Category: Business

MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Disaster Relief to Oregon Small Businesses, Private Nonprofits and Residents Affected by the Harney County Flooding

Source: United States Small Business Administration

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to Oregon small businesses, private nonprofits and residents to offset physical and economic losses from the Harney County flooding occurring March 12-April 15.

The declaration covers the Oregon counties of Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Lake and Malheur as well as the Nevada counties of Humboldt and Washoe.

Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.

SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit (PNP)organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.62% for PNPs, and 2.75% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

“When disasters strike, SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers play a vital role in helping small businesses and their communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “At these centers, SBA specialists assist business owners and residents with disaster loan applications and provide information on the full range of recovery programs available.”

Beginning Friday, June 27, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the following Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help each individual complete their application. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov.

The DLOC hours of operation are as follows:

HARNEY COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Harney County Senior Center
17 S. Alder Ave.
Burns, OR 97720

Opens at 12 p.m., Friday, June 27

Mondays – Fridays, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Closed Friday, July 4 for Independence Day

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The deadline to return physical damage applications is Aug. 25, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 25, 2026.

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Australian Gas Networks in Court over alleged greenwashing in renewable gas campaign
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

The ACCC has launched Federal Court action against gas distributor Australian Gas Networks Limited alleging it made false and misleading representations in its ‘Love Gas’ TV and digital advertising campaign.

The ACCC alleges Australian Gas Networks misled millions of consumers when it represented, in ads that ran during 2022 and 2023, that the gas it distributes to households on its network will be renewable within a generation.

Australian Gas Networks did not have reasonable grounds for making the unqualified claim about the future of gas, which featured in advertisements run on free-to-air television, streaming services and on YouTube, the ACCC alleges.

“We allege that Australian Gas Networks engaged in greenwashing in its ‘Love Gas’ ad campaign,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

“We allege that the ads overstated the likelihood of Australian Gas Networks overcoming significant technical and economic barriers to distribute renewable gas to households within a generation.”

“It is not currently possible to distribute renewable gas at scale and at an economically viable price, and throughout 2022 and 2023 it was highly uncertain whether, and if so when, this would be possible,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“We allege that even though Australian Gas Networks knew the future of renewable gas was uncertain, it made an unqualified representation to consumers that it would distribute renewable gas to households within a generation.”

“We say these ads were intended to encourage consumers to connect to, or remain connected to, Australian Gas Networks’ distribution network and to purchase gas appliances for their homes, based on the misleading impression they would receive ‘renewable gas’ within a generation,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“We consider that consumers were deprived of the opportunity to make fully informed choices, in accordance with their values, about the most appropriate energy sources for use in their homes, the household appliances they should invest in, and the steps they could take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The claims by Australian Gas Networks were contained in four advertisements which all featured a young girl and her father using gas appliances in the home for cooking, bathing or heating. The advertisements then fast-forward in time to show the girl, now portrayed as a young adult, engaging in the same household activities.

The ads featured a voiceover stating the following, or similar:
- Some things never change, but the flame we use will.
- It’s becoming renewable.
- Controllable, reliable gas.
- For this generation and the next.
The final frame of each ad featured the company’s logo next to a green flame, and the words; “Love gas. Love a renewable gas future”; or just “Love Gas”.

The ads did not contain any qualifications, fine print or disclaimers.

“Businesses that make false or misleading environmental claims make it harder for consumers to support businesses that are genuinely working to reduce their environmental impact,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“Businesses that make environmental claims about the future must have reasonable grounds for those claims, or they will be taken to be misleading under the Australian Consumer Law. Businesses must take care when they promote emissions-reduction measures that their claims can be backed up with evidence, and that they are realistic about emerging energy technologies and when changes are likely to be achieved. Misleading claims not only break the trust of consumers, they also breach the Australian Consumer Law.”

The ACCC is seeking declarations, penalties, costs and other orders.

Background

The “Love Gas” advertising campaign ran between 20 March 2022 to 2 October 2022 and again from 1 August 2023 to 15 October 2023.

Australian Gas Networks is one of Australia’s largest gas infrastructure businesses. It owns and operates gas transmission and distribution pipelines.

Australian Gas Networks distributes natural gas to around 1.3 million homes and businesses, principally in Victoria and South Australia, as well as in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory.

The ACCC commenced this investigation after receiving complaints about Australian Gas Networks from consumers and the Australian Conservation Foundation.

In December 2023, the ACCC published its guidance for businesses on making environmental and sustainability claims. It sets out what the ACCC considers to be misleading conduct and good practice when making such claims, to help businesses provide clear, accurate and trustworthy information to consumers about the current and future environmental performance of their business.

Images from the Love Gas Advertisements

MIL OSI News –
June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: AG Brown applauds court order against the Trump administration for blocking funds for electric vehicle chargers

Source: Washington State News

SEATTLE — Attorney General Nick Brown and 13 other attorneys general have won a court order blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to withhold about $1 billion in funding for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure directed by Congress to the plaintiff states.

U.S. District Court Judge Tana Lin said the Trump administration must restore the states’ Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans to their previous legal status and stop withholding previously authorized National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funds. She stayed the order for seven days, saying it would go into effect on July 2 if the defendants do not file an appeal.

“Congress invested in forward-looking, clean electric vehicle infrastructure – exactly the future that Washington wants,” Brown said. “The court has now confirmed that Donald Trump can’t just wish that future away because he likes fossil fuels.”

Lin opened her order by quoting a 1995 episode of The Simpsons, in which “Homer must cut short a tearful goodbye with his long-lost mother after her traveling companions protest that their `electric van only has 20 minutes of juice left!’” That episode foretold the “range anxiety” many drivers of electric vehicles feel when trying to figure out where to charge their cars.

In the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Congress appropriated $5 billion for the NEVI Formula Program to fund states’ nationwide deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to improve reliability for the public. The plaintiff states moved forward with developing plans to identify sites, solicit bids, and begin building EV charging stations.

On Jan. 20, President Trump mandated federal agencies pause disbursement of all funds appropriated under the IIJA and the Inflation Reduction Act, including NEVI program funding. Despite being mandated by Congress to fund the NEVI program, the Federal Highway Administration notified states in February the agency was unlawfully revoking previous state plan approvals and withholding NEVI program funds from the states.

On May 7, Brown and a coalition of attorneys general from 15 other states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration for illegally withholding NEVI funding, arguing the administration engaged in overreach and violated the Constitution, which grants the power of the purse to Congress. Brown co-led the lawsuit along with attorneys general from California and Colorado.

Lin, of the Western District of Washington, said that even beyond the matter of EV charging stations, the case centers on the “bedrock doctrines of separation of powers and agency accountability, as enshrined in Constitution and statute.”

“When the Executive Branch treads upon the will of the Legislative Branch, and when an administrative agency acts contrary to law, it is the Court’s responsibility to remediate the situation and restore the balance of power,” she wrote.

Lin granted the preliminary injunction to the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Lin said she excluded the District of Columbia, Minnesota, and Vermont from her preliminary injunction because they did not submit declarations that attested to the Federal Highway Administration’s approval and re-approval of their state deployment plans.

A copy of Lin’s order can be found here.

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MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: News release: CanREA Summit examines renewables investment in Canada’s current financial landscape

Source: – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: News release: CanREA Summit examines renewables investment in Canada’s current financial landscape

At Clean Power Finance Canada—CanREA Summit 2025, finance and energy industry experts highlighted massive opportunities for investors, developers and policymakers to build a clean, affordable and resilient energy future for all Canadians.

Toronto, June 25, 2025— More than 200 people attended the second edition of Clean Power Finance Canada—CanREA Summit, a full-day conference presented by CIBC and held at CIBC Square in downtown Toronto today.

This annual event brings together clean energy companies and investment experts to discuss the particularities of investing in renewable energy and energy storage projects, aiming to understand the current financial landscape of Canada’s clean-energy industry, which stands ready to build modular, scalable, clean energy projects at pace to serve Canadian industries, businesses and homes.

“Clean electricity is a strategic Canadian advantage, and Canada is open for business: CanREA is currently tracking more than 18 GW of new clean energy projects, representing more than $34 billion in investment, and there continues to be massive opportunities for investors, developers and policymakers to collaborate in building a cleaner energy future for Canadians,” said Vittoria Bellissimo, CanREA’s President and CEO.

“As global electricity demand continues to rise, we must accelerate the planning and execution of clean energy projects to ensure affordable, reliable and sustainable power for our industries, businesses and households.”

Many leading Canadian finance and energy experts highlighted the critical role of strategic investments and policy support in accelerating Canada’s clean energy transition in the current geopolitical landscape.

“As markets across Canada continue to seek new energy sources, the clean electricity sector has a unique opportunity to satisfy some of those needs and CIBC is ready to support our clients’ ambitions in the sector,” said James Brooks, Managing Director & Co-Head, Energy, Infrastructure & Transition, Global Investment Banking, CIBC.

Roman Dubczak (Deputy Chair at CIBC Capital Markets), delivered the Summit’s opening remarks, alongside CanREA’s Bellissimo, followed by a keynote address from Sashen Guneratna (Managing Director, Investments, at Canada Infrastructure Bank).

In the opening plenary, “Global trends, local impacts: How will international trade and energy policies affect Canada’s clean energy markets,” moderator Michelle Chislett (Executive VP at Northland Power) and panelists James Brooks (Managing Director and Co-Head of Energy, Infrastructure and Investment Banking at CIBC), Elizabeth Kaiga (CCO of Energy Systems, North America at DNV) and Ryan Lax (Counsel, Torys LLP) provided informed answers to urgent questions about the current global trade and energy landscape and how to navigate these turbulent times.

Other highlights included:

In “Cutting edge: Financing emerging clean power technologies,” panelists delved into the innovative tech poised to burst onto the clean-power scene—and the supply chains required to service them.

In “Indigenous equity financing: Funding opportunities for clean energy partnerships,” speakers identified well-known obstacles and various financing and investment solutions for Indigenous communities seeking equity partnerships.

In “Mapping the political landscape: Policy insights for Canada’s clean power industry,” speakers discussed Canada’s current energy and electricity policies as the cornerstone of our economic growth and national sovereignty.

In “Canada’s Renewable Energy Market Outlook 2025,” representatives of CanREA and Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors offered a preview of their upcoming report, launching in September 2025, which will present a comprehensive forecast and analysis of the future costs and market outlook for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage technologies across Canada.

At the annual “CanREA Connects Ontario” networking reception, nearly 300 industry professionals capped off the Summit with drinks, laughs and discussions about the day’s topics.

“This year’s Clean Power Finance Canada—CanREA Summit investigated the financial mechanisms driving Canada’s clean energy future and examined how we can ensure the investment needed to accelerate the deployment of all the affordable clean power we will need in the coming years,” said Wesley Johnston, CanREA’s Vice President, Business Development, Finance and Operations.

“This event is about more than just capital—it’s about collaboration between developers, investors, Indigenous partners and policymakers, to get clean energy projects built on time and on budget.”

CanREA wishes to thank all attendees, moderators and speakers for helping to make the Clean Power Finance Canada—CanREA Summit a success. A special word of thanks to our Presenting Sponsor CIBC, as well as Platinum Sponsors Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB) & Northland Power, Gold Sponsors DNV, Gowling WLG & Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, Silver Sponsors Goldwind, EDF, LCAB & Osler, and Bronze Sponsors Innergex, Compass Energy Consulting, RES Group, TACT, KPMG, Hub International, PCL Construction, Phoventus & Nordex.

Photos

Photo: More than 200 people attended the second annual Clean Power Finance Canada—CanREA Summit, held June 25 in downtown Toronto. This full-day conference, hosted by the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA), brings together industry leaders and investment experts, aiming to open dialogue between Canada’s finance and clean power industries.

Photo: Roman Dubczak, Deputy Chair at CIBC Capital Markets, delivered opening remarks from the Summit’s Presenting Sponsor, CIBC.

Photo: The opening plenary, “Global trends, local impacts: How will international trade and energy policies affect Canada’s clean energy markets,” featured moderator Michelle Chislett (Executive VP at Northland Power) and panelists James Brooks (Managing Director and Co-Head of Energy, Infrastructure and Investment Banking at CIBC), Elizabeth Kaiga (CCO of Energy Systems, North America at DNV) and Ryan Lax (Counsel, Torys LLP).

Quotes

“As markets across Canada continue to seek new energy sources, the clean electricity sector has a unique opportunity to satisfy some of those needs and CIBC is ready to support our clients’ ambitions in the sector.”
—James Brooks, Managing Director & Co-Head, Energy, Infrastructure & Transition, Global Investment Banking CIBC

“Clean electricity is a strategic Canadian advantage, and Canada is open for business: CanREA is currently tracking more than 18 GW of new clean energy projects, representing more than $34 billion in investment, and there continues to be massive opportunities for investors, developers and policymakers to collaborate in building a cleaner energy future for Canadians. As global electricity demand continues to rise, we must accelerate the planning and execution of clean energy projects to ensure affordable, reliable and sustainable power for our industries, businesses and households.”
—Vittoria Bellissimo, President and CEO, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)

“This year’s Clean Power Finance Canada—CanREA Summit investigated the financial mechanisms driving Canada’s clean energy future and examined how we can ensure the investment needed to accelerate the deployment of all the affordable clean power we will need in the coming years. This event is about more than just capital—it’s about collaboration between developers, investors, Indigenous partners and policymakers, to get clean energy projects built on time and on budget.”
—Wesley Johnston, Vice President, Business Development, Finance and Operations, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)

For interview opportunities, please contact:

Michaela Ianni, Communications SpecialistCanadian Renewable Energy Association613-805-4465communications@renewablesassociation.ca

About CanREA

The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is the voice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions that will power Canada’s energy future. We work to create the conditions for a modern energy system through stakeholder advocacy and public engagement. Our diverse members are uniquely positioned to deliver clean, low-cost, reliable, flexible and scalable solutions for Canada’s energy needs. Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our newsletter. Learn more at renewablesassociation.ca.

The post News release: CanREA Summit examines renewables investment in Canada’s current financial landscape appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.

MIL OSI Economics –

June 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Stable public housing in the first year of life boosts children’s wellbeing years down the track – new research

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaimie Monk, Research Fellow, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research

Phil Walter/Getty Images

New Zealand’s unaffordable housing market means low-income families face big constraints on their accommodation options. This involves often accepting housing that is insecure, cold, damp or in unsuitable neighbourhoods.

But little is known about the impact of housing type early in life on children’s wellbeing over time.

Using data from nearly 6,000 children in the Growing Up in New Zealand study, our new research compared outcomes for children provided with public housing support during the crucial earliest years (pregnancy through to nine months) with those in other types of housing.

What we found supports ongoing investment in secure, quality housing as a way to reduce inequalities in New Zealand – particularly for those with very young children.

Importantly, by the age of 12, children who started life in public housing had higher levels of wellbeing than some of their peers.

Tracking wellbeing

For our project, we used data on the type of housing at nine months of age, as well as mothers’ assessments of children’s social and emotional development across the period when the children were two to nine years old.

The final data we used were the children’s own responses regarding their quality of life at 12 years old.

Housing was categorised into four types: private ownership (52.3% of children), public rental (9.1%), private rental (35.8%) or other (2.9%).

The New Zealand government provides housing subsidies to approximately 7% of the population. Public housing comprises around 4% of the country’s housing stock.

Demand for help has remained high, with 20,300 people on the waitlist for social housing in December 2024. At the same time, Kāinga Ora has axed 212 housing projects because they did not stack up financially, or were in the wrong locations.

Housing influences behaviour

Throughout our research, we found children who began life in public housing were the group facing the most disadvantage. They exhibited higher levels of behavioural difficulties in early childhood than those in other housing types.

These behavioural difficulties include conduct, hyperactivity and emotional or peer relationship problems. However, their difficulty scores declined more steeply over time, getting closer to their peers by age nine.

In contrast, children’s trajectories of prosocial behaviour, such as being kind and helpful, were the same for each group.

By 12, self-reported wellbeing for children who started life in public housing was at or above that of their peers in private rentals, despite being in the most disadvantaged group in their early years.

These results are different to the outcomes seen in similar research from Australia which found children in public housing had widening gaps in wellbeing compared with their peers in privately owned houses.

In New Zealand, factors such as strong relationships with important adults such as parents and teachers, and reduced exposure to bullying, were found to be more strongly associated with quality of life at this age than housing type or frequency of moving house.

The importance of a stable home

Our work focuses on the early years of a child’s life where security, financial stability and a warm, dry home are important for children’s healthy development. Public housing filled this need for many low-income families.

Despite the positive results seen at 12, gaps in behavioural development between children from the public housing group and their peers were apparent when children started school.

These differences in school readiness mean these children are likely to need wider support to ensure they can make the most of long-term educational opportunities.

But overall, having access to public housing in infancy appears to have cumulative benefits for vulnerable children in New Zealand, providing a stable base for families as children start their lives.

Jaimie Monk received funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Endeavour Programme for this research and has previously received funding from the Ministry of Social Development.

– ref. Stable public housing in the first year of life boosts children’s wellbeing years down the track – new research – https://theconversation.com/stable-public-housing-in-the-first-year-of-life-boosts-childrens-wellbeing-years-down-the-track-new-research-259534

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: On track and online: landmark deal to end mobile dead zones
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

Press release

On track and online: landmark deal to end mobile dead zones

Project Reach deal signed to boost connectivity and remove mobile signal blackspots on the rail network.
ground-breaking public-private partnership delivers on the government’s Plan for Change mission to kickstart economic growth with ultra fast fibre optic cable across 1,000 kilometres of major rail lines

new deal will also eliminate mobile signal blackspots in tunnels on key rail routes up and down the country

smart investment approach saves taxpayers £300 million while boosting productivity for commuters and creating an improved digital backbone for the country’s rail network

Commuters will soon be able to work seamlessly and stay connected with loved ones as the Transport Secretary lands a landmark deal to eliminate mobile blackspots on Britain’s busiest rail routes.

The breakthrough agreement will transform daily journeys for millions of passengers who currently face the frustration of dropped calls and interrupted streaming on key routes between London, Manchester, Newcastle and Cardiff.

The deal, named Project Reach and signed today (26 June 2025) between Network Rail, and telecoms companies, Neos Networks and Freshwave marks the end of passengers having to pause important work calls or cut short conversations with family members when trains enter notorious signal blackspots.

The project’s innovative commercial model brings together public and private sector investment and infrastructure and is expected to save taxpayers around £300 million while creating a high-performing digital connectivity backbone for businesses, supporting the UK’s digital ambitions.

Project Reach will initially see Neos Networks deploy 1,000 kilometres of ultra-fast fibre optic cable along the East Coast Main Line, parts of the West Coast Main Line and the Great Western Main Line, with ambition to expand beyond 5,000 kilometres in the near future.

In addition to this, Freshwave will tackle signal blackspots in 57 tunnels, covering almost 50 kilometres, including the 4-kilometre-long Chipping Sodbury tunnel near Bristol.

As part of the deal, mobile network operators will also invest in new 4G/5G infrastructure at 12 of the biggest Network Rail stations across the country including Birmingham New St, Bristol Temple Meads, Edinburgh Waverley, Euston, Glasgow Central, King’s Cross, Leeds, Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Paddington and Waterloo.

Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said:

This is a game changer for passengers up and down the country and will revolutionise journeys from Paddington to Penzance and Edinburgh to Euston.

By boosting connectivity and tackling signal blackspots, we are also ensuring a more reliable and efficient service.

This means better journeys for passengers while supporting our broader Plan for Change goals of economic growth and digital innovation.

This is a multi-year project with the first installation of mobile infrastructure expected to begin in 2026 and fully rolled out by 2028.

The enhanced network will also enable better monitoring of railway assets and facilitate new technologies that rely on improved connectivity, paving the way for more reliable train services and improved safety for railway workers.

Jeremy Westlake, Network Rail’s Chief Financial Officer, said:

I’m delighted that we have now signed this innovative deal with our partners Neos Networks and Freshwave.

This investment model will deliver the necessary upgrades to our telecoms infrastructure faster whilst offering significant value-for-money for the taxpayer and stimulating wider economic benefits across the country.

As we move towards becoming a unified railway with the formation of Great British Railways, the enhanced telecoms infrastructure will play a key role in our ambition to provide a data-driven railway of the future, delivering better connectivity and a better, more reliable train service for our passengers.

Lee Myall, CEO of Neos Networks, said:

Project Reach will support the upgrade of the UK’s connectivity infrastructure, creating new data superhighways that will drive the UK’s digital ambitions forward.

Jacqueline Starr, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group, said:

We know how much customers value good mobile connections when they travel and we’re delighted that a digitally connected railway will soon become a reality. Travelling by rail drives economic growth by connecting businesses and communities, improving productivity, and supporting the transition to net zero.

This vital upgrade to telecoms across the network will give everyone the opportunity to stay connected, wherever they’re headed.

This partnership marks a major stride towards improved performance and better services for passengers as part of Great British Railways, as the Transport Secretary continues to deliver the government’s Plan for Change with a more connected, efficient, and passenger-focused railway fit for the future.

It also builds on £41 million confirmed in the government’s National Infrastructure Strategy to introduce low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains, significantly improving both the availability and internet data connection speeds for wifi connected passengers.

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Published 26 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Economy – Snapshot highlights banks’ efforts to reduce unnecessary barriers for Māori

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

26 June 2025 – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua has published a primarily qualitative snapshot that offers a comparison of how banks are working to remove unnecessary barriers to Māori Access to Capital (MA2K).

The Māori contribution to the New Zealand economy has grown to $32 billion (production GDP) in 2023. However, Māori businesses are more likely to face capital access challenges due to common factors like being younger, smaller, or more rural, as well as specific issues such as lending on whenua Māori and lower trust or awareness with the banking system.

Acting Assistant Governor Financial Stability, Angus McGregor says that the snapshot will improve data and understanding across the Aotearoa banking system.

“The measures in the snapshot show the steps some banks are taking to remove unnecessary barriers for Māori, helping to lift the entire sector in supporting MA2K and financial inclusion more broadly,” says Mr McGregor.

Findings from the snapshot show that participating banks who volunteered to collaborate on this project, have introduced Māori-focused roles and strategies, supported by organisation-wide training to strengthen understanding of te reo, tikanga, and the Māori economy. The snapshot findings also suggests that banks recognise the value of Māori leadership and customer understanding and have products to support lending on whenua Māori.

Some banks have initiatives specifically supporting Māori businesses and offer financial literacy programmes that incorporate te reo and/or tikanga. Māori employee representation varies between banks, with an average of 8% across all banks.

However, there remains plenty of work to be done to continue to reduce any unnecessary barriers for Māori and we encourage banks to improve their data relating to Māori access to capital and enhance their practices around Māori business identification.

Improved data on MA2K is an important step in tracking progress of the banking sector and builds on the momentum developed by the sector’s actions.

“This work is in line with the 2025 Letter of Expectations from the Minister of Finance for the Reserve Bank to continue its collaboration with industry stakeholders to pursue competition-enhancing initiatives, including reducing barriers to lending for housing on Māori freehold land,” says Governor Christian Hawkesby.

This snapshot was developed in collaboration with Tāwhia the Māori Bankers Rōpū and continues the 2022 MA2K work programme as part of our broader te ao Māori and financial inclusion workstreams. Impact requires a whole of sector approach, so we furthermore welcome the opportunity to work with other organisations to support this ongoing work programme.

More information

Māori access to capital (MA2K) snapshot – Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua – https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=409ead4c8f&e=f3c68946f8
Letter of expectations 2025 – Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua – https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=642bea8827&e=f3c68946f8

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advocacy – Southland Momentum Grows: Environment Southland Considers Action on Illegal Israeli Settlements after Invercargill Declines – PSNAA

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) Invercargill

Environment Southland agreed today (Wednesday 25th) to commission a staff report considering a procurement policy change to exclude companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.

The step follows a request by local residents and members of Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa. It places Environment Southland on a growing list of local councils responding to New Zealand’s co-sponsorship of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which declared the settlements a “flagrant violation under international law” and a “major obstacle” to peace.

“New Zealand helped write this in 2016,” said the speakers. “We can’t promote it abroad and ignore it at home. This is a strong first step to ensure ratepayer money doesn’t fund human rights abuses.”

The decision comes just a day after Invercargill City Council narrowly rejected the same change — a 6–6 vote decided by Nobby Clark — despite staff advice to the contrary. Speakers say Invercargill’s position is out of step with national policy and public demand. “Councils are simply being asked to align with what NZ agreed to years ago. This isn’t about ranking suffering, it’s about acting where there’s black and white legal clarity and political mandate.”

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice confirmed Israel’s 57-year occupation breaches international law on apartheid and racial segregation. Countries including New Zealand voted that states “ensure they do not render aid or assistance” to it.

The group also expressed concern that unlike at Dunedin’s recent vote, where councilors heard from supporting voices including local Palestinians and Israelis during the public forum, today saw those refused by the chair.

“This is a narrow step – excluding companies listed by the highest authority on human rights, the UNHRC” said the group, “Since the current Israeli government came to power, the building of settlements and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has rocketed. International law protects all of us.”

Other councils — including Christchurch City, Nelson City, and Environment Canterbury — have already taken action, and a formal vote on adopting the policy is expected following the staff report. PSNA says the window is still open: “Southland still has an opportunity to lead — and to stand on the right side of history.”

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) Invercargill

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer, Neal, Thompson Convene Former IRS Commissioners and Taxpayer Advocates to Highlight Trump Administration’s Cuts

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, co-led a briefing with Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee Richard E. Neal (MA-01) and Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures Mike Thompson (CA-04) to highlight the continued attacks on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by the Trump Administration.

The Members heard testimony from Former IRS Commissioners John Koskinen, Fred Goldberg, Danny Werfel, as well as Natasha Sarin, President of the Yale Budget Lab, and Nina E. Olson, Executive Director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, as they discussed the consequences that IRS cuts have on law enforcement and America’s fiscal responsibility.

WATCH THE LIVESTREAM HERE

“For years, the IRS has been desperately underfunded and understaffed, leading hundreds of billions of dollars in legally owed taxes to go uncollected each year,” Ranking Member Hoyer said. “An attack on the IRS is an attack on America’s fiscal health.”

“The Trump Administration’s relentless effort to gut the IRS is nothing short of sabotage,” said Ranking Member Neal. “When the IRS works, America works, but Republicans are intent on tearing it down to protect the wealthy few. Their cuts mean fewer audits for millionaires, more burdens for honest taxpayers, and billions in lost revenue that could be invested in workers and families.”

“The President’s decision to underfund the IRS is no accident. This administration is ensuring that the IRS can’t carry out audits of corporations and high-income earners, handing a free pass to their wealthy donors and guaranteeing billions of dollars lost in unpaid taxes. Meanwhile, the services ordinary Americans rely on will be worse. My constituents, and all Americans, deserve a government that works for them, not one that caters to the wealthy and the well-connected,” Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) said.

“I spent 20 years in the private sector helping to turn around large, failed enterprises. And it never occurred to us to starve the accounts receivable operations of any company to see how they did. The goal was to protect revenues, not lose them. I think it is nonsensical to maintain, on the one hand, that you’re concerned about the size of the deficit and, on the other hand, to undermine the agency charged with collecting taxes owed,” Fmr. IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said.

“Any executive – whether they are from a public company, a large of small private company, or from the government – will tell you that there is no way to effectively run an enterprise when each year’s budget is completely unknown and unknowable in advance. Good management and strategic direction requires forward planning. You simply cannot do that if you do not have any idea what the budget outlook will be from year to year,” Fmr. IRS Commissioner Fred T. Goldberg, Jr., said

“This is a critical time for the tax agency – and the nation. While the brave men and women of our armed services stand in harm’s way across the globe and members of both parties have concerns about the deficit, there should be no political disagreement that the success of the IRS is vital to the short-term and long-term success of our country, whether it’s serving taxpayers or collecting revenue critical to the health and safety of the United States and our citizens,” Fmr. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said.

“The combination of staffing cuts, seriously damaged employee morale, technology starts and stops, replacement of human intervention with digital tools and decision-making, and erosion of the confidentiality of tax return and taxpayer return information – none of this bodes well for US taxpayers and the protection of their fundamental rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights,” said Nina E. Olson, Executive Director, Center for Taxpayer Rights.

“The IRS interacts with every household and every business, and its dedicated civil servants take that responsibility seriously. Its workforce must grow and evolve, not indiscriminately be ransacked. It is unfortunate that the IRS has found itself under siege and without the tools its employees need to do the work they care so deeply about. I hope the testimony today, from a group of bipartisan tax experts across the ideological spectrum, can help to encourage course correction. If the IRS is not adequately funded we will be leaving significant revenue on the table and eroding our democracy,” said Natasha Sarin, President, Yale Budget Lab.

A recording of the full meeting is available here. Witnesses’ prepared remarks can be found here.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: García, Ocasio-Cortez, DeGette Send Letter Urging HHS Secretary Kennedy to Immediately Cease Sharing Non-citizen Medicaid Data with Immigration Enforcement Officials
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Diana DeGette (CO-01), who serves as ranking member for the Subcommittee on Health on the Energy and Commerce Committee, led 28 colleagues in a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. regarding the reported sharing of non-citizen Medicaid enrollee data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration enforcement purposes.

“We write to urge CMS to immediately cease any data sharing with DHS and to direct DHS to destroy any individually identifiable health information transmitted by CMS to DHS,” wrote the lawmakers. “We are particularly concerned that these latest actions will have a chilling effect and jeopardize access to services for those who rely on Medicaid and other public programs for lifesaving care, including the 5.5 million U.S. citizen children in mixed status families.”

Reporting from the Associated Press (AP) details new efforts by the Trump administration to access and share the private, personally identifiable information of individuals residing in the U.S. According to the AP, top advisors at HHS ordered the release of Medicaid enrollees’ sensitive personal information to DHS despite nonpartisan expert officials’ reported concerns that sharing such data would raise considerable ethical concerns and could violate federal law, including the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974.

At the end of the letter, the lawmakers posed the following questions:
1. Please detail any and all communication with state Medicaid officials regarding the Trump administration’s efforts to obtain this data, including the exact information requested from state Medicaid agencies subject to the audit described in “SUBJECT: Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.”13 In addition:
  
  a. Please include the parameters outlining for which Medicaid applicants or enrollees CMS requested information (i.e., did CMS obtain data specifically on individuals for whom emergency Medicaid payments were made to hospitals, individuals who received statefunded health benefits, individuals who are lawfully present and eligible for Medicaid and/or Children’s Health Insurance Program benefits);
  
  b. Please specify if such requested information included personally identifiable information such as name and address and, if so, what such information; and c.
  
  c. As of the date of your response, please specify which states have provided such information as well as which states have received inquiries.
2. Please provide copies of any data sharing agreements between CMS and any state for which CMS has provided data to DHS.
3. What, if any, data was requested from HHS by DHS and for what purpose?
  
  a. On what date did DHS request such data?
4. What, if any, data was shared by HHS with DHS and in what format?
5. What legal authority, if any, is CMS citing for the release of this personally identifiable information to DHS?
6. Please share the below correspondence:
  
  a. Any and all communication from HHS and CMS to DHS regarding the transfer of this data.
  
  b. Any and all communication within HHS about sharing this data, including the memo prepared by CMS staff detailing their objections to the sharing of personal information of non-citizen enrollees.
7. Did HHS and DHS enter into a data sharing agreement or any other memorandum of understanding pertaining to the use of Medicaid data or resources for the purposes of immigration enforcement? If so, please provide a copy of that agreement. If not, please explain why the agencies did not enter into a data sharing agreement or other memorandum and describe what, if any, policies and practices are in place regarding the storage, retrievability, access controls, retention, and disposal of the data, as required by the Privacy Act of 1974.
They requested that Secretary Kennedy provide written responses by no later than Monday, July 21, 2025.

In addition to Reps. García, Ocasio-Cortez, and DeGette, the letter was signed by Reps. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Doris Matsui (CA-07), James McGovern (MA-02), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Norton (DC), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03) and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07).

The full text of the letter can be found here.

MIL OSI USA News –
June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tech – Avast Makes AI-Driven Scam Defense Available for Free Worldwide

Source: Botica Butler Raudon Partners & Passion – for Avast

Avast debuts Avast Scam Guardian and Scam Guardian Pro as data breaches and scams soar.

Auckland, 26 June 2025 – Driven by a commitment to make cutting-edge scam protection available to everyone, Avast, a leader in digital security and privacy and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), has unveiled Avast Scam Guardian, a new AI-powered offering integrated into its award-winning* Avast Free Antivirus.

Cybercriminals continue to abuse AI to craft increasingly convincing scam attacks at an alarming rate. Available at no cost, the new service marks a significant step forward in democratising AI scam protection. A premium version, Avast Scam Guardian Pro, has also been added to Avast Premium Security, giving customers an enhanced layer of AI protection against email scams.

“Today’s scams aren’t crude or obvious – they’re tailored, targeted, and AI-enhanced, making it harder than ever to tell the difference between truth and deception,” said Leena Elias, Chief Product Officer at Gen. “As scammers take advantage of rising data breaches and leaked personal information, anyone anywhere can become a victim of scams. That’s why it’s never been more important to make powerful AI-powered scam protection available to everyone, everywhere. We’re levelling the playing field with world class scam defense that helps people strengthen their digital and financial safety.”

According to the recent Q1/2025 Gen Threat Report, breached records of individuals surged by more than 186% between January and March 2025, revealing sensitive information such as passwords, emails, and credit card details. Over the same timeframe, reports of phishing scams rose by 466% compared to the previous quarter, making up almost a third of all scam submissions observed by Gen.

As data breaches rise, so do the opportunities for attackers to exploit leaked information to launch targeted, hyper-personalised scam campaigns that are harder than ever to spot. Like a seasoned scam investigator, Avast Scam Guardian uses proprietary AI trained on scam data from Gen Threat Labs to go beyond just detecting malicious URLs – it also analyses context and language to more effectively identify signs of deceptive or harmful intent. Avast Scam Guardian also helps to pull back the curtain on hidden threats in website code and neutralises them to keep people safer as they browse and shop online.

Key features available in Avast Scam Guardian for Avast Free Antivirus, include:

Avast Assistant: Provides 24/7 AI-powered scam protection guidance on suspicious websites, SMS messages, emails, links, offers, and more. Allows people to engage in open dialogue when they’re unsure about a potential scam and uses natural language to better understand queries and deliver clear advice on what to do next. Available on Windows and Mac.

Web Guard: Uses the collective power of Gen Threat Labs telemetry and AI trained on millions of frequently visited websites to continuously analyse and detect hidden scams in content and code** – offering unique visibility into dangerous URLs. Available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS**.

Avast Scam Guardian Pro includes everything in Avast Scam Guardian, plus:

Email Guard: Uses AI to understand the context of emails and the meaning of words to detect scams. Scans and flags safe and suspicious emails before you open them, helping to protect your email wherever you check it, no matter what device you use to log in. Available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS***.

Avast Scam Guardian and Scam Guardian Pro are available to download now as part of Avast Free Antivirus and Avast Premium Security. Later this year, additional AI-powered tools will be added to Avast Scam Guardian Pro for greater protection against sophisticated scams targeting other communication channels, including SMS and phone calls.

For more information, please visit www.avast.com.

*AV-Comparatives, “Top-Rated Product 2024 Award” & AV-Comparatives, “Real-World Protection 2024 Award” – Jan-Dec 2024.

**Content and code scanning is only available on Windows and Mac.

**Email Guard is included, but mobile platforms do not have the Scam Guardian user interface.

About Avast

Avast is a leader in digital security and privacy, and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Avast protects hundreds of millions of users from online threats, for Mobile, PC or Mac, and is top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others. Avast is a member of the Coalition Against Stalkerware, No More Ransom and Internet Watch Foundation. Learn more at Avast.com.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Smith Announces Additional June Staff Outreach Events

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Washington, DC — Constituents of Third District Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) are invited to meet with a member of his staff during these additional June outreach events in Ravenna, St. Paul, and Central City.

A staff outreach event is an opportunity for constituents to meet directly with a member of Smith’s staff about federal issues, receive assistance with a federal agency, or take advantage of the services available through his office.

Smith, who has offices in Grand Island, Scottsbluff, and Nebraska City, will provide a staff member at the following times and locations:

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Ravenna Chamber of Commerce
318 Grand Avenue, Ravenna
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. CT

St. Paul Community Library
1301 Howard Avenue, St. Paul
11:00 a.m. – 12:00p.m. CT

Central City Public Library
1604 15th Avenue, Central City
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. CT

For additional information, please contact Smith’s Grand Island office at (308) 384-3900, his Scottsbluff office at (308) 633-6333, or his Nebraska City office at (402) 874-6050.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Smith, Daines Support Trump Administration’s Engagement on Agricultural Trade Priorities

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Washington, DC — Today Representative Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) led 54 of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.The letter commends the Trump administration for ongoing efforts in trade negotiations and advocates for robust market access on behalf of American farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers.

In the letter, the members wrote:

We write to you to express our strong support for ongoing trade negotiations to level the playing field for American producers and manufacturers. President Trump’s decision to pause the implementation of certain reciprocal tariffs creates momentum to secure meaningful and enforceable agreements for U.S. agricultural producers, energy producers, and manufacturers.

…Certain barriers may require long-term negotiations. However, we are confident in your ability to utilize this 90-day pause to come to agreements that can benefit all American industries while providing opportunity for continued dialogue. There are pressing trade issues, including digital services taxes, import quotas, and tariff reduction, which we cannot delay addressing.

American manufacturers, producers, and consumers are eager for the long-term certainty trade agreements provide. This certainty could prevent the decline of commodity prices, recover global market share, and unleash American industry to counter global competitors. Further, bilateral agreements which address both tariff and non-tariff barriers provide opportunities to strengthen supply chains, drive innovation, and increase international collaboration, all of which would reassert the United States’ global leadership and combat China’s malign influence.

Read the full letter here.

Representatives who joined Smith and Daines in sending the letter include: Max Miller (R-OH), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Mike Bost (R-IL), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Don Bacon (R-NE), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Marianette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Derek Schmidt (R-KS), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Mike Carey (R-OH), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Ron Estes (R-KS), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Sam Graves (R-MO), James Baird (R-IN), Mark Alford (R-MO), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Troy Downing (R-MT), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), David Kustoff (R-TN), Rudy Yakym (R-IN), Keith Self (R-TX), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), James Comer (R-KY), Mike Flood (R-NE), Eric Crawford (R-AR), Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Greg Murphy (R-NC), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Addison McDowell (R-NC), Tony Wied (R-WI), Robert Latta (R-OH), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Darin LaHood (R-IL), and French Hill (R-AR).

Senators who joined Smith and Daines in sending the letter include: Deb Fischer (R-NE), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ted Budd (R-NC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jim Risch (R-ID), John Kennedy (R-LA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN).

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MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Bipartisan, Bicameral Health Leaders Introduce Bill to Strengthen Veteran Health Care & Stop Waste

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)

Contact: Alexis.Torres@mail.house.gov

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC), member of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, Mark Takano (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, David Schweikert (R-AZ), Chair of the House Ways & Means Oversight Subcommittee, John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA), member of the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee, along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), member of the Senate Finance Health Subcommittee, Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced the bicameral Guarantee Utilization of All Reimbursements for Delivery of (GUARD) Veterans’ Health Care Act.

The legislation will permit the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to recoup health care costs for dually enrolled veterans in private insurance Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) plans. Thereby removing a longstanding statutory loophole that results in taxpayers paying twice for veterans’ health care while private insurers profit and resources are diverted away from the VHA.

“Big health insurers have found a nifty way to make an estimated $357 billion profit off veterans and taxpayers: they collect premiums, but taxpayers cover the cost of care. These wasted double payments mean veterans are missing out on critical resources that could be reinvested in delivering more and better care at the VA, such as hiring more providers, purchasing medical equipment, surgical supplies, and devices, and expanding available services at VA clinics,” said Rep. Doggett. “To obtain genuine savings and improve veterans’ health, Congress and the Administration must tackle the insurance lobby. Taxpayers, our veterans, and those at the VA dedicated to serving them deserve better.”

“It’s a mistake to let Medicare Advantage plans exploit a costly loophole and pocket taxpayer money at the expense of veteran care,” said Sen. Warren. “Instead of ripping away health care from millions of Americans, Congress should crack down on the genuine waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare Advantage.”

“Our veterans deserve to receive accessible, high-quality care, and their benefits are meant to cover the services they receive, not line the pockets of insurers who double-dip in the process,” said Rep. Murphy. “For too long, inefficiencies within the system have resulted in a lack of coordinated benefits for veterans dually enrolled with Medicare Advantage and can result in excess payments to insurance companies. I’m proud to join the effort to close the loophole that has allowed insurers who provide Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D supplemental plans to receive duplicative Medicare payments while the Veterans Health Administration foots the bill.”

“Insurance companies are capitalizing on a loophole that allows them to make billions of dollars off the backs of veterans while taxpayers are paying twice—both in the form of Medicare’s monthly payments to the insurers, which happen regardless of whether veteran enrollees are using the Medicare plans’ benefits, and in our annual appropriations to the Veterans Health Administration,” said Rep. Takano. “I look forward to ending this predatory practice with the help of Senator Warren, Senator Cassidy, Senator Blumenthal, Representative Doggett, Representative Murphy, Representative Schweikert, and Representative Joyce, and reinvesting these funds into VA’s healthcare system.”

“Congress must modernize Medicare Advantage and Close the loopholes that allow Medicare Advantage insurers to bill for veteran care they didn’t provide,” said Rep. Schweikert. “From 2018 to 2021, these duplicative payments earned insurers an estimated $44 billion, just a fraction of what companies in this $450 billion-a-year industry have extracted. There is more to uncover and much more to fix. Now is the time to realign incentives in favor of patients.”

“For too long, private insurers have shaken down the government and taxpayers for care veterans receive at VA hospitals,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “This legislation gives VA the power to claw back these payments and use those funds to provide more quality health care to those who served.”

For years, a loophole has allowed MA insurers to pocket billions in taxpayer money through upfront fixed payments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for enrolled veterans, despite some veterans never using their benefits, and the VHA shouldering most costs for those who do. As a result, taxpayers are paying twice for the same services, and veterans are losing critical resources that could be reinvested in improving and expanding veterans’ health care. Recognizing the opportunity to profit, insurers deploy disingenuous marketing practices to entice more enrollees for their own lucrative benefits. From 2011 to 2020, dual enrollment in MA plans grew by 63%.

The GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act would save American taxpayers an estimated $12.1 billion in a single year, and $357 billion over a decade, by allowing VHA to recover payments for any health care items or services provided to veterans dually-enrolled in an MA or Part D plan. The bill also strengthens VHA’s ability to recover payment from third party insurers for care furnished to veterans.

Endorsing organizations include the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare, Medicare Rights Center, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Justice in Aging, National Nurses United (NNU), Public Citizen, and American Economic Liberties Project.

View the bill text here, and a one-page fact sheet here.

A 10-year savings estimate from the Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research (CAHPR) is here.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Williams Introduces Two Bills to Restore Economic Freedom, Regulatory Certainty, and Energy Market Integrity
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Roger Williams (25th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25), introduced the Fuel Emissions Freedom Act and the Stop the Subsidized Green Energy Scam Act. These bills will restore regulatory sanity, protect taxpayers, and defend free-market principles in both the automotive and energy sectors.

“These bills are about economic liberty, energy independence, and relief from government overreach,” said Congressman Williams. “As we usher in the Golden Age of America, we must return power to the American people, not bureaucrats or special interests. Whether it’s letting manufacturers innovate or ending taxpayer-funded green giveaways, it’s time to cater to Main Street and let the market, not Washington, decide what powers America’s future.”

Background:

Fuel Emissions Freedom Act
- Overturns all federal and state fuel emissions regulations, including California’s special authority under the Clean Air Act.
- Eliminates EPA vehicle emission limits, CAFE standards, and state-imposed tailpipe emissions rules.
- Restores regulatory certainty to the U.S. automotive sector and empowers manufacturers to innovate freely without costly compliance barriers.
- Trump signed H.J.Res. 87 into law, overturning California’s biased waivers that allow them to create their own emissions regulations.
- The Fuel Emissions Freedom Act will finish the job.
Cosponsors: Representative Brandon Gill and Representative Michael Cloud.

Read the bill text here.

Stop the Subsidized Green Energy Scam Act
- Immediately ends federal tax credits for wind, solar, and battery storage projects started after enactment.
- Repeals provisions such as the Energy Credit, Clean Electricity Production Tax Credit, and Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit.
- Puts an end to taxpayer-funded subsidies that prop up politically favored green industries.
Read the bill text here.

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Congressman Roger Williams is the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee and member of the House Financial Services Committee. He proudly represents the 25th Congressional District of Texas.

MIL OSI USA News –
June 26, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: Jordan—IMF Executive Board Completes Third Review of the Extended Fund Facility Arrangement and Approves US$ 700 Million Arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility

Source: IMF – News in Russian

June 25, 2025

The IMF Executive Board completed the third review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement with Jordan, providing the authorities with immediate access to the equivalent of SDR 97.784 million (about US$134 million), to support the authorities’ economic program.
Jordan’s economic program supported by the EFF arrangement remains firmly on track, demonstrating the authorities’ strong commitment to sound macro-economic policies and structural reforms to strengthen Jordan’s resilience and accelerate growth to enhance job creation and provide opportunities for all Jordanians.
Thanks to the continued pursuit of sound economic policies, and despite the considerable external headwinds, including the conflicts in the region, Jordan has maintained macro-stability and broad-based economic growth.
The Executive Board also approved a new 30-month arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) with Jordan, with access equivalent to SDR 514.65 million (about US$700 million), to support Jordan’s efforts to address longer-term vulnerabilities in the water and electricity sectors and to enhance their ability to address public health emergencies, including future pandemics.

Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today completed the third review of the arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Jordan’s four-year EFF arrangement, with access amounting to SDR 926.37 million (about US$1.3 billion, equivalent to 270 percent of Jordan’s quota in the IMF), was approved by the IMF Executive Board on January 10, 2024 (see Press Release No. 24/004). This decision allows for an immediate purchase of an amount equivalent to SDR 97.784 million (around US$134 million), bringing the total purchases under the EFF arrangement to the equivalent of SDR 437.454 million (about $595 million). In addition, the IMF Executive Board approved an arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) with Jordan, with access equivalent to SDR 514.65 million (about US$ 700 million, equivalent to 150 percent of Jordan’s quota).

Jordan’s continued economic resilience in a challenging external environment, with continuing conflicts in the region and high uncertainty, is a testament to the authorities’ resolve to pursue sound macroeconomic policies. The authorities’ ownership of the EFF arrangement remains strong, with program targets consistently met. Jordan registered stronger growth in 2024 and so far in 2025 than previously anticipated, demonstrating continued resilience. Growth reached 2.5 percent in 2024. Economic activity is expected to gradually strengthen in the coming years, supported by continued sound macroeconomic policies and accelerated reform implementation.

Inflation remains stable and low, reflecting the Central Bank of Jordan’s (CBJ) firm commitment to monetary and financial stability and the exchange rate peg. Jordan’s external position remains stable, with the current account deficit projected to remain close to 6 percent of GDP. The CBJ’s gross international reserves increased to over US$20 billion by end-2024, with reserve adequacy exceeding 100 percent of the Fund’s ARA metric. The financial sector remains healthy and well-capitalized. While the spillover effects from regional conflicts have also affected government finances, the authorities continue to make progress with a gradual fiscal consolidation to place public debt on a downward path, while creating room for social assistance and needed public investment. Jordan’s structural reform agenda focuses on fostering inclusive private sector-led growth by enhancing the business environment and improving labor market policies, including to expand opportunities for youth and women.

The RSF arrangement will support the authorities’ efforts to strengthen Jordan’s longer-term balance of payments stability by promoting economic resilience and sustainability. The RSF arrangement aims to address longer-term vulnerabilities in the water and electricity sectors and enhance the authorities’ ability to address public health emergencies, including future pandemics. Reform measures focus on: (i) enhancing the energy sector’s financial sustainability and energy efficiency; (ii) improving the water sector’s financial sustainability and water management; (iii) strengthening fiscal and financial sector resilience; and (iv) enhancing pandemic preparedness. The arrangement will augment policy space and financial buffers to mitigate risks arising from these challenges.

Following the Executive Board’s discussion on Jordan, Mr. Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, issued the following statement:

“Jordan continues to maintain macroeconomic stability despite external headwinds from regional conflicts and heightened global economic uncertainty, owing to the authorities’ steadfast pursuit of sound policies and continued strong international support. Growth in 2024 and so far in 2025 ended up stronger than anticipated, inflation is low, and reserve buffers are strong. Against elevated risks in the region, it is important that the authorities stay the course with sound fiscal and monetary policies to safeguard macroeconomic stability.

“The authorities continue to make progress with a gradual fiscal consolidation and strengthening fiscal sustainability, thanks to fiscal reforms that have improved revenue administration and expenditure efficiency. Looking ahead, efforts should continue to further enhance revenue mobilization and spending efficiency and to take contingency measures as needed to keep public debt on a steady downward path, while protecting priority social and capital spending. Efforts should also continue to improve the efficiency and viability of the public utilities to preserve the sustainability of public finances, while improving service delivery.

“Monetary policy remains appropriately focused on safeguarding monetary and financial stability and supporting the exchange rate peg that has served Jordan well and helped keeping inflation low. Jordan’s banking sector remains healthy, and the central bank continues to strengthen its systemic risk analysis, financial sector oversight, and crisis management.

“Structural reforms should be accelerated to improve the business environment, promote competition, and attract private investment that is crucial to create a dynamic and resilient private sector, foster job-rich growth, and achieve the objectives of Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision. Strong and timely donor support remains essential to help Jordan navigate the challenging external environment, host the large number of refugees, and meet Jordan’s development objectives.

“The reforms under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility aim to support the authorities’ efforts to address long-term vulnerabilities in the water and energy sectors and to be better prepared for public health emergencies, including pandemics. These reforms will strengthen Jordan’s balance of payments stability by promoting economic resilience and sustainability and by augmenting policy space and financial buffers to mitigate risks arising from these challenges.”

Jordan: Selected Economic Indicators, 2023–26


	2023	2024	2025	2026
			Proj.	Proj.
Output and Prices
Real GDP growth	2.9	2.5	2.7	2.9
GDP deflator	1.8	1.9	2.3	2.6
Nominal GDP (JD billions)	36.3	37.9	39.8	42.0
Inflation 1/	2.1	1.9	2.2	2.6
Unemployment	22.0	21.4	…	…

Government Finances (in percent of GDP)
Central government fiscal operations
Revenue and grants 2/	25.2	24.9	25.4	26.0
Of which: grants	2.0	1.9	1.8	2.0
Expenditures 2/	30.6	31.4	31.2	30.5
Overall central government balance	-5.4	-6.4	-5.8	-4.5
Central government primary balance (exc. grants, NEPCO and WAJ)	-2.7	-2.8	-2.0	-1.0
Electricity company (NEPCO) losses
Combined public sector balance 3/	-4.5	-4.5	-3.6	-2.4
Government gross debt 4/	113.5	114.7	115.7	114.9
Government gross debt, net of SSC holdings of government debt 4/	89.0	90.2	89.7	87.5

Money and Credit
Broad money (percent change)	2.3	6.1	5.1	5.6
Credit to the private sector (percent change)	1.7	2.9	4.6	6.0

Balance of payments
Current account (in percent of GDP)	-3.6	-5.9	-5.5	-5.9
FDI (in percent of GDP)	3.6	3.0	3.3	3.4
Gross reserves (in months of imports)	6.9	7.7	7.1	7.1
In percent of Reserve Adequacy Metric	101	110	105	105

Sources: Jordanian authorities; and Fund staff estimates and projections.
1/ Consumer Price Index (annual average).
2/ Includes the programmed amount of fiscal measures that are needed to meet fiscal targets.
3/ Sum of the primary central government balance (exc. grants and net transfers to NEPCO-electricity company and WAJ-water company) and the net loss of NEPCO, WAJ and water sector distribution companies.
4/ Government’s direct and guaranteed debt (including NEPCO and WAJ debt). SSC stands for Social Security Corporation.

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Angham Al Shami

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/25/pr25221-jordan-imf-completes-3rd-rev-eff-arrangement-approves-us-700-mill-arrangement-under-rsf

MIL OSI

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 26, 2025

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Sustainability sees rising strategic importance amid increasing strain on professionals
Source: Sustainable Business Council

Research released today into New Zealand’s sustainability profession reveals a compelling picture of a profession which is gaining strategic traction, while grappling with systemic challenges.

The report, Insights on Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainability Professionals, delivered by Oxygen Consulting in collaboration with the Sustainable Business Council (SBC), Sustainable Business Network (SBN) and Auckland University of Technology (AUT), draws on the insights from sustainability professionals across Aotearoa New Zealand, unpacking capability and competencies, remuneration, job opportunities, and overall wellbeing.

Now in its sixth year, the 2025 findings reveal a sector navigating heightened economic pressures, regulatory complexity, and emotional strain. Despite these headwinds though, the profession is maturing, with sustainability roles increasingly being embedded in core business functions such as strategy and finance.

Director of Oxygen Consulting Sarah Holden says the 2025 results show sustainability professionals are no longer operating on the fringes but are increasingly central to business resilience and transformation.

“But with that visibility comes pressure. Our research shows a profession that is passionate and committed but also stretched and in need of greater structural support.”

Key findings include:

60% of professionals have been in their current role for two years or less, suggesting high turnover and limited career pathways.

Only 12% believe current training adequately prepares them for the demands of their roles.

Climate anxiety and emotional exhaustion are rising, particularly among younger professionals.

Professor Marjo Lips-Wiersma of Auckland University of Technology says, “The wellbeing data in this year’s finding is sobering. Sustainability professionals are deeply affected by the issues they work on. As organisations and educators, we must support graduates and sustainability officers at all levels to not only be technically skilled, but also emotionally resilient.”

Despite these challenges, the findings also highlight:

A growing sense of professional competency, with more than 88% of respondents feeling confident in their ability to manage sustainability responsibilities.

Increasing integration of sustainability into strategy and finance functions, signalling a shift from compliance to core business value.

A growing appetite for business-relevant skills such as financial sustainability, business case development, and influencing.

“These findings offer crucial insights for our business leaders,” says Mike Burrell, Chief Executive of the Sustainable Business Council.

“If we want to deliver on our climate and ESG commitments and harness the opportunities sustainability presents, we must invest in the people doing the work. That means providing quality training and adequate development opportunities, as well as demonstrating leadership that champions sustainability from the very top.”

The findings come at a time when sustainability is increasingly seen as a strategic imperative. Yet, 80% of professionals report no clear development pathway within their organisations.

“It’s no surprise this report confirms that sustainability is indeed central to business success, export growth and meeting the expectations of global supply chains,” says Rachel Brown, CEO of the Sustainable Business Network.

“What’s equally clear is that we have the talent, passion and capability in Aotearoa to deliver. Yet to truly succeed they need adequate resourcing, recognition and clear career pathways so their contributions can thrive.”

The report calls for systems-level investment in training, cross-disciplinary integration, and visible leadership support to ensure the profession can thrive-and deliver the transformation New Zealand businesses need.

A comprehensive list of training opportunities offered by the report’s partners can be found here.

Insights on Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainability Professionals is the only research of its kind in New Zealand. Download the full insights report here.

Notes

The sustainability experts and partners listed above will be participating in a panel at today’s launch event, responding to the insights and discussing ideas for addressing future challenges.

Target participants for this research included any employed people who currently have ‘sustainability’ as part or all of their role. ‘Sustainability’ includes responsibilities that address the social, environmental and economic risks to the organisation. The scope included anyone in full time, part time or contractual positions within public, private, non-governmental, charity, and not-for-profit organisations.
MIL OSI New Zealand News –
June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: SBA Amends Disaster Declaration for Missouri

Source: United States Small Business Administration

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In response to an amended Presidential public assistance declaration, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to private nonprofit organizations (PNP) in the Camden County affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and wildfires occurring March 14-15.

These low-interest federal disaster loans are available in the Missouri counties of Bollinger, Butler, Callaway, Camden, Carter, Dunklin, Franklin, Howell, Iron, Madison, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Perry, Phelps, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard and Wayne.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements might include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by any disaster. 

“One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s mitigation loans.”

PNPs are also eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the PNP suffered any physical property damage. 

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.62% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July 22, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 23, 2026.

###

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: SBA Amends Disaster Declaration for Arkansas

Source: United States Small Business Administration

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In response to an amended Presidential public assistance declaration, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to private nonprofit organizations (PNP) in Crittenden, Garland and Mississippi counties affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding occurring April 2‑22, 2025.

These low-interest federal disaster loans are available in the counties of Clark, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, Desha, Fulton, Garland, Greene, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Izard, Jackson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lee, Little River, Lonoke, Marion, Miller, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Pike, Poinsett, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sevier, Sharp, St. Francis, Stone and Woodruff in Arkansas.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements might include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by any disaster. 

“One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s mitigation loans.”

PNPs are also eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the PNP suffered any physical property damage. 

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.62% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA will set loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July 22, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 23, 2026.

###

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025

MIL-OSI: Clairvest Reports Fiscal 2025 Fourth Quarter and Year End Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Clairvest Group Inc. (TSX: CVG) today reported results for the fourth quarter and year ended March 31, 2025 and events which occurred subsequent to year end. (All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated)

Highlights

March 31, 2025 book value was $1,251.6 million or $88.30 per share compared with $1,234.3 million or $86.78 per share as at December 31, 2024 and $1,176.3 million or $80.16 per share as at March 31, 2024
Net income for the fourth quarter was $20.7 million or $1.46 per share as the fair value of certain investments increased
Net income for fiscal 2025 was $122.0 million or $8.47 per share. During fiscal 2025, Clairvest had $46.1 million of net realized gains from the realization of four investments and $44.8 million of net investment gains on its remaining private equity portfolio
Subsequent to year end, Clairvest and Clairvest Equity Partners VII (“CEP VII”) invested in NCS Engineers
Also subsequent to year end, Clairvest and CEP VII invested in Beneficial Reuse Management
Also subsequent to year end, Clairvest declared an annual dividend of $1.4 million, or $0.10 per share, and a special dividend of $11.1 million, or $0.7830 per share, both payable on July 25, 2025

Clairvest’s book value was $1,251.6 million or $88.30 per share as at March 31, 2025, compared with $1,234.3 million or $86.78 per share as at December 31, 2024 and $1,176.3 million or $80.16 per share as at March 31 2024. For the year ended March 31, 2025, Clairvest had invested a total of $53 million in three new deals and follow-on investments and exited four investments for total proceeds of $141 million. As at March 31, 2025, cash, cash equivalents and temporary investments excluding marketable securities, as reported under IFRS, were $250 million. In addition, our acquisition entities held $139 million in cash, cash equivalents and temporary investments as at March 31, 2025 bringing total available cash to $389 million. In aggregate, this represented 31% of our book value as at March 31, 2025, or approximately $27 per share.

Net income for the fourth quarter was $20.7 million, or $1.46 per share. The net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 reflects a net increase in the fair value of Clairvest’s investee companies and a corresponding increase in carried interest from the CEP Funds.

Net income for the fiscal year was $122 million or $8.47 per share. During the fiscal year, Clairvest divested its investments in Winters Bros. Waste Systems of Long Island, Chilean Gaming Holdings, FSB Technology and Durante Rentals for net realized gains of $46.1 million, while the rest of the portfolio experienced net investment gains of $44.8 million, inclusive of foreign exchange gains. Following the realization of Winters Bros. Waste Systems of Long Island, Clairvest was awarded the 2025 CVCA Private Equity Global Dealmaker of the Year for the sale of this investment.

During the fiscal year, 500,070 shares were purchased and cancelled for a total purchase price of $35 million, or at an average price of $70.01 per share. These purchases were accretive to the book value per share.

In April 2025, and as previously announced, Clairvest together with CEP VII made a US$22.4 million (C$32.1 million) minority preferred equity investment in NCS Engineers, a provider of turn-key water and wastewater engineering solutions across the United States. Clairvest’s portion of the investment was US$5.6 million (C$8.0 million).

In May 2025, and as previously announced, Clairvest together with CEP VII made a US$72.5 million (C$100.6 million) equity investment in Beneficial Reuse Management, a U.S.-based company which distributes products to the agriculture, landscape, wallboard, and construction end-markets by reusing or converting certain industrial waste streams into value-add products. Clairvest’s portion of the investment was US$18.1 million (C$25.1 million).

“Fiscal 2025 was a productive year across Clairvest, marked by strong progress in our portfolio and continued investment momentum, despite a challenging macroeconomic backdrop. Our portfolio companies, on the whole, are performing well, and we remain confident in our ability to build long-term value alongside our entrepreneur partners. With CEP VII now underway with its first three investments, we are energized by the opportunities ahead and remain focused on backing aligned entrepreneurs in our active domains,” said Ken Rotman, CEO of Clairvest. “We were also honoured to receive the 2025 CVCA Private Equity Global Dealmaker of the Year award for our investment in Winters Bros. Waste Systems of Long Island – our ninth time being recognized by the CVCA. Clairvest and CEP V achieved a 7.5x MOIC and a 24% internal rate of return on this investment. Our partnership with the Winters family spans three separate investments over 18 years, and this transaction marks another excellent outcome driven by long-term alignment, patience, and mutual trust.”

Also subsequent to year end, Clairvest declared an annual ordinary dividend of $0.10 per share and a special dividend of $0.7830 per share, such that in aggregate, the dividends represent 1% of the March 31, 2025 book value. Both dividends will be payable on July 25, 2025 to common shareholders of record as of July 4, 2025 and are eligible dividends for Canadian income tax purposes.

Summary of Financial Results – Unaudited

Financial Results⁽¹⁾	Quarter ended		Year ended
	March 31		March 31
	2025	2024	2025	2024
($000’s, except per share amounts)	$	$	$	$
Net investment gain (loss)	11,438	22,024	15,248	(19,385)
Net carried interest from Clairvest Equity Partners III and IV	(292)	1,005	4,169	3,700
Distributions, interest income, dividends and fees	19,386	11,897	157,064	52,336
Total expenses (recovery), excluding income taxes	9,746	1,592	37,940	39,824
Net income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss)	20,721	26,103	122,042	(3,353)
Basic and fully diluted net income (loss) per share	1.46	1.78	8.47	(0.23)

Financial Position	March 31	March 31
Financial Position	2025	2024
($000’s, except share information and per share amounts)	$	$
Total assets	1,429,435	1,342,139
Total cash, cash equivalents and temporary investments	295,728	330,193
Carried interest from Clairvest Equity Partners III and IV	48,517	52,188
Corporate investments⁽¹⁾	942,857	870,660
Total liabilities	177,844	165,842
Management participation from Clairvest Equity Partners III and IV	37,718	41,506
Book value⁽²⁾	1,251,591	1,176,297
Common shares outstanding	14,173,631	14,673,701
Book value per share⁽²⁾	88.30	80.16
^{(1) Includes carried interest of $141,897 (2024: $143,617) and management participation of $105,457 (2024: $103,740) from Clairvest Equity Partners V, VI and VII and $162,235 (2024: $90,973) in cash, cash equivalents and temporary investments held by Clairvest’s acquisition entities.} ^{(2) Book value is a non-IFRS measure calculated as the value of total assets less the value of total liabilities.}

Clairvest’s annual fiscal 2025 financial statements and MD&A are available on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com and the Clairvest website at www.clairvest.com.

About Clairvest

Clairvest’s mission is to partner with entrepreneurs to help them build strategically significant businesses. Founded in 1987 by a group of successful Canadian entrepreneurs, Clairvest is a top performing private equity management firm with over CAD $4.6 billion of capital under management. Clairvest invests its own capital and that of third parties through the Clairvest Equity Partners limited partnerships in owner-led businesses. Under the current management team, Clairvest has initiated investments in 69 different platform companies and generated top quartile performance over an extended period.

Contact Information

Stephanie Lo
Director of Investor Relations and Marketing
Clairvest Group Inc.
Tel: (416) 925-9270
Fax: (416) 925-5753
stephaniel@clairvest.com

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to Clairvest Group Inc., its subsidiaries, its CEP limited partnerships and their investments. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Clairvest, its subsidiaries, its CEP limited partnerships and their investments to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include general and economic business conditions and regulatory risks. Clairvest is under no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein should material facts change due to new information, future events or otherwise.

www.clairvest.com

The MIL Network –

June 26, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Rwanda: African Development Bank kickstarts pioneering cable car project in Kigali

Source: African Development Bank Group
The African Development Bank has approved a grant of $500,000 to undertake a feasibility study into the first phase of a cable car transport network in Kigali, that will be sub-Saharan Africa’s first aerial urban transit system. The project is initiated by Ropeways Transit Rwanda Ltd (RTRL).

MIL OSI Economics –

June 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: From HAL 9000 to M3GAN: what film’s evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Daniel, Associate Lecturer in Communication, Western Sydney University

© 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Filmgoers have long been captivated by stories about robots. We are fascinated by their utopian promise, their superhuman intelligence and, in the case of the cyborg, their often uncanny resemblance to humans.

But it is the evil robot – the machine that malfunctions, rebels or was built to harm – that has most powerfully gripped the collective imagination of audiences.

From the silent menace of Maschinenmensch in 1927’s Metropolis, to the relentless pursuit of the Terminator, to the campy violence of M3GAN, evil robots continue to resonate.

These films not only thrill, scare and entertain audiences. They also reflect deep-seated cultural anxieties about the unpredictable consequences of the current and future human-robot relationship.

The killer robot is far from a simple villain. It is a mirror held up to some of the most pressing cultural questions we have about human autonomy and responsibility in the digital age.

The precarity of human control

The enduring appeal of the evil robot narrative lies in the way horror often channels our deepest cultural anxieties about the speed of technological advancement and the precarity of human control in an increasingly digital (and robotic) world.

In The Spark of Fear, scholar Brian Duchaney posits that improvements in technology necessitate new types of horror stories, and that horror as a genre acts out our distrust of the social advances that new technology brings.

In the late 1960s, there was unease about the growing sophistication of computers and the impacts of the Space Race. HAL 9000 of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) represented this threat through a disembodied AI that icily turned against its human creators.

The android Ash in Alien (1979) added another layer of menace, disguised as a human embedded in the spacecraft crew and programmed to prioritise corporate interests over human life. In this case, Ash became a proxy for concerns over corporate adoption of automation, and the increasing role of technology in military and industrial contexts.

During the Cold War era, fears of nuclear annihilation and concerns over reaching a point where we could no longer switch off the machines led to the unforgettable T-800 and shape-shifting T-1000 in the first two Terminator films (1984 and 1991).

In the 21st century, as artificial intelligence and robotics became more prevalent in everyday life, the cinematic robot has entered our homes, culminating in M3GAN’s companion-gone-rogue.

In M3GAN (2022), Gemma (Allison Williams) is a robotics designer who creates an AI-powered companion doll to help her orphaned niece Cady (Violet McGraw) cope with her grief. But the doll becomes dangerously overprotective.

In M3GAN 2.0 (2025), the consciousness of the titular robot appears to have survived the 2022 film and, in a move that borrows from The Terminator 2, M3GAN shifts from villain to protector.

The new film explores the consequences of the underlying tech for M3GAN being stolen and misused by a powerful defence contractor to create a military-grade robot, known as Amelia. The only option to counteract Amelia is for Gemma to resurrect M3GAN – complete with upgrades to make her faster, stronger and more deadly.

Our technological anxieties

Why is M3GAN such an effective avatar for our contemporary anxieties?

Horror theorist Noël Carroll argues that monsters are often frightening because they don’t fit neatly into normal categories. They may be “in-between” things (such as part human, part machine) or contradictory (for example a zombie: both alive and dead at the same time).

M3GAN is a great example of both. She looks and acts like a young girl, with expressive facial features and a snarky sense of humour. But she’s really just artificial intelligence inside a robot body.

She’s also contradictory: she is designed to care for and protect her owner, yet she does so in exceedingly violent and deadly ways. These paradoxes make her both frightening and fascinating for audiences.

M3GAN and M3GAN 2.0 bring to the surface our technological anxieties, and defuse them through their camp qualities.

One sequence in the earlier film sees M3GAN break into a fluid yet unsettling dance, mimicking the performance of many a TikTok teen, only for the dance to end abruptly when she snatches a paper cutter blade and returns to stalking her victim.

This meme-ified moment – combined with some deadpan one-liners and often comically ironic facial expressions – have led to M3GAN becoming a gay icon in the wake of the original film.

M3GAN’s campiness doesn’t completely neutralise the horror. It reformulates it, offering a cathartic release that makes the subject matter more digestible. While we feel fear, we do so without real-world consequences. The fear is disarmed through humour.

This multifaceted horror experience more fully reflects the complexities of our evolving relationship with new technology. These relationships often move through a spectrum of concern, anxiety and fear before we find ways to manage and normalise those feelings.

Humour and catharsis are two of these coping mechanisms. Movies provide us with a way of neatly and temporarily resolving what often remain unresolved questions.

Films like M3GAN 2.0 illustrate how horror narratives can also transform alongside the technologies they critique, offering not only tension and jump scares, but also philosophical consideration, comedy and cathartic release.

Adam Daniel 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. From HAL 9000 to M3GAN: what film’s evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears – https://theconversation.com/from-hal-9000-to-m3gan-what-films-evil-robots-tell-us-about-contemporary-tech-fears-258397

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Texas Business Owner Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

Source: US State of North Dakota

A Texas woman was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for her participation in a scheme to file fraudulent applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

According to court documents, between around May 2020, and March 2021, Shantelle Hawkins, 43, of DeSoto, conspired to submit 17 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies she or her relatives owned or controlled. The applications contained false statements about payroll and tax information, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Hawkins used some of the money she obtained from the loans for personal expenses, including to pay off her 2015 Maserati Ghibli luxury car and to purchase property in the greater Dallas area.

Hawkins pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2024, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. At sentencing, Hawkins was ordered to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution and to forfeit the residence purchased with proceeds from the fraud.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Kashan Pathan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas is handling asset forfeiture.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Texas Business Owner Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

Source: US State of North Dakota

A Texas woman was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for her participation in a scheme to file fraudulent applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

According to court documents, between around May 2020, and March 2021, Shantelle Hawkins, 43, of DeSoto, conspired to submit 17 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies she or her relatives owned or controlled. The applications contained false statements about payroll and tax information, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Hawkins used some of the money she obtained from the loans for personal expenses, including to pay off her 2015 Maserati Ghibli luxury car and to purchase property in the greater Dallas area.

Hawkins pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2024, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. At sentencing, Hawkins was ordered to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution and to forfeit the residence purchased with proceeds from the fraud.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Kashan Pathan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas is handling asset forfeiture.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI: ABeam Consulting (USA) Ltd. and Millennium EBS Establish Strategic Collaborations to Expedite ISO 20022 Implementation
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LOS ANGELES, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ABeam Consulting (USA) Ltd. (“ABeam US”) and Millennium EBS, a BlueOne Card Inc. subsidiary, have announced a strategic collaboration under a newly signed Master Services Agreement (MSA) to jointly promote the Millennium EBS Payment Hub: ISO 20022 Transformer. This collaboration brings together ABeam’s deep expertise in business and digital transformation and Millennium EBS’s advanced payment technology— offering banks and financial institutions a streamlined, future-ready solution for ISO 20022 compliance.

A Unified Vision for Payment Modernization

As global adoption of ISO 20022 accelerates, financial institutions are under increasing pressure to migrate to new messaging standards while maintaining operational continuity. The ISO 20022 Transformer offers a seamless path forward—enabling smooth integration with legacy systems, ensuring compliance with evolving regulations, and unlocking enhanced data quality and process efficiency.

“Through this collaboration with Millennium EBS, we’re reinforcing our commitment to helping financial institutions navigate complex regulatory shifts with confidence,” said a spokesperson from ABeam US. “Together, we’re delivering not just compliance—but the strategic capabilities institutions need to stay competitive in a digital-first economy.”

ABeam Consulting: A Trusted Transformation Partner

ABeam Consulting serves clients across diverse industries, including financial services, automotive, manufacturing, and consumer goods. The firm has led successful transformation initiatives for leading organizations worldwide, with a focus on digitalization, operational excellence, and customer-centric growth.

With its extensive experience in ISO 20022 compliance, digital modernization, and systems integration, ABeam Consulting offers end-to-end support for implementing the ISO 20022 Transformer, ensuring a seamless, scalable transition for financial institutions worldwide.

Technology Meets Industry Expertise

“This partnership with ABeam US is a major step forward in our mission to modernize payment systems globally,” said Shinto J Matthew, CEO of Millennium EBS. “By integrating our proven technology with ABeam US’s industry insight, we’re equipping banks with a powerful toolkit to manage ISO 20022 migration efficiently—and drive long-term operational gains.”

With the ISO 20022 Transformer, financial institutions benefit from:
- Seamless integration with existing payment infrastructure
- Regulatory compliance with ISO 20022 standards and migration timelines
- Improved transaction transparency and data quality
Greater operational efficiency across domestic and cross-border payments

To learn more about the ISO 20022 Transformer and how ABeam and Millennium EBS can support your payment modernization journey, visit [smatthew@millenniumebs.com] or contact [smatthew@millenniumebs.com].

About ABeam

ABeam Consulting provides innovative business solutions to help companies improve their operations and gain a competitive edge. With over 42 years of experience, ABeam has grown from a part of Deloitte and Touche to an independent consulting firm focused on client success.

Today, ABeam operates in 36 countries, serving more than 750 clients across Asia, the Americas, and Europe. With over 8,300 professionals, ABeam reported $1 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2024. ABeam combines industry expertise with technological innovation to help clients navigate the digital landscape.

ABeam is committed to fostering change by integrating business strategy with technology. Our focus on connected and intelligent applications helps companies reimagine their business models and confidently plan for the future. Join the 750+ global organizations transforming their operations with ABeam Consulting. Explore our services and insights at www. abeam.com/am/en/.

About Millennium EBS

Millennium EBS, now a subsidiary of BlueOne Card Inc, brings over two decades of industry expertise in delivering high-quality, reliable payment solutions tailored to the evolving needs of modern financial institutions. Millennium EBS empowers small to medium-sized banks and financial institutions worldwide through seamless payment processing, regulatory-compliant ISO 20022 transformation, and personalized customer engagement tools. For more information, please visit www.millenniumebs.com/.

Millenium EBS

Shinto J Matthew – CEO

Email: smatthew@millenniumebs.com

The MIL Network –
June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI: ABeam Consulting (USA) Ltd. and Millennium EBS Establish Strategic Collaborations to Expedite ISO 20022 Implementation
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LOS ANGELES, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ABeam Consulting (USA) Ltd. (“ABeam US”) and Millennium EBS, a BlueOne Card Inc. subsidiary, have announced a strategic collaboration under a newly signed Master Services Agreement (MSA) to jointly promote the Millennium EBS Payment Hub: ISO 20022 Transformer. This collaboration brings together ABeam’s deep expertise in business and digital transformation and Millennium EBS’s advanced payment technology— offering banks and financial institutions a streamlined, future-ready solution for ISO 20022 compliance.

A Unified Vision for Payment Modernization

As global adoption of ISO 20022 accelerates, financial institutions are under increasing pressure to migrate to new messaging standards while maintaining operational continuity. The ISO 20022 Transformer offers a seamless path forward—enabling smooth integration with legacy systems, ensuring compliance with evolving regulations, and unlocking enhanced data quality and process efficiency.

“Through this collaboration with Millennium EBS, we’re reinforcing our commitment to helping financial institutions navigate complex regulatory shifts with confidence,” said a spokesperson from ABeam US. “Together, we’re delivering not just compliance—but the strategic capabilities institutions need to stay competitive in a digital-first economy.”

ABeam Consulting: A Trusted Transformation Partner

ABeam Consulting serves clients across diverse industries, including financial services, automotive, manufacturing, and consumer goods. The firm has led successful transformation initiatives for leading organizations worldwide, with a focus on digitalization, operational excellence, and customer-centric growth.

With its extensive experience in ISO 20022 compliance, digital modernization, and systems integration, ABeam Consulting offers end-to-end support for implementing the ISO 20022 Transformer, ensuring a seamless, scalable transition for financial institutions worldwide.

Technology Meets Industry Expertise

“This partnership with ABeam US is a major step forward in our mission to modernize payment systems globally,” said Shinto J Matthew, CEO of Millennium EBS. “By integrating our proven technology with ABeam US’s industry insight, we’re equipping banks with a powerful toolkit to manage ISO 20022 migration efficiently—and drive long-term operational gains.”

With the ISO 20022 Transformer, financial institutions benefit from:
- Seamless integration with existing payment infrastructure
- Regulatory compliance with ISO 20022 standards and migration timelines
- Improved transaction transparency and data quality
Greater operational efficiency across domestic and cross-border payments

To learn more about the ISO 20022 Transformer and how ABeam and Millennium EBS can support your payment modernization journey, visit [smatthew@millenniumebs.com] or contact [smatthew@millenniumebs.com].

About ABeam

ABeam Consulting provides innovative business solutions to help companies improve their operations and gain a competitive edge. With over 42 years of experience, ABeam has grown from a part of Deloitte and Touche to an independent consulting firm focused on client success.

Today, ABeam operates in 36 countries, serving more than 750 clients across Asia, the Americas, and Europe. With over 8,300 professionals, ABeam reported $1 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2024. ABeam combines industry expertise with technological innovation to help clients navigate the digital landscape.

ABeam is committed to fostering change by integrating business strategy with technology. Our focus on connected and intelligent applications helps companies reimagine their business models and confidently plan for the future. Join the 750+ global organizations transforming their operations with ABeam Consulting. Explore our services and insights at www. abeam.com/am/en/.

About Millennium EBS

Millennium EBS, now a subsidiary of BlueOne Card Inc, brings over two decades of industry expertise in delivering high-quality, reliable payment solutions tailored to the evolving needs of modern financial institutions. Millennium EBS empowers small to medium-sized banks and financial institutions worldwide through seamless payment processing, regulatory-compliant ISO 20022 transformation, and personalized customer engagement tools. For more information, please visit www.millenniumebs.com/.

Millenium EBS

Shinto J Matthew – CEO

Email: smatthew@millenniumebs.com

The MIL Network –
June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and TitletownTech officially open AI Co-Innovation Lab to accelerate manufacturing innovation

Source: Microsoft

Headline: Microsoft, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and TitletownTech officially open AI Co-Innovation Lab to accelerate manufacturing innovation

Milwaukee, Wis. — June 25, 2025 — Microsoft Corp., in collaboration with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and TitletownTech announced on Wednesday the opening of an AI Co-Innovation Lab on the UWM campus. This marks Microsoft’s first AI Co-Innovation Lab with a dedicated focus on manufacturing innovation.

The lab’s launch comes one year after Microsoft’s landmark investment to build AI infrastructure in Wisconsin. Operating out of a temporary home on the UWM campus over the past year, the lab worked with a handful of companies from across Wisconsin to build AI solutions.

Recent engagements show how manufacturers and other organizations are using AI to solve real-world challenges. From real-time fault detection in industrial machinery to multilingual voice assistants that streamline gate, dock and yard logistics, local companies are working to apply Microsoft’s AI technologies to improve operations and decision-making. Others are building tools to forecast supply chain lead times, manage hydroponic farms and deliver proactive customer support.

While the lab is rooted in manufacturing innovation, it works with organizations across industries, spanning small and medium-size businesses, enterprises, startups, and academia, reflecting the broad networks and experience of the lab’s founding partners: Microsoft, WEDC, UWM and TitletownTech.

AI promises to drive innovation and boost productivity in every sector of the economy. The Co-Innovation Lab will ensure that Wisconsin is well positioned to capitalize on that opportunity and to serve as a model for applied innovation around the world.

“A year ago, alongside our $3.3 billion infrastructure investment, we committed to using the power of AI to help advance the next generation of manufacturing companies, skills and jobs in Wisconsin and across the country,” said Rima Alaily, corporate vice president and general counsel, infrastructure legal affairs at Microsoft. “Thanks to our partnership with WEDC, TitletownTech and UWM, we’re delivering on this commitment. With access to cutting-edge AI technology and technical guidance to bring their ideas to life, we can’t wait to see what Wisconsin companies will build.”

“Through the strength of this partnership between Microsoft, TitletownTech, UWM and WEDC, the AI Co-Innovation Lab is helping businesses of all sizes and across all sectors apply the power of AI to their daily operations,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. “This is an exciting new chapter for our state — and for the world.”

“This lab will have a profound impact on our faculty members’ and our students’ ability to drive innovation and prepare their careers,” said University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone. “Harnessing the power of AI and cloud technologies will help Wisconsin manufacturers advance their competitive edge while offering students hands-on, real-world experience.”

“The lab brings a startup mindset to industry by moving fast, building with purpose and focusing on outcomes,” said TitletownTech Managing Partner Craig Dickman. “As AI becomes foundational to every sector, building fluency is critical not just for innovation but for staying competitive.”

The AI Co-Innovation Lab helps catalyze businesses toward AI adoption and acceleration through hands-on collaboration. Teams partner with either UWM or TitletownTech to define meaningful use cases and work directly with Microsoft engineers to explore and shape AI-driven solutions.

Depending on the need, the lab supports both full prototyping sprints, where teams build working solutions using Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies, and design sessions that focus on solution architecture and feasibility. This flexible model gives startups, manufacturers and enterprises the strategic and technical support to unlock new value, drive efficiency and move confidently into AI-powered innovation.

By equipping Wisconsin-based organizations with cutting-edge tools and talent, the lab ensures that the state is well positioned to compete and lead in an increasingly global, technology-driven economy.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, We. Communications, (425) 638-7777,

[email protected]

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit Microsoft Source at https://news.microsoft.com/source. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.

MIL OSI Economics –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and TitletownTech officially open AI Co-Innovation Lab to accelerate manufacturing innovation

Source: Microsoft

Headline: Microsoft, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and TitletownTech officially open AI Co-Innovation Lab to accelerate manufacturing innovation

Milwaukee, Wis. — June 25, 2025 — Microsoft Corp., in collaboration with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and TitletownTech announced on Wednesday the opening of an AI Co-Innovation Lab on the UWM campus. This marks Microsoft’s first AI Co-Innovation Lab with a dedicated focus on manufacturing innovation.

The lab’s launch comes one year after Microsoft’s landmark investment to build AI infrastructure in Wisconsin. Operating out of a temporary home on the UWM campus over the past year, the lab worked with a handful of companies from across Wisconsin to build AI solutions.

Recent engagements show how manufacturers and other organizations are using AI to solve real-world challenges. From real-time fault detection in industrial machinery to multilingual voice assistants that streamline gate, dock and yard logistics, local companies are working to apply Microsoft’s AI technologies to improve operations and decision-making. Others are building tools to forecast supply chain lead times, manage hydroponic farms and deliver proactive customer support.

While the lab is rooted in manufacturing innovation, it works with organizations across industries, spanning small and medium-size businesses, enterprises, startups, and academia, reflecting the broad networks and experience of the lab’s founding partners: Microsoft, WEDC, UWM and TitletownTech.

AI promises to drive innovation and boost productivity in every sector of the economy. The Co-Innovation Lab will ensure that Wisconsin is well positioned to capitalize on that opportunity and to serve as a model for applied innovation around the world.

“A year ago, alongside our $3.3 billion infrastructure investment, we committed to using the power of AI to help advance the next generation of manufacturing companies, skills and jobs in Wisconsin and across the country,” said Rima Alaily, corporate vice president and general counsel, infrastructure legal affairs at Microsoft. “Thanks to our partnership with WEDC, TitletownTech and UWM, we’re delivering on this commitment. With access to cutting-edge AI technology and technical guidance to bring their ideas to life, we can’t wait to see what Wisconsin companies will build.”

“Through the strength of this partnership between Microsoft, TitletownTech, UWM and WEDC, the AI Co-Innovation Lab is helping businesses of all sizes and across all sectors apply the power of AI to their daily operations,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. “This is an exciting new chapter for our state — and for the world.”

“This lab will have a profound impact on our faculty members’ and our students’ ability to drive innovation and prepare their careers,” said University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone. “Harnessing the power of AI and cloud technologies will help Wisconsin manufacturers advance their competitive edge while offering students hands-on, real-world experience.”

“The lab brings a startup mindset to industry by moving fast, building with purpose and focusing on outcomes,” said TitletownTech Managing Partner Craig Dickman. “As AI becomes foundational to every sector, building fluency is critical not just for innovation but for staying competitive.”

The AI Co-Innovation Lab helps catalyze businesses toward AI adoption and acceleration through hands-on collaboration. Teams partner with either UWM or TitletownTech to define meaningful use cases and work directly with Microsoft engineers to explore and shape AI-driven solutions.

Depending on the need, the lab supports both full prototyping sprints, where teams build working solutions using Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies, and design sessions that focus on solution architecture and feasibility. This flexible model gives startups, manufacturers and enterprises the strategic and technical support to unlock new value, drive efficiency and move confidently into AI-powered innovation.

By equipping Wisconsin-based organizations with cutting-edge tools and talent, the lab ensures that the state is well positioned to compete and lead in an increasingly global, technology-driven economy.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, We. Communications, (425) 638-7777,

[email protected]

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit Microsoft Source at https://news.microsoft.com/source. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.

MIL OSI Economics –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: June 25th, 2025 Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández Urge Trump Administration to Reverse Course & Fully Implement Broadband

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, and U.S. Representative Terese Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) joined over 40 of their colleagues to send a letter calling on U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to fully implement the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program as Congress intended to connect all Americans to high-quality, affordable internet.

The lawmakers’ letter to Secretary Lutnick comes as the Department of Commerce announced substantial changes to the implementation of the BEAD program.

“We write to express our opposition to the Department of Commerce’s recently announced BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice,” the lawmakers wrote. “The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program was established by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide high-quality, affordable, and sustainable broadband to connect the nearly 25 million Americans that continue to wait for high-speed internet access. We urge you to ensure that states receive the full funding and flexibility they retained prior to the issuance of the restructuring notice to fully meet these statutory objectives.”

“The broadband division of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law begins with this congressional finding: ‘Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband is essential to full participation in modern life in the United States,’” the lawmakers continued. “This fundamental reality is why the BEAD program was established to fulfill the subsequent finding that ‘the benefits of broadband should be broadly enjoyed by all.’”

The letter is led by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). Alongside Heinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and U.S. Representatives Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Bishop (D-Ga.), Bynum (D-Ore.), Carson (D-Ind.), Carter (D-La.), Cleaver (D-Mo.), Davis (D-Ill.), DelBene (D-Wash.), Evans (D-Pa.), Fields (D-La.), Figures (D-Ala.), Garcia (D-Texas), Goodlander (D-N.H.), Hoyle (D-Ore.), Huffman (D-Calif), Lofgren (D-Calif.), McGovern (D-Mass.), Menendez (D-N.J.), Mrvan (D-Ind.), Neguse (D-Colo.), Pappas (D-N.H.), Scholten (D-Mich), Sewell (D-Ala.), Soto (D-Fla.), Thompson (D-Miss.), Titus (D-Nev.), Tlaib (D-Mich.), Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Williams (D-Ga.), and Wilson (D-Fla.).

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

Dear Secretary Lutnick:

We write to express our opposition to the Department of Commerce’s recently announced BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program was established by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide high-quality, affordable, and sustainable broadband to connect the nearly 25 million Americans that continue to wait for high-speed internet access. We urge you to ensure that states receive the full funding and flexibility they retained prior to the issuance of the restructuring notice to fully meet these statutory objectives.

The broadband division of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law begins with this congressional finding: “Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband is essential to full participation in modern life in the United States.” This fundamental reality is why the BEAD program was established to fulfill the subsequent finding that “the benefits of broadband should be broadly enjoyed by all.” To achieve this goal, the statute states that funding recipients must “ensure coverage of broadband service to all unserved locations” before using any funds for other purposes. The restructuring notice appears to violate this requirement by allowing applicants to exclude certain unserved locations. Such an allowance would defy bipartisan congressional intent, which was predicated on the understanding that public investment was needed to achieve universal service precisely because building the infrastructure to cover many rural areas was too costly to be profitable.

In addition to excluding unserved, predominantly rural locations, the restructuring notice would likely result in others receiving worse service. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires that “priority broadband projects” funded by the program be “designed to provide broadband service that meets speed, latency, reliability, consistency in quality of service, and related criteria as the Assistant Secretary shall determine; and [to] ensure that the network[s] built by the project[s] can easily scale speeds over time to meet the evolving connectivity needs of households and businesses, and support the deployment of 5G, successor wireless technologies, and other advanced services.” Of currently available technologies, fiber-optic networks are faster and more reliable and can scale speeds much more easily. We made the decision to invest larger sums now in broadband infrastructure that would be resilient and capable of meeting Americans’ growing digital demands for decades.

The restructuring notice also undermines the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s provisions designed to ensure that broadband service is affordable and put to good use. The new rules remove specific requirements that ensured that participating providers would provide a low-cost internet option for low-income customers as required by the statute. Additionally, while the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law specifically allows funds to be spent on “broadband adoption, including programs to provide affordable internet-capable devices,” the notice rescinds approval of previously approved “non-deployment activities” and puts all funding for these activities on hold. For example, this provision of the notice puts on hold a South Carolina plan to use BEAD program funds for virtual primary health—equipping low-income households in rural health deserts with access to the full suite of virtual health services at no cost to the patients. If the broadband infrastructure being built by BEAD program funds isn’t put to good use, much of the investment will have been wasted.

As reflected in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s congressional findings, high-quality internet access is a requirement to fully participate in the world, and the BEAD program is our once-in-a century opportunity to finish closing the digital divide. We fear this opportunity would be squandered by the restructuring notice and its changes to coverage, quality, and affordability. We therefore urge you to implement the BEAD program in accordance with the best reading of the statute so we can make high-quality internet accessible and affordable for all Americans.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Texas Business Owner Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

Source: United States Attorneys General

A Texas woman was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for her participation in a scheme to file fraudulent applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

According to court documents, between around May 2020, and March 2021, Shantelle Hawkins, 43, of DeSoto, conspired to submit 17 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies she or her relatives owned or controlled. The applications contained false statements about payroll and tax information, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Hawkins used some of the money she obtained from the loans for personal expenses, including to pay off her 2015 Maserati Ghibli luxury car and to purchase property in the greater Dallas area.

Hawkins pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2024, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. At sentencing, Hawkins was ordered to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution and to forfeit the residence purchased with proceeds from the fraud.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Kashan Pathan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas is handling asset forfeiture.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

MIL Security OSI –

June 26, 2025

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