NewzIntel.com

Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Keeping kids safe online

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Canberra students benefit from learning protective behaviours to use online.

    From TikTok to Discord and beyond, Canberra kids are logging into a whole lot of online platforms.

    But how much do teachers and parents know about them?

    ACT school leaders gathered recently to discuss the topic at an online safety education leadership summit.

    Principals and deputy principals from across Canberra engaged with a panel of experts on keeping students safe online.

    Working together on online safety

    Kellie Britnell from the eSafety Commissioner says there has been a recent increase in reporting online safety incidents such as cyberbullying and sexual extortion.

    “Cyberbullying has now been around for quite a while … but you couple that with some of the new technologies like we’re seeing with artificial intelligence and it’s all new, it’s not regulated and it’s not just in Australia,” Kellie said.

    Kellie recommends a whole-of-school and whole-of-community approach to education, with consistent messaging.

    “We have to be working with children and young people, staff and teachers, but also with families. We need to keep talking,” she said.

    A principal’s perspective

    Ainslie Primary School Principal Wendy Cave says schools must work with students to help them draw on protective behaviours, skills and strategies.

    Educators – many of whom may not have grown up with such technology – need to be on the front foot.

    “There’s such a lot that’s hidden in the online world and it’s important for us all to explore it, unpack it and work together to understand the risks and challenges and opportunities,” Wendy said.

    Kellie Britnell, Manager, Awareness and Capability, eSafety Commissioner (left) and Wendy Cave, Principal of Ainslie Primary

    What can parents do?

    Parents unsure of their role in all this can access a wealth of resources on the eSafety Commissioner website.

    It provides tips on helping children safely navigate the digital world and educating them to avoid harmful online experiences.

    Core to this are three key strategies:

    1. Be engaged, open and supportive

    • Share online time as part of family life. Play games together. Talk about favourite apps, games or websites.
    • Keep communication open.
    • Reassure your child they can always come to you.
    • Let them know you will not cut off internet access if they report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe when online – this is a real concern that may stop your child from communicating with you openly.
    • If you notice a change in behaviour or mood, talk to your child about it. If you are concerned, consider seeking professional help – from your GP, a psychologist or school counsellor.

    2. Set some rules

    • Set age-appropriate rules for devices and online access, with consequences for breaking them.
    • Get your child’s input.
    • Consider creating a family tech agreement
    • Model behaviour you would like to see.

    3. Use technology and get information

    • Take advantage of parental controls, based on your child’s age and experience.
    • Choose apps and games carefully and visit the App Store or Google Play for age ratings and consumer advice.

    Further resources

    Learn more about online safety via the ACT Education Directorate.

    Register to attend the directorate’s free online safety webinar series.

    Learn about the latest platforms in the eSafety Commissioner’s eSafety guide.

    Students can contact the ACT Children and Young People Commissioner.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Your guide to plant-based eats in Canberra

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Our CBR is the ACT Government’s key channel to connect with Canberrans and keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the city. Our CBR includes a monthly print edition, email newsletter and website.

    You can easily opt in or out of the newsletter subscription at any time.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 2023 a record year for Canberra tourism

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The city’s diverse, accessible visitor experience is growing Canberra’s reputation as a go-to holiday destination.

    Figures released by Tourism Research Australia show that 2023 was a record-breaking year for Canberra tourism.

    During 2023 the ACT welcomed 5.8 million visitors who spent $3.8 billion in Canberra. This is the highest ever visitor expenditure in a 12-month period over the past 25 years. It surpassed 2022’s expenditure by $770 million.

    Total visitor numbers have recovered to 95 per cent from pre-COVID levels. Expenditure has also surpassed pre-COVID levels, at 135 per cent compared to 2019.

    Last year the ACT welcomed 5.63 million domestic visitors who spent a total of $3.33 billion. In the last 25 years, this is:

    • the highest ever number of visitor nights
    • the highest ever expenditure
    • the third highest number of domestic visitors.

    Across all states and territories, the ACT experienced the biggest growth in domestic overnight visitation, and second highest expenditure growth, when compared to 2022. NSW remains the main source of domestic visitors to the ACT, accounting for two thirds of overnight visitors, and three quarters of day trip visitors.

    International markets continue to rebound strongly with the USA, UK, China and India delivering 40 per cent of international visitors.

    The city’s diverse, accessible visitor experience, led by its major attractions and events, are growing Canberra’s reputation as a go-to holiday destination. Major exhibitions at national attractions have been significant drawcards and new investment in a range of tourism products is providing more reasons to visit and return.

    The ACT’s expanding aviation connectivity is making it cheaper and easier for visitors to get to Canberra. Canberra Airport connects to 12 domestic destinations, three North American hubs with Fiji Airways, and a host of destinations through Asia with Batik Airways.

    Canberra’s Tourism industry is thriving on a national stage, receiving a record seven awards at the 2023 Qantas Australian National Awards including three gold awards.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Yarralumla Nursery banks seeds for the future

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Yarralumla Nursery’s staff carefully monitor the conditions of the seed bank.

    When bushfire swept through Yarramundi Reach in 2003, it took with it Roman Cypress trees first planted in 1916.

    While that exact type of Cyprus could well have disappeared from the ACT, Yarralumla Nursery’s seed bank came to the rescue.

    “Yarralumla Nursery’s seed bank is a wonderful resource that has been used to create Canberra’s urban forest,” the nursery’s Senior Director Matt Parker said.

    “We were able to propagate the same genetic Cyprus from our seed bank.”

    The seed bank is a living record of every seed collected, purchased and stored at the Yarralumla Nursery since 1913.

    The latest to be added are the seeds of the Bunya Pine tree.

    Native to Queensland, these large conifers hold sacred values for First Nations peoples and come from a plant family dating back to the Jurassic period.

    Bunya Pines can be found throughout Canberra – from the National Arboretum to Lanyon Homestead.

    The seed bank is a valuable historical asset for the nursery and the role it has played in establishing Canberra’s green spaces.

    It now contains over 200 genus of seeds, with relevant information painstakingly recorded.

    Seeds are stored in alphabetical order, in old glass ‘lolly’ jars of all shapes and sizes.

    They are hand-labelled with the species weight and seed registration number and consistently maintained at 20–22°C.

    “If seeds are dried and stored correctly, there are minimal issues,” Yarralumla Nursery Production Operations Manager Belinda Ryan said.

    “Our propagation staff specialise in monitoring the conditions of the seed bank and storing the seeds. For example, jars need to be at least two-thirds full of seed to maintain temperature and reduce air moisture and you can’t put seed into warm jars as this may break seed dormancy, meaning they could start to grow.”

    Around 15,000 plant cards – which staff refer to as birth certificates – feature seed information dating back to 1913.

    While these were once housed in wooden draws at the nursery they have since been digitised and are available on the Archives ACT website.

    “Some Eucalyptus species from the ’60s are still viable and germinating,” Belinda said.

    “The seed bank at Yarralumla Nursery is an amazing space full of nostalgia; I like searching through and finding the oldest seeds,” Matt said.

    And now the newest are safely stored under B for Bunya Pine.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Easy ways for Canberrans to reduce waste

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Getting involved in neighbourhood initiatives like community gardens can help make a positive difference.

    If you avidly use your household recycling bin, upcycled old furniture, or received something from a “buy nothing” group in your community, you’ve been a part of the circular economy.

    It’s a system that’s designed to minimise waste and maximise the use of resources. It promotes the repurposing, recycling and reuse of materials so nothing goes to waste.

    The circular economy reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s also a pretty useful way to save money.

    There are lots of ways that Canberrans can get involved in the circular economy.

    Recycle correctly

    If you can’t reduce or reuse, then recycling is the best choice.

    Not everything that can be recycled can go in your yellow recycling bin.

    Recycle these in your recycling bin:

    • aluminium and steel cans
    • glass bottles and jars
    • paper and flat cardboard
    • plastic bottles and containers

    For other items, the Recyclopaedia is your go-to guide for recycling.

    For example, batteries aren’t accepted in household bins. However, there are over 60 local collection points for the safe disposal of batteries.

    Choose alternatives to single-use plastics

    Choose reusable alternatives to single-use items such as water bottles, shopping bags and food containers to reduce waste.

    Support local sustainable businesses

    Look for local businesses that prioritise sustainability by offering products made from recycled materials or following eco-friendly production practices.

    Some examples of sustainable businesses in Canberra include:

    • Thor’s Hammer
    • Soft Landing
    • repair businesses
    • local charity shops.

    Get things repaired

    Instead of automatically replacing broken or damaged items, consider repairing them.

    Explore local repair cafes, workshops, or DIY repair tutorials to extend the lifespan of products and minimise waste.

    A great place to start is the Tuggeranong Repair Café or the Hawker Community Repair Café.

    The handy team of volunteers can help fix a range of items including household electrical items, clothing, laptops, tablets and mobile phones and more.

    Find out more about the Tuggeranong Repair Café or learn more about the Hawker Community Repair Café.

    Connect with your community

    Get involved in local community initiatives focused on waste reduction and circular economy practices. These might include:

    • neighbourhood clean-up events
    • clothing swaps
    • community gardens
    • composting and food waste reduction.

    By working together, Canberrans can create positive change on a larger scale.

    Live in an apartment building? Consider working with a local collection and composting service.

    Do your research

    Make informed choices about what to buy and where to buy it. Prioritise products that are:

    • durable
    • energy-efficient
    • made from recycled or renewable materials.

    Shop second-hand

    Buying your items second-hand helps reduce waste to landfill and is typically more affordable.

    Ways to buy second-hand goods include:

    • local charity shops
    • vintage stores or boutiques
    • markets, such as the Old Bus Depot Markets
    • Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace.

    Make your own

    Your Libraries ACT card comes with access to Creativebug, an online platform with art and craft video classes. There are classes on making and repairing clothes, knitting, and crocheting. There are also courses on how to make home décor or craft projects that make brilliant gifts for friends and family.

    Keep an eye on the Tuggeranong Repair Café and Hawker Community Repair Café who sometimes offer repair workshops where you can learn skills from local volunteers.

    Growing your own produce is another way to prevent food wastage and resources. New to gardening? Learn how to grow veggies at home in Canberra.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: New 30-unit public housing development opens in Tuggeranong

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The new homes vary in size and cater to a wide range of needs.

    A new 30-unit public housing development has opened in Tuggeranong and is ready to welcome tenants.

    The unit complex is one of the largest public housing developments delivered under the ACT Government’s Growing and Renewing Public Housing program.

    The program, launched in 2019, aims to deliver 1,400 renewed or new public homes by mid-2027, which will increase the total number of public housing in the ACT by 400.

    The new homes cater to a wide range of needs and are Class C Adaptable, making them suitable for people with disability and people as they grow older.

    The development features an onsite playground and a range of unit sizes, from one-bedroom to four-bedroom.

    They have each been completed with above-standard energy efficiency ratings, to provide tenants greater comfort and increased affordability.

    The development is located close to shops, services and transport, as well Lake Tuggeranong and surrounding parks, allowing residents easy access to Tuggeranong’s outdoor spaces.

    The ACT has the second-highest proportion of public housing out of any jurisdiction in the country.

    The ACT Government’s Growing and Renewing Public Housing program is on track to meet its targets.

    More than 640 homes have already been built or bought, and another 577 are in the construction pipeline.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Construction begins on new Belco half-pipe

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Katie Pike will no longer need to travel interstate to train for skating competitions.

    The new competition-standard half-pipe at Belconnen skatepark is another step closer.

    With off-site fabrication underway, construction has now started on site to expand the skatepark alongside the legendary ‘Belco Bowl’.

    Fencing of the site has been completed with works over the coming weeks to include demolition activities to provide access to site and earthworks to start preparing the area for the future half-pipe.

    The concrete slab is in place and the on-site assembly of the prefabricated metal and wooden ramps is underway.

    The new half-pipe is expected to open to the public early in the second half of 2024.

    The Canberra Skateboarding Association and Canberra BMX Club have called for improvements to Canberra skate parks.

    The city’s skate culture is already strong, and the sport is growing in popularity.

    Belconnen is Canberra’s best-known skatepark and already considered world-class by many enthusiasts.

    Also known as a vertical or vert ramp, the new half-pipe will take ACT skating to another level, growing the city’s appeal to both national and international skaters.

    Young Canberra skater and international competitor Katie Pike is excited about the development.

    “I’m really looking forward to having a competition vert ramp in my home skatepark,” she said.

    “That will help me out a lot because obviously I have to travel to Sydney to skate competition vert ramps and now that we have one in Canberra it will be a lot easier. Instead of having to travel most weeks I can just train five minutes away from home.”

    Joel Bliss, another local skater, is also enthusiastic.

    “I’ve been waiting, I think, my whole Canberra skating life for this moment,” he said.

    “The first sessions are going to be amazing. I’ll probably just drop in and roll around for a while to get used to it. Because these ramps are big! The vert ramps we are used to around here are like mini ramps in comparison to this actual proper-sized ramp, so the speed you get on these things is just a thing in itself.

    “It’s going to be unreal and there will be skaters from all over Australia that will come when they hear about it. It’s going to be a good thing. I can’t wait,” Joel said.

    The ACT Government manages seven skateparks and another 12 parks that feature skating facilities across Canberra.

    These cater not only to skateboarders but also cyclists, scooters, rollerbladers and rollerskaters.

    “I think it’s really good and I think it will help with the progression of skating in Canberra,” Katie said.

    The competition-standard half-pipe is funded by both the ACT Government and the Australian Government under the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

    Joel Bliss can’t wait for the new half-pipe to be completed.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Construction starts on Franklin Dog Park

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Canberrans are keen for spaces where their dogs can run free.

    Work has begun on the new Franklin Dog Park, located in the open space bound by Nullarbor Avenue and Oodgeroo Avenue.

    Major works are expected to take approximately nine months to complete (weather permitting), meaning Gungahlin dog owners should be able to use it next summer.

    The new fully fenced dog park will be the third in Gungahlin and the eighth in Canberra.

    Its design follows community consultation in 2022.

    Key features include:

    • 2,870m2 fenced recreational area
    • Accessible loop path within the perimeter of the dog park
    • Gravel car park with seven car spaces, including two accessible spaces and four bike rails
    • Picnic shelter, seating and drinking fountain
    • Dog agility area with some play elements including low and tall bar jumps, weave poles, pyramid ramp, hoop tunnels and log balance beams
    • Irrigated grass area for ball and frisbee play
    • Dog poo bag dispensers and bins.

    There will also be 48 new trees planted for canopy cover, and additional shade once matured.

    The ACT has one of Australia’s highest rates of pet ownership. Community feedback revealed Canberrans want space for their dogs to run free and a variety of terrains for dogs to explore and use their sense of smell.

    Fenced dog exercise areas contribute to the effective management of dogs in public spaces by providing a controlled space where dogs can freely exercise and play. They also assist in alleviating the pressure on shared recreational areas.

    There are several other projects currently underway across Canberra to provide more recreational opportunities for people and their dogs.

    The new fenced dog park planned for the Lanyon Valley will provide more spaces for southsiders to socialise and exercise their dogs.

    The Lanyon Valley dog park will include many of the same features as Franklin, including a grass play and agility areas, shade structures and seating.

    A construction tender for that park will be released around the middle of the year.

    Improvements to public open spaces present additional opportunities for on-leash dog walks.

    These include improvements to the Tuggeranong foreshore, which are nearly complete, and upgrades to the Lake Ginninderra path circuit and Yerrabi Pond District Park.

    Stay up to date on the suburban infrastructure projects being delivered, including playgrounds, local shopping centres and dog parks, at cityservices.act.gov.au/bettersuburbs.

    The park will be located in the open space bound by Nullarbor Avenue and Oodgeroo Avenue.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: The dog owner’s guide to Tuggeranong

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Tuggeranong has over 30 dog off-leash areas and one dog park, with another on the way.

    Tuggeranong is a dog friendly region of Canberra, with plenty of on-leash and off-leash open spaces for you and your four-legged friend to explore together.

    Here are some of our favourite spots:

    Dog parks

    There is one dog park in Tuggeranong, with another one on its way.

    Greenway – Mortimer Lewis Drive, Lake Tuggeranong

    Located next to the picturesque Lake Tuggeranong, this scenic dog park is an ideal spot for your dog to socialise and play.

    Large eucalyptus trees provide shade and there are large grassy areas. There are also benches so you can take a seat while your dog plays nearby.

    There are two separate play areas: one for smaller dogs, and one for larger dogs.

    Lanyon dog park – corner of Jim Pike Avenue and Woodcock Avenue, Gordon

    Design work is progressing for a new fenced dog park near Point Hut Pond. Construction is expected to begin later in 2024.

    Find more information and keep up to date.

    Off-leash areas

    There are over 30 areas that are dog off-leash in the Tuggeranong region.

    Point Hut Pond

    On hot days, take your dog to the western riverbank of Point Hut Crossing and Point Hut Bond. There are dog swimming spaces where your pooch can have a paddle before running themselves dry on the riverbank.

    Calwell Playing Fields

    With plenty of open space, Calwell Playing Fields is the perfect spot for zoomies or a game of fetch.

    It’s important to know that ovals or sportsgrounds are conditional spaces. This means that if the oval is in use (i.e. when it is booked for formal sport, including training sessions), you and your dog will need to come back later.

    Fadden Pines District Park

    The side of this park closest to the Futsal Centre (the opposite side to the playground and skate park) is a dog off-leash area. There’s a large grassy area perfect for playing, and shady trees throughout the area.

    There are public toilets on the other side of the park near the barbecue area. However, remember that when in use, all playgrounds, picnic areas and barbecue areas (as well as sportsgrounds) become dog prohibited areas. If they’re not in use, you’re able to venture into this area with your dog on their lead.

    Simpsons Hill, Chisholm

    This area is perfect for active dogs. There’s a grassy hill with lots of trees and space to run around.

    On-leash areas

    All streets, verges, footpaths and cycle paths are on-leash areas. You’ll also need to keep your dog on-leash if you’re within 10 metres either side of the path.

    Lakes are also dog on-leash areas unless otherwise signposted.

    Remember that regardless of where you are, it’s an offence not to pick up your dog droppings. You can receive a $150 fine for not picking up your dog’s droppings, and a $75 fine for not carrying appropriate equipment to collect your dog’s droppings. Keeping poo bags on hand near your leash (and using them to clean up after your dog) is an easy way to avoid copping a fine!

    Learn more about local spots to take your dog or view on-leash, off-leash, conditional off-leash and dog prohibited areas on ACTmapi’s dog exercise area map.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: New West Belconnen public housing ready for tenants

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    There are nine new units complete.

    Nine new public housing units in West Belconnen are now complete and ready to welcome tenants.

    The homes have been developed under the ACT Government’s Growing and Renewing Public Housing Program, which has seen more than 475 homes built and a further 577 under design or construction since the launch of the program in July 2019.

    The new homes add to the category of public housing in highest demand: approximately 80 per cent of all housing applicants can be housed in a two-bedroom dwelling.

    Each of the homes is equipped with Class C adaptable features, suitable for people with different mobility and accessibility needs, and support tenants to age in place.

    They are located close to a school, shops, and transport and feature a 7-star energy rating, offering greater comfort and increased affordability for tenants.

    The program demonstrates the ACT Government’s commitment to providing high-quality public housing that caters to tenants’ needs.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: ACT Social Enterprise Grant Program funding announced

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Both Thor’s Hammer and Women’s Shed Canberra are grant recipients.

    Fourteen social enterprises have been successful in the ACT Government’s new social enterprise grants program.

    The ACT Social Enterprise Grant Program aims to support new social enterprises to start up, and help existing social enterprises to take the next step in their business journey.

    The 14 enterprises will share in $340,000, to help get their ideas off the ground with the support of The Mill House Ventures.

    The Mill House Ventures is delivering the grant program on behalf of the ACT Government, and will work with the recipients to help them achieve their purpose.

    “As the key organisation supporting social enterprises in the ACT, The Mill House Ventures is thrilled that these grants will provide so much practical assistance to our region’s early stage and start up social enterprises,” CEO at The Mill House Ventures Craig Fairweather said.

    “The independent assessment panel had a very difficult, but rewarding, task in determining the final list of successful grant recipients.”

    The recipients are highly motivated and committed to supporting the local Canberra community, providing solutions to challenges and building resilience.

    Grant recipients include:

    • Women’s Shed Canberra, which offers women of all backgrounds, ethnicities, orientations, an ability to meet and to learn skills in building trades within a safe and supportive community.
    • GetAboutAble, a leading Australian accessibility consultancy that supports businesses and other organisations to improve their access and inclusion.
    • The Climate Factory, an organisation facilitating the creation of climate-cooling microforests in suburban locations, promoting biodiversity and fostering community engagement in environmental initiatives.

    The delivery of social enterprise grants was identified as a transformative project in CBR Switched On: ACT’s Economic Development Priorities 2022 – 2025.

    ACT Social Enterprise Grant Program recipients:

    • Her Kitchen Table ($30,000)
    • Women’s Shed Canberra ($30,000)
    • The Climate Factory ($29,915)
    • Fundraise for Australia ($12,500)
    • GetAboutAble ($30,000)
    • RecycleAbilities ($29,000)
    • SeeMe Please ($30,000)
    • Accessilife ($20,000)
    • Endless Australia ($30,000)
    • Catalyst Living Skills ($30,000)
    • ShowGo ($28,585)
    • U Shape Us ($20,000)
    • Warehouse Circus ($10,000)
    • The Easy Read Toolbox ($10,000)

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Expanding Inpatient Capacity at State Mental Health Facilities

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that 125 new beds have opened at state-operated psychiatric centers over the past four months, boosting New York’s capacity to provide intermediate-level care to individuals living with mental illness. Opened statewide since December 1, 2024, the new beds represent more than a third of the capacity added at state psychiatric centers since Governor Hochul took office in 2022 — the largest inpatient expansion at these facilities in decades.

    “New Yorkers living with longer-term psychiatric challenges need access to care they can count on and that’s what these new beds promise to deliver,” Governor Hochul said. “Adding new capacity complements other critical investments we’re making in mental health care, including an expansion of outpatient supports, services and specialized housing to help individuals in recovery live safely in their community.”

    OMH has added 125 new beds split between five state psychiatric centers during the first three months of 2025. This expansion added 60 adult beds, 15 children’s beds and 50 forensic beds, including:

    • 25 beds at the Greater Binghamton Psychiatric Center in Binghamton
    • 25 beds at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens
    • 10 beds at Capital District Psychiatric Center in Albany
    • 15 beds at Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg
    • 25 beds at Kirby Psychiatric Center in Manhattan
    • 25 beds at Rochester Psychiatric Center in Rochester

    With these additions, Governor Hochul has brought 875 beds online since taking office, including 325 new beds at state-operated psychiatric centers, and 550 beds restored at community-based hospitals. An additional 75 beds are in planning for three Transition to Home units slated to begin opening at the Creedmoor campus in 2026.

    The first 25-bed Transition to Home unit opened at Manhattan Psychiatric Center in late 2022, with a second 25-bed unit opening several months later. These units provide recovery-focused treatment specifically designed for individuals with severe mental illnesses who are experiencing homelessness.

    In addition to this expansion at state facilities, Governor Hochul has helped restore 550 beds that were offline at community-based hospital beds statewide. These hospitals typically serve individuals requiring shorter term care –often several weeks or less –while the state psychiatric centers provide longer-term treatment that can last months.

    Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “Our focus is to ensure all New Yorkers can access the right level of care whenever and wherever they need it. In addition to expanding both acute and intermediate inpatient capacity, we are also investing in outpatient supports and specialized housing to help people receive mental health care in the setting most appropriate for their need. Governor Hochul’s continued commitment to strengthening our mental health system is creating one that is truly responsive to the needs of all New Yorkers.”

    Governor Hochul’s signature $1 billion investment into strengthening New York State’s mental health care system and her subsequent budget initiatives have resulted in a significant expansion of outpatient services. This includes tripling the number of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics statewide from 13 to 39, which provide mental health and substance use disorder services to anyone who walks in the door.

    This plan has added 24 new adult and young adult Assertive Community Treatment teams, with an additional 16 teams under development. This ongoing expansion will significantly increase the capacity of these teams to treat New Yorkers most in need within their communities, rather than in more restrictive hospital settings.

    Governor Hochul’s plan has funded 22 new Youth ACT teams. These multi-disciplinary teams are designed to address the significant needs of children ages 10 up to 21, who are at risk of entering, or are returning home from high intensity services, such as inpatient settings or residential services.

    Additionally, the State has added 31 new Critical Time Intervention teams under the Governor’s initiative to provide care management services and support that help people during transitions in care, including when they leave inpatient settings. An additional 19 teams are in planning.

    Governor Hochul’s mental health initiative has also expanded the ‘Safe Options Support’ program to operate in all five boroughs of New York City and throughout the state, helping more than 970 chronically homeless individuals into permanent housing. There are now 17 teams operating throughout New York City, one on Long Island and 10 in communities in upstate.

    To date, the plan has provided funding for 1,276 units of new specialized housing, with an additional 2,224 housing units in the pipeline. This housing includes community residence-single room occupancy units, supportive housing-single room occupancy units and short term transitional residential units.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: YMX Logistics CEO Speaking on Panel at ACT Expo on the Electrification of Yard Operations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HENDERSON, Nev., April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YMX Logistics, a national leader in integrated yard logistics, including gate management, spotting and shuttling services, trailer rentals, and yard management technology solutions, announces that CEO Matt Yearling will participate on a panel at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, discussing the electrification of logistics.

    Warehouse Sector: Logistics from Storage to Shipment will take place on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM in Room 157 – 159 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. The panel of logistics experts will explore cutting-edge strategies and technologies to maximize the efficiency of distribution centers and manufacturing plants’ operations.

    Manufacturing and distribution facilities are under pressure to improve efficiencies and reduce costs. Discover how technologies like yard trucks, forklifts, and pallet jacks lead the transition to alternative fuels in warehouse operations.

    “With substantial reductions in fuel costs, maintenance expenses, and carbon emissions, EV yard trucks are emerging as a strategic necessity rather than a luxury,” says Matt Yearling, CEO of YMX Logistics. “For enterprise shippers looking to optimize yard operations without taking on the burden of fleet ownership, outsourcing to a specialized yard logistics provider that deploys EV yard trucks offers a scalable, cost-effective path to efficiency and sustainability.”

    Matt Yearling is a strong advocate for electrifying yard operations and will be discussing the need for how yard operations must evolve. He will discuss how YMX has created a new gold standard for yard operations, delivering operational excellence through service excellence, electrification, technology enablement, and process optimization. YMX recently introduced YMS OS, a proprietary logistics framework designed to optimize YMX yard operations through technology-enabled insights and execution. YMX OS is redefining how enterprise yard operations can create value at the intersection of operations and technology.

    Matt will also discuss whether enterprises should manage the transition to EV trucks in-house or outsource yard management to a yard logistics provider. Outsourcing yard operations to an integrated yard logistics provider that operates EV yard trucks can unlock immediate benefits like cost reduction, fuel savings, and lower maintenance costs.

    ACT Expo is the largest conference and trade show highlighting the most advanced transportation technologies and renewable fuels available in the marketplace today. The show serves as the official annual meeting place for 12,000+ transportation leaders looking to gain insight and hands-on access to the fuels, technologies, and vehicles driving the future of transportation. ACT Expo features dozens of product debuts and significant announcements from leading OEMs and suppliers, unparalleled networking opportunities with the industry’s most influential and progressive leaders, peer-to-peer learning for progressive fleet operators, and access to the most extensive assembly of advanced commercial vehicles anywhere.

    ABOUT YMX

    YMX Logistics is trusted by the world’s largest shippers and specializes in sustainable and optimized integrated yard logistics operations, spotting and shuttling services, and yard management technology solutions. With a team that brings decades of experience working for large shippers, Silicon Valley innovators, and top-tier consulting firms, YMX delivers reliable and high-performance outsourced yard and transportation operations to enterprise customers and Fortune 500 companies in the retail, manufacturing, and distribution sectors across North America. For more information, please visit ymxlogistics.com. 

    For More Information, Contact:
    Becky Boyd
    MediaFirst PR
    Cell: (404) 421-8497
    Email: Becky@MediaFirst.Net

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Emory S. Land departs Darwin

    Source: United States Navy

    DARWIN, Northern Territory, Australia (April 2, 2025) – The submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) departed Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, following a routine port visit, April 2, 2025. During the visit, Emory S. Land provided logistical support to the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN 783).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: How will the start-up timing of the new U.S. LNG export facilities affect our forecast?

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-depth analysis

    April 3, 2025

    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), March 2025
    Note: Earlier scenario assumes start-up dates two-to-five months earlier than announced by project developers; Later scenario assumes start-up dates six months later than announced by project developers.

    U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) represent the largest source of natural gas demand growth in our March 2025 Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), with LNG gross exports expected to increase by 19% to 14.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2025 and by 15% to 16.4 Bcf/d in 2026. The start-up timing of two new LNG export facilities—Plaquemines LNG Phase 2 (consisting of 18 midscale trains) and Golden Pass LNG—could significantly affect our forecast because these facilities represent 19% of incremental U.S. LNG export capacity in 2025–26.

    To illustrate the possible range of outcomes, we varied the assumed start-up dates of these new facilities compared with the baseline in our March 2025 STEO. This enabled us to quantify the changes in natural gas feedgas demand that would result from earlier or later start-up dates and discuss the implications for domestic supply-demand balances, prices, and storage. This analysis is limited only to the effects on natural gas; we did not examine the repercussions of each scenario on other areas of the energy sector.

    Which projects are driving the increase in LNG exports?

    LNG exports from the United States have increased every year since 2016, rising from 0.5 Bcf/d in 2016 to 11.9 Bcf/d in 2024, making the United States the world’s largest LNG exporter in 2023 and 2024. Increasing international demand for natural gas and the buildout of U.S. LNG export facilities have enabled this growth. We expect U.S. LNG exports to continue growing, driven by the start-up of three new facilities: Plaquemines LNG (Phases 1 and 2), Corpus Christi LNG Stage 3, and Golden Pass LNG. These facilities have a combined nominal export capacity of 5.3 Bcf/d (up to 6.3 Bcf/d peak capacity) and will expand the existing U.S. LNG export capacity by almost 50% once these projects become fully operational. Plaquemines LNG Phase 1 started LNG exports in December 2024, and we assume that this facility will fully ramp up by April 2025. Corpus Christi Stage 3 produced its first LNG cargo in February 2025, and we assume that the project will place all seven midscale trains in service by the end of 2026.

    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Liquefaction Capacity File; trade press
    Note: Bcf/d=billion cubic feet per day; LNG=liquefied natural gas

    What scenarios did we develop and analyze?

    The start-up timing of exports, or in-service date (ISD), for Golden Pass and Plaquemines LNG Phase 2 is uncertain and could affect our STEO forecast of natural gas supply and demand balances, storage, and prices. Differences between our estimate of a project’s ISD and the actual ISD can arise due to accelerated or delayed construction times, for example.

    We developed two scenarios around our March 2025 STEO—the Earlier scenario, which assumed start-up dates two-to-five months earlier than announced by project developers, and the Later scenario, which assumed start-up dates six months later than announced by project developers.

    Data source: U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) filings, announcements by terminal developers, trade press
    Note: Consistent with Venture Global’s initial regulatory filings, we use Plaquemines Phase 2 to refer to the project’s Blocks 10–18 (corresponding to Trains 19–36); each block contains two single mixed refrigerant process trains, a refrigerant storage site, and piping that connects the refrigerant storage site and the process trains. Golden Pass T2 and T3 fall into or out of the STEO forecast depending on the in-service date. The March Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) forecast period ends in December 2026; any in-service date later than that is not included in our STEO forecast. The Earlier scenario assumes start-up dates two-to-five months earlier than announced by project developers; the Later scenario assumes start-up dates six months later than announced by project developers. Bcf/d=billion cubic feet per day

    The assumed ISDs of the new U.S. LNG export facilities in our March 2025 STEO are based on public announcements by the terminal developers and filings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). We assume each facility undergoes an initial ramp-up period during which it operates below its nominal capacity while the developers gradually prepare various systems to enter full production mode. When the ramp-up period ends but before commercial service with the start of long-term contracts begins, we assume LNG exports from the new facilities will be dispatched based on global demand.

    In each of the scenarios, we applied the same assumptions of ramp-up periods for the new LNG export facilities, during which liquefaction trains are gradually brought up to full production capacity over a period of several months.

    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), March 2025
    Note: Liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity of the new projects is the nominal capacity. The Earlier scenario assumes start-up dates two-to-five months earlier than announced by project developers; the Later scenario assumes start-up dates six months later than announced by project developers.

    How could various start-up dates affect U.S. LNG export volumes?

    Compared with the March 2025 STEO, U.S. LNG exports are lower in the Later scenario and higher in the Earlier scenario; the largest volume difference in both scenarios occurs in 2026. The Earlier scenario results in 0.2 Bcf/d more LNG exports in 2025 and 0.5 Bcf/d more LNG exports in 2026 compared with the March STEO. The Later scenario results in 0.2 Bcf/d fewer LNG exports in 2025 and 0.8 Bcf/d fewer LNG exports in 2026.

    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), March 2025
    Note: The Earlier scenario assumes start-up dates two-to-five months earlier than announced by project developers; the Later scenario assumes start-up dates six months later than announced by project developers. LNG=liquefied natural gas

    How could differences in LNG exports affect U.S. natural gas prices and inventories?

    In the March 2025 STEO, annual demand exceeds supply in both 2025 and 2026, leading to lower inventories and increasing Henry Hub prices in both years. We forecast the Henry Hub natural gas spot price will almost double from an average of about $2.20 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in 2024 to an average of nearly $4.20/MMBtu in 2025 and increase an additional 7% to average just under $4.50/MMBtu in 2026.

    Varying levels of LNG exports translate directly to changes in demand for domestic natural gas to supply feedgas to the LNG facilities, affecting natural gas inventories, supply, and prices. For example, in the Later scenario where LNG exports are lower compared with the March 2025 STEO, we would expect to see reduced feedgas demand result in higher volumes of natural gas in underground storage, all else being equal, that would also likely result in lower natural gas prices. Conversely, higher LNG exports in the Earlier scenario would result in lower volumes in underground storage and likely higher natural gas prices, all else being equal.

    Lower natural gas prices tend to lead to more consumption of natural gas in the electric power sector because of the flexibility in that sector to switch between fuel sources. This increased consumption in the electric power sector would lead to more overall natural gas demand, offsetting the lower demand for LNG exports that results from our Later scenario. Higher natural gas prices, which could result from our Earlier scenario, tend to decrease demand for natural gas in the electric power sector, potentially offsetting some of the increased demand for LNG exports in that scenario.

    On the supply side, changes in natural gas prices tend to affect domestic natural gas production with a delay of about six months, with lower prices typically resulting in lower production and higher prices typically resulting in higher production. Natural gas price changes mainly affect regions that produce mostly natural gas with limited co-production of crude oil and other liquids, such as in the Haynesville and Appalachia regions. Natural gas production in areas such as the Permian region, where natural gas production is primarily associated natural gas, tends to not be affected as much by changes in the natural gas price alone. As new LNG facilities on the Gulf Coast begin operating, we expect natural gas production—particularly in the Haynesville region because of its proximity to these facilities—would increase to meet the increased demand.

    Principal contributors: Victoria Zaretskaya, Corrina Ricker

    Tags: international, natural gas, pipelines, exports/imports, LNG (liquefied natural gas), forecasts/projections, infrastructure, production/supply, United States, STEO (Short-Term Energy Outlook), inventories/stocks

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Pinewood Technologies Group PLC to Present at the AI & Technology Virtual Investor Conference April 3rd

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pinewood Technologies Group PLC (OTCQX : PINWF | LSE: PINE ), based in Birmingham, UK a global Automotive Intelligence™ Platform Provider, that offers innovative solutions to the automotive industry, today announced that Bill Berman, Chief Executive Officer, will present live at the AI & Technology Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on April 3rd, 2025

    DATE: April 3rd
    TIME: 09:00 AM ET
    LINK: REGISTER HERE
    Available for 1×1 meetings: April 7th, 8th, and 9th

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

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

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

    Recent Company Highlights

    • On 1 April 2025 Pinewood Technologies Group PLC posted its FY Results which included FY24 underlying profit before tax of £8.5m, ahead of consensus analyst expectations, strong revenue growth driven by efficient completion of the Lithia UK system rollout and Pinewood now supplies 5 of top 20 UK dealership groups, with total users up 6.3%
    • In February 2025 Pinewood bolstered its AI offering after completing the acquisition of Dubai-based Seez App Holding Ltd., an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-powered automotive solutions platform, for $46.2 million.
    • In February 2025 Pinewood Technologies Group PLC entered a five-year contract with Global Auto Holdings PLC to implement the Pinewood Automotive Intelligence™ platform into all its owned dealerships across the UK, North America and Scandinavia.
    • In October 2024, Pinewood confirmed a 5-year contract with Marshall Motor Group (Marshalls) to implement the Pinewood.AI systems into their stores. Marshalls is one of the leading automotive retailers in the United Kingdom with circa 120 dealerships and is part of the Constellation Automotive Group, which also includes cinch, BCA and webuyanycar.

    About Pinewood Technologies Group PLC

    About Pinewood.AI

    First established in 1981, Pinewood Technologies Group PLC, operating as Pinewood.AI (Pinewood Automotive Intelligence™) is a global Automotive Intelligence Platform provider, offering innovative solutions to automotive retailers and OEMs. Pinewood.AI’s system is a market-leading automotive intelligence platform, which has been developed collaboratively with dealers and OEMs to provide full end-to-end secure cloud-based software across sales, aftersales, accounting and CRM. Headquartered in the UK, Pinewood.AI has a team of over 200 people serving customers across 21 countries and long-standing partnerships with over 50 OEM brands. LSE: PINE, OTCQX: PINW

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

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

    CONTACTS:
    Pinewood Technologies Group PLC
    Kim Costello
    Global Chief Marketing Officer
    +44 (0)121 697 6600
    Kim@pinewood.ai

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, February 2025

    Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

    The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $122.7 billion in February, down $8.0 billion from $130.7 billion in January, revised.

    U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Deficit
    Deficit: $122.7 Billion  –6.1%°
    Exports: $278.5 Billion  +2.9%°
    Imports: $401.1 Billion     0.0%°

    Next release: Tuesday, May 6, 2025

    (°) Statistical significance is not applicable or not measurable. Data adjusted for seasonality but not price changes

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, April 3, 2025

    Exports, Imports, and Balance (exhibit 1)

    February exports were $278.5 billion, $8.0 billion more than January exports. February imports were $401.1 billion, less than $0.1 billion less than January imports.

    The February decrease in the goods and services deficit reflected a decrease in the goods deficit of $8.8 billion to $147.0 billion and a decrease in the services surplus of $0.8 billion to $24.3 billion.

    Year-to-date, the goods and services deficit increased $117.1 billion, or 86.0 percent, from the same period in 2024. Exports increased $24.0 billion or 4.6 percent. Imports increased $141.2 billion or 21.4 percent.

    Three-Month Moving Averages (exhibit 2)

    The average goods and services deficit increased $14.8 billion to $117.1 billion for the three months ending in February.

    • Average exports increased $1.6 billion to $271.8 billion in February.
    • Average imports increased $16.5 billion to $389.0 billion in February.

    Year-over-year, the average goods and services deficit increased $50.1 billion from the three months ending in February 2024.

    • Average exports increased $10.2 billion from February 2024.
    • Average imports increased $60.3 billion from February 2024.

    Exports (exhibits 3, 6, and 7)

    Exports of goods increased $8.3 billion to $181.9 billion in February.

      Exports of goods on a Census basis increased $6.2 billion.

    • Industrial supplies and materials increased $3.0 billion.
      • Nonmonetary gold increased $3.2 billion.
      • Fuel oil decreased $1.0 billion.
    • Capital goods increased $2.7 billion.
      • Computer accessories increased $0.9 billion.
      • Civilian aircraft increased $0.5 billion.
    • Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines increased $1.6 billion.
      • Passenger cars increased $1.0 billion.
      • Trucks, buses, and special purpose vehicles increased $0.6 billion.
    • Other goods decreased $1.3 billion. (See the “Notice” for more information.)

      Net balance of payments adjustments increased $2.1 billion.

    Exports of services decreased $0.4 billion to $96.5 billion in February.

    • Transport decreased $0.3 billion.
    • Travel decreased $0.3 billion.
    • Government goods and services decreased $0.2 billion.
    • Financial services increased $0.2 billion.

    Imports (exhibits 4, 6, and 8)

    Imports of goods decreased $0.5 billion to $328.9 billion in February.

      Imports of goods on a Census basis decreased $0.6 billion.

    • Industrial supplies and materials decreased $4.2 billion.
      • Finished metal shapes decreased $2.6 billion.
      • Nonmonetary gold decreased $1.3 billion
    • Consumer goods increased $2.4 billion.
      • Cell phones and other household goods increased $1.5 billion.
      • Pharmaceutical preparations increased $1.2 billion.
    • Capital goods increased $1.0 billion.
      • Computers increased $0.7 billion.
      • Medical equipment increased $0.5 billion.
      • Civilian aircraft decreased $0.7 billion.

      Net balance of payments adjustments increased $0.1 billion.

    Imports of services increased $0.5 billion to $72.2 billion in February.

    • Travel increased $0.2 billion.
    • Charges for the use of intellectual property increased $0.1 billion.

    Real Goods in 2017 Dollars – Census Basis (exhibit 11)

    The real goods deficit decreased $6.9 billion, or 4.8 percent, to $135.4 billion in February, compared to a 4.4 percent decrease in the nominal deficit.

    • Real exports of goods increased $4.9 billion, or 3.4 percent, to $147.9 billion, compared to a 3.6 percent increase in nominal exports.
    • Real imports of goods decreased $2.0 billion, or 0.7 percent, to $283.3 billion, compared to a 0.2 percent decrease in nominal imports.

    Revisions

    Revisions to January exports

    • Exports of goods were revised up $0.8 billion.
    • Exports of services were revised down $0.2 billion.

    Revisions to January imports

    • Imports of goods were revised down $0.1 billion.
    • Imports of services were revised up $0.1 billion.

    Goods by Selected Countries and Areas: Monthly – Census Basis (exhibit 19)

    The February figures show surpluses, in billions of dollars, with South and Central America ($4.8), Netherlands ($4.1), United Kingdom ($3.4), Hong Kong ($2.4), Belgium ($0.8), Brazil ($0.4), and Saudi Arabia ($0.2). Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with European Union ($30.9), China ($26.6), Switzerland ($18.8), Mexico ($16.8), Ireland ($14.0), Vietnam ($12.4), Taiwan ($8.7), Germany ($8.1), Canada ($7.3), India ($5.6), Japan ($5.2), Italy ($5.1), South Korea ($4.5), Malaysia ($3.1), Australia ($2.1), France ($1.5), Singapore ($1.1), and Israel ($0.7).

    • The deficit with Switzerland decreased $4.0 billion to $18.8 billion in February. Exports increased $0.7 billion to $2.5 billion and imports decreased $3.3 billion to $21.3 billion.
    • The balance with the United Kingdom shifted from a deficit of $0.5 billion in January to a surplus of $3.4 billion in February. Exports increased $3.3 billion to $9.5 billion and imports decreased $0.6 billion to $6.1 billion.
    • The deficit with the European Union increased $5.4 billion to $30.9 billion in February. Exports decreased $2.3 billion to $29.9 billion and imports increased $3.2 billion to $60.8 billion.

    All statistics referenced are seasonally adjusted; statistics are on a balance of payments basis unless otherwise specified. Additional statistics, including not seasonally adjusted statistics and details for goods on a Census basis, are available in exhibits 1-20b of this release. For information on data sources, definitions, and revision procedures, see the explanatory notes in this release. The full release can be found at www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/current_press_release/index.html or www.bea.gov/data/intl-trade-investment/international-trade-goods-and-services. The full schedule is available in the Census Bureau’s Economic Briefing Room at www.census.gov/economic-indicators/ or on BEA’s website at www.bea.gov/news/schedule.

    Next release: May 6, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. EDT
    U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, March 2025

    Notice

    Impact of Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Release of CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM)

    The CBSA introduced a new accounting system (CARM) on October 21, 2024. As a result, importers in Canada have experienced delays in filing shipment information. These delays affected the compilation of statistics on U.S. exports of goods to Canada for September 2024 through February 2025, which are derived from data compiled by Canada through the United States – Canada Data Exchange. A dollar estimate of the filing backlog is included in estimates for late receipts and, following the U.S. Census Bureau’s customary practice for late receipt estimates, is included in the export end-use category “Other goods” as well as in exports to Canada. This estimate will be replaced with the actual transactions reported by the Harmonized System classification in June 2025 with the release of “U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, Annual Revision.” Until then, please refer to the supplemental spreadsheet “CARM Exports to Canada Corrections,” which provides a breakdown of the late receipts by 1-digit end-use category for statistics through 2024. This spreadsheet will be updated as late export transactions are received to reflect reassignments from the initial “Other goods” category to the appropriate 1-digit end-use category. Any 2025 impacts will be revised in June 2026.

    If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Census Bureau, Economic Indicators Division, International Trade Macro Analysis Branch, on 800-549-0595, option 4, or at eid.international.trade.data@census.gov.

    Upcoming Updates to Goods and Services

    With the releases of the “U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services” report (FT-900) and the FT-900 Annual Revision on June 5, 2025, statistics on trade in goods, on both a Census basis and a balance of payments (BOP) basis, will be revised beginning with 2020 and statistics on trade in services will be revised beginning with 2018. The revised statistics for goods on a BOP basis and for services will also be included in the “U.S. International Transactions, 1st Quarter 2025 and Annual Update” report and in the international transactions interactive database, both to be released by BEA on June 24, 2025.

    Revised statistics on trade in goods will reflect:

    • Corrections and adjustments to previously published not seasonally adjusted statistics for goods on a Census basis.
    • End-use reclassifications of several commodities.
    • Recalculated seasonal and trading-day adjustments.
    • Newly available and revised source data on BOP adjustments, which are adjustments that BEA applies to goods on a Census basis to convert them to a BOP basis. See the “Goods (balance of payments basis)” section in the explanatory notes for more information.

    Revised statistics on trade in services will reflect:

    • Newly available and revised source data, primarily from BEA surveys of international services.
    • Corrections and adjustments to previously published not seasonally adjusted statistics.
    • Recalculated seasonal adjustments.
    • Revised temporal distributions of quarterly source data to monthly statistics. See the “Services” section in the explanatory notes for more information.

    A preview of BEA’s 2025 annual update of the International Transactions Accounts will be available in the Survey of Current Business later in April 2025.

    If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Census Bureau, Economic Indicators Division, International Trade Macro Analysis Branch, on (800) 549-0595, option 4, or at eid.international.trade.data@census.gov or BEA, Balance of Payments Division, at InternationalAccounts@bea.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CISA and Partners Issue Fast Flux Cybersecurity Advisory

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) joined the National Security Agency (NSA) and other government and international partners to release a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) that warns organizations, internet service providers (ISPs), and cybersecurity service providers about fast flux enabled malicious activities that consistently evade detection. The CSA also provides recommended actions to defend against fast flux. 

    An ongoing threat, fast flux networks create resilient adversary infrastructure used to evade tracking and blocking. Such infrastructure can be used for cyberattacks such as phishing, command and control of botnets, and data exfiltration. This advisory provides several techniques that should be implemented for a multi-layered security approach including DNS and internet protocol (IP) blocking and sinkholing; enhanced monitoring and logging; phishing awareness and training for users; and reputational filtering. 

     ”Threat actors leveraging fast flux techniques remain a threat to government and critical infrastructure organizations. Fast flux makes individual computers in a botnet harder to find and block. A useful solution is to find and block the behavior of fast flux itself,” said CISA Deputy Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity Matt Hartman. “CISA is pleased to join with our government and international partners to provide this important guidance on mitigating and blocking malicious fast flux activity. We encourage organizations to implement the advisory recommendations to reduce risk and strengthen resilience.” 

    The authoring agencies encourage ISPs, cybersecurity service providers and Protective Domain Name System (PDNS) providers to help mitigate this threat by taking proactive steps to develop accurate and reliable fast flux detection analytics and block fast flux activities for their customers. 

    Additional co-sealers for this joint CSA are Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), and New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ). 

     For more information about ongoing security threats, visit CISA Cybersecurity Alerts & Advisories. 

    ###

    About CISA 

    As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.

    Visit CISA.gov for more information and follow us onX, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Medicare Advantage is covering more and more Americans − some because they don’t get to choose

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Grace McCormack, Research scientist of Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California

    Since the mid-2000s, the Medicare system has dramatically transformed. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage – the private alternative to the traditional Medicare program administered by the government – has more than quadrupled. It now accounts for the majority of Medicare enrollment.

    Employers, including state government agencies, are helping drive this growth in Medicare Advantage sign-ups. The increase in people on Medicare Advantage plans burdens taxpayers and means more patients can be denied doctor-ordered care.

    At the same time, it is often difficult for people enrolled in Medicare Advantage to switch to traditional Medicare.

    Medicare insures people 65 or older and some who are younger and disabled. Attracted by lower premiums and co-pays and the promise of extra benefits, many over-65 Medicare beneficiaries are voluntarily choosing Medicare Advantage, often switching away from traditional Medicare when they’re relatively young and healthy.

    At the same time, many private and state employers have shifted their retirement plans so that the health benefit employees have earned counts only toward Medicare Advantage plans that replace traditional Medicare.

    We are health care policy experts who study Medicare, including what’s driving the changes in employer health care subsidies and why health care choices may be difficult for many people.

    Vanishing choices

    As of early 2025, health care subsidies for retired state employees in 13 states don’t include traditional Medicare supplement plans. The subsidies apply only to Medicare Advantage plans.

    In the private sector, just over half of large employers that offer Medicare Advantage have used it to replace traditional Medicare instead of offering their employees a choice.

    When private and state employers drop the option for the Medigap insurance that supplements rather than replaces traditional Medicare, retirees must choose a fully privatized Medicare Advantage plan or pay the full cost of a supplemental Medigap plan on their own. Medigap lowers or removes traditional Medicare’s co-pays and deductibles.

    When a person first enrolls in Medicare, Medigap costs US$30 to $400 a month, depending on coverage and location. But in most states, it can cost more if a person switches into the plan after the first year. There are some protections for people whose employer-sponsored plans change or are canceled. Enrollees should contact their local State Health Insurance Assistance Program advisers to understand their options.

    Altogether, 54% of people using Medicare are now using the private Medicare Advantage program, an increase from 8 million to 33 million between 2007 and 2024.

    Changing times

    After President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law in 1965, older Americans usually received health insurance through the government-administered traditional Medicare health insurance program. The Medigap private insurance for co-pays and deductibles was standardized in 1980.

    Today, a person signing up for Medicare also has, on average, more than 30 Medicare Advantage plan options – privately run alternatives to traditional Medicare and Medigap. The two largest providers, UnitedHealthcare and Humana, administered nearly half of all Medicare Advantage plans in 2024.

    Navigating the current Medicare system can be overwhelming, and the Medicare Advantage option is expensive for taxpayers. As policymakers continue to weigh potential reforms, it’s important to understand why Medicare Advantage has become so popular, who is enrolling in Medicare Advantage, and what aspects of Medicare Advantage plans may be important to them.

    Switching into Medicare Advantage

    The bulk of Medicare Advantage’s rapid growth has come from people switching from traditional Medicare into Medicare Advantage: In 2021 alone, over 7% of Americans covered by traditional Medicare switched to Medicare Advantage, but only 1.2% of those with Medicare Advantage coverage switched to traditional Medicare.

    This growth mirrors the privatization of Medicaid, the federal and state health insurance program for people with low income. About 74% of beneficiaries are now enrolled in private Medicaid plans. With Medicaid, people generally don’t have a choice – they are usually switched to a private plan by their state governments.

    But for Medicare, the privatization trend is not so simple.

    Compared with traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans are, on average, paid more by the taxpayer-funded Medicare system for covering each enrollee. Advantage plans also have more flexibility to limit their medical costs by restricting provider networks and requiring prior authorization.

    The extra benefits of Medicare Advantage

    Some of these extra funds result in higher profits for insurers, but they also partially finance benefits that are not part of regular Medicare.

    These benefits include limits to out-of-pocket costs traditionally offered by the supplemental Medigap plans and dental, hearing and vision coverage that Medicare doesn’t provide.

    In the past decade, lawmakers have introduced several bills to add this coverage, but Congress has not passed any of them.

    Medicare beneficiaries give many reasons for choosing their health plan. The most common reasons are different for people covered by traditional Medicare versus Medicare Advantage. Of people who have traditional Medicare coverage, 40% prefer to have more doctors and hospitals to choose from. A similar percentage of those with Medicare Advantage cite extra benefits or limits on out-of-pocket costs.

    Economic insecurity and advertising

    These financial protections and extra benefits are important for some older adults, given high rates of poverty and economic insecurity among people who are 65 or older. Though these supplemental benefits may not be very accessible, a quarter of surveyed beneficiaries said they were a primary reason for enrolling in Medicare Advantage. An additional fifth cited lower out-of-pocket costs.

    Medicare Advantage plans also typically include a low-cost drug plan that people who opt for traditional Medicare pay for separately as Part D.

    Compared with a traditional Medicare plan that doesn’t include a supplemental Medigap plan to limit premiums and co-pays, Medicare Advantage’s premiums and co-pays contribute to an estimated 18% to 24% lower out-of-pocket spending.

    Brokers, agents and advertisements also play an important role in which plans people choose. In a survey of people who have Medicare coverage, one-third said they used an agent or broker to choose a plan. Of those living below the federal poverty line, 12% said they relied on advertising.

    While these sources can inform beneficiaries about the many options, many policymakers have raised concerns about misleading marketing steering people into plans that don’t serve their needs. Brokers and agents may have more incentive to guide patients to Medicare Advantage because they are paid more for enrolling people in fully privatized plans than in the Medigap and Part D plans that supplement traditional Medicare.

    Retirement benefits shifted to Medicare Advantage

    Changes in retirement benefits are also contributing to the growth in Medicare Advantage.

    A majority of state employee health care retirement benefits include Medicare Advantage plans. And in 13 states, the health care benefit for retired state employees does not include a choice of Medigap: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

    In the private sector, the share of employers offering retirement health care benefits to their employees has declined since the 1990s: Only 21% of large employers offer those benefits today compared with 66% in 1988. But among private employers that still offer retirement health care benefits, those offering Medicare Advantage more than doubled between 2017 and 2024, from 26% to 56%.

    Just over half of large employers that offer Medicare Advantage have used it to replace regular Medicare instead of offering their employees a choice. This means that to remain in traditional Medicare, retirees would have to give up an employer subsidy that covers all or part of the Medicare Advantage premium and pay the full Medigap premium.

    Private employers that still offer subsidized health care insurance as a retirement benefit but offer only Medicare Advantage include IBM and AT&T.

    Employers cite the shift as a necessary response to rising health care costs, though many retirees have protested the trend. Medicare Advantage premiums are generally cheaper than Medigap premiums, saving employers money, in exchange for retirees potentially being denied care more often. New York City employees successfully prevented the switch.

    Stuck in Medicare Advantage

    For many Medicare beneficiaries, switching to Medicare Advantage is a one-way street because most states don’t offer switchers the guaranteed issue and community rating protections for Medigap supplemental coverage plans that people get when initially signing up for Medicare. These protections prevent people from being denied coverage or charged a higher price for preexisting conditions.

    This increased cost in most states of switching back to regular Medicare after age 66½ – especially for people with serious health conditions – may reduce the number of people who do so. But some switch despite the cost.

    Meanwhile, 5% of people who used Medicare Advantage plans in 2024 had to find a new one in 2025 because of a plan being discontinued. There is a silver lining, however: For the first 63 days after their coverage ends, people in failed plans can choose traditional Medicare plus a Medigap supplement with the guaranteed issue protection that in most states applies only during the first year of Medicare eligibility.

    Thirteen states and more than half of employers who offer a retiree health benefit have narrowed their benefit subsidy and only offer Medicare Advantage. This replaces traditional Medicare with a privately administered plan, removing the choice of Medigap, a supplement to traditional Medicare.
    SDI Productions/E+ via Getty images

    Who is enrolling in Medicare Advantage?

    Medicare Advantage growth has been particularly strong among people with low incomes and among racial and ethnic minorities.

    While the share of Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans has grown nationwide, the program’s popularity still varies geographically. Today, the share of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage ranges from 2% in Alaska to 63% in Alabama, Connecticut and Michigan.

    Although an increasing share of people in rural regions have enrolled in Medicare Advantage, they are still less likely to enroll in Medicare Advantage and more likely to return from Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare than their urban counterparts.

    Switching from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage is more common among relatively healthy people who use less health care than expected. This trend, known as “favorable selection,” means the Medicare Advantage companies are enrolling healthier people. The Medicare system pays Medicare Advantage plans based on the expected rather than actual medical costs. This contributes to the overpayment of Medicare Advantage plans.

    These switching patterns suggest that among people who have illnesses such as diabetes, Medicare Advantage is potentially more appealing if they already face barriers to health care access or are in better health. These barriers are particularly common among racial and ethnic minorities in both traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

    What Medicare Advantage enrollment growth means

    We believe that the Medicare Advantage program needs to be reformed. The high payments to Medicare Advantage providers have likely helped fund their explosive growth, exacerbating the financing issues that cost taxpayers US$83 billion a year.

    Medicare Advantage enrollment has grown particularly quickly among vulnerable populations. Many older Medicare beneficiaries are living below or near the poverty line, and a decreasing share of them are receiving subsidized retirement benefits.

    This has led some people to give up access to preferred providers or even treatments to spend less out of pocket on health care by enrolling in Medicare Advantage.

    Others who can afford extra premiums and who want more access pay extra for supplemental Medigap coverage alongside traditional Medicare. A Wall Street Journal investigation found a pattern of some Medicare Advantage patients switching to traditional Medicare when their health care expenses grew.

    In some ways, this resembles the tiered or “topped-up” health care system advocated for by some economists, where people receive a baseline plan, and those who want more coverage and can afford it pay for a more generous “topped-up” plan. Given the size and differing needs of the Medicare population, such a system can potentially be a cost-effective way to ensure health care access and financial protections.

    But it also creates inequalities in access, especially if the baseline plan is much worse than the “topped-up” plan.

    In addition, taxpayers pay more rather than less for someone enrolled in Medicare Advantage – the less expensive baseline plan that provides less health care. They pay less for someone enrolled in traditional Medicare plus additional supplemental insurance plans – the “topped-up” option.

    For Medicare to remain solvent, reforms will likely have to reduce what the federal government spends on Medicare, either by avoiding Medicare Advantage plan overpayments or making structural changes to how the plans are paid.

    We believe it’s important that, throughout any reform, people have access to an affordable plan that ensures access to health care. Projections show that under the current payment system, reductions in payments from the Medicare system to Medicare Advantage providers would likely lead to only modest decreases in plan generosity, though given the vulnerability of many who use Medicare Advantage, this would have to be monitored carefully.

    It’s also important for policymakers to consider improving traditional Medicare, whether that be allowing for an out-of-pocket maximum or covering at least the same degree of dental, vision or other benefits currently offered only under Medicare Advantage.

    This article is part of an occasional series examining the U.S. Medicare system.

    Past articles in the series:

    Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: Sales pitches are often from biased sources, the choices can be overwhelming, and impartial help is not equally available to all

    Taxpayers spend 22% more per patient to support Medicare Advantage – the private alternative to Medicare that promised to cost less

    Grace McCormack receives funding from the Commonwealth Fund and Arnold Ventures.

    Victoria Shier receives funding from the National Institutes of Health.

    – ref. Medicare Advantage is covering more and more Americans − some because they don’t get to choose – https://theconversation.com/medicare-advantage-is-covering-more-and-more-americans-some-because-they-dont-get-to-choose-251796

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Good Earth Oils Canola Oil Now Available on JD.com

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COOTAMUNDRA, Australia, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: COOT) today announced Good Earth Oils (GEO) premium quality canola oil has successfully entered the JD.com supply chain and is now available for purchase on JD.com’s self-operated platform.

    “This milestone marks another significant advancement for GEO’s presence in the Chinese market,” said Gary Seaton, Chief Executive Officer. “By joining JD.com’s self-operated platform, GEO enhances its visibility and credibility among Chinese consumers, offering them access to healthy, natural, and high-quality Australian canola oil. With a focus on quality, transparency, and sustainability, GEO is poised to become a trusted name in households across China.”

    The successful integration into JD.com was made possible through the dedicated efforts of Shanghai Maiwei Trading Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Maiwei Trading Co., Ltd. Their strategic coordination and unwavering commitment ensured that GEO canola oil met the rigorous standards required by JD’s platform.

    In addition to JD.com, GEO’s online presence is expanding through sales channels on other leading e-commerce platforms in China such as Tmall Supermarket and Douyin (TikTok China). Maiwei is also actively developing large-scale offline private domain sales networks to further strengthen GEO’s market reach and brand recognition. This collaboration underscores the shared vision between Good Earth Oils and its partners in China to bring the best of Australian agriculture to the world, paving the way for further expansion across e-commerce and retail channels in China.

    About Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd. Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd. is an Australian proprietary company that, directly and indirectly through its subsidiaries, is focused on the manufacture and sale of sustainable oilseeds (e.g., seeds grown primarily for the production of edible oils) and is committed to working with all suppliers in the food supply chain to eliminate chemicals from the production and manufacturing systems to supply quality products to customers globally. The Company engages in the business of processing, manufacture and sale of non-GMO oilseeds and organic and non-organic food-grade oils, for the rapidly growing oilseeds market, through sourcing materials from suppliers focused on reducing the use of chemicals in consumables in order to supply healthier food ingredients, vegetable oils, proteins and other products to customers globally. Over the past 20 years, the Company’s cold pressing oil plant has grown to become the largest in Australia, pressing strictly GMO-free conventional and organic oilseeds.

    Contact
    Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited
    126-142 Cowcumbla Street
    Cootamundra New South Wales 2590
    Attn: Amarjeet Singh, CFO
    Email: amarjeet.s@energreennutrition.com.au

    Investor Relations Contact
    Reed Anderson
    (646) 277-1260
    reed.anderson@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council and partners join forces in city-wide clean up

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Days of action team in Burslem

    Published: Thursday, 3rd April 2025

    Teams from the council worked with Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue and other key agencies in a series of days of action in town centres from 20-28 March.

    The city council joined forces with police and other partners to clean up neighbourhoods and tackle anti-social behaviour across Stoke-on-Trent.
     

    Teams from the council worked with Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue and other key agencies in a series of days of action in town centres from 20-28 March.
     

    The teams – who were active in Burslem, Longton, Stoke, Tunstall, and Hanley – tackled a wide range of community concerns.
     

    Police took action against a number of criminal activities, including issues relating to drugs.

    Staffordshire Fire and Rescue inspected hazardous buildings and conducted hydrant checks.
     

    Action led by city council teams included:

    • Supporting rough sleepers to access essential services
    • Inspecting empty homes to ensure they were safe
    • Clearing illegal rubbish dumping
    • Enforcing parking rules and issuing Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)
    • Issuing fines and warning letters for untidy properties
    • Licensing and Trading Standards checks on local businesses

    The days of action had positive impacts across the city.
     

    In Broomhill Street in Tunstall, four vehicles were seized by the DVLA for having no insurance, while Environmental Crime officers cleared seven wagons of waste from the area.
     

    They also took down fencing which had been used to create extra garden space without planning permission. The householder at the address had also wired his property to a nearby lamppost and was illegally taking electricity, which was made safe by National Grid.
     

    Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “It’s great to see so many partners out and about with us, sharing the same vision and helping people get the support they need.
     

    “We are committed to making Stoke-on-Trent a cleaner, greener and safer place for all who live, work and visit here.
     

    “We are acting on residents’ concerns, and all reports are taken seriously.”

    Councillor Majid Khan, cabinet member for safe and resilient communities at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Activity doesn’t just happen during these days of action.
     

    “Our Trading Standards, Anti-Social Behaviour, Parking and Environmental Crime teams are out across the city every day.”
     

    Stoke North Inspector Victoria Ison, of Staffordshire Police, said: “This activity follows months of successful enforcement operations with our partners at the city council to target those blighting local people across Stoke-on-Trent.
     

    “More than 260 people have been arrested since we launched our Making Great Places initiative with local partners.
     

    “We’re working in partnership with the council to continue addressing the concerns of local communities and to take robust action against those responsible for harm across the city.
     

    To report any concerns please call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    If you are concerned about anyone sleeping rough, contact the Outreach Team on 0800 970 2304 or via the Streetlink website.

    Illegal dumping can be reported to Environmental Crime on 01782 234234 or via email at environmental.crime@stoke.gov.uk and the Drug and Alcohol Service can be contacted on 01782 283113.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Disturbance and assault police – Alice Springs

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has made multiple arrests in relation to a large disturbance that occurred in Alice Springs earlier today.

    Just after 12pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received multiple reports of a violent disturbance involving up to 50 people occurring in Sadadeen.

    Upon police arrival, the group allegedly armed themselves with various weapons and threw rocks at police. OC spray was deployed to disperse the group, and one adult female and four adult males were subsequently arrested.

    One adult male remains outstanding after allegedly attempting to set his dogs upon one of the police officers.

    All offenders remain in custody and are expected to be charged for various offences, including Disorderly behaviour and Assault police.

    One adult female was conveyed to Alice Springs Hospital for assessment.

    No police member was injured during the incident.

    Investigations are ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444. Please quote reference P25090654. Anonymous reports can also be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Floodwaters Surge Through the Australian Outback

    Source: NASA

    Heavy rainfall in Queensland sent floodwaters sweeping across vast stretches of the Australian outback in late March 2025. More than a year’s worth of rain fell in one week in some places. The deluge caused major flooding along multiple rivers in Channel Country, submerging small towns and grazing lands in southwestern Queensland.
    While some portions of the flooded area remained obscured by clouds in late March, the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured this mostly clear view of Cooper Creek near the town of Windorah on March 29 (right). For comparison, the left image, acquired by the OLI-2 on Landsat 9, shows the same area on March 5, before the intense rains. Both images are false color to emphasize the presence of water.
    As waters rose, helicopter evacuations were organized for residents of Windorah and Jundah, a town about 75 kilometers (47 miles) upriver, according to news reports. Aerial photos showed settlements and pasturelands submerged, and government officials estimated that more than 100,000 livestock across Queensland may be missing or deceased.
    In the week ending on March 29, parts of the state received more than 400 millimeters (16 inches) of rain. Floodwaters near Windorah, Jundah, and other towns rose to higher levels than those seen in 1974, a historic year for outback flooding and the wettest year on record in Australia. Inundated roadways may leave towns isolated for weeks, according to news reports.

    It is typical for the Channel Country to undergo cycles of drought and flood, and wet periods can prompt growth in pasturelands, supply water to wetlands, and support endemic species. Experts have remarked, however, that the rain and floods in March 2025 have been extreme. They cite several factors for the rain, including streams of humid air from the north and east that converged over interior Queensland. A low-pressure trough drove the moisture-laden air to higher and cooler levels of the atmosphere to trigger the heavy rain.
    Flooding was widespread across western Queensland, with waters submerging thousands of kilometers of road, the AFP reported. The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured an image (above) of some of the affected area on March 29, 2025. In this false-color image, water appears dark and light blue; bare ground is brown; and vegetation is bright green.
    Over the coming weeks and months, the water will drain toward Lake Eyre (also called Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre), about 600 kilometers southwest of Windorah. The lake sits at the lowest natural point in Australia and is dry most of the year. Every few years, some water flows all the way to the lake, but it is rare for it to fill completely. Following unusually abundant rain in 2019, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology estimated that 80 percent of the lake’s area ultimately became covered by water.
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales to recruit 8,000 people in 2025 and accelerate its ‘Learning company’ programme

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales to recruit 8,000 people in 2025 and accelerate its ‘Learning company’ programme

    • Thales, a global leader in advanced technologies for Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital, plans to recruit 8,000 people worldwide in 2025 to support the strong growth momentum across its three business segments. Around 40% of new hires will join engineering roles (including software and systems engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data, etc.), while approximately 25% will join industrial roles (including technicians, operators and industrial engineers).
    • In parallel, more than 4,000 employees will benefit from functional and geographical internal mobility.
    • In a context marked by interconnected geopolitical crises, a rebound in air traffic and accelerating global connectivity, all of Thales’s businesses are growing and hiring. This builds on the strong momentum established in recent years, with:
      • Over 30,000 new hires between 2022 and 2024, including 9,000 in the Defence sector;
      • Over 8,000 internal mobility moves between 2023 and 2024;
      • Ten consecutive years during which Thales has hired at least 5,000 people annually.
    • In 2025, recruitment will take place across all regions of operation, including approximately 3,000 people in France, over 1,000 in the United Kingdom, 500 in the Netherlands, 400 in the United States, 400 in Australia, 300 in Central Europe, 250 in India, 200 in Germany, and 150 in Africa and the Middle East.

    Learning company: supporting employees’ professional development and keeping Thales’s expertise at the highest level

    • For the past three years, Thales has invested in its “Learning company” global skills development programme, delivered by 2,000 internal trainers as well as numerous tutors and mentors. Since 2023, Thales has increased the number of its Academies, which are designed to share knowledge globally. The Group now operates 13 Domain Academies (AI, Cybersecurity, Radar, Naval, Tube, Pyrotechnics, etc.) and 18 Functional Academies (Software, Hardware, Systems, Industry, Bid & Project Management, HR, Finance, Communication, etc.). By the end of 2025, Thales will have more than 35 academies.
    • The Group has also introduced innovative skills development methods, including a shared competency management system, simulation and virtual reality tools, and hands-on training solutions.
    • In 2024, 90% of Thales’s global workforce – 72,000 people – took part in skills development activities.

    Thales is committed to raising awareness amongst youth about the importance of science and to promoting inclusion and diversity

    • Across all countries where it operates, Thales strengthened its outreach efforts in 2024, engaging with more than 150,000 young people and taking part in over 600 events. In France in 2025, the Group plans to host more than 3,000 interns and apprentices, around 25% of whom will go on to be hired on permanent or fixed-term contracts. Nearly 1,500 middle and high school students will also complete observation internships at Thales sites.
    • Improving gender balance within teams and leadership remains a key priority for the Group. In 2024, women accounted for 30% of new hires worldwide. More than 60% of the Group’s executive Committees included at least four women; Thales is aiming for 75% by 2026.
    • With the signing of a new Group-wide agreement in 2024 to further promote the inclusion of people with disabilities, Thales is reaffirming its commitment, with an employment rate of nearly 7% in France.

    « To support the Group’s growth and performance, recruitment and internal mobility are essential, but we must go further. Giving our teams the opportunity to continuously develop their skills and encouraging them to pass on their expertise to colleagues is both the spirit and the ambition of our ‘Learning company’ programme. Our goal is to support the professional growth of our people and maintain Thales’s expertise at the highest level,»

    Clément de Villepin, Senior Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Thales

    Interested candidates can learn more and apply online at
    ​    Thales careers

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: W&T Offshore to Participate in Water Tower Research Fireside Chat on April 7, 2025

    Source: W & T Offshore Inc

    Headline: W&T Offshore to Participate in Water Tower Research Fireside Chat on April 7, 2025

    HOUSTON, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (“W&T” or the “Company”) today announced its participation in a fireside chat with Water Tower Research (“WTR”) on Monday, April 7, 2025 at 10:00 AM Central Time.

    As part of WTR’s ongoing Fireside Chat Series, Jeff Robertson, Managing Director at WTR, will lead an in-depth conversation with Tracy Krohn, W&T’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, to discuss W&T’s strategy for creating value in the Gulf of America. A variety of important topics will be covered including:

    • Characteristics of an attractive Gulf of America asset acquisition;
    • Adding value through exploitation and cost management;
    • The production outlook for 2025; and
    • Balance sheet management to support growth.

    Investors and other interested parties can access the event by registering in advance at:
    https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1817435160161/WN_P6vxkb-fRQyEOEOZ2ozZvA.

    The live discussion and a replay will also be available on W&T’s web site, www.wtoffshore.com, in the “Investors” section.

    About W&T Offshore

    W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of America and has grown through acquisitions, exploration and development. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had working interests in 52 fields in federal and state waters (which include 45 fields in federal waters and seven in state waters). The Company has under lease approximately 646,200 gross acres (502,300 net acres) spanning across the outer continental shelf off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, with approximately 493,000 gross acres on the conventional shelf, approximately 147,700 gross acres in the deepwater and 5,500 gross acres in Alabama state waters. A majority of the Company’s daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T, please visit the Company’s website at www.wtoffshore.com.

    CONTACTS:  
     Al Petrie
    Investor Relations Coordinator
    investorrelations@wtoffshore.com 
    713-297-8024

    Sameer Parasnis
    Executive VP and CFO
    sparasnis@wtoffshore.com
    713-513-8654

    Source: W&T Offshore, Inc.

    Released April 3, 2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fast Flux: A National Security Threat

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Executive summary

    Many networks have a gap in their defenses for detecting and blocking a malicious technique known as “fast flux.” This technique poses a significant threat to national security, enabling malicious cyber actors to consistently evade detection. Malicious cyber actors, including cybercriminals and nation-state actors, use fast flux to obfuscate the locations of malicious servers by rapidly changing Domain Name System (DNS) records. Additionally, they can create resilient, highly available command and control (C2) infrastructure, concealing their subsequent malicious operations. This resilient and fast changing infrastructure makes tracking and blocking malicious activities that use fast flux more difficult. 

    The National Security Agency (NSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), and New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ) are releasing this joint cybersecurity advisory (CSA) to warn organizations, Internet service providers (ISPs), and cybersecurity service providers of the ongoing threat of fast flux enabled malicious activities as a defensive gap in many networks. This advisory is meant to encourage service providers, especially Protective DNS (PDNS) providers, to help mitigate this threat by taking proactive steps to develop accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics and blocking capabilities for their customers. This CSA also provides guidance on detecting and mitigating elements of malicious fast flux by adopting a multi-layered approach that combines DNS analysis, network monitoring, and threat intelligence. 

    The authoring agencies recommend all stakeholders—government and providers—collaborate to develop and implement scalable solutions to close this ongoing gap in network defenses against malicious fast flux activity.

    Download the PDF version of this report: Fast Flux: A National Security Threat (841 KB).

    Technical details

    When malicious cyber actors compromise devices and networks, the malware they use needs to “call home” to send status updates and receive further instructions. To decrease the risk of detection by network defenders, malicious cyber actors use dynamic resolution techniques, such as fast flux, so their communications are less likely to be detected as malicious and blocked. 

    Fast flux refers to a domain-based technique that is characterized by rapidly changing the DNS records (e.g., IP addresses) associated with a single domain [T1568.001]. 

    Single and double flux

    Malicious cyber actors use two common variants of fast flux to perform operations:

    1. Single flux: A single domain name is linked to numerous IP addresses, which are frequently rotated in DNS responses. This setup ensures that if one IP address is blocked or taken down, the domain remains accessible through the other IP addresses. See Figure 1 as an example to illustrate this technique.

    Figure 1: Single flux technique.

    Note: This behavior can also be used for legitimate purposes for performance reasons in dynamic hosting environments, such as in content delivery networks and load balancers.

    2. Double flux: In addition to rapidly changing the IP addresses as in single flux, the DNS name servers responsible for resolving the domain also change frequently. This provides an additional layer of redundancy and anonymity for malicious domains. Double flux techniques have been observed using both Name Server (NS) and Canonical Name (CNAME) DNS records. See Figure 2 as an example to illustrate this technique.

    Figure 2: Double flux technique. 

    Both techniques leverage a large number of compromised hosts, usually as a botnet from across the Internet that acts as proxies or relay points, making it difficult for network defenders to identify the malicious traffic and block or perform legal enforcement takedowns of the malicious infrastructure. Numerous malicious cyber actors have been reported using the fast flux technique to hide C2 channels and remain operational. Examples include:

    • Bulletproof hosting (BPH) services offer Internet hosting that disregards or evades law enforcement requests and abuse notices. These providers host malicious content and activities while providing anonymity for malicious cyber actors. Some BPH companies also provide fast flux services, which help malicious cyber actors maintain connectivity and improve the reliability of their malicious infrastructure. [1]
    • Fast flux has been used in Hive and Nefilim ransomware attacks. [3], [4]
    • Gamaredon uses fast flux to limit the effectiveness of IP blocking. [5], [6], [7]

    The key advantages of fast flux networks for malicious cyber actors include:

    • Increased resilience. As a fast flux network rapidly rotates through botnet devices, it is difficult for law enforcement or abuse notifications to process the changes quickly and disrupt their services.
    • Render IP blocking ineffective. The rapid turnover of IP addresses renders IP blocking irrelevant since each IP address is no longer in use by the time it is blocked. This allows criminals to maintain resilient operations.
    • Anonymity. Investigators face challenges in tracing malicious content back to the source through fast flux networks. This is because malicious cyber actors’ C2 botnets are constantly changing the associated IP addresses throughout the investigation.

    Additional malicious uses

    Fast flux is not only used for maintaining C2 communications, it also can play a significant role in phishing campaigns to make social engineering websites harder to block or take down. Phishing is often the first step in a larger and more complex cyber compromise. Phishing is typically used to trick victims into revealing sensitive information (such as login passwords, credit card numbers, and personal data), but can also be used to distribute malware or exploit system vulnerabilities. Similarly, fast flux is used for maintaining high availability for cybercriminal forums and marketplaces, making them resilient against law enforcement takedown efforts. 

    Some BPH providers promote fast flux as a service differentiator that increases the effectiveness of their clients’ malicious activities. For example, one BPH provider posted on a dark web forum that it protects clients from being added to Spamhaus blocklists by easily enabling the fast flux capability through the service management panel (See Figure 3). A customer just needs to add a “dummy server interface,” which redirects incoming queries to the host server automatically. By doing so, only the dummy server interfaces are reported for abuse and added to the Spamhaus blocklist, while the servers of the BPH customers remain “clean” and unblocked. 

    Figure 3: Example dark web fast flux advertisement.

    The BPH provider further explained that numerous malicious activities beyond C2, including botnet managers, fake shops, credential stealers, viruses, spam mailers, and others, could use fast flux to avoid identification and blocking. 

    As another example, a BPH provider that offers fast flux as a service advertised that it automatically updates name servers to prevent the blocking of customer domains. Additionally, this provider further promoted its use of separate pools of IP addresses for each customer, offering globally dispersed domain registrations for increased reliability.

    Detection techniques

    The authoring agencies recommend that ISPs and cybersecurity service providers, especially PDNS providers, implement a multi-layered approach, in coordination with customers, using the following techniques to aid in detecting fast flux activity [CISA CPG 3.A]. However, quickly detecting malicious fast flux activity and differentiating it from legitimate activity remains an ongoing challenge to developing accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics. 

    1. Leverage threat intelligence feeds and reputation services to identify known fast flux domains and associated IP addresses, such as in boundary firewalls, DNS resolvers, and/or SIEM solutions.

    2. Implement anomaly detection systems for DNS query logs to identify domains exhibiting high entropy or IP diversity in DNS responses and frequent IP address rotations. Fast flux domains will frequently cycle though tens or hundreds of IP addresses per day.

    3. Analyze the time-to-live (TTL) values in DNS records. Fast flux domains often have unusually low TTL values. A typical fast flux domain may change its IP address every 3 to 5 minutes.

    4. Review DNS resolution for inconsistent geolocation. Malicious domains associated with fast flux typically generate high volumes of traffic with inconsistent IP-geolocation information.

    5. Use flow data to identify large-scale communications with numerous different IP addresses over short periods.

    6. Develop fast flux detection algorithms to identify anomalous traffic patterns that deviate from usual network DNS behavior.

    7. Monitor for signs of phishing activities, such as suspicious emails, websites, or links, and correlate these with fast flux activity. Fast flux may be used to rapidly spread phishing campaigns and to keep phishing websites online despite blocking attempts.

    8. Implement customer transparency and share information about detected fast flux activity, ensuring to alert customers promptly after confirmed presence of malicious activity.

    Mitigations

    All organizations

    To defend against fast flux, government and critical infrastructure organizations should coordinate with their Internet service providers, cybersecurity service providers, and/or their Protective DNS services to implement the following mitigations utilizing accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics. 

    Note: Some legitimate activity, such as common content delivery network (CDN) behaviors, may look like malicious fast flux activity. Protective DNS services, service providers, and network defenders should make reasonable efforts, such as allowlisting expected CDN services, to avoid blocking or impeding legitimate content.

    1. DNS and IP blocking and sinkholing of malicious fast flux domains and IP addresses

    • Block access to domains identified as using fast flux through non-routable DNS responses or firewall rules.
    • Consider sinkholing the malicious domains, redirecting traffic from those domains to a controlled server to capture and analyze the traffic, helping to identify compromised hosts within the network.
    • Block IP addresses known to be associated with malicious fast flux networks.

    2. Reputational filtering of fast flux enabled malicious activity

    • Block traffic to and from domains or IP addresses with poor reputations, especially ones identified as participating in malicious fast flux activity.

    3. Enhanced monitoring and logging

    • Increase logging and monitoring of DNS traffic and network communications to identify new or ongoing fast flux activities.
    • Implement automated alerting mechanisms to respond swiftly to detected fast flux patterns.
    • Refer to ASD’s ACSC joint publication, Best practices for event logging and threat detection, for further logging recommendations.

    4. Collaborative defense and information sharing

    • Share detected fast flux indicators (e.g., domains, IP addresses) with trusted partners and threat intelligence communities to enhance collective defense efforts. Examples of indicator sharing initiatives include CISA’s Automated Indicator Sharing or sector-based Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) and ASD’s Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing Platform (CTIS) in Australia.
    • Participate in public and private information-sharing programs to stay informed about emerging fast flux tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Regular collaboration is particularly important because most malicious activity by these domains occurs within just a few days of their initial use; therefore, early discovery and information sharing by the cybersecurity community is crucial to minimizing such malicious activity. [8]

    5. Phishing awareness and training

    • Implement employee awareness and training programs to help personnel identify and respond appropriately to phishing attempts.
    • Develop policies and procedures to manage and contain phishing incidents, particularly those facilitated by fast flux networks.
    • For more information on mitigating phishing, see joint Phishing Guidance: Stopping the Attack Cycle at Phase One.

    Network defenders

    The authoring agencies encourage organizations to use cybersecurity and PDNS services that detect and block fast flux. By leveraging providers that detect fast flux and implement capabilities for DNS and IP blocking, sinkholing, reputational filtering, enhanced monitoring, logging, and collaborative defense of malicious fast flux domains and IP addresses, organizations can mitigate many risks associated with fast flux and maintain a more secure environment. 

    However, some PDNS providers may not detect and block malicious fast flux activities. Organizations should not assume that their PDNS providers block malicious fast flux activity automatically and should contact their PDNS providers to validate coverage of this specific cyber threat. 

    For more information on PDNS services, see the 2021 joint cybersecurity information sheet from NSA and CISA about Selecting a Protective DNS Service. [9] In addition, NSA offers no-cost cybersecurity services to Defense Industrial Base (DIB) companies, including a PDNS service. For more information, see NSA’s DIB Cybersecurity Services and factsheet. CISA also offers a Protective DNS service for federal civilian executive branch (FCEB) agencies. See CISA’s Protective Domain Name System Resolver page and factsheet for more information. 

    Conclusion

    Fast flux represents a persistent threat to network security, leveraging rapidly changing infrastructure to obfuscate malicious activity. By implementing robust detection and mitigation strategies, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of compromise by fast flux-enabled threats. 

    The authoring agencies strongly recommend organizations engage their cybersecurity providers on developing a multi-layered approach to detect and mitigate malicious fast flux operations. Utilizing services that detect and block fast flux enabled malicious cyber activity can significantly bolster an organization’s cyber defenses. 

    Works cited

    [1] Intel471. Bulletproof Hosting: A Critical Cybercriminal Service. 2024. https://intel471.com/blog/bulletproof-hosting-a-critical-cybercriminal-service 

    [2] Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre. “Bulletproof” hosting providers: Cracks in the armour of cybercriminal infrastructure. 2025. https://www.cyber.gov.au/about-us/view-all-content/publications/bulletproof-hosting-providers 

    [3] Logpoint. A Comprehensive guide to Detect Ransomware. 2023. https://www.logpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/logpoint-a-comprehensive-guide-to-detect-ransomware.pdf

    [4] Trendmicro. Modern Ransomware’s Double Extortion Tactic’s and How to Protect Enterprises Against Them. 2021. https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/modern-ransomwares-double-extortion-tactics-and-how-to-protect-enterprises-against-them

    [5] Unit 42. Russia’s Trident Ursa (aka Gamaredon APT) Cyber Conflict Operations Unwavering Since Invasion of Ukraine. 2022. https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/trident-ursa/

    [6] Recorded Future. BlueAlpha Abuses Cloudflare Tunneling Service for GammaDrop Staging Infrastructure. 2024. https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/bluealpha-abuses-cloudflare-tunneling-service 

    [7] Silent Push. ‘From Russia with a 71’: Uncovering Gamaredon’s fast flux infrastructure. New apex domains and ASN/IP diversity patterns discovered. 2023. https://www.silentpush.com/blog/from-russia-with-a-71/

    [8] DNS Filter. Security Categories You Should be Blocking (But Probably Aren’t). 2023. https://www.dnsfilter.com/blog/security-categories-you-should-be-blocking-but-probably-arent

    [9] National Security Agency. Selecting a Protective DNS Service. 2021. https://media.defense.gov/2025/Mar/24/2003675043/-1/-1/0/CSI-SELECTING-A-PROTECTIVE-DNS-SERVICE-V1.3.PDF

    Disclaimer of endorsement

    The information and opinions contained in this document are provided “as is” and without any warranties or guarantees. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government, and this guidance shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

    Purpose

    This document was developed in furtherance of the authoring cybersecurity agencies’ missions, including their responsibilities to identify and disseminate threats, and develop and issue cybersecurity specifications and mitigations. This information may be shared broadly to reach all appropriate stakeholders.

    Contact

    National Security Agency (NSA):

    Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA):

    • All organizations should report incidents and anomalous activity to CISA via the agency’s Incident Reporting System, its 24/7 Operations Center at report@cisa.gov, or by calling 1-844-Say-CISA (1-844-729-2472). When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment user for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact.

    Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):

    • To report suspicious or criminal activity related to information found in this advisory, contact your local FBI field office or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment used for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact.

    Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC):

    • For inquiries, visit ASD’s website at www.cyber.gov.au or call the Australian Cyber Security Hotline at 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).

    Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS):

    New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ):

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: YieldMax™ Launches Semiconductor Portfolio Option Income ETF (CHPY)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO and MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax™ announced the launch today of the following ETF:

    YieldMax™ Semiconductor Portfolio Option Income ETF (NYSE Arca: CHPY)

    CHPY Overview

    CHPY is an actively managed ETF that seeks current income and capital appreciation via direct investments in a select portfolio of 15-30 Semiconductor Companies. CHPY aims to generate current income through an options portfolio on Semiconductor Companies and/or Semiconductor ETFs.

    CHPY Equity Portfolio

    CHPY seeks capital appreciation via direct investments in its portfolio of 15-30 Semiconductor Companies. To enable CHPY to effectively implement its options strategies (see below), CHPY’s Adviser evaluates the liquidity of a potential company’s common stock and the liquidity of its options contracts. Any dividend paid by its Semiconductor Companies will contribute to CHPY’s income generation.

    CHPY Options Portfolio

    CHPY seeks to generate current income primarily by writing (selling) options contracts on some or all of its Semiconductor Companies. Depending on the Adviser’s outlook, it will select one or more options strategies that it believes will best provide CHPY with current income while generally also attempting to participate in a portion of the share price increases experienced by its Semiconductor Companies. Further, depending on the Adviser’s assessment of one or more of the Semiconductor Companies options contracts (e.g., they are insufficiently liquid or too costly), CHPY may employ options strategies on a Semiconductor ETF. By strategically entering and exiting options positions, the Adviser seeks to enhance CHPY’s income potential.

    CHPY Distribution Schedule

    CHPY is the newest member of the YieldMax™ ETF family and like all YieldMax™ ETFs, CHPY aims to deliver current income to investors. With respect to distributions, CHPY aims to make distributions on a weekly basis and its first weekly distribution is expected to be announced on April 16, 2025.

    Why Invest in CHPY?

    • CHPY seeks to generate income, which is not dependent on the value of its portfolio of Semiconductor companies.
    • CHPY seeks to participate in some of the potential share price gains experienced by its Semiconductor Companies.

    Please see the table below for distribution information for all outstanding YieldMax™ ETFs.

    ETF
    Ticker    1    		 ETF Name Distribution
    Frequency    		 Distribution
    per Share    		 Distribution
    Rate    2,4    		 30-Day
    SEC Yield3    		 ROC5
    GPTY YieldMax™ AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.2668 34.48% 0.00% 100.00%
    LFGY YieldMax™ Crypto Industry & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.4189 59.51% 0.00% 100.00%
    QDTY YieldMax™ Nasdaq 100 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF Weekly $0.2638 30.79% 0.00% 37.26%
    RDTY YieldMax™ R2000 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF Weekly $0.3351 35.84% 0.00% 78.96%
    SDTY YieldMax™ S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF Weekly $0.2723 30.85% 0.00% 65.95%
    ULTY YieldMax™ Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF Weekly $0.0916 76.60% 2.10% 97.00%
    YMAG YieldMax™ Magnificent 7 Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.0971 32.97% 69.89% 28.54%
    YMAX YieldMax™ Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.1781 67.58% 96.57% 0.00%
    BIGY YieldMax™ Target 12™ Big 50 Option Income ETF Monthly $0.4582 12.00% 0.71% 0.00%
    SOXY YieldMax™ Target 12™ Semiconductor Option Income ETF Monthly $0.4266 11.97% 0.26% 0.00%
    ABNY YieldMax™ ABNB Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3665 37.42% 3.62% 0.00%
    AIYY YieldMax™ AI Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3221 84.22% 4.89% 2.09%
    AMDY YieldMax™ AMD Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2765 45.01% 2.97% 93.13%
    AMZY YieldMax™ AMZN Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4177 33.06% 4.40% 0.00%
    APLY YieldMax™ AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3440 29.51% 3.44% 87.26%
    BABO YieldMax™ BABA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.7578 50.30% 1.92% 0.00%
    CONY YieldMax™ COIN Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4381 70.66% 4.42% 94.62%
    CRSH YieldMax™ Short TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.6458 128.93% 1.79% 98.10%
    CVNY YieldMax™ CVNA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $2.9684 96.98% 2.44% 99.08%
    DIPS YieldMax™ Short NVDA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5851 61.20% 2.36% 96.87%
    DISO YieldMax™ DIS Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2879 26.29% 4.03% 51.26%
    FBY YieldMax™ META Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5506 43.57% 4.38% 0.00%
    FEAT YieldMax™ Dorsey Wright Featured 5 Income ETF Every 4 weeks $0.6925 24.82% 108.54% 0.00%
    FIAT YieldMax™ Short COIN Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.9240 131.85% 1.73% 98.90%
    FIVY YieldMax™ Dorsey Wright Hybrid 5 Income ETF Every 4 weeks $0.7092 24.88% 69.37% 0.00%
    GDXY YieldMax™ Gold Miners Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.6394 51.98% 2.77% 0.00%
    GOOY YieldMax™ GOOGL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3284 35.52% 4.67% 0.00%
    JPMO YieldMax™ JPM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3717 29.57% 4.01% 42.17%
    MARO YieldMax™ MARA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.4783 89.99% 4.90% 95.22%
    MRNY YieldMax™ MRNA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.1827 87.97% 4.65% 94.71%
    MSFO YieldMax™ MSFT Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3337 27.08% 3.75% 0.00%
    MSTY YieldMax™ MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.3775 81.94% 0.50% 97.54%
    NFLY YieldMax™ NFLX Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.6020 46.46% 3.58% 59.10%
    NVDY YieldMax™ NVDA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.7874 65.47% 4.01% 100.00%
    OARK YieldMax™ Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3210 53.55% 3.51% 71.26%
    PLTY YieldMax™ PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $5.3257 117.62% 2.78% 97.91%
    PYPY YieldMax™ PYPL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3521 33.82% 4.19% 0.00%
    SMCY YieldMax™ SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.9742 120.52% 3.01% 0.00%
    SNOY YieldMax™ SNOW Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.8119 66.34% 3.01% 0.00%
    XYZY YieldMax™ XYZ Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5014 58.85% 6.32% 91.68%
    TSLY YieldMax™ TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4638 68.19% 3.87% 94.16%
    TSMY YieldMax™ TSM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5772 49.86% 3.61% 93.02%
    WNTR* YieldMax™ Short MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks – – – –
    XOMO YieldMax™ XOM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2950 25.83% 3.18% 77.73%
    YBIT YieldMax™ Bitcoin Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4357 55.47% 1.52% 97.70%
    YQQQ YieldMax™ Short N100 Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4483 33.43% 3.08% 92.77%


    Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling     (833) 378-0717.

    Note: DIPS, FIAT, CRSH, YQQQ and WNTR are hereinafter referred to as the “Short ETFs.”

    Distributions are not guaranteed.   The Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield are not indicative of future distributions, if any, on the ETFs. In particular, future distributions on any ETF may differ significantly from its Distribution Rate or 30-Day SEC Yield. You are not guaranteed a distribution under the ETFs. Distributions for the ETFs (if any) are variable and may vary significantly from period to period and may be zero. Accordingly, the Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield will change over time, and such change may be significant.

    Investors in the Funds will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions with respect to the underlying reference asset(s).

    *The inception date for WNTR is March 26, 2025.

    1  All YieldMax™ ETFs shown in the table above (except YMAX, YMAG, FEAT, FIVY and ULTY) have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%. YMAX, YMAG and FEAT have a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.99% for a gross expense ratio of 1.28%. FIVY has a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.59% for a gross expense ratio of 0.88%. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies, namely other YieldMax™ ETFs. ULTY has a gross expense ratio after the fee waiver of 1.30%. The Advisor has agreed to a fee waiver of 0.10% through at least February 28, 2026. 

    2The Distribution Rate shown is as of close on April 2, 2025. The Distribution Rate is the annual distribution rate an investor would receive if the most recent distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by annualizing an ETF’s Distribution per Share and dividing such annualized amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. Distributions may also include a combination of ordinary dividends, capital gain, and return of investor capital, which may decrease an ETF’s NAV and trading price over time. As a result, an investor may suffer significant losses to their investment. These Distribution Rates may be caused by unusually favorable market conditions and may not be sustainable. Such conditions may not continue to exist and there should be no expectation that this performance may be repeated in the future.

    3  The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period ended March 31, 2025, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETF’s share price at the end of the 30-Day period.

    4  Each ETF’s strategy (except those of the Short ETFs) will cap potential gains if its reference asset’s shares increase in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset’s shares decrease in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. Each Short ETF’s strategy will cap potential gains if its reference asset decreases in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset increases in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF.

    5  ROC refers to Return of Capital. The ROC percentage is the portion of the distribution that represents an investor’s original investment.

    Each Fund has a limited operating history and while each Fund’s objective is to provide current income, there is no guarantee the Fund will make a distribution. Distributions are likely to vary greatly in amount.

    Standardized Performance

    For YMAX, click here. For YMAG, click here. For TSLY, click here. For OARK, click here. For APLY, click here. For NVDY, click here. For AMZY, click here. For FBY, click here. For GOOY, click here. For NFLY, click here. For CONY, click here. For MSFO, click here. For DISO, click here. For XOMO, click here. For JPMO, click here. For AMDY, click here. For PYPY, click here. For XYZY, click here. For MRNY, click here. For AIYY, click here. For MSTY, click here. For ULTY, click here. For YBIT, click here. For CRSH, click here. For GDXY, click here. For SNOY, click here. For ABNY, click here. For FIAT, click here. For DIPS, click here. For BABO, click here. For YQQQ, click here. For TSMY, click here. For SMCY, click here. For PLTY, click here. For BIGY, click here. For SOXY, click here. For MARO, click here. For FEAT, click here. For FIVY, click here. For LFGY, click here. For GPTY, click here. For CVNY, click here. For SDTY, click here. For QDTY, click here. For RDTY, click here. For WNTR, click here.

    Important Information

    This material must be preceded or accompanied by the prospectus. For all prospectuses, click here.

    Tidal Financial Group is the adviser for all YieldMax™ ETFs.

    THE FUND, TRUST, AND ADVISER ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY UNDERLYING REFERENCE ASSET.

    Risk Disclosures

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Referenced Index Risk. The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Index (or the Index ETFs). This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of companies that comprised the Index or an ETF that tracks the Index, even though it does not.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.

    Russell 2000 Index Risks. The Index, which consists of small-cap U.S. companies, is particularly susceptible to economic changes, as these firms often have less financial resilience than larger companies. Market volatility can disproportionately affect these smaller businesses, leading to significant price swings. Additionally, these companies are often more exposed to specific industry risks and have less diverse revenue streams. They can also be more vulnerable to changes in domestic regulatory or policy environments.

    Call Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s call writing strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in the positive price returns of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold call options and over longer periods.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other Index (or ETFs that track the Index’s performance)holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary Index (or ETFs that track the Index’s performance) securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next. Additionally, monthly distributions, if any, may consist of returns of capital, which would decrease the Fund’s NAV and trading price over time.

    High Index (or Index ETF) Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high Index (or Index ETF) turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of call option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in increases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Call Period.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security (ARKK, TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, META, GOOGL, NFLX, COIN, MSFT, DIS, XOM, JPM, AMD, PYPL, SQ, MRNA, AI, MSTR, Bitcoin ETP, GDX®, SNOW, ABNB, BABA, TSM, SMCI, PLTR, MARA, CVNA), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GPTY)

    Artificial Intelligence Risk. Issuers engaged in artificial intelligence typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers’ products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer’s product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an artificial intelligence company.

    Technology Sector Risk. The Fund will invest substantially in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

    Risk Disclosure (applicable only to MARO)

    Digital Assets Risk: The Fund does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than the Fund. Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to BABO and TSMY)

    Currency Risk: Indirect exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

    Depositary Receipts Risk: The securities underlying BABO and TSMY are American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

    Foreign Market and Trading Risk: The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight.

    Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements applicable to investments in non-U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GDXY)

    Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. The Fund is exposed indirectly to the securities of foreign issuers selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities.

    Risk of Investing in Gold and Silver Mining Companies. The Fund is exposed indirectly to gold and silver mining companies selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies.

    The Fund invests in options contracts based on the value of the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX®), which subjects the Fund to some of the same risks as if it owned GDX®, as well as the risks associated with Canadian, Australian and Emerging Market Issuers, and Small-and Medium-Capitalization companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YBIT)

    YBIT does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than YBIT.

    Bitcoin Investment Risk: The Fund’s indirect investment in Bitcoin, through holdings in one or more Underlying ETPs, exposes it to the unique risks of this emerging innovation. Bitcoin’s price is highly volatile, and its market is influenced by the changing Bitcoin network, fluctuating acceptance levels, and unpredictable usage trends.

    Digital Assets Risk: Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility. Potentially No 1940 Act Protections. As of the date of this Prospectus, there is only a single eligible Underlying ETP, and it is an investment company subject to the 1940 Act.

    Bitcoin ETP Risk: The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Bitcoin ETP. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of the Bitcoin ETP, even though it does not. Bitcoin ETPs are subject, but not limited, to significant risk and heightened volatility. An investor in a Bitcoin ETP may lose their entire investment. Bitcoin ETPs are not suitable for all investors. In addition, not all Bitcoin ETPs are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Those Bitcoin ETPs that are not registered under such statute are therefore not subject to the same regulations as exchange traded products that are so registered.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to the Short ETFs)

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the value of the underlying reference asset. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the underlying reference asset, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, the Fund is subject to the risk that the value of the underlying reference asset increases. If the value of the underlying reference asset increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses.

    Put Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s put writing (selling) strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in decreases in the value of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold put options and over longer periods.

    Purchased OTM Call Options Risk. The Fund’s strategy is subject to potential losses if the underlying reference asset increases in value, which may not be offset by the purchase of out-of-the-money (OTM) call options. The Fund purchases OTM calls to seek to manage (cap) the Fund’s potential losses from the Fund’s short exposure to the underlying reference asset if it appreciates significantly in value. However, the OTM call options will cap the Fund’s losses only to the extent that the value of the underlying reference asset increases to a level that is at or above the strike level of the purchased OTM call options. Any increase in the value of the underlying reference asset to a level that is below the strike level of the purchased OTM call options will result in a corresponding loss for the Fund. For example, if the OTM call options have a strike level that is approximately 100% above the then-current value of the underlying reference asset at the time of the call option purchase, and the value of the underlying reference asset increases by at least 100% during the term of the purchased OTM call options, the Fund will lose all its value. Since the Fund bears the costs of purchasing the OTM calls, such costs will decrease the Fund’s value and/or any income otherwise generated by the Fund’s investment strategy.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in decreases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Put Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, for any Fund that focuses on an individual security (e.g., TSLA, COIN, NVDA, MSTR), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to CHPY)

    Semiconductor Industry Risk. Semiconductor companies may face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, and such competition may have an adverse effect on their profit margins. Semiconductor companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. Semiconductor companies’ supply chain and operations are dependent on the availability of materials that meet exacting standards and the use of third parties to provide components and services.

    The products of semiconductor companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Capital equipment expenditures could be substantial, and equipment generally suffers from rapid obsolescence. Companies in the semiconductor industry are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights would adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YQQQ)

    Index Overview. The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization.

    Index Level Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the Index level. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the Index level, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Index level increases. If the Index level increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks: innovation and technological advancement; strong market presence of Index constituent companies; adaptability to global market trends; and resilience and recovery potential.

    Index Level Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will benefit from decreases in the Index level experienced over the Put Period. This means that if the Index level experiences a decrease in value below the strike level of the sold put options during a Put Period, the Fund will likely not experience that increase to the same extent and any Fund gains may significantly differ from the level of the Index losses over the Put Period. Additionally, because the Fund is limited in the degree to which it will participate in decreases in value experienced by the Index level over each Put Period, but has significant negative exposure to any increases in value experienced by the Index level over the Put Period, the NAV of the Fund may decrease over any given period. The Fund’s NAV is dependent on the value of each options portfolio, which is based principally upon the inverse of the performance of the Index level. The Fund’s ability to benefit from the Index level decreases will depend on prevailing market conditions, especially market volatility, at the time the Fund enters into the sold put option contracts and will vary from Put Period to Put Period. The value of the options contracts is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of component companies that comprise the Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the Index and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. As the Index level changes and time moves towards the expiration of each Put Period, the value of the options contracts, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, will change. However, it is not expected for the Fund’s NAV to directly inversely correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns of the Index level. The amount of time remaining until the options contract’s expiration date affects the impact that the value of the options contracts has on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect until the expiration date of the Fund’s options contracts. Therefore, while changes in the Index level will result in changes to the Fund’s NAV, the Fund generally anticipates that the rate of change in the Fund’s NAV will be different than the inverse of the changes experienced by the Index level.

    YieldMax™ ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside is not affiliated with Tidal Financial Group, or YieldMax™ ETFs.

    © 2025 YieldMax™ ETFs

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Man Group PLC : Form 8.3 –

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Ap27

    FORM 8.3

    IRISH TAKEOVER PANEL

    OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE UNDER RULE 8.3 OF THE IRISH TAKEOVER PANEL ACT, 1997, TAKEOVER
    RULES, 2022 BY PERSONS WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

    1.      KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser Man Group PLC
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a)

    The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.

    		  
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates

    Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree

    		 Dalata Hotel Group plc
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree (Note 1)  
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken

    For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure

    		 02/04/2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser also making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?

    If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”

    		 N/A

    2.      INTERESTS AND SHORT POSITIONS

    If there are interests and short positions to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2 for each additional class of relevant security.

    Ap28

    Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)
    (Note 2)

    Class of relevant security
    (Note 3)    		 €0.01 ordinary shares
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled 3,960,871.00 1.87    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives 1,257,627.00 0.59    
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/ sell        
    Total 5,218,498.00 2.47    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of options including rights to subscribe for new securities and any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8.

    3.      DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE (Note 4)

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)      Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant
    security    		 Purchase/sale Number of
    securities    		 Price per unit
    EUR (Note 5)
    €0.01 ordinary shares Sale 151,755 5.250
    €0.01 ordinary shares Sale 50,585 5.250

    Ap29

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of
    relevant
    security    		 Product
    description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/ closing a long/ short position, increasing/ reducing a long/ short position    		 Number of
    reference
    securities
    (Note 6)    		 Price
    per unit EUR
    (Note 5)
    €0.01 ordinary shares Equity Swap Reducing a long position 3,277 5.250
    €0.01 ordinary shares Equity Swap Reducing a long position 1,092 5.250
    €0.01 ordinary shares Equity Swap Reducing a long position 36 5.250
    €0.01 ordinary shares Equity Swap Reducing a long position 12 5.250
    €0.01 ordinary shares Equity Swap Reducing a long position 32,432 5.250
    €0.01 ordinary shares Equity Swap Reducing a long position 10,811 5.250

    (c)      Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)      Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of
    relevant
    security    		 Product
    description e.g. call
    option    		 Writing, purchasing, selling, varying
    etc.    		 Number
    of
    securities
    to which
    option
    relates
    (Note 6)    		 Exercise
    price per
    unit    		 Type
    e.g.
    American,
    European
    etc.    		 Expiry
    date    		 Option
    money
    paid/
    received per unit

    (ii)      Exercise

    Class of
    relevant
    security    		 Product
    description
    e.g. call
    option    		 Exercising/
    exercised
    against    		 Number of
    securities    		 Exercise
    price per
    unit
    (Note 5)

    (d)      Other dealings (including transactions in respect of new securities) (Note 3)

    Class of
    relevant
    security    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription,
    conversion, exercise    		 Details Price per unit (if
    applicable)
    (Note 5)

    Ap30

    4.      OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)      Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer.

    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
     None

    (b)      Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Full details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding between the person disclosing and any other person relating to the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option referred to on this form or relating to the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative referred to on this form is referenced. If none, this should be stated.
     None

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached? NO
    Date of disclosure 03/04/2025
    Contact name Mackenzie Terry
    Telephone number +442071441555

    Public disclosures under Rule 8.3 of the Rules must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    Ap31

    NOTES ON FORM 8.3

    1.      See the definition of “connected fund manager” in Rule 2.2 of Part A of the Rules.

    2.      See the definition of “interest in a relevant security” in Rule 2.5 of Part A of the Rules and see Rule 8.6(a) and (b) of Part B of the Rules.

    3.      See the definition of “relevant securities” in Rule 2.1 of Part A of the Rules.

    4.      See the definition of “dealing” in Rule 2.1 of Part A of the Rules.

    5.      If the economic exposure to changes in the price of securities is limited, for example, by virtue of a stop loss arrangement relating to a spread bet, full details must be given.

    6.      See Rule 2.5(d) of Part A of the Rules.

    7.      If details included in a disclosure under Rule 8 are incorrect, they should be corrected as soon as practicable in a subsequent disclosure. Such disclosure should state clearly that it corrects details disclosed previously, identify the disclosure or disclosures being corrected, and provide sufficient detail for the reader to understand the nature of the corrections. In the case of any doubt, the Panel should be consulted.

    For full details of disclosure requirements, see Rule 8 of the Rules. If in doubt, consult the Panel.

    References in these notes to “the Rules” are to the Irish Takeover Panel Act, 1997, Takeover Rules, 2022.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESS COMMUNIQUE

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 03 APR 2025 2:13PM by PIB Delhi

    The US President issued an Executive Order on Reciprocal Tariffs imposing additional ad-valorem duties ranging from 10% to 50% on imports from all trading partners. The baseline duty of 10% will be effective from April 05, 2025 and the remaining country specific additional ad-valorem duty will be effective from April 09, 2025. The additional duty on India as per the Annex I of the Executive Order is 27%.  

    The Department of Commerce is carefully examining the implications of the various measures / announcements made by the President of the USA. Keeping in view the vision of Viksit Bharat, the Department is engaged with all stakeholders, including Indian industry and exporters, taking feedback of their assessment of the tariffs and assessing the situation. The Department is also studying the opportunities that may arise due to this new development in the US trade policy.

    The Hon Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and the Hon President of USA, Mr. Donald Trump have announced on 13 February 2025 ‘Mission 500’ – aiming to more than double the bilateral trade to US $500 Billion by 2030. Accordingly, discussions are ongoing between Indian and US trade teams for the expeditious conclusion of a mutually beneficial, multi-sectoral Bilateral Trade Agreement. These cover a wide range of issues of mutual interest including deepening supply chain integration. The ongoing talks are focused on enabling both nations to grow trade, investments and technology transfers. We remain in touch with the Trump Administration on these issues and expect to take them forward in the coming days.

    India values its Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the United States and is committed to working closely with the US to implement the India-US ‘Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology’ (COMPACT) for the 21st century to ensure that our trade ties remain a pillar of mutual prosperity and drive transformative change for the benefit of the people of India and the US.

     

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan

    (Release ID: 2118182) Visitor Counter : 128

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New modelling reveals full impact of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – with US hit hardest

    ANALYSIS: By Niven Winchester, Auckland University of Technology

    We now have a clearer picture of Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs and how they will affect other trading nations, including the United States itself.

    The US administration claims these tariffs on imports will reduce the US trade deficit and address what it views as unfair and non-reciprocal trade practices. Trump said this would

    forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed.

    The “reciprocal” tariffs are designed to impose charges on other countries equivalent to half the costs they supposedly inflict on US exporters through tariffs, currency manipulation and non-tariff barriers levied on US goods.

    Each nation received a tariff number that will apply to most goods. Notable sectors exempt include steel, aluminium and motor vehicles, which are already subject to new tariffs.

    The minimum baseline tariff for each country is 10 percent. But many countries received higher numbers, including Vietnam (46 percent), Thailand (36 percent), China (34 percent), Indonesia (32 percent), Taiwan (32 percent) and Switzerland (31 percent).

    The tariff number for China is in addition to an existing 20 percent tariff, so the total tariff applied to Chinese imports is 54 percent. Countries assigned 10 percent tariffs include Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

    Canada and Mexico are exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, for now, but goods from those nations are subject to a 25 percent tariff under a separate executive order.

    Although some countries do charge higher tariffs on US goods than the US imposes on their exports, and the “Liberation Day” tariffs are allegedly only half the full reciprocal rate, the calculations behind them are open to challenge.

    For example, non-tariff measures are notoriously difficult to estimate and “subject to much uncertainty”, according to one recent study.

    GDP impacts with retaliation
     Other countries are now likely to respond with retaliatory tariffs on US imports. Canada (the largest destination for US exports), the EU and China have all said they will respond in kind.

    To estimate the impacts of this tit-for-tat trade standoff, I use a global model of the production, trade and consumption of goods and services. Similar simulation tools — known as “computable general equilibrium models” — are widely used by governments, academics and consultancies to evaluate policy changes.

    The first model simulates a scenario in which the US imposes reciprocal and other new tariffs, and other countries respond with equivalent tariffs on US goods. Estimated changes in GDP due to US reciprocal tariffs and retaliatory tariffs by other nations are shown in the table below.

    The tariffs decrease US GDP by US$438.4 billion (1.45 percent). Divided among the nation’s 126 million households, GDP per household decreases by $3,487 per year. That is larger than the corresponding decreases in any other country. (All figures are in US dollars.)

    Proportional GDP decreases are largest in Mexico (2.24 percent) and Canada (1.65 percent) as these nations ship more than 75 percent of their exports to the US. Mexican households are worse off by $1,192 per year and Canadian households by $2,467.

    Other nations that experience relatively large decreases in GDP include Vietnam (0.99 percent) and Switzerland (0.32 percent).

    Some nations gain from the trade war. Typically, these face relatively low US tariffs (and consequently also impose relatively low tariffs on US goods). New Zealand (0.29 percent) and Brazil (0.28 percent) experience the largest increases in GDP. New Zealand households are better off by $397 per year.

    Aggregate GDP for the rest of the world (all nations except the US) decreases by $62 billion.

    At the global level, GDP decreases by $500 billion (0.43 percent). This result confirms the well-known rule that trade wars shrink the global economy.

    GDP impacts without retaliation
     In the second scenario, the modelling depicts what happens if other nations do not react to the US tariffs. The changes in the GDP of selected countries are presented in the table below.

    Countries that face relatively high US tariffs and ship a large proportion of their exports to the US experience the largest proportional decreases in GDP. These include Canada, Mexico, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Switzerland, South Korea and China.

    Countries that face relatively low new tariffs gain, with the UK experiencing the largest GDP increase.

    The tariffs decrease US GDP by $149 billion (0.49 percent) because the tariffs increase production costs and consumer prices in the US.

    Aggregate GDP for the rest of the world decreases by $155 billion, more than twice the corresponding decrease when there was retaliation. This indicates that the rest of the world can reduce losses by retaliating. At the same time, retaliation leads to a worse outcome for the US.

    Previous tariff announcements by the Trump administration dropped sand into the cogs of international trade. The reciprocal tariffs throw a spanner into the works. Ultimately, the US may face the largest damages.

    Dr Niven Winchester is professor of economics, Auckland University of Technology. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –