Category: Agriculture

MIL-OSI: MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. Reports Financial Results for the Second Quarter of 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

IOWA CITY, Iowa, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MOFG) (“we,” “our,” or the “Company”) today reported results for the second quarter of 2025.

Second Quarter 2025 Summary¹

Pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue increased 15% to $24.5 million².
- Net interest margin (tax equivalent) was 3.57%²; core net interest margin expanded 13 basis points (“bps”) to 3.49%.²
- Noninterest income was $10.2 million.
- Noninterest expense was $35.8 million.
- Efficiency ratio improved to 56.20%² from 59.38%².
Net income of $10.0 million, or $0.48 per diluted common share, reflected credit loss expense of $11.9 million stemming primarily from a single commercial real estate (“CRE”) office credit.
Criticized loans ratio improved 32 bps to 5.15%.
Allowance for credit losses ratio increased to 1.50%, due primarily to the single CRE office credit.
Annualized loan growth of 7.4%.
Tangible book value per share of $23.92,² an increase of 2.4%.
Common equity tier 1 (“CET1”) capital ratio improved 5 bps to 11.02%.
Provided notice of redemption for all $65.0 million aggregate principal of the Company’s 5.75% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due 2030 set to reprice on July 30^th.

CEO Commentary

Charles (Chip) Reeves, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, “Due to the expertise of our MidWestOne team, we continued to execute well on our 2025 strategic initiatives. Strong loan growth and back book loan re-pricing led to tax equivalent net interest margin expansion of 13 basis points, to 3.57%², and to 5% linked quarter net interest income growth. Investments in our relationship fee income businesses continue to bear fruit with wealth management, Small Business Administration (“SBA”), and residential mortgage revenues up quarter over quarter.

We maintained our expense discipline even as we added significant customer facing talent in Denver and the Twin Cities, as well as invested in our platforms to drive internal efficiencies and improve the customer experience.

Earnings and certain asset quality measures were unfavorably impacted by a single $24 million suburban Twin Cities CRE office credit. The loan was originated in June 2022 and previously classified, but moved to nonaccrual in the second quarter. A receiver is in place, resolution efforts have begun, and a specific reserve was established, which led to an increase in our allowance for credit losses ratio to 1.50%.

Our balance sheet, capital, and underlying earnings strength position us well for the second half of 2025 as we continue to make significant progress in building a high-performing, relationship-driven community bank.”

__________________
¹_{Second Quarter Summary compares to the first quarter of 2025 (the “linked quarter”) unless noted.}
²_{Non-GAAP measure. See the separate Non-GAAP Measures section for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.}

(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts and as noted)	As of or for the quarter ended									Six Months Ended
	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Financial Results
Revenue	$	60,231		$	57,575		$	57,901		$	117,806		$	102,382
Credit loss expense		11,889			1,687			1,267			13,576			5,956
Noninterest expense		35,767			36,293			35,761			72,060			71,326
Net income		9,980			15,138			15,819			25,118			19,088
Pre-tax pre-provision net revenue⁽³⁾		24,464			21,282			22,140			45,746			31,056
Adjusted earnings⁽³⁾		10,176			15,301			8,132			25,479			12,621
Per Common Share
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.48		$	0.73		$	1.00		$	1.20		$	1.21
Adjusted earnings per share⁽³⁾		0.49			0.73			0.52			1.22			0.80
Book value		28.36			27.85			34.44			28.36			34.44
Tangible book value⁽³⁾		23.92			23.36			28.27			23.92			28.27
Balance Sheet & Credit Quality
Loans In millions	$	4,381.2		$	4,304.2		$	4,287.2		$	4,381.2		$	4,287.2
Investment securities In millions		1,235.0			1,305.5			1,824.1			1,235.0			1,824.1
Deposits In millions		5,388.1			5,489.1			5,412.4			5,388.1			5,412.4
Net loan charge-offs In millions		0.2			3.1			0.5			3.3			0.7
Allowance for credit losses ratio		1.50	%		1.25	%		1.26	%		1.50	%		1.26	%
Selected Ratios
Return on average assets		0.65	%		1.00	%		0.95	%		0.82	%		0.58	%
Net interest margin, tax equivalent⁽³⁾		3.57	%		3.44	%		2.41	%		3.51	%		2.37	%
Return on average equity		6.81	%		10.74	%		11.91	%		8.74	%		7.23	%
Return on average tangible equity⁽³⁾		8.84	%		13.75	%		15.74	%		11.24	%		9.98	%
Efficiency ratio⁽³⁾		56.20	%		59.38	%		56.29	%		57.75	%		62.83	%

REVENUE REVIEW

Revenue							Change		Change
Revenue							2Q25 vs		2Q25 vs
(Dollars in thousands)	2Q25		1Q25		2Q24		1Q25		2Q24
Net interest income	$	49,982	$	47,439	$	36,347	5	%	38	%
Noninterest income		10,249		10,136		21,554	1	%	(52)%
Total revenue, net of interest expense	$	60,231	$	57,575	$	57,901	5	%	4	%

Total revenue for the second quarter of 2025 increased $2.7 million from the first quarter of 2025 due to higher net interest income and noninterest income during the quarter. When compared to the second quarter of 2024, total revenue increased $2.3 million due to higher net interest income partially offset by lower noninterest income.

Net interest income of $50.0 million for the second quarter of 2025 increased $2.5 million from the first quarter of 2025 due to higher earning asset volumes and yields and lower funding costs, partially offset by higher funding volumes. When compared to the second quarter of 2024, net interest income increased $13.6 million due to higher earning asset yields and lower funding volumes and costs, partially offset by lower earning asset volumes.

The Company’s tax equivalent net interest margin was 3.57%³ in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.44%³ in the first quarter of 2025, driven by higher earning asset yields and lower interest bearing liability costs. Total earning asset yield increased 12 bps from the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to an increase of 10 bps in loan yield. Interest bearing liability costs during the second quarter of 2025 decreased 2 bps to 2.39%, primarily due to reductions in long-term debt costs and interest bearing deposits of 13 bps and 2 bps, to 6.28% and 2.29%, respectively, from the first quarter of 2025.

The Company’s tax equivalent net interest margin was 3.57%³ in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 2.41%³ in the second quarter of 2024, driven by higher earning asset yields and lower interest bearing liability costs. Total earning assets yield increased 75 bps from the second quarter of 2024, primarily due to increases of 189 bps and 12 bps in total investment securities and loan yields, respectively. Interest bearing liability costs decreased 46 bps to 2.39%, due to long-term debt costs of 6.28% and interest bearing deposit costs of 2.29%, which decreased 67 bps, and 25 bps, respectively, from the second quarter of 2024.

__________________
³_{Non-GAAP measure. See the separate Non-GAAP Measures section for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.}

Noninterest Income									Change		Change
Noninterest Income									2Q25 vs		2Q25 vs
(Dollars in thousands)	2Q25			1Q25			2Q24		1Q25		2Q24
Investment services and trust activities	$	3,705		$	3,544		$	3,504	5	%	6	%
Service charges and fees		2,190			2,131			2,156	3	%	2	%
Card revenue		1,934			1,744			1,907	11	%	1	%
Loan revenue		1,417			1,194			1,525	19	%	(7)%
Bank-owned life insurance		677			1,057			668	(36)%		1	%
Investment securities gains, net		—			33			33	(100)%		(100)%
Other		326			433			11,761	(25)%		(97)%
Total noninterest income	$	10,249		$	10,136		$	21,554	1	%	(52)%

MSR adjustment (included above in Loan revenue)	$	(264	)	$	(213	)	$	129	24	%	(305)%

Noninterest income for the second quarter of 2025 increased $0.1 million from the linked quarter, primarily due to increases of $0.2 million each in loan revenue, card revenue, and investment services and trust activities revenue. The increase in loan revenue was due primarily to a $0.2 million increase in mortgage origination fee revenue, coupled with an increase of $0.2 million in SBA gain on sale revenue. The increase in card revenue was driven primarily by higher interchange fee income. The increase in investment services and trust activities revenue was driven by higher assets under administration. Partially offsetting these increases was a decline of $0.4 million in bank-owned life insurance revenue stemming from the death benefit recognized in the first quarter of 2025.

Noninterest income for the second quarter of 2025 decreased $11.3 million from the second quarter of 2024 primarily due to the decline in other revenue stemming from the $11.1 million gain realized in connection with the sale of our Florida banking operations in the second quarter of 2024. Also contributing to the decline in noninterest income was a $0.4 million unfavorable change in the fair value of our mortgage servicing rights, which is included in loan revenue, and a decline of $0.4 million in swap origination fee income, which is recorded in other revenue. Partially offsetting these declines was an increase of $0.2 million in investment services and trust activities revenue, driven by higher assets under administration.

EXPENSE REVIEW

Noninterest Expense							Change		Change
Noninterest Expense							2Q25 vs		2Q25 vs
(Dollars in thousands)	2Q25		1Q25		2Q24		1Q25		2Q24
Compensation and employee benefits	$	21,011	$	21,212	$	20,985	(1)%		—	%
Occupancy expense of premises, net		2,540		2,588		2,435	(2)%		4	%
Equipment		2,550		2,426		2,530	5	%	1	%
Legal and professional		2,153		2,226		2,253	(3)%		(4)%
Data processing		1,486		1,698		1,645	(12)%		(10)%
Marketing		762		552		636	38	%	20	%
Amortization of intangibles		1,252		1,408		1,593	(11)%		(21)%
FDIC insurance		851		917		1,051	(7)%		(19)%
Communications		161		159		191	1	%	(16)%
Foreclosed assets, net		83		74		138	12	%	(40)%
Other		2,918		3,033		2,304	(4)%		27	%
Total noninterest expense	$	35,767	$	36,293	$	35,761	(1)%		—	%

Merger-related Expenses
Merger-related Expenses
(Dollars in thousands)	2Q25		1Q25		2Q24
Compensation and employee benefits	$	—	$	—	$	73
Equipment		—		—		28
Legal and professional		—		40		462
Data processing		—		—		251
Communications		—		—		8
Other		—		—		32
Total merger-related expenses	$	—	$	40	$	854

Noninterest expense for the second quarter of 2025 decreased $0.5 million from the linked quarter, primarily due to decreases of $0.2 million each in data processing, compensation and employee benefits, and amortization of intangibles. The decrease in data processing was primarily driven by a decrease in core banking system costs. The decrease in compensation and employee benefits reflected the receipt of $1.1 million from Employee Retention Credit claims, which was partially offset by higher wage, equity compensation and employee benefits expense.

Noninterest expense for the second quarter of 2025 compared to the prior year was stable at $35.8 million. The $0.6 million increase in other noninterest expense stemmed primarily from customer deposits costs. Further, excluding merger-related expenses, legal and professional costs increased $0.4 million due primarily to higher litigation-related legal expenses. Those increases were partially offset by lower intangible amortization and FDIC insurance costs, which decreased $0.3 million and $0.2 million, respectively.

The Company’s effective tax rate was 20.6% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 22.7% in the linked quarter. The effective income tax rate for the full year 2025 is expected to be 22-23%.

BALANCE SHEET REVIEW

Total assets were $6.16 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $6.25 billion at March 31, 2025 and $6.58 billion at June 30, 2024. The decrease from March 31, 2025 was primarily due to lower cash and security volumes, partially offset by higher loan volumes. Compared to June 30, 2024, the decrease was primarily driven by lower security volumes, partially offset by higher loan volumes.

Loans Held for Investment (Dollars in thousands)	June 30, 2025				March 31, 2025				June 30, 2024
Loans Held for Investment (Dollars in thousands)	Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total
Commercial and industrial	$	1,226,265	28.0	%	$	1,140,138	26.5	%	$	1,120,983	26.1	%
Agricultural		128,717	2.9			131,409	3.1			107,983	2.5
Commercial real estate
Construction and development		280,918	6.4			293,280	6.8			351,646	8.2
Farmland		186,494	4.3			180,633	4.2			183,641	4.3
Multifamily		438,193	10.0			421,204	9.8			430,054	10.0
Other		1,407,469	32.1			1,425,062	33.0			1,348,515	31.5
Total commercial real estate		2,313,074	52.8			2,320,179	53.8			2,313,856	54.0
Residential real estate
One-to-four family first liens		467,970	10.7			471,688	11.0			492,541	11.5
One-to-four family junior liens		188,671	4.3			182,346	4.2			176,105	4.1
Total residential real estate		656,641	15.0			654,034	15.2			668,646	15.6
Consumer		56,491	1.3			58,424	1.4			75,764	1.8
Loans held for investment, net of unearned income	$	4,381,188	100.0	%	$	4,304,184	100.0	%	$	4,287,232	100.0	%

Total commitments to extend credit	$	1,074,935			$	1,080,300			$	1,200,605

Loans held for investment, net of unearned income at June 30, 2025 were $4.38 billion, increasing $77.0 million, or 1.8%, from $4.30 billion at March 31, 2025 and increasing $94.0 million, or 2.2%, from $4.29 billion at June 30, 2024. The increases across both periods were primarily driven by organic loan growth and higher line of credit usage.

Investment Securities(Dollars in thousands)	June 30, 2025				March 31, 2025				June 30, 2024
Investment Securities(Dollars in thousands)	Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total
Available for sale	$	1,235,045	100.0	%	$	1,305,530	100.0	%	$	771,034	42.3	%
Held to maturity		—	—	%		—	—	%		1,053,080	57.7	%
Total investment securities	$	1,235,045			$	1,305,530			$	1,824,114

Investment securities at June 30, 2025 were $1.24 billion, decreasing $70.5 million from March 31, 2025 and decreasing $589.1 million from June 30, 2024. The decrease from the first quarter of 2025 was primarily due to principal cash flows received from scheduled payments, calls, and maturities. The decrease from the second quarter of 2024 stemmed primarily from the sale of debt securities in connection with a balance sheet repositioning, as well as principal cash flows received from scheduled payments, calls, and maturities.

Deposits	June 30, 2025				March 31, 2025				June 30, 2024
(Dollars in thousands)	Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total
Noninterest bearing deposits	$	910,693	16.9	%	$	903,714	16.5	%	$	882,472	16.3	%
Interest checking deposits		1,206,096	22.5			1,283,328	23.3			1,284,243	23.7
Money market deposits		971,048	18.0			1,002,066	18.3			1,043,376	19.3
Savings deposits		851,636	15.8			877,348	16.0			745,639	13.8
Time deposits of $250 and under		837,302	15.5			818,012	14.9			803,301	14.8
Total core deposits		4,776,775	88.7			4,884,468	89.0			4,759,031	87.9
Brokered time deposits		200,000	3.7			200,000	3.6			196,000	3.6
Time deposits over $250		411,323	7.6			404,674	7.4			457,388	8.5
Total deposits	$	5,388,098	100.0	%	$	5,489,142	100.0	%	$	5,412,419	100.0	%

Total deposits at June 30, 2025 were $5.39 billion, decreasing $101.0 million, or 1.8%, from $5.49 billion at March 31, 2025, and decreasing $24.3 million, or 0.4%, from $5.41 billion at June 30, 2024. Noninterest bearing deposits at June 30, 2025 were $910.7 million, an increase of $7.0 million from March 31, 2025 and an increase of $28.2 million from June 30, 2024.

Borrowed Funds	June 30, 2025				March 31, 2025				June 30, 2024
(Dollars in thousands)	Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total
Short-term borrowings	$	—	—	%	$	1,482	1.3	%	$	414,684	78.3	%
Long-term debt		112,320	100.0	%		111,398	98.7	%		114,839	21.7	%
Total borrowed funds	$	112,320			$	112,880			$	529,523

Borrowed funds were $112.3 million at June 30, 2025, a decrease of $0.6 million from March 31, 2025 and a decrease of $417.2 million from June 30, 2024. The decrease compared to the linked quarter was due primarily to lower securities sold under agreements to repurchase. The decrease compared to June 30, 2024 was primarily due to the pay-off of $405.0 million of BTFP borrowings and scheduled payments on long-term debt.

In June 2025, the Company provided notice to the trustee of its intent to redeem all $65.0 million aggregate principal of its 5.75% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due 2030. To complete the redemption, the Company expects to utilize a combination of cash on hand and proceeds from a $50.0 million senior term note. The senior term note is expected to be structured as a 5-year maturity, 7-year amortization facility, and bear interest at a floating rate of 1-month term SOFR plus 1.75%. The financing pursuant to the senior note is expected to close on July 29, 2025, and the redemption is expected to occur on July 30, 2025.

Capital	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2025 ⁽¹⁾				2025			2024
Total shareholders’ equity	$	589,040		$	579,625		$	543,286
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(57,557	)		(63,098	)		(58,135	)
*MidWestOne* Financial Group, Inc. Consolidated**
Tier 1 leverage to average assets ratio		9.62	%		9.50	%		8.29	%
Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		11.02	%		10.97	%		9.56	%
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		11.88	%		11.84	%		10.35	%
Total capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		14.44	%		14.34	%		12.62	%
*MidWestOne* Bank**
Tier 1 leverage to average assets ratio		10.43	%		10.42	%		9.24	%
Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		12.95	%		13.02	%		11.55	%
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		12.95	%		13.02	%		11.55	%
Total capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		14.20	%		14.21	%		12.61	%
⁽¹⁾ Regulatory capital ratios for June 30, 2025 are preliminary

Total shareholders’ equity at June 30, 2025 increased $9.4 million from March 31, 2025, driven primarily by a decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss and an increase in retained earnings, partially offset by an increase in treasury stock. Total shareholders’ equity at June 30, 2025 increased $45.8 million from June 30, 2024, primarily due to increases in common stock and additional paid-in-capital stemming from the common equity capital raise in the third quarter of 2024, and partially offset by a decrease in retained earnings.

On July 22, 2025, the Board of Directors of the Company declared a cash dividend of $0.2425 per common share. The dividend is payable September 16, 2025, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 2, 2025.

The current share repurchase program allows for the repurchase of up to $15.0 million of the Company’s common shares. Under such program, the Company repurchased 63,402 shares of its common stock at an average price of $27.65 per share and a total cost of $1.8 million during the period March 31, 2025 through June 30, 2025. No shares were repurchased during the subsequent period through July 24, 2025. As of June 30, 2025, $13.2 million remained available under this program.

CREDIT QUALITY REVIEW

Credit Quality	As of or For the Three Months Ended
Credit Quality	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024
Credit loss expense related to loans	$	12,089		$	1,787		$	467
Net charge-offs		189			3,087			524
Allowance for credit losses		65,800			53,900			53,900
Pass	$	4,155,385		$	4,068,707		$	3,991,692
Special Mention		98,998			121,494			146,253
Classified		126,805			113,983			149,287
Criticized		225,803			235,477			295,540
Loans greater than 30 days past due and accruing	$	12,161		$	6,119		$	9,358
Nonperforming loans	$	37,192		$	17,470		$	25,128
Nonperforming assets		40,606			20,889			31,181
Net charge-off ratio⁽¹⁾		0.02	%		0.29	%		0.05	%
Classified loans ratio⁽²⁾		2.89	%		2.65	%		3.48	%
Criticized loans ratio⁽³⁾		5.15	%		5.47	%		6.89	%
Nonperforming loans ratio⁽⁴⁾		0.85	%		0.41	%		0.59	%
Nonperforming assets ratio⁽⁵⁾		0.66	%		0.33	%		0.47	%
Allowance for credit losses ratio⁽⁶⁾		1.50	%		1.25	%		1.26	%
Allowance for credit losses to nonaccrual loans ratio⁽⁷⁾		179.19	%		309.47	%		218.26	%
⁽¹⁾ Net charge-off ratio is calculated as annualized net charge-offs divided by the sum of average loans held for investment, net of unearned income and average loans held for sale, during the period.
⁽²⁾ Classified loans ratio is calculated as classified loans divided by loans held for investment, net of unearned income, at the end of the period.
⁽³⁾ Criticized loans ratio is calculated as criticized loans divided by loans held for investment, net of unearned income, at the end of the period.
⁽⁴⁾ Nonperforming loans ratio is calculated as nonperforming loans divided by loans held for investment, net of unearned income, at the end of the period.
⁽⁵⁾ Nonperforming assets ratio is calculated as nonperforming assets divided by total assets at the end of the period.
⁽⁶⁾ Allowance for credit losses ratio is calculated as allowance for credit losses divided by loans held for investment, net of unearned income, at the end of the period.
⁽⁷⁾ Allowance for credit losses to nonaccrual loans ratio is calculated as allowance for credit losses divided by nonaccrual loans at the end of the period.

Compared to the linked quarter, both nonperforming loans and nonperforming assets increased $19.7 million, primarily due to a single $24.0 million CRE office credit, partially offset by the sale of a $3.9 million CRE office credit. Special mention loan balances decreased $22.5 million, or 19%, while classified loan balances increased $12.8 million, or 11%. Compared to the prior year period, nonperforming loans and nonperforming assets increased $12.1 million and $9.4 million, respectively. Special mention loan balances decreased $47.3 million, or 32%, while classified loan balances decreased $22.5 million, or 15%. The net charge-off ratio declined 27 bps from the linked quarter and 3 bps from the same period in the prior year.

As of June 30, 2025, the allowance for credit losses was $65.8 million and the allowance for credit losses ratio was 1.50%, compared with $53.9 million and 1.25%, respectively, at March 31, 2025. Credit loss expense of $11.9 million in the second quarter of 2025 primarily reflected the specific reserve established in connection with the single CRE office credit previously discussed.

Nonperforming Loans Roll Forward (Dollars in thousands)	Nonaccrual			90+ Days Past Due & Still Accruing			Total
Balance at March 31, 2025	$	17,417		$	53		$	17,470
Loans placed on nonaccrual or 90+ days past due & still accruing		25,279			569			25,848
Proceeds related to repayment or sale		(4,973	)		—			(4,973	)
Loans returned to accrual status or no longer past due		(632	)		—			(632	)
Charge-offs		(187	)		(151	)		(338	)
Transfers to foreclosed assets		(183	)		—			(183	)
Balance at June 30, 2025	$	36,721		$	471		$	37,192

CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

The Company will host a conference call for investors at 11:00 a.m. CT on Friday, July 25, 2025. To participate, you may pre-register for this call utilizing the following link: https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=a6070726&confId=80381. After pre-registering for this event you will receive your access details via email. On the day of the call, you are also able to dial 1-833-470-1428 using an access code of 293794 at least fifteen minutes before the call start time. If you are unable to participate on the call, a replay will be available until October 23, 2025 by calling 1-866-813-9403 and using the replay access code of 763204. A transcript of the call will also be available on the Company’s web site (www.midwestonefinancial.com) within three business days of the call.

ABOUT MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa. MidWestOne is the parent company of MidWestOne Bank, which operates banking offices in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado. MidWestOne provides electronic delivery of financial services through its website, MidWestOne.bank. MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MOFG”.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of such term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We and our representatives may, from time to time, make written or oral statements that are “forward-looking” and provide information other than historical information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the factors listed below. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of our management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “plans,” “goals,” “intend,” “project,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “may” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Additionally, we undertake no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events, except as required under federal securities law.

Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Factors that could have an impact on our ability to achieve operating results, growth plan goals and future prospects include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the effects of changes in interest rates, including on our net income and the value of our securities portfolio; (2) fluctuations in the value of our investment securities; (3) effects on the U.S. economy resulting from the implementation of proposed policies and executive orders, including the imposition of tariffs, changes in immigration policy, changes to regulatory or other governmental agencies, DEI and ESG initiative trends, changes in consumer protection policies, changes in foreign policy and tax regulations; (4) volatility of rate-sensitive deposits; (5) asset/liability matching risks and liquidity risks; (6) the ability to successfully manage liquidity risk, which may increase dependence on non-core funding sources such as brokered deposits, and may negatively impact the Company’s cost of funds; (7) the concentration of large deposits from certain clients, including those who have balances above current FDIC insurance limits; (8) credit quality deterioration, pronounced and sustained reduction in real estate market values, or other uncertainties, including the impact of inflationary pressures and future monetary policies of the Federal Reserve in response thereto on economic conditions and our business, resulting in an increase in the allowance for credit losses, an increase in the credit loss expense, and a reduction in net earnings; (9) the sufficiency of the allowance for credit losses to absorb the amount of expected losses inherent in our existing loan portfolio; (10) the failure of assumptions underlying the establishment of allowances for credit losses and estimation of values of collateral and various financial assets and liabilities; (11) credit risks and risks from concentrations (by type of borrower, collateral, geographic area and by industry) within our loan portfolio; (12) changes in the economic environment, competition, or other factors that may affect our ability to acquire loans or influence the anticipated growth rate of loans and deposits and the quality of the loan portfolio and loan and deposit pricing; (13) governmental monetary and fiscal policies; (14) new or revised general economic, political, or industry conditions, nationally, internationally or in the communities in which we conduct business, including the risk of a recession; (15) the imposition of domestic or foreign tariffs or other governmental policies impacting the global supply chain and value of the agricultural or other products of our borrowers; (16) war or terrorist activities, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, widespread disease or pandemic, or other adverse external events, which may cause deterioration in the economy or cause instability in credit markets; (17) legislative and regulatory changes, including changes in banking, securities, trade, and tax laws and regulations and their application by our regulators, and including changes in interpretation or prioritization of such laws and regulations; (18) changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by state and federal regulatory agencies and the Financial Accounting Standards Board; (19) the effects of competition from other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market and other mutual funds, financial technology companies, and other financial institutions operating in our markets or elsewhere or providing similar services; (20) changes in the business and economic conditions generally and in the financial services industry, and the effects of recent developments and events in the financial services industry, including the large-scale deposit withdrawals over a short period of time that resulted in prior bank failures; (21) the occurrence of fraudulent activity, breaches, or failures of our or our third party vendors’ information security controls or cyber-security related incidents, including as a result of sophisticated attacks using artificial intelligence and similar tools or as a result of insider fraud; (22) the ability to attract and retain key executives and employees experienced in banking and financial services; (23) our ability to adapt successfully to technological changes implemented by us and other parties in the financial services industry, including third-party vendors, which may be more difficult to implement or more expensive than anticipated or which may have unforeseen consequence to us and our customers, including the development and implementation of tools incorporating artificial intelligence; (24) operational risks, including data processing system failures and fraud; (25) the costs, effects and outcomes of existing or future litigation or other legal proceedings and regulatory actions; (26) the risks of mergers or branch sales (including the sale of our Florida banking operations and the acquisition of Denver Bankshares, Inc.), including, without limitation, the related time and costs of implementing such transactions, integrating operations as part of these transactions and possible failures to achieve expected gains, revenue growth and/or expense savings from such transactions; (27) the economic impacts on the Company and its customers of climate change, natural disasters and exceptional weather occurrences, such as: tornadoes, floods and blizzards; and (28) other risk factors detailed from time to time in Securities and Exchange Commission filings made by the Company.

MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
FIVE QUARTER CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

	June 30,			March 31,			December 31,			September 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2024			2024
ASSETS
Cash and due from banks	$	78,696		$	68,545		$	71,803		$	72,173		$	66,228
Interest earning deposits in banks		90,749			182,360			133,092			129,695			35,340
Total cash and cash equivalents		169,445			250,905			204,895			201,868			101,568
Debt securities available for sale at fair value		1,235,045			1,305,530			1,328,433			1,623,104			771,034
Held to maturity securities at amortized cost		—			—			—			—			1,053,080
Total securities		1,235,045			1,305,530			1,328,433			1,623,104			1,824,114
Loans held for sale		16,812			13,836			749			3,283			2,850
Gross loans held for investment		4,391,426			4,315,546			4,328,413			4,344,559			4,304,619
Unearned income, net		(10,238	)		(11,362	)		(12,786	)		(15,803	)		(17,387	)
Loans held for investment, net of unearned income		4,381,188			4,304,184			4,315,627			4,328,756			4,287,232
Allowance for credit losses		(65,800	)		(53,900	)		(55,200	)		(54,000	)		(53,900	)
Total loans held for investment, net		4,315,388			4,250,284			4,260,427			4,274,756			4,233,332
Premises and equipment, net		89,910			90,031			90,851			90,750			91,793
Goodwill		69,788			69,788			69,788			69,788			69,388
Other intangible assets, net		22,359			23,611			25,019			26,469			27,939
Foreclosed assets, net		3,414			3,419			3,337			3,583			6,053
Other assets		238,612			246,990			252,830			258,881			224,621
Total assets	$	6,160,773		$	6,254,394		$	6,236,329		$	6,552,482		$	6,581,658
LIABILITIES
Noninterest bearing deposits	$	910,693		$	903,714		$	951,423		$	917,715		$	882,472
Interest bearing deposits		4,477,405			4,585,428			4,526,559			4,451,012			4,529,947
Total deposits		5,388,098			5,489,142			5,477,982			5,368,727			5,412,419
Short-term borrowings		—			1,482			3,186			410,630			414,684
Long-term debt		112,320			111,398			113,376			115,051			114,839
Other liabilities		71,315			72,747			82,089			95,836			96,430
Total liabilities		5,571,733			5,674,769			5,676,633			5,990,244			6,038,372
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Common stock		21,580			21,580			21,580			21,580			16,581
Additional paid-in capital		414,485			414,258			414,987			414,965			300,831
Retained earnings		232,718			227,790			217,776			206,490			306,030
Treasury stock		(22,186	)		(20,905	)		(21,885	)		(21,955	)		(22,021	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(57,557	)		(63,098	)		(72,762	)		(58,842	)		(58,135	)
Total shareholders’ equity		589,040			579,625			559,696			562,238			543,286
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	6,160,773		$	6,254,394		$	6,236,329		$	6,552,482		$	6,581,658

MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
FIVE QUARTER CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

	Three Months Ended											Six Months Ended
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	June 30,		March 31,		December 31,		September 30,			June 30,		June 30,		June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)		2025		2025		2024		2024			2024		2025		2024
Interest income
Loans, including fees	$	62,276	$	59,462	$	62,458	$	62,521		$	61,643	$	121,738	$	119,590
Taxable investment securities		12,928		13,327		11,320		8,779			9,228		26,255		18,688
Tax-exempt investment securities		699		703		728		1,611			1,663		1,402		3,373
Other		1,517		1,247		3,761		785			242		2,764		660
Total interest income		77,420		74,739		78,267		73,696			72,776		152,159		142,311
Interest expense
Deposits		25,665		25,484		27,324		29,117			28,942		51,149		56,668
Short-term borrowings		19		25		115		5,043			5,409		44		10,384
Long-term debt		1,754		1,791		1,890		2,015			2,078		3,545		4,181
Total interest expense		27,438		27,300		29,329		36,175			36,429		54,738		71,233
Net interest income		49,982		47,439		48,938		37,521			36,347		97,421		71,078
Credit loss expense		11,889		1,687		1,291		1,535			1,267		13,576		5,956
Net interest income after credit loss expense		38,093		45,752		47,647		35,986			35,080		83,845		65,122
Noninterest income
Investment services and trust activities		3,705		3,544		3,779		3,410			3,504		7,249		7,007
Service charges and fees		2,190		2,131		2,159		2,170			2,156		4,321		4,300
Card revenue		1,934		1,744		1,833		1,935			1,907		3,678		3,850
Loan revenue		1,417		1,194		1,841		760			1,525		2,611		2,381
Bank-owned life insurance		677		1,057		719		879			668		1,734		1,328
Investment securities gains (losses), net		—		33		161		(140,182	)		33		33		69
Other		326		433		345		640			11,761		759		12,369
Total noninterest income (loss)		10,249		10,136		10,837		(130,388	)		21,554		20,385		31,304
Noninterest expense
Compensation and employee benefits		21,011		21,212		20,684		19,943			20,985		42,223		41,915
Occupancy expense of premises, net		2,540		2,588		2,772		2,443			2,435		5,128		5,248
Equipment		2,550		2,426		2,688		2,486			2,530		4,976		5,130
Legal and professional		2,153		2,226		2,534		2,261			2,253		4,379		4,312
Data processing		1,486		1,698		1,719		1,580			1,645		3,184		3,005
Marketing		762		552		793		619			636		1,314		1,234
Amortization of intangibles		1,252		1,408		1,449		1,470			1,593		2,660		3,230
FDIC insurance		851		917		980		923			1,051		1,768		1,993
Communications		161		159		154		159			191		320		387
Foreclosed assets, net		83		74		56		330			138		157		496
Other		2,918		3,033		3,543		3,584			2,304		5,951		4,376
Total noninterest expense		35,767		36,293		37,372		35,798			35,761		72,060		71,326
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)		12,575		19,595		21,112		(130,200	)		20,873		32,170		25,100
Income tax expense (benefit)		2,595		4,457		4,782		(34,493	)		5,054		7,052		6,012
Net income (loss)	$	9,980	$	15,138	$	16,330	$	(95,707	)	$	15,819	$	25,118	$	19,088

Earnings (loss) per common share
Basic	$	0.48	$	0.73	$	0.79	$	(6.05	)	$	1.00	$	1.21	$	1.21
Diluted	$	0.48	$	0.73	$	0.78	$	(6.05	)	$	1.00	$	1.20	$	1.21
Weighted average basic common shares outstanding		20,816		20,797		20,776		15,829			15,763		20,807		15,743
Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding		20,843		20,849		20,851		15,829			15,781		20,846		15,775
Dividends paid per common share	$	0.2425	$	0.2425	$	0.2425	$	0.2425		$	0.2425	$	0.4850	$	0.4850

MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
FINANCIAL STATISTICS

	As of or for the Three Months Ended									As of or for the Six Months Ended
	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Earnings:
Net interest income	$	49,982		$	47,439		$	36,347		$	97,421		$	71,078
Noninterest income		10,249			10,136			21,554			20,385			31,304
Total revenue, net of interest expense		60,231			57,575			57,901			117,806			102,382
Credit loss expense		11,889			1,687			1,267			13,576			5,956
Noninterest expense		35,767			36,293			35,761			72,060			71,326
Income before income tax expense		12,575			19,595			20,873			32,170			25,100
Income tax expense		2,595			4,457			5,054			7,052			6,012
Net income	$	9,980		$	15,138		$	15,819		$	25,118		$	19,088
Pre-tax pre-provision net revenue⁽¹⁾	$	24,464		$	21,282		$	22,140		$	45,746		$	31,056
Adjusted earnings⁽¹⁾		10,176			15,301			8,132			25,479			12,621
Per Share Data:
Diluted earnings	$	0.48		$	0.73		$	1.00		$	1.20		$	1.21
Adjusted earnings⁽¹⁾		0.49			0.73			0.52			1.22			0.80
Book value		28.36			27.85			34.44			28.36			34.44
Tangible book value⁽¹⁾		23.92			23.36			28.27			23.92			28.27
Ending Balance Sheet:
Total assets	$	6,160,773		$	6,254,394		$	6,581,658		$	6,160,773		$	6,581,658
Loans held for investment, net of unearned income		4,381,188			4,304,184			4,287,232			4,381,188			4,287,232
Total securities		1,235,045			1,305,530			1,824,114			1,235,045			1,824,114
Total deposits		5,388,098			5,489,142			5,412,419			5,388,098			5,412,419
Short-term borrowings		—			1,482			414,684			—			414,684
Long-term debt		112,320			111,398			114,839			112,320			114,839
Total shareholders’ equity		589,040			579,625			543,286			589,040			543,286
Average Balance Sheet:
Average total assets	$	6,172,649		$	6,168,546		$	6,713,573		$	6,170,609		$	6,674,476
Average total loans		4,370,196			4,290,710			4,419,697			4,330,659			4,358,957
Average total deposits		5,398,916			5,398,819			5,514,924			5,398,868			5,498,020
Financial Ratios:
Return on average assets		0.65	%		1.00	%		0.95	%		0.82	%		0.58	%
Return on average equity		6.81	%		10.74	%		11.91	%		8.74	%		7.23	%
Return on average tangible equity⁽¹⁾		8.84	%		13.75	%		15.74	%		11.24	%		9.98	%
Efficiency ratio⁽¹⁾		56.20	%		59.38	%		56.29	%		57.75	%		62.83	%
Net interest margin, tax equivalent⁽¹⁾		3.57	%		3.44	%		2.41	%		3.51	%		2.37	%
Loans to deposits ratio		81.31	%		78.41	%		79.21	%		81.31	%		79.21	%
CET1 Ratio		11.02	%		10.97	%		9.56	%		11.02	%		9.56	%
Common equity ratio		9.56	%		9.27	%		8.25	%		9.56	%		8.25	%
Tangible common equity ratio⁽¹⁾		8.19	%		7.89	%		6.88	%		8.19	%		6.88	%
Credit Risk Profile:
Total nonperforming loans	$	37,192		$	17,470		$	25,128		$	37,192		$	25,128
Nonperforming loans ratio		0.85	%		0.41	%		0.59	%		0.85	%		0.59	%
Total nonperforming assets	$	40,606		$	20,889		$	31,181		$	40,606		$	31,181
Nonperforming assets ratio		0.66	%		0.33	%		0.47	%		0.66	%		0.47	%
Net charge-offs	$	189		$	3,087		$	524		$	3,276		$	713
Net charge-off ratio		0.02	%		0.29	%		0.05	%		0.15	%		0.03	%
Allowance for credit losses	$	65,800		$	53,900		$	53,900		$	65,800		$	53,900
Allowance for credit losses ratio		1.50	%		1.25	%		1.26	%		1.50	%		1.26	%
Allowance for credit losses to nonaccrual ratio		179.19	%		309.47	%		218.26	%		179.19	%		218.26	%

⁽¹⁾ Non-GAAP measure. See the Non-GAAP Measures section for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
AVERAGE BALANCE SHEET AND YIELD ANALYSIS

	Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025						March 31, 2025						June 30, 2024
(Dollars in thousands)	Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Cost
ASSETS
Loans, including fees ^(1)(2)(3)	$	4,370,196	$	63,298	5.81	%	$	4,290,710	$	60,443	5.71	%	$	4,419,697	$	62,581	5.69	%
Taxable investment securities		1,168,048		12,928	4.44	%		1,207,844		13,327	4.47	%		1,520,253		9,228	2.44	%
Tax-exempt investment securities ⁽²⁾⁽⁴⁾		102,792		859	3.35	%		105,563		865	3.32	%		322,092		2,040	2.55	%
Total securities held for investment⁽²⁾		1,270,840		13,787	4.35	%		1,313,407		14,192	4.38	%		1,842,345		11,268	2.46	%
Other		104,628		1,517	5.82	%		124,133		1,247	4.07	%		20,452		242	4.76	%
Total interest earning assets⁽²⁾	$	5,745,664	$	78,602	5.49	%	$	5,728,250	$	75,882	5.37	%	$	6,282,494	$	74,091	4.74	%
Other assets		426,985						440,296						431,079
Total assets	$	6,172,649					$	6,168,546					$	6,713,573
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Interest checking deposits	$	1,221,266	$	2,101	0.69	%	$	1,240,586	$	2,127	0.70	%	$	1,297,356	$	3,145	0.97	%
Money market deposits		986,029		6,057	2.46	%		1,002,743		6,333	2.56	%		1,072,688		7,821	2.93	%
Savings deposits		843,223		3,161	1.50	%		835,731		3,057	1.48	%		738,773		2,673	1.46	%
Time deposits		1,436,301		14,346	4.01	%		1,397,595		13,967	4.05	%		1,470,956		15,303	4.18	%
Total interest bearing deposits		4,486,819		25,665	2.29	%		4,476,655		25,484	2.31	%		4,579,773		28,942	2.54	%
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		896		1	0.45	%		2,705		5	0.75	%		5,300		10	0.76	%
Other short-term borrowings		—		18	—	%		—		20	—	%		442,546		5,399	4.91	%
Total short-term borrowings		896		19	8.51	%		2,705		25	3.75	%		447,846		5,409	4.86	%
Long-term debt		112,035		1,754	6.28	%		113,364		1,791	6.41	%		120,256		2,078	6.95	%
Total borrowed funds		112,931		1,773	6.30	%		116,069		1,816	6.35	%		568,102		7,487	5.30	%
Total interest bearing liabilities	$	4,599,750	$	27,438	2.39	%	$	4,592,724	$	27,300	2.41	%	$	5,147,875	$	36,429	2.85	%
Noninterest bearing deposits		912,097						922,164						935,151
Other liabilities		73,094						82,280						96,553
Shareholders’ equity		587,708						571,378						533,994
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	6,172,649					$	6,168,546					$	6,713,573
Net interest income⁽²⁾			$	51,164					$	48,582					$	37,662
Net interest spread⁽²⁾					3.10	%					2.96	%					1.89	%
Net interest margin⁽²⁾					3.57	%					3.44	%					2.41	%

Total deposits⁽⁵⁾	$	5,398,916	$	25,665	1.91	%	$	5,398,819	$	25,484	1.91	%	$	5,514,924	$	28,942	2.11	%
Cost of funds⁽⁶⁾					2.00	%					2.01	%					2.41	%

(1) Average balance includes nonaccrual loans. (2) Tax equivalent. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (3) Interest income includes net loan fees, loan purchase discount accretion and tax equivalent adjustments. Net loan fees were $272 thousand, $256 thousand, and $337 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, and June 30, 2024, respectively. Loan purchase discount accretion was $1.1 million, $1.2 million, and $1.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, and June 30, 2024, respectively. Tax equivalent adjustments were $1.0 million, $981 thousand, and $938 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, and June 30, 2024, respectively. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (4) Interest income includes tax equivalent adjustments of $160 thousand, $162 thousand, and $377 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, and June 30, 2024, respectively. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (5) Total deposits is the sum of total interest-bearing deposits and noninterest bearing deposits. The cost of total deposits is calculated as annualized interest expense on deposits divided by average total deposits. (6) Cost of funds is calculated as annualized total interest expense divided by the sum of average total deposits and borrowed funds.

MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
AVERAGE BALANCE SHEET AND YIELD ANALYSIS

	Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2025						June 30, 2024
(Dollars in thousands)	Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Cost
ASSETS
Loans, including fees ^(1)(2)(3)	$	4,330,659	$	123,741	5.76	%	$	4,358,957	$	121,448	5.60	%
Taxable investment securities		1,187,836		26,255	4.46	%		1,538,928		18,688	2.44	%
Tax-exempt investment securities ⁽²⁾⁽⁴⁾		104,170		1,724	3.34	%		325,414		4,137	2.56	%
Total securities held for investment⁽²⁾		1,292,006		27,979	4.37	%		1,864,342		22,825	2.46	%
Other		114,327		2,764	4.88	%		25,529		660	5.20	%
Total interest earning assets⁽²⁾	$	5,736,992	$	154,484	5.43	%	$	6,248,828	$	144,933	4.66	%
Other assets		433,617						425,648
Total assets	$	6,170,609					$	6,674,476
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Interest checking deposits	$	1,230,873	$	4,228	0.69	%	$	1,299,413	$	6,035	0.93	%
Money market deposits		994,340		12,390	2.51	%		1,087,616		15,886	2.94	%
Savings deposits		839,498		6,218	1.49	%		716,458		4,720	1.32	%
Time deposits		1,417,054		28,313	4.03	%		1,458,969		30,027	4.14	%
Total interest bearing deposits		4,481,765		51,149	2.30	%		4,562,456		56,668	2.50	%
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		1,795		6	0.67	%		5,315		21	0.79	%
Other short-term borrowings		—		38	—	%		426,036		10,363	4.89	%
Total short-term borrowings		1,795		44	4.94	%		431,351		10,384	4.84	%
Long-term debt		112,696		3,545	6.34	%		121,761		4,181	6.91	%
Total borrowed funds		114,491		3,589	6.32	%		553,112		14,565	5.30	%
Total interest bearing liabilities	$	4,596,256	$	54,738	2.40	%	$	5,115,568	$	71,233	2.80	%
Noninterest bearing deposits		917,103						935,564
Other liabilities		77,662						92,581
Shareholders’ equity		579,588						530,763
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	6,170,609					$	6,674,476
Net interest income⁽²⁾			$	99,746					$	73,700
Net interest spread⁽²⁾					3.03	%					1.86	%
Net interest margin⁽²⁾					3.51	%					2.37	%

Total deposits⁽⁵⁾	$	5,398,868	$	51,149	1.91	%	$	5,498,020	$	56,668	2.07	%
Cost of funds⁽⁶⁾					2.00	%					2.37	%

(1) Average balance includes nonaccrual loans. (2) Tax equivalent. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (3) Interest income includes net loan fees, loan purchase discount accretion and tax equivalent adjustments. Net loan fees were $528 thousand and $574 thousand for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively. Loan purchase discount accretion was $2.3 million and $2.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively. Tax equivalent adjustments were $2.0 million and $1.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (4) Interest income includes tax equivalent adjustments of $0.3 million and $0.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (5) Total deposits is the sum of total interest-bearing deposits and noninterest bearing deposits. The cost of total deposits is calculated as annualized interest expense on deposits divided by average total deposits. (6) Cost of funds is calculated as annualized total interest expense divided by the sum of average total deposits and borrowed funds.

Non-GAAP Measures

This earnings release contains non-GAAP measures for tangible common equity, tangible book value per share, tangible common equity ratio, return on average tangible equity, net interest margin (tax equivalent), core net interest margin, loan yield (tax equivalent), core yield on loans, efficiency ratio, adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share, and pre-tax pre-provision net revenue. Management believes these measures provide investors with useful information regarding the Company’s profitability, financial condition and capital adequacy, consistent with how management evaluates the Company’s financial performance. The following tables provide a reconciliation of each non-GAAP measure to the most comparable GAAP measure.

Tangible Common Equity/Tangible Book Value
per Share/Tangible Common Equity Ratio	June 30,			March 31,			December 31,			September 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)		2025			2025			2024			2024			2024
Total shareholders’ equity	$	589,040		$	579,625		$	559,696		$	562,238		$	543,286
Intangible assets, net		(92,147	)		(93,399	)		(94,807	)		(96,257	)		(97,327	)
Tangible common equity	$	496,893		$	486,226		$	464,889		$	465,981		$	445,959

Total assets	$	6,160,773		$	6,254,394		$	6,236,329		$	6,552,482		$	6,581,658
Intangible assets, net		(92,147	)		(93,399	)		(94,807	)		(96,257	)		(97,327	)
Tangible assets	$	6,068,626		$	6,160,995		$	6,141,522		$	6,456,225		$	6,484,331

Book value per share	$	28.36		$	27.85		$	26.94		$	27.06		$	34.44
Tangible book value per share⁽¹⁾	$	23.92		$	23.36		$	22.37		$	22.43		$	28.27
Shares outstanding		20,769,577			20,815,715			20,777,485			20,774,919			15,773,468

Common equity ratio		9.56	%		9.27	%		8.97	%		8.58	%		8.25	%
Tangible common equity ratio⁽²⁾		8.19	%		7.89	%		7.57	%		7.22	%		6.88	%

(1) Tangible common equity divided by shares outstanding. (2) Tangible common equity divided by tangible assets.

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
Return on Average Tangible Equity	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Net income	$	9,980		$	15,138		$	15,819		$	25,118		$	19,088
Intangible amortization, net of tax⁽¹⁾		931			1,047			1,195			1,978			2,423
Tangible net income	$	10,911		$	16,185		$	17,014		$	27,096		$	21,511

Average shareholders’ equity	$	587,708		$	571,378		$	533,994		$	579,588		$	530,763
Average intangible assets, net		(92,733	)		(94,169	)		(99,309	)		(93,447	)		(97,302	)
Average tangible equity	$	494,975		$	477,209		$	434,685		$	486,141		$	433,461

Return on average equity		6.81	%		10.74	%		11.91	%		8.74	%		7.23	%
Return on average tangible equity⁽²⁾		8.84	%		13.75	%		15.74	%		11.24	%		9.98	%

(1) The income tax rate utilized was the blended marginal tax rate. (2) Annualized tangible net income divided by average tangible equity.

Net Interest Margin, Tax Equivalent/ Core Net Interest Margin	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Net interest income	$	49,982		$	47,439		$	36,347		$	97,421		$	71,078
Tax equivalent adjustments:
Loans⁽¹⁾		1,022			981			938			2,003			1,858
Securities⁽¹⁾		160			162			377			322			764
Net interest income, tax equivalent	$	51,164		$	48,582		$	37,662		$	99,746		$	73,700
Loan purchase discount accretion		(1,142	)		(1,166	)		(1,261	)		(2,308	)		(2,413	)
Core net interest income	$	50,022		$	47,416		$	36,401		$	97,438		$	71,287

Net interest margin		3.49	%		3.36	%		2.33	%		3.42	%		2.29	%
Net interest margin, tax equivalent⁽²⁾		3.57	%		3.44	%		2.41	%		3.51	%		2.37	%
Core net interest margin⁽³⁾		3.49	%		3.36	%		2.33	%		3.42	%		2.29	%
Average interest earning assets	$	5,745,664		$	5,728,250		$	6,282,494		$	5,736,992		$	6,248,828

(1) The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (2) Annualized tax equivalent net interest income divided by average interest earning assets. (3) Annualized core net interest income divided by average interest earning assets.

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
Loan Yield, Tax Equivalent / Core Yield on Loans	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Loan interest income, including fees	$	62,276		$	59,462		$	61,643		$	121,738		$	119,590
Tax equivalent adjustment⁽¹⁾		1,022			981			938			2,003			1,858
Tax equivalent loan interest income	$	63,298		$	60,443		$	62,581		$	123,741		$	121,448
Loan purchase discount accretion		(1,142	)		(1,166	)		(1,261	)		(2,308	)		(2,413	)
Core loan interest income	$	62,156		$	59,277		$	61,320		$	121,433		$	119,035

Yield on loans		5.72	%		5.62	%		5.61	%		5.67	%		5.52	%
Yield on loans, tax equivalent⁽²⁾		5.81	%		5.71	%		5.69	%		5.76	%		5.60	%
Core yield on loans⁽³⁾		5.70	%		5.60	%		5.58	%		5.65	%		5.49	%
Average loans	$	4,370,196		$	4,290,710		$	4,419,697		$	4,330,659		$	4,358,957

(1) The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (2) Annualized tax equivalent loan interest income divided by average loans. (3) Annualized core loan interest income divided by average loans.

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
Efficiency Ratio	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Total noninterest expense	$	35,767		$	36,293		$	35,761		$	72,060		$	71,326
Amortization of intangibles		(1,252	)		(1,408	)		(1,593	)		(2,660	)		(3,230	)
Merger-related expenses		—			(40	)		(854	)		(40	)		(2,168	)
Noninterest expense used for efficiency ratio	$	34,515		$	34,845		$	33,314		$	69,360		$	65,928

Net interest income, tax equivalent⁽¹⁾	$	51,164		$	48,582		$	37,662		$	99,746		$	73,700
Plus: Noninterest income		10,249			10,136			21,554			20,385			31,304
Less: Investment securities gains, net		—			33			33			33			69
Net revenues used for efficiency ratio	$	61,413		$	58,685		$	59,183		$	120,098		$	104,935

Efficiency ratio ⁽²⁾		56.20	%		59.38	%		56.29	%		57.75	%		62.83	%

(1) The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (2) Noninterest expense adjusted for amortization of intangibles and merger-related expenses divided by the sum of tax equivalent net interest income, noninterest income and net investment securities gains.

	Three Months Ended								Six Months Ended
Adjusted Earnings	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,		June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)		2025			2025			2024		2025			2024
Net income	$	9,980		$	15,138		$	15,819	$	25,118		$	19,088
Less: Investment securities gains, net of tax⁽¹⁾		—			25			24		24			51
Less: Mortgage servicing rights (loss) gain, net of tax⁽¹⁾		(196	)		(158	)		96		(355	)		(177	)
Plus: Merger-related expenses, net of tax⁽¹⁾		—			30			634		30			1,608
Less: Gain on branch sale, net of tax⁽¹⁾		—			—			8,201		—			8,201
Adjusted earnings	$	10,176		$	15,301		$	8,132	$	25,479		$	12,621

Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding		20,843			20,849			15,781		20,846			15,775

Earnings per common share – diluted	$	0.48		$	0.73		$	1.00	$	1.20		$	1.21
Adjusted earnings per common share⁽²⁾	$	0.49		$	0.73		$	0.52	$	1.22		$	0.80

(1) The income tax rate utilized was the blended marginal tax rate. (2) Adjusted earnings divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding.

	For the Three Months Ended									Year Ended
Pre-tax Pre-provision Net Revenue	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Net interest income	$	49,982		$	47,439		$	36,347		$	97,421		$	71,078
Noninterest income		10,249			10,136			21,554			20,385			31,304
Noninterest expense		(35,767	)		(36,293	)		(35,761	)		(72,060	)		(71,326	)
Pre-tax Pre-provision Net Revenue	$	24,464		$	21,282		$	22,140		$	45,746		$	31,056

Category: Earnings
This news release may be downloaded from Corporate Profile | MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc.

Source: MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc.

Industry: Banks

Contacts:
Charles N. Reeves	Barry S. Ray
Chief Executive Officer	Chief Financial Officer
319.356.5800	319.356.5800

The MIL Network –

July 25, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Chairs First HELP Subcommittee Hearing

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) led his first hearing as Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Education and the American Family with lead advocates for reform in the nation’s educational system. During the hearing, entitled “Empowering Families for Better Educational Results,” witnesses underscored places where the current education system falls short, such as declining literacy rates and the lack of charter schools. Sen. Tuberville emphasized the importance of allowing parents to make choices when it comes to their children’s education and the legislation that will benefit teachers, parents, and children.
In effort to understand how to improve literacy across the nation, Sen. Tuberville and his Republican colleagues asked the witnesses what policies they believe should be implemented. The witnesses also discussed the preparation and professional development that would empower teachers in the classroom. Finally, Sen. Tuberville asked witnesses about the positive effects that charter schools can have on communities.
Witnesses included:
Mr. Tyler Barnett, CEO of New Schools for Alabama
Ms. Anne Wicks, Don Evans Family Managing Director Opportunity and Democracy George W. Bush Institute
Ms. Ginny Gentles, Director of Education Freedom and Parental Rights Defense of Freedom Institute
Mr. Richard Barrera, Board Vice President of San Diego Unified School District
Read excerpts of the transcript below or watch clips of the hearing on YouTube or Rumble.
OPENING STATEMENT:
TUBERVILLE: “Good afternoon. The Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Education and the American Family will come to order. Thanks for being here. As you can tell, we’re running a little late. It’s a little hectic on the hill today, but we will survive. This afternoon, we’re having a hearing on empowering families for better educational results. Ranking member Blunt Rochester and I will each have an opening statement. The witnesses will have five minutes for their opening statements, and senators will each have five minutes for questions.
We will obviously have senators coming in and out because [there are] many, many votes today. So, thank you to all the witnesses for being here today. It’s always nice to see a fellow Alabamian here today up here in the swamp. Thanks to Mr. Barnett for coming to visit today. We’ve called this hearing to discuss something very near and dear to my heart. One of the reasons I’m here. I was an educator for decades before I decided to come up here, and over those years, I saw the state of our education system decline. The federal government just kept spending more money and more money in K-12 education, and the more they spent, the worse outcomes became. It was just amazing me to watch it in real time, and it made no sense. It’s the main reason I chose to run for this office.
I didn’t want to see our kids fail year after year, then I got here and realized that we can fix it, but a lot of things are broken. Four years I’ve been serving here on the HELP Committee, and this year, I finally got this gavel to make sure we could have something like this to where we could bring these things to light. I wanted to focus on our kids’ educational outcomes and figure out where we were failing, and also, where we’re doing good things. That leads us to today.
That’s why we’re having this hearing.
We need to take a good, hard look at our K-12 education system and figure out [what we can do] to fix it, to make it better, because the status quo in a lot of areas is not cutting it. That means we need to think outside the box. Since COVID, parents have gotten a lot more engaged and that’s where all the necessary change can start, right at home, family. And, since parents have started paying more attention, they’ve started calling for more and more options.
Parents across our country are calling for their states to offer more options for their kids outside of failing school systems. States represented by folks on both sides of this dice are working on school choice options in their state legislature. We’ll hear about that issue from our witnesses today. Parents want these options, and we ought to listen to them. In my home state of Alabama last year, we passed the Choose Act, which created an income tax credit for families who choose to enroll their children in private schools or homeschooling.
Virginia, Florida, Alaska, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana, and Washington are just a few states to name that have implemented or have pending state legislation to create these income tax credits promoting school choice. It’s simple. When we give our parents and students choice, we yield better educational results. We owe our kids this investment. But it doesn’t end there.
Right now, our kids in a lot of areas can’t read. We have kids entering middle school and high school who aren’t at a third grade reading level. I used to recruit kids. I’d bring them in with 3.5 GPAs. The next thing I know after testing them, they wouldn’t be [at a] sixth grade reading level. Something has got to change with that. States and governors across our country have taken up the literacy challenge and enacted legislation at the state level, where it should be. Ranking member Blunt Rochester’s home state of Delaware passed House Bill 304 that implemented reading assessments three times a school year for kids K-3, and my state passed the Alabama Literacy Act, which does the same thing. And we’re trying. No matter the state, this is a widespread effort, and we will discuss today the methods that are working.
We’ll talk about the science of reading and how best to implement. In our classrooms, we’ll hear about how we can invest in our teachers, invest to prepare them to tackle this crisis head-on. They need to be set up for success just as much as our students do. I want today to be an opportunity for this committee to have a conversation about what our states are doing, and what [we can] do to support them from here, from the federal level. Our children are the best resource this country has, the best thing we’ve got going.
And above all, we owe them one thing, an opportunity to succeed. And I look forward to working with all of you towards this common goal. Now, I yield to my ranking member, Senator Blunt Rochester, for her opening statement.”
[…]
ON HOW THE SUCCESS OF CHARTER SCHOOLS IMPACTS DISTRICT SCHOOLS:
TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Barnett, we’ve had tremendous growth in the number of students across American enrolling in charter schools. Over four million students to be exact. How does that success of charter schools impact our district public school system?”
BARNETT: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, there are really two large national studies that speak to this. One comes out of the Progressive Policy Institute, and another comes out of the Forum Institute. Both actually show that the presence of charter schools has, in some way, improved outcomes within district schools. There’s a certain threshold that the Progressive Policy Institute’s study showed somewhere around 30%. So, the presence of charter schools that give up to 30% of students in a given market, the opportunity to enroll has [a] positive net impact on not only charter school performance, but also district performance.”
[…]
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PREPARING OUR EDUCATORS TO TEACH THE SCIENCE OF READING METHOD:
TUBERVILLE: “Ms. Wicks, you talked about teacher preparedness and professional development in your testimony. How important is preparing our educators to teach the science of reading method?”
WICKS: “Senator, thank you for that important question. It’s critical that we give educators the right preparedness to understand this issue and be able to deploy it in their classrooms. I referenced in my opening remarks that only 25% of educator prep programs are currently teaching the science of reading to their aspiring teachers. And even worse, about 40% of them are teaching the wrong stuff. So, they’re teaching these brand-new teachers the wrong way to teach reading.
If they’re interested in more—the National Council on Teacher Quality put out that report. They’re the best at studying Teacher Prep programs. And I think this comes down to a matter of state leadership and accreditation.
They make some recommendations about the importance of setting state standards for what these programs need to be teaching. [We need to] have some way to measure that if it’s through accreditation or others.
And then to tie the state licensure exams to those standards, to ensure that those candidates have actually learned this and can do it in their classroom. And you see the same thing for sitting teachers who maybe never got this in their training and need that professional development.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Ms. Gentles, you know, on both sides of the argument whether President Trump and the Department of Education [is] undermining public school. And because of the work done to expand school choice, do you think there’s a truth to that argument?”
GENTLES: “Consistently studies show that when states have implemented school choice programs, the nearby public schools have benefited. So increasing competition inspires innovation, and a rising tide lifts all boats. So, we were pleased to see the Executive Order from the President supporting expanding school choice [and] educational freedom, and we’re also pleased to see the Executive Order ordering the Secretary of Education to look into dismantling the Department of Education within […] federal law and with the understanding that the Secretary will be working with Congress on that. Because we do think that […] freeing up states from federal regulations from monitoring, from compliance—all the time that all those bureaucrats at the state and district level are spending on federal paperwork is going to benefit public education. It’s going to benefit public school students. It’s going to benefit public school educators.”
TUBERVILLE: “Do you think we should give more power back to the states when it [comes to] education?”
GENTLES: “Absolutely. We need to give power to the states. I think we’ve heard such great news today on what strong state leaders—sensible state leaders—implementing common sense policies are doing. It’s very encouraging to see what’s happening.
We didn’t mention Louisiana, but Louisiana is a bright spot amidst the 2024 NAEP scores, the only state where fourth grade reading scores exceeded pre-COVID [grades].”
CASSIDY: “More so than Alabama?”
GENTLES: “Alabama’s pretty awesome too. It’s been referred to as the southern surge. There’s really good news coming out of the states and encouraging that, fostering that is absolutely the right direction. […] Education policies [are] set at the state level and let’s foster that and let’s get the federal government out of the way.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Speaks to DOD Chief of Naval Operations Nominee

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) participated in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today to consider the nomination of Admiral Daryl Caudle to be Chief of Naval Operations. During the hearing, Sen. Tuberville and Admiral Caudle discussed the need to work with our allies as we work to improve our U.S. Naval capabilities, as well as the advantages of using unmanned vessels at sea.
Excerpts from the interview can be found below and the full interview can be viewed on YouTube or Rumble.
ON SHIPBUILDING WITH OUR ALLIES:
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Admiral, congratulations. You’ve earned this. Looking forward to working with you. You know, we talk about shipbuilding, and we do a lot of that in my state of Alabama.
Now, we’re in the submarine business. But I was also in the education business. We’re 500,000 electricians short in this country. In mine and your lifetime, we can’t catch up. We’re gonna have to use our allies to help build some things.
What’s your thoughts about that? And, for instance, [South] Korea, they build 5 to our 1 keels. [What] are your thoughts on helping and working with our allies to help build ships in the future?”
CAUDLE: “Well, Senator, thanks for meeting with me. I enjoyed our time in your office. I wanna work with the Secretary of the Navy and the Department of Defense on looking at this hard. Again, I’ve said this is an all hands on deck [effort]. I don’t know how we do what we need to do without bringing international partners into the capacity problem that we have, while we build up our capacity because we need ships today.
And, so, there are no magic beans to that. There’s nothing that’s just gonna make that happen. So, the solution space has got to open up. And I think part of that has to look at international partnerships to give us a little bit of a relief valve while we work on our own organic industrial capacity.”
TUBERVILLE: “As you said, we need them yesterday. And again, this education problem is not going away. Our workforce problem is not going away. We gotta use the best that we know how. And we gotta build ships and we gotta build them fast. But they gotta be good ships, and I think working with our allies is gonna be one way for us to address this problem.”
ON SAIL DRONES:
TUBERVILLE: “What’s your thoughts on unmanned vessels like sail drones that we make in our state of Alabama. Are you familiar with those?”
CAUDLE: “Senator, I am familiar with them. Those are type of technologies that are crucial. Sail drones are part of the fabric of how we improve our Maritime Domain Awareness. You’ve, I’m sure, heard of the instantiations we’ve had with our Task Force 59 in the Arabian Gulf using those type of technologies. We’ve had them in the Gulf of America with our southern border watch. We’re using them there with [U.S.] Fourth Fleet and other places. So, yes, that’s a part of exactly what we need to network persistent capabilities where I don’t want manned vessels spending time just collecting things that unmanned can do much more affordably and effectively.”
TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. Those have been used well down in the Caribbean on the war on drugs. And we’re proud of how they worked, and we need to continue to expand that there. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. A lot of eyes out there that we don’t have to man [with] people and train people, but it’s good that you go along with it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Introduces Huntsville’s Bill Roark During HELP Hearing

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)introduced Mr. Bill Roark of Huntsville, Alabama, as a witness appearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. The hearing was about empowering workers by expanding employee ownership.
Read excerpts from the hearing below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.
INTRODUCTION:
TUBERVILLE: “I’m proud to introduce an Auburn man and a constituent, Mr. Bill Roark. Mr. Roark is the Co-founder of Torch Technologies Inc., Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board of Starfish Holdings, Inc., and Founder and Chair of the Board of Freedom Real Estate and Capital LLC, so he stays pretty busy. He’s a champion for employee ownership, and he has led multiple companies to national recognition [thanks] to his core values.
As CEO of Torch Technologies, Mr. Rourke implemented an employee-owned ownership program from the company’s inception with the goal of becoming a 100% S corp employee stock ownership plan. His company achieved that goal in just under 10 years. Torch and Mr. Roark gained national attention for being named on the inaugural list of best of America’s best small companies by Forbes. During his tenure, Torch received multiple business awards and was named the number one fastest-growing, privately-held defense contractor in the southeast region. Torch Technologies provides superior research development and engineering services to the Department of Defense. Mr. Roark recently led Torch to become a certified evergreen company, achieving its long-term commitment to 100% employee ownership and its pledge to remain privately held to ensure enduring stability and opportunity for its workforce. This milestone came as Torch celebrated its 20th anniversary.
A true believer in company culture and employee well-being, Mr. Rourke has prioritized top-tier benefits and working conditions throughout his career. Mr. Rourke also founded Starfish Holdings Incorporated, a holding company that provides beneficial ownerships to employees across all its portfolios through an ESOP structure. Starfish Holdings companies now include Torch Technologies Inc., Freedom Real Estate and Capital LLC, and SIMVANA [LLC]. Mr. Roark has a proven track record with a common denominator of building companies where employees can thrive, retire with dignity, and find lasting purpose in their work.
Thank you for being here today, Mr. Roark.”
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKPLACE DIGNITY:
TUBERVILLE: “Important topic. Mister Roark, it’s got to be pretty mind calming to know if you work in an ESOP and you have some of the owners exit the company that everybody’s not gonna lose their job. So, what kind of security does an ESOP structure have for all employees? What that you’ve seen? Some examples.”
ROARK: “Well, you know, we work real hard to build a succession plan in that it prepares our employees as people retire to step forward. You know, that is a challenge. One of the biggest challenges we’ve had is the success of the ESOP has led to people retiring early, so we have to work that problem a little harder and be training people ready to step into the role. The departure of employees that are retiring actually creates lots of opportunities for the other employees to accelerate in their careers quicker. So, a successful ESOP actually creates a lot of successful careers.
It also creates the ability for employees to retire with dignity. In fact, the announcement of this hearing went out on our social media last night and one of the posts this morning, I’ll quote for you. […] Jim Deal, one of our retiring employees seven or eight years ago, he says, ‘Tell them how much you helped us retire with dignity.’ That is to me the essence of why I wanted to do this. You know, some 25 years ago, a company bought the company I worked for. And a few months after it was bought, I’d had a successful career. I went from being an entry level person to an executive. I was president of an operating segment. In that time, I’d had one of the most successful careers of anyone at that company. As that acquisition evolved and I was there, I was shortly thereafter, walked to the door and asked, told as I was handed my severance check that ‘We’ll pack your office and send your stuff home.’
When I started this company, at the core of what I wanted is I wanted people to retire with dignity. When I walked out and stood on that corner, I didn’t feel very dignified. When I meet an employee in the grocery store, I want them to come hug me, not run from me. With the ESOP, I get lots of hugs. Every year when the ESOP statements come out, I get lots of hugs.This is a different way of doing business. I never wanna see an employee walk through the door in such an undignified manner. I put my whole life into that company. Several times, I worked 24 hours straight to get a delivery out on time.Was that respected? No. My stuff showed up in boxes with a bunch of crap that I didn’t really want, was not dignified at all. I hope that answers your question, Coach.”
TUBERVILLE: “So, how can we help on the federal level to make ESOP structure more viable for that?”
ROARK: “No. I think there’s lots of ideas being proposed here in in several of these bills, you know, making this easier, making it clearer in what we’re supposed to do. There’s a lot of murkiness in the bills, you know, one of the things for us in the last few years, we’ve been in a position where we could contribute more than the maximum allowable to our employees, and that creates an issue with the ESOP itself. Rf the limit is at 25%, I can only give 25%. If it were higher, we in some cases would have given higher, including this year. So, there are some pieces there where we could just fine tune some things. The ESOP is a wonderful tool and it provides stability for the employees and provides a retirement path for them as well. So, I think the more that we can refine the regulations around it to encourage people to be able to do this, clear up the rules on how the evaluations are done so that it’s clear what needs to be done. I think those would be great helps.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Liberia salutes African Development Bank President Adesina in landmark Government session
Source: APO – Report:
- I want you to know that your legacy in Liberia is strong and enduring, President Boakai tells Adesina
- “With your vast natural resources, Liberia has no business being poor.” — Adesina
Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai convened the full spectrum of his government leadership to hear from African Development Bank President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (www.AfDB.org), whom he lauded for a transformative decade at the helm of Africa’s premier development finance institution.

The expanded cabinet meeting, held Tuesday 22 July at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, brought together all three branches of the Liberian government: executive ministers, legislative leaders, the Chief Justice, and heads of state-owned enterprises. The event served as both a celebration of partnership and a platform for Adesina to share leadership insights as he nears the end of his term in August 2025.

“You have shown the world that bold ideas, when combined with clear vision and determination, can produce extraordinary results,” President Boakai declared. “Through your leadership, the African Development Bank has invested in real solutions that touch lives every day.”

Underscoring the gravity of the occasion, the Liberian president added: “The fact that all three branches of our government are represented speaks volumes about the value we place on your visit and the respect we have for your leadership and contributions.”

In his rousing keynote address titled “Liberia: Arise, and Shine!”, Dr. Adesina reflected on the Bank’s enduring partnership with Liberia, which has resulted in $1.02 billion in investments across 72 projects since 1967.

Key achievements include nearly 2,500 km of electricity transmission lines connecting Liberia with Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Guinea; the Liberia Energy Efficiency and Access Project, which delivered nearly 40,000 new grid connections; and 177 km of new roads including the transformational Fish Town-Harper and Karloken to Fish Town corridors.

A central highlight of the event was the launch of the Liberia Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank (YEIB), a flagship $17 million initiative under the African Development Bank’s Youth in Africa strategy. Liberia becomes the first African country to establish the dedicated youth-focused financial institution, aimed at equipping young Liberians aged 18-35 with the tools and capital to drive national development through entrepreneurship.

President Boakai described the Bank’s portfolio as “more than numbers on paper.”

“They are roads that connect our communities, energy that lights homes and businesses, and agriculture projects that strengthen food security and create income for our farmers,” he said.

Drawing from his experience as Nigeria’s former Minister of Agriculture, and his decade-long leadership of the Bank, Adesina offered the Liberian cabinet a 7-point framework for transformational governance: setting clear and ambitious goals, ensuring measurable results, promoting teamwork and accountability and reforming institutions, especially the civil service and judiciary.

“Don’t just blow the whistle, use your yellow card or red card. There is no need for rules in a soccer game if the referee never uses the yellow card or the red card,” Adesina said. “You cannot spend time baby-sitting poor performers. The public is eager for results and time is not on your side. So, be firm. Reward performers. Dispense with non-performers.”

He recommended the adoption of a “One Government approach”, as well as the establishment of a presidential awards program to “recognize and incentivize inter-agency collaboration”; drawing from similar models at the African Development Bank.

The Bank Group President urged the country to unlock greater value from its abundant resources. “With your vast natural resources, Liberia has no business being poor,” he stated. “The export of raw materials is the door to poverty. The export of value-added products is the highway to wealth.”

During a Q&A session, Adesina emphasized the importance of technical and vocational training, citing that 60 percent of Liberia’s population is under the age of 35. He was responding to Education Minister Jarso Maley Jallah who inquired about strengthening entrepreneurship through the education system.

Responding to a question from the Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Jerolinmek Piah on achieving fiscal targets, Adesina urged the government to plug revenue leakages, noting that Africa loses $88 billion annually to illicit financial flows. “Make your country investable: invest in transparency, rule of law, create the right environment, provide incentives,” he added.

Sannah Ziama, a local investor, praised Adesina’s visionary leadership and called for sustained investments in solar power to unlock Liberia’s industrial potential.

As a low-income country and transition State, Liberia continues to benefit from the African Development Fund, the Bank’s concessional lending arm, as well as the Transition Support Facility, and the Nigeria Trust Fund.

Liberia is also part of the inaugural group of countries that have developed energy compacts under the Mission 300 program, a joint initiative of the African Development Bank and the World Bank to deliver electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.

In recognition of his exceptional contributions, President Boakai presented Adesina with a Presidential Pin of Honour. Adesina had previously received Liberia’s highest national honour – the Order of the Star of Africa, Grade of Grand Band – in 2018.

“Dr. Adesina, as you prepare to move on from this chapter, I want you to know that your legacy in Liberia is strong and enduring, President Boakai said. “The programs you have championed will continue to make an impact for years to come. Thank you for your faith in Liberia’s potential, and thank you for investing in our people, especially our youth.”

Adesina was accompanied by the Bank’s Director General for West Africa, Lamin Barrow; Bank Executive Director for Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Ghana and Sudan, Rufus Darkortey; and Acting Country Manager, Foday Yusuf Bob.

Liberia’s historical connection with the African Development Bank dates back to the institution’s founding, when Liberian official Romeo Alexander Horton served as the pioneer Chairman of the Committee of Nine that established the Bank in 1964.

Read Dr. Adesina’s address here (https://apo-opa.co/4maNUla).

– on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media Contacts:
Natalie Nkembuh and Tolu Ogunlesi
Communication and External Relations
media@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

Media files

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MIL OSI Africa –
July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: BREAKING: Rep. Miller Joins Senator Hawley in Effort to Ban Chinese Ownership of American Land
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15) introduced the House companion to Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) Protecting Our Farms and Homes from China Act. This legislation would ban Chinese corporations and individuals affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from purchasing American agricultural land and residential property.

This effort comes in direct response to growing concerns over the CCP’s aggressive campaign to acquire U.S. farmland and real estate. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Chinese entities own around 265,000 acres of agricultural land across the country.

“Prized American land is not for sale to our enemies,” said Congresswoman Mary Miller. “The Chinese Communist Party is the greatest threat to our national security, and their aggressive push to buy up our farmland and homes is a direct attack on our sovereignty. It’s long past time we take back control and put America’s food supply and communities back in American hands — where they belong.”

The legislation aligns with President Trump’s recently announced National Farm Security Action Plan, a bold initiative led by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins alongside U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to safeguard American agriculture and prevent foreign adversaries from exploiting American land and resources.

The Protecting Our Farms and Homes from China Act would:
- Prohibit Chinese corporations and individuals affiliated with the CCP from acquiring or leasing United States’ agricultural land;
- Prohibit Chinese corporations and individuals associated with the CCP from purchasing residential real estate in the United States for a period of at least two years, with an option for the President to renew the prohibition biennially;
- Require Chinese corporations and individuals affiliated with the CCP to divest ownership of United States’ agricultural land and residential real estate within one year.
- Establish civil fines and criminal penalties for noncompliance, including forfeiture.
Read more about the bill on Fox News.

MIL OSI USA News –
July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Applauds USDA Workforce Reorganization from DC to Kansas City

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

Washington – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) applauded the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement from Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins that, as part of its planned reorganization, Kansas City will become the second largest beneficiary of the restructuring.
This reorganization is part of a larger, government-wide process being undertaken by the Trump administration to return federal agencies to their primary functions, eliminate redundancy and waste, and preserve the critical services these agencies provide to taxpayers.
“There are no stronger champions for American farmers and ranchers than Secretary Rollins and President Trump,” said Senator Marshall. “Today’s announcements build on President Trump’s efforts in his first Administration to move those who work closest with our farmers and ranchers to our nation’s heartland. This is putting Farmer’s First.”
“American agriculture feeds, clothes, and fuels this nation and the world, and it is long past time the Department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers, and producers we are mandated to support. President Trump was elected to make real change in Washington, and we are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country,” said Secretary Rollins. “We will do so through a transparent and common-sense process that preserves USDA’s critical health and public safety services the American public relies on. We will do right by the great American people who we serve and with respect to the thousands of hardworking USDA employees who so nobly serve their country.”
In the case of the USDA, today’s announcement will:

Ensure the size of the USDA’s workforce aligns with available financial resources and agricultural priorities
Bring USDA closer to its customers
Eliminate management layers and bureaucracy
Consolidate redundant support functions

Click here to read the full Secretary Memorandum.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kelly, Morelle, Langworthy, Houlahan lead bipartisan effort to squash the invasive Spotted Lanternfly
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, U.S. Representatives Mike Kelly (R, PA-16), Joe Morelle (D, NY-25), Chrissy Houlahan (D, PA-06), and Nick Langworthy (R, NY-23) introduced bipartisan legislation to stop the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive species that poses a significant threat to the American agricultural economy.

“Agriculture plays a vital role in Pennsylvania’s economy, especially in my district which is home to many family farms and agricultural businesses,” said Rep. Kelly. “In Pennsylvania alone, the Spotted Lanternfly could cost hundreds of millions of dollars in economic damage and eliminate thousands of agricultural jobs. We must protect our farmers and harvesters from this invasive and dangerous threat.”

“It’s hard to visit the Finger Lakes without enjoying our amazing vineyards and orchards, but sadly, they’re under serious threat from the Spotted Lanternfly,” said Congressman Morelle. “My legislation would provide additional support for both local and national organizations committed to fighting back against this invasive, destructive pest. I’m grateful to Representatives Kelly, Houlahan, and Langworthy for joining me in supporting this critical bill, and I hope to see it passed and signed into law soon.”

“Across our community, I hear time and again about how devastating these pests can be. Whether you’re a farmer, a homeowner, or just someone who enjoys the delicious produce grown by our community’s farmers, the invasive Spotted Lanternfly poses a serious problem,” said Rep. Houlahan. “I’m glad to join this bipartisan group of leaders who are once again stepping up to unlock new research funding on eradicating these insects. I was thrilled to see this legislation included last year in both the House and Senate drafts of the Farm Bill and remain optimistic that this year, we will be able to push this legislation forward to deliver these badly needed funds.”

“The Spotted Lanternfly infestation continues to wreak havoc across Western New York and the Southern Tier, especially devastating our grape crops,” said Congressman Langworthy. “Year after year, this invasive pest inflicts severe damage, threatening not only our crops but the livelihoods of hardworking farmers and the very future of our agricultural communities. This crisis can no longer be ignored. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan effort to safeguard our crops, protect our local farmers’ livelihoods, and preserve the future of our agricultural communities.”

BACKGROUND

The Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act designates the Spotted Lanternfly as a high-priority research and extension initiative under the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This designation authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make competitive grants available for research projects related to the mitigation of this invasive species so we can find creative solutions to stop the spread before Pennsylvania’s cash crops are further decimated.

How you can help stop the spread:
- Learn how to identify the Spotted Lanternfly.
- Inspect outdoor items such as firewood, vehicles, and furniture for egg masses.
- If you visit other states with Spotted Lanternfly, be sure to check all equipment and gear before leaving and scrape off any egg masses.
- Report sightings by completing this form.
- If you see a Spotted Lanternfly, kill it immediately by stepping on it or crushing it.
MIL OSI USA News –
July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Lee Applauds USDA Shift from Washington to Utah
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement in response to this morning’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that the agency will be shifting its focus and staffing away from Washington D.C. and toward agricultural hub locations across the country, including one in Salt Lake City, Utah:

“The people making decisions about how our forests are managed and our food is grown shouldn’t be distant bureaucrats,” said Senator Mike Lee. “I congratulate the Department of Agriculture for decentralizing from Washington and relocating staff to Salt Lake City and other regional hubs. Not only is this a big win for Utah’s farmers and ranchers, but also for our land managers as the department moves closer to the people who live, work, and rely upon these lands. I will continue to fight for the Utahns who raise livestock, grow the best food on Earth, and sustain our National Forests.”

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins made the following statement:

“American agriculture feeds, clothes, and fuels this nation and the world, and it is long past time the Department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers, and producers we are mandated to support. President Trump was elected to make real change in Washington, and we are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country,” said Secretary Rollins. “We will do so through a transparent and common-sense process that preserves USDA’s critical health and public safety services the American public relies on. We will do right by the great American people who we serve and with respect to the thousands of hardworking USDA employees who so nobly serve their country.”

About the USDA Reorganization plan

The reorganization consists of four pillars:
1. Ensure the size of USDA’s workforce aligns with available financial resources and agricultural priorities
2. Bring USDA closer to its customers
3. Eliminate management layers and bureaucracy
4. Consolidate redundant support functions
To bring USDA closer to the people it serves while also providing a more affordable cost of living for USDA employees, USDA has developed a phased plan to relocate much of its Agency headquarters and NCR staff out of the Washington, D.C. area to five hub locations. The Department currently has approximately 4,600 employees within the National Capital Region (NCR). This Region has one of the highest costs of living in the country, with a federal salary locality rate of 33.94%. In selecting its hub locations, USDA considered where existing concentrations of USDA employees are located and factored in the cost of living. Washington, D.C. will still hold functions for every mission area of USDA at the conclusion of this reorganization, but USDA expects no more than 2,000 employees will remain in the NCR.

USDA will vacate and return to the General Services Administration the South Building, Braddock Place, and the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, and revisit utilization and functions in the USDA Whitten Building, Yates Building, and the National Agricultural Library. The George Washington Carver Center will also be utilized until space optimization activities are completed. These buildings have a backlog of costly deferred maintenance and currently are occupied below the minimum set by law. For example, the South Building has approximately $1.3 billion in deferred maintenance and has an average daily occupancy of less than 1,900 individuals for a building that can house over 6,000 employees.

USDA’s five hub locations and current Federal locality rates are:
1. Raleigh, North Carolina (22.24%)
2. Kansas City, Missouri (18.97%)
3. Indianapolis, Indiana (18.15%)
4. Fort Collins, Colorado (30.52%)
5. Salt Lake City, Utah (17.06%)
Read the full reorganization memo from Secretary Rollins here.
MIL OSI USA News –
July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Canada and Manitoba announce support for livestock producers affected by drought conditions
Source: Government of Canada News (2)

July 24, 2025 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are announcing support measures to aid Manitoba’s livestock producers affected by drought conditions, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today.

Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) will provide support measures through its AgriInsurance program, improving cashflow for livestock producers needing to secure additional feed.

For claim calculation purposes, MASC will be applying a quality adjustment factor to reduce yield appraisals by 40% for drought-stricken cereal crops (all varieties of wheat, oats, barley, fall rye, triticale, and grain corn) that are converted to livestock feed. This quality adjustment was last implemented in 2021 and contributed to over 100,000 acres of grain crops being converted to livestock feed.

Changes for producers with AgriInsurance coverage on forage and pastures include:
- Deferred premium deductions on payments for Forage Insurance claims made prior to October 1, 2025
- Partial claim payments on Forage Insurance and Pasture Days Insurance claims, when feasible
- Ability for livestock to graze on insured forages after the first cut without impact on claim calculation
MASC will also offer lending clients an opportunity to defer loan payments and will provide guidance on appropriate options to finance feed purchases, if needed.

AgriInsurance is a federal-provincial-producer cost-shared program. Support for the program is provided by the governments of Canada and Manitoba under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

MIL OSI Canada News –
July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Shiprock Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Deadly Drunk Driving Crash

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for causing a deadly drunk driving crash on the Navajo Nation reservation that resulted in two deaths and serious injuries.

According to court documents, on December 1, 2023, Brian Gonnie, 45, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol on Highway 64 in Shiprock, New Mexico. He was traveling at approximately 86 mph in a 35-mph zone when he crossed into the oncoming lane and struck another vehicle head-on. The crash claimed the lives of Gonnie’s passenger and the driver of the other vehicle. A passenger in the struck vehicle sustained life-altering injuries, including multiple fractures and required extensive surgery.

Gonnie’s blood alcohol concentration was measured at .267%, with numerous empty alcohol containers found in his vehicle. During an interview with FBI agents, Gonnie admitted to drinking and driving the night of the crash.

Gonnie subsequently pled to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault. Upon his release, Gonnie will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

This case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

July 25, 2025
UK FTA finalised after two decades, credit goes to PM Modi: Piyush Goyal

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said it took over two decades to finalise the historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing the deal back into focus and driving it to conclusion.

Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of the India-UK talks, Goyal said, “This is historic in itself. It took over two decades to finalise this FTA. But when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave it momentum in 2021, brought it back into focus, and committed to getting it done, India started working on it consistently—and today, we are seeing the positive results.”

He pointed out that while several governments came and went in the UK, the discussions continued without interruption. “I believe this agreement will open immense opportunities in India, especially for our farmers, MSMEs, and small entrepreneurs,” he said.

Goyal congratulated Prime Minister Modi, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the people of both countries on the signing of the landmark India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

“Duty-free access for about 99 per cent of Indian exports unlocks nearly $23 billion in opportunities for labour-intensive sectors, marking a new era of inclusive and gender-equitable growth,” the minister said.

Calling the agreement a “win-win” for flagship initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Vocal for Local,’ Goyal noted that the deal would drive job creation and enhance India’s strategic position in global trade.

The FTA was signed by Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, following the conclusion of negotiations earlier this year.

“This deal will transform the lives of artisans, weavers, and daily-wage earners employed in sectors such as textiles, leather, footwear, gems and jewellery, toys, and marine products,” he added.

-IANS

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: News 07/24/2025 VIDEO: Blackburn Slams Democrats for Obstructing President Trump’s Agenda and Will of the American People

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor slamming Democrats for obstructing the voting process on President Trump’s nominees, his efforts to enforce our immigration laws and secure the border, and his America First policies in the courts:

Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s remarks on the Senate floor.

REMARKS AS PREPARED

While Republicans Work to Deliver Wins for the American People, Democrats Are Obstructing President Trump’s Agenda

In November, President Trump and Republicans received a powerful mandate from the American people to secure our border, strengthen our economy, rein in wasteful spending, and Make America Great Again.

By passing the One Big Beautiful Bill, we delivered on this mandate by securing…

The largest tax cut in U.S. history—including reduced taxes on tips and overtime, a $6,000 bonus deduction for seniors, and the permanent extension of President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts;

It also reduces the burden of the death tax for millions, providing critical relief for family-owned businesses and farmers;

It bolsters our Armed Forces with a $150 billion increase in military spending;

It provides the largest-ever investment in border security so that we can complete the border wall and hire thousands of new Border Patrol Agents;

It strengthens Medicaid by rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the program;

It restores fiscal sanity by eliminating hundreds of billions of dollars in far-left spending;

And it accomplishes so much more.

These are huge wins for the American people. But our work is far from finished.

Democrats Are Hurting Americans by Obstructing President Trump’s Nominees

At the top of the list: confirming President Trump’s nominees.

The President deserves to have his team in place to enact his America First agenda.

But instead of working with us to carry out the will of the American people, our colleagues across the aisle have chosen to obstruct at any cost.

Right now, we have 135 pending nominations in the Senate.

There is absolutely zero reason we should have this backlog—especially with such important nominations:

U.S. ambassadorships to the Vatican, the Netherlands, Chile, Greece, and the European Union;

Seven federal judgeships;

U.S. Attorneys;

Under Secretaries for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and the Navy;

The Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission;

And much more.

Democrats, however, are trying to slow down the voting process on these qualified nominees as much as possible.

They’re losing at the ballot box, in the halls of Congress, and in the courts—so stalling is all they have left to spite the President.

They might think that they are hurting Republicans. In reality, they are hurting the American people.

Every single day that goes by with stalled nomination votes is another day that these qualified nominees are unable to get to work on behalf of our country.

Democrats’ Obstruction Is Nothing New – Recent Disclosures Show Obama Manufactured Russia Collusion Hoax to Derail President Trump

Unfortunately, this obstruction is nothing new.

With the recent disclosures from Director of National Intelligence Gabbard, we are learning even more about how President Obama and Democrats manufactured the Russia Hoax to try to derail President Trump’s first term.

Activist Judges Have Blocked Lawful Orders from President Trump in Attempts to Obstruct His Agenda

For months, far-left activist judges undermined our Constitution by blocking lawful orders from the Trump administration in a brazen effort to decide nationwide policy.

Their abuse of power only came to an end when the Supreme Court reined in the use of nationwide injunctions.

Democrats Have Obstructed ICE Agents from Enforcing Immigration Law

And more recently, we’ve seen Democrats try their best to obstruct a core part of the America First agenda: Securing our border.

Americans want our border to be secure. And they want criminal illegal aliens removed from their communities.

Across the country, ICE and Border Patrol agents have been hard at work carrying out this mandate and arresting criminals who have no right to be in our country.

Yet Democrats are working to vilify and undermine our brave federal law enforcement.

We’ve seen congressional Democrats try to storm ICE facilities—including a House member who faces federal charges for assaulting an ICE officer.

They’ve smeared ICE agents who are risking their lives to protect our country, comparing them to “secret police” and the Nazis.

They’ve pushed legislation that would prohibit officers from wearing masks, exposing them and their families to targeted harassment.

This is all happening as ICE officers face an 830 percent surge in assaults.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: Caught on the jumbotron: How literature helps us understand modern-day public shaming

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jason Wang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre, Toronto Metropolitan University

The scene at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on July 16 was steeped in irony.

During Coldplay’s “jumbotron song” — the concert segment where cameras pan over the crowd — the big screen landed on Andy Byron, then-CEO of data firm Astronomer, intimately embracing Kristin Cabot, the company’s chief people officer. Both are married to other people.

The moment, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, shows the pair abruptly recoiling as Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin says: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

Martin’s comment — seemingly light-hearted at the time — quickly took on a different tone as online sleuths identified the pair and uncovered their corporate roles and marital statuses. Within days, Byron resigned from his position as CEO while Cabot is on leave.

This spectacle raises a deeper question: why does infidelity, especially among the powerful, provoke such public outcry. Literary tradition offers some insight: intimate betrayal is never truly private. It shatters an implicit social contract, demanding communal scrutiny to restore trust.

When trust crumbles publicly

French philosopher Paul Ricoeur’s notion of “narrative identity” suggests we make sense of our lives as unfolding stories. The promises we make (and break) become chapters of identity and the basis of others’ trust. Betrayal ruptures the framework that stitches private vows to public roles; without that stitch, trust frays.

Byron’s stadium exposure turned a marital vow into a proxy for professional integrity. Public betrayal magnifies public outcry because leaders symbolize stability; their personal failings inevitably reflect on their institutions.

When Astronomer’s board stated the expected standard “was not met,” they were lamenting the collapse of Byron’s narrative integrity — and, by extension, their company’s.

This idea — that private morality underpins public order — is hardly new. In Laws, ancient Greek philosopher Plato described adultery as a disorder undermining family and state. Roman philosopher Seneca called it a betrayal of nature, while statesman Cicero warned that breaking fides (trust) corrodes civic bonds.

The social cost of infidelity in literature

Literature rarely confines infidelity to the bedroom; its shockwaves fracture communities.

French sociologist Émile Durkheim’s idea of the “conscience collective” holds that shared moral norms create “social solidarity.” As literature demonstrates, violations of these norms inevitably undermines communal trust.

‘Anna Karenina’ by Leo Tolstoy.
(Penguin Random House)

Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina (1875-77) dramatizes the social fracture of betrayal. Anna’s affair with Count Vronsky not only defies moral convention but destabilizes the aristocratic norms that once upheld her status.

As the scandal leads to her ostracization, Anna mourns the social world she has lost, realizing too late that “the position she enjoyed in society… was precious to her… [and] she could not be stronger than she was.”

In Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary (1857), Emma Bovary’s extramarital affairs unravel the networks of her provincial town, turning private yearning for luxury and romance into public contagion.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter (1850) makes this explicit: Hester Prynne’s scarlet “A” turns her sin into civic theatre. Public shaming on the scaffold, the novel suggests, delineates moral boundaries and seeks to restore social order — a process that prefigures today’s “digital pillories,” where viral moments subject individuals to mass online judgment and public condemnation.

Domestic crumbs and digital scaffolds

Contemporary narratives shift the setting but uphold the same principle: betrayal devastates the mundane rituals that build trust.

‘Heartburn’ by Nora Ephron.
(Penguin Random House)

Nora Ephron’s autobiographical novel Heartburn (1983), based on her own marriage’s collapse to investigative journalist Carl Bernstein, weaponizes domesticity.

Heartburn’s protagonist Rachel Samstat delivers her emotions through recipes — “Vinaigrette” as a marker of intimacy and betrayal, “Lillian Hellman’s Pot Roast” as a bid for domestic stability and “Key Lime Pie,” hurled at her cheating husband — become symbols of a life undone by public infidelity.

Ephron’s satire, later adapted into a film, anticipates our digital age of exposure, where private pain fuels public consumption and judgment.

‘Dept. of Speculation’ by Jenny Offill.
(Penguin Random House)

Jenny Offill’s Dept. of Speculation (2014), which draws from her own life, shows another perspective: betrayal as quiet erosion.

Offill never depicts the affair directly; instead, the husband’s absences, silences and an off-hand reference to “someone else” create a suffocating dread. This indirection shows betrayal’s power lies in its latent potential, slowly dismantling a life built on trust before any overt act.

Both works underscore betrayal’s impact on the collective conscience: a lie fractures a family as fundamentally as a CEO’s indiscretion erodes institutional trust. Power magnifies the fallout by turning private failings into public symbols of fragility. Even hidden betrayal poisons the shared rituals binding any group, making the notion of “private” unsustainable long before any public revelation.

The limits of power

Literature acknowledges power’s protective veneer from consequence — and its limits.

Theodore Dreiser’s Trilogy of Desire (1912–47), modelled on the Gilded Age robber baron Charles Yerkes, follows the rise of financier Frank Cowperwood, whose power shields him — until it doesn’t. Even his vast empire proves vulnerable once his adultery becomes public. The very networks that protected him grow wary.

Though many critics of the elite are themselves morally compromised in the trilogy, Cowperwood’s transgression becomes a weapon to discredit him. His brief exile shows that power may defer, but cannot erase, the costs of betrayal. Once trust fractures, even the powerful become liabilities. They do not fall less often — only more conspicuously.

Gender also plays a role in shaping these narratives. Male protagonists like Cowperwood rebound as tragic anti-heroes, their moral failings recast as flaws of character. By contrast, women — think Flaubert’s Emma Bovary or Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne — are branded cautionary figures, their transgressions stigmatized rather than mythologized.

This imbalance in assigning consequences reveals a deeper societal judgment: while broken trust demands repair, the path to restoration often depends on the transgressor’s gender.

The unblinking eye

From Tolstoy’s salons to TikTok’s scroll, literature offers no refuge from betrayal’s ripple effects. When private trust visibly fractures, communal reflexes kick in.

Scarlet letters, exile or a CEO’s resignation all aim to heal the collective trust. The jumbotron, like Hester’s scaffold, is the latest instrument in this age-old theatre of exposure.

Jumbotrons. Scaffolds. Same operating system. Same shame.

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

– ref. Caught on the jumbotron: How literature helps us understand modern-day public shaming – https://theconversation.com/caught-on-the-jumbotron-how-literature-helps-us-understand-modern-day-public-shaming-261638

MIL OSI Analysis –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Nearly $30 Million for Maine Fire Stations and Public Safety Facilities Advanced by Senator Collins in Funding Bill Nearly $30 Million for Maine Fire Stations and Public Safety Facilities Advanced by Senator Collins in Funding Bill

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $29,875,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for Maine fire stations and public safety facilities in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill. The bill, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.

“There is an enormous need to update fire stations throughout the State of Maine to ensure both the safety of our brave first responders and communities,” said Senator Collins. “This funding would help to improve public safety efforts and emergency response services throughout Maine. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”

This funding advanced through the Committee’s markup of the FY 2026 THUD Appropriations bill—an important step that now allows the bill to be considered by the full Senate.

Funding advanced by Senator Collins for Maine fire stations and public safety facilities in the FY 2026 THUD Appropriations bill is as follows:

Brownville Fire Station

Recipient: Town of Brownville

Project Location: Brownville, ME

Amount Requested: $2,770,000

Project Purpose: To renovate the fire station.

Dixmont Fire and Rescue Station

Recipient: Town of Dixmont

Project Location: Dixmont, ME

Amount Requested: $2,332,000

Project Purpose: To construct a fire and rescue station.

Eagle Lake Fire Department Substation

Recipient: Town of Eagle Lake

Project Location: Eagle Lake, ME

Amount Requested: $150,000

Project Purpose: To support the construction of the Town of Eagle Lake’s Fire Department substation.

Easton Fire Station

Recipient: Town of Easton

Project Location: Easton, ME

Amount Requested: $3,600,000

Project Purpose: To construct a fire station.

Island Falls Fire and Ambulance Department

Recipient: Town of Island Falls

Project Location: Island Falls, ME

Amount Requested: $1,603,000

Project Purpose: To expand the fire and ambulance department.

Kenduskeag Fire Station

Recipient: Kenduskeag Fire Department

Project Location: Kenduskeag, ME

Amount Requested: $3,500,000

Project Purpose: To construct a fire station.

Monson Fire Station

Recipient: Town of Monson

Project Location: Monson, ME

Amount Requested: $3,000,000

Project Purpose: To construct a new fire station.

North Berwick Fire and Rescue Station

Recipient: Town of North Berwick

Project Location: North Berwick, ME

Amount Requested: $3,400,000

Project Purpose: To construct a fire and rescue station.

Sanford Public Safety Facilities

Recipient: City of Sanford

Project Location: Sanford, ME

Amount Requested: $5,000,000

Project Purpose: To construct public safety facilities.

Stacyville Fire Station

Recipient: Stacyville Fire Department

Project Location: Stacyville, ME

Amount Requested: $2,000,000

Project Purpose: To construct a new fire station.

Wesley Volunteer Fire Station

Recipient: Wesley Volunteer Fire Department

Project Location: Wesley, ME

Amount Requested: $2,520,000

Project Purpose: To construct a fire station.

Earlier this month, Senator Collins advanced more than $12 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for Maine fire stations and emergency services in the FY 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill.

In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $1 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Baird Applauds Secretary Rollins and USDA for Reorganization Efforts and Moving Operations to Indiana

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)

Congressman Baird Applauds Secretary Rollins and USDA for Reorganization Efforts and Moving Operations to Indiana

Washington, July 24, 2025

Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) applauded U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s announcement on reorganizing the department to better align with its mission of supporting American agriculture by moving a portion of USDA’s operations to Indianapolis, IN.

“For far too long, our federal agencies in Washington, D.C., have made decisions affecting millions of Americans with no connection to the people they serve,” said Congressman Baird. “The bloated bureaucracy in the swamp has grown, while the services our federal agencies provide have not improved, all at taxpayers’ expense. I am proud that the USDA has chosen to make better use of taxpayer funds through this reorganization and relocate a portion of the agency to the great State of Indiana. Our state truly is the crossroads of America, and with our thriving and diverse agricultural industries, Secretary Rollins made an excellent decision in choosing to relocate USDA closer to our farmers. Indiana boasts of its diverse agricultural products and exports and is one of the top agricultural states in our country. With our excellent land-grant universities and their extensions, Indiana is also a leader in research and development, making our state uniquely poised to provide our farmers with access to cutting-edge innovations and technologies. I thank Secretary Rollins for her outstanding leadership at USDA and for her continued commitment to prioritizing our great American farmers and producers.”

“We are thrilled to see the responsiveness of Secretary Rollins and the administration to support farmers and ranchers by moving government closer to farmers and ranchers. A big win for Indiana and Midwest farmers in particular,” said Scott Beck, President of Beck’s Hybrids.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: Gaza and Ukraine are both waiting for action

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

For the past few weeks the headlines about Gaza have focused on the hundreds of people who have been killed while queueing for food. The aid distribution system put in place in May, backed by the US and Israel and run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has proved to be chaotic and allegedly resulted in violence, with both Israel Defense Forces personnel and armed Palestinian gangs blamed for killing about 1,000 people in the two months the new system has been operating.

Now the headlines are focusing on the growing number of people dying of starvation.

Harrowing reports from the Gaza Strip report almost daily on the children dying of malnutrition in hospitals and clinics that simply don’t have the food to keep them alive. Writing in the Guardian this week, a British volunteer surgeon working in one of Gaza’s hospitals, Nick Maynard, described patients who “deteriorate and die, not from their injuries, but because they are too malnourished to survive surgery”.

The UK and 27 other countries this week has condemned the “drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians” who are trying to get food and water. And yet, writes Simon Mabon, still the world’s leaders look on: “Most are apparently content to condemn – but little action has been taken.”

Mabon, a professor of international relations at Lancaster University, quotes the latest report from the IPC, which monitors food security in conflict situations. It estimates that 500,000 people in Gaza are considered to be facing “catastrophe”, while a further 1.1 million fall into the “emergency” risk category. Both categories anticipate a steadily rising death rate among civilians in Gaza.

So how can Israel’s allies apply pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to bring an end to the violence and allow Palestinian civilians access to the food, water and medical supplies they so desperately need?

Mabon canvasses a range of options. First of all, countries that have yet to recognise the state of Palestine can do so. It’s nonsense, Madon believes, to talk of a two-state solution – as the UK government does – when you haven’t actually recognised the second state in the equation.

Then they could stop selling arms to Israel. Many countries already have. But the US still issues export licenses for some weapons that are sold to Israel.

There are a plethora of other things world leaders could do to pressure Israel. Mabon recommends having a look at what the world did to isolate South Africa during the apartheid years, measures which eventually helped bring about meaningful change there.

Read more:
Gaza is starving – how Israel’s allies can go beyond words and take meaningful action

As for Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister is reported to be considering an early election. In previous months this looked like a move freighted with jeopardy. An election loss brought on by a disenchanted electorate, heartbroken at the hostage situation and exhausted by the conflict, would probably mean having to face the charges of corruption which have hung over him for more than five years.

But recent polls have suggested a bump in popularity following his 12-day campaign against Iran. Netanyahu is nothing if not a clever political manipulator. But Brian Brivati, a professor of contemporary history and human rights at Kingston University, believes that to have a chance of winning, the prime minister will need to fight a campaign on three narratives of his government’s success: securing the release of the hostages, defeating Hamas and delivering regional security. “It is a tall order,” Brivati concludes.

Read more:
Israel: Netanyahu considering early election but can he convince people he’s winning the war?

Anyone following the situation in Gaza over the past 18 months will have encountered Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur for Palestine’s occupied territories. For three years she has monitored the human rights situation in Gaza and the West Bank, delivering trenchant criticism of Israel’s conduct and those who, by their inaction – and sometimes contrivance – have enabled it.

Earlier this months, the US government imposed sanctions on Albanese, because – as US secretary of state Marco Rubio insisted – she has engaged with the International Criminal Court (also subject to US sanctions) “in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel”. Also she has written “threatening letters to dozens of entities worldwide, including major American companies”.

Alvina Hoffman, an expert in diplomatic affairs and human rights at SOAS, University of London, explains what a special rapporteur does and why their work is so valuable in the defence of human rights.

Read more:
The US has sanctioned UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese – here’s why she’s the wrong target

Dispatches from Ukraine

To Istanbul, where delegations from Russia and Ukraine met yesterday for their third round of face-to-face talks. All 40 minutes of them. There was another agreement of prisoner swaps and the two sides decided to set up some working groups to look into various political, military and humanitarian issues – but online rather in person.

The brevity of the talks came as no surprise to Stefan Wolff. Wolff, an expert in international security at the University of Birmingham who has provided commentary for The Conversation throughout the conflict in Ukraine, points out that both sides remain wedded to their maximalist war aims. For Russia, this is for Ukraine to accept Russia’s annexation of Crimea and four provinces of eastern Ukraine, a ban on Ukraine’s membership of Nato and a much reduced military capacity. For Ukraine, it is getting their territory back and Russian acceptance of their national sovereignty, meaning it gets to determine for itself what alliances it seeks.

Donald Trump has told Vladimir Putin that, if there’s no ceasefire in 50 days, he’ll apply harsh secondary sanctions on the countries buying Russian oil and that he plans to supply Ukraine with American weapons (via Nato’s European member states, that is). Wolff believes both sides will now play the waiting game. They will calculate their next move after September 2, when the 50 days run out, and when they know more about what the US president plans to do.

Read more:
Russia-Ukraine talks: both sides play for time and wait for Donald Trump’s 50 days to run out

Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, faces pressure from his own people. There have been days of protest at his decision to bring two formerly independent anti-corruption organisations under the direct control of the government. He argues that this was necessary to prevent Russian infiltration, while critics are saying that the Ukrainian president has launched a power grab designed to prevent independent investigation of alleged corruption against people close to him.

Jenny Mathers says these protests, which involve people from all political shades, including people who have fought in the defence of Ukraine since 2022, some with visible injuries, represents a fracture of the “informal agreement between the government and society to show a united front to the world while the war continues”.

Ukrainians protest after Zelensky signs law clamping down on anticorruption agencies.

It’s not as if Zelensky is in clear and present danger of losing his job. His party holds a majority of seats in the Ukrainian parliament, so he governs without having to depend on coalition partners. And the country’s constitution prohibits the holding of elections in wartime – whatever Putin, who regularly insists that Zelensky is an illegitimate leader because he is governing past his term limit, might think. Plus his approval rating sits at 65%.

Zelensky has been quick to soften his stance on this. Mathers says that political corruption is a very sore point in Ukraine, where there was decades of it until the Maidan protests of 2013-14 unseated the pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. As she writes here, “the ‘Revolution of Dignity’ that rejected Yanukovych’s leadership and his policies was also a resounding demonstration of the strength of Ukraine’s civil society and its determination to hold its elected officials to account. Zelensky would be rash not to heed that.

He also knows it’s important for him to present a squeaky clean image to his supporters in the west. So while the protests may not present an immediate threat to his own position, he knows that unless he acts to root out corruption in Ukraine, it’ll be a threat to the future of the country itself.

Read more:
Ukrainian protests: Zelensky faces biggest threat to his presidency since taking power

But ethicist Marcel Vondermassen from the University of Tübingen believes another recent decision by the Ukrainian government is storing up trouble for the future. Ukraine has recently announced its decision to pull out of the Ottawa convention, the treaty that forbids the use of anti-personnel landmines.

In doing so, he’s following the example of Finland, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia which have all also quite the treaty in recent months for fear of Russian aggression.

But as Vondermassen points out, landmines don’t usually switch themselves off when a conflict ends and people are still being killed an maimed in former conflict zones around the world. Often it is farmers at work or children at play who are the victims. If other ways to protect countries from aggression aren’t pursued, as he puts it, in future decades we’ll still be “counting thousands of child casualties … from the landmines laid in the 2020s”.

Read more:
Ukraine joins other Russian neighbours in quitting landmines treaty: another deadly legacy in the making

Thailand-Cambodia: centuries-old dispute flares again

A dispute between the two south-east Asian countries that has been simmering since May flared into life yesterday when five Thai soldiers patrolling the border region were injured after stepping on a landmine – the second such incident in the past week. Both countries have sealed their border and there have been tit-for-tat ambassadorial expulsions.

Cambodia fired rockets and artillery into Thailand, killing 12 civilians. Thailand in turn has launched airstrikes against Cambodia. Both countries are blaming the other for starting it.

Petra Alderman, an expert in south-east Asian politics from London School of Economics and Political Science, traces the origins of this row, which go back to the colonial era in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Read more:
Thailand and Cambodia’s escalating conflict has roots in century-old border dispute

World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

– ref. Gaza and Ukraine are both waiting for action – https://theconversation.com/gaza-and-ukraine-are-both-waiting-for-action-261894

MIL OSI Analysis –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Advances Over $60 Million to Improve Nebraska’s Infrastructure, Firefighting Capabilities

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
Advances additional provision to enhance roadway safety
Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced she advanced over $60 million in funding to support critical infrastructure projects and firefighting capabilities across Nebraska.
The funding was included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Act, which now awaits consideration on the Senate Floor.“From roads and bridges to railways and airports — our infrastructure keeps Nebraska’s communities connected. It allows our farmers and ranchers to bring their goods to market and enables us to travel to work or school. By investing in infrastructure, we are investing in our future. I’m proud to advance these critical investments which will improve our state’s infrastructure for Nebraska’s families and make our Good Life even better,” Fischer said.Fischer advanced funding to support critical investments in Nebraska’s infrastructure:
$6 million to the Alliance Airport for electrical improvements
$6 million to add safety enhancements to the Heartland Expressway
$5.2 million to replace the Lisco Bridge in Garden County
$5 million to extend the runway and parallel taxiway at the Blair Airport
$4.7 million to pave a 4-mile stretch of Hickory Road in Gage County
$4 million to road improvements for Fairbury Highway 36
$4 million to improve the lighting system at the Hastings Airport
$3.5 million to improve walkability and safety of downtown Omaha
$3.4 million to complete the parallel taxiway and improve the lighting system at the Nebraska City Airport
$3.4 million to make improvements to roads in Sheridan and Garden County
$3.2 million to make roadway improvements on Cedar River Road in Garfield County
$2.2 million to reconstruct the 9th street roadway in Stromsburg
$897,000 to replace or repair multiple bridges in Brown County
$880,000 to pave the Adams Bypass
$700,000 to pave the roadway and improve access to the local grain elevator in Exeter
$600,000 to relocate the Midfield Connector Taxiway at Brenner Field Airport in Falls City
Fischer advanced funding to support Nebraska’s firefighting capabilities:
$2.5 million to replace South Sioux City’s aerial ladder fire truck
$1.8 million to replace Plattsmouth’s aerial ladder fire truck
$1.3 million to upgrade Friend’s fire hall facilities
$1.3 million to upgrade Clatonia’s fire hall facilities
Fischer advanced key provision to enhance roadway safety:
Advanced language from Fischer’s She DRIVES Act by directing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to adopt the most advanced crash test dummies.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Colorado River Day, Hickenlooper, Curtis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Snowpack Monitoring, Help Manage Water

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and John Curtis introduced the bipartisan Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 to help better predict and measure water supply to manage drought in the West, including on the Colorado River. Tomorrow, July 25th, is Colorado River Day, which celebrates the day when the river was officially renamed to the Colorado River in 1921.
“You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” said Hickenlooper. “Snowmelt is Colorado’s largest reservoir. Leveraging advanced snow monitoring tech will give us more accurate water predictions and unlock a better understanding of how to make the most of our water in an era of extreme drought.”
“In the West, water is everything—our economy, our communities, and our way of life depend on it,” said Curtis. “This bill brings 21st century tools to one of the oldest challenges we face: knowing how much water we’ll have and when. By reauthorizing this program, we’re embracing new technology like airborne snow surveys and advanced modeling to give our water managers the clarity they need to prepare, allocate, and respond.”
More than 80% of Colorado’s annual surface water supply comes from snowmelt runoff. Accurate measurements of snowpack are necessary to have a clear picture of the snowmelt that feeds rivers and streams across the West.
The bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program which provides grants to advance emerging snow monitoring technology that improve water supply predictions.
Specifically, the bill would:
Reauthorize BOR’s Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program through 2031
Increase authorization from $15 million over five years to $32.5 million over five years
Update language in existing authorization to emphasize water supply forecasting activities that inform interstate water management decisions
Yesterday, Representatives Joe Neguse and Jeff Hurd’s companion legislation advanced out of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
As governor, Hickenlooper helped negotiate the 2019 Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan, which helped protect critical levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead and ensured continued compliance with the 1922 Colorado River Compact. In the Senate, Hickenlooper convened the bipartisan Colorado River Caucus to help address the Colorado River crisis.
The bipartisan Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 is supported by American Rivers, the Southwestern Water Conservation District, Colorado River District, Denver Water, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Water Congress, Colorado Municipal League, Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado, the Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, the National Ski Areas Association, the Family Farm Alliance, the National Audubon Society, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
Full text of the bill available HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: 4th District County Fair Season Beginning Soon!

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

EATON, CO—With the month of July underway, the County Fair Season is approaching quickly in the 4th Congressional District with events, performances, and contests taking place across the Eastern Plains. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert offered the following statement on the start of County Fair season, with dates and informational websites for all 21 county fairs listed below:

“Our amazing County Fairs highlight the importance of community, the talents of our ag sector workers, and the excitement of a summer season in the 4th District. I encourage all 4th District constituents to make a plan to attend their local County Fair to see everything our district has to offer. From live concerts and rodeos featuring cowboys and Mutton Bustin’ to entrepreneurs selling their crafts and our young 4-H and FFA leaders showing off their livestock, our county fairs have something for everyone to enjoy. Even if the fair food isn’t MAHA-approved, I hope everyone in the 4th District gets to spend a day at their County Fair!”

State Representative Dusty Johnson added, “County fair time – one of my favorite times of the year – is just about here! It’s a time to showcase the projects of our hardworking 4-H and FFA youth and come together as a community to celebrate our rural way of life.”

Dates and websites for 4th District County Fairs:

Cheyenne County Tumbleweed Fair, July 11-19

El Paso County Fair, July 12-19

Weld County Fair, July 19-28

Kit Carson County Fair, July 19-26

Phillips County Fair, July 22-27

Eastern Colorado Roundup (Washington County Fair), July 22-27

Crowley County Days, July 22-26

Sedgwick County Fair, July 23-27

Arapahoe County Fair, July 24-27

Logan County Fair, July 24-August 3

Douglas County Fair, July 25-August 3

Morgan County Fair, July 25-31

Elbert County Fair, July 26-August 3

Baca County Fair, July 26-August 2

Bent County Fair, July 26-August 2

Yuma County Fair, July 29-August 4

Adams County Fair, July 30-August 3

Lincoln County Fair, July 30-August 9

Larimer County Fair, August 1-5

Sand & Sage Round-Up (Prowers County Fair), August 2-9

Kiowa County Fair, September 11-13

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Crop Report for the Period July 15 to July 21, 2025

Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on July 24, 2025

The rain that fell through wide parts of the province over the weekend was a positive sign for many producers. However, even within regions that received the rain the impact on crop and pasture conditions was variable. In some areas, the rain came just in time to carry crops forward through flowering and grain fill, while in other areas the rain came too late to make a difference to crops or pastures.

For areas that received precipitation, producers are hopeful pasture grass recovers from grazing and stress from dry conditions. In areas where heavy rain was received, livestock water sources should see some replenishment, reducing the need to haul water for livestock.

The cooler weather and recent rainfall have helped sustain or improve topsoil moisture in the province. Topsoil moisture is highly variable region to region, but most regions have seen an increase in ratings after the recent rainfall. Provincially, cropland topsoil moisture is rated as two per cent surplus, 71 per cent adequate, 22 per cent short and five per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 60 per cent adequate, 30 per cent short and nine per cent very short. Lastly, pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 59 per cent adequate, 30 per cent short and 11 per cent very short.

The rain, along with the cool weather, will give crops a break from the lack of moisture they have been under and will help them fill. The Eston area reported the most rain this week with 83 millimetres (mm), followed by the Bethune area with 74 mm, and finally the Admiral area reported 68 mm. There were many areas that reported rainfall from 15 mm to 50 mm, while other areas saw rainfall ranging from 2 mm to 15 mm.

Crop development has leveled out closer to normal for the province, and crops should use the recent rain and cooler temperatures to develop at a regular pace rather than rush or delay development due to stress. Crop development varies from region to region, with drier areas showing the most accelerated crop development.

The rain impeded haying operations over the weekend as producers waited for the crop to dry before proceeding with baling. Haying operations are almost complete with 20 per cent standing, 21 per cent cut and 59 per cent baled or put up as silage. Hay quality is rated as nine per cent excellent, 55 per cent good, 31 per cent fair and five per cent poor.

Producers report their crops are still showing damage and stress from the numerous weeks of heat and overly dry conditions this growing season. Gophers and grasshoppers are causing minor to moderate damage to crops this week with some areas seeing higher damage depending on pest populations. With the large amounts of rainfall seen in some areas, flooding was a concern for some producers as low spots in their fields have filled with water. The rain and strong winds have led to cereal crops lodging across many regions, and producers are hopeful the damage is minor and their crops can recover in time for harvest.

Producers whose crops are furthest along are beginning to get their equipment ready. The Ministry of Agriculture reminds producers to operate safely during the pressures of harvest time. Please remember to use every precaution available for fire prevention as the extremely dry conditions increase the risk of combine and grass fires.

Over the upcoming weeks, producers will be busy finishing fungicide spraying, haying and getting equipment ready for harvest. Producers are reminded to keep safety top of mind while working.

For any crop or livestock questions, producers are encouraged to call the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, toll free: 1-866-457-2377.

This can be a stressful time of year for producers as weather conditions can be unpredictable. The Farm Stress Line can help by providing support for producers toll free at 1-800-667-4442.

A complete, printable version of the Crop Report is available online.

Follow the 2025 Crop Report on Twitter at @SKAgriculture.

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For more information, contact:

MIL OSI Canada News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Angola Advances National Road Plan with €85M Support from Africa Finance Corporation (AFC)

Source: APO

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has closed and disbursed €75 million of an €85 million sovereign facility to Government of Angola, through the Ministry of Finance, to support the construction of 186 priority bridges and critical upgrades to the national road network. The project, part of Angola’s National Development Plan (2023–2027), is aimed at reducing transportation costs, facilitating access to markets for agricultural producers, and creating approximately 900 direct jobs, while strengthening the resilience, efficiency, and inclusivity of Angola’s transport system.

Solely arranged and financed by AFC, the transaction marks a significant milestone in the €381.5 million financing package previously announced, with AFC serving as the mandated lead arranger on the commercial tranche, and the U.S. Export-Import Bank through the U.S. Private Export Funding Corporation leading the export credit agency tranche. Other key partners include Standard Chartered Bank as the coordinating and structuring bank; Conduril, a leading Portuguese civil engineering firm which is the main EPC contractor; and Acrow, a U.S. construction industry giant as the bridge supplier. This disbursement reinforces AFC’s commitment to working alongside African governments to deliver infrastructure that supports inclusive growth, regional connectivity, and economic transformation.

“We are proud to advance this catalytic investment that will connect underserved regions, enhance regional trade, and improve the quality of life for millions of Angolans,” said Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of Africa Finance Corporation. “This disbursement demonstrates AFC’s unique capacity to structure and fund impactful infrastructure projects that address critical national priorities and accelerate economic transformation,” he added.

The project is expected to significantly strengthen the resilience of Angola’s transport network to climate-related disruptions, reduce travel times, and lower logistics costs for communities, farmers, and businesses. It also supports regional integration by enhancing trade corridors and cross-border connectivity across Southern and Central Africa. With this transaction, AFC reaffirms its role as a trusted partner to African governments in delivering bankable infrastructure solutions that address the continent’s most urgent development challenges.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

Media Enquiries:
Yewande Thorpe
Communications
Africa Finance Corporation
Mobile: +234 1 279 9654
Email: yewande.thorpe@africafc.org

About AFC:
AFC was established in 2007 to be the catalyst for pragmatic infrastructure and industrial investments across Africa. AFC’s approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development, and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth.

Eighteen years on, AFC has developed a track record as the partner of choice in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 45 member countries and has invested over US$15 billion in 36 African countries since its inception.

www.AfricaFC.org

Media files

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MIL OSI Africa –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp: Pilgrim’s to Build New Prepared Foods Facility, Creating 630 New Jobs in Walker County

Source: US State of Georgia

ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that Pilgrim’s, one of the world’s leading food companies, will invest $400 million to expand its footprint in Georgia. The company will build a new, multi-phase prepared foods facility in LaFayette, Walker County, supporting more than 630 new jobs at full capacity.

“Georgia’s No. 1 industry of agriculture continues to drive growth with companies like Pilgrim’s creating quality jobs in communities like LaFayette,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “As our state’s economy continues to advance, we are excited to see these continued innovations and the opportunities they will bring for hardworking Georgians.”

Pilgrim’s is a leading global provider of high-quality food products. Across the State of Georgia, the company currently supports an estimated 7,500 jobs and operates seven food production facilities, in addition to supporting facilities like feed mills and hatcheries.

“Expanding the Pilgrim’s footprint in Georgia highlights our ongoing commitment to the region and our company’s long-term growth strategy,” said Fabio Sandri, Pilgrim’s CEO. “This significant investment will allow further growth of our prepared foods business by expanding brands like Just Bare, Pilgrim’s, and Gold Kist, and supporting increasing demand in retail and foodservice channels. We are also proud of our role in creating jobs and being a strong community partner.”

The new facility, located at the Walker County Business Park in LaFayette, will produce a variety of fully cooked chicken products to support the growth of its fast-growing prepared foods business. The project is expected to get underway in the fall of 2025, and hiring is expected to begin in 2027, aligning with the expected completion of the first phase of construction. To learn more about Pilgrim’s, including where interested individuals can apply for jobs, visit jobs.pilgrims.com.

“We welcome Pilgrim’s to Walker County and LaFayette,” said LaFayette Mayor and Chairman of the Walker County Development Authority Andy Arnold. “Pilgrim’s has a wonderful history of positive community involvement, and the creation of up to 630 jobs for our area is a game changer for many families. We look forward to our partnership.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Walker County to provide stable jobs and long-term security for residents who want to work where they live,” said Chairwoman and CEO Angie Teems, Walker County Government. “Not only is this a well-respected company with a strong track record, but it already has a presence in our community through its partnerships with local poultry growers. Expanding their operations here is a natural next step that will strengthen our local economy and reinforce our county’s commitment to supporting hardworking families.”

Senior Regional Project Manager Lori Dowdy represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this competitive project in partnership with the Walker County Development Authority and Georgia Quick Start.

“We are excited that Pilgrim’s continues to grow its footprint and drive economic opportunities here in Georgia,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Agriculture has long been the backbone of our economy, laying the groundwork for today’s thriving food and beverage sector. Critical industries like cold storage and logistics build on that legacy, generating jobs and opportunities across the state. Congratulations to Walker County for helping bring these new investments and possibilities to LaFayette.”

About Pilgrim’s

Pilgrim’s employs over 61,000 people and operates protein processing plants and prepared-foods facilities in 14 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.K, the Republic of Ireland, and continental Europe. The Company’s primary distribution is through retailers and foodservice distributors. For more information, please visit www.pilgrims.com.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Over £20,000 in fines handed out as council takes aim at pedicabs and illegal street traders | Westminster City Council

Source: City of Westminster

Pedicab riders and illegal street traders have been given fines, costs and victim surcharges totalling £20,202.50 following the latest round of prosecutions at City of Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday 9^th July.

Prosecutions for five unlicensed street traders operating on Westminster Bridge selling peanuts and balloons saw £11,127.50 in convictions handed down Another three cases adjourned.

Given the bridge’s location, Westminster City Council regularly partner with Lambeth Council and the Met Police to provide evidence for prosecutions and conduct enforcement operations on the bridge. Thanks to the joint intelligence, one of the vendors was convicted for the second time in two months for previously selling hotdogs.

A shop on Charing Cross Road was hit with the largest fine of £3,382 had previously received multiple warnings for selling a multitude of souvenir goods on the street, and while the company was dissolved in the lead up to court, the director was still held personally liable and convicted.

Additionally, nine pedicabs operators- several repeat offenders- have been hit with some the biggest individual fines totalling £9075.00 following the latest round of pedicab prosecutions.

The riders were found guilty thanks to the work of City Inspectors from Westminster City Council with fines, costs, and victim surcharges ranging from £750 to £1460 under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. Ahead of TfL’s licensing regime which is set to come into effect in early 2026 teams from the central London local Authority continue to patrol hotspot areas educating visitors against the dangers of using pedicabs and work with the Metropolitan Police to prosecute those in breach of current legislation. Given the repeat prosecutions, the council is exploring options such as injunctions or banning orders for the more prolific riders.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection Cllr Aicha Less said:

This is Westminster, not the Wild West. These fines send a clear message: if you break the rules in our city you will end up out of pocket and out of excuses.”

“Whilst we work with TfL to finalise a structured the licensing scheme is being finalised, our City Inspectors continue to prosecute pedicab drivers and partner with our neighbours in Lambeth and in the Metropolitan Police to ensure unsuspecting tourists are not ripped off.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Province strengthens local evacuation routes, public notification planning

Source: Government of Canada regional news

The public notification and evacuation route planning funding stream of the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) supports projects that develop or update evacuation route plans and/or public notification plans. This funding is provided by the Province and is administered through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).

Local governments and First Nations throughout B.C. will receive nearly $2 million from the public notification and evacuation route planning (PNERP) funding stream as follows:

Alert Bay – Review hazard and vulnerability assessment, develop evacuation route plan and develop a public information process.
Amount: $46,844
Sub-applicant: ‘Na̲mg̲is First Nation

Capital Regional District – Review and update evacuation planning guides and develop evacuation maps for Salt Spring Island, Southern Gulf Islands, Pacheedaht First Nation and Juan de Fuca.
Amount: $40,000

Central Coast Regional District – Develop a comprehensive emergency and disaster communications plan, conduct a gap analysis, identify multi-channel notification tools and provide staff training to enhance public alerting and responder co-ordination.
Amount: $40,000

Coldstream – Develop evacuation route and public notification plans for people, livestock and movement of property to a safe location.
Amount: $40,000

Columbia Shuswap Regional District – Update the Salmon Arm evacuation route plan within the Shuswap Emergency Program and enhance evacuation guidance for high-risk communities.
Amount: $39,816
Sub-applicant: Salmon Arm

Cook’s Ferry Indian Band – Develop evacuation route and notification plans, identifying routes and transport modes and outlining emergency alert strategies.
Amount: $40,000

Cowichan Valley Regional District – Develop evacuation route plans to address high-risk communities.
Amount: $160,000
Sub-applicants: Duncan; North Cowichan; Ladysmith

Delta – Create a public notification strategy, establish multi-channel alerts, partner with neighbouring First Nations and run a readiness exercise.
Amount: $40,000

Dzawada’enuxw First Nation – Create comprehensive evacuation route and public notification plans for Kingcome Inlet, including route mapping, multi-modal evacuation strategies, stakeholder co-ordination and community education.
Amount: $40,000

Fort St. James – Update the evacuation route plan, assess routes for alternative highway access and develop a multi-channel public notification plan integrated with an emergency alert system.
Amount: $40,000

Fraser Valley Regional District – New evacuation route plan for Boston Bar Electoral Area A.
Amount: $40,000

Gitxaala Nation – Ladm gyina sguuyu Gyinasguu sumsxsit Leave Something Good Behind: Update evacuation route and public notification plans using technologies and cultural knowledge, including identifying a new route to higher ground and planning for air and water evacuations.
Amount: $40,000

Granisle – Update evacuation route and public notification plans by mapping routes and transport options, integrating early warning tools, engaging the community and testing the plan with a tabletop exercise.
Amount: $40,000

Huu-ay-aht First Nations – Develop a clear evacuation route plan including identifying, mapping and capacity of available routes for residents and visitors.
Amount: $36,193

Kimberley – Develop an evacuation route plan, outlining route capacity, timelines, control points and best practices.
Amount: $40,000

Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans.
Amount: $40,000

Kootenay-Boundary Regional District – Develop water-based evacuation route plans for boat-only residents on Christina Lake using best practices from the 2023 North Shuswap evacuations.
Amount: $40,000

Lake Country – Align the municipal evacuation route and notification plan with the regional plan by collaborating with neighbours and Indigenous partners and adding geographic information system (GIS) mapping support.
Amount: $40,000

Langley Township – Update evacuation route plan, integrating BC Alerting technology, and update the public notification plan and tabletop exercises.
Amount: $40,000

Lheidli-T’enneh First Nation – Develop and implement a new evacuation route plan, including community consultations.
Amount: $29,320

Lions Bay – Develop a comprehensive new evacuation route plan, targeted public notification plan, community education, and evacuation drills.
Amount: $40,000

McLeod Lake Indian Band – Update evacuation route plan and evacuation communications strategy.
Amount: $35,000

Merritt – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans based on lived experiences of residents.
Amount: $40,000

Metchosin – Develop a public notification plan that integrates the Earthquake Early Warning system, multi-channel alerts, stakeholder co-ordination and exercise testing.
Amount: $40,000

Nelson – Update evacuation route and public notification plans, including GIS mapping enhancements and a multi-agency tabletop exercise.
Amount: $40,000

North Okanagan Regional District – Update the evacuation route plan and the public notification plan for Electoral Areas B and C to reflect growth and integrate Indigenous and neighbouring communities with consistent messaging.
Amount: $40,000

Northern Rockies Regional Municipality – Develop a crisis communication plan with staff training resources, mapping and communications.
Amount: $31,900

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen – Update evacuation route and public notification plans with improved GIS mapping, updated hazard data and stakeholder engagement to ensure plans meet community evacuation needs.
Amount: $160,000
Sub-applicants: Osoyoos; Keremeos; Summerland

Peace River Regional District – Develop new evacuation route plan and update the public notification plan.
Amount: $40,000

Pemberton – Update the Pemberton Valley evacuation route plan with current census data and expand its scope to include social and broader emergency management factors.
Amount: $41,000
Sub-applicant: Squamish-Lillooet Regional District

Penticton – Create a public notification and communications plan with workshops and a tabletop exercise, and update the evacuation route plan with mapping, traffic data and alternative transport options.
Amount: $40,000

Port McNeill – Create new evacuation route and public notification plans for low-lying, sea-level-rise and tsunami-vulnerable areas, including detailed route mapping, regional connectivity and stakeholder engagement.
Amount: $38,400

Pouce Coupe – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans, mapping safe corridors and co-ordinating alert strategies with community partners.
Amount: $39,750

qathet Regional District – Updating evacuation route plans and the community’s public notification plan.
Amount: $40,000

shíshálh Nation – Update the evacuation route plan, including running a tabletop exercise with Chief, council and administration.
Amount: $40,000

Sts’ailes – Develop a new evacuation route master plan.
Amount: $40,000

Tla’amin Nation – Update the evacuation route plan, which includes identification and capacity of available routes, collaboration, modes of transportation and methods of evacuation.
Amount: $36,000

Tsawwassen First Nation – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans, collaborating with neighbouring jurisdictions and revising relevant local plans and policies.
Amount: $40,000

Tseshaht First Nation – Develop a new public notification and evacuation route plan tailored to Tseshaht First Nation’s evacuation needs, cultural context, infrastructure and communication preferences.
Amount: $40,000

Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) – Develop a new evacuation route plan with mapping, workshops and resources, engaging with community knowledge keeper and across TWN departments.
Amount: $40,000

West Kelowna – Developing a new evacuation route plan by evaluating the evacuation capacity of the Glenrosa area, includes reviewing alternate roads and exit routes to ensure residents can leave quickly and safely.
Amount: $39,620

Witset First Nation – Update the evacuation route and public notification plans to ensure timely evacuations and clear information sharing during emergencies.
Amount: $40,000

MIL OSI Canada News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Frankel Opening Remarks at Full Committee Markup of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Funding Bill
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m going to start by recognizing the collegiality of our Chairman Mr. Diaz-Balart and the thoughtful members on both sides of the aisle. And of course, I want to thank our hardworking staff for their tireless efforts. But most of all, I want to recognize the brave and committed Americans—our diplomats, USAID workers, humanitarian teams, and public health experts and our partners around the world—who bring our country’s values to the world’s toughest places. They’re the ones who delivered vaccines to remote villages in Congo, who help girls in Ethiopia escape forced marriage and find education and safety.

I’ve seen their work up close–I know many of us have—and the impact of the programs we funded. Children who escaped the brutality of Assad’s Syria thriving in classrooms in Jordan. Mothers in Malawi learning skills to support their families. Pregnant women in Kenya staying healthy with support from HIV clinics. To all of these workers —past and present: You are the patriots. You represent the best of America. And those who are still serving deserve more than our thanks. They deserve the tools to get the job done.

Mr. Chairman, I wish we had a bipartisan bill in front of us that I could support that honored that service and reflected America’s leadership. If we had a responsible allocation and a White House that understood diplomacy, development, and humanitarian aid, we could have gotten there. But instead, here we are, questioning whether any of this matters when the President just ignores the will of Congress and the laws we pass.

So today, I strongly oppose the FY 2026 Republican bill. It’s not just a funding cut—it’s a reckless blueprint for American retreat. Our President seems to think relying on threats and bullying alone is a smart strategy. But chaotic tariffs, cruel immigration crackdowns, and this tepid foreign aid plan before us today is not going to make us more safe, secure, or more prosperous. And attention: we are ceding the world to China. And let me be clear: This bill does not lower costs for hard working families and retirees on day one as promised by President Trump—instead it puts hard earned finances at risk by hurting global stability.

And tax breaks for billionaires is not a trade-off for millions of starving children and let me just say that this bill does not make one bit of difference in making up the $4 trillion addition to our debt when the Republicans pass what they call their Big Bill their Big Beautiful Bill I call it the Big Ugly Bill And this bill is just adds to the list of troubling actions by the Administration.

Here’s what’s happened leading up: Foreign aid has been held up illegally, then justified by an inane clawback known as recission; USAID—an agency backed by Congress that fights poverty and prevents conflict—gutted; Over 10,000 development and humanitarian professionals dismissed by Elon Musk; 5,000 life-saving aid programs abruptly terminated; 1,300 State Department staff laid off; Offices shuttered. Decades of progress wiped out. How disgusting , the richest man in the world was allowed to pull the plug on programs that save the world’s poorest children.

The infrastructure and staffing is no longer present to carry out the few programs that remain. Let me say this again with emphasis: The infrastructure and staffing is no longer present to carry out the few programs that remain.

All while the world faces crisis after crisis: Wars and armed conflict, Extreme weather, Hunger and famine, Disease outbreaks, Mass migration, and Rising authoritarian regimes

These aren’t distant problems. They land right at our door: Fragile states collapse and migration surges; Trade stops and U.S. farmers and businesses lose buyers ;Climate disasters destroy crops and homes; Broken health systems allow deadly viruses to spread; And when we step back, China and Russia step in—not to help, but to expand their grip.

We’re leaving behind a gap they fill with money, weapons, and propaganda taking over the airwaves – reaching listeners who used to rely on Voice of America and our international broadcasting. They want to remake the world to fit their playbook.

Meanwhile, sadly our allies are also slashing foreign aid —pushed to spend more on weapons by Mr. Trump. As global needs explode, democracy’s soft power is vanishing. This bill fails to meet this moment.

Here’s what it really does:

Cuts 22% from the international affairs budget – that’s $13 billion, diminishing funding for development and economic assistance:
- Kids kicked out of the classroom and cut off from clean water
- Farmers losing seeds and tools to make a living
- Violence prevention programs vanishing
- Local nonprofits shut down
The bill slashes humanitarian aid by 42%:
- In Nigeria, malnourished infants are dying without food
- In Myanmar, hospitals are going dark
- In The Gambia, support for survivors of female genital mutilation has ended—as the country debates making it legal again
- In Ukraine, wounded soldiers go without care
- In Ecuador, women entrepreneurs are losing lifelines and heading for our border
This is a blow to our credibility, our moral standing, and our global influence. Soft power – interestingly enough – development and diplomacy – have been secret weapons abroad. Without them, we’re losing Americans on the ground who know the terrain, see trouble coming, and keep us one step ahead.

And as always, my, my, my. Here we go again–Republicans couldn’t resist one more swipe at women: Slashing family planning programs that save hundreds of thousands of lives each year and prevent millions of unplanned pregnancies, Reinstating the Global Gag Rule—which blocks funding to foreign groups that even talk about abortion; you can’t even say the word “abortion”, not do abortion, say the word “abortion”– you lose your funding, Gutting the UNFPA—which provides basic reproductive and maternal care in over 150 countries

And while this bill guts humanitarian programs and walks away from the world’s most vulnerable, the administration is also on the road to destroying one of the smartest, most effective tools of U.S. foreign policy: the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. WPS is not some fringe idea. It’s the law, signed by guess who, Donald Trump. It passed with strong bipartisan support. And here’s why: Women experience conflict differently than men—often bearing the brunt of sexual violence, displacement, and the burden of caring for families amid chaos—yet they are too often excluded from life changing decisions. The WPS agenda has helped train diplomats, strengthen alliances, and put more women at the center of peace and security.

When women are at the table for peace talks, recovery, and crisis response, the results are better. Period. Peace lasts longer. Communities recover faster. And Missions succeed. And yet, this administration shut down the State Department’s office that leads that work—right when we need women’s leadership the most. That’s not just shortsighted. It makes the world less safe and works directly against our own interests.

The bill also abandons multilateral institutions and organizations—UNICEF, the UN Development Program, the African and Asian Development Banks, the World Bank, the World Health Organization—undermining our ability to shape the global agenda and ceding ground to autocrats. Guess who? Attention: China is going to take over this world.

So why should Americans care that these cuts are going to cost more than they save? Because these cuts hurt American families, too. When we walk away from the world: Chaos spreads; Troops are put in harm’s way; Our adversaries gain ground; And we pay the price—in dollars, and in lives.

And look, I say this not just as a lawmaker, but as a mother. My son served in the Marines. He was sent to two wars–Iraq and Afghanistan– I know what it means when diplomacy fails. The cost isn’t hypothetical—it hits our soldiers and their families the hardest.

Let me remind you: the international affairs budget was already less than 1% of our federal spending. But it delivered huge returns: Markets for American goods; Stability abroad; Protection from pandemics; Fewer troops sent into harm’s way.

Last week, we passed an $832 billion defense bill—that’s hard power. But even our top generals warn: without soft power alongside it, that number will only keep rising. So, Mr. Chairman, This bill is a lost opportunity. It’s a failure to lead. It hurts American families because when health systems collapse, people get sick. When trade stalls, jobs vanish. When diplomacy fails, our loved ones go to war. So let me close with this: Democrats aren’t giving up. We’re ready to work together with Republicans to reach a bill that reflects our values, keeps our promises, and protects American lives. Because we can’t bomb and drone our way to peace and prosperity. A strong America doesn’t hide. And it doesn’t bully. A strong America leads—with vision, with courage, and compassion. And That’s the bill we should be fighting for. Thank you. I yield back.

MIL OSI USA News –
July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Van Orden Introduces Bill to Restore Integrity in Agriculture Immigrant Workforce System
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin 3rd)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) introduced a bill to establish a legal process for undocumented agricultural workers to transition to legal employment status. The Agriculture Reform Act of 2025 will allow certain agricultural workers who are currently inadmissible or removable under immigration law to voluntarily deport, pay a fine, and reenter the U.S. as a temporary agricultural worker after specific requirements are satisfied.

The Agriculture Reform Act of 2025 is not a pathway to citizenship or amnesty. Rather, the bill creates a structured and enforceable opportunity for undocumented agricultural workers to secure legal employment through voluntary departure and lawful reentry.

“This bill is a real solution to addressing the mass influx of illegal aliens created by the Biden administration’s open border policies, while also addressing the critical workforce needs of our agricultural industry,” said Rep. Van Orden. “For those willing to follow the law and return to the U.S. the right way, it offers a legal pathway to a legal job. Our farmers cannot function without a stable workforce, and my bill will help stabilize the agricultural workforce without granting amnesty or citizenship.”

The process for outlined in Rep. Van Orden’s bill is as follows:

1. Self-Report

A “covered alien”—an individual who previously worked in agricultural labor in the U.S. since January 1, 2020—must voluntarily depart from the United States or have already been removed prior to the bill’s enactment.

2. Worker Pays Fine

To participate in the program, the worker must pay a fee of an amount determined appropriate by the Secretary of Labor.

3. Employer Pays Fine

The employer petitioning on behalf of the alien must also pay a fee as set by regulation.

4. Employer May Stagger Self-Deportation

The bill contemplates employer flexibility in staggering the departure of undocumented workers to prevent labor shortages.

5. Worker Must Remain in Home Country for 30 Days

After self-deportation or removal, the worker must remain outside the U.S. for at least 30 days before returning to the United States.

6. Worker Can Return as a temporary agricultural worker

Following the 30-day waiting period, the worker may re-enter the U.S. legally as a temporary agricultural worker, provided:
- The individual has not unlawfully received public benefits.
- The proper fees are paid.
- They meet eligibility as a “covered alien.”
Additional Provisions
- Immunity from Prosecution:
  - Employers are protected from legal liability under INA §274A for employing covered aliens.
  - Covered aliens are immune from prosecution under INA §§275 and 276 for prior unlawful entry/removal actions.
- Waiver of Inadmissibility/Removability:
  - Grounds under INA §§212(a)(6), (7), and (9), and §237(a)(1)(A–C) and (3) are waived during the “covered period.”
Read the full bill text here.

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MIL OSI USA News –
July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Pingree, Massie Introduce Bipartisan PRIME Act to Empower Local Livestock Farmers, Meet Consumer Demand

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) reintroduced the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act, bipartisan legislation to make it easier for small farms and ranches to serve consumers. The PRIME Act (H.R. 4700) would give individual states freedom to permit intrastate distribution of custom-slaughtered meat such as beef, pork, or lamb to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores.

“Consumers at the grocery store increasingly want quality, locally-grown food, but existing regulations and supply chain vulnerabilities don’t make it easy for them to access. In rural states like Maine, farmers often have to drive hundreds of miles just to get their livestock processed. We can and must do more to bolster our local food systems,” said Pingree, a longtime farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee. “The PRIME Act is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that strengthens infrastructure for local meat processing, supports family farms, and gives consumers easier access to locally raised food—along with greater transparency about where that food comes from.”

“Consumers want to know where their food comes from, what it contains, and how it’s processed. Yet federal inspection requirements make it difficult to purchase food from trusted, local farmers,” said Massie. “It is time to open our markets to give producers the freedom to succeed and consumers the freedom to choose.”

Current law exempts custom slaughter of animals from federal inspection regulations, but only if the meat is slaughtered for personal, household, guest, and employee use (21 U.S.C. § 623(a)). This means that in order to sell individual cuts of locally raised meats to consumers, farmers and ranchers must first send their animals to one of a limited number of USDA-inspected slaughterhouses. These USDA-inspected slaughterhouses are sometimes hundreds of miles away from farms and ranches, adding substantial transportation costs and increasing the chances of locally raised meat co-mingling with industrially produced meat. The PRIME Act would expand the current custom exemption and allow small farms, ranches, and slaughterhouses to thrive.

Original co-sponsors of the PRIME Act include: Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.), Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.), Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas), Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas), Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wisc.), Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah), Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.), Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas), Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.), Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wisc.), Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), and Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.).

Companion legislation, S.2409, has been introduced in the United States Senate by Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

Massie raises cattle on his off-the-grid farm in northeast Kentucky. Pingree raises grass-fed beef and chickens on her island farm in North Haven, Maine.

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MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Pingree Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Push to Protect Drinking Water as Communities Face Rising Contamination Threats
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

As drinking water contamination from toxic “forever chemicals,” also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), increasingly threatens communities in Maine and across the country, U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and David Rouzer (R-N.C.) have reintroduced the bipartisan Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act, or the Healthy H2O Act. The legislation, introduced in the Senate by Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), provides grants for water testing and treatment technology directly to individuals and nonprofits in rural communities. Systems that improve water quality—whether installed at the faucet or within a building—can provide immediate and ongoing protections from known and emerging water contaminants, including PFAS, lead, and nitrates.

“The Healthy H2O Act will help make water testing and treatment technology more accessible here in Maine, and in rural communities across the country, especially for families on private wells who are too often left to navigate contamination risks on their own,” said Pingree. “As national protections face delays and uncertainty, local communities can’t afford to wait. This bipartisan bill gives them the tools to identify and address harmful chemicals like PFAS and lead at the tap—so they can be confident the water they’re drinking is safe.”

“The Healthy H2O Act helps rural residents in the Cape Fear Valley gain access to safe, clean drinking water—free from harmful contaminants like GenX, PFAS, and PFOS,” said Rouzer. “As city and county water systems continue upgrading to address these pollutants, this legislation ensures rural communities aren’t left behind by supporting testing and the installation of effective filtration systems to remove these ‘forever chemicals.’”

“All Wisconsin families, businesses, and communities should trust that the water coming out of their faucets is safe to drink, but across our state, rural communities are struggling to identify and treat chemicals like PFAs that endanger our health, especially for children,” said Senator Baldwin. “My bipartisan legislation ensures our small and rural communities aren’t left behind and makes sure they have what they need to find and get rid of dangerous chemicals and keep our families healthy.”

“Maintaining and upgrading water and wastewater systems is vital to ensuring the economic and environmental health of our communities,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation will help reduce health-based contaminants like PFAS in drinking water, increase consumer confidence, and protect public health.”

The Healthy H2O Act would provide funding for point-of-use water treatment systems, such as under-sink filters, that can deliver immediate protections. Nearly 43 million U.S. households— primarily in rural areas—depend on private wells that are not regularly monitored under federal or state drinking water programs, leaving many communities vulnerable to contamination.

The Healthy H2O Act is supported by:
- Water Quality Association
- American Supply Association
- Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI)
- Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)
- National Groundwater Association (NGWA)
- High Performance Building Coalition
- NSF International
- Water Systems Council
- Water Well Trust
- The Groundwater Foundation
- International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO)
- International Code Council (ICC)
- DigDeep
- California Ground Water Association
- Eastern Water Quality Association (EWQA)
- Florida Groundwater Association
- Florida Water Quality Association (FWQA)
- Illinois Association of Groundwater Professionals
- Iowa Water Quality Association
- Kentucky Groundwater Association
- Michigan Ground Water Association
- Minnesota WQA (MWQA)
- Minnesota Water Well Association
- Montana Water Well Drillers Association
- Nebraska On-Site Wastewater Association
- Nebraska State Irrigation Association
- Nebraska Water Leaders Academy
- Nebraska Well Drillers Association
- Ohio Water Quality Association (OWQA)
- Ohio Water Well Association
- Pacific Water Quality Association (PWQA)
- Pennsylvania Groundwater Association
- Texas Water Quality Association (TWQA)
- Virginia Water Well Association
- Water Council of Milwaukee
- Water Quality Association of Wisconsin
- Well Drillers Association of Wisconsin
“We applaud Representatives Pingree and Rouzer for introducing the Healthy H2O Act that will increase access to safer drinking water in rural communities,” said Pauli Undesser, Executive Director of the Water Quality Association. “This grant program will help Americans who are most vulnerable to contaminants in their water supply – children, the elderly, and households that rely on private wells. By increasing access to testing and water filtration products, we can support the health and safety of these communities.”

“Too often, rural communities across the country face barriers to accessing clean, safe drinking water,” said National Ground Water Association President Eric Macias. “The Healthy H2O Act is a real step forward, delivering resources to help families test and treat their water. This legislation reflects the kind of commonsense investment that can truly improve lives, and we commend Congresswoman Pingree for her leadership on this important issue.”

Pingree, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee, has long championed PFAS clean-up and clean drinking water legislation. She proudly supported the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which included a $55 billion investment to replace lead service lines, $10 billion to address PFAS chemicals, and investments in water infrastructure across America, including in Tribal Nations and underserved communities that need it most.

As Chair of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the EPA, in the 117th Congress and as Ranking Member in the 118th and 119th Congresses, Pingree has championed funding to clean up PFAS contamination. In the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding bill signed by President Biden, Pingree secured $8 million for the EPA to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to further research on PFAS contamination in agriculture, as well as $5 million to assist farmers whose land has been contaminated by PFAS.

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MIL OSI USA News –
July 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Representatives Massie and Pingree Introduce Bipartisan PRIME Act to Empower Local Livestock Farmers, Meet Consumer Demand

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Thomas Massie (4th District of Kentucky)

For Immediate Release

Contact:

John Kennedy, 202-225-3465 (Massie)
Gabrielle Mannino, 207-509-5904 (Pingree)

Washington, D.C.- Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announce the re-introduction of the PRIME (Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption) Act to make it easier for small farms and ranches to serve consumers. The PRIME Act (H.R. 4700) would give individual states freedom to permit intrastate distribution of custom-slaughtered meat such as beef, pork, or lamb to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores.

“Consumers want to know where their food comes from, what it contains, and how it’s processed. Yet federal inspection requirements make it difficult to purchase food from trusted, local farmers,” said Rep. Thomas Massie. “It is time to open our markets to give producers the freedom to succeed and consumers the freedom to choose.”

“Consumers at the grocery store increasingly want quality, locally-grown food, but existing regulations and supply chain vulnerabilities don’t make it easy for them to access. In rural states like Maine, farmers often have to drive hundreds of miles just to get their livestock processed. We can and must do more to bolster our local food systems,” said Rep. Chellie Pingree. “The PRIME Act is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that strengthens infrastructure for local meat processing, supports family farms, and gives consumers easier access to locally raised food—along with greater transparency about where that food comes from.”

Current law exempts custom slaughter of animals from federal inspection regulations, but only if the meat is slaughtered for personal, household, guest, and employee use (21 U.S.C. § 623(a)). This means that in order to sell individual cuts of locally raised meats to consumers, farmers and ranchers must first send their animals to one of a limited number of USDA-inspected slaughterhouses. These USDA-inspected slaughterhouses are sometimes hundreds of miles away from farms and ranches, adding substantial transportation costs and increasing the chances of locally raised meat co-mingling with industrially produced meat. The PRIME Act would expand the current custom exemption and allow small farms, ranches, and slaughterhouses to thrive.

Original co-sponsors of the PRIME Act include: Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), Rep. John Carter (R-TX), Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA), Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX), Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX), Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT), Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT), Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL), Rep. Keith Self (R-TX), Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN), Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI), and Rep. David Valadao (R-CA).

Companion legislation, S.2409, has been introduced in the United States Senate by Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Rand Paul (R-KY).

Massie raises cattle on his off-the-grid farm in northeast Kentucky. Pingree raises grass-fed beef and chickens on her island farm in North Haven, Maine.

The text of the PRIME Act is available at this link.

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MIL OSI USA News –

July 25, 2025

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