Category: Australia

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Rural News – Alternative grass grub weapon now urgent – Federated Farmers

Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers says urgent action is needed to plug a looming gap in treatments to fight native grass grub, which costs the agricultural sector hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

“This is our biggest agricultural pest by a country mile, yet there’s a real risk farmers’ arsenal to fight it will soon be empty,” Feds biosecurity spokesperson David Birkett says.

“It’s pleasing that manufacturers have work developing new chemicals underway.

“We also need the Environmental Protection Authority to prioritise and fast-track their assessment of any new options.”

Costelytra giveni is a scourge for pasture and lawn, and also a risk to horticulture and native plant root systems.

The two most effective chemicals to control the grub – chlorpyrifos and Diazanon – are both being phased out after decisions by the EPA to ban them.

Chlorpyrifos, a broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide, is banned in the European Union and Canada, and its use is heavily restricted in Australia.

It is in the process of being phased out internationally via the Stockholm Convention, of which New Zealand is a signatory.

The EPA recently consulted on banning chlorpyrifos here. After considering new information, and holding a public hearing, a decision-making committee found risks to people and the environment – especially to those spraying it – outweighed the benefits.

“We’re pleased the EPA listened carefully to our submission, and decided that for the agricultural sector, the ban would come at the end of an 18-month phase-out period,” Birkett says.

“However, stocks of chlorpyrifos are already very limited and in the face of bans, manufacturers are taking it out of production.”

The other potent weapon for combating grass grub, Diazanon, will also be banned from 2028.

Federated Farmers understands AgResearch and ag chem companies are well underway with developing a new tool for combatting grass grub.

“We’d really like to see them accelerate that development work. It would be disastrous for food production and our agricultural exports if our farmers are left high and dry for any period without an effective control method,” Birkett says.

A 2018 study said native scarab grass grub causes losses of up to $380 million on dairy farms and $205 million on sheep and beef farmers every year – and that was with access to chlorpyrifos.

Birkett says the EPA also needs to play its role swiftly.

“Federated Farmers has been critical of the EPA’s failure to get on top of a backlog of assessment applications for agri-chemicals and animal health treatments.

“We’ve welcomed Government announcements on new measures aimed at streamlining assessment processes, particularly in cases where chemicals are already being used safety in other countries.

“But the the EPA also needs to adjust its priorities and not focus on assessing generic chemicals that are already available,” Birkett says.

“Their work stream needs to take better account of how far off approvals are for effective replacement products, including biosecurity and pest increase issues, and how much delays would cost the country.

“The new chemicals that offer the greatest economic benefits should get priority in the queue – and I would put any new treatment for grass grub in that category,” Birkett says.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Republicans Proceed with Bill to Increase Energy Costs and Make Americans More Vulnerable to Nuclear Threats
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

**STATE-BY-STATE FACT SHEET** Republicans Slash Vital Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Funding for States

Washington, DC — During today’s Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee markup of the 2026 funding bill, House Democrats exposed how the bill increases costs for American households, undermines infrastructure investments, and weakens our national security.

The bill:
- Increases energy costs, jeopardizes energy independence, and hurts United States’ competitiveness by slashing the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs nearly in half, revoking more than $5 billion from the Department of Energy’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law resources, and eliminating funding for the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.
- Weakens national security and leaves Americans more vulnerable to nuclear threats by cutting the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account by 17 percent.
- Abandons commitments to communities to clean up radioactive waste by eliminating funding for the Corps of Engineers’ Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program and cutting the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management by 9 percent.
From Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur’s (D-OH-09) opening remarks:

“Sadly, this Republican Energy and Water bill does not meet our nation’s imperative for the future. America must become energy independent in perpetuity. This bill fails to address the cost-of-living crisis and instead will result in higher energy bills for families and businesses. China is investing record levels in energy, but this bill retreats from US global leadership in the future clean energy economy. America can and must do better. America’s future relies on the new age frontiers of energy and water.”

From Appropriations Committee Ranking Rosa DeLauro’s (D-CT-03) opening remarks:

“Energy demand is higher than ever and only increasing. Cheap, reliable energy is the basis of a modern economy. We have to increase energy supply or costs will continue to rise for the American people – and we will be dependent on importing energy to meet our goals. Instead of focusing on ways to help lower energy costs, House Republicans are using this bill to further gut critical federal resources and advance their own agenda…I cannot support this bill. Instead of working with Democrats to lower prices and invest in technology that promotes our energy independence, House Republicans are pushing a bill that raises energy costs for families and businesses and eliminates good-paying jobs. We can and must come together to improve this bill to help lower costs and support our country’s energy independence and national security.”

A summary of the bill is here. A fact sheet is here. The text of the bill is here. Information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.

A state-by-state breakdown of the amount of funding House Republicans are trying to slash from the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs is here.

# # #

MIL OSI USA News –
July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Two arrested after shot fired at Munno Para

Source: New South Wales – News

Police have arrested two men and are looking for a third suspect after a firearm was discharged at Munno Para last night.

About 7.45pm on Monday 14 July, police received calls about a disturbance occurring between two groups of men on Stebonheath Road. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots during this time.

One group then left in a vehicle which was last seen heading towards Brandis Road.

Northern District police responded and located two men who were victims involved in the disturbance. They were not physically injured.

As a result of investigations, police arrested a 23-year-old man and a 41-year-old man both from Smithfield Plains.

Police recovered a firearm during a search at a Davoren Park home suspected of being involved in the incident which will be forensically tested.

The 23-year-old man was charged with possessing a firearm without a licence, two counts of discharging a firearm reckless as to harm a person and affray. The 41-year-old man was charged with possessing a firearm without a licence and affray.

They have both been refused bail and will appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court today.

Anyone with information on the incident or has any dashcam or CCTV who hasn’t yet spoken with police is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

Police advise that the incident is not random, and the men are known to each other.

CO2500028748, CO2500028743

MIL OSI News –

July 15, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Keith Rankin Analysis – Reporting International Migration: Less than the Truth

Analysis by Keith Rankin.

Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

Yesterday I listened to RNZ’s political commentators. The principal topic was an aspect of the recently released May 2025 international migration. Kathryn Ryan starts by reminding us of the “old saying, would the last person to leave New Zealand please turn out the lights” (a saying which has been used in places other than Godzone).

The latest figure for net immigration was an inflow of 14,800; a net gain. But you wouldn’t have realised this. Ryan went on to say there’s a big migration outflow underway right now. And she’s correct if you only count New Zealand citizens. (Non-NZ citizens are people too; indeed, in that timeframe, 53,400 non-NZ citizens emigrated!)

Kathryn Ryan said there was a net loss of 30,000. There was actually a (provisional) net loss of 46,300 NZ citizens. (Possibly she – or her producer – had subtracted the all-migrant net inflow from the net loss of New Zealand citizens, having interpreted the overall 14,800 net inflow as a net inflow of non-NZ citizens.) In fact, this 46,300 net loss of NZ citizens was offset by a net gain of 61,100 non-NZ citizens.

(We should also note that total arrivals – not just people classified as ‘immigrants’ – in the year to May 2025 exceeded total departures by 3,797; less than the 14,800 ascribed to net international migration. The sum of total net arrivals in the six years to May 2025 was 244,000; an average of 40,000 per year.)

The total number of people who featured (in the period from June 2024 to May 2025) as either immigrants or emigrants was 264,000; that is, a number of people equivalent to five percent of New Zealand’s total population featured as either a permanent arrival or a permanent departure. This 264,000 includes 114,500 “migrant arrivals of non-NZ citizens”. Half of the 114,500 estimated permanent arrivals of non-NZ citizens were citizens of either India, China, Philippines or Sri Lanka.

In addition to getting the numbers wrong, a key problem with the framing of the RNZ migration discussion is that it rendered invisible these citizens of Asian countries; as people of Asian birth have been largely invisible in our intense discussions in recent years on binationalism. This gaze aversion by the political class is a kind of passive or casual racism. It is ethnicism to simply ignore the new New Zealanders who provide so much of our labour, and who generally perform their labour roles with professionalism and competence.

An important aspect of this problem is to ignore the ‘mammoth in the room’, that there is in Aotearoa New Zealand a substantial substitution of New Zealand born residents for non-New Zealand born residents; white citizens are leaving, brown denizens are arriving. In these latest statistics, for the year to May, there were 61,100 more new New Zealanders and 46,300 fewer old New Zealanders; 61,100 minus -46,300 equals 107,400. 100,000 is two percent of five million.

So, if 70% of New Zealand residents were NZ-born in May 2024, then about 68% of New Zealand residents will have been NZ-born in May 2025. (Just under 30 percent of New Zealanders were born overseas in March 2023, according to Statistics New Zealand.) The rate of ‘replacement’ is probably not quite that great, in that some of the citizens leaving permanently will have been naturalised rather than born in Aotearoa New Zealand. Another complicating factor is natural population growth – the excess of births over deaths – which was just over 20,000 in 2024. It would appear that about one-third of births in New Zealand (maybe more) are to mothers not themselves born in New Zealand.

Population ‘Replacement’ is a sensitive subject. The ‘far right’ in much of the Eurocentric world indulges in ‘replacement theory’, a conspiracy theory that there is a liberal “elite” (sometimes “Jewish”) agenda to replace ‘whites’ with ‘non-whites’. (There used to be a comparable case on the ‘far-left’, whereby ‘globalisation’ was interpreted as an agenda rather than a description.) The descriptive reality of today’s world is that there are disproportionately more – and substantially so – ‘brown’ and ‘black’ young people than their proportion among older age cohorts.

White people are diminishing, and non-white people are increasing in numbers. That’s not a problem. But it is perceived as a problem by many white people, especially disadvantaged white people in the economically polarised Euro world. If we tip-toe around this issue of changing global ethnic proportions, we leave the field to ‘replacement theory’ conspiracy theorists. We need to have adult conversations about the implications not just of aging populations, but also the re-culturation of our populations through demographic change.

Applying this last matter to Aotearoa New Zealand, a nation state with rapid population turnover, the overall national ‘personality’ can be largely retained so long as immigrants come from a wide range of other countries. When I was in Sydney last year, I heard a story about the emergence of India’s ‘caste system’ in Australia. This is the kind of cultural change that we do not want in New Zealand; such cultural colonisation can be averted by avoiding too much immigration from a single country. And through a process of cultural fusion, rather than either assimilation or the emergence of cultural silos.

*******

Keith Rankin (keith at rankin dot nz), trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: In Committee, Rosen Helps Advance Bipartisan National Defense Bill with Major Wins for Nevada

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
Senator Rosen Helped Write And Pass the Legislation To Provide A 3.8% Pay Raise for Troops, Deliver For Nevada’s National Security Installations, And Benefit Nevada Servicemembers
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced several major wins for servicemembers in Nevada that she helped secure in the bipartisan national defense bill that advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Senate’s bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26 NDAA) contains thirty provisions championed by Senator Rosen, including the core of her FORGOTTEN Veterans Act. This bill classifies the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) as contaminated from nuclear testing and toxic activities, requires the Defense Department to document servicemember exposures to radiation and toxins that happen stateside, and requires the Air Force to identify all those who served at classified locations within the NTTR since 1951 and establish a process for them to provide proof of having served there, so that they can finally have a basis to submit PACT Act claims.
The Senate NDAA also authorizes several key military construction projects, including to support the readiness of the Nevada Air National Guard Base in Reno to receive C-130J aircraft to carry out their dangerous fire fighting mission. Additionally, it includes Senator Rosen’s amendment to break down a key barrier for Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) crews who conduct combat operations – such as Creech Air Force Base – to continue to be able to access critical mental health services through the VA once separated from the military. The NDAA also supports enlisted retention efforts through higher pay, provides a 3.8% pay raise for all troops, and does not authorize any funding for defense nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain.
“One of my top priorities is working to strengthen our national security and ensure our military has all of the resources it needs to support servicemembers and keep Nevadans safe. I’m proud to have helped shape a strong, bipartisan national defense package that supports our servicemembers in Nevada, strengthens our alliances, and enhances our military readiness,” said Senator Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation includes key provisions I secured to support critical national security installations in Nevada, provide our servicemembers with a deserved pay raise, and eliminate barriers for those who served within the Nevada Test and Training Range to submit PACT Act claims for toxic and radiation exposure. I’ll always work across party lines to keep Nevadans safe.”
Rosen-led provisions in the FY26 NDAA include:
Radiation and Toxic Exposure Documentation: Requires DOD to document all servicemember exposures, including those that occur domestically, so it can be seen by the VA after they’ve separated from the military; classifies the NTTR as contaminated; and requires the Secretary of the Air Force to identify all those who served within the NTTR since January 27, 1951 (the date of the first nuclear test), establish a process for veterans to provide proof of their assignment within the NTTR, and make all efforts to identify individuals without requiring them to submit evidence of their stationing.
Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Crew Mental Health Access: Directs the military service secretaries, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to establish a status identifier or equivalent recognition to note the combat participation of remotely piloted aircraft crews, in order to allow continued access to combat-related mental health services through the VA once the servicemember separates from the military. This is based on Senator Rosen’s bipartisan CARE for RPA Crews Act.
Veteran Training Records: Directs the Pentagon to assess the feasibility of providing military training and qualification records to post-9/11 veterans to assist them in obtaining civilian jobs. This builds on Senator Rosen’s bipartisan Translating Military Skills into Civilian Jobs Act, which was signed into law as part of the FY2025 NDAA, which only applied to those currently serving, not veterans.
Designating Creech Air Force Base as Remote & Isolated: Designates Creech AFB as a remote installation, making it eligible for additional funding for things like morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) activities, and medical services such as dental. This is to support Creech Airmen and their families, who often have to live an hour’s drive from Creech, because Creech has no on-base housing, limited off-based housing, and few services such as child care.
Nevada Air National Guard Fuel Cell Hangar: Authorizes $5.4 million for a larger fuel cell hangar at the Air National Guard Base in Reno, which is necessary for the base’s candidacy to receive C-130J aircraft, which are larger than the current fleet of C-130Hs. Senator Rosen has been working to secure C-130J aircraft for the Nevada National Guard to provide them with more capable aircraft for their dangerous fire fighting mission.
Nevada Air National Guard Engine Maintenance and Support Facility: Authorizes $3.2 million to expand the facility at the Air National Guard Base in Reno. This project is also necessary for the base’s candidacy to receive C-130Js.
Expansion of Nevada Army National Guard Armory in Henderson: Authorizes over $2.3 million for the expansion of the Nevada Army National Guard Armory in Henderson to help alleviate cramped working conditions.
Fallon Range Training Complex Improvements: Authorizes $47 million to accelerate modernization of the Fallon Range Training Complex to route the highway and natural gas pipelines around range B-16.
Enlisted Retention Pay: Authorizes the Department of Defense to provide retention incentive pay to enlisted servicemembers that have a college degree in a field related to their military specialty to help improve recruitment and retention.
Report on Initiatives that Negate the Need for Nuclear Testing: Directs the Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration to brief Congress on how technological advancements and ongoing initiatives – including modernization of the underground laboratory at the Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS) – will provide greater certainty on the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of our nuclear stockpile, which negates the need for nuclear testing.
Report on Incentive Programs for After-Hours Child Care: Directs the Department of Defense to brief Congress on their efforts to create and implement incentive programs that would encourage Family Child Care providers to expand their services, support military spouses, and provide after-hours childcare, which would support r Creech Airmen and their families, who often work outside of normal business hours due to the global operations they support.
Report on Integration of Military Service Outcome Data with State Educational Systems: Directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to brief Congress on the feasibility of establishing a data sharing system to assist states in accessing military enlistment data to better inform students about military careers.
Hearing Aid Coverage for Children of Retired Servicemembers: Extends hearing aid coverage to children of all retired servicemembers, including retired members of the reserve components.
Creech Air Force Base Health Assessment: Directs the Secretary of the Air Force, in coordination with the Defense Health Agency, to assess behavioral and social health conditions affecting servicemembers and families stationed at Creech.
Cyber Talent Management: Creates a DoD talent management program to support cyber personnel transitioning from active duty to the reserves. The provision also authorizes U.S. Cyber Command to carry out a pilot program to provide skill incentive pay to help retain the top Cyber talent in the Cyber Mission Force.
Tibetan Plateau Strategy: Requires an expanded report on China’s military strategy on the Tibetan Plateau, directing the Department of Defense to analyze the risks related to China’s control of natural resources – particularly water – on the Plateau.
Report on Department of Defense Paint Facilities for Corrosion Control: Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to Congress on the status of facilities worldwide – including at Nellis Air Force Base – that conduct sanding and blasting operations of paint containing Hexavalent Chromium—a toxic, cancer-causing chemical used in paint on aircraft to prevent them from corroding.
Rosen-backed provisions included in the FY26 Senate NDAA:
Prioritize C-130J Recapitalization: Prohibits the Air Force until 2028 from spending funds on C-130J modernization until all Air National Guard units flying legacy C-130Hs, such as the Nevada Air National Guard in Reno, are set to receive C-130Js.
SkillBridge Protection: Protects the existing SkillBridge program for all enlisted servicemembers. SkillBridge provides transitioning servicemembers opportunities to participate in training and development with potential post-service employers during their last 180 days of military service, so they can gain invaluable skills, and be more prepared for life after service. Senator Rosen helped introduce bipartisan legislation with Senator Cruz to expand the SkillBridge program.
IVF for Military Families: Ensures that In-vitro Fertilization ( IVF) and fertility-related care shall be covered under TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select for both servicemembers and their spouses for up to three cycles.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Women’s Asia Cup: Australia cruise, S. Korea seal last-second win

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

Australia, South Korea and Japan all claimed victories in Monday’s group-stage matches at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, with Australia cruising past Lebanon, Japan edging the Philippines and South Korea sealing a dramatic last-second win over New Zealand.

Australia continued its dominant run with a commanding 113-34 victory over Lebanon, following its opening-day thrashing of the Philippines. Across their first two group matches, the Opals have posted a combined point differential of +155.

The game was one-sided from the tip-off, as Australia opened with a 17-0 run and held Lebanon to single-digit scoring in the first quarter. The Australians maintained defensive intensity throughout, never allowing Lebanon to score more than 11 points in any quarter.

Australia shot 55.5% from the field, dominated rebounds with 60-23, and tallied 39 assists – the highest by any team in a single game so far in this tournament. Eight Australian players scored in double figures, led by Isabelle Bourne’s game-high 15 points. Lebanon’s Nour Labban was the only scorer in double digits for her team, finishing with 11 points.

Australia head coach Paul Goriss praised his team’s focus over the first two games and noted that controlling the rebounds had been a key point of emphasis.

