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  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Introduces Amendment to Block Taxpayer Dollars for Biden Green New Deal Projects

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, July 16, 2025

    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) filed an amendment to the rescissions package currently before the Senate to block the Department of Energy’s federal loan guarantees from bankrolling the Grain Belt Express, a Green New Deal project fiercely opposed by Missouri farmers and ranchers. 
    “The Department of Energy should not be using taxpayer dollars to fund green scams at the expense of Missouri’s farmers and ranchers. The Biden Administration shoved the $4.9 billion federal loan guarantee through at the eleventh hour because they knew it was illegal and immoral. It’s time to defund the Grain Belt Express once and for all,” Senator Hawley said. 
    For years, Senator Hawley has been working to defund the Grain Belt Express and protect Missourians’ land. Just last week, Senator Hawley secured a pledge from Energy Secretary Chris Wright to rescind the Grain Belt Express loan guarantees.
    Read the full amendment here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Hawley Exposes Big Tech’s Complicity in Piracy to Train AI Models & Willfulness to Bankrupt U.S. Creative Community

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, July 16, 2025

    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) chaired a Judiciary subcommittee hearing revealing Big Tech’s role behind the unchecked piracy of copyrighted content to fuel companies’ artificial intelligence (AI) models. The hearing featured witness testimony from bestselling author David Baldacci as well as AI experts and law professors who lent credence to Senator Hawley’s claim: AI companies, namely Meta, have crossed the line of technological innovation into corporate crime.
    “Today’s hearing is about the largest intellectual property theft in American history. . . . AI companies are training their models on stolen material, period. . . . And we’re not talking about these companies simply scouring the internet for what’s publicly available. We’re talking about piracy,” Senator Hawley said.
    “Are we going to protect [Americans’ creative community], or are we going to allow a few mega-corporations to vacuum it all up, digest it, and make billions of dollars in profits—maybe trillions—and pay nobody for it. That’s not America,” the Senator argued, explaining that the issue at hand is a moral one as much as a legal one.
    Baldacci went on to point out the harm mass piracy poses to America’s authors, songwriters, and other creative producers, whose works are now in the crosshairs of Big Tech’s lawlessness.
    “Every single one of my books was presented to me . . . in three seconds. It really felt like I had been robbed of everything of my entire adult life that I had worked on,” Baldacci said.               
    Key revelations uncovered during the hearing include:
    AI companies being trained on over 200 terabytes of copyrighted work—or, in other words, billions of pages that would fill approximately 22 Libraries of Congress.
    Big Tech having pirated this work by illegally downloading it.
    AI companies having facilitated other actors’ piracy by illegally uploading more than 50 terabytes of copyrighted works for others’ use.
    Meta knowing it was engaging in illegal activity.
            • Employees internally warned each other that Meta’s piracy was illegal—and then brazenly made light of it.
            • Meta concealed its pirating via non-Meta servers, so its criminal acts would not be traced back to the company.

    Watch the full subcommittee hearing here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Spotlights Importance of Safeguarding Musicians and Artists from AI 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee today emphasized the importance of establishing protections to help creators—musicians, artists, writers, and others—access the courts to protect their copyrighted works if and when they are used to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) models. Senator Welch urged Congress to pass the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act, bipartisan legislation that would allow copyright holders to access training records used for AI models to determine if their work was used—a process currently used for internet piracy.   
    “The AI companies need content, so they don’t care where it comes from. It’s just a voracious, insatiable appetite, and they’re going to go into copyrighted material. We know that, and to suggest they won’t, I think, is naïve. And the question, and the burden here is—that is going into copyrighted material. And the artist has the right to have that copyright respected. The burden is that how do you know they used it? That’s the whole point of the TRAIN Act, where if there is copyright infringement, a reasonable assertion of that and suspicion of it is going to require disclosure on the part of the AI platform,” said Senator Welch. 
    Watch Senator Welch’s full remarks below: 
    Read key excerpts from Senator Welch’s exchange with Michael Smith, Professor of Information Technology and Marketing at Carnegie Mellon University: 
    “Music is so important. It really helps people get a sense of who they are, it helps people connect, and it’s across political divisions. That’s what’s one of the inspiring things about the incredible contributions that musicians provide to our society. Can you just explain what the dangers are of allowing AI models to freely train off of copyrighted works?” asked Senator Welch.  
    Mr. Michael Smith testified: “There are multiple dangers…When you sign a license with a generative AI company, you’re signing with a gun to your head because they can say, ‘either sign what I’m offering or I’m going to go steal it instead.’ That’s troubling.” 
    Senator Welch: “This is the concern I have about how this AI…is going to make it tougher for those folks against great odds to keep at it. So maybe you could just—from your experience—talk a little bit about how it would adversely impact any chance they have of being able to pay their bills at the end of the month while they’re trying to create inspirational music for the benefit of all of us.” 
    Mr. Smith: “I deeply share that concern, Senator, and it’s based on peer-reviewed academic research showing that creative output goes down when piracy is allowed to flourish. I worry that the future David Baldaccis of the world won’t get through that hump. And we won’t get to appreciate their creative output if we allow piracy to be used to continue to train these generative AI models.”   
    Senator Welch is focused on strengthening consumer protections and safety around emerging technologies, including AI. Last Congress, Senator Welch introduced the Artificial Intelligence Consumer Opt-In, Notification Standards, and Ethical Norms for Training (AI CONSENT) Act, legislation that would require online platforms to obtain consumers’ express informed consent before using their personal data to train AI models. Senator Welch also introduced the Digital Platform Commission Act, legislation to create an expert federal agency to provide comprehensive regulation of digital platforms to protect consumers, promote competition, and safeguard the public interest. 
    Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts, Colleagues Call for a Stable Regulatory Environment to Win the A.I. Race

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) led a group of colleagues in sending a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on shaping regulations to position the United States as the world capital of artificial intelligence (AI).  The letter calls for the administration to release a rule that creates an environment for American innovators to compete and win, while keeping frontier tech out of the hands of America’s adversaries.  This rule will be another step in the administration’s work to ensure the United States dominates the global AI ecosystem.  The letter reads:
    “We can only win the AI race with Communist China if we are wisely limiting our foreign adversary’s opportunities to develop frontier AI and enabling American companies to compete quickly in the global marketplace.  Both prongs are important and the balance between them are crucial.  America is winning the AI race, but the competition has been hard fought and will continue to be.  Steps must be taken quickly since investments happening now will create the world’s tech ecosystem for decades to come.”
    The letter follows an April letter led by Senator Ricketts, urging Secretary Lutnick to rescind the Biden Administration’s AI Diffusion Rule.  This Biden-era policy created obstacles to innovation and cooperation by applying tiers and caps on allies seeking to access American technology.  The Trump administration rescinded the AI Diffusion Rule on May 7.
    The letter was also signed by Senators Kevin Cramer (ND), John Kennedy (LA), James Lankford (OK), and Rick Scott (FL).
    Read the full letter here or below.  
    Dear Secretary Lutnick,
    Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States is shaping emerging technologies globally and positioned as the world capital of artificial intelligence (AI). The President’s cabinet is unshackling American energy, cutting burdensome red tape, and unwinding Biden’s bad policies. One important example of bolstering American prosperity was your decision to rescind and replace the Biden administration’s AI Diffusion Rule. This rule would have helped China win the AI race, and replacing this rule quickly will provide American innovators a stable environment to compete and win.
    The Biden Administration’s AI Diffusion Rule, as accurately stated on the Bureau of Industry and Security’s website, “…would have stifled American innovation and saddled companies with burdensome new regulatory requirements.” The rule undermined relationships with allies and partners around the world. It hamstrung American companies, and the rule ultimately gave friendly nations an incentive to turn to Communist China for their emerging tech needs. Repealing this rule was a step forward for the nation.
    While we are currently ahead of Communist China in the AI race, we must continue to help our nation, companies, and innovators succeed. Failure to maintain our lead in AI development means that we could be at the mercy of Communist China for many critical industries. Examples include cryptography, next-generation pharmaceuticals, and advanced defense materials. President Trump has been at the forefront of securing investment during his recent successful trip to the Middle East. He closed deals promoting U.S. technology as the global standard and secured landmark investments in frontier AI development at home. We must continue to capitalize on this momentum by ensuring allies and partners building out their AI investments see the U.S. as the superior, most reliable partner.
    One crucial next step in this competition is providing American innovators, exporters, and nations around the world a stable exporting structure. Mr. Secretary, your testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee included key elements of an AI diffusion framework that would enable American AI diffusion around the world while also limiting China’s ability to develop frontier AI. The Trump administration should not return to Biden’s tiers and caps that confused close allies and partners.
    Instead, know-your-customer and security controls should be applied to technologies designed to train frontier AI models. This approach, while allowing other American technologies to flow freely, will ensure the United States dominates the global AI ecosystem.
    We can only win the AI race with Communist China if we are wisely limiting our foreign adversary’s opportunities to develop frontier AI and enabling American companies to compete quickly in the global marketplace. Both prongs are important and the balance between them are crucial. America is winning the AI race, but the competition has been hard fought and will continue to be. Steps must be taken quickly since investments happening now will create the world’s tech ecosystem for decades to come.
    We thank you for your decisive actions so far bolstering American leadership, security, and prosperity. We look forward to working with you and President Trump to make America the AI capital of the world.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On 3rd Anniversary of 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Baldwin Blasts Trump Administration for Cutting Service

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the third anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is slamming the Trump Administration’s dangerous decision to cut services for at-risk children. Baldwin, who first created the three-digit hotline in 2020 with her Republican colleague, has worked to successfully fund the lifeline in annual appropriations bills and expand its reach to serve more people in crisis. Despite the hotline’s enormous success, including receiving more than 16.5 million contacts via calls, texts, and chats, the Trump Administration is working to dismantle one of its key programs that provides specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth. The program has received over 1.2 million crisis contacts since 2022, with an increasing number of contacts each year. 
    “Three years later, I am just filled with so much pride to have passed legislation and made getting help that much easier. More and more people are facing tough times, and more and more people are turning to this three-digit lifeline. I have no doubt that the people answering these calls, texts, and chats are saving lives,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “And just one day after the anniversary, the Trump Administration is dismantling a key part of it and cutting off specialized services for gay, lesbian, bi, and trans children. This outrageous and cruel attack on LGBTQ+ youth comes at a time when we should be building on the success of this lifesaving service, not turning suicide prevention into a partisan issue. I’ll fight tooth and nail to stop this administration from taking away this precious lifeline, and I call on my Republican colleagues who have long supported this program to fight for these kids, too.”
    In May, reports surfaced that President Trump’s proposed budget would eliminate 988’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program, prompting Senator Baldwin to call on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to reconsider the proposal and support continued funding for the program.
    Senator Baldwin wrote the legislation to create the three-digit 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and fought to stand up a pilot program for LGBTQ+ youth to address higher rates of suicide and mental health challenges among this population. As chair of the appropriations subcommittee that funds 988, Senator Baldwin led the effort to ensure 988 was adequately funded, including providing funding for specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth. That funding has ultimately been included in appropriations bills that have passed with overwhelmingly bipartisan support. Recognizing the overwhelming need for these services, Congress expanded the program beyond a pilot in fiscal year 2023.
    Since the lifeline launched, it has received nearly 16.5 million contacts, including 11.1 million calls, 2.9 million texts, and 2.4 million chats. In 2025, the answer rate hit its highest point since inception, 92 percent, but cutting funding for specialized services puts that in jeopardy.
    The Trevor Project found that nearly 40 percent of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous year, and 12 percent of LGBTQ+ young people attempted suicide, rates much higher than those present among non-LGBTQ+ youth. These specialized services connect LGBTQ+ youth with specially trained crisis counselors, similar to other dedicated programs for veterans and service members.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Banks Urge Administration to Strengthen Oversight on Buy America Rules in Defense Industry

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jim Banks (R-IN) called on the Trump Administration to strengthen enforcement and oversight of important defense trade agreements to ensure they support U.S. businesses, workers, and our industrial base. Currently, the Department of Defense has 28 of these trade agreements, known as Reciprocal Defense Procurement agreements, with partner countries like Japan, Germany, and the U.K. These agreements waive both the U.S.’s Buy America requirements and similar laws in partner countries, opening up the opportunity for foreign companies to sell products and services to the Department of Defense. However, a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that entities within the Department of Defense (DoD) skipped important steps in creating and renewing these agreements, sometimes skirting or undermining important Buy America requirements that are meant to put American businesses and workers first.
    “A robust defense industrial base is essential for national security and economic resilience, as it underpins the development, maintenance, and deployment of U.S. military assets. While RDPs can have positive impacts in facilitating integration with our partners and allies and enable positive exchanges, the significant impact of RDP agreements on our domestic industrial base necessitates rigorous scrutiny in their review, approval, and renewal,” wrote the Senators. “With the growing number of RDP agreements, we expect that your Agency Secretaries will thoroughly review and refine the process for entering into and renewing these agreements, ensuring they bolster U.S. industry while fortifying our defense partnerships.”
    In the letter, the Senators expressed concerns that RDP agreements have been used to waive “Buy American” requirements that are designed to ensure that taxpayer dollars support American businesses and workers to help bolster the U.S. economy, ensure a skilled domestic workforce, and strengthen our industrial base. Current Department of Defense rules provide a blanket “public interest” waiver of all Buy American requirements for defense materiel from any trading partner with an RDP agreement. Given these waivers, the Senators urged the Trump Administration to ensure that any RDP agreement has thoroughly assessed the implications on American businesses, workers, and the defense industrial base before they are finalized or renewed.
    As outlined in the GAO report, the Senators also expressed concerns that the DoD is making these trade agreements without sufficient input from domestic industry. While the Department of Commerce is authorized to initiate a review of existing RDP agreements if they believe they could have adverse impacts on domestic industry, they have never completed such a review, even for RDPs that have been renewed several times. The Senators requested that the International Trade Commission review RDPs, allowing U.S. companies to have clear opportunities to alert the administration when a proposed trade agreement may harm them.
    A recent GAO report also reviewed all existing RDP agreements, showing on several occasions the administration failed to properly scrutinize these agreements. According to GAO, since 2018, DoD has skipped important due diligence steps for entering into and renewing RDP agreements. For three agreements, DoD did not solicit U.S. industry input, and for another agreement, DoD did not seek analysis from Commerce, as required by law. The GAO also found that DoD waives Buy America requirements for partner countries even if their RDP agreement has expired. The GAO further found there was insufficient compliance with a 2021 requirement that the Made in America Office review RDP agreements to ensure domestic producers will have equal and proportional access to partner defense markets.
    “We must ensure that any RDP agreements undergo rigorous scrutiny with transparent decision-making processes and input from industry stakeholders. The decision to enter or renew such agreements should be guided by strategic imperatives, not expediency. Our domestic industrial base should be able to take priority when that goal clashes with other priorities,” the Senators concluded. “Given the results of the GAO report, we urge the administration to review the RDP agreements process to ensure that such agreements fulfill their intended purpose of supporting U.S. industry and manufacturers while still bolstering our defense relationships with allies and partners.”
    A full version of this letter is available here and below.
    Dear Mr. President,
    We write to raise concerns that shortcomings in the Reciprocal Defense Procurement (RDP) agreements process may be negatively impacting our defense industrial base. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report shows that there needs to be a more robust review process for establishing and renewing RDP agreements, and your America First Trade Policy report similarly identified these agreements as a point of concern. We urge the administration to review and update the RDP agreement process to ensure that such agreements support the U.S. industrial base, to include establishing an interagency review process to oversee such agreements.
    A robust defense industrial base is essential for national security and economic resilience, as it underpins the development, maintenance, and deployment of U.S. military assets. While RDPs can have positive impacts in facilitating integration with our partners and allies and enable positive exchanges, the significant impact of RDP agreements on our domestic industrial base necessitates rigorous scrutiny in their review, approval, and renewal. With the growing number of RDP agreements, we expect that your Agency Secretaries will thoroughly review and refine the process for entering into and renewing these agreements, ensuring they bolster U.S. industry while fortifying our defense partnerships.
    RDP agreements are trade agreements for direct government procurement negotiated solely by the Department of Defense (DoD) with foreign counterparts, without Congressional ratification. Since first authorized by Congress in 1988, the DoD has entered into 28 RDP agreements and 6 related agreements with both North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member-states, major non-NATO allies, and other partner countries. Most agreements include automatic extension provisions. We understand that the DoD is currently negotiating new agreements.
    We are concerned that RDP agreements have been used to waive or otherwise undermine “Buy American” requirements and similar domestic preferences that are in place to ensure that taxpayer dollars support American businesses and workers by prioritizing domestically produced goods and materiel when federal agencies make procurement decisions. This helps to bolster the U.S. economy, ensure a skilled domestic workforce, and strengthen our industrial base. Current DoD regulations (DFARS 225.872- 1) provide a blanket “public interest” waiver of all Buy American requirements for defense materiel for any foreign supplier from a country with an active reciprocal defense procurement agreement. The RDP agreement process should ensure that the administration has thoroughly assessed the implications on our industrial base before they are finalized or renewed.
    We are also concerned that the DoD may be making decisions about RDP agreements without sufficient input from domestic industry. Federal law authorizes the Department of Commerce to initiate an interagency review of existing RDP agreements if Commerce has reason to believe an agreement either has or could have “a significant adverse effect on the international competitive position of the U.S. industry.” To date, Commerce has never completed such a review, even for RDPs that have been renewed several times. The administration can address this shortcoming by ensuring that Commerce and the International Trade Commission review RDPs and that the process includes mechanisms and transparency to allow for domestic industry input. U.S. companies should have clear opportunities to alert the administration when a proposed trade agreement may harm them.
    At Congress’ request, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently completed a review of all existing RDP agreements, and their findings verify our concerns. According to GAO, since 2018, DoD has skipped important due diligence steps for entering into and renewing RDP agreements. For three agreements, DoD did not solicit U.S. industry input, and for another agreement, DoD did not seek analysis from Commerce, as required by law. Additionally, GAO found that Commerce’s methodology to assess RDP agreements has several weaknesses, including that it does not analyze the impact of RDP agreements on services. In Fiscal Year 2022, services comprised 49 percent of the value of DoD procurement. The GAO also found that DoD waives Buy America requirements for partner countries even if their RDP agreement has expired. The GAO further found there was insufficient compliance with a 2021 requirement that the Made in America Office review RDP agreements to ensure domestic producers will have equal and proportional access to partner defense markets.
    We must ensure that any RDP agreements undergo rigorous scrutiny with transparent decision-making processes and input from industry stakeholders. The decision to enter or renew such agreements should be guided by strategic imperatives, not expediency. Our domestic industrial base should be able to take priority when that goal clashes with other priorities.
    Given the results of the GAO report, we urge the administration to review the RDP agreements process to ensure that such agreements fulfill their intended purpose of supporting U.S. industry and manufacturers while still bolstering our defense relationships with allies and partners. We encourage you to implement GAO’s recommendations and ensure all RDPs undergo robust interagency review.
    Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. We look forward to your response.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Hoyle Announces Tele-Town Hall for Wednesday, July 23rd

    Source: US Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04)

    July 16, 2025

    For Immediate Release: July 16, 2025 

    WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) announced she will host a telephone town hall on Wednesday, July 23rd at 5:30 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST). Rep. Hoyle will share updates about what’s going on in Congress and how it’s impacting communities in the district. It is also an opportunity to ask Rep. Hoyle questions and get answers directly from her. 

    How to Join

    To join the tele-town hall, constituents of Oregon’s 4th district should fill out the form linked here. The form will close on Wednesday, July 23rd at 10:00 AM PST.

    What’s a telephone town hall?

    A tele-town hall is a town hall meeting done over the telephone with Rep. Hoyle and other constituents in the district. It’s a way for her to be in conversation with as many people as possible and provide direct updates while she is in Washington, D.C. for votes. After filling out the form above, you will receive a call from her at the designated start time and be invited to stay on the line to join. After joining the call, attendees will receive instructions on how to ask a question.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Sara Jacobs, James Moylan Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Effectiveness of U.S. Security Assistance

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53)

    July 16, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — Reps. Sara Jacobs and James Moylan introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the effectiveness and streamline the coordination of U.S. security assistance.

    The U.S. spends billions of dollars on military assistance for partners and allies around the world, and yet the payoffs are often limited, inconsistent, and not strategic. The bifurcation and bureaucracy of U.S. security assistance between the State Department and the Defense Department often result in inconsistent communication, collaboration, or evaluation of the effectiveness of U.S. security assistance. The bipartisan United States Security Assistance Effectiveness Act would address these challenges, strengthen the State Department’s capacity,  and make security assistance more strategic, accountable, and effective in advancing U.S. values and priorities.

    Rep. Sara Jacobs said: “Security assistance is a critical part of our national security toolbox, but bottlenecks in bureaucracy, poor communication, and insufficient evaluation can mean that we’re not advancing – and at times, we’re undermining – our foreign policy goals. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan United States Security Assistance Effectiveness Act to enhance the State Department’s capacity to track, approve, coordinate, and evaluate U.S. security assistance. Every year, the U.S. transfers billions of dollars of military training, support, and equipment, and we should feel confident that it’s being spent wisely, ethically, and effectively.”

    “This bill strengthens our national interests by streamlining how we deliver security assistance to our global partners, especially in the Indo-Pacific,” said Congressman Moylan. “This coordinated strategy enhances international defense cooperation while advancing regional stability in today’s rapidly evolving security environment. I’m proud to work with Congresswoman Jacobs on this bipartisan legislation to establish a needs-based, partner-specific, and transparent approach to security assistance.”

    The U.S. Security Assistance Effectiveness Act would:

    • Streamline organizational structure for security assistance, including by elevating the Office of Security Assistance to be led by a Coordinator to guide and support security assistance; maintain a common database on security assistance and security cooperation; coordinate the Assessment, Monitoring, and Evaluation (AME) program; and establish a security assistance framework to guide regional and country-specific planning
    • Establish curriculum at the Foreign Service Institute to provide specialized training on security assistance, including on coordination requirements, relevant laws and practices, and effectiveness of security assistance
    • Require a GAO report on coordination between the State Department and the Defense Department on security assistance and security cooperation programs
    • Require the State Department and Defense Department to establish a common database of all security assistance and security cooperation programs and activities 
    • Require the establishment of an assessment, monitoring, and evaluation (AME) program for any country receiving security assistance to define goals and measure outcomes
    • Mandate a framework to guide regional and country-specific planning on security assistance and the Coordinator to annually submit to Congress a list of priority recipient countries for security assistance

    The text of the bill can be found here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Strickland Delivers for Servicemembers, their Families, and the Future of the Services 

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10)

    Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA10), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after the House Armed Services Committee passed H.R. 3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (NDAA).  

    “I am proud to lead innovative and impactful provisions in the current version of this year’s defense policy bill that will improve readiness, and enhance the quality of life for servicemembers and their families. From housing, food access and healthcare, to direct funds for JBLM — this bill reflects our bipartisan commitment to supporting those who defend and serve our nation,” said Strickland.    

    Under Strickland’s leadership, the bill includes key provisions to boost the quality of life for servicemembers and their families:  

    Naming Commission for Military Assets  

    • Prohibits the use of federal funds to revert recommendations from the Congressionally established Confederate Naming Commission for military bases and honor Confederate leaders. 

    Housing  

    • Mandates methods to ensure that Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates are accurate reflections of regional market trends.  
    • Allows the use of cost-effective materials in housing renovations, and delays historic preservation requirements until the housing structure is 100 years old.   
    • Requires a detailed report on the acquisition and the implementation of the Global Household Goods contract following the cancellation of HomeSafe Alliance LLC.  

    Nutrition  

    • Removes BAH from total household income calculations used to determine Basic Needs Allowance (BNA) eligibility.  
    • Requires an annual report, for five years, on how subsistence allowances and food programs are utilized.  

    Healthcare  

    • Includes Strickland’s bipartisan MIDWIVES bill.   
    • Creates a pilot program, allowing beneficiaries to select an OB/GYN provider and receive care without a referral.  
    • Extends free TRICARE dental coverage to Reserve Component servicemembers.  
    • Secures a report on the TRICARE contract acquisition and implementation, healthcare delivery, and learned lessons that can be applied to the East and West regions. 

    Historically Black Colleges and Universities  

    • Allocates nearly $125 million — $25 million more than the President’s request — for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  

    Joint Base Lewis-McChord  

    • Authorizes $68 million for an Airfield Fire & Rescue Station, replacing the over 70-year-old Fire Station 105.   
    • Authorizes $70 million for a Command & Control Facility.   
    • Mandates a report studying the creation of a public database on non-combat military plane crashes, including details in response to Strickland’s Flight 293 bill.   

    Army Museums  

    • Establishes closure criteria for the Secretary of the Army’s management of the museum system, preventing the Secretary from closing local museums – including the Lewis Army Museum — without Congressional input.  

    Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She is Whip of the New Democrat Coalition, Secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus, and is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Signs HALT Fentanyl Act into Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Today, surrounded by families who have lost loved ones to the scourge of fentanyl, President Donald J. Trump officially signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law — permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
    As President Trump said, the legislation is “delivering another defeat for the savage drug smugglers and criminals and the cartels” — and is just one of the many historic actions the Trump Administration has taken to end the carnage wrought by foreign drug cartels in our communities.
    President Trump was joined by a few of the millions of Americans whose lives have been permanently changed by the fentanyl epidemic:
    Greg Swan, who lost his son to fentanyl: “I would just like to say, thank you, Mr. President, for stopping the border crossings — full stop, mic drop … It was amazing what you did. We were being gaslit — and you came and lit a fire to that story, and we’re a lot safer for of it.” Watch
    Anne Fundner, who lost her son to fentanyl: “In the last four years, fentanyl became the number one killer to Americans ages 15 to 48 … President Trump, for four years we felt ignored, but you’ve changed that … It is a lifeline for families across America in keeping our families safe … Thank you for keeping America safe for our children. This is what we voted for.” Watch
    Jackie Siegel, who lost her daughter and sister to drug overdoses: “Mr. President, it’s an honor to be here today on behalf of our family … for this important signing.” Watch

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Extradition – Historical sex offences – Darwin

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    On 15 July 2025, Detectives from the Sex Crimes Unit extradited a 70-year-old man from Sydney to Darwin.

    The man failed to attend court in July 1984 in relation to sexualised offending against a young woman, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest. The Northern Territory Police Force have been monitoring the alleged offender for some years whilst imprisoned for unrelated offending in NSW.

    He was originally charged with:

    • Sexual assault
    • Aggravated assault
    • Cause bodily harm

    The man appeared in Darwin Local Court yesterday and was further remanded until 30 July 2025.

    Detective Senior Constable Naomi Cox says, “This arrest demonstrates that no matter how much time passes, police remain committed to pursuing justice. We never forget.”

    “We continue to urge victims to reach out on triple zero in emergencies and on 131 444. You can also visit your local police station.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Business – Hellmann expands footprint in Americas region with launch of fully-owned operations in Colombia

    Source: Hellmann Worldwide Logistics

    Osnabrueck / Bogotá, July 16, 2025. Hellmann Worldwide Logistics today announced the opening of its new fully-owned subsidiary in Colombia. The launch represents a strategic milestone in the company’s network expansion across the Americas and underscores its commitment to sustainable, long-term growth.

    Hellmann has been active in Colombia for almost 30 years through local partner companies, establishing a strong market presence, in-depth local expertise, and a reliable network. Earlier this year Hellmann acquired its perishables partner HPL Apollo, including the HPL entity in Colombia. Following this acquisition, the company has further strengthened its footprint in the country by formally establishing its own subsidiary specializing in end-to-end logistics for general cargo and other verticals including airfreight, seafreight, customs brokerage, and contract logistics supported by an experienced team of supply chain professionals. Customers and partners can leverage Colombia as a new strategic hub for both inbound and outbound flows, enhancing connectivity to North and South American markets as well as global trade lanes supported by the extensive Hellmann network.

    “Following the takeover of HPL Apollo in the United States and the inclusion of its Colombian operations, establishing a fully integrated own country organization in Colombia marks another milestone in our global expansion strategy. The Americas is a key market for us, and this development strengthens our presence and enhances our ability to serve customers across this strategically important region,” says Jens Drewes, CEO Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.

    “After seven successful years of collaboration with our local partner ABC Cargo Logistics S.A.S., we are proud to take the next step by establishing our own Hellmann operations in Colombia,” said Peter Huwel, Regional Chief Executive Officer, Americas. “This launch strengthens our ability to deliver the high-quality, integrated logistics solutions our customers expect from Hellmann, while positioning us to drive continued growth across the region.”

    The Colombian opening further consolidates Hellmann’s presence in Latin America and aligns with the company’s ambition to connect the Americas’ markets, people, and opportunities with efficiency, innovation, and commitment.

    Über Hellmann
    Hellmann Worldwide Logistics ist ein globaler Logistikdienstleister mit einem umfassenden Dienstleistungsportfolio, das Luft- und Seefracht, Straßen- und Schienentransport sowie Kontraktlogistik umfasst. Mit einem Jahresumsatz von EUR 3,8 Mrd. und rund 12.000 Mitarbeiter*innen in 61 Ländern bewegt Hellmann jährlich über 20 Mio. Sendungen. Auf Basis dieser breiten Produktpalette und langjährigen Erfahrung bietet Hellmann innovative Logistiklösungen für die komplexen Anforderungen jedes einzelnen Kunden und setzt auf visionäre technische Produkte, um maximale Kundentransparenz zu gewährleisten und gleichzeitig eine effizientere Lieferkette zu schaffen.

    About Hellmann
    Hellmann Worldwide Logistics is a global logistics service provider with a comprehensive service portfolio that includes air- and seafreight, road and rail transport, and contract logistics. With annual sales of EUR 3.8 bn and around 12,000 employees in 61 countries, Hellmann moves over 20 mio shipments annually. Based on this broad product range and many years of experience, Hellmann offers innovative logistics solutions for the complex requirements of each individual customer and relies on visionary technical products to ensure maximum customer transparency while creating a more efficient supply chain.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito, Colleagues Advocate for Critical Education Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), led a group of her colleagues in sending a letter to Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating to release anticipated education formula funding—an issue she has heard about directly from impacted individuals.

    Specifically, the letter requests that the administration implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Resolution Act, which President Trump signed into law earlier this year. This legislation contains critical funding that states rely on to help students, families, and local economies.

    In addition to Senator Capito, the following senators signed the letter: John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.).

    Full text of the letter can be found here or below.

    Dear Director Vought, 

    We write to ask you to faithfully implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Resolution Act, which President Trump signed into law earlier this year, including the education formula funds that states anticipated receiving on July 1, 2025.

    The Continuing Resolution contained funding for Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants; 21st Century Community Learning Centers; Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants; English Language Acquisition; Migrant Education; Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants). Withholding these funds will harm students, families, and local economies.

    The decision to withhold this funding is contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states. This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent, because as we know, local communities know how to best serve students and families. Withholding this funding denies states and communities the opportunity to pursue localized initiatives to support students and their families.

    We share your concern about taxpayer money going to fund radical left-wing programs. However, we do not believe that is happening with these funds. These funds go to support programs that enjoy longstanding, bipartisan support like after-school and summer programs that provide learning and enrichment opportunities for school aged children which also enables their parents to work and contribute to local economies. 

    These funds also go to support adult learners. These students are often adults seeking second chances for a myriad of reasons, for example, caregiving responsibilities or financial challenges. These are adult learners working to gain employment skills, earn workforce certifications, or transition into postsecondary education. We should be making educational opportunities easier for these students, not harder. 

    We welcome the opportunity to work with you and Secretary McMahon to ensure that all federal education funding goes towards programs that help states and school districts provide students an excellent education. We want to see students in our states and across the country thrive, whether they are adult learners, students who speak English as a second language, or students who need after-school care so that their parents can work. We believe you share the same goal.

    We encourage you to reverse your decision and release this Congressionally-approved funding to states. 

    Thank you for your attention to this request, and we look forward to your prompt reply.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Highlights Surface Transportation Priorities from Stakeholder Experiences

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    [embedded content]

    To watch Chairman Capito’s questions, click here or the image above.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led a hearing on constructing the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill with stakeholders’ perspectives.

    During her questions, Chairman Capito asked about the role of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill regarding economic development, and how permitting reform remains key in the efficient development of our country’s surface transportation network.  

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    IMPORTANCE OF SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH:

    Chairman Capito:

    “In each individual ways, you’ve talked about the importance of the surface transportation network and what reauthorization will mean to you, in terms of economic and job growth. I want to dig down a little bit more on that. Is it the predictability, the affordability, the flexibility? What would you point to as from your standpoint as governor, and then we’ll go down the panel, to how this will impact your economic growth and job creation abilities?”

    Governor Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), on behalf of the National Association of Governors:

    “All of the above, but I think, you know, I have the opportunity to serve here too. We spend money inefficiently, and we’re required to do that because you go a decade without any increase in funding, and then things turn to whatever. The more predictability and foresight you can push onto us, the less money we will spend to build the same project.”

    Austin Ramirez, CEO, Husco International Inc., on behalf of the National Association of Manufacturers:

    “I mentioned supply chain in my comments, and I think it’s a real issue. We’ve got rural facilities, and having surface transportation to those facilities that is efficient and well maintained is really important. But you know, another really big one is, my main facility is outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the main East-West Corridor I-94 has been caught up in litigation for years, so I’ve got employees that spend hours a day stuck in traffic because we can’t execute projects that we’ve already agreed to do.”

    PERMITTING REFORM:

    Chairman Capito:

    “I think there’s a lot of similarities, and what everybody’s saying from the different standpoints of where you are. Permitting is something that Senator Whitehouse and I, and our staffs, talk about almost daily. We know that this is at the heart of the efficiency that I think most folks – and how the dollars can go farther than they can.”

    Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement.

    Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s questions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Cruz Provision to Bring Space Shuttle Discovery to Houston Signed Into Law in One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) released the following statements on their provision to consider moving the Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to its rightful home near the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston getting signed into law by President Trump in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

    “Houston has long been the cornerstone of our nation’s human space exploration program, and it’s overdue for Space City to receive the recognition it deserves by bringing the Space Shuttle Discovery home,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I am glad to see this provision become law as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill and look forward to welcoming Discovery to Houston and righting this egregious wrong.”

    “Houston has long stood at the heart of America’s human spaceflight program, and this legislation rightly honors that legacy,” said Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation Chairman Cruz. “It ensures that any future transfer of a flown, crewed space vehicle will prioritize locations that have played a direct and vital role in our nation’s manned space program, making Houston, Texas, a leading candidate. Bringing such a historic space vehicle to the region would underscore the city’s indispensable contributions to our space missions, highlight the strength of America’s commercial space partnerships, and inspire future generations of engineers, scientists, and pioneers who will carry our legacy of American leadership in space.”

     Background:

    The Senators’ provision will result in consideration of the Space Shuttle Discovery moving from Virginia to its rightful home near NASA’s JSC in Houston.

    Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center led all of the space shuttle flights throughout the program’s history, and the astronauts who flew aboard the shuttles lived and trained in the area Houston. Four space shuttles were retired from NASA in 2010, and one of them was expected to go on display in the Space City. Congress stated in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 that the four space shuttles were to be given to states with a “historical relationship with either the launch, flight operations, or processing of the Space Shuttle orbiters or the retrieval of NASA-manned space vehicles, or significant contributions to human space flight.” Unfortunately, this directive was unlawfully ignored by the Obama administration, who played politics to keep Houston from getting one of the shuttles. Notably, the administration gave one of the four shuttles to New York City, which has not made any major contributions to the nation’s history of space exploration and is not home to a NASA center—unlike Houston. The Space Shuttle Discovery should be transferred to Houston. This legislation would authorize the movement of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to an entity near the JSC in Houston.

    Additional space-related provisions led by Sen. Cornyn, including the Mission to Modernize Astronautic Resources (MARS) for Space Act, nearly $10 billion in NASA funding for programs at JSC, funding for National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Artemis program, and resources to support the International Space Station (ISS), were also signed into law as part of this legislation on July 4, 2025. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Meets with The LIBRE Initiative

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) met yesterday with The LIBRE Initiative President Daniel Garza and LIBRE Texas leaders to discuss the benefits of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which prevents hardworking Texans from facing the largest tax hike in American history, supports small businesses, promotes job growth, and bolsters border security. See photo below.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Employment – Union for local government workers supports LGNZ recommendations to improve voter turnout

    Source: PSA

    The PSA supports Local Government New Zealand’s (LGNZ) recommendations for a return to in-person voting at local elections, and for the Electoral Commission take over running and publicising local elections.
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi represents over 11,000 local government workers, and has a total membership of over 96,000 people living, paying rates and voting across the country.
    Currently local bodies are responsible for running their own elections, and most contract that job out to private firms.
    “Private companies should not be running local body elections, it is not appropriate for something so important to the functioning of local democracy,” said PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons.
    “The Electoral Commission is publicly accountable and already has a track record for delivering Parliamentary elections, we call on central government to give the Electoral Commission this role, with the proper resourcing to do it.”
    “In person voting will help turn around the poor turnout rates in local elections,” said Fitzsimons. “We need to see much greater participation and a more well-informed and engaged voting public.”
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Property Market – Investor comeback: ‘Mums and Dads’ are eyeing up cheaper, existing properties – Cotality

    Source: Commentary from Kelvin Davidson, Cotality NZ Chief Property Economist

    Cotality’s latest Buyer Classification data for June is in and it offers a full view of buyer behaviour across New Zealand for Q2. The figures point to a resilient and active first home buyer segment amid ongoing (but slightly lesser) affordability challenges. At the same time, ‘Mum and Dad’ investors continue to raise their activity levels, gravitating towards more affordable parts of the market.

    First home buyers still strong
    Over the three months to June, the broad tr

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tourism – Southern Discoveries puts new emergency survival equipment to the test

    Source: Southern Discoveries

    Southern Discoveries has become the first tourism company in Milford Sound to be AF8-ready with specialist emergency survival equipment.

    The longest-running Milford Sound cruise operator has fitted out its entire fleet of vehicles, including five coaches seating up to 250 people, with survival gear specifically designed for major earthquake events.
     
    And the initiative has already got the attention of tourism trade partners.
     
    Yesterday, Southern Discoveries’ coach team and senior managers attended a simulated training exercise near Queenstown to familiarise themselves with the life-saving gear they may need in an emergency situation. The drill at Wilson’s Bay saw staff simulate realistic earthquake scenarios, practising shelter setup and testing rescue tools with the new equipment.
     
    The specialist survival equipment has been supplied by Christchurch-based company The Survival Co., whose owner Peter Gillman was on-site during yesterday’s training exercises.
     
    Gillman says Southern Discoveries’ investment in such an extensive range of survival and medical gear puts them ahead of others in the industry.
     
    “Southern Discoveries is the first tourism operator to take this level of equipment from The Survival Co.,” he says. “They’ve taken the approach that if you’re going to do it, you should do it properly, and that’s exactly what’s been achieved.”
     
    The Survival Co. created a tailor-made package for the company, considering the additional challenges of remote locations like Milford Sound.
     
    “We looked at the scenarios people might find themselves in and what particular hazards exist in these areas. This gear provides an opportunity to keep people safe and comfortable during an emergency situation until help arrives.”
     
    Each of Southern Discoveries’ five coaches is now equipped with long-life food supplies, bottled water, purification tablets, emergency shelter, headlamps, waterproof ponchos, survival blankets, personal hygiene items, and stretchers. The gear also includes four-person survival self-rescue backpacks, enabling passengers and drivers to evacuate safely if required, plus satellite communication devices with SOS and two-way texting capabilities to maintain contact in remote areas.
     
    Survival packs will be placed in nine company vehicles and all coaches will carry Heartshine Samaritan AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) for immediate medical response capabilities. Grab-and-go packs have been placed in staff housing in Milford Sound.
     
    Southern Discoveries CEO Kerry Walker says the delivery of the gear aligns with the company’s goal of continuously improving and ensuring safety for guests and staff at all times.
     
    “We operate in a region with significant seismic risks, so it’s our responsibility to be prepared for any eventuality. This equipment provides genuine peace of mind for our staff, guests, and the local community,” Walker explains.
     
    The proactive safety initiative has already received strong support from Southern Discoveries’ international trade partners, particularly agents from the United States and Japan, who value the company’s commitment to safety standards.
     
    “We know our travel agent partners place high value on safety for their clients, so we’re delighted to be able to provide this level of comfort,” Walker adds.
     
    While Gillman notes his company is seeing increased interest from city councils and Civil Defence organisations, and is encouraged to see more tourism operators starting to invest in high-level survival equipment.
     
    Walker adds: “We’re proud to position ourselves as industry leaders in emergency preparedness, but we also want to encourage others to work with The Survival Co., who are experts in this area. One of Southern Discoveries’ major trade partners has already contacted The Survival Co. to discuss obtaining safety gear for their organisation.”
     
    About Southern Discoveries

    Southern Discoveries is a local, family-owned company dedicated to sharing some of New Zealand’s most iconic scenery and extraordinary experiences with the world. Operating for more than 70 years, Southern Discoveries is Milford Sound’s original cruise operator, offering a wide range of incredible sightseeing and adventure activities in Fiordland. The company maintains an ongoing commitment to the conservation of Aotearoa’s environment through sustainable tourism initiatives and the support of the Tawaki Project in partnership with DoC, the Fiordland Conservation Trust and the University of Otago.
    www.southerndiscoveries.co.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. Reports Preliminary Second Quarter Earnings of $1.72 Per Diluted Common Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo., July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ:GSBC), the holding company for Great Southern Bank (the “Bank”), today reported that preliminary earnings for the three months ended June 30, 2025, were $1.72 per diluted common share ($19.8 million net income) compared to $1.45 per diluted common share ($17.0 million net income) for the three months ended June 30, 2024.

    For the quarter ended June 30, 2025, annualized return on average common equity was 12.81%, annualized return on average assets was 1.34%, and annualized net interest margin was 3.68%, compared to 12.03%, 1.17% and 3.43%, respectively, for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

    Second Quarter 2025 Key Results:

    • Net Interest Income: Net interest income for the second quarter of 2025 increased $4.2 million (or approximately 8.9%) to $51.0 million compared to $46.8 million for the second quarter of 2024, largely driven by lower interest expense on deposit accounts and other borrowings. Annualized net interest margin was 3.68% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to 3.43% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and 3.57% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. During the quarter ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded $434,000 of interest income related to recoveries on non-accrual loans and other cash-basis assets, positively affecting net interest income and net interest margin.
    • Asset Quality: Non-performing assets and potential problem loans totaled $15.3 million at June 30, 2025, a decrease of $1.3 million from $16.6 million at December 31, 2024. At June 30, 2025, non-performing assets were $8.1 million (0.14% of total assets), a decrease of $1.5 million from $9.6 million (0.16% of total assets) at December 31, 2024.
    • Liquidity: The Company had secured borrowing line availability at the FHLBank and Federal Reserve Bank of $1.22 billion and $338.9 million, respectively, at June 30, 2025. In addition, at June 30, 2025, the Company had unpledged securities with a market value totaling $349.3 million, which could be pledged as collateral for additional borrowing capacity at either the FHLBank or Federal Reserve Bank.
    • Capital: The Company’s capital position remained strong as of June 30, 2025, significantly exceeding the thresholds established by regulators. On a preliminary basis, as of June 30, 2025, the Company’s Tier 1 Leverage Ratio was 11.5%, Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio was 13.0%, Tier 1 Capital Ratio was 13.5%, and Total Capital Ratio was 14.7%. The Company’s tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio was 10.5% at June 30, 2025. In June 2025, the Company redeemed at par all of its outstanding subordinated notes, which had an aggregate principal amount of $75.0 million.
    • Significant Item Impacting Non-Interest Income: In the quarter ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded income of $1.1 million related to exits from, and other activities of, its investments in tax credit partnerships. This was an unusually large amount for the Company, but this type of income occurs from time to time. We cannot, however, anticipate the amount or timing of this income with certainty.

    Selected Financial Data:

      Three Months Ended
        June 30,     June 30,   March 31,
        2025     2024     2025
        (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
                           
    Net interest income $ 50,963     $ 46,818     $ 49,334  
    Provision (credit) for credit losses on loans and unfunded commitments   (110 )     (607 )     (348 )
    Non-interest income   8,212       9,833       6,590  
    Non-interest expense   35,005       36,409       34,822  
    Provision for income taxes   4,494       3,861       4,290  
                     
    Net income $ 19,786     $ 16,988     $ 17,160  
                     
    Earnings per diluted common share $ 1.72     $ 1.45     $ 1.47  
                           

    Joseph W. Turner, President and CEO of Great Southern, commented, “The second quarter was marked by continued execution of our strategy to maintain core banking fundamentals, drive earnings, and improve tangible book value per share. Our core credit and operating metrics remained sound, with solid quarterly profitability driven by steady margins, ongoing disciplined expense control, and continued strong credit quality. We reported net income of $19.8 million, or $1.72 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $17.0 million, or $1.45 per diluted common share, in the same period last year. The increase in net income compared to the prior year quarter reflects strong growth in net interest income, which rose $4.2 million, or 8.9%, largely due to lower interest expense on deposit accounts and borrowings. The second quarter of 2025 and 2024 each had significant unusual or non-recurring items included in non-interest income, which are noted elsewhere in this earnings release. Non-interest expense also decreased from the year-ago quarter due to significant legal and professional fees recorded in 2024.”

    Turner noted, “Despite lingering external economic pressures, our core operations continued to perform well. Total interest income for the second quarter of 2025 was $81.0 million, reflecting stable yields on loans and investment securities. Net interest income for the quarter increased to $51.0 million, supported by our continued disciplined asset-liability management and lower deposit interest costs, despite competitive pressures. We also saw stability in our core non-time deposit balances, reflecting the strength of customer relationships and the enduring value of our franchise.”

    Turner added, “Our balance sheet remains well positioned, with total assets of approximately $5.85 billion at June 30, 2025, and a loan portfolio that reflects a balanced approach to growth and risk management, as we serve our constituent markets. We emphasize prudent lending practices through our relationship-based lending resulting in strong credit quality. Given our emphasis on balancing loan growth with appropriate pricing and loan structure, we saw a $156 million net loan reduction in the quarter, which included a $30 million loan payoff at the end of the quarter. Large loan payoffs tend to fluctuate, but we did experience a higher level of such payoffs in the second quarter of 2025. Our allowance for credit losses stood at $64.8 million at June 30, 2025, representing 1.41% of total loans. Our non-performing assets decreased $1.5 million from both March 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024, to $8.1 million, or 0.14% of total assets, highlighting our prudent underwriting standards and ongoing credit monitoring.”

    Turner further noted, “On the expense side, we remain focused on operating discipline. Non-interest expense totaled $35.0 million for the second quarter of 2025, an improvement of $1.4 million from the prior-year second quarter, with reductions in legal and professional fees and expense on other real estate owned, partially offset by modest increases in technology investments. Non-interest income totaled $8.2 million for the second quarter of 2025, which did include some significant unusual income as we’ve noted.”

    Turner continued, “As we look ahead, our priorities remain consistent: control costs, safeguard credit quality, and optimize our funding mix to enable continued growth and long-term financial stability. At June 30, 2025, our capital and liquidity positions were solid, with a tangible common equity ratio of 10.5% and approximately $2.2 billion of secured available lines and on-balance sheet liquid assets, providing us with the capital and liquidity we need to support customers, pursue strategic growth opportunities, and continue returning value to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. In the second quarter of 2025 we repurchased nearly 176,000 shares of our common stock. In June 2025, we redeemed all of the Company’s outstanding 5.50% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes, with an aggregate principal balance of $75 million, in advance of a step up in rate, thereby avoiding a significant increase in interest cost.”

    “Great Southern’s second-quarter 2025 results demonstrate the strength and consistency of our business model and our ability to deliver sustainable returns, supported by strong customer relationships and disciplined management. Our focus on long-term value creation is steadfast as our team works daily to meet the needs of our customers, communities and shareholders,” Turner concluded.

    NET INTEREST INCOME

      Three Months Ended
        June 30,     June 30,   March 31,
        2025     2024   2025
        (Dollars in thousands)
    Interest Income $ 80,975     $ 80,927     $ 80,243  
    Interest Expense   30,012       34,109       30,909  
                           
    Net Interest Income $ 50,963     $ 46,818     $ 49,334  
                     
    Net interest margin   3.68 %     3.43 %     3.57 %
    Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities   126.9 %     126.7 %     125.5 %
                           

    Net interest income for the second quarter of 2025 increased $4.2 million to $51.0 million, compared to $46.8 million for the second quarter of 2024. This increase in net interest income was driven primarily by higher investment interest income and improved overall yields, as well as the strategic management of maturing/repricing brokered deposits and interest-bearing demand deposits to reduce interest expense. Net interest margin was 3.68% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.43% in the same period of 2024 and 3.57% in the first quarter of 2025. Compared to the 2024 second quarter, the average yield on loans decreased 11 basis points, the average yield on investment securities increased 27 basis points and the average yield on other interest earning assets decreased 101 basis points. The average rate paid on interest-bearing demand and savings deposits, time deposits and brokered deposits decreased 36 basis points, 63 basis points and 74 basis points, respectively, in the three months ended June 30, 2025 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2024. The average interest rate spread was 3.09% for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to 2.77% for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and 3.00% for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

    Net interest margin was positively impacted by the receipt of interest income which had not been accrued for, as outlined above, under “Second Quarter 2025 Key Results – Net Interest Income.” This additional interest income contributed three basis points to net interest margin in the second quarter of 2025. While we currently believe that interest income recoveries such as this may occur in future periods, we cannot anticipate the amount or timing of this income with certainty.

    The average rate paid on total interest-bearing liabilities decreased from 3.17% in the 2024 second quarter to 2.75% in the 2025 second quarter. The average rates paid on deposits and borrowings decreased compared to the prior-year second quarter as market interest rates, primarily the federal funds rate and SOFR rates, declined in the fourth quarter of 2024. Yields on the Company’s portfolio of investment securities increased compared to the prior-year second quarter due to higher-yielding securities purchased in the second quarter of 2024. While market interest rates decreased compared to the second quarter of 2024, the average yield on loans only decreased slightly as cash flows from lower-rate fixed rate loans were redeployed into loans with comparably higher rates of interest.

    To mitigate exposure to the risk of fluctuations in future cash flows resulting from changes in interest rates (primarily related to falling interest rates), the Company has, from time to time, strategically utilized derivative financial instruments, primarily interest rate swaps, as part of its interest rate risk management strategy.

    The following table presents, for the periods indicated, the effect of cash flow hedge accounting included in interest income in the consolidated statements of income:

      Three Months Ended
        June 30,     June 30,   March 31,
        2025     2024   2025
        (In thousands)
    Terminated interest rate swaps $ 2,025     $ 2,025     $ 2,003  
    Active interest rate swaps   (1,757 )     (2,769 )     (1,742 )
                           
    Increase (decrease) to interest income $ 268     $ (744 )   $ 261  
                           

    The Company entered into an interest rate swap in October 2018, which was terminated in March 2020. Upon termination, the Company received $45.9 million, inclusive of accrued but unpaid interest, from its swap counterparty. The net amount, after deducting accrued interest and deferred income taxes, is being accreted to interest income on loans monthly until the originally scheduled termination date of October 6, 2025. After this date, the Company will no longer have the benefit of that income from the terminated swap. The Company anticipates recording approximately $2.0 million in interest income from the terminated swap in the third quarter of 2025, after which no further interest income will be realized.

    The Company’s net interest income in the second quarter of 2025 increased 8.9% compared to net interest income in the second quarter of 2024. The cost of deposits has been negatively impacted over several quarters by the high level of competition for deposits across the industry and the lingering effects of liquidity events at several banks in March and April 2023. After the second quarter of 2023, the Company had a significant amount of time deposits maturing at relatively low interest rates. These deposits were either renewed at higher rates or withdrawn, requiring the Company to replace the withdrawn deposits with other funding sources at then-current market rates. Market rates for time deposits for much of 2024 remained elevated, but have declined as the FOMC cut the federal funds rate by 100 basis points in late 2024 and signaled that further rate cuts may occur in late 2025. As of June 30, 2025, time deposit maturities over the next 12 months were as follows: within three months — $696 million, with a weighted-average rate of 3.93%; within three to six months — $460 million, with a weighted-average rate of 3.83%; and within six to twelve months — $124 million, with a weighted-average rate of 3.37%. Based on time deposit market rates in June 2025, replacement rates for these maturing time deposits are likely to be approximately 3.35-3.85%.

    NON-INTEREST INCOME

    For the quarter ended June 30, 2025, non-interest income decreased $1.6 million to $8.2 million when compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024, primarily as a result of the following items:

    • Other income: Other income decreased $1.6 million compared to the prior-year quarter. In the second quarter of 2024, the Company recorded $2.7 million of other income, net of expenses and write-offs, related to the termination of the master agreement between the Company and a third-party software vendor for the intended conversion of the Company’s core banking platform. Separately, in the quarter ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded income of $1.1 million related to exits from, and other activities of, its investments in tax credit partnerships.
    • Net gains on loan sales: Net gains on loan sales decreased $234,000 compared to the prior-year quarter. The decrease was due to a decrease in balance of fixed-rate single-family mortgage loans originated and sold during the 2025 period compared to the 2024 period. Fixed rate single-family mortgage loans originated are generally subsequently sold in the secondary market.
    • Late charges and fees on loans: Late charges and fees on loans increased $204,000 compared to the prior-year quarter. This increase was primarily due to prepayment fees on one large commercial real estate loan, which paid off in the 2025 quarter.

    NON-INTEREST EXPENSE

    For the quarter ended June 30, 2025, non-interest expense decreased $1.4 million to $35.0 million when compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024, primarily as a result of the following items:

    • Legal, audit and other professional fees: Legal, audit and other professional fees decreased $935,000, or 50.2%, from the prior-year quarter, to $929,000. In the quarter ended June 30, 2024, the Company expensed a total of $902,000 related to training and implementation costs for the intended core systems conversion and professional fees to consultants engaged to support the Company’s proposed transition of core and ancillary software and information technology systems, compared to $46,000 in costs expensed in the quarter ended June 30, 2025.
    • Expense on other real estate owned: Expenses on other real estate owned decreased $453,000, or 158.9%, from the prior-year quarter. In the quarter ended June 30, 2025, the Company collected a total of $445,000 in rental income from other real estate owned, compared to $24,000 collected for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. The 2025 period included rental income from the $6.0 million office building asset that was added to other real estate owned in the fourth quarter of 2024. See “Asset Quality” below.
    • Other operating expenses: Other operating expenses decreased $444,000, or 17.3%, from the prior-year quarter. In the 2024 period, the Company recorded expenses totaling $600,000 related to the resolution of compliance matters, with no similar expenses recorded in the current-year quarter.
    • Net occupancy and equipment expenses: Net occupancy and equipment expenses increased $594,000, or 7.6%, from the prior-year quarter. Various components of computer license and support expenses related to upgrades of core systems capabilities collectively increased by $502,000 in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the second quarter of 2024.

    The Company’s efficiency ratio for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, was 59.16% compared to 64.27% for the same quarter in 2024. The Company’s ratio of non-interest expense to average assets was 2.37% for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to 2.50% for the three months ended June 30, 2024. Average assets for the three months ended June 30, 2025, increased $86.0 million, or 1.5%, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2024, primarily due to growth in average balances of net loans and investment securities.

    INCOME TAXES

    For each of the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the Company’s effective tax rate was 18.5%. For the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the Company’s effective tax rate was 19.2% and 18.8%, respectively. These effective rates were below the statutory federal tax rate of 21%, due primarily to the utilization of certain investment tax credits and the Company’s tax-exempt investments and tax-exempt loans, which reduced the Company’s effective tax rate. The Company’s effective tax rate may fluctuate in future periods as it is impacted by the level and timing of the Company’s utilization of tax credits, the level of tax-exempt investments and loans, the amount of taxable income in various state jurisdictions and the overall level of pre-tax income. State tax expense estimates continually evolve as taxable income and apportionment between states are analyzed. The Company currently expects its effective tax rate (combined federal and state) will be approximately 18.0% to 20.0% in future periods.

    CAPITAL

        June 30,   December 31,   March 31,
        2025   2024   2025
    Consolidated Regulatory Capital Ratios   (Preliminary)            
    Tier 1 Leverage Ratio   11.5 %   11.4 %   11.3 %
    Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio   13.0 %   12.3 %   12.4 %
    Tier 1 Capital Ratio   13.5 %   12.8 %   12.9 %
    Total Capital Ratio   14.7 %   15.4 %   15.6 %
    Tangible Common Equity Ratio   10.5 %   9.9 %   10.1 %
                       

    As of June 30, 2025, total stockholders’ equity was $622.4 million, representing 10.6% of total assets and a book value of $54.61 per common share. This compares to total stockholders’ equity of $599.6 million, or 10.0% of total assets, and a book value of $51.14 per common share at December 31, 2024. The $22.8 million increase in stockholders’ equity from December 31, 2024, was primarily driven by $36.9 million in net income and a $2.0 million increase from stock option exercises, partially offset by $9.2 million in cash dividends declared on the Company’s common stock and $20.0 million in common stock repurchases.

    Decreased unrealized losses on the Company’s available-for-sale investment securities and interest rate swaps, which totaled $54.4 million (net of taxes) at December 31, 2024, also increased stockholders’ equity by $13.0 million during the first six months of 2025. These net unrealized losses primarily resulted from increased intermediate-term market interest rates in prior periods, which generally decreased the fair value of the investment securities and interest rate swaps. In the first six months of 2025, these market interest rates decreased, resulting in increases in the fair value of the Company’s investment securities and interest rate swaps.

    The Company had unrealized losses on its portfolio of held-to-maturity investment securities, which totaled $19.3 million and $24.7 million at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively, that were not included in its total capital balance. If held-to-maturity unrealized losses were included in capital (net of taxes) at June 30, 2025, they would have decreased total stockholder’s equity at that date by $14.6 million. This amount was equal to 2.3% of total stockholders’ equity of $622.4 million at June 30, 2025, compared to 3.1% of total stockholders’ equity at December 31, 2024.

    On June 15, 2025, the Company redeemed all of its outstanding 5.50% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due June 15, 2030, with an aggregate principal balance of $75 million. The total redemption price was 100% of the aggregate principal balance of the subordinated notes plus accrued and unpaid interest. The Company utilized excess cash on hand for the redemption payment.

    In November 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the purchase of up to one million shares of the Company’s common stock. As of June 30, 2025, approximately 94,000 shares remained available under this stock repurchase authorization.

    In April 2025, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program, which will succeed the existing repurchase program (authorized in November 2022) following the repurchase of the existing program’s remaining available shares. The new stock repurchase program authorizes the purchase, from time to time, of up to one million additional shares of the Company’s common stock.

    During the three months ended June 30, 2025, the Company repurchased 175,998 shares of its common stock at an average price of $55.11, and the Company’s Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.40 per common share, which, combined, reduced stockholders’ equity by $14.4 million.

    During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company repurchased 349,342 shares of its common stock at an average price of $56.73, and the Company’s Board of Directors declared regular quarterly cash dividends totaling $0.80 per common share, which, combined, reduced stockholders’ equity by $29.2 million.

    LIQUIDITY AND DEPOSITS

    Liquidity is a measure of the Company’s ability to generate sufficient cash to meet present and future financial obligations in a timely manner. The Company’s primary sources of funds are customer deposits, FHLBank advances, other borrowings, loan repayments, unpledged securities, proceeds from sales of loans and available-for-sale securities and funds provided from operations. The Company utilizes some or all of these sources of funds depending on the comparative costs and availability at the time. The Company has from time to time chosen not to pay rates on deposits as high as the rates paid by certain of its competitors and, when believed to be appropriate, supplements deposits with less expensive alternative sources of funds. Management believes that the Company maintains overall liquidity sufficient to satisfy its depositors’ requirements and meet its borrowers’ credit needs.

    At June 30, 2025, the Company had the following available secured lines and on-balance sheet liquidity:

        June 30, 2025
    Federal Home Loan Bank line     $1,216.1 million
    Federal Reserve Bank line     338.9 million
    Cash and cash equivalents     245.9 million
    Unpledged securities – Available-for-sale     325.3 million
    Unpledged securities – Held-to-maturity     24.0 million
           

    During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company’s total deposits increased $78.6 million. Interest-bearing checking balances increased $18.5 million (0.8%), primarily in certain money market accounts, and non-interest-bearing checking balances increased $17.0 million (2.0%). Time deposits generated through the Company’s banking center and corporate services networks decreased $18.1 million (2.3%). Brokered deposits increased $61.2 million (7.9%) through a variety of sources. During the three months ended June 30, 2025, the Company’s total deposits decreased $73.9 million, with $62.1 million of this decrease in brokered deposits.

    At June 30, 2025, the Company had the following deposit balances:

           June 30, 2025
    Interest-bearing checking     $2,233.2 million
    Non-interest-bearing checking     859.9 million
    Time deposits     757.7 million
    Brokered deposits     833.3 million
           

    At June 30, 2025, the Company estimated that its uninsured deposits, excluding deposit accounts of the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries, were approximately $703.6 million (15% of total deposits).

    LOANS

    Total net loans, excluding mortgage loans held for sale, decreased $156.1 million, or 3.3%, from $4.69 billion at December 31, 2024 to $4.53 billion at June 30, 2025. This decrease was primarily driven by decreases in construction loans of $79.1 million, commercial real estate loans of $56.1 million, one- to four-family residential loans of $23.0 million and commercial business loans of $25.2 million, partially offset by an increase in other residential (multi-family) loans of $28.7 million. Compared to March 31, 2025, net loans decreased $156.4 million.

    The pipeline of the unfunded portion of loans and formal loan commitments remained strong, with the largest portion of these unfunded balances represented by the unfunded portion of outstanding construction loans ($626.0 million at June 30, 2025). See the table below.

    For additional details about the Company’s loan portfolio, please refer to the quarterly loan portfolio presentation available on the Company’s Investor Relations website under “Presentations.”

    Loan commitments and the unfunded portion of loans at the dates indicated were as follows (in thousands):

        June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December
    31, 2024    		     December
    31, 2023    		     December
    31, 2022    		  
    Closed non-construction loans with unused available lines                              
    Secured by real estate (one- to four-family) $ 211,453   $ 211,119   $ 205,599   $ 203,964   $ 199,182  
    Secured by real estate (not one- to four-family)   —     —     —     —     —  
    Not secured by real estate – commercial business   102,891     106,211     106,621     82,435     104,452  
                                   
    Closed construction loans with unused available lines                              
    Secured by real estate (one-to four-family)   96,935     96,807     94,501     101,545     100,669  
    Secured by real estate (not one-to four-family)   644,427     657,828     703,947     719,039     1,444,450  
                                   
    Loan commitments not closed                              
    Secured by real estate (one-to four-family)   17,148     19,264     14,373     12,347     16,819  
    Secured by real estate (not one-to four-family)   13,002     50,296     53,660     48,153     157,645  
    Not secured by real estate – commercial business   27,003     18,484     22,884     11,763     50,145  
                                   
      $ 1,112,859   $ 1,160,009   $ 1,201,585   $ 1,179,246   $ 2,073,362  
                                   

    PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES AND ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES

    During the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the Company did not record a provision expense on its portfolio of outstanding loans. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company did not record a provision expense on its portfolio of outstanding loans, compared to a provision expense of $500,000 in the same period in 2024. Total net recoveries were $111,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to net recoveries of $168,000 during the same period in the prior year. Total net recoveries were $55,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to net recoveries of $85,000 during the same period in the prior year. Additionally, for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded a negative provision for losses on unfunded commitments of $110,000, compared to a negative provision of $607,000 for the same period in 2024. For the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded a negative provision for losses on unfunded commitments of $458,000, compared to a negative provision of $477,000 for the same period in 2024.

    The Bank’s allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans was 1.41% at June 30, 2025, an increase from 1.36% at both December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2025. Management considers the allowance for credit losses adequate to cover losses inherent in the Bank’s loan portfolio at June 30, 2025, based on recent reviews of the portfolio and current economic conditions. However, if challenging economic conditions persist or worsen, or if management’s assessment of the loan portfolio changes, additional provisions for credit losses may be required, which could adversely impact the Company’s future financial performance.

    ASSET QUALITY

    At June 30, 2025, non-performing assets were $8.1 million, a decrease of $1.5 million from $9.6 million at December 31, 2024 and a decrease of $1.4 million from $9.5 million at March 31, 2025. Non-performing assets as a percentage of total assets were 0.14% at June 30, 2025, compared to 0.16% at both December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2025.

    Activity in the non-performing loan categories during the quarter ended June 30, 2025, was as follows:

        Beginning
    Balance,
    April 1    		   Additions
    to Non-
    Performing    		   Removed
    from Non-
    Performing    		   Transfers
    to Potential
    Problem
    Loans    		   Transfers to
    Foreclosed
    Assets and
    Repossessions    		   Charge-
    Offs    		   Payments   Ending
    Balance,
    June 30
        (In thousands)
                                     
    One- to four-family construction $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ —   $ —
    Subdivision construction   —   —   —   —   —   —   —     —
    Land development   368   —   —   —   —   —   (368 )   —
    Commercial construction   —   —   —   —   —   —   —     —
    One- to four-family residential   3,076   154   —   —   —   —   (1,204 )   2,026
    Other residential (multi-family)   —   —   —   —   —   —   —     —
    Commercial real estate   —   —   —   —   —   —   —     —
    Commercial business   —   —   —   —   —   —   —     —
    Consumer   38   7   —   —   —   —   (27 )   18
    Total non-performing loans $ 3,482 $ 161 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ (1,599 ) $ 2,044
                                     
    • Compared to March 31, 2025, non-performing loans decreased $1.4 million.
    • The non-performing one- to four-family residential category consisted of eight loans at June 30, 2025, one of which was added during the current quarter.
    • The largest relationship in the one- to four-family residential category totaled $614,000 at June 30, 2025. This relationship was added to non-performing loans in 2024 and is collateralized by a single-family residential property in the Sarasota, Fla. area.
    • During the quarter ended June 30, 2025, one- to four-family residential loans experienced one loan pay-off totaling $884,000 and another related loan had a principal pay-down totaling $296,000. Additionally, the only loan in the non-performing land development category at the beginning of the quarter paid off.

    Activity in the potential problem loans categories during the quarter ended June 30, 2025, was as follows:

        Beginning
    Balance,
    April 1    		   Additions to
    Potential
    Problem    		   Removed
    from
    Potential
    Problem    		   Transfers
    to Non-
    Performing    		   Transfers to
    Foreclosed
    Assets and
    Repossessions    		   Charge-
    Offs    		   Loan Advances (Payments)   Ending
    Balance,
    June 30    		  
        (In thousands)
                                       
    One- to four-family construction $ — $ — $ —   $ — $ —   $ —   $ —   $ —  
    Subdivision construction   —   —   —     —   —     —     —     —  
    Land development   —   —   —     —   —     —     —     —  
    Commercial construction   —   —   —     —   —     —     —     —  
    One- to four-family residential   2,128   34   (307 )   —   —     —     (16 )   1,839  
    Other residential (multi-family)   —   —   —     —   —     —     —     —  
    Commercial real estate   4,313   —   —     —   —     —     (16 )   4,297  
    Commercial business   —   33   —     —   —     —     —     33  
    Consumer   1,011   50   —     —   (2 )   (11 )   (11 )   1,037  
    Total potential problem loans $ 7,452 $ 117 $ (307 ) $ — $ (2 ) $ (11 ) $ (43 ) $ 7,206  
                                       
    • Compared to March 31, 2025, potential problem loans decreased $246,000.
    • At June 30, 2025, the commercial real estate category consisted of three loans, all of which are part of one relationship and were added in 2024.
    • The commercial real estate relationship is collateralized by three nursing care facilities located in southwest Missouri. The borrower’s business cash flow was negatively impacted by a reduction in available labor and increased operating costs as well as ongoing changes to the Missouri Medicaid reimbursement rate. Monthly payments were timely made prior to the transfer to this category and have continued to be paid timely.
    • At June 30, 2025, the one- to four-family residential category consisted of ten loans, one of which was added to potential problem loans during the current quarter.
    • The largest relationship in the one- to four-family category, which was reclassified from the consumer category during the first quarter of 2025, totaled $963,000 and is collateralized by multiple single-family residential properties in Indiana and Florida.
    • At June 30, 2025, the consumer category of potential problem loans consisted of 14 loans, two of which were added during the current quarter.
    • The largest loan in the consumer category is a home equity loan totaling $784,000 related to the nursing care facility relationship, noted above.

    Activity in the foreclosed assets and repossessions categories during the quarter ended June 30, 2025 was as follows:

        Beginning
    Balance,
    April 1    		   Additions   ORE and
    Repossession
    Sales    		   Capitalized
    Costs    		   ORE and
    Repossession
    Write-Downs    		   Ending
    Balance,
    June 30
        (In thousands)
                             
    One-to four-family construction $ — $ — $ —   $ — $ — $ —
    Subdivision construction   —   —   —     —   —   —
    Land development   —   —   —     —   —   —
    Commercial construction   —   —   —     —   —   —
    One- to four-family residential   —   —   —     —   —   —
    Other residential (multi-family)   —   —   —     —   —   —
    Commercial real estate   6,036   —   —     —   —   6,036
    Commercial business   —   —   —     —   —   —
    Consumer   —   6   (2 )   —   —   4
    Total foreclosed assets and repossessions $ 6,036 $ 6 $ (2 ) $ — $ — $ 6,040
                             
    • Compared to March 31, 2025, foreclosed assets increased $4,000.
    • The commercial real estate category consisted of two foreclosed properties, one of which, totaling $76,000, was added during the first quarter of 2025.
    • The largest asset in the commercial real estate category, totaling $6.0 million, consisted of an office building located in Clayton, Mo. This asset was foreclosed upon in the fourth quarter of 2024.

    BUSINESS INITIATIVES

    Technology updates and advancements continue with the Company’s current core provider. Projects involving a full array of products and services are moving forward, with completions expected beginning in the third quarter of 2025 and continuing into 2026.

    The Company installed 10 ITM units in the St. Louis, Mo. market, replacing existing end-of-life ATM units. The ITMs, all located at banking center locations, offer customers live teller services, extended banking hours, and services beyond those traditionally available via an ATM.

    Construction of the Company’s new banking center at 723 N. Benton in Springfield, Mo., to replace the existing facility at that location, began in March 2025 and is on schedule for completion in the fourth quarter of 2025. The new facility, designed as a next-generation banking center, will allow for flexibility in testing new designs, processes, technology and tools, balanced with customer convenience. The Company has 11 other banking centers and an Express Center in Springfield.

    Earnings Conference Call

    The Company will host a conference call on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Central Time to discuss second quarter 2025 preliminary earnings. The call will be available live or in a recorded version at the Company’s Investor Relations website, http://investors.greatsouthernbank.com. Participants may register for the call at https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI5023532982f44a44b03e6e16deb1e937.

    About Great Southern Bancorp, Inc.

    Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, Great Southern offers a broad range of banking services to customers. The Company operates 89 retail banking centers in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Arkansas and Nebraska and commercial lending offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Omaha, and Phoenix. The common stock of Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GSBC.”

    www.GreatSouthernBank.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    When used in this press release and in other documents filed or furnished by the Company with or to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in the Company’s other press releases or other public or stockholder communications, and in oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer, the words or phrases “may,” “might,” “could,” “should,” “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intends” or similar expressions are intended to identify “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements also include, but are not limited to, statements regarding plans, objectives, expectations or consequences of announced transactions, known trends and statements about future performance, operations, products and services of the Company. The Company’s ability to predict results or the actual effects of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain, and the Company’s actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements.

    Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: (i) expected revenues, cost savings, earnings accretion, synergies and other benefits from the Company’s merger and acquisition activities might not be realized within the anticipated time frames or at all, and costs or difficulties relating to integration matters, including but not limited to customer and employee retention, might be greater than expected; (ii) changes in economic conditions, either nationally or in the Company’s market areas; (iii) the effects of any new or continuing public health issues on general economic and financial market conditions; (iv) fluctuations in interest rates, the effects of inflation or a potential recession, whether caused by Federal Reserve actions or otherwise; (v) the impact of bank failures or adverse developments at other banks and related negative press about the banking industry in general on investor and depositor sentiment; (vi) slower or negative economic growth caused by tariffs, changes in energy prices, supply chain disruptions or other factors; (vii) the risks of lending and investing activities, including changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses; (viii) the possibility of realized or unrealized losses on securities held in the Company’s investment portfolio; (ix) the Company’s ability to access cost-effective funding and maintain sufficient liquidity; (x) fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions; (xi) the ability to adapt successfully to technological changes to meet customers’ needs and developments in the marketplace; (xii) the possibility that security measures implemented might not be sufficient to mitigate the risk of a cyber-attack or cyber theft, and that such security measures might not protect against systems failures or interruptions; (xiii) legislative or regulatory changes that adversely affect the Company’s business; (xiv) changes in accounting policies and practices or accounting standards; (xv) results of examinations of the Company and the Bank by their regulators, including the possibility that the regulators may, among other things, require the Company to limit its business activities, change its business mix, increase its allowance for credit losses, write-down assets or increase its capital levels, or affect its ability to borrow funds or maintain or increase deposits, which could adversely affect its liquidity and earnings; (xvi) costs and effects of litigation, including settlements and judgments; (xvii) competition; and (xviii) natural disasters, war, terrorist activities or civil unrest and their effects on economic and business environments in which the Company operates. The Company wishes to advise readers that the factors listed above and other risks described in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including, without limitation, those described under “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed or furnished from time to time by the Company with the SEC (which are available on our website at www.greatsouthernbank.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov), could affect the Company’s financial performance and cause the Company’s actual results for future periods to differ materially from any opinions or statements expressed with respect to future periods in any current statements.

    The Company does not undertake-and specifically declines any obligation- to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

    The following tables set forth selected consolidated financial information of the Company at the dates and for the periods indicated. Financial data at all dates other than December 31, 2024, and for all periods is unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which consist only of normal recurring accrual adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the results at and for such unaudited dates and periods have been included. The results of operations and other data for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, and the three months ended March 31, 2025, are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations which may be expected for any future period.

        June 30,
    		     December 31,
        2025
    		     2024
    Selected Financial Condition Data:   (In thousands)
                   
    Total assets $ 5,854,672     $ 5,981,628  
    Loans receivable, gross   4,604,943       4,761,848  
    Allowance for credit losses   64,815       64,760  
    Other real estate owned, net   6,040       5,993  
    Available-for-sale securities, at fair value   527,543       533,373  
    Held-to-maturity securities, at amortized cost   183,100       187,433  
    Deposits   4,684,126       4,605,549  
    Total borrowings   450,483       679,341  
    Total stockholders’ equity   622,368       599,568  
    Non-performing assets   8,084       9,566  
                   
        Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended     Three Months
    Ended
        June 30,     June 30,     March 31,
        2025     2024     2025     2024
    		     2025
        (In thousands)
    Selected Operating Data:                              
    Interest income $ 80,975     $ 80,927     $ 161,218     $ 158,317     $ 80,243  
    Interest expense   30,012       34,109       60,921       66,683       30,909  
    Net interest income   50,963       46,818       100,297       91,634       49,334  
    Provision (credit) for credit losses on loans and unfunded commitments   (110 )     (607 )     (458 )     23       (348 )
    Non-interest income   8,212       9,833       14,802       16,639       6,590  
    Non-interest expense   35,005       36,409       69,827       70,831       34,822  
    Provision for income taxes   4,494       3,861       8,784       7,024       4,290  
    Net income $ 19,786     $ 16,988     $ 36,946     $ 30,395     $ 17,160  
                                   
      At or For the Three
    Months Ended    		   At or For the Six
    Months Ended    		   At or For the Three
    Months Ended
      June 30,   June 30,   March 31,
      2025   2024   2025   2024   2025
      (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
    Per Common Share:              
    Net income (fully diluted) $ 1.72     $ 1.45     $ 3.18     $ 2.58     $ 1.47  
    Book value $ 54.61     $ 49.11     $ 54.61     $ 49.11     $ 53.03  
                   
    Earnings Performance Ratios:              
    Annualized return on average assets   1.34 %     1.17 %     1.24 %     1.05 %     1.15 %
    Annualized return on average common stockholders’ equity   12.81 %     12.03 %     12.06 %     10.69 %     11.30 %
    Net interest margin   3.68 %     3.43 %     3.63 %     3.38 %     3.57 %
    Average interest rate spread   3.09 %     2.77 %     3.05 %     2.71 %     3.00 %
    Efficiency ratio   59.16 %     64.27 %     60.67 %     65.42 %     62.27 %
    Non-interest expense to average total assets   2.37 %     2.50 %     2.35 %     2.44 %     2.34 %
                   
    Asset Quality Ratios:              
    Allowance for credit losses to period-end loans   1.41 %     1.39 %     1.41 %     1.39 %     1.36 %
    Non-performing assets to period-end assets   0.14 %     0.34 %     0.14 %     0.34 %     0.16 %
    Non-performing loans to period-end loans   0.04 %     0.23 %     0.04 %     0.23 %     0.07 %
    Annualized net charge-offs (recoveries) to average loans   (0.01 )%     (0.01 )%     0.00 %     0.00 %     0.00 %
                   
     
    Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
    (In thousands, except number of shares)
                 
        June 30,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024    		   March 31,
    2025
                 
    Assets            
    Cash $ 110,007   $ 109,366   $ 106,336  
    Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions   135,906     86,390     110,845  
    Cash and cash equivalents   245,913     195,756     217,181  
                 
    Available-for-sale securities   527,543     533,373     535,914  
    Held-to-maturity securities   183,100     187,433     185,853  
    Mortgage loans held for sale   5,616     6,937     6,857  
    Loans receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $64,815 – June 2025; $64,760 – December 2024; $64,704 – March 2025   4,534,287     4,690,393     4,690,636  
    Interest receivable   20,644     20,430     21,504  
    Prepaid expenses and other assets   133,614     136,594     132,930  
    Other real estate owned and repossessions, net   6,040     5,993     6,036  
    Premises and equipment, net   134,337     132,466     132,165  
    Goodwill and other intangible assets   9,877     10,094     9,985  
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock and other interest-earning assets   23,714     28,392     25,813  
    Current and deferred income taxes   29,987     33,767     28,968  
                 
    Total Assets $ 5,854,672   $ 5,981,628   $ 5,993,842  
                 
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity            
    Liabilities            
    Deposits $ 4,684,126   $ 4,605,549   $ 4,758,046  
    Securities sold under reverse repurchase agreements with customers   54,802     64,444     75,322  
    Short-term borrowings   369,907     514,247     359,907  
    Subordinated debentures issued to capital trust   25,774     25,774     25,774  
    Subordinated notes   —     74,876     74,950  
    Accrued interest payable   4,065     12,761     5,416  
    Advances from borrowers for taxes and insurance   8,822     5,272     7,451  
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses   76,763     70,634     65,528  
    Liability for unfunded commitments   8,045     8,503     8,155  
    Total Liabilities   5,232,304     5,382,060     5,380,549  
                 
    Stockholders’ Equity            
    Capital stock            
    Preferred stock, $.01 par value; authorized 1,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding June 2025, December 2024 and March 2025 -0- shares   —     —     —  
    Common stock, $.01 par value; authorized 20,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding June 2025 – 11,396,533 shares; December 2024 – 11,723,548 shares; March 2025 – 11,565,211 shares   114     117     116  
    Additional paid-in capital   51,646     50,336     51,076  
    Retained earnings   611,921     603,477     606,239  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (41,313 )   (54,362 )   (44,138 )
    Total Stockholders’ Equity   622,368     599,568     613,293  
                 
    Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity $ 5,854,672   $ 5,981,628   $ 5,993,842  
                       
     
    Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Consolidated Statements of Income
    (In thousands, except per share data)
                   
        Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended   Three Months Ended
        June 30,     June 30,   March 31,
        2025     2024     2025     2024     2025
    Interest Income                            
    Loans $ 73,830     $ 74,295     $ 146,901     $ 145,371     $ 73,071  
    Investment securities and other   7,145       6,632       14,317       12,946       7,172  
        80,975       80,927       161,218       158,317       80,243  
    Interest Expense                            
    Deposits   24,368       27,783       48,968       55,420       24,600  
    Securities sold under reverse repurchase agreements   372       394       743       727       371  
    Short-term borrowings, overnight FHLBank borrowings and other interest-bearing liabilities   3,974       4,373       8,424       7,417       4,450  
    Subordinated debentures issued to capital trust   389       454       771       908       382  
    Subordinated notes   909       1,105       2,015       2,211       1,106  
        30,012       34,109       60,921       66,683       30,909  
                                 
    Net Interest Income   50,963       46,818       100,297       91,634       49,334  
    Provision for Credit Losses on Loans   —       —       —       500       —  
    Provision (Credit) for Unfunded Commitments   (110 )     (607 )     (458 )     (477 )     (348 )
    Net Interest Income After Provision for Credit Losses and Provision (Credit) for Unfunded Commitments   51,073       47,425       100,755       91,611       49,682  
                                 
    Non-interest Income                            
    Commissions   411       269       673       650       262  
    Overdraft and Insufficient funds fees   1,266       1,230       2,481       2,519       1,215  
    POS and ATM fee income and service charges   3,444       3,588       6,678       6,771       3,234  
    Net gains on loan sales   893       1,127       1,494       1,804       601  
    Late charges and fees on loans   340       136       583       303       243  
    Gain (loss) on derivative interest rate products   (28 )     (7 )     (52 )     (20 )     (24 )
    Other income   1,886       3,490       2,945       4,612       1,059  
        8,212       9,833       14,802       16,639       6,590  
                                 
    Non-interest Expense                            
    Salaries and employee benefits   20,005       19,886       40,134       39,542       20,129  
    Net occupancy and equipment expense   8,435       7,841       16,968       15,680       8,533  
    Postage   825       777       1,756       1,584       931  
    Insurance   1,095       1,263       2,260       2,407       1,165  
    Advertising   705       891       995       1,241       290  
    Office supplies and printing   238       236       504       503       266  
    Telephone   705       685       1,411       1,406       706  
    Legal, audit and other professional fees   929       1,864       1,967       3,589       1,038  
    Expense (income) on other real estate and repossessions   (168 )     285       (238 )     346       (70 )
    Acquired intangible asset amortization   108       109       216       217       108  
    Other operating expenses   2,128       2,572       3,854       4,316       1,726  
        35,005       36,409       69,827       70,831       34,822  
                                 
    Income Before Income Taxes   24,280       20,849       45,730       37,419       21,450  
    Provision for Income Taxes   4,494       3,861       8,784       7,024       4,290  
                                 
    Net Income $ 19,786     $ 16,988     $ 36,946     $ 30,395     $ 17,160  
                                 
    Earnings Per Common Share                            
    Basic $ 1.73     $ 1.46     $ 3.20     $ 2.60     $ 1.47  
    Diluted $ 1.72     $ 1.45     $ 3.18     $ 2.58     $ 1.47  
                                 
    Dividends Declared Per Common Share $ 0.40     $ 0.40     $ 0.80     $ 0.80     $ 0.40  
                                 
     
    Average Balances, Interest Rates and Yields
     

    The following table presents, for the periods indicated, the total dollar amounts of interest income from average interest-earning assets and the resulting yields, as well as the interest expense on average interest-bearing liabilities, expressed both in dollars and rates, and the net interest margin. Average balances of loans receivable include the average balances of nonaccrual loans for each period. Interest income on loans includes interest received on nonaccrual loans on a cash basis. Interest income on loans also includes the amortization of net loan fees, which were deferred in accordance with accounting standards. Net fees included in interest income were $1.1 million for both the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024. Net fees included in interest income were $2.1 million and $2.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Tax-exempt income was not calculated on a tax equivalent basis. The table does not reflect any effect of income taxes.

      June 30, 2025       Three Months Ended
    June 30, 2025    		   Three Months Ended
    June 30, 2024    		  
              Average         Yield/       Average         Yield/  
      Yield/Rate       Balance     Interest   Rate       Balance     Interest   Rate  
      (Dollars in thousands)  
    Interest-earning assets:                                        
    Loans receivable:                                        
    One- to four-family residential 4.24 %   $ 822,283   $ 8,750   4.27 %   $ 877,957   $ 8,769   4.02 %
    Other residential 6.91       1,565,447     27,281   6.99       1,072,168     19,633   7.36  
    Commercial real estate 6.19       1,489,015     23,082   6.22       1,499,893     23,296   6.25  
    Construction 7.07       480,254     8,617   7.20       803,478     15,525   7.77  
    Commercial business 5.93       208,119     3,517   6.78       266,187     4,375   6.61  
    Other loans 6.39       167,548     2,583   6.18       170,467     2,697   6.36  
                                             
    Total loans receivable 6.16       4,732,666     73,830   6.26       4,690,150     74,295   6.37  
                                             
    Investment securities 3.17       727,336     6,099   3.36       696,239     5,347   3.09  
    Other interest-earning assets 4.37       97,463     1,046   4.30       97,340     1,285   5.31  
                                             
    Total interest-earning assets 5.74       5,557,465     80,975   5.84       5,483,729     80,927   5.94  
    Non-interest-earning assets:                                        
    Cash and cash equivalents         100,289                 94,669            
    Other non-earning assets         256,923                 250,244            
    Total assets       $ 5,914,677               $ 5,828,642            
                                             
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                        
    Interest-bearing demand and savings 1.41     $ 2,225,933     7,791   1.40     $ 2,234,824     9,794   1.76  
    Time deposits 3.42       757,608     6,521   3.45       894,475     9,073   4.08  
    Brokered deposits 4.44       895,340     10,056   4.50       683,337     8,916   5.25  
    Total deposits 2.47       3,878,881     24,368   2.52       3,812,636     27,783   2.93  
    Securities sold under reverse repurchase agreements 2.33       65,607     372   2.27       76,969     394   2.06  
    Short-term borrowings, overnight FHLBank borrowings and other interest-bearing liabilities 4.55       347,303     3,974   4.59       339,270     4,373   5.18  
    Subordinated debentures issued to capital trust 6.14       25,774     389   6.05       25,774     454   7.08  
    Subordinated notes —       62,631     909   5.82       74,699     1,105   5.95  
                                             
    Total interest-bearing liabilities 2.66       4,380,196     30,012   2.75       4,329,348     34,109   3.17  
    Non-interest-bearing liabilities:                                        
    Demand deposits         849,862                 853,555            
    Other liabilities         66,585                 80,905            
    Total liabilities         5,296,643                 5,263,808            
    Stockholders’ equity         618,034                 564,834            
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity       $ 5,914,677               $ 5,828,642            
                                             
    Net interest income:             $ 50,963               $ 46,818      
    Interest rate spread 3.08 %               3.09 %               2.77 %
    Net interest margin*                   3.68 %               3.43 %
    Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities         126.9 %               126.7 %          
                                             

    *Defined as the Company’s net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.

      June 30, 2025       Six Months Ended
    June 30, 2025    		   Six Months Ended
    June 30, 2024    		  
              Average         Yield/       Average         Yield/  
      Yield/Rate       Balance     Interest   Rate       Balance     Interest   Rate  
      (Dollars in thousands)  
    Interest-earning assets:                                        
    Loans receivable:                                        
    One- to four-family residential 4.24 %   $ 826,426   $ 17,318   4.23 %   $ 883,963   $ 17,466   3.97 %
    Other residential 6.91       1,555,881     53,731   6.96       1,016,071     36,491   7.22  
    Commercial real estate 6.19       1,499,665     46,096   6.20       1,499,767     46,064   6.18  
    Construction 7.07       485,392     17,270   7.17       830,025     31,368   7.60  
    Commercial business 5.93       209,944     7,339   7.05       276,131     8,984   6.54  
    Other loans 6.39       166,989     5,147   6.22       172,051     4,998   5.84  
                                             
    Total loans receivable 6.16       4,744,297     146,901   6.24       4,678,008     145,371   6.25  
                                             
    Investment securities 3.17       732,699     12,173   3.35       682,960     10,357   3.05  
    Other interest-earning assets 4.37       101,238     2,144   4.27       98,922     2,589   5.26  
                                             
    Total interest-earning assets 5.74       5,578,234     161,218   5.83       5,459,890     158,317   5.83  
    Non-interest-earning assets:                                        
    Cash and cash equivalents         100,537                 92,572            
    Other non-earning assets         259,692                 243,029            
    Total assets       $ 5,938,463               $ 5,795,491            
                                             
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                        
    Interest-bearing demand and savings 1.41     $ 2,223,716     15,588   1.41     $ 2,229,302     19,276   1.74  
    Time deposits 3.42       764,791     13,235   3.49       916,098     18,238   4.00  
    Brokered deposits 4.44       893,983     20,145   4.54       686,079     17,906   5.25  
    Total deposits 2.47       3,882,490     48,968   2.54       3,831,479     55,420   2.91  
    Securities sold under reverse repurchase agreements 2.33       73,957     743   2.03       75,718     727   1.93  
    Short-term borrowings, overnight FHLBank borrowings and other interest-bearing liabilities 4.55       369,849     8,424   4.59       290,431     7,417   5.14  
    Subordinated debentures issued to capital trust 6.14       25,774     771   6.03       25,774     908   7.08  
    Subordinated notes —       68,741     2,015   5.91       74,659     2,211   5.96  
                                             
    Total interest-bearing liabilities 2.66       4,420,811     60,921   2.78       4,298,061     66,683   3.12  
    Non-interest-bearing liabilities:                                        
    Demand deposits         835,888                 854,202            
    Other liabilities         68,961                 74,391            
    Total liabilities         5,325,660                 5,226,654            
    Stockholders’ equity         612,803                 568,837            
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity       $ 5,938,463               $ 5,795,491            
                                             
    Net interest income:             $ 100,297               $ 91,634      
    Interest rate spread 3.08 %               3.05 %               2.71 %
    Net interest margin*                   3.63 %               3.38 %
    Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities         126.2 %               127.0 %          
                                             

    *Defined as the Company’s net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.

    NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

    This document contains certain financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), specifically, the ratio of tangible common equity to tangible assets.

    In calculating the ratio of tangible common equity to tangible assets, we subtract period-end intangible assets from common equity and from total assets. Management believes that the presentation of this measure excluding the impact of intangible assets provides useful supplemental information that is helpful in understanding our financial condition and results of operations, as it provides a method to assess management’s success in utilizing our tangible capital as well as our capital strength. Management also believes that providing a measure that excludes balances of intangible assets, which are subjective components of valuation, facilitates the comparison of our performance with the performance of our peers. In addition, management believes that this is a standard financial measure used in the banking industry to evaluate performance.

    This non-GAAP financial measurement is supplemental and is not a substitute for any analysis based on GAAP financial measures. Because not all companies use the same calculation of non-GAAP measures, this presentation may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures as calculated by other companies.

    Non-GAAP Reconciliation: Ratio of Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets

        June 30,       December 31,  
        2025       2024  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
           
    Common equity at period end $ 622,368     $ 599,568  
    Less: Intangible assets at period end   9,877       10,094  
    Tangible common equity at period end (a) $ 612,491     $ 589,474  
                   
    Total assets at period end $ 5,854,672     $ 5,981,628  
    Less: Intangible assets at period end   9,877       10,094  
    Tangible assets at period end (b) $ 5,844,795     $ 5,971,534  
                   
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets (a) / (b)   10.48 %     9.87 %
                   

    CONTACT:

    Jeff Tryka, CFA,
    Investor Relations,
    (616) 233-0500
    GSBC@lambert.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Cloud mining revolutionizes the way to increase the value of crypto assets: Ripplecoin Mining allows XRP, BTC, and Solana holders to achieve daily income

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Weston, Massachusetts, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the cryptocurrency market continues to fluctuate, more and more investors are looking for a stable income channel that does not rely on market conditions. Ripplecoin Mining’s newly launched mobile cloud mining application is providing a new passive income path for holders of mainstream currencies such as XRP, Bitcoin (BTC) and Solana: users no longer just wait for the price of the currency to rise, but rent computing power and participate in daily dividends to achieve continuous growth of assets.

    Market turmoil drives investment strategy transformation, cloud mining becomes a new option for hedging

    As the legal tug-of-war between Ripple and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) draws to a close, the market is re-heating up on the future prospects of XRP; at the same time, Bitcoin (BTC) has retreated to about $117,000 after hitting a record high of $123,000, triggering a large-scale fund rebalancing. On-chain data shows that many long-term holders (“whale” addresses) have transferred some BTC to centralized exchanges, releasing potential selling pressure signals. Affected by the slowdown in ETF fund flows and macroeconomic uncertainties, short-term market volatility has significantly increased.

    Against this backdrop, more and more investors have begun to turn their funds to “non-transactional” income channels such as cloud mining, giving priority to locking in daily stable returns and reducing their reliance on drastic market price fluctuations. Platforms such as Ripplecoin Mining have become the preferred tools for current crypto holders to build a stable cash flow due to their advantages such as no hardware required, daily settlement of income, and green energy drive.

    A report released by ChainProof, a third-party blockchain data platform, pointed out that in the past month, the number of users using Ripplecoin Mining cloud mining services has increased by 23.5%, of which more than 46% completed registration and operation through mobile devices. This trend shows that mining is no longer limited to high-threshold professional scenarios, but is gradually opening up to ordinary users.

    Simplify the mining process: three steps to participate

    The Ripplecoin Mining mobile app is compatible with iOS and Android systems. Users only need to complete the following three steps to start the remote mining experience:

    Quick registration: Register an account via email to get a free trial of $15 cloud computing power;
    Choose a contract: Supports payment in currencies such as XRP, BTC, ETH, DOGE, etc. The contract is flexible and diverse, and the income is distributed on a daily basis;

    Receive daily income: The system will automatically allocate global computing resources, and users can view and receive income in the App every day.

    This innovative model greatly simplifies the hardware equipment, power configuration and technical threshold required for traditional mining, allowing every cryptocurrency holder to easily obtain miner-level income.

    Smart and green: Dual guarantee of technology and energy

    Ripplecoin Mining has more than 120 green data nodes distributed in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The system adopts AI intelligent scheduling algorithm, which can respond to the computing power requests of global users within one second, which not only improves efficiency, but also realizes a low-carbon and environmentally friendly mining ecology.
    The platform spokesperson said: “We hope that every coin holder can participate in this global computing power network without worrying about equipment, technology or electricity costs.”

    User voice: Stable income brings peace of mind

    James, an XRP investor from Manchester, UK, shared his experience: “In the past, I was often anxious about the fluctuations in the currency price. Now, through cloud mining, I have stable income every day, which makes me more confident in the future.”
    On social platforms such as Reddit and Telegram, users’ positive comments on the application are increasing. They not only agree with its ease of use, but also regard it as a safe and continuous asset management tool.

    Future development: Multi-currency combined mining is about to go online

    Ripplecoin Mining revealed that it will launch the “combined mining” function next, allowing users to participate in mining plans of multiple currencies in the same contract at the same time, thereby further enhancing the stability of income and the flexibility of asset allocation.
    At the same time, the company will also expand its international layout, focusing on expanding the Canadian, British and Southeast Asian markets, so that more users can experience this barrier-free, green and compliant mining solution.

    About Ripplecoin Mining

    Ripplecoin Mining was established in 2017 and is registered in the UK. It is the world’s leading compliant cloud mining platform. The platform supports mainstream currencies such as XRP, BTC, ETH, DOGE, etc., and provides convenient, safe and sustainable mining services to more than 9.5 million users worldwide with green energy infrastructure, AI computing power scheduling and simplified user experience.
    Experience cloud mining now:
    Official website: https://ripplecoinmining.com

    App download address: https://ripplecoinmining.com/xml/index.html#/app

    Media contact: info@ripplecoinmining.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Topnotch Crypto Launches Innovative Cloud Mining App, Turning Smartphones into Bitcoin Mining Machines

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, UK, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Topnotch Crypto is a leading provider of blockchain and digital asset solutions is excited to announce the launch of their new cloud mining mobile app. The cloud mining mobile app easily makes the average smartphone a bitcoin mining machine, making crypto mining simple and open to the masses.

    Details of the New Cloud Mining App

    The app recently launched by Topnotch Crypto is an exciting development for cryptocurrency mining! Their application utilizes secure cloud (SaaS) infrastructure and takes out the barriers of crypto mining; you no longer have to pay a premium for expensive hardware, juggle the complexities of hardware, and then pay for the electricity! 

    Users leverage Topnotch Crypto’s prolific servers; after downloading the app and quickly registering as a user, they can start mining Bitcoin instantly. You will find the experience very straightforward, and they’ll aid you through it even if you’re new to cryptocurrency.

    Click to download the APP to learn more highlights

    Advantages of Using a Mobile Mining App

    One of the key benefits of Topnotch Crypto’s solution is sheer convenience. Traditional mining configurations require thousands of dollars in hardware and a space with noisy, heat-generating rigs. Topnotch Crypto’s mobile app on the other hand, allows users to mine Bitcoin from almost anywhere — whether enjoying a coffee at a café, lounging while on vacation, or during a brief break at work.

    Because the heavy compute occurs in the cloud, the user’s smartphone remains cool, efficient, fully available for other mobile functions. Moreover, the app utilizes minimal battery so that mining does not interfere with other mobile matters.

    With this kind of accessibility, even total novices can quickly participate in the global Bitcoin network, adding to the ever-growing ledger, simply by tapping buttons on their smartphone.

    Key Features and Benefits

    Get started quickly: After downloading the app, you can complete the registration in just a few seconds, get $15, and start mining immediately without any technical barriers.

    24/7 Cloud Mining: The platform does not stop running, allowing users’ Bitcoin to grow at all times, even while they sleep. 

    Live Reporting & Analytics: The intelligent dashboards demonstrate live mining statistics, current Bitcoin prices, and more detailed earning reports than anyone would need. 

    Advanced Security Model: Each user has their information, wallets, and funds protected with state-of-the-art encryption standards and multiple levels of data protocols. 

    Instant Withdrawals: Users can withdraw mined Bitcoin to their wallets without delay whenever they want. 

    Referrals: The built-in referral system allows users to earn engagement bonuses every time they invite friends to join the platform, with additional bonuses for reaching referral goals.

    Statements from Topnotch Crypto

    A representative from Topnotch Crypto emphasized how the app fits nicely within their larger vision of bringing everyone along the ride of blockchain:

    “We’re incredibly excited to launch this mobile-first solution and make Bitcoin-mining accessible to anyone with a phone and an internet connection. This is a huge step forward to true decentralization and mass adoption of cryptocurrency.”

    The company believes this innovation will catalyze a flood of new players into the crypto ecosystem, building even more awareness and confidence in Bitcoin as a long-term store of value.

    Driving a New Era of Bitcoin Adoption

    Topnotch Crypto’s cloud mining app is intending to eliminate the costly and technical barriers to entry that have traditionally prevented more individuals worldwide from mining Bitcoin. More users in the ecosystem ultimately makes the network stronger and speeds up the global transition to decentralized finance. 

    For existing crypto fans, the app will allow them to diversify their portfolio in an efficient manner and let them grow their Bitcoin assets passively. For new entrants, it’s a great way for them to explore the crypto world without incurring large investment upfront. 

    How to Get Started with Topnotch Crypto

    It’s simple to get up and running. The Topnotch Crypto app is now available on both Android and iOS. Users can begin mining Bitcoin within minutes after installation and sign up, monitor their daily status, and take out their earnings whenever they wish. 

    User will also receive educational tips, market news, and customer support so all users may have a positive experience no matter their crypto experience level.

    About Topnotch Crypto

    Topnotch Crypto is a cutting edge blockchain company that is working to make cryptocurrency accessible, safe, and rewarding. Using advanced platforms and solutions that focus on the user, Topnotch Crypto is enabling individuals around the world to participate in the future of digital finance. 

    For press inquiries, partnership opportunities, or more information, please contact:

    Topnotch Crypto Media Relations
    info@topnotchcrypto.com
    https://www.topnotchcrypto.com/

    Experience the freedom to mine Bitcoin anytime, anywhere. Download the Topnotch Crypto app today and turn your smartphone into a powerful Bitcoin mining machine.

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or a trading recommendation. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and may result in the loss of funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Topnotch Crypto Launches Innovative Cloud Mining App, Turning Smartphones into Bitcoin Mining Machines

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, UK, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Topnotch Crypto is a leading provider of blockchain and digital asset solutions is excited to announce the launch of their new cloud mining mobile app. The cloud mining mobile app easily makes the average smartphone a bitcoin mining machine, making crypto mining simple and open to the masses.

    Details of the New Cloud Mining App

    The app recently launched by Topnotch Crypto is an exciting development for cryptocurrency mining! Their application utilizes secure cloud (SaaS) infrastructure and takes out the barriers of crypto mining; you no longer have to pay a premium for expensive hardware, juggle the complexities of hardware, and then pay for the electricity! 

    Users leverage Topnotch Crypto’s prolific servers; after downloading the app and quickly registering as a user, they can start mining Bitcoin instantly. You will find the experience very straightforward, and they’ll aid you through it even if you’re new to cryptocurrency.

    Click to download the APP to learn more highlights

    Advantages of Using a Mobile Mining App

    One of the key benefits of Topnotch Crypto’s solution is sheer convenience. Traditional mining configurations require thousands of dollars in hardware and a space with noisy, heat-generating rigs. Topnotch Crypto’s mobile app on the other hand, allows users to mine Bitcoin from almost anywhere — whether enjoying a coffee at a café, lounging while on vacation, or during a brief break at work.

    Because the heavy compute occurs in the cloud, the user’s smartphone remains cool, efficient, fully available for other mobile functions. Moreover, the app utilizes minimal battery so that mining does not interfere with other mobile matters.

    With this kind of accessibility, even total novices can quickly participate in the global Bitcoin network, adding to the ever-growing ledger, simply by tapping buttons on their smartphone.

    Key Features and Benefits

    Get started quickly: After downloading the app, you can complete the registration in just a few seconds, get $15, and start mining immediately without any technical barriers.

    24/7 Cloud Mining: The platform does not stop running, allowing users’ Bitcoin to grow at all times, even while they sleep. 

    Live Reporting & Analytics: The intelligent dashboards demonstrate live mining statistics, current Bitcoin prices, and more detailed earning reports than anyone would need. 

    Advanced Security Model: Each user has their information, wallets, and funds protected with state-of-the-art encryption standards and multiple levels of data protocols. 

    Instant Withdrawals: Users can withdraw mined Bitcoin to their wallets without delay whenever they want. 

    Referrals: The built-in referral system allows users to earn engagement bonuses every time they invite friends to join the platform, with additional bonuses for reaching referral goals.

    Statements from Topnotch Crypto

    A representative from Topnotch Crypto emphasized how the app fits nicely within their larger vision of bringing everyone along the ride of blockchain:

    “We’re incredibly excited to launch this mobile-first solution and make Bitcoin-mining accessible to anyone with a phone and an internet connection. This is a huge step forward to true decentralization and mass adoption of cryptocurrency.”

    The company believes this innovation will catalyze a flood of new players into the crypto ecosystem, building even more awareness and confidence in Bitcoin as a long-term store of value.

    Driving a New Era of Bitcoin Adoption

    Topnotch Crypto’s cloud mining app is intending to eliminate the costly and technical barriers to entry that have traditionally prevented more individuals worldwide from mining Bitcoin. More users in the ecosystem ultimately makes the network stronger and speeds up the global transition to decentralized finance. 

    For existing crypto fans, the app will allow them to diversify their portfolio in an efficient manner and let them grow their Bitcoin assets passively. For new entrants, it’s a great way for them to explore the crypto world without incurring large investment upfront. 

    How to Get Started with Topnotch Crypto

    It’s simple to get up and running. The Topnotch Crypto app is now available on both Android and iOS. Users can begin mining Bitcoin within minutes after installation and sign up, monitor their daily status, and take out their earnings whenever they wish. 

    User will also receive educational tips, market news, and customer support so all users may have a positive experience no matter their crypto experience level.

    About Topnotch Crypto

    Topnotch Crypto is a cutting edge blockchain company that is working to make cryptocurrency accessible, safe, and rewarding. Using advanced platforms and solutions that focus on the user, Topnotch Crypto is enabling individuals around the world to participate in the future of digital finance. 

    For press inquiries, partnership opportunities, or more information, please contact:

    Topnotch Crypto Media Relations
    info@topnotchcrypto.com
    https://www.topnotchcrypto.com/

    Experience the freedom to mine Bitcoin anytime, anywhere. Download the Topnotch Crypto app today and turn your smartphone into a powerful Bitcoin mining machine.

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or a trading recommendation. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and may result in the loss of funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Lightchain AI Confirms July 2025 Mainnet Launch, Introducing Decentralized AI Infrastructure

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHREWSBURY, United Kingdom, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lightchain AI a decentralized infrastructure protocol focused on artificial intelligence, has confirmed the launch of its mainnet in July 2025. This milestone marks a significant step forward in integrating AI execution into blockchain environments through real-time task processing, developer tools, and incentive-driven consensus.

    Designed with scalability, transparency, and performance at its core, Lightchain AI’s architecture introduces a new layer of utility to blockchain networks. The protocol features the Artificial Intelligence Virtual Machine (AIVM), which enables distributed training and inference of AI models across validator nodes using zero-knowledge proofs and federated learning mechanisms.

    At the heart of the network lies a novel Proof of Intelligence (PoI) consensus, rewarding nodes for completing useful AI tasks such as model optimization and data analysis. This approach transforms compute power into verifiable contributions that can support diverse use cases across healthcare, finance, logistics, and more.

    “Launching our mainnet in July is a major step toward making AI-based computation more open, distributed, and accessible,” said a Lightchain AI spokesperson. “We are building a transparent ecosystem where developers and node operators can work together to create meaningful real-world AI solutions.”

    Key features of the Lightchain AI network include:

    • Artificial Intelligence Virtual Machine (AIVM): Secure, privacy-preserving AI task execution
    • Gas Optimization: Fee adjustment based on task complexity and network load
    • Decentralized Storage: Enables verifiable data integrity and transparency
    • Developer Ecosystem: Public GitHub repositories, API libraries, and onboarding documentation
    • $150,000 Grant Pool: Available for developers building tooling, explorers, or dApps
    • Validator Onboarding: Node registration and task allocation tools now live

    The upcoming launch builds on Lightchain AI’s successful $21.1 million presale across 15 funding rounds, reflecting early community engagement and confidence in the platform’s mission. The Bonus Round remains active at a fixed price of $0.007 per token as Lightchain finalizes preparations for mainnet rollout.

    Developers, validators, and ecosystem partners are invited to join the growing network and participate in shaping the future of decentralized artificial intelligence.

    For more information and ongoing updates, visit:
    https://lightchain.ai
    Whitepaper
    Twitter/X
    Telegram

    Contact:
    SHAJAN SKARIA
    media@lightchain.ai

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by Lightchain AI. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80d4d6ec-5a84-44f2-a9b1-b48b8264241a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Lightchain AI Confirms July 2025 Mainnet Launch, Introducing Decentralized AI Infrastructure

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHREWSBURY, United Kingdom, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lightchain AI a decentralized infrastructure protocol focused on artificial intelligence, has confirmed the launch of its mainnet in July 2025. This milestone marks a significant step forward in integrating AI execution into blockchain environments through real-time task processing, developer tools, and incentive-driven consensus.

    Designed with scalability, transparency, and performance at its core, Lightchain AI’s architecture introduces a new layer of utility to blockchain networks. The protocol features the Artificial Intelligence Virtual Machine (AIVM), which enables distributed training and inference of AI models across validator nodes using zero-knowledge proofs and federated learning mechanisms.

    At the heart of the network lies a novel Proof of Intelligence (PoI) consensus, rewarding nodes for completing useful AI tasks such as model optimization and data analysis. This approach transforms compute power into verifiable contributions that can support diverse use cases across healthcare, finance, logistics, and more.

    “Launching our mainnet in July is a major step toward making AI-based computation more open, distributed, and accessible,” said a Lightchain AI spokesperson. “We are building a transparent ecosystem where developers and node operators can work together to create meaningful real-world AI solutions.”

    Key features of the Lightchain AI network include:

    • Artificial Intelligence Virtual Machine (AIVM): Secure, privacy-preserving AI task execution
    • Gas Optimization: Fee adjustment based on task complexity and network load
    • Decentralized Storage: Enables verifiable data integrity and transparency
    • Developer Ecosystem: Public GitHub repositories, API libraries, and onboarding documentation
    • $150,000 Grant Pool: Available for developers building tooling, explorers, or dApps
    • Validator Onboarding: Node registration and task allocation tools now live

    The upcoming launch builds on Lightchain AI’s successful $21.1 million presale across 15 funding rounds, reflecting early community engagement and confidence in the platform’s mission. The Bonus Round remains active at a fixed price of $0.007 per token as Lightchain finalizes preparations for mainnet rollout.

    Developers, validators, and ecosystem partners are invited to join the growing network and participate in shaping the future of decentralized artificial intelligence.

    For more information and ongoing updates, visit:
    https://lightchain.ai
    Whitepaper
    Twitter/X
    Telegram

    Contact:
    SHAJAN SKARIA
    media@lightchain.ai

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by Lightchain AI. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80d4d6ec-5a84-44f2-a9b1-b48b8264241a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Moldova – Moldova Launches Agrotek Arena: A New Incubator for Digital Agriculture, Robotics, and FoodTech

    Source: Innovate Moldova Programme

    Chișinău, Moldova – Moldova is taking a decisive step toward the future of agriculture with the launch of a new incubator and pre-accelerator at Agrotek Arena Incubator, an innovation space dedicated to digital agriculture, robotics, and food technology. The initiative is part of the Innovate Moldova Programme, funded by Sweden, and aims to modernize the country’s agri-food sector through innovation, research, and international collaboration.

    On July 9, 2025, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Moldova’s Ministry of Digitalization and Economic Development (MDED), the Technical University of Moldova (UTM), the Innovate Moldova Programme, and the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF), marking the start of this strategic partnership.

    The incubator will span 1,300 square meters across two refurbished floors of Agrotek Arena and will host up to 30 residents – startups, student entrepreneurs, researchers, and agri-food businesses. It is projected to benefit over 3,000 students, farmers, and food processors annually by providing access to cutting-edge technologies, prototyping labs, greenhouses, and innovation support programs.

    “Agriculture remains a backbone of Moldova’s economy. Yet, without modern tools and forward-thinking infrastructure, its full potential cannot be realized, Agrotek Arena will serve as a launchpad for innovation, helping us bridge the gap between academia, industry, and global partners.”

    stated Doina Nistor, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digitalization and Economic Development.

    The incubator is set to open its doors to residents by September 1st, with a structured acceleration program launching in October 2025. Activities will focus on developing viable agri-tech solutions in areas such as precision agriculture, smart irrigation, and sustainable food processing.

    Shared Investment and Global Collaboration

    The $1 million project is built on a shared funding model. Innovate Moldova Programme and UMAEF are supporting the refurbishment of common areas, while UTM is offering rent-free space and managing energy efficiency upgrades. Residents will contribute by equipping their dedicated offices with air conditioning, furnishings, and technical installations.

    Agrotek Arena will also establish strong linkages with European and North American technology providers. Strategic collaborations include:

    Davis Weather Stations for climate-smart farming,
    Biosfera’s GPS AgTech Solutions for resource-optimized agriculture,
    SAS Cropio ERP Systems for real-time farm data analytics.

    These partnerships not only bolster Moldova’s agricultural transformation but also create long-term business opportunities for EU, EFTA and North Atlantic region.

    A Foundation for Moldova’s AgriTech Future

    Located on UTM’s 5-hectare Mircești campus in capital Chișinău and linked to 570 hectares in Criuleni region, Agrotek Arena is the first major milestone in the broader Agrotek Park vision. Future plans include the development of high-tech farming sites, applied R&D centers, and repurposed Soviet-era infrastructure into labs and innovation hubs.

    “This is more than a building—it’s the beginning of Moldova’s transformation into a regional hub for sustainable agri-tech. By fostering ties between startups, universities, and international partners, we are laying the groundwork for high-value job creation and export-ready technologies.”

    said Sergiu Rabii, Programme Director at the Innovate Moldova Programme

    Agrotek Arena will also support Moldova’s alignment with EU standards by integrating sustainable design, ESG practices, and inclusive economic development into its operational model.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Moldova – Moldova Business Week 2025. Discover Moldova’s Economic Opportunities at the Country’s Leading Economic Forum

    Source: Invest Moldova Agency

    Chișinău, July 16, 2025 – Invest Moldova Agency invites business leaders, investors, business associations, public and private partners to the tenth edition of Moldova Business Week – the country’s most important economic forum, taking place between September 15-19, 2025.

    The event will bring together participants from the business, institutional, and academic communities, both from Moldova and abroad, with activities scheduled in Chișinău and other regions across the country.

    Organized under the theme “Moldova is Open for Business”, this milestone edition highlights Moldova’s ongoing commitment to international economic cooperation.

    MBW25 reflects the country’s strategic direction toward building a sustainable, digital, and regionally integrated economy, further strengthening Moldova’s position as an emerging investment destination in Europe.

    The forum’s agenda includes B2B sessions, thematic panels, investor and exporter success stories, field visits, and a strong focus on networking and business development.

    This edition will place special emphasis on four strategic pillars:

     State Aid Scheme for Industrialization – a competitive investment attraction tool supporting six strategic sectors, offering state assistance of up to 60% of the total investment amount.

     Moldova IT Park – a flagship success in the IT and business services sector, offering a unique flat tax rate of 7%, guaranteed by law until 2035.

     Infrastructure and Renewable Energy Investments – aiming to strengthen energy independence, diversify supply sources, ensure direct energy integration with the EU, and accelerate the transition to green energy.

     Positioning Moldova as a regional logistics hub – contributing to the reconstruction of Ukraine through infrastructure, logistics, and the production of construction materials.

    “Through this anniversary edition, Moldova will demonstrate its readiness to play an active role in the regional economy. We have talented people, a business-friendly fiscal environment, and a clear development vision,” says Natalia Bejan, Director of the Invest Moldova Agency.

    Recent data reinforces this message:

    In 2024, 1.3% of all cars produced globally included components made in Moldova.
     
    Moldova ranks among the top 20 global producers and exporters of apples, apricots, plums, and wine.
     
    IT exports have increased more than fivefold between 2018 and 2024.
     
    The British company William Russell named Moldova the most promising real estate investment destination in Europe for 2025.
     
    International rating agencies Fitch and Moody’s have reaffirmed Moldova’s sovereign ratings with a stable outlook, reflecting investor confidence and economic resilience.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis Announces $24 Million for Raleigh-Durham International Airport Improvements

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis announced a $24 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to realign key sections of the roadway in front of two terminals at Raleigh-Durham International (RDU) Airport and widen the roadway from two lanes to four lanes. The funding comes from the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant Program for fiscal year 2025, which is partially funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), legislation that Senator Tillis helped negotiate, write, and pass into law.  

    “This funding will ensure that RDU not only meets national standards but also continues to provide an exceptional experience for passengers,” said Senator Tillis. “As the Triangle region continues to grow, it is vital that we invest in our public transportation and infrastructure, including our airports. I am proud to have worked alongside local leaders to secure this critical funding.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: From diamonds to dirt: Sierra Leone youth bring land back to life

    Source: United Nations 2

    But now, parts of the land have been restored. Crops are beginning to flourish and bees are buzzing around once again.

    The people responsible for this change are a hodgepodge group – former taxi drivers and miners, people who barely finished secondary school and some with higher education degrees. The unifying factor? Most have youth on their side.

    “There is life beyond mining [but] we all grew up with the mentality that diamond is the only solution,” said Sahr Fallah, chairman of the Youth Council in Kono.

    Over 44 percent of the 1.3 billion people aged 15-24 are employed in agrifood systems. However, this group often does not have the same access to resources as older generations. Moreover, they are sidelined in the conversations which might change this systemic exclusion.

    © UNICEF/Olivier Asselin

    Young men work on a diamond mining site near Koidu, Sierra Leone. (file)

    “A lot of the time, what we find is that young people are included in policy processes but it is a little bit tokenistic. They don’t feel like their voice really matters,” said Lauren Phillips, a deputy director at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

    Decent work = economic growth

    The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York has been convened this week and next, to discuss progress – or lack thereof – towards the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which guarantees decent work for all.

    Despite this commitment, over half of the global workforce remains in informal employment, according to the Secretary-General’s report on the SDGs released Monday. This means that they do not have adequate social or legal protections.

    “Decent work must be at the heart of macroeconomic planning, climate and diesel transitions and social recovery strategies,” said Sangheon Lee, director of employment policy at the International Labor Organization (ILO).

    Don’t ignore youth

    Like other vulnerable groups, young people face unique challenges in the agrifood sector. Specifically, they often lack land rights and will struggle to act collectively to protect their interests.

    “If you are not looking at data with a lens of age or gender, you are actually missing part of the story,” Ms. Phillips said.

    Among these assets are land titles – which the elderly may be reluctant to pass down because of insufficient social protections. Youth also are less able to access credit so they can invest in themselves and their families.

    Betty Seray Sam, one of the young farmers in Kono, said that her family never used to come to her when they were going through a crisis – they knew that she had no money and a child to support.

    © FAO/Heba Khamis

    Young farmers load tomatoes onto trucks in Nubaria, Egypt.

    But now, through an agricultural job in Kono, she can support her family during times of crisis.

    “This project has had a rippling effect for the youth in terms of not only improving their livelihoods but also the livelihoods of their families,” said Abdul Munu, president of Mabunduku, a community-based farmer’s organization in Kono.

    Bee a farmer

    Providing training to young people in agrifood systems is absolutely essential to ensure that they can practice sustainable agriculture.

    In Chegutu, Zimbabwe, FAO has helped establish Bee Farmers Schools where young people are taught how to support apiaries through hands-on training activities.

    “The idea is that one of the apiaries can be turned into a classroom where youth from different parts of a district can come just like a school,” said Barnabas Mawire, a natural resource specialist at FAO.

    This training has helped support local youth beekeepers to move beyond local and small-scale honey production to a fully-fledged business model that has the potential to not just fight poverty but actually create local wealth.

    Evelyn Mutuda, the young entrepreneurs representative in Chegutu, aspires to plant Jacaranda trees which she says will improve the quality of the bees’ honey and enable the beekeepers to export beyond local markets.

    “We want to maximize all the profits so we can become better and bigger,” Ms. Mutuda said.

    From Facebook to TikTok

    Being able to form labour associations is one of the key factors of decent work. This sort of collective action is even more important for youth in agrifood who often lack the social capital to enact real policy change.

    “Young people are just starting out, making bonds within their group but also with people outside of their group. Those bonds are important…because there is power in numbers,” Ms. Phillips said.

    She also noted that young people are forming these bonds across geographic distances, often by using technology. Agrifood influencers on Instagram and TikTok, for example, are increasingly shaping conversations about the sector.

    Ms. Phillips also noted that it is important to think of collective action for youth as intergenerational.

    “While the report is focused on young people, it’s not ignorant of the fact that young people live in families…There is a lot which talks about the need for solidarity between generations,” Ms. Phillips said.

    Youth optimism

    The next generation will be the stewards of the food we eat, so integrating them into that system now is essential for future food security and sustainability.

    “Many youth integrate tradition with innovation, creating sustainability and community resilience,” said Venedio Nala Ardisa, a youth representative at the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, at an online side event during the high-level forum.

    Angeline Manhanzva, one of the beekeepers in Chegutu, said that the opportunity to become a beekeeper changed her life. One day, she dreams of owning her own bee farm.

    “I will be an old person who has so much wealth and is able to buy her own big land to keep my hives and process my own honey.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Job seekers move into work

    Source: New Zealand Government

    More than 80,700 people moved off a main benefit and into work in the last financial year, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. 

    “Despite challenging economic conditions, the Government has been relentlessly focused on getting New Zealanders into work. It’s encouraging that 80,000 Kiwis were able to kick start new roles over the past 12 months and there will be more to come.” 

    Overall, MSD stats released today show that as expected in the current economic climate, the overall number of people receiving a benefit has increased, ahead of a forecast decrease from December. 

    The number of people receiving a main benefit in June 2025 (406,128) increased by 7,965 (2.0 percent) compared to March 2025 (398,163).

    The number of people receiving Jobseeker Support in June 2025 (216,009) increased by 6,171 (2.9 percent) compared to March 2025 (209,838).

    “Over the last three years, MSD have traditionally seen a trend of more people coming onto benefit in the March to June period,” Louise Upston says.  “It’s likely this is partially because there’s less seasonal work around during the winter months.”

    “MSD is continuing to provide great support to job seekers on the frontline. Our Government has increased the number of people in case management at any one time from 60,000 to 70,000 people. 10,000 of those are getting help through a new phone-based case management service. That’s more people getting more support. 

    “We’ve got 2,100 more places for young people to get community job coaching, more regular work seminars, employment plans to help people get ready for work, and a traffic light system to help them stay on track with their obligations.

    “People now also have to reapply for their benefit every six months, instead of just once a year. This gives MSD an extra opportunity to support them into a job.

    “We know some Kiwis are still doing it tough while the economy recovers, but we’re working as hard as possible to get New Zealanders off welfare and into work,” Louise Upston says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –