NewzIntel.com

    • Checkout Page
    • Contact Us
    • Default Redirect Page
    • Frontpage
    • Home-2
    • Home-3
    • Lost Password
    • Member Login
    • Member LogOut
    • Member TOS Page
    • My Account
    • NewzIntel Alert Control-Panel
    • NewzIntel Latest Reports
    • Post Views Counter
    • Privacy Policy
    • Public Individual Page
    • Register
    • Subscription Plan
    • Thank You Page

Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The incredible impact of Ozzy Osbourne, from Black Sabbath to Ozzfest to 30 years of retirement tours

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Lachlan Goold, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Music, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Ozzy Osbourne photographed in London in 1991. Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images

    Ozzy Osbourne, the “prince of darkness” and godfather of heavy metal, has died aged 76, just weeks after he reunited with Black Sabbath bandmates for a farewell concert in his hometown of Birmingham in England.

    His family posted a brief message overnight: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.”

    John Michael Osbourne changed the sound of rock music and leaves behind a stellar career spanning six decades, numerous Grammy awards, multiple hall of fame inductions – and a wave of controversy.

    An agent of change

    In 1969, from the ashes of various bands, Geezer Butler (bass), Tony Iommi (guitar), Bill Ward (drums) and Osbourne formed the band Earth.

    Realising the name was taken, they quickly changed their name to Black Sabbath, an homage to the 1963 Italian horror anthology film.

    With the Summer of Love a recent memory, Black Sabbath were part of a heavy music revolution, providing an antidote to the free loving hippies of the late 60s period.

    Despite making their first two albums cheaply, Black Sabbath, released in February 1970, and Paranoid, released September that same year, they were a global success.

    Their approach was laden with sarcasm and irony. American audiences mistook this for satanic worship, positioning them as outsiders (albeit popular ones).

    Black Sabbath pose for a group portrait with gold discs, London, 1973, L-R Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler.
    Michael Putland/Getty Images

    After Black Sabbath’s early successes, they were managed by the notorious Don Arden, whose daughter Sharon Levy was the receptionist. More than any musical bond Osbourne had in his life, Sharon would be the most influential character throughout his life.

    Osbourne recorded eight albums with Black Sabbath (some to critical acclaim) and was then kicked out (by Sharon) due to his troubles with drugs and alcohol.

    Ozzy solo

    Osbourne’s solo career has always been managed by Sharon. While recording his second solo album, Diary of a Madman, guitarist Rhodes died in a tragic light plane crash. Osbourne was close to Rhodes and fell into a deep depression, after never having lost someone so close.

    Sharon and Osbourne married only months after this incident. His struggle with drug use did not stop him from making further solo records alongside various guitar players, continuing with moderate success throughout his career.

    On the road, Osbourne put the John Farnham’s last tour trope to shame.

    He held his last ever gig more times than one can count with names like No More Tours (1992–93), Retirement Sucks (1995–96) and No More Tours 2 (2018–19).

    Osbourne ‘retired’ many times over 30 years. Here he performs in California in 2022.
    Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

    This lament for touring led to the most successful era of Osbourne’s career. After being rejected for the 1995 Lollapaloza festival bill, Sharon (and their son Jack) started Ozzfest; initially an annual two-day multiband festival headlined by Osbourne, held in Phoenix, Arizona, and Devore, California.

    Subsequently becoming a national – and then international – tour, Ozzfest led to a successful partnership with MTV, which led to the reality TV show The Osbournes premiering in 2002. Here, his previous and ongoing battle with drugs was obvious, proudly on display – and ridiculed – to huge global audiences.

    The spectacle of a rich rockstar and his family featured a constant barrage of swearing, battles with lavish TV remotes, canine therapy, never-ending chaos, and Osbourne constantly yelling “Sharrrooon” like a twisted maniacal loop of A Street Car Named Desire.

    Struggles and controversies

    Osbourne suffered multiple health conditions over the years, rarely concealing the state of his physical or mental wellbeing.

    Notably he’s struggled with drug and alcohol abuse his whole career with drug recovery centres using Osbourne as an exemplar. In 2007 he disclosed he suffered from the Parkinson’s adjacent condition Parkinsonian syndrome. In 2019 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

    Black Sabbath photographed in the 1970s. Left to right: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne.
    Chris Walter/WireImage

    This resulted in him being unable to walk for his final Back to the Beginning show in Birmingham on July 5 2025.

    And Osbourne’s career had more than its fair share of controversy. He bit the head off a dove and a bat (celebrated with a commemorative toy), and urinated on the Alamo cenotaph. He was taken to court multiple times, but was never convicted.

    Ozzy and me

    As a white middle-class boy growing up in the Brisbane suburbs in the 80s, heavy metal music appealed to my testosterone and pimple filled body.

    Exploring the secondhand record shops of Brisbane, I would’ve bought my first copy of Black Sabbath around 1985. The sound of thunder and a distant church bell before the first drop-D riff enters seemed like the antithesis to sunny Queensland and 80s pop.

    As my life became obsessed with the recording studio and the vociferous music scene in Brisbane in the post-Joh era, and those drop-D riffs influenced a new style that swept the world in the early 90s.

    Osbourne’s influence was huge and through grunge, his sound was reborn. Grunge was a marriage of the Sabbath-like drop-D riffs with the energy of punk and the melody of the Beatles.

    Listening to Black Sabbath and Ozzy records, equipped me with a sonic palette ready to capture the wave of alternative music emmerging from the Brisbane scene.

    While Ozzy’s death is no surprise (except for those who never thought he’d last this long), we should take pause and remember an icon with an endless energy for entertaining, a passion for music, and changing the expectations of popular culture for more than 50 years.

    Lachlan Goold 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 incredible impact of Ozzy Osbourne, from Black Sabbath to Ozzfest to 30 years of retirement tours – https://theconversation.com/the-incredible-impact-of-ozzy-osbourne-from-black-sabbath-to-ozzfest-to-30-years-of-retirement-tours-258820

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Trade – NZ-UAE trade deal a boost to export and investment – ExportNZ

    Source: BusinessNZ

    ExportNZ welcomes news of the United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill passing into law last night, saying it marks the next step forward in seeing the Agreement between New Zealand and UAE provide a boost to exporters.
    Executive Director Joshua Tan says recent engagements with exporters nationwide proves there is plenty of interest from businesses to explore opportunities in the UAE.
    “The UAE is a fast-moving, high-value market with demand for exactly the kinds of quality, sustainable, and trusted products and services New Zealand is known for.
    “We not only see opportunities for exporting products and services to the UAE, but also fostering investment opportunities in New Zealand. We are excited about the potential for growth in the New Zealand-Emirati economic relationship.
    “ExportNZ acknowledges the hard work of our government officials and the Minister for Trade & Investment for moving quickly to conclude and pass this high-quality agreement. We look forward to notification of when the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will come into force for exporters to begin leveraging.”
    The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Ministers Burke and Dillon Initiate Public Consultation on Review of Employment Permit Occupations lists

    Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

    23rd July 2025

    Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and Alan Dillon, Minister of State for Small Business, Retail and Employment, have today announced the opening of the consultation period inviting submissions from stakeholders on the status of occupations on the employment permits Occupations Lists. The Lists are used to administer Ireland’s employment permits policy. They consist of the Ineligible Occupations List – occupations for which there is an adequate supply of labour and skills with Ireland and the EEA, and for which an employment permit will not be issued, and the Critical Skills Occupations List – occupations in short supply in Ireland and across the EEA.

    The last review of the occupations lists took place in 2023, and resulted in 11 additional roles being placed on the Critical Skills Occupations List, and 32 roles being made eligible for a General Employment Permit. 

    Minister Burke said:

    “I am delighted to launch this next review of the eligible occupations for employment permits. At a time of full employment, with over 2.81 million people at work, and with 90,000 new jobs created in the last year, it is vital that we continue to have a strong and flexible employment permits system to allow non-EEA nationals to fill the skill and labour gaps we cannot access in Ireland or Europe and to ensure our economy remains competitive. 

    “As demonstrated by the changes made to the employment permit system over the last year, the system is responsive to the needs of the sectors and industries it serves. This full review will allow us to ensure the system remains up-to-date in a way that serves both workers and employers.”

    Minister Dillon added:

    “Our economic migration policy accommodates the arrival of non-EEA nationals to fill skills and labour gaps in the domestic economy in the short to medium term. These workers are a vital part of the Irish economy. My Department’s reviews of the system promote an integrated approach to address these labour market deficiencies in the longer term and ensure we can continue to meet our labour needs.

    “Where employers or stakeholders are facing challenges in recruiting a specific occupation and believe it should be eligible for an employment permit, or believe a certain occupation should move onto the critical skills list, now is their opportunity to share this feedback.

    “With the consultation running over the summer period, there is plenty of time for interested employers and sectors who use the employment permits system to provide their feedback. Employer’s observations are vital in helping inform the department on how the list system is operating and where it can be improved.”

    The submission process is an opportunity for stakeholders to provide additional information and potentially different perspectives on the nature and extent of skill shortages.  

    Submissions will be accepted through the online consultation form made available on the Department’s website and will be open from 23 July to 19 September.

    Notes for Editor

    Background

    The Employment Permits System

    The Irish State’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of Ireland, the European Union and other EEA states. Policy in relation to applications for employment permits remains focused on facilitating the recruitment from outside the EEA of highly skilled personnel, where the requisite skills cannot be met by normal recruitment or by training.  Employment permit policy is part of the response to addressing skills deficits which exist and are likely to continue into the medium term, but it is not intended over the longer term to act as a substitute for meeting the challenge of up-skilling the State’s resident workforce, with an emphasis on the process of lifelong learning, and on maximising the potential of EEA nationals to fill our skills deficits.

    The Occupations Lists

    The Employment Permits system is designed to attract highly skilled workers from outside the EEA to Ireland, to meet skills demand in the economy where those skills can’t be accessed through the resident labour force.  For the purposes of the employment permits system, occupations fall into three categories:

    • Occupations listed on the Critical Skills Occupations List are highly skilled professional roles that are in high demand and are not always available in the resident labour force.  Occupations on this list are eligible for a Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) and include roles such as medicine, ICT, sciences, finance and business.  Special “fast-track” conditions attach to this permit type including the eligibility to apply to the Department of Justice for family members to accompany the permit holder immediately; and after two years may apply to the Department of Justice for permission to work without the requirement for an employment permit. 
    • Ineligible occupations are those with evidence suggesting there are sufficient Irish/EEA workers to fill such vacancies. Employment permits are not granted for these occupations.
    • Every other job in the labour market, where an employer cannot find a worker, is eligible for an employment permit.  For General Employment Permits, Seasonal Employment Permits and Contract for Services Employment Permits the employer is required to undertake a Labour Market Needs Test. If no-one suitable applies for the job, the employer is free to apply for an employment permit. Occupations such as these may be skills of a more general nature and are typically eligible for a General Employment Permit (GEP).  This permit type is renewable and after five years the applicant may apply to the Department of Justice for long term residency permission.  

    The Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations Lists Review

    It is vital that the employment permits scheme is responsive to changes in economic circumstances and labour market conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to review the Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations Lists periodically, in accordance with the changing needs of the labour market. 

    The review process utilises research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) and other experts in the labour market, including the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) at SOLAS. The Department also invites submissions from industry representatives, other Government Departments and any other stakeholders who might have a case to make, via a periodic open consultation on the Department’s website. The Department also seeks the observations of the Inter-Departmental Group which oversees the review process.

    An occupation may be considered for inclusion on the critical skills occupation list or removal from the ineligible lists provided that:

    • shortage exists across the occupation, despite attempts by industry to train and there are no suitable Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work;
    • development opportunities for Irish/EEA nationals are not undermined;
    • genuine skills shortage exists and that it is not a recruitment or retention problem; and
    • the Government education, training, employment and economic development policies are supported.

    Submission process

    As part of this review process, submissions are sought from employers, representative bodies, Government Departments, Agencies, and other interested parties relating to occupations currently included on or absent from the lists.

    The submission process is an opportunity for stakeholders to provide additional information and potentially different perspectives on the nature and extent of skill shortages.  Stakeholder submissions are a vital source of information, helping inform the Department’s final assessment of the status of occupations. 

    ENDS

    Back to Department News

    Back to Top

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Opening Remarks at Spotlight Forum on the Consumer Product Safety Commission

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    Klobuchar Opening Remarks at Spotlight Forum on the Consumer Product Safety Commission
    WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) gave the following remarks at a spotlight forum she hosted titled “Buyers Beware: Attacks on Nation’s Product Safety Watchdog Threaten Americans’ Safety.”  
    Testifying at the forum was Don Mays, Product Safety Expert; Jonathan Midgett, PhD, Former CPSC Consumer Ombudsman; Austin Schlick, Former CPSC General Counsel and Executive Director; R. David Pittle, Former CPSC Commissioner; Alan Korn, Executive Director of Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation; Trista Hamsmith, founder of Reese’s Purpose; and Brett Horn, founder of Charlie’s House. 
     Senator Klobuchar: Well, thank you so much, Senator Blumenthal. I’m really impressed by this group, that knows a lot about what they’re talking about, and we need to hear from you today. 
    I think I’ve always figured, and maybe this is from my days as a prosecutor, but the first responsibility of government is to protect the people of America, and not only from foreign and domestic threats, but also from … unsafe products. 
    For over 50 years, the CPSC Commissioners have done just that, working on a bipartisan basis to ensure Americans feel confident about the safety and the reliability of their products. Last year alone, the CPSC negotiated the recall of 153 million unsafe items and conducted more than 4,100 in-depth investigations. 
    I have grown to value the CPSC through various administrations. My first experience was the toy issue. A little boy in Minnesota, Mom, bought some Reebok tennis shoes, and there was a charm in there as a little gift, and he swallowed it, and he didn’t die, actually, by choking, he died over a period of days because there was lead in the toy, and it went into his system. And from there, I got to as a brand new Senator, work on the Consumer Product Safety bill that was passed with a really strong vote, and we saved a whole lot of lives, and that was during the Bush administration. 
    Then you move forward, and the work that we’ve all done together on everything from Ikea dressers to airbags to, really, finally, for me, a little girl named Abbey Taylor who died by just going into a kiddie swimming pool. And I worked then, along with several others, to pass the Virginia Graeme Baker Act, which made very clear that you have to have safe pool drains. That bill was then implemented by someone; you can’t just pass a bill and say, “Hey, we did it,” and that was the CPSC, which engaged in education efforts around the country. And maybe one of my favorite moments as a Senator was a few years back when we had the Commissioners before us in the Commerce Committee, and I asked if there had been any deaths since then, 10 years had passed, and they said “not one,” and we were literally having a handful of kids die every year or get maimed because of these pool drains, and I think that’s just such a great example of the work that goes on.
    So I’ve always seen this as bipartisan; the work we’ve done, it was one of the most interesting things and positive things we did on the Commerce Committee. And I’m very concerned to partisan up this CPSC, whose mission is just about a far away from partisanship as you can get, makes no sense, and so I’m so glad that we are, Senator Blumenthal, thank you, and that we are going to hear from all of you today about why we need a strong CPSC and that we shouldn’t be making it partisan. Thank you.
    Klobuchar has long been a leader in consumer protection.  
    In 2023, Klobuchar’s legislation to protect children from furniture tip-over injuries was signed into law. The STURDY Act strengthens furniture safety standards to prevent children from being injured by fatal furniture tip-overs. Each year, nearly 10,000 children go to the emergency room (ER) as a result of furniture tip-over injuries.
    Klobuchar also spearheaded regulating lead in consumer products as a part of the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which set stringent standards for levels of lead in children’s toys. 
    In 2007, Klobuchar’s legislation, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, was signed into law. The law mandated that all public pools install safe drain covers preventing suction entrapment, established a voluntary grant program for states to promote pool and spa safety, and created a national public education campaign to raise awareness about drowning prevention. 
    Video is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Colleagues Press FTC to Implement “Click-to-Cancel”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led her colleagues in a letter to Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Andrew N. Ferguson, urging him to reissue and finalize its Negative Option Rule (known as “click-to-cancel”) that would make it easier for consumers to unsubscribe from subscriptions.

    “We write regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) rulemaking to revise its Negative Option Rule to make it as easy for consumers to cancel a subscription as it was to sign up, frequently referred to as ‘click-to-cancel,’” wrote the Senators. “A review of more than 16,000 comments from the public made clear what should be obvious: Businesses should not be allowed to trap consumers in costly subscriptions by making it difficult to unsubscribe—costing consumers valuable time and money while stifling competition.” 

    “The FTC’s vital click-to-cancel rule was set to go into effect on July 14, 2025,” the Senators continued. “Yet, as you are aware, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the rule on procedural grounds. We urge the FTC to cure any perceived procedural defect and reissue the rule as quickly as possible to ensure consumers are protected from predatory subscription traps.”

    The letter was also signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), , Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Jeff Merkey (D-OR).

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

    Dear Chair Ferguson:

    We write regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) rulemaking to revise its Negative Option Rule to make it as easy for consumers to cancel a subscription as it was to sign up, frequently referred to as “click-to-cancel.” A review of more than 16,000 comments from the public made clear what should be obvious: Businesses should not be allowed to trap consumers in costly subscriptions by making it difficult to unsubscribe—costing consumers valuable time and money while stifling competition. The FTC’s vital click-to-cancel rule was set to go into effect on July 14, 2025. Yet, as you are aware, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the rule on procedural grounds. We urge the FTC to cure any perceived procedural defect and reissue the rule as quickly as possible to ensure consumers are protected from predatory subscription traps.  

    Putting this commonsense consumer protection in place is vital to foster competition, innovation, and fairness. In today’s digital economy, more and more of what consumers purchase are offered as fee-for-service subscription programs, whether it be for video and music streaming services, ecommerce membership programs, gaming subscriptions, meal kit delivery services, cloud storage, home security monitoring, magazine or news subscriptions, fitness memberships, and many others. While these services are valued by many consumers, the costs for subscription services often add up to far more than consumers think, and it is often difficult for consumers to navigate the complicated process of cancelling those subscriptions. Other firms that allow consumers to subscribe to a service with the click of a button require consumers to talk to a customer service agent or jump through other hoops just to unsubscribe, even though many such businesses tell consumers they can cancel at any time. These practices have no countervailing benefit or redeeming justification. They just make life difficult and expensive. 

    These unfair practices also deter competition and stifle innovation. Subscription traps make it more difficult for consumers to switch providers, even if the alternative offers better, cheaper, or more innovative services. Allowing these practices incentivizes firms to spend time and resources locking consumers into their subscriptions rather than working to retain them with lower prices and better products. It also creates barriers to entry for innovative startups to break into markets because it is difficult for them to win consumers locked into competing subscriptions they cannot easily escape.   

    We urge the FTC to take all the steps necessary to reissue and finalize the Negative Option Rule so that consumers can cancel subscriptions quickly and easily. 

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Blasts Third Circuit Court of Appeals Decision On AB5207, “Moral Failing”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    NEWARK, N.J. – This afternoon, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement:

    “Attaching a profit motive to imprisonment is a moral failing and wholly inconsistent with our obligation to guarantee just and fair outcomes for all detained people. Today’s decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals allows private prisons to profit from immigrant detention contracts, hindering the state legislature’s power to protect New Jerseyans from predatory, greedy, and abusive private prison companies. This decision perpetuates a perverse incentive to fill beds that put corporate profits over human costs and undermines the will of New Jerseyans whose democratically-elected officials passed this legislation. Our communities deserve better, and it is in these moments that we must continue to fight for our neighbors and advocate for an end to for-profit detention.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Vermont Delegation Meets with Dylan Collins, Demands Accountability for Targeted Attack Against International Journalists in Lebanon 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today met with Dylan Collins, a Vermonter and video journalist for the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency, who was attacked and wounded by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) while reporting in Southern Lebanon. Representatives for Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Becca Balint (D-VT-At Large) also attended the meeting.  
    The Vermont Congressional Delegation released the following statement of support for Mr. Collins:  
    “For two years, we have sought accountability for Dylan Collins, a Vermonter who was wounded in a targeted attack on international journalists in southern Lebanon by Israeli Defense Forces. A Reuters journalist was killed instantly, AFP’s Christina Assi suffered catastrophic injuries, including losing her right leg, and Mr. Collins and four others were wounded by shrapnel. Multiple credible independent investigations indicate that the attack by Israeli soldiers was a deliberate targeting of individuals who were clearly identified as journalists.  
    “We have demanded answers from both the Biden and Trump Administrations. The United States government has a responsibility to investigate and obtain accountability for an attack on an American citizen. This Administration has yet to recognize this obligation to Mr. Collins. Our delegation will continue to seek accountability for this shocking misuse of lethal force through legislation, including restrictions on taxpayer-funded weapons for Israel.” 
    Independent investigations conducted by Reuters, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Agence France-Presse (AFP), and others have concluded that the IDF’s October 2023 attack on international journalists, including Dylan Collins, in southern Lebanon was targeted and deliberate. 
    Nine American citizens, including Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, have been killed by IDF forces or settlers since 2022. The killings have been met by a lack of accountability from the Israeli government and a pattern of indifference by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to ensuring accountability for the deaths of Americans, journalists, and tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. 
    Reports by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have revealed that at least 186journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanonsince the conflict began on October 7, 2024, making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: CE03162 [2025] NZPrivCmr2 – Finance business did not recognise that a fraud incident was also a notifiable privacy breach

    Source: Privacy Commissioner

    21 Jul 2025, 09:00

    What happened

    A finance business received a phone call from a person claiming to be an existing customer. They knew the name, date of birth and address of the customer and were able to mislead customer centre staff at the finance business. They obtained further personal information about the customer, accessed their account, and made changes to their password settings. 

    The customer noticed their account had been changed and contacted the finance business, which took steps to protect the customer’s account by applying warning notes on the account. Yet the other person was able to bypass these protections multiple times, make further changes to the customer’s information and used their account for unauthorised transactions. 

    The customer repeatedly said someone was accessing their account, and both using and making changes to their personal information. The finance business did not identify these concerns as privacy issues and only focussed on the fraud aspect of the customer’s concerns. 

    The affected customer raised a complaint with OPC.

    Relevant privacy concerns

    This matter raised several concerns under the Privacy Act 2020:

    1. Principle 5 states agencies must ensure there are safeguards in place that are reasonable in the circumstances to prevent loss, misuse or disclosure of personal information.
    2. Principle 8 states that agencies must check before using or disclosing personal information that it is accurate, up to date, complete, relevant and not misleading.
    3. Principle 11 states that an organisation may generally only disclose personal information for the purpose for which it was originally collected. Sometimes other reasons for disclosure are allowed, such as disclosure, where an individual has consented to their information being shared or disclosure is necessary to prevent a serious threat to a person’s safety.
    4. Section 114 requires agencies to notify the Privacy Commissioner as soon as practicable after becoming aware of a notifiable privacy breach. 

    Our complaint investigation

    We investigated the complaint and formed a preliminary view that the finance business had breached principles 5, 8, and 11. On that basis, we worked with the complainant and the finance business to resolve the issue, with the finance business taking steps to protect the complainant’s account and agreed to financial compensation for the emotional harm caused by the breach. 

    Although the specific complaint was resolved, we had wider concerns about the finance business’s privacy practices and so the matter was referred to our Compliance and Enforcement Team for review.  

    Compliance review into the privacy breach

    On reviewing the matter, we identified that the finance business’s actions amounted to a notifiable privacy breach. As the agency had failed to report it to OPC, the requirements of the Privacy Act were not met. 

    We raised concerns about the limited customer verification steps to confirm the customer. This deficiency allowed the individual to obtain more details about the customer’s account and make several changes to the initial settings. 

    We also identified a failure to follow internal procedures by staff to verify the additional security placed on the customer’s account. This failure led to missing multiple times the additional password and warning notes that were place on that account. 

    A lack of understanding the overlap between fraud incidents and privacy breach incidents as well as unclear privacy incident management plans led the finance business to miss its statutory obligation for reporting this privacy breach incident to OPC. They were of the belief that because the individual already had details of the customer obtained elsewhere it was not a privacy matter and as the unauthorised transactions were reimbursed there was no harm caused to the customer.  

    In this case, the unauthorised access to sensitive financial information created a high likelihood of harm for the customer, not only financial but also emotional harm due to the significant stress the customer experienced after seeing their account was bypassed multiple times. We determined the finance business breached the Privacy Act. 

    Compliance response

    We considered our compliance options for the breaches of the Privacy Act using our Compliance and Enforcement Regulatory Action Framework.

    In this case, the finance business engaged productively with both OPC and the affected individual. We took into consideration its willingness to learn and acknowledgement that it failed to comply with the Privacy Act. They immediately took steps to improve its processes in relation to customer verification checks as well as conducting privacy training for all staff.

    We instructed the finance business to meet its statutory obligation and notify the privacy breach incident to OPC as well as review its privacy breach management plans and share the reviewed documents with OPC.

    Conclusion

    Fraud is a growing problem in the finance industry, and it raises significant privacy concerns, primarily due to the sensitive nature of financial information and the potential for privacy breaches. These breaches can compromise customer information, leading to financial loss, reputational damage, emotional harm, stress, anxiety and violation of privacy.

    Finance businesses such as banks and lending institutions are common targets for fraud and often hold large volumes of sensitive personal information. In some cases, staff may inadvertently disclose personal information in response to fraudulent requests, potentially breaching the Privacy Act.

    This incident highlights the importance of robust identity verification in high-risk sectors and compliance with statutory obligations under the Privacy Act. 

    Resources available

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Altucher Releases Urgent Presentation Potentially Linking August 13 to Starlink’s Global Pivot

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Austin, TX, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A newly released presentation by bestselling author and tech entrepreneur James Altucher is drawing attention for spotlighting a potential turning point in the rollout of Elon Musk’s satellite network, Starlink.

    Altucher outlines a series of developments—some public, some behind closed doors—that appear to be converging around a single date: August 13, 2025.

    At the center of the story is what Altucher describes as “a multi-decade plan” to create a satellite-based communications grid that could replace traditional systems and establish a new digital foundation for the modern world.

    The Architecture of a Quiet Revolution

    The presentation suggests this quiet build-up may soon enter a public phase, marking a moment Altucher believes many will miss—because they weren’t paying attention.

    A Meeting That Sparked Everything

    Altucher first began connecting the dots after learning about a private meeting involving Elon Musk and industry insiders.

    Though the contents of that meeting remain undisclosed, the timing aligns with a series of recent media statements from Musk and his team—signals Altucher says have been overlooked by the public and press alike.

    Altucher’s Warning

    As the presentation nears its conclusion, Altucher issues a clear message: the window may be closing.

    “After this date, the window could slam shut—and you may never have this same chance again,” he writes, referring to August 13.

    He adds, “This is about recognizing the moments when everything changes. Not years later—right now”

    About James Altucher

    James Altucher is a serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and podcast host. He’s launched more than 20 companies across software, media, and finance. Altucher has authored 25+ books including Choose Yourself, Reinvent Yourself, and Skip the Line. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and TechCrunch, and he has been featured on CNBC, Fox Business, and major global platforms. His daily insights reach millions seeking clarity at the intersection of technology, power, and personal freedom.

    The MIL Network –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy applauds USDOT lease agreement for National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety in Lake Charles

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement applauding the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for entering into a 20-year lease agreement with McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La., the location of the PHMSA National Center of Excellence for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Safety (the Center). McNeese was chosen as the Center’s site earlier this year. The lease will start on August 1, 2025.

    “LNG production is one of the most critical ways our nation can unleash our energy dominance and protect our national security, and Louisiana is leading the way. I’m proud to see the U.S. Department of Transportation take this major step forward in building our National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety in Lake Charles. This Center will be a game changer for our region and be the tip of the spear for LNG innovation, operations, and safety in the U.S.,” said Kennedy. 

    “Louisiana is at the heart of America’s growing LNG revolution. There is no better place to locate our Center of Excellence to ensure we safely transport this critical energy source,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.

    The Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2020 required PHMSA to establish that the National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety improve the federal government’s LNG facility expertise, serve as an information repository on best practices for LNG facilities, and facilitate collaboration among LNG stakeholders. 

    “We are excited to reach another important milestone in the construction of the Center, which will be a hub for advancing U.S. LNG safety,” said PHMSA Acting Administrator Ben Kochman. 

    “We are thrilled to finalize the long-term lease with PHMSA for a location on our McNeese campus. This project has been in the works for over two years, and it would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Senator Kennedy and his staff, our partners in Washington, D.C., and our colleagues at the University of Louisiana. We believe having PHMSA right here in Lake Charles—working alongside us—will serve as a powerful catalyst for securing the future of our region’s vital industries,” said Dr. Wade Rousse, President, McNeese State University.

    Kennedy has long fought for the National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety and its presence in southwest Louisiana.

    • In 2020, Kennedy inserted a provision into the PIPES Act requiring the Center to be located in Louisiana. The PIPES Act, including Kennedy’s addition, became law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
    • In May 2024, Kennedy questioned then-Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg during the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD Appropriations). In response to Kennedy’s questions, Buttigieg confirmed that the Center would be located in Lake Charles, La.
    • During a May 2025 THUD Appropriations hearing, Kennedy questioned Secretary Duffy and confirmed that McNeese State University would be the site of the new Center. McNeese State University is the first undergraduate institution in the U.S. to offer a certificate program in the LNG Business and already hosts its own LNG Center of Excellence.

    PHMSA and other federal agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Energy, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, have worked together to ensure the Center is focused on its mission of making the U.S. the leader in LNG operations. 

    Additional information about the National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety is available on PHMSA’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tiffany’s Legislation to Help Wabeno Small Business Clears House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tom Tiffany (WI-07)

    WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Congressman Tom Tiffany’s (WI-07) Wabeno Economic Development Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. H.R. 3937 will expedite the conveyance of 14 acres of land in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest to Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix for fair market value.

    After years of not making progress with the U.S. Forest Service, Tony—the owner of Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix—turned to Congressman Tiffany’s office for help. His business is running out of nearby aggregate materials like stone, sand, and gravel, and they will exhaust supply in approximately 2 years. The adjacent parcel is critical for the business’s future and ability to stay in operation.

    “This conveyance will deliver long-term economic growth and protect local jobs for the people of Wabeno and Forest County,” said Congressman Tiffany. “It will ensure Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix stays open and continues serving the community for years to come.”

    Background:

    Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix has been serving the community for 25 years and currently employs 17 people. The company provides concrete for both contractors and homeowners across a 50-mile radius. Projects include large-scale work for the Forest County Potawatomi Community, local fire and rescue stations, town shops and offices, agricultural projects for local farmers, and residential construction and remodeling.

    Tony first began working with the Forest Service on this land exchange more than eight years ago. However, the agency made it clear the project was not a priority and lacked the resources to complete it. With much of Forest County under federal ownership as part of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, there is limited private land available for small business expansion.  

    This legislation is supported by the Wabeno Area Chamber of Commerce, the Forest County Economic Development Partnership, and the Town of Wabeno. Tom Tallier, Forest County Board Supervisor for District 8, offered key testimony in favor of the bill last year.

    You can view Rep. Tiffany’s comments on the House floor here, and Rep. Debbie Dingell’s (MI-06) floor statement of support here. You can read the full text of the bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tiffany’s Legislation to Help Wabeno Small Business Clears House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tom Tiffany (WI-07)

    WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Congressman Tom Tiffany’s (WI-07) Wabeno Economic Development Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. H.R. 3937 will expedite the conveyance of 14 acres of land in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest to Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix for fair market value.

    After years of not making progress with the U.S. Forest Service, Tony—the owner of Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix—turned to Congressman Tiffany’s office for help. His business is running out of nearby aggregate materials like stone, sand, and gravel, and they will exhaust supply in approximately 2 years. The adjacent parcel is critical for the business’s future and ability to stay in operation.

    “This conveyance will deliver long-term economic growth and protect local jobs for the people of Wabeno and Forest County,” said Congressman Tiffany. “It will ensure Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix stays open and continues serving the community for years to come.”

    Background:

    Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix has been serving the community for 25 years and currently employs 17 people. The company provides concrete for both contractors and homeowners across a 50-mile radius. Projects include large-scale work for the Forest County Potawatomi Community, local fire and rescue stations, town shops and offices, agricultural projects for local farmers, and residential construction and remodeling.

    Tony first began working with the Forest Service on this land exchange more than eight years ago. However, the agency made it clear the project was not a priority and lacked the resources to complete it. With much of Forest County under federal ownership as part of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, there is limited private land available for small business expansion.  

    This legislation is supported by the Wabeno Area Chamber of Commerce, the Forest County Economic Development Partnership, and the Town of Wabeno. Tom Tallier, Forest County Board Supervisor for District 8, offered key testimony in favor of the bill last year.

    You can view Rep. Tiffany’s comments on the House floor here, and Rep. Debbie Dingell’s (MI-06) floor statement of support here. You can read the full text of the bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: GOP Senator Reveals the ‘Dirty’ Secret to Trump’s Make America Healthy Again Movement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) sat down with Fox News Digital to discuss the nearly 30 bipartisan bills he has proposed for his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) legislative package. Senator Marshall is the chairman of the MAHA Caucus.
    Read the full article HERE or below:
    GOP Senator Reveals the ‘Dirty’ Secret to Trump’s Make America Healthy Again Movement
    Alex Miller
    Fox News Digital
    July 18, 2025
    For one lawmaker, the path to making Americans healthier starts in the dirt.
    Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., has styled himself as an early adopter of the Make America Healthy Again movement, a political slogan born on the 2024 campaign trail that has since seen major companies tweak their products to nix artificial additives.
    But Marshall sees the initiative, commonly known as MAHA, as one that can start sooner than switching the oil in deep friers or swapping out high-fructose corn syrup for cane sugar in soda.
    He has his own four pillars of MAHA, which include dialing up efficiency in agriculture; healthier, more nutrient-rich food; affordable access to primary care healthcare; and addressing mental health challenges among young people.
    But it all starts below the surface with soil health.
    “Soil is a dirty topic, you know, pun intended,” Marshall told Fox News Digital in an interview.
    MAHA diehards and farmers are, at a surface level, at odds with one another, he said. For example, returning to an entirely organic food production process devoid of fertilizers would create healthier food, but also crank up the costs on consumers and strain farmland.
    Earlier in the week, Marshall held a roundtable with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to try and bridge that gap.
    “Soil health seems to be the common ground,” he said. “So healthy soil meets healthy food meets healthy people. Rather than MAHA telling these farmers what you can and can’t do, we wanted to say, ‘What’s our goal here?’ If we have the same goals, then we’re going to figure this out. Well, the goal is healthy soil.”
    Getting those two in a room together, along with experts on regenerative agriculture, which is a more holistic approach to farming that targets soil health by restoring and enhancing ecosystems, is just a part of his plan.
    He also intends to drop a massive package of bills that is divided up into categories that echo his four pillars, including legislation geared toward health care, mental health, nutrition and agriculture.
    Among the nearly 30 bills and amendments in the package is one Marshall is particularly keen to see codified. The Plant Biostimulant Act would spur usage of organisms that can be placed into the soil and that latch onto the roots of plants that absorb nitrates and more water, he said.
    The bill ties in directly with his passion for regenerative agriculture, which uses fewer fertilizers, water and other status-quo farming techniques to produce healthier foods on more sustainable farmland, which, in turn, would yield a cheaper, more nutritious diet for Americans.
    “It’s growing more with less,” he said.
    Among the various, bipartisan pieces of legislation from both chambers are bills that would push mobile cancer screenings with grant funding, add mental health warnings for kids scrolling through social media, require more transparency in food ingredients, expansion of employer healthcare coverage for chronic diseases, and measures that would allow bleeding edge soil health technology and processes to be considered conservation practices and eligible for Farm Bill funding, among others.
    Most bills need to get 60 votes to pass in the Senate, Marshall noted, and that led to a desire to incorporate as many bipartisan measures in the package as possible. It’s also a topic that, in spite of the political polarization in Washington, “unites us, rather than divides us.”
    Still, with President Donald Trump in office, he sees the chance for the measures to pass as a kind of now or never moment.
    “We’re seeing a time in our lives where the incidence of cancer, the age of cancer, is growing younger and younger, the age of Alzheimer’s onset is growing younger and younger, and we believe it’s an inflammatory reaction to the food that we’re eating that leads to all that,” he said.
    “We think heart disease, hypertension, is really an inflammatory reaction… to the food we’re eating and the constantly high sugar levels in our blood system,” he continued. “So absolutely, I think, seize the moment. This is it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) Introduces Legislation to Codify President Trump’s Executive Order on Showerheads

    Source:

    Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) Introduces Legislation to Codify President Trump’s Executive Order on Showerheads

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) introduced the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act, a bill to codify President Trump’s clear and consistent definition of “showerhead” and put an end to the federal government’s overregulation of household water fixtures.

    Under the 2016 Trump Administration, the Department of Energy (DOE) rightly clarified that each nozzle in a multi-head shower system could be treated as a separate showerhead, each allowed to flow at up to 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM), consistent with the original intent of the 1992 Energy Policy Act.

    But in 2021, the Biden Administration reversed course, reinstating a burdensome interpretation that limited the combined flow of all nozzles in a system to 2.5 GPM—effectively reducing water pressure and restricting consumer choice. That rule was widely criticized as overreach and emblematic of a broader regulatory agenda targeting everyday household appliances.

    President Trump issued an Executive Order in April of 2025 directing DOE to eliminate the Biden-era rule, and DOE followed through in May by repealing the restrictive definition entirely. The SHOWER Act now ensures this rollback is enshrined in law and cannot be reversed by future administrations.

    Specifically, the bill:

    • Codifies the definition of “showerhead” using the ASME A112.18.1–2018 industry standard.

    • Clarifies that each individual nozzle in a multi-nozzle unit may operate independently at up to 2.5 GPM.

    • Excludes safety showerheads used for emergency purposes.

    • Directs the DOE to revise existing regulations within 180 days to reflect the updated statutory definition.

    • Prevents future reinterpretations that would restrict water flow and limit consumer options.

    “Washington bureaucrats have gone too far in dictating what happens in Americans’ own homes,” said Congressman Fry. “The SHOWER Act is a smart fix that reaffirms each shower nozzle is just that—its own showerhead—and should be treated accordingly under the law. This is about defending consumer choice, pushing back on regulatory overreach, and standing up for commonsense policy.”

    “For far too long federal regulations and red tape have limited consumer choice and forced Americans to live with limited water pressure,” said Chairman Guthrie. “Low pressure showers waste time and increase water usage. By codifying how different nozzles are categorized, the SHOWER Act offers a commonsense fix that will allow households to choose what meets their needs, not what Washington mandates.  Thank you to Representative Fry for leading this legislation and for your work to deliver results for consumers across the country.” 

    Full text of the bill can be found HERE.

    Congressman Fry serves on both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. To stay up to date with Congressman Fry and his work for the Seventh District, follow his official Facebook, Instagram, and X pages and visit his website at fry.house.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville Joins Kudlow to Highlight President Trump’s Wins in First Six Months in Office

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business Network to highlight some of President Trump’s many wins since taking office six months ago, including historic tax cuts, increased military recruitment, protecting female athletes, securing the southern border, and making our food healthier.

    Excerpts from the interview can be found below and the full interview can be viewed on YouTube or Rumble.

    KUDLOW: “So Senator Tuberville, I think one of the themes here—this is something we’ve talked about. Victor Davis Hanson has been writing about this. The experts were wrong. Trump got this stuff done. In particular, the southern border—which is virtually flat now, virtually empty—no crossings. We didn’t need new legislation, right? Remember that push? We just needed somebody who was tough enough to enforce the laws. Let’s start with that one, okay? Immigration. How about that? Maybe his greatest achievement.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, you’re exactly right and one of the repercussions of the immigration stoppage of keeping very few illegals coming to our country—we’re saving $40 billion dollars to this point in this budget. $40 billion dollars. And that’s going to count up. We could not afford for Kamala Harris to win this election because it would have been a disaster, just for the immigration alone, which would [have] just stair-stepped everything to becoming a disaster when it come to the economy.”

    KUDLOW: “And you know Senator, the Democrats have to be crazy and just out of their minds to oppose this, okay? They’re still defend[ing]—and they’re still in the business of defending sanctuary cities and of defending the worst of the worst criminals. And we just had this awful shooting of a border agent in New York City. And DHS secretary Kristi Noem correctly just blasted New York City Democrats. They got a mayor—the Socialist mayor, Communist mayor, whatever he is—Mamdani the Commie. He wants to keep ICE agents out. He wants to keep Netanyahu out. He wants to keep Trump out. I mean, how can the Democrats be so stupid? I call them experts. They’re really just deep state people who arejust on the wrong side of all these issues.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, the wrong side, and that’s the only side they can reach to, Larry, for votes. They have to have votes, and they’re looking for somewhere to get votes. This sanctuary city nonsense—it’s unlawful. People are going to get hurt more and more when you hang out in these sanctuary cities. But all they’re doing is pushing socialism, and all socialism is just—it’s communism without a gun, at the end of the day. And so, we need to understand the direction this country’s going if the Democrats have an opportunity to get a leg back into this country in terms of leadership. That’s not going to happen. As you just said, I was at that dinner in the White House Friday night when President Trump was going through all those wins that we’ve had. It’s just amazing to me that it takes so long to go through them, our dinner got cold. But at the end of the day, it was so fun to listen to all that. It’s just amazing what he’s done in six months.”

    KUDLOW: “So the experts were wrong, tariffs are not inflationary, real wages are actually going up, the stock market is now hitting new record highs. I believe today, both the NASDAQ and the SMP hit new record highs. But here’s one for you, which I think is very important: in six months, military recruitment—new military recruitment—Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary, Donald Trump, President of the United States and Commander in Chief—new military recruitment has gone sky high, record levels. What do you make of that, Senator?”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, I’ll tell you why, people—these young men and women—are feeling good about our country again. They’re not being told that they’re woke, and they need to be social justice warriors. They’re doing it for the right thing. They’re doing it to protect our country. But it’s also a great way to get an education. It’s a great job. But it wasn’t sold that way by the Democrats. It was sold by the Democrats as ‘Hey, be part of a basically a clown show,’ and that’s what it was turning into. I’m on Armed Services. I’ve never seen anything like the recruiting that was going on. The books that our generals were telling our troops to read, whether it was on ships or in in some of these camps—it’s just amazing to me the direction where we were going.”

    KUDLOW: “Well, here’s another one then. We obliterated Iran, but the deep state experts said, ‘No. No. No. If we hit Iran, it would cause a massive blow-up and war throughout the Middle East and the rest of the world.’ What I don’t see is any of that stuff. In fact, we’re—I guess, we’re at a ceasefire, de facto, if not de jure. But the point is he obliterated the Iran nuclear program. None of them under the Bidens or the Obamas or anybody else had the backbone, I’ll call it, to do such a thing. You know what I mean? Here—tough wins, okay? Tough always wins.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Yep. President Trump’s a peacemaker. He understands sometimes you have to take the tough decision. Don’t listen to everybody else around you. Go by your instincts. He understood that, hey, there is no possible way we can allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. And if they’re getting this close as his experts were telling him, we’ve got to do something. And so go in, go out. He set them back probably a year and a half, two years. They can always build back. But who’s to say we won’t go back in there in two years and destroy it again? And it’s cost them a trillion dollars to build this infrastructure up. […]”

    KUDLOW: “Here’s another one: no men in women’s sports. How about that? Commonsense, you wouldn’t have thought. This was like a major battle—a major battle. This was like the Democrats’ last stand, but no men in women’s sports.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. Of course, I’ve been on this ever since it started. This was my first vote when I got here four years ago. And there’s [been] no Democrats in four years vote on any of my bills about no men and women sports. It’s absolutely insane what they’ve tried to do. And it’s an attack on women. And it doesn’t—I don’t understand this. I must be talking to people from a different planet sometimes when they talk about [how] they need the opportunity to do whatever they want to do. No, they don’t. Men and women have separate identities in terms of physical ability, and they need to be separate in sports and that’s the reason we’ve had it this way for 249 years.”

    KUDLOW: “How about this one? I didn’t put it in my riff, but alright, fancy colleges and universities—no more antisemitism. No more racism. No more affirmative action. And if you don’t play ball, you’re gonna lose your grants, your federal grants. Now that is a tough President doing the right thing. Is he not?”

    TUBERVILLE: “Exactly. Our education is going to hell in a handbasket. And here’s the reason why: it’s become a business, Larry. It’s become a business of making money and doing things to where they can pay their presidents $2 or $3 million dollars each and have their private planes. It’s really gone overboard. But let me give you one: 35-40% of the companies in this country have cut out this poison that we’re putting in our food. And of all the people I talk to, this is one of the major wins that President Trump’s had. We don’t talk about it enough. I’m having dinner with Dr. Oz and some of the people of MAHA tonight, and it’s gonna be a celebration of making a lot of progress in just a short period of time and cleaning up our food.”

    KUDLOW: “Well, I love that. Look, we had Bobby Kennedy on the show. He was absolutely terrific. I gotta stop eating ice cream because they’re always weird dyes. I can’t do that anymore. I’m gonna stick to my—” 

    TUBERVILLE: “Eat vanilla. Eat vanilla, Larry.”

    KUDLOW: “I don’t know. Even vanilla, I can’t be sure anymore. He really shook everybody up. But finally, Senator—and this is a tragedy. Today a Border Patrol agent got shot in New York City. I think people, alright. Kristi Noem—DHS Secretary Noem—is blasting this as part of the New York City problem. This is part of the sanctuary city problem. This is part of the blue city Democratic problem. This is Mamdani the Commie problem. He’s gonna make it worse. I mean, this poor guy got shot for no good reason. Now, this stuff has gotta stop.”

    TUBERVILLE: “It really does have to stop. And again, law enforcement, Customs and Border Patrol, whoever is in authority—protect yourself. President Trump has given them authority to protect themself. It’s unfortunate this young person got shot and shot in the face [is] my understanding. Hope he’s fine. But again, this is not gonna be the end of it, Larry. It’s gonna get worse and worse as we go from here. But they have to protect themselves, give them the right to shoot back if they shoot at them…”

    KUDLOW: “And so, let me ask you. I mean, Democrats defunding the police again. I haven’t heard that this is what Mamdani the Commie wants to do. Defund the police, put social workers in their place. By the way, he’s got a clone who just got the Democratic nomination for mayor out in Minneapolis, unbelievable to me. How can they actually argue that? You got your Mayor Bass. You got your Governor Newsom. You got all these people, okay? They may not come out for defund the police, but they don’t want any law and order when it comes to chasing the worst of the worst of the illegal criminals who should be deported. I mean, honestly, this is the Democratic position. I think I saw poll today. The Democratic Party has an approval rating, Senator, of 19%. How about those apples? 19%.”

    TUBERVILLE: “It’s gonna get worse. Can you imagine [in] Minneapolis, and Chicago, and Detroit, and New York, San Francisco, LA—social workers being the police? What uniform are they gonna wear, first of all? And then are they gonna be armed? It will be a total disaster and it’s a disaster waiting to happen. But [radical Democrats] believe in this. I don’t understand it, but it’ll all get straightened out at the end of the day. They’re not gonna win any of the elections coming up [that] they think they’re gonna win. And President Trump’s gonna keep hammering them every day in terms of making sure we take this social justice nonsense out of everything that we do.”

    KUDLOW: “Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Absolutely. Senator Tommy Tuberville, as always, sir, thank you for your wisdom.”

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Sidhu discusses trade priorities and opportunities with counterparts and business leaders in British Columbia

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 22, 2025 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, was in British Columbia (B.C.) from July 17 to 21, to meet with provincial and industry leaders, as well as Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) clients in the defence, aerospace and agriculture sectors.

    During a keynote address at a Surrey Board of Trade event, Minister Sidhu outlined Canada’s economic priorities, including strengthening and diversifying trade relationships worldwide. He spoke about the significance of the Government of Canada’s Team Canada Trade Missions, a key initiative under the Indo-Pacific Strategy that helps Canadian businesses export to new international markets.

    The minister also met with his newly appointed B.C. counterpart, the Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth, Ravi Kahlon. They explored collaboration opportunities between the federal and provincial governments to create market connections for Canadian companies, including through Canada’s TCS. Following their meeting, Minister Kahlon joined Minister Sidhu at a round-table discussion with Business Council of British Columbia members, where they shared Canada’s and B.C.’s priorities for continued growth in the energy sector.

    While in the Vancouver area, Minister Sidhu toured the Port of Vancouver and saw first-hand how the harbour contributes to Canada’s international supply chain, facilitating the flow of exports to Asia and connections to essential goods from around the world. He also visited OSI Maritime Systems Ltd., a successful TCS partner, where he gained valuable insights into the unique export challenges faced by Canadian defence companies. The Minister then met with Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO of the Vancouver International Airport to discuss key priorities, including cargo capacity and enhancing international connectivity.

    In Kitimat, he visited LNG Canada, the country’s first export-oriented liquefied natural gas facility, where he learned about the company’s exports to Asia. As a world leader in the energy sector, Canada is a partner of choice for clean energy solutions and is ready to become a conventional and clean energy superpower.

    Minister Sidhu concluded his visit to B.C. in Kelowna. He participated in a discussion with business leaders at the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, where he highlighted the role the TCS can play to help B.C. companies reach new export markets. While in Kelowna, the minister also visited Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing, Hillcrest Farms, and KF Aerospace, local businesses, to gain insights into their experiences, discuss challenges they face, and explore how the TCS can support them.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Rate and Chicago White Sox to Host Tribute Honoring Military Families at Rate Field on July 25

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rate, a leading fintech company, will proudly honor America’s military families during its second annual Military Appreciation Game with the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Held on Friday, July 25, the event will be a powerful tribute to service, sacrifice, and the enduring spirit of the armed forces.

    A pregame “Take the Field” recognition will spotlight all seven Military Spouses of the Year, each representing a different branch of the U.S. military. They will be honored on the field as they meet with White Sox players at each defensive position in a moving pregame moment of appreciation and respect.

    The evening’s Hero of the Game will be Marine Corps Captain Riley Tejcek, an active-duty officer, Olympic bobsled hopeful, author, and rising digital voice, who embodies the strength and versatility of today’s military leaders.

    A highlight of the night will be a parachute jump into Rate Field, delivering the game ball into the hands of a military child who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Justin Holmes, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Nashville recording artist, will perform the National Anthem, bringing added meaning to this celebration of country and community.

    “This night, honoring the military is our way of saying thank you,” said Victor Ciardelli, CEO of Rate. “Military families are the backbone of this country, and we’re proud to celebrate and serve them.”

    Earlier in the day, Rate will host a brunch and service project at its Chicago headquarters to welcome the honorees and connect them with company employees and leadership. The gathering will include a hands-on volunteer initiative supporting military causes.

    On game day, attendees will also be able to connect with key organizations at Rate Field, including:

    • Marine Corps Recruiting Command
    • Hiring Our Heroes
    • United Through Reading
    • Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)

    The evening coincides with a crosstown matchup between the White Sox and the Cubs, adding even more excitement to what is expected to be a deeply memorable occasion.

    This celebration is part of Rate’s unwavering commitment to military families nationwide. Through its leading VA loan program, the company has waived more than $65 million in lender fees and actively supports military-focused nonprofits and educational initiatives throughout the year.

    About Rate
    Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate has over 850 branches across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Rate has helped more than 2 million homeowners with home purchase loans, refinances, and home equity loans. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates, and delivering unparalleled customer service. Recent honors and awards include: a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 by Fortune; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for First-Time Homebuyers by Forbes; a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for FHA Loans, Home Equity Loans, and Lower Credit Scores by NerdWallet; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for Digital Experience and Down Payment Assistance by Motley Fool; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.

    Media Contact:
    press@rate.com

    The MIL Network –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Rate and Chicago White Sox to Host Tribute Honoring Military Families at Rate Field on July 25

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rate, a leading fintech company, will proudly honor America’s military families during its second annual Military Appreciation Game with the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Held on Friday, July 25, the event will be a powerful tribute to service, sacrifice, and the enduring spirit of the armed forces.

    A pregame “Take the Field” recognition will spotlight all seven Military Spouses of the Year, each representing a different branch of the U.S. military. They will be honored on the field as they meet with White Sox players at each defensive position in a moving pregame moment of appreciation and respect.

    The evening’s Hero of the Game will be Marine Corps Captain Riley Tejcek, an active-duty officer, Olympic bobsled hopeful, author, and rising digital voice, who embodies the strength and versatility of today’s military leaders.

    A highlight of the night will be a parachute jump into Rate Field, delivering the game ball into the hands of a military child who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Justin Holmes, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Nashville recording artist, will perform the National Anthem, bringing added meaning to this celebration of country and community.

    “This night, honoring the military is our way of saying thank you,” said Victor Ciardelli, CEO of Rate. “Military families are the backbone of this country, and we’re proud to celebrate and serve them.”

    Earlier in the day, Rate will host a brunch and service project at its Chicago headquarters to welcome the honorees and connect them with company employees and leadership. The gathering will include a hands-on volunteer initiative supporting military causes.

    On game day, attendees will also be able to connect with key organizations at Rate Field, including:

    • Marine Corps Recruiting Command
    • Hiring Our Heroes
    • United Through Reading
    • Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)

    The evening coincides with a crosstown matchup between the White Sox and the Cubs, adding even more excitement to what is expected to be a deeply memorable occasion.

    This celebration is part of Rate’s unwavering commitment to military families nationwide. Through its leading VA loan program, the company has waived more than $65 million in lender fees and actively supports military-focused nonprofits and educational initiatives throughout the year.

    About Rate
    Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate has over 850 branches across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Rate has helped more than 2 million homeowners with home purchase loans, refinances, and home equity loans. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates, and delivering unparalleled customer service. Recent honors and awards include: a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 by Fortune; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for First-Time Homebuyers by Forbes; a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for FHA Loans, Home Equity Loans, and Lower Credit Scores by NerdWallet; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for Digital Experience and Down Payment Assistance by Motley Fool; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.

    Media Contact:
    press@rate.com

    The MIL Network –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Pulse Seismic Inc. Reports Strong Q2 2025 Financial Results and Declares Special and Regular Quarterly Dividends

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pulse Seismic Inc. (TSX:PSD) (OTCQX:PLSDF) (“Pulse” or the “Company”) is pleased to report its financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025. The unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, accompanying notes and MD&A are being filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and will be available on Pulse’s website at www.pulseseismic.com.

    Today, Pulse’s Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.0175 per common share and also declared a special dividend of $0.20 per common share. The total dividend declared will be approximately $11.0 million based on Pulse’s 50,755,057 common shares outstanding as of July 22, 2025, to be paid on August 20, 2025, to shareholders of record on August 13, 2025. This dividend is designated as an eligible dividend for Canadian income tax purposes. For non-resident shareholders, Pulse’s dividends are subject to Canadian withholding tax.

    “In the first half of 2025 the Company has benefited from increases in traditional data sales as well as energy sector M&A, generating revenue of $41.1 million, an EBITDA margin of 86% and $27.2 million of shareholder free cashflow,” stated Neal Coleman, Pulse’s President and CEO. “Pulse’s industry leading seismic data library contains vital subsurface information used by E&P companies for risk mitigation and maximization of drilling results,” he continued. “The Company continues to rely on shareholder free cashflow as the basis for its capital allocation strategy and remains focused on returns to shareholders, as evidenced by distributing 84% of 2025 free cash flow in the form of dividends. Pulse’s Board of Directors today declared the second special dividend of 2025,” Coleman continued. “In the last 24 months, special dividends of $0.80 have been declared, in addition to the regular dividend which has increased annually and is currently set at $0.07 per year,” he concluded.

    HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE THREE AND SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2025

    • The regular quarterly dividend of $0.0175 per common share declared and paid in the second quarter of 2025 was a 17% increase over the regular quarterly dividend of $0.015 per common share declared and paid in the first quarter of 2025. A special dividend of $0.20 per common share totaling $10.2 million was also declared and paid in the first quarter of 2025;
    • The Company renewed its Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB) on February 24, 2025. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company purchased and cancelled 80,600 shares under the NCIB at an average price of $2.43 per share, for total cost of approximately $197,000;
    • Total revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2025, was $18.3 million, compared to $6.3 million for the same period in 2024. Total revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2025, was $41.1 million, compared to $15.1 million for the same period in 2024. Revenue generated in the first half of 2025 reflects an increase of 71% compared to the last three years average of annual revenue;
    • Shareholder free cash flow(a) was $11.7 million ($0.23 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $3.9 million ($0.07 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024. Shareholder free cash flow was $27.2 million ($0.53 per share basic and diluted) for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $8.9 million ($0.17 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024;
    • EBITDA(a) was $15.2 million ($0.30 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $4.4 million ($0.0.09 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024. For the six months ended June 30, 2025, EBITDA was $35.3 million ($0.69 per share basic and diluted) compared to $10.6 million ($0.21 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024;
    • Net earnings for the three months ended June 30, 2025, was $9.6 million ($0.19 per share basic and diluted) compared to net earnings of $1.3 million ($0.03 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024. Net earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2025, was $22.9 million ($0.45 per share basic and diluted) compared to net earnings of $4.0 million ($0.08 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024; and
    • At June 30, 2025, the Company had a cash balance of $25.9 million as well as $5.0 million of available liquidity on its revolving demand credit facility.
    SELECTED FINANCIAL AND
    OPERATING INFORMATION    		          
               
               
    (Thousands of dollars except per share data, Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, Year ended,
    numbers of shares and kilometres of seismic data) 2025 2024   2025 2024 December 31,
      (Unaudited) (Unaudited) 2024
    Revenue 18,316 6,300   41,075 15,077 23,379
               
    Amortization of seismic data library 2,224 2,279   4,449 4,549 9,090
    Net earnings 9,565 1,341   22,940 4,022 3,391
    Per share basic and diluted 0.19 0.03   0.45 0.08 0.07
    Cash provided by (used in) operating activities 12,543 (1,269 ) 29,158 9,195 14,195
    Per share basic and diluted 0.25 (0.02 ) 0.57 0.18 0.28
    EBITDA (a) 15,238 4,418   35,286 10,647 15,496
    Per share basic and diluted (a) 0.30 0.09   0.69 0.21 0.30
    Shareholder free cash flow (a) 11,733 3,869   27,152 8,907 12,408
    Per share basic and diluted (a) 0.23 0.07   0.53 0.17 0.24
               
    Capital expenditures          
    Seismic data – –   – 225 225
    Property and equipment – –   – – 45
    Total capital expenditures – –   – 225 270
               
    Dividends          
    Regular dividends declared 885 775   1,648 1,490 3,018
    Special dividends declared – –   10,167 – 2,548
    Total dividends declared 885 775   11,815 1,490 5,566
               
    Normal course issuer bid          
    Number of shares purchased and cancelled 37,300 539,500   80,600 1,166,800 1,784,000
    Cost of shares purchased and cancelled 91 1,222   197 2,407 3,880
               
    Weighted average shares outstanding          
    Basic and diluted 50,761,321 51,734,590   50,795,174 51,928,298 51,448,985
    Shares outstanding at period-end     50,755,057 51,455,063 50,837,863
               
    Seismic library          
    2D in kilometres     829,207 829,207 829,207
    3D in square kilometres     65,310 65,310 65,310
    FINANCIAL POSITION
    AND RATIO    		          
          June 30, June 30, December 31,
    (Thousands of dollars except ratio)     2025 2024 2024
    Working capital     24,202 10,996 9,222
    Working capital ratio     4.8:1 4.0:1 5.1:1
    Cash and cash equivalents     25,876 9,392 8,722
    Total assets     36,479 29,184 21,516
    Trailing 12 -month (TTM) EBITDA(b)     40,135 27,528 15,496
    Shareholders’ equity     29,177 25,177 18,295
               

    (a)The Company’s continuous disclosure documents provide discussion and analysis of “EBITDA”, “EBITDA per share”, “shareholder free cash flow” and “shareholder free cash flow per share”. These financial measures do not have standard definitions prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies. The Company has included these non-GAAP financial measures because management, investors, analysts and others use them as measures of the Company’s financial performance. The Company’s definition of EBITDA is cash available for interest payments, cash taxes, repayment of debt, purchase of its shares, discretionary capital expenditures and the payment of dividends, and is calculated as earnings (loss) from operations before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The Company believes EBITDA assists investors in comparing Pulse’s results on a consistent basis without regard to non-cash items, such as depreciation and amortization, which can vary significantly depending on accounting methods or non-operating factors such as historical cost. EBITDA per share is defined as EBITDA divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period. Shareholder free cash flow further refines the calculation of capital available to invest in growing the Company’s 2D and 3D seismic data library, to repay debt, to purchase its common shares and to pay dividends by deducting non-discretionary expenditures from EBITDA. Non-discretionary expenditures are defined as non-cash expenses, debt financing costs (net of deferred financing expenses amortized in the current period), net restructuring costs and current tax provisions. Shareholder free cash flow per share is defined as shareholder free cash flow divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period.
    These non-GAAP financial measures are defined, calculated and reconciled to the nearest GAAP financial measures in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis.
    (b) TTM EBITDA is defined as the sum of EBITDA generated over the previous 12 months and is used to provide a comparable annualized measure.
    These non-GAAP financial measures are defined, calculated and reconciled to the nearest GAAP financial measures in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

    OUTLOOK
    Pulse had a very strong first half year, generating revenue of $41.1 million and ending the quarter with $24.2 million of working capital including $25.9 million in cash. These financial results have provided capital returns to shareholders, strengthened the balance sheet, and positioned the Company for solid financial performance in 2025.

    Pulse’s ability to forecast future revenue continues to be challenging, as significant annual fluctuations are the norm in the seismic data library business. Industry trends that we consider relevant as we look forward include land sales in Western Canada, drilling forecasts for the year, commodity price levels, M&A forecasts and the status of industry infrastructure improvements. It is difficult to predict in the midst of the current market dynamics how this will unfold through the remainder of 2025. M&A activity for the year so far, has surpassed many analysts’ earlier expectations and is expected to remain strong for the remainder of 2025. Lower oil prices have contributed to decreased corporate valuations which often lead to acquisition opportunities. Alberta land sales through 2024 were strong, but at midpoint in 2025 have generated just over half the amount for the same period in 2024. In British Columbia land sales were resumed in Q3 2024 after a pause of over three years. New infrastructure, such as the TMX pipeline expansion, a driver of increased drilling activity, which was completed in 2024 has provided increased export capacity. The Canadian Association of Energy Contractors, in November 2024 forecast an increase to 6,604 wells to be drilled in 2025, an approximate 7% increase over 2024. There has been no update published to this forecast, and drilling activity is reported to be relatively stable. LNG Canada’s liquified natural gas export facility is now operational and is expected to contribute to increased drilling and may lead to an improvement in Canadian natural gas prices.

    Of course, there continues to be a high level of uncertainty on political and economic fronts. Uncertainty around energy tariffs and trade policy between Canada and the United States, are contributing to the lack of clarity for the future. It is clear that Canada needs to continue to build pipelines and increase natural gas egress, to support the country’s energy security, as well as to secure new buyers of Canadian energy.

    Pulse, as previously stated, has low visibility regarding future seismic data library sales levels, regardless of industry conditions. The Company remains focused on business practices that have served throughout the full range of conditions. The Company maintains a strong balance sheet and carries no debt. Led by an experienced and capable management team, Pulse operates with a low-cost structure and focuses on maintaining excellent client relations and providing exceptional customer service. Pulse’s strong financial position, high leverage to increased revenue in its EBITDA margin and careful management of its cash resources continue to translate to the return of capital to shareholders through regular and special dividends.

    CORPORATE PROFILE

    Pulse is a market leader in the acquisition, marketing and licensing of 2D and 3D seismic data to the western Canadian energy sector. Pulse owns the largest licensable seismic data library in Canada, currently consisting of approximately 65,310 square kilometres of 3D seismic and 829,207 kilometres of 2D seismic. The library extensively covers the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, where most of Canada’s oil and natural gas exploration and development occur.

    For further information, please contact:
    Neal Coleman, President and CEO
    Or
    Pamela Wicks, Vice President Finance and CFO
    Tel.: 403-237-5559
    Toll-free: 1-877-460-5559
    E-mail: info@pulseseismic.com.
    Please visit our website at www.pulseseismic.com

    This document contains information that constitutes “forward-looking information” or “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “forecast”, “target”, “project”, “guidance”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “estimate”, “predict” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or language suggesting an outlook.

    The Outlook section herein contain forward-looking information which includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding:

    > The outlook of the Company for the year ahead, including future operating costs and expected revenues;

    > Recent events on the political, economic, regulatory, and legal fronts affecting the industry’s medium- to longer-term prospects, including progression and completion of contemplated infrastructure projects;

    > The Company’s capital resources and sufficiency thereof to finance future operations, meet its obligations associated with financial liabilities and carry out the necessary capital expenditures through 2025;

    > Pulse’s capital allocation strategy;

    > Pulse’s dividend policy;

    > Oil and natural gas prices and forecast trends;

    > Oil and natural gas drilling activity and land sales activity;

    > Oil and natural gas company capital budgets;

    > Future demand for seismic data;

    > Future seismic data sales;

    > Pulse’s business and growth strategy; and

    > Other expectations, beliefs, plans, goals, objectives, assumptions, information and statements about possible future events, conditions, results and performance, as they relate to the Company or to the oil and natural gas industry as a whole.

    By its very nature, forward-looking information involves inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Pulse does not publish specific financial goals or otherwise provide guidance, due to the inherently poor visibility of seismic revenue. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations and anticipations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking information.

    These factors include, but are not limited to:

    > Uncertainty of the timing and volume of data sales;

    > Volatility of oil and natural gas prices;

    > Risks associated with the oil and natural gas industry in general;

    > The Company’s ability to access external sources of debt and equity capital;

    > Credit, liquidity and commodity price risks;

    > The demand for seismic data;

    > The pricing of data library licence sales;

    > Cybersecurity;

    > Relicensing (change-of-control) fees and partner copy sales;

    > Environmental, health and safety risks;

    > Federal and provincial government laws and regulations, including those pertaining to taxation, royalty rates, environmental protection, public health and safety;

    > Competition;

    > Dependence on key management, operations and marketing personnel;

    > The loss of seismic data;

    > Protection of intellectual property rights;

    > The introduction of new products; and

    > Climate change.

    Pulse cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. Additional information on these risks and other factors which could affect the Company’s operations and financial results is included under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent annual information form, and in the Company’s most recent audited annual financial statements, most recent MD&A, management information circular, quarterly reports, material change reports and news releases. Copies of the Company’s public filings are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    When relying on forward-looking information to make decisions with respect to Pulse, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Furthermore, the forward-looking information contained in this document is provided as of the date of this document and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking information, except as required by law. The forward-looking information in this document is provided for the limited purpose of enabling current and potential investors to evaluate an investment in Pulse. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information may not be appropriate, and should not be used, for other purposes.

    PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/8df92694-2a01-45f3-b5b4-ecc0f5bd6edb

    The MIL Network –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: The incredible impact of Ozzy Osbourne, from Black Sabbath to Ozzfest to 30 years of retirement tours

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lachlan Goold, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Music, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Ozzy Osbourne photographed in London in 1991. Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images

    Ozzy Osbourne, the “prince of darkness” and godfather of heavy metal, has died aged 76, just weeks after he reunited with Black Sabbath bandmates for a farewell concert in his hometown of Birmingham in England.

    His family posted a brief message overnight: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.”

    John Michael Osbourne changed the sound of rock music and leaves behind a stellar career spanning six decades, numerous Grammy awards, multiple hall of fame inductions – and a wave of controversy.

    An agent of change

    In 1969, from the ashes of various bands, Geezer Butler (bass), Tony Iommi (guitar), Bill Ward (drums) and Osbourne formed the band Earth.

    Realising the name was taken, they quickly changed their name to Black Sabbath, an homage to the 1963 Italian horror anthology film.

    With the Summer of Love a recent memory, Black Sabbath were part of a heavy music revolution, providing an antidote to the free loving hippies of the late 60s period.

    Despite making their first two albums cheaply, Black Sabbath, released in February 1970, and Paranoid, released September that same year, they were a global success.

    Their approach was laden with sarcasm and irony. American audiences mistook this for satanic worship, positioning them as outsiders (albeit popular ones).

    Black Sabbath pose for a group portrait with gold discs, London, 1973, L-R Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler.
    Michael Putland/Getty Images

    After Black Sabbath’s early successes, they were managed by the notorious Don Arden, whose daughter Sharon Levy was the receptionist. More than any musical bond Osbourne had in his life, Sharon would be the most influential character throughout his life.

    Osbourne recorded eight albums with Black Sabbath (some to critical acclaim) and was then kicked out (by Sharon) due to his troubles with drugs and alcohol.

    Ozzy solo

    Osbourne’s solo career has always been managed by Sharon. While recording his second solo album, Diary of a Madman, guitarist Rhodes died in a tragic light plane crash. Osbourne was close to Rhodes and fell into a deep depression, after never having lost someone so close.

    Sharon and Osbourne married only months after this incident. His struggle with drug use did not stop him from making further solo records alongside various guitar players, continuing with moderate success throughout his career.

    On the road, Osbourne put the John Farnham’s last tour trope to shame.

    He held his last ever gig more times than one can count with names like No More Tours (1992–93), Retirement Sucks (1995–96) and No More Tours 2 (2018–19).

    Osbourne ‘retired’ many times over 30 years. Here he performs in California in 2022.
    Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

    This lament for touring led to the most successful era of Osbourne’s career. After being rejected for the 1995 Lollapaloza festival bill, Sharon (and their son Jack) started Ozzfest; initially an annual two-day multiband festival headlined by Osbourne, held in Phoenix, Arizona, and Devore, California.

    Subsequently becoming a national – and then international – tour, Ozzfest led to a successful partnership with MTV, which led to the reality TV show The Osbournes premiering in 2002. Here, his previous and ongoing battle with drugs was obvious, proudly on display – and ridiculed – to huge global audiences.

    The spectacle of a rich rockstar and his family, featuring a constant barrage of swearing, battles with lavish TV remotes, canine therapy, never-ending chaos, and Osbourne constantly yelling “Sharrrooon” like a twisted maniacal loop of A Street Car Named Desire.

    Struggles and controversies

    Osbourne suffered multiple health conditions over the years, rarely concealing the state of his physical or mental wellbeing.

    Notably he’s struggled with drug and alcohol abuse his whole career with drug recovery centres using Osbourne as an exemplar. In 2007 he disclosed he suffered from the Parkinson’s adjacent condition Parkinsonian syndrome. In 2019 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

    Black Sabbath photographed in the 1970s. Left to right: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne.
    Chris Walter/WireImage

    This resulted in him being unable to walk for his final Back to the Beginning show in Birmingham on July 5 2025.

    And Osbourne’s career had more than its fair share of controversy. He bit the head off a dove and a bat (celebrated with a commemorative toy), and urinated on the Alamo cenotaph. He was taken to court multiple times, but was never convicted.

    Ozzy and me

    As a white middle-class boy growing up in the Brisbane suburbs in the 80s, heavy metal music appealed to my testosterone and pimple filled body.

    Exploring the secondhand record shops of Brisbane, I would’ve bought my first copy of Black Sabbath around 1985. The sound of thunder and a distant church bell before the first drop-D riff enters seemed like the antithesis to sunny Queensland and 80s pop.

    As my life became obsessed with the recording studio and the vociferous music scene in Brisbane in the post-Joh era, and those drop-D riffs influenced a new style that swept the world in the early 90s.

    Osbourne’s influence was huge and through grunge, his sound was reborn. Grunge was a marriage of the Sabbath-like drop-D riffs with the energy of punk and the melody of the Beatles.

    Listening to Black Sabbath and Ozzy records, equipped me with a sonic palette ready to capture the wave of alternative music emmerging from the Brisbane scene.

    While Ozzy’s death is no surprise (except for those who never thought he’d last this long), we should take pause and remember an icon with an endless energy for entertaining, a passion for music, and changing the expectations of popular culture for more than 50 years.

    Lachlan Goold 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 incredible impact of Ozzy Osbourne, from Black Sabbath to Ozzfest to 30 years of retirement tours – https://theconversation.com/the-incredible-impact-of-ozzy-osbourne-from-black-sabbath-to-ozzfest-to-30-years-of-retirement-tours-258820

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 50 years lost: kiwi pukupuku found in the wild

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Ranger Project Lead Iain Graham describes the moments leading to the monumental rediscovery of kiwi pukupuku in the West Coast wilderness.

    Iain Graham, kiwi conservation dog Brew, and the first wild kiwi pukupuku found on the mainland in nearly 50 years | Lucy Holyoake, DOC

    Kiwi pukupuku found only in predator free sanctuaries?

    Up until now, we believed kiwi pukupuku/little spotted kiwi had gone extinct from mainland New Zealand. Our smallest kiwi is particularly vulnerable to introduced predators, and the last known sighting of a kiwi pukupuku on the mainland was in 1978. In the years since, despite targeted searching, we haven’t found any others.

    We also thought all remaining kiwi pukupuku descended from five transferred to Kapiti Island from South Westland in 1912. The descendants of these birds now spread across several predator-free islands and sanctuaries.

    Then, back in April, I received an email from a hunter we contracted for tahr control in the Adams Wilderness Area on the West Coast. The email included a short, blurry video of a kiwi looking for its next meal in a bed of fallen Dracophyllum leaves.

    That video changed everything.

    Finding a kiwi

    A weather window opened for us in early May, and kiwi conservation dog Brew and I packed our bags for a week in the scrub to see if we could track down this mystery bird. Brew isn’t great at packing though, so I helped her out.

    Air New Zealand conservation dog Brew ready to find a kiwi | Iain Graham, DOC

    Brew is kiwi certified under DOC’s Air New Zealand-supported Conservation Dogs Programme, so she has a highly qualified nose for sniffing out our national bird. It’s rough country, and my job was trying to keep up with Brew through all the thick alpine scrub we were contending with. While Brew located kiwi scat (poo!), I was listening out. In the early hours, I heard a pair of kiwi duetting.

    Oh, I thought, there’s two of them!

    A rugged landscape for searching | Iain Graham, DOC

    What followed was two days of increasing frustration as Brew and I followed the calls, only to find our progress constantly blocked by geographic features. On day three, Brew dragged me up a spur near where we had marked the calls, and locked on a small hole in the side of a bank. This was the sign I had been waiting for.

    Brew looked on expectantly as I attempted to retrieve the kiwi, only to discover it must have snuck out another entrance. After Brew stared judgingly into my soul, radiating ‘I did my part’ energy, she huffed, put her nose down, and took off down the hill again.

    Brew locked hopefully onto a kiwi burrow | Iain Graham, DOC

    Plan B, stakeout.

    It was time for a kiwi stakeout. This sounds more fun than it is; we patiently sit outside a burrow entrance and wait for the bird to exit (in this case after blocking the other exit). There’s no noise and no movement, so it becomes a true battle of patience. These stakeouts can end in minutes or hours, and with either success or failure.

    I found a comfortable position in front of the burrow, wearing every layer of clothes I had with me, and sat there for 6 hours. Then, hearing a male calling not far down the hill, I realised he had somehow beat me at the patience game. Alright, I thought. No luck tonight, but tomorrow is another day.

    Tomorrow was also the last chance to find these birds before we flew out. Unfortunately, with the day came the rain. Brew and I were cooped up in our tent while the rain passed – as heavy rain prevents handling kiwi.

    The final chance

    The rain stopped at about 4pm. This would be our last chance to get hands on a bird not seen in the area in half a century, so luckily there was no pressure. That night we headed to the same area, this time deciding not to rely on a kiwi being in the burrow.

    Suddenly, a call came from above me, less than 10 metres away. This time it was the female and, instinct kicking in, my light came on and I darted up the hill towards her. She was still calling as I pushed through some flax and caught her in my torch beam. She clearly wasn’t expecting my kind of company; she stopped calling and hesitated, just long enough for me to dive towards her and get a hand around her ankles. Facedown on the damp forest floor, I finally exhaled.

    Gotcha!

    Success! Kiwi captured | Iain Graham, DOC

    After all that, she sat quietly in my lap as I put a transmitter onto her, collected some pin feathers for DNA analysis, took some morphometric measurements, and snapped a couple of photos. She looked to be an old battler; right eye missing, left eye clouded by a cataract, and missing the nail from her middle toe. Otherwise, she seemed to be in good condition and, as I released her, she sauntered away into the darkness, seemingly unfazed by her close encounter with me.

    It’s a kiwi pukupuku!

    We know kiwi pukupuku can interbreed with other species, but mixed genetics wouldn’t preserve the unique species history and adaptation. So we were really hoping this girl was a real, purebred kiwi pukupuku. It took a little while for the genetic analysis to come through, and felt like much longer. But when the results came in, the team was euphoric. Clean match. For the first time in nearly 50 years, we’d located a wild, pure kiwi pukupuku on the New Zealand mainland.

    Questions and the future

    The find is just the beginning, and now the real work begins. We’re still gathering information, and the questions keep mounting. How many are there? How have they survived? What does this mean for the future of kiwi pukupuku?

    Regardless, we’re thrilled to be working with Kāti Māhaki on future protection and management of these precious birds.

    Share this:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: iDox.ai Announces Launch of iDox.ai Privacy Scout: AI-Powered Solution That Goes Beyond DLP to Protect Sensitive Data in Real Time

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Fremont, California , July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iDox.ai, a U.S.-based provider of AI-powered document compliance tools, announces the launch of iDox.ai Privacy Scout, an advanced Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution engineered to detect and protect sensitive information in real time, particularly in environments deploying Generative AI.

    iDox.ai

    As organizations adopt artificial intelligence across industries, new challenges emerge in safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and other confidential data. Privacy Scout responds to these challenges by offering an automated solution that monitors and intercepts sensitive information before it can be exposed or misused.

    Importantly, iDox.ai Privacy Scout promotes the secure sharing of documents with AI tools while protecting the PII within them. Unlike traditional DLP tools, iDox.ai Privacy Scout doesn’t treat next-generation AI as a threat—it enables its safe use. This is a key differentiator that empowers organizations to embrace AI innovation without compromising on privacy.

    Key capabilities of iDox.ai Privacy Scout include:

    • Real-Time Detection and Redaction: The system applies intelligent AI models to scan documents and files for sensitive content. It instantly redacts or restricts access to flagged data, preventing unauthorized disclosure.
    • Industry-Wide Compatibility:  Built for seamless deployment across healthcare, finance, legal, corporate IT, and government sectors, iDox.ai Privacy Scout integrates effortlessly into existing workflows while strengthening your organization’s data protection framework. The application installs directly on employees’ devices, ensuring immediate protection at the endpoint. For enterprise environments, it includes a centralized management console for streamlined oversight, policy enforcement, and user activity monitoring.
    • Compliance Support: iDox.ai Privacy Scout helps organizations meet global data protection regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR, making it a strategic asset for businesses aiming to maintain data security and regulatory compliance.

    “With the rise of Generative AI, businesses face new risks related to data privacy and unintentional information leaks,” said Jeremy Wei, CEO of iDox.ai. “iDox.ai Privacy Scout offers a reliable DLP solution that allows organizations to stay compliant while leveraging the advantages of AI.”

    iDox.ai Privacy Scout joins iDox.ai’s suite of AI-driven compliance products, which includes tools for redaction, document comparison, and regulatory reporting. Together, these solutions help clients maintain secure information practices and implement effective Data Loss Prevention strategies.

    The launch of iDox.ai Privacy Scout reinforces iDox.ai’s mission to develop technology that addresses evolving compliance challenges and strengthens trust in digital operations.

    Organizations seeking early access or additional product details can visit: https://www.idox.ai/products/privacy-scout

    About iDox.ai

    Headquartered in Fremont, California, iDox.ai specializes in artificial intelligence tools for document management, redaction, and regulatory compliance. The company supports public and private sector organizations in securing data, reducing manual risk, and maintaining compliance in dynamic digital environments.

    The MIL Network –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Frost and Cherfilus-McCormick Reintroduce Bill to Prevent Radioactive Materials from Being Used to Build Roads – the “No Radioactive Roads Act”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Maxwell Frost Florida (10th District)

    July 22, 2025

    Frost’s Bill Would Prevent Cancer-Causing Fertilizer Byproduct from Being Used in Road Construction

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) and Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) reintroduced the No Radioactive Roads Act, legislation to ensure the current Trump Administration or any future administration cannot allow for deadly, cancer-causing radioactive material, phosphogypsum (PG), to be used in road construction. Florida is the world’s largest PG producing area with 1 billion tons of PG stored in stacks, mainly in the Central Florida region. 

    The Biden-Harris Administration quickly reversed the first Trump Administration’s unscientific decision to allow PG in road construction in 2021. However, with Trump’s return to office, PG’s threat to people’s health is once again imminent. 

    In 2021, a tear at a PG stack facility allowed for millions of gallons of untreated wastewater to be released into Tampa Bay, devastating the clean waters of the bay and causing a red tide outbreak, killing millions of fish. Despite the environmental fallout, in 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law to allow the cancer-causing material to be used in road construction. Most recently, ahead of the Trump Administration taking office, the Environmental Protection Agency authorized Mosaic’s pilot road project to use 1,200 tons of the hazardous material in Polk County, Florida. 

    Frost and Cherfilus-McCormick first introduced the bill in 2024. 

    “As Florida allows for PG to be used in our roads, endangering our workers, drivers, and entire communities, we need immediate federal action that puts public health over corporate profits,” said Congressman Maxwell Frost. “The science is abundantly clear—PG is a deadly, cancer-causing substance that harms our environment and puts lives at risk, and no administration should be able to permit its use without the highest safety standards. It’s unacceptable that the fertilizer industry is looking to offload toxic waste into our roads in order to boost their profits while leaders like DeSantis and Donald Trump enable it. The No Radioactive Roads Act puts our people, our planet, and our future over the profits of corporate polluters.”

    “Protecting the health and safety of our communities must be our top priority. Using radioactive materials like phosphogypsum in road construction endangers our families, harms our environment, and puts our future at risk,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. “The No Radioactive Roads Act is a crucial step in preventing communities from facing the long-term dangers of toxic exposure. I am proud to partner with Congressman Maxwell Frost on this legislation to protect the well-being of every Floridian.”

    “The EPA’s decision to weaken standards for phosphogypsum is both reckless and unfounded. We cannot allow the health and safety of our communities to be sacrificed for the financial interests of the fertilizer industry, which seeks to profit from incorporating this radioactive byproduct into our roads. The science is clear: exposure to phosphogypsum is directly linked to significantly increased cancer risk. We will not tolerate policies that endanger our residents and workers,” said Orange County Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad. “In Orange County, I am also introducing an accompanying resolution to prohibit the use of phosphogypsum in local roadway projects. Our stance is firm, and our message is clear: I fully support Congressman Frost’s bill on behalf of the people of our district, the state of Florida, and communities across the country.”

    The No Radioactive Roads Act has been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters, Center for Biological Diversity, Food & Water Watch, Surfrider Foundation, and the Save Split Oak Campaign.

    “Representative Frost’s No Radioactive Roads Act will help protect the health and safety of communities as the Trump administration continues to roll back protections from toxic pollutants. Constructing roads with radioactive, cancer-causing phosphogypsum can harm workers, drivers, and nearby families who are already most impacted by environmental injustice and the climate crisis. We will continue to fight alongside our climate champions in Congress like Representative Frost to pass legislation to protect the health of our communities, our air and water, and our future generations,” said Madeleine Foote, Healthy Communities Program Director for League of Conservation Voters.

    “The EPA made it clear decades ago that radioactive phosphogypsum has no place in our roads,” said J.W. Glass, EPA policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “While Rep. Frost shouldn’t have to introduce legislation just to get the EPA to follow its own rules, this bill provides clear direction the agency needs to keep our water, workers and wildlife safe from radiation and other pollutants tied to this toxic waste.”

    “We sincerely thank Representative Frost for championing the No Radioactive Roads Act, which takes decisive action to safeguard our communities from the significant risks posed by phosphogypsum. Florida has experienced firsthand the devastating consequences of mismanaging this hazardous material, including the Piney Point disaster, where over 200 million gallons of contaminated wastewater spilled into Tampa Bay. Using phosphogypsum in road construction would endanger workers, drivers, drinking water supplies, and fragile ecosystems, not just in Florida but across the country. This legislation is a crucial step toward protecting public health and preserving the safety of our water resources. We are committed to working with Congress and communities to ensure this vital bill becomes law and helps prevent future disasters,” said Jim Walsh, Policy Director, Food & Water Watch.

    “Clean water and resilient watersheds are the foundation of healthy coastal communities and strong economies. The use of radioactive waste in roads presents a serious risk that puts public health and the environment in jeopardy for generations to come. The ‘No Radioactive Roads Act’ introduces common-sense safeguards for protecting human health, requiring water quality monitoring, and ensuring transparency,” said Katie Bauman, Florida Policy Manager for Surfrider Foundation.

    “On behalf of the Save Split Oak Forest campaign, we strongly support Congressman Frost’s No Radioactive Roads Act. This legislation is crucial for safeguarding Florida’s ecosystems from the dangers of radioactive road runoff, which can harm our waterways, soil, and wildlife. Protecting conservation lands like Split Oak Forest is essential for preserving biodiversity and ensuring smart, sustainable growth. We urge all members of Congress to back this act to prevent harmful pollution and promote a future where Florida’s natural environment and communities can thrive together,” said Lee Perry, Lead Volunteer of the Save Split Oak Campaign.

    Additional Background:

    For over 30 years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has prohibited the use of phosphogypsum (PG) for road construction because this fertilizer waste product emits deadly, cancer-causing radon gas and contains toxic heavy metals like arsenic, lead, mercury, and sulfur. 

    These toxins can become airborne or seep into the soil and groundwater. One of these elements, radium-226, has a 1,600-year half-life and will poison generations of people working on, living near, or traveling over any future radioactive roads.

    Scientific research makes clear that phosphogypsum (PG) is not safe to use as a road building material, but just months before leaving office, the first Trump Administration green-lit PG to be used in road construction.

    The Biden-Harris Administration quickly reversed the Trump Administration’s decision to allow PG in road construction but this means that PG’s threat to people’s health and safety can reemerge under the new Trump Administration. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick Introduces African Diaspora Investment and Development Act (AIDA)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Florida 20th district))

    Unlocking the development potential of diaspora communities and helping reduce reliance on foreign aid

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) and Rep. Jonathan J. Jackson (D-IL) introduced the African Diaspora Investment and Development Act (AIDA), groundbreaking legislation that harnesses the economic power of African and Caribbean diaspora communities to advance sustainable development, reduce remittance costs, and align U.S. foreign policy with grassroots investment. 

    Millions of Americans with heritage in Africa and the Caribbean send billions of dollars annually to support loved ones and communities in their countries of origin. Yet, they often face high transaction fees, limited investment tools, and few incentives to grow their impact. AIDA addresses these barriers head-on. 

    As highlighted in Realizing Africa’s Potential: A Journey to Prosperity by Professor Landry Signé, published by the Brookings Institution, the diaspora can be a powerful driver of development in their home countries—not just through remittances, but by fostering trade, investment, research, innovation, and the transfer of knowledge and technology. This dynamic strengthens U.S. interests by empowering African and Caribbean diaspora communities, who are an integral part of the American fabric, to spur economic growth and innovation both abroad and at home, reinforcing U.S. global partnerships and domestic prosperity. 

    The African Diaspora Investment and Development Act: 

    • Reduces the cost of remittances by promoting transparency, competition, and innovation in money transfers.
    • Creates tax incentives for diaspora investments that drive sustainable economic development in African and Caribbean countries.
    • Encourages financial inclusion through fintech and diaspora-owned money transfer platforms.
    • Supports diaspora-led investments with U.S. financial backing.
    • Advances U.S. development goals by strengthening diaspora engagement in entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and community development projects abroad. 

    “The African and Caribbean diasporas are economic engines that deserve recognition and support,” said Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). “This bill creates smart incentives that empower families, foster sustainable development, and reflect our values in U.S. foreign policy. AIDA is about unlocking diaspora investment potential. By empowering these communities, we can reduce reliance on foreign aid and embrace a model based on investment, dignity, and shared prosperity.” 

    “This bill is timely and vital, especially at a time when US policy towards Africa and the Diaspora is shifting from aid to trade,” said Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL). “Remittances ($90 billion inflow to Africa in 2023) have surpassed both foreign assistance and direct investment in many countries in Africa and the Caribbean; a source for development and economic growth. AIDA strengthens the Diaspora contributions in GPD growth through investments and family support – food, housing, education, health care, etc.” 

    “Reducing remittance costs and eliminating taxes on remittances are critical measures that ensure every dollar sent goes further, directly benefiting health, education, small businesses, and local infrastructure,” said President of the Nigerian Physicians Advocacy Group, Susan Edionwe. “These changes will empower organizations like ours, whose work relies heavily on diaspora contributions, to expand our impact and better serve the people of Nigeria and beyond.” 

    “The proposed AIDA bill is a fundamental recognition that as a nation of immigrants the USA holds the ultimate power of transformation in the contributions of its diaspora to the rest of the world,” said Founder and CEO of Hamstrings, Inc., Eric V. Guichard. “AIDA is about leveraging these diaspora resources for good. It is a paradigm shift in development finance whose time has come.” 

    “Remittances from family and friends in the U.S. to these regions primarily address basic necessities for recipients including housing, food, education, services, small business support and humanitarian assistance,” said Haiti Renewal Alliance. “A framework for partnerships with the U.S. DFC and diasporas via the AIDA Act to channel remittances for coordinated and robust investments with people on the ground in African and Caribbean countries, ushers the U.S. leading the next generation of successful global development for inclusive growth, peace, stability and opportunity, appreciating diaspora from Africa and Caribbean as key contributors.” 

    During a time when development assistance from the United States in Africa and in the Caribbean, is being drastically curtailed or even eliminated, African and Caribbean countries will need to increasingly rely on remittances coming from the Diaspora to meet basic needs and to get by,” said President of Constituency for Africa (CFA), Melvin Foote. “The proposed AIDA legislation if passed, would certainly be a huge step in the right direction.” 

    The legislation has received early praise from diaspora organizations, development experts, and financial inclusion advocates. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New operational partnership with delivery giants to combat illegal working

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    New operational partnership with delivery giants to combat illegal working

    New agreement between Home Office and top food delivery firms will help stop illegal working in the delivery sector

    More delivery riders caught sharing their accounts with migrants who have no right to work in the UK will be suspended, as part of the government’s UK-wide crackdown on illegal working under the Plan for Change.

    A new agreement between the Home Office and Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats will ensure delivery firms receive new information concerning the locations of asylum hotels to help tackle illegal working.

    Under existing security measures, any delivery riders caught sharing their accounts with migrants who have no right to work in the UK will be suspended. This new agreement goes further to ensure more people who are breaking the rules can be caught.  

    Efforts by the companies to crack down on illegal account sharing through real-time identity and Right to Work checks have been successful and have led to thousands being offboarded from platforms. Despite this, there continues to be abuse in the system. Under the new agreement, the firms will be empowered to go further in detecting patterns of misuse, identify unauthorised account sharing and quickly suspend accounts.

    The move comes after a commitment made by the firms during a roundtable last month, chaired by Ministers, to implement new security measures. This includes increased facial verification checks and fraud detection tools meaning only verified users can access their platforms. The Home Office will continue to collaborate closely with the three companies, with meetings taking place in the coming weeks to update on progress and delivery.

    Today’s announcement is part of the government’s work to step up enforcement across the UK targeting illegal working hotspots, with a focus on the gig economy and migrants working illegally as delivery riders. It forms a key part of a whole system approach to tackle illegal migration from every angle, by ending the false promise of jobs used by smuggling gangs to sell spaces on small boats.

    Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, said:

    Illegal working undermines honest business, exploits vulnerable individuals and fuels organised immigration crime.

    By enhancing our data sharing with delivery companies, we are taking decisive action to close loopholes and increase enforcement.

    The changes come alongside a 50% increase in raids and arrests for illegal working under the Plan for Change, greater security measures and tough new legislation.

    Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office, said:

    This next step of co-ordinated working with delivery firms will help us target those who seek to work illegally in the gig economy and exploit their status in the UK.

    My teams will continue to carry out increased enforcement activity across the UK and I welcome this additional tool to disrupt and stop the abuse of our immigration system.

    A Deliveroo spokesperson said:

    Deliveroo has led the sector in introducing security measures to prevent the abuse of our platform and tackle the sophisticated criminals seeking new ways to exploit all delivery platforms’ systems. We are fully committed to working with the government as we continue to collectively combat illegal working.

    A Just Eat spokesperson said:

    Just Eat is committed to tackling any illegal working via our platform. We continue to invest significant resources to strengthen our systems against abuse by individuals and organised criminal groups seeking to evade right to work rules. We are working closely with the Home Office and our industry partners to address any loopholes in the industry’s checks, as well as collaborating on data sharing and enforcement.

    An Uber Eats spokesperson said:

    Uber Eats is fully committed to tackling illegal work and will continue to work with the Home Office and industry. We have introduced a range of state of the art detection tools to find and remove fraudulent accounts. We are constantly reviewing our tools and finding new ways to detect and take action on people who are trying to work illegally.

    Since the government came into power one year ago, there have been more than 10,000 illegal working visits across multiple sectors, leading to 7,130 arrests, up around 50% compared to the year before. This marks the first time in a 12-month period where more than 10,000 visits have taken place.

    Almost 750 illegal working civil penalty notices were also handed to businesses caught violating immigration rules in the first quarter of the year, marking the highest level since 2016 – and an 80% increase compared to the same time last year. 

    The government is tightening the law by making it a legal requirement for all companies, including the gig economy, to check that anyone working for them has the legal right to do so. This will end the abuse of flexible working arrangements. The new measures will be introduced through the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

    The fight against illegal working forms just one part of government’s work to bolster border security across the system.

    Since coming into power one year ago, the government has returned 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK including failed asylum seekers, immigration and foreign national offenders. There are now fewer asylum hotels open than since the election, saving millions of taxpayers’ money.

    This is on top of a new groundbreaking deal with the French which will mean that, for the very first time, illegal migrants will be sent back to France. This targets the heart of the criminal smuggling gangs’ business model and sends a clear message that these life-threatening journeys are pointless and a waste of thousands of pounds. 

    The deal seeks to detain and return migrants who arrive via small boat, and an equal number of migrants will be able to come to the UK from France through a new legal route – fully documented and subject to strict security checks.

    Share this page

    The following links open in a new tab

    • Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)
    • Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Moore and Zinke Introduce Legislation to Codify Executive Order on National Parks

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Riley M. Moore (WV-02) and Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT-01) introduced the PATRIOT Parks Act — which codifies President Trump’s Executive Order “Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks.”

    Currently, the National Parks System faces more than $23 billion in deferred maintenance, including more than $200 million on parklands in West Virginia. This legislation implements increased entrance fees for foreign visitors at National Parks, with the additional funds being reinvested back into parks for maintenance and other basic operating costs. Senator Jim Banks of Indiana and Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

    The bill is supported by the American Conservation Coalition Action (ACC Action) and the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC). Both organizations were instrumental in helping craft the President’s executive order. The Bull Moose Project and American Prairie are also supportive of the legislation.

    Congressman Moore issued the following statement:

    “From the New River Gorge in my home state to Shenandoah, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Everglades, and the Grand Canyon – God blessed our nation with a tremendous natural heritage. We owe it to future generations to ensure these natural marvels are protected.

    “Unfortunately, the National Park System currently faces a backlog of more than $23 billion in deferred maintenance, including more than $200 million on properties across the Mountain State. Our commonsense legislation keeps entry fees static for Americans while charging more for foreigners visiting our National Parks. This will allow us to finally start tackling this extensive maintenance backlog.”

    Here’s what others are saying:

    “National Parks are America’s best idea and maintaining that legacy for future generations means making smart investments in the management of the parks,” said Congressman Zinke. “Americans already pay for parks in our tax dollars as well as at the gates. It’s unfair to American taxpayers to foot the bill for millions of foreign visitors. Almost every other country charges foreign visitors more, it’s common sense. President Trump and Secretary Burgum did the right thing directing the National Park Service implement a foreign visitor fee. This legislation will codify the policy and ensure Americans are put First in our own parks.”

    “Americans already pay for our parks through federal taxes on top of standard admission fees, so it’s fair to ask foreign visitors to chip in more,” said Senator Banks. “This bill codifies President Trump’s executive order and helps protect our national treasures for future generations.”

    “Our national parks drive Montana’s tourism economy by bringing in visitors from all over the world and define our way life by offering an experience you can only find in America,” said Senator Sheehy. “Implementing a foreign visitor fee is an America First, commonsense way to secure affordable access for American families, improve our national parks for all visitors, and better manage our treasured public lands. It’s not too much for Americans to ask that their government puts them first, and that’s why I’m proud to support the PATRIOT Parks Act so more American families can enjoy our national parks for generations to come.”

    “Our national parks are America’s best idea and a crucial part of our natural heritage, but in recent decades, they have fallen into disrepair with a multibillion-dollar maintenance backlog,” said ACC Action President Chris Barnard.  “An increased entry fee for international visitors would raise needed revenue to steward our national treasures and ensure that everyone who enjoys them contributes to protecting them. The American Conservation Coalition Action and our thousands of members are proud to support this effort to bolster the National Park Service.”

    “Visitors from across the globe come to see the wonder of America’s national parks, and this proposal offers them a way to give back,” said PERC CEO Brian Yablonski. “Charging a modest fee to international tourists—something many countries already do—provides a steady source of funding to improve park infrastructure, enhance visitor experiences, and invest in long-overdue restoration. Drawing on years of PERC research, we’re grateful to Sen. Banks and Rep. Moore for championing efforts to conserve these iconic places for future generations.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Timberland Bancorp Third Fiscal Quarter Net Income Increases to $7.10 Million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Quarterly EPS Increases 22% to $0.90 from $0.74 One Year Ago
    • Quarterly Net Interest Margin Increases to 3.80%
    • Quarterly Return on Average Assets Increases to 1.47%
    • Quarterly Return on Average Equity Increases to 11.23%
    • Announces New Stock Repurchase Program

    HOQUIAM, Wash., July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Timberland Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSBK) (“Timberland” or “the Company”), the holding company for Timberland Bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $7.10 million, or $0.90 per diluted common share for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. This compares to net income of $6.76 million, or $0.85 per diluted common share for the preceding quarter and $5.92 million, or $0.74 per diluted common share, for the comparable quarter one year ago.

    For the first nine months of fiscal 2025, Timberland’s net income increased 16% to $20.72 million, or $2.60 per diluted common share, from $17.93 million, or $2.21 per diluted common share for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.

    “Timberland delivered solid third fiscal quarter results, driven by continued net interest margin expansion and steady balance sheet growth,” stated Dean Brydon, Chief Executive Officer. “Net income and earnings per share increased 20% and 22%, respectively, compared to the third fiscal quarter a year ago. Compared to the prior quarter, net income and earnings per share increased 5% and 6%, respectively, primarily due to higher net interest income and non-interest income. We also posted year-over-year improvements across all key profitability metrics, and our tangible book value per share (non-GAAP) continued its upward trend. Looking ahead we believe our strong capital position, solid earnings, and continued focus on disciplined growth position us well to navigate the current environment and drive long-term shareholder value.”

    “As a result of Timberland’s strong earnings and sound capital position, our Board of Directors announced a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of $0.26 per share, payable on August 22, 2025, to shareholders of record on August 8, 2025,” stated Jonathan Fischer, President and Chief Operating Officer. “This represents the 51st consecutive quarter Timberland will have paid a cash dividend. In addition, the Company also announced the adoption of a new stock repurchase program. We believe Timberland stock presents a strong investment opportunity, and buying back shares is a strategy to enhance long-term value for shareholders. Under the new repurchase program, the Company may repurchase up to 5% of the outstanding shares, or 393,842 shares. The new stock repurchase program replaces our existing stock repurchase program, which had 31,762 shares available to be repurchased.”

    “Our net interest margin continued to show positive momentum in the third fiscal quarter, expanding to 3.80%,” said Marci Basich, Chief Financial Officer. “This represents a one basis point increase from the prior quarter and a 27 basis point improvement compared to the same period last year, reflecting our disciplined asset-liability management and favorable shift in earning asset yields. Total deposits grew by $19 million, or 1%, during the quarter, driven primarily by higher balances in certificates of deposit. This growth highlights the continued strength of our customer relationships and the effectiveness of our deposit-gathering strategies. We remain focused on maintaining a well-balanced funding mix while sustaining stable margin performance going forward.”

    “The loan portfolio continues to expand at a steady pace, with growth of 2% over the prior quarter and 3% year-over year,” Brydon continued. “Credit quality remains an area we are monitoring closely, as we are seeing a mix of stable-to-positive trends alongside a few metrics that have shown modest deterioration. Net charge-offs continue to be minimal, with net recoveries of $1,000 during the third quarter. Our non-performing assets (“NPA”) ratio increased to 0.21% at June 30, 2025, compared to 0.13% at the end of the prior quarter. However, it remains a slight improvement from the 0.22% reported a year ago. Although non-accrual loans increased this quarter primarily due to a single matured loan, total non-accrual balances remain modestly below year-ago levels.”

    Earnings and Balance Sheet Highlights (at or for the periods ended June 30, 2025, compared to June 30, 2024, or March 31, 2025):
      
        Earnings Highlights:

    • Earnings per diluted common share (“EPS”) increased 6% to $0.90 for the current quarter from $0.85 for the preceding quarter and increased 22% from $0.74 for the comparable quarter one year ago; EPS increased 18% to $2.60 for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 from $2.21 for the first nine months of fiscal 2024;
    • Net income increased 5% to $7.10 million for the current quarter from $6.76 million for the preceding quarter and increased 20% from $5.92 million for the comparable quarter one year ago; Net income increased 16% to $20.72 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 from $17.93 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024;
    • Return on average equity (“ROE”) and return on average assets (“ROA”) for the current quarter were 11.23% and 1.47%, respectively;
    • Net interest margin (“NIM”) for the current quarter expanded to 3.80% from 3.79% for the preceding quarter and 3.53% for the comparable quarter one year ago; and
    • The efficiency ratio for the current quarter improved to 54.48% from 56.25% for the preceding quarter and 58.97% for the comparable quarter one year ago.

       Balance Sheet Highlights:

    • Total assets increased 1% from the prior quarter and increased 3% year-over-year;
    • Net loans receivable increased 2% from the prior quarter and increased 3% year-over-year;
    • Total deposits increased 1% from the prior quarter and increased 3% year-over-year;
    • Total shareholders’ equity increased 2% from the prior quarter and increased 6% year-over-year; 34,236 shares of common stock were repurchased during the current quarter for $1.02 million;
    • Non-performing assets to total assets ratio was 0.21% at June 30, 2025 compared to 0.13% at March 31, 2025 and 0.22% at June 30, 2024;
    • Book and tangible book (non-GAAP) values per common share increased to $32.58 and $30.62 respectively, at June 30, 2025; and
    • Liquidity (both on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet) remained strong at June 30, 2025 with only $20 million in borrowings and additional secured borrowing line capacity of $674 million available through the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) and the Federal Reserve.

    Operating Results

    Operating revenue (net interest income before the provision for credit losses plus non-interest income) for the current quarter increased 3% to $20.50 million from $19.90 million for the preceding quarter and increased 9% from $18.77 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. The increase in operating revenue compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to increases in total interest and dividend income and non-interest income, which were partially offset by an increase in total funding costs. Operating revenue increased 8% to $60.06 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 from $55.82 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024, primarily due to an increase in total interest and dividend income, which was partially offset by an increase in funding costs.

    Net interest income increased $409,000, or 2%, to $17.62 million for the current quarter from $17.21 million for the preceding quarter and increased $1.64 million, or 10%, from $15.98 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. The increase in net interest income compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to a $20.80 million increase in the average balance of total interest-earning assets and, to a lesser extent, a two-basis point increase in the weighted average yield on total interest-earning assets to 5.50% from 5.48%. These increases were partially offset by a $20.21 million increase in the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities and a two-basis point increase in the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities. Timberland’s NIM for the current quarter expanded to 3.80% from 3.79% for the preceding quarter and 3.53% for the comparable quarter one year ago.   The NIM for the current quarter was increased by approximately four basis points due to the collection of $102,000 in pre-payment penalties, non-accrual interest, and late fees, and the accretion of $68,000 of the fair value discount on acquired loans.   The NIM for the preceding quarter was increased by approximately five basis points due to the collection of $201,000 in pre-payment penalties, non-accrual interest, and late fees, and the accretion of $17,000 of the fair value discount on acquired loans.   The NIM for the comparable quarter one year ago was increased by approximately three basis points due to the collection of $124,000 in pre-payment penalties, non-accrual interest, and late fees, and the accretion of $9,000 of the fair value discount on acquired loans. Net interest income for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 increased $4.19 million, or 9%, to $51.81 million from $47.62 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024, primarily due to a 32 basis point increase in the weighted average yield of total interest-earning assets to 5.49% from 5.17% and a $49.96 million increase in the average balance of total interest-earning assets. These increases to net interest income were partially offset by a seven basis point increase in the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities to 2.53% from 2.46% and a $58.86 million increase in the average balance of total interest-bearing liabilities. Timberland’s NIM expanded to 3.74% for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 from 3.53% for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.

    A $351,000 provision for credit losses on loans was recorded for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The provision was primarily due to loan portfolio growth and changes in the composition of the loan portfolio. This compares to a $237,000 provision for credit losses on loans for the preceding quarter and a $264,000 provision for credit losses on loans for the comparable quarter one year ago. In addition, a $93,000 provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments and a $4,000 recapture of credit losses on investment securities were recorded for the current quarter.  

    Non-interest income increased $188,000, or 7%, to $2.88 million for the current quarter from $2.69 million for the preceding quarter and increased $84,000, or 3%, from $2.79 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. The increase in non-interest income compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to an increase in ATM and debit card interchange transaction fees and smaller changes in several other categories. Fiscal year-to-date non-interest income increased by 1%, to $8.26 million from $8.20 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.

    Total operating (non-interest) expenses for the current quarter decreased $27,000 (less than 1%), to $11.17 million from $11.19 million for the preceding quarter and increased $98,000, or 1%, from $11.07 million for the comparable quarter one year ago.   The decrease in operating expenses compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to decreases in salaries and employee benefits, premises and equipment, technology and communications, professional fees, and smaller decreases in several other expense categories. These decreases were partially offset by increases in state and local taxes and smaller increases in several other expense categories. The efficiency ratio for the current quarter improved to 54.48% from 56.25% for the preceding quarter and 58.97% for the comparable quarter one year ago. Fiscal year-to-date operating expenses increased 2% to $33.43 million from $32.68 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024. The efficiency ratio for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 improved to 55.65% from 58.55% for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.

    The provision for income taxes for the current quarter increased $85,000, or 5%, to $1.79 million from $1.71 million for the preceding quarter, primarily due to higher taxable income. Timberland’s effective income tax rate was 20.1% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to 20.2% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 and 20.6% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. Timberland’s effective income tax rate was 20.1% for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 compared to 20.2% for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.  

    Balance Sheet Management

    Total assets increased $24.46 million, or 1%, during the quarter to $1.96 billion at June 30, 2025 from $1.93 billion at March 31, 2025 and increased $56.56 million, or 3%, from $1.90 billion one year ago. The increase during the current quarter was primarily due to a $21.42 million increase in net loans receivable and smaller increases in several other categories.

    Liquidity

    Timberland has continued to maintain a strong liquidity position, both on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet. Liquidity, as measured by the sum of cash and cash equivalents, CDs held for investment, and available for sale investment securities, was 17.0% of total liabilities at June 30, 2025, compared to 16.9% at March 31, 2025, and 14.7% one year ago. Timberland also had secured borrowing line capacity of $674 million available through the FHLB and the Federal Reserve at June 30, 2025. With a strong and diversified deposit base, only 17% of Timberland’s deposits were uninsured or uncollateralized at June 30, 2025. (Note: This calculation excludes public deposits that are fully collateralized.)

    Loans

    Net loans receivable increased $21.42 million, or 2%, during the quarter to $1.44 billion at June 30, 2025 from $1.42 billion at March 31, 2025. This increase was primarily due to a $21.83 million increase in multi-family loans, a $5.67 million increase in commercial real estate loans, a $3.89 million increase in land loans and smaller increases in several other loan categories. These increases were partially offset by a $5.50 million decrease in construction loans, a $4.80 million decrease in commercial business loans, and smaller decreases in several other loan categories. The increase in multi-family loans was, in large part, due to several multi-family construction projects being completed and converting to permanent financing during the quarter.

    Loan Portfolio
    ($ in thousands)
     
      June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024
      Amount   Percent   Amount   Percent   Amount   Percent
    Mortgage loans:                      
    One- to four-family (a) $317,574     21%     $315,421     21%     $288,611     19%  
    Multi-family   200,418     13       178,590     12       177,950     12  
    Commercial   607,924     40       602,248     40       597,865     40  
    Construction – custom and                      
    owner/builder   128,900     8       114,401     7       128,222     9
    Construction – speculative
    one-to four-family    		   9,595     1       9,791     1       11,441     1  
    Construction – commercial   15,992     1       22,352     1       32,130     2  
    Construction – multi-family   32,731     2       46,602     3       35,631     2  
    Construction – land                      
    development   15,461     1       15,032     1       19,104     1  
    Land   36,193     2       32,301     2       32,384     2  
    Total mortgage loans   1,364,788     89       1,336,738     88       1,323,338     88  
                           
    Consumer loans:                      
    Home equity and second                      
    mortgage   47,511     3       47,458     3       43,679     3  
    Other   2,176     —       2,375     —       3,121     —  
    Total consumer loans   49,687     3       49,833     3       46,800     3  
                           
    Commercial loans:                      
    Commercial business loans   126,497     8       131,243     9       136,213     9  
    SBA PPP loans   101     —       156     —       314     —  
    Total commercial loans   126,598     8       131,399     9       136,527     9  
    Total loans   1,541,073     100%       1,517,970     100%       1,506,665     100%  
    Less:                      
    Undisbursed portion of                      
    construction loans in                      
    process   (76,272)           (75,042)           (87,196)      
    Deferred loan origination                      
    fees   (5,427)           (5,329)           (5,404)      
    Allowance for credit losses   (17,878)           (17,525)           (17,046)      
    Total loans receivable, net $1,441,496         $1,420,074         $1,397,019      

    _______________________
    (a)   Does not include one- to four-family loans held for sale totaling $1,763, $1,151, and $1,795 at June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, and June 30, 2024, respectively.  

    The following table provides a breakdown of commercial real estate (“CRE”) mortgage loans by collateral type as of June 30, 2025:

    CRE Loan Portfolio Breakdown by Collateral
    ($ in thousands)
    Collateral Type   Balance   Percent of
    CRE
    Portfolio    		   Percent of
    Total Loan
    Portfolio    		   Average
    Balance Per
    Loan    		   Non-
    Accrual
    Industrial warehouses   $128 822   21%     8%     $1 301   $161
    Medical/dental offices     81 238   13     5       1 269     —
    Office buildings     68 916   11     5       801     —
    Other retail buildings     54 472   9     3       567     —
    Mini-storage     38 483   6     2       1 539     —
    Hotel/motel     31 656   5     2       2 638     —
    Restaurants     27 485   5     2       585     —
    Gas stations/conv. stores     24 359   4     2       1 015     —
    Churches     14 690   3     1       918     —
    Nursing homes     13 532   2     1       2 255     —
    Shopping centers     10 507   2     1       1 751     —
    Mobile home parks     8 882   2     1       444     —
    Additional CRE     104 882   17     7       760     —    
    Total CRE   $607 924   100%     40%     $951   $161

    Timberland originated $81.99 million in loans during the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to $56.76 million for the preceding quarter and $74.32 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. Timberland continues to originate fixed-rate one- to four-family mortgage loans, a portion of which are sold into the secondary market for asset-liability management purposes and to generate non-interest income.   During the current quarter, fixed-rate one- to four-family mortgage loans totaling $5.11 million were sold compared to $5.17 million for the preceding quarter and $3.05 million for the comparable quarter one year ago.

    Investment Securities
            
    Timberland’s investment securities and CDs held for investment increased $2.04 million, or 1%, to $237.36 million at June 30, 2025, from $235.33 million at March 31, 2025. The increase was primarily due to the purchase of additional U.S. government agency mortgage-backed investment securities and U.S. Treasury investment securities. Partially offsetting these increases was the sale of $13.49 million available for sale investment securities, which resulted in a net gain of $24,000.

    Deposits

    Total deposits increased $18.65 million, or 1%, during the quarter to $1.67 billion at June 30, 2025, from $1.65 billion at March 31, 2025. The quarter’s increase consisted of a $16.01 million increase in certificates of deposit account balances, a $4.66 million increase in money market account balances, and a $1.60 million increase in NOW checking account balances. These decreases were partially offset by a $2.03 million decrease in savings account balances and a $1.59 million decrease in non-interest-bearing checking account balances.

    Deposit Breakdown
    ($ in thousands)
     
          June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024  
          Amount    Percent   Amount   Percent   Amount   Percent  
    Non-interest-bearing demand     $406,222   24%   $407,811   25%   $407,125   25%  
    NOW checking     334,922   20   333,325   20   324,795   20  
    Savings     205,829   12   207,857   13   207,921   13  
    Money market     305,207   18   300,552   18   327,162   20  
    Certificates of deposit under $250     244,063   15   227,137   14   195,022   12  
    Certificates of deposit $250 and over     126,254   8   124,009   7   117,788   7  
    Certificates of deposit – brokered     46,980   3   50,139   3   48,731   3  
    Total deposits     $1,669,477   100%   $1,650,830   100%   $1,628,544   100%  

    Borrowings

    Total borrowings were $20.00 million at both June 30, 2025 and March 31, 2025. At June 30, 2025, the weighted average rate on the borrowings was 3.97%.

    Shareholders’ Equity and Capital Ratios

    Total shareholders’ equity increased $4.14 million, or 2%, to $256.66 million at June 30, 2025, from $252.52 million at March 31, 2025, and increased $15.44 million, or 6%, from $241.22 million at June 30, 2024.   The increase in shareholders’ equity during the quarter was primarily due to net income of $7.10 million, which was partially offset by the payment of $2.05 million in dividends to shareholders and the repurchase of 34,236 shares of common stock for $1.02 million (an average price of $29.74 per share).

    Timberland remains well capitalized with a total risk-based capital ratio of 20.54%, a Tier 1 leverage capital ratio of 12.63%, a tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio (non-GAAP) of 12.42%, and a shareholders’ equity to total assets ratio of 13.11% at June 30, 2025.   Timberland’s held to maturity investment securities were $141.57 million at June 30, 2025, with a net unrealized loss of $5.99 million (pre-tax). Although not permitted by U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), including these unrealized losses in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”) would result in a ratio of shareholders’ equity to total assets of 12.90%, compared to 13.11%, as reported.

    New Stock Repurchase Program

    The Company announced a new stock repurchase program today. Under the repurchase program, the Company may repurchase up to 5% of the Company’s outstanding shares, or 393,842 shares. The new stock repurchase program replaces the existing stock repurchase program which had 31,762 shares available to be repurchased.

    The repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in open market or private transactions, through block trades, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Repurchases will be made at management’s discretion at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interest of both the Company and its shareholders, subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company’s financial performance. Open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b-18 of the SEC and other applicable legal requirements. The repurchase program may be suspended, terminated, or modified at any time for any reason, including market conditions, the cost of repurchasing the shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, liquidity, and other factors deemed appropriate. These factors may also affect the timing and amount of share repurchases. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular number of shares.

    Asset Quality
    Timberland’s non-performing assets to total assets ratio was 0.21% at June 30, 2025, compared to 0.13% at March 31, 2025 and 0.22% at June 30, 2024.   Net recoveries totaled $1,000 for the current quarter compared to net charge-offs of less than $1,000 for the preceding quarter and net charge-offs of $36,000 for the comparable quarter one year ago. During the current quarter, provisions for credit losses of $351,000 on loans and $93,000 unfunded commitments were made, which was partially offset by a $4,000 recapture of credit losses on investment securities. The allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) for loans as a percentage of loans receivable was 1.23% at June 30, 2025, compared to 1.22% at March 31, 2025 and 1.21% one year ago.

    Total delinquent loans (past due 30 days or more) and non-accrual loans increased $2.86 million or 86%, to $6.18 million at June 30, 2025, from $3.32 million at March 31, 2025 and increased $1.95 million, or 46%, from $4.23 million at June 30, 2024. Non-accrual loans increased $1.52 million, or 65%, to $3.84 million at June 30, 2025 from $2.33 million at March 31, 2025 and decreased $277,000, or 7%, from $4.12 million at March 31, 2024.   The quarterly increase in non-accrual loans was primarily due to one loan (secured by several single family homes) being past maturity. The loan is well collateralized (based on recent appraisals) and the Bank is working with the borrower to renew the loan. Loans graded “Substandard” totaled $32.37 million (or 2% of total loans receivable) at June 30, 2025.

    Non-Accrual Loans
    ($ in thousands)
     
      June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024
      Amount   Quantity   Amount   Quantity   Amount   Quantity
    Mortgage loans:                      
    One- to four-family $1,781   1   $47   1   $135   2
    Commercial   161   2     324   3     1,310   4
    Construction – custom and                      
    owner/builder   —   —     —   —     152   1
    Total mortgage loans   1,942   3     371   4     1,597   7
                           
    Consumer loans:                      
    Home equity and second                      
    mortgage   575   3     575   3     615   3
    Other   —   —     —   —     —   —
    Total consumer loans   575   3     575   3     615   3
                           
    Commercial business loans   1,326   9     1,381   11     1,908   8
    Total loans $3,843   15   $2,327   18   $4,120   18

            
    Timberland had two properties classified as other real estate owned (“OREO”) at June 30, 2025:

      June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024
      Amount   Quantity   Amount   Quantity   Amount   Quantity
    Other real estate owned:                      
    Commercial $221   1   $221   1   $ —   —
    Land   —   1     —   1     —   1
    Total mortgage loans $221   2   $221   2   $ —   1

    About Timberland Bancorp, Inc.
    Timberland Bancorp, Inc., a Washington corporation, is the holding company for Timberland Bank. The Bank opened for business in 1915 and primarily serves consumers and businesses across Grays Harbor, Thurston, Pierce, King, Kitsap and Lewis counties, Washington with a full range of lending and deposit services through its 23 branches (including its main office in Hoquiam).    

    Disclaimer
    Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance or business. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, are based on certain assumptions and often include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “targets,” “potentially,” “probably,” “projects,” “outlook” or similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would” and “could.” Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, assumptions and statements about future economic performance. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated or implied by our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: potential adverse impacts to economic conditions in our local market areas, other markets where the Company has lending relationships, or other aspects of the Company’s business operations or financial markets, including, without limitation, as a result of employment levels, labor shortages and the effects of inflation, a potential recession or slowed economic growth; continuing elevated levels of inflation and the impact of current and future monetary policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Federal Reserve”) in response thereto; the effects of any federal government shutdown; credit risks of lending activities, including any deterioration in the housing and commercial real estate markets which may lead to increased losses and non-performing loans in our loan portfolio resulting in our ACL not being adequate to cover actual losses and thus requiring us to materially increase our ACL through the provision for credit losses; changes in general economic conditions, either nationally or in our market areas; changes in the levels of general interest rates, and the relative differences between short and long-term interest rates, deposit interest rates, our net interest margin and funding sources; fluctuations in the demand for loans, the number of unsold homes, land and other properties and fluctuations in real estate values in our market areas; secondary market conditions for loans and our ability to sell loans in the secondary market; results of examinations of us by the Federal Reserve and of our bank subsidiary by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Banks or other regulatory authorities, including the possibility that any such regulatory authority may, among other things, institute a formal or informal enforcement action against us or our bank subsidiary which could require us to increase our ACL, write-down assets, change our regulatory capital position or affect our ability to borrow funds or maintain or increase deposits or impose additional requirements or restrictions on us, any of which could adversely affect our liquidity and earnings; the impact of bank failures or adverse developments at other banks and related negative press about the banking industry in general on investor and depositor sentiment; legislative or regulatory changes that adversely affect our business including changes in banking, securities and tax law, in regulatory policies and principles, or the interpretation of regulatory capital or other rules; our ability to attract and retain deposits; our ability to control operating costs and expenses; the use of estimates in determining fair value of certain of our assets, which estimates may prove to be incorrect and result in significant declines in valuation; difficulties in reducing risks associated with the loans in our consolidated balance sheet; staffing fluctuations in response to product demand or the implementation of corporate strategies that affect our work force and potential associated charges; disruptions, security breaches, or other adverse events, failures or interruptions in, or attacks on, our information technology systems or on the third-party vendors who perform several of our critical processing functions; our ability to retain key members of our senior management team; costs and effects of litigation, including settlements and judgments; our ability to implement our business strategies; our ability to manage loan delinquency rates; increased competitive pressures among financial services companies; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; the availability of resources to address changes in laws, rules, or regulations or to respond to regulatory actions; our ability to pay dividends on our common stock; the quality and composition of our securities portfolio and the impact if any adverse changes in the securities markets, including on market liquidity; inability of key third-party providers to perform their obligations to us; changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the financial institution regulatory agencies or the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), including additional guidance and interpretation on accounting issues and details of the implementation of new accounting methods; the economic impact of climate change, severe weather events, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics and other public health crises, acts of war or terrorism, civil unrest and other external events on our business; other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory, and technological factors affecting our operations, pricing, products and services; and other risks described elsewhere in this press release and in the Company’s other reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Any of the forward-looking statements that we make in this press release and in the other public statements we make are based upon management’s beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made. We do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking statements discussed in this document might not occur and we caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These risks could cause our actual results for fiscal 2025 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements by, or on behalf of, us, and could negatively affect the Company’s consolidated financial condition and results of operations as well as its stock price performance.

    TIMBERLAND BANCORP INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME    		   Three Months Ended
    ($ in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited)   June 30,   March 31,   June 30,
          2025       2025       2024  
      Interest and dividend income            
      Loans receivable   $21,411     $20,896     $19,537  
      Investment securities     2,064       2,003       2,335  
      Dividends from mutual funds, FHLB stock and other investments     83       82       94  
      Interest bearing deposits in banks     1,986       1,884       2,173  
      Total interest and dividend income     25,544       24,865       24,139  
                   
      Interest expense            
      Deposits     7,721       7,454       7,938  
      Borrowings     201       198       220  
      Total interest expense     7,922       7,652       8,158  
      Net interest income     17,622       17,213       15,981  
      Provision for credit losses – loans     351       237       264  
      Recapture of credit losses – investment securities     (4)       (5)       (12)  
      Prov. for (recapture of ) credit losses – unfunded commitments     93       14       (8)  
      Net int. income after provision for (recapture of) credit losses     17,182       16,967       15,737  
                   
      Non-interest income            
      Service charges on deposits     966       959       1,014  
      ATM and debit card interchange transaction fees     1,262       1,176       1,297  
      Gain on sales of investment securities, net     24       —       —  
      Gain on sales of loans, net     138       122       68  
      Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) net earnings     171       165       158  
      Other     314       265       254  
      Total non-interest income, net     2,875       2,687       2,791  
                   
      Non-interest expense            
      Salaries and employee benefits     5,825       5,977       5,928  
      Premises and equipment     973       1,075       1,011  
      Gain on sale of premises and equipment, net     —       —       (3)  
      Advertising     182       189       211  
      OREO and other repossessed assets, net     8       9       —  
      ATM and debit card processing     658       521       580  
      Postage and courier     137       142       130  
      State and local taxes     570       335       335  
      Professional fees     341       431       335  
      FDIC insurance     211       219       208  
      Loan administration and foreclosure     99       155       156  
      Technology and communications     993       1,121       1,086  
      Deposit operations     345       319       450  
      Amortization of core deposit intangible (“CDI”)     45       45       56  
      Other, net     780       656       586  
      Total non-interest expense, net     11,167       11,194       11,069  
                   
      Income before income taxes     8,890       8,460       7,459  
      Provision for income taxes     1,790       1,705       1,535  
      Net income   $7,100     $6,755     $5,924  
                   
      Net income per common share:            
      Basic   $0.90     $0.85     $0.74  
      Diluted     0.90       0.85       0.74  
                   
      Weighted average common shares outstanding:            
      Basic     7,893,308       7,937,063       8,004,552  
      Diluted     7,921,762       7,968,632       8,039,345  
    TIMBERLAND BANCORP INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME    		   Nine Months Ended
    ($ in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited)   June 30,   June 30,
          2025       2024  
      Interest and dividend income        
      Loans receivable   $63,339     $56,841  
      Investment securities     6,205       6,892  
      Dividends from mutual funds, FHLB stock and other investments     252       266  
      Interest bearing deposits in banks     5,870       5,791  
      Total interest and dividend income     75,666       69,790  
               
      Interest expense        
      Deposits     23,259       21,383  
      Borrowings     602       787  
      Total interest expense     23,861       22,170  
      Net interest income     51,805       47,620  
      Provision for credit losses – loans     640       810  
      Recapture of credit losses – investment securities     (14)       (20)  
      Prov. for (recapture of) credit losses – unfunded commitments     87       (130)  
      Net int. income after provision for (recapture of) credit losses     51,092       46,960  
               
      Non-interest income        
      Service charges on deposits     2,924       3,024  
      ATM and debit card interchange transaction fees     3,706       3,773  
      Gain on sales of investment securities, net     24       —  
      Gain on sales of loans, net     303       188  
      Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) net earnings     503       470  
      Other     799       749  
      Total non-interest income, net     8,259       8,204  
               
      Non-interest expense        
      Salaries and employee benefits     17,893       17,863  
      Premises and equipment     2,998       3,065  
      Gain on sale of premises and equipment, net     —       (3)  
      Advertising     552       556  
      OREO and other repossessed assets, net     17       1  
      ATM and debit card processing     1,700       1,796  
      Postage and courier     401       401  
      State and local taxes     1,251       979  
      Professional fees     1,118       908  
      FDIC insurance     640       624  
      Loan administration and foreclosure     383       395  
      Technology and communications     3,253       3,101  
      Deposit operations     997       1,094  
      Amortization of core deposit intangible (“CDI”)     135       169  
      Other, net     2,090       1,735  
      Total non-interest expense, net     33,428       32,684  
               
      Income before income taxes     25,923       22,480  
      Provision for income taxes     5,208       4,552  
      Net income   $20,715     $17,928  
               
      Net income per common share:        
      Basic   $2.61     $2.22  
      Diluted     2.60       2.21  
               
      Weighted average common shares outstanding:        
      Basic     7,929,626       8,067,068  
      Diluted     7,963,412       8,109,043  
    TIMBERLAND BANCORP INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS    		  
    ($ in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited)   June 30,   March 31,   June 30,
          2025       2025       2024  
    Assets            
    Cash and due from financial institutions   $32,532     $26,010     $25,566  
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks     161,095       165,201       133,347  
      Total cash and cash equivalents     193,627       191,211       158,913  
                   
    Certificates of deposit (“CDs”) held for investment, at cost     8,462       8,711       10,458  
    Investment securities:            
      Held to maturity, at amortized cost (net of ACL – investment securities)     141,570       140,954       176,787  
      Available for sale, at fair value     86,475       84,807       74,515  
    Investments in equity securities, at fair value     855       853       836  
    FHLB stock     2,045       2,045       2,037  
    Other investments, at cost     3,000       3,000       3,000  
    Loans held for sale     1,763       1,151       1,795  
                 
    Loans receivable     1,459,374       1,437,599       1,414,065  
    Less: ACL – loans     (17,878)       (17,525)       (17,046)  
      Net loans receivable     1,441,496       1,420,074       1,397,019  
                   
    Premises and equipment, net     21,490       21,436       21,558  
    OREO and other repossessed assets, net     221       221       —  
    BOLI     24,113       23,942       23,436  
    Accrued interest receivable     7,174       7,127       7,045  
    Goodwill     15,131       15,131       15,131  
    CDI     316       361       508  
    Loan servicing rights, net     911       1,051       1,526  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets     1,248       1,324       1,550  
    Other assets     7,295       9,331       4,515  
      Total assets   $1,957,192     $1,932,730     $1,900,629  
                   
    Liabilities and shareholders’ equity            
    Deposits: Non-interest-bearing demand   $406,222     $407,811     $407,125  
    Deposits: Interest-bearing     1,263,255       1,243,019       1,221,419  
      Total deposits     1,669,477       1,650,830       1,628,544  
                   
    Operating lease liabilities     1,350       1,426       1,649  
    FHLB borrowings     20,000       20,000       20,000  
    Other liabilities and accrued expenses     9,701       7,950       9,213  
      Total liabilities     1,700,528       1,680,206       1,659,406  
                 
    Shareholders’ equity            
    Common stock, $.01 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized;
            7,876,853 shares issued and outstanding – June 30, 2025
            7,903,489 shares issued and outstanding – March 31, 2025
            7,953,431 shares issued and outstanding – June 30, 2024    		     27,226       28,028       30,681  
    Retained earnings     230,213       225,166       211,087  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (775)       (670)       (545)  
      Total shareholders’ equity     256,664       252,524       241,223  
      Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $1,957,192     $1,932,730     $1,900,629  
      Three Months Ended
    PERFORMANCE RATIOS:   June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024
    Return on average assets (a)     1.47%       1.43%       1.25%  
    Return on average equity (a)     11.23%       10.95%       9.95%  
    Net interest margin (a)     3.80%       3.79%       3.53%  
    Efficiency ratio     54.48%       56.25%       58.97%  
                 
      Nine Months Ended
        June 30, 2025       June 30, 2024
    Return on average assets (a)     1.44%           1.27%  
    Return on average equity (a)     11.07%           10.10%  
    Net interest margin (a)     3.74%           3.53%  
    Efficiency ratio     55.65%           58.55%  
                 
      Three Months Ended
    ASSET QUALITY RATIOS AND DATA: ($ in thousands)   June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024
    Non-accrual loans   $3,843     $2,327     $4,120  
    Loans past due 90 days and still accruing     —       —       —  
    Non-performing investment securities     38       41       72  
    OREO and other repossessed assets     221       221       —  
    Total non-performing assets (b)   $4,102     $2,589     $4,192  
                 
    Non-performing assets to total assets (b)     0.21%       0.13%       0.22%  
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) during quarter   $(1)     $ —     $36  
    Allowance for credit losses – loans to non-accrual loans     465%       753%       414%  
    Allowance for credit losses – loans to loans receivable (c)     1.23%       1.22%       1.21%  
                 
                 
    CAPITAL RATIOS:            
    Tier 1 leverage capital     12.63%       12.55%       12.04%  
    Tier 1 risk-based capital     19.29%       19.04%       17.97%  
    Common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital     19.29%       19.04%       17.97%  
    Total risk-based capital     20.54%       20.29%       19.22%  
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP)     12.42%       12.36%       11.97%  
                 
    BOOK VALUES:            
    Book value per common share   $32.58     $31.95     $30.33  
    Tangible book value per common share (d)     30.62       29.99       28.36  

    ________________________________________________

    (a) Annualized
    (b) Non-performing assets include non-accrual loans, loans past due 90 days and still accruing, non-performing investment securities and OREO and other repossessed assets.
    (c) Does not include loans held for sale and is before the allowance for credit losses.
    (d) Tangible common equity divided by common shares outstanding (non-GAAP).                                

    AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS, AND RATES – QUARTERLY
    ($ in thousands)
    (unaudited)

      For the Three Months Ended 
      June 30, 2025    March 31, 2025    June 30, 2024 
      Amount   Rate   Amount   Rate   Amount   Rate
                           
    Assets                      
    Loans receivable and loans held for sale $ 1,450,350     5.92 %   $ 1,435,999     5.90 %   $ 1,391,582     5.65 %
    Investment securities and FHLB stock (1)   232,272     3.71       232,532     3.64             268,954     3.63  
    Interest-earning deposits in banks and CDs   178,887     4.45       172,175     4.44       161,421     5.41  
    Total interest-earning assets   1,861,509     5.50       1,840,706     5.48            1,821,957     5.33  
    Other assets         79,715           77,563           82,008      
    Total assets $ 1,941,224         $ 1,918,269         $ 1,903,965      
                           
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                      
    NOW checking accounts $ 333,074     1.39 %   $ 328,115     1.32 %   $ 329,344     1.29 %
    Money market accounts   304,526     3.16       306,137     3.18       326,023     3.56  
    Savings accounts   205,592     0.35       206,054     0.28       208,488     0.27  
    Certificates of deposit accounts   363,342     3.77       343,945     3.82       311,545     4.21  
    Brokered CDs   48,028     4.83       50,104     4.85       45,442     5.32  
    Total interest-bearing deposits   1,254,562     2.47       1,234,355     2.45       1,220,842     2.62  
    Borrowings   20,002     4.03       20,000     4.04       20,001     4.42  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   1,274,564     2.49       1,254,355     2.47       1,240,843     2.64  
                           
    Non-interest-bearing demand deposits   402,717           403,738           413,494      
    Other liabilities   10,266           10,064           10,245      
    Shareholders’ equity   253,677           250,112           239,383      
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 1,941,224         $ 1,918,269         $ 1,903,965      
                           
    Interest rate spread     3.01 %       3.01 %       2.69 %
    Net interest margin (2)     3.80 %       3.79 %       3.53 %
    Average interest-earning assets to                      
    average interest-bearing liabilities   146.05 %         146.75 %         146.83 %    

               _____________________________________
    (1) Includes other investments
    (2) Net interest margin = annualized net interest income /
          average interest-earning assets
            

    AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS, AND RATES
    ($ in thousands)
    (unaudited)

      For the Nine Months Ended 
      June 30, 2025    June 30, 2024 
      Amount   Rate   Amount   Rate
                   
    Assets              
    Loans receivable and loans held for sale $ 1,441,506     5.87 %   $ 1,363,213     5.57 %
    Investment securities and FHLB stock (1)   237,400     3.81             294,789     3.24  
    Interest-earning deposits in banks and CDs       172,591     4.55       143,537     5.39  
    Total interest-earning assets        1,851,497     5.49            1,801,539     5.17  
    Other assets   77,595           81,650      
    Total assets $ 1,929,092         $ 1,883,189      
                   
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity              
    NOW checking accounts $ 329,883     1.36 %   $ 358,052     1.48 %
    Money market accounts   311,762     3.26       273,683     3.09  
    Savings accounts   205,764     0.30       214,275     0.24  
    Certificates of deposit accounts   346,313     3.89       291,707     4.12  
    Brokered CDs   48,169     4.71       42,856     5.37  
    Total interest-bearing deposits   1,241,891     2.50       1,180,573     2.42  
    Borrowings   20,001     4.02       22,457     4.68  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   1,261,892     2.53       1,203,030     2.46  
                   
    Non-interest-bearing demand deposits   406,906           431,849      
    Other liabilities             10,159           11,273      
    Shareholders’ equity   250,135           237,037      
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 1,929,092         $ 1,883,189      
                   
    Interest rate spread     2.96 %       2.71 %
    Net interest margin (2)     3.74 %       3.53 %
    Average interest-earning assets to              
    average interest-bearing liabilities   146.72 %         149.75 %    

    _____________________________________
    (1) Includes other investments
    (2) Net interest margin = annualized net interest income /
    average interest-earning assets

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    In addition to results presented in accordance with GAAP, this press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures. Timberland believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with information useful in understanding the Company’s financial performance; however, readers of this report are urged to review these non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP results as reported.

    Financial measures that exclude intangible assets are non-GAAP measures. To provide investors with a broader understanding of capital adequacy, Timberland provides non-GAAP financial measures for tangible common equity, along with the GAAP measure. Tangible common equity is calculated as shareholders’ equity less goodwill and CDI. In addition, tangible assets equal total assets less goodwill and CDI.

    The following table provides a reconciliation of ending shareholders’ equity (GAAP) to ending tangible shareholders’ equity (non-GAAP) and ending total assets (GAAP) to ending tangible assets (non-GAAP).

    ($ in thousands)   June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024
                 
    Shareholders’ equity   $ 256,664     $ 252,524     $ 241,223  
    Less goodwill and CDI     (15,447)       (15,492)       (15,639)  
    Tangible common equity   $ 241,217     $ 237,032     $ 225,584  
                 
    Total assets   $ 1,957,192     $ 1,932,730     $ 1,900,629  
    Less goodwill and CDI     (15,447)       (15,492)       (15,639)  
    Tangible assets   $ 1,941,745     $ 1,917,238     $ 1,884,990  

    Contact: Dean J. Brydon, CEO 
    Jonathan A. Fischer, President & COO
     Marci A. Basich, CFO 
    (360) 533-4747 
    www.timberlandbank.com

    The MIL Network –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Secures Nearly $190 Million in Federal Investments for New Mexico in Committee-Passed Appropriations Bills

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) announced funding secured for New Mexico communities through the Appropriations Committee’s bipartisan passage of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Bill and Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Bill.

    From both appropriations bills, Senator Luján secured $189,820,000 for key local projects that will strengthen our national security, boost violence intervention programs, and equip law enforcement with the resources needed to keep New Mexico communities safe.  

    “Across New Mexico, these vital investments will deliver resources to enhance public safety in our communities and upgrade infrastructure at our military bases to boost our military’s readiness and safety,” said Senator Luján. “This funding will equip our brave law enforcement officers with the tools they need to protect New Mexicans, support programs aimed at reducing youth violence and violence in Tribal communities, and reinforce critical infrastructure at our military bases. I’m proud to have fought to secure these investments for our communities, and I’ll continue working to deliver the federal support our families and communities need and deserve.”

    The Committee process is the first step, and the appropriations bills will next be considered by the full U.S. Senate.

    Senator Luján Secured Nearly $190 Million for the Following Local Projects:

    Strengthening New Mexico’s Air Force Bases:

    • $90,000,000 for Cannon Air Force Base to construct a 192-bed dormitory. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich.
    • $83,000,000 for Kirtland Air Force Base to construct a Space Rapid Capabilities Office. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich.
    • $8,100,000 for infrastructure upgrades at Cannon Air Force Base, specifically for ADAL Security Forces Facility. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich.
    • $2,000,000 for infrastructure upgrades at Kirtland Air Force Base, specifically for the design for the Wyoming Gate Project. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich.
    • $700,000 for infrastructure upgrades at Holloman Air Force Base, specifically for the design for the Holloman High Speed Test Track. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich.

    Boosting Public Safety Throughout New Mexico:

    • $1,069,000 for the City of Albuquerque’s Real Time Crime Center for the purchase of law enforcement technology.
    • $1,042,000 for Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office to purchase a new fleet of vehicles.
    • $1,031,000 for the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Police to provide 5G technology in fleet vehicles. Secured by Senator Luján, Senator Heinrich, and Representative Stansbury in the House-companion bill.
    • $1,000,000 for UNM Office of the Medical Investigator DNA processing laboratory to allow for the purchase of equipment for DNA identification. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich.
    • $500,000 for Bernalillo County public safety technology upgrades to address high rates of crime in the Albuquerque metro area. Secured by Senator Luján, Senator Heinrich, and Representative Vasquez in the House-companion bill.
    • $250,000 for the San Juan County Partnership’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program to assist in mitigating individuals with substance use disorder or mental/behavioral health challenges from continuously interacting with law enforcement.

    Funding Violence Intervention and Prevention Programs:

    • $1,0350,000 for the City of Albuquerque’s expansion of school-based violence intervention program to assist at risk students by improving grades and reducing youth violence.
    • $93,000 for the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native women to address challenges in domestic violence and sexual violence in Tribal communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: A new partnership for economic cooperation

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘Eat the rich’ — Why horror films are taking aim at the ultra-wealthy

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Heather Roberts, PhD Candidate in Screen Cultures and Curatorial Studies, Queen’s University, Ontario

    Samara Weaving in the horror film ‘Ready or Not.’ Weaving plays Grace, a bride who must survive until dawn on her wedding day as her in-laws hunt her down. (Searchlight Pictures)

    This story contains spoilers about ‘Ready or Not’ and ‘The Menu.’

    When Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sánchez held their lavish three-day wedding celebration in Venice recently, it wasn’t just a party — it was a spectacle of wealth, reportedly costing between US$47 million and US$56 million.

    Critics highlighted the environmental toll of such an event on the fragile, flood-prone city, while protesters took to the streets to condemn the wedding as a tone-deaf symbol of oligarchical wealth at a time when many can’t afford to pay rent, let alone rent an island.

    The excessive show of opulence felt like the opening of a horror film, and lately, that’s exactly what horror has been giving us. In films like Ready or Not (2019) and The Menu (2022), the rich aren’t simply out of touch; they’re portrayed as predators, criminals or even monsters.



    Read more:
    Horror comedy ‘The Menu’ delves into foodie snobbery when you’re dying for a cheeseburger

    These “eat-the-rich” films channel widespread anxieties about the current socioeconomic climate and increasing disillusionment with capitalist systems.

    In a world where the wealthy and powerful often seem to act with impunity, these films expose upper-class immorality and entitlement, and offer revenge fantasies where those normally crushed by the system fight back or burn it all down.

    Horror takes aim at the wealthy

    Originally a quote from social theorist Jean-Jacques Rousseau during the French Revolution, “eat the rich” has re-emerged in recent years in public protests and on social media in response to increasing socioeconomic inequality.

    In cinema, eat-the-rich films often use grotesque hyperbole or satire to reveal and critique capitalist systems and the behaviours of the wealthy elite.

    Film scholar Robin Wood argues that horror films enact a return of what is repressed by dominant bourgeois — that is, capitalist — ideology, typically embodied by the figure of the monster.

    He cites The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), a classic example of anti-capitalist sentiment in horror that depicts Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) and his working-class family as monstrous victims of the 1970s industrial collapse. Rather than accept repression, they return as cannibalistic monsters, making visible the brutality of capitalist systems that exploit and degrade people like obsolete commodities.

    But in eat-the-rich horror, it is the wealthy themselves who become the monsters. The locus of repression becomes their privilege, which is often built on exploitation, inequality and invisible or normalized forms of harm.

    These films render these abstract systems tangible by making the elite’s monstrosity visible, literal and grotesque.

    Revenge horror for the 99 per cent

    Recent horror films are increasingly using genre conventions to critique wealth, privilege and the systems that sustain them.

    Ready or Not turns the rich into bloodthirsty monsters who maintain their fortune through satanic rituals and human sacrifice. Grace (Samara Weaving) marries into the Le Domas family, board game magnates who initiate new family members with a deadly game of hide-and-seek. She must survive until dawn while her new in-laws hunt her down to fulfil a demonic pact.

    The film critiques the idea of inherited wealth as something earned or honourable, combining humour and horror to reflect anxieties about class entrenchment and the moral decay of the elite.

    Trailer for the 2019 horror film ‘Ready or Not.’

    The Le Domases are monstrous not only for their violence, but for how casually they justify it. When several maids are accidentally killed in the chaos, they react with self-pity, indifferent to who must be sacrificed to maintain their wealth.

    In The Menu, the rich are portrayed as monstrous not through physical violence, but through their moral failings — like financial crimes and infidelity — and their hollow consumption of culture.

    Celebrity chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) lures wealthy foodies to his exclusive island restaurant, using food as a weaponized form of art to expose guests’ hypocrisy and misdeeds. In one scene, guests are served tortillas laser-printed with incriminating images, such as banking records and evidence of fraudulent activity.

    The tortilla scene from the 2022 horror film ‘The Menu.’

    The film criticizes consumption in an industry where food is no longer a source of enjoyment or sustenance, but a status symbol for the elite to display their wealth and taste.

    Why these films are striking a nerve now

    It’s no surprise that audiences are turning to horror to make sense of systems that feel increasingly bleak and inescapable. In Canada, the cost of living continues to outpace wages, housing affordability remains an issue for many, while grocery prices are a source of horror in their own right.

    A university degree, once considered a reliable path to stability, no longer guarantees the financial security of a salaried job. Many Canadians now rely on gig economy jobs as supplementary income.

    Meanwhile, the wealth gap is increasing and obscene displays of wealth — like a multi-million-dollar wedding — can feel disconnected, even offensive, to people experiencing financial precarity.

    Eat-the-rich films tap into this collective sense of injustice, transforming economic and social anxieties into a cathartic spectacle where ultra-wealthy villains are held accountable for their actions.

    Margot, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, and executive chef Julian Slowik, played by Ralph Fiennes, in ‘The Menu.’
    (Eric Zachanowich/Searchlight Pictures)

    At the end of Ready or Not, the members of the Le Domas family explode one by one and their mansion burns down. In The Menu, the guests are dressed up like s’mores and immolated. In both films, fire serves as a symbolic cleansing of the wealthy, their power and the systems that protect them.

    More than that, these films provide someone to root for: working-class protagonists who are targeted by the elite but ultimately survive. Former foster child Grace fights her way through a pack of murderous millionaires, while escort Margot/Erin (Anya Taylor-Joy) is spared when she rejects the pretentiousness of fine dining and orders a humble cheeseburger instead.

    In this way, horror becomes a form of narrative resistance, illustrating class rage through characters who refuse to be consumed by the systems trying to oppress them. While inequality and exploitation persist in reality, eat-the-rich films offer escape, and even justice, on screen.

    Heather Roberts 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. ‘Eat the rich’ — Why horror films are taking aim at the ultra-wealthy – https://theconversation.com/eat-the-rich-why-horror-films-are-taking-aim-at-the-ultra-wealthy-260550

    MIL OSI –

    July 23, 2025
←Previous Page
1 … 70 71 72 73 74 … 2,041
Next Page→
NewzIntel.com

NewzIntel.com

MIL Open Source Intelligence

  • Blog
  • About
  • FAQs
  • Authors
  • Events
  • Shop
  • Patterns
  • Themes

Twenty Twenty-Five

Designed with WordPress