Earlier in the day, veteran center Park Ji-su delivered a buzzer-beating layup with just 0.5 seconds left to lift South Korea to a thrilling 78-76 win over New Zealand.

South Korea had led by 11 points after three quarters, but saw its advantage disappear after New Zealand’s Emilia Shearer hit a go-ahead jumper with 6.5 seconds remaining. Park responded with a decisive basket, and New Zealand was unable to convert on the final inbounds play.

However, the win came at a cost. Star shooter Kang Lee-seul, who had scored 19 points, exited late in the third quarter with an apparent leg injury. Choi I-saem led South Korea with 23 points, and Park Ji-hyun added 20. Kang and Choi combined for 11 three-pointers.

Shearer finished with 22 points for New Zealand, while Rebecca Kathleen Pizzey and McKenna Dale each contributed 11.

“We are prepared even if Lee-seul can’t play. The same goes for someone like Ji-su – we’re ready to adjust,” said South Korea head coach Park Soo-ho, whose team now faces defending champion China on Tuesday.

In Monday’s final group game, 2023 runner-up Japan was given a late scare but held on for an 85-82 win over the Philippines.

Japan appeared to be in control with a 14-point lead with just three minutes remaining, but a late surge from Naomi Natalie Panganiban and Jack Animam narrowed the gap to six points with 15 seconds left. Despite a clutch three-pointer from Vanessa De Jesus, the Philippines ran out of time and fell just short of a dramatic comeback.

Japan, which had edged Lebanon by just four points in its group-stage opener, has yet to fully find its offensive rhythm. Playing against the Philippines, they improved slightly, shooting 44.4% from the field – still below their usual standards. With a crucial matchup against high-flying Australia ahead, Japan will need to tighten up on both ends.

Veteran Maki Takada led Japan with 20 points, while 20-year-old Minami Yabu added 15. For the Philippines, Animam posted a game-high 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

MIL OSI China News –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Power bank recalls on the rise due to serious burn and property damage risks

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

The ACCC is urging consumers to be alert to a growing list of recalled wireless power banks, which have the potential to cause serious burns and property damage.

Power banks, also known as portable battery packs, are portable battery chargers commonly powered by rechargeable lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries.

They are designed to charge mobile phones and other portable electronic devices on the go.

Since 2020, there have been 17 power bank recalls published on ACCC Product Safety website. Of these, 9 were recalled in the last 16 months.

The ACCC is concerned about these recalls because together they include around 34,000 recalled power banks that are still with consumers.

“Some consumers have suffered serious burn injuries, and some have had their property damaged because of power banks overheating and catching fire,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“Most incidents have occurred when the power bank is charging a phone or other device, which makes it more likely that they will be close to the user when they fail, increasing the likelihood of injuries.”

The ACCC urges consumers who own a recalled power bank to stop using it immediately and follow the instructions on the recall notice to receive a remedy. You can check if your power bank is subject to a recall by visiting the ACCC Product Safety website.

“Consumers who own a recalled power bank shouldn’t be concerned about being left out of pocket. Suppliers are offering a full refund or free replacement under these recalls,” Ms Lowe said.

The ACCC encourages anyone using any power bank that contains lithium-ion batteries to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and to store the devices in a cool, dry place.

Lithium-ion batteries can be highly flammable. Incorrectly manufactured, handled, stored or disposed of products can catch fire, explode or vent toxic gas.

“It’s important that people use the correct charger to charge their power bank and check that it is in good condition,” Ms Lowe said.

“We urge consumers not to charge power banks on flammable materials such as beds, sofas or carpet, and to never use power banks that are damaged, overheating, swelling, leaking or venting gas.”

“Setting timers as a reminder to unplug devices may help monitor device charging times, as it’s important to disconnect products from chargers when they are fully charged,” Ms Lowe said.

Check the ACCC’s Product Safety lithium-ion batteries guide for more safety information.

Recalled power banks that the ACCC is monitoring closely

Anker Power Bank Model: A1257, A1647, A1681, A1689 – Anker Innovations Limited

Published: 8 July 2025

Reason for the recall: The power bank may overheat and catch fire.

Hazard to consumers: Risk of serious burn injuries and/or property damage if the power bank catches fire. Incidents have occurred overseas, resulting in property damage.

Baseus power bank 65W 30000 mAh (model number: BS-30KP365) – Shenzhen Baseus Technology Co., Ltd

Published: 23 May 2025

Reason for the recall: The power bank may overheat when charging or being used, posing a fire hazard.

Hazard to consumers: Risk of serious burn injuries and property damage if the lithium-ion battery in the power bank overheats and catches fire.
Baseus has received 76 reports of incidents involving the portable chargers, including 72 reports of bulging and four reports of fire, including three reports of property damage.

SnapWireless PowerPack Slim (Gen 1) – SnapWireless

Published: 21 May 2025

Reason for the recall: The power bank can overheat and catch fire when used.

Hazard to consumers: Risk of serious burn injuries or death and property damage. Incidents have occurred.

Quad lock MAG battery pack – Annex Products Pty Ltd trading as Quad Lock

Published: 12 Nov 2024

Reason for the recall: The battery pack can overheat and catch fire.

Hazard to consumers: There is a risk of serious injury, damage to property or both if the battery pack overheats and catches fire. This can occur even when the product is not in use. Battery packs have overheated and caused property damage.

BoostCharge Pro fast wireless charger for Apple watch + power bank 10K – Belkin Ltd

Published: 6 Nov 2024

Reason for the recall: The lithium-ion cell may overheat and catch fire.

Hazard to consumers: There is a risk of serious injuries, burns and property damage if the cell overheats and catches fire.

Anker power bank A1647 – Anker Innovations Limited

Published: 2 Oct 2024

Reason for the recall: The battery in the power bank can overheat and catch fire.

Hazard to consumers: There is a risk of serious injury from burns and/or property damage if the power bank overheats and melts or catches fire. Two incidents have caused injuries and property damage, which occurred overseas.

Baseus magnetic wireless charging power banks 6000mAh 20W – Shenzhen Baseus Technology Co. Ltd

Published: 12 July 2024

Reason for the recall: The power banks contain a lithium-ion battery that can overheat, swell and/or bulge posing a fire hazard.

Hazard to consumers: There is a risk of injury from burns and/or property damage if the battery starts a fire. There have been incidents resulting in injury and damage to property.

MagMove 5K Power Bank – Cygnett Pty Ltd

Published: 26 March 2024

Reason for the recall: The battery pack can overheat and catch fire.

Hazard to consumers: Risk of serious burn injuries or property damage. People have been seriously injured and property has been damaged from power banks overheating and catching on fire.

MIL OSI News –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI: Amazing Returns: XRP Soars Instantly with the Help of DRML Miner
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEWYORK, NY, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

New choice for XRP holders: not only holding coins, but also making profits

XRP has become one of the preferred digital assets for institutions and users due to its high transaction volume, low handling fees and strong liquidity. DRML Miner breaks through traditional barriers and realizes XRP direct payment mining contracts, eliminating exchange costs and complex settings, and releasing the maximum value of held assets.

DRML Miner App Feature Highlights

✅ One-click cloud computing: no need to purchase mining machines, no need to deploy, the system runs automatically

✅ Daily visual income: income is settled daily, historical data is transparent and traceable

✅ Global multi-language support: built-in English, French, Spanish and other multi-language systems, suitable for users in multiple countries

✅ Green data center network: connects clean energy mines in Eastern Europe, North America, Australia and other regions, environmentally friendly and sustainable

How to start mining XRP? On the DRML Miner website
1. Register – Sign up to get a $10 welcome bonus, plus a $0.60 daily login bonus
2. Choose a contract – Use your bonus to activate a plan, or choose a plan that suits your goals
3. Start mining – DRML Miner handles the process and automatically credits rewards
  Click here to explore more contract options.
$10 Contract – 1 Day – Earn $0.60 per day

$100 Contract – 2 Days – Earn $3.50 per day

$500 Contract – 5 Days – Earn $6.50 per day

$5,000 Contract – 30 Days – Earn $77.50 per day

$8,000 Contract – 40 Days – Earn $132 per day

$50,000 Contract – 50 Days – Earn $975 per day

Users can track income, renew or withdraw income at any time through the App. The operation is simple and intuitive, and the experience is comparable to financial-level financial management applications.

Build a professional, safe and continuous passive income system

At a time when global macro uncertainty is increasing, building a continuous and volatile digital income channel has become a key strategy for investors. DRML Miner is a computing power platform based on real mining machines, transparent contracts, and green energy, which is providing a stable and reliable asset appreciation path for more and more XRP holders.

About DRML Miner

Since its founding in 2018, DRML Miner has been on a mission to redefine the cryptocurrency mining industry. In the past, mining often required specialized knowledge, expensive hardware, and low electricity costs. DRML Miner eliminates these barriers, making it easy for anyone to mine XRP, BTC, SOL, or DOGE without a complicated learning curve or high initial investment fees.

For the average user, DRML Miner provides a real and viable way to help them grow their cryptocurrency assets, earn passive income, and invest more confidently in volatile markets.

Explore the new future of XRP mining. Please visit: https://https://drmlminers.com

The MIL Network –
July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: National two-minute silence to mark VJ Day 80
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

National two-minute silence to mark VJ Day 80

National two-minute silence will be held at 12 noon on 15 August 2025 to honour the 80th anniversary of VJ Day
Event at National Memorial Arboretum to honour VJ veterans will be broadcast live

Red Arrows will join historic Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft for flypast over national VJ Day 80 commemorations

Members of the public are encouraged to participate in a national two-minute silence on Friday 15 August to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

A Service of Remembrance will honour and remember those who fought and died during the Second World War in the Far East at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, which will be broadcast live on BBC1 from midday.

It will host a spectacular tribute to veterans involving 400 members of the Armed Forces, the Red Arrows and historic aircraft from The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

This follows four days of events in May to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which marked the end of the Second World War in Europe.

However, at that time 80 years ago, thousands of British and Commonwealth military personnel continued to fight Japanese forces in Asia and the Pacific for a further three months when Victory over Japan (VJ Day) was declared on 15 August 1945, following Imperial Japan’s surrender to Allied Forces. Alongside British Armed Forces, hundreds of thousands of people served in the Far East from countries including pre-partition India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Nepal and from African nations.

The Service of Remembrance will be run in partnership with the Royal British Legion and will be attended by Second World War veterans, VJ association members, senior politicians, and military personnel. It will pay tribute to the British, Commonwealth and Allied veterans who served in the Far East theatres of war, the Pacific and Indian Ocean territories.

The event will include a guard of honour of Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force and music provided by military bands. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will lead a breathtaking flypast featuring the historic Dakota, Hurricane and Spitfire aircrafts.

Veterans attending will include Burma Star recipients, British Indian Army veterans and those involved in the Battles of Kohima and Imphal, as well as Prisoners of War held across the region and veterans stationed in the UK or Commonwealth countries, who contributed to the war effort.

The service is a ticketed event, but members of the public visiting the Arboretum on the day are invited to observe the two-minute silence and watch the service on large screens at a nearby public viewing area.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

Those who continued to fight bravely in Asia and the Pacific in those last few months of the Second World War must never be forgotten.

It is so important for us as a nation to come together on this important anniversary to remember our VJ Day veterans and hear their stories first-hand so we can ensure that their legacy is passed on to future generations and their sacrifice is never forgotten.

Defence Secretary John Healey said:

VJ Day was the final victory in a war that changed the world, and we honour those who served in the Far East with enduring gratitude.

Just as we proudly marked VE Day, we reflect on the courage, sacrifice and resilience shown by so many to secure peace.

Their legacy must never be forgotten, and it’s our duty to pass their stories on to future generations.

Mark Atkinson, Director General of the Royal British Legion, said:

We encourage everyone across the country to take a moment to reflect during the two-minute silence on VJ Day, to watch the Service of Remembrance live on the BBC or at the Arboretum, and pay tribute to those from Britain and across the Commonwealth who fought in the Far East in the Second World War.

It was so moving to see the nation come together for VE80 and to be putting veterans at the heart of these commemorations – now we have one of our last chances to honour all those VJ Day veterans whose service and sacrifice finally brought an end to the War.

Second World War veteran and RBL ambassador Tom Berry, 101, from Cheshire, who was serving on HMS Tartar in the Pacific when Japan surrendered, said:

For veterans like me and all those who carried on fighting until VJ Day was announced, this will be a very emotional day – a moment in history. I’ll be watching the service at home, and I’d ask the country to do the same – to stop and remember all those who gave so much for our freedoms, and those who never made it back.

The national commemorations will commence with a government reception to celebrate VJ Day with veterans.

Government buildings and High Commissions across the globe will also be lit up on 15 August to commemorate VJ Day.

In addition, Imperial War Museums (IWM) will be screening I Saw The World End, a digital public artwork by celebrated artist and designer Es Devlin, at Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday 6th August to commemorate the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

IWM will also invite visitors to reflect on the events leading up to the end of the Second World War through paper dove and crane making activities at IWM London and IWM North.

On VJ Day itself, IWM will premiere a new contemporary film exploring the events and significance of VJ Day and the war in Asia and the Pacific. The film, which can be seen at IWM North and outdoor screens in locations across the UK, is produced in partnership with SODA (School of Digital Arts), part of Manchester Metropolitan University. A new augmented reality experience at IWM North will also engage audiences in a deeper exploration of the Second World War in Asia and the Pacific and its significance, bringing to life some of the personal stories, sound and film from IWM’s collection.

Following the success of IWM’s VE Day Letters to Loved Ones initiative, the public are asked to delve into their family history to find letters sent by relatives to loved ones that provide fresh insight and first-hand testimonies of VJ Day and the war in the Far East. Digital copies can be uploaded onto the official VE/VJ80 website.

Minister Steph Peacock shares her family story, remembering her Grandad and all those he served alongside

James Taylor, IWM’s Principal Curator of Public History said:

The story of the Second World does not finish with VE Day on 8 May 1945, with intense fighting in Asia and the Pacific continuing for another three months, and the destruction of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Through this varied programme of activities, we will shine a light on these often-overlooked stories from the final months of the Second World War. Through public film screenings, digital experiences, and artist commissions, IWM will give people the opportunity to delve deeper into the significance of the war in Asia and the Pacific and its lasting global impact.

The Government is working with partners across the UK, including the Devolved Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to ensure commemorations are inclusive and UK-wide.

The Commonwealth War Graves will continue their Every Story For Evermore campaign through events, new content, and augmented reality tours at international sites. These will include Commonwealth War Graves Cemeteries at Nairobi in Kenya, Sai Wan in Hong Kong, Kranji in Singapore, Kanchanaburi in Thailand, and Yokohama in Japan. This will enable international audiences to learn about the men and women who continued to serve in the Second World War after VE Day.

Director of Education, Engagement and Volunteering at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Simon Bendry, said:

As part of the anniversary commemorations marking the end of the Second World War, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is encouraging people around the world to pause and reflect on the human cost of conflict.

We commemorate more than 580,000 casualties who died during the Second World War, and we invite the public to ensure their stories are never forgotten by exploring and contributing to our online story collection, For Evermore, and by joining commemorative events taking place across the globe. From sites in the UK to Japan, from Kenya to Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, local communities will have opportunities to honour and remember those who gave their lives and acknowledge the huge sacrifices made in pursuit of peace.

Notes to editors:

Access to the service at the base of the Arboretum’s Armed Forces Memorial will be strictly by event ticket only.

Members of the public can participate in the commemorations by attending a live screening at the nearby Naval Review and observe the two-minute national silence; pre-booking of car parking via the National Memorial Arboretum website is strongly recommended to guarantee entry.

For further information about VJ Day 80 and to pre-book parking, visit: https://thenma.org.uk/what’s-on/events/remembering-vj-day-80-years-on-national-commemorative-event

Visit the dedicated interactive website ve-vjday80.gov.uk for latest information and ways to get involved.

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 14 July 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study suggesting vapes are more effective for quitting smoking than gum or lozenges including in disadvantaged groups

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

July 14, 2025

A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine looks at vapes for smoking cessation in disadvantaged groups.

Prof Leonie Brose, Professor of Addictions & Public Health at King’s College London, said:

“This very well-conducted Australian study shows that vaping is more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) for helping people quit smoking. This is in line with what we know from previous evidence. What makes this study stand out is its focus on less advantaged groups, who are often hit hardest by smoking-related illnesses. And by offering participants a choice of vaping devices and flavours, the researchers created a more realistic scenario. Interestingly, the effectiveness of vaping over NRT was greater than anticipated.

“These results are particularly relevant for England, where we are currently evaluating ‘Swap to Stop’, the national initiative providing free vapes to get more people from less advantaged groups to stop smoking.”

Prof Peter Hajek, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Health and Lifestyle Research Unit, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said:

“Compared to the general population, rates of smoking are much higher and rates of quitting smoking lower among people whose lives are more stressful. In previous studies in unselected groups of smokers, e-cigarettes were up to twice as effective as NRT. In this study looking at a large sample of people on income support, the advantage of vapes over NRT was three-fold!

“As vaping poses only a small fraction of risks of smoking, encouraging smokers who find giving up nicotine difficult to use vapes seemed always a logical and sensible thing to do. This high-quality study with rigorous outcome criteria shows that it is also effective.”

‘Vaporized Nicotine Products for Smoking Cessation Among People Experiencing Social Disadvantage’ by Ryan J. Courtney et al. was published in Annals of Internal Medicine at 10pm UK time on Monday 14 July.

DOI: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-03531

Declared interests

Leonie Brose: “I have no interests to declare.”

Peter Hajek: “No COI”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI: Paramount Australia Partners with Magnite to Unlock Programmatic Access to the Paramount+ Ad Tier

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SYDNEY, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, and Paramount Australia today announced a partnership to unlock programmatic access to Paramount+’s premium streaming TV inventory in Australia for the first time. Following the launch of its ad-supported plan in the market, Paramount will leverage Magnite technology to give advertisers an unparalleled opportunity to reach engaged streaming audiences with greater efficiency and transparency in a premium environment. This announcement marks another key milestone in Paramount Australia’s business and technology transformation, paving the way for Paramount Connect.

Paramount+ offers a mountain of premium entertainment for all audiences boasting an expansive library of local original series, global hit shows, popular movies and live sport, making it a prime destination for engaged streaming audiences. The Magnite SpringServe video platform combined with Paramount’s mediation capabilities streamline advertiser access to Paramount’s premium streaming inventory.

“As the Paramount+ ad tier continues to expand its footprint in Australia, we are committed to offering innovative ways for advertisers to connect with our engaged, high-value audiences,” said Milan Blazevic, Head of Programmatic at Paramount Australia. “By partnering with Magnite, we are unlocking programmatic access to our premium inventory in this market for the first time, providing advertisers with greater flexibility and efficiency in their media buying strategies.”

“Magnite is dedicated to driving streaming TV innovation, and our partnership with Paramount+ will unlock access to one of Australia’s most compelling streaming platforms through our industry-leading technology offering brands a first-mover advantage,” said Yael Milbank, Managing Director, ANZ at Magnite. “As programmatic CTV adoption accelerates, this partnership will empower advertisers with smarter automation, enhanced targeting, and more effective data-driven buying strategies for greater efficiency in campaign execution.”

About Magnite
We’re Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising company. Publishers use our technology to monetize their content across all screens and formats including CTV, online video, display, and audio. The world’s leading agencies and brands trust our platform to access brand-safe, high-quality ad inventory and execute billions of advertising transactions each month. Anchored in bustling New York City, sunny Los Angeles, mile high Denver, historic London, colorful Singapore, and down under in Sydney, Magnite has offices across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.

About Paramount Australia
Paramount Australia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences, worldwide. Paramount Australia’s portfolio of consumer brands includes Network 10, Paramount+, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon and MTV.

Media Contact

Magnite:
Einsteinz Communications
Carlotta Vittori
carlotta@einsteinz.com.au
+61 449 207 228

Paramount Australia:
Bronwyn Fardon
bfardon@networkten.com.au

The MIL Network –

July 15, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Many fish are social, but pesticides are pushing them apart

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kyle Morrison, PhD Candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UNSW Sydney

Kazakov Maksim, Shutterstock

Scientists have detected pesticides in rivers, lakes and oceans worldwide. So what are these pesticides doing to the fish?

Long before pesticides reach lethal doses, they can disrupt hormones, impair brain function and change fish behaviour. Many of these behaviours are essential for healthy ecosystems.

In a new study, my colleagues and I found that pesticides affect many different behaviours in fish. Overall, the chemical pesticides make fish less sociable and interactive. They spend less time gathering in groups, become less protective of their territory, and make fewer attempts to mate.

Imagine the ocean without the vibrant schools of fish we’ve come to love – only isolated swimmers drifting about. Quietly, ecosystems begin to unravel, long before mass die-offs hit the news.

Healthy reef ecosystems feature fish swimming together and socialising.
Mike Workman, Shutterstock

Fish are living and dying in polluted water

Australia is a major producer and user of pesticides, with more than 11,000 approved chemical products routinely used in agricultural and domestic settings. Remarkably, some of these chemicals remain approved in Australia despite being banned in other regions such as the European Union due to safety concerns.

When a tractor or plane sprays pesticides onto crops, it creates a mist of chemicals in the air to kill crop pests. After heavy rain, these chemicals can flow into roadside drains, filter through soil, and slowly move into rivers, lakes and oceans.

Fish swim in this diluted chemical mixture. They can absorb pesticides through their gills or eat contaminated prey.

At high concentrations, mass fish deaths can result, such as those repeatedly observed in the Menindee Lakes. However, doses in the wild often aren’t lethal and more subtle effects can occur. Scientists call these “sub-lethal” effects.

One commonly investigated sub-lethal effect is a change in behaviour – in other words, a change in the way a fish interacts with its surrounding environment.

Our previous research has found most experiments have looked at the impacts on fish in isolation, measuring things such as how far or how fast they swim when pesticides are present.

But fish aren’t solitary — they form groups, defend territory and find mates. These behaviours keep aquatic ecosystems stable. So this time we studied how pesticides affect these crucial social behaviours.

Pesticide exposure makes fish less social

Our study extracted and analysed data from 37 experiments conducted around the world. Together, these tested the impacts of 31 different pesticides on the social behaviour of 11 different fish species.

The evidence suggests pesticides make fish less social, and this finding is consistent across species. Courtship was the most severely impacted behaviour – the process fish use to find and attract mates. This is particularly alarming because successful courtship is essential for healthy fish populations and ecosystem stability.

Next, we found pesticides such as the herbicide glyphosate, which can disrupt brain function and hormone levels had the strongest impacts on fish social behaviours. This raises important questions about how brain function and hormones drive fish social behaviour, which could be tested by scientists in the future.

For example, scientists could test how much a change in testosterone relates to a change in territory defence. Looking at these relationships between what’s going on inside the body mechanisms and outward behaviour will help us better understand the complex impacts of pesticides.

We also identified gaps in the current studies. Most existing studies focus on a limited number of easy-to-study “model species” such as zebrafish, medaka and guppies. They also often use pesticide dosages and durations that may not reflect real-world realities.

Addressing these gaps by including a range of species and environmentally relevant dosages is crucial to understanding how pesticides affect fish in the wild.

One of the experiments in our study involved convict surgeonfish, which gather in large groups or ‘shoals’.
Damsea, Shutterstock

Behaviour is a blind spot in regulation

Regulatory authorities should begin to recognise behaviour as a reliable and important indicator of pesticide safety. This can help them catch pesticide pollution early, before mass deaths occur.

Scientists play a crucial role too. By following the same methods, scientists can produce comparable results. A standardised method then provides regulators the evidence needed to confidently assess pesticide risks.

Together, regulatory authorities and scientists can find a way to use behavioural studies to help inform policy decisions. This will help to prevent mass deaths and catch pesticide impacts early on.

Leave no stone unturned in restoring our waters

Rivers, lakes, oceans and reefs are bearing the brunt of an ever-growing human footprint.

So far, much of the spotlight has focused on reducing carbon emissions and managing overfishing — and rightly so. But there’s another, quieter threat drifting beneath the surface: the chemicals we use.

Pesticides used on farms and in gardens are being detected everywhere, even iconic ecosystems such as the Great Barrier Reef. As we have shown, these pesticides can have disturbing effects even at low concentrations.

Now is the time to cut pesticide use and reduce runoff. Through switching to less toxic chemicals and introducing better regulations, we can reduce the damage. If we act with urgency, we can limit the impacts pesticides have on our planet.

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

– ref. Many fish are social, but pesticides are pushing them apart – https://theconversation.com/many-fish-are-social-but-pesticides-are-pushing-them-apart-256230

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 15, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Do I have prostate cancer? Why a simple PSA blood test alone won’t give you the answer

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin M. Koo, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, The University of Queensland

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australia, with about 26,000 men diagnosed per year. The majority (more than 85%) are aged over 60.

Prostate cancer kills around 3,900 Australians a year. Yet most prostate cancers progress very slowly and many men die “with” and not “from” prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is currently detected with a blood test. This measures the amounts of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood, a protein produced by the prostate gland.

But while an elevated PSA can indicate prostate cancer, other non-cancerous conditions, such as prostate enlargement or inflammation, can also increase PSA levels.

New draft guidelines aim to provide clearer recommendations about the role PSA tests should play in detecting prostate cancer.

Life-saving treatment vs harmful overdiagnosis

Early detection of prostate cancer by PSA testing is important. It allows for timely treatments such as prostate removal surgery, radiation or hormonal therapy.

But despite their effectiveness, these treatments can cause problems such as erectile dysfunction. Urinary incontinence issues occur in up to 14% of patients.

Therefore, if the prostate cancer is considered low-risk and has not spread outside the prostate, the clinician may recommend “active surveillance” to closely monitor the cancer for signs of progression.

If the low-risk prostate cancer doesn’t progress, treatment and its associated side effects can be delayed or avoided.

Read more:
Treatment can do more harm than good for prostate cancer − why active surveillance may be a better option for some

The controversy around PSA testing is it can over-diagnose low-risk prostate cancers that would never become life-threatening.

PSA tests may also give false positive results when someone doesn’t have cancer.

Such scenarios cause harm to men who are over-treated for prostate cancer solely based on elevated PSA levels.

In a decades-long clinical study involving 182,000 men, PSA testing reduced prostate cancer deaths by 20% compared to men who didn’t undergo testing.

But a trade-off was having to over-treat around 48 men to prevent one prostate cancer death.

We need to find the balance between enabling early life-saving detection and preventing harmful over-treatment of men with low-risk prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer surgery can leave some men with urinary incontinence.
Jota Buyinch Photo/Shutterstock

What do the draft guidelines say?

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia has released new draft clinical guidelines for the early detection of prostate cancer for public consultation.

The following recommended changes aim to reduce over-treatment and minimise harm.

1. Offer all men a ‘baseline’ PSA test at 40

All men would be offered an initial PSA test at age 40 to provide a baseline PSA measurement to compare against follow-up tests.

A baseline PSA measurement would enable the calculation of PSA doubling time: the number of months taken for PSA level to double from baseline.

Aggressive fast-growing tumors tend to have shorter PSA doubling times, so this would enable early detection of high-risk prostate cancer for prompt treatment.

Such a change could improve prostate cancer risk classification and spare more men from unnecessary harmful treatment side effects.

2. GPs offer men aged 50–69 PSA tests every two years

The draft guidelines recommend GPs offer PSA testing every two years for all men aged 50–69.

For men over 70, PSA testing would be recommended based on clinical assessment by GPs.

Men are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at an advanced age. So as they get older and have a shorter life expectancy, the harms of treatment are more likely to outweigh the benefits of early detection.

This recommendation could reduce over-diagnosis by considering individual life expectancy, overall health and potential treatment harms.

3. Target populations at greater risk

As with other cancer types, prostate cancer is a disease caused by gene malfunctioning leading to tumour growth. Men with a family history of prostate cancer are around three times more likely to develop and die from prostate cancer due to their genetic susceptibility.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men have a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer compared to non-Indigenous men. This may be due to delayed diagnoses and limited access to prostate cancer treatment options in remote areas.

For these men with higher prostate cancer risk, the draft guidelines recommend earlier and more frequent PSA testing, starting at age 40.

This change could prioritise and serve targeted, high-risk populations of men who would benefit most from more regular PSA testing.

Men with a family history of prostate cancer are more likely to develop the disease.
Shakirov Albert/Shutterstock

No more ‘finger up the bum’

Previously, men with high PSA levels were referred for needle prostate biopsies which involve invasive insertion of needles into different areas of the prostate to remove tissue samples for lab analyses.

Needle biopsies are painful and come with risks of bleeding or infection. So, it’s helpful to use additional prostate cancer testing approaches to guide who is referred for a biopsy.

The new draft guidelines no longer recommend the use of digital rectal examination, the dreaded “finger up the bum”, to screen for signs of prostate cancer together with PSA testing. Men find this unpleasant and embarrassing.

Instead, clinicians can turn to advanced imaging. Medicare rebates have been available for magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose prostate cancer since 2018.

Medical specialists often order a multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) following elevated PSA levels to determine if biopsies are required. This is a specialised MRI that uses strong magnets and radio waves to construct a detailed three-dimensional image of the prostate from different angles and identify suspicious-looking areas.

The draft guidelines recommend mpMRI to supplement PSA testing to better determine if a biopsy is needed. This saves men from unnecessary invasive procedures and reduces health-system costs.

The information gathered from the public consultations will inform the final draft prostate cancer early detection guidelines. The final recommendations will then be sent to the National Health and Medical Research Council for approval, before becoming clinical practice.

Kevin M. Koo receives funding from the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

– ref. Do I have prostate cancer? Why a simple PSA blood test alone won’t give you the answer – https://theconversation.com/do-i-have-prostate-cancer-why-a-simple-psa-blood-test-alone-wont-give-you-the-answer-257240

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 15, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Antisemitism plan fails on a number of fronts – a contentious definition of hate is just the start

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Chappell, Scientia Professor, UNSW Sydney

The antisemitism strategy presented to the Albanese government has attracted considerable – and wholly justifed – criticism.

Produced by Jillian Segal, the special envoy to combat antisemitism, the blueprint falls short in a range of areas essential to good public policy. This is due to its biased arguments, weak evidence and recommendation overreach.

There is also the adoption of a contentious definition of antisemitism which has been criticised for conflating disapproval of Israel with anti-Jewish prejudice.

Alternative definition

The strategy uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, manifestations of which could include criticising the state of Israel.

However, this definition is contentious – so much so that its original author, Kenneth Stern, has rejected it as a tool for regulating antisemitism due its potential to be weaponised to silence free speech.

Other widely used definitions are unacknowledged in the report. These include the Jerusalem Declaration, which attempts to strike a better balance between antisemitism and freedom of speech, including criticism of Israel and Zionism.

As the declaration notes:

hostility to Israel could be an expression of an antisemitic animus, or it could be a reaction to a human rights violation, or it could be the emotion that a Palestinian person feels on account of their experience at the hands of the state.

Biased Argument

The report presents a clear and consistent argument: antisemitism has been on the rise in Australia, especially since the Hamas attacks in October 2023. It is particularly obvious in universities and cultural institutions.

Antisemitism is an insidious form of prejudice and hatred which is destructive not only to the Jewish community, but to the very fabric of Australian society. It requires a community-wide response to stamp it out.

The report is underpinned by Segal’s principled aspiration to ensure “all Australians, including Jewish Australians, can live with dignity, fairness, safety and mutual respect”.

But there are multiple problems with how this argument is presented.

First, it is sweeping in its application. A good example is the claim antisemitism “has become ingrained and normalised within academia and the cultural space”.

No explanation is given to what these terms mean, or what these practices entail. Without such qualifiers, readers could easily be misguided in thinking the problem is more pronounced than it actually is.

Weak evidence

The report provides alarming statistics about the rise in reported cases of antisemitism in Australia, including a claimed 316% spike in the 12 months to October 2024.

It pays particular attention to antisemitism in the university sector, quoting a survey by the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, which noted more than 60% of Jewish students who experienced antisemitism felt unsupported by their institutions.

No doubt there has been a surge in antisemitic hatred, but there are significant problems with how evidence for it is presented in the report. Segal fails to
produce a single citation, which makes it impossible to access the data and assess its veracity.

Baseline figures, details about who collated the data, the investigation of incidents and their resolution, are all missing.

The report also misquotes an important source.

It states “in February 2025, ASIO Director General Mike Burgess declared antisemitism is Australia’s leading threat to life”.

In fact, what Burgess actually said was:

In terms of threats to life, it’s my agency’s number one priority because of the weight of incidents we’re seeing play out in this country.

There are subtle yet important differences in these two statements, which need to be carefully parsed when dealing with such a serious issue.

Gaza ignored

Also problematic is the singular focus on extremist ideologies as the reason for the rise in antisemitism.

In doing so, the strategy omits a compelling fact: the recent upsurge is likely linked to Israel’s war on Gaza which has resulted in mass Palestinian civilian casualties over the past 20 months.

As international law expert Ben Saul argues:

People did not just inexplicably and without context decide to become more antisemitic in that period. [It was fuelled by] fury at Israel’s profound violations of international law in Gaza.

Furthermore, while Segal claims to be focused on mutual respect, she fails to acknowledge other groups that face similar forms of racism and discrimination, including Australia’s Indigenous peoples and Islamic communities.

In doing so, the report appears to be seeking special treatment for the Australian Jewish community.

Recommendation overreach

Much of the negative reaction to the report has rightly been focused on its far-reaching punitive recommendations, which have been described as Trumpian.

Many are directed towards the education sector, including threatened cuts to school and university funding, and extending the capacity to terminate staff who engage in “antisemitic” behaviours.

Segal envisages creating a “university report card” to adjudicate on universities that are failing the standard, presumably set against her preferred antisemitism definition.

The media and the cultural sector more broadly are also in Segal’s headlights, with recommendations to establish herself as a media monitor to ensure “fair and balanced reporting”. Charitable institutions deemed to be supporting antisemitism would lose their tax-deduction status.

These highly controversial measures are an overreach of the envoy’s terms of reference.

Segal’s mandate specifies her role is as an advisor to government, not a regulator. By taking such a drastic approach, the antisemitism strategy risks stoking further social division.

The government, which is considering the recommendations, must proceed very cautiously.

Louise Chappell receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

– ref. Antisemitism plan fails on a number of fronts – a contentious definition of hate is just the start – https://theconversation.com/antisemitism-plan-fails-on-a-number-of-fronts-a-contentious-definition-of-hate-is-just-the-start-261082

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 15, 2025

MIL-OSI: PrairieSky Announces Second Quarter 2025 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CALGARY, Alberta, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. (“PrairieSky” or the “Company”) (TSX: PSK) is pleased to announce its second quarter operating and financial results for the period ended June 30, 2025.

Second Quarter Highlights:

Record oil royalty production of 14,376 barrels per day, an 8% increase over Q2 2024⁽¹⁾. Total royalty production averaged 26,457 BOE per day, a 4% increase over Q2 2024.
Revenues totaled $123.6 million for Q2 2025⁽¹⁾ comprised of royalty production revenue of $111.2 million and other revenue of $12.4 million, including bonus consideration of $8.5 million earned on entering into 47 new leasing arrangements primarily focused on the Duvernay light oil play.
Funds from operations totaled $96.7 million or $0.41 per share, a decrease of 9% from Q2 2024 as record oil royalty production volumes, narrowed heavy and light oil price differentials and a weaker Canadian dollar were offset by lower benchmark US$ WTI pricing.
Declared a second quarter dividend of $61.2 million ($0.26 per share), representing a payout ratio of 63%.
Purchased and cancelled 84,020 common shares under the Company’s normal course issuer bid (“NCIB”) for $2.0 million.
Completed acquisitions for $6.5 million, primarily of non-producing gross overriding royalty interests targeting Mannville oil.
Net debt totaled $242.0 million as at June 30, 2025, a decrease of $16.8 million from March 31, 2025.

President’s Message

Oil royalty production volumes reached a record 14,376 barrels per day in Q2 2025, an 8% increase over Q2 2024, bringing year-to-date oil royalty production to 13,941 barrels per day. We continue to see growth in our heavy oil portfolio with the Clearwater and Mannville Stack⁽²⁾ approaching 25% of oil royalty production as third-party operators continue to execute on their drilling programs in these plays. Multilateral horizontal drilling reached a record 52% of spuds (61 wells) in the quarter which included 47 wells in the Clearwater. Year-to-date activity has been particularly strong in the Duvernay with 30 wells spud compared to 33 spud in all of 2024. We expect to see initial royalty production from multiple Duvernay wells in the West Shale Basin⁽²⁾ in the third quarter and this level of third-party activity to continue to drive annual oil royalty production growth.

Funds from operations totaled $96.7 million ($0.41 per share) in the quarter driven by strong royalty production volumes of 26,457 BOE per day which generated royalty revenue of $111.2 million, 93% attributed to oil and NGL. Oil royalty production revenue totaled $95.7 million, a 14% decrease from Q2 2024, with lower US$ WTI benchmark pricing offsetting record oil royalty production volumes of 14,376 barrels per day, narrowed light and heavy oil differentials and a weaker Canadian dollar. Natural gas royalty production volumes averaged 58.4 MMcf per day in the quarter, earning $7.9 million in royalty revenue which represented an 80% increase over Q2 2024. The increase in natural gas royalty production revenue was primarily due to improved benchmark pricing with daily AECO index pricing averaging $1.69 per Mcf in the quarter, an increase of 43% over Q2 2024. NGL royalty production averaged 2,348 barrels per day, an increase of 2% from Q2 2024 and generated total NGL royalty production revenue of $7.6 million in the quarter. It was a strong quarter for other revenues which totaled $12.4 million, including bonus consideration of $8.5 million earned on entering into 47 new leases with 37 separate counterparties.

PrairieSky declared a dividend of $0.26 per share or $61.2 million in the quarter with a resulting payout ratio of 63%. Excess funds from operations after payment of the dividend were allocated to the acquisition of $6.5 million of incremental royalty interests focused on non-producing gross overriding royalty interests targeting Mannville heavy oil targets and share repurchases. The NCIB remains an important part of our long-term capital allocation strategy to create value for shareholders. During the quarter, 84,020 common shares were repurchased and cancelled with an incremental $11.0 million⁽³⁾ allocated to share repurchases to be settled subsequent to June 30, 2025. PrairieSky exited the quarter with net debt of $242.0 million at June 30, 2025. Subsequent to Q2 2025, PrairieSky exercised the accordion feature of its unsecured, covenant-based credit facility with the existing syndicate of Canadian banks, increasing the commitment of lenders by $250 million, bringing the aggregate credit limit available to PrairieSky to $600 million. There were no other amendments made to the credit facility. The expanded facility provides increased liquidity and financial flexibility moving forward.

Thank you to our staff for their hard work in the quarter and our shareholders for their continued support.

Andrew Phillips, President & CEO

ACTIVITY ON PRAIRIESKY’S ROYALTY PROPERTIES

Third-party operators spud 117 wells on PrairieSky’s royalty acreage at an average royalty rate of 4.8%, as compared to the 115 wells spud in Q2 2024 at an average royalty rate of 6.6%. Drilling activity generally slows in the second quarter across the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin as a result of spring break-up. Spuds were comprised of 74 wells on gross overriding royalty acreage, 33 wells on fee lands and 10 unit wells. There were a total of 113 oil wells (97% of wells) spud during the quarter which included 47 Clearwater wells, 17 Mannville light and heavy oil wells, 13 Duvernay wells, 11 Viking wells, 11 Mississippian wells and 14 additional oil wells across Alberta and Saskatchewan. There were 3 Mannville natural gas wells and 1 Duvernay natural gas well spud in Q2 2025.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

(1)	In this press release, the financial reporting periods are referred to as follows: “Q2 2025”, “the quarter” or the “the second quarter” refers to the three months ended June 30, 2025; “Q2 2024” refers to the three months ended June 30, 2024.
(2)	For further details on the “Mannville Stack” and “West Shale Basin”, we refer you to PrairieSky’s most recent Corporate Presentation contained on PrairieSky’s website at www.prairiesky.com.
(3)	Included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at June 30, 2025 is $11.0 million related to common share repurchases of which $1.0 million related to common share repurchases that were pending settlement at June 30, 2025 and the remaining $10.0 million related to a provision for share repurchases under the Company’s automatic share purchase plan with an independent broker.

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, terms used in this press release but not defined above are as defined in in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024 which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and PrairieSky’s website at www.prairiesky.com.

FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL INFORMATION

The following table summarizes select operational and financial information of the Company for the periods noted. All dollar amounts are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

A full version of PrairieSky’s management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) and unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2025 are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and PrairieSky’s website at www.prairiesky.com.

	Three months ended						Six months ended
	June 30		March 31		June 30		June 30		June 30
($ millions, except $ per share or as otherwise noted)	2025		2025		2024		2025		2024
FINANCIAL
Royalty production revenue	111.2		119.9		125.5		231.1		238.7
Other revenue	12.4		8.2		10.1		20.6		17.6
Revenues	123.6		128.1		135.6		251.7		256.3

Funds from operations	96.7		85.8		106.1		182.5		189.1
Per share – basic and diluted⁽¹⁾	0.41		0.36		0.44		0.77		0.79

Net earnings	56.3		58.4		60.3		114.7		107.8
Per share – basic and diluted⁽¹⁾	0.24		0.25		0.25		0.48		0.45

Dividends declared⁽²⁾	61.2		61.2		59.7		122.4		119.4
Per share	0.26		0.26		0.25		0.52		0.50

Dividend payout ratio⁽³⁾	63%		71%		56%		67%		63%

Acquisitions⁽⁴⁾	6.5		63.6		12.3		70.1		21.1
Net debt⁽⁵⁾	242.0		258.8		174.6		242.0		174.6
Common share repurchases, inclusive of all costs	2.0		91.8		–		93.8		–

Shares outstanding (millions)
Shares outstanding at period end	235.5		235.5		239.0		235.5		239.0
Weighted average – basic and diluted	235.5		238.3		239.0		236.9		239.0

OPERATIONAL
Royalty production volumes
Crude oil (bbls/d)	14,376		13,502		13,312		13,941		13,227
NGL (bbls/d)	2,348		2,520		2,308		2,433		2,421
Natural gas (MMcf/d)	58.4		55.9		58.2		57.1		60.1
Royalty Production (BOE/d)⁽⁶⁾	26,457		25,339		25,320		25,891		25,665

Realized pricing
Crude oil ($/bbl)	73.16		83.16		91.75		77.98		84.51
NGL ($/bbl)	35.47		44.51		47.20		40.13		45.62
Natural gas ($/Mcf)	1.50		1.73		0.84		1.61		1.38
Total ($/BOE)⁽⁶⁾	46.19		52.58		54.47		49.31		51.10

Operating netback per BOE ($)⁽⁷⁾	43.04		42.85		51.39		42.95		45.43

Funds from operations per BOE ($)	40.16		37.62		46.05		38.94		40.48

Oil price benchmarks
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) (US$/bbl)	63.76		71.39		80.57		67.59		78.76
Edmonton light sweet ($/bbl)	84.24		95.20		105.16		89.78		98.66
Western Canadian Select (WCS) crude oil differential to WTI (US$/bbl)	(10.27	)	(12.67	)	(13.60	)	(11.47	)	(16.47	)

Natural gas price benchmarks
AECO Monthly Index ($/Mcf)	2.07		2.02		1.44		2.05		1.74
AECO Daily Index ($/Mcf)	1.69		2.16		1.18		1.93		1.84

Foreign exchange rate (US$/CAD$)	0.7228		0.6976		0.7315		0.7096		0.7364

(1)	Funds from operations and net earnings per share are calculated using the weighted average number of basic and diluted common shares outstanding.
(2)	A dividend of $0.26 per share was declared on June 3, 2025. The dividend will be paid on July 15, 2025 to shareholders of record as at June 30, 2025.
(3)	Dividend payout ratio is defined under the “Non-GAAP Measures and Ratios” section of this press release.
(4)	Excluding right-of-use asset additions.
(5)	See Note 12 “Capital Management” in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 and Note 13 “Capital Management” in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
(6)	See “Conversions of Natural Gas to BOE”.
(7)	Operating netback per BOE is defined under the “Non-GAAP Measures and Ratios” section of this press release.

CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

A conference call to discuss the results will be held for the investment community on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, beginning at 6:30 a.m. MST (8:30 a.m. EST). To participate in the conference call, you are asked to register at one of the links provided below. Details regarding the call will be provided to you upon registration.

Live call participant registration
URL: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI4b3e791d098f4a4c844ea1427370d036

Live webcast participant registration (listen in only)
URL: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/5a4q5q2j

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release includes certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) which may include, but are not limited to PrairieSky’s future plans, current expectations and views of future operations and contains forward-looking statements that the Company believes allow readers to better understand the Company’s business and prospects. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words “expect”, “expected to”, “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “objective”, “ongoing”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should”, “could”, “likely”, “believe”, “plans”, “intends”, “strategy” and similar expressions (including negative variations) are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, our expectations with respect to PrairieSky’s business and growth strategy and trajectory, including the expectation of receiving royalty production from multiple royalty interest wells in the West Shale Basin in the third quarter; management’s expectation that the level of third-party activity on PrairieSky’s royalty lands will continue to drive annual royalty production growth; and PrairieSky’s expectations to execute on the NCIB as part of our long-term capital allocation strategy to create value for shareholders.

With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this press release, PrairieSky has made several assumptions including those described in detail in our MD&A and the Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024. Readers and investors are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such forward-looking statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. PrairieSky’s actual results, performance, or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. PrairieSky can give no assurance that any of the events anticipated will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits the Company will derive from them.

By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond PrairieSky’s control, including but not limited to the impact of general economic conditions including inflation, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, lack of or access to sufficient pipeline capacity, currency fluctuations, interest rates, imprecision of reserve estimates, competitive factors impacting royalty rates, environmental risks, taxation, regulation, changes in tax or other legislation, competition from other industry participants, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility, political and geopolitical instability, the risks and impacts of tariffs imposed between Canada and the United States (and other countries) or other restrictive trade measures, retaliatory or countermeasures implemented by such governments affecting trade between Canada and the United States (and other countries), including the potential introduction of regulatory barriers to trade and the effect on the demand and/or market price for commodities, inaccurate expectations for industry drilling levels on our royalty lands and the Company’s ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. In addition, PrairieSky is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties in relation to acquisitions. These risks and uncertainties include risks relating to the potential for disputes to arise with counterparties, and limited ability to recover indemnification under certain agreements. The foregoing and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions are described in more detail in PrairieSky’s MD&A and the Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024 under the headings “Risk Management” and “Risk Factors”, respectively, each of which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and PrairieSky’s website at www.prairiesky.com.

Further, any forward-looking statement is made only as of the date of this press release, and PrairieSky undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement or statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable securities laws. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for PrairieSky to predict all of these factors or to assess, in advance, the impact of each such factor on PrairieSky’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

CONVERSIONS OF NATURAL GAS TO BOE

To provide a single unit of production for analytical purposes, natural gas production and reserves volumes are converted mathematically to equivalent barrels of oil (BOE). PrairieSky uses the industry-accepted standard conversion of six thousand cubic feet of natural gas to one barrel of oil (6 Mcf = 1 bbl). The 6:1 BOE ratio is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip. It does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead and is not based on either energy content or current prices. While the BOE ratio is useful for comparative measures and observing trends, it does not accurately reflect individual product values and might be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. As well, given that the value ratio, based on the current price of crude oil to natural gas, is significantly different from the 6:1 energy equivalency ratio, using a 6:1 conversion ratio may be misleading as an indication of value.

NON-GAAP MEASURES AND RATIOS

Certain measures and ratios in this press release do not have any standardized meaning as prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, are considered non-GAAP measures and ratios. These measures and ratios may not be comparable to similar measures and ratios presented by other issuers. These measures and ratios are commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry and by PrairieSky to provide potential investors with additional information regarding the Company’s liquidity and its ability to generate funds to conduct its business. Non-GAAP measures and ratios include operating netback per BOE and dividend payout ratio. Management’s use of these measures and ratios is discussed further below. Further information can be found in the Non-GAAP Measures and Ratios section of PrairieSky’s MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 and PrairieSky’s MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.

“Operating netback per BOE” represents the cash margin for products sold on a BOE basis. Operating netback per BOE is calculated by dividing the operating netback (royalty production revenue less production and mineral taxes and cash administrative expenses) by the average daily production volumes for the period. Operating netback per BOE is used to assess the cash generating and operating performance per unit of product sold and the comparability of the underlying performance between years. Operating netback per BOE measures are commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry to assess performance comparability. Refer to the Operating Results table starting on page 6 of PrairieSky’s MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 and page 6 of PrairieSky’s MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.

	Three months ended						Six months ended
	June 30		March 31		June 30		June 30		June 30
($ millions)	2025		2025		2024		2025		2024
Cash from operating activities	90.3		90.7		99.3		181.0		179.0
Other revenue	(12.4	)	(8.2	)	(10.1	)	(20.6	)	(17.6	)
Amortization of debt issuance costs	(0.1	)	(0.1	)	(0.1	)	(0.2	)	(0.2	)
Finance expense	3.0		2.9		3.5		5.9		7.2
Current tax expense	16.5		17.3		19.0		33.8		33.7
Interest on lease obligation	(0.1	)	–		–		(0.1	)	–
Net change in non-cash working capital	6.4		(4.9	)	6.8		1.5		10.1
Operating netback	103.6		97.7		118.4		201.3		212.2

“Operating Margin” represents operating netback as a percentage of royalty production revenue. Management uses this measure to demonstrate the comparability between the Company and production and exploration companies in the oil and natural gas industry as it shows net revenue generation from operations.

	Three months ended			Six months ended
	June 30	March 31	June 30	June 30	June 30
($ millions)	2025	2025	2024	2025	2024
Royalty production revenue	111.2	119.9	125.5	231.1	238.7
Operating netback	103.6	97.7	118.4	201.3	212.2
Operating margin	93%	81%	94%	87%	89%

“Dividend payout ratio” is calculated as dividends declared as a percentage of funds from operations. Payout ratio is used by dividend paying companies to assess dividend levels in relation to the funds generated and used in operating activities.

	Three months ended			Six months ended
	June 30	March 31	June 30	June 30	June 30
($ millions, except otherwise noted)	2025	2025	2024	2025	2024
Funds from operations	96.7	85.8	106.1	182.5	189.1
Dividends declared	61.2	61.2	59.7	122.4	119.4
Dividend payout ratio	63%	71%	56%	67%	63%

ABOUT PRAIRIESKY ROYALTY LTD.

PrairieSky is a royalty company, generating royalty production revenues as oil and natural gas are produced from its properties. PrairieSky has a diverse portfolio of properties that have a long history of generating funds from operations and that represent the largest and most consolidated independently-owned fee simple mineral title position in Canada. PrairieSky’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PSK.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Andrew M. Phillips
President & Chief Executive Officer
PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.
(587) 293-4005

Michael T. Murphy
Vice-President, Geosciences & Capital Markets
PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.
(587) 293-4056

Investor Relations
(587) 293-4000
www.prairiesky.com

Pamela P. Kazeil
Senior Vice-President, Finance & Chief Financial
Officer
PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.
(587) 293-4089

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/36ee4b7d-4f4e-42d9-a2fb-c3c005d65436

The MIL Network –

July 15, 2025

MIL-OSI: PrairieSky Announces Second Quarter 2025 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CALGARY, Alberta, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. (“PrairieSky” or the “Company”) (TSX: PSK) is pleased to announce its second quarter operating and financial results for the period ended June 30, 2025.

Second Quarter Highlights:

Record oil royalty production of 14,376 barrels per day, an 8% increase over Q2 2024⁽¹⁾. Total royalty production averaged 26,457 BOE per day, a 4% increase over Q2 2024.
Revenues totaled $123.6 million for Q2 2025⁽¹⁾ comprised of royalty production revenue of $111.2 million and other revenue of $12.4 million, including bonus consideration of $8.5 million earned on entering into 47 new leasing arrangements primarily focused on the Duvernay light oil play.
Funds from operations totaled $96.7 million or $0.41 per share, a decrease of 9% from Q2 2024 as record oil royalty production volumes, narrowed heavy and light oil price differentials and a weaker Canadian dollar were offset by lower benchmark US$ WTI pricing.
Declared a second quarter dividend of $61.2 million ($0.26 per share), representing a payout ratio of 63%.
Purchased and cancelled 84,020 common shares under the Company’s normal course issuer bid (“NCIB”) for $2.0 million.
Completed acquisitions for $6.5 million, primarily of non-producing gross overriding royalty interests targeting Mannville oil.
Net debt totaled $242.0 million as at June 30, 2025, a decrease of $16.8 million from March 31, 2025.

President’s Message

Thank you to our staff for their hard work in the quarter and our shareholders for their continued support.

Andrew Phillips, President & CEO

ACTIVITY ON PRAIRIESKY’S ROYALTY PROPERTIES

NOTES AND REFERENCES

(1)	In this press release, the financial reporting periods are referred to as follows: “Q2 2025”, “the quarter” or the “the second quarter” refers to the three months ended June 30, 2025; “Q2 2024” refers to the three months ended June 30, 2024.
(2)	For further details on the “Mannville Stack” and “West Shale Basin”, we refer you to PrairieSky’s most recent Corporate Presentation contained on PrairieSky’s website at www.prairiesky.com.
(3)	Included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at June 30, 2025 is $11.0 million related to common share repurchases of which $1.0 million related to common share repurchases that were pending settlement at June 30, 2025 and the remaining $10.0 million related to a provision for share repurchases under the Company’s automatic share purchase plan with an independent broker.

FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL INFORMATION

The following table summarizes select operational and financial information of the Company for the periods noted. All dollar amounts are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

	Three months ended						Six months ended
	June 30		March 31		June 30		June 30		June 30
($ millions, except $ per share or as otherwise noted)	2025		2025		2024		2025		2024
FINANCIAL
Royalty production revenue	111.2		119.9		125.5		231.1		238.7
Other revenue	12.4		8.2		10.1		20.6		17.6
Revenues	123.6		128.1		135.6		251.7		256.3

Funds from operations	96.7		85.8		106.1		182.5		189.1
Per share – basic and diluted⁽¹⁾	0.41		0.36		0.44		0.77		0.79

Net earnings	56.3		58.4		60.3		114.7		107.8
Per share – basic and diluted⁽¹⁾	0.24		0.25		0.25		0.48		0.45

Dividends declared⁽²⁾	61.2		61.2		59.7		122.4		119.4
Per share	0.26		0.26		0.25		0.52		0.50

Dividend payout ratio⁽³⁾	63%		71%		56%		67%		63%

Acquisitions⁽⁴⁾	6.5		63.6		12.3		70.1		21.1
Net debt⁽⁵⁾	242.0		258.8		174.6		242.0		174.6
Common share repurchases, inclusive of all costs	2.0		91.8		–		93.8		–

Shares outstanding (millions)
Shares outstanding at period end	235.5		235.5		239.0		235.5		239.0
Weighted average – basic and diluted	235.5		238.3		239.0		236.9		239.0

OPERATIONAL
Royalty production volumes
Crude oil (bbls/d)	14,376		13,502		13,312		13,941		13,227
NGL (bbls/d)	2,348		2,520		2,308		2,433		2,421
Natural gas (MMcf/d)	58.4		55.9		58.2		57.1		60.1
Royalty Production (BOE/d)⁽⁶⁾	26,457		25,339		25,320		25,891		25,665

Realized pricing
Crude oil ($/bbl)	73.16		83.16		91.75		77.98		84.51
NGL ($/bbl)	35.47		44.51		47.20		40.13		45.62
Natural gas ($/Mcf)	1.50		1.73		0.84		1.61		1.38
Total ($/BOE)⁽⁶⁾	46.19		52.58		54.47		49.31		51.10

Operating netback per BOE ($)⁽⁷⁾	43.04		42.85		51.39		42.95		45.43

Funds from operations per BOE ($)	40.16		37.62		46.05		38.94		40.48

Oil price benchmarks
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) (US$/bbl)	63.76		71.39		80.57		67.59		78.76
Edmonton light sweet ($/bbl)	84.24		95.20		105.16		89.78		98.66
Western Canadian Select (WCS) crude oil differential to WTI (US$/bbl)	(10.27	)	(12.67	)	(13.60	)	(11.47	)	(16.47	)

Natural gas price benchmarks
AECO Monthly Index ($/Mcf)	2.07		2.02		1.44		2.05		1.74
AECO Daily Index ($/Mcf)	1.69		2.16		1.18		1.93		1.84

Foreign exchange rate (US$/CAD$)	0.7228		0.6976		0.7315		0.7096		0.7364

(1)	Funds from operations and net earnings per share are calculated using the weighted average number of basic and diluted common shares outstanding.
(2)	A dividend of $0.26 per share was declared on June 3, 2025. The dividend will be paid on July 15, 2025 to shareholders of record as at June 30, 2025.
(3)	Dividend payout ratio is defined under the “Non-GAAP Measures and Ratios” section of this press release.
(4)	Excluding right-of-use asset additions.
(5)	See Note 12 “Capital Management” in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 and Note 13 “Capital Management” in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
(6)	See “Conversions of Natural Gas to BOE”.
(7)	Operating netback per BOE is defined under the “Non-GAAP Measures and Ratios” section of this press release.

CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

Live call participant registration
URL: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI4b3e791d098f4a4c844ea1427370d036

Live webcast participant registration (listen in only)
URL: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/5a4q5q2j

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

CONVERSIONS OF NATURAL GAS TO BOE

NON-GAAP MEASURES AND RATIOS

	Three months ended						Six months ended
	June 30		March 31		June 30		June 30		June 30
($ millions)	2025		2025		2024		2025		2024
Cash from operating activities	90.3		90.7		99.3		181.0		179.0
Other revenue	(12.4	)	(8.2	)	(10.1	)	(20.6	)	(17.6	)
Amortization of debt issuance costs	(0.1	)	(0.1	)	(0.1	)	(0.2	)	(0.2	)
Finance expense	3.0		2.9		3.5		5.9		7.2
Current tax expense	16.5		17.3		19.0		33.8		33.7
Interest on lease obligation	(0.1	)	–		–		(0.1	)	–
Net change in non-cash working capital	6.4		(4.9	)	6.8		1.5		10.1
Operating netback	103.6		97.7		118.4		201.3		212.2

	Three months ended			Six months ended
	June 30	March 31	June 30	June 30	June 30
($ millions)	2025	2025	2024	2025	2024
Royalty production revenue	111.2	119.9	125.5	231.1	238.7
Operating netback	103.6	97.7	118.4	201.3	212.2
Operating margin	93%	81%	94%	87%	89%

	Three months ended			Six months ended
	June 30	March 31	June 30	June 30	June 30
($ millions, except otherwise noted)	2025	2025	2024	2025	2024
Funds from operations	96.7	85.8	106.1	182.5	189.1
Dividends declared	61.2	61.2	59.7	122.4	119.4
Dividend payout ratio	63%	71%	56%	67%	63%

ABOUT PRAIRIESKY ROYALTY LTD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Andrew M. Phillips
President & Chief Executive Officer
PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.
(587) 293-4005

Michael T. Murphy
Vice-President, Geosciences & Capital Markets
PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.
(587) 293-4056

Investor Relations
(587) 293-4000
www.prairiesky.com

Pamela P. Kazeil
Senior Vice-President, Finance & Chief Financial
Officer
PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.
(587) 293-4089

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/36ee4b7d-4f4e-42d9-a2fb-c3c005d65436

The MIL Network –

July 15, 2025

MIL-OSI: PennantPark Investment Corporation Announces Monthly Distributions of $0.08 per Share

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIAMI, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PennantPark Investment Corporation (the “Company”) (NYSE: PNNT) declares its monthly distribution for August 2025 of $0.08 per share, payable on September 2, 2025 to stockholders of record as of August 15, 2025 and declares its monthly distribution for September 2025 of $0.08 per share, payable on September 30, 2025 to stockholders of record as of September 15, 2025. The distributions are expected to be paid from taxable net investment income. The final specific tax characteristics of the distributions will be reported to stockholders on Form 1099 after the end of the calendar year and in the Company’s periodic report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

ABOUT PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION

PennantPark Investment Corporation is a business development company which primarily invests in U.S. middle-market private companies in the form of first lien secured debt, second lien secured debt, subordinated debt and equity investments. PennantPark Investment Corporation is managed by PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC.

ABOUT PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT ADVISERS, LLC

PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC is a leading middle market credit platform, managing approximately $10 billion of investable capital, including available leverage. Since its inception in 2007, PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC has provided investors access to middle market credit by offering private equity firms and their portfolio companies as well as other middle-market borrowers a comprehensive range of creative and flexible financing solutions. PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC is headquartered in Miami and has offices in New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Amsterdam and Zurich.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You should understand that under Section 27A(b)(2)(B) of the Securities Act and Section 21E(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 do not apply to forward-looking statements made in periodic reports PennantPark Investment Corporation files under the Exchange Act. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. PennantPark Investment Corporation undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. You should not place undue influence on such forward-looking statements as such statements speak only as of the date on which they are made.

CONTACT:
Richard T. Allorto, Jr.
PennantPark Investment Corporation
(212) 905-1000
www.pennantpark.com

The MIL Network –

July 15, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Almost half of young workers expected to work unpaid overtime, while a quarter aren’t paid compulsory super
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Howe, Associate Dean (Research), Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne

Anna Kraynova/Shutterstock

A young person gets a job, excited to earn their first paycheck. Over time, they realise the hours are long and the payslips small. They are told to stay back to clean up after closing, but never receive overtime. They feel exploited, but what can they do?

It’s hard to find a job that fits with study commitments, and a reference could go a long way in the future. Besides, it happens to all their co-workers; they’d hate to cause a fuss.

It’s a story as old as time, and it’s still happening today. Our new study has found wage exploitation is rife among employers who hire young people.

In partnership with the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Melbourne Law School’s Fair Day’s Work project surveyed 2,814 workers under 30.

Young workers in low-paid jobs were asked about their experiences in the workplace, the challenges they encountered, and how they dealt with exploitation.

How some bosses are treating young workers

We found young Australians are frequently underpaid and that exploitation is multifaceted:
- 33% were paid $15 per hour or less
- 43% had been told to complete extra work without additional pay
- 34% were not paid for work during a trial period
- 24% had not received compulsory super
- 35% had their timesheet hours reduced by their employer
- 17.9% had not been paid for all the work they completed
- 9% received an hourly rate of $10 or less
- 8% had been forced to return some, or all, of their pay to their employer.
Further, 60% had had to pay for work-related items, such as uniforms, protective equipment, training or car fuel. Some 36% had been forbidden to take entitled breaks while 35% had their recorded timesheet hours reduced by their employer. Meanwhile 20% were “sometimes” paid “off the books”, and 12% were “always” paid off the books. And 9.5% had been given food or products instead of being paid in money.

The most at risk

We found exploitation is most often experienced by the most vulnerable young people. These include transgender, non-permanent workers (casual employees and private contractors), residents on temporary visas) and non-native English speakers.

The worst-performing industries included electricity, gas, water and waste services; manufacturing; mining; transport, postal and warehousing; public administration and safety; information media and telecommunications; accommodation and food services; retail trade, and education and training.

Workers in small businesses (up to 19 staff) were often not paid overtime or penalty rates, and were being paid “off the books”.

Medium-sized business workers (20–199 employees) were the most likely to be required to pay for work-related items, such as equipment, training and car hire.

And those from large businesses (200-plus) reported the highest rates of variance of weekly hours and requirements to pay for work uniform.

Young people often don’t have much industrial knowledge or experience, so it is easy for employers to take advantage of them. They are also unlikely to challenge an employer, as many of them are in insecure work.

What steps are being taken?

Laws which took effect January 1 this year mean employers may face criminal penalties – including fines, imprisonment or both – if they intentionally underpay an employee in breach of the Fair Work Act 2009.

But identifying underpayments and other forms of exploitation are the biggest barrier to compliance with workplace laws.

Surveyed workers who were underpaid said they were most likely to seek the help of a family member. Only 12.9% of those aged 15 to 19 said they would be willing to complain to the Fair Work Ombudsman.

However, workers who had dealt with the ombudsman mostly saw their experiences as positive: 41% found the regulator to be “very helpful”, while only 16.7% described it as “not helpful at all” or “not very helpful”.

The results suggest the Fair Work Ombudsman needs to be doing more to engage teenage workers.

What’s needed

The Fair Day’s Work project set out to use data science and technology to identify risk of underpayment in relation to young workers, and improve employer compliance with workplace laws.

Our aim was to develop a database on young workers employment conditions, along with a web portal to give young people and employers the information they need.

We hypothesised that a prediction tool could be used to assess which young workers are at greatest risk. However, we found publicly available data was insufficient to do this, so we conducted our own survey of young workers and made this data available through a public web portal to help workers and employers.

We came up six recommendations to help stop young workers being exploited:
1. regulators need to get tougher with the nine industries we identified as the poorest performers to make them more compliant
2. the Fair Work Ombudsman should scrutinise the industries where payment was made in food or products and workers were required to return money to employers occurred most frequently
3. educate mid-sized businesses on the extent to which they can lawfully require workers to pay for work-related items
4. lawmakers and the Fair Work Commission should consider introducing truly equitable “loaded rates” for junior employees. This would deal with non-payment of penalty rates and other entitlements by some employers
5. more money to make young workers aware they can get help from the Fair Work Ombudsman, trade unions, community legal centres, the Young Workers’ Centre and similar bodies
6. more work to develop and use data science and digital tools to help employers fulfil their legal obligations, and to protect young workers’ rights.
Our survey results highlight the extent to which young people continue to be exploited in the workplace and suggest more work needs to be done to bring about change.

John Howe receives funding from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.

Tom Dillon receives funding from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.

– ref. Almost half of young workers expected to work unpaid overtime, while a quarter aren’t paid compulsory super – https://theconversation.com/almost-half-of-young-workers-expected-to-work-unpaid-overtime-while-a-quarter-arent-paid-compulsory-super-261016
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
July 15, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Almost half of young workers expected to work unpaid overtime, while a quarter aren’t paid compulsory super
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Howe, Associate Dean (Research), Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne

Anna Kraynova/Shutterstock

A young person gets a job, excited to earn their first paycheck. Over time, they realise the hours are long and the payslips small. They are told to stay back to clean up after closing, but never receive overtime. They feel exploited, but what can they do?

It’s hard to find a job that fits with study commitments, and a reference could go a long way in the future. Besides, it happens to all their co-workers; they’d hate to cause a fuss.

It’s a story as old as time, and it’s still happening today. Our new study has found wage exploitation is rife among employers who hire young people.

In partnership with the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Melbourne Law School’s Fair Day’s Work project surveyed 2,814 workers under 30.

Young workers in low-paid jobs were asked about their experiences in the workplace, the challenges they encountered, and how they dealt with exploitation.

How some bosses are treating young workers

We found young Australians are frequently underpaid and that exploitation is multifaceted:
- 33% were paid $15 per hour or less
- 43% had been told to complete extra work without additional pay
- 34% were not paid for work during a trial period
- 24% had not received compulsory super
- 35% had their timesheet hours reduced by their employer
- 17.9% had not been paid for all the work they completed
- 9% received an hourly rate of $10 or less
- 8% had been forced to return some, or all, of their pay to their employer.
Further, 60% had had to pay for work-related items, such as uniforms, protective equipment, training or car fuel. Some 36% had been forbidden to take entitled breaks while 35% had their recorded timesheet hours reduced by their employer. Meanwhile 20% were “sometimes” paid “off the books”, and 12% were “always” paid off the books. And 9.5% had been given food or products instead of being paid in money.

The most at risk

We found exploitation is most often experienced by the most vulnerable young people. These include transgender, non-permanent workers (casual employees and private contractors), residents on temporary visas) and non-native English speakers.

The worst-performing industries included electricity, gas, water and waste services; manufacturing; mining; transport, postal and warehousing; public administration and safety; information media and telecommunications; accommodation and food services; retail trade, and education and training.

Workers in small businesses (up to 19 staff) were often not paid overtime or penalty rates, and were being paid “off the books”.

Medium-sized business workers (20–199 employees) were the most likely to be required to pay for work-related items, such as equipment, training and car hire.

And those from large businesses (200-plus) reported the highest rates of variance of weekly hours and requirements to pay for work uniform.

Young people often don’t have much industrial knowledge or experience, so it is easy for employers to take advantage of them. They are also unlikely to challenge an employer, as many of them are in insecure work.

What steps are being taken?

Laws which took effect January 1 this year mean employers may face criminal penalties – including fines, imprisonment or both – if they intentionally underpay an employee in breach of the Fair Work Act 2009.

But identifying underpayments and other forms of exploitation are the biggest barrier to compliance with workplace laws.

Surveyed workers who were underpaid said they were most likely to seek the help of a family member. Only 12.9% of those aged 15 to 19 said they would be willing to complain to the Fair Work Ombudsman.

However, workers who had dealt with the ombudsman mostly saw their experiences as positive: 41% found the regulator to be “very helpful”, while only 16.7% described it as “not helpful at all” or “not very helpful”.

The results suggest the Fair Work Ombudsman needs to be doing more to engage teenage workers.

What’s needed

The Fair Day’s Work project set out to use data science and technology to identify risk of underpayment in relation to young workers, and improve employer compliance with workplace laws.

Our aim was to develop a database on young workers employment conditions, along with a web portal to give young people and employers the information they need.

We hypothesised that a prediction tool could be used to assess which young workers are at greatest risk. However, we found publicly available data was insufficient to do this, so we conducted our own survey of young workers and made this data available through a public web portal to help workers and employers.

We came up six recommendations to help stop young workers being exploited:
1. regulators need to get tougher with the nine industries we identified as the poorest performers to make them more compliant
2. the Fair Work Ombudsman should scrutinise the industries where payment was made in food or products and workers were required to return money to employers occurred most frequently
3. educate mid-sized businesses on the extent to which they can lawfully require workers to pay for work-related items
4. lawmakers and the Fair Work Commission should consider introducing truly equitable “loaded rates” for junior employees. This would deal with non-payment of penalty rates and other entitlements by some employers
5. more money to make young workers aware they can get help from the Fair Work Ombudsman, trade unions, community legal centres, the Young Workers’ Centre and similar bodies
6. more work to develop and use data science and digital tools to help employers fulfil their legal obligations, and to protect young workers’ rights.
Our survey results highlight the extent to which young people continue to be exploited in the workplace and suggest more work needs to be done to bring about change.

John Howe receives funding from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.

Tom Dillon receives funding from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.

– ref. Almost half of young workers expected to work unpaid overtime, while a quarter aren’t paid compulsory super – https://theconversation.com/almost-half-of-young-workers-expected-to-work-unpaid-overtime-while-a-quarter-arent-paid-compulsory-super-261016
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
July 15, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Environmental Crimes Bulletin – June 2025

Source: United States Attorneys General 7

View All Environmental Crimes Bulletins

In This Issue:

Cases by District/Circuit

District/Circuit	Case Name	Conduct/Statute(s)
7^th Circuit Court of Appeals	United States v. Clark	Conspiracy; False Statement; Mail Fraud; Obstruction
District of Alaska	United States v. Matanuska Diesel, LLC, et al.	Emissions Tampering; Clean Air Act; Conspiracy
Central District of California	United States v. Isidoro Chaparro Sanchez, et al.	Cockfighting; Animal Welfare Act
Southern District of California	United States v. Juandaniel Medina	Exotic Bird Smuggling
	United States v. Dumitru Cicai	Pesticide Smuggling
	United States v. Jose Manuel Valenzuela	Refrigerant Smuggling; Failure to Present Tanks for Inspection
Middle District of Georgia	United States v. Brandon Baker, et al.	Dogfighting; Animal Welfare Act; Conspiracy
District of Idaho	United States v. Jerrod R. Farr, et al.	Big Game Outfitter; Lacey Act
Eastern District of Missouri	United States v. All Out Diesel, et al.	Emissions Tampering; Clean Air Act; Conspiracy
District of Montana	United States v. Hollis G. Hale, et al.	Sheep Hunting; Endangered Species Act; Lacey Act
District of New Jersey	United States v. Angela Amponsa	Unregistered Pesticide Sales; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
Southern District of Ohio	United States v. Katrina D. Favret, et al.	Animal Crush Videos; PACT Act; Conspiracy
Southern District of Ohio	United States v. Fabcon Precast LLC	Employee Death; Occupational Safety and Health Act
Eastern District of Pennsylvania	United States v. Matthew Caroluzzi, et al.	Emissions Tampering; Clean Air Act; Conspiracy
Western District of Pennsylvania	United States v. Erie Coke Corporation, et al.	Air Emissions; Clean Air Act; Conspiracy
District of South Carolina	United States v. Shaylynn Kolwyck-Peterson	Chimpanzee Sale; Lacey Act
District of South Carolina	United States v. Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, et al.	Wildlife Trafficking; Conspiracy; Money Laundering
Southern District of Texas	United States v. Jose Daniel Santiago-Mendoza, et al.	Illegal Fishing; Lacey Act
Western District of Texas	United States v. Paul Jacob Elliott Sommers	Reptile Smuggling
District of Wyoming	United States v. Mark Orchard, et al.	Oily Waste Discharges; Depredation of Government Property

DECISIONS

United States v. Clark

Nos. 24-1320, 24-1321
2025 WL 1635508 (7^th Cir., June 10, 2025)

On June 10, 2025, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion affirming Derrick Clark’s conviction on all counts, affirming Shawn Mesner’s fraud conviction, and vacating Mesner’s conspiracy conviction.

Both defendants worked at Didion Milling (“Didion”). In May 2017, a corn mill operated by Didion exploded due to combustible dust, killing five workers and seriously injuring 14 others. Clark was convicted at trial of conspiracy, falsifying an environmental compliance certification, falsifying environmental compliance records, and obstructing an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation by providing false and misleading testimony. Mesner was convicted at trial of fraud and conspiracy, each relating to his role in falsifying records regarding the mill’s sanitation program.

The Seventh Circuit first held that the district court did not err in admitting another Didion employee’s inconsistent prior sworn statement. The court found that the statement was made under oath and that the trial judge did not need to review it line-by-line to assess its inconsistency with the witness’s in-court testimony. The court also rejected Clark’s sufficiency-of-the-evidence challenges to his convictions for making false entries in Didion’s Clean Air Act compliance certification (18 U.S.C. § 1519) and aiding and abetting the use of falsified baghouse logs, which were within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s jurisdiction (18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(3)).

Next, the court affirmed Clark’s conspiracy conviction (18 U.S.C § 371), holding that the jury instructions adequately informed the jury that the object of the conspiracy must be a federal offense and that the jury must be unanimous. The court emphasized that the special verdict form further alleviated any confusion. The court also held that Clark’s conviction for making false statements (18 U.S.C. § 1505) did not depend on the constitutionality of the underlying OSHA regulation, and thus it declined to weigh in on the regulation’s validity. Finally, in a footnote, the court dismissed Clark’s assertion of erroneous evidentiary rulings and cumulative error.

As for Mesner, the court first vacated Mesner’s conspiracy conviction because the government dismissed the substantive count underlying that conviction at the close of evidence and the district court never instructed the jury on it. The Seventh Circuit thus “decline[d] to uphold a conviction premised on a count that the government dismissed, and on which the court never instructed the jury.” But the court affirmed Mesner’s conviction for fraud conspiracy (18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, 1349), relying in part on the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Kousisis v. United States. The court held that the indictment “easily” satisfied the standard for sufficiency, properly identified money as the “object” of the conspiracy, and sufficiently alleged that Mesner and Didion misrepresented an essential element of the bargain to Didion’s customers.

The court also concluded that there was sufficient evidence for the jury to convict on this count, rejecting Mesner’s argument that Ciminelli v. United States foreclosed his conviction or that the government needed to introduce the contracts between Didion and its customers to prove materiality. The court concluded that a jury could reasonably find – based on witness testimony and documentary evidence – that the accuracy of Didion’s sanitation logbook was material to the bargain between Didion and its customers.

Recently Charged

United States v. Matthew Caroluzzi, et al.

No. 2:25-CR-00239 (Eastern District of Pennsylvania)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney RJ Powers
Former ECS Attorney Ron Sarachan
AUSA Sarah Solow

On June 3, 2025, prosecutors charged Matthew Caroluzzi and his business, Matt’s Heavy Duty Mobile Diagnostics and Truck Repair & Heavy Towing (“Matt’s HD”) with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA) (18 U.S.C. § 371), and nine substantive CAA counts (18 U.S.C. § 371; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).

Caroluzzi owns and operates Matt’s HD, located in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. The company conducts repairs on large semi-trucks and provides a 24/7 towing service. His customers also travelled from out-of-state locations, including New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland

The defendants tampered with and rendered inaccurate monitoring devices and methods required to be maintained under the CAA, that is, on-board and diagnostic emission monitoring devices on diesel trucks. Caroluzzi removed physical emissions control components and altered vehicles’ on-board computers. With assistance from his mechanics, Caroluzzi conducted emissions “deletes” at the shop, on the road, and at other diesel repair shops. Over the course of the conspiracy, Caroluzzi charged customers between $1,000 and $3,000 for his services, and performed deletes on more than 700 diesel-powered trucks.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.

United States v. Juandaniel Medina

No. 25-mj-03169 (Southern District of California)
AUSA Evangeline Dech

On June 10, 2025, prosecutors charged Juandaniel Medina with smuggling endangered exotic birds (16 U.S.C. §§ 1538(c), 1540(b); 18 U.S.C. § 545). Medina is the third person in recent weeks authorities have detained for attempting to smuggle protected birds, including red-lored Amazon parrots. All seven birds in this case are alive and under quarantine.

On May 26, 2025, authorities detained Medina at the San Ysidro Port of Entry after discovering seven live Amazon parrots in a cardboard box on the passenger floorboard. Medina was the driver and registered owner of the vehicle. He admitted paying $700 cash for the parrots with the intention of breeding and/or reselling them in the United States. All Amazon parrot species are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Smuggled birds that are not subject to quarantine can prove dangerous as they may carry and spread Avian influenza (bird flu) and other diseases. Bird flu is highly contagious and can cause flu-like symptoms, respiratory illness, pneumonia, and death in humans and other birds, including those housed on poultry farms.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.

Photo of parrot found in box in defendant’s vehicle following his arrest, from press release.

United States v. Katrina D. Favret, et al.

No. 2:25-CR-00071 (Southern District of Ohio)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
ECS Trial Attorney Mark Romley
AUSA Nicole Pakiz
ECS Paralegal Gabriella Leaming

On June 11, 2025, a court unsealed an indictment charging two individuals for their involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

The indictment states that Katrina D. Favret and Robert M. Craig conspired with previously charged defendant Ronald P. Bedra to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos” (18 U.S.C. § 371). Favret is also charged with creating and with distributing animal crush videos (18 U.S.C. §§ 48(a)(2), 48(a)(3)).

According to court documents, the defendants conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against juvenile and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.

Eleven other individuals were charged with similar violations in an indictment unsealed in May (United States v. Ernest Chavez, et al.).

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.

Guilty Pleas

United States v. Mark Orchard, et al.

No. 2:23-CR-00166 (District of Wyoming)
AUSA Kerry Jacobson
SAUSA Richard Baird

On June 9, 2025, Mark Orchard pleaded guilty to Depredation of Government Property (18 U.S.C. § 1361). Co-defendant Darwin Crawford entered a similar plea on May 30, 2025. Crawford and Orchard are scheduled for sentencing on August 18 and 22, 2025, respectively.

Contractors Crawford and Orchard worked as field operation managers who oversaw field operations for an energy company. A Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming State Chief Ranger received information that contractors were dumping waste on well pads leased from the BLM. The waste had been generated from oil-water separators and maintenance operations performed on produced water storage tanks. Well pads are areas approved by the BLM for the drilling of gas or oil wells pursuant to approved plans and conditions.

The defendants instructed other crew members to “dig a hole and dump stuff from the junk tank” into the pit, and to backfill the hole. The affected area is known as the East Echo Springs Saltwater disposal facility (Echo Springs), located in Carbon County, Wyoming. Echo Springs was only permitted for the disposal of produced water, a byproduct of oil and gas extraction, through injection deep into the ground. The site was not permitted for burying solid oil waste. Approximately 10 barrels of this oil waste material was buried at the direction of the defendants.

Soil samples taken by investigators of this buried material showed levels of total petroleum hydrocarbons at 15,200 ppm, 16,100 ppm, and 11,000 ppm. In comparison, an uncontaminated soil sample at the site measured a total petroleum hydrocarbon level of 18 ppm.

Orchard and Crawford admitted they signed off on daily work tickets and invoices for this and other work they directed.

The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.

United States v. Jose Daniel Santiago-Mendoza, et al.

No. 1:25-CR-00305 (Southern District of Texas)
AUSA William Hagen

On June 9, 2025, Jose Daniel Santiago-Mendoza pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for unlawfully transporting fish taken from the Gulf of America. Co-defendants Jesus David Luna-Martinez and Jesus Roberto Morales-Amador previously pleaded guilty to the same charge (16 U.S.C. § 3372(a)(1)). Miguel Angel Ramirez-Vidal is scheduled for trial to begin on July 14, 2025.

On April 17, 2025, the defendants attempted to transport and export roughly 315 kilograms of red snapper illegally taken from U.S. waters to sell in Mexico. Authorities observed the crew’s panga-style fishing vessel in the Gulf of America, seven miles north of the U.S.-Mexico maritime boundary line and 21 miles east of South Padre Island. The defendants’ fishing vessel was unmarked and unregistered. It was not flying the flag of any nation and operating without running lights. The defendants were using more than four thousand yards of heavy nylon fishing line and 1,200 fishing hooks. None of the crew members possessed a permit to fish in U.S. waters nor did any hold a quota for red snapper.

Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the South Padre Island Police Department conducted the joint investigation.

Illegally taken Red Snapper and Gear.

United States v. Angela Amponsa

No. 2:25-mj-01106 (District of New Jersey)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney RJ Powers
RCEC Jason Garelick

On June 10, 2025, Angela Amponsa pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(l)(A),136l(b)(l)(B)). Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2025.

Amponsa owned the New Jersey African Caribbean Market in Hamilton, New Jersey. On two separate occasions, she knowingly sold the pesticides Sniper DDVP and Spri Gone to an undercover Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agent. These products are not EPA-registered.

Authorities executed a federal search warrant at the market and seized approximately 1,100 bottles of unregistered pesticides. When questioned by authorities, Amponsa admitted that she sold unregistered pesticides knowing they were illegal in the U.S.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.

United States v. Shaylynn Kolwyck-Peterson

No. 4:25-CR-00699 (District of South Carolina)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan

On June 10, 2025, Shaylynn Kolwyck-Peterson pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging her with a felony Lacey Act false labeling violation (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372 (d)(2), 3373(d)(3)(A)). The charge stems from her sale of a chimpanzee to Doc Antle in South Carolina. Sentencing has not been scheduled.

Sunshine Zoological Preserve, LLC, is a private for-profit roadside zoo in North Florida owned and managed by the Kolwyck family. Sunshine Zoological is believed to be the only facility in the U.S. breeding chimpanzees for private/non-scientific purposes.

Shaylynn Kolwyck drove a newborn chimpanzee to Doc Antle in South Carolina, where Antle paid her $200,000. She then called Antle to offer another juvenile chimpanzee, and Antle paid her an additional $200,000 in cash for it.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service obtained paperwork for both sales, which falsely listed the sales as non-commercial intrastate “transfers” from Sunshine Zoological in Florida to Antle’s South Carolina facility.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.

United States v. Paul Jacob Elliott Sommers

No. 3:24-CR-01659 (Western District of Texas)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Gary Donner
ECS Trial Attorney Leigh Rendé
ECS Law Clerk Amanda Backer

On June 10, 2025, Paul Jacob Elliott Sommers pleaded guilty to smuggling wildlife into the United States (18 U.S.C. § 545).

As part of an investigation into illegal wildlife trafficking from Mexico into the U.S., authorities uncovered Mexico-based reptile suppliers who trafficked wildlife to U.S. based-customers. Over a period of four years, Sommers purchased wildlife from Mexico and coordinated with others to capture and transport the animals across the El Paso border. Sommers then sold the animals to customers in the U.S.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.

United States v. Dumitru Cicai

No. 3:25-CR-02276 (Southern District of California)
AUSA Emily Allen

On June 10, 2025, Dumitru Cicai pleaded guilty to smuggling (18 U.S.C. § 545). Sentencing is scheduled for August 28, 2025.

On March 31, 2025, Cicai was caught smuggling 24 one-liter bottles of Taktic pesticide into the United States. As he drove into the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Cicai told the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) primary inspection officer that he had nothing to declare. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the primary officer discovered multiple pieces of natural wood branches in the vehicle’s trunk and large bottles concealed in black bags.

When questioned by the secondary CBP officer, Cicai said he only had wood to declare, nothing else. Upon closer inspection, officers found 24 bottles of pesticide labeled “Taktic.”

Taktic contains the active ingredient amitraz at an emulsifiable concentration of 12.5 percent. Under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, amitraz in this form is a cancelled and unregistered pesticide in the United States.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.

United States v. Isidoro Chaparro Sanchez, et al.

No. 5:24-CR-00209 (Central District of California)
AUSA Corey Burleson
AUSA Dennis Mitchell

On June 16, 2025, Cirilo Esquivel Alcantar pleaded guilty to operating cockfighting events in San Bernardino County and sponsoring and exhibiting roosters in an animal fighting venture (7 U.S.C. § 2156(a)(1)). Alcantar, the fifth and final defendant to plead guilty in this case, is scheduled for sentencing on October 6, 2025.

Between May 2023 and July 2024, Alcantar, along with Luis Octavio Angulo, Sergio Jimenez Maldonado, Eva Anilu Pastor Uriostegui, and Isidoro Chaparro Sanchez organized and facilitated cockfighting events in Muscoy, California. The defendants held events on Sundays during the cockfighting “season.” Individuals brought roosters to fight, often drawing more than 100 spectators to each event.

Attendees paid $20 to park at a different location nearly one mile away from the event location. They were then shuttled to the cockfighting location, where they paid another fee – usually $40 – to enter the arena where the fights took place. Attendees could also place bets on the cockfights and participate in a raffle.

Cockfighters paid a fee to enter their roosters into fights ($1,000 for four roosters) with several fights scheduled for the day. Before the fights, a sharp blade, known as a “gaff,” was often attached to each rooster’s leg. At times, the fights ended in the death of one or both roosters.

Sanchez, Angulo, Uriostegui, and Maldanado pleaded guilty to conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371). They are respectively scheduled for sentencing on August 18^th, August 25^th, September 9^th, and October 6, 2025.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.

United States v. Erie Coke Corporation, et al.

No. 1:22-CR-00023 (Western District of Pennsylvania)
AUSA Nicole Vasquez Schmitt
AUSA Michael L. Ivory

On June 17, 2025, Erie Coke Corporation (ECC) pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to a Clean Air Act Title V (CAA) violation for knowingly emitting unburned or raw coke oven gas, a hazardous air pollutant, in violation of its permit (18 U.S.C. § 371; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(1)). Sentencing is scheduled for October 7, 2025.

ECC owned a coke manufacturing plant in Erie, Pennsylvania. The facility was located along Lake Erie, adjacent to the inlet to Presque Isle Bay. A number of private residences, public facilities, and several schools were nearby.

Turning coal into coke generates a variety of pollutants, including volatile gases such as benzene, toluene, and xylene, as well as particulate matter. The facility operated under a CAA Title V permit issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This permit prohibited the company from emitting coke oven gas into the outdoor air without burning the gas first. The company also used a Continuous Opacity Monitor (COM) to measure its opacity levels, another way to monitor particulate matter emissions. Authorities required ECC to install the COM as part of a state enforcement action. The company previously violated its Title V permit and state air pollution laws, including exceeding opacity levels from the coke oven battery stack. As a result, ECC implemented additional remedial measures to reduce emissions to resolve an EPA civil enforcement action.

However, ECC and employees continued to violate the CAA by, among other things, removing caps on heating flues atop the coke oven batteries to allow combustion gases to vent directly into the air and bypassing the plant’s environmental monitoring system. ECC then submitted emissions monitoring data to regulators each quarter that underrepresented the number of emissions.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.

United States v. Jerrod R. Farr, et al.

No. 4:24-CR-00061 (District of Idaho)
AUSA Justin Paskett

On June 23, 2025, Jerrod Farr pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1), 3373(d)(2)). Sentencing is scheduled for September 15, 2025. Co-defendant Michael T. Scott remains charged in a six- count indictment with violating the Lacey Act, providing false or fictitious information to a Forest Service officer, and conducting work activity without a special-use authorization (16 U.S.C. §§ 551, 3372(a)(1), 3373(d)(2)).

Farr owned and operated White Cloud Outfitters (WCO), a commercial outfitting and guiding business. Farr sold and facilitated Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep hunts in an area of the Salmon-Challis National Forest that is closed to commercial guiding. Working as a licensed guide for WCO, Scott illegally guided those hunts.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game conducted the investigation.

United States v. Matanuska Diesel, LLC, et al.

No. 3:23-CR-00109 (District of Alaska)
AUSA Jennifer Ivers
RCEC Karla Perrin

On June 30, 2025, Matanuska Diesel, LLC, and company owner Mackenzie Spurlock pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act for removing air pollution control equipment and tampering with federally mandated monitoring devices on diesel vehicles (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).

Between July 2020 and June 2022, Matanuska Diesel and Spurlock removed air pollution control equipment and tampered with federally mandated monitoring devices on diesel vehicles. The process of removing emissions control systems and reprogramming a vehicle’s onboard diagnostic system is known as “deleting” and “tuning.” These unlawful modifications result in a significant increase in pollutants emitted by the vehicle. The defendants tampered with approximately nine trucks, charging between $1,200 and $5,000 per vehicle for those services.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.

Sentencings

United States v. Brandon Baker, et al.

No. 1:24-CR-00005 (Middle District of Georgia)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy
ECS Trial Attorney Leigh Rende
AUSA Leah McEwen
ECS Law Clerk Amanda Backer

On June 4 and 5, 2025, a court sentenced Brandon Baker and Marvin Pulley, III. Baker will serve 20 months’ incarceration followed by two years of supervised release. Baker also will pay $13,307 in restitution. Pulley will serve 30 months’ incarceration and three years of supervised release. Pulley will pay $33,887 in restitution. They were the final defendants involved in this large-scale dog fighting event.

On April 24, 2022, the defendants held a dog fight in Donalsonville, Georgia, that authorities disrupted while in progress. The defendants brought 24 pit bull-type dogs to fight in a series of matches over that weekend.

The participants used their cars to store dogs who had fought, as well as those awaiting their turn in the fighting pit. Dogs found in cars bore recent injuries and scars. Additional dogs were kept on chains on the property. Law enforcement rescued 27 dogs, including a badly injured dog that later died from its injuries.

On May 13 and 14, 2025, the court imposed sentences ranging from probation to 100 months of incarceration on 11 co-defendants. All were ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Marshall’s Service for the costs of caring for the seized animals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General and the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Bay County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office.

United States v. All Out Diesel, et al.

No. 4:24-CR-00626 (Eastern District of Missouri)
AUSA Dianna Edwards

On June 6, 2025, a court sentenced All Out Diesel, LLC, and company owner Joseph Easter, to pay a $100,000 fine. The company is jointly liable for the fine and will complete a three-year term of probation, while Easter will complete a five-year term of probation. Both pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act (CAA) for illegally tampering with a federally mandated monitoring device (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).

Truck owners who have removed (or “deleted”) their vehicle’s factory-installed emission control devices need devices that carry electronic files/software coding (”tunes”) designed to override the vehicle’s original computer programming. All Out Diesel custom altered tunes and sold them throughout the United States. The defendants’ tunes enabled deleted trucks to operate without emission control devices.

The defendants knowingly falsified, tampered with, and rendered inaccurate at least 75 monitoring devices that were required to be maintained under the CAA.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.

United States v. Fabcon Precast LLC

No. 2:25-CR-00020 (Southern District of Ohio)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman

On June 9, 2025, a court sentenced Fabcon Precast LLC (“Fabcon”) to pay a $500,000 fine, complete a two-year term of probation and enact a Safety Compliance Plan. Fabcon pleaded guilty to willfully violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) causing the death of an employee (29 U.S.C. § 666(e)).

Fabcon operates several facilities in the United States, including one in Grove City, Ohio, that manufactures precast concrete panels. At Fabcon, employees known as batch operators were responsible for the operation and cleaning of the facility’s only concrete mixer. Concrete was discharged from the bottom of the mixer through a pneumatic door. By design, the mixer had an exhaust valve that released the pneumatic energy powering the discharge door, rendering it inoperable.

On the day of the incident, batch operator Zachary Ledbetter was on duty when the discharge door failed to close after releasing a batch of concrete. Some months before the incident, the handle that operated the exhaust valve broke off and was not replaced. Because the valve was broken, Ledbetter could not perform the proper procedure to make the door safe to work around. When he attempted to free the door it closed on his head, trapping him. Ledbetter was transported to a hospital where he died five days later.

The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.

United States v. Jose Manuel Valenzuela

No. 3:24-CR-01037 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen Da Ponte
AUSA Laura Sambataro

On June 10, 2025, a court sentenced Jose Manuel Valenzuela to complete a three-year term of probation and pay $7,399 in restitution. Valenzuela pleaded guilty to intentionally failing to present refrigerant tanks for inspection (19 U.S.C. §§ 1433, 1436).

On April 22, 2024, Valenzuela, an HVAC technician, attempted to enter the United States from Mexico without declaring four 24-pound tanks of 404A refrigerant (hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants) that were in his vehicle.

Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.

United States v. Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, et al.

No. 4:22-CR-00580 (District of South Carolina)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan
AUSA Derek A. Shoemake
AUSA Amy Bower
ECS Paralegal Jillian Grubb

On June 10, 2025, a court sentenced Andrew Sawyer to complete a two-year term of probation to include 240 days of home confinement. Sawyer will also forfeit a chimpanzee to the Center for Great Apes, located in Wauchula, Florida. Jason Clay was sentenced to serve four months incarceration, followed by 120 days of home confinement and one year of supervised release. Clay will pay a $4,000 fine into the Lacey Act Reward Fund. On July 8, 2025, Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was sentenced to 12 months in prison and ordered to pay a $55,000 fine, serve three years of supervised release, and forfeit three chimpanzees and more than $197,000.

Antle owned and operated The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), also known as the Myrtle Beach Safari. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre tropical wildlife preserve in Myrtle Beach. Sawyer worked with Antle, and Clay owned and operated the Franklin Drive Thru Safari, a for-profit corporation that also housed captive exotic species and sold tours.

Antle and Clay illegally trafficked in wildlife (including lemurs, cheetahs, and a chimpanzee) and falsified records in violation of the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act. Additionally, Antle and Sawyer laundered more than $500,000 in cash derived from an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the United States. Antle further planned to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at the Myrtle Beach Safari. All three pleaded guilty to conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371).

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.

United States v. Hollis G. Hale, et al.

Nos. 4:25-CR-00018, 4:24-CR-00006 (District of Montana)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan
ECS Trial Attorney Sarah Brown
AUSA Jeff Starnes

On June 11, 2025, a court sentenced Hollis G. Hale to pay a $35,000 fine, complete a four-year term of probation, and perform 100 hours of community service. Hale pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1538(a)(1)(G), 3372(d)(2), 3373(d)(3)(B)). Hale conspired with Jack Schubarth to create giant hybrid sheep for captive hunting. Schubarth smuggled Marco Polo argali sheep parts from Kyrgyzstan into the United States. This protected species of sheep, native to high elevations in the Pamir region of Central Asia, is considered the largest in the world.

Hale facilitated the purchase and interstate transport of twelve hybrid Marco Polo Argali sheep from Schubarth and falsely identified 43 species of sheep on a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Hale falsified these documents, knowing these sheep are prohibited in Montana. Schubarth was sentenced in September 2024 to six months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks conducted the investigation.

View All Environmental Crimes Bulletins

MIL Security OSI –

July 15, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: U.S. Marines launch Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 in Australia’s north

Source: United States Navy

DARWIN, Australia — U.S. Marines with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) are taking part in Exercise Talisman Sabre 25, Australia’s largest bilateral military exercise, to enhance interoperability and strengthen ties with the Australian Defence Force and U.S. Army joint forces across the Northern Territory (NT) this month.

MIL Security OSI –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: USS Omaha (LCS 12) Returns to Homeport

Source: United States Navy

From Petty Officer 2nd Class Kassandra Alanis and Lt.j.g. Tahj Clements

SAN DIEGO – The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Omaha (LCS 12) arrived at its San Diego homeport July 11, following a 10-month rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

“I’m excited to welcome home the crew of this mighty warship, who showed incredible dedication and leadership during their deployment,” said Capt. Jose Roman, commodore, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1. “From multiple exercises with our partners to ensuring maritime security and freedom of navigation in critical waterways throughout the Indo-Pacific, Omaha has a great deal to be proud of.”

Throughout deployment, the Omaha participated in several multi-national events including the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI), Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Brunei, the Republic of Palau 30th Independence Anniversary, a joint sail with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Exercise Noble Wolverine, Exercise Cobra Gold 2025, and Exercise Noble Dingo.

“It’s been an honor to serve with this crew as they’ve achieved outstanding operational milestones and risen to meet every challenge,” said Cmdr. Kevin Smith, commanding officer of the Omaha Gold crew. “Today we welcome home the USS Omaha and the Blue crew, and celebrate the commitment and perseverance of every Sailor onboard, as well as their families who support them.”

In August 2024, the Omaha participated in OMSI, a Secretary of Defense program aimed at diminishing transnational illegal activity on the high seas in the Pacific Island nations of Oceania’s Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), as well as increasing interoperability with partner nations. The Omaha’s range and capabilities allowed the embarked U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment the ability to access the remote U.S. and Pacific Island nations’ EEZs.

The Omaha participated in CARAT Brunei 2024 alongside the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and other U.S. military assets. During the exercise, a variety of subject matter expert exchange events were conducted. They focused on topics such as cyber security, emission control, force protection, international maritime law, maritime domain awareness, and public affairs for humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Bilateral training opportunities included best practices for a medical evacuation; mine countermeasures; visit, board, search and seizure; underwater demolition; and other topics. CARAT Brunei 2024 focused on dynamic naval capabilities, featuring cooperative evolutions that highlighted the U.S.-Brunei partnership and their shared goals of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Omaha participated in several events which celebrated the 30th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Palau, marking the Republic of Palau’s independence from the United Nations trusteeship administered by the U.S.

In the early months of 2025, the Omaha participated in Exercise Noble Wolverine, Exercise Cobra Gold 2025, and Exercise Noble Dingo. Noble Wolverine was a joint U.S. and Canadian exercise. During Cobra Gold 2025, Omaha, alongside Republic of Korea, Republic of Singapore, and Kingdom of Thailand navies conducted division tactics and crew exchanges. Noble Dingo included several operations as part of a joint sail with the RAN’s Hobart-class air warfare destroyer HMAS Sydney (DDG 42) in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“These Sailors are returning home to their families with significant operational experience.,” said Cmdr. Ryan Doyle, commanding officer of the Omaha Blue crew. “I am particularly proud of the resiliency and self-sufficiency that our Sailors demonstrated throughout the deployments.”

During deployment, the Omaha conducted eight port visits, including six to partner and allied nations: Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Hawaii.

The Omaha is a fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatant that operates in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century threats. LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.

For more news from Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1, visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/comlcsron1/ or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/COMLCSRONONE/

MIL Security OSI –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Illegal trafficking of pesticides – E-001736/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament

The EU Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN)[1] works with law enforcement through the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), guided by the EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment Report.

EMPACT connects Member States, EU bodies, and international partners to combat serious organised crime. For illegal pesticides, the FFN co-leads with Europol the Operational Action Plan ‘Environmental Crime’ and supports Europol’s Operation SILVER AXE, targeting intellectual property rights protected non-compliant products.

Participants share related information via the Secure Information Exchange Network Application (SIENA), for secure exchange. The FFN contributes by data sharing, statistical analysis, and trend evaluation.

The Commission audits Member States to assess controls on marketing and use of plant protection products, including detecting fraud.

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) actively detects dangerous goods, as pesticides, and works closely with customs authorities to support cross- border investigations. OLAF has coordinated a joint customs operation on dangerous substances, including pesticides, in the context of the Asia-Europe Meeting[2].

Moreover, OLAF provided support and specialised intelligence for operations leading to the interception of a significant consignments of illegal pesticides in Bulgaria and Romania[3][4].

The Commission works with partner countries at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development fighting illegal trade in pesticides and remains committed mitigating negative impacts of illegal pesticides on environment, thus ensuring the protection of European consumers .
- [1] https://food.ec.europa.eu/safety/agri-food-fraud/eu-food-fraud-network_en.
- [2] https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/media-corner/news/operation-noxia-olaf-leads-operation-against-dangerous-substances-2023-10-16_en.
- [3] https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/media-corner/news/11-tonnes-pesticides-seized-thanks-olaf-and-bulgarian-authorities-2023-03-31_en.
- [4] https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/media-corner/news/romanian-authorities-seize-1000-litres-counterfeit-pesticides-valued-over-eu600-000-thanks-olafs-2024-10-03_en.
MIL OSI Europe News –
July 15, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Press Release: Agencies Issue Joint Statement on Risk-Management Considerations for Crypto-Asset Safekeeping

Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

Federal bank regulatory agencies today issued a joint statement in their continued efforts to provide clarity on banks’ engagement in crypto-asset-related activities. The statement highlights for banks potential risk-management considerations related to holding crypto-assets on their customers’ behalf, or crypto-asset safekeeping.

The joint statement discusses existing risk-management principles that apply to crypto-asset safekeeping and reminds banks that provide or are considering providing safekeeping of such assets that they must do so in a safe and sound manner and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The statement does not create any new supervisory expectations. The agencies continue to explore ways to provide additional clarity with respect to banks’ engagement in crypto-asset-related activities.

ATTACHMENTS:

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT:
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Julianne Fisher Breitbeil
(202) 898-6895

Federal Reserve Board
Meg Nelson
(202) 452-2955

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Stephanie Collins
(202) 649-6870

The FDIC does not send unsolicited email. If this publication has reached you in error, or if you no longer wish to receive this service, please unsubscribe.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 15, 2025

MIL-OSI Australia: CIT Woden prepares to welcome its first students
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Redefining Woden as a vibrant, modern hub where people can live, work, and thrive.
In Brief:
- Construction is complete on the new CIT Woden Campus.
- This article gives an exclusive sneak peek into what’s coming to the new campus.
- Discover the key benefits and advantages of the new campus in this article.
The brand-new CIT Woden Campus is now complete and set to welcome students on 21 July.

Welcoming up to 6,500 students per year, the campus will deliver cutting-edge training in fields such as:
- information technology
- cyber security
- business
- hospitality
- hairdressing
- music
- design and media.
The project benefits
- Capacity for up to 6,500 students annually.
- Packed with smart technology to help them learn in new and better ways.
- Green open spaces for students and the community to enjoy.
- Better public transport links.
- New youth foyer to support young people in need.
The campus also invites students and the community to enjoy CIT student-run businesses, including:
- a restaurant
- a produce shop
- a hair and beauty salon.
Let’s take a sneak peek!

The CIT Restaurant and Commercial Training Bar, as well as a Produce Shop/Apprentice Kitchen shop, are located on the ground floor.

There is an additional kitchen and training bar on Level 1 adjacent to the multipurpose space. The kitchen areas are all glassed, providing visual activation throughout and allowing the public to see culinary students in action.

The hair and beauty space includes areas for hairdressing, barbering, spray tanning, make-up, and beauty therapy, along with a reception area.

It connects directly to the ground floor commercial hair salon, making it easy for clients, students, and teachers to move between the two levels.

This spacious, open-plan area is designed to host a variety of events including media and music performances, exhibitions, graduations, open days, and hospitality training.

It opens onto the Level 1 Terrace, which features bench seating with power outlets, native landscaping, and edible gardens.

Screen and media areas include specialist graphic design computer labs, dedicated studios for photography, videos and music. Staff will also have workspaces for media, music and photography.

Designing with Country has been a guiding principle for the CIT Woden Campus project.

The large ‘oculus’ skylight provides a meaningful physical and visual connection with Sky Country from inside the building. It reflects a silhouette of a wedge tailed eagle or ‘Mulleun’, considered a totem animal for the local Ngunnawal people.

The bleachers support gathering or social spaces throughout the day. They go from levels 1 all the way up to level 5 to meet the oculus skylight.

CIT Woden is located next to the new public transport interchange being built on Callam Street. It will improve bus services, safety and enhance connectivity to the area.

It will feature 18 bus stops, passenger-friendly shelters and enhanced lighting and signage.

The transport interchange will also incorporate a light rail stop for the network’s future extension to Woden.

Three public green spaces are available for students, staff, and the community to enjoy.

A walking link between the new public transport interchange and the town centre, this corridor includes spaces for public seating, outdoor dining, and retail frontage

Located at the north end of the campus is asunny breakout space for students, staff, local businesses and residents.It includes trees, gardens, and areas for dogs.

Located at the western end of the campus is a gathering and ceremony space surrounded by a mix of native and non-native planting and seating with charging ports.

For more information visit the Built for CBR website.

Read more like this:

Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:
MIL OSI News –
July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: MAINE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION ISSUES RFP TO ADVANCE CLEAN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ON CONTAMINATED LANDS

Source: US State of Maine

July 14, 2025

Hallowell, Maine– The Maine Public Utilities Commission (Commission) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the sale of energy or renewable energy credits (RECs) to promote the economic reuse of contaminated land through clean energy development, in accordance with 35-A M.R.S. 3210-J (statute).

The RFP seeks proposals for energy or RECs from eligible Class IA renewable resources. Proposals must be submitted by 11:59 PM on July 25, 2025. The Commission seeks to procure up to 1,573,026 MWh in this solicitation.

“This RFP demonstrates Maine’s strong commitment to both advancing clean energy and supporting the reuse of contaminated land for economic benefit,” said Commission Chair Philip L. Bartlett II. By prioritizing projects on PFAS-contaminated agricultural land, were helping communities turn environmental challenges into opportunities for sustainable development and cost savings for ratepayers.

To be eligible, a Class IA resource must:

-Qualify as a Maine RPS Class IA resource;

-Begin commercial operations on or after September 19, 2023; and

-Have either an executed interconnection agreement or a system impact study underway, if required by the applicable regional transmission organization, independent system operator, or administrator.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the requirements of the statute, and the criteria detailed in the RFP. To be selected, a project must demonstrate that it is likely to produce net benefits to ratepayers that exceed its costs.

In accordance with the statute, the Commission will give primary preference to projects located on contaminated land-specifically agricultural land contaminated by PFAS. Projects sited on contaminated land will be awarded contracts before other qualifying projects that are not sited on contaminated land. To qualify for this preference, at least 90% of the project footprint must be located on such land.

For more information, please visit the Commissions website at:

CONTACT: Susan Faloon, Media Liaison CELL: 207-557-3704 EMAIL: susan.faloon@maine.gov

MIL OSI USA News –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Spending Bill With Illinois Priorities Secured by Duckworth, Durbin
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
July 11, 2025

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a funding bill for Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in this appropriations bill, both through Congressionally Directed Spending requests and through the programmatic appropriations process.

“Our state and our nation are stronger when we invest in our communities and families—and that’s what these bipartisan funding bills do,” Duckworth said. “Appropriating federal funding is the primary role of Congress, and it’s critical this responsibility remains in the legislative branch. I’m proud I was able to help secure critical support for projects throughout Illinois that support our rural communities.”

“Congress is tasked with the critical responsibility to fund our government programs and agencies. While Congress has fulfilled this responsibility by routinely passing continuing resolutions, I hope that we can have a true bipartisan effort to pass appropriations bills in a timely, thoughtful process,” said Durbin. “And as the Trump Administration aims to gut our government, I will continue to push for the funding and resources for Illinoisans to thrive.”

The Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA funding bill includes the following Illinois priorities secured by Congressionally Directed Spending requests:



Health Clinic, LaHarpe: $1.38 million to Memorial Hospital Association to help construct an additional health clinic to expand access to health care in the Western Illinois community.

Hospital Infrastructure Improvements, Watseka, Illinois: $645,000 to the Iroquois Memorial Hospital and Resident Home to update aged and outdated facilities, including HVAC systems and flooring.

Intergenerational Center, Fairbury, Illinois: $1 million to the Boys and Girls Club of Livingston County to construct an intergenerational community center to provide programming and services to youth and seniors at the same site.

Laboratory Renovation, Pittsfield, Illinois: $1 million to the Blessing Care Corporation to update the laboratory department at Illini Community Hospital in order to modernize facilities that are more than 80 years old.

Medical Technology Upgrades, Lawrenceville, Illinois: $450,000 to provide essential technological upgrades at Lawrence County Memorial Hospital, including improvements in diagnostic imaging, patient monitoring systems, and life-saving equipment.

Pre-K Expansion, Herrin: $263,000 to Herrin Community Unit School District No. 4 to help expand capacity at the district’s pre-K center.

Rural Health Clinic Expansion, West Frankfort, Illinois: $1 million to Southern Illinois Hospital Services to expand the Miners Memorial Rural Health Clinic to provide improvements in both patient rooms and provider workspace.

Teledentistry Initiative, Mattoon, Illinois: $110,000 to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center to expand rural telehealth efforts to include teledentistry with an emphasis on underserved children.

The Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA funding bill includes additional Illinois priorities secured through the programmatic appropriations process:

USDA

Bee Genome: $3 million, an increase of $750,000 from FY25, to continue sequencing the genome of more than 4,000 domestic bee species, including activities underway at the Peoria USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research and the University of Illinois.

Midwest Soybean Germplasm Lab: The President’s Budget Request proposes closing research labs in three states, including two operations at the University of Illinois—the National Soybean Germplasm Collection and the Maize Genetics Cooperation Stock Center. The bill includes language to prohibit USDA laboratory and facility closures without USDA providing Congressional notification and approval.

Agricultural Research: $3.2 billion for basic food and agricultural research nationwide, including activities underway at the Peoria USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research and the University of Illinois.

Tracking Farm Exports by State: Includes report language requiring USDA to track and publish the top five farm commodities exported, or imported, by State, and the country of destination, or origin.

Plant Health, Tree and Wood Pests: $59 million to help identify and contain wood-boring pests threatening tree health across the country, 19 of which have been detected in the past decade, including the Emerald Ash Borer. This funding will allow for the identification and containment of Emerald Ash Borer infestations and increase public awareness of the threat posed by EAB in the 15 states that are battling this invasive species.

Animal Welfare: $27 million to implement and enforce provisions of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including those governing facilities that previously have fallen out of compliance with the AWA.

Rural e-Connectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect Program): $35 million to support loans and grants that facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas without sufficient broadband access.

Agricultural Extension – Food Safety Outreach Program: $10 million to provide food safety training and tech assistance to owners and operators of small farms, small food processors, and small fruit and vegetable vendors affected by the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011.

Food for Peace: $1.5 billion to meet emergency food needs around the world, including due to the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, and conflict, displacement, poverty, and climate change exacerbating needs around the world, despite Trump’s efforts to eliminate the program.

McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program: $240 million to support school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects around the world, particularly for girls, despite Trump’s efforts to eliminate the program.

Local and Regional Procurement: Continues support for the promotion of locally sourced agricultural products, which remain less costly and more accessible when compared to commodities sourced from the United States and shipped overseas.

FDA

Tobacco: Includes substantial bill language pertaining to FDA’s Tobacco Center to eliminate harmful provisions and ensure alignment with public health needs. The statutory language specifies $200 million for e-cigarette enforcement activities, out of the $712 million total for the FDA’s Tobacco Center—which will increase resources to investigate and stop illegally sold products. The language also enhances reporting to Congress, dedicates $2 million to the interagency task force between FDA, DOJ, and DHS, and provides statutory authority requested by FDA Commissioner Makary to enable FDA to detain and destroy seized illegal e-cigarettes at ports of entry. There also is report language ensuring that the FDA’s regulatory focus is on kid-friendly and flavored products, and balanced between unauthorized Chinese vapes and also-illegal, unauthorized domestic vapes (made by Altria, RJ Reynolds, JUUL).

ALS: Provides no less than $2.5 million for FDA to continue implementation of the ACT for ALS law to enable FDA to fund early stage clinical trials for new ALS therapies.

Food Safety: $1.17 billion for FDA’s Human Foods Program to oversee food and nutrition in the United States. Includes report language encouraging coordination between FDA, USDA, and CDC in better ensuring the safety of our nation’s foods.

Dietary Supplements: Includes report language calling on FDA to strengthen its enforcement actions against adulterated and misbranded dietary supplements.

-30-
MIL OSI USA News –
July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Spending Bill With Illinois Priorities Secured by Duckworth, Durbin
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
July 11, 2025

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a funding bill for Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in this appropriations bill, both through Congressionally Directed Spending requests and through the programmatic appropriations process.

“Our state and our nation are stronger when we invest in our communities and families—and that’s what these bipartisan funding bills do,” Duckworth said. “Appropriating federal funding is the primary role of Congress, and it’s critical this responsibility remains in the legislative branch. I’m proud I was able to help secure critical support for projects throughout Illinois that support our rural communities.”

“Congress is tasked with the critical responsibility to fund our government programs and agencies. While Congress has fulfilled this responsibility by routinely passing continuing resolutions, I hope that we can have a true bipartisan effort to pass appropriations bills in a timely, thoughtful process,” said Durbin. “And as the Trump Administration aims to gut our government, I will continue to push for the funding and resources for Illinoisans to thrive.”

The Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA funding bill includes the following Illinois priorities secured by Congressionally Directed Spending requests:



Health Clinic, LaHarpe: $1.38 million to Memorial Hospital Association to help construct an additional health clinic to expand access to health care in the Western Illinois community.

Hospital Infrastructure Improvements, Watseka, Illinois: $645,000 to the Iroquois Memorial Hospital and Resident Home to update aged and outdated facilities, including HVAC systems and flooring.

Intergenerational Center, Fairbury, Illinois: $1 million to the Boys and Girls Club of Livingston County to construct an intergenerational community center to provide programming and services to youth and seniors at the same site.

Laboratory Renovation, Pittsfield, Illinois: $1 million to the Blessing Care Corporation to update the laboratory department at Illini Community Hospital in order to modernize facilities that are more than 80 years old.

Medical Technology Upgrades, Lawrenceville, Illinois: $450,000 to provide essential technological upgrades at Lawrence County Memorial Hospital, including improvements in diagnostic imaging, patient monitoring systems, and life-saving equipment.

Pre-K Expansion, Herrin: $263,000 to Herrin Community Unit School District No. 4 to help expand capacity at the district’s pre-K center.

Rural Health Clinic Expansion, West Frankfort, Illinois: $1 million to Southern Illinois Hospital Services to expand the Miners Memorial Rural Health Clinic to provide improvements in both patient rooms and provider workspace.

Teledentistry Initiative, Mattoon, Illinois: $110,000 to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center to expand rural telehealth efforts to include teledentistry with an emphasis on underserved children.

The Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA funding bill includes additional Illinois priorities secured through the programmatic appropriations process:

USDA

Bee Genome: $3 million, an increase of $750,000 from FY25, to continue sequencing the genome of more than 4,000 domestic bee species, including activities underway at the Peoria USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research and the University of Illinois.

Midwest Soybean Germplasm Lab: The President’s Budget Request proposes closing research labs in three states, including two operations at the University of Illinois—the National Soybean Germplasm Collection and the Maize Genetics Cooperation Stock Center. The bill includes language to prohibit USDA laboratory and facility closures without USDA providing Congressional notification and approval.

Agricultural Research: $3.2 billion for basic food and agricultural research nationwide, including activities underway at the Peoria USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research and the University of Illinois.

Tracking Farm Exports by State: Includes report language requiring USDA to track and publish the top five farm commodities exported, or imported, by State, and the country of destination, or origin.

Plant Health, Tree and Wood Pests: $59 million to help identify and contain wood-boring pests threatening tree health across the country, 19 of which have been detected in the past decade, including the Emerald Ash Borer. This funding will allow for the identification and containment of Emerald Ash Borer infestations and increase public awareness of the threat posed by EAB in the 15 states that are battling this invasive species.

Animal Welfare: $27 million to implement and enforce provisions of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including those governing facilities that previously have fallen out of compliance with the AWA.

Rural e-Connectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect Program): $35 million to support loans and grants that facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas without sufficient broadband access.

Agricultural Extension – Food Safety Outreach Program: $10 million to provide food safety training and tech assistance to owners and operators of small farms, small food processors, and small fruit and vegetable vendors affected by the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011.

Food for Peace: $1.5 billion to meet emergency food needs around the world, including due to the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, and conflict, displacement, poverty, and climate change exacerbating needs around the world, despite Trump’s efforts to eliminate the program.

McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program: $240 million to support school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects around the world, particularly for girls, despite Trump’s efforts to eliminate the program.

Local and Regional Procurement: Continues support for the promotion of locally sourced agricultural products, which remain less costly and more accessible when compared to commodities sourced from the United States and shipped overseas.

FDA

Tobacco: Includes substantial bill language pertaining to FDA’s Tobacco Center to eliminate harmful provisions and ensure alignment with public health needs. The statutory language specifies $200 million for e-cigarette enforcement activities, out of the $712 million total for the FDA’s Tobacco Center—which will increase resources to investigate and stop illegally sold products. The language also enhances reporting to Congress, dedicates $2 million to the interagency task force between FDA, DOJ, and DHS, and provides statutory authority requested by FDA Commissioner Makary to enable FDA to detain and destroy seized illegal e-cigarettes at ports of entry. There also is report language ensuring that the FDA’s regulatory focus is on kid-friendly and flavored products, and balanced between unauthorized Chinese vapes and also-illegal, unauthorized domestic vapes (made by Altria, RJ Reynolds, JUUL).

ALS: Provides no less than $2.5 million for FDA to continue implementation of the ACT for ALS law to enable FDA to fund early stage clinical trials for new ALS therapies.

Food Safety: $1.17 billion for FDA’s Human Foods Program to oversee food and nutrition in the United States. Includes report language encouraging coordination between FDA, USDA, and CDC in better ensuring the safety of our nation’s foods.

Dietary Supplements: Includes report language calling on FDA to strengthen its enforcement actions against adulterated and misbranded dietary supplements.

-30-
MIL OSI USA News –
July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ivey, Van Hollen, Klobuchar Lead Over 70 Members in Pressing Administration on Conflicting Orders Fueling Uncertainty Among Afghans Living in U.S.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Ivey – Maryland (4th District)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), .S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.),, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led 73 of their colleagues in pressing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for answers on the Trump Administration’s inconsistent policies regarding Afghanistan and the legal status of Afghan nationals living in the U.S. – many of whom played important roles in supporting American servicemembers during the war in Afghanistan over two decades. In the letter, the lawmakers point out that the justifications for the decisions to implement a large-scale travel ban, which applies to Afghanistan, and terminate Temporary Protected Status conflict with one another. The lawmakers ask Secretary Rubio how the State Department arrived at these determinations and whether it can guarantee that Afghans who may be forced to leave the U.S. will not face danger upon their return to their home country – should the termination of Afghanistan’s TPS designation be upheld.

The lawmakers’ concerns over the safety of Afghan nationals who may be forced to leave the U.S. stem from a recent State Department human rights report covering Afghanistan finding that the Taliban has increased restrictions on freedom of expression and significantly eroded women’s rights. Additionally, Afghanistan remains gripped by violence and instability; the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties. If Afghan nationals are forced to return to Afghanistan, many risk being caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and ISKP, threatening their human rights and freedoms. These risks are on top of those already incurred by the men and women who have previously assisted the United States military and face retribution for their support to our armed forces.

“We write to you with deep concern over President Donald Trump’s recently announced so-called travel ban and its striking inconsistency with the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. We respectfully request that you provide detailed information regarding the State Department’s assessment of the conditions in Afghanistan to clarify the Trump Administration’s position,” the lawmakers began.

They quoted the determination that Secretary Rubio made upon consultation over the decision to include Afghanistan in the Administration’s travel ban proclamation, writing, “Specifically, the proclamation bans most entry into the United States from Afghanistan, stating the following as justification: ‘The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, controls Afghanistan. Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.’

“As you know, the U.S. visa vetting system is a multi-layered process involving extensive background checks, biometric data collection, interagency information sharing, and screening against a range of national security databases that works to keep residents of our country safe,” the lawmakers continued. “According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “[m]ore than 40 national security experts from across the political spectrum have unequivocally told courts that travelers to the U.S. should not be vetted on religious or national stereotypes, but rather on specific threat information.” Categorically banning foreign nationals from coming to the United States based on their country of origin is discriminatory and harmful to our nation’s international relations and security interests.

Highlighting the inconsistencies between the reasoning for including Afghanistan in the travel ban and ending the country’s TPS designation, they wrote, “This [travel ban] determination appears to be at odds with the Trump Administration’s stated position just weeks ago. May 12, 2025, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem announced that DHS was ending TPS for Afghanistan. The basis offered in the Federal Register notice for this decision was ‘notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.’

“As you are aware, many Afghan allies that received TPS stood shoulder to shoulder with American servicemembers for nearly two decades during the war in Afghanistan. Many fled to the United States out of fear of persecution by the Taliban or retaliation for such cooperation with the United States. It is unsafe for political targets of the Taliban to be forced to return against their will. TPS protections must be maintained for Afghan nationals in the United States,” they went on to write.

They asked Secretary Rubio to address the following questions:
1. Please provide detailed reports or information that the State Department is relying upon in advising the Department of Homeland Security and the White House as to the conditions in Afghanistan.
2. How can you assure Afghan nationals fearing persecution in Afghanistan that the Taliban will not retaliate against them based upon their relationship with the United States?
In addition to Congressman Ivey, Senator Van Hollen, and Senator Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Adam Smith (D-Calif.), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Rubio:

We write to you with deep concern over President Donald Trump’s recently announced so-called travel ban and its striking inconsistency with the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. We respectfully request that you provide detailed information regarding the State Department’s assessment of the conditions in Afghanistan to clarify the Trump Administration’s position.

On June 4, 2025, President Trump announced via a proclamation entitled “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” that he was imposing travel restrictions for foreign nationals entering the United States. Among the countries included in this proclamation is Afghanistan. Specifically, the proclamation bans most entry into the United States from Afghanistan, stating the following as justification:

“The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, controls Afghanistan. Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.”

As you know, the U.S. visa vetting system is a multi-layered process involving extensive background checks, biometric data collection, interagency information sharing, and screening against a range of national security databases that works to keep residents of our country safe. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “[m]ore than 40 national security experts from across the political spectrum have unequivocally told courts that travelers to the U.S. should not be vetted on religious or national stereotypes, but rather on specific threat information.” Categorically banning foreign nationals from coming to the United States based on their country of origin is discriminatory and harmful to our nation’s international relations and security interests.

The proclamation further states that you, as the Secretary of State, were directed to make this determination, in consultation with other members of the President’s Cabinet including the Secretary of Homeland Security. Per the proclamation, you ultimately determined that “a number of countries remain deficient with regards to screening and vetting,” including the country of Afghanistan. Placing a blanket ban on another country’s citizens is a severe action, and the title of the proclamation states that it is being done “to protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats.” This determination appears to be at odds with the Trump Administration’s stated position just weeks ago. On May 12, 2025, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem announced that DHS was ending TPS for Afghanistan. The basis offered in the Federal Register notice for this decision was “notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.” Specifically, the notice points to:
1. the totality of Taliban rule and lessening overt presence of ISIS-K and other various terrorist organizations;
2. a decrease in large-scale violence and humanitarian need;
3. a growing economy; and
4. increased tourism, with tourists “sharing their experiences on social media, highlighting the peaceful countryside, welcoming locals, and the cultural heritage.”
Further, Secretary Noem found that “permitting Afghan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States.” The Federal Register notice cited consultation with your Department in making this determination.

These seemingly incompatible recent decisions indicate a troubling lack of consistency in the Administration’s analysis of country conditions in Afghanistan. Either Afghanistan is safe for the return of Afghan refugees and nationals that fled following the return of the Taliban to power or it is not.

According to Human Rights Watch, in 2024, Taliban authorities intensified their crackdown on human rights, especially against women and girls, who are banned from attending secondary school or university and are unable to move freely. The Taliban also continues to detain and torture journalists, curtailing free speech and media. The 2023 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report covering Afghanistan found that women’s rights rapidly declined and restrictions on freedom of expression increased. The horrific human rights conditions in Afghanistan are unsafe for Afghan nationals to return to and returning would put their personal safety at immediate risk. Additionally, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties. If Afghan nationals are forced to return to Afghanistan, they will be caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and ISKP.

As you are aware, many Afghan allies that received TPS stood shoulder to shoulder with American servicemembers for nearly two decades during the war in Afghanistan. Many fled to the United States out of fear of persecution by the Taliban or retaliation for such cooperation with the United States. It is unsafe for political targets of the Taliban to be forced to return against their will. TPS protections must be maintained for Afghan nationals in the United States.

We would request that you immediately provide answers to the following questions:
1. Please provide detailed reports or information that the State Department is relying upon in advising the Department of Homeland Security and the White House as to the conditions in Afghanistan.
2. How can you assure Afghan nationals fearing persecution in Afghanistan that the Taliban will not retaliate against them based upon their relationship with the United States?
Congress has a strong interest in understanding what information the Trump Administration is using to carry out its policies and how it is making national security decisions that impact all of our constituents. We look forward to receiving your response.

###

MIL OSI USA News –
July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The Polytechnic University hosted the School of Young Scientists “Advanced Materials and Technologies: from Invention to Implementation”

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

During the International Scientific conference “Implementation of Innovations. New Materials and Additive Technologies” (VINMiAT-25), which took place at the Technopolis Polytech Scientific Research Institute, the School of Young Scientists was in operation. It was attended by students, postgraduates, early career researchers, as well as leading specialists in the field of additive technologies, materials science, and digital engineering.

The main objectives of the school are to ensure the transfer of advanced knowledge about modern production methods, to promote the growth of professionalism of young personnel and to introduce them to advanced trends in the field of scientific developments.

After the plenary session, the school participants worked in two sections: “Welding and related technologies/Nature-like materials and additive technologies for their production” and “Equipment, automation and robotics of innovative technologies”.

In the first section, Yarob Aldaiye, an engineer at the Research Laboratory of LiAT IMMiT, presented a report entitled “Assessment of residual deformations of a welded joint formed using various welding methods”. The scientist analyzed the influence of the welding method on the level of residual deformations, energy input and the width of the heat-affected zone, as well as on technical and economic characteristics. As part of the work, technologies for welding steel samples using various methods were created, control samples were welded to assess residual deformations, metallographic studies of welded joints were conducted, residual deformations of welded samples were analyzed and compared, and a technical and economic justification for the selected welding methods was carried out.

The second report, “Restoration of nozzle blades made of cobalt alloy MAR-M 509 using laser gas-powder surfacing,” was given by Vladimir Protsenko, an engineer at the Research Laboratory of LiAT.

A separate presentation was devoted to the restoration of nozzle blades made of cobalt and nickel alloy using laser cladding. SPbPU scientists developed a laser cladding technology and a method for preventing crack formation. The cladding blades successfully passed operational tests.

Anna Abdrakhmanova, an engineer at the Materials Design and Additive Manufacturing Laboratory, presented a report on the topic of “Study of Mechanical Properties of Continuously Reinforced Nature-Like Polymer Composite”. Maria Zaitseva, an engineer at the Russian-Chinese Research Laboratory of Functional Materials, spoke about the features of selective laser melting of DUO steel with platform heating.

Victoria Nefedova, an engineer at the Scientific and Educational Center for Structural and Functional Materials, presented the development of biocompatible titanium-tantalum composites using selective laser melting, and her colleague, engineer Alexander Zolotarev, spoke about the modification of the heat-resistant alloy BZh159 with TiB₂ and Y₂O₃ nanoparticles. Then Alexander Zaitsev, an engineer at the Russian-Chinese Laboratory for Functional Materials, gave a report on the production of a polymer-ceramic material using the filament deposition modeling method (FDM technology).

The event continued with a traditional tour of the IMMiT laboratories, where the school participants were able to get acquainted with modern equipment, industrial 3D printing systems, and discuss the knowledge gained with leading scientists working at the institute.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

.

MIL OSI Russia News –

July 15, 2025

Category: Australia

Source: Federated Farmers

Recalled power banks that the ACCC is monitoring closely

National two-minute silence to mark VJ Day 80

Notes to editors:

Share this page

Updates to this page

July 14, 2025

Fish are living and dying in polluted water

Pesticide exposure makes fish less social

Behaviour is a blind spot in regulation

Leave no stone unturned in restoring our waters

Life-saving treatment vs harmful overdiagnosis

What do the draft guidelines say?

No more ‘finger up the bum’

Alternative definition

Biased Argument

Weak evidence

Gaza ignored

Recommendation overreach

How some bosses are treating young workers

The most at risk

What steps are being taken?

What’s needed

How some bosses are treating young workers

The most at risk

What steps are being taken?

What’s needed

In This Issue:

From Petty Officer 2nd Class Kassandra Alanis and Lt.j.g. Tahj Clements

In Brief:

Read more like this: