRA sued a New York state official

    In May 2024, in an opinion written by reliably liberal Sonia Sotomayor, a unanimous court ruled that the efforts of New York state government officials to punish companies doing business with the NRA constituted clear violations of the First Amendment.

    Following its own precedent from the 1960s, Bantam Books v. Sullivan, the court found that government officials “cannot attempt to coerce private parties in order to punish or suppress views that the government disfavors.”

    Many of the current targets of the Trump administration’s actions have claimed similar suppression of their First Amendment rights by the government. They have fought back, filing lawsuits that often cite the National Rifle Association v. Vullo decision in their efforts.

    To date, the most egregious examples of actions that violate the principles announced by the court – the executive orders against law firms – have largely been halted in the lower courts, with those decisions often citing what’s now known as the Vullo decision.

    While these cases may still be working their way through the lower courts, it is likely that the Supreme Court will ultimately consider legal challenges to the Trump administration’s efforts in a range of areas.

    These would include the executive orders against law firms, attempts to cut government grants and research funding from universities, potential moves to strip nonprofits of their tax-exempt status, and regulatory actions punishing media companies for what the White House believes to be unfavorable coverage.

    The court could also hear disputes over the government terminating contracts with a family of companies that provides satellite and communications support to the U.S. government generally and the military in particular.

    Despite the variety of organizations and government actions involved in these lawsuits, they all can be seen as struggles over free speech and expression, like Vullo.

    Whether it is private law firms, multinational corporations, universities or members of the media, all have one thing in common: They have all been targeted by the Trump administration for the same reason – they are engaged in actions or speech that is disfavored by President Donald Trump.

    Protecting speech, regardless of politics

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, front, took leave to help prosecute war criminals at the Nuremberg trials at the end of World War II.
    Bettman/Getty Images

    The NRA, an often-controversial gun-rights advocacy organization, was the plaintiff in the Vullo decision.

    But just because the groups that have been targeted by the Trump administration are across the political divide from the NRA does not mean the outcome in decisions relying on the court’s opinion will be different. In fact, these groups can rely on the same arguments advanced by the NRA, and are, I believe, likely to win.

    Vullo isn’t the only decision on which the court can rely when considering challenges to the Trump administration’s efforts targeting these groups.

    In the wake of World War II, Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson took a leave from the court and served as a prosecutor in the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders. Prosecuting them for their atrocities, Jackson saw how the Nuremberg defendants wielded government authority to punish enemies who resisted their rise and later opposed their rule.

    Once he returned to the court, Jackson wrote the majority opinion in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, where the court found that students who refused to salute the American flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school could not be expelled.

    Jackson’s opinion is a forceful rejection of government attempts to control what people say: “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”

    If some of the cases testing the state’s power to force fidelity to the executive branch reach the Supreme Court, the cases could offer the justices the opportunity to, once again, speak with one voice as they did in NRA v. Vullo, to demonstrate it can be evenhanded and will not play politics with the First Amendment.

    Ray Brescia 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. The sleeper Supreme Court decision that could have profound impacts on the Trump administration agenda – and restore faith in the high court – https://theconversation.com/the-sleeper-supreme-court-decision-that-could-have-profound-impacts-on-the-trump-administration-agenda-and-restore-faith-in-the-high-court-258216

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How do atoms form? A physicist explains where the atoms that make up everything around come from

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stephen L. Levy, Associate Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Astronomy, Binghamton University, State University of New York

    Many heavy atoms form from a supernova explosion, the remnants of which are shown in this image. NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team

    Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

    How do atoms form? – Joshua, age 7, Shoreview, Minnesota

    Richard Feynman, a famous theoretical physicist who won the Nobel Prize, said that if he could pass on only one piece of scientific information to future generations, it would be that all things are made of atoms.

    Understanding how atoms form is a fundamental and important question, since they make up everything with mass.

    The question of where atoms comes from requires a lot of physics to be answered completely – and even then, physicists like me only have good guesses to explain how some atoms are formed.

    What is an atom?

    An atom consists of a heavy center, called the nucleus, made of particles called protons and neutrons. An atom has lighter particles called electrons that you can think of as orbiting around the nucleus.

    The electrons each carry one unit of negative charge, the protons each carry one unit of positive charge, and the neutrons have no charge. An atom has the same number of protons as electrons, so it is neutral − it has no overall charge.

    An atom consists of positively charged protons, neutrally charged neutrons and negatively charged electrons.
    AG Caesar/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Now, most of the atoms in the universe are the two simplest kinds: hydrogen, which has one proton, zero neutrons and one electron; and helium, which has two protons, two neutrons and two electrons. Of course, on Earth there are lots of atoms besides these that are just as common, such as carbon and oxygen, but I’ll talk about those soon.

    An element is what scientists call a group of atoms that are all the same, because they all have the same number of protons.

    When did the first atoms form?

    Most of the universe’s hydrogen and helium atoms formed around 400,000 years after the Big Bang, which is the name for when scientists think the universe began, about 14 billion years ago.

    Why did they form at that time? Astronomers know from observing distant exploding stars that the size of the universe has been getting bigger since the Big Bang. When the hydrogen and helium atoms first formed, the universe was about 1,000 times smaller than it is now.

    And based on their understanding of physics, scientists believe that the universe was much hotter when it was smaller.

    Before this time, the electrons had too much energy to settle into orbits around the hydrogen and helium nuclei. So, the hydrogen and helium atoms could form only once the universe cooled down to something like 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). For historical reasons, this process is misleadingly called recombination − combination would be more descriptive.

    The helium and deuterium − a heavier form of hydrogen − nuclei formed even earlier, just a few minutes after the Big Bang, when the temperature was above 1 billion F (556 million C). Protons and neutrons can collide and form nuclei like these only at very high temperatures.

    Scientists believe that almost all the ordinary matter in the universe is made of about 90% hydrogen atoms and 8% helium atoms.

    How do more massive atoms form?

    So, the hydrogen and helium atoms formed during recombination, when the cooler temperature allowed electrons to fall into orbits. But you, I and almost everything on Earth is made of many more massive atoms than just hydrogen and helium. How were these atoms made?

    The surprising answer is that more massive atoms are made in stars. To make atoms with several protons and neutrons stuck together in the nucleus requires the type of high-energy collisions that occur in very hot places. The energy needed to form a heavier nucleus needs to be large enough to overcome the repulsive electric force that positive charges, like two protons, feel with each other.

    The immense heat and pressure in stars can form atoms through a process called fusion.
    NASA/SDO

    Protons and neutrons also have another property – kind of like a different type of charge – that is strong enough to bind them together once they are able to get very close together. This property is called the strong force, and the process that sticks these particles together is called fusion.

    Scientists believe that most of the elements from carbon up to iron are fused in stars heavier than our Sun, where the temperature can exceed 1 billion F (556 million C) – the same temperature that the universe was when it was just a few minutes old.

    This periodic table shows which astronomical processes scientists believe are responsible for forming each of the elements.
    Cmglee/Wikimedia Commons (image) and Jennifer Johnson/OSU (data), CC BY-SA

    But even in hot stars, elements heavier than iron and nickel won’t form. These require extra energy, because the heavier elements can more easily break into pieces.

    In a dramatic event called a supernova, the inner core of a heavy star suddenly collapses after it runs out of fuel to burn. During the powerful explosion this collapse triggers, elements that are heavier than iron can form and get ejected out into the universe.

    Astronomers are still figuring out the details of other fantastic stellar events that form larger atoms. For example, colliding neutron stars can release enormous amounts of energy – and elements such as gold – on their way to forming black holes.

    Understanding how atoms are made just requires learning a little general relativity, plus some nuclear, particle and atomic physics. But to complicate matters, there is other stuff in the universe that doesn’t appear to be made from normal atoms at all, called dark matter. Scientists are investigating what dark matter is and how it might form.

    Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

    And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

    Stephen L. Levy receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. He is affiliated with CyteQuest, Inc.

    – ref. How do atoms form? A physicist explains where the atoms that make up everything around come from – https://theconversation.com/how-do-atoms-form-a-physicist-explains-where-the-atoms-that-make-up-everything-around-come-from-256172

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Astronomy has a major data problem – simulating realistic images of the sky can help train algorithms

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By John Peterson, Assoc. Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University

    A simulation of a set of synthetic galaxies. Photons are sampled from these galaxies and have been simulated through the Earth’s atmosphere, a telescope and a sensor using a code called PhoSim. John Peterson/Purdue

    Professional astronomers don’t make discoveries by looking through an eyepiece like you might with a backyard telescope. Instead, they collect digital images in massive cameras attached to large telescopes.

    Just as you might have an endless library of digital photos stored in your cellphone, many astronomers collect more photos than they would ever have the time to look at. Instead, astronomers like me look at some of the images, then build algorithms and later use computers to combine and analyze the rest.

    But how can we know that the algorithms we write will work, when we don’t even have time to look at all the images? We can practice on some of the images, but one new way to build the best algorithms is to simulate some fake images as accurately as possible.

    With fake images, we can customize the exact properties of the objects in the image. That way, we can see if the algorithms we’re training can uncover those properties correctly.

    My research group and collaborators have found that the best way to create fake but realistic astronomical images is to painstakingly simulate light and its interaction with everything it encounters. Light is composed of particles called photons, and we can simulate each photon. We wrote a publicly available code to do this called the photon simulator, or PhoSim.

    The goal of the PhoSim project is to create realistic fake images that help us understand where distortions in images from real telescopes come from. The fake images help us train programs that sort through images from real telescopes. And the results from studies using PhoSim can also help astronomers correct distortions and defects in their real telescope images.

    The data deluge

    But first, why is there so much astronomy data in the first place? This is primarily due to the rise of dedicated survey telescopes. A survey telescope maps out a region on the sky rather than just pointing at specific objects.

    These observatories all have a large collecting area, a large field of view and a dedicated survey mode to collect as much light over a period of time as possible. Major surveys from the past two decades include the SDSS, Kepler, Blanco-DECam, Subaru HSC, TESS, ZTF and Euclid.

    The Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile has recently finished construction and will soon join those. Its survey begins soon after its official “first look” event on June 23, 2025. It will have a particularly strong set of survey capabilities.

    The Rubin observatory can look at a region of the sky all at once that is several times larger than the full Moon, and it can survey the entire southern celestial hemisphere every few nights.

    The Vera Rubin Observatory will take in lots of light to construct maps of the sky.
    Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA/B. Quint, CC BY-SA

    A survey can shed light on practically every topic in astronomy.

    Some of the ambitious research questions include: making measurements about dark matter and dark energy, mapping the Milky Way’s distribution of stars, finding asteroids in the solar system, building a three-dimensional map of galaxies in the universe, finding new planets outside the solar system and tracking millions of objects that change over time, including supernovas.

    All of these surveys create a massive data deluge. They generate tens of terabytes every night – that’s millions to billions of pixels collected in seconds. In the extreme case of the Rubin observatory, if you spent all day long looking at images equivalent to the size of a 4K television screen for about one second each, you’d be looking at them 25 times too slow and you’d never keep up.

    At this rate, no individual human could ever look at all the images. But automated programs can process the data.

    Astronomers don’t just survey an astronomical object like a planet, galaxy or supernova once, either. Often we measure the same object’s size, shape, brightness and position in many different ways under many different conditions.

    But more measurements do come with more complications. For example, measurements taken under certain weather conditions or on one part of the camera may disagree with others at different locations or under different conditions. Astronomers can correct these errors – called systematics – with careful calibration or algorithms, but only if we understand the reason for the inconsistency between different measurements. That’s where PhoSim comes in. Once corrected, we can use all the images and make more detailed measurements.

    Simulations: One photon at a time

    To understand the origin of these systematics, we built PhoSim, which can simulate the propagation of light particles – photons – through the Earth’s atmosphere and then into the telescope and camera.

    A simulation of photons traveling from a single star to the Vera Rubin Observatory, made using PhoSim. The layers of turbulence in the atmosphere move according to wind patterns (top middle), and the mirrors deform (top right) depending on the temperature and forces exerted on them. The photons with different wavelengths (colors) are sampled from a star, refract through the atmosphere and then interact with the telescope’s mirrors, filter and lenses. Finally, the photons eject electrons in the sensor (bottom middle) that are counted in pixels to make an image (bottom right). John Peterson/Purdue

    PhoSim simulates the atmosphere, including air turbulence, as well as distortions from the shape of the telescope’s mirrors and the electrical properties of the sensors. The photons are propagated using a variety of physics that predict what photons do when they encounter the air and the telescope’s mirrors and lenses.

    The simulation ends by collecting electrons that have been ejected by photons into a grid of pixels, to make an image.

    Representing the light as trillions of photons is computationally efficient and an application of the Monte Carlo method, which uses random sampling. Researchers used PhoSim to verify some aspects of the Rubin observatory’s design and estimate how its images would look.

    A simulations of a series of exposures of stars, galaxies and background light through the Rubin observatory using PhoSim. Photons are sampled from the objects and then interact with the Earth’s atmosphere and Rubin’s telescope and camera.
    John Peterson/Purdue

    The results are complex, but so far we’ve connected the variation in temperature across telescope mirrors directly to astigmatism – angular blurring – in the images. We’ve also studied how high-altitude turbulence in the atmosphere that can disturb light on its way to the telescope shifts the positions of stars and galaxies in the image and causes blurring patterns that correlate with the wind. We’ve demonstrated how the electric fields in telescope sensors – which are intended to be vertical – can get distorted and warp the images.

    Researchers can use these new results to correct their measurements and better take advantage of all the data that telescopes collect.

    Traditionally, astronomical analyses haven’t worried about this level of detail, but the meticulous measurements with the current and future surveys will have to. Astronomers can make the most out of this deluge of data by using simulations to achieve a deeper level of understanding.

    John Peterson 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. Astronomy has a major data problem – simulating realistic images of the sky can help train algorithms – https://theconversation.com/astronomy-has-a-major-data-problem-simulating-realistic-images-of-the-sky-can-help-train-algorithms-258786

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Neuropathic pain has no immediate cause – research on a brain receptor may help stop this hard-to-treat condition

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Pooja Shree Chettiar, Ph.D. Candidate in Medical Sciences, Texas A&M University

    Neuropathic pain is experienced both physically and emotionally. Salim Hanzaz/iStock via Getty Images

    Pain is easy to understand until it isn’t. A stubbed toe or sprained ankle hurts, but it makes sense because the cause is clear and the pain fades as you heal.

    But what if the pain didn’t go away? What if even a breeze felt like fire, or your leg burned for no reason at all? When pain lingers without a clear cause, that’s neuropathic pain.

    We are neuroscientists who study how pain circuits in the brain and spinal cord change over time. Our work focuses on the molecules that quietly reshape how pain is felt and remembered.

    We didn’t fully grasp how different neuropathic pain was from injury-related pain until we began working in a lab studying it. Patients spoke of a phantom pain that haunted them daily – unseen, unexplained and life-altering.

    These conversations shifted our focus from symptoms to mechanisms. What causes this ghost pain to persist, and how can we intervene at the molecular level to change it?

    More than just physical pain

    Neuropathic pain stems from damage to or dysfunction in the nervous system itself. The system that was meant to detect pain becomes the source of it, like a fire alarm going off without a fire. Even a soft touch or breeze can feel unbearable.

    Neuropathic pain doesn’t just affect the body – it also alters the brain. Chronic pain of this nature often leads to depression, anxiety, social isolation and a deep sense of helplessness. It can make even the most routine tasks feel unbearable.

    About 10% of the U.S. population – tens of millions of people – experience neuropathic pain, and cases are rising as the population ages. Complications from diabetes, cancer treatments or spinal cord injuries can lead to this condition. Despite its prevalence, doctors often overlook neuropathic pain because its underlying biology is poorly understood.

    Neuropathic pain can be debilitating.
    Kate Wieser/Moment via Getty Images

    There’s also an economic cost to neuropathic pain. This condition contributes to billions of dollars in health care spending, missed workdays and lost productivity. In the search for relief, many turn to opioids, a path that, as seen from the opioid epidemic, can carry its own devastating consequences through addiction.

    GluD1: A quiet but crucial player

    Finding treatments for neuropathic pain requires answering several questions. Why does the nervous system misfire in this way? What exactly causes it to rewire in ways that increase pain sensitivity or create phantom sensations? And most urgently: Is there a way to reset the system?

    This is where our lab’s work and the story of a receptor called GluD1 comes in. Short for glutamate delta-1 receptor, this protein doesn’t usually make headlines. Scientists have long considered GluD1 a biochemical curiosity, part of the glutamate receptor family, but not known to function like its relatives that typically transmit electrical signals in the brain.

    Instead, GluD1 plays a different role. It helps organize synapses, the junctions where neurons connect. Think of it as a construction foreman: It doesn’t send messages itself, but directs where connections form and how strong they become.

    This organizing role is critical in shaping the way neural circuits develop and adapt, especially in regions involved in pain and emotion. Our lab’s research suggests that GluD1 acts as a molecular architect of pain circuits, particularly in conditions like neuropathic pain where those circuits misfire or rewire abnormally. In parts of the nervous system crucial for pain processing like the spinal cord and amygdala, GluD1 may shape how people experience pain physically and emotionally.

    Fixing the misfire

    Across our work, we found that disruptions to GluD1 activity is linked to persistent pain. Restoring GluD1 activity can reduce pain. The question is, how exactly does GluD1 reshape the pain experience?

    In our first study, we discovered that GluD1 doesn’t operate solo. It teams up with a protein called cerebellin-1 to form a structure that maintains constant communication between brain cells. This structure, called a trans-synaptic bridge, can be compared to a strong handshake between two neurons. It makes sure that pain signals are appropriately processed and filtered.

    But in chronic pain, the bridge between these proteins becomes unstable and starts to fall apart. The result is chaotic. Like a group chat where everyone is talking at once and nobody can be heard clearly, neurons start to misfire and overreact. This synaptic noise turns up the brain’s pain sensitivity, both physically and emotionally. It suggests that GluD1 isn’t just managing pain signals, but also may be shaping how those signals feel.

    What if we could restore that broken connection?

    This image highlights the presence of GluD1, in green and yellow, in a neuron of the central amygdala, in red.
    Pooja Shree Chettiar and Siddhesh Sabnis/Dravid Lab at Texas A&M University, CC BY-SA

    In our second study, we injected mice with cerebellin-1 and saw that it reactivated GluD1 activity, easing their chronic pain without producing any side effects. It helped the pain processing system work again without the sedative effects or disruptions to other nerve signals that are common with opioids. Rather than just numbing the body, reactivating GluD1 activity recalibrated how the brain processes pain.

