NewzIntel.com

Category: Commerce

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Disaster Relief to Maryland Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by March Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Maryland who sustained economic losses caused by drought beginning Mar. 4.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, Carroll, Frederick, Howard and Montgomery, and Prince George in Maryland and District of Columbia, Adam and York in Pennsylvania as well as Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun in Virginia.  

    Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises. Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.

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

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”  

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.62% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

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

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 6, 2026.

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    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The Libya Energy & Economic Summit (LEES) Partners with AmCham Libya, Strengthening United States (US)-Libya Ties for 2026 Summit

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    TRIPOLI, Libya, May 22, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The Libya Energy & Economic Summit (LEES) is proud to announce its partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in Libya (AmCham Libya) for the 2026 edition of the summit, taking place in Tripoli on January 24-26. This collaboration marks a new chapter in fostering stronger economic ties and energy sector partnerships between the U.S. and Libya.

    AmCham Libya, known for its role in fostering business and trade relations between the U.S. and Libya, will collaborate closely with LEES to bring high-level participation from U.S. investors and energy companies to the upcoming summit. The 2026 summit will build on the momentum of the highly successful 2025 edition, which featured a dedicated U.S. pavilion, a U.S.-Libya Roundtable, participation from U.S. officials, and a significant delegation of U.S.-based companies. With an expanded presence expected in 2026, the summit will further strengthen U.S.-Libya commercial ties and open new avenues for investment and partnership.

    In parallel, LEES 2026 will return with a dedicated U.S.-Libya Roundtable, aimed at advancing dialogue on trade, investment and energy cooperation between the two nations. The 2025 roundtable, moderated by AmCham, brought together senior executives from ConocoPhillips, Nabors and the U.S.-Libya Business Association, alongside U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Jeremy Berndt, to deliver a clear message: U.S. companies are ready to engage and optimistic about Libya’s future. The session marked a significant step in strengthening U.S.-Libya commercial ties and underscored serious interest from the American private sector in supporting Libya’s energy and economic revival.

    “LEES serves as a vital platform for strengthening U.S.-Libya economic ties. We look forward to building on the momentum of past engagement, highlighting American innovation in energy and infrastructure, and expanding avenues for collaboration with Libyan partners. This continued partnership underscores our long-term commitment to supporting Libya’s economic growth and stability,” says Debbie Hirst, President of AmCham Libya.

    “Our longstanding partnership with AmCham Libya has been instrumental in shaping LEES into a platform for meaningful U.S.-Libya engagement. U.S. companies are the cornerstone of Libya’s energy development and continue to play a critical role in driving innovation, investment and capacity building in the sector.  We look forward to deepening this collaboration at LEES 2026 and showcasing the vital role of U.S. businesses in Libya’s economic future,” says James Chester, CEO of Energy Capital & Power.

    With dates confirmed for January 24-26, 2026, LEES will return for its fourth edition in Tripoli as the leading event focused on driving international private sector investment in Libya’s energy and infrastructure sectors. The summit brings together senior government officials, industry leaders and experts to explore strategies for driving investment, fostering partnerships and unlocking Libya’s economic potential.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LaLota Brokers SALT Deal

    Source: US Representative Nick LaLota (NY-01)

    Delivers Full Relief to 92% of Constituents
    Quadruples Deduction Cap for Long Island Families

    Washington, D.C. — Rep. Nick LaLota (NY-01) announced a significant win for Long Island taxpayers following successful negotiations to quadruple the cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. The change, included in the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, now heads to the Senate and awaits the President’s signature. If enacted, the measure would provide long-overdue relief—saving many Suffolk County families as much as $8,000 on their 2026 federal tax returns.

    The deal raises the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 for households earning under $500,000, with both thresholds indexed to grow by about 1% annually—reaching roughly $44,000 and $552,000 by year ten. A household earning $333,000 and paying $20,000 in property taxes would now be fully covered under the new cap. The provision is valued at $344 billion over ten years.

    LaLota secured the breakthrough after resisting heavy internal party pressure and rejecting a weaker proposal that would have capped deductions at $30,000 for households earning under $400,000—with no indexing and a reset to $10,000 after a decade. That rejected proposal, worth $225 billion, might have covered a household earning $250,000 with $15,000 in property taxes—but it would have fallen far short for many Long Islanders.

    “This was a years-long battle, and I’m proud my colleagues finally came around to a plan that fixes the unfair $10,000 cap from 2017,” said LaLota. “Raising it to $40,000 means 92% of the families I represent will finally be made whole. For too long, Suffolk County’s middle class has been punished by double taxation. That ends now.”

    According to the Tax Foundation, median property taxes in Nassau and Suffolk Counties far exceed $10,000, meaning most homeowners have long been penalized under the current $10,000 cap. Only 16.3% of NY-01 taxpayers currently claim a SALT deduction—evidence of just how narrow and inequitable the benefit has been.

    “Securing this deal took months of pressure, standing firm, and refusing to settle,” LaLota added. “I meant what I said: No SALT, no deal—for real. That wasn’t a slogan—it was a promise to Suffolk County families. And today, we delivered.”

    LaLota also highlighted his consistent opposition to tax packages that failed to fix the SALT deduction.

    “In 2021 and 2022, Democrats controlled Washington and broke their promise to fix SALT. In 2024, when the Smith/Wyden tax plan ignored it again, I voted no. And when a $30,000 cap was floated, I pushed back. That wasn’t a compromise—it was an insult.”

    LaLota credited Speaker Mike Johnson and Chairwoman Elise Stefanik for working with him to deliver meaningful reform.

    “This is a major win for Long Island—but we’re not done yet. I’ll keep fighting until this provision is signed into law and middle-class families get the relief they deserve. I didn’t come to Washington to play politics—I came to fight for Suffolk County. And I’m just getting started.”

    Background:

    Timeline of LaLota Actions

    January 25, 2023 – First SALT Caucus Meeting

    February 8, 2023 – First SALT press conference

    April 10, 2023 – LaLota cosponsors SALT Deductibility Act

    April 14, 2023 – SALT press conference in Franklin Square, NY

    May 10, 2023 – LaLota introduces SALT Fairness and Deficit Reduction Act

    May 10, 2023 – LaLota cosponsors SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act

    May 17, 2023 – Meeting w/ RSC Chairman Kevin Hern re SALT

    May 18, 2023 – Meeting w/ Rep. Mario Diaz Balart re SALT

    May 24, 2023 – Meeting w/ Rep. Gottheimer re SALT

    May 24, 2023 – First meeting w/ House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith

    May 30, 2023 – LaLota introduces amendment to Fiscal Responsibility Act to address unfair SALT deduction cap

    June 6, 2023 – Meeting w/ Senator Gillibrand re SALT

    June 14, 2023 – Meeting w/ Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Chairman Smith re SALT

    June 22, 2023 – Meeting w/ SALT Caucus

    July 12, 2023 – Meeting w/ Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer re SALT

    July 27, 2023 – Meeting w/ House Budget Committee re SALT

    January 31, 2024 – LaLota introduces SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act alongside Rep. Mike Lawler

    January 31, 2024 – LaLota votes against Wyden-Smith tax bill due to lack of SALT fix

    January 31, 2024 – LaLota forces vote on SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act

    February 14, 2024 – House Democrats block vote on SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act

    April 10, 2024 – LaLota highlights unfair SALT deduction cap at Small Business Committee hearing

    May 14, 2024 – LaLota House floor speech on House Democrats blocking SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act

    June 7, 2024 – Meeting w/ SALT Caucus

    August 12, 2024 – Publishes Op-Ed entitled, “Relief for New York: Increasing the SALT Deduction to Protect Our Communities”

    September 24, 2024 – Meeting w/ Ways and Means Committee Working Families Tax Team re SALT

    December 12, 2024 – LaLota rejects idea of raising SALT deduction cap to $20,000

    January 7, 2025 – Meeting w/ SALT Caucus

    January 8, 2025 – Meeting w/ Ways and Means Committee Working Families Tax Team re SALT

    January 11, 2025 – Meeting w/ President Trump at Mar-a-Lago re SALT

    January 14, 2025 – LaLota publishes Op-Ed entitled, “Fighting for Long Island’s Future”

    January 14, 2025 – Meeting w/ SALT Caucus

    January 23, 2025 – LaLota testifies in front of Ways and Means Committee re unfair SALT deduction cap

    January 24, 2025 – LaLota House floor speech on unfair SALT deduction cap

    January 30, 2025 – SALT press conference in Smithtown, NY

    February 26, 2025 – LaLota votes for House Budget Resolution & vows to get SALT fix done

    February 27, 2025 – LaLota meets w/ President Trump in Oval Office and talks SALT fix

    March 1, 2025 – LaLota reiterates his promise to vote against reconciliation bill if it doesn’t include meaningful increase to SALT deduction cap

    March 3, 2025 – LaLota publishes Op-Ed entitled, “A Responsible Budget That Puts Long Island First”

    April 6, 2025 – Phone Call w/ Speaker Johnson re Budget Resolution and SALT

    April 7, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    April 29, 2025 – Meeting w/ White House Legislative Affairs re SALT

    April 30, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 6, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 8, 2025 – Joint Statement from SALTy Five re Ways and Means proposed SALT language

    May 8, 2025 – SALTy Five reject Ways and Means offer on proposed SALT fix

    May 12, 2025 – Conference Call w/ Speaker Johnson and Chairman Smith

    May 13, 2025 – Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 15, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 19, 2025 – Phone Call w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 19, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 20, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 20, 2025 – Joint Statement from SALTy Five re President Trump’s comments during House Republican Conference Meeting

    New York currently holds the unenviable position of having the highest effective tax burden in the nation, a direct consequence of the ballooning state budget under single-party Democratic rule since 2018. The current New York State budget, growing at a rate double that of inflation, surpasses Florida’s despite New York’s smaller population. The repercussions are stark: New York leads the country in residents relocating to more economically-prudent states like Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

    This fiscal mismanagement by New York Democrats has resulted in an excessive dependence on the federal State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. This deduction permits taxpayers to offset their federal taxable income with the amount paid in state and local taxes. However, the 2017 tax reform, spearheaded by President Trump, capped these deductions at $10,000, intensifying the tax burden for New Yorkers. This cap underscores the urgent need for fiscal reform in the state to alleviate the pressures on its taxpayers.

    In 2022, despite their initial pledge of “No SALT, no deal,” House Democrats did not follow through before the final vote on the Inflation Reduction Act. Throughout 2021 and 2022, Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress as well as the White House. Nevertheless, they did not address the $10,000 cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction, missing a crucial opportunity to fulfill their promises to alleviate the tax burdens on their constituents. This inaction occurred even as they held the legislative power to potentially make significant changes to the policy.

    Since being sworn into office in January 2023, LaLota has been explicitly clear on his support for restoring the SALT deduction. LaLota joined the bipartisan SALT Caucus and, in March 2023, introduced the SALT Fairness and Deficit Reduction Act to effectively bring the deduction to pre-2017 levels for the overwhelming majority of taxpayers while at the same time reducing the federal deficit by raising and extending the SALT deduction cap to $60,000 for single filers and $120,000 for joint filers beginning in 2023 and lasting until December 31, 2032.

    In January 2024, LaLota voted against the Wyden-Smith tax bill because it failed to include an increase on the cap to the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. In February 2024, LaLota introduced the SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act to the floor of the House. Unfortunately, 18 Republicans, together with every single House Democrat, blocked further consideration, debate, and a final vote on the measure. The SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act would remove the marriage penalty and raise the SALT deduction cap to $20,000 for joint filers and cap adjusted gross income at $500,000.

    In January 2025, LaLota met with President Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago to address critical issues impacting Long Island, including the SALT cap, and continue the conversation on available options for a reconciliation tax package. During that meeting, President Trump renewed his campaign pledge to ‘fix’ the SALT cap and support LaLota’s constituents who suffer under the nation’s most burdensome state and local taxes, a direct result from ineffective and incompetent Democratic governance in New York.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Young Kim Secures SALT Cap Increase, Tax Cuts in Historic Package 

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) voted in favor of H.R. 1, which takes historic steps to uplift working families and small businesses, get our country back on the right fiscal track, and streamline and strengthen our federal government to better serve the American people.  

    Rep. Kim, who serves as Republican co-chair of the State and Local Tax (SALT) Caucus, secured a 400% increase in the cap on SALT deductions, allowing hardworking California families to keep more money in their pockets and providing vital relief for  her constituents hurt by the current $10,000 SALT cap. 

    “Californians I represent have been bearing the brunt of persistent inflation due to wasteful spending from Washington and Sacramento. It’s past time for relief. Increasing the SALT cap 400% is a huge win that allows middle-class families I represent to keep more hard-earned money in their pockets,” said Rep. Young Kim. 

    “This bill takes important steps to ensure federal dollars are stretched as far as possible and strengthen Medicaid for our most vulnerable citizens. I will keep working to get our country back on the right track and protect the American dream for future generations,” she continued. 

    In addition to providing much-needed SALT relief, H.R. 1 supports the American people through initiatives such as: 

    • Protecting Medicaid for future generations of our most vulnerable citizens, including seniors, women, children, and disabled Americans;  
    • Extending middle-class tax cuts and the child tax credit originally enacted in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; and, 
    • Promoting financial literacy and opportunity by creating a pilot program where newborns receive $1,000 in a tax advantaged investment account. 

    According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, nearly 25,000 small and pass-through businesses across Rep. Kim’s district will see an increase of approximately $21,906,300 in their qualified business income deduction through the bill’s passage. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson: The President is waiting with his pen. And the American people are waiting for relief.

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — Ahead of passage, Speaker Johnson delivered the closing argument for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on the House floor this morning, arguing for its swift passage and immediate consideration by the U.S. Senate.

    Click here to watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks

    Below are Speaker Johnson’s remarks as delivered:

    After a long week and a long night and countless hours of work over the past year, a lot of prayer and a lot of teamwork, my friends, it quite literally is again Morning in America, isn’t it? And after four long years of President Biden’s failures, President Trump’s America First agenda is finally here, and we are advancing that today.

    What we’re going to do here this morning is truly historic, and it will make all the difference in the daily lives of hard-working Americans. The Dallas waitress pulling overtime, the Detroit mom counting bills late at night, the Kentucky coal miner waiting on his second chance. These are the forgotten men and women of our country that we are all called here to serve, and the One Big Beautiful Bill will deliver for those people.

    It revives our economy. It will deliver historic tax relief. It will make the largest investment in our border security in a generation. It will unleash affordable American energy again, restore common sense to government, secure generational savings and strengthen our national defense, while it also strengthens our essential programs like Medicaid for the people who need it the most. That’s what we’re doing with the One Big Beautiful Bill.

    To put it simply, this bill gets Americans back to winning again, and it’s been a long time coming. This One Big Beautiful Bill is the most consequential legislation that any party has ever passed, certainly under a majority this thin. Legislation of this magnitude is truly nation shaping and life changing. It’s the kind of transformational change that future generations will study one day.

    They’ll look back at this day as a turning point in American history, and it’s exactly what we were sent here to do. Let the record show that when the House Democrats vote in a few moments, this is what they’ll be voting for. Their vote will show that they are apparently for the largest tax increase in the history of our country. They will be voting for when they vote against this bill, waste, fraud, and abuse. They will be voting against safer communities, American energy dominance and American strength on the world stage.

    Today wouldn’t be possible without the leadership of arguably the most powerful and the most successful and the most respected president in the modern era of the United States. Our Democratic colleagues mock the objective truth. We were delivered unified government, my friends, in November, the White House, the Senate and the House were delivered to the party on this side of the aisle. So you can laugh all you want.

    None of this would be possible without the leadership of the 45th and the 47th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and it would not be possible without the really hard work of the men and women on this side of the aisle.

    I just want to name our chairman of their House committees that produced and did all the hard work to produce the big, beautiful bill. Scripture says we give honor where honor is due, Mr. Leader, and we’re going to do that here quickly: Chairman G.T. Thompson of the Agriculture Committee, Chairman Mike Rogers of the Armed Services Committee, Chairman Jodey Arrington of the Budget Committee, Chairman Tim Walberg, Education and Workforce Committee, Chairman Brett Guthrie, Energy and Commerce Committee, Chairman French Hill, Financial Services Committee, Chairman Mark Green, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Judiciary Committee, Chairman Bruce Westerman, House Natural Resources Committee, Chairman James Comer Oversight and Accountability Committee, Chairman Sam Graves, Transportation and Infrastructure, Chairman Jason Smith, Ways and Means Committee, and I want to make special mention of Chairwoman Virginia Foxx of the Rules Committee, who, by my count, sat in that chair and led that Rules Committee for almost seemed like two straight days. And I think she took two short breaks. She’s the “iron lady of the House,” and I’m so grateful for all their hard work.

    The beauty of what we produce with the One Big Beautiful Bill over here is that this was a team effort. This was men and women who were elected to come here, the duly elected representatives of the people back home. They rolled up their sleeves. They got down in the trenches. We began this effort over a year ago.

    It was actually March of last year, because we anticipated, and we believed, that we would be delivered unified government, that we would have a Republican leader in the White House, Donald J. Trump, that we would have the Senate and the house, and that we would have that moment of opportunity. And so, we planned, and we worked, and we locked arms together as a team, and we have delivered this against all odds.

    The media has tried to divide us. They’ve written our eulogy about 10 times, and you know what? Sometimes it’s good to be underestimated, isn’t it? But we got this done, and I’m so proud of the work of every member of this House Republican Conference who worked in their committees. Every single member had a say in this, every single constituent, the millions of people that are represented here, have their voices and their interests reflected, because we did this together as a team, and it’s quite an achievement.

    I just want to say that all that tireless work has led to the hard work of crafting this legislation, and we’ve been ready since day one to deliver on this agenda. Unified control of government is a rare mandate. It doesn’t happen very often. It’s happened just three times for our party in the last half century. We do not take it for granted, and we are delivering on that mandate here today.

    The American people gave us a mandate in November. They sent a message with their vote. They gave this side of the aisle the power, and we’re going to use it to make their lives better. What we’re achieving here today is nothing short of historic, and that’s true. House Republicans are getting it done again.

    In the Republican Party, see, we believe in a simple principle. We believe that America really is a shining city on a hill. Ronald Reagan used to talk about that, he was referencing Scripture. He understood that America is exceptional. He understood that, as it says right there above the Speaker’s rostrum, our national motto, that we trust in God, in God is our trust. These are the things that make our nation exceptional, and the people of our country, they deserve, they deserve better.

    We’ve been working hard to deliver so that the people of our country see this again as a shining city on a hill, and that people around the world see us for who we should be. One thing that we can all agree on, on both sides of the aisle, is that a strong America is good for everybody, all around the world. All of us together, regardless of party, were called here to stand together and defend those freedoms and to defend those foundations that made us the greatest nation in the history of the world. All of us have to look and recognize that the shine has not been on that city in a while. We’re here to restore it, and this piece of legislation, as large as it is and historic as it is, will do that very thing.

    Now look, we’re accomplishing a big thing here today, but we know this isn’t the end of the road just yet. We’ve been working closely with Leader Thune and our Senate colleagues, the Senate Republicans, to get this done and delivered to the President’s desk by our Independence Day, that’s July 4.

    Today proves that we can do that, and we will do that. And it doesn’t matter how much the media doubts this, or how much the Democrats, you know, give us their narratives. Doesn’t matter how long the speeches are. It doesn’t change the facts; we’re delivering, and we’re doing it in a big way.

    So, to our friends in the Senate, I would just say, the President is waiting with his pen. The American people are waiting for this relief. They are waiting for these life changing results, and we are going to finish this job. This is a historic moment that we will be talking to our children and our grandchildren about, and everyone will remember America’s back. I yield back.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes President Trump’s America First Agenda

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

    Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. After voting in support of the bill, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) issued the following statement:

    “House Republicans have met the moment before us with passage of today’s historic legislation. Through months of hard work, valuable input from all Members of our conference, and a clear mandate from 77 million Americans—the House has delivered the people’s agenda,” said Congressman Allen. “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act codifies President Trump’s priorities by providing resources to secure the border, making a generational investment in America’s defense, bolstering domestic energy dominance, avoiding the largest tax hike in history, and protecting our most vulnerable communities. My colleagues in the Senate must move expeditiously in passing our bill and sending it to President Trump’s desk. The sooner this legislation is signed into law, the sooner our economy will experience record growth and American families, workers, and businesses will see the relief they have long deserved.”

    THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT:

    • Makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent – protecting the average taxpayer from a 22% tax hike.
      • The average taxpayer in GA-12 would see a 24% tax hike if the Trump Tax Cuts expire.
      • A family of 4 making $60,966, the median income in GA-12, would see a $1,160 tax increase if the Trump Tax Cuts expire.
      • Over 6,000 family-owned farms in GA-12 would have their death tax exemption slashed in half next year if the Trump Tax Cuts expire.
    • Delivers on President Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest, and provides additional tax relief for seniors. 
    • Provides funding for 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel.
    • Provides an effective border wall system, specifically:
      • Completion of 701 miles of primary wall.
      • Construction of 900 miles of river barriers.
      • 629 miles of secondary barriers.
      • Replacement of 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers.
    • Rescinds wasteful Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) spending which led to runaway inflation.
    • Streamlines processes for developing energy infrastructure which will unleash American energy, help secure affordable and reliable energy for Americans, and support exporting energy to aid our allies.
    • Ensures that Medicaid only pays for American citizens and legal immigrants by strengthening citizenship verifications to determine eligibility, saving tens of billions of dollars.
    • Increases personal accountability to help lift Americans out of poverty by establishing work requirements in Medicaid for able-bodied adults who do not have dependent children or elderly parents in their care.
    • Strengthens accountability for students and taxpayers, streamlines student
      loan options, and simplifies student loan repayment.

    BACKGROUND: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, otherwise known as the reconciliation bill, is a combination of individual bills advanced by 11 House committees as instructed by the Republican Budget Framework. Congressman Allen sits on two of the 11 committees, the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee, in which he played an integral role in crafting and advancing the language under each committee’s jurisdiction. Legislation brought to a vote under the reconciliation process in the United States Senate only requires a simple majority vote.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former IRS Employee Ordered to Repay Funds From PPP Loan Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FORT WAYNE – Rakita Davis, 45 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to federal felonies for wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Davis was sentenced to 24 months of probation and ordered to pay $55,213.61 in restitution to the Small Business Administration.

    According to documents in the case, Davis falsely claimed gross income for a business that did not exist when she applied for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in 2021. The PPP program provided loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses as part the CARES Act and for emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Davis, who was employed by the IRS when she applied for the loans, falsely claimed that she was the sole proprietor of a catering business when in reality, no such business existed. As a result of her fraudulent representations, Davis received PPP funds which she used for her own benefit on personal items such as jewelry, airfare, luxury car rentals, and vacations.

    “This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) to investigate and bring to justice those who victimize the American taxpayer,” said Kelly Moening, TIGTA Special Agent-in-Charge. “Fraudulently applying for loans through a federal program meant to assist Americans in need will be met with aggressive investigation and prosecution. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their commitment to this goal.”  

    This case was investigated by the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin C. Sheridan.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Former Zillow Executive Andrew Wild Joins Lofty to Spearhead Enterprise Sales

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHOENIX, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Award-winning real estate technology innovator, Lofty today announced 20+ year industry veteran Andrew Wild has joined the company as Vice President of Enterprise Sales. The former Zillow executive will lead Lofty’s enterprise sales strategy and team, focused on acquiring and expanding partnerships with brokerages across the U.S. Passionate about helping enterprises modernize their tech operations, Andrew will help evangelize the power of Lofty’s innovative platform to streamline operations, improve data visibility and drive agent productivity. To learn more about how Lofty’s innovations can help your enterprise brokerage drive business growth, visit lofty.com.

    • Lofty Wins Company of the Year in Real Estate in 2025 American Business Awards. Read more HERE.

    More than 70k agents and fast growing brokerages including Epique Realty, LPT and REAL rely on Lofty as their platform of choice. An industry veteran, Andrew understands however, that many brokerages are still stuck in a technology rut, beholden to legacy, siloed systems. In his new role, Andrew will leverage his keen understanding of the challenges enterprise brokerages face to help educate the market on the transformation power of Lofty and accelerate adoption of the AI-powered platform, designed to support the entire real estate process – from search to settlement.

    An original revenue team member at Zillow, Andrew spent the last two plus decades honing his skills in real estate and SaaS sales. Previously, Andrew led enterprise sales for Dotloop and Premier Broker and held a leadership position at Tom Ferry, fostering strategic partnerships with top brokerages and teams nationwide.

    “I’m excited to join Lofty and help drive the next phase of growth in enterprise real estate tech,” said Andrew Wild, Vice President, Enterprise Sales, Lofty. “I’m especially looking forward to helping Lofty build on its growing enterprise adoption and AI innovation, which is finally giving the company a seat at the table in major enterprise tech conversations. There’s huge potential to give brokers and teams more control over lead-to-transaction workflows—outside of the portals—and to truly drive business results.”

    To learn more about how Lofty’s unmatched AI capabilities can help your business grow, visit lofty.com/ai/overview.

    About Lofty Inc.
    Lofty Inc. (formerly Chime Technologies) provides an AI-powered platform that helps real estate professionals increase their productivity and accelerate business growth. Featuring award-winning technology, the Lofty platform is designed to optimize every step of the real estate journey, from search to settlement. By leveraging one unified hub, customers can automate marketing programs, streamline the sales process, and maximize collaboration between agents, empowering them to spend more time building relationships and their business. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Lofty provides proven solutions for brokers, teams, and the enterprise. For more information, visit lofty.com.

    Media Contact:
    Sarah Murray
    Attune Communications
    sarah@attunecommunications.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/88909c6b-758d-4ae1-b62b-0244bdc8be5d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Thrive Ranked #10 in Boston Business Journal’s 2025 Fast 50

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, Cloud, and traditional managed service provider (MSP) services, announced today that it was ranked #10 in the Boston Business Journal’s 2025 Fast 50. This marks the fifth consecutive year Thrive has been named as one of the fastest-growing private companies in Massachusetts, and the second year in a row it has placed in the top 10.

    Thrive works with leading organizations to ensure their digital transformations are secure, cost-effective, and future-ready. By offering a variety of services and solutions that address today’s most critical cybersecurity and technology gaps, Thrive gives businesses customized services to meet their unique business needs and allows them to focus on what they do best. This approach has led to continued growth for Thrive. The company has completed 17 acquisitions in the last 5 years and now employs over 1,450 people across the U.S., UK, Canada, and APAC regions.

    “By offering world-class service coupled with NextGen solutions to solve some of the most prominent challenges organizations are facing, Thrive has found a winning formula that has allowed us to continue to grow, expand our national and international footprint, innovate, and hire the best talent,” said Bill McLaughlin, Thrive’s CEO. “Thrive’s remarkable growth is the direct result of the hard work of our employees in the Boston region and beyond. This team has propelled us to reach new heights – and we’re not done yet.”

    The BBJ Fast 50 ranks companies based on revenue growth from 2021 to 2024, recognizing businesses that have demonstrated strong leadership, innovation, and resilience in a dynamic economic landscape. The final list was revealed at an awards ceremony on May 13, celebrating the companies helping to drive Boston’s economic momentum.

    To learn more, visit Thrive’s website. If you’re interested in working for Thrive’s award-winning team, visit Thrive’s careers page.

    About Thrive  
    Thrive delivers global technology outsourcing for cybersecurity, Cloud, networking, and other complex IT requirements. Thrive’s NextGen platform enables customers to increase business efficiencies through standardization, scalability, and automation, delivering oversized technology returns on investment (ROI). They accomplish this with advisory services, vCISO, vCIO, consulting, project implementation, solution architects, and a best-in-class subscription-based technology platform. Thrive delivers exceptional high-touch service through its POD approach of subject matter experts and global 24x7x365 SOC, NOC, and centralized services teams. Learn more at www.thrivenextgen.com or follow us on LinkedIn.  

    Thrive Contact:  
    Hannah Johnston
    thrive@v2comms.com  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Drones Used for Power Line Inspection Industry Exploding, Expected to Reach $323 Billion By 2032

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – The Global Drone Power Line Inspection Market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. A report from Wise Guy Reports projected that the Drone Power Line Inspection Market Industry is expected to grow from 26.66(USD Billion) in 2024 to 323.8 (USD Billion) by 2032. The Drone Power Line Inspection Market CAGR (growth rate) is expected to be around 36.63% during the forecast period (2025 – 2032). The report said: “Key market drivers propelling the growth of the drone power line inspection market include increasing demand for reliable and efficient power transmission and distribution, rising emphasis on safety and regulatory compliance, and technological advancements in drone technology. Moreover, government initiatives and support for drone-based inspections and the growing need for remote inspection solutions amidst challenging terrains and weather conditions further contribute to the market expansion. Opportunities for exploration and capture reside in the integration of AI and machine learning capabilities into drones, enabling more accurate and efficient inspection processes. Additionally, the development of autonomous drones with advanced navigation and obstacle avoidance systems holds significant potential for reducing inspection time and costs. Recent trends in the drone power line inspection market revolve around the adoption of multi-rotor drones for enhanced stability and maneuverability. Furthermore, the integration of advanced sensors, such as thermal imaging and high resolution cameras, provides detailed and comprehensive inspection results. The use of drone-mounted LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems is also gaining traction, offering precise measurements and 3D mapping capabilities, allowing for thorough and reliable assessments of power lines.” Active Companies in the markets today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS), AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH).

    Wise Guy Reports continued: “Stringent government regulations and safety standards are also driving the growth of the Global Drone Power Line Inspection Market Industry. In many countries, regular inspections of power lines are mandatory to ensure the safety and reliability of the power grid. Traditional inspection methods, such as manual inspections or the use of helicopters, can be time-consuming, expensive, and hazardous. Drones provide a safer and more efficient alternative, enabling utilities to comply with regulatory requirements while reducing the risk to human inspectors.” It concluded: “Major players in Drone Power Line Inspection Market industry are continuously striving to gain a competitive edge by developing innovative and cost-effective solutions. Leading Drone Power Line Inspection Market players are investing in research and development to improve the capabilities of their drones and enhance the efficiency of their inspection services. The Drone Power Line Inspection Market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period, owing to the growing demand for drones for power line inspection tasks. Technological advancements and the increasing adoption of drones for various applications are driving the growth of the Drone Power Line Inspection Market. Partnerships and collaborations among market participants are also contributing to the development of the Drone Power Line Inspection Market Competitive Landscape.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) National Drone as a Service (DaaS) Grows Through Closing a Fifth Acquisition, Adding Powerline Inspection Capabilities – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), Enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, today announces the closing of its fifth US acquisition as part of its national DaaS rollout. The acquisition of Laventure & Associates, Inc. boosts in-house expertise to service the fast-growing powerline inspection market. The Fort Pierce, Florida land surveying, mapping, and services firm with more than two decades of experience brings a strong portfolio of repeat customers, including for multi-year power line inspections. It further enhances the services capabilities of ZenaTech’s DaaS business and provides operational synergies with other recent Florida acquisitions, further solidifying a strategic foothold in the state.

    “Laventure & Associates is an important addition that will leverage new capabilities for AI drones to conduct powerline inspections, potentially adding to our overall DaaS services portfolio future growth. This marks our fifth US acquisition to date, demonstrating steady progress toward acquiring and integrating up to 20 additional companies and new services growth over the next 12 months,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

    The global drone power line inspection market was valued at approximately USD 26.66 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to USD 323.8 billion by 2032, exhibiting a remarkable CAGR of 36.63% during the forecast period, according to market research company WiseGuy Reports.

    Powerline inspections are important in assessing transmission infrastructure for damage, wear, or vegetation interference to ensure safety and reliability. Traditionally performed by ground crews or helicopters, these inspections are often slow, costly, and hazardous. ZenaTech plans to combine industry land survey and inspections expertise with advanced drone capabilities to deliver faster, safer, and more precise inspections, helping power companies reduce downtime, improve maintenance, and streamline operations.

    ZenaTech’s DaaS business will incorporate the ZenaDrone 1000 and the IQ series of multifunction autonomous drones to provide a variety of solutions from land surveys and power line inspections to power washing and bar code scanning inventory management automation, made accessible and cost effective through an Uber-like business model paid for on a regular subscription or pay-per-use basis. Customers can conveniently access drones for eliminating manual or time-consuming tasks and achieving superior results.

    The DaaS business model offers customers reduced upfront costs and convenience ─ there is no need to purchase drone hardware and software, find a drone pilot, manage maintenance and operation, or acquire regulatory approvals. The model also offers scalability to use more often or less often based on business needs. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    In Additional ZENA News: ZenaTech’s (NASDAQ:ZENA) Advances Its US Southeast DaaS Business with a Bolt-On Land Survey Company Acquisition Offer – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announced it has extended an offer to acquire a well-established Florida land survey engineering firm that could serve as a bolt-on to another recently acquired land survey company. The acquisition would strengthen ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service presence in the high-growth Florida market and would be the fourth acquisition in the Southeast region and the fifth acquisition nationally.

    “This target acquisition will strengthen our regional Florida coverage by delivering faster and more precise drone-powered surveys to construction, real estate and government customers, while accelerating our broader US DaaS rollout,“ said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., CEO of ZenaTech. “With the global drone survey market growing at over 19% a year, we plan to leverage this growth by building a scalable, recurring revenue business that captures long-term value across land surveys and other legacy industries ripe for drone innovation.”

    Accurate land surveys are essential for the planning, design, and execution of roads, bridges, and building projects for cities, commercial, and residential projects, and are required for legal purposes. Remotely piloted drones with an array of sensors and cameras, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and GPS systems for capturing high-resolution pictures and data are revolutionizing the land survey industry, gathering aerial data across expansive terrains in a matter of hours instead of weeks or months using more traditional photogrammetry methods.

    The Drone as a Service or DaaS business model works similarly to Software as a Service (SaaS), but instead of providing software over the internet, this model offers drone technology solutions and services on a subscription or pay-per-use basis. Both business and government customers can conveniently access drones for tasks such as surveying, inspections, security, law enforcement, power washing or precision agriculture solutions without having to buy, operate, or maintain the drones themselves. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.zenatech.com/newsroom/

    Other recent developments in the markets include:

    NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) – AI is transforming industries and tackling global challenges. The NVIDIA Jetson™ platform drives this revolution by providing tools to develop and deploy AI-powered robots, drones, IVA applications, and autonomous machines. Powered by generative AI at the edge, as well as NVIDIA Metropolis and Isaac™ platforms, Jetson offers scalable software, modern AI stack, flexible microservices and APIs, production-ready ROS packages, and application-specific AI workflows.

    The new Jetson Orin™ platform also gives you up to 275 trillion operations per second and 8X the performance of the last generation. Seven different modules based on the same architecture—from the entry-level Jetson Orin Nano™ to the highest performance Jetson AGX Orin—make this the ideal platform for the new age of robotics.

    Tomahawk GCS, an AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) product line specializing in autonomous and intelligent multi-domain systems, has recently been awarded a $5.1 million contract to support the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) Human-Machine Integrated Formations (HMIF) rapid prototyping project. Following a rigorous selection process, AV’s Tomahawk’s Grip TA5 was selected as the Dismounted Common Controller (DCC) to significantly enhance human-machine teaming for battlefield operations.

    The HMIF initiative, led by the U.S. Army RCCTO, is accelerating the integration of autonomous and robotic systems into formations to enhance situational awareness, lethality, and survivability. With its modular architecture and multi-platform compatibility, the Grip TA5 provides operators command-and-control of multiple robotic assets in real-time, enhancing mission adaptability and response speed.

    EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), the world’s leading Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) technology platform company, recently announced that it will release its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025 on Monday, May 26, 2025, before the U.S. market opens.

    EHang’s management team will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM on Monday, May 26, 2025, U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 PM on Monday, May 26, 2025, Beijing/Hong Kong Time).

    AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS), a leading provider of best-in-class unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and sensors for military, public safety, and commercial use, recently announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025, highlighted by gross margin improvement and significant reduction in operating expenses.

    AgEagle CEO Bill Irby commented, “In the first quarter of 2025 we delivered a significantly improved financial performance marked by strong gross margin improvement and a meaningful reduction in operating expenses. This pivotal milestone is a clear validation of the strategic decisions we have made to streamline operations, sharpen our commercial focus, and prioritize higher-margin product lines. With a strengthened balance sheet, improved cash position, and reduced cash burn, AgEagle is now operating from a healthier and more resilient financial foundation.

    About FN Media Group:

    At FN Media Group, via our top-rated online news portal at www.financialnewsmedia.com, we are one of the very few select firms providing top tier one syndicated news distribution, targeted ticker tag press releases and stock market news coverage for today’s emerging companies. #tickertagpressreleases #pressreleases

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    DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated fifty one hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by ZenaTech, Inc. by the Company. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Young food entrepreneurs are changing the face of rural America

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Dawn Thilmany, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Colorado State University

    Many rural food businesses, like Daily Loaf Bakery in Hamburg, Pa., rely on farmers markets to reach customers. Susan L. Angstadt/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

    Visit just about any downtown on a weekend and you will likely happen upon a farmers market. Or, you might grab lunch from a food truck outside a local brewpub or winery.

    Very likely, there is a community-shared kitchen or food entrepreneur incubator initiative behind the scenes to support this growing foodie ecosystem.

    As rural America gains younger residents, and grows more diverse and increasingly digitally connected, these dynamics are driving a renaissance in craft foods.

    One food entrepreneur incubator, Hope & Main Kitchen, operates out of a school that sat vacant for over 10 years in the small Rhode Island town of Warren. Its business incubation program, with over 300 graduates to date, gives food and beverage entrepreneurs a way to test, scale and develop their products before investing in their own facilities. Its markets also give entrepreneurs a place to test their products on the public and buyers for stores, while providing the community with local goods.

    Food has been central to culture, community and social connections for millennia. But food channels, social media food influencers and craft brews have paved the way for a renaissance of regional beverage and food industry startups across America.

    In my work in agriculture economics, I see connections between this boom in food and agriculture innovation and the inflow of young residents who are helping revitalize rural America and reinvigorate its Main Streets.

    Why entrepreneurs are embracing rural life

    An analysis of 2023 U.S. Census Bureau data found that more people have been moving to small towns and rural counties in recent years, and that the bulk of that population growth is driven by 25- to 44-year-olds.

    This represents a stark contrast to the 2000s, when 90% of the growth for younger demographics was concentrated in the largest metro areas.

    The COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work options it created, along with rising housing prices, were catalysts for the change, but other interesting dynamics may also be at play.

    One is social connectedness. Sociologists have long believed that the community fabric of rural America contributes to economic efficiency, productive business activity, growth of communities and population health.

    Maps show that rural areas of the U.S. with higher social capital – those with strong networks and relationships among residents – are some of the strongest draws for younger households today.

    Another important dynamic for both rural communities and their new young residents is entrepreneurship, including food entrepreneurship.

    Rural food startups may be leveraging the social capital aligned with the legacy of agriculture in rural America, resulting in a renewed interest in craft and local foods. This includes a renaissance in foods made with local ingredients or linked to regional cultures and tastes.

    According to data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. local sales of edible farm products increased 33% from 2017 to 2022, reaching $14.2 billion.

    The new ‘AgriCulture’

    A 2020 study I was involved in, led by agriculture economist Sarah Low, found a positive relationship between the availability of farm-based local and organic foods and complementary food startups. The study termed this new dynamic “AgriCulture.”

    We found a tendency for these dynamics to occur in areas with higher natural amenities, such as hiking trails and streams, along with transportation and broadband infrastructure attractive to digital natives.

    The same dynamic drawing young people to the outdoors offers digital natives a way to experience far-reaching regions of the country and, in some cases, move there.

    A thriving food and beverage scene can be a pull for those who want to live in a vibrant community, or the new settlers and their diverse tastes may be what get food entrepreneurs started. Many urban necessities, such as shopping, can be done online, but eating and food shopping are local daily necessities.

    Governments can help rural food havens thrive

    When my colleagues and I talk to community leaders interested in attracting new industries and young families, or who seek to build community through revitalized downtowns and public spaces, the topic of food commonly arises.

    We encourage them to think about ways they can help draw food entrepreneurs: Can they increase local growers’ and producers’ access to food markets? Would creating shared kitchens help support food trucks and small businesses? Does their area have a local advantage, such as a seashore, hiking trails or cultural heritage, that they can market in connection with local food?

    The farm store at Harley Farm Goat Dairy in Pescadero, Calif., draws people headed for hiking trails or the coast in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
    Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

    Several federal, state and local economic development programs are framing strategies to bolster any momentum occurring at the crossroads of rural, social connections, resiliency, food and entrepreneurship.

    For example, a recent study from a collaboration of shared kitchen experts found that there were over 600 shared-use food facilities across the U.S. in 2020, and over 20% were in rural areas. In a survey of owners, the report found that 50% of respondents identified assisting early-growth businesses as their primary goal.

    The USDA Regional Food Business Centers, one of which I am fortunate to co-lead, have been bolstering the networking and technical assistance to support these types of rural food economy efforts.

    Many rural counties are still facing shrinking workforces, commonly because of lagging legacy industries with declining employment, such as mining. However, recent data and studies suggest that in rural areas with strong social capital, community support and outdoor opportunities, younger populations are growing, and their food interests are helping boost rural economies.

    Dawn Thilmany receives funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Development Administration, and Colorado state agencies focused on agriculture, economic development and food systems.

    – ref. Young food entrepreneurs are changing the face of rural America – https://theconversation.com/young-food-entrepreneurs-are-changing-the-face-of-rural-america-245531

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Tenney Applauds the Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today voted in favor of the historic One Big Beautiful Bill Act to deliver on President Trump’s America First Agenda. 

    This legislation passed the House by a vote of 215-214 with one voting present. 

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed the House today, puts America First by making permanent the Trump Tax Cuts, providing ICE and the Department of Homeland Security the funding they need to build the wall and hire more agents to secure our borders, unleashing American energy production, and restoring common sense and sanity in our government,” said Congresswoman Tenney.

    “House Republicans voted to prevent the largest tax hike in American History by preserving and expanding the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts. This legislation will now bring the most significant tax cut in American history, bringing an average of an extra $5,000 into our wallets. In addition, Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 will pay nearly 15% less in taxes. This legislation also includes President Trump’s promises of No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and cutting taxes on Social Security recipients to benefit working-class Americans.

    “NY-24 is the largest agricultural district in the Northeast; the One Big Beautiful Bill protects family farms by preventing the 6,804 family farms in our district from seeing their death tax exemption cut in half. Main Street businesses are also the backbone of our district, and this legislation protects the 199A Small Business Deduction to ensure the 40,720 small businesses in NY-24 are not hit by a 43.4% effective tax rate.

    “This legislation also contains historic provisions to secure our borders and combat the migrant crisis by providing nearly $70 million to expand ICE detention centers, hire over 10,000 new ICE Agents, and finish the border wall. President Trump and House Republicans are also committed to protecting American family values and restoring sanity to federal policymaking. By including my legislation to end taxpayer funding for sex changes for children and repealing the Left’s Green New Scam, we are working to rid our federal government of waste, fraud, and abuse. 

    “Now, it is up to the Senate to unite around this legislation and get this One Big Beautiful Bill to the President’s desk to deliver on our promises to the American people. It was a great privilege to support this once-in-a-lifetime bill, and I am eager to see it signed into law!”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dedication and professionalism of Armed Forces rewarded with above inflation pay rise

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Dedication and professionalism of Armed Forces rewarded with above inflation pay rise

    Government recognises professionalism and dedication of the Armed Forces with 4.5% pay rise, which follows last year’s record pay deal for personnel.

    Military personnel are to receive an above inflation pay rise of 4.5% (3.75% for senior officers), recognising their extraordinary professionalism and the sacrifices they make to keep the British people safe.   

    The award forms part of the government’s efforts to fix recruitment and retention, while demonstrating how it is renewing the contract with those who serve.   

    The pay rise maintains the MOD’s status as a National Living Wage employer, while recognising the important work of military personnel in keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad – foundational to this government’s Plan for Change.  

    This pay award follows last year’s headline award of 6% (5% for senior officers) and a significant uplift for new recruits of approximately 35%, ensuring all full-time members of the Armed Forces were paid the National Living Wage for the first time. This means Armed Forces personnel have received a cumulative pay award of 10.5% (8.75% for senior officers) since July 2024.  

    Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said:  

    Our people are what make the UK Armed Forces’ reputation one of the best around the world. Our forces work tirelessly to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad.  

    Today’s above inflation pay award recognises their dedication and underlines this Government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve.

    Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said: 

    This Armed Forces pay award continues to demonstrate our commitment to our people. It ensures that those who work so hard for our safety and security are supported.  

    To do what they do takes immense courage, determination and sacrifice and I’m pleased to see so much done to recognise their efforts.  

    Pay, accommodation and pension are key pieces of a bigger puzzle, and we will continue to put those pieces together to ensure the strength of our military for years to come.

    Starting salaries for Other Ranks who have completed initial training will increase to approximately £26,334, benefiting around 7,800 of our most junior personnel. 

    Starting pay for junior officers will rise to around £34,676. 

    The package includes two new targeted retention payments for specific Royal Navy Catering Services personnel, addressing critical retention challenges in this specialist area. 

    A new Afloat Environmental Allowance will replace existing provisions, bringing coherence and clarity to recognise different conditions across naval platforms. 

    Medical specialists will benefit from an increased Medical Officers’ Golden Hello to enhance its attractiveness for consultants and registrars in specialisms with workforce capability gaps. 

    The Government has already taken decisive action to tackle recruitment and retention challenges by announcing new financial retention packages.   

    Around 5,000 eligible aircraft engineers across all three Services are eligible to receive £30,000 when they sign up for an additional three years of service. And a new £8,000 retention payment for around 4,000 eligible Army Privates and Lance Corporals each year for the next three years when they sign up for an additional three years of Service.  

    This announcement follows recent action taken by the department to improve the offer for our Armed Forces personnel. This includes improving living conditions through a new Consumer Charter to provide homes fit for the heroes who serve our nation, and are creating a new, independently-appointed, Armed Forces Commissioner who will have the power to investigate issues raised directly by serving personnel and their families. 

    Last year the Armed Forces saw a headline award of 6% (5% for senior officers) and a significant uplift for new recruits of approximately 35%. The Government has taken decisive action to tackle recruitment and retention challenges by announcing new financial retention packages.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FDA and CBP Seize Nearly $34 Million Worth of Illegal E-Cigarettes During Joint Operation

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    For Immediate Release:
    May 22, 2025

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the seizure of nearly two million units of unauthorized e-cigarette products in Chicago, with an estimated retail value of $33.8 million. The seizures, which occurred in February of this year in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), were part of a joint federal operation to examine incoming shipments and prevent illegal e-cigarettes from entering the country.
    During this operation, the team uncovered shipments of various illegal e-cigarette products, almost all of which originated in China and were intended for shipment to various U.S. states. FDA and CBP personnel determined that, in an apparent attempt to evade duties and the review of products for import safety concerns, many of these unauthorized e-cigarette shipments contained vague product descriptions with incorrect values. Upon examining shipments, the team found several brands of unauthorized e-cigarettes, including Snoopy Smoke, Raz, and others.
    “The FDA, working with our federal partners, can and will do more to stop the illegal importation and distribution of e-cigarette products in the United States,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “Seizures of illegal e-cigarettes keep products that haven’t been authorized by the FDA out of the United States and out of the hands of our nation’s youth.”
    These seizures are another example of coordinated compliance and enforcement actions across federal agencies to curb the distribution and sale of illegal e-cigarettes. In the lead up to this operation, the joint FDA and CBP team identified potentially violative incoming shipments and completed other investigative work. The team was also able to successfully implement several new internal efficiencies and procedures building off previous operations.
    “We continue to see an increased number of shipments of vaping related products packaged and mislabeled to avoid detection,” said Bret Koplow, Ph.D., J.D., Acting Director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “However, we have been successful at preventing these shipments from entering the U.S. supply chain – despite efforts to conceal the true identity of these unauthorized e-cigarette products.”
    Most shipments violated the FDA’s Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), while some products were also seized for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) violations for unauthorized use of protected trademarks. All of the e-cigarette products seized in this operation lacked the mandatory premarket authorization orders from the FDA and therefore cannot be legally marketed or distributed in the United States.
    Standard practice for products forfeited to the government include disposing of the products in accordance with the law. In the case of unauthorized new tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, that generally means they will be destroyed.
    FDA also sent, for the first time, import informational letters to 24 tobacco importers and entry filers responsible for importing these illegal e-cigarettes. The letters advise the recipients that it is a federal crime to make false statements or entries to the U.S. government, and the FDA seeks information on the steps they have taken to ensure compliance with applicable federal tobacco laws and regulations. Specifically, the letters advise the firms to ensure their import entries contain complete and accurate information moving forward. Failure to do so may also be viewed as an intentional attempt to circumvent the FDA’s review of the shipment. Firms are requested to respond to the letters within 30 days with the requested information.
    FDA and CBP are members of a federal task force focused on e-cigarette enforcement. Previous FDA-CBP joint actions include the seizure of $18 million of illegal e-cigarettes at a cargo examination site in Los Angeles International Airport in 2023, seizure of $7 million of illegal e-cigarettes at a warehouse in Miami, and operations in Chicago announced in June and October of 2024 resulting in the seizure of illegal e-cigarettes valued at more than $77 million.
    In addition to product seizures, the FDA has issued over 750 warning letters to firms for manufacturing, selling, or distributing unauthorized new tobacco products. It has also issued more than 800 warning letters to retailers for selling these products and filed civil money penalty complaints against 87 manufacturers and over 175 retailers for their distribution or sale.
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  • MIL-OSI USA: More Than $50M Awarded By Restore NY Communities

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that more than $50 million has been awarded to 50 projects through the State’s Restore New York Communities Initiative. Restore New York supports municipal revitalization efforts with funds to help remove and reduce blight, reinvigorate communities and generate new residential and economic opportunities statewide. The program, administered by Empire State Development, is designed to help local governments encourage new commercial investments through community revitalization, growing local housing, and putting properties back on the tax rolls to increase the local tax base.

    “Revitalizing and rehabilitating vacant and blighted areas of our communities for housing or development is vital to make downtowns thrive,” Governor Hochul said. “Restore New York helps our municipalities plan for the future by catalyzing economic growth and supporting housing, businesses and cultural spaces. We are further unlocking the potential of these sites and communities across New York.”

    Two applications were awarded a Special Project designation because, if left undeveloped, the parcel or property causes severe economic injury or creates a depressing effect on the overall economic development potential of the community. The City of Rome was awarded $3.5 million to rehabilitate two buildings that were destroyed by the tornado that touched down in Rome on July 16, 2024. Upon completion, these buildings will add an additional 180,000 square feet of commercial manufacturing space to the community. Additionally, the City of Ogdensburg was awarded $3.5 million to rehabilitate several historic mill buildings on the St. Lawrence River waterfront into a mixed-use complex.

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State is building for the future by supporting projects that advance statewide priorities like increasing housing and revitalizing communities. Through the Restore New York Communities Initiative, we are working together with municipalities to remove blight and generate new investments to promote sustainable economic growth.”

    A full list of Restore New York projects awarded funding in this round is available below, or online here.

    The Capital Region was awarded more than $4.45 million to support four projects:

    • Village of Colonie – $999,934: This project involves demolishing an abandoned, deteriorating building at 1579 Central Avenue, making the property readily available for future development opportunities.
    • City of Glens Falls – $1 million: The “Lofts at Warren” project, located at 109 and 115-117 Warren Street, will involve the demolition of two garages and the redevelopment of two vacant lots. The resulting mixed-use building will consist of 3,000 square-feet of first-floor commercial space and 65 one- and two-bedroom apartments on three floors. The commercial space will be utilized by retail and office storefront space leased to small businesses serving the City’s distressed First Ward and high-traffic Warren Street Corridor.
    • Village of Hoosick Falls – $985,000: This project involves the rehabilitation of a vacant warehouse at 1 Center Street into a mixed-use property with commercial opportunities and one- and two-bedroom residential units. It will provide incubator space at fixed rates, with plans for a locally owned brewery and gym/fitness center.
    • City of Schenectady – $1.5 million: The St. Clare’s Hospital redevelopment project will rehabilitate one of the largest buildings in the city – a 400,000 square foot building at 600 McClellan Street – on a 17-acre site. The building will be repurposed into a mixed-use property with approximately 236 apartments with on-site daycare and is part of a targeted redevelopment effort by the City and Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority.

    Central New York was awarded $6 million to support seven projects:

    • Village of Cayuga – $1 million: This project will transform a 20,000 square-foot vacant and deteriorated office building into a waterfront lodging destination. Located at the Beacon Bay Marina, 6255 Water Street, this redevelopment will include the creation of 10-15 one or two-bedroom suites, and a small outdoor rooftop event space with scenic views.
    • City of Cortland – $242,000: This project involves the demolition of a property, formerly known as the Roundhouse Mill, at 41 Elm Street. Set in an otherwise largely residential neighborhood, the mill has been vacant and deteriorating for several years, and demolition will allow for the future redevelopment of the 1.5-acre site, part of the City’s Brownfield Opportunity Area.
    • City of Fulton – $1 million: This project will redevelop the blighted former Nestle Building at 533 South 4th Street into a 30,000 square-foot advanced manufacturing incubator, targeting startup companies and fostering regional economic growth. The new facility will serve as a hub for innovation, supporting the needs of emerging manufacturers and leveraging opportunities created by the Micron semiconductor plant being developed in nearby Clay. The outcome will be a state-of-the-art facility, designed to drive job creation, industrial innovation and sustained regional development.
    • City of Oneida – $1 million: This project involves the partial demolition and rehabilitation of two vacant and severely dilapidated structures at 136 and 138 Madison Street. The buildings will retain their historic character, with each accessible to the other via a common elevator and stairwell, and new spaces added on the upper floors. Parking will be constructed to service the project. The redevelopment will include 15 live/work units and is across the street from a previous Restore New York project at 155 Madison Street.
    • Onondaga County – $1 million: The Milton Corner Development project consists of the reconstruction of five contiguous lots at 2281, 2273, 2263, 2259 and 2243 Milton Avenue in Solvay that were previously developed, but lost to a fire several years ago. The developer plans to demolish remaining walls and foundations and build a mixed-use building with parking and storage in the basement area. On the street level, the building will offer 12,000 square feet of new retail space and 33 apartments on the upper three floors.
    • City of Oswego – $700,000: The Oswego Freight House redevelopment will transform the historic 7,200-square-foot rail freight house at 20-24 West Utica Street into a 10-brewer barrel brewery, taproom, and retail space. The project will preserve the building’s 175-year-old character while addressing years of structural decay and blight. Located near the City’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative projects, this redevelopment will leverage completed and ongoing investments to further revitalize the Utica Street corridor.
    • City of Syracuse – $1.058 million: This project aims to transform two vacant, underutilized and blighted properties at 366 and 615 West Onondaga Street into approximately 31 new housing units, including both market-rate and affordable options, alongside six office suites. This project falls within the City’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative zone.

    The Finger Lakes was awarded $5.94 million to support six projects:

    • Village of Dansville – $710,000: This project involves a historic, three-story building at 154-162 Main Street that has been vacant for years and mostly uninhabitable. Phase one is nearing completion and includes the restoration of five first-floor commercial units returning the façade to its original design. Restore New York funding will support Phase Two, which includes the creation of four affordable, one-bedroom and four market-rate two-bedroom apartments on the vacant second and third floors. Windows, doors, and historic features such as trim work will be restored and reused wherever possible.
    • City of Geneva – $1 million: The DeSales High School Revitalization Project will consist of the comprehensive renovation of the interior and exterior of the long vacant school at 136 and 138 Madison Street. The renovated property will feature 17 market-rate residential units and four commercial offices while retaining the existing gym, which will continue to be leased to a local school.
    • Town of Macedon – $480,000: This project involves the renovation and restoration of 103 Main Street, which has been left underutilized and vacant. The first-floor commercial unit will be rehabilitated into restaurant space, and the walk-out basement transformed into storage and utility space. Three loft-style apartment units will be built on the upper floor. The project will include electrical, HVAC, and plumbing upgrades; construction of an elevator shaft and elevator; accessibility upgrades; and a new side entrance that will provide easy access to the Trolley Town Square public park.
    • Monroe County – $2 million: Built in 1929, the Genesee Valley Trust Building (now the Times-Square Building) at 45 Exchange Street is one of Rochester’s most iconic high-rises. Post-COVID the building has become mostly vacant. This project intends to convert the vacant floors into market-rate apartments, while refreshing 15,000 square feet of existing space into modern, attractive commercial and retail suites. This project in total will convert over 100,000 square feet of space into a certified historic rehabilitation project, approved by the New York State Historic Preservation Office and the National Parks Service.
    • Village of Medina – $850,000: This project intends to re-activate a historic mixed-use building at 409-13 Main Street, known as the Waters Building, by creating two commercial units in the rear-facing, sub-grade space; a new commercial flex kitchen at street-level; and four new residential units in the structure’s fully vacant upper story. This project will provide an enhanced destination and add an amenity to a planned waterfront destination.
    • Village of Phelps – $900,000: This project will restore and revitalize the 1892-era Phelps Hotel at 90 Main Street, which has been vacant for approximately 40 years. In an effort to restore the interior to its historic roots, the project will involve significant renovations in order for the building to be considered habitable. The reconstruction will include installing plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems, and creating eight upper-story residential units alongside a restaurant and speakeasy on the first floor and basement.

    Long Island– The Long Island Region was awarded $1.79 million to support two projects:

    • Village of Port Jefferson – $790,000: This project includes the demolition and redevelopment of 1506 and 1510-1512 Main Street. This will allow for the future redevelopment of an approximately 35,290 gross square foot, four-story mixed-use building consisting of 42 multi-family residential units, and approximately 1,800 square feet of commercial space.
    • Suffolk County – $1 million: This project is the development of a multi-family, mixed income rental housing at 309 Merritt Avenue in the Hamlet of Wyandanch in the Town of Babylon. The development will include 81 residential units in a 4-story, 82,000 square foot building with proximity to transit. This location is the site of a former cream distributor that has already been demolished. The ground floor of the development will include parking, a lobby, management office, common laundry and a fitness center.

    The Mid-Hudson Region was awarded more than $4.24 million to support six projects:

    • City of Kingston– $477,000: Located at the entrance of the Cornell Street arts corridor, the long-dormant commercial property at 289 Foxhall Avenue will be rehabilitated for the purchase and use by Headstone, Inc., creating new opportunities for jobs, apprenticeships and job shadowing for high school students. Studio spaces will be available to lease by local independent artisans and will provide administrative spaces for local arts organizations. Parking lots will be landscaped to anticipate planned street redesign and provide a welcoming space on a street that has become an arts destination.
    • City of Poughkeepsie– $1 million: The project will renovate the upper floors of the historic Bardavon Opera House at 31 Market Street and the adjacent three-story building at 39 Market Street into a single 35,000 square-foot, five-story mixed-use development. This will create 49 new residential units, that range from studio to two-bedroom apartments, and make improvements to the building’s mechanical systems and structural stability. The entire ground level will be rehabilitated, activating retail space that has been vacant for years.
    • Town of Cornwall – $800,000: The project will transform a long vacant former car dealership at 317 Main Street into a new, upscale 52-unit boutique hotel with a full-service restaurant and bar in the heart of the town. The project will create 35 new full-time hospitality positions and address a significant shortfall in Orange County lodging options, as determined by a study completed by the Orange County Department of Tourism and Film.
    • Town of Fallsburg – $755,450: The proposed project involves the demolition of a condemned schoolhouse at 36 Laurel Avenue and site preparation for the future construction of a 5,000-square-foot healthcare facility. The cleared, shovel-ready site and enhanced infrastructure will support the construction of a permanent medical home for underserved residents.
    • Town of Rockland – $1 million: The Livingston Legacy Holdings Project will transform seven long vacant, formerly commercial structures on 10 Pleasant Street into a bustling multi-use hospitality campus, featuring a restaurant, a sake brewery and tasting room, open air market, public gardens and multi-use spaces for other community-defined needs. Once complete, this campus will feature a much-needed venue suitable for large gatherings and social events requiring large spaces, parking, and catering capabilities.
    • Village of Sleepy Hollow –$211,500: This project is for site deconstruction, cleanup and improvements for 64/68 Beekman Avenue. This vacant and neglected site is located at the heart of the Village’s main commercial corridor, squarely within its NY Forward boundary. Revitalization of the site will increase access to services and make the Village’s downtown more livable. The building at these properties burned down years ago and the site has been overgrown with scattered debris for more than a decade.

    The Mohawk Valley was awarded nearly $8 million to support six projects:

    • City of Rome – $3.5 million – Special Project: This project will repair, rehabilitate, and modernize two tornado-damaged vacant properties at 220 South Madison Street and 522 Henry Street. The EF-2 tornado that swept through the region on July 16, 2024 extensively damaged the 180,000-square-foot facility, collapsing portions of the roof, shattering windows, blowing out entire exterior walls and damaging critical electrical infrastructure. One building will be developed for mixed use with first-floor commercial and event space, and the other will become the largest available industrial space in the Utica-Rome metropolitan statistical area.
    • City of Amsterdam – $1 million: This project will involve the conversion of the former Sonoco Paper Mill at 58-62 Forest Road into a bakery, brewpub and retail location. Upon completion the site will serve as the production and distribution center for Boogie Lab Bakery. The conversion of this abandoned factory into a new production facility for the Bakery and a Brewpub is expected to bring at least 150 jobs to the city.
    • Village of Boonville – $1 million: The Boone Building at 133, 135 and 139 Main Street suffered a devastating fire in 2020, hollowing out the core of the village’s downtown. Reconstruction is planned that will create three first-floor commercial spaces to house a sporting goods store, artisanal meat market, and jewelry store/boutique gift shop. The two upper floors will be ten residential one- and two-bedroom units.
    • Village of Cooperstown – $1 million: This project will demolish 217 Main Street, the site of a former cheese factory, furniture store and baseball bat factory that has sat vacant for years. After demolition, a 50-unit, elevator serviced three-story apartment building will be constructed. This development will yield sorely needed accessible, affordable, and permanent supportive housing, featuring energy efficiency and green building practices, with on-site parking and amenities.
    • Village of Herkimer – $1 million: This project involves the rehabilitation of the historic former Masonic Temple, a 17,524-square-foot property on 415 N. Main Street, into a vibrant commercial hub addressing long-term vacancy and structural decline. The project will develop spaces for diverse business uses, including the region’s only certified kitchen to support food-based enterprises. This project resolves safety and aesthetic concerns, mitigates blight, and leverages the Village’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative to drive economic growth.
    • Village of Richfield Springs – $469,593: The total project includes the rehabilitation and renovation of 241 Main Street into an inn with guest rooms, an event center, and re-establishing the historic mineral spas. Outside renovations include securing the building’s envelope by replacing the roof, repairing the chimney and steps, installing gutters, and updating the fire escape. Inside renovations include transforming the fourth floor into an apartment, renovating the third-floor bathrooms and laundry room, upgrading electrical and HVAC, and repairing the plumbing.

    The North Country was awarded more than $8.6 million to support eight projects:

    • City of Ogdensburg – $3.5 Million – Special Project: This project includes the adaptive reuse of 119 W. River Street, a long-abandoned former waterfront hotel property situated along the St. Lawrence River. This transformative downtown initiative focuses on restoring two historic stone mill buildings to create a vibrant mixed-use destination, including 10 residential apartments. The redevelopment will breathe new life into a blighted area, enhance the local economy, and provide unique retail, residential, recreational, and dining opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
    • Village of Canton – $749,997: This project will demolish 6,400 square feet of vacant buildings and reconstruct 4,500 square feet of commercial and event space at 15 Gouverneur Street. The objective is to create a welcoming, functional mixed-use space that restores the beauty and history of Canton’s downtown waterfront and increases economic activity and opportunities.
    • Town of Elizabethtown – $500,000: The project involves two buildings on a single parcel of land at 13 Lawrence Way. The Hale House is a 6,500 square foot, 200-year-old building that was once a single-family home, but today is mostly vacant. It will be rehabilitated into four apartments – each approximately 1,650 square feet – aimed to attract young families and professionals. Additionally, the Law Library is completely vacant and lacks heat, water, and wastewater, and will be rehabilitated into a single unit.
    • Town of Lowville – $560,000: The project will redevelop approximately 6,500 square-feet of vacant space at 7623 North State Street, a historic brick block building in Downtown. Funding will assist with the costs for the installation of electrical and plumbing throughout the building, the construction of an ADA-compliant elevator, a stairwell, masonry repairs, and the construction of eight market-rate housing units and amenities.
    • Town of Martinsburg – $1 million: The General Martin Apartments project repurposes the former Glenfield Elementary School at 5960 Main Street into 63 affordable housing units. This adaptive reuse will include 55 one-bedroom, six two-bedroom, and two studio apartments. The building will undergo substantial renovations, incorporating community amenities like a fitness center, laundry facilities, a community room and an outdoor garden.
    • City of Ogdensburg – $914,355: Small City Brewing Company will transform a vacant building at 110 Lake Street into a craft brewery, advancing the development of Ogdensburg’s Marina District – a Brownfield Opportunity Area. The project will include a manufacturing facility with a commercial grade five-barrel brewing system and the addition of a 400 square foot grain room. SCBC plans to wholesale to restaurants and bars and open a retail tasting room on-site with a commercial kitchen and event space.
    • City of Plattsburgh – $405,000: The 5500 Peru Street project is aimed at revitalizing a multi-use building in a key area within the community. This project involves the reconstruction of a building that has been mostly vacant since 2006 into two residential units and more than 4,300 square feet of renovated commercial space.
    • Village of Waddington – $1 million: The former St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 129 Lincoln Avenue is a 5,120-square-foot stone Georgian structure built in 1818. The now-vacant structure faces severe decay, threatening its place within the historic district. The Village plans to stabilize and rehabilitate the site, comprising the church, the adjoining brick rectory, and a rear wooden garage, to create a multi-use, non-sectarian recreational hub. This transformation will preserve its architectural heritage while drawing new residents, fostering community engagement and providing entertainment options.

    The Southern Tier was awarded $5.4 million to support seven projects:

    • City of Corning – $600,000: The project involves the historic rehabilitation and adaptive re-use of the former Steuben County Courthouse at 10 West First Street into seven apartment-style, market-rate residential units.
    • City of Elmira – $1 million: The Carriage House Inn Project consists of the complete renovation and adaptive reuse of 254 Baldwin Street, transforming the property into a boutique-style hotel to support and develop Elmira’s tourism arts and cultural industries. The finished site will house the Tommy Hilfiger Archive, event space, and 12 hotel rooms.
    • Village of Franklin – $1 million: Funds will support the rehabilitation of three adjoining, vacant, commercial/mixed-use properties at 438-444 Main Street in the heart of the Village’s Historic District totaling 13,500 square feet. The vacant and under-utilized space will be redeveloped into five new commercial businesses and a new apartment. The businesses include a restaurant, café/art studio, arcade & lounge, retail shop and commercial office space, seeking to fill the void of commercial businesses/services that are being sought by visitors.
    • Village of Hammondsport – $1 million: Restore funds will advance the redevelopment of the Curtiss School on 15 Bauder Avenue into 24 apartments, providing workforce housing ideal for young professionals and older adults. The redevelopment will also address the deteriorating building structure, particularly the roof. The building’s gymnasium will be adapted into commercial space ideal for retail, office or other community focused use.
    • City of Hornell – $300,000: The Landman Building is prominently located at 83-93 Main Street in downtown Hornell across from City Hall. The proposed project includes a full adaptive reuse of the existing building, with the addition of a third story. Once completed, the building will be a mixed-use development that will bring more residents and business opportunities into the downtown.
    • Village of Johnson City – $500,000: The proposed project consists of selective internal demolition and rehabilitation at the vacant former David College at 400 Riverside Drive to accommodate 62 apartments, five single-family homes and approximately 22,000 square feet of commercial space.
    • City of Norwich – $1 million: This two-story, 12,400-square-foot former office building at 23 East Main Street will be repurposed to meet critical community needs. The first floor will become a childcare center for 46 children, addressing Chenango County’s childcare desert. The second floor will house Commerce Chenango offices with a reception area, boardroom and conference space, supporting local businesses. The site’s emergency generator and location also position it for FEMA shelter designation, further strengthening community resilience.

    Western New York was awarded more than $6.1 million to support six projects:

    • Village of Almond – $1 million: This project includes the partial demolition and complete rehabilitation of a condemned, vacant and previously abandoned property known as “The Old Coslo’s Building” at 59 Main Street. The project proposes to rehabilitate this parcel into a mixed-use facility with five retail stores, 14 offices and four low-income apartments.
    • City of Jamestown – $721,704: The proposed Prendergast Landing redevelopment project aims to revitalize a historic, vacant building at 106-8 Fairmount Avenue and two adjacent lots into a vibrant, family-friendly destination. The refurbished three-story building will foster local economic growth by featuring a small café, a retail outfitter for outdoor activities, and a boutique showcasing local small businesses on the ground floor. The second floor will offer flexible office spaces ideal for entrepreneurs and a multipurpose room for community events. The third floor will provide three residential lofts that enhance the living experience close to recreational amenities.
    • Town of Niagara – $890,000: This project will redevelop a commercial site at 3505 Hyde Park Boulevard by rehabbing a 62,000 square foot building for future potential manufacturing, as well as demolishing other dilapidated buildings on the site to make way for more than 15 acres of industrial space.
    • Niagara County – $1.25 million: This project will rehab property along Cayuga Creek at 519 Cayuga Drive in Niagara Falls to create a mixed-use complex. They will be focused on the restoration of the retail space, the rehab of the apartments upstairs and the buildout of the dock with 15 new slips for recreational boaters to visit the neighborhood via the water.
    • City of Niagara Falls – $1.25 million: Funding will support a portion of the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Community Initiative. The Medical Center parking garage located at 620 10th Street is in bad condition and several sections are no longer accessible due to structural damage. Medical offices located on the top floor of this garage will be moved to the existing hospital across the street. Once demolished, the open space will be reconstructed into a flat parking area and a new parking garage will be constructed across the street at 621 10th Street.
    • City of North Tonawanda – $1 million: The Riverfront Vista project includes redevelopment of the former Metzger Removal site, a 3.1-acre brownfield site that encompasses 235 River Road and 190 Main Street. The $33.3 million project consists of a mixed-use residential and commercial project comprised of a four-story multi-family building with 48 apartment units and a mixed-use building with 39 apartments along with over 7,600 square-feet of commercial space and 2,690 square feet of community space.

    State Senator Sean Ryan said, “Restore NY is one of New York’s most impactful economic development programs. It encourages new business by reducing vacancy and paving the way for new commercial development. These awards will help turn underutilized properties into assets for the surrounding communities.”

    Assemblymember Al Stirpe said, “This round of awards, made possible by Governor Hochul and Restore New York, takes smart and strategic steps to breathe life back into our communities. Mitigating damage and restoring blighted structures will attract new business and restore the character of local towns in a sustainable way — conserving resources and building materials in the process. By bolstering local revitalization efforts, these projects open municipalities to economic, environmental, and residential opportunities that enhance quality of life for all New Yorkers.”

    These awards complement Governor Hochul’s economic development vision by making strategic investments in communities across the State which revitalize the economy and create more opportunities for New Yorkers. The FY2026 Budget invests $100 million for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and $100 million for NY Forward. These programs help municipalities promote quality of life, foster socio-economic development and create walkable, livable and safer neighborhoods in every corner of the state. Additionally, the $400 million Championing Albany’s Potential initiative, a collaborative, State-led effort to revitalize Albany’s downtown core. The Budget also includes funding for the state’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative; new this year, the 10 councils will compete, in part, for $150 million in funding as part of the new ACHIEVE initiative to advance catalytic economic development projects backed by enhanced implementation funding to jump-start regional growth.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Govt should defuse NZ’s social timebomb – but won’t

    We have been handed a long and protracted recession with few signs of growth and prosperity. Budget 2025 signals more of the same, writes Susan St John.

    ANALYSIS: By Susan St John

    With the coalition government’s second Budget being unveiled, we should question where New Zealand is heading.

    The 2024 Budget laid out the strategy. Tax cuts and landlord subsidies were prioritised with a focus on cuts to social and infrastructure spending. Most of the tax package went to the well-off, while many low-income households got nothing, or very little.

    Even the tiny bit of the tax package directed to low-income people fell flat. Family Boost has significantly helped only a handful of families, while the increase of $25 per week (In Work Tax Credit) was denied all families on benefits, affecting about 200,000 of the very poorest children.

    In the recession, families that lost paid work also lost access to full Working for Families, an income cut for their children of about $100 per week.

    No one worked out how the many spending cuts would be distributed, but they have hurt the poor the most. These changes are too numerous to itemise but include increased transport costs; the reintroduction of prescription charges; a disastrous school lunch system; rising rents, rates and insurance; fewer budget advisory services; cuts to foodbank funding and hardship grants; stripping away support programmes for the disabled; inadequately adjusted benefits and minimum wage; and reduced support for pay equity and the living wage.

    The objective is to save money while ignoring the human cost. For example, a scathing report of the Auditor General confirms that Oranga Tamariki took a bulldozer to obeying the call for a 6.5 percent cut in existing social services with no regard to the extreme hurt caused to children and struggling parents.

    Budget 2025 has already indicated that Working for Families will continue to go backwards with not even inflation adjustments. The 2025 child and youth strategy report shows that over the year to June 2024 the number of children in material poverty continued to increase, there were more avoidable hospitalisations, immunisation rates for babies declined, and there was more food insecurity.

    Human costs all around us
    We can see the human costs all around us in homelessness, food insecurity, and ill health. Already we know we rank at the bottom among developed countries for child wellbeing and suicide rates.

    Abject distress existing alongside where homes sell for $20 million-$40 million is no longer uncommon, and neither are $6 million helicopters of the very rich.

    Changes in suicide rates (three-year average), ages 15 to 19 from 2018 to 2022 (or most recent four-year period available). Source: WHO mortality database

    At the start of the year, Helen Robinson, CEO of the Auckland City Mission, had a clear warning: “I am pleading with government for more support, otherwise what we and other food relief agencies in Auckland can provide, will dramatically decrease.

    “This leaves more of Auckland hungry and those already there become more desperate. It is the total antithesis of a thriving city.”

    The theory held by this government is that by reducing the role of government and taxes, the private sector will flourish, and secure well-paid jobs will be created. Instead, as basic economic theory would predict, we have been handed a long and protracted recession with few signs of growth and prosperity.

    Budget 2025 signals more of the same.

    It would be a mistake to wait for simplistic official inequality statistics before we act. Our current destination is a sharply divided country of extreme wealth and extreme poverty with an insecure middle class.

    Underfunded social agencies
    Underfunded and swamped social agencies cannot remove the relentless stress on the people who are invisible in the ‘fiscally responsible’ economic narrative. The fabricated bogeyman of outsized net government debt is at the core, as the government pursues balanced budgets and small government-size targets.

    A stage one economics student would know the deficit increases automatically in a recession to cushion the decline and stop the economy spiralling into something that looks more like a depression. But our safety nets of social welfare are performing very badly.

    Rising unemployment has exposed the inadequacy of social protections. Working for Families, for instance, provides a very poor cushion for children. Many “working” families do not have enough hours of work and face crippling poverty traps.

    Future security is undermined as more KiwiSavers cash in for hardship reasons. A record number of the talented young we need to drive the recovery and repair the frayed social fabric have already fled the country.

    The government is fond of comparing its Budget to that of a household. But what prudent household would deliberately undermine the earning capacity of family members?

    The primary task for the Budget should be to look after people first, to allow them to meet their food, dental and health needs, education, housing and travel costs, to have a buffer of savings to cushion unexpected shocks and to prepare for old age.

    A sore thumb standing
    In the social security part of the Budget, NZ Super for all at 65, no matter how rich or whether still in full-time well-paid work, dominates (gross $25 billion). It’s a sore thumb standing out alongside much less generous, highly targeted benefits and working for families, paid parental leave, family boost, hardship provisions, accommodation supplement, winter energy and other payments and subsidies.

    Given the political will, research shows we can easily redirect at least $3 billion from very wealthy superannuitants to fixing other payments to greatly improve the wellbeing of the young. This will not be enough but it could be a first step to the wide rebalancing needed.

    New Zealand has become a country of two halves whose paths rarely cross: a social time bomb with unimaginable consequences. It is a country beguiled by an egalitarian past that is no more.

    Susan St John is an associate professor in the Pensions and Intergenerational Equity hub and Economic Policy Centre, Business School, University of Auckland. This article was first published by Newsroom before the 2025 Budget and is republished with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp: Mercedes-Benz Establishing North American Headquarters, new Research & Development Hub in Metro Atlanta

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that Mercedes-Benz will establish Atlanta as Mercedes-Benz’s headquarters in North America by centralizing and uniting key corporate functions. The company will move up to 500 jobs to the existing Mercedes-Benz facility, known as “1MB,” in Fulton County, and make a multi-million dollar investment in a future state-of-the-art Research & Development (R&D) facility to also be located nearby.

    “Georgia continues to lead the way in the future of mobility and technical innovation, attracting world-class companies like Mercedes-Benz that are driving the automotive industry forward,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “We’re excited that a job creator that already has close ties to Georgia is doubling down on that choice and growing their presence here in the best state for business and opportunity.”

    Mercedes-Benz opened its “1MB” facility in 2018 in Sandy Springs, which currently supports approximately 800 jobs in Georgia.

    “We thank the State of Georgia for its support in deepening Mercedes-Benz’s roots in the Atlanta area as we bring even more talented team members to this world-class city,” said Jason Hoff, CEO of Mercedes-Benz North America.  “This strengthens our position for continued growth and reinforces our established commitment to the U.S. market. Bringing our teams closer together will enable us to be more agile, increase speed to market, and ensure the best customer experience.” 

    The ”1MB” facility located in Sandy Springs will house the existing sales teams as well as financial services teams and corporate functions. The new state-of-the-art Research & Development hub will be located near Sandy Springs. The company anticipates that the move to metro Atlanta will be completed by August 2026. To learn more about Mercedes-Benz, visit www.mbusa.com/en/careers or group.mercedes-benz.com/careers.

    “We’re excited to see Mercedes-Benz expanding in Sandy Springs,” said Mayor Rusty Paul, City of Sandy Springs. “Since establishing their headquarters here in 2018, they have been outstanding corporate partners. Their decision to grow in Sandy Springs highlights the success of the city’s recent infrastructure and capital investments which are now clearly paying dividends. This expansion represents a wonderful opportunity and a significant milestone for our continued development.”

    “Having a globally recognized brand like Mercedes-Benz reaffirm its commitment by investing and growing here in Fulton County is a testament to the strength and vitality of our community,” said Chairman Robb Pitts, Fulton County Board of Commissioners. “It proves Fulton County continues to be a destination for corporate solutions, providing major companies an accessible, vibrant, and growing community for their business to thrive in.”

    “This expansion is a testament to both Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to excellence and metro Atlanta’s strength as a hub for innovation and talent. When the 1MB facility opened in 2018, it quickly became an integral part of our business landscape, driving economic growth and elevating the region’s global presence,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, President & CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “We are proud to see this partnership deepen as Mercedes-Benz continues to invest in our future shared success.”

    Assistant Director of Statewide Projects Elizabeth McLean represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this competitive project in partnership with the City of Sandy Springs, Select Fulton, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Georgia Power.

    “Since the strategic decision to relocate Mercedes-Benz USA to Sandy Springs in 2018, we have watched Mercedes-Benz become an integral part of our business community. Their continued growth and community involvement are a prime example of why we recruit industry leaders such as Mercedes-Benz to Georgia,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “This expansion and commitment to R&D in the metro Atlanta area will further strengthen the company’s long-term success, and highlights the talent and collaborative partnerships fostered by the University System of Georgia.”

    About Mercedes-Benz AG

    Mercedes-Benz AG is part of the Mercedes-Benz Group AG with a total of around 175,000 employees worldwide and is responsible for the global business of Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans. Ola Källenius is Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG. The company focuses on the development, production, and sales of passenger cars, vans, and vehicle-related services. Furthermore, the company aspires to be the leader in the fields of electric mobility and vehicle software. The product portfolio comprises the Mercedes-Benz brand with Mercedes AMG, Mercedes Maybach, and G Class with their all-electric models as well as products of the smart brand. Mercedes-Benz AG is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-end passenger cars.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: LPL Financial and Momentum Wealth Partners Welcome Beacon Financial

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC announced today that Beacon Financial has joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer, Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and custodial platforms, aligning with Momentum Wealth Partners, an existing firm supporting LPL-affiliated advisors. The Beacon Financial team of 10 advisors reported having served approximately $850 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and joins LPL from Cetera.

    Based in Toledo, Ohio, Beacon Financial is led by Principal Owner and CEO Greg Kopan, AIF®, a seasoned financial services veteran with nearly two decades of industry experience. Kopan founded Beacon Financial in 1997 with the goal of helping clients build a more secure financial future. Today, Beacon Financial is a multi-generational practice leveraging multiple perspectives to work toward predictability for their clients’ wealth horizon.

    “Our clients range from business owners and professionals to those nearing or in retirement, and we take a comprehensive approach to understanding each of their needs and goals to create a personalized and tailored plan to help them meet their short- and long-term goals,” Kopan said.

    Looking to pair their client-centered philosophy with the desire to provide their clients with an elevated experience, the team spent 10 months researching firms and doing their due diligence before selecting LPL and Momentum as the best partners for their business goals.

    “LPL stood out to us for several reasons,” Kopan said. “First, LPL has a strategic succession planning team, and that’s incredibly important as we are a multi-generational practice, and the future of the firm is always top of mind. LPL’s robust integrated and streamlined technology also stood out because we have a lot of older clients, and I am confident that having a single sign-on will be a positive change for them. Another deciding factor is that LPL understands our concerns around cybersecurity and is committed to helping combat the issue. Last year, LPL spent more than $500 million on technology infrastructure and cybersecurity to help advisors keep their businesses — and their clients — safe.”

    Kevin Frank, Momentum Wealth Partners Managing Partner and Co-founder, stated, “At Momentum, our mission is to empower advisors to achieve their professional goals by providing strategic planning, personalized support and an unwavering partnership — the same type of partnership that the Beacon Financial team provides to their clients. We look forward to a successful partnership for years to come.”

    Scott Posner, Managing Director, Business Development, said, “We welcome the Beacon Financial team and are honored they turned to LPL and Momentum Wealth Partners for the next phase of their business. At LPL, we are committed to helping advisors provide differentiated experiences by delivering innovative capabilities and strategic resources that make it easier for advisors to manage their practices and build long-term value with their clients.”

    Related

    Advisors, learn how LPL Financial can help take your business to the next level.

    About LPL Financial

    LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports nearly 29,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.8 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 7 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to — run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

    Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial LLC (“LPL Financial”), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Beacon Financial, Momentum Wealth Partners and LPL Financial are separate entities.

    Throughout this communication, the terms “financial advisors” and “advisors” are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.

    We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the “Investor Relations” or “Press Releases” section of our website.

    *Value approximated based on asset and holding details provided to LPL from end of year, 2024.

    Media Contact: 
    Media.relations@LPLFinancial.com

    Tracking #735638

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Eight years after arena attack, Manchester bee commercialisation has unsettled some Mancunians

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ashley Collar, PhD Candidate in Sociology & Associate Lecturer in Criminology at MMU, University of Manchester

    espesorroche/Shutterstock

    If you visit Manchester, one of the first things you’ll notice is the great number of bee images throughout the city. Born in the Industrial Revolution, the “worker bee” symbol captured the city’s tireless spirit and its legacy as a buzzing hive of industry. Today, the symbol is more often associated with collective resilience and remembrance following the Manchester Arena attack on May 22 2017.

    The bee became a powerful symbol of the “Mancunian spirit”, emerging almost instantly on murals, on bodies as tattoos and on public memorials. Over the last eight years, it has become a core part of Manchester’s identity.

    A memorial at Manchester’s Victoria station in May 2024.
    Ashley Collar

    As part of my ongoing PhD research, I set out to understand why the bee is everywhere in Manchester and what it means to people. I interviewed 24 Mancunians who were living in the city at the time of the attack, including some who were directly affected.

    Conducted in 2023, seven years after the attack, these interviews aimed to capture how the symbol’s meaning had evolved as the city continued to process and commemorate the event.

    For many, the bee still stands as a symbol of resilience, a reminder of how the city came together in the face of tragedy. But for others, its presence throughout Manchester has become more of a burden than a comfort.

    Appearing on buses, shop windows and public spaces, it serves as a constant and eerie reminder of the events and aftermath of the attack. Eight of my interviewees described these as memories of “trauma”. Over time, what once felt comforting has become more unsettling.

    Manchester City Council coat of arms, with bees buzzing around the Earth.
    By IndysNotHere – Self – Made / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA

    Fifteen of my interviewees expressed discomfort with how the bee has become more commercialised in the years since the attack. Some described feelings of “exploitation”.

    Both independent businesses and large companies have embraced the symbol, integrating it into their branding in public spaces. Many sell bee-themed gifts and souvenirs, such as fridge magnets, coasters and beanies.

    Manchester city council has played a key role in this commercialisation, promoting the image through various initiatives, including the Bee Network transport system and the Bee Cup – a reusable takeaway cup launched in 2023.

    In June 2017, shortly after the attack, the council moved to trademark several versions of the bee as an official city symbol. This was made public in March 2018, after the period for objections had passed.

    Initially, the council allowed people and businesses to use the symbol for free, but later introduced a licensing scheme. Now, anyone wishing to use the trademarked versions of the bee must apply for permission from the council, and commercial use comes with a £500 fee. Businesses that want to use the bee are also asked to donate to charity.

    The bee appears on souvenirs like fridge magnets.
    Ashley Collar

    The council described the trademarking of the bee symbol as a way to protect its use and support local good causes, such as the We Love MCR Charity, which helps fund community projects and youth opportunities across the city.

    But some of my participants noted that this transformed the bee from something personal and meaningful to something more corporate. In their view, it is as if the city itself is commodifying the attack rather than honouring it.

    This can be viewed as an element of “dark tourism”, which involves visiting places where tragedy has been memorialised or commercialised. In Manchester this manifests not through visits to the attack site but through the bee symbol, which has been commodified in murals, merchandise and public spaces. Tourists buy into collective grief through consumption, turning remembrance into a marketable experience and the bee as a managed and profitable commodity.

    M&S: One of many shop windows that now incorporate the Manchester bee.
    Ashley Collar

    Some Manchester Arena bombing survivors I spoke to feel that their personal grief has been repackaged into a public identity, one that does not necessarily reflect the complexity of their experiences.

    The use of the bee in products and souvenirs raises questions about how the city commercialises its identity, especially when considering the layered histories that the symbol carries.

    Uncomfortable history

    For some, the discomfort around Manchester’s bee goes even deeper. Today, the bee symbolises resilience and unity, but it originally represented hard work during Manchester’s industrial boom.

    This era wasn’t just about progress — it also involved exploitation and colonial trade especially through cotton produced by enslaved people in the Americas. Manchester’s role in the industrial revolution would have never been possible without slavery.

    My participants pointed out this hidden history, noticing that these stories rarely appear in Manchester’s public commemorations in the city. The bee’s visibility today reveals how cities tend to highlight positive histories, while uncomfortable truths remain hidden.

    A painted window in Manchester’s Victoria station.
    Ashley Collar

    Focusing solely on resilience risks creating a simplified version of Manchester’s past. This can exclude some people in the present, overlooking how historical injustices, like the city’s links to the transatlantic slave trade, still shape their lives today.

    This selective storytelling makes it harder for some communities to commemorate Manchester’s identity. They can’t do so without acknowledging past legacies of slavery and the city’s history of division.

    While some see the bee as a proud symbol of unity, others feel it erases their history. As the bee continues to dominate public spaces, Manchester faces an important challenge: making sure this symbol genuinely acknowledges the varied experiences and histories of all residents.

    This might be through dedicated plaques or exhibits that explore some of these hidden histories, and the bee’s complex meaning. Only by confronting its past can the city ensure that commemoration includes everyone.

    Ashley Collar receives funding from ESRC (Economic Social and Research Council) as part of her PhD Doctoral Scholarship.

    – ref. Eight years after arena attack, Manchester bee commercialisation has unsettled some Mancunians – https://theconversation.com/eight-years-after-arena-attack-manchester-bee-commercialisation-has-unsettled-some-mancunians-256753

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese and Central Asian Youth Discuss Friendship and Cooperation in Shaanxi Province

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) — Representatives of Chinese youth and Central Asian students studying in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province recently gathered to share their experiences and deepen mutual understanding and friendship, the Sanqing Dushibao newspaper reported.

    The event took place on May 17 in Xi’an (the capital of Shaanxi Province). More than 20 young people from China and Central Asian countries took part in it.

    Nastya from Kazakhstan, who is studying Business Chinese at Xi’an Jiaotong University, noted that intercultural exchanges bring her new knowledge.

    “I enjoy experiencing the charm of different cultures through humanitarian exchange events and actively organizing sports competitions so that young people from different countries have more opportunities for deep interaction,” she said.

    Elnura Mambetova from Kyrgyzstan, a doctoral student in Chinese language and Chinese culture dissemination at Shaanxi Normal University, has been fascinated with Chinese culture since childhood. After graduating from university in Kyrgyzstan, she worked as a Chinese language teacher at one of the universities in Kyrgyzstan, and then moved to China for further education.

    “I can personally feel how the friendship between the countries of Central Asia and China is becoming deeper and deeper,” she said.

    Wang Lewei, a student at Xi’an Foreign Studies University, spent a year in Kazakhstan as an exchange student. “In Kazakhstan, my local friends took me sightseeing and invited me to traditional festivals. I realized that language is the key to culture,” he said, expressing his desire to become an envoy of friendship between China and Kazakhstan.

    Shaanxi Province, relying on its rich educational resources, has been actively developing humanitarian exchanges with Central Asian countries in recent years. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PennRose Farms Issues Recall of Whole Cucumbers Because Of Possible Health Risk

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    May 21, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    May 22, 2025
    Product Type:
    Food & BeveragesFoodborne Illness
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Salmonella

    Company Name:
    PennRose Farms, LLC
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    PennRose Farms

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Whole cucumbers

    Company Announcement
    Wellington, FL (May 21, 2025)—PennRose Farms, LLC is recalling 5-pound mesh bags of whole cucumbers because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.
    Our firm was notified by our supplier, Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc., that these cucumbers are being recalled by Bedner Growers, Inc. and have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
    PennRose Farms repacked some of these cucumbers in 5-pound mesh bags (1,152 cases or 9,216 individual units) showing Restaurant Depot and PennRose Farms logos. The bags can be identified using the UPC code 841214101714, packaged between May 2-May 5, with lot numbers (48-122, 48-123, 48-124, 48-125). These products were shipped to Restaurant Depot distribution centers located in NJ, GA, FL, IL, and OH.
    No other PennRose Farms packaged products are impacted by this recall. It has advised the distribution centers it works with of the recall and directed them to alert customers that received the products.
    Consumers that have Restaurant Depot and PennRose Farms cucumbers covered by this recall are urged not to consume them and to discard them immediately. Restaurants, retailers, and distributors that have the recalled cucumbers should destroy them. If the product has been served to consumers, they should be notified of the potential health concern. Anyone with the recalled product in their possession should not consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute them. Consumers who have purchased the recalled products may obtain additional information by contacting PennRose Farms at 800 804 7254 (8 am to 5 pm EST). Consumers with health concerns should consult directly with their health care providers.
    PennRose Farms is conducting this recall in coordination with the FDA.
    Link to FDA Outbreak Advisory.

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    PennRose Farms
    800-804-7254

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    05/22/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Topic(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Santa Barbara County Investment Advisor Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison for Stealing Nearly $2.3 Million From Elderly Clients

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    LOS ANGELES – A Santa Barbara County investment advisor was sentenced today to 121 months in federal prison for stealing approximately $2.25 million from elderly clients of her investment advisory business, including clients that were receiving end-of-life care.

    Julie Anne Darrah, 52, of Santa Maria, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who will schedule a restitution hearing at a later date.

    Darrah pleaded guilty on March 4 to one count of wire fraud.

    During the scheme, Darrah stole approximately $2.25 million from her firm’s clients. She did so by obtaining control of her victims’ assets, and then – without the victims’ knowledge or consent – she liquidated their security holdings and transferred the proceeds to accounts she controlled. As part of this, she convinced victims to sign documents making her the trustee of their trusts or a signatory on their bank accounts or giving her power of attorney over their brokerage accounts and allowing her – as their investment advisor – to transfer funds from their accounts to other bank accounts, including to her own accounts.

    Darrah took advantage of trust victims placed in her – often convincing them she would take care of them in their older years like a daughter, and she used this trust to convince them to sign the documents that she then used to steal money from them. In this way, Darrah stole money from victims from approximately November 2016 to July 2023. She used stolen funds to buy properties for herself, pay other personal expenses, buy luxury vehicles, and operate other business ventures. Some victims were left in desperate circumstances, without the money to pay for end-of-life care, when the fraud was discovered.

    Darrah also convinced a company identified in the plea agreement as “Business Victim 1,” a Minnesota-based investment advisor firm, to acquire VFM based on false and misleading statements and the concealment of material facts, including not telling that firm about her theft of individual client funds. After the fraud was discovered, Business Victim 1 incurred approximately $5.4 million in losses.

    In October 2023, the SEC filed a civil complaint against Darrah in connection with this scheme. In December 2024, United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer found Darrah liable to pay $2,416,511, including interest.

    The FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.

    If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: France: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

    The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    Paris, France – May 22, 2025

    An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Manuela Goretti and comprising Florian Misch, Rasmane Ouedraogo, Maryam Vaziri, and Torsten Wezel, conducted discussions during May 12-22 for the 2025 Article IV Consultation with France. At the end of the visit, the mission issued the following statement:

    The French economy has demonstrated resilience despite high uncertainty, with disinflation progressing well and the labor market remaining robust. However, high and rising public debt, combined with significant domestic and external headwinds to the recovery, highlights the need to strengthen public finances and pursuing structural reforms to foster sustainable growth. The French authorities’ commitment to bring the deficit below 3 percent of GDP by 2029 is welcome and should be supported by a credible and well-designed package of measures. Advancing France’s structural reform agenda will be crucial to boost productivity and facilitate fiscal consolidation. While the financial sector remains resilient, strong supervisory practices need to continue adapting to an increasingly complex financial landscape. France’s sustained efforts to deepen the European single market remain critical to support the economy and strengthen its ability to withstand shocks.

    Economic Outlook

    High domestic and external uncertainty is expected to continue weighing on the short-term economic outlook. Real GDP growth is projected to slow to 0.6 percent in 2025 and reach 1 percent in 2026. These projections reflect a delayed recovery in private consumption and investment due to weak confidence and fiscal tightening this year, despite some uplift from monetary policy easing. Weaker external demand, amid trade tensions, market volatility, and geo-economic uncertainty, is expected to further dampen exports and investment prospects. These projections are based on the April World Economic Outlook global assumptions and do not reflect the latest trade policy announcements. Over the medium term, growth is projected to converge to around 1.2 percent, before decelerating towards its long-term potential of 1 percent reflecting both demographic trends and need for further structural reforms. The disinflationary process is progressing well, with average headline inflation projected at 1.2 percent in 2025, due to base effects and lower energy prices, and core inflation at 1.9 percent.

    The outlook remains subject to significant downside risks, notwithstanding potential upsides. Deepening geoeconomic fragmentation and rising trade tensions could disrupt trade and financial flows and dampen economic activity. In such an environment, uncertainty would increase, and financial conditions could tighten further, reducing domestic demand and worsening debt dynamics. Political fragmentation and social tensions could delay fiscal consolidation and reform efforts, further weighing on confidence and the outlook, raising fiscal risks. On the upside, easing trade tensions and renewed structural reform momentum could improve growth prospects over the medium term. Domestic reforms could be strengthened through deeper coordination and integration at the EU level. Consumption could be stronger if household saving rates eased more rapidly on the back of dissipating uncertainty. Business investment and export performance could also surprise on the upside, driven by higher demand—in France and in the rest of Europe—including for defense as well as digital and green technologies.

    Fiscal Policy: Reducing Debt while Refocusing Spending Priorities

    Building on the 2025 budget, the authorities are committed to implementing their Medium-term Fiscal Structural Plan (MTFSP) to bring the deficit below 3 percent of GDP by 2029. While the envisaged adjustment is appropriate to improve debt dynamics and strengthen France’s resilience to shocks, it needs to be supported by a credible and well-designed package of measures and remains subject to implementation risks, as evidenced by recent setbacks. Under staff’s current policy baseline scenario, which incorporates only legislated and clearly specified measures, the deficit is projected to decline to 5.4 percent of GDP in 2025, in line with the budget target. However pending approval of significant additional measures, it would remain around 6 percent of GDP in the medium-term, keeping debt on an upward trend until 2030. While short-term risks remain manageable, debt dynamics have weakened significantly, following consecutive fiscal slippages in 2023 and 2024, and remain highly sensitive to the real interest rate and growth path. In this context, France’s commitment to undertake further fiscal consolidation, as per EU rules, represents an important mitigating factor.

    Significant additional fiscal efforts will be crucial to preserve fiscal space and create room to absorb rising spending demands, while placing debt on a downward path. Staff recommends a frontloaded structural fiscal effort of 1.1 percent of GDP in 2026, followed by an average of about 0.9 percent of GDP per year over the medium term, broadly in line with the authorities’ plans. The recommended adjustment would allow the country to exit the excessive deficit procedure by end-2029, as targeted. Staff’s debt sustainability analysis indicates that the recommended fiscal path would markedly reduce medium-term debt sustainability risks, with the debt-stabilizing primary balance being reached in 2027.

    Achieving this substantial fiscal consolidation will require decisive actions and difficult decisions to ensure equity and fairness amid challenging trade-offs:

    • Given France’s already high tax-to-GDP ratio, any new tax measures should be focused on reducing inefficient tax expenditures and tackling tax avoidance while improving equity. While exceptional temporary revenue measures can help kickstart much needed fiscal adjustment, France’s level of taxation—among the highest in the EU—indicates that sustained tax-based fiscal consolidation, of the magnitude necessary to advance France’s medium-term plans, would hamper business confidence, household consumption, and growth potential. Building on recent experiences, the authorities should continue to monitor and evaluate tax expenditure programs to address inefficiencies vis-à-vis intended objectives and generate savings. This approach would also simplify the tax system and facilitate revenue forecasting.

    • The authorities should focus on rationalizing spending and strengthening its efficiency, with concerted action across all government levels: central government, social security, and local governments. France has the highest spending-to-GDP ratio among EU countries. There are several avenues to rationalize spending and improve its quality, while preserving growth-enhancing investment in key priority areas and mitigating distributional impacts on the most vulnerable. The planned expansion of spending reviews and efforts to minimize overlaps across government entities, including local governments, can streamline spending by addressing inefficiencies and reducing red tape. There is also scope to further improve the targeting of social benefits, including by reviewing eligibility and duration of unemployment benefits, to better target active labor market initiatives, as well as to further simplify and harmonize pension schemes, while ensuring a balanced system, building on the 2023 pension reform. These efforts would foster less fragmented and longer careers while enhancing the sustainability and intergenerational equity of the social security system. Enhanced monitoring and financial coordination can also generate savings at the local and national levels.

    The authorities’ initiatives to reinforce public finances forecasting and budget controls, in response to recent fiscal slippages, are welcome. The March 2025 Action plan by the authorities aims at enhancing monitoring of tax revenue, fostering greater transparency, and reinforcing the role of the High Council for Public Finances. Sustained efforts in these areas are essential to identify and proactively address fiscal risks, strengthen public finance management, and enhance fiscal policy credibility. Contingency plans will be also needed to ensure that pressing priority spending needs, including in defense, are met without compromising public finances.

    Macrostructural Policies to Support Jobs and Productivity Growth

    Raising weak productivity growth is critical for sustaining France’s economic prospects, in the face of substantial fiscal consolidation needs. The per capita income gap between France and the US has increased since the early 2000s and now exceeds 20 percent, primarily due to lower productivity and employment in France. Macro-structural reforms can play a critical role in lifting potential output, while facilitating fiscal consolidation efforts. For example, an increase in potential GDP growth of 0.3 percentage points could help reduce public debt by nearly 10 percent of GDP over the long term.

    France is well-positioned to capitalize on the green and digital transitions through greater efforts to support innovation and access to capital. France’s comparative advantage in low-carbon technologies and its potential to become a European hub for Artificial Intelligence can foster the development of new technologies and support growth. Ongoing efforts by the authorities to review and rationalize state aid and R&D tax expenditures by focusing on the most impactful schemes and better targeting eligibility criteria can boost innovation and help close gaps with peers. Enhancing access to finance and reducing financing costs for productive but credit-constrained firms is crucial and should be supported by advancing the EU Savings and Investment Union which can increase the availability of capital and its efficient allocation.

    To support entrepreneurship, policies should focus on easing entry barriers and reducing the regulatory burden. France performs relatively well in terms of product market regulation, but reducing administrative market entry barriers for firms, especially in some services sectors, is crucial for boosting business dynamism and productivity growth. The Simplification Bill, currently under discussion, would be an important step towards further reducing the regulatory burden and streamlining requirements, particularly for small and medium size firms. At the European level, deepening the single market through the removal of remaining intra-EU trade barriers and greater harmonization of regulations can help firms achieve economies of scale and incentivize innovation by expanding market size.

    Sustained efforts to promote employment and job quality remain critical to facilitate green and digital transitions, amid an aging workforce, and boost productivity growth. While employment rates have increased, they remain low in segments of the population compared to other countries. Possible areas for policy intervention include further social benefit reforms to enhance work incentives and reduce career fragmentation, particularly among younger and older individuals. These measures can be complemented by efforts to further raise labor force participation of women, including through recent initiatives to support STEM careers, and better integrate migrants into the labor market. Promoting workforce skills and healthy aging would also contribute to job quality.

    Adapting to a Complex Financial Landscape

    The banking sector has demonstrated resilience to recent shocks, supported by prudent lending standards and strong precautionary buffers. While profitability remains below the EU average, banks’ solvency and liquidity positions are robust, with adequate buffers. Sound prudential measures are mitigating housing market risks as property prices stabilize, while risks to the banking sector from corporate indebtedness and sovereign exposures remain manageable. Notwithstanding high uncertainty, financial stability risks remain contained, with French banks showing resilience under severe geopolitical and recessionary stress test scenarios, applied in the context of the IMF’s 2025 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP).

    The connections between the banking system, insurance firms, and domestic funding markets warrant continued close monitoring. The FSAP stress test indicates that investment funds possess sufficient liquidity to withstand large redemption shocks, and French banks’ liquidity buffers can absorb potential market shocks from associated fixed-income sell-offs. Moreover, liquidity management tools to contain redemption risks have been widely adopted. Nevertheless, amid global uncertainty and episodes of high market volatility, there is scope to further strengthen oversight through greater monitoring and data sharing on fund liability structures as well as closer collaboration among non-bank financial institutions supervisors in France and at the EU level.

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/05/22/CS-France-2025

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Samoa at Osaka World Expo 2025

    Source:

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    By: Asuisui Fofoa Matafeo

    Samoas’ presence and visibility is on the global stage at Osaka Japan World Expo 2025.

    Capitalizing on the international stage to profile Samoa’s export commodities and goods complemented by Samoa’s revere tourism profile in bids to attract more visitors to Samoa, the Expo held every five years was officially opened on April 12th 2025.

    Her Excellency (H.E) Fa’alava’au Perina Sila Tualaulelei, Ambassador of Samoa to Japan led Samoa contingent at the official opening ceremonies.

    She was accompanied by Paul Oteta Ane, Representative of the Samoa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and representative from Government Press Secretariat and Savali Newspaper Principal Videographer and Filming, Asuisui Fofoa Matafeo.

    Samoa’s delegation also joined their global counterparts in commemorating the beginning of Expo activities, signaling Samoa’s readiness to share its distinctive culture, innovations, and future-focused vision with the world.

    Samoa’s exports and profile will remain on display at her pavilion showcasing handicrafts, clothing, food, and much more providing a wider platform for Samoa’s products to be noticed on the world stage.

    With millions in attendance, the Expo reaffirms unity and portray a future society through the ideas of life, world and the future.

    Osaka previously hosted a World Expo in 1970 that attracted 64 million visitors.

    The Expo is for 6 months and will close this October.

    Photos: Asuisui Fofoa Matafeo (Savali Newspaper)

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Eight years after arena attack, the commercialisation of Manchester’s bee symbol has unsettled some Mancunians

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ashley Collar, PhD Candidate in Sociology & Associate Lecturer at MMU, University of Manchester

    espesorroche/Shutterstock

    If you visit Manchester, one of the first things you’ll notice is the great number of bee images throughout the city. Born in the Industrial Revolution, the “worker bee” symbol captured the city’s tireless spirit and its legacy as a buzzing hive of industry. Today, the symbol is more often associated with collective resilience and remembrance following the Manchester Arena attack on May 22 2017.

    The bee became a powerful symbol of the “Mancunian spirit”, emerging almost instantly on murals, on bodies as tattoos and on public memorials. Over the last eight years, it has become a core part of Manchester’s identity.

    A memorial at Manchester’s Victoria station in May 2024.
    Ashley Collar

    As part of my ongoing PhD research, I set out to understand why the bee is everywhere in Manchester and what it means to people. I interviewed 24 Mancunians who were living in the city at the time of the attack, including some who were directly affected.

    Conducted in 2023, seven years after the attack, these interviews aimed to capture how the symbol’s meaning had evolved as the city continued to process and commemorate the event.

    For many, the bee still stands as a symbol of resilience, a reminder of how the city came together in the face of tragedy. But for others, its presence throughout Manchester has become more of a burden than a comfort.

    Appearing on buses, shop windows and public spaces, it serves as a constant and eerie reminder of the events and aftermath of the attack. Eight of my interviewees described these as memories of “trauma”. Over time, what once felt comforting has become more unsettling.

    Manchester City Council coat of arms, with bees buzzing around the Earth.
    By IndysNotHere – Self – Made / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA

    Fifteen of my interviewees expressed discomfort with how the bee has become more commercialised in the years since the attack. Some described feelings of “exploitation”.

    Both independent businesses and large companies have embraced the symbol, integrating it into their branding in public spaces. Many sell bee-themed gifts and souvenirs, such as fridge magnets, coasters and beanies.

    Manchester city council has played a key role in this commercialisation, promoting the image through various initiatives, including the Bee Network transport system and the Bee Cup – a reusable takeaway cup launched in 2023.

    In June 2017, shortly after the attack, the council moved to trademark several versions of the bee as an official city symbol. This was made public in March 2018, after the period for objections had passed.

    Initially, the council allowed people and businesses to use the symbol for free, but later introduced a licensing scheme. Now, anyone wishing to use the trademarked versions of the bee must apply for permission from the council, and commercial use comes with a £500 fee. Businesses that want to use the bee are also asked to donate to charity.

    The bee appears on souvenirs like fridge magnets.
    Ashley Collar

    The council described the trademarking of the bee symbol as a way to protect its use and support local good causes, such as the We Love MCR Charity, which helps fund community projects and youth opportunities across the city.

    But some of my participants noted that this transformed the bee from something personal and meaningful to something more corporate. In their view, it is as if the city itself is commodifying the attack rather than honouring it.

    This can be viewed as an element of “dark tourism”, which involves visiting places where tragedy has been memorialised or commercialised. In Manchester this manifests not through visits to the attack site but through the bee symbol, which has been commodified in murals, merchandise and public spaces. Tourists buy into collective grief through consumption, turning remembrance into a marketable experience and the bee as a managed and profitable commodity.

    M&S: One of many shop windows that now incorporate the Manchester bee.
    Ashley Collar

    Some Manchester Arena bombing survivors I spoke to feel that their personal grief has been repackaged into a public identity, one that does not necessarily reflect the complexity of their experiences.

    The use of the bee in products and souvenirs raises questions about how the city commercialises its identity, especially when considering the layered histories that the symbol carries.

    Uncomfortable history

    For some, the discomfort around Manchester’s bee goes even deeper. Today, the bee symbolises resilience and unity, but it originally represented hard work during Manchester’s industrial boom.

    This era wasn’t just about progress — it also involved exploitation and colonial trade especially through cotton produced by enslaved people in the Americas. Manchester’s role in the industrial revolution would have never been possible without slavery.

    My participants pointed out this hidden history, noticing that these stories rarely appear in Manchester’s public commemorations in the city. The bee’s visibility today reveals how cities tend to highlight positive histories, while uncomfortable truths remain hidden.

    A painted window in Manchester’s Victoria station.
    Ashley Collar

    Focusing solely on resilience risks creating a simplified version of Manchester’s past. This can exclude some people in the present, overlooking how historical injustices, like the city’s links to the transatlantic slave trade, still shape their lives today.

    This selective storytelling makes it harder for some communities to commemorate Manchester’s identity. They can’t do so without acknowledging past legacies of slavery and the city’s history of division.

    While some see the bee as a proud symbol of unity, others feel it erases their history. As the bee continues to dominate public spaces, Manchester faces an important challenge: making sure this symbol genuinely acknowledges the varied experiences and histories of all residents.

    This might be through dedicated plaques or exhibits that explore some of these hidden histories, and the bee’s complex meaning. Only by confronting its past can the city ensure that commemoration includes everyone.

    Ashley Collar receives funding from ESRC (Economic Social and Research Council) as part of her PhD Doctoral Scholarship.

    – ref. Eight years after arena attack, the commercialisation of Manchester’s bee symbol has unsettled some Mancunians – https://theconversation.com/eight-years-after-arena-attack-the-commercialisation-of-manchesters-bee-symbol-has-unsettled-some-mancunians-256753

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season: CPSC Tips to Keep Americans Safe

    Source: US Consumer Product Safety Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 1 marks the start of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers along the Atlantic Seaboard and the Gulf of America about the increased risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, fires and electric shock after hurricanes and severe storms hit.
    “These storms bring along with them power, devastation and destruction of their own,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman. “However, the dangers associated with these storms do not end when the winds and rain subside. I urge all Americans to follow CPSC’s safety tips this hurricane season to do their best to be safe before, during and after the storms.”
    Consumers need to be especially careful when storms knock out electrical power. CO poisoning from portable generators can kill whole families in minutes. CO is called the invisible killer because it is colorless and odorless, and its poisoning can happen in only a matter of minutes. Sadly, people can become unconscious even before recognizing symptoms of nausea, dizziness or weakness. 
    Unfortunately, CO poisoning claims the lives of hundreds of people each year. When we see these deaths occur from generators when the power is out, it makes the storm’s effects that much more devastating. To mitigate their risk of CO poisoning, consumers should follow these safety tips to protect their families, especially during the Atlantic hurricane season lasting from the beginning of June to the end of November. 
    Loss of Power—Using a Generator Safely

    NEVER use a portable generator inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace, shed or other enclosed spaces, even with the doors open. Opening doors or windows will not provide enough ventilation to prevent the buildup of lethal levels of CO.
    Use portable generators outside only, at least 20 feet away from home and any other buildings. Don’t use a generator on a porch or in a carport; it’s too close to your home and puts your family at risk of CO poisoning. Direct the generator’s exhaust away from your home and other buildings where someone can enter. Close windows and seal off vent openings that are near the generator or in the path of its exhaust.
    Follow portable generator instructions about electrical shock hazards in inclement weather. These instructions may include use of an NFPA-rated non-combustible generator tent or may state to wait to use until rain passes.
    Regularly check and maintain your portable generator to ensure that it will work properly when needed. Read and follow all labels, instructions and warnings on the generator and in the owner’s manual.
    Look for portable generators that have a CO shut-off safety feature. This safety feature automatically shuts off the generator when high levels of CO are present around the generator. Models that are certified to the latest PGMA G300-2023 and UL 2201 safety standards are estimated to reduce deaths from CO poisoning by 86% and 100% respectively. 
    UL 2201 certified models have reduced CO emissions in addition to the CO shut-off feature.

    Check CO and Smoke Alarms

    Working smoke and CO alarms save lives! Install working CO and smoke alarms (battery-operated or with battery backup) on every level and outside sleeping areas at home. Interconnected alarms are best; when one sounds, they all sound. 
    Make sure smoke alarms are installed inside each bedroom.  
    Test CO and smoke alarms monthly to make sure they are working properly, and replace batteries, if needed. Never ignore an alarm when it sounds. Get outside immediately. Then call 911.

    Dangers with Charcoal and Candles

    Never use charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal in an enclosed space can produce lethal levels of carbon monoxide. Do not cook on a charcoal grill in a garage, even with the garage door open.
    Use caution when burning candles. Use flashlights or battery-operated candles instead. If using candles, do not burn them on or near anything that can catch fire. Never leave burning candles unattended. Extinguish candles when leaving the room and before sleeping.

    If Your Home Floods—Dangers with Wet Appliances

    Look for signs that your appliances have gotten wet. Do not touch wet appliances that are still plugged into an electrical source. 
    Before using your appliances, have a professional gas or electric company representative evaluate your home and replace all gas control valves, electrical wiring, circuit breakers, and fuses that have been under water.

    Dangers with Gas Leaks: 

    If you smell or hear gas leaking, leave your home immediately and contact local gas authorities from outside the home. Do not operate any electronics, such as lights or phones, before leaving.

    CPSC resources:
    Carbon Monoxide Safety Center
    PSA – One portable generator produces the same amount of Carbon Monoxide as hundreds of cars
    PSA – Una planta eléctrica produce la misma cantidad de monóxido de carbono como cientos de autos
    Link to broadcast quality video for media: 
    Hurricane B-Roll – https://spaces.hightail.com/space/XtFQ7YqK0x
    Individual Commissioners may have statements related to this topic.  Please visit www.cpsc.gov/commissioners to search for statements related to this or other topics.

    About the U.S. CPSCThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products. 
    Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
    For lifesaving information:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN to participate in the 46th ASEAN Summit, 2nd ASEAN- GCC Summit and ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Source: ASEAN

    At the invitation of The Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia and Chair of ASEAN for 2025, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, will lead the ASEAN Secretariat Delegation to participate in the 46th ASEAN Summit, 2nd ASEAN Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and ASEAN-GCC-China Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 26-27 May 2025, under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”
     
    The series of meetings will also include the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with Representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Youth, and ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC).
     
    Prior to the Summits, Dr. Kao will also take part in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), 29th ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting, 25th ASEAN Economic Community Council (AECC) Meeting and the 36th ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) Meeting, on 25 May 2025.
     
    Dr. Kao is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with high-level dignitaries from ASEAN, ASEAN’s external partners as well as from international organisations to exchange views on enhancing existing cooperation, exploring new areas for collaboration and advancing ASEAN Community-building efforts. Dr. Kao will also engage in media interviews to promote ASEAN’s diplomacy, visibility and awareness.
     
    The series of high-level meetings will provide an excellent opportunity to take stock of ASEAN’s progress, set future directions and reaffirm ASEAN’s commitment to regional peace, stability, and sustainable development, especially in a time when ASEAN embarks on ASEAN Community Vision 2045, a historic 20-year vision of ASEAN
    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN to participate in the 46th ASEAN Summit, 2nd ASEAN- GCC Summit and ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 5.21.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    May 21, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Armen Meyer, of San Francisco, has been appointed Senior Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Consumer Financial Protection at the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Meyer has held several positions at the American Fintech Council since 2021 including Co-Founder, Advisor, and Board Member. He has held several positions at Millenia Capital since 2021, including Advisor and General Partner. Meyer held multiple positions at LendingClub and LendingClub Bank from 2017 to 2023, including Head of the Public Policy and Government Affairs Team and Vice President of Regulatory Strategy and Policy. He held multiple positions at PriceWaterhouseCoopers from 2011 to 2017, including Managing Director for Financial Services Advisory, Director of Regulatory Strategy, and Chief of Staff for Financial Services Regulatory. Meyer held multiple positions at the New York Banking Department from 2009 to 2011, including Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Superintendent. He held multiple positions in the New York Executive Office from 2007 to 2009, including Assistant Secretary for Economic Development and Communications Director to the Lieutenant Governor. Meyer is an Advisor to FS Vector, FairplayAI, Spring Labs, Pontoro, Raido Capital, University of California Berkeley SkyDeck, The AI Education Project, and Fordham University’s College at Lincoln Center. He is a Board Member of the Gaidz Foundation for Armenian heritage and Valt. Meyer is Head of Partnerships for the Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of Northern California, and a member of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s Innovation Council, the Exchequer Club of Washington DC, Armenian Assembly and Armenians in Banking and Finance, and supporter of The Mechanicals Theater Company. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, a Master of Public Administration degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Math from Fordham University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $195,564. Meyer is a Democrat.

    Jacob Arkatov, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Medical Board of California. Arkatov has been an Associate at O’Melveny & Myers since 2022. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Georgetown University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Arkatov is a Democrat.

    Peter Brierty, of Highland, has been appointed to the Southwestern Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission. Brierty has been a Retired Annuitant at the San Bernardino County Fire Department since 2025. He was a Project Manager at Pacific Heritage, Inc. from 2017 to 2023. Brierty held multiple positions at the San Bernardino County Fire Department from 1978 to 2013, including Fire Marshal, Assistant Chief, and Division Manager. Brierty is the President of the Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern California and a Member of the Fire and Burn Foundation at the San Bernardino County Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from California State University, San Bernardino. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Brierty is a Democrat.

    Tom Hallinan, of Modesto, has been appointed to the California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. Tom has been a Deputy District Attorney at the Stanislaus County District Attorney Office since 2024 and a Partner at White Brenner LLP since 2012. Hallinan earned a Juris Docter degree from Lincoln School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from California State University, Fresno. He is a member of the Central Valley City Attorney’s Association. This position does not require senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Hallinan is a Democrat.

    Amanda Steidlmayer, of Woodland, has been appointed to the California Architects Board. Steidlmayer has been the Director of Professional Development at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine since 2022. She was a Program Manager for the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine from 2018 to 2022. She was a Strategic Initiatives Coordinator for the University of California, Davis Graduate Studies Office from 2013 to 2018. She was the Director of Academic Operations and Planning at the University of Davis, California Graduate School of Management from 2013 to 2016. Steidlmayer earned a Master of International Public Policy degree from the University of California, San Diego and a Bachelor of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from University of California, Davis. This position does not require senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Steidlmayer is a Democrat.

    Pamela Brief, of La Crescenta, has been reappointed to the Landscape Architects Technical Committee, where she has served since 2020. Brief has been President of Pamela Studios since 2012. She was Senior Principal at NUVIS from 2019 to 2020. Brief was Senior Principal at Jerde Partnership from 2007 to 2008. She was President of Schirmer Design from 2004 to 2007. Brief was a Landscape Designer and Principal at Walt Disney Imagineering from 1992 to 2004. Brief earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture from Ohio State University. She is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Association of Women in Architecture + Design, and Friends of the LA River. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Brief is a Democrat.

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    May 20, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Matthew Read, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Counsel at the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Read has been Acting Chief Counsel at the Governor’s Office of…

    May 20, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom issued a statement today after U.S. Senate Republicans announced plans for an illegal vote this week that would undo California’s clean cars and trucks program. SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a statement on…

    May 20, 2025

    News What you need to know: State and local law enforcement partners seized $123.5 million in illegal cannabis in the Central Valley. SACRAMENTO – In its largest operation to date, the state’s task force dedicated to eradicating illegal cannabis operations conducted a…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: America First Healthcare Reviews: What Clients Are Saying About Their Coverage

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ORLANDO, Fla., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Americans praise transparency, compassion, and real savings in a marketplace plagued by confusion and mistrust.

    More than ever, they’re turning to private health insurance solutions that prioritize honesty, affordability, and clarity as the U.S. healthcare landscape changes. One Florida-based company, America First Healthcare, is gaining traction for doing just that, and verified reviews from both the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot suggest that clients are noticing the difference.

    Founded by entrepreneur Jordan Sarmiento after a personal medical crisis left him with $95,000 in hospital bills, America First Healthcare was built to give Americans a straightforward, trustworthy path to health coverage. Sarmiento says, “I created this company so no one else would have to go through what I did. I used to feel helpless, overwhelmed, and unprotected.”

    And according to dozens of clients, that mission is succeeding.

    Customers have shared detailed accounts of exceptional service on the Better Business Bureau, where America First Healthcare is BBB-accredited with an A rating. In one verified five-star review, a customer wrote:

    “Daniel was extremely helpful and answered every question I had. He thoroughly explained my coverage options and was very pleasant. Would definitely recommend America First Healthcare.” – BBB Verified Reviewer, December 2024

    Based on verified reviews, America First Healthcare holds a TrustScore of over four stars with more than 90% positive reviews on Trustpilot. One recent reviewer enjoyed their experience with the company:

    “I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Alejandro Ustariz for his outstanding service and support in helping me secure excellent dental insurance coverage. From the very beginning, he was knowledgeable, patient, and attentive to my specific needs. He spent ample amount of time to explain all the available options in a clear and understandable way, ensuring I made an informed decision.” – Verified Trustpilot Review, May 1 2025

    Another client wrote:

    “I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Alejandro Ustariz for his outstanding service and support in helping me secure excellent dental insurance coverage. From the very beginning, he was knowledgeable, patient, and attentive to my specific needs. He spent ample amount of time to explain all the available options in a clear and understandable way, ensuring I made an informed decision.” – Verified Trustpilot Review, February 2024

    Sarmiento, who founded the company with a belief in small government and free-market healthcare solutions, has made it clear that America First Healthcare’s goal is not just to sell policies, but to rebuild trust in private insurance.

    The founder, Sarmiento, says “Our advisors aren’t taught to close deals, they’re taught to care,” said Sarmiento. “We listen before we recommend. We explain without jargon. And we serve people like they matter. Because they do.”

    With a growing footprint nationwide and a client base that includes families, small business owners, and independent contractors, the company is quickly becoming a voice for Americans seeking health insurance without the games.

    Jordan Sarmiento and America First Healthcare are changing the tone of health insurance, one honest conversation at a time.

    ABOUT AMERICA FIRST HEALTHCARE
    America First Healthcare is a private health insurance agency headquartered in Orlando, Florida. It is dedicated to helping Americans find honest, affordable healthcare coverage that works for their needs, not against them. Founded in 2021, the company believes in transparency, values-first service, and putting people over profits.

    MEDIA CONTACT
    Jordan Sarmiento
    Founder & CEO, America First Healthcare
    Email: info@americafirsthealthcare.com
    Address: 7700 Southland Blvd, Orlando, FL 32809
    Website: https://americafirsthealthcare.com

    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.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council leaders visit Portakabin to champion skills and apprenticeships

    Source: City of York

    The Deputy Leader of City of York Council, alongside senior council officers, recently visited the Portakabin head office in York.

    Portakabin, the market leader in the manufacture and construction of modular buildings, is one of York’s largest employers, with over 1,000 people working across its head office and manufacturing facility in the city. The company has proudly called York home for more than 60 years.

    As a globally recognised brand, Portakabin recently welcomed local leaders to its York headquarters to discuss future growth opportunities, the importance of strong public-private partnerships, and to reflect on recent successes, including a thriving apprenticeship scheme that is opening skilled career paths for young people across the region.

    The apprenticeship scheme at Portakabin offers its people development opportunities, with 98% of apprentices offered a full-time career with the company once their apprenticeship completes.

    Apprenticeships range from the required skills for modular building construction such as electrical apprenticeships, to product design, quantity surveying, finance, and marketing.

    Councillor Pete Kilbane, Deputy Leader of the Council with responsibility for Economy and Culture, said:

    I was delighted to accept the invitation from Portakabin to visit their head office and hear about the work taking place to provide skilled and well-paid jobs.

    “York is a fantastic place to do business, we have a highly skilled population, and it is a great place to live.

    “A key priority of this council is for the city to have a fair, thriving, green economy for all, which provides opportunities and well-paid jobs. Portakabin are one of many amazing businesses in York who will help us to achieve that ambition. It was particularly good to hear so much about their apprenticeship schemes and how that is turning into long-term careers for our young people.”

    Dan Ibbetson, CEO at Portakabin said:

    We were delighted to welcome Councillor Pete Kilbane to our Head Office here in York. We are proud to be a York based business, delivering exceptional spaces across the UK and Northern Europe from our home here in Huntington.

    “Our successes are testament to the people that work here, the highly skilled and motivated teams that deliver a meaningful impact both in work and the wider York community. It was a pleasure to give Councillor Kilbane and other senior leaders from the council an insight into the people, community and spaces we deliver here at Portakabin.”

    For businesses big and small there’s lots of support available to help your business prosper and thrive through the council’s Growth Managers. For more information visit our Grow Your Business webpage or email economicgrowth@york.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –