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 Global: How rising wages for construction workers are shifting the foundations of the housing market

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bahaa Chammout, Kummer I&E PhD Fellow in Civil Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology

    Construction costs have surged in recent years, pushing homeownership further out of reach for many Americans. But this isn’t a new concern: In 1978, the U.S. Government Accountability Office warned that rising costs were threatening the American dream – at a time when the median home price was just US$44,300, less than three times the median household income. Today, that figure has climbed past $419,000, more than five times what the median American makes.

    One often-overlooked factor behind this surge? Labor costs.

    We are engineering experts, and in our latest study, we analyzed wages and workforce trends across more than 20 occupations in construction from 1999 to 2023. Interestingly, we found that unskilled workers — those in the lowest-paid roles – saw the largest wage gains. And the effects of these gains have rippled across the entire construction industry.

    A changing construction landscape

    A lot can change in 25 years, which is the last time researchers analyzed construction labor trends at this scale. Back then, construction wages were declining, driven in part by the rise of affordable trade schools and in part by falling union membership.

    Today, the landscape looks very different. The construction industry is grappling with a persistent labor shortage, facing an annual shortfall of more than a half-million workers. At the same time, wage dynamics have shifted greatly.

    The biggest gains go to the lowest-paid roles

    Construction projects rely on a wide range of roles – from highly skilled professionals like engineers and electricians to lower-skilled or unskilled workers. Unskilled workers handle physically demanding tasks like trench digging, concrete mixing and site preparation, and earn lower wages. As a result, contractors often hire more of them.

    While contractors tend to focus on expensive skilled labor when estimating project costs, our recent study found that unskilled workers have seen the largest wage gains in recent decades. Their wages rose by 2.75% to 3.5% per year — compared with under 2.5% for most skilled roles.

    The size of the construction workforce is also changing, with 88% of U.S. construction firms reporting difficulty finding workers. The shortage is especially severe among unskilled labor. For example, half as many people work as unskilled helpers now than in 1999.

    Given these trends, to avoid budgeting shortfalls and project risks, we encourage contractors to plan for higher costs for low-skilled workers. Our study also offers a simple method to help forecast wage trends, which contractors can use to estimate future labor costs.

    Wage hikes have a ripple effect

    Interestingly, not only did unskilled occupations see the biggest wage jumps, but they also influenced wage changes in other trades.

    Using econometric models, we analyzed these occupations as part of an interconnected system. We found that trades typically involved early in a project tend to influence wages for trades that come later. In particular, unskilled construction laborers – who handle tasks like site preparation and material handling – emerged as the leading drivers of wage trends across the industry. When their wages rise, others’ tend to follow.

    These insights suggest that contractors should monitor early-stage wage trends closely. When wages start rising among early-trade or unskilled workers, that is often a signal that broader labor costs are about to rise too. Planning ahead can help firms manage costs more effectively.

    Recent world events — such as COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war and the 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs — brought major challenges to the construction industry, which is still dealing with their aftermath. On top of that, worsening labor shortages, new tariffs and global supply chain disruptions mean the industry will continue to face significant challenges.

    However, tracking market data offers a valuable opportunity to understand emerging trends and develop strategies to respond effectively. Our research team – working closely with major U.S. contractors through the Missouri Consortium for Construction Innovation – is exploring solutions across a range of issues, including construction material costs, cross-border material trade with Canada and Mexico, and persistent labor shortages, among other critical topics.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. How rising wages for construction workers are shifting the foundations of the housing market – https://theconversation.com/how-rising-wages-for-construction-workers-are-shifting-the-foundations-of-the-housing-market-255087

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: What is a downburst? These winds can be as destructive as tornadoes − we recreate them to test building designs

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Amal Elawady, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida International University

    A downburst blasts Bangkok, Thailand, in 2017. Natapat Ariyamongkol/iStock/Getty Images Plus

    From a distance, a downburst can look like a torrent of heavy rain. But at ground level, its behavior can be far more destructive.

    When a downburst’s winds hit the ground, they shoot out horizontally in all directions, sometimes with enough force to shatter windows and overturn vehicles.

    These winds behave in complicated ways, particularly in cities, as our latest research shows. Downburst winds can deflect off tall buildings, increasing the pressure on neighboring buildings’ windows and walls. The result can blow out glass and chip off facade. Even buildings designed to survive hurricanes can suffer major damage in a downburst.

    As engineers, we study downbursts with the goal of designing buildings, components such as solar panels and windows, and infrastructure such as power lines that can stand up to that powerful force. To do this, informed by field measurements, we create our own powerful downbursts using a hurricane simulator known as the Wall of Wind at Florida International University.

    An illustration of how the winds of a downburst fan out in open space. In a city with tall buildings, the wind can deflect off buildings, causing damage in unexpected ways.
    NASA/Wikimedia Commons

    What is a downburst?

    Downbursts can be as destructive as tornadoes, but their winds develop in a very different way.

    A downburst forms when a thunderstorm pulls cooler, heavier air down from high in the atmosphere. As this rain-cooled air rushes downward, it gains speed. Once it slams into the ground, it has nowhere to go but outward, sending strong winds in all horizontal directions.

    Dust in the air shows the curling rotation of a downburst’s winds.
    NOAA

    The wind speed in a downburst can reach over 150 miles per hour. That’s the strength of a Category 4 hurricane and strong enough to knock down trees and power lines, damage buildings and flip vehicles.

    These winds also rotate, but not in the same way tornadoes do. Downburst winds are typically considered straight-line winds, but they rotate around a horizontal axis as the wind curls upward after hitting the ground. Tornadoes, in contrast, spin around a vertical axis.

    Powerful storm systems known as derechos are often made up of multiple downburst clusters, each containing many smaller downbursts, sometimes called microbursts.

    Recreating Houston’s downburst in a warehouse

    On May 16, 2024, a derecho hit Houston with a downburst that was so strong, it blew out windows in several high-rise buildings that had been built to survive Category 4 hurricanes. The winds also pried off chunks of buildings’ facades.

    Two months later, Hurricane Beryl hit Houston with similar wind speeds, yet it left minimal damage to the downtown buildings.

    When a downburst hit downtown Houston on May 16, 2024, it shattered windows on some sides of buildings but not others, and not always in the line of the storm. The damage offered clues to how downbursts interact with tall buildings.
    Cécile Clocheret/AFP via Getty Images

    To understand how a downburst like this can be so much more destructive – and what cities and building designers can do about it – we simulated both the Houston downburst winds and Hurricane Beryl’s winds in the Wall of Wind.

    The test facility is equipped with a dozen jet fans, each almost as tall as the workers who run them and powerful enough to simulate a Category 5 hurricane. Our team used these fans to recreate powerful downburst winds that hit horizontally with the maximum wind speeds near ground level. Then, we put several models of buildings to the test to see how roofs, windows, facades and the structures of power lines reacted under that force.

    How the Wall of Wind’s fans mimic a downburst’s horizontal force.

    In the Houston derecho, a downburst hit downtown with 100 mph winds. It cracked some lower windows, likely with blowing debris, but it also caused widespread unexpected damage midway up some of the buildings.

    The Chevron Building Auditorium actually suffered the most damage on a side that wasn’t directly in the line of the storm but was facing another tall building. That left some intriguing questions. It suggested that the way the buildings channel the wind may have created a strong suction that blew out windows midway up the tower. Another burning question is whether building design codes are outdated when it comes to how well their cladding can stand up to these localized winds.

    Using the Wall of Wind, we were able to test those pressures on models of the Houston buildings and see how downburst winds increased the pressured on a tall building model with excessive forces near the ground level.

    The ability to simulate these winds is important for improving engineers’ understanding of the differences in how downbursts and other wind events exert force on buildings. The results ultimately inform building standards to help create more resilient and better-protected communities.

    Building better power lines

    Big storms, like downbursts, can also take down power lines.

    Power lines extend hundreds of miles between cities and states, making them more susceptible to a hit from a localized severe storm, such as a downburst. If one of the towers falls, it can cause a chain reaction, like dominoes falling one after another. That can knock out power for large numbers of people.

    The derecho that hit Houston with a downburst also crumpled transmission towers in Texas.
    AP Photo/David J. Phillip

    With colleagues, we have been testing transmission towers and multispan power-line systems under downburst and hurricane winds to understand how these structures respond, with the goal of developing better construction techniques. That work has helped to update the American manual for the design of power lines, which engineers use for designing safer, more storm-resilient transmission towers.

    What’s next

    Low-rise and mid-rise buildings are also vulnerable to downbursts, but the effects are less well understood. Downburst winds are most intense between 10 and 300 feet above the ground, meaning the roofs and walls of some low-rises can be hit with intense horizontal wind.

    Recent building codes have offered design guidelines to help ensure these buildings can withstand tornadoes. However, the way downbursts rotate in a short time around a building or a community of buildings puts pressure on the walls and the roof in different ways. Similar to straight-line winds, we expect high suction on the roof. Due to their short duration, varying wind direction and intense wind speed, downbursts may also cause excessive vibrations and varying pressure distribution on the roof components.

    How microbursts form.

    We’re now testing downburst damage to low- and mid-rise buildings to better understand the risks and help highlight changes that can make buildings more resilient.

    As populations grow, cities are adding more buildings. At the same time, powerful storms are becoming more frequent and more intense. Understanding the effects of different types of storms will help engineers construct high-rises, low-rises and power lines that are better able to withstand extreme weather.

    Amal Elawady receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

    Fahim Ahmed, Mohamed Eissa, and Omar Metwally do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What is a downburst? These winds can be as destructive as tornadoes − we recreate them to test building designs – https://theconversation.com/what-is-a-downburst-these-winds-can-be-as-destructive-as-tornadoes-we-recreate-them-to-test-building-designs-254931

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: How a reading group helped young German students defy the Nazis and find their faith

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Peter Nguyen, SJ, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross

    A copy of the sentences against, left to right, Willi Graf, Kurt Huber, Alexander Schmorell, Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl and Christoph Probst is displayed at the White Rose Memorial in Munich. Johannes Simon/Getty Images

    For three weeks in April 2025, my “Theology of Christian Martyrdom” class studied how a group of German students and professors from Munich and Hamburg formed a resistance movement from 1942 to 1943 known as the “White Rose.” These individuals defied Nazi tyranny, they were imprisoned, and many were executed.

    At the movement’s center were Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, Christoph Probst and Willi Graf, who were all in their 20s, and Professor Kurt Huber. The Scholl siblings, their friends and their professor were beheaded for urging students at the University of Munich to oppose the Nazi regime.

    On the surface, the White Rose’s “crime” was the writings, printings and distribution of six anti-Nazi pamphlets urging Germans to resist Adolf Hitler and work to end World War II. However, a closer examination of their pamphlets, along with excerpts from their diaries and letters, reveals that their resistance was rooted in something deeper – a faith anchored in friendship and a humanistic learning. Their time together reading and discussing theological texts deepened their Christian faith.

    Teaching this class taught me that teachers can inspire students to improve their country’s social and political landscape through the study of literature, history and theology. Teachers can help students form their consciences and empower them to act against falsehood and injustice.

    The White Rose movement

    These young people came from a variety of Christian backgrounds, including Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox traditions. Some had been members of the Hitler Youth as teenagers, while others had served as medical assistants in the German army. They formed strong bonds and underwent personal transformations as students at the University of Munich, where they were mentored by a couple of philosophers, especially Kurt Huber, who was a devout Catholic.

    The students met regularly and secretly with their professors to study literature, philosophy and theology from the Catholic intellectual tradition, banned by the Nazi regime as part of Hitler’s strategy to first stifle and then strangle the Catholic Church in Germany. Based on the students’ correspondence and diaries, their covert engagement with Catholic thought became a cornerstone of the White Rose’s rejection of Nazi tyranny.

    In the works of the fifth-century North African theologian Augustine, the 20th-century novelist and playwright Georges Bernanos, and the 20th-century philosopher Jacques Maritain, these students encountered a Catholic intellectual tradition that was responsive to the urgent questions of their time.

    From Augustine they learned the importance of cultivating an interior life grounded in prayer. Bernanos stressed the importance of embracing one’s humanity to confront evil. Maritain emphasized the need to strive for a free democratic society.

    Importance of prayer

    The White Rose movement was concerned not only with the present state of humanity but also with its future, and not only with the individual but also with the communal. In their clandestine meetings and correspondence, they wrestled with the relationship between faith and reason, goodness in the face of evil, the meaning of tyranny, the nature of a just state, and the foundations of genuine liberty. Addressing these serious issues not only matured their intellects but also deepened their hearts; it taught them the importance of prayer.

    Hans Scholl, left, and his sister Sophie in 1940.
    Authenticated News/Archive Photos/Getty Image

    “Better to suffer intolerable pain than to vegetate insensibly. Better to be parched with thirst, better to pray for pain, pain, and more pain, than to feel empty, and to feel so without truly feeling at all. That I mean to resist,” Sophie wrote in her diary in the early summer of 1942.

    The personal writings of the White Rose reflect a religious passion, akin to the prayers of saints.

    For example, in his imprisonment, Graf stated: “I know my Redeemer liveth. This faith alone strengthens and sustains me.” The impact of Christianity on the inner lives of these young people is a crucial part of their narrative and resistance.

    Their circle of friendship became a haven in a totalitarian state that sought to isolate individuals, instill fear and transform these estranged and fearful people into part of a mass society. “We negated the many, and built on the few, and believed ourselves strong,” Traute Lafrenz, the last surviving member of the White Rose and a member of the Hamburg circle, later stated.

    The most significant intellectual influence on the group may have been John Henry Newman, a 19th-century Catholic convert and theologian who emphasized the primacy of a “well-formed” conscience. His writings helped them recognize what Catholics like myself see as a moral truth that transcended Nazi propaganda – that each person bears within them the voice of the living God. This voice could not be silenced by state power.

    Newman’s philosophy

    Newman insisted that conscience is not merely intuitive but is shaped through learning – from conversations, books and lived experience. With their professors’ guidance, the White Rose students were able to cultivate their conscience.

    The annual 2023 Newman lecture while commemmorating the 80th anniversary of the White Rose.

    If Newman were addressing college students today, I like to believe he would emphasize the significance of their conversations with friends on campus, the discussions held with classmates and professors in the classroom, the newspapers they read, the retreats they participated in, the novels they savored during the holidays, their road trips across the country, and their studies abroad. All of these experiences contribute to shaping their conscience.

    Newman’s defense of broad, active and serious learning offered an appealing counterpoint to Nazi ideology, which sought not only to deprive individuals of their civil rights but also to crush their inner lives and capacity to form meaningful relationships through terror and fear.

    The power of a well-formed conscience is perhaps best illustrated by Sophie Scholl, who shared Newman’s sermons with her boyfriend, Fritz Hartnagel, a Wehrmacht officer who fought for Germany during World War II.

    In the summer of 1942, horrified by the brutality he witnessed, Hartnagel wrote to Scholl that Newman’s words were like “drops of precious wine.” In another letter, he wrote: “But we know by whom we are created, and that we stand in a relationship of moral obligation to our Creator. Conscience gives us the capacity to distinguish between good and evil.” After the war, Hartnagel became active in the peace movement and supported conscientious objectors. To the members of the White Rose, conscience was a spiritual stronghold – one the state could not breach.

    Truth-seeking and challenges today

    I believe that while my students today face different challenges – a society shaped by what I regard as the nihilistic presence of technological power and populism, rather than full-blown totalitarianism – they also aspire to act with clarity and conviction. Newman’s view on the formation of conscience resonated with my students as well.

    What my students share with those young dissidents from over 80 years ago is a commitment to cultivating an inner life, fostering a community of friends and engaging in a vibrant intellectual tradition.

    They are drawn to the writings that animated Hans Scholl, who, drawing inspiration from the Catholic playwright Paul Claudel, wrote the following just two days before his arrest.

    “Chasms yawn and darkest night envelops my questing heart, but I press on regardless. As Claudel so splendidly puts it: Life is one great adventure into the light.”

    As a teacher, I believe that young people want to engage with an intellectual tradition that helps them discover their vocation and live with integrity, similar to Scholl.

    They seek to act with a clear conscience amid the uncertainties of their own times. This approach serves as a powerful contrast to any hollow, anti-intellectual and culturally bankrupt tyranny.

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

    – ref. How a reading group helped young German students defy the Nazis and find their faith – https://theconversation.com/how-a-reading-group-helped-young-german-students-defy-the-nazis-and-find-their-faith-254774

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Agreeing to disagree’ is hurting your relationships – here’s what to do instead

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lisa Pavia-Higel, Assistant Teaching Professor of English and Technical Communication, Missouri University of Science and Technology

    Conversational tools like ‘looping’ and ‘reframing’ can help move a conversation away from confrontation. Candra Ritonga/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    As Americans become more polarized, even family dinners can feel fraught, surfacing differences that could spark out-and-out conflict. Tense conversations often end with a familiar refrain: “Let’s just drop it.”

    As a communications educator and trainer, I am frequently asked how to handle these conversations, especially when they involve social and political issues. One piece of advice I give is that “agree to disagree,” or any other phrase that politely stands in for “stop talking,” will not restore harmony. Not only that, but it could also do permanent harm to those important family bonds.

    ‘No-go’ topics

    Conversation is the currency of relationships. When families talk about anything – from “What are your top five favorite movies?” to “What possessed you to load the dishwasher like that?” – they are not just exchanging information. They are building trust and creating a shared story that deepens the relationships within the family unit.

    According to communication researcher Mark L. Knapp’s model of relationship development, all relationships have a life cycle. People come together and solidify their connection through five stages, from “initiation” to “bonding.” But many relationships eventually come apart, going through five stages of breakdown.

    Mark L. Knapp’s model breaks relationships into 10 stages.

    No relationship is as linear as the model assumes, but it can help pinpoint potential danger zones – moments when a bond is at risk of coming apart. One stage, in particular, illustrates why avoiding these hard conversations is so dangerous: “circumscribing.”

    Imagine circumscribing topics of conservation with yellow police tape around them – topics that almost instantly trigger conflict. Having a few of these “no-go” topics in a relationship probably will not doom a marriage or cause family estrangement. However, marking too many ideas as off-limits makes it easier for people to avoid conversation altogether.

    Circumscribing is one of the “coming apart” stages in Knapp’s model. If problems aren’t addressed, a relationship can keep sliding down the slope toward the last stage: termination.

    We need to talk

    Sadly, this estrangement from loved ones is not a theoretical problem. In a 2022 poll of 11,000 Americans, more than 1 in 4 people reported that they were now estranged from close family.

    What’s more, these relationships are not always replaced by other close ties. About half of Americans say they only have three or fewer close friends. In 2023, then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared widespread loneliness and isolation an “epidemic.”

    Social connection is a basic human need. Relationships do more than provide support; they play a key role in how people define themselves. According to psychology’s “social penetration theory,” conversation with close family and loved ones deepens relationships while helping people learn to articulate their deepest values.

    So if “agree to disagree” is not the answer, what is?

    There is no one-time process that will fix all conflict over the course of a family dinner. These techniques take time, patience and compassion – all things that can be in short supply amid conflict. However, there are two techniques I not only recommend to others, but I use in my own conflicts: “looping for understanding” and “reframe and pivot.”

    Getting in the loop

    Looping, which was originally developed for legal mediation, helps both people in a conversation understand each other. Feeling misunderstood tends to escalate conflict, so this is a great starting place.

    During a “loop,” each person uses active listening, meaning they pay careful attention to what their partner is saying without judgment or interruptions. Then the listener shows their understanding by using what’s called “empathic paraphrase”: restating what they heard from the speaker, but also what emotions they perceived. Finally, they ask the original speaker for confirmation.

    That might sound something like this:

    So if I understand what you are saying, you think that people should not have to get a flu shot at your office because you are not sure if it’s effective, and you’re frustrated that you are being told what to do by your company. Do I have that right?

    If the speaker says no, then the listener “loops” by asking them to explain what they got wrong, and tries to paraphrase again. The participants keep looping until the answer to “Did I get that right?” is an emphatic “yes.” This practice ensures that both people are sure of the actual issue at hand.

    Looping has other benefits, too. In one study, emphatic paraphrasing not only made participants less anxious but also made the speaker see the paraphraser in a more positive light. Feeling fully heard and understood can go a long way to turning down the heat on difficult conversations.

    The goal of ‘looping’ is to make sure you understand the other person’s perspective – and the real issue at stake.
    FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images

    Framing common ground

    However, that understanding may not be enough. Once both parties understand each other, another technique, “reframing,” can help pivot the conversation away from confrontation and move toward resolution.

    In reframing, the speakers find and discuss a single point of agreement. By emphasizing what they agree about, instead of what they disagree about, they look for a starting place to tackle the problem together, instead of facing off.

    For example:

    I think you and I can both agree that we want to keep the family safe. However, I think we disagree about what role having a gun in the house would play in that safety. Is that right?

    Finding a point of agreement is not always possible. However, this reframing presents both communicators as having a key shared value – a starting place for a more constructive discussion. Reframing also moves the conversation away from inflammatory language that could automatically reignite the fight. `

    No magic bullet

    No technique will ever be a perfect, one-size-fits-all solution for every relationship – or a quick fix. Careful communication can be mentally exhausting, and pressing pause is always OK:

    I don’t think we are going to solve our nation’s financial issues tonight, but thank you for talking about it. Let’s keep doing it. But for now, I think there’s pie. Want some?

    It’s also important to accept that not all relationships can or should be saved. However, it is always good to know that the relationship ended for a clear reason, and not over a misunderstanding that was never addressed.

    Hopefully, though, these tactics will help keep communication open and relationships healthy, no matter what topic is brought up at dinner.

    Lisa Pavia-Higel is affiliated with Braver Angels, a non-profit organization that facilitates conversations across the political divide. She is no longer active in the organization but was trained as a workshop facilitator.

    – ref. ‘Agreeing to disagree’ is hurting your relationships – here’s what to do instead – https://theconversation.com/agreeing-to-disagree-is-hurting-your-relationships-heres-what-to-do-instead-252687

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: From the Chinese Exclusion Act to pro-Palestinian activists: The evolution of politically motivated deportations

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Rick Baldoz, Associate Professor of American Studies, Brown University

    New York Tribune of Jan. 3, 1920, announcing massive roundups of ‘aliens’ deemed to be ‘Reds.’ Library of Congress

    The recent deportation orders targeting foreign students in the U.S. have prompted a heated debate about the legality of these actions. The Trump administration made no secret that many individuals were facing removal because of their pro-Palestinian advocacy.

    In recent months, the State Department has revoked hundreds of visas of foreign students with little explanation. On April 25, 2025, the administration restored the legal status of many of those students, but warned that the reprieve was only temporary.

    Because of their tenuous legal status in the U.S., immigrant activists are vulnerable to a government seeking to stifle dissent.

    Critics of the Trump administration have challenged the legality of these removal orders, arguing that they violate constitutionally protected rights, including freedom of speech and due process.

    The administration asserts that the executive branch has nearly absolute authority to remove immigrants. The White House has cited legislation passed during the peak of the nation’s Cold War hysteria, like the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952, which expanded the government’s deportation powers.

    I’m a historian of immigration, U.S. empire and Asian American studies. The current removal orders targeting student activists echo America’s long and lamentable past of jailing and expelling immigrants because of their race or what they say or believe – or all three.

    The arrest of Turkish graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk by Department of Homeland Security agents in Somerville, Mass., on March 25, 2025.

    Where it began

    The United States’ current deportation process traces its roots to the late 19th century as the nation moved to exercise federal control of immigration.

    The impetus for this shift was anti-Chinese racism, which reached a fever pitch during this period, culminating in the passage of laws that restricted Chinese immigration.

    The influx of Chinese immigrants to the West Coast during the mid-to-late 19th century, initially fueled by the California Gold Rush, spurred the rise of an influential nativist movement that accused Chinese immigrants of stealing jobs. It also claimed that they posed a cultural threat to American society due to their racial otherness.

    The Geary Act of 1892 required Chinese living in the U.S to register with the federal government or face deportation.

    The Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of these statutes in 1893 in the case of Fong Yue Ting v. United States. Three plaintiffs claimed that anti-Chinese legislation was discriminatory, violated constitutional protections prohibiting unreasonable search and seizure, and contravened due process and equal protection guarantees.

    The Supreme Court affirmed the Geary Act’s deportation procedures, formulating a novel legal precept known as the plenary power doctrine that remains a key tenet of U.S. immigration law today.

    Court confirms the law

    The doctrine included two key assertions.

    First, the federal government’s authority to exclude and deport aliens was an inherent and unqualified feature of American sovereignty. Second, immigration enforcement was the exclusive domain of the congressional and executive branches that were charged with protecting the nation from foreign threats.

    The court also ruled that the deportation of immigrants in the country lawfully was a civil, rather than criminal matter, which meant that constitutional protections like due process did not apply.

    The government ramped up deportations in the aftermath of World War I, fueled by wartime xenophobia. American officials singled out foreign-born radicals for deportation, accusing them of fomenting disloyalty.

    The front page of the Ogden Standard, from Ogden City, Utah, on Nov. 8, 1919, announcing the arrest and planned deportation of ‘alien Reds.’
    Library of Congress

    Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, who ordered mass arrests of alleged communists, pledged to “tear out the radical seeds that have entangled Americans in their poisonous theories” and remove “alien criminals in this country who are directly responsible for spreading the unclean doctrines of Bolshevism.”

    This period marked a new era of removals carried out primarily on ideological grounds. Jews and other immigrants from southern and eastern Europe were disproportionately targeted, highlighting the cultural affinities between anti-radicalism and racial and ethnic chauvinism.

    ‘Foreign’ agitators

    The campaign to root out so-called subversives living in the United States reached its apex during the 1940s and 1950s, supercharged by figures like anti-communist crusader Sen. Joseph McCarthy and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

    The specter of foreign agitators contaminating American political culture loomed large in these debates. Attorney General Tom Clark testified before Congress in 1950 that 91.4% of the Communist Party USA’s leadership were “either foreign stock or married to persons of foreign stock.”

    Congress passed a series of laws during this period requiring that subversive organizations register with the government. They also expanded the executive branch’s power to deport individuals whose views were deemed “prejudicial to national security,” blurring the lines between punishing people for unlawful acts – such as espionage and bombings – and what the government considered unlawful beliefs, such as Communist Party membership.

    While deporting foreign-born radicals had popular support, the banishment of immigrants for their political beliefs raised important constitutional questions.

    Harry Bridges, a West Coast labor leader, and his daughter, Jacqueline, 14, as they listen to proceedings during Bridges’ deportation hearing in San Francisco in July 1939.
    Underwood Archives/Getty Images

    Prosecution or persecution?

    In a landmark case in 1945, Wixon v. Bridges, the Supreme Court did assert a check on the power of the executive branch to deport someone without a fair hearing.

    The case involved Harry Bridges, Australian-born president of the International Longshoremen and Warehousemen’s Union. Bridges was a left-wing union leader who orchestrated a number of successful strikes on the West Coast. Under his leadership, the union also took progressive positions on civil rights and U.S. militarism.

    The decision in the case hinged on whether the government could prove that Bridges had been a member of the Communist Party, which would have made him deportable under the Smith Act, which proscribed membership in the Communist Party.

    Since no proof of Bridges’ membership existed, the government relied on dodgy witnesses and assertions that Bridges was aligned with the party because he shared some of its political positions. Accusations of “alignment” with controversial political organizations are similar to the charges made against foreign students currently at risk of deportation by the Trump administration.

    The Supreme Court vacated Bridges’ deportation order, declaring that the government’s claim of “affiliation” with the Communist Party was too vaguely defined and amounted to guilt by association.

    As the excesses and abuses of the McCarthy era came to light, they invited greater scrutiny about the dangers of unchecked executive power. Some of the more draconian statutes enacted during the Cold War, like the Smith Act, have been overhauled. The federal courts have toggled back and forth between narrow and liberal interpretations of the Constitution’s applicability to immigrants facing deportation – shifts that reflect competing visions of American nationhood and the boundaries of liberal democracy.

    From union leaders to foreign students

    There are some striking parallels between the throttling of civil liberties during the Cold War and President Donald Trump’s crusade against foreign students exercising venerated democratic freedoms.

    Foreign students appear to have replaced the immigrant union leaders of the 1950s as the targets of government repression. Presumptions of guilt based on hyperbolic claims of affiliation with the Communist Party have been replaced by allegations of alignment with Hamas.

    As in the past, these invocations of national security offer the pretext for the government’s efforts to stifle dissent and to mandate political conformity.

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

    – ref. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to pro-Palestinian activists: The evolution of politically motivated deportations – https://theconversation.com/from-the-chinese-exclusion-act-to-pro-palestinian-activists-the-evolution-of-politically-motivated-deportations-254683

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Forensics tool ‘reanimates’ the ‘brains’ of AIs that fail in order to understand what went wrong

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By David Oygenblik, Ph.D. Student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Tesla crashes are only the most glaring of AI failures. South Jordan Police Department via APPEAR

    From drones delivering medical supplies to digital assistants performing everyday tasks, AI-powered systems are becoming increasingly embedded in everyday life. The creators of these innovations promise transformative benefits. For some people, mainstream applications such as ChatGPT and Claude can seem like magic. But these systems are not magical, nor are they foolproof – they can and do regularly fail to work as intended.

    AI systems can malfunction due to technical design flaws or biased training data. They can also suffer from vulnerabilities in their code, which can be exploited by malicious hackers. Isolating the cause of an AI failure is imperative for fixing the system.

    But AI systems are typically opaque, even to their creators. The challenge is how to investigate AI systems after they fail or fall victim to attack. There are techniques for inspecting AI systems, but they require access to the AI system’s internal data. This access is not guaranteed, especially to forensic investigators called in to determine the cause of a proprietary AI system failure, making investigation impossible.

    We are computer scientists who study digital forensics. Our team at the Georgia Institute of Technology has built a system, AI Psychiatry, or AIP, that can recreate the scenario in which an AI failed in order to determine what went wrong. The system addresses the challenges of AI forensics by recovering and “reanimating” a suspect AI model so it can be systematically tested.

    Uncertainty of AI

    Imagine a self-driving car veers off the road for no easily discernible reason and then crashes. Logs and sensor data might suggest that a faulty camera caused the AI to misinterpret a road sign as a command to swerve. After a mission-critical failure such as an autonomous vehicle crash, investigators need to determine exactly what caused the error.

    Was the crash triggered by a malicious attack on the AI? In this hypothetical case, the camera’s faultiness could be the result of a security vulnerability or bug in its software that was exploited by a hacker. If investigators find such a vulnerability, they have to determine whether that caused the crash. But making that determination is no small feat.

    Although there are forensic methods for recovering some evidence from failures of drones, autonomous vehicles and other so-called cyber-physical systems, none can capture the clues required to fully investigate the AI in that system. Advanced AIs can even update their decision-making – and consequently the clues – continuously, making it impossible to investigate the most up-to-date models with existing methods.

    Researchers are working on making AI systems more transparent, but unless and until those efforts transform the field, there will be a need for forensics tools to at least understand AI failures.

    Pathology for AI

    AI Psychiatry applies a series of forensic algorithms to isolate the data behind the AI system’s decision-making. These pieces are then reassembled into a functional model that performs identically to the original model. Investigators can “reanimate” the AI in a controlled environment and test it with malicious inputs to see whether it exhibits harmful or hidden behaviors.

    AI Psychiatry takes in as input a memory image, a snapshot of the bits and bytes loaded when the AI was operational. The memory image at the time of the crash in the autonomous vehicle scenario holds crucial clues about the internal state and decision-making processes of the AI controlling the vehicle. With AI Psychiatry, investigators can now lift the exact AI model from memory, dissect its bits and bytes, and load the model into a secure environment for testing.

    Our team tested AI Psychiatry on 30 AI models, 24 of which were intentionally “backdoored” to produce incorrect outcomes under specific triggers. The system was successfully able to recover, rehost and test every model, including models commonly used in real-world scenarios such as street sign recognition in autonomous vehicles.

    Thus far, our tests suggest that AI Psychiatry can effectively solve the digital mystery behind a failure such as an autonomous car crash that previously would have left more questions than answers. And if it does not find a vulnerability in the car’s AI system, AI Psychiatry allows investigators to rule out the AI and look for other causes such as a faulty camera.

    Not just for autonomous vehicles

    AI Psychiatry’s main algorithm is generic: It focuses on the universal components that all AI models must have to make decisions. This makes our approach readily extendable to any AI models that use popular AI development frameworks. Anyone working to investigate a possible AI failure can use our system to assess a model without prior knowledge of its exact architecture.

    Whether the AI is a bot that makes product recommendations or a system that guides autonomous drone fleets, AI Psychiatry can recover and rehost the AI for analysis. AI Psychiatry is entirely open source for any investigator to use.

    AI Psychiatry can also serve as a valuable tool for conducting audits on AI systems before problems arise. With government agencies from law enforcement to child protective services integrating AI systems into their workflows, AI audits are becoming an increasingly common oversight requirement at the state level. With a tool like AI Psychiatry in hand, auditors can apply a consistent forensic methodology across diverse AI platforms and deployments.

    In the long run, this will pay meaningful dividends both for the creators of AI systems and everyone affected by the tasks they perform.

    Brendan Saltaformaggio’s research group receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors and collaborators.

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

    – ref. Forensics tool ‘reanimates’ the ‘brains’ of AIs that fail in order to understand what went wrong – https://theconversation.com/forensics-tool-reanimates-the-brains-of-ais-that-fail-in-order-to-understand-what-went-wrong-247769

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK Tim Peake on the future of space | Lords committees

    Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)

    Catch-up on House of Lords business:

    Watch live events: https://parliamentlive.tv/Lords
    Read the latest news: https://www.parliament.uk/lords/

    Stay up to date with the House of Lords on social media:

    • X: https://twitter.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/houseoflords.parliament.uk
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/UKHouseofLords/
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/ukhouseoflords/albums
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-house-of-lords
    • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@UKHouseOfLords

    #HouseOfLords #UKParliament #LordsCommittees #Space #stem

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zn1c5kMTZc

    MIL OSI Video –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. oil companies spent less on interest over the last decade despite higher rates

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    April 30, 2025

    Data source: Evaluate Energy
    Note: Production expenses include costs of goods sold, operating expenses, and production taxes from company income statements. Interest expenses are in 2024 dollars and deflated using the Consumer Price Index.

    Higher oil prices, increased drilling efficiency, and structurally lower debt needs have contributed to lower interest expenses for some publicly traded U.S. oil companies over the past decade, despite the level of interest rates across the economy being relatively high.

    Based on the published financial reports of 26 U.S. publicly traded oil companies, interest expenses per barrel of oil equivalent (BOE)—a measure that accounts for crude oil, hydrocarbon gas liquids, and natural gas production—in 2024 were about $1.50/BOE, or around 6% of production expenses. In real dollar terms and as a share of production expenses, interest expenses are lower than they were before the pandemic, even though general interest rates are now higher.

    Although interest expenses typically represent a small portion of production expenses—those associated with labor, materials, and the costs of extracting and storing oil and other commodities—their variability can fluctuate with macroeconomic conditions. For example, a rapid decline in crude oil prices might lower some production expenses but not interest expenses, which are often fixed throughout the life of a loan. During these times, interest expenses can represent 15% or more of regular production expenses.

    Data source: Bloomberg L.P.

    The decline in interest expenses may be counterintuitive as interest rates in the United States have generally increased since 2020 and 2021. Short-term interest rates—designated by the federal funds effective rate, which determines the interest rate on overnight bank loans—have reached as high as 5.3% since 2022 and stayed above 4% since then, compared with nearly 0% five years ago.

    The Federal Reserve determines the federal funds rate, and the rate serves as a key monetary policy tool to reach the goals of price stability and maximum employment. The federal funds rate affects other interest rates that are determined from market participants’ supply and demand for loans, including bank loans, government bonds, and corporate bonds. For example, Moody’s Aaa and Baa corporate bond rates represent different bond yields based on creditworthiness.

    Oil company interest expense has declined despite higher interest rates because of:

    • Relatively high oil prices. Crude oil prices increased in the years after the pandemic. Higher oil prices bring in more revenue, which means oil companies need to borrow less to fund their capital expenditures and can also pay down debt obligations. In addition, higher oil prices increase the value of a company’s proved reserves and reduce the risk of loan default, which may lead to better borrowing terms, such as lower interest rates.
    • Increased efficiency and cost reduction. Lowering production expenses and improving efficiency increases company profits, which could result in better borrowing terms and lower borrowing costs.
    • Tempered investment growth and strategy. In recent years, companies have implemented strategies that favor modest capital expenditure growth by targeting fewer but more profitable projects. With this approach, the company may generate more profits even if the company’s production growth was small or unchanged. This strategy reduces companies’ needs for outside capital, including borrowing.

    Principal contributor: Jeff Barron

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Foreign Arms Sales Task Force Hears from Defense Industry Leaders on Much-Needed Reforms

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-321-9747

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Foreign Arms Sales Task Force held the second in a series of roundtables featuring defense industry perspectives on reforming and improving America’s foreign arms sales process.

    As part of the bipartisan engagement, members heard from industry representatives from the Aerospace Industries Association and National Defense Industrial Association on the regulatory and bureaucratic challenges U.S. companies face in arming our allies and partners with American-made equipment and technology at the pace of war.

    During his opening remarks, Task Force Chairman Ryan Zinke (R-MT) underscored the urgency with which Congress must act to ensure that the foreign arms sales process to meet the demands of the future and highlighted the bipartisan approach the task force is taking to ensure much-needed legislative reforms get across the finish line.

    The roundtable provided a forum for candid, detailed discussions between industry insiders and Task Force members on the red-tape American companies face day-in and day-out because of outdated regulations and cumbersome approval processes across the interagency.

    The panelists also underscored the crucial role foreign arms sales play in ensuring the United States continues to maintain the world’s leading defense industrial base amid increasing global competition. 

    The Task Force, which is being led by Chairman Zinke and Ranking Member Madeleine Dean (D-PA), will propose overdue reforms aimed at eliminating bureaucratic hurdles that encumber the current foreign arms sales process.

    The legislation put forward by the Task Force will build upon executive actions announced by President Trump earlier this month to reform and improve the foreign defense sales process.

    House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast and Task Force Chairman Zinke pledged to work closely with the Trump administration to codify these much-needed reforms into law and improve the U.S. defense industrial base, eliminate red-tape in the arms sales process, and improve interoperability and efficiency with our foreign partners.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia demonstrates the power of its flagship Wi-Fi 7 solution at Apex Legends Global Series esports gaming event

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    Nokia demonstrates the power of its flagship Wi-Fi 7 solution at Apex Legends Global Series esports gaming event

    • Nokia Beacon 24 Wi-Fi 7 residential gateway with advanced gaming optimization applications from Corteca delivers world class connectivity and ultra-low latency for ultimate gaming experience.
    • Fans and gamers attending Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) can visit Nokia’s booth to test the power of its Wi-Fi 7 solution in a unique 1:1 Apex Legends match against a mystery pro.
    • Nokia WiFi Beacons allow players to compete and excel on the world gaming scene

    30 April 2025
    Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced it will showcase its Beacon 24 device at the ALGS esports gaming event, allowing fans and gamers to see firsthand the power of its Wi-Fi 7 solution for eGaming applications. Located in the heart of the convention center’s challenging Wi-Fi environment, Nokia’s demonstration, in partnership with Qualcomm, SONY, CORSAIR and EA, offers visitors an exclusive chance to battle a mystery pro head-to-head in the Apex Legends game, powered solely by Nokia’s Wi-Fi device. Visitors will also be able to take on some of their favorite gaming content creators as part of a “take-over” event taking place at the Nokia booth.

    The Nokia WiFi Beacon 24 embeds unique latency and queuing technology to give service providers a powerful Wi-Fi gateway solution that can rival any commercial and retail device on the market. Equipped with an advanced gaming optimization application available on Nokia’s Corteca platform, the Wi-Fi 7 device delivers the ultimate end-user experience, delivering gaming-level latency that optimizes performance.

    “As a gamer, I thought Wi-Fi gaming was a fantasy—speed is everything, and lag can kill your game. But Nokia is changing that with devices that can deliver a wireless gaming experience as good as wired, if not better. I was blown away by how easy the gateway was to set up and by its overall performance. I’m all in for Wi-Fi gaming with Nokia,” said Josh Zlatinszky aka NMoose, a professional gamer and content creator.

    “Last year, our Beacon devices powered the first Wi-Fi Apex Legends tournament, proving wireless eGaming is possible. Today, we’re upping the ante, showcasing their strength in one of the world’s most difficult environments for Wi-Fi, a busy convention center hosting an esports event. This can be a game changer for operators that want to offer more advanced Wi-Fi, latency, and performance management features to deliver the ultimate gaming experience,” said Gino Dion, Head of Innovation Solutions, Bell Labs Fellow at Nokia.
    ALGS attendees that want to try their hand at beating the best in Apex Legends or want to see the latest WiFi Nokia devices powerful enough to support virtually any eGaming environment, can visit its booth in Hall J at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

    Multimedia, technical information and related news 
    Product Page: Nokia WiFi Beacon 24
    Web Page: Apex-over-WiFi

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. 

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation. 

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Press Office
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    Follow us on social media
    LinkedIn X Instagram Facebook YouTube

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Backstage IDO Pre-registration Now Open on RWA Investor Platform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Backstage, a decentralized ecosystem revolutionizing the $1.3 trillion global events industry, has opened pre-registration for its Initial DEX Offering (IDO) on the RWA Investor Platform.

    By integrating NFT ticketing, a crypto point-of-sale (POS) wallet, and a launchpad for event financing all powered by its native $BKS token Backstage empowers artists, venues, and fans to engage in a transparent and efficient manner, ushering in a new era of decentralized event management.​

    Raise Amount: $100,000

    TGE Market Cap (excl. liquidity): $398,400

    IDO Timeline:

    • Pre-registration: April 30 – May 7
    • Guaranteed Allocation Round: Opens May 7 at 10:00
    • FCFS Round: Opens May 8 at 10:00

    Enhance Your Allocation with RWA Investor Platform Tiers

    Participants can maximize their IDO allocations by achieving higher tier status on the RWA Investor Platform. Tiers are determined by staking $RWA tokens, with higher tiers granting greater access and benefits:

    Gold Tier: 10x – 19,99x allocation multiplier

    Platinum Tier: 20x – 39,99x allocation multiplier

    Diamond Tier: +40x allocation multiplier

    Staking durations range from 30 to 365 days, with longer commitments yielding higher point multipliers.

    About RWA Inc

    RWA Inc offers end-to-end real-world asset (RWA) tokenization through a cutting-edge multi-asset platform that includes tokenization as-a service, a launchpad, and a marketplace. With a short-term focus on startup utility tokens for our go-to-market strategy, our primary emphasis is on strategically expanding into startup equity tokens, real estate, collectibles, and other asset classes via registered security tokens. As an innovator in the RWA niche, we help tech startups and established companies successfully launch utility and security compliant tokens and thrive in the Web3 market. Our approach addresses the need for extensive tokenization support for Web2 startups, fostering their dynamic growth potential. Our versatile solution aims to unlock opportunities across diverse asset classes, enhance liquidity, broaden market reach, support business development, and unlock asset value, effectively meeting market demands.

    RWA Inc Links – X | Telegram | TG Announcements | LinkedIn | Medium | Website

    Contact:
    Mike Storm
    Mike@rwa.inc

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

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

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d6172ce-8985-409f-8d11-3147f2da2dac

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Applied Systems Honored with Three Stevie® Awards in 2025 American Business Awards®

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Chicago, IL., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applied Systems® today announced that the company was recognized in multiple categories of the 23rd Annual American Business Awards®. Applied was named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award for Company of the Year in the Large-Sized Insurance category. Epic Quotes Commercial Lines won a Silver Stevie® Award in the Insurance Solution category, and Applied Pay won a Bronze Stevie® Award in the Payments Solution category.

    The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. More than 3,600 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories.

    “Congratulations to Applied Systems for impressive strides in digital transformation and operational excellence within the insurance sector. The acquisition of Planck and advancements in Applied Epic and Applied Pay show commendable vision and execution,” one American Business Award® judge noted. More than 250 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners.

    “It is an honor to be recognized as an indispensable partner to the insurance industry by the 2025 American Business Awards,” said Taylor Rhodes, chief executive officer, Applied Systems. “These awards underscore our commitment to leading the industry in the next generation of insurance, providing the innovative technology agents, brokers, carriers and MGAs need to drive more value in their business.”

    # # #

    The Applied products and logos are trademarks of Applied Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S.

    About Applied Systems
    Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Micropolis Signs Agreement to Deliver Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics Infrastructure for SEE Holding’s Sustainable City 2.0

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Micropolis Holding Co. (“Micropolis” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: MCRP), a UAE-based pioneering force in robotics, AI, and autonomous mobility, has signed a landmark non-legally binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SEE Holding Ltd to support the launch and long-term development of The Sustainable City 2.0 (TSC 2.0), SEE Holding’s next-generation of its acclaimed model that is AI-driven, net zero, and human-centric.

    This strategic agreement will enable the deployment of Micropolis’s advanced robotics platforms, AI-powered surveillance systems, smart mobility applications, and edge computing nodes across SEE Holding’s new and existing sustainable city developments worldwide.

    This collaboration represents the next phase of a longstanding relationship. Faris Saeed, Chairman & CEO of SEE Holding, was among Micropolis’ first investors at the Company’s inception in 2014. Over the past decade, SEE Holding has supported Micropolis not only through strategic capital, but also by providing a living lab environment within The Sustainable City — offering real-world testing grounds for Micropolis’ robotics, computer vision, and autonomous systems.

    “The Sustainable City provided us with a real environment to test and refine our technologies, which played a key role in shaping our robotics platforms into what they are today,” said Fareed Aljawhari, CEO of Micropolis Holding Co. “With The Sustainable City 2.0, we are proud to take this partnership to a global scale and deliver cutting-edge automation designed for the cities of tomorrow.”

    The MoU outlines a strategic partnership centered on integrating AI and robotics into the core infrastructure of The Sustainable City 2.0. This includes the development of integrated command systems to oversee city operations, the deployment of autonomous fleets and smart mobility applications, and the creation of digital platforms that connect residents to intelligent services, leveraging IoT infrastructure, edge computing, and computer vision technologies.

    A joint R&D program will also be initiated to advance Micropolis’ sustainable urban technologies, with the goal of driving operational efficiency, resident experience, and environmental performance across SEE Holding’s global sustainable city projects.

    “With The Sustainable City 2.0, we are revolutionizing sustainable urban living through the strategic integration of AI-driven solutions and net-zero principles. Our partnership with Micropolis accelerates this vision, customizing and rapidly deploying intelligent robotics solutions that significantly enhance safety, efficiency, and quality of life, ultimately shaping smarter, more resilient, and human-centric communities for the future,” said Faris Saeed, Chairman & CEO of SEE Holding.

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

    For more information please visit www.micropolis.ai.

    About SEE Holding
    SEE Holding, is a UAE-based sustainably focused global holding group that designs, invests in, and builds sustainable infrastructures and cities through its three operational verticals: SEE Solutions, SEE Developers, and SEE Engineering.

    Driven by its purpose of spearheading a net zero emissions future and achieving the 2050 UN targets, SEE Holding develops inclusive and sustainable communities that prioritize education, sports, healthcare, and overall well-being as part of its commitment to social, environmental and economic impact. SEE Holding currently has projects in the UAE across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, as well as in Oman.

    For more information, please visit us on: https://seeholding.com

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

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

    Media Contact:
    Jessica Starman
    media@elev8newmedia.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Pythian Positioned as Oracle Database@Google Cloud Leader with Acquisition of Rittman Mead

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OTTAWA, Ontario, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pythian Services Inc. (“Pythian”), a leading global services company specializing in data, analytics, and AI solutions, today announced the acquisition of globally recognized Oracle data and analytics consultancy Rittman Mead. The acquisition significantly enhances Pythian’s Oracle footprint, expands its geographic market presence in the United Kingdom and Europe, and strengthens the company’s Oracle Database@Google Cloud capabilities—a powerful multicloud partnership that accelerates modernization for customers.

    The acquisition combines Pythian’s expertise in data, analytics and AI with Rittman Mead’s Oracle specializations. Pythian, a 2025 Google Cloud Partner of the Year for Databases, will add more Oracle ACEs to its roster of consultants. The synergy resulting from the acquisition will enable Pythian to offer an even wider range of advanced Oracle services to a broader and more global customer base.

    “Rittman Mead and Pythian have worked together for more than 12 years, and we’re aligned in our cultures and values,” states Jon Mead, Founder and President, Rittman Mead. “Their technical expertise and the value of sharing information—consultants contributing to technical communities through thought leadership—along with a shared client-first approach to delivering projects, is what solidified Pythian as the right choice.” 

    As a leading Oracle services provider, Rittman Mead has an exceptional reputation for delivering critical consultancy services to customers in the U.K., Europe and the United States. The company brings a unique level of expertise and experience in Oracle autonomous data warehouse (EDW), data platforms, data lakes, data lakehouses, and more, to bring advanced analytics to their shared clients. Rittman Mead has a range of accelerators, IP and toolkits that will further complement Pythian’s existing suite of services. Over the last 20 years, Rittman Mead’s team of analysts, architects, engineers and delivery managers have successfully delivered a wide range of data and analytics systems, from simple data marts to multi-workstream data transformations.

    “The combination of Rittman Mead and Pythian offers an unmatched breadth and depth of Oracle expertise in the market,” said Mead. “Our exceptional people, advanced Oracle capabilities, and focus on strategic solutions perfectly complement Pythian’s existing capabilities, allowing us to offer even greater value to customers and accelerate our engagement in the data and AI services market.”

    Through the acquisition, Pythian gains an enhanced U.K. presence and access to greater Oracle-ecosystem expertise and influence—software skills, marketplace standing and strategic relationships. Rittman Mead in turn benefits from Pythian’s Google Cloud Premier Partnership and 2025 Database Partner of the Year win, global reach, delivery capabilities and the broader spectrum of professional and managed services beyond the Oracle ecosystem. The partnership signals an elevated ability to deliver value on business critical projects along the data journey pathway, from data and cloud engagements to analytics and AI initiatives—no matter the platform or ecosystem.

    “We are seeing a widespread adoption of vendors and hyperscalers by companies that need specific technical expertise. The challenge for us was finding a partner that could broaden our existing portfolio of skills and vendors,” said Mead. “We’re excited to meet that challenge by joining forces with Pythian. There are two sides to that—there is the breadth of technology including Google, AWS, and Azure, as well as the depth of expertise to expand our joint data, analytics and AI services.”

    “This acquisition marks a pivotal moment in Pythian’s trajectory, solidifying our position as a global leader in data, analytics and AI solutions,” said Brooks Borcherding, Pythian’s Chief Executive Officer. “Rittman Mead’s stellar reputation, deep Oracle expertise, U.K. presence and cultural alignment make them an ideal partner to accelerate our mission to empower enterprises to maximize the value of their data and redouble their innovative efforts as it relates to AI readiness.”

    Pythian’s existing suite of data, analytics and AI services helps businesses transform with ease—no matter where they are in their journey. Businesses begin with a simple, strategic discussion with the Field CTO team. Field CTOs are IT executives that help customers define their data and AI strategies through transformation roadmapping sessions, including an AI Workshop, and serve as catalysts to expedited decision-making around pivotal strategies and technology solutions that drive customers toward the successful realization of their business goals. The acquisition will bolster Pythian’s ability to bring more change-making customers into the fold—instilling in them, through our subject matter experts, the key information and guidance that allows innovators to build momentum for their respective data-driven initiatives.

    Schedule your AI Workshop today.

    About Rittman Mead

    Founded in 2007, Rittman Mead quickly became a leader in Oracle Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence through successful projects, a popular blog, and community engagement. As the market evolved with open-source, big data, and cloud technologies, the company expanded its focus to data and analytics while maintaining its core ethos. Today, its partner and product portfolios reflect a recognition of multi-cloud and multi-vendor architectures. A dedicated R&D department explores emerging technologies and builds development frameworks. With over 15 years of experience, the company now provides hybrid solutions across a wide range of enterprise and open-source technologies, striving to be a global leader in the broader data and analytics landscape. 

    About Pythian

    Founded in 1997, Pythian is a leading data and AI services provider specializing in digital transformation and operational excellence for enterprise customers. We help organizations optimize their data estates, helping them to drive AI enablement, innovation, and growth. Through strategic consulting, managed services and cloud migrations, we enable cost savings, risk reduction and seamless operations while preparing businesses to adopt AI and for the future of data management. A Google Cloud Premier Partner with multiple Specializations, including Data Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Machine Learning and a certified Google Cloud MSP, we’ve delivered thousands of professional and managed services projects for leading enterprises. For more information, visit www.pythian.com or follow us on X, LinkedIn, and our Blog.

    Pythian Media Contacts        

    Matt Malanga
    Senior Vice President, Marketing
    mmalanga@pythian.com    		 Elisabeth Grant
    Branch Out Public Relations
    egrant@branchoutpr.com
    +1 612-599-7797    		  

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: ibex to Showcase AI-powered CX Solutions for Utilities at the IUCX Annual Conference 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHOENIX, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ibex (NASDAQ: IBEX), a leading global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and customer engagement technology solutions, today announced it will be participating in the IUCX (Innovate UtilityCX) Annual Conference 2025 in Phoenix from May 6-8. The ibex utilities team will be on site to showcase how new AI-powered CX solutions can help utilities connect, engage, and deepen their customer relationships while reducing operating costs.

    “AI-enabled CX solutions are a game-changer when it comes to improving customer experience and driving efficiencies,” said Bruce Dawson, Chief Sales and Client Services Officer at ibex. “ibex is a global leader in delivering cutting-edge, AI-powered contact center solutions. We offer a one-stop shop for utilities seeking to boost customer satisfaction and reduce the cost to serve. By combining the latest technology with our deep experience and insights into the unique needs of modern utilities, we can help you elevate your customer service operations wherever you are on your digital transformation journey.”

    The ibex utilities team will be at booth #931 demonstrating the groundbreaking ibex Wave iX solution suite – which leverages cutting-edge Generative AI technology to deliver next-generation automated and agent-assisted customer experience, including Wave iX AI Virtual Agent and Wave iX Translate.

    ibex Wave iX AI Virtual Agent is a sophisticated AI solution designed for seamless and scalable automated customer and brand interactions. It provides AI-driven voice and text conversations that are customized to align with a brand’s persona and specific business needs. It offers human-like, infinitely scalable, and hyper-personalized customer experiences while integrating seamlessly with existing agent support systems to facilitate swift escalation and efficient resolution of more complex customer issues.

    ibex Wave iX Translate enables agents and customers to speak or type in their native language, which is then translated in real-time for understanding by both parties. This AI-powered solution enables two-way conversation in over 150 languages, improving communications and allowing CX organizations to better serve customers effectively, efficiently and cultivate stronger connections.

    ibex takes a solutions-driven approach to align with specific business needs and deliver real solutions for transformative outcomes. For more information on ibex Wave iX, please visit ibex.co.

    The IUCX Conference is the premier annual educational and customer service conference serving electric, gas and water/wastewater utility professionals across North America and the world. Two days filled with meter-to-cash process content, topical and trending industry programs/offerings and utility role models at every stage in their CX journeys.

    About ibex

    ibex delivers innovative business process outsourcing (BPO), smart digital marketing, online acquisition technology, and end-to-end customer engagement solutions to help companies acquire, engage and retain valuable customers. Today, ibex operates a global CX delivery center model consisting of approximately 31 operations facilities around the world, while deploying next generation technology to drive superior customer experiences for many of the world’s leading companies across retail, e-commerce, healthcare, fintech, utilities and logistics.

    ibex leverages its diverse global team of over 31,000 employees together with industry-leading technology, including the AI-powered ibex Wave iX solutions suite, to manage nearly 175 million critical customer interactions, adding over $2.2B in lifetime customer revenue each year and driving a truly differentiated customer experience. To learn more, visit our website at ibex.co and connect with us on LinkedIn.

    Media Contact

    Dan Burris
    ibex
    Daniel.Burris@ibex.co

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d11730b8-5e57-4149-9d25-9d1dd1585963

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: One Billion Served: Mashgin Racks Up Record AI-powered Checkout Transactions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALO ALTO, Calif., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mashgin, the AI-powered checkout company, today announced that its checkout kiosks have processed over one billion transactions since the inception of the company. This achievement highlights a significant business and technology milestone in the adoption of Mashgin’s AI-powered technology across multiple sectors and locations: over 3,000 convenience stores, 150 sports venues, 50 airports, 50 college campuses, 30 cafes at ski resorts, and 100 hospitals now use Mashgin.

    Over the past three years, the company has seen explosive growth in both location count and transaction volume, increasing monthly transactions by 1,233% – from 3M transactions in March 2022 to 40M in March 2025. In the calendar year 2024, Mashgin processed over 440M transactions.

    Traditional self-checkout systems require bar code scanning, a slower, more tedious and error-riddled experience. Mashgin uses a more advanced approach: powerful computer vision and AI technology that enables consumers to ring up multiple items instantly – allowing them to simply place items on the tray, pay, and be on their way. It deploys advanced edge hardware and deep learning to achieve the level of speed and accuracy necessary to process transactions in retail environments that often contain many variables.

    The result is that transactions on Mashgin only take a few seconds, dramatically reducing lines and giving time back to customers and staff. When those lines shrink, more customers buy more often, increasing sales as much as 125% for businesses.

    “I’m honored to work on a system with this kind of impact on the world,” said Abhinai Srivastava, CEO and co-founder of Mashgin. “Time is precious, and whether it’s getting back to the ballgame, ski lift, or just home to your family a little faster – giving it back means a lot.”

    Mashgin calculates it has saved customers over 2,000 years of standing in line when compared to traditional checkout throughput in stadiums, resorts, cafes, and convenience stores around the world.

    “Reaching one billion transactions isn’t just a number; it reflects the immense trust our clients placed in us and the clear demand for a faster and smoother checkout experience,” said Mukul Dhankhar, CTO and co-founder of Mashgin. “What was once a luxury is quickly becoming a fundamental expectation, and we’re proud to play a role in helping multiple industries deliver the experience their customers want.”

    To grow so quickly, the company invested in more than just the core vision technology. Over the years, Mashgin worked to make it incredibly easy to deploy and scale the system. Each kiosk can learn new items in less than 30 seconds, then teach every other kiosk in the fleet what an object looks like. This speed in learning and sharing is pivotal to scaling across many locations with major partners like Circle K or managing many similar locations in one building like Soldier Field.

    Mashgin also invested heavily in integrating to the many software solutions that complete the dining and retail ecosystem, with over 50 integrations across payments, loyalty, campus cards, fuel pumps, and more.

    About Mashgin

    Mashgin is the world’s fastest checkout system, powered by AI and computer vision. By eliminating barcode scanning, Mashgin allows customers to simply place items on the tray, pay, and be on their way in under 10 seconds. With checkout speeds up to four times faster than traditional systems, Mashgin not only enhances customer satisfaction but also boosts revenue for retailers by reducing wait times and streamlining operations. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Mashgin is a privately held company backed by NEA, Matrix Partners, Susa Ventures, and Y Combinator. Follow Mashgin on LinkedIn or learn more about Mashgin at www.mashgin.com.

    Press Contact:
    Quinn Trask
    104 West on behalf of Mashgin
    Quinn.Trask@104west.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Grayscale Launches Grayscale® Bitcoin Adopters ETF (Ticker: BCOR)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STAMFORD, Conn., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Grayscale, the world’s largest crypto-native asset manager, today announced the launch of Grayscale® Bitcoin Adopters ETF (Ticker: BCOR) (the “Fund”).

    Grayscale® Bitcoin Adopters ETF is Grayscale’s newest exchange-traded product offering investors exposure to companies that have adopted Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset. The Fund specifically invests in companies that comprise the Indxx Bitcoin Adopters Index, a proprietary index designed to measure the performance of companies that have adopted Bitcoin as an asset for corporate treasury management (collectively, “Bitcoin Adopters”).

    As publicly traded companies begin to explore Bitcoin as a reserve asset, something widely viewed as a novel yet increasingly compelling approach, BCOR captures this shift by allocating to companies across the world adopting Bitcoin. Although Bitcoin challenges traditional asset norms with its volatility, it is also viewed by a growing group of companies as a potential hedge against inflation and a tool for treasury diversification. For investors seeking exposure to these forward-looking companies or an alternative to direct Bitcoin exposure, BCOR delivers diversified global equity exposure to companies across 7 sectors and 15 industries all united by a single theme – Bitcoin adoption.

    “We couldn’t be more excited to launch Grayscale® Bitcoin Adopters ETF, which offers investors a new way to tap into the rising trend of corporate Bitcoin treasury adoption without needing to hold Bitcoin directly,” said David LaValle, Global Head of ETFs at Grayscale. “As more companies integrate Bitcoin into their balance sheets, BCOR provides a forward-looking strategy to capture this momentum through traditional equity markets. It’s an exciting opportunity for those who believe in Bitcoin’s long-term potential.”

    For more information about BCOR, please visit: https://etfs.grayscale.com/bcor

    Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Grayscale Bitcoin Adopters ETF (the “Fund”), please call (866)-775-0313 or visit our website at etfs.grayscale.com/bcor. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

    The Fund will not invest in digital assets directly or through the use of derivatives. The Fund also will not invest in initial coin offerings. The Fund may, however, have indirect exposure to digital assets by virtue of its investments in companies that use one or more digital assets as part of their business activities or that hold digital assets as proprietary investments. Because the Fund will not invest directly in any digital assets, it will not track price movements of any digital assets.

    The Indxx Bitcoin Adopters Index is designed by Indxx (the “Index Provider”) to consist of U.S. and non-U.S. equity securities of companies that have been classified by the Index Provider as having adopted Bitcoin as an asset for corporate treasury management.

    Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal. The Fund is distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC and Grayscale Advisors, LLC is the adviser.

    About Grayscale 
    Grayscale enables investors to access the digital economy through a family of future-forward investment products. Founded in 2013, Grayscale has a decade-long track record and deep expertise as an asset management firm focused on crypto investing. Grayscale Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser with the SEC since January 2022. Investors, advisors, and allocators turn to Grayscale for single asset, diversified, and thematic exposure. For more information, please follow @Grayscale or visit grayscale.com.

    Media Contact 
    press@grayscale.com

    Client Contact 
    866-775-0313 
    info@grayscale.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Arax Recognizes InvestmentNews Excellence Awardees Across Platform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arax Investment Partners (“Arax”), backed by RedBird Capital Partners (“RedBird”), is pleased to recognize several of its valued partner firms, teams, and advisors who have been selected as Excellence Awardees for the 2025 InvestmentNews Awards.

    The InvestmentNews Awards program recognizes the leading professionals and firms in the wealth management industry across 18 different categories. Arax honorees include:

    • RIA Firm of the Year – Ashton Thomas Private Wealth
    • RIA Team of the Year (Under 10 Advisors) – Advanced Planning Group, U.S. Capital Wealth (Led by Todd Lavergne and Nick Erwin)
    • Advisor of the Year (Regional – Southwest) – Kim-Ha Nguyen, U.S. Capital Wealth
    • Excellence in Philanthropy and Community Service – Lance Knight, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth
    • DEI Trailblazer of the Year – Cary Carbonaro, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth

    Arax Investment Partners brings together leading independent advisory firms, offering centralized resources, strategic support, and integrated business solutions to drive collective growth. With approximately $26 billion in assets under management across its partner firms, Arax serves wealth management clients coast-to-coast.

    “Being recognized at both the individual and firmwide levels is a testament to our ability to attract the top talent in the industry,” said Haig Ariyan, Chief Executive Officer of Arax. “Today, we celebrate our Awardees and applaud their dedication to delivering customized, high-impact wealth management solutions to private clients and institutions. We’re excited to continue supporting the success of our advisors with an unwavering commitment to exceptional client service.”

    Nominations from across the wealth management industry were gathered and supplemented by in-depth research from the InvestmentNews Awards team, then reviewed to select the Excellence Awardees, who have been invited to submit detailed materials as finalists. Final winners for each category will be announced at the InvestmentNews Awards dinner in New York City on Tuesday, June 24.

    About Arax Investment Partners
    Arax Investment Partners is a rapidly growing boutique wealth management platform making strategic control investments in leading RIAs and elite advisor teams. Founded and led by CEO Haig Ariyan — a seasoned industry executive with a distinguished track record of building and scaling wealth management businesses — Arax empowers its partners to be entrepreneurial and focus on delivering exceptional client service. Firms benefit from a management team with deep M&A expertise, capital sourcing capabilities, and the backing of RedBird Capital Partners. For more information, visit www.araxpartners.com.

    About Ashton Thomas Private Wealth
    Ashton Thomas is a diversified financial services firm committed to a culture of excellence, integrity, and respect in every aspect of its business. Through its various entities listed below, Ashton Thomas serves foundations, businesses, and affluent individuals and families by providing a range of services which include fee-based financial planning and investment portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, securities brokerage, life and health insurance, and income tax preparation. The firm also strives to remain at the forefront of technological innovation and thought leadership within the financial services industry.

    Ashton Thomas Private Wealth, LLC, (“ATPW”), founded in 2010, and Ashton Thomas Advisors, LLC (“ATA”), founded in 2024, are SEC-registered investment advisers which provide fee-based financial planning, portfolio management, pension consulting, and fund manager selection services. Ashton Thomas Securities, LLC, (“ATS”) is a dually registered entity. ATS registered with FINRA as a broker-dealer in 1984 and provides securities brokerage services. ATS became an SEC-registered investment adviser in 2008 and provides fee-based financial planning, portfolio management, pension consulting, and fund manager selection services. Ashton Thomas Insurance Agency, LLC, (“ATIA”) provides life and health insurance brokerage services. ATIA also provides income tax services through its DBA, Ashton Thomas Tax Advisory. Representatives of the entities listed may only conduct business for which they are licensed, if required, and with residents of the states and jurisdictions in which they are properly registered and/or licensed.

    About U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC
    Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with a strategic Texas presence across Austin, Dallas, and Georgetown, as well as offices in New York City, Massachusetts, and Florida, U.S. Capital Wealth LLC (“USCW”) is a premier independent, full-platform Registered Investment Advisor dedicated to delivering institutional-quality financial solutions with the personalized service of a boutique firm.

    Founded in 2010, USCW was created to empower clients with access to a comprehensive wealth management experience. As a full-platform RIA, USCW offers the best of both worlds — integrating brokerage and advisory capabilities to deliver flexible solutions tailored to each client’s needs. Clients benefit from the capabilities of a large financial institution, while maintaining the personalized, high-touch approach of a boutique advisory firm.

    USCW’s team of seasoned financial professionals brings decades of institutional experience to help clients navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.

    USCW serves distinguished clientele, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families, business owners, specialized industry professionals, institutions, and municipalities. Comprehensive offerings span investment management, risk mitigation, lending solutions, and fully integrated family office services — all tailored to each client’s unique goals. To learn more, please visit: https://uscwealth.com.

    About RedBird Capital Partners
    RedBird Capital Partners is a private investment firm that builds high-growth companies with strategic capital solutions to founders and entrepreneurs. The firm currently manages $12 billion in assets on behalf of a global group of blue chip institutional and family office investors. Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird integrates sophisticated private equity investing with a hands-on business building mandate that focuses on three core industry verticals — Financial Services, Sports and Media & Entertainment. Over his 30-year investment career, Cardinale has partnered with founders and entrepreneurs to build some of the most iconic growth companies in their respective industries. For more information, please go to www.redbirdcap.com.

    Media Contact:
    Dan Gagnier
    Gagnier Communications 
    RedBird@gagnierfc.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Alpine Banks of Colorado announces financial results for first quarter 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alpine Banks of Colorado (OTCQX: ALPIB) (“Alpine” or the “Company”), the holding company for Alpine Bank (the “Bank”), today announced results (unaudited) for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. The Company reported net income of $14.3 million, or $133.99 per basic Class A common share and $0.89 per basic Class B common share, for first quarter 2025.

    Highlights in first quarter 2025 include:

    • Basic earnings per Class A common share increased 3.9%, or $5.07, during first quarter 2025.
    • Basic earnings per Class A common share increased 36.3%, or $35.67, compared to first quarter 2024.
    • Basic earnings per Class B common share increased 3.9%, or $0.03, during first quarter 2025.
    • Basic earnings per Class B common share increased 36.3%, or $0.23, compared to first quarter 2024.
    • Net interest margin for first quarter 2025 was 3.38%, compared to 3.18% in fourth quarter 2024, and 2.81% in first quarter 2024.

    “We are pleased with the start to 2025 as shown in our first quarter 2025 financial performance,” said Glen Jammaron, Alpine Banks of Colorado President and Vice Chairman. “Customer deposit growth continued, led by a strong winter season in our resort markets. Additionally, we saw our loan portfolio totals begin growing again following a slow 2024. Net income increased 35% from the first quarter 2024. During first quarter 2025 we launched Mission Possible: Operation Streamline, our initiative to simplify and streamline operations. We anticipate modules of Mission Possible: Operation Streamline to continue through 2027.”

    Net Income

    Net income for first quarter 2025 and fourth quarter 2024 was $14.3 million and $13.8 million, respectively. Interest income decreased $0.7 million in first quarter 2025 compared to fourth quarter 2024, primarily due to decreases in yields on balances due from banks, decreased volume in the securities portfolio and two fewer days in the quarter. These decreases were slightly offset by increases in yields on the loan and securities portfolios and increases in volume in the loan portfolio and balances due from banks. Interest expense decreased $3.2 million in first quarter 2025 compared to fourth quarter 2024, primarily due to decreases in costs on the Company’s trust preferred securities, other borrowings, and cost of deposits. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in volume of deposits. Noninterest income decreased $0.8 million in first quarter 2025 compared to fourth quarter 2024, primarily due to decreases in earnings on bank‐owned life insurance and service charges on deposit accounts, partially offset by increases in other income. Noninterest expense increased $0.8 million in first quarter 2025 compared to fourth quarter 2024, due to increases in salary and employee benefit expenses and occupancy expenses, slightly offset by decreases in furniture and fixture expenses and other expenses. A provision for loan losses of $1.8 million was recorded in first quarter 2025 compared to a $1.5 million provision for loan losses recorded in the fourth quarter 2024.

    Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2025, and March 31, 2024, was $14.3 million and $10.6 million, respectively. Interest income increased $3.2 million in first quarter 2025 compared to first quarter 2024, primarily due to increases in volume in the loan portfolio and balances due from banks, along with increases in yields on the loan portfolio, the securities portfolio, and balances due from banks. These increases were slightly offset by a decrease in volume in the securities portfolio and a decrease in yield on the balances due from banks. Interest expense decreased $4.9 million in first quarter 2025 compared to first quarter 2024, primarily due to decreases in costs on the Company’s trust preferred securities, other borrowings, and cost of deposits. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in the volume of deposit balances. Noninterest income increased $1.1 million in 2025 compared to 2024, primarily due to increases in earnings on bankowned life insurance, service charges on deposit accounts, and other income. Noninterest expense increased $2.2 million in 2025 compared to 2024, due to increases in other expenses, salary and employee benefit expenses, and occupancy expenses, partially offset a decrease in furniture and fixtures expenses, Provision for loan losses increased $2.5 million in the three months ended March 31, 2025 due to loan portfolio increases and a small volume of loan charge‐offs, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2024.

    Net interest margin increased from 3.18% to 3.38% from fourth quarter 2024 to first quarter 2025. Net interest margin for the three months ended March 31, 2025, and March 31, 2024, was 3.38% and 2.81%, respectively.

    Assets

    Total assets increased $139.7 million, or 2.1%, to $6.64 billion as of March 31, 2025, compared to December 31, 2024, primarily due to increased cash and due from banks and loans receivable partially offset by decreased investment securities balances. The Alpine Bank Wealth Management* division had assets under management of $1.32 billion on March 31, 2025, compared to $1.37 billion on December 31, 2024, a decrease of 3.8%.

    Loans

    Loans outstanding as of March 31, 2025, totaled $4.1 billion. The loan portfolio increased $66.0 million, or 1.6%, during first quarter 2025 compared to December 31, 2024. This increase was driven by a $48.6 million increase in real estate construction loans, a $22.3 million increase in commercial real estate loans and a $1.7 million increase in consumer loans. This increase was slightly offset by a $3.4 million decrease in residential real estate loans and a $3.1 million decrease in commercial and industrial loans.

    Loans outstanding as of March 31, 2025, reflected an increase of $96.5 million, or 2.4%, compared to loans outstanding of $4.0 billion on March 31, 2024. This growth was driven by a $63.4 million increase in commercial real estate loans, a $30.4 million increase in real estate construction loans and a $7.8 million increase in consumer loans. This increase was slightly offset by a $3.4 million decrease in commercial and industrial loans and a $2.0 million decrease in residential real estate loans.

    Deposits

    Total deposits increased $118.0 million, or 2.0%, to $5.9 billion during first quarter 2025 compared to December 31, 2024, primarily due to a $104.5 million increase in money market accounts, a $74.2 million increase in demand deposits, a $27.2 million increase in interest‐bearing checking accounts, and a $1.9 million increase in savings accounts. This increase was partially offset by a $89.8 million decrease in certificate of deposit accounts. Brokered certificates of deposit decreased 24.5% to $185.0 million on March 31, 2025, compared to $245.0 million on December 31, 2024. Noninterest‐bearing demand accounts comprised 30.8% of all deposits on March 31, 2025, compared to 30.2% on December 31, 2024.

    Total deposits of $5.94 billion on March 31, 2025, reflected an increase of $27.0 million, or 0.5%, compared to total deposits of $5.91 billion on March 31, 2024. This increase was due to a $278.1 million increase in money market accounts, a $26.8 million increase in demand deposits and a $10.2 million increase in interest‐bearing checking accounts. This increase was partially offset by a $275.6 million decrease in certificate of deposit accounts and a $12.5 million decrease in savings accounts. Brokered certificates of deposit decreased 60.7% to $185.0 million on March 31, 2025, compared to $470.7 million on March 31, 2024. Noninterest‐bearing demand accounts comprised 30.8% of all deposits on March 31, 2025, compared to 30.5% on March 31, 2024.

    Capital

    The Bank continues to be designated as a “well capitalized” institution as its capital ratios exceed the minimum requirements for this designation. As of March 31, 2025, the Bank’s Tier 1 Leverage Ratio was 9.76%, Tier 1 Risk‐Based Capital Ratio was 14.13%, and Total Risk‐Based Capital Ratio was 15.28%. On a consolidated basis, the Company’s Tier 1 Leverage Ratio was 9.46%, Tier 1 Risk‐Based Capital Ratio was 13.69%, and Total Risk‐Based Capital Ratio was 15.92% as of March 31, 2025.

    Book value per share on March 31, 2025, was $4,940.82 per Class A common share and $32.94 per Class B common share, an increase of $204.63 per Class A common share and $1.37 per Class B common share from December 31, 2024.

    Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation

    On April 10, 2025, the shareholders of Alpine approved amended and restated articles of incorporation to affect the following actions, among other things:

    • Increase from 15,100,000 to 30,000,000 the total authorized shares of common stock that the Company is authorized to issue;
    • Increase from 100,000 to 15,000,000 the authorized shares of the Class A common stock;
    • Effect a forward stock split of the outstanding shares of the Class A common stock by a ratio of 150‐for‐one;
    • Provide that holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock shall be entitled to share equally, on a per share basis based upon the number of shares issued and outstanding, in dividends and other distributions;
    • Provide that each one share of Class B common stock shall be entitled to one vote;
    • Provide that each one share of Class A common stock shall be entitled to twenty votes;
    • Provide that unless otherwise required by law the Class A common stock and Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all matters, including the election of directors;
    • Provide that a majority of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of shareholders; and
    • Provide that the approval of certain corporate actions requires the approval of more than 66 2/3% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote.

    Alpine anticipates that the amended and restated articles of incorporation and related stock split of the Class A common stock will become effective on May 1, 2025.

    Additional information can be found in the proxy materials for our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders at www.alpinebank.com/who‐we‐are/investor‐relations.html.

    Dividends

    During first quarter 2025, the Company paid cash dividends of $31.50 per Class A common share and $0.21 per Class B common share. On April 10, 2025, the Company declared cash dividends of $31.50 per Class A common share and $0.21 per Class B common share payable on April 28, 2025, to shareholders of record on April 21, 2025.

    About Alpine Banks of Colorado

    Alpine Banks of Colorado, is a $6.7 billion, independent, employee‐owned organization founded in 1973 with headquarters in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Alpine Bank employs 890 people and serves 170,000 customers with personal, business, wealth management*, mortgage, and electronic banking services across Colorado’s Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank has a five‐star rating – meaning it has earned a superior performance classification – from BauerFinancial, an independent organization that analyzes and rates the performance of financial institutions in the United States. Shares of the Class B non‐voting common stock of Alpine Banks of Colorado trade under the symbol “ALPIB” on the OTCQX® Best Market. Learn more at www.alpinebank.com.

    *Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value, and are not guaranteed by the Bank.

    Contacts: Glen Jammaron Eric A. Gardey
      President and Vice Chairman Chief Financial Officer
      Alpine Banks of Colorado Alpine Banks of Colorado
      2200 Grand Avenue 2200 Grand Avenue
      Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
      (970) 384‐3266 (970) 384‐3257


    A note about forward‐looking statements

    This press release contains “forward‐looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward‐looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “reflects,” “believes,” “can,” “would,” “should,” “will,” “estimates,” “looks forward to,” “continues,” “expects” and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward‐looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding our evaluation of macro‐environment risks, Federal Reserve rate management, and trends reflecting things such as regulatory capital standards and adequacy. Forward‐looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward‐looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward‐looking statements. We caution you therefore against relying on any of these forward‐looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward‐looking statement include, but are not limited to:

    • The ability to attract new deposits and loans;
    • Demand for financial services in our market areas;
    • Competitive market‐pricing factors;
    • Changes in assumptions underlying the establishment of allowances for loan losses and other estimates;
    • Effects of future economic, business and market conditions, including higher inflation;
    • Adverse effects of public health events, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic, including governmental and societal responses;
    • Deterioration in economic conditions that could result in increased loan losses;
    • Actions by competitors and other market participants that could have an adverse impact on expected performance;
    • Risks associated with concentrations in real estate‐related loans;
    • Risks inherent in making loans, such as repayment risks and fluctuating collateral values;
    • Market interest rate volatility, including changes to the federal funds rate;
    • Stability of funding sources and continued availability of borrowings;
    • Geopolitical events, including global tariffs, acts of war, international hostilities and terrorist activities;
    • Assumptions and estimates used in applying critical accounting policies and modeling, including under the CECL model, which may prove unreliable, inaccurate, or not predictive of actual results;
    • Actions of government regulators, including potential future changes in the target range for the federal funds rate by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve;
    • Sale of investment securities in a loss position before their value recovers, including as a result of asset liability management strategies or in response to liquidity needs;
    • Any increases in FDIC assessments;
    • Risks associated with potential cybersecurity incidents, data breaches or failures of key information technology systems;
    • The ability to maintain adequate liquidity and regulatory capital, and comply with evolving federal and state banking regulations;
    • Changes in legal or regulatory requirements or the results of regulatory examinations that could restrict growth;
    • The ability to recruit and retain key management and staff;
    • The ability to raise capital or incur debt on reasonable terms; and
    • Effectiveness of legislation and regulatory efforts to help the U.S. and global financial markets.

    There are many factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by forward‐looking statements. Any forward‐looking statement made by us in this press release or in any subsequent written or oral statements attributable to the Company are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to update any forward‐looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    https://alpinebank.kcmspreview.com/_/kcms-doc/1507/91579/Alpine-Banks-of-Colorado-Consolidated-Financial-Statements-3.31.25.pdf

    Contact: Eric A. Gardey, Chief Financial Officer
      Alpine Banks of Colorado
      (970) 384‐3257
      ericgardey@alpinebank.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Pushpay’s 2025 State of Church Tech Report Reveals Digital Tools are Strengthening Faith, Fueling Connection, and Shaping the Future of Ministry

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    REDMOND, Wash., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pushpay, the leading payments and engagement solutions provider for mission-driven organizations, today released findings from its 2025 State of Church Technology report. The study, which this year is presented in partnership with Engiven and Checkr, reveals that a majority of U.S. church leaders believe technology is playing a vital role in enhancing connection within their communities (86%).

    As church leaders look for ways to foster authentic relationships and spiritual growth, many are recognizing the power of digital tools to connect with their communities in lasting, transformative ways. Amid the loneliness epidemic, Pushpay’s report reveals that churches are four times more likely to say technology reduces loneliness than increases it, underscoring the vital role digital tools play in fostering community. Live streaming in particular has emerged as a key driver of engagement, with 86% of surveyed leaders agreeing that this service enhances both participation and discipleship.

    Conducted in February 2025, the fourth annual benchmark study offers a comprehensive look at the current usage, considerations, and barriers leaders face when embracing new technology, and forecasts what will remain strategically important as churches plan for the future of ministry. These insights are derived from the responses of more than 1,700 church leaders across the country, all of whom are actively leveraging technology to cultivate meaningful connections.

    “This year’s State of Church Tech report offers more than just statistics and data—it’s a window into the evolving mindset of church leaders,” said Kenny Wyatt, Pushpay CEO. “We see overwhelming consensus that technology plays a critical role in ministry, and I’m encouraged by the way churches are approaching it. More and more leaders view these tools as an avenue to enhance, not replace, the human relationships that are so central to the Church.”

    AI Adoption Surges Across Ministries

    According to the report, 45% of church leaders currently use AI, up 80% compared to last year’s findings, reflecting that the use of AI in church operations has moved from early-adopter to mainstream status. 45% of leaders also believe that generative AI tools will be strategically important to their ministry over the next two to three years.

    While use cases vary, the majority of churches are using AI to improve operational efficiency, and over 40% of respondents cite applications like generating and editing emails, social media content, and imagery. However, hesitancy remains when it comes to using AI to create theological content, with fewer than 25% leveraging the tool to create sermons or devotionals. As AI becomes more integrated, churches remain rooted in spiritual guidance.

    Live Streaming Momentum Remains, Placing Value in High-End Viewer Experiences

    Eighty seven percent of churches have continued to stream their worship services. While the pandemic made streaming a necessity for churches worldwide, this powerful solution for connecting with online viewers hasn’t waned in popularity for the majority, only seeing a slight dip from 2022 which was the peak of livestream adoption (91%). This year’s findings also signal that churches are placing more value in high-end streaming and hosting solutions. Churches are also expanding video delivery through in-app players, a 6% increase over the previous year.

    Additional Findings from the 2025 Report:

    • 70% of church leaders say technology has increased generosity within their congregation.
    • Communication remains the top challenge ministry leaders hope technology can better address, cited by 51% of respondents.
    • Only 10% of churches indicated they are leveraging cryptocurrency today—however, 39% of church leaders believe cryptocurrency will be strategically important to their church in the next two to three years, which is a 44% increase from last year.
    • Church management software (ChMS) adoption rose 4% year over year, with 86% of churches now using ChMS. Mobile app adoption also increased, with 67% of churches using an app, up 2% from last year.
    • Concerns about the financial cost of adopting new technology fell 9%—the first reported decline since the report’s inception.
    • More than half (52%) of church leaders reported an increase in their technology budgets, while just 10% reported a decrease.

    Younger Generations Drive Engagement Growth

    Church engagement has shown signs of stabilization for the first time in over a decade, driven largely by Millennials and Gen Z. Millennials are twice as likely to join a church that prioritizes technology as part of its mission, highlighting the need to meet younger generations in the digital spaces where they already live and connect. According to Pew Research’s latest Religious Landscape Study (RLS), after years of a steady decline, Christianity in the U.S. has flattened, with 62% of Americans identifying as Christian. Pushpay’s report further supports this trend, with 46% of churches reporting increased engagement among Millennials, followed by Gen Z (39%) and Gen X (32%).

    “For the next generation, faith isn’t just preached—it’s played, practiced, and posted. When churches embrace technology like gamification and immersive learning, we’re not just reaching Gen Z—we’re discipling them in their native language,” said Justin Lester, Senior Pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, and a panelist on Pushpay’s upcoming State of Church Tech webinar.

    Pushpay will host a 2025 State of Church Tech webinar live on Wednesday, May 21, at 10 a.m. PT, featuring industry experts Justin Lester, Senior Pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Joel Stepanek of the National Eucharistic Congress, and Church communications consultant Katie Allred. They will share insights on the report findings and discuss what they mean for the future of the Church. To join, register online, or to access the full report, visit www.pushpay.com.

    About Pushpay
    Pushpay empowers mission-based organizations to engage their communities. We exist to bring people together and help people be known. Through our innovative suite of products, we cultivate generosity by streamlining donation processes, enhancing communication, and strengthening connection. Whether managing donations, organizing events, or connecting with community members, Pushpay’s integrated tools enable ministry leaders to focus on what matters most – growing their ministry and deepening engagement. For more information visit www.pushpay.com.

    About Engiven
    Engiven is a leading provider of non-cash giving solutions to public charities, faith-based organizations, universities, financial institutions, and donation platforms. The Engiven platform and developer tools enable highly secure and automated cryptocurrency and stock-giving methodologies which help organizations maximize their giving opportunities. For more information visit https://engiven.com.

    About Checkr
    Checkr is the data platform that powers safe and fair decisions. We’re a technology company that helps our customers assess risk, modernize hiring, and cultivate trusted relationships in their workplaces and communities. For more information, visit https://checkr.com.

    US Media / PR Contact: Chelsea Looney PR@pushpay.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/738b9119-4423-45d3-8b94-60d103d4d8cf

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Flywire and Avanse Financial Services Announce Strategic Partnership to Digitize Student Loan Disbursements from India

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Integrated solution enables Flywire to unlock new payment flows from India to academic destinations worldwide

    Flywire further expands footprint in India, capitalizes on the billions of dollars of payment volume from education loans

    BOSTON and MUMBAI, India, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Flywire Corporation (Nasdaq: FLYW) (Flywire), a global payments and enablement and software company, today announced its strategic partnership with Avanse Financial Services, India’s second-largest education-focused non-banking financial company (NBFC). The collaboration simplifies the process of disbursing education loan payments for Indian students pursuing education opportunities abroad. The collaboration helps Flywire capitalize on tuition loan disbursements initiated by Avanse in Indian Rupees (INR) and builds on Flywire’s existing banking and loan integrations in India. The solution is available immediately and supports payment flows from India to academic destinations worldwide.

    Through this integration, Flywire streamlines the entire payments experience for students who opt to get educational loans from Avanse. After loan approval, students process payments via Flywire entirely in Indian rupees, with the ability to monitor transactions until funds reach their university. Flywire ensures transparency over all loan disbursements, facilitates efficient refunds, and automates the complex Tax Collected at Source (TCS) calculations—ultimately saving both students and providers valuable time and resources while ensuring adherence to relevant tax guidelines.

    “We’re excited to collaborate with Avanse to enhance the process of student loan disbursements from India,” commented Mina Fakhouri, SVP, APAC & Global Agents at Flywire. “The combination of Avanse’s presence in India and Flywire’s innovative payment technology addresses a crucial market gap for both students and lending institutions. India remains an important market for Flywire, and we’re excited to work together to deliver value to our partners, payers, educational institutions and beyond.”

    Additional benefits of the integration between Flywire and Avanse are expected to include:

    • Competitive foreign exchange conversion rates for students
    • Providing transparent payment tracking for students, schools and financial institutions
    • Enhancing compliance with international banking regulations
    • Managing TCS calculations for payments
    • Simplifying the documentation requirements for both students and institutions

    Rajesh Kachave, Chief Business Officer – Student Lending International Business of Avanse Financial Services, commented: “We believe in providing a holistic education financing experience. This collaboration with Flywire will create compelling and sustaining value for our customers, enabling them to focus entirely on their academics while leaving the financial complexities to us.”

    About Flywire

    Flywire is a global payments enablement and software company. We combine our proprietary global payments network, next-gen payments platform and vertical-specific software to deliver the most important and complex payments for our clients and their customers.

    Flywire leverages its vertical-specific software and payments technology to deeply embed within the existing A/R workflows for its clients across the education, healthcare and travel vertical markets, as well as in key B2B industries. Flywire also integrates with leading ERP systems, such as NetSuite, so organizations can optimize the payment experience for their customers while eliminating operational challenges.

    Flywire supports more than 4,500 clients with diverse payment methods in more than 140 currencies across more than 240 countries and territories around the world. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA, USA with global offices. For more information, visit www.flywire.com. Follow Flywire on X , LinkedIn and Facebook.

    About Avanse Financial Services
    Avanse Financial Services Limited is an education-focused non-banking financial company (NBFC) on a mission to provide seamless and affordable education financing for every deserving Indian student. The company offers loans across three key segments:

    Student Loan – International – Customized education financing solutions for Indian students pursuing undergraduate & postgraduate courses overseas
    Education Loans Domestic – Customized financing solutions for Indian students seeking higher education at domestic institutions. It also includes loans for professionals engaging in executive learning programs, as well as financing for both curriculum fees for students enrolled in accredited schools and non-curriculum fees associated with skilling programs, executive education, and test preparation courses, all in India.
    Educational Institution Loans – Collateral-backed financing solutions to private educational institutions, generally K-12 schools, located in peripheral areas of tier I cities and in tier II and beyond cities in India. For more information, please click here.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Flywire’s expectations regarding the benefits of its education clients and business, Flywire’s business strategy and plans, market growth and trends. Flywire intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as, but not limited to, “believe,” “may,” “will,” “potentially,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “target,” “plan,” “expect,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations that involve risks, changes in circumstances, assumptions, and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in Flywire’s forward-looking statements include, among others, the factors that are described in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of Flywire’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and available on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov/. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and Flywire undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Contacts

    Flywire

    Media:
    Sarah King
    Media@Flywire.com

    Investor Relations:
    Masha Kahn
    IR@Flywire.com

    Avanse Financial Services
    Koeli Dutta | Lead – Corporate Communication & Content
    Mobile: +91 8879330544
    Email ID: koeli.dutta@avanse.com   

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Businesses commended for exceptional workplace support of disabled people in award ceremony

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    Businesses commended for exceptional workplace support of disabled people in award ceremony

    Large and small businesses who have carried out exceptional work in hiring, retaining and supporting disabled people in the workplace have been recognised in the annual Disability Confident Awards in London.

    • Businesses supporting disabled people in the workplace have been commended in an award ceremony.
    • The Disability Confident scheme is a Government initiative designed to encourage employers to recruit, retain, and develop disabled people.
    • Minister Sir Stephen Timms, praised the efforts to support disabled people in work.

    Large and small businesses who have carried out exceptional work in hiring, retaining and supporting disabled people in the workplace have been recognised in the annual Disability Confident Awards in London.

    Judged by DWP’s Disability Confident team, winners were chosen from a wide selection of strong nominations ranging from tech companies developing accessible equipment to a heritage trust breaking down barriers for disabled people.

    The two winners, chosen for their work in the travel industry and fitness sector, were:

    • Small organisation winner (less than 250 employees) – Seable, a bespoke travel agent who provide experiences for people who are visually impaired. The company hires blind and partially sighted people who share their lived experiences, so holidays reflect the needs of their customers.

    • Big organisation winner (More than 250 employees) – The Gym Group, who run schemes such as the Inclusive Traineeship which helps disabled people in the workplace with dedicated support staff and programmes to help them break into the fitness industry.

    The Disability Confident scheme is a Government initiative designed to encourage employers to recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. It has more than 19,000 members, with more than 12 million employees working in their businesses.

    To become a Disability Confident employer, organisations must provide accessible and inclusive recruitment practices and a public commitment to supporting employees with a disability. These also signal to disabled jobseekers which companies may be suitable for their needs.

    Minister for Social Security and Disabled People Sir Stephen Timms, said:

    It has been great to see so many organisations leading by example to support disabled employees in the workplace. I congratulate everyone who has been nominated.

    The standard of the nominations for each category have been outstanding and it was difficult to select the finalists and winners who have all showed inspiring best practice to help other employers to start their Disability Confident journey.

    A Seable spokesperson said:

    We’re incredibly proud to win the Disability Confident Award.

    We are dedicated to creating inclusive and accessible travel experiences for the visually impaired community and reinforces our mission to break down barriers within the travel industry and champion true inclusivity in everything we do.

    The Disability Confident scheme helps businesses make a first step towards making their workplaces more suitable for disabled employees. These start with companies making commitments to support disabled people in the workplace which can include making sure recruitment processes are accessible, offering work experience, and providing reasonable adjustments for existing employees.

    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 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Turbo Energy Partners with Chilean Utility Saesa to Expand Smart Battery Storage Systems in Latin America

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VALENCIA, Spain, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Turbo Energy S.A. (Nasdaq: TURB) (“Turbo Energy” or the “Company”), a global provider of leading-edge, AI-optimized solar energy storage technologies and solutions, has teamed with Saesa, one of Chile’s largest electric utilities, to expand the deployment of smart battery systems across the Andean country.

    This partnership marks a significant step forward in Turbo Energy’s expansion into Latin America, resulting in the completion of the companies’ first joint project— the installation of a smart battery energy storage system (BESS) at the headquarters of Bayas del Sur, a leading berry producer in southern Chile.

    The project integrates lithium batteries with 200 kW of power and 880 kWh of storage capacity. Designed to complement Bayas del Sur’s existing photovoltaic installation, the system enables the plant to optimize energy consumption, reduce fuel dependence and maintain operations during peak demand periods or grid outages.

    “The commissioning of this project for Bayas del Sur reflects a growing trend among companies across all sectors: the search for effective solutions that ensure stable and sustainable energy flow while mitigating market price volatility,” said Mariano Soria, Chief Executive Officer of Turbo Energy. “Working alongside a utility giant like Saesa gives Turbo Energy a strong foundation to deploy smart BESS solutions for Chile’s most forward-thinking companies — a key driver behind the region’s desired economic decarbonization objectives.”

    Saesa executives emphasized the importance of the project in advancing renewable energy and supporting industrial decarbonization in Chile. “Our collaboration with Turbo Energy represents a pivotal advancement in sustainable infrastructure for southern Chile,” said Camila Trujillo, Energy Manager at Saesa Innova. “By integrating intelligent solar storage solutions, we’re not only improving grid reliability for industrial clients like Bayas del Sur, but also reinforcing our commitment to cleaner, smarter energy systems that benefit both businesses and communities across our nation.”

    The project with Saesa closely follows Turbo Energy’s entry into the Chilean market. In March 2025, the Company launched Latin America’s first, fully integrated, end-to-end solar energy storage system at the Alto Labranza shopping center, marking the debut of its new business unit, Turbo Energy Solutions. The division focuses on photovoltaic generation, energy storage and smart energy management for the commercial and industrial sectors across Latin America.

    About Turbo Energy, S.A.

    Founded in 2013, Turbo Energy is a globally recognized pioneer of proprietary solar energy storage technologies and solutions managed through Artificial Intelligence. Turbo Energy’s elegant all-in-one and scalable, modular energy storage systems empower residential, commercial and industrial users expanding across Europe, North America and South America to materially reduce dependence on traditional energy sources, helping to lower electricity costs, provide peak shaving and uninterruptible power supply and realize a more sustainable, energy-efficient future. A testament to the Company’s commitment to innovation and industry disruption, Turbo Energy’s introduction of its flagship SUNBOX represents one of the world’s first high performance, competitively priced, all-in-one home solar energy storage systems, which also incorporates patented EV charging capability and powerful AI processes to optimize solar energy management. Turbo Energy is a proud subsidiary of publicly traded Umbrella Global Energy, S.A., a vertically integrated, global collective of solar energy-focused companies. For more information, please visit www.turbo-e.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of the business of the Company, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control, including the risks described in our registration statements and annual report under the heading “Risk Factors” as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Turbo Energy, S.A. specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    For more information, please contact:
    At Turbo Energy, S.A.                                                                          
    Dodi Handy, Director of Communications                            
    Phone: 407-960-4636                                                                          
    Email: dodihandy@turbo-e.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: SAIC and Bluescape Announce Strategic Partnership to Deliver Secure, Mission-Critical Operations Platform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Science Applications International Corp. (NASDAQ: SAIC) – a mission integrator for delivering advanced technology solutions to the government – announced today that it has established a strategic partnership with Bluescape® – a collaborative operations platform – to bring a commercially-developed, unlimited virtual workspace to the Department of Defense (DoD), space, intelligence and civilian agencies. The innovative alliance delivers Bluescape’s best-in-class, dual-use technology for today’s critical national security missions to SAIC’s vast ecosystem.

    Through the alliance, SAIC will seamlessly integrate Bluescape’s government-compliant unlimited virtual workspace to securely bring data, individuals and applications together for knowledge sharing, visual planning, data analysis and effective mission coordination. The platform is authorized to operate at FedRAMP Moderate+ and by the DoD at IL4/IL5 for CUI data – empowering dispersed teams to share, organize, and interact with critical intel for accelerated decision advantage and response times.

    More than just a collaboration tool, Bluescape is a trusted, secure and scalable collaborative operations platform that creates a common operating picture by unifying teams and information streams, providing a centralized, visual workspace for real-time collaboration, information sharing and decision-making. It provides a highly secure, virtual workspace for exchanging information, integrating mission applications and producing content jointly. Bluescape is a commercial platform that enables warfighters and decision-makers to deliver mission outcomes. It can be used across enterprise IT systems, operational forces and interagency or mission partners.

    “Today’s warfighters and intelligence community decision-makers face a myriad of complex national security challenges that continually reinforce the imperative need for advanced, secure and efficient solutions,” said Bob Ritchie, SAIC Chief Technology Officer. “Combining Bluescape’s secure and collaborative insight platform with SAIC’s mission-oriented commercial delivery provides the adaptability, speed and decision advantage our government customers require.”

    “Bluescape enhances every aspect of mission command and coordinated response. It can accommodate large-scale government organizations and the ability to onboard thousands of users simultaneously,” explained Norm Litterini, Vice President of Public Sector Channels and Partners for Bluescape. “It eliminates the “place problem” that can be a challenge in mission partner environments and across dispersed workforces.”

    Bluescape workspaces are persistent and repeatable, so the information and actions taken remain intact after a meeting concludes, providing an automatic record of how decisions were made to jump-start future project work. The platform also allows for the use of existing processes and tools under one secure environment – eliminating the need for a complete overhaul and delay in operations.

    About SAIC
    SAIC® is a premier Fortune 500 mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.

    We are approximately 24,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.

    Media Contact
    Caralyn Duke
    Caralyn.duke@saic.com

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain statements in this release contain or are based on “forward-looking” information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “guidance,” and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, among others, estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings, earnings per share, charges, total contract value, backlog, outstanding shares and cash flows, as well as statements about future dividends, share repurchases and other capital deployment plans. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from the guidance and other forward-looking statements made in this release as a result of various factors. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause or contribute to these material differences include those discussed in the “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Legal Proceedings” sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our website at saic.com or on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Due to such risks, uncertainties and assumptions you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SAIC expressly disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement provided in this release to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in SAIC’s expectations. SAIC also disclaims any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others.

    About Bluescape
    Bluescape is the mission-ready visual workplace. Bluescape empowers distributed teams with easy-to-use tools to bring agility to complex processes—eliminating miscommunications, missed deadlines, and wasted time. Available as both FedRAMP authorized cloud solution and air-gapped software, Bluescape is built for the security needs of the public sector. Customers include Fortune 100 companies and government agencies. Bluescape is headquartered in Chicago, IL. For more information on how Bluescape drives innovation and transformation in government and commercial organizations, visit bluescape.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

    Media Contact
    Josette Oder Moynihan
    Josette.moynihan@bluescape.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Red River Bancshares, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ALEXANDRIA, La., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Red River Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: RRBI), the holding company for Red River Bank (the “Bank”), announced today its unaudited financial results for the first quarter of 2025.

    Net income for the first quarter of 2025 was $10.4 million, or $1.52 per diluted common share (“EPS”), an increase of $1.0 million, or 11.2%, compared to $9.3 million, or $1.37 EPS, for the fourth quarter of 2024, and an increase of $2.2 million, or 26.4%, compared to $8.2 million, or $1.16 EPS, for the first quarter of 2024. For the first quarter of 2025, the quarterly return on assets was 1.32%, and the quarterly return on equity was 12.85%.

    First Quarter 2025 Performance and Operational Highlights

    The Company had solid financial results for the first quarter of 2025. The net interest margin, net interest income, and net income increased. The balance sheet reflects good loan growth, while deposits and assets had slight increases. We increased the quarterly cash dividend paid to shareholders by 33.3% to $0.12 per share for the first quarter of 2025. Also, in the first quarter, we completed significant upgrades to our digital banking systems.

    • Net income for the first quarter of 2025 was $10.4 million, which was $1.0 million, or 11.2%, higher than the prior quarter. Net income for the first quarter increased due to having higher net interest income, along with approximately $620,000 of periodic items that reduced operating expenses. These operating expense reductions benefited EPS by approximately $0.07.
    • Net interest income and net interest margin FTE increased for the first quarter of 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Net interest income for the first quarter of 2025 was $24.6 million, which was $923,000, or 3.9%, higher than the prior quarter. Net interest margin FTE increased 13 basis points (“bp(s)”) to 3.22% for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 3.09% for the prior quarter. These improvements resulted from higher securities yields and lower deposit rates.
    • As of March 31, 2025, assets were $3.19 billion, which was $36.8 million, or 1.2%, higher than December 31, 2024. The increase was mainly due to a $20.6 million increase in deposits.
    • Deposits totaled $2.83 billion as of March 31, 2025, an increase of $20.6 million, or 0.7%, compared to $2.81 billion as of December 31, 2024. This increase was mainly due to higher balances in consumer and commercial customer deposit accounts, partially offset by the seasonal outflow of funds from public entity customers.
    • As of March 31, 2025, loans held for investment (“HFI”) were $2.11 billion, which was $39.7 million, or 1.9%, higher than $2.08 billion as of December 31, 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, we had steady new loan closing activity, combined with funding of loan construction commitments.
    • As of March 31, 2025, total securities were $699.5 million, which was $14.7 million, or 2.1%, higher than December 31, 2024. Securities increased mainly due to the purchase of new securities, combined with a smaller net unrealized loss on securities available-for-sale (“AFS”).
    • As of March 31, 2025, liquid assets, which are cash and cash equivalents, were $252.2 million, and the liquid assets to assets ratio was 7.91%. We do not have any borrowings, brokered deposits, or internet-sourced deposits.
    • The provision for credit losses was $450,000 for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $300,000 for the prior quarter. The $150,000 increase was due to loan growth and uncertainty regarding tariffs and trade.
    • As of March 31, 2025, nonperforming assets (“NPA(s)”) were $5.2 million, or 0.16% of assets, and the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) was $21.8 million, or 1.03% of loans HFI.
    • In the first quarter of 2025, the quarterly cash dividend increased by 33.3% to $0.12 per common share, up from $0.09 per common share for each quarter in 2024.
    • The 2025 stock repurchase program authorizes us to purchase up to $5.0 million of our outstanding shares of common stock from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025. As of March 31, 2025, the 2025 stock repurchase program had $5.0 million of available capacity.
    • In the first quarter of 2025, Red River Bank’s online, mobile banking, and bill payment systems were upgraded in order to improve our digital services for all customers.
    • In the first quarter of 2025, S&P Global Market Intelligence ranked the Bank 14th of the top 50 best deposit franchises in 2024 for banks with assets between $3.0 and $10.0 billion.
    • On March 14, 2025, our board of directors and executive management had the privilege of ringing the closing bell at the Nasdaq Market Site in New York to commemorate being a public company for 6 years.

    Blake Chatelain, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are pleased with the financial results for the first quarter of 2025. We produced solid net interest margin improvement, higher net income, and positive, relationship-based core loan growth. As a result of consistent earnings, strong capital levels, and confidence in our consistent and conservative banking culture, the board of directors approved a 33.3% increase to the quarterly cash dividend for the first quarter of 2025 to $0.12 per share.

    “We continue to be very focused on net interest margin improvement and managing our cost of deposits, while also focusing on redeploying assets into higher yielding assets. In the first quarter of 2025, our net interest margin FTE increased by 13 bps, net interest income increased by 3.9%, and net income increased by 11.2%.

    “We remain pleased with the level of our customer banking activity across Louisiana. We are focused on adding experienced relationship bankers and growing our presence in our newer markets. Recently there has been expanded emphasis and renewed efforts on economic development in Louisiana. This has resulted in various new and significant corporate expansion announcements for new projects throughout the state. Overall, as of March 31, 2025, our customers seem optimistic about economic activity and growth.

    “Despite this optimism, as result of the April 2, 2025 announcements and changes to the United States tariff policy, we are assessing the possible impact to our customers and the Company. These changes have injected new uncertainty into the economic environment and could result in a slowdown in activity, higher inflation, and a loss of consumer confidence. We are monitoring this situation with our customers as these events unfold. We are hopeful that these policies will be settled quickly and with minimal, negative impact.

    “Since the Company was founded in 1998, we have focused on having a consistent, conservative, and prudent banking philosophy and strategy. We remain focused on these principles, while also striving daily to build customer relationships, expand market share, and create value for our shareholders.”

    Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin FTE

    Net interest income and net interest margin FTE increased in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the prior quarter. These measures were both primarily impacted by improved yields on securities and lower deposit rates. The Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) decreased the federal funds rate by 50 bps in September of 2024, and by an additional 50 bps during the fourth quarter of 2024, and then kept the federal funds rate consistent in the first quarter of 2025.

    Net interest income for the first quarter of 2025 was $24.6 million, which was $923,000, or 3.9%, higher than the fourth quarter of 2024, due to a $178,000 increase in interest and dividend income, combined with a $745,000 decrease in interest expense. The increase in interest and dividend income was mainly due to higher interest income on securities. Securities income increased $233,000, primarily due to reinvesting lower yielding securities cash flows into higher yielding securities. The decrease in interest expense was primarily due to lower rates on time deposits.

    The net interest margin FTE increased 13 bps to 3.22% for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 3.09% for the prior quarter. This increase was due to improved yields on securities and loans, combined with lower deposit costs. The yield on securities increased 11 bps, primarily due to reinvesting lower yielding securities cash flows into higher yielding securities. The yield on loans increased 7 bps due to higher rates on new and renewed loans compared to the existing portfolio yield. The average rate on new and renewed loans was 7.02% for the first quarter of 2025 and 7.25% for the prior quarter. The cost of deposits decreased 10 bps to 1.61% for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 1.71% for the previous quarter, mainly due to lowering selected time deposit rates. As a result of this change, there was a 37 bp decrease on time deposits during the first quarter.

    The FOMC kept the federal funds rate consistent in the first quarter of 2025, with the target federal funds range remaining at 4.25%-4.50%. The market’s expectation is that the FOMC may lower the target range of the federal funds rate several times in 2025. During the remainder of 2025, we anticipate receiving approximately $80.0 million in securities cash flows with an average yield of 3.28%, and we project approximately $162.2 million of fixed rate loans will mature with an average yield of 6.15%. We expect to redeploy these balances into slightly higher yielding assets. Additionally, during the second quarter of 2025, we expect $253.6 million of time deposits to mature with an average rate of 4.06%, which we anticipate repricing into slightly lower cost deposits. As of March 31, 2025, floating rate loans were 17.6% of loans HFI, and floating rate transaction deposits were 8.7% of interest-bearing transaction deposits. Depending on balance sheet activity, the movement in interest rates, and the economic outlook, we expect the net interest income and net interest margin FTE to remain fairly consistent for the remainder of 2025.

    Provision for Credit Losses

    The provision for credit losses for the first quarter of 2025 was $450,000 for loans, which was $150,000 higher than the provision for credit losses of $300,000 for the prior quarter. The increase in the first quarter of 2025 was related to loan growth in the quarter, combined with uncertainty regarding tariffs and trade. The provision in the fourth quarter of 2024, which included $200,000 for loans and $100,000 for unfunded loans commitments, was due to potential economic challenges resulting from the recent inflationary environment, changing monetary policy, and loan growth. We will continue to evaluate future provision needs in relation to current economic situations, loan growth, trends in asset quality, forecasted information, and other conditions influencing loss expectations.

    Noninterest Income

    Noninterest income totaled $5.3 million for the first quarter of 2025, an increase of $277,000, or 5.5%, compared to $5.0 million for the previous quarter. The increase was mainly due to higher brokerage income and a gain on equity securities, partially offset by lower mortgage loan income and Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”) income.

    Brokerage income was $1.3 million for the first quarter of 2025, an increase of $401,000, or 43.4%, compared to $924,000 for the previous quarter. The higher income in the first quarter of 2025 was due to increased investing activity by clients. Assets under management were $1.14 billion as of March 31, 2025.

    Equity securities are an investment in a Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) mutual fund consisting primarily of bonds. The gain or loss on equity securities is a fair value adjustment primarily driven by changes in the interest rate environment. Due to the fluctuations in market rates between quarters, equity securities had a gain of $44,000 in the first quarter of 2025, compared to a loss of $91,000 for the previous quarter.

    Mortgage loan income totaled $530,000 for the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of $122,000, or 18.7%, compared to $652,000 for the previous quarter due to decreased purchase activity.

    SBIC income was $280,000 for the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of $66,000, or 19.1%, compared to $346,000 for the previous quarter. This decrease was primarily due to lower normal income received from these partnerships. We expect SBIC income to be lower in future quarters due to fund value fluctuations.

    Operating Expenses

    Operating expenses totaled $16.6 million for the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of $252,000, or 1.5%, compared to $16.8 million for the previous quarter. The decrease was mainly due to lower data processing expense and loan and deposit expense, partially offset by higher personnel expense.

    Data processing expense totaled $288,000 for the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of $393,000, or 57.7%, compared to $681,000 for the previous quarter. The decrease was attributable to receipt of a $447,000 periodic refund from our data processing center in the first quarter of 2025. This decrease was partially offset by new expenses and $14,000 of nonrecurring implementation fees related to online, mobile banking, and bill payment systems implemented in the first quarter of 2025.

    Loan and deposit expenses totaled $62,000 for the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of $272,000, or 81.4%, compared to $334,000 for the previous quarter. This decrease was primarily attributable to receipt of a $173,000 negotiated, variable rebate from a vendor in the first quarter of 2025.

    Personnel expenses totaled $10.0 million for the first quarter of 2025, an increase of $254,000, or 2.6%, compared to the previous quarter. This increase was primarily due to an increase in head count, restarting of payroll tax expense, and increased revenue-based commission compensation. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had 375 and 369 total employees, respectively.

    Asset Overview

    As of March 31, 2025, assets were $3.19 billion, compared to assets of $3.15 billion as of December 31, 2024, an increase of $36.8 million, or 1.2%. In the first quarter, assets were mainly impacted by a $20.6 million, or 0.7%, increase in deposits. In the first quarter of 2024, liquid assets decreased $16.8 million, or 6.3%, to $252.2 million and averaged $275.9 million for the first quarter. As of March 31, 2025, we had sufficient liquid assets available and $1.66 billion accessible from other liquidity sources. The liquid assets to assets ratio was 7.91% as of March 31, 2025. Total securities increased $14.7 million, or 2.1%, to $699.5 million in the first quarter and were 22.0% of assets as of March 31, 2025. During the first quarter, loans HFI increased $39.7 million, or 1.9%, to $2.11 billion. The loans HFI to deposits ratio was 74.84% as of March 31, 2025, compared to 73.97% as of December 31, 2024.

    Securities

    Total securities as of March 31, 2025, were $699.5 million, an increase of $14.7 million, or 2.1%, from December 31, 2024. Securities increased mainly due to the purchase of new securities, combined with a smaller net unrealized loss on securities AFS.

    The estimated fair value of securities AFS totaled $566.9 million, net of $58.7 million of unrealized loss, as of March 31, 2025, compared to $550.1 million, net of $63.2 million of unrealized loss, as of December 31, 2024. As of March 31, 2025, the amortized cost of securities held-to-maturity (“HTM”) totaled $129.7 million compared to $131.8 million as of December 31, 2024. As of March 31, 2025, securities HTM had an unrealized loss of $21.8 million compared to $22.8 million as of December 31, 2024.

    As of March 31, 2025, equity securities, which is an investment in a CRA mutual fund consisting primarily of bonds, totaled $3.0 million compared to $2.9 million as of December 31, 2024.

    Loans

    Loans HFI as of March 31, 2025, were $2.11 billion, an increase of $39.7 million, or 1.9%, from $2.08 billion as of December 31, 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, we had steady new loan closing activity, combined with funding of loan construction commitments.

    Loans HFI by Category
      March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024   Change from
    December 31, 2024 to
    March 31, 2025
    (dollars in thousands) Amount   Percent   Amount   Percent   $ Change   % Change
    Real estate:                      
    Commercial real estate $ 892,205   42.2 %   $ 884,641   42.6 %   $ 7,564     0.9 %
    One-to-four family residential   617,679   29.2 %     614,551   29.6 %     3,128     0.5 %
    Construction and development   175,575   8.3 %     155,229   7.5 %     20,346     13.1 %
    Commercial and industrial   339,115   16.0 %     327,086   15.8 %     12,029     3.7 %
    Tax-exempt   61,722   2.9 %     64,930   3.1 %     (3,208 )   (4.9 %)
    Consumer   28,446   1.4 %     28,576   1.4 %     (130 )   (0.5 %)
    Total loans HFI $ 2,114,742   100.0 %   $ 2,075,013   100.0 %   $ 39,729     1.9 %

    Commercial real estate (“CRE”) loans are collateralized by owner occupied and non-owner occupied properties mainly in Louisiana. Non-owner occupied office loans were $54.2 million, or 2.6% of loans HFI, as of March 31, 2025, and are primarily centered in low-rise suburban areas. The average CRE loan size was $970,000 as of March 31, 2025.

    Health care loans are our largest industry concentration and are made up of a diversified portfolio of health care providers. As of March 31, 2025, total health care loans were 8.0% of loans HFI. Within the health care sector, loans to nursing and residential care facilities were 4.2% of loans HFI, and loans to physician and dental practices were 3.4% of loans HFI. The average health care loan size was $370,000 as of March 31, 2025.

    Asset Quality and Allowance for Credit Losses

    NPAs totaled $5.2 million as of March 31, 2025, an increase of $1.9 million, or 58.6%, from December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily due to a past due loan, partially offset by payoffs and charge-offs of nonaccrual loans. As of early April 2025, the past due loan was brought current by the customer, and NPAs were further reduced by receiving principal payments on two legacy nonaccrual loans. The ratio of NPAs to assets was 0.16% and 0.10% as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.

    As of March 31, 2025, the ACL was $21.8 million. The ratio of ACL to loans HFI was 1.03% as of March 31, 2025 and 1.05% as of December 31, 2024. The net charge-offs to average loans ratio was 0.02% for the first quarter of 2025 and 0.01% for the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Deposits

    As of March 31, 2025, deposits were $2.83 billion, an increase of $20.6 million, or 0.7%, compared to December 31, 2024. Average deposits for the first quarter of 2025 were $2.82 billion, an increase of $36.2 million, or 1.3%, from the prior quarter. The following tables provide details on our deposit portfolio:

    Deposits by Account Type
      March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024   Change from
    December 31, 2024 to
    March 31, 2025
    (dollars in thousands) Balance   % of Total   Balance   % of Total   $ Change   % Change
    Noninterest-bearing demand deposits $ 906,540   32.1 %   $ 866,496   30.9 %   $ 40,044     4.6 %
    Interest-bearing deposits:                      
    Interest-bearing demand deposits   147,343   5.2 %     154,720   5.5 %     (7,377 )   (4.8 %)
    NOW accounts   432,054   15.3 %     467,118   16.7 %     (35,064 )   (7.5 %)
    Money market accounts   569,613   20.2 %     556,769   19.8 %     12,844     2.3 %
    Savings accounts   175,239   6.2 %     169,894   6.1 %     5,345     3.1 %
    Time deposits less than or equal to $250,000   403,354   14.2 %     403,096   14.3 %     258     0.1 %
    Time deposits greater than $250,000   191,533   6.8 %     187,013   6.7 %     4,520     2.4 %
    Total interest-bearing deposits   1,919,136   67.9 %     1,938,610   69.1 %     (19,474 )   (1.0 %)
    Total deposits $ 2,825,676   100.0 %   $ 2,805,106   100.0 %   $ 20,570     0.7 %
    Deposits by Customer Type
      March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024   Change from
    December 31, 2024 to
    March 31, 2025
    (dollars in thousands) Balance   % of Total   Balance   % of Total   $ Change   % Change
    Consumer $ 1,388,944   49.1 %   $ 1,362,740   48.6 %   $ 26,204     1.9 %
    Commercial   1,200,367   42.5 %     1,178,488   42.0 %     21,879     1.9 %
    Public   236,365   8.4 %     263,878   9.4 %     (27,513 )   (10.4 %)
    Total deposits $ 2,825,676   100.0 %   $ 2,805,106   100.0 %   $ 20,570     0.7 %

    The increase in deposits in the first quarter of 2025 was mainly due to higher balances in consumer and commercial customer deposit accounts, partially offset by the seasonal outflow of funds from public entity customers.

    The Bank has a granular, diverse deposit portfolio with customers in a variety of industries throughout Louisiana. As of March 31, 2025, the average deposit account size was approximately $28,000.

    As of March 31, 2025, our estimated uninsured deposits, which are the portion of deposit accounts that exceed the FDIC insurance limit (currently $250,000), were approximately $875.2 million, or 31.0% of total deposits. This amount was estimated based on the same methodologies and assumptions used for regulatory reporting purposes. Also, as of March 31, 2025, our estimated uninsured deposits, excluding collateralized public entity deposits, were approximately $689.6 million, or 24.4% of total deposits. Our cash and cash equivalents of $252.2 million, combined with our available borrowing capacity of $1.66 billion, equaled 218.4% of our estimated uninsured deposits and 277.1% of our estimated uninsured deposits, excluding collateralized public entity deposits.

    Stockholders’ Equity

    Total stockholders’ equity as of March 31, 2025, was $333.3 million compared to $319.7 million as of December 31, 2024. The $13.6 million, or 4.2%, increase in stockholders’ equity during the first quarter of 2025 was attributable to $10.4 million of net income, a $3.9 million, net of tax, market adjustment to accumulated other comprehensive loss related to securities, and $149,000 of stock compensation, partially offset by $813,000 in cash dividends related to a $0.12 per share cash dividend that we paid on March 20, 2025.

    Non-GAAP Disclosure

    Our accounting and reporting policies conform to United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and the prevailing practices in the banking industry. Certain financial measures used by management to evaluate our operating performance are discussed as supplemental non-GAAP performance measures. In accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) rules, we classify a financial measure as being a non-GAAP financial measure if that financial measure excludes or includes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding or including amounts, that are included or excluded, as the case may be, in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP as in effect from time to time in the U.S.

    Management and the board of directors review tangible book value per share, tangible common equity to tangible assets, and realized book value per share as part of managing operating performance. However, these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the most directly comparable or other financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Moreover, the manner we calculate the non-GAAP financial measures that are discussed may differ from that of other companies’ reporting measures with similar names. It is important to understand how such other banking organizations calculate and name their financial measures similar to the non-GAAP financial measures discussed by us when comparing such non-GAAP financial measures.

    A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP financial measures is included within the following financial statement tables.

    About Red River Bancshares, Inc.

    Red River Bancshares, Inc. is the bank holding company for Red River Bank, a Louisiana state-chartered bank established in 1999 that provides a fully integrated suite of banking products and services tailored to the needs of our commercial and retail customers. Red River Bank operates from a network of 28 banking centers throughout Louisiana and one combined loan and deposit production office in New Orleans, Louisiana. Banking centers are located in the following Louisiana markets: Central, which includes the Alexandria metropolitan statistical area (“MSA”); Northwest, which includes the Shreveport-Bossier City MSA; Capital, which includes the Baton Rouge MSA; Southwest, which includes the Lake Charles MSA; the Northshore, which includes Covington; Acadiana, which includes the Lafayette MSA; and New Orleans.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements in this news release regarding our expectations and beliefs about our future financial performance and financial condition, as well as trends in our business, interest rates, and markets, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “outlook,” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.” The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on current information and on assumptions that we make about future events and circumstances that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict and beyond our control. As a result of those risks and uncertainties, our actual financial results in the future could differ, possibly materially, from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and could cause us to make changes to our future plans. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties to which our business and future financial performance are subject is contained in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in other documents that we file with the SEC from time to time. In addition, our actual financial results in the future may differ from those currently expected due to additional risks and uncertainties of which we are not currently aware or which we do not currently view as, but in the future may become, material to our business or operating results. Due to these and other possible uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release or to make predictions based solely on historical financial performance. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements, express or implied, included in this news release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

    Contact:
    Isabel V. Carriere, CPA, CGMA
    Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Assistant Corporate Secretary
    318-561-4023
    icarriere@redriverbank.net

    FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (UNAUDITED)
     
        As of and for the
    Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)   March 31,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024    		   March 31,
    2024
    Net Income   $ 10,352     $ 9,306     $ 8,188  
                 
    Per Common Share Data:            
    Earnings per share, basic   $ 1.53     $ 1.37     $ 1.16  
    Earnings per share, diluted   $ 1.52     $ 1.37     $ 1.16  
    Book value per share   $ 49.18     $ 47.18     $ 43.43  
    Tangible book value per share (1)   $ 48.95     $ 46.95     $ 43.20  
    Realized book value per share (1)   $ 57.49     $ 56.07     $ 52.52  
    Cash dividends per share   $ 0.12     $ 0.09     $ 0.09  
    Shares outstanding     6,777,657       6,777,238       6,892,448  
    Weighted average shares outstanding, basic     6,777,332       6,797,469       7,050,048  
    Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted     6,796,707       6,816,299       7,066,709  
                 
    Summary Performance Ratios:            
    Return on average assets     1.32 %     1.18 %     1.07 %
    Return on average equity     12.85 %     11.46 %     10.77 %
    Net interest margin     3.17 %     3.04 %     2.80 %
    Net interest margin FTE     3.22 %     3.09 %     2.83 %
    Efficiency ratio     55.51 %     58.71 %     60.37 %
    Loans HFI to deposits ratio     74.84 %     73.97 %     74.22 %
    Noninterest-bearing deposits to deposits ratio     32.08 %     30.89 %     32.61 %
    Noninterest income to average assets     0.67 %     0.63 %     0.64 %
    Operating expense to average assets     2.12 %     2.14 %     2.07 %
                 
    Summary Credit Quality Ratios:            
    NPAs to assets     0.16 %     0.10 %     0.08 %
    Nonperforming loans to loans HFI     0.24 %     0.16 %     0.12 %
    ACL to loans HFI     1.03 %     1.05 %     1.06 %
    Net charge-offs to average loans     0.02 %     0.01 %     0.00 %
                 
    Capital Ratios:            
    Stockholders’ equity to assets     10.46 %     10.15 %     9.74 %
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets(1)     10.42 %     10.11 %     9.69 %
    Total risk-based capital to risk-weighted assets     18.25 %     18.13 %     17.84 %
    Tier I risk-based capital to risk-weighted assets     17.25 %     17.12 %     16.82 %
    Common equity Tier I capital to risk-weighted assets     17.25 %     17.12 %     16.82 %
    Tier I risk-based capital to average assets     12.01 %     11.86 %     11.44 %

    (1) Non-GAAP financial measure. Calculations of this measure and reconciliations to GAAP are included in the schedules accompanying this release.

    RED RIVER BANCSHARES, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)
     
    (in thousands) March 31,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   June 30,
    2024    		   March 31,
    2024
    ASSETS                  
    Cash and due from banks $ 36,438     $ 30,558     $ 39,664     $ 35,035     $ 19,401  
    Interest-bearing deposits in other banks   215,717       238,417       192,983       178,038       210,404  
    Securities available-for-sale, at fair value   566,874       550,148       560,555       526,890       545,967  
    Securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost   129,686       131,796       134,145       136,824       139,328  
    Equity securities, at fair value   2,981       2,937       3,028       2,921       2,934  
    Nonmarketable equity securities   2,349       2,328       2,305       2,283       2,261  
    Loans held for sale   2,178       2,547       1,805       3,878       1,653  
    Loans held for investment   2,114,742       2,075,013       2,056,048       2,047,890       2,038,072  
    Allowance for credit losses   (21,835 )     (21,731 )     (21,757 )     (21,627 )     (21,564 )
    Premises and equipment, net   59,034       59,441       57,661       57,910       57,539  
    Accrued interest receivable   10,553       10,048       9,465       9,570       9,995  
    Bank-owned life insurance   30,593       30,380       30,164       29,947       29,731  
    Intangible assets   1,546       1,546       1,546       1,546       1,546  
    Right-of-use assets   2,611       2,733       2,853       2,973       3,091  
    Other assets   32,965       33,433       31,285       34,450       32,940  
    Total Assets $ 3,186,432     $ 3,149,594     $ 3,101,750     $ 3,048,528     $ 3,073,298  
    LIABILITIES                  
    Noninterest-bearing deposits $ 906,540     $ 866,496     $ 882,394     $ 892,942     $ 895,439  
    Interest-bearing deposits   1,919,136       1,938,610       1,864,731       1,823,704       1,850,452  
    Total Deposits   2,825,676       2,805,106       2,747,125       2,716,646       2,745,891  
    Accrued interest payable   6,463       7,583       11,751       8,747       8,959  
    Lease liabilities   2,739       2,864       2,982       3,100       3,215  
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities   18,238       14,302       15,574       13,045       15,919  
    Total Liabilities   2,853,116       2,829,855       2,777,432       2,741,538       2,773,984  
    COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES   —       —       —       —       —  
    STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                  
    Preferred stock, no par value   —       —       —       —       —  
    Common stock, no par value   38,710       38,655       41,402       44,413       45,177  
    Additional paid-in capital   2,871       2,777       2,682       2,590       2,485  
    Retained earnings   348,093       338,554       329,858       321,719       314,352  
    Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)   (56,358 )     (60,247 )     (49,624 )     (61,732 )     (62,700 )
    Total Stockholders’ Equity   333,316       319,739       324,318       306,990       299,314  
    Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity $ 3,186,432     $ 3,149,594     $ 3,101,750     $ 3,048,528     $ 3,073,298  
    RED RIVER BANCSHARES, INC.  
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED)  
                   
        For the Three Months Ended  
    (in thousands)   March 31,
    2025
    		   December 31,
    2024
    		   March 31,
    2024
    		  
                           
    INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME              
    Interest and fees on loans   $ 28,270   $ 28,285     $ 25,893    
    Interest on securities     4,856     4,623       4,064    
    Interest on deposits in other banks     2,661     2,699       3,039    
    Dividends on stock     21     23       22    
    Total Interest and Dividend Income     35,808     35,630       33,018    
    INTEREST EXPENSE              
    Interest on deposits     11,198     11,943       11,655    
    Interest on other borrowed funds     —     —       —    
    Total Interest Expense     11,198     11,943       11,655    
    Net Interest Income     24,610     23,687       21,363    
    Provision for credit losses     450     300       300    
    Net Interest Income After Provision for Credit Losses     24,160     23,387       21,063    
    NONINTEREST INCOME              
    Service charges on deposit accounts     1,383     1,452       1,368    
    Debit card income, net     992     960       1,022    
    Mortgage loan income     530     652       456    
    Brokerage income     1,325     924       987    
    Loan and deposit income     459     463       492    
    Bank-owned life insurance income     213     216       202    
    Gain (Loss) on equity securities     44     (91 )     (31 )  
    SBIC income     280     346       352    
    Other income (loss)     46     73       80    
    Total Noninterest Income     5,272     4,995       4,928    
    OPERATING EXPENSES              
    Personnel expenses     10,023     9,769       9,550    
    Occupancy and equipment expenses     1,794     1,716       1,616    
    Technology expenses     835     884       709    
    Advertising     333     313       337    
    Other business development expenses     558     486       475    
    Data processing expense     288     681       347    
    Other taxes     612     547       737    
    Loan and deposit expenses     62     334       (42 )  
    Legal and professional expenses     632     658       618    
    Regulatory assessment expenses     391     428       404    
    Other operating expenses     1,060     1,024       1,122    
    Total Operating Expenses     16,588     16,840       15,873    
    Income Before Income Tax Expense     12,844     11,542       10,118    
    Income tax expense     2,492     2,236       1,930    
    Net Income   $ 10,352   $ 9,306     $ 8,188    
    RED RIVER BANCSHARES, INC.
    NET INTEREST INCOME AND NET INTEREST MARGIN (UNAUDITED)
     
      For the Three Months Ended
      March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024
    (dollars in thousands) Average Balance Outstanding   Interest
    Income/
    Expense    		   Average
    Yield/
    Rate    		   Average Balance Outstanding   Interest
    Income/
    Expense    		   Average
    Yield/
    Rate
    Assets                      
    Interest-earning assets:                      
    Loans(1,2) $ 2,089,712     $ 28,270   5.41 %   $ 2,072,858     $ 28,285   5.34 %
    Securities – taxable   559,752       3,871   2.77 %     555,622       3,636   2.62 %
    Securities – tax-exempt   189,729       985   2.08 %     190,470       987   2.07 %
    Interest-bearing deposits in other banks   243,751       2,661   4.37 %     225,660       2,699   4.74 %
    Nonmarketable equity securities   2,330       21   3.56 %     2,307       23   3.99 %
    Total interest-earning assets   3,085,274     $ 35,808   4.64 %     3,046,917     $ 35,630   4.60 %
    Allowance for credit losses   (21,789 )             (21,824 )        
    Noninterest-earning assets   107,295               109,992          
    Total assets $ 3,170,780             $ 3,135,085          
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                      
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                      
    Interest-bearing transaction deposits $ 1,341,885     $ 5,641   1.70 %   $ 1,263,775     $ 5,658   1.78 %
    Time deposits   592,368       5,557   3.80 %     599,910       6,285   4.17 %
    Total interest-bearing deposits   1,934,253       11,198   2.35 %     1,863,685       11,943   2.55 %
    Other borrowings   —       —   — %     —       —   — %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   1,934,253     $ 11,198   2.35 %     1,863,685     $ 11,943   2.55 %
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities:                      
    Noninterest-bearing deposits   884,484               918,804          
    Accrued interest and other liabilities   25,336               29,567          
    Total noninterest-bearing liabilities   909,820               948,371          
    Stockholders’ equity   326,707               323,029          
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 3,170,780             $ 3,135,085          
    Net interest income     $ 24,610           $ 23,687    
    Net interest spread         2.29 %           2.05 %
    Net interest margin         3.17 %           3.04 %
    Net interest margin FTE(3)         3.22 %           3.09 %
    Cost of deposits         1.61 %           1.71 %
    Cost of funds         1.47 %           1.56 %

    (1) Includes average outstanding balances of loans held for sale of $2.6 million and $3.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.
    (2) Nonaccrual loans are included as loans carrying a zero yield.
    (3) Net interest margin FTE includes an FTE adjustment using a 21.0% federal income tax rate on tax-exempt securities and tax-exempt loans.

    RED RIVER BANCSHARES, INC.
    NET INTEREST INCOME AND NET INTEREST MARGIN (UNAUDITED)
     
      For the Three Months Ended
      March 31, 2025   March 31, 2024
    (dollars in thousands) Average Balance Outstanding   Interest
    Income/
    Expense    		   Average
    Yield/
    Rate    		   Average Balance Outstanding   Interest
    Income/
    Expense    		   Average
    Yield/
    Rate
    Assets                      
    Interest-earning assets:                      
    Loans(1,2) $ 2,089,712     $ 28,270   5.41 %   $ 2,015,063     $ 25,893   5.09 %
    Securities – taxable   559,752       3,871   2.77 %     569,600       3,048   2.14 %
    Securities – tax-exempt   189,729       985   2.08 %     197,817       1,016   2.05 %
    Interest-bearing deposits in other banks   243,751       2,661   4.37 %     224,301       3,039   5.42 %
    Nonmarketable equity securities   2,330       21   3.56 %     2,240       22   3.95 %
    Total interest-earning assets   3,085,274     $ 35,808   4.64 %     3,009,021     $ 33,018   4.35 %
    Allowance for credit losses   (21,789 )             (21,402 )        
    Noninterest-earning assets   107,295               100,486          
    Total assets $ 3,170,780             $ 3,088,105          
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                      
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                      
    Interest-bearing transaction deposits $ 1,341,885     $ 5,641   1.70 %   $ 1,261,361     $ 5,680   1.81 %
    Time deposits   592,368       5,557   3.80 %     582,847       5,975   4.12 %
    Total interest-bearing deposits   1,934,253       11,198   2.35 %     1,844,208       11,655   2.54 %
    Other borrowings   —       —   — %     —       —   — %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   1,934,253     $ 11,198   2.35 %     1,844,208     $ 11,655   2.54 %
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities:                      
    Noninterest-bearing deposits   884,484               913,114          
    Accrued interest and other liabilities   25,336               25,055          
    Total noninterest-bearing liabilities   909,820               938,169          
    Stockholders’ equity   326,707               305,728          
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 3,170,780             $ 3,088,105          
    Net interest income     $ 24,610           $ 21,363    
    Net interest spread         2.29 %           1.81 %
    Net interest margin         3.17 %           2.80 %
    Net interest margin FTE(3)         3.22 %           2.83 %
    Cost of deposits         1.61 %           1.70 %
    Cost of funds         1.47 %           1.56 %

    (1) Includes average outstanding balances of loans held for sale of $2.6 million and $2.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
    (2) Nonaccrual loans are included as loans carrying a zero yield.
    (3) Net interest margin FTE includes an FTE adjustment using a 21.0% federal income tax rate on tax-exempt securities and tax-exempt loans.

    RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (UNAUDITED)
     
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data) March 31,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024    		   March 31,
    2024
    Tangible common equity          
    Total stockholders’ equity $ 333,316     $ 319,739     $ 299,314  
    Adjustments:          
    Intangible assets   (1,546 )     (1,546 )     (1,546 )
    Total tangible common equity (non-GAAP) $ 331,770     $ 318,193     $ 297,768  
    Realized common equity          
    Total stockholders’ equity $ 333,316     $ 319,739     $ 299,314  
    Adjustments:          
    Accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss   56,358       60,247       62,700  
    Total realized common equity (non-GAAP) $ 389,674     $ 379,986     $ 362,014  
    Common shares outstanding   6,777,657       6,777,238       6,892,448  
    Book value per share $ 49.18     $ 47.18     $ 43.43  
    Tangible book value per share (non-GAAP) $ 48.95     $ 46.95     $ 43.20  
    Realized book value per share (non-GAAP) $ 57.49     $ 56.07     $ 52.52  
               
    Tangible assets          
    Total assets $ 3,186,432     $ 3,149,594     $ 3,073,298  
    Adjustments:          
    Intangible assets   (1,546 )     (1,546 )     (1,546 )
    Total tangible assets (non-GAAP) $ 3,184,886     $ 3,148,048     $ 3,071,752  
    Total stockholders’ equity to assets   10.46 %     10.15 %     9.74 %
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP)   10.42 %     10.11 %     9.69 %

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Innventure to Present at Upcoming Innovation Conferences

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ORLANDO, Fla., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Innventure, Inc. (Nasdaq: INV), a technology commercialization platform, today announced that it will sponsor two conferences—the Front End of Innovation 2025 and the IRI Innovators Summit—that explore innovation strategies and opportunities in corporate R&D.

    The Front End of Innovation 2025 will take place on May 19-21 at the Omni Boston Hotel. The event brings together global innovation leaders to explore the intersection of human intelligence and AI-driven innovation with this year’s theme, “Harvesting Innovation: Sowing the Seeds of Future Growth.”

    Colin Scott, Innventure’s Senior Vice President, DownSelect® will present an interactive session on ‘Harvesting Innovation Through Collective Intelligence,” examining how organizations can identify and commercialize breakthrough technologies from their corporate R&D spending.

    The Innovation Research Interchange (IRI) Innovators Summit will also take place on May 19-21 in Chicago. The Summit brings together innovation experts to explore growth drivers and cutting-edge innovation strategies. As an official sponsor and session leader, Innventure’s Director of DownSelect®, Nicole Mignacca, and Director of Economic and Financial Analysis, Ellie Kim, will share insights on bridging the innovation-to-market gap through its systematic approach to technology commercialization.

    Attendees are also invited to engage with Mignacca during a panel session on “The ROI of Bold Ideas: Fueling the Innovation Pipeline” and through an exclusive webinar and thought leader podcast. Attendees will learn how Innventure’s unique model combines entrepreneurial capabilities and corporate resources to create companies to transform tomorrow.

    If you’re interested in meeting with a member of the Innventure team, please reach out to Innventure’s Events Manager, Erin Steigerwalt, at esteigerwalt@innventure.com.

    About Innventure

    Innventure founds, funds, and operates companies with a focus on transformative, sustainable technology solutions acquired or licensed from multinational corporations. Innventure takes what it believes to be breakthrough technologies from early evaluation to scaled commercialization utilizing an approach designed to help mitigate risk as it builds disruptive companies it believes have the potential to achieve a target enterprise value of at least $1 billion. Innventure defines ‘‘disruptive’’ as innovations that have the ability to significantly change the way businesses, industries, markets and/or consumers operate.

    Investor Relations Contact: Sloan Bohlen, Solebury Strategic Communications

    investorrelations@innventure.com

    Media Contact: Laurie Steinberg, Solebury Strategic Communications

    press@innventure.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: OSS Receives Record $6.5 Million Contract from a Leading Defense and Technology Solutions Company

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OSS to deliver 80 best-in-class high performance servers and field-programmable gate array systems designed for a mobile intelligence platform

    Record $6.5 million contract reflects the Company’s multi-year growth strategy that is focused on establishing production platform positions

    ESCONDIDO, Calif., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS or the Company) (Nasdaq: OSS), a leader in rugged Enterprise Class compute for artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and sensor processing at the edge, today announced a $6.5 million contract from a leading defense and technology solutions company. OSS expects shipments to commence in 2025 and contribute to revenue throughout the year.

    Under the terms of the contract, OSS will deliver 80 high performance servers and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) systems engineered for mobile, tactical military environments. The platform will be built around the Company’s 3U SDS rugged servers and 4UP PCIe expansion systems. OSS’ equipment is a key element in a U.S. Department of Defense program that is collecting sensor information, providing users with AI generated real-time analysis, and storing the collected data, all in a tactical environment.

    The contract is the third program win over the past eight months with this customer, embedding the Company’s Enterprise Class compute and storage products deeper into next-generation U.S. Department of Defense initiatives.

    “OSS is pleased to have been selected by a leading defense and technology solutions company to support a new mobile intelligence platform. This record contract reflects the first large-scale success of our growth strategy, confirms we believe we are on track to achieve our guidance and is indicative of the growing demand for our Enterprise Class compute and storage products that are specifically designed to operate on the edge and in tactical military environments. Additional development and platform opportunities are underway with this customer, which we believe will support our sales growth in 2025 and beyond,” stated OSS President and CEO, Mike Knowles.

    About One Stop Systems
    One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS) is a leader in AI enabled solutions for the demanding ‘edge’. OSS designs and manufactures Enterprise Class compute and storage products that enable rugged AI, sensor fusion and autonomous capabilities without compromise. These hardware and software platforms bring the latest data center performance to harsh and challenging applications, whether they are on land, sea or in the air.

    OSS products include ruggedized servers, compute accelerators, flash storage arrays, and storage acceleration software. These specialized compact products are used across multiple industries and applications, including autonomous trucking and farming, as well as aircraft, drones, ships and vehicles within the defense industry.

    OSS solutions address the entire AI workflow, from high-speed data acquisition to deep learning, training and large-scale inference, and have delivered many industry firsts for industrial OEM and government customers.

    As the fastest growing segment of the multi-billion-dollar edge computing market, AI enabled solutions require-and OSS delivers-the highest level of performance in the most challenging environments without compromise.

    OSS products are available directly or through global distributors. For more information, go to www.onestopsystems.com. You can also follow OSS on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    OSS cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “aim,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “suggest,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions or phrases, or the negative of those expressions or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by OSS or its partners that any of its plans or expectations will be achieved, including but not limited to the potential and/or the results of this contract, program or future programs with defense contractors and the U.S. Department of Defense, any potential or actual revenue derived from the agreements, the future adoption of technologies or applications, and the expansion of the Company’s offerings and/or relationship with different branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in our business, including risks described in our prior press releases and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    Media Contacts:
    Robert Kalebaugh
    One Stop Systems, Inc.
    Tel (858) 518-6154
    Email contact

    Investor Relations:
    Andrew Berger
    Managing Director
    SM Berger & Company, Inc.
    Tel (216) 464-6400
    Email contact

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: BYDFi Partners with Ledger to Launch Limited Edition Hardware Wallet, Debuts at TOKEN2049 Dubai

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As an official sponsor of TOKEN2049 Dubai, global crypto exchange BYDFi has teamed up with industry-leading hardware wallet provider Ledger to release a limited edition co-branded Ledger Nano X. The exclusive wallets made their debut at the TOKEN2049 event, where attendees had the chance to receive them for free through on-site interactive activities.

    This special edition wallet retains the advanced security features of the original Ledger Nano X, while incorporating custom BYDFi design elements, including visual branding and customized packaging. Symbolizing a deep collaboration on user asset protection and Web3 innovation, the wallet is equipped with a secure element chip, supports the offline storage of a wide range of digital assets, and defends against common forms of cyberattack—offering users an enhanced standard of self-custody.

    Secure by Design: Ledger x BYDFi Hardware Wallet Makes Its Official Launch

    The launch drew large crowds to the BYDFi booth at TOKEN2049, where many attendees successfully received the limited edition wallet by completing live interactions. Designed for secure self-custody, the Ledger x BYDFi wallet gives users full control over their private keys and assets, reducing reliance on centralized platforms and elevating personal asset sovereignty.

    Michael, Co-founder of BYDFi, commented at the event:

    “TOKEN2049 coincides with BYDFi’s fifth anniversary, making this a milestone moment for us. This collaboration with Ledger reflects our continued commitment to asset security. The limited edition wallet is designed especially for high-net-worth individuals who demand institutional-grade protection for their digital assets.”

    Expanding Horizons: BYDFi’s Vision for Global Growth and Market Leadership

    In addition to the co-branded wallet, BYDFi showcased its on-chain trading solution, MoonX, at the event. As a flagship product of BYDFi’s “CEX + DEX” dual-engine strategy, MoonX merges the transparency of on-chain execution with the high-speed performance of centralized systems—delivering an ultra-smooth, seamless trading experience tailored to the rising demands of DeFi users.

    The launch of MoonX not only expands the boundaries of BYDFi’s trading ecosystem, but also promotes greater diversity in trading methods and empowers users with more choice and flexibility.

    Looking ahead, BYDFi will continue to strengthen collaborations with global partners and infrastructure providers, accelerating the deployment of innovative products and further solidifying its global service capabilities.

    About Ledger Nano X

    The Ledger Nano X is a hardware wallet certified by independent security labs. It features a tamper-proof secure element chip that safely stores users’ private keys. Any unauthorized access attempts trigger a self-destruct mechanism, ensuring maximum protection. Additional features include PIN protection, a 24-word recovery phrase, encrypted Bluetooth connectivity, and hidden wallets accessible via separate PINs—delivering comprehensive security for crypto asset holders.
    More info: https://www.ledger.com

    About BYDFi

    Founded in 2020, BYDFi has been recognized by Forbes as one of the world’s top 10 crypto exchanges, officially listed on CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko, and holds MSB licenses in multiple jurisdictions. It is also a member of South Korea’s CODE VASP Alliance.

    Today, BYDFi serves users in 190+ countries, with a global user base exceeding 1,000,000. The platform supports spot, perpetual, and on-chain trading, enabling access to over 600 cryptocurrencies and 500,000+ memecoin pairs. BYDFi is committed to delivering a world-class crypto trading experience. BUIDL Your Dream Finance.

    • Website: https://www.bydfi.com
    • Support Email: cs@bydfi.com
    • Business Partnerships: bd@bydfi.com
    • Media Inquiries: media@bydfi.com

    Twitter( X )| LinkedIn| Facebook | Telegram| YouTube

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6a0f58b8-d323-40de-b689-70c3558a6f89
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b9a49e6b-ad0d-4464-8213-42e029343cae

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Ecora Resources PLC to Present at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference May 8th

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ecora Resources (OTCQX: ECRAF), based in London, focused on critical minerals royalties and streams, today announced that Geoff Callow, Head of Investor Relations, will present live at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on May 8th.

    DATE: May 8th
    TIME: 10:00 AM ET
    LINK: https://bit.ly/4iG9fko

    Available for 1×1 meetings: May 6-9th, 12-13th, 2025

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

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

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

    About Ecora Resources
    Ecora is a leading critical minerals focused royalty company.

    Our vision is to be globally recognised as the royalty company of choice synonymous with commodities that support trends of electrification by continuing to grow and diversify our royalty portfolio in line with our strategy. We will achieve this through building a diversified portfolio of scale over high quality assets that drives low volatility earnings growth and shareholder returns.

    The mining sector has an essential role to play in the energy transition, with commodities such as copper, nickel and cobalt – key materials for manufacturing batteries and electric vehicles. Copper also plays a critical role in our electricity grids. All these commodities are mined and there are not enough mines in operation today to supply the volume required to achieve the energy transition.

    Our strategy is to acquire royalties and streams over low-cost operations and projects with strong management teams, in well-established mining jurisdictions. Our portfolio has been reweighted to provide material exposure to this commodity basket and we have successfully transitioned from a coal orientated royalty business in 2014 to one that by 2026 will be materially coal free and comprised of over 90% exposure to commodities that support a sustainable future. The fundamental demand outlook for these commodities over the next decade is very strong, which should significantly increase the value of our royalty portfolio.

    Ecora’s shares are listed on the London and Toronto Stock Exchanges (ECOR) and trade on the OTCQX Best Market (OTCQX: ECRAF).

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®

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

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

    CONTACTS:
    Ecora Resources PLC
    Geoff Callow
    Head of IR
    Callow@ecora-resources.com

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

    The MIL Network –

    May 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: In the $250B influencer industry, being a hater can be the only way to rein in bad behavior

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jessica Maddox, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Creative Media, University of Alabama

    Influencer Alix Earle, a self-described ‘hot mess,’ has legions of online haters. Greg Doherty/Getty Images for Revolve

    Since 2020, content creator Remi Bader had accumulated millions of TikTok followers by offering her opinions on the fits of popular clothing brands as a plus-size woman.

    In 2023, however, Bader appeared noticeably thinner. When some fans asked her whether she’d undergone a procedure, she blocked them. Later that year, she announced that she would no longer be posting about her body.

    Enter snark subreddits. On Reddit, these forums exist for the sole purpose of calling out internet celebrities, whether they’re devoted to dinging the late-night antics of self-described “hot mess” Alix Earle or venting over Savannah and Cole LaBrant, a family vlogging couple who misleadingly implied that their daughter had cancer.

    While the internet is synonymous with fan culture, snark subreddits aren’t for enthusiasts. Instead, snarkers are anti-fans who hone the art of hating.

    Remi Bader attends New York Fashion Week on Feb. 10, 2025.
    Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tory Burch

    After Bader’s refusal to talk about her weight loss, the Remi Bader snark subreddit blew up. Posters weren’t upset that Bader had lost weight or had stopped posting about her body size. Instead, they believed Bader the influencer, who’d built her brand on plus-size inclusion in fashion, wasn’t being straight with her fans and needed to be taken to account.

    It worked. During a March 2025 appearance on Khloe Kardashian’s podcast, Bader finally revealed that she had, in fact, had weight-loss surgery.

    Some critics see snarkers as a big problem and understandably denounce their tendency to harass, body shame and try to cancel influencers.

    But completely dismissing snark glosses over the fact that it can serve a purpose. In our work as social media researchers, we’ve written about how snark can actually be thought of as a way to call out bad actors in the largely unregulated world of influencing and content creation.

    Grassroots policing

    Before there were influencers, there were bloggers. While bloggers covered topics that ranged from entertainment to politics to travel, parenting and fashion bloggers probably have the closest connection to today’s influencers.

    After Google introduced AdSense in 2003, bloggers were easily able to run advertising on their websites. Then brands saw an opportunity. Parenting and fashion bloggers had large, loyal followings. Many readers felt an intimate connection to their favorite bloggers, who seemed more like friends than out-of-touch celebrity spokespersons.

    Brands realized they could send bloggers their products in exchange for a write-up or a feature. Furthermore, advertisers understood that parenting and fashion bloggers didn’t have to adhere to the same industry regulations or code of ethics as most news media outlets, such as disclosing payments or conflicts of interest.

    This changed the dynamic between bloggers and their fans, who wondered whether bloggers could be trusted if they were sometimes being paid to promote certain products.

    In response, websites emerged in 2009 to critique bloggers. “Get Off My Internets,” for example, fashioned itself as a “quality control watchdog” to provide constructive criticism and call out deceptive practices. As Instagram and YouTube became more popular, the subreddit “r/Blogsnark” launched in 2015 to critique early influencers, in addition to bloggers.

    Few guardrails in place

    Today the influencer industry has a valuation of over US$250 billion in the U.S. alone, and it’s on track to be worth over $500 billion by 2027.

    Yet there are few regulations in place for influencers. A few laws have emerged to protect child influencers, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has established legal guidelines for sponsored content.

    That said, the influencing industry remains rife with exploitation.

    It goes both ways: Corporations can exploit influencers. For example, a 2021 study found that Black influencers receive below-market offers compared with white influencers.

    Savannah and Cole LaBrant came under fire for implying that their daughter had cancer, in what their critics called a ploy for attention.
    Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images for Lionsgate

    Likewise, influencers can deceive or exploit their followers. They might use unrealistic body filters to appear thinner than they are. They could hide who’s paying them. They may promote health misinformation such as the controversial ParaGuard cleanse, a fake treatment pushed by wellness influencers that claimed to rid its users of parasites.

    Or, in the case of Remi Bader, they might gain a huge following by promoting body positivity, only to conceal a weight-loss procedure from their fans.

    For disappointed fans or followers who feel burned, snark can seem like the only regulatory guardrail in an industry that has gone largely unchecked. Think of snark as a Better Business Bureau for the untamable world of influencing – a form of accountability that brings attention to the scammers and hustlers.

    Keeping it real

    Todays’s snark exists at the intersection of gossip and cancel culture.

    Though cancel culture certainly has its faults, we approach cancel culture in our writing as a worthy tool that allows audiences to hold the powerful accountable. For example, communities of color have joined forces to call out racists, as they did in 2024 when they exposed lifestyle influencer Brooke Schofield’s anti-Black tweets.

    Influencers build trust with their audiences based on being “real” and relatable. But there’s nothing preventing them from breaking that trust, and snarkers can swoop in to point out bad behavior or hypocrisy.

    Within the competitive world of family vlogging, snarkers see themselves as doing more than stirring the pot. They’re truth-tellers who bring injustices to light, such as abuse and child labor exploitation. Some of this exposure is paying off, with more and more states introducing and passing family vlogger laws that require children to one day receive a portion of their parents’ earnings or restrict how often children can appear in their parents’ videos.

    Yes, snark can veer into cyberbullying. But that shouldn’t discount its value as a tool for transparency. Influencers are ultimately brands. They sell audiences ideas, lifestyles and products.

    When people feel as if they’ve been misled, we think they have every right to call it out.

    Jess Rauchberg receives funding from Microsoft Research.

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

    – ref. In the $250B influencer industry, being a hater can be the only way to rein in bad behavior – https://theconversation.com/in-the-250b-influencer-industry-being-a-hater-can-be-the-only-way-to-rein-in-bad-behavior-253010

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 1, 2025
←Previous Page
1 … 899 900 901 902 903 … 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