    Of course, this research is still in the early stages, far from clinical trials. But the implications are exciting: GluD1 may offer a way to repair the pain processing network itself, with fewer side effects and less risk of addiction than current treatments.

    For millions living with chronic pain, this small, peculiar receptor may open the door to a new kind of relief: one that heals the system, not just masks its symptoms.

    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. Neuropathic pain has no immediate cause – research on a brain receptor may help stop this hard-to-treat condition – https://theconversation.com/neuropathic-pain-has-no-immediate-cause-research-on-a-brain-receptor-may-help-stop-this-hard-to-treat-condition-256982

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SHU and Shandong Institute of Technology and Business agreed on cooperation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On June 23, a delegation from Shandong Institute of Technology and Business (SIITB) visited the National University of Management to sign a cooperation agreement.

    Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroev, vice-rectors Maria Karelina and Dmitry Bryukhanov and director of the Institute of Marketing Gennady Azoev introduced the guests to the history of the university and the main areas in which cooperation is possible.

    “Our university has been training management personnel for various areas of the economy for over 100 years. We have both a humanitarian and a technical component of training. In addition, many students independently study Chinese, as they see more prospects in it than in English. GUU is actively developing cooperation with the People’s Republic of China: our university has a center for social, political and economic research in China, and last year we conducted an internship for 50 graduates of the presidential program for training management personnel in China,” Vladimir Stroyev noted.

    Rector of SHITB Tao Hu spoke about the history and capabilities of his university, noting the presence of similar positions and interests:

    “Thank you for the invitation, you have a very beautiful university. We are pleased that the interaction between our countries and our universities is developing. Since 1985, the Shandong Institute has been training personnel, primarily in the field of economics. And we really value international cooperation. I am sure that we will be able to work well on joint projects.”

    The parties discussed the possibility of admitting GUU graduates to master’s programs at SHITiB: “Business Management and Entrepreneurship”, “Applied Economics”, “Computer Science”, as well as admitting SHITiB graduates to the GUU master’s program “International Marketing and Brand Management”.

    Another area of cooperation will be the exchange of teachers for teaching language and special courses and the implementation of scientific cooperation programs.

    At the end of the meeting, a ceremonial signing of a cooperation agreement on the issues outlined took place.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: War commemorations discussed

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Working Group on Patriotic Education under the Constitution & Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee (CBLPSC) held its third meeting today to discuss a work plan for activities to commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and in the World Anti-Fascist War.

     

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said it places great importance on planning for such commemorations. As stated in last year’s Policy Address, it will host a series of events to enhance the public’s patriotism and sense of national belonging.

     

    CBLPSC Chairman and Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki stated that over the past few months various bureaus and departments have been formulating proposals and making preparations for the commemorations.

     

    In today’s meeting, the working group discussed the content of various activities that are being planned, and the core spirits and principles that should be upheld.

     

    An official ceremony will be held at the Hong Kong City Hall Memorial Garden on September 3, Victory Day in the War of Resistance, to honour the occasion.

     

    Thematic exhibitions co-organised by the Hong Kong Museum of History and the National Museum of China, as well as the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance & Coastal Defence and the Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History, will be staged.

     

    Various educational activities and screenings of war-related films will also be organised.

     

    In relation to commemorative activities organised by community groups, the Government will announce more details in due course.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM District 837 Hosts Leadership Tour of Boeing St. Louis Facilities Ahead of Vital Negotiations

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM District 837 President and Directing Business Representative Tom Boelling recently led a high-level tour of Boeing’s St. Louis-area facilities, joined by IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett. The tour provided an in-depth look at the critical aerospace manufacturing work being performed by IAM members across three key locations: St. Louis, St. Charles, Mo., and Mascoutah, Ill.

    “Our members take immense pride in the work they do to support our military and protect our country,” said IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett. “This tour was an important reminder of what we stand for, not just as union members, but as the builders of American strength and security.”

    District 837 members play an essential role in building and producing some of the world’s most advanced military aircraft and defense systems. These include the iconic F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets, the state-of-the-art T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer, and the groundbreaking MQ-25 Stingray, the U.S. Navy’s first carrier-based unmanned aerial refueler.

    The visit underscored the skill, dedication, and pride of IAM members who contribute to national defense and aerospace innovation daily. It also served as an opportunity for leadership to hear directly from the workforce ahead of upcoming negotiations, ensuring that their voices remain central to the process.

    The post IAM District 837 Hosts Leadership Tour of Boeing St. Louis Facilities Ahead of Vital Negotiations appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: La Rosa Relies on Lofty to Support National Expansion Strategy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHOENIX, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Award-winning real estate technology innovator, Lofty today announced customer La Rosa Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: LRHC), a real estate and PropTech company, has partnered with the Lofty team to support the company’s impressive national expansion efforts. By enabling La Rosa’s agents to close more deals more efficiently, Lofty can deliver the practical innovation needed to help La Rosa scale and drive their long-term growth strategy forward. Citing immediate demand, a swift onboarding process, and high user engagement, the Lofty platform has already been adopted by over 500 La Rosa agents across the U.S. To learn more about how Lofty helps brokerages boost productivity, recruit and retain top agents, and lower operational costs, visit https://www.lofty.com/solutions-brokers.

    With 26 corporate-owned brokerage offices across Florida, California, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico, La Rosa offers both residential and commercial real estate brokerage services, as well as technology-driven products and support for its 2,900 agents and franchise partners. As a strategic part of the firm’s national expansion strategy, Lofty’s comprehensive platform provides La Rosa with the innovative technology foundation needed to scale and grow.

    “Our collaboration with Lofty reflects our commitment to empowering agents through cutting-edge technology that aims to enhance productivity, streamline client engagement, and accelerate business growth. Since its rollout, Lofty has demonstrated strong adoption across our agent network, validating its product-market fit,” noted Joe La Rosa, CEO of La Rosa. “The platform’s low churn rate underscores its enduring value and strong reception among La Rosa agents.”

    Unlike other real estate technology solutions, Lofty provides a true platform, powered by AI, to support the unique and complex needs of both traditional and modern brokerages. Easy to learn, and quick to drive results, Lofty can convert 42% more leads than other solutions, enabling brokerages like La Rosa to rapidly drive growth from one centralized application while also optimizing technology investments. Lofty has also expanded its multilingual capabilities to better serve clients such as La Rosa. This includes two key features:

    • Language translation and currency conversion capabilities which are automatically reflected on an agent’s Lofty IDX website.
    • AI Sales Assistant now supports over 50 languages, powered by the language model from Google DialogFlow to GPT 4.1 to have more real and human conversations.

    “La Rosa understands that cutting-edge technology is a key growth lever. From search to settlement, the Lofty platform provides them with innovative yet user-friendly applications that empowers agents, enables the business to scale, and puts them on the path achieving profitability,” noted Andrew Wild, Vice President, Enterprise Sales, Lofty.

    To learn more about how Lofty’s unmatched AI capabilities can help your brokerage grow and expand, visit https://www.lofty.com/solutions-brokers.

    About Lofty Inc.
    Lofty Inc. (formerly Chime Technologies) provides an AI-powered platform that helps real estate professionals increase their productivity and accelerate business growth. Featuring award-winning technology, the Lofty platform is designed to optimize every step of the real estate journey, from search to settlement. By leveraging one unified hub, customers can automate marketing programs, streamline the sales process, and maximize collaboration between agents, empowering them to spend more time building relationships and their business. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Lofty provides proven solutions for brokers, teams, and the enterprise. For more information, visit lofty.com.

    About La Rosa Holdings Corp.
    La Rosa Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: LRHC) is transforming the real estate industry by providing agents with flexible compensation options, including a revenue-sharing model or a fee-based structure with 100% commission. Powered by its proprietary technology platform, La Rosa aims to equip agents and franchisees with the tools they need to deliver exceptional service.

    The Company offers both residential and commercial real estate brokerage services, as well as technology-driven products and support for its agents and franchise partners. Its business model includes internal services for agents and external offerings for the public, spanning real estate brokerage, franchising, education and coaching, and property management.

    La Rosa operates 26 corporate-owned brokerage offices across Florida, California, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico. La Rosa also recently started its expansion into Europe, beginning with Spain. Additionally, the Company has six franchised offices and branches and three affiliated brokerage locations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The Company also operates a full-service escrow settlement and title company in Florida.

    For more information, please visit: https://www.larosaholdings.com.

    Stay connected with La Rosa, sign up for news alerts here: larosaholdings.com/email-alerts.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b14f6437-2904-4be3-812e-d526b008ed34

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Preferred Bank Announces Approval of Stock Repurchase and Cash Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Preferred Bank (NASDAQ: PFBC), one of the largest independent commercial banks in California, today reported that the Board of Directors has received regulatory approval to implement its recently announced $125 million stock repurchase plan which was approved by shareholders in May. Preferred Bank is not a Securities & Exchange Commission (“SEC”) registrant, therefore the Bank requires regulatory approval prior to repurchasing its own common stock. The Board of Directors has approved the first tranche of repurchases which will consist of $50 million in buybacks. The stock purchases will be made from time to time in the open market. In addition, the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend to $0.75 per share, payable on July 22, 2025 to holders of record on July 8, 2025.

    Li Yu, Chairman and CEO of Preferred Bank said, “We are pleased to be in a position to repurchase our own stock utilizing our strong balance sheet supplemented by our superior profitability metrics. We are focused on providing value to our shareholders and will continue to do so.”

    About Preferred Bank

    Preferred Bank is one of the larger independent commercial banks headquartered in California. The Bank is chartered by the State of California, and its deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, to the maximum extent permitted by law. The Bank conducts its banking business from its main office in Los Angeles, California, and through twelve full-service branch banking offices in the California cities of Alhambra, Century City, City of Industry, Torrance, Arcadia, Irvine (2 branches), Diamond Bar, Pico Rivera, Tarzana and San Francisco (2 branches) and two branches in New York (Flushing and Manhattan) and one branch in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land, Texas. Additionally, the Bank operates a Loan Production Office in Sunnyvale, California. Preferred Bank offers a broad range of deposit and loan products and services to both commercial and consumer customers. The Bank provides personalized deposit services as well as real estate finance, commercial loans and trade finance to small and mid-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, real estate developers, professionals and high net worth individuals. Although originally founded as a Chinese-American Bank, Preferred Bank now derives most of its customers from the diversified mainstream market but does continue to benefit from the significant migration to California of ethnic Chinese from China and other areas of East Asia.

    AT THE COMPANY:
    Edward J. Czajka
    Executive Vice President 
    Chief Financial Officer
    (213) 891-1188    		 AT FINANCIAL PROFILES:
    Jeffrey Haas
    General Information
    (310) 622-8240
    PFBC@finprofiles.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Standard Lithium Announces New VP Appointments to Expand and Strengthen Senior Management

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE American:SLI), a leading near-commercial lithium company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Daniel Rosen as Vice President of Strategy and Investor Relations, as well as Tim Sobel as Vice President of Health, Safety, Social and Environment (“HSSE”).

    “We are thrilled to welcome the additions of Daniel and Tim to our leadership team,” said David Park, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Standard Lithium. “Dan’s strategic insight and deep experience in investor relations and capital markets, as well as Tim’s extensive history in ensuring that HSSE standards are not only met, but exceeded and built-in to organizational culture, will be invaluable as we continue to execute our growth strategy on a path towards first production.”

    “Bringing on Daniel and Tim is the next step in our process of continuing to evolve and strengthen our capabilities,” said Salah Gamoudi, Chief Financial Officer of Standard Lithium. “We’d also like to thank Chris Lang for helping to support our investor relations function this past year. With Daniel coming onboard, this will allow Chris to prioritize and focus more on the financial planning and treasury aspects of his role.”

    Mr. Rosen brings more than 13 years of experience in corporate strategy, finance, and capital markets. Most recently, Mr. Rosen played a key role in the post-acquisition integration of Arcadium Lithium into Rio Tinto, where he led cross-functional initiatives to align strategic priorities, operational capabilities, and investor messaging. Prior to his role as Director of Integration for Rio Tinto, Mr. Rosen held roles in Corporate Strategy, M&A and Investor Relations for Arcadium Lithium and Livent and spent over six years with Barclays in its Investment Banking division. He has a proven track record of aligning corporate vision with market opportunities and building trusted relationships across the investment community.

    Mr. Sobel is a seasoned HSSE executive with over three decades of distinguished leadership in health, safety, security, environmental, quality, sustainability, and risk management across global industrial and logistics sectors. He most previously served as Vice President of HSSE for the Americas at DP World, where he oversaw HSSE strategy and execution across more than 40 logistics, port, and terminal operations in North and South America. Prior to DP World, he held senior leadership roles at Air Liquide, New Fortress Energy, Wilhelmsen Ship Management, and Sunoco Logistics, where he led multi-site operational risk, compliance, and crisis management programs. His earlier service in the U.S. Coast Guard laid the foundation for his deep regulatory expertise and command-level emergency response capabilities. Mr. Sobel is recognized for developing and embedding world-class safety cultures, behavioral safety programs, and regulatory-compliant management systems.

    About Standard Lithium Ltd.

    Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on the sustainable development of a portfolio of large, high-grade lithium-brine properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes projects characterized by high-grade resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. Standard Lithium aims to achieve sustainable, commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully integrated DLE and purification process. The Company’s flagship projects are located in the Smackover Formation, a world-class lithium brine asset, focused in Arkansas and Texas. In partnership with global energy leader Equinor, Standard Lithium is advancing the South West Arkansas project, a greenfield project located in southern Arkansas, and actively exploring promising lithium brine prospects in East Texas.

    Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the symbol “SLI”. Please visit the Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com.

    Investor and Media Inquiries

    Chris Lang
    Standard Lithium Ltd.
    +1 604 409 8154
    investors@standardlithium.com

    X: @standardlithium
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-lithium/

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to intended development timelines, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BOSS Money Ranked Highest by Customers Among Money Transfer Companies

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Newark, NJ, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BOSS Money, the remittance and payments brand of IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), achieved the highest average app store rating of the eighteen digital money transfer companies in FXC Intelligence’s 2025 customer satisfaction ranking. FXC Intelligence is a highly regarded financial intelligence and analytics company specializing in cross-border payments.

    The BOSS Money app led the pack with a 4.9 average app rating in the FXC Intelligence rankings. Over 100,000 customers across the App store and Google Play platforms have given BOSS Money the highest possible score.

    “This recognition reflects the BOSS Money app’s unrivaled ease-of-use and proven reliability,” said Esti Witty, EVP Product at BOSS Money. “Our customers’ feedback, experiences, and trust inspire us to innovate and improve every day.”

    The FXC Intelligence app rankings reflect comparative customer scores for money transfer apps in the App Store and Google Play. Boss Money’s 4.6 Trustpilot rating was also among the highest in its peer group.

    New BOSS Money customers get two $0-fee transfers on their first two transactions to over 50 countries using a debit card in the BOSS Money app, and five $0-fee transactions when sending money to family or friends in Mexico. BOSS Money is known for its low fees and competitive exchange rates. Within the app, customers can compare foreign exchange rates quoted by leading money transfer providers to see exactly how much they are saving.

    “If you have not yet tried the BOSS Money app, this is your invitation. With two $0-fee transfers and the best exchange rates, it is easier than ever to become a happy BOSS Money customer,” Witty emphasized.

    The BOSS Money app is free at the iOS App and Google Play Stores.

    To learn more about BOSS Money’s low fees, competitive exchange rates and exclusive promotions visit bossmoney.com.

    ABOUT BOSS MONEY

    BOSS Money’s rapidly expanding international remittance service provides fast, secure and reliable money transfers for residents of the U.S. and Canada to popular destination countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and South Asia. BOSS Money offers a robust menu of payout options including cash pick-up, mobile money, in-country bank account, and debit card direct deposit. Customers can remit funds through the highly rated BOSS Money and BOSS Revolution apps or through licensed Boss Money retailers.

    ABOUT IDT CORPORATION

    IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT) is a global provider of fintech and communications solutions through a portfolio of synergistic businesses: National Retail Solutions (NRS), through its point-of-sale (POS) platform, enables independent retailers to operate more effectively while providing advertisers and marketers with unprecedented reach into underserved consumer markets; BOSS Money facilitates innovative international remittances and fintech payments solutions; net2phone provides enterprises and organizations with intelligently integrated cloud communications and contact center services across channels and devices; IDT Digital Payments and the BOSS Revolution calling service make sharing prepaid products and services and speaking with friends and family around the world convenient and reliable; and, IDT Global and IDT Express enable communications services to provision and manage international voice and SMS messaging.

    All statements above that are not purely about historical facts, including, but not limited to, those in which we use the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “target” and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgment of what may happen in the future, actual results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these statements due to numerous important factors. Our filings with the SEC provide detailed information on such statements and risks and should be consulted along with this release. To the extent permitted under applicable law, IDT assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

    CONTACT
    IDT Corporation Investor Relations
    Bill Ulrey
    william.ulrey@idt.net

    # # #

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 180 Degree Capital Corp. Sets Election of Director Special Meeting Date Pursuant to Shareholder Demand Under New York Business Law

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MONTCLAIR, N.J., June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 180 Degree Capital Corp. (NASDAQ:TURN) (“180 Degree Capital”) today provides notice to its shareholders of its intent to hold a special meeting of shareholders for the sole purpose of electing directors (“Director Election Special Meeting”) on August 18, 2025, as required under New York Business Corporation Law pursuant to the shareholder demand request submitted on June 17, 2025 (the “Demand Letter”), and in lieu of holding an annual meeting of shareholders.

    The Board of Directors of 180 Degree Capital has tentatively set a record date of July 18, 2025, for the Director Election Special Meeting. 180 Degree Capital is in the process of requesting confirmation from the shareholders who made the demand that they actually held the percentage of 180 Degree Capital’s outstanding shares required under New York law as of the date of their demand, given discrepancies between the dates of their affidavits and the date of their demand, as well as disclosures certain of those shareholders made publicly in connection with the delivery of their demand letter.

    “Given our goal of minimizing expenses and maximizing net asset value heading into our proposed merger with Mount Logan Capital Inc. (“Mount Logan”) in an all-stock transaction (the “Business Combination”), we did not originally plan to incur the expense of holding an annual meeting of shareholders ahead of the upcoming special meeting for shareholders to approve the Business Combination (the “Business Combination Special Meeting”),” said Kevin M. Rendino, Chief Executive Officer of 180 Degree Capital. “We continue to encourage constructive conversations with all shareholders, whether large or small holders of our stock. We can be reached anytime at our contact information included in our press releases. In an effort to not have 180 Degree Capital shareholders bear the cost of multiple proxy solicitations, we proactively reached out to the shareholder who issued this demand last week, and we look forward to the opportunity to engage with them in a constructive dialog at their convenience. We would note that their last direct outreach to speak with 180 Degree Capital’s management prior to sending the Demand Letter was in July 2024.”

    Mr. Rendino continued, “We truly appreciate the strong support for the Business Combination that we have received from an overwhelming number of our current shareholders and new ones who have built positions in 180 Degree Capital since the announcement of the proposed Business Combination. These supportive shareholders see what we do in the potential Business Combination – ownership in the robust balance sheet of Mount Logan and access to its extensive credit capabilities allow our merged company to provide comprehensive solutions across the capital structure for the vast universe of small cap companies we evaluate and invest in and provide what we believe is a unique opportunity to build substantial value for our shareholders. These opportunities exist because as constructive activists, we have always sought to work with boards and management teams to unlock value for shareholders. We proactively call our investee management teams and boards to propose and discuss solutions with complete transparency to drive outcomes that we believe can benefit all stakeholders of our investee companies, including, but not limited to, 180 Degree Capital. As such, this is why we believe we have never had to run competitive proxies, and rather have been either invited to join boards, have highly qualified candidates we introduce be appointed to boards, or been provided opportunities to lead and/or participate in capital structure solutions that are not widely marketed to drive material value creation and long-term partnerships. Further, we believe the Business Combination makes our net asset value per share (“NAV”) a floor for potential future value creation for our common shares rather than the ceiling our current structure imparts to our stock price based on NAV. We are thrilled at the potential opportunity for our shareholders to own a valuable and profitable company with great growth potential.”

    “In terms of progress toward completing our proposed Business Combination, we believe we are making material progress through the SEC review process that is required for us and any public company to complete prior to holding the Business Combination Special Meeting,” added Daniel B. Wolfe, President of 180 Degree Capital Corp. “We believe our amended preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus filed on June 12, 2025, addressed the comments received from the SEC to date, and we look forward to addressing any other comments/questions in subsequent amended filings. We are laser focused on driving our proposed Business Combination to a close that we believe will unlock future value creation for all of 180 Degree Capital’s shareholders.”

    About 180 Degree Capital Corp.

    180 Degree Capital Corp. is a publicly traded registered closed-end fund focused on investing in and providing value-added assistance through constructive activism to what we believe are substantially undervalued small, publicly traded companies that have potential for significant turnarounds. Our goal is that the result of our constructive activism leads to a reversal in direction for the share price of these investee companies, i.e., a 180-degree turn. Detailed information about 180 Degree Capital and its holdings can be found on its website at www.180degreecapital.com.

    Press Contact:
    Daniel B. Wolfe
    Robert E. Bigelow
    180 Degree Capital Corp.
    973-746-4500
    ir@180degreecapital.com

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    In connection with the Director Election Special Meeting, 180 Degree Capital intends to file with the SEC a proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the “Director Election Proxy Statement”), containing a form of WHITE proxy card, with respect to its solicitation of proxies for the Director Election Special Meeting. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE DIRECTOR ELECTION PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) FILED BY THE COMPANY AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ANY SOLICITATION. Investors and security holders may obtain copies of these documents and other documents filed with the SEC by the Company free of charge through the website maintained by the SEC at https://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed by the Company are also available free of charge by accessing the Company’s investor relations website at https://ir.180degreecapital.com.

    In connection with the agreement and plan of merger among 180 Degree Capital, Mount Logan Capital Inc. (“Mount Logan”), Yukon New Parent, Inc. (“New Mount Logan”), Polar Merger Sub, Inc., and Moose Merger Sub, LLC, dated January 16, 2025, as it may from time to time be amended, modified or supplemented (the “Merger Agreement”) that details the proposed combination of the businesses of 180 Degree Capital and Mount Logan and any other transactions contemplated by and pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement (the “Business Combination”), 180 Degree Capital intends to file with the SEC and mail to its shareholders a proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the “Business Combination Proxy Statement”), containing a form of WHITE proxy card. In addition, the surviving Delaware corporation, New Mount Logan plans to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) that will register the exchange of New Mount Logan shares in the Business Combination and include the Proxy Statement and a prospectus of New Mount Logan (the “Prospectus”). The Business Combination Proxy Statement and the Registration Statement (including the Prospectus) will each contain important information about 180 Degree Capital, Mount Logan, New Mount Logan, the Business Combination and related matters. SHAREHOLDERS OF 180 DEGREE CAPITAL AND MOUNT LOGAN ARE URGED TO READ THE BUSINESS COMBINATION PROXY STATEMENT AND PROSPECTUS CONTAINED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE APPLICABLE SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITIES AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT 180 DEGREE CAPITAL, MOUNT LOGAN, NEW MOUNT LOGAN, THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain copies of these documents and other documents filed with the applicable securities regulatory authorities free of charge through the website maintained by the SEC at https://www.sec.gov and the website maintained by the Canadian securities regulators at www.sedarplus.ca. Copies of the documents filed by 180 Degree Capital are also available free of charge by accessing 180 Degree Capital’s investor relations website at https://ir.180degreecapital.com.

    Certain Information Concerning the Participants

    180 Degree Capital, its directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the Business Combination and the Director Election Special Meeting. Information about 180 Degree Capital’s executive officers and directors is available in 180 Degree Capital’s Annual Report filed on Form N-CSR for the year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on February 13, 2025, and in its proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (“2024 Annual Meeting”), which was filed with the SEC on March 1, 2024. To the extent holdings by the directors and executive officers of 180 Degree Capital securities reported in the proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting have changed, such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Forms 3, 4 or 5 filed with the SEC. These documents are or will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov. Additional information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of the 180 Degree Capital shareholders in connection with the Business Combination and the Director Election Special Meeting will be contained in the Business Combination Proxy Statement and the Director Election Proxy Statement, respectively, when each such document becomes available.

    Mount Logan, its directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Mount Logan in favor of the approval of the Business Combination. Information about Mount Logan’s executive officers and directors is available in Mount Logan’s annual information form dated March 13, 2025, available on its website at https://mountlogancapital.ca/investor-relations and on SEDAR+ at https://www.sedarplus.com. To the extent holdings by the directors and executive officers of Mount Logan securities reported in Mount Logan’s annual information form have changed, such changes have been or will be reflected on insider reports filed on SEDI at https://www.sedi.com/sedi/. Additional information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of the Mount Logan shareholders in connection with the Business Combination will be contained in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement when such document becomes available.

    Non-Solicitation

    This letter and the materials accompanying it are not intended to be, and shall not constitute, an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of 180 Degree Capital and Mount Logan, may contain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expects,” “intends,” “will,” “should,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “would,” “forecasts,” “seeks,” “future,” “proposes,” “target,” “goal,” “objective,” “outlook” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions). Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and reflect Mount Logan’s and 180 Degree Capital’s current views about future events. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about the benefits of the Business Combination involving Mount Logan and 180 Degree Capital, including future financial and operating results, Mount Logan’s and 180 Degree Capital’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the Business Combination, and other statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to future results of operations, projected cash flow and liquidity, business strategy, payment of dividends to shareholders of New Mount Logan, and other plans and objectives for future operations. No assurances can be given that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will occur as projected, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and assumptions that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the ability to obtain the requisite Mount Logan and 180 Degree Capital shareholder approvals; the risk that Mount Logan or 180 Degree Capital may be unable to obtain governmental and regulatory approvals required for the Business Combination (and the risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect New Mount Logan or the expected benefits of the Business Combination); the risk that an event, change or other circumstance could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination; the risk that a condition to closing of the Business Combination may not be satisfied; the risk of delays in completing the Business Combination; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that synergies from the Business Combination may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; the risk that any announcement relating to the Business Combination could have adverse effects on the market price of Mount Logan’s common shares or 180 Degree Capital’s common shares; unexpected costs resulting from the Business Combination; the possibility that competing offers or acquisition proposals will be made; the risk of litigation related to the Business Combination; the risk that the credit ratings of New Mount Logan or its subsidiaries may be different from what the companies expect; the diversion of management time from ongoing business operations and opportunities as a result of the Business Combination; the risk of adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the Business Combination; competition, government regulation or other actions; the ability of management to execute its plans to meet its goals; risks associated with the evolving legal, regulatory and tax regimes; changes in economic, financial, political and regulatory conditions; natural and man-made disasters; civil unrest, pandemics, and conditions that may result from legislative, regulatory, trade and policy changes; and other risks inherent in Mount Logan’s and 180 Degree Capital’s businesses. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management at the time the statements are made. Readers should carefully review the statements set forth in the reports, which 180 Degree Capital has filed or will file from time to time with the SEC and Mount Logan has filed or will file from time to time on SEDAR+.

    Neither Mount Logan nor 180 Degree Capital undertakes any obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Any discussion of past performance is not an indication of future results. Investing in financial markets involves a substantial degree of risk. Investors must be able to withstand a total loss of their investment. The information herein is believed to be reliable and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty is made, expressed or implied, with respect to the fairness, correctness, accuracy, reasonableness or completeness of the information and opinions. The references and link to the website www.180degreecapital.com and mountlogancapital.ca have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites are not incorporated by reference into this press release. Neither 180 Degree Capital nor Mount Logan is responsible for the contents of third-party websites.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: New Data Presented at ADA 2025 Highlights Burden and Risk Associations of Cardiac Arrhythmias in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iRhythm Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:IRTC) announced the results from two large-scale real-world studies presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 85th Scientific Sessions (ADA 2025). The analyses reveal that cardiac arrhythmias are common and often occur early in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D)—especially those who also have chronic kidney disease (CKD). These findings suggest a critical opportunity to enhance early detection strategies in at-risk cardiometabolic populations.

    The studies examined longitudinal claims data from over 30 million U.S. adults, providing new insights into how arrhythmias—often asymptomatic—cluster around major disease inflection points. In T2D patients, arrhythmias were frequently identified prior to or shortly after diagnoses of CKD or major adverse cardiovascular events such as stroke or heart failure.

    Cardiac arrhythmias—conditions in which the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly1—are a serious public health concern. In the general U.S. population, they affect roughly 1 in 20 adults2. But in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease—already at elevated cardiovascular risk3—new data reveal that arrhythmias occur more frequently, and often much earlier, than previously recognized.

    Left undetected, certain arrhythmias can lead to stroke, heart failure, hospitalization, or even death4-6. That’s why early detection is critical—giving clinicians a chance to act before complications arise. Yet in most diabetes care pathways, arrhythmias are not routinely screened for7, and many patients experience no symptoms at all8.

    “These findings support a growing body of evidence that heart rhythm disorders are not just late-stage complications—they often emerge much earlier, silently, and in ways that may help us better identify patients at rising risk,” said Mintu Turakhia, MD, iRhythm’s Chief Medical Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, and EVP of Product Innovation. “For patients living with diabetes and kidney disease, earlier detection of these arrhythmias may offer a window to take action before more serious events occur.”

    Cardiac Arrhythmias — Early and Frequent

    In the “Incidence of Cardiac Arrhythmias in Patients with Diabetes: A Real-World Study” (T2D-only analysis):

    • In a T2D cohort of 8.8 million individuals, over 1.1 million individuals were diagnosed with major arrhythmias.
    • 47% of arrhythmias occurred after diabetes diagnosis, with a median time of 496 days.
    • Among patients who experienced a MACE, 25% did so on or after arrhythmia detection, while 45% of MACE occurred beforehand—pointing to a complex but tightly linked risk timeline.

    In the “Incidence and Timing of Major Arrhythmias in T2D and CKD: A Real-World Analysis” (T2D + CKD population):

    • Among 3.2 million T2D patients who then received a CKD diagnosis, 670,003 (21%) developed a major arrhythmia, of which 397,359 (59%) occurred before CKD diagnosis.
    • Median time from T2D to arrhythmia was 488 days; median time from arrhythmia to MACE was 800 days.
    • Notably, 17% of patients who experienced a MACE did so within three days of their arrhythmia event.

    These findings suggest that arrhythmias are not only common in people with diabetes and kidney disease, but are often detected for the first time in close proximity to major cardiovascular events.

    Building on Prior Findings: A Broader Pattern Emerging

    These new results build upon findings presented by iRhythm at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) 2024 scientific sessions, which demonstrated that patients with diabetes and COPD who developed arrhythmias had:

    • Twice the hospitalization rate of those without arrhythmias
    • 35–50% higher emergency care costs
    • Hospital stays up to 5 days longer

    Additionally, real-world data presented at ACC.25 demonstrated that fewer than one in five patients experience a symptom coinciding with an arrhythmic episode. This reinforces the need to monitor patients based upon unique risk factors instead of symptoms.

    Across both ADA and AHA datasets, the real-world evidence shows a consistent signal: undiagnosed arrhythmias are clinically consequential and economically burdensome—and early rhythm detection could help change that trajectory.

    About the studies presented at ADA 2025

    Incidence of Cardiac Arrhythmias in Patients with Diabetes: A Real-World Study

    Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) contributes to development of arrhythmias through autonomic dysfunction, electrical remodeling, oxidative stress, and inflammation. This real-world evidence study examined the burden of arrhythmias in T2D and their temporal relationship with major cardiovascular events (MACE). Using a national claims database (Symphony Integrated Dataverse), study investigators identified adults with T2D (2014–2024) experiencing arrhythmias, their timing relative to T2D onset, and associations with cardiometabolic comorbidities. Among 8.8 million adults with T2D (median age: 60 years; 46% male, 54% female), a total of 1.14 million individuals developed a major arrhythmia (Table 1). Of these, 43% occurred prior to T2D; 57% developed on or after T2D. The median time to arrhythmia post T2D was 496 days (range: 1–2,007 days). Hypertension was present in 20%; 38% had at least one metabolic risk factor (chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemia, liver dysfunction, or obesity); 25% experienced a MACE either at the time of or following arrhythmias (median time:1 day; range: 0–1,925 days). MACE occurred in 45% of patients preceding the diagnosis of arrhythmia (median time: 542 days; range: 1–2,373 days). The findings highlight the burden of arrhythmias in T2D and the association between arrhythmias and MACE. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the potential strategies for early diagnosis, risk stratification and intervention.

    Incidence and Timing of Major Arrhythmias in T2D and CKD: A Real-World Analysis

    Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a leading cause of chronic renal disease (CKD). Despite strong links between T2D, CKD, and cardiovascular disease (CV), the incidence and timing of major arrhythmias in this high-risk population remains unclear. This study examined the incidence, timing, and risk associations of major arrhythmias in T2D-CKD patients. Study investigators analyzed Symphony Integrated Dataverse (2018-2024) claims data on adults with CKD (stages 1-4) following T2D, assessing arrhythmia occurrence, timing, and metabolic/CV risk factors. Among 3.2 million T2D patients subsequent CKD diagnosis (51% females, median age 73; 49% males, median age 72), 670,003 (21%) developed major arrhythmias, mainly atrial fibrillation (AF). In 59%, arrhythmias preceded CKD (56% males, median age 73; 44% females, median age 74). Median time from T2D to arrhythmia: 488 days (1-2,362); arrhythmia to CKD: 462 days (1-2,368); arrhythmia to MACE: 800 days (2-2,348). When arrhythmias followed CKD (54% males, median age 75; 46% females, median age 76), CKD-to-arrhythmia median time: 355 days (1-2,003). MACE occurred in 17% (54% males, 46% females; median age 76) within three days of arrhythmia, CKD-to-MACE median time: 461 days (1-1,998). Findings reveal that arrhythmias are common in T2D-CKD and strongly linked to MACE, suggesting that identifying shared mechanisms between T2D, CKD, and arrhythmias requires innovative diagnostic approaches, including continuous ambulatory EKG monitoring to drive early intervention and precision therapies.

    About iRhythm Technologies
    iRhythm is a leading digital health care company that creates trusted solutions that detect, predict, and prevent disease. Combining wearable biosensors and cloud-based data analytics with powerful proprietary algorithms, iRhythm distills data from millions of heartbeats into clinically actionable information. Through a relentless focus on patient care, iRhythm’s vision is to deliver better data, better insights, and better health for all.

    Media Contact
    Kassandra Perry
    irhythm@highwirepr.com

    Investor Contact
    Stephanie Zhadkevich
    investors@irhythmtech.com

    1. What is an arrhythmia? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 2022. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/arrhythmias
    2. Desai et al. Arrhythmias. StatPearls [Internet], 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558923/
    3. Swamy S, Noor SM, Mathew RO. Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease. J Clin Med, 2023. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10672715/
    4. Ataklte et al. Meta-analysis of ventricular premature complexes and their relation to cardiac mortality in general populations. The American Journal of Cardiology, 2013.
    5. Lin et al. Long-Term Outcome of Non-Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia in Structurally Normal Hearts. PLOS ONE, 2016.
    6. Wolf et al. Atrial fibrillation as an independent risk factor for stroke: the Framingham Study. Stroke, 1991.
    7. Bhave, P. D., & Soliman, E. Z. (2024). Should patients with diabetes be routinely screened for atrial fibrillation? Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy, 22(1–3), 5–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/14779072.2024.2328645
    8. mSToPS Clinical Trial Demonstrates Zio by iRhythm Significantly Improves Health Outcomes for At-Risk Patient Populations, iRhythm Technologies, 2021. www.irhythmtech.com/company/news/irhythm-technologies-and-the-national-association-of-managed-care-physicians-partner-to-study-the-value-of-ambulatory-cardiac-monitoring-solutions-0.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. Approves Stock Repurchase Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HARRISBURG, Pa., June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORRF) (the “Company”) today announced that the Board of Directors has authorized the Company to repurchase up to 500,000 shares of its common stock, representing approximately 2.5% percent of the Company’s outstanding common stock.

    Repurchases under this program will be made in open market or in privately negotiated transactions and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission. This authority may be exercised from time to time and in such amounts as market conditions warrant, and subject to regulatory considerations. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, market conditions, and other corporate liquidity requirements and priorities. The stock repurchase program may be suspended or terminated at any time without prior notice.

    About Orrstown

    With $5.4 billion in assets, Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Orrstown Bank, provide a wide range of consumer and business financial services in Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Perry, and York Counties, Pennsylvania and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, and Washington Counties, Maryland, as well as Baltimore City, Maryland. The Company’s lending area also includes counties in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia within a 75-mile radius of the Company’s executive and administrative offices as well as the District of Columbia. Orrstown Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and its deposits are insured up to the legal maximum by the FDIC. Orrstown Financial Services, Inc.’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ORRF.” For more information about Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. and Orrstown Bank, visit www.orrstown.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company’s management with respect to, among other things, future events and the Company’s financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “predict,” “potential,” “believe,” “will likely result,” “expect,” “continue,” “will,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “goal,” “target,” “would” and “outlook,” or the negative variations of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates, predictions or projections about events or the Company’s industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond the Company’s control. Accordingly, the Company cautions you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and the Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that the Company or persons acting on the Company’s behalf may issue.

    For investor inquiries or further information, please contact:

    Neelesh Kalani
    EVP, Chief Financial Officer
    717-510-7097
    nkalani@orrstown.com

    For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

    John Moss
    SVP, Director of Marketing and Client Experience
    717-747-1520
    jmoss@orrstown.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. Approves Stock Repurchase Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HARRISBURG, Pa., June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORRF) (the “Company”) today announced that the Board of Directors has authorized the Company to repurchase up to 500,000 shares of its common stock, representing approximately 2.5% percent of the Company’s outstanding common stock.

    Repurchases under this program will be made in open market or in privately negotiated transactions and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission. This authority may be exercised from time to time and in such amounts as market conditions warrant, and subject to regulatory considerations. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, market conditions, and other corporate liquidity requirements and priorities. The stock repurchase program may be suspended or terminated at any time without prior notice.

    About Orrstown

    With $5.4 billion in assets, Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Orrstown Bank, provide a wide range of consumer and business financial services in Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Perry, and York Counties, Pennsylvania and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, and Washington Counties, Maryland, as well as Baltimore City, Maryland. The Company’s lending area also includes counties in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia within a 75-mile radius of the Company’s executive and administrative offices as well as the District of Columbia. Orrstown Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and its deposits are insured up to the legal maximum by the FDIC. Orrstown Financial Services, Inc.’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ORRF.” For more information about Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. and Orrstown Bank, visit www.orrstown.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company’s management with respect to, among other things, future events and the Company’s financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “predict,” “potential,” “believe,” “will likely result,” “expect,” “continue,” “will,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “goal,” “target,” “would” and “outlook,” or the negative variations of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates, predictions or projections about events or the Company’s industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond the Company’s control. Accordingly, the Company cautions you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and the Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that the Company or persons acting on the Company’s behalf may issue.

    For investor inquiries or further information, please contact:

    Neelesh Kalani
    EVP, Chief Financial Officer
    717-510-7097
    nkalani@orrstown.com

    For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

    John Moss
    SVP, Director of Marketing and Client Experience
    717-747-1520
    jmoss@orrstown.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: High Roller Technologies to Present at the Small Cap Growth Virtual Investor Conference June 26th

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAS VEGAS, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — High Roller Technologies, Inc. (“High Roller” and the “Company”) (NYSE: ROLR), operator of award-winning premium online casino brands High Roller and Fruta, today announced that Seth Young, SVP Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations, will present live at the Small Cap Growth Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on June 26th, 2025

    DATE: June 26th
    TIME: 12:00 PM ET
    LINK: REGISTER HERE
    Available for 1×1 meetings: July 1, 2025

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

    Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    About High Roller Technologies, Inc.

    High Roller Technologies, Inc. is a leading global online gaming operator known for its innovative casino brands, High Roller and Fruta, listed under the ticker ROLR on the NYSE. The Company delivers a cutting-edge real-money online casino platform that is intuitive and user-friendly. With a diverse portfolio of over 5,000 premium games from more than 90 leading game providers, High Roller Technologies serves a global customer base, offering an immersive and engaging gaming experience in the rapidly expanding multi-billion iGaming industry. The online casino features enhanced search engine optimization, machine learning, seamless direct API integrations, faster load times, and superior scalability.

    As an award-winning operator, High Roller Technologies continues to redefine the future of online gaming through innovation, performance, and a commitment to excellence. For more information, please visit the High Roller Technologies, Inc. investor relations website, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    High Roller Technologies, Inc.

    ir@highroller.com

    800-460-1039

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 51Talk Online Education Group to Present at the Small Cap Growth Virtual Investor Conference June 26th, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 51Talk Online Education Group (NYSE American: COE), based in Singapore, focused on global online education, today announced that David Chung, the Company’s investor relations vice president, will present live at the Small Cap Growth Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on June 26th, 2025.

    DATE: June 26th, 2025
    TIME: 9:30 a.m. EDT
    LINK: REGISTER HERE

    Available for 1×1 meetings: June 26th, 2025

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

    Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    Recent Company Highlights

    • Gross billings for the first quarter of 2025 were US$21.9 million, a 74.6% growth from the first quarter of 2024.
    • Net revenues were US$18.2 million for the first quarter of 2025, a 93.1% increase from US$9.4 million for the first quarter of 2024.
    • The number of active students with attended lesson consumption was approximately 81,100 in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 75.5% increase from approximately 46,200 for the first quarter of 2024.

    About 51Talk Online Education Group

    51Talk Online Education Group (NYSE American: COE) is a global online education platform with core expertise in English education. The Company’s mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable. The Company’s online and mobile education platforms enable students to take live interactive English lessons, on demand. The Company connects its students with a large pool of highly qualified teachers that it assembled using a shared economy approach, and employs student and teacher feedback and data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience to its students.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    51Talk Online Education Group
    David Chung
    Investor Relations Vice President
    davidchung@51talk.com
    Jinling Wang
    Investor Relations Manager
    wangjinling@51talk.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Spaza Shop Awareness Campaign benefits business owners 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Government’s Spaza Shop Support Awareness Campaign is providing much-needed clarity while also encouraging business owners to do things by the book.

    “Before today, I didn’t know where to start or which documents were truly necessary. This workshop answered questions I’ve had for years. Now, I understand what compliance actually means and how to meet those expectations,” spaza shop owner Matshidiso Mooki said.

    Mooki was among those who attended the session held at the City Hall in the Vereeniging Central Business District in Gauteng on Friday.

    She said the campaign brought clarity.

    “I am determined to ensure that I comply with all the regulations so that I can qualify for support through the Spaza Shop Support Fund,” she said of the session.

    The campaign offered spaza shop owners and township-based convenience store operators critical information on how to apply for both financial and non-financial support under the R500-million fund that was launched by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau and Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni Abrahams in April.

    For Matome Tshabalala, the information received at the session was a game changer. He started his shop after the COVID-19 lockdown.

    “I’ve always operated informally, but now I want to do things the right way. What stood out for me was the emphasis on record-keeping and understanding zoning laws. I also appreciated the introduction to stock management and bookkeeping,” he said.

    The campaign, which aims to formalise and support township-based enterprises, brought together local spaza shop owners, government officials and business development stakeholders.

    READ | Government’s Spaza Shop campaign goes to Sedibeng

    Compliance 

    Participants at the session heard about the importance of compliance requirements for spaza shop permit applications. 

    Matshepo Madumbo, the Assistant Manager of Local Economic Development and Tourism at Emfuleni Local Municipality, emphasised the importance of adhering to municipal regulations when applying for permits.

    “Many residential areas are not zoned for commercial activity. For a spaza shop to operate legally, the property owner must apply for a rezoning certificate. Without that, the business cannot be recognised as compliant.

    “I cannot stress the importance of submitting a stamped building plan, an occupancy certificate, certified identity document, a proof of address no older than three months, and registration documents from the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) along with a valid tax clearance certificate,” she said. 

    Madumbo noted that failure to comply with these requirements often leads to unnecessary delays and missed opportunities for funding and supplier networks.

    “The Spaza Shop Support Campaign continues to rollout across provinces, ensuring that township entrepreneurs are not only included in the broader economic framework but are also equipped to thrive within it. 

    “By focusing on compliance, formalisation, and access to resources, the campaign is helping to level the playing field for small business owners in underserved communities,” said the  Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and the Department of Small Business Development.  – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The proposed Transformation Fund levels the economic playing field for emerging black businesses

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    By Parks Tau 

    In 1994, South Africa inherited an economy that was structurally designed to exclude the vast majority of South Africans. Apartheid’s distorted policies had created a dual economy: one of wealth and privilege and another of poverty and exclusion.

    This calculated economic strategy, structured along racial lines, created white-owned mines, farms, and factories while many black South Africans languished on the fringes of the economy in an underdeveloped informal sector.

    Their meaningful participation in our nation’s wealth was further eroded by discriminatory laws that restricted Black South Africans from owning land, accessing quality education, and entering skilled professions.

    These economic distortions which were implemented over hundreds of years continue to plague our nation today as we grapple with one of the highest levels of economic inequality in the world, worsened by alarmingly high unemployment, especially among Black youth.

    The country’s Gini coefficient of 0.63 shows that our nation’s income remains unevenly distributed, with the top 10 percent of the population holding more than 85 percent of household wealth. This persistent disparity undermines the development of an inclusive economy where all citizens participate and benefit.

    The transformation we seek is about positive change and is the only logical path to long-term growth and the reduction of inequality. In deracialising ownership across our economy, we open more opportunities for black people, in particular women and the youth.

    While the Constitution guides our work in creating a society with equal opportunities, we require a deliberate removal of structural obstacles to draw more people into the economy and mechanisms that advance our constitutional commitment to economic redress and transformation.

    In this regard, government plans to introduce the Transformation Fund to help level the economic playing field for emerging Black businesses, particularly those in key economic sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture and tourism who struggle to secure funding due to stringent lending requirements.

    The fund will provide financial support, infrastructure and capacity-building to Black-owned businesses – in particular Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises, women and youth entrepreneurs, and people living with disabilities – who are often locked out of meaningful economic participation due to their lack of access to capital.

    In fostering greater access to capital, business owners can invest in equipment, hire skilled staff, expand into new markets and ultimately quicken the pace of transformation in South Africa’s economy. It is also expected to stimulate meaningful economic activities across all regions of our country.

    A similar transformation initiative took place in South Korea, whose government actively worked with companies in the country to address market failures. Local businesses known as Chaebol were guaranteed loans from the banking sector, backed by the government. In the late 1980s, this led to rapid industrialisation with Chaebol businesses dominating the industrial sector in manufacturing, trading and heavy industries

    There was also great success in Malaysia’s empowerment initiative, demonstrating what can be achieved through transformation. The country in 1970 found itself in a similar position we face today and began to transform its society and economy through economic empowerment. Its empowerment plan, the National Economic Policy, assisted with the redistribution of the country’s wealth to the indigenous Malays known as Bumiputeras. Today Malaysia is among the richest countries in Southeast Asia by GDP per capita.  

    The Transformation Fund we are proposing will operate through a transparent application process, where qualifying businesses as well as partnerships, can apply for funding based on the project’s potential for social impact, sustainability, and alignment with national development goals.

    The fund will be anchored in contributions already made to the Enterprise Supplier Development and Equity Equivalent Investment Programme as part of our nation’s B-BBEE policy.  While no additional contributions are required over and above those made under our B-BBEE commitments, the voluntary co-funding by government and business of our transformation efforts can quicken the change we want in our economy.

    In supporting the Transformation Fund, both the public and private sectors stand to benefit from the investment in future suppliers, customers, and innovators who will, in turn build resilience and relevance in a fast-changing society.

    In advancing the establishment of the fund, it is proposed that the fund will be managed by a dedicated governance structure to ensure transparency. A Special Purpose Vehicle will be established to ensure accountability to an Oversight Committee and a board that possesses the required skills and capacity.

    The fund’s draft concept document was released for public comment on 19 March 2025 and the comment period concluded on 28 May 2025. South Africans are encouraged to continue to actively engage on the fund, and more details can be found on the website www.dtic.gov.za.

    Government plans to have the fund operational by the end of the year and capacitated with R100 billion. Once operational, it will assist in helping to bring real change in our economy and the lives of people. Let us turn transformation from a concept into practice as we make a real difference in others’ lives and create a fairer society.

    *Parks Tau is the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – The appeal of the Archbishops of Nyeri and Nairobi for the march in memory of last year’s victims: “Let dialogue prevail”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – Let dialogue prevail between the government and young people. This is the appeal for the march in memory of the victims of last year’s protests against the budget law (see Fides, June 21, 25, and 26, 2024). The march is scheduled for June 25. Yesterday, Sunday, June 22, addressing the media together, Monsignor Anthony Muheria, Archbishop of Nyeri and Vice President of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), and his counterpart in Nairobi, Archbishop Philip Arnold Subira Anyolo, invited President William Ruto to listen to the country’s youth.“With just over 60 hours to the march, our greatest call is to safeguard human life,” declared Archbishop Muheria. “It does not matter what your goals are—the most urgent goal is to protect life, uplift the poor, and listen to one another.”Archbishop Anyolo added: “We have no right at any time to take the life of another. As Catholics, we believe life begins at conception – and that belief compels us to care even for mothers who mourn children killed in such unrest,” The two Archbishops also addressed a message to young people, urging them to moderate their intransigent positions and participate constructively in nation-building, while warning political leaders that inflammatory rhetoric fuels division and violence. Addressing the young people, Archbishop Muheria ask for “a spirit of unity,” so “let us walk together and find solutions as we mourn those who died.”“Political leaders must avoid recklessness in speech. As our national anthem reminds us, we must speak with each other to live together as one nation,” added Msgr. Anyolo.The two prelates urged the government to prioritize justice for those who lost their lives during last year’s protests and for those still recovering from injuries sustained in clashes with law enforcement, which left at least 60 dead. In recent days, clashes have erupted during demonstrations demanding the truth about the death in a security cell of blogger Albert Ojwang (see Fides, June 12 and 17, 2025). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 23/6/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – The appeal of the Archbishops of Nyeri and Nairobi for the march in memory of last year’s victims: “Let dialogue prevail”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – Let dialogue prevail between the government and young people. This is the appeal for the march in memory of the victims of last year’s protests against the budget law (see Fides, June 21, 25, and 26, 2024). The march is scheduled for June 25. Yesterday, Sunday, June 22, addressing the media together, Monsignor Anthony Muheria, Archbishop of Nyeri and Vice President of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), and his counterpart in Nairobi, Archbishop Philip Arnold Subira Anyolo, invited President William Ruto to listen to the country’s youth.“With just over 60 hours to the march, our greatest call is to safeguard human life,” declared Archbishop Muheria. “It does not matter what your goals are—the most urgent goal is to protect life, uplift the poor, and listen to one another.”Archbishop Anyolo added: “We have no right at any time to take the life of another. As Catholics, we believe life begins at conception – and that belief compels us to care even for mothers who mourn children killed in such unrest,” The two Archbishops also addressed a message to young people, urging them to moderate their intransigent positions and participate constructively in nation-building, while warning political leaders that inflammatory rhetoric fuels division and violence. Addressing the young people, Archbishop Muheria ask for “a spirit of unity,” so “let us walk together and find solutions as we mourn those who died.”“Political leaders must avoid recklessness in speech. As our national anthem reminds us, we must speak with each other to live together as one nation,” added Msgr. Anyolo.The two prelates urged the government to prioritize justice for those who lost their lives during last year’s protests and for those still recovering from injuries sustained in clashes with law enforcement, which left at least 60 dead. In recent days, clashes have erupted during demonstrations demanding the truth about the death in a security cell of blogger Albert Ojwang (see Fides, June 12 and 17, 2025). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 23/6/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/SYRIA – Massacre of Christians in Damascus. Greek Orthodox Patriarchate: “they are our new martyrs”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Monday, 23 June 2025

    by Pascale RizkDamascus (Agenzia Fides) – “On the day our Church of Antioch commemorates all the Antiochian saints, the treacherous hand of injustice has risen this evening and reaped our souls along with the souls of our loved ones who fell as martyrs today during the evening Mass at the Church of St. Elias in Dwela’a in Damascus.” With these words, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, led by Patriarch Yohanna X, addressed the faithful around the world following the massacre perpetrated during the evening Mass on Sunday, June 22.The Church of St. Elias is located in the Tabbalah neighborhood, at the entrance to the Douweila neighborhood. It was built in 1990. It is a monastic complex with a church, a school, and several guest rooms for pilgrims and students.According to information from local sources, the attack began with several shots fired at praying Christians from outside the church. Then, at least two suicide bombers wearing explosive belts entered the church through the rear entrance to the altar and blew themselves up.The eyewitness account of Laure al NasrMeanwhile, a video with the account of eyewitness Laure al Nasr was posted on social media: Her husband, Geryes el Bechara, a member of the General Directorate of the Road Traffic Authority, tried to stop the attacker along with Botros el Bechara, one of the brothers present at the mass. “The shots,” Laura recounts in her account, traumatized by her own grief, “first hit the church windows, frightening the people who gathered around the altar. As the attacker entered the church,” the witness continued, “Geryes and Botros tried to stop him: one by hitting him on the arm to make him drop a grenade that hadn’t exploded, the other by trying to pull him out of the church.” At that moment, the suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt and blew himself up. “I saw the bodies of my husband and my brother-in-law being torn to pieces, one next to the other. They tried to save us all; they are martyrs for our Church.” Other family members died in the massacre: their sister Myriam, cousins Julia, Sleman, and Nabil. A niece and a third brother of Geryes and Botros, notary Elias el Bechara, were seriously injured.Unconfirmed information suggests the suicide bombers may have been of Pakistani origin, and another attacker is said to have escaped after the massacre.So far, the provisional death toll amounts to 22 and 53 injured. “We continue to collect the remains and bodies of our martyrs,” reads the statement released by the Patriarchate.The government’s reactionsProfessor Hind Aboud Kabawat (see Fides, 12/2/2025), Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, the only Christian minister in the government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, went to the scene of the attack to express the Syrian government’s closeness to the community affected by the massacre. Government authorities condemned the attack and blamed individuals linked to the so-called Islamic State. “This criminal act, targeting members of the Christian community, is a desperate attempt to undermine national unity and destabilize the country, as well as a response by the remnants of terrorism to the continued successes of the Syrian state and leadership,” reads the government statement.Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, under the name Abu Muhammed el-Jolani, headed the Islamist “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” for years, which played a leading role in the fight against the Assad regime, which collapsed in December of last year.Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine Al-Baba announced that “all those involved in this criminal act will be held accountable, and we will work to restore the church to its former glory.”The solidarity of the entire population with the church affected by the massacre was also expressed through blood donations in the hospitals where the wounded are being treated. Meanwhile, Islamists are praising the massacre and issuing intimidating messages directed at Christians in other Syrian cities. Official expressions of solidarity with the Syrian Christians, however, came from leaders of other religious communities, while several ministers visited the wounded and their families in hospitals.In the final part of the message, issued by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of AntiochThe statement, published on , calls on the relevant authorities in Syria to “assume full responsibility for the protection of the Holy Sites and all citizens.” This at a time when the entire Middle East seems more than ever to be dominated by “inhuman forces that want to accelerate the end of the world” (Pope Francis). (Agenzia Fides, 23/6/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –