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Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI USA: State Director & Chair Positions Confirmed

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the confirmation of director and chair positions in New York State government. Joshua Norkin today was confirmed by the New York State Senate to serve as Director of the Authorities Budget Office. Additionally, Jessica García was confirmed by the New York State Senate today to serve as Chair of the Cannabis Control Board.

    “New Yorkers deserve the best and the brightest individuals serving them, working to make New York safer, more affordable and more liveable — these two individuals will do just that,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration remains laser focused on ensuring experienced individuals are serving at every level of government, delivering for families statewide.”

    About Director Joshua Norkin

    Joshua Norkin was confirmed by the New York State Senate on June 9 to serve as Director of the Authorities Budget Office. Joshua Norkin previously served as Assistant Counsel to the Governor before being promoted to Deputy Counsel to the Governor in 2022, and Senior Advisor to the Governor in 2024. As Deputy Counsel to the Governor, Joshua oversaw the introduction, negotiation, and disposition of all legislation on behalf of the Executive Chamber.

    Mr. Norkin has practiced law in both the nonprofit and private sectors since 2008. Joshua Norkin earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

    About Chair Jessica García

    Jessica García was confirmed by the New York State Senate on June 9 to serve as Chair of the Cannabis Control Board. Jessica García has served as a board member on the Cannabis Control Board since 2021.

    Jessica García is Assistant to the President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), a national labor union representing workers along the food supply chain, as well as workers in non-food retail and healthcare. She previously served as Deputy Political Director for the RWDSU, where she worked to advance the union’s legislative and political agendas. Additionally, Jessica García currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health and a member of the Safe Passage Project. In 2021, she was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor to serve on the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH). Jessica García earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Harvard University and Master of Social Work from the Hunter College School of Social Work.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: FARMERS AND MERCHANTS BANCSHARES, INC. DECLARES CASH DIVIDEND OF $0.34 PER SHARE

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HAMPSTEAD, Md., June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On June 9, 2025, the Board of Directors of Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc., the parent of Farmers and Merchants Bank, declared a cash dividend on the common stock of $0.34 per share, which will be paid on July 25, 2025 to stockholders of record on July 11, 2025.

    Please visit the investor relations section of our website, www.fmb1919.bank. It includes press releases, financial information, stock information, peer analysis, and information about Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc.’s officers and directors.

    About Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc.

    The Company is a financial holding company and the parent company of the Bank. The Bank was chartered in Maryland in 1919 and has over 100 years of service to the community. The Bank serves the deposit and financing needs of both consumers and businesses in Carroll and Baltimore Counties along the Route 30, Route 795, Route 140, Route 26, and Route 45 corridors. The main office is located in Upperco, Maryland, with seven additional branches in Owings Mills, Hampstead, Greenmount, Reisterstown, Westminster, Eldersburg, and Towson. Certain broker-dealers make a market in the common stock of Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc., and trades are reported through the OTC Markets Group’s Pink Market under the symbol “FMFG”.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Mr. Gary A. Harris
    President & CEO
    (410) 374-1510, Ext. 1104
     
    Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc.
    4510 Lower Beckleysville Rd, Suite H
    Hampstead, Maryland 21074

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK to become world leader in drug discovery as Technology Secretary heads for London Tech Week

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK to become world leader in drug discovery as Technology Secretary heads for London Tech Week

    New project to make the UK a leader in AI-drug discovery, as Imperial College also partners with the World Economic Forum on AI-Driven Innovation Centre.

    • New OpenBind consortium to make the UK a leader in AI-driven drug discovery – slashing the cost of drug discovery and development by as much as £100 billion. 
    • Imperial College London to partner with World Economic Forum to deliver new AI-Driven Innovation Centre – boosting AI adoption and innovation to grow the economy
    • Peter Kyle to set out plans at London Tech Week for technology to go further and faster in unlocking the growth driving the government’s Plan for Change

    People around the world are set to benefit from new breakthroughs in AI-driven drug discovery to tackle previously untreatable diseases and transforming patient outcomes using British AI and research expertise.  

    Announced today, the UK’s ‘OpenBind’ consortium will use breakthrough experimental technology to generate the world’s largest collection of data on how drugs interact with proteins, the building blocks of the body. This will be twenty times greater than anything collected over the last fifty years – cementing the UK’s position as a global hub for AI-driven drug discovery. 

    This will support the training of new AI models that can identify promising new drugs, giving researchers an unparalleled ability to open up new fronts in the fight against disease- slashing development costs by up to £100 billion and sparking the innovation and economic growth which underpins the government’s Plan for Change. 

    Based at Diamond Light Source – the UK’s national synchrotron facility at the Harwell Science Campus in Oxfordshire – the consortium will close critical data gaps, driving breakthroughs in healthcare which will unlock new avenues for drugs that can treat and beat diseases, as well as helping scientists harness the transformative potential of engineering biology to face down a range of other issues, such as designing new enzymes to tackle plastic waste. 

    The consortium, backed with up to £8 million of investment from DSIT’s newly established Sovereign AI Unit, will be led by some of the world’s leading scientific minds including Professor Charlotte Deane at the University of Oxford, Professor Frank von Delft at Diamond Light Source and the University of Oxford, and David Baker, Chemistry Nobel Prize winner and head of the Institute for Protein Design at Washington University. 

    The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle said: 

    London Tech Week is where we lay down a marker – not just as a government with technology at the heart of our agenda, but as a country that will harness its opportunities for the global good.

    OpenBind is a prime example of how we’re doing exactly that. Through home-grown AI expertise, we will be the driving force that doesn’t just treat, but beats disease – benefitting every person in the world.

    This week, we’ll have plenty more to say on how we’re using technology to drive growth, improve public services, and transform communities all over the country – delivering a Plan for Change grounded in action, not words.

    This investment will also help to unlock unique strategic capabilities for UK AI and biosciences, securing the nation’s critical influence over a sector fundamental to growth, health, and wellbeing. 

    Investors from industry and philanthropy will be convened shortly to have the opportunity to co-invest and take the project to a point of maximum ambition. These discussion will include a roundtable at 10 Downing Street including Isomorphic Labs, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Apheris, Chai Discovery, Genentech, Genesis Therapeutics, Odyssey Therapeutix, Pfizer Inc, and Renaissance Philanthropy.

    Professor Gianluigi Botton, CEO, Diamond Light Source, said:

    At Diamond Light Source, a Joint Venture between the UK government through STFC and the Wellcome Trust, we are proud to be at the forefront of the UK’s ambition to lead the world in AI-driven drug discovery.

    OpenBind represents an exciting step forward in harnessing our unique capabilities to generate the high-quality data that AI needs to revolutionise healthcare, helping to cement the UK’s position as a global hub for bioscience innovation.

    Sir Demis Hassabis, CEO, Isomorphic Labs, said:

    High-quality biochemical data supports superior AI models, which in turn helps us design new drug candidates faster.

    We’re delighted to partner with the OpenBind Consortium and the UK government to cultivate this vital resource. This is a brilliant initiative for UK science, and we’re proud to support it from its inception.

    Artificial Intelligence has become one of the key drivers of the government’s Plan for Change, with its adoption across the economy sparking economic growth and creating jobs. Earlier this year the Prime Minister launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan – taking forward 50 recommendations which will mainline the technology into all sectors of the economy.   

    To accelerate AI’s rollout even further, Imperial College London has today announced it will partner with the World Economic Forum to deliver a Centre for AI Driven Innovation based in the UK. This dedicated centre will cement the UK’s global position as a leader in the technology, driving innovation by unlocking AI’s potential to transform economies across various sectors. The Centre will join the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Network – a global network of 21 independent centres which bring together public and private sectors to maximise technological benefits while minimising risks. 

    The UK government will work with both organisations to co-design the Centre’s activities in alignment with the government’s ambitions to harness AI to deliver a new era of growth and opportunity. 

    Hugh Brady, President, Imperial College London said:  

    This is a pivotal moment for UK innovation where the power and creativity of our science and technology can drive economic growth. This new Centre for AI Driven Innovation will unlock AI’s potential to transform existing industries.

    Anchored in the World Economic Forum global network of Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the new Centre hosted by Imperial creates a powerful multi-stakeholder platform from research through to scalable real-world innovation and adoption.

    Børge Brende, President and CEO of World Economic Forum said: 

    We are excited to collaborate with Imperial College London and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to launch the Centre for AI Driven Innovation, the first UK-based centre in the World Economic Forum’s global Network of Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

    This milestone comes at a pivotal moment, as AI emerges as a powerful catalyst for prosperity and accelerated transformation across all sectors of the economy. The Centre will play a key role in helping the UK shape the global AI innovation agenda, providing a unique platform for collaboration with one of the world’s largest multistakeholder communities of AI experts.

    The announcements come as the Technology Secretary prepares to deliver his keynote address to London Tech Week later today, where his speech will set out the range of actions the government is taking to harness technology to boost growth, improve public services, and unlock new opportunities for communities across the UK.

    Further commentary welcoming today’s announcements:

    Professor Charlotte Deane of the University of Oxford said:

    OpenBind realises a major gear-shift for AI in drug discovery by investing in the data that powers it. 

    This funding will mean we can begin generating a catalogue that not only dwarfs in quantity everything messily accumulated over half a century, but transcends it in quality and is geared towards powering the AI algorithms.

    Professor Frank von Delft of Diamond Light Source and the University of Oxford said:

    OpenBind is unique double opportunity:  whereas to date we experimental scientists have generated data as a byproduct of answering our scientific questions, now we combine forces with AI scientists and produce the data their AIs actually need.  And to do so, we will align several very different types of experiments, harnessing recent dramatic advances, including those we’ve achieved at Diamond. 

    As this accelerates drug design, we will gain currently unthinkable ways to dissect how diseases work and what to do about them.

    Robin Roehm, CEO and co-founder of Apheris said:

    The utility of AI models in predicting protein-small molecule structure and affinity pairs hinges on the quality and scale of training data.

    The life sciences sector urgently needs more comprehensive data, and collaborative networks like the AI Structural Biology Consortium where multiple Pharmas jointly collaborate are an example of this. OpenBind has the potential to transform small molecule drug discovery by developing datasets that are orders of magnitude larger than what is currently available.

    Karmen Čondić-Jurkić, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Open Molecular Software Foundation (OMSF) said:

    OMSF is excited to participate in OpenBind and contribute to building open datasets and infrastructure that will power the next generation of ML/AI models for drug discovery. Expanding high-quality public datasets is essential for advancing molecular science, both for training and validating new computational approaches.

    We believe this collaboration is an opportunity to bring experimental and computational researchers closer together, accelerating innovation across the field.

    Mohammed AlQuraishi, Founder, OpenFold; Professor, Departments of Systems Biology and Computer Science, Columbia University, said:

    The task of predicting structures of molecules bound to proteins is challenged by a severe paucity of data, crucial for training data-hungry machine learning models such as OpenFold3.

    The OpenBind project is poised to transform this dynamic, first by providing significant amounts of new and diverse structural data to fuel machine learning, and second by working synergistically with OpenFold to focus data acquisition on molecules and proteins with the greatest potential for improving the accuracy of predictive models.

    David Rees PhD FMedSci, FRSC, Chief Scientific Officer, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, UK.

    As a pioneer in fragment-based drug discovery, Astex is excited to be involved in this new initiative to build a unique database that will help the UK to remain at the forefront of developments in this field.

    Training AI models with experimentally determined protein-ligand crystal structure data can significantly accelerate the drug discovery process and deliver new medicines more efficiently.

    Dr Ed Griffen, Technical Director at MedChemica said:

    At MedChemica we apply chemistry machine learning at scale and speed to design and analyse large data sets to give exploitable knowledge.  

    One of the critical areas of weakness in drug discovery is relating how protein-drug structures are related to how strongly a possible drug binds to that protein structure. The goal of OpenBind is to gather and analyse enough of the right data so that machine learning can make useful predictions. With better predictions we can run drug hunting projects faster and cheaper, bringing new therapies to the clinic more quickly.

    OpenBind is a keystone in the bridge from basic science to new ways of treating the diseases and conditions that afflict patients world wide. OpenBind’s scale is globally strategic and leading beyond what is being done anywhere else. MedChemica is delighted and proud to be able to contribute to this endeavour.

    Joshua Meier, Co-founder and CEO, Chai Discovery, said:

    The UK’s OpenBind initiative provides the rich, open data frontier our AI models need to design better medicines faster, and we’re excited to contribute our open state-of-the-art structure prediction technology to this national effort.

    Notes to editors

    OpenBind will create the largest open dataset of experimentally validated drug–protein interactions in history. By addressing a long-standing gap in pharmaceutical R&D: the lack of high-quality, large-scale datasets linking small molecules to the proteins they bind. These datasets are essential for training high quality AI models for early-stage drug design.  

    OpenBind will deploy automated chemistry and high-throughput X-ray crystallography to eventually generate more than 500,000 protein – ligand complex structures and affinity measurements over 5 years. This would represent a 20-fold increase over all public data produced in the last half-century – filling a critical gap in the data ecosystem that has slowed the development and evaluation of modern generative models.  

    OpenBind provides a foundational dataset that will underpin progress across multiple areas of technology – including structure prediction, generative molecular design, docking, and active learning workflows. It is designed to work in synergy with other emerging approaches to help reduce trial-and-error experimentation, inform candidate selection, and support more systematic exploration of chemical space.  

    OpenBind’s senior consortium principal investigators are: 

    • Professor Frank von Delft (Diamond Light Source and University of Oxford) 
    • Professor Charlotte Deane (University of Oxford) 
    • Dr John Chodera (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre) 
    • Dr Mark Murcko (MIT and Disruptive Biomedical LLC)
    • Professor Mohammed AlQuraishi (Columbia University)  
    • Professor David Baker (University of Washington) 
    • Dr Ed Griffen (MedChemica Limited) 
    • Professor Paul Brennan (University of Oxford) 
    • Professor Sir David Stuart (Diamond Light Source)
    • Dr Martin Walsh (Diamond Light Source)

    About Diamond Light Source

    Diamond Light Source provides industrial and academic user communities with access to state-of-the-art analytical tools to enable world-changing science. Shaped like a huge ring, it accelerates electrons to near light speeds, producing a light 10 billion times brighter than the sun, which is then directed off into 35 laboratories known as beamlines. In addition to these, Diamond offers access to several integrated laboratories including the world-class Electron Bio-imaging Centre (eBIC) and the Electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC).     

    Diamond serves as an agent of change, addressing 21st century challenges such as disease, clean energy, food security and more. Since operations started, more than 16,000 researchers from both academia and industry have used Diamond to conduct experiments, with the support of approximately 800 world-class staff. More than 14,000 scientific articles have been published by our users and scientists.     

    Funded by the UK government through the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and by the Wellcome Trust, Diamond is one of the most advanced scientific facilities in the world, and its pioneering capabilities are helping to keep the UK at the forefront of scientific research.     

    Diamond was set-up as an independent not for profit company through a joint venture, between the UKRI’s Science and Technology Facilities Council and one of the world’s largest biomedical charities, the Wellcome Trust – each respectively owning 86% and 14% of the shareholding.     

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

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    Updates to this page

    Published 9 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Dune Acquisition Corporation II Announces the Separate Trading of its Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants, Commencing June 12, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dune Acquisition Corporation II (Nasdaq: IPODU) (the “Company”) today announced that, commencing June 12, 2025, holders of the units sold in the Company’s initial public offering may elect to separately trade shares of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares and warrants included in the units.

    No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants that are separated will trade on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbols “IPOD” and “IPODW,” respectively. Those units not separated will continue to trade on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “IPODU.” Holders of units will need to have their brokers contact Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Company’s transfer agent, in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares and warrants.

    Dune Acquisition Corporation II was founded by its Chief Executive Officer, Carter Glatt. The Company is a blank check company whose business purpose is to effect a merger, amalgamation, share capital exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While the Company may pursue an initial business combination target in any industry or geographic region, the Company intends to focus its search for an initial business combination on companies within the software as a service, artificial intelligence, medtech or asset management and consultancy sectors.

    Clear Street acted as sole book-runner of the offering.

    The offering was made only by means of a prospectus. When available, copies of the prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained from Clear Street, Attn: Syndicate Department, 150 Greenwich Street, 45th Floor, New York, NY 10007, by email at ecm@clearstreet.io, or from the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

    A registration statement relating to these securities was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 6, 2025. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the search for an initial business combination. No assurance can be given that the proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s registration statement and prospectus for the initial public offering filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

    Contact

    Carter Glatt
    Chief Executive Officer
    Dune Acquisition Corporation II
    ir@duneacq.com
    (917) 742-1904

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: HDFC ERGO General Insurance Wins Duck Creek Standard of Excellence Customer Award at Formation ’25

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duck Creek Technologies, the global intelligent solutions provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, today announced HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited (HDFC ERGO), India’s leading private sector general insurer, as a 2025 Standard of Excellence Customer Award winner at Formation ’25, its flagship customer conference held in Orlando, Florida. A digital-first company, transforming into an AI-first company, HDFC ERGO is a leading general insurer of India, which is known for introducing pioneering and futuristic tech solutions in the Indian insurance landscape to offer its customers the best-in-class service experience.

    The Duck Creek Standard of Excellence Customer Awards recognize customers who have achieved the highest level of excellence through their implementation of Duck Creek solutions and who have a vision to advance their business, while reimagining the future of insurance. HDFC ERGO earned recognition for accelerating product launches, streamlining system integration, and increasing market agility using Duck Creek’s solutions, including Policy, Billing, Rating, and Insights.

    The Indian insurance market is undergoing a major transformation with a growing customer demand and the need for hyper-personalized services. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has also been encouraging the insurers to develop agile and customer-centric products so as to fuel insurance inclusion among diverse demographics and across the diverse geographies in the country. HDFC ERGO’s adoption of Duck Creek’s low-code, highly configurable platform to design a pioneering AI-enabled, real-time policy issuance system marks a significant milestone, where now the insurer has transformed the end-to-end process for its Health and Fire lines of business.

    “At HDFC ERGO, our endeavour has been to offer best-in-class solutions and experience to our customers. The behaviour and requirements of today’s customers have evolved to a great extent, where they expect dynamic, hyper-personalized, and innovative solutions, and the insurance industry is not an exception in this changed ecosystem. Hence as a customer-focused organization, we were looking for a technology partner, who would enable us to offer innovative products, efficient services, and better analytical insights in an integrated manner to provide a seamless experience to our customers. The tech enablement from Duck Creek matched perfectly to this requirement,” said Sriram Naganathan, President & CTO at HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited. “We are happy and honored to receive the Duck Creek Standard of Excellence Award. We believe with these new tech enhancements we will set a new benchmark in the insurance industry and propel the cause of insurance inclusion in India — thus also supporting the vision of ‘Insurance for All by 2047’ of IRDAI— the Indian insurance regulator.”

    The scale of the project was massive, involving over 45 business users, 150+ IT developers working in parallel across seven systems integrator partners, designing 300+ product covers, 300+ business rules, and executing 10,000+ test scenarios. The solutions were delivered in only nine months, with their commercial fire product first to go live, followed by their health product soon thereafter. Key results include:

    • Product launch time reduced from 4-5 months to just four weeks, allowing rapid response to market demands and regulatory changes.
    • Dramatic productivity gains for agents with quotes generated almost instantly and agents able to offer 4-5 alternative product options rather than just a single choice.
    • Operational efficiency and risk reduction by drastically reducing manual data entry, minimizing compliance risks, and improving accuracy. Straight-through processing completed tasks in just 3-4 minutes, instead of hours or days.
    • Elevated customer experience driven by policies now being processed in near real time, instead of in hours and days. Customers are now also offered data-driven product recommendations and better-suited options, leading to improved engagements.

    “We are proud to honor HDFC ERGO General Insurance with the 2025 Standard of Excellence Customer Award,” said Christian Erickson, Vice President and General Manager, APAC at Duck Creek Technologies. “HDFC ERGO’s digital transformation stands as a benchmark for innovation and execution in the insurance industry. As our first customer in the in India market, we are thrilled to be HDFC ERGO’s strategic partner, with our suite of products helping drive meaningful business outcomes and value for the business, their customers, and shareholders. HDFC ERGO exemplifies the forward-thinking, customer-focused approach that defines the future of insurance. We congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition.”

    About Duck Creek Technologies   
    Duck Creek Technologies is the global intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and X.

    Media Contacts:   
    Marianne Dempsey/Tara Stred   
    duckcreek@threeringsinc.com 

    About HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited:

    HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited, one of the leading private sector general insurance companies of India, whose promoters are HDFC Bank Limited, one of India’s leading private sector banks, and ERGO International AG, the primary insurance entity of Munich Re Group.

    A digital-first company, transforming into an AI-first company, HDFC ERGO is a leader in implementing technology to offer customers the best-in-class service experience.

    HDFC ERGO offers a complete range of General Insurance products including Health, Motor, Home, Agriculture, Travel, Credit, Cyber and Personal Accident in the retail space along with Property, Marine, Engineering, Marine Cargo, Group Health and Liability Insurance in the corporate space.

    The Company has created a stream of innovative & new products as well as services using technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Natural Processing Language (NLP), and Robotics. HDFC ERGO offers a range of general insurance products and has a completely digital sales process with 299 branches and 600+ digital offices across India. HDFC ERGO’s technology platform has empowered the customers to avail services digitally on a 24×7 basis, with 70%+ claims for retail products intimated digitally and over 80% of service interactions are catered digitally of which 10% are AI led. The Company issued ~3.4 crore policies in FY25 and has one of the best claims payout ratios in the General Insurance industry.

    Be it unique insurance products, integrated customer service models, top-in-class claim processes or a host of technologically innovative solutions, HDFC ERGO has been able to delight its customers at every touch-point and milestone to ensure consumers are serviced in real-time.

    Social Media:

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hdfcergo

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/hdfcergogic

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hdfcergo

    YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/hdfcergo

    Media Contacts:
       
    Shilpi Bose
    Shilpi.bose@hdfcergo.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: CEA Industries Enters Canadian Vape Market with Completion of Fat Panda Acquisition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Closes Acquisition of Leading Vape Operator with 33 Locations and Over 50% Market Share in Central Canada

    Adds High-Margin, CAD $38.5 Million Revenue Platform to Accelerate Growth and Drive Shareholder Value

    Conference Call Scheduled for June 11, 2025 at 4:30pm ET to Review the Supporting Investor Presentation on the CEA Industries Website

    Louisville, Colorado, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CEA Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: CEAD, CEADW) (“CEA Industries” or the “Company”), today announced the completion of its acquisition of Fat Panda Ltd. (“Fat Panda”), Central Canada’s largest independent vape retailer and vertically integrated manufacturer. The acquisition accelerates CEA’s strategic diversification while establishing a scalable platform in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the regulated nicotine market.

    Founded in 2013, Fat Panda operates 33 high-traffic retail locations across Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, supported by a national e-commerce platform. The company’s vertically integrated model includes ISO-certified manufacturing facilities for its e-liquid production and direct supplier relationships, enabling product consistency, streamlined sourcing, and improved cost structure. With over 50% regional market share and a loyal customer base, Fat Panda generated approximately CAD $38.5 million (USD $28.5 million) in revenue with 39% gross margins and CAD $8.0 million (USD $5.9 million) (before ownership distributions) in adjusted EBITDA in the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, based on preliminary unaudited results.

    “This acquisition marks a significant milestone for CEA as we expand into a dynamic, high-growth regulated vertical benefiting from strong consumer demand,” said Tony McDonald, Chairman and CEO of CEA Industries. “Fat Panda brings an established brand, experienced leadership, and a highly profitable operating model that can be rapidly scaled with our capital and strategic support. Importantly, this acquisition exemplifies our commitment to identifying accretive opportunities that can unlock meaningful long-term value for our shareholders.”

    “Joining CEA Industries provides the financial strength and operational support to accelerate our vision,” said Jordan Vedoya, Co-Founder and President of Fat Panda. “We are excited to deepen our footprint, elevate our e-commerce presence, and continue delivering value through Fat Panda’s customer-centric approach across Canada’s regulated vape industry.”

    Fat Panda will operate under its existing brand led by the current management team to ensure a seamless transition with uninterrupted operations. Mr. Vedoya will also lead integration efforts and spearhead expansion across both retail and digital channels.

    Strategic Benefits of the Transaction

    • Leads Central Canada’s Regulated Vape Market – Fat Panda operates 33 corporate-owned stores across three provinces with over 50% regional market share, establishing immediate category leadership.
    • Expands Scalable Omnichannel Platform – Combines a national e-commerce footprint with high-traffic retail locations, driving over CAD $2 million in annual online sales.
    • Drives Margin Accretion Through Vertical Integration – In-house manufacturing and direct supplier relationships support 39% gross margins and CAD $8.0 million in adjusted EBITDA in fiscal year 2024.
    • Establishes Durable Competitive Moat – Proprietary product formulations, a robust trademark portfolio, and regulatory alignment under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) differentiate Fat Panda in the dynamic regulatory landscape.
    • Enables Platform Growth Through Expansion and M&A – With CEA Industries capital and strategic support, Fat Panda is positioned to open new locations, acquire complementary retailers, and scale profitably across Canada.

    Transaction Terms

    The CAD $18.0 million (USD $12.6 million) purchase price comprises approximately CAD $12.1 million in cash, 39,000 shares of CEAD common stock with an agreed value of CAD $700,000, and seller notes totaling CAD $2.56 million. A portion of the purchase price was funded by a short-term loan from a United States based lender in the amount of USD $4.0 million, which is due in six months. In addition, CAD $2.6 million has been placed in escrow to support post-closing adjustments, indemnity obligations, and employee-related matters.

    Conference Call and Investor Presentation

    CEA Industries will host a conference call to discuss the acquisition and strategic implications for the Company on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at 4:30pm ET. A live webcast and accompanying investor presentation will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.ceaindustries.com.

    To access the call, please use the following information:

    A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the event and archived online.

    About CEA Industries Inc.

    CEA Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: CEAD) is a growth-oriented company focused on building category-leading businesses in regulated consumer markets. With a focus on the high-growth, Canadian nicotine vape industry, one of the fastest-expanding segments of the global nicotine market, CEA Industries targets scalable operators with strong regulatory alignment, defensible market share, and high-margin business models. The Company provides capital, operational expertise, and strategic resources to accelerate retail expansion, strengthen e-commerce infrastructure, and drive long-term value creation in performance-driven sectors. For more information, visit www.ceaindustries.com.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release may contain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. These statements reflect our current beliefs, and a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in this press release, including the factors set forth in “Risk Factors” set forth in our annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and subsequent filings with the SEC. Please refer to our SEC filings for a more detailed discussion of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business, including but not limited to the risks and uncertainties associated with our business prospects and the prospects of our existing and prospective customers; the inherent uncertainty of product development; regulatory, legislative and judicial developments, especially those related to changes in, and the enforcement of, cannabis laws; increasing competitive pressures in our industry; and relationships with our customers and suppliers. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The reference to CEA’s website has been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such website is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    To supplement our financial results on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) basis, we use non-GAAP measures including net bookings and backlog, as well as other significant non-cash expenses such as stock-based compensation and depreciation expenses. We believe these non-GAAP measures are helpful in understanding our past performance and are intended to aid in evaluating our potential future results. The presentation of these non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to our GAAP results and are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information prepared or presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way to view aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business.

    Investor Contact:

    Sean Mansouri, CFA or Aaron D’Souza
    Elevate IR
    info@ceaindustries.com
    (720) 330-2829

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: ETC Announces Fiscal 2025 Full Year and Fourth Quarter Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SOUTHAMPTON, Pa., June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Environmental Tectonics Corporation (OTC Pink: ETCC) (“ETC” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the fourteen week period ended February 28, 2025 (the “2025 fiscal fourth quarter”) and the fifty-three week period ended February 28, 2025 (“fiscal 2025”).

    Robert L. Laurent, Jr., ETC’s Chief Executive Officer and President stated, “Our strong backlog and pipeline of opportunities once again translated into increases in net sales, gross profit margin, operating income and net income. These results reflect growth in each of our business units with sales increasing to $62.9 million, gross profit increasing to $18.5 million, and net income increasing to $13.1 million or $0.75 diluted earnings per share in fiscal 2025 as compared to net income of $1.8 million or $0.09 diluted earnings per share in fiscal 2024. We believe we remain well positioned for the future with a backlog of $87 million and strong pipeline of opportunities at February 28, 2025.”

    Fiscal 2025 Results of Operations

    Net Income

    Net income was $13.1 million, or $0.75 diluted earnings per share, in fiscal 2025, compared to net income of $1.8 million during fiscal 2024, equating to $0.09 per diluted share. The $11.2 million variance is primarily attributable to a $19.6 million increase in sales, a $6.1 million increase in gross profit, slightly offset by a $0.8 million increase in operating expenses. Fiscal 2025 is also being positively impacted by an income tax benefit of $5.6 million, primarily associated with the partial reversal of valuation allowance previously recorded against the deferred tax asset. The deferred tax asset valuation allowance on federal deferred tax assets and certain state deferred tax assets was reversed in fiscal 2025, as it is now more likely than not that the Company will be able to fully realize these deferred tax assets.

    Net Sales

    Net sales for fiscal 2025 was $62.9 million, an increase of $19.6 million, or 45.3%, compared to fiscal 2024 net sales of $43.3 million. The increase is a result of higher International sales of $13.4 million, of which $9.3 million are within Aircrew Training Solutions (“ATS”) and $3.5 million are within Commercial Industrial Systems (“CIS”) as well as higher Domestic sales of $6.2 million, $6.0 million of which are within CIS. Further, sales in fiscal 2025 increased the greatest within the ATS business unit and Sterilizer Systems business unit, accounting for $9.9 and $7.4 million, respectively, of the overall increase of $19.6 million.

    Gross Profit

    Gross profit for fiscal 2025 was $18.5 million compared to $12.5 million in fiscal 2024, an increase of $6.1 million, or 48.7%. The increase in gross profit was primarily due to higher net sales within the ATS and Sterilizers System business units. Gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales increased to 29.4% in fiscal 2025 compared to 28.8% in fiscal 2024.

    Operating Expenses

    Operating expenses, including sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development, for fiscal 2025 was $10.3 million compared to $9.5 million in fiscal 2024, an increase of $0.8 million, or 8.1%. An increase in selling and marketing expenses, primarily driven by higher sales and an increase in general and administrative expenses, due primarily to an increase in salary and related expenses, along with an increase in professional fees was offset slightly by a decrease in research and development expenses.

    Interest Expense, Net

    Interest expense, net, for fiscal 2025 was $1.2 million compared to $0.9 million in fiscal 2024, an increase of $0.3 million, or 31.6%, due primarily to higher borrowing attributable to the leaseback of the Southampton, Pennsylvania demonstration equipment in fiscal 2025.

    Other (Income) Expense, Net

    Other income, net, for fiscal 2025 was ($0.4) million, compared to other expense, net, of $0.3 million in fiscal 2024 a favorable variance of ($0.7) million, or (221.5%) attributable to a gain realized from the sale of the Southampton, Pennsylvania demonstration equipment in fiscal 2025.

    Income (Benefit) Taxes

    As of February 28, 2025, the Company reviewed the components of its deferred tax assets and determined, based upon all available information, that it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets relating to its federal deferred tax assets and certain state deferred tax assets will be realized. Accordingly, we reversed the previously recorded valuation allowance against these deferred tax assets. If in the future there is a change in our ability to realize these deferred tax assets, then our tax valuation allowance may increase in the period in which we determine that realization is no longer more likely than not. An income tax benefit of $5.6 million was recorded in fiscal 2025 compared to income tax benefit of $0.1 million recorded in fiscal 2024.

    Fiscal 2025 Fourth Quarter Results of Operations

    Net Income

    Net income was $7.6 million, or $0.45 diluted earnings per share, in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter, compared to net income of $2.8 million during the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter, equating to $0.17 diluted earnings per share. The $4.8 million variance is a result of $2.7 million of increased sales, $0.6 million increase in other income attributable to the sale of the Company’s demonstration equipment offset slightly by an 8.9% decrease in gross profit margin percentage, primarily attributable to increased aeromedical center building sales and higher interest expense attributable to the demonstration equipment lease. The 2025 fiscal fourth quarter is also being positively impacted by a $5.5 million increase in income tax benefit attributable to the reversal of the deferred tax asset valuation allowance.

    Net Sales

    Net sales for the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter were $19.1 million, an increase of $2.7 million, or 16.4%, compared to net sales of $16.4 million for the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter. The increase reflects higher overall sales within the ATS and Sterilizer Systems business units.

    Gross Profit

    Gross profit was $4.7 million in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter, a decrease of $0.8 million, or 14.5% compared to gross profit of $5.5 million for the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter. Gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales decreased to 24.6% in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter compared to 33.5% in 2024 fiscal fourth quarter. The majority of the decrease was a direct result of the increase in aeromedical center building sales, which is lower margin then ETC’s core business as the work is being performed by a sub-contracted construction firm. Excluding the aeromedical center building sales, gross profit margin would have been approximately 29.7%. As the building construction of the aeromedical center accelerates over the next year, ETC expects gross profit margin to be lower in fiscal 2026 as compared to fiscal 2025.

    Operating Expenses

    Operating expenses, including sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development, for the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter were $2.7 million, an increase of $0.2 million, or 6.1%, compared to $2.5 million for the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter. The increase in operating expenses was due primarily to higher general and administrative expenses slightly offset by lower selling and marketing and research and development expenses in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter compared to the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter.

    Interest Expense, Net

    Interest expense, net, for the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter was $0.6 million compared to $0.2 million in the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter, an increase of $0.4 million, or 146.6%, reflecting increased borrowing attributable to the leaseback of the demonstration equipment in 2025 fiscal fourth quarter.

    Other (Income) Expense, Net

    Other income, net, for 2025 fiscal fourth quarter was ($0.5) million, compared to other expense, net, of $0.1 million in 2024 fiscal fourth quarter, a favorable variance of ($0.6) million, or (721.0%) attributable to a gain realized from the sale of the Southampton, Pennsylvania demonstration equipment in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter.

    Income (Benefit) Taxes

    An income tax benefit of $5.7 million was recorded in the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter compared to an income tax benefit of $0.2 million in the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter. The increase in the income tax provision in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter was driven primarily by the reversal of the valuation allowance on federal deferred tax assets and certain state deferred tax assets. This reversal is attributable to the change in the Company’s operating profit and expected ability to realize these deferred tax assets.

    Liquidity and Capital Resources

    As of February 28, 2025, the Company’s availability under the PNC Revolving Line of Credit was $2.2 million. This reflected cash borrowings of $14.3 million and net outstanding standby letters of credit of approximately $3.5 million. As of June 9, 2025, the date of our most current Revolving Line of Credit statement, the Company’s availability under the PNC Revolving Line of Credit was approximately $1.2 million. The Company had working capital of $19.7 million as of February 28, 2025 compared to working capital of $8.7 million as of February 23, 2024. The increase in working capital was primarily the result of a significant increase in contract assets and reduction in contract liabilities partially offset by a decrease in prepaid assets and increase in accounts payable, trade and an increase in the current portion of lease obligations. With unused availability under the Company’s various current lines of credit, the further conversion of contract assets and inventory into cash, the collection of milestone payments associated with several International contracts, and expected deposits on fiscal 2026 bookings, the Company anticipates its sources of liquidity will be sufficient to fund its operating activities, anticipated capital expenditures, and debt repayment obligations throughout fiscal 2025.

    On February 3, 2025, the Company entered into a Financing and Security Agreement with Coeur Capital, Inc. that provided for a line of credit of up to $3.0 million. The company is able to draw on the line transferring and assigning acceptable accounts receivable to Coeur Capital. The Financing and Security Agreement remains in full force until terminated by either party upon advanced written notice. As of February 28, 2025, the Company’s availability under this Financing and Security Agreement was $3.0 million. As of June 9, 2025, the date of our report, the Company’s availability under this Financing and Security Agreement with Coeur Capital was $3.0 million.

    Cash flows from operating activities

    During fiscal 2025, cash flows used by operating activities were $3.9 million, an increase of $0.2 million compared to fiscal 2024 cash flows used by operating activities of $3.7 million. Cash flows in fiscal 2025 increased as a result of the increase in contract assets and decrease in contract liabilities partially offset by net income for the fiscal year.

    Cash flows from investing activities

    Cash flows from investing activities primarily relates to funds for capital expenditures in property, plant, and equipment and software development. The Company’s fiscal 2025 investing activities provided $3.6 million as compared to fiscal 2024 investing activities which used $0.3 million. The change in investing activities is attributable to $4.0 million from the sale leaseback of the demonstration equipment in Southampton, Pennsylvania.

    Cash flows from financing activities

    During fiscal 2025, the Company’s financing activities provided $1.7 million from borrowings under the Company’s credit facility to support the significant increase in manufacturing, compared to fiscal 2024 borrowings of $2.7 million.

    About ETC

    ETC was incorporated in 1969 in Pennsylvania. For over five decades, we have provided our customers with products, services, and support. Innovation, continuous technological improvement and enhancement, and product quality are core values that are critical to our success. We are a significant supplier and innovator in the following areas: (i) software driven products and services used to create and monitor the physiological effects of flight, including high performance jet tactical flight simulation, fixed and rotary wing upset prevention and recovery and spatial disorientation, and both suborbital and orbital commercial human spaceflight: altitude (hypobaric) chambers; hyperbaric chambers for multiple persons (multiplace chambers) collectively, Aircrew Training Systems (“ATS”);; (ii) Advanced Disaster Management Simulators (“ADMS”); (iii) steam and gas (ethylene oxide) sterilizer systems (“Sterilizer Systems” or “Sterilizers”); and (iv) Environmental Testing and Simulation Systems (“ETSS”).

    We operate in two primary business segments, Aerospace Solutions (“Aerospace”) and Commercial/Industrial Systems (“CIS”). Aerospace encompasses the design, manufacture, and sale of: (i) ATS products; and (ii) ADMS, as well as integrated logistics support (“ILS”) for customers who purchase these products or similar products manufactured by other parties. These products and services provide customers with an offering of comprehensive solutions for improved readiness and reduced operational costs. Sales of our Aerospace products are made principally to U.S. and foreign government agencies and to civil aviation organizations. CIS encompasses the design, manufacture, and sale of: (i) sterilizer systems; and (ii) ETSS; as well as parts and service support for customers who purchase these products or similar products manufactured by other parties. Sales of our CIS products are made principally to the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and automotive industries.

    ETC-PZL Aerospace Industries Sp. z o.o. (“ETC-PZL”), our 100%-owned subsidiary in Warsaw, Poland, is currently our only operating subsidiary. ETC-PZL manufactures certain simulators and provides software to support products manufactured domestically within our Aerospace segment.

    The majority of our net sales are generated from long-term contracts with U.S. and foreign government agencies (including foreign military sales (“FMS”) contracted through the U.S. Government) for the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of ATS products, including Chambers and the simulators manufactured and sold through ETC-PZL, collectively, ATS. The Company also enters into long-term contracts with domestic and international customers for the sale of sterilizer systems and ETSS. Net sales of ADMS are generally much shorter term in nature and vary between domestic and international customers. We generally provide our products and services under fixed-price contracts.

    ETC’s unique ability to offer complete systems, designed and produced to high technical standards, sets it apart from its competition. ETC’s headquarters is located in Southampton, PA. For more information about ETC, visit http://www.etcusa.com/.

    Forward-looking Statements

    This news release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances. Words and expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements, and these statements may include words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “future”, “predict”, “potential”, “intend”, or “continue”, and similar expressions. We base our forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events or future financial performance. Our forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about ETC and its subsidiaries, the economy and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results implied by these forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

                     
    Table A                
                     
    Environmental Tectonics Corporation
    Consolidated Comprehensive Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income
                     
                     
    (in thousands, except per share information)   Fifty-three / Fifty-two weeks ended   Variance
        February 28, 2025 February 23, 2024   ($)   (%)
    Net sales   $ 62,943     $ 43,307     $ 19,636     45.3  
    Cost of goods sold     44,420       30,848       13,572     44.0  
    Gross Profit     18,523       12,459       6,064     48.7  
    Gross profit margin %     29.4 %     28.8 %     0.6 %   2.1 %
                     
    Operating expenses     10,260       9,494       766     8.1  
    Operating income     8,263       2,965       5,298     178.7  
    Operating margin %     13.1 %     6.8 %     6.3 %   92.6 %
                     
    Interest expense, net     1,183       899       284     31.6  
    Other (income) expense, net     (361 )     297       (658 )   -221.5  
    Income before income taxes     7,441       1,769       5,672     320.6  
    Pre tax margin %     11.8 %     4.1 %     7.7 %   187.8 %
                     
    Income tax provision (benefit)     (5,622 )     (51 )     (5,571 )   10923.5  
    Net income     13,063       1,820       11,243     617.7  
    Preferred Stock Dividends     (493 )     (484 )     (9 )   1.9  
    Income attributable to common and participating shareholders   $ 12,570     $ 1,336     $ 11,234     840.9  
                     
    Per share information:                
    Basic earnings per common and participating share:            
    Distributed earnings per share:                
    Common   $ –     $ –          
    Preferred   $ 0.08     $ 0.08     $ –     0.0  
    Undistributed earnings per share:                
    Common   $ 0.81     $ 0.09     $ 0.72     800.0  
    Preferred   $ 0.81     $ 0.09     $ 0.72     800.0  
    Diluted earnings per share   $ 0.75     $ 0.09     $ 0.66     733.3  
                     
    Total basic weighted average common and participating shares     15,572       15,569          
                     
    Total diluted weighted average shares     16,655       15,569          
    Table B                
                     
    Environmental Tectonics Corporation
    Consolidated Comprehensive Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income
                     
        Fourteen / Thirteen weeks ended   Variance
    (in thousands, except per share information)   February 28, 2025   February 23, 2024   ($)   (%)
    Net sales   $ 19,098     $ 16,414     $ 2,684     16.4  
    Cost of goods sold     14,394       10,915       3,479     31.9  
    Gross Profit     4,704       5,500       (795 )   -14.5  
    Gross profit margin %     24.6 %     33.5 %     -8.9 %   -26.7 %
                     
    Operating expenses     2,665       2,513       153     6.1  
    Operating income     2,039       2,987       (948 )   -31.6  
    Operating margin %     10.7 %     18.2 %     -7.5 %   -40.8 %
                     
    Interest expense, net     613       249       365     146.6  
    Other (income) expense, net     (504 )     81       (584 )   -721.0  
    Income before income taxes     1,930       2,658       (728 )   -27.4  
    Pre-tax margin %     10.1 %     16.2 %     -6.2 %   (38.2 )
                     
    Income tax provision (benefit)     (5,682 )     (171 )     (5,511 )   3222.8  
    Net income     7,612       2,829       4,783     169.1  
    Preferred Stock dividends     (130 )     (121 )     (9 )   7.4  
    Income attributable to common and participating shareholders   $ 7,482     $ 2,708     $ 4,774     176.3  
                     
    Per share information:                
    Basic earnings per common and participating share:                
    Distributed earnings per share:                
    Common   $ –     $ –     $ –      
    Preferred   $ 0.02     $ 0.02     $ –     0.0  
    Undistributed earnings per share:                
    Common   $ 0.48     $ 0.17     $ 0.31     182.4  
    Preferred   $ 0.48     $ 0.17     $ 0.31     182.4  
    Diluted earnings per share   $ 0.45     $ 0.17     $ 0.28     164.7  
                     
                     
    Total basic weighted average common and participating shares     15,582       15,569          
                     
    Total diluted weighted average shares     16,725       15,569          

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: $HAREHOLDER ALERT: The M&A Class Action Firm Investigates the Merger of Heliogen, Inc. (OTCQX: HLGN)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde with Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating Heliogen, Inc. (OTCQX: HLGN) related to its sale to Zeo Energy Corp. Upon closing of the proposed transaction, Heliogen’s securityholders will receive shares of Zeo’s Class A common stock valued at approximately $10 million in the aggregate, based on a Zeo Class A common stock price of $1.5859 per share, and subject to an adjustment mechanism based on Heliogen’s net cash at the closing.

    Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/heliogen-inc/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE THE SAME. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:

    1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?
    2. When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
    Juan Monteverde, Esq.
    MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC
    The Empire State Building
    350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740
    New York, NY 10118
    United States of America
    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
    Tel: (212) 971-1341

    Attorney Advertising. (C) 2025 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Some economists have called for a radical ‘global wealth tax’ on billionaires. How would that work?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Venkat Narayanan, Senior Lecturer – Accounting and Tax, RMIT University

    Rudy Balasko/Shutterstock

    Earlier this year, I attended a housing conference in Sydney. The event’s opening address centred on the way Australia seems to be becoming like 18th-century England – a country where inheritance largely determines one’s opportunities in life.

    There has been a lot of media coverage of economic inequities in Australian society. Our tax system has been partly blamed for this problem. The case for long-term, visionary tax reform has never been stronger. And one area of tax reform could be a wealth tax.

    First, let’s be clear about one thing. Unlike the superannuation tax reforms currently being debated for those with more than A$3 million in superannuation, the wealth tax we’re talking about would apply to a very different cohort: billionaires.

    A recent article in the Financial Times re-examined a proposal to impose such a tax on the world’s highest-net-worth individuals. It also pointed out these efforts would need to be globally coordinated.

    Such taxes could collect significant sums of money for governments. It’s previously been estimated a billionaire tax could raise US$250 billion (more than A$380 billion) globally if just 2% of the net worth of the world’s billionaires was taxed each year.

    The case for a wealth tax

    Inequality is on the rise and the argument for a wealth tax can’t be ignored – not least here at home. According to the Australia Institute, the wealth of Australia’s richest 200 people has soared as a percentage of our national gross domestic product (GDP) – from 8.4% in 2004 to 23.7% in 2024.

    If that sounds dramatic, the picture is far worse in the United States. So, what would a wealth tax look like in Australia (noting that in reality a globally coordinated effort would be needed)?

    The starting point for this is understanding of why high-net-worth individuals seemingly pay very low taxes.

    High net worth, low tax rate

    Income taxes only take into account any amounts that are received in the hands of the taxpayer – whether that is a company, a person or a trust.

    Most high-net-worth individuals do not receive much income directly but “store” their wealth in companies and other corporate structures.

    In Australia, the maximum applicable tax rate for companies is 30%. Note that the highest tax rate in Australia for individuals is 45% plus the 2% medicare levy, effectively 47%.

    Assets such as real estate may also be held by companies or trusts, and the increase in value of these assets is not taxed until they are sold (through capital gains tax).

    Even then, those gains may not be paid out directly to the high-net-worth individual who owns these entities.

    Unrealised gains

    So, how do we tax wealth that is sitting in various businesses (company structures) or other entities, but isn’t taxed at present because the “income” or “gains” from these are not taxable in the hands of the wealthy individuals who own them?

    This goes into the murky area of taxation of unrealised gains. Here, we need to tread very carefully. But we also need to recognise that we already do this, albeit rather subtly, and most of us are not billionaires.

    In your rates notice from your local council, for example, the increase in value of your residence or investment property is used to calculate your rates.

    The real difficulty, to carry on with this example, is that your residence or investment property is typically held in your name and so the tax can be directly levied on you.

    A luxury residence in Miami Beach, Florida, owned by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. The US is home to the most billionaires of any country in the world.
    Felix Mizioznikov/Shutterstock

    Making tax unavoidable

    As we’ve already explained, the bulk of the assets or net worth of wealthy individuals is not directly attributable to them. Does this mean we should give up altogether?

    Not quite. UNSW professor Chris Evans has pointed out that while we may not be able to effectively tax all the net worth of the wealthy, there are some things we can tax and they can’t avoid it.

    An obvious example is real estate. You can pack your bags and bank accounts and move to a low-tax country, but you can’t move your mansion overlooking Sydney Harbour.

    Real estate, both residential and commercial, provides one clear way in which we could implement a partial wealth tax. This method (which also has fewer valuation issues than value stored in a company in the form of retained profits) also counters the argument that the wealthy will simply move to other jurisdictions that won’t tax them.

    There is plenty of academic research looking at various wealth tax initiatives in other countries. We should learn from these, including the experience in Switzerland and Sweden.

    In Sweden, for instance, research found the behavioural effects of wealth taxation were less pronounced than those of income taxation, but the system had so many loopholes that evasion was an option for some people.

    Change faces headwinds

    In a very uncertain world that features ongoing wars and an unpredictable US president, any change that seeks to address issues of inequity is going to be met with resistance by those who hold power.

    Some billionaires in the US, however, have expressed their support for being taxed more in a letter signed by heirs to the Disney and Rockefeller fortunes. That offers some hope, and suggests the discussion about wealth taxes should not be relegated to the “too hard” basket.

    Some steps towards taxing the uber-rich would be better than the status quo.

    Venkat Narayanan 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. Some economists have called for a radical ‘global wealth tax’ on billionaires. How would that work? – https://theconversation.com/some-economists-have-called-for-a-radical-global-wealth-tax-on-billionaires-how-would-that-work-257632

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Racial Discrimination Act at 50: the bumpy, years-long journey to Australia’s first human rights laws

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Azadeh Dastyari, Director, Research and Policy, Whitlam Institute, Western Sydney University

    On June 11, Australia marks 50 years since the Racial Discrimination Act became law. This important legislation helps make sure people are treated equally no matter their race, skin colour, background, or where they come from.

    But the act didn’t happen overnight. It took nearly ten years for Australia to follow through on the promises it made to the world to fight racism when it signed the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1966.

    When Australia first signed that agreement, it still had laws and attitudes shaped by the White Australia Policy.

    Even after Australia started moving away from the White Australia Policy, federal leaders held off on making anti-racism laws. They weren’t sure it was allowed under the Constitution, worried about the cost, and didn’t want to upset the states. Many also feared that Australians wouldn’t support it.

    It took the courage of Gough Whitlam, Australia’s 21st prime minister, to pass Australia’s first anti-discrimination law. Between 1973 and 1975, Whitlam and his government made four attempts to pass laws against racial discrimination. The act was the result of their fourth try – this time, it worked.

    An uphill battle

    The first time the Racial Discrimination Bill was introduced was in 1973, it was alongside a Human Rights Bill. Together, they were part of a bigger plan to give people in Australia more rights and fair treatment.

    People had mixed feelings about the idea of a law to protect individual rights. Most of the concern was about the Human Rights Bill, but some also doubted whether a Racial Discrimination Act was needed.

    There was debate about whether it would really work or just be a symbolic step, and whether or not it would take away from people’s freedoms.

    In the end, the 1973 bill lapsed and did not become law.

    The Whitlam government reintroduced the bill twice more in 1974, once in April and then again in October.

    The April version added protections for immigrants and focused more on conciliation and education, but it wasn’t debated before an election.

    The bill returned in October with minor updates, mainly to strengthen education efforts and clarify that it used civil, not criminal, enforcement.

    Still, it was withdrawn in early 1975 because of ongoing political instability.

    The 1975 Racial Discrimination Bill was the Whitlam government’s final, and successful, push to make laws tackling racism.

    Familiar debates

    Labor MPs backed the 1975 version of the bill, highlighting its importance for Indigenous people and other marginalised groups.

    But the Liberal–Country Party Coalition, then in opposition, pushed back hard.

    While the opposition claimed to support equality, they questioned the legal basis of the bill, feared it gave too much power to the race relations commissioner and warned it might threaten free speech.

    Some opposition voices, especially in the Senate, went further, downplaying racism altogether. Senator Ian Wood claimed Australia was “singularly free of racial discrimination”.

    Senator Glen Sheil argued immigration was the issue:

    Australia over recent years has adopted an immigration policy that has allowed the immigration into this country of blacks, whites, reds, yellows and browns […] because of these problems, once again created by governments, we are now faced with this Racial Discrimination Bill. In my opinion if this bill is implemented it will create more discrimination, not less.

    The opposition successfully weakened the bill by removing several key parts, including:

    • criminal penalties for inciting racial discrimination

    • the ability of the commissioner to start legal proceedings in court or ask a court to make someone give evidence

    • and criminal penalties for publishing, distributing or expressing racial hostility.

    Despite these setbacks, the Racial Discrimination Act passed.

    Change takes time

    Even with all the compromises, the passing of the act was a major moment in Australian history.

    As Whitlam acknowledged:

    it is of course extraordinarily difficult to define racial discrimination and outlaw it by legislative means. Social attitudes and mental habits do not readily lend themselves to codification and statutory prohibition.

    The act has not erased racial discrimination, nor is it perfect.

    It continues to spark debates and needs to be further strengthened to meet the changing needs of our society.

    However, the laws have been used in real cases to protect people’s rights, shown the federal government does have the power under the Constitution to make laws about human rights, and has sent a strong message that everyone deserves to be safe and free from discrimination, regardless of their race, colour or national or ethnic origin.

    The story of the Racial Discrimination Act is a reminder that real change takes time, resolve and tenacity.

    While the laws finally passed, the Human Rights Bill introduced alongside it in 1973 did not.

    More than 50 years later, Australia still does not have a national Human Rights Act. As more people call for stronger human rights protections in our laws, the Racial Discrimination Act stands as both a reminder of what progress can look like and a challenge to imagine what bold leadership could achieve today.

    A Human Rights Act is now needed more than ever to protect those most at risk. It will take the same political will, moral clarity, and bravery that brought the Racial Discrimination Act to life.

    Azadeh Dastyari 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. The Racial Discrimination Act at 50: the bumpy, years-long journey to Australia’s first human rights laws – https://theconversation.com/the-racial-discrimination-act-at-50-the-bumpy-years-long-journey-to-australias-first-human-rights-laws-257245

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: IDT Corporation to Present at East Coast IDEAS Investor Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWARK, NJ, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), a provider of fintech and communications solutions, will present at the East Coast IDEAS Investor Conference on Thursday, June 12, 2025 at the Westin Times Square in New York.

    Marcelo Fisher, Chief Financial Officer, will provide an overview of IDT’s operations, strategy, and financial results beginning at 3:30 PM Eastern time. Mr. Fischer will also host one-on-one investor meetings throughout the day.

    The IDT presentation will be webcast through the conference host’s main website: https://www.threepartadvisors.com/east-coast.

    To attend or learn more about the IDEAS conferences, please contact Lacey Wesley at (817) 769 -2373 or lWesley@IDEASconferences.com.

    All statements above that are not purely about historical facts, including, but not limited to, those in which we use the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “target” and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgment of what may happen in the future, actual results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these statements due to numerous important factors. Our filings with the SEC provide detailed information on such statements and risks, and should be consulted along with this release. To the extent permitted under applicable law, IDT assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

    ABOUT IDT CORPORATION

    IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT) is a global provider of fintech and communications solutions through a portfolio of synergistic businesses: National Retail Solutions (NRS), through its point-of-sale (POS) platform, enables independent retailers to operate more effectively while providing advertisers and marketers with unprecedented reach into underserved consumer markets; BOSS Money facilitates innovative international remittances and fintech payments solutions; net2phone provides enterprises and organizations with intelligently integrated cloud communications and contact center services across channels and devices; IDT Digital Payments and the BOSS Revolution calling service make sharing prepaid products and services and speaking with friends and family around the world convenient and reliable; and, IDT Global and IDT Express enable communications services to provision and manage international voice and SMS messaging.

    Contact:
    Bill Ulrey
    IDT Investor Relations
    Phone: (973) 438-3838
    E-mail: invest@idt.net

    ###

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Orange County Bancorp, Inc. Announces Closing of Overallotment Option and Issuance of 258,064 Shares of Common Stock

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIDDLETOWN, N.Y., June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orange County Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company” – Nasdaq: OBT), parent company of Orange Bank & Trust Company, (the “Bank”) and Hudson Valley Investment Advisors, Inc. (“HVIA”), today announced that the underwriters for its recently completed public offering have exercised their overallotment option and completed the sale of an additional 258,064 shares of common stock at the public offering price of $23.25 per share. The expected proceeds to the Company in connection with the exercise of the option and the issuance of the additional shares, after deducting the underwriting discount and commissions but before deducting other expenses payable by the Company, are approximately $5.7 million.

    Piper Sandler & Co. and Stephens Inc. served as joint book-running managers.

    The offering was made only by means of an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-280793), including a preliminary prospectus supplement and final prospectus supplement, copies of which may be obtained for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Additionally, copies may be obtained from Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, or by phone at 1-800-747-3924, or by email at prospectus@psc.com, or Stephens Inc., 111 Center Street, Little Rock, AR 72201, or by phone at 1-800-643-9691.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.  

    About Orange County Bancorp, Inc.

    Orange County Bancorp, Inc. is the parent company of Orange Bank & Trust Company and Hudson Valley Investment Advisors, Inc. Orange Bank & Trust Company is an independent bank that began with the vision of 14 founders over 125 years ago. It has grown through innovation and an unwavering commitment to its community and business clientele to approximately $2.6 billion in total assets. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors, Inc. is a Registered Investment Advisor in Goshen, NY. It was founded in 1996 and acquired by the Company in 2012.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The information disclosed in this press release includes various forward-looking statements that are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipates,” “projects,” “intends,” “estimates,” “expects,” “believes,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The Company cautions that these forward-looking statements are necessarily speculative and speak only as of the date made, and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, all of which may change over time. Actual results could differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. In addition to the specific risk factors disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from such forward-looking statements: those related to the real estate and economic environment, particularly in the market areas in which the Company operates, competitive products and pricing, fiscal and monetary policies of the U.S. Government, inflation, changes in government regulations affecting financial institutions, including regulatory fees and capital requirements, changes in prevailing interest rates, tariffs, increased levels of loan delinquencies, problem assets and foreclosures, credit risk management, asset-liability management, cybersecurity risks, geopolitical conflicts, public health issues, the financial and securities markets and the availability of and costs associated with sources of liquidity. The Company does not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

    For further information:
    Michael Lesler
    EVP & Chief Financial Officer
    mlesler@orangebanktrust.com
    Phone: (845) 341-5111

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Micropolis Holding Company Announces Receipt of Audit Opinion with Going Concern Explanation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Micropolis Holding Company (“Micropolis” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: MCRP), a pioneer in unmanned ground vehicles and AI-driven security solutions, today announced that, as previously disclosed in its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed on May 8, 2025 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “2024 Annual Report”), the Company’s audited financial statements contained an audit opinion from its independent registered public accounting firm that included an explanatory paragraph related to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. See further discussion in Note 3 to the Company’s financial statements included in the 2024 Annual Report. This announcement is made pursuant to NYSE American LLC Company Guide Sections 401(h) and 610(b), which requires public announcement of the receipt of an audit opinion containing a going concern paragraph. This announcement does not represent any change or amendment to the Company’s financial statements or to its 2024 Annual Report.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “believe”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “can have”, “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements represent Micropolis’ current expectations regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the registration statement filed with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

    About Micropolis Holding Company

    Micropolis is a UAE-based company specializing in the design, development, and manufacturing of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), AI systems, and smart infrastructure for urban, security, and industrial applications. The Company’s vertically integrated capabilities cover everything from mechatronics and embedded systems to AI software and high-level autonomy.

    For more information please visit www.micropolis.ai.

    Investor Contact:
    KCSA Strategic Communications
    Valter Pinto, Managing Director
    PH: (212) 896-1254
    Valter@KCSA.com

    Media Contact:
    Jessica Starman
    media@elev8newmedia.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet Statement on Secretary Lutnick’s Senate Testimony

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet released the following statement following the congressional testimony from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick:

    “Colorado, and the rest of the country, worked for years to create and prepare programs to expand broadband access under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. These programs are nearly finalized, and delaying them will cost millions of dollars, add unnecessary bureaucratic burdens, and deprive Coloradans of high-speed, affordable internet.

    “Secretary Lutnick’s decision to ask states to reapply for this federal funding betrays the promise Congress made to the American people.”

    Hickenlooper was part of the bipartisan group of 22 senators who negotiated and wrote the $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal, which authorized the BEAD program.

    The BEAD program is the largest broadband investment in American history and invests $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs in all 50 states and territories. It prioritizes communities with little to no reliable internet access to make sure unserved and underserved areas aren’t left behind.

    In Colorado, 10 percent of locations are unserved or underserved, and 190,850 households lack access to the internet. In June 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration awarded Colorado over $826 million as part of the program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Acting at the Direction of North Korea to Export Firearms, Ammo, and Technology to North Korea

    Source: US State of California

    An illegal alien from China pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, California, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts.

    Shenghua Wen, 42, of Ontario, California, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Wen has been in federal custody since his arrest in December 2024.

    According to his plea agreement, Wen is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China who entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the U.S. illegally after his student visa expired in December 2013.

    Prior to entering the United States, Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at a North Korean embassy in China. These government officials directed Wen to procure goods on behalf of North Korea.

    In 2022, two North Korean government officials contacted Wen through an online messaging platform and instructed him to buy and smuggle firearms and other goods – including sensitive technology – from the United States to North Korea via China.

    In 2023, at the direction of North Korean government officials, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms out of the Port of Long Beach to China en route to their ultimate destination in North Korea. Wen took steps to conceal that he was illegally shipping firearms to North Korea by, among other things, filing false export information regarding the contents of the containers.

    In May 2023, Wen purchased a firearms business in Houston, paid for with money sent through intermediaries by one of Wen’s North Korean contacts. Wen purchased many of the firearms he sent to North Korea in Texas and drove the firearms from Texas to California, where he arranged for them to be shipped.

    In December 2023, one of Wen’s weapons shipments – which falsely reported to U.S. officials that it contained a refrigerator – left the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong in January 2024. This weapons shipment was later transported from Hong Kong to Nampo, North Korea.

    In September 2024, Wen – once again acting at the direction of North Korean officials – bought approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he intended to ship to North Korea.

    In furtherance of the conspiracy and at the direction of North Korean officials, Wen also obtained sensitive technology that he intended to send to North Korea. This technology included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions.

    Wen also acquired or offered to acquire a civilian airplane engine and a thermal imaging system that could be mounted on a drone, helicopter, or other aircraft, and could be used for reconnaissance and target identification.

    During the scheme, North Korean officials wired approximately $2 million to Wen to procure firearms and other goods for their government.

    Wen admitted that at all relevant times he knew that it was illegal to ship firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea. He also admitted to never having the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms, and the above-described devices to North Korea. He further admitted to acting at the direction of North Korean government officials and that he had not provided notification to the Attorney General of the United States that he was acting in the United States at the direction and control of North Korea as required by law.

    Wen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the count of violating the IEEPA and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 18. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.

    The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Founder of Orange County Based Non-Profit Charged in 15-Count Indictment Alleging He Bribed County Supervisor in $12 Million Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    SANTA ANA, California – The founder of a now-shuttered non-profit organization has been indicted on federal charges alleging he bribed then-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Hoang Do to obtain approximately $12 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related funds, pocketed the bulk of that money, then laundered it to avoid detection by law enforcement, the Justice Department announced today.

    Peter Anh Pham, 65, of Garden Grove, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, six counts of concealment money laundering, and one count of bribery.

    Also charged in the indictment is Thanh Huong Nguyen, 61, of Santa Ana, who is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of concealment money laundering.

    Pham is considered to be a fugitive from justice. Nguyen’s initial appearance and arraignment are expected to occur on Monday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.

    “These two defendants are charged with conspiring with a corrupt politician to pad their pockets while the nation suffered under the weight of COVID-19,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to prosecute individuals who cashed in on government aid intended to help those impacted by the largest public health emergency in a century.”

    “This conspiracy was a house of cards built on lies, betrayal, and insatiable greed,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Today’s indictments are another critical step in ensuring accountability – and consequences – for those who conspired to use the County of Orange’s COVID-19 funds as their personal ATMs – and to return those stolen funds to their rightful owners – the community for which these funds were originally intended.” 

    According to the indictment that was returned on Wednesday and unsealed today, Pham was a friend and associate of Do, 62, of Santa Ana, who served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors from 2015 until his resignation in October 2024. In that role, Do was one of five supervisors on the Board, which is responsible for the county’s $9 billion annual budget.

    Do pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, when he will face a sentence of up to five years in federal prison. 

    From June 2020 to October 2024, Do used his official position as a county supervisor to vote for millions of dollars in county funds to be allocated in his district, subject to disbursement at his sole discretion. Do then steered county contracts and grants to Pham and Nguyen, the indictment alleges. 

    For example, in June 2020, Do voted to approve an agenda item that, in part, allocated $5 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic-relief funding to a county nutrition program. As part of this agenda item, Do authorized himself a budget of $1 million to develop that nutrition program in his district, which he could distribute without further approval from the rest of the Board. Eight days after Do voted to approve the agenda item, Pham founded the Huntington Beach-based non-profit organization Viet America Society (VAS).

    Pham, through VAS, and Nguyen, through a Garden Grove-based group called Hand-to-Hand Relief Organization Inc. (H2H), entered into contracts and beneficiary agreements with the county. In many of these contracts, VAS and H2H falsely represented that they would reimburse the county for any funds not spent for the contract’s intended purpose. In each of the beneficiary agreements, VAS and H2H falsely certified that all funds would be used solely for the grant’s intended purpose.

    In exchange for Pham’s bribes in the form of payments to his two daughters, Do used his official position as a county supervisor to advocate for VAS and H2H so county employees would approve contracts and beneficiary agreements between the county and these organizations. Do and his staff – including his chief of staff – edited the terms of those contracts and agreements to make them more favorable to Pham and Nguyen. Through the influence of Do and his staff, the county wired funds to Pham and Nguyen. 

    After receiving county funds, Pham and Nguyen transferred most of the money to other entities they controlled. They then spent large portions of the funds to pay personal expenses such as rent and bills, to pay off debts owed by their other businesses, and to make personal investments such as purchasing commercial and residential real estate. Pham and Nguyen also used county funds to bribe Do through payments to his daughters.

    Pham also used county money to pay the eventual wife of Do’s chief of staff, under the guise that she was providing consulting services to VAS. Do’s chief of staff then used his position in Orange County’s government to help VAS and H2H obtain county contracts, edited the contracts’ terms to make them more favorable to VAS and H2H, and helped those organizations fulfill reporting requirements and get paid.

    When required to submit invoices to the county to account for how the money was being spent, Pham and Nguyen submitted false documents, claiming to have used all the funds – all solely for legitimate purposes and according to the contracts’ terms.

    To disguise the funds’ source, Pham and an associate caused checks from county funds to be written to a Westminster-based company called D Air Conditioning Co. LLC. This company then issued checks from its corporate bank account to Pham, Pham’s associate, and one of Do’s daughters.

    In total, Pham and Nguyen unlawfully acquired approximately $12 million in county funds through this conspiracy.

    An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime.  Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    If convicted of the charges, Pham and Nguyen would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count, each wire fraud count, and each money laundering count. Pham also would face up to 10 years in federal prison for the bribery count. 

    The FBI, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation, and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.      

    Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss and Rosalind Wang of the Orange County Office, Assistant United States Attorney Tara Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section, and Senior Deputy District Attorney Avery T. Harrison and Deputy District Attorney Anthony J. Schlehner of Orange County District Attorney’s Office are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Oportun to Present at Sidoti June Virtual Investor Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN CARLOS, Calif., June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oportun (Nasdaq: OPRT), a mission-driven financial services company, today announced that it will participate in the upcoming Sidoti June Virtual Investor Conference.

    Oportun’s Chief Executive Officer, Raul Vazquez, and Interim Chief Financial Officer, Paul Appleton, will present and participate in investor meetings at the conference. The presentation will begin at 4:00 pm ET on June 11th and can be accessed live at this link.

    A link to the presentation webcast will also be accessible in the “IR calendar” section of Oportun’s Investor Relations website under “News & Events” at https://investor.oportun.com. A replay will be available for an additional 90 days via the same link following the conference.

    About Oportun 
    Oportun (Nasdaq: OPRT) is a mission-driven financial services company that puts its members’ financial goals within reach. With intelligent borrowing, savings, and budgeting capabilities, Oportun empowers members with the confidence to build a better financial future. Since inception, Oportun has provided more than $20.3 billion in responsible and affordable credit, saved its members more than $2.4 billion in interest and fees, and helped its members set aside an average of more than $1,800 annually. For more information, visit Oportun.com.

    Investor Contact
    Dorian Hare
    (650) 590-4323
    ir@oportun.com

    Media Contact
    Michael Azzano
    Cosmo PR for Oportun
    michael@cosmo-pr.com
    (415) 596-1978

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Codere Online Announces 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, June 9, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Codere Online Luxembourg, S.A. (Nasdaq: CDRO / CDROW) (the “Company” or “Codere Online”), a leading online gaming operator in Spain and Latin America, today announced that its 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (“AGM”) will be held on June 30, 2025 at 3:00 PM CET at the registered office of the Company.

    The convening notice of the AGM, including the agenda, proposed resolutions, and voting instructions, is available on the Shareholders Meetings section of the Company’s website at codereonline.com and is being furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 6-K.

    Shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 4, 2025 are entitled to attend and vote at the meeting.

    About Codere Online

    Codere Online refers, collectively, to Codere Online Luxembourg, S.A. and its subsidiaries. Codere Online launched in 2014 as part of the renowned casino operator Codere Group. Codere Online offers online sports betting and online casino through its state-of-the art website and mobile applications. Codere currently operates in its core markets of Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Panama and Argentina. Codere Online’s online business is complemented by Codere Group’s physical presence throughout Latin America, forming the foundation of the leading omnichannel gaming and casino presence.

    For more information, please contact:

    Investors and Media
    Guillermo Lancha
    Director, Investor Relations and Communications
    Guillermo.Lancha@codereonline.com
    (+34) 628.928.152

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Kangamoon Launches Telegram-Based Play-to-Earn Game “KANG RUSH” With $5,000 Prize Pool

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kangamoon, a Web3 gaming platform, has officially launched its highly anticipated Play-to-Earn (P2E) fighter game, “KANG RUSH,” on Telegram. The launch introduces a $5,000 reward pool in $KANG tokens for top players over the first 30 days, marking a major milestone in the rollout of the Kangaverse ecosystem.

    Ripple’s Resurgence: Why Is XRP Going Up?

    In recent weeks, Ripple’s XRP has been gaining renewed attention. XRP’s price is now hovering around $2.29 USD, reflecting a modest recovery amid overall market fluctuations. Many in the community are asking, “Why is XRP going up?” – and a few factors seem to be converging.

    For one, Ripple’s recent SEC settlement has helped ease some of the legal uncertainties that previously weighed on the token. Positive regulatory news has boosted investor confidence, and with institutional interest stirring thanks in part to institutional momentum, including recent XRP ETF approvals and increased mentions of Ripple in financial policy discussions – XRP’s price live updates have shown steady improvements. Trading volume has also picked up across major exchanges, underscoring the renewed market optimism and higher liquidity.

    Meanwhile, another token making headlines is Kangamoon (KANG) — a Play-to-Earn (P2E) fighter game token that just launched its flagship game. The price of KANG has jumped 80.10% in the past 7 days, now trading at $0.0014 with over $130,000 in 24-hour trading volume.

    XRP Ripple News: Institutional and Political Developments

    Recent XRP ripple news points to several catalyst events:

    • ETF Momentum: ProShares recently received approval to launch XRP-tracking ETFs. Such developments are expanding institutional access to XRP, which many believe could help sustain its recovery.
    • Stablecoin Progress: Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin has grown in circulation, further integrating XRP into the digital payments ecosystem.
    • Political Headlines: Adding to the buzz, former U.S. political figures have mentioned XRP in discussions about a national crypto strategy, sparking wider speculation about its future role in government financial systems.
    • Elon Musk Rumors: Unverified reports on social media suggest Elon Musk may consider XRP for future integration into X Payments platform, contributing to the “xrp price live” commentary that circulates on social media.

    All of these factors have helped refresh investor sentiment, painting a picture of renewed growth for XRP even as the market continues to evolve.

    Kangamoon (KANG) Announces New Game Launch

    While XRP recovers, Kangamoon (KANG) is making noise of its own in the GameFi space. The team is set to launch a Telegram-based Play-to-Earn (P2E) fighter game on June 9, 2025.

    This game features:

    • Point-based battles that convert into $KANG rewards
    • Character inventories, upgrades, and boosters
    • Real-time leaderboards and a competitive structure

    The launch event, titled “KANG RUSH,” offers $5,000 in $KANG to the Top players over the first 30 days. The game is Web3-native, with token and wallet integration built-in. This marks the beginning of the Kangaverse—a fusion of meme culture, token rewards, and fast-paced gameplay.

    The price of KANG has started to show early signs of activity, with trading volume picking up in anticipation of the game launch. This blend of innovative game mechanics and token-based rewards has put Kangamoon in the spotlight as a potential breakout in the P2E space.

    As of today, CoinGecko lists KANG at $0.0014, with growing interest driven by the game launch hype and increased trading volume.

    Final Analysis

    The latest XRP news and price updates indicate that Ripple could be on a path to recovery, driven by regulatory wins and increased institutional interest. While many still wonder whether XRP could eventually serve as a robust medium of exchange, its current performance suggests a cautious yet positive outlook.

    At the same time, the Kangamoon game launch introduces a fresh, GameFi narrative that’s shaking up the crypto market. The combination of strong gameplay features, low barriers to entry (thanks to its Telegram platform), and innovative Web3 elements is drawing both casual players and seasoned investors. With trading volumes and KANG price activity increasing, the Kangaverse might just be the next area where early movers reap significant rewards.

    In a market defined by rapid innovation and shifting investor sentiment, keeping an eye on both XRP’s steady recovery and Kangamoon’s bold new venture is worthwhile. Whether you’re watching XRP’s recovery or tracking the Kangamoon game launch, staying updated with the latest developments remains the key to navigating this evolving landscape.

    For more information

    Contact Details:

    Kangamoon
    Alex Roberts
    contact@kangamoon.game

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

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

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/66779c01-3a1c-492c-a4a0-2982ebb1dae1

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3bd8fe8a-fe2c-4173-ad5e-e609bebcbaa5

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Microchip Technology to Present at The Mizuho 2025 Technology Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHANDLER, Ariz., June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Microchip Technology Incorporated, a leading provider of smart, connected, and secure embedded control solutions, today announced that the Company will present at the Mizuho 2025 Technology Conference on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 9:45 a.m. (Eastern Time). Presenting for the Company will be Mr. Richard Simoncic, Chief Operating Officer, and Mr. Sajid Daudi, Head of Investor Relations. A live webcast of the presentation will be made available by Mizuho, and can be accessed on the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.

    Any forward looking statements made during the presentation are qualified in their entirety by the discussion of risks set forth in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Copies of SEC filings can be obtained for free at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) or from commercial document retrieval services.

    Microchip Technology Incorporated is a leading provider of smart, connected and secure embedded control solutions. Its easy-to-use development tools and comprehensive product portfolio enable customers to create optimal designs, which reduce risk while lowering total system cost and time to market. The company’s solutions serve approximately 112,000 customers across the industrial, automotive, consumer, aerospace and defense, communications and computing markets. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.

    Note: The Microchip name and logo are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the USA and other countries.

     INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:

    Deborah Wussler ……… (480) 792-7373

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s whooping cough surge is not over – and it doesn’t just affect babies

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niall Johnston, Conjoint Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney

    Tomsickova Tatyana/Shutterstock

    Whooping cough (pertussis) is always circulating in Australia, and epidemics are expected every three to four years. However, the numbers we’re seeing with the current surge – which started in 2024 – are higher than usual epidemics.

    Vaccines for this highly infectious respiratory infection have been available in Australia for many decades. Yet it remains a challenging infection to control because immunity (due to prior infection, or vaccination) wanes with time.

    In 2025, more than 14,000 cases have been recorded already. Some regions, including Queensland and Western Australia’s Kimberley region, are seeing a marked rise in cases.

    In 2024, more than 57,000 cases of whooping cough were reported in Australia – the highest yearly total since 1991 – including 25,900 in New South Wales alone.

    What is causing the current surge?

    A few factors are driving numbers higher than we’d expect for an anticipated epidemic.

    COVID lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 reduced natural immunity to many diseases, disrupted routine childhood vaccination services, and resulted in rising distrust in vaccines. This has meant higher-than-usual numbers for many infectious diseases.

    And it’s not only Australia witnessing this surge.

    In the United States, whooping cough cases are at their highest since 1948, with deaths reported in several states, including two infants.

    In Australia, vaccine coverage remains relatively high but it is slipping and is below the national target of 95% .

    Even small declines may have a significant impact on infection rates.

    Who is at risk of whooping cough?

    Young babies, especially those under six weeks of age, are extremely vulnerable to whooping cough because they’re too young to be vaccinated.

    Infants under six months of age are also more likely to require hospitalisation for breathing support or have severe outcomes such as pneumonia, seizures or brain inflammation . Some do not survive.

    However, the greatest number of cases occur in older children and adults. In fact, in 2024, more than 70% of cases occurred in children 10 years and older, and adults.

    Babies who are too young to be vaccinated are most vulnerable.
    Halfpoint/Shutterstock

    Can you get whooping cough even if you’re vaccinated?

    The whooping cough vaccine works well, but its protection fades with time. Babies are immunised at six weeks, four months and six months, which gives good protection against severe illness.

    But without extra (booster) doses, that protection drops, falling to less than 50% by four years of age. That’s why booster doses at 18 months and four years are essential for maintaining protection against the disease.

    A whooping cough vaccine is also recommended for any adult who wishes to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill with pertussis. Carers of young infants, in particular, should have a booster dose if they’ve not received one in the past ten years.

    A booster dose is also recommended every ten years for health-care workers and early childhood educators.

    One of the best ways we can protect babies from the life-threatening illness of whooping cough is vaccination during pregnancy, which transfers protective antibodies to the unborn baby.

    If a woman hasn’t received a vaccine during pregnancy, they can be vaccinated as soon as possible after delivery (preferably before hospital discharge). This won’t pass protective immunity to the baby, but reduces the likelihood of the mother getting whooping cough, providing some indirect protection to the infant.

    How contagious is whooping cough?

    Whooping cough is extremely contagious – in fact, it is up to ten times more contagious than the flu.

    If you’re immunised against whooping cough, you’re likely to have milder symptoms. But you can still catch and spread it, including to babies who have not yet been immunised.

    Data shows siblings (and not parents) are one of the most common sources of whooping cough infection in babies.

    This highlights the importance of on-time vaccination not just during pregnancy, but also in siblings and other close contacts.

    How do I know it’s whooping cough, and not just a cold?

    Early symptoms of whooping cough can look just like a cold: a runny nose, mild fever, and a persistent cough.

    After about a week, the cough often worsens, coming in long fits that may end with a sharp “whoop” as the person gasps for breath.

    In very young babies, there may be no whoop at all. They might briefly stop breathing (called an “apnoea”) or turn blue.

    In teens and adults, the only sign may be a stubborn cough (the so-called “100-day” cough) that won’t go away.

    If you have whooping cough, you may be infectious for up to three weeks after symptoms begin, unless treated with antibiotics (which can shorten this to five days).

    You’ll need to stay home from work, school or childcare during this time to help protect others.

    What should I do to reduce my risk?

    Start by checking your vaccination record. This can be done through the myGov website, the Express Plus Medicare app or by asking your GP.

    If you’re pregnant, get a whooping cough booster in your second trimester. A booster is also important if you’re planning to care for young infants or meet a newborn.

    Got a cough that lasts more than a week or comes in fits? Ask your GP about testing.

    One quick booster could help stop the next outbreak from reaching you or your loved ones.

    Phoebe Williams receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Gates Foundation, and the Medical Research Future Fund.

    Helen Quinn and Niall Johnston do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Australia’s whooping cough surge is not over – and it doesn’t just affect babies – https://theconversation.com/australias-whooping-cough-surge-is-not-over-and-it-doesnt-just-affect-babies-257808

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Long Ridge Energy LLC Announces Timing of First Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PDF Version

    HANNIBAL, Ohio, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Long Ridge Energy LLC (“LRE”) is announcing its first quarter 2025 investor call for Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM EDT. LRE comprises the electric power and natural gas business of Long Ridge Energy & Power LLC (“LREP”). LREP is a wholly owned portfolio company of FTAI Infrastructure, Inc. (Nasdaq:FIP). In February 2026 LRE completed the incurrence of $1 billion of new debt comprised of $600 million of Senior Secured Notes due 2032 and a $400 million Term Loan B due 2032. The conference call may be accessed by registering via the following link: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI81c49385c26347ea8cb913bb0de3966d. Once registered, participants will receive a dial-in and unique pin to access the call.

    A simultaneous webcast of the conference call will be available to the public on a listen-only basis at https://www.longridgeenergy.com. Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download the necessary software required to listen to the internet broadcast.

    Long Ridge will post its first quarter 2025 financial statements and an investor presentation to its website prior to the earnings call.

    A replay of the conference call will be available after 12:00 P.M. on Thursday, June 12, 2025, through 12:00 P.M. on Friday, June 20, 2025.

    The information contained on, or accessible through, any websites included in this press release is not incorporated by reference into, and should not be considered a part of, this press release.

    About Long Ridge Energy and Power LLC:

    Long Ridge Energy and Power LLC owns and operates a site consisting of over 1,600 acres along the Ohio River in Southeastern Ohio. Through its subsidiary LRE, LREP operates a 485 MW combined cycle power plant serving the PJM grid and drills and operates natural gas wells in Southeastern Ohio and West Virginia. A large portion of natural gas produced is used in the operation of the power plant. In addition, LREP is developing additional opportunities on its property to site and serve data centers either through the PJM grid or with co-located behind-the-meter power. LREP also uses its Ohio River access to serve businesses needing commodity transloading and storage.

    About FTAI Infrastructure Inc.

    FTAI Infrastructure primarily invests in critical infrastructure with high barriers to entry across the rail, ports and terminals, and power and gas sectors that, on a combined basis, generate strong and stable cash flows with the potential for earnings growth and asset appreciation. FTAI Infrastructure is externally managed by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC, a leading, diversified global investment firm.

    For further information, please contact:

    Vance E. Powers
    Chief Financial Offer
    Long Ridge Energy and Power LLC
    724-416-5534

    Alan Andreini
    Investor Relations
    FTAI Infrastructure Inc.
    646-734-9414
    aandreini@ftaiaviation.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ultra-processed foods are everywhere — and they’re quietly raising health risks

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Angelina Baric, PhD Student, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University

    It’s not exactly news that junk food isn’t healthy.

    What may be surprising is exactly how pervasive ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become and what harm they’re doing. This includes some foods that are specifically labelled and marketed as having nutritional value.

    We are nutrition researchers, and the authors of a new study that identifies some of the specific negative effects of ultra-processed foods that are readily available, very popular and often hard to resist, especially when people are feeling pressed for time.

    Our research group leads population-based studies that integrate nutrition epidemiology, food policy, and dietary assessment to better understand how modern food environments and dietary patterns influence chronic disease risk.

    While ultra-processed foods include obvious culprits like potato chips, candy and frozen pizza, there are also some that people may believe are good for them, such as packaged granola bars, sports drinks and fruit-filled yogurt. Our study used the Nova classification system to define UPFs, which are industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods, derived from food constituents with little if any intact whole food remaining.

    How UPFs harm health

    Our research, based on diet questionnaires and personal medical data that Health Canada and Statistics Canada collected from over 6,000 Canadians, shows that the effects of UPFs can pile up over time, adding to the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health issues by raising blood pressure and blood sugar levels, for example.

    Even a person who is thin, active and free from illness might be accumulating risk by consuming UPFs that may seem innocuous or even healthy.

    The ways ultra-processed foods harm our health aren’t just about calories or individual nutrients like salt, sugar and fat, though those aren’t making things better. It’s also in the way they’re made.

    Take that seemingly healthy tub of yogurt. On its own, yogurt is indeed very healthy. The problem is when things like jam-like fruit with preservatives or artificial vanilla flavouring are added. They make yogurt taste better but can push it into unhealthy territory.

    Even after we eliminated the impacts of influences such as the survey respondents’ body mass index, age, exercise and smoking habits, the numbers showed a specific risk that may be related to the additives that give ultra-processed foods longer shelf life, brighter colours and enhanced flavours. For example, we know that the modern diet of highly processed food is associated with distorted hormone levels.

    Some products are so heavily processed that it appears our bodies may not respond to them as they would to more natural foods. UPFs trigger inflammatory responses that suggest the body regards them as stressors, rather than nutrition.

    Substituting UPFs for healthy foods

    We learned from survey respondents that consumers are increasingly using UPFs as substitutes for healthy staples such as vegetables and fruit. This is not surprising when the wrapper on a granola bar proclaims its contents to be a good source of fibre, or a when a sports drink label says it’s a good source of electrolytes, Vitamin D or some other single nutrient.

    Granola bars are often marketed as containing fibre. While the claim may be factual, many granola bars are also high in sugar, fat or salt.
    (Shutterstock)

    While these claims are factual, they don’t represent the entire or even most significant effects of the products inside. For a long time, food policies have been very focused on single nutrients rather than thinking about the totality of our food supply.

    Our complex food supply has come to be heavily influenced by huge multinational companies and their need for sales instead of our need for health, to the point where marketing and packaging have made it challenging to understand exactly what we are eating or drinking.

    That is starting to change. Starting in January 2026, the Canadian government will require food packaging to prominently declare the presence of unhealthy amounts of sodium, sugar and saturated fat.



    Read more:
    Front-of-package food labels: A path to healthier choices

    While that will be a significant and welcome improvement in transparency, it will not change the fact that a loaf of mass-manufactured white bread, a package of bacon or even a tray of muffins may also be harming the people who eat them in ways they have not even considered.

    Setting reduction targets

    Canada’s food guide, produced by Health Canada, only suggests we limit the amount of processed food we eat, but it doesn’t set any clear national target for how much we should cut our consumption. While most other countries also stop short of setting specific limits, France has gone a step further by aiming to cut national consumption of ultra-processed foods by 20 per cent over five years.

    Setting a similar national reduction target in Canada could have a particularly significant, positive effect on people in care homes, hospitals and schools that are required to use Canada’s Food Guide in planning their menus.

    Individual consumers know how easy it is to fall into the habit of eating too many ultra-processed foods. They are hard to resist because they are heavily marketed, usually tasty, reasonably affordable and appear to make life easier by saving time and effort.

    Understanding more about what these appealing products are really doing to people is an important step toward helping consumers make better, more informed choices. We are already working on more research to understand more about what’s really inside those bright shiny packages that keep finding their way into shopping carts.

    Anthea Christoforou receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and has previously received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

    Angelina Baric 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. Ultra-processed foods are everywhere — and they’re quietly raising health risks – https://theconversation.com/ultra-processed-foods-are-everywhere-and-theyre-quietly-raising-health-risks-256419

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Acting at the Direction of North Korea to Export Firearms, Ammo, and Technology to North Korea

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    An illegal alien from China pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, California, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts.

    Shenghua Wen, 42, of Ontario, California, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Wen has been in federal custody since his arrest in December 2024.

    According to his plea agreement, Wen is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China who entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the U.S. illegally after his student visa expired in December 2013.

    Prior to entering the United States, Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at a North Korean embassy in China. These government officials directed Wen to procure goods on behalf of North Korea.

    In 2022, two North Korean government officials contacted Wen through an online messaging platform and instructed him to buy and smuggle firearms and other goods – including sensitive technology – from the United States to North Korea via China.

    In 2023, at the direction of North Korean government officials, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms out of the Port of Long Beach to China en route to their ultimate destination in North Korea. Wen took steps to conceal that he was illegally shipping firearms to North Korea by, among other things, filing false export information regarding the contents of the containers.

    In May 2023, Wen purchased a firearms business in Houston, paid for with money sent through intermediaries by one of Wen’s North Korean contacts. Wen purchased many of the firearms he sent to North Korea in Texas and drove the firearms from Texas to California, where he arranged for them to be shipped.

    In December 2023, one of Wen’s weapons shipments – which falsely reported to U.S. officials that it contained a refrigerator – left the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong in January 2024. This weapons shipment was later transported from Hong Kong to Nampo, North Korea.

    In September 2024, Wen – once again acting at the direction of North Korean officials – bought approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he intended to ship to North Korea.

    In furtherance of the conspiracy and at the direction of North Korean officials, Wen also obtained sensitive technology that he intended to send to North Korea. This technology included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions.

    Wen also acquired or offered to acquire a civilian airplane engine and a thermal imaging system that could be mounted on a drone, helicopter, or other aircraft, and could be used for reconnaissance and target identification.

    During the scheme, North Korean officials wired approximately $2 million to Wen to procure firearms and other goods for their government.

    Wen admitted that at all relevant times he knew that it was illegal to ship firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea. He also admitted to never having the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms, and the above-described devices to North Korea. He further admitted to acting at the direction of North Korean government officials and that he had not provided notification to the Attorney General of the United States that he was acting in the United States at the direction and control of North Korea as required by law.

    Wen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the count of violating the IEEPA and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 18. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.

    The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Ricketts Reintroduce Legislation to Codify Oversight on Foreign Purchases of American Farmland

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    Alabama has fourth-highest amount of foreign owned farmland with 2.2 million acres

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) to reintroduce the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act to bolster reporting requirements for foreign owners of American farmland. The legislation would codify recommendations to the original AFIDA of 1978 that were published in January 2024 by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) after it found that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is not prepared to fully combat foreign ownership of American farmland by foreign adversaries.

    “Over the past several decades, China has been buying up American farmland in an attempt to infiltrate our agriculture supply chains,” said Senator Tuberville. “Food security is national security, and we cannot give the CCP a foothold. Thankfully, President Trump and Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins are working to make American Farmland American Again. I’m proud to join this legislation with Senator Ricketts to update our reporting requirements for foreign purchases of our farmland for the first time in nearly 50 years. As Alabama’s voice on the Senate Ag Committee, I will always support our great farmers and work to protect them from bad actors like China.”

    “Agriculture is the heart and soul of Nebraska and of America,” said Senator Ricketts. ”American farmland should remain in the hands of American farmers and ranchers, not foreign adversaries. Food security is national security.”

    U.S. Representative Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    BACKGROUND:

    According to USDA data from December 2023, foreign investors own more than 45 million acres of U.S. agricultural land. And in Alabama, we have the FOURTH-HIGHEST amount of foreign-owned land in the U.S. with 2.2 million acres.

    Senator Tuberville has been a staunch leader in protecting America’s farmland and agricultural supply chains from foreign influence. Earlier this year, he reintroduced two pieces of legislation—the Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act and the Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act—to further safeguard our domestic agriculture resources.

    The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act would:

    • Increase information sharing between the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and USDA
    • Require updates to the AFIDA handbook
    • Establish a deadline by which USDA must set up an online AFIDA system
    • Require AFIDA reporting for foreign persons holding more than 1% interest in American agricultural land

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Banks Move to Protect Americans’ Financial Data from the CCP

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and U.S. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) took action to ensure Americans’ financial data is protected from exposure to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through popular financial trading platforms.

    In a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins, Senators Tuberville and Banks asked that the SEC ensure two Chinese-linked companies are complying with American laws and regulations. The companies, Webull Financial, LLC (Webull) and Moomoo, Inc. (Moomoo), are widely-used stock trading platforms operating within the United States.

    “The biggest threat facing our country today is communist China,” said Senator Tuberville. “Thankfully, we now have a Commander-in-Chief in President Trump who is taking the threat of China incredibly seriously. China doesn’t need a spy balloon to steal our information — they’ve got spies in the smartphones of millions of Americans, harvesting valuable information every second. The United States must protect the personal data of our citizens from falling into the hands of our greatest adversary.”

    “Webull has a track record of collecting highly sensitive personal data from American consumers, including Social Security numbers,” said Senator Banks. “We cannot allow any platform like this tied to the Chinese Communist Party to sidestep our rules and jeopardize Americans’ personal data. That is why I am demanding the SEC ensures that any foreign platform is complying with American regulations, so long as they have access to our financial markets.” 

    The full text of the letter can be found here and pasted below.

    “Chairman Paul Atkins

    Securities and Exchange Commission

    100 F Street NE

    Washington, D.C. 20549

    Chairman Atkins:

    Congratulations on your confirmation as the 34th Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Over the last four years, your predecessor, Gary Gensler, mismanaged the SEC and pushed a radical anti-business, anti-investor, and anti-innovation agenda that stifled our financial markets, harmed retail investors, and made America less competitive. Fortunately, President Trump is acting quickly and decisively to reverse the Biden administration’s many failures and restore the American economy to greatness. Your pro-growth, pro-investor leadership is needed now more than ever to reestablish the SEC’s credibility, unleash the full power of America’s financial markets, and provide more opportunity for millions of Main Street Americans who want to invest for the future.

    While former Chairman Gensler prioritized multiple regulatory solutions in search of problems, such as his illegal “climate change” disclosure rule and his enforcement program designed to systematically destroy the cryptocurrency industry in the U.S., he ignored the very real threats against retail investors that we and our colleagues repeatedly brought to his attention related to the infiltration of our capital markets by Chinese-owned broker-dealers with possible ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including Webull, MooMoo, and Prometheum.[i]  For example, in May 2023, then-Congressman, now Senator, Banks and I wrote to Chairman Gensler and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) CEO Robert Cook:

    As you are aware, Webull and Moomoo collect highly sensitive personal information from millions of their U.S. customers, including personally identifiable information (PII) such as Social Security numbers, mailing addresses, and financial account data. . . . In light of Beijing’s increasingly strict privacy laws barring many Chinese companies from sharing data with Western regulators, the presence of Webull registered representatives in the PRC raises serious concerns regarding (1) Webull’s ability to meet its supervisory obligations under SEC and FINRA rules; (2) the SEC’s and FINRA’s ability to oversee and examine Webull and its registered representatives and associated persons located in the PRC; (3) the adequacy of Webull’s compliance with all SEC and FINRA recordkeeping requirements; (4) the ability of the SEC and FINRA to adequately enforce federal securities laws, including the ability to obtain documents and information from Webull employees located in the PRC; and (5) the potential for U.S. customer PII to be shared or exfiltrated to Webull employees or affiliated entities located in the PRC.[ii]

    Since then, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (Select Committee) and several State Attorneys General, led by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, have opened separate inquiries into Webull’s ties to the CCP and have exposed troubling facts which call into question the safety of these platforms for U.S. retail investors.[iii]  For example, the Select Committee discovered that an affiliate or subsidiary of Webull (Hunan Weibu Information Technology Co., Ltd., ) “received multiple grants from the Changsha Municipal Government’s special fund to optimize foreign investment through cost offsets supporting offshore service outsourcing,” pursuant to which “recipients of this special fund are required to ‘support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.’”[iv]  Similarly, the State Attorneys General inquiry found that “Webull appears to have an affiliated research and development facility (R&D Facility) with hundreds of employees in Changsha, China. SEC filings indicate that the R&D Facility may provide services or support to Webull’s US brokerage operations.”[v]  In fact, Webull’s May 9, 2025, Prospectus states:

    “[O]ur mainland China subsidiary, Hunan Weibu Information Technology Co., Ltd., employs 731 employees, representing 61% of our employees as of December 31, 2024, and is subject to the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China. We cannot be certain that future laws, rules, or regulations will not be drafted in a way that brings us within their scope and that such laws will not materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.”

    We were disappointed to see that earlier this year, the SEC approved Webull to proceed with its Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) transaction, which now allows Webull to fully exploit U.S. markets – and, by extension, American investors who put their hard-earned money to work in these markets – as a public company listed on Nasdaq. Webull’s March 2025 Investor Presentation filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025, and its May 2025 Prospectus, appear to contain many of the same troubling connections between Webull and the CCP that legislators and law enforcement authorities have repeatedly raised to your predecessor, including continued ownership and control by individuals and entities that appear to be domiciled in China.[vi]The SEC should not allow Chinese companies to list on U.S. exchanges and enjoy the benefits of our capital markets, while failing to adhere to U.S. law. As Senator Rick Scott noted in a letter to you earlier this month, “These companies consistently fail to meet the requirements of our markets – misleading American investors and putting their investments and U.S. national security and economic security at risk[.]” The risks posed by Chinese companies listed in the U.S. were the recent subject of an April 9, 2025 joint House-Senate hearing titled, “Financial Aggression: How the Chinese Communist Party Exploits American Retirees and Undermines National Security.”[vii]   

    Relatedly, the notion of registering broker-dealers with ties to the CCP – especially firms with affiliates, operations, and owners based in China – is entirely inconsistent with the federal securities laws, FINRA rules, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act of 2020.[viii]  As you know, neither the SEC nor FINRA have the authority to conduct examinations or enforcement investigations of Webull’s substantial operations and employees in mainland China which, as noted above, may support the U.S. brokerage.   

    We urge you to take immediate action to delist all Chinese companies from the U.S. markets and rescind Chinese-owned broker-dealers’ licenses to operate in the U.S.

    Sincerely,”

    BACKGROUND:

    Webull and Moomoo are two widely-used stock trading platforms operating in the United States that are registered with the SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The parent companies of Webull and Moomoo are owned by Chinese entities with close ties to Chinese telecom giants Xiaomi and Tencent, which have reportedly aided the Chinese Communist Party in its efforts to surveil and suppress its citizens.

    Despite their ties to China, the SEC and FINRA allow Webull and Moomoo to operate as registered broker-dealers in the United States and to freely collect and store personally identifiable information — including Social Security numbers, mailing addresses, and sensitive financial account data — for millions of U.S. citizens.

    Senator Tuberville first called for an investigation into Webull and Moomoo in July 2022. In a letter to SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, Senator Tuberville and his colleagues Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Braun (R-IN), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) expressed concerns over these firms’ data sharing practices and ties to the CCP – both of which could put U.S. investors at risk.

    Senator Tuberville and Senator Banks sent a similar letter to the SEC and FINRA in 2023.

    Senator Tuberville believes the Communist Chinese Party seeks to overtake the United States as the top global superpower and that America must face China’s growing military and non-military threats with clear-eyed resolve.

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: $HAREHOLDER ALERT: The M&A Class Action Firm Investigates the Merger of Know Labs, Inc. (NYSE: KNW)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating Know Labs, Inc. (NYSE: KNW) related to its sale to Goldeneye 1995 LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, the Buyer will acquire that number of shares of the Company’s common stock obtained by dividing (i) the sum of 1,000 Bitcoin and a cash sum to retire existing debt, redeem outstanding preferred equity and provide additional working capital, by (ii) the per share purchase price of $0.335.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/know-labs-inc/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE THE SAME. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:

    1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?
    2. When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
    Juan Monteverde, Esq.
    MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC
    The Empire State Building
    350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740
    New York, NY 10118
    United States of America
    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
    Tel: (212) 971-1341

    Attorney Advertising. (C) 2025 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com).  Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Florida Man Charged with Laundering $200,000 in Proceeds from Business Email Compromise Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – On June 6, Robert Arturo De Los Angeles Mejia, 24, appeared in federal court today to face charges for his part in a wire fraud and money laundering scheme operating out of South Florida.

    According to the information, Mejia and his co-conspirators defrauded a foreign buyer by deploying a business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Mejia and his co-conspirators intercepted email communications between the foreign buyer and a manufacturer engaged in a business transaction.  The intercepted email impersonated the manufacturer’s legitimate email account and deceived the foreign buyer into transferring funds to fraudulent accounts.

    Mejia laundered roughly $200,000 in fraud proceeds from the BEC scheme. To conceal the source and ownership of the funds, Mejia used a shell company and opened corporate bank accounts in the name of that company. Once the funds were deposited, Mejia quickly withdrew large sums of cash from multiple accounts and branches, often on the same day, to avoid detection and hinder recovery efforts.

    The business transaction was backed by the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank), which is the official export credit agency of the United States. Its mission is to support American jobs by facilitating the export of goods and services from the United States.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Inspector General Parisa Salehi of the EXIM Bank, Office of Inspector General (OIG) Miami; and José R. Figueroa, acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by EXIM Bank-OIG Miami and HSI Miami.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Altanese Phenelus is prosecuting the case and Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.

    An information is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-20198.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Resident Sentenced for Threatening to Kill Postal Employees

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    St. Thomas, USVI – Acting U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Simon Peters, 42, of California, was sentenced on Friday, June 6, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to 8 months’ imprisonment, followed by 30 months of supervised release, for threatening to kill employees of the United States Postal Service (USPS). Peters pleaded guilty to one count of making threats against public officials on February 18, 2025.
    “Threatening postal employees and other public officials will not be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sleeper. “Postal workers work tirelessly to serve our community and carry out their duties. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who threaten violence against our dedicated public servants.”
    “The US Postal Inspection Service takes threats of violence to postal employees very seriously.” said Acting Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the USPIS Miami Division. “I’d like to thank the FBI, DEA, HSI, USMS, CBP and VIPD who provided assistance and resources to aid us during this investigation.”
    According to court records, Peters called the Ottley Post Office on St. Thomas on January 27, 2024, and threatened to kill the carrier that services the Kirwan Terrace Housing Community for not delivering his packages, which contained marijuana. The threats included: “Make sure the fat boy know, we’re watching him and next time we’re going to kill him behind the building”; “We are definitely going to make a frigging example out here”; and “Any more packages from California go missing, you will see what happen to the co-workers dem … one by one.”
    On January 29, 2024, Peters again called the Ottley Post Office and continued his threats. Peters stated he wanted to speak to the delivery driver for Kirwan Terrace. When asked why he wanted to speak with the driver, Peters stated, “To let the people know what’s going on in the Virgin Islands. We got people driving around looking for him, and you gon hear him get gun shots in his [expletive] ass.” He also stated, “I’ve been doing this for over 10 years now. I’m in California dealing with the Virgin Islands.”
    As a result of the threats, the USPS management did not send any letter carriers to the Kirwan Terrace Housing Community for two days to ensure their safety. This temporarily disrupted mail delivery to that community. The USPS also brought in agents from other jurisdictions to escort letter carriers to
    2
    deliver the mail. Additionally, the USPS employed a private security company to provide additional security at the post offices.
    The USPS tracked the phone calls to California where Peters was located. Peters was arrested and brought to the Virgin Islands for prosecution.
    The investigation was conducted by the US Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from FBI, DEA, HSI, USMS, CBP and VIPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha L. Baker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 10, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: PFM CRYPTO Launches 2-Day XRP Mining Contract, Short-Term XRP Investment Users Surge 300%

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Farington, England, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global cloud mining leader PFM CRYPTO today announced the launch of a 2-day XRP cloud mining contract, offering investors a flexible and efficient opportunity to grow their XRP holdings. The product received an overwhelmingly positive response from the market. In just one week, the number of short-term XRP investors on the platform surged by 300%, reflecting strong demand for low-barrier, high-liquidity crypto investment products.

    The 2-day XRP mining contract is the latest short-term crypto mining product from PFM CRYPTO, following the success of its Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin cloud mining contracts. With ultra-low entry thresholds, flexible durations, and stable returns, this XRP-focused solution has quickly become a favorite among XRP holders and short-term investors alike.

    In the rapidly evolving world of crypto, simplicity and sustainable profitability are essential. For beginners seeking a reliable source of passive income, PFMCrypto’s cloud mining service stands out as an attractive option.

    What Is PFMCrypto Cloud Mining?

    PFMCrypto cloud mining is a remote cryptocurrency mining solution that supports a wide range of digital assets, including XRP. Users tap into PFMCrypto’s robust computing power to earn profits—without needing to buy mining hardware or manage technical maintenance. By leveraging powerful mining farms, PFMCrypto allows users to benefit from real-time mining rewards as complex blockchain problems are solved continuously.

    Key Benefits of PFMCrypto Cloud Mining

    No Hardware Required: No need to purchase costly equipment—users mine using the platform’s powerful resources.

    Zero Maintenance Costs: Electricity, repairs, and operations are handled entirely by PFMCrypto.

    Green Energy Efficiency: All mining operations are powered by solar and wind energy—sustainable and cost-effective.

    Beginner-Friendly: No technical skills needed. New users receive a $10 sign-up bonus instantly.

    Stable Daily Returns: Daily payouts with full principal refunds upon contract maturity to ensure capital safety.

    Flexible Contract Options: Investment plans range from $100 to $100,000, with contract durations spanning from 1 to 50 days.

    Cloud Mining Contract Strategy: Powered by Real Results

    With the launch of the 2-day XRP contract, PFMCrypto is opening its high-performance cloud mining infrastructure to the public—free to access. Since its founding in 2018, the platform has expanded to over 9.2 million active users across 192 countries and regions, delivering exceptional results:

    2-Day Strategy: +6.6% return

    5-Day Strategy: +6.15% return

    15-Day Strategy: +20.7% return

    30-Day Strategy: +55.6% return

    These performance figures are not forecasts—they reflect real-world results from millions of users. This is made possible by PFMCrypto’s AI-powered profit optimization and results-focused mining model.

    How to Get Started with PFMCrypto Cloud Mining

    1.Register: Sign up today and receive a $10 welcome bonus, plus $0.60 daily check-in rewards.

    2.Choose a Contract: Select a mining plan that aligns with your budget and financial goals. PFMCrypto offers solutions for both beginners and advanced investors.

    3.Start Earning: Once your contract is activated, PFMCrypto’s intelligent platform does the rest—ensuring a seamless, high-efficiency mining operation that maximizes your earnings.

    About PFMCrypto

    Founded in 2018, PFMCrypto represents a new generation of AI-driven cloud mining, built on data, performance, and trust. With a rapidly growing global user base, PFMCrypto stands out as one of the most promising crypto investment opportunities of the year—especially for investors seeking sustainable, long-term returns over speculation.

    Full details and participation: https://pfmcrypto.net 

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

    The MIL Network –

    June 10, 2025
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