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Category: Commerce

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: RASHTRIYA GOKUL MISSION

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 01 APR 2025 5:10PM by PIB Delhi

    (a) To complement and supplement efforts made by the States and Union Territories to enhance infrastructure for indigenous cattle breeding, Government of India has taken following steps under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission to enhance infrastructure for Indigenous cattle breeding:

    (i) Strengthening of semen stations: In order to attain quantitative and qualitative improvement in semen production funds has been released to the States for strengthening and modernization of semen stations. So far, funds have been sanctioned for strengthening 47 semen station in the country.

    (ii) Sex-Sorted Semen production facility: Sex sorted semen production has been created in the country for production of only female calves upto 90% accuracy. Five semen stations in Government sector (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh) are operational. So far 58.67 lakh doses of sex sorted semen has been produced at Government semen stations assisted under Rashtriya Gokul Mission

    (iii) Establishment of IVF labs: For the first time in India, bovine IVF technology has been promoted for the development and conservation of indigenous breeds. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has established 22 IVF laboratories to support the promotion of indigenous breeds across the country. So far, 25895 embryos produced, 14145 embryos transferred and 2105 calves produced.

    (iv) Multi-purpose Artificial Insemination Technicians in Rural India (MAITRI): MAITRIs are trained and equipped to deliver quality artificial insemination services at farmers’ doorsteps and so far 38,736 MAITRIs trained and equipped in the country.

    (v) Gokul Grams: The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, under Rashtriya Gokul Mission has released funds for setting up of 16 “Gokul Grams” with the aim of conservation and development of indigenous bovine breeds in a scientific and holistic manner. The activity has been discontinued under revised realigned Rashtriya Gokul Mission from 2021-22 to 2025-26

    (vi) National Kamdhenu Breeding Centers : The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has established two National Kamdhenu Breeding Centers as repository of germplasm of Indigenous Bovine Breeds and to take up development and conservation of indigenous breeds in scientific and holistic manner  under Rashtriya Gokul Mission. The Northern Region National Kamdhenu Breeding Center has been established at Kiratpur, Itarsi, in Madhya Pradesh and the Southern Region National Kamdhenu Breeding Center has been established at Chintaladevi, Nellore, in Andhra Pradesh.

    The State-wise details of the infrastructure projects funded under Rashtriya Gokul Mission is at Annexure-I

    (b) The specific measures introduced to support small and marginal farmers including members of dairy cooperatives under the scheme are as follows:

    (i) Nationwide Artificial Insemination Programme: The programme aims to enhance AI coverage and deliver quality Artificial Insemination (AI) services free of cost at farmers doorsteps using semen from high-genetic-merit bulls, including indigenous bovine breeds.

    (ii) Accelerated Breed Improvement Programme (ABIP)

    (a)  Sex-Sorted Semen:   This program aims to produce female calves with up to 90% accuracy, thereby enhancing breed improvement and increasing farmers’ income. Incentive upto 50% of the cost of sex sorted semen is available to farmers including small and marginal farmers engaged in dairying. Recently indigenously developed sex sorted semen production technology has been launched  and with this technology cost of sex sorted semen will be reduced from Rs 800 to Rs 250/ dose.

    (b) IVF Technology: For the first time in India, bovine IVF technology has been promoted for the development and conservation of indigenous breeds. An incentive of ₹5,000 per assured pregnancy out of the total cost of ₹ 21,000 per assured pregnancy is provided to farmers under this program to encourage the development of indigenous breeds.

    (iii) Multi-purpose Artificial Insemination Technicians in Rural India (MAITRI): MAITRIs are trained and equipped to deliver quality artificial insemination services at farmers’ doorsteps

    (iv) Launch of Indigenously Developed Genomic Chip: For the first time, a genomic chip has been developed and launched under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission for indigenous breeds. This common genomic chip is significantly contributing to the development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds through identification of High genetic Merit bulls.

    The implementation of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and other initiatives by the Government of India have resulted in a significant 63.5% increase in milk production over the past decade, rising from 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 239.3 million tonnes in 2023-24. During this period, productivity across all animal categories, including descript, non-descript cattle, buffaloes, and crossbred cattle, improved by 26.35%, while indigenous and non-descript cattle saw a 39.37% increase, with productivity rising from 927 kg per animal per year in 2014-15 to 1292 kg in 2023-24. During the same period, Milk production from indigenous cattle surged by 69.27%, growing from 29.48 million tonnes to 49.90 million tonnes, and buffalo milk production increased by 39.73%, from 74.70 million tonnes to 104.38 million tonnes. Additionally, the number of milking animals rose by 30.46%, from 85.66 million in 2014-15 to 111.76 million in 2023-24.

    (c) The initiatives being taken by the Department to promote the export of value-added dairy products derived from indigenous breeds are as follows:

    (i) National Digital Livestock Mission (NDLM): The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) along with NDDB has developed database named as “Bharat Pashudhan” under NDLM of Rashtriya Gokul Mission. This database has been developed utilizing a unique 12-digit Tag ID allocated to each livestock animal, 34.20 crore animals have been registered on the database.  All the stakeholders are connected to the same database through an open source API based architecture. NDLM is an initiative towards maintaining traceability of livestock thereby promoting export possibilities of value-added dairy products derived from indigenous breeds.

    (ii) Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme: The scheme is implemented for providing assistance for control of animal diseases like Foot and Mouth Disease, Brucellosis and also to provide assistance to State Governments for Control of other infectious diseases of livestock including dairy animals. Mobile Veterinary Units are established under the scheme to deliver quality livestock health services at farmers doorstep. The scheme is an initiative of the Department towards creating disease-free zones in the country thereby creating market opportunity for export of livestock products.

    (iii) Export promotion and certification of livestock products including value added dairy products is mandated to the APEDA and EIC under Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Department has also taken up the issues related to export and market access of Indian Dairy products with various countries bilaterally through various platform such as Joint Working Group (JWG), Technical Working Group etc

    Annexure-I

    State-wise details of the infrastructure projects funded under Rashtriya Gokul Mission

    Sl. No.

    Name of the State/UT

    Number of Semen Stations

    Number of Sex Sorted Semen facilities

    Number of in-vitro Fertilization (IVF)  labs

    Number of Gokul Grams*

    Number of animals covered under NAIP including indigenous breeds (in lakh)
    1.  

    Andhra Pradesh

    3

    –

    2

    1

    67.39
    1.  

    Arunachal Pradesh

    –

    –

    –

    1

    0.03
    1.  

    Assam

    1

    –

    –

    –

    15.59
    1.  

    Bihar

    1

    –

    2

    1

    34.08
    1.  

    Chhattisgarh

    –

    –

    1

    1

    17.61
    1.  

    Goa

    –

    –

    –

    –

    0.22
    1.  

    Gujarat

    6

    1

    2

    1

    53.05
    1.  

    Haryana

    3

    –

    1

    1

    5.98
    1.  

    Himachal Pradesh

    2

    –

    1

    1

    17.26
    1.  

    Jammu & Kashmir

    1

    –

    –

    –

    22.10
    1.  

    Jharkhand

    –

    –

    –

    –

    24.46
    1.  

    Karnataka

    6

    –

    –

    1

    77.20
    1.  

    Kerala

    3

    –

    1

    –

    1.6**
    1.  

    Madhya Pradesh

    1

    1

    1

    1

    71.64
    1.  

    Maharashtra

    4

    –

    3

    2

    51.71
    1.  

    Manipur

    –

    –

    –

    –

    0.23
    1.  

    Meghalaya

    –

    –

    –

    –

    0.49
    1.  

    Mizoram

    –

    –

    –

    –

    0.08
    1.  

    Nagaland

    –

    –

    –

    –

    0.34
    1.  

    Orissa

    –

    –

    –

    –

    46.53
    1.  

    Punjab

    1

    –

    2

    1

    11.95
    1.  

    Rajasthan

    2

    –

    –

    –

    54.79
    1.  

    Sikkim

    –

    –

    –

    –

    0.38
    1.  

    Tamil Nadu

    5

    1

    2

    –

    46.57
    1.  

    Telangana

    2

    –

    1

    1

    30.08
    1.  

    Tripura

    –

    –

    –

    –

    2.13
    1.  

    Uttar Pradesh

    2

    1

    1

    3

    125.42
    1.  

    Uttarakhand

    1

    1

    1

    –

    13.79
    1.  

    West Bengal

    3

    –

    1

    –

    48.37
    1.  

    Andaman and Nicobar Islands

    –

    –

    –

    –

     
    1.  

    Chandigarh

    –

    –

    –

    –

     
    1.  

    Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

    –

    –

    –

    –

     
    1.  

    Delhi (NCT)

    –

    –

    –

    –

     
    1.  

    Lakshadweep

    –

    –

    –

    –

     
    1.  

    Ladakh

    –

    –

    –

    –

    0.06
    1.  

    Puducherry

    –

    –

    –

    –

     

    Note: * Activity has been discontinued under revised realigned Rashtriya Gokul Mission from 2021-22 to 2025-26

    **Artificial insemination performed under Progeny testing

    This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 1st April, 2025.

    *****

    AA

    (Release ID: 2117330) Visitor Counter : 117

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: EPFO Expands Banking Network, 15 Additional Banks Empanelled for Collection of EPFO Contributions Taking Total Number to 32 Banks

    Source: Government of India

    EPFO Expands Banking Network, 15 Additional Banks Empanelled for Collection of EPFO Contributions Taking Total Number to 32 Banks

    EPFO 3.0 will make EPFO as Accessible and Efficient as Banks: Dr. Mandaviya

    With nearly 8 crore active members and more than 78 lakh pensioners, EPFO provides benefits that ensure social security for millions – Union Minister

    Posted On: 01 APR 2025 5:13PM by PIB Delhi

    EPFO entered into agreements with 15 additional Public/Private Sector Banks in the presence of Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment, Youth Affairs & Sports and Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, in New Delhi today. The newly empanelled 15 banks will enable direct payment of nearly Rs. 12,000 Crore in annual collections and enable direct access to employers who maintain their accounts with these banks. For enabling employers covered under the Act to pay their monthly contributions, EPFO has already empanelled 17 banks, taking the total to 32.

    Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, in his address, stated that the country’s progress towards a “Naya Bharat” is being significantly supported by institutions like the EPFO, which plays a crucial role in shaping the nation’s future. With nearly 8 crore active members and more than 78 lakh pensioners, EPFO provides benefits that ensure social security for millions, he added.

    He emphasized how EPFO continues to evolve and adapt, with the recent implementation of EPFO 2.01, a robust IT system that has significantly improved claim settlements. He said in the Financial Year 2024-25, EPFO settled record over 6 crore claims, a 35% increase compared to the 4.45 crore claims settled in the previous year (2023-24).

    Dr. Mandaviya pointed out that customer satisfaction has risen significantly, and EPFO is actively working on evolving towards EPFO 3.0 to make it as accessible and efficient as banks. He said that a significant milestone was also marked with the introduction of the Centralized Pension Payment System. “This system will benefit over 78 lakh pensioners, enabling them to receive their pensions in any bank account across the country. Previously, pensioners were required to have an account in a specific zonal bank, this compulsion has now been removed,” Union Minister explained.

    Dr. Mandaviya also touched upon the significant reforms EPFO has introduced recently. “Auto claim settlement process is a major reform which has improved claim processing speed. With auto-processing, claims are now being settled in just three days. In FY 2024-25, we settled 2.34 crore claims under this system, a 160% increase from the 89.52 lakh claims in 2023-24″, Union Minister said.

    Union Minister expressed happiness that EPFO is offering 8.25 % interest rate to its beneficiaries. The participation of banks in service delivery would further enhance efficiency of EFFO and improve good governance.

    Looking ahead, Dr. Mandaviya reiterated EPFO’s commitment to continuous improvement. “We are focused on providing Ease of Living for members and Ease of Doing Business for employers. With the continued support of our banking partners, employers, and members, we are determined to take strong strides toward realizing the vision of a Viksit Bharat, while further strengthening our social security framework.”

    EPFO, one of the largest social security Organisations in the world has been taking a series of efforts to simplify processes for members and enhance employers’ experience in transacting with it. In FY 24-25, EPFO has collected over Rs. 3.41 Lakh Crore in contributions remitted by employers through 1.25 Crore electronic challan cum returns (ECRs) till 20th March 2025.

    Earlier, the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), EPFO in its 236th Meeting held on 30.11.2024 had approved the empanelment of all Agency Banks listed with RBI and Scheduled Commercial banks with collection share more than or equal to 0.20% of total EPFO collection as additional banks authorised to collect EPFO contributions. From 1st April 2025, the total number of empanelled banks has gone up to 32, providing employers with a wider array of choices for remittance to EPFO.

    The empanelment of new banks will bring seamless integration of EPFO collections/dues payments by employers, further reducing the need of aggregator payment mechanism for employers, which will help both EPFO & employers to reduce transactional delays and thereby strengthening operational efficiency. This will yield financial benefits for EPFO, as dues remitted through empanelled banks will be available for investment on T+1 day, compared to T+2 day through aggregator. This will also significantly reduce costs to EPFO payable for name validation of members’ accounts held in non-empanelled banks. EPF members will also be benefitted by this empanelment in a big way. Now when members will seed their bank accounts maintained in these banks, these will be verified in a speedier manner by these banks instead of routing these through any other channel.

    This initiative will enhance both the Ease of Doing Business and the Ease of Providing Service for employers and it will also translate these benefits for the members, reducing lags in payments of their contributions. Further, it will also help employers to interact with these banks directly for grievances related to payment of dues.

    Shri Ramesh Krishnamurthi, Central PF Commissioner, MD/CEO and senior officers of banks, Ministry of Labour & Employment and EPFO were also present on the occasion.

    *****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2117341) Visitor Counter : 138

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Joins Booker’s Marathon Floor Speech Highlighting Trump Administration Policies That Hurt New Mexico Farmers and Ranchers

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Luján Highlights How the Trump Administration Is Hurting Farmers, Compromising Food Safety, and Raising Costs for Consumers

    WATCH: Luján Joins Senator Booker’s Marathon Floor Speech

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) during his marathon floor speech standing up for the American people. Senator Luján discussed how the Trump administration is devastating the agricultural community, compromising food safety, and raising costs for New Mexicans – all to pass the Trump Tax Scam 2.0.

    An excerpt of Senator Luján’s remarks are below:

    Having fresh food in a grocery store is not something that can be taken for granted, and for a lot of our constituents, I’ve had these conversations with nominees that have come before us. When they ask, “why is someone just eating potato chips or Doritos from that local store?” I’ll educate them by saying, “that’s the only store around.” There’s food deserts everywhere. We could do something about that.

    We have programs in place that recognize the importance of getting someone a meal who needs that meal.

    Supporting our farmers out there to sow those seeds, to help them with their planting.

    What I am seeing right now, Senator Booker, is our farmers have been on the receiving end of these federal funds being taken away from the United States Department of Agriculture.

    These reckless tariffs are hurting farmers and ranchers just as much as they are hurting anyone in America.

    Outbreaks, bird flu—people know what the cost of eggs are at the store now. Then they look into what’s going on here, and there’s this bird flu going around.

    My constituents ask, “why does the Department of Agriculture, under Donald Trump, fire the epidemiologists that are responsible for containing this thing?” It didn’t make any sense to folks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Pingree Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Support Fishing Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to expand financial support for fishing communities in Maine and across the country. The Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act would allow businesses that provide direct assistance to fishing operations—like gear producers or cold storage—to access loans from the Farm Credit System (FCS) that are already offered to service providers for farmers, ranchers and loggers. The FCS is a network of lending institutions that provides credit to the agriculture industry
    Joining King and Pingree in leading the introduction are Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA).
    “Maine’s fishing industry is more than just the hardworking folks who catch and harvest our delicious seafood, it is also hundreds of small family businesses that make gear, build and maintain fish freezers, and distribute the state’s iconic produce,” said Senator King. “The Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act would allow fishing-support businesses to access the loans of the Farm Credit System like similar small businesses working with livestock and crop farmers. These reliable loans unlock rural economies, and help businesses invest in new expansions. Opening this program to the men and women who put fish on grocery shelves and kitchen plates is a smart way to help them hire more workers, and modernize operations to meet the demands of the 21st century economy.”
    “Fisheries are not only the backbone of Maine’s coastal communities and economy, they are a living, breathing ecosystem of interconnected businesses and generational knowledge—one that too often falls through the cracks of traditional credit systems,” said Congresswoman Pingree, a member of the House Agriculture Committee. “Our coastal communities need strategic, pragmatic policy solutions that acknowledge their economic realities. This bill does precisely that: creating a fair lending environment that mirrors the support we’ve long provided to agricultural sectors. It’s about economic resilience and honoring the profound maritime heritage that defines regions like coastal Maine.”
    “Our fishermen share the same mission as the American agriculture industry: to strengthen national food security with locally sourced, high-quality foods while building our economies,“ said Senator Murkowski. “Whether it’s the Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act or amending the Farm Bill, I am actively working to ensure that Alaska’s fishermen and the businesses they rely on can access the same resources available to American farmers and ranchers.”
    “Louisiana is home to a strong generational seafood industry, and our fishermen deserve a level playing field,” said Congressman Higgins. “Our legislation provides greater parity for America’s seafood producers and the supporting industries. We are working to provide the same financial opportunities and loan access that other agricultural commodities are entitled to.”
    “The Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) supports legislation that would allow Farm Credit institutions to lend to fishing-related businesses in the same way they lend to farm-related businesses. This change will increase the options for and availability of credit to businesses supporting the fishing industry in Maine and other coastal states,” said Patrice McCarron, Executive Director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “The economies of Maine’s coastal communities center around commercial fishing and the businesses that support the fishing industry in the same way that many rural communities revolve around farming and businesses supporting farming. Fishing-related businesses deserve the same access to competitive financing.”
    “Senators King and Murkowski are champions for U.S. fishermen, and we appreciate their leadership in introducing the Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act. Supporting rural communities is a vital piece of Farm Credit’s mission, and this bill will provide more financing options for our rural coastal communities,” said Farm Credit Council President and CEO Christy Seyfert.  “Businesses providing services directly to the commercial fishing operators are impacted by same the pressures as the U.S. fishing industry. These businesses need access to competitive financing to maintain service to the U.S. fishing industry. We look forward to working with Sens. King and Murkowski to include this commonsense legislation in the upcoming Farm Bill.” 
    The FCS was founded in Congress in 1916 to help farmers who historically struggled to access reliable credit and has since provided almost a million loans totaling more than $373 billion to farmers, ranchers, fishermen, aquatic producers, and more. Borrowers must meet eligibility and creditworthiness requirements. It currently provides more than one-third of the credit used by those who live and work in rural America.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Cassidy Push for Long-Needed Update to Supplemental Security Income Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), alongside Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), introduced the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act to reform the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, which has not been updated in 40 years. Currently, the program unfairly punishes lower-income seniors and people with disabilities for saving responsibly for emergencies or their futures. A companion to this bill will be introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.).
    Right now, individuals with a disability or those aged 65 and older are only eligible for Supplemental Security Income if they have under $2,000 in assets. SSI’s marriage penalty restricts married couples to a total of $3,000 in financial resources to remain eligible. The Senators’ bipartisan, bicameral legislation would update SSI’s asset limits for the first time since the 1980s to allow millions of Americans with disabilities to marry, work, earn, and save money without putting the benefits they rely on to live at risk.
    “A $2,000 rainy-day fund doesn’t go as far as it did in 1989, but that’s all the savings that people who rely on SSI benefits are allowed,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “We shouldn’t punish people who are working hard, saving their money, and planning for the future. Congress must raise the SSI asset limit to help our seniors and Americans with disabilities.”
    “Outdated rules are making disabled Americans pick between a better job and losing their safety net. That’s wrong,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Instead, let’s encourage work, help people save, and lift them out of poverty.”
    “Every year, SSI’s outdated rules prevent Americans from being able to work, save, or marry the one they love,” said Senator Wyden. “This bipartisan bill gives Americans who are trying to make ends meet the chance to live independently without fear of being forced to forfeit an economic lifeline. As the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, I am committed to making sure SSI is no longer stuck in yesteryear so every American can live with dignity and respect.”
    “I am honored to join with my colleagues to champion the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act that would improve the lives of lower-income seniors and people with disabilities,” said Congressman Davis. “This bipartisan, bicameral bill would reform one of the most regressive, anti-savings measures in federal law by updating the outdated asset limits of the Supplemental Security Income program for the first time in almost 40 years. The necessity of this legislation is reflected in its support by over 200 businesses, faith-based groups, and organizations from across the political spectrum.”
    “Raising the SSI asset limits is a smart, long-overdue reform that updates a critical program to reflect today’s economic realities,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “For over forty years, outdated restrictions have discouraged work and penalized those who try to save for their future. The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act modernizes these limits, ties them to inflation, and ensures that seniors and individuals with disabilities are not forced to choose between earning a paycheck and keeping the benefits they depend on. This bipartisan legislation promotes financial independence and strengthens the integrity of our safety net.”
    A study by JPMorganChase suggests that current asset and income limits on federal benefits for people with disabilities make it harder for them to work a part-time job or save money for an emergency. The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act would raise the SSI asset limits to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for married couples, and index them to inflation moving forward. The last update to SSI asset limits was passed by Congress in 1984 and went into effect in 1989.
    Additional cosponsors include Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
    The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act has the support of more than 200 businesses, faith-based groups, and organizations dedicated to improving the lives of older adults and people with disabilities, including: the AARP, the Autism Society of America, the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, the Jewish Federations of North America, Microsoft, the National Council on Aging, the National Council on Independent Living, the National Down Syndrome Congress, Justice in Aging, the Arc of the United States, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Action, the National Association of Evangelicals, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
    Read the full bill here.
    Senator Cortez Masto has continually worked to make sure that Social Security and other government benefits efficiently function for America’s seniors and individuals with disabilities. Last Congress, the Senator helped pass the Social Security Fairness Act, bipartisan legislation supported to restore full Social Security benefits to thousands of retired law enforcement officers, firefighters, teachers, and other public servants. Cortez Masto also supports the bipartisan Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, which would increase the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and military survivors under the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure benefits keep up with the rising cost of living.
    “SSI’s $2,000 asset limit has been frozen in time since 1989. In today’s economy, that means SSI beneficiaries can’t save for necessary expenses like a security deposit or car repairs without the risk of losing their benefits. There’s also an outdated and unjust marriage penalty baked into the SSI asset limit that cuts the amount of money beneficiaries are allowed to save by 25% if they marry the person they love. We strongly endorse the bipartisan SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act because it will give Americans with disabilities more freedom to build the futures they want and deserve,” said Darcy Milburn, Director of Social Security and Healthcare Policy, The Arc of the United States.
    “Supplemental Security Income’s asset rules have been frozen since the 1980s and prevent disabled Americans from participating in everyday life, whether it be tying the knot to a long-term partner or putting a financial nest egg away. Raising the program’s resource limits will help eliminate work and marriage penalties and limit accidental overpayments. The Niskanen Center supports this pro-savings, pro-family legislative effort by Senators Cortez Masto, Cassidy, and their colleagues,” said Will Raderman, Employment Policy Analyst, Niskanen Center.
    “JPMorganChase, like many companies, wants to attract and retain the very best qualified people of all abilities. We applaud the bipartisan reintroduction of the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, whichwould make common sense updates to the outdated rules for SSI benefits to reflect current economic conditions and keep pace with inflation,” said Bryan Gill, Global Head of the Office of Disability Affairs, JPMorganChase.
    “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce would like to thank Senators Cortez Masto and Cassidy and Representatives Davis and Fitzpatrick for their leadership in reintroducing the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, which would help employers fill many open jobs with older, experienced American workers who wish to stay in the workforce by raising the current asset limits for Supplemental Security Income program eligibility,” said Chantel Sheaks, Vice President of Retirement Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
    “SSI’s outdated asset limits have prevented older Americans and those with disabilities from being able to save even a small amount for an emergency or to have a modicum of economic security as they age, without the risk of losing vital benefits. Americans should not be prevented from saving a few dollars for unforeseen circumstances, and SSI beneficiaries are no exception. It is long-past time for Congress to update SSI’s asset limits, which have become overly restrictive and prevent the accumulation of even a small amount of personal savings. AARP therefore urges Congress to pass your SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act as soon as possible,” said Bill Sweeney, Senior Vice President, AARP Government Affairs.
    “Current policy imposes a difficult choice on Americans living with disabilities: spend their money now or lose access to essential support. This is nonsensical and denies some people the ability to save for future needs and opportunities. The SSI savings limit is long overdue for reform. A big thank you to the senators and representatives who are leading the way to a more humane policy,” said Galen Carey, Vice President of Government Relations, National Association of Evangelicals.
    “The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act will update asset limits for Supplemental Security Income and remove outdated barriers that restrict economic opportunity and hinder workforce participation. We thank Senators Cortez Masto and Cassidy and Representatives Davis and Fitzpatrick, for championing this bipartisan legislation that will help broaden America’s workforce, bolster supply chains, and support disabled workers,” said Rylin Rodgers, Disability Policy Director, Microsoft.
    “BPC Action commends this effort by Sens. Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Cassidy (R-LA) and Representatives Davis (D-IL) and Fitzpatrick (R-PA)  and urges Congress to act on long-overdue bipartisan measures to empower seniors and Americans with disabilities enrolled in Supplemental Security Income to increase their household savings,” said Michele Stockwell, President, Bipartisan Policy Center Action.
    “A core component of the nation’s Social Security system, SSI is nothing short of a lifeline for more than 7 million of the nation’s poorest seniors and disabled people, including more than one million disabled children. But because it’s been left to wither on the vine for decades, with key eligibility criteria never updated even for inflation, outdated savings limits now trap millions in poverty — even though SSI was established to offer a pathway out. Senators Cortez Masto, Cassidy, and Wyden and Reps. Davis and Fitzpatrick are to be commended for their bipartisan leadership on the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act — important legislation that would bring long overdue reform to one of the most regressive anti-savings policies on the books today. Even at a time of historic polarization, updating SSI’s asset limits is one issue Americans across the political spectrum can agree on — and the time is now to act,”said Rebecca Vallas, CEO, National Academy of Social Insurance. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Court of Auditors: MEPs back Romania’s candidate

    Source: European Parliament

    On Tuesday, Parliament endorsed Lucian Romaşcanu to be Romania’s member of the European Court of Auditors (ECA).

    Mr Romaşcanu, whose appointment was previously endorsed by the Committee on Budgetary Control, has served as Romania’s Minister of Culture and is currently the President of Buzau County Council. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Academy Of Economic Studies and a master’s degree in business administration from the Romanian-American Business School ASSEBUS. MEPs backed his nomination in a secret ballot by 437 votes in favour, 128 against and 92 abstentions.

    The mandate of the current Romanian ECA member, Viorel Ştefan, will expire on 30 June 2025.

    Next steps

    The final decision will be taken by EU member states in the Council.

    Background

    As stipulated in the EU Treaty, each member state proposes one candidate to serve on the ECA. The Council of the EU, after consulting the European Parliament, adopts the list of members for a six-year term.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Is the European defence industry represented by an American lobbyist? – E-001156/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001156/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Virginie Joron (PfE)

    Rudy Priem, lobbyist for US arms giant Raytheon/RTX, which manufactures Patriot missiles[1], has slipped into European defence industry lobbying group ASD by way of an obscure Belgian outfit involving the organisation Agoria. The erstwhile promoter of the American F-35 now has an influence on Europe’s strategic decisions.

    The La Lettre[2] newspaper reveals that Priem led the defence committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Brussels. The organisation is the largest US lobby in Brussels and opposes absolutely any project designed to improve European autonomy on defence. It is therefore a direct rival of the French defence industry and French jobs.

    At a time when the Commission intends to take decisions on wars and our defence equipment for the future, it is important to know who is advising it, otherwise there is a risk that billions of euros from the European Defence Industry Programme will benefit US manufacturers rather than European industry.

    • 1.Is the Commission aware of Rudy Priem’s links to the US defence industry?
    • 2.What steps has the Commission taken to ensure he does not have access to confidential information and does not attend strategic meetings to determine the future of the European defence industry?
    • 3.What procedures have been put in place for the early detection and combating of foreign interference which seeks to divert our public defence funds to benefit foreign interests?

    Submitted: 19.3.2025

    • [1] Rudy Priem is registered as RTX’s person in charge of EU relations. At the same time, he is Chair of the ASD’s Economic, Legal and Trade Commission – https://www.rtx.com/raytheon/what-we-do/integrated-air-and-missile-defense; https://amchameu.eu/file/rudy-priem-chair-amcham-eu-security-and-defence-committee; https://transparency-register.europa.eu/searchregister-or-update/organisation-detail_en?id=87564644126-75
    • [2] https://www.lalettre.fr/fr/entreprises_defense-et-aeronautique/2025/03/18/un-americain-infiltre-au-coeur-du-lobby-europeen-de-la-defense%2C110388728-eve
    Last updated: 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Iranian Company and Two Iranian Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and for Scheme to Procure U.S. Technology for Iranian Attack Drones

    Source: US State of California

    Concurrent Action with Department of the Treasury Targets Illicit Iranian Weapons Procurement Network

    A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Hossein Akbari, 63, and Reza Amidi, 62, both of Iran, and an Iranian company, Rah Roshd Company (Rah Roshd), with conspiring to procure U.S. parts for Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones), conspiring to provide material support to the IRGC – a designated foreign terrorist organization – and conspiring to commit money laundering.

    Akbari is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rah Roshd. Amidi is the company’s commercial manager and was previously the commercial manager of Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), an Iranian state-owned aerospace company. They are both citizens of Iran and remain at large.

    “Today’s charges lay bare how U.S.-made technology ended up in the hands of the Iranian military to build attack drones,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will continue to put maximum pressure on the Iranian regime. We will relentlessly dismantle illicit supply chains funneling American technology into the hands of Iran’s military and terrorist organizations and pursue those complicit in operations that threaten our country.”

    “As alleged in the complaint, the defendants conspired to obtain U.S.-origin parts needed to manufacture drones for military use in Iran and send those parts to Iran in violation of export control laws,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The charges filed today demonstrate the commitment by my office and our law enforcement partners to dismantle illicit supply chains and prosecute those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology in support of a foreign terrorist organization. The IRGC and QAI have been core players in the Iranian military regime’s production of drones, which threaten the lives of civilians, U.S. personnel and our country’s allies. These charges should serve as a warning to those who violate U.S. export control laws and who unlawfully seek to aid Iran’s drone program.”

    “The allegations in this case demonstrate the lengths Iranian companies take to evade U.S. sanctions, victimize U.S. businesses, and support the IRGC’s production of drones,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI and our partners will use all authorities to stop those who seek to evade sanctions and engage in money laundering schemes that support terrorist activities and threaten the lives and interests of Americans and our allies.”

    According to court documents, Akbari and Amidi operate Rah Roshd which procures and supplies advanced electronic, electro-optical and security systems to the Government of Iran and designs, builds, and manufactures ground support systems for UAVs. Rah Roshd’s clients include the IRGC and several Iranian state-owned aerospace companies and drone manufacturers, including QAI, Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center (SAIRC) and Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG).

    Between January 2020 and the present, Amidi and Akbari used Rah Roshd in furtherance of a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions and procure U.S.-origin parts for use in Iranian-manufactured UAVs, including the Mohajer-6 UAV. At least one of those parts was manufactured by a Brooklyn, New York-based company (Company-1). In September 2022, the Ukranian Air Force shot down an Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drone used by the Russian military in Ukraine. The drone recovered by the Ukrainian Air Force contained parts made by several U.S. companies, including Company-1)

    To facilitate their scheme, Amidi and Akbari falsely purported to represent companies other than Rah Roshd, including a company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Company-2) and a company based in Belgium (Company-3). The defendants used a “spoofed” email address, containing a misspelled version of Company-2’s name, to communicate regarding the procurement of parts, including parts manufactured by U.S. companies. The defendants also used various “front” or “shell” companies to pay for UAV parts and to obfuscate the true end destination and the true identities of the sanctioned end users, including QAI and the IRGC, which were acquiring U.S.-made parts through Rah Roshd. Amidi and Akbari also used aliases to obfuscate their true identities in furtherance of the scheme.

    Additionally, the defendants conspired to provide material support to the IRGC by providing goods and services, including constructing military shelters, providing cameras and drone field hangers and conspiring to procure drone parts as well as parts to operate drones, including servo motors, pneumatic masts, and engines, for the benefit of the IRGC’s military campaign. The investigation uncovered correspondence from the IRGC, signed by the head of the UAV Command for the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, thanking Rah Roshd for its work on behalf of the IRGC and praising Rah Roshd’s achievements in designing and manufacturing “servo motors” for defense equipment. The letter also included a quote from the Supreme Leader of Iran regarding the importance of self-sufficiency and domestic production to strengthen Iran’s economy and “disappoint the enemies of the Islamic Republic.”  The letter also noted continued efforts of Rah Roshd “in strengthening the defensive capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Both Amidi and Akbari possessed documents indicating that they had purchased servo motors for delivery to Iran, including a servo motor contained in the Mohajer-6 drone. Akbari also emailed supplier companies located in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and noted that he was purchasing parts for drones to be shipped to Iran.

    Finally, Amidi and Akbari conspired to commit money laundering. They used at least three shell companies, which were all based in the UAE, to pay a PRC-based company that sent invoices to Rah Roshd for the sale of motors. Those payments were processed through U.S.-based correspondent bank accounts. The defendants also used two of these shell companies to pay a separate PRC-based company for the sale of pneumatic masts, which are a component of the operation of the Mohajer-6 drone.

    Concurrent with today’s criminal complaint, the Department of Treasury announced sanctions targeting a network of six entities and two individuals based in Iran, the UAE, and the PRC responsible for the procurement of UAV components on behalf of QAI — a leading manufacturer for Iran’s UAV program. According to the Treasury, this network has also facilitated procurement for other entities in Iran’s military-industrial complex, including Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) and SBIG. Today’s action marks the second round of sanctions targeting Iranian weapons proliferators since the President issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 on Feb. 4, ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nina C. Gupta and Lindsey R. Oken for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth, Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Charles Kovats of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Iranian Company and Two Iranian Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and for Scheme to Procure U.S. Technology for Iranian Attack Drones

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Concurrent Action with Department of the Treasury Targets Illicit Iranian Weapons Procurement Network

    A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Hossein Akbari, 63, and Reza Amidi, 62, both of Iran, and an Iranian company, Rah Roshd Company (Rah Roshd), with conspiring to procure U.S. parts for Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones), conspiring to provide material support to the IRGC – a designated foreign terrorist organization – and conspiring to commit money laundering.

    Akbari is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rah Roshd. Amidi is the company’s commercial manager and was previously the commercial manager of Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), an Iranian state-owned aerospace company. They are both citizens of Iran and remain at large.

    “Today’s charges lay bare how U.S.-made technology ended up in the hands of the Iranian military to build attack drones,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will continue to put maximum pressure on the Iranian regime. We will relentlessly dismantle illicit supply chains funneling American technology into the hands of Iran’s military and terrorist organizations and pursue those complicit in operations that threaten our country.”

    “As alleged in the complaint, the defendants conspired to obtain U.S.-origin parts needed to manufacture drones for military use in Iran and send those parts to Iran in violation of export control laws,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The charges filed today demonstrate the commitment by my office and our law enforcement partners to dismantle illicit supply chains and prosecute those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology in support of a foreign terrorist organization. The IRGC and QAI have been core players in the Iranian military regime’s production of drones, which threaten the lives of civilians, U.S. personnel and our country’s allies. These charges should serve as a warning to those who violate U.S. export control laws and who unlawfully seek to aid Iran’s drone program.”

    “The allegations in this case demonstrate the lengths Iranian companies take to evade U.S. sanctions, victimize U.S. businesses, and support the IRGC’s production of drones,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI and our partners will use all authorities to stop those who seek to evade sanctions and engage in money laundering schemes that support terrorist activities and threaten the lives and interests of Americans and our allies.”

    According to court documents, Akbari and Amidi operate Rah Roshd which procures and supplies advanced electronic, electro-optical and security systems to the Government of Iran and designs, builds, and manufactures ground support systems for UAVs. Rah Roshd’s clients include the IRGC and several Iranian state-owned aerospace companies and drone manufacturers, including QAI, Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center (SAIRC) and Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG).

    Between January 2020 and the present, Amidi and Akbari used Rah Roshd in furtherance of a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions and procure U.S.-origin parts for use in Iranian-manufactured UAVs, including the Mohajer-6 UAV. At least one of those parts was manufactured by a Brooklyn, New York-based company (Company-1). In September 2022, the Ukranian Air Force shot down an Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drone used by the Russian military in Ukraine. The drone recovered by the Ukrainian Air Force contained parts made by several U.S. companies, including Company-1)

    To facilitate their scheme, Amidi and Akbari falsely purported to represent companies other than Rah Roshd, including a company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Company-2) and a company based in Belgium (Company-3). The defendants used a “spoofed” email address, containing a misspelled version of Company-2’s name, to communicate regarding the procurement of parts, including parts manufactured by U.S. companies. The defendants also used various “front” or “shell” companies to pay for UAV parts and to obfuscate the true end destination and the true identities of the sanctioned end users, including QAI and the IRGC, which were acquiring U.S.-made parts through Rah Roshd. Amidi and Akbari also used aliases to obfuscate their true identities in furtherance of the scheme.

    Additionally, the defendants conspired to provide material support to the IRGC by providing goods and services, including constructing military shelters, providing cameras and drone field hangers and conspiring to procure drone parts as well as parts to operate drones, including servo motors, pneumatic masts, and engines, for the benefit of the IRGC’s military campaign. The investigation uncovered correspondence from the IRGC, signed by the head of the UAV Command for the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, thanking Rah Roshd for its work on behalf of the IRGC and praising Rah Roshd’s achievements in designing and manufacturing “servo motors” for defense equipment. The letter also included a quote from the Supreme Leader of Iran regarding the importance of self-sufficiency and domestic production to strengthen Iran’s economy and “disappoint the enemies of the Islamic Republic.”  The letter also noted continued efforts of Rah Roshd “in strengthening the defensive capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Both Amidi and Akbari possessed documents indicating that they had purchased servo motors for delivery to Iran, including a servo motor contained in the Mohajer-6 drone. Akbari also emailed supplier companies located in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and noted that he was purchasing parts for drones to be shipped to Iran.

    Finally, Amidi and Akbari conspired to commit money laundering. They used at least three shell companies, which were all based in the UAE, to pay a PRC-based company that sent invoices to Rah Roshd for the sale of motors. Those payments were processed through U.S.-based correspondent bank accounts. The defendants also used two of these shell companies to pay a separate PRC-based company for the sale of pneumatic masts, which are a component of the operation of the Mohajer-6 drone.

    Concurrent with today’s criminal complaint, the Department of Treasury announced sanctions targeting a network of six entities and two individuals based in Iran, the UAE, and the PRC responsible for the procurement of UAV components on behalf of QAI — a leading manufacturer for Iran’s UAV program. According to the Treasury, this network has also facilitated procurement for other entities in Iran’s military-industrial complex, including Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) and SBIG. Today’s action marks the second round of sanctions targeting Iranian weapons proliferators since the President issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 on Feb. 4, ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nina C. Gupta and Lindsey R. Oken for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth, Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Charles Kovats of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Adolescence has sparked fears over teen slang – but emoji don’t cause radicalisation

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Kruk, Lecturer in Indonesian Studies and Linguistics, The University of Western Australia

    Shutterstock

    Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s crime drama Adolescence has earned widespread praise for its portrayal of incel culture and male violence.

    But the show’s portrayal of 13-year-old Jamie (Owen Cooper) being radicalised by misogynistic online content has a lot of parents concerned about their own kids and how they talk online.

    For many, this concern is amplified by the fear that, just like the adults in Adolescence, parents are often ignorant of the online language kids use to spread dangerous beliefs.

    Journalists have produced a flurry of articles that promise to decode the “hidden meaning” of teen language by focusing on emoji featured on the show. One headline references supposedly “sinister emojis used by incel teenagers”.

    Such concerns reflect a long history of moral panic around youth language. But defining or banning emoji won’t solve the deeper issues at play.

    Emoji in Adolescence

    Adolescence follows Jamie and his family after the teenager is accused of murdering his classmate, Katie.

    The second episode shows Adam (Amari Bacchus), the teenage son of detective inspector Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters), correcting his father’s misunderstanding of a series of emoji Katie posted on Jaime’s Instagram profile.

    While Bascome assumes the 💯 and 💥 emoji are flirtatious, Adam explains that, in this context, they are connected to the online “manosphere”.

    Bascome is initially resistant to this explanation, but Adam convinces him by citing examples of different meanings associated with different coloured heart emoji; red is specifically used for “love”, while orange means “you’re going to be fine”. He stresses “it all has a meaning”.

    This scene highlights key generational divides in the perception and use of emoji. For Adam and Jamie’s parents’ generation, emoji are largely treated as decorative. For teenagers, they can carry important meanings.

    Are the kids actually alright?

    It’s important to remember this isn’t the first time we’ve seen concerns about generational communication differences reflecting larger social rifts.
    There are numerous examples in the media linking slang with issues of education, moral decline and even crime.

    These attitudes have sparked debate over whether Australian schools should ban gen alpha and gen Z slang from classrooms.

    While the frustration of parents and teachers is understandable, linguistic research shows aggressively negative attitudes towards teen language demotivate young people, exacerbate inequality and unnecessarily stoke intergenerational tension.

    Emoji are highly context dependent. Much like gestures that are used with speech, we need to understand emoji in the specific conversations and communities they are used in. There is no consistent relationship between emoji use and inner emotional state that can be generalised across groups of teens or other emoji users.

    Instead of fearing or banning emoji, we can try and understand how and why they are used in various contexts. And there are plenty of online resources to help with this. EmojiPedia, for example, describes the pill emoji 💊 as potentially referencing medicine, drugs, or an awakening to a controversial perspective (the “red pill” beliefs referenced in Adolecensce).

    Emojis are also highly contextual. While the pill emoji may be present in misogynistic talk, it could also be referencing medication in another context.
    Shutterstock

    Emoji are intentionally flexible and intended to be used creatively. In fact, Unicode, the organisation that assesses proposals for new emoji, requires that items encoded as emoji are able to hold multiple meanings.

    Research has also shown different people react to emoji differently. One survey from 2018 found older men were most likely to view emoji as confusing and annoying, while young women were most likely to view emoji positively in communication.

    Times change, and stay the same

    Intergenerational differences, and the tensions they evoke, are nothing new.

    Back in the 2000s, parents and teachers voiced concerns that “netspeak”, with its creative punctuation and capitalisation, would diminish young people’s grasp of “proper” English. This did not come to pass.

    Does this mean parents have nothing to worry about when it comes to their kids communicating online? Of course not.

    Online misogynistic movements and red pill communities can bring great harm to vulnerable young people. Their growing popularity is something we all have to reckon with – but online language is not to blame.

    Parents can’t realistically prevent the radicalisation of young men by simply referencing an emoji dictionary, nor can teachers stamp out the spread of misogyny by banning emoji and slang in classrooms.

    Instead, as one scene between Adam and his dad shows, we need to collectively shift our focus towards facilitating open conversations between generations.

    By doing so, we can not only better understand our differences, but can reduce the feelings of social isolation that leave young people vulnerable to becoming radicalised.

    Lauren Gawne is affiliated with Unicode as a member of the Emoji Standard & Research Working Group.

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

    – ref. Adolescence has sparked fears over teen slang – but emoji don’t cause radicalisation – https://theconversation.com/adolescence-has-sparked-fears-over-teen-slang-but-emoji-dont-cause-radicalisation-253218

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: A ban on price gouging and new powers to break up supermarkets are on the table this election. Would either work?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbora Jedlickova, Senior Lecturer, School of Law, The University of Queensland

    wisely/Shutterstock

    With the federal election campaign now underway, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised that if re-elected, Labor would seek to make price gouging illegal in the supermarket sector.

    A new taskforce would be set up to examine the best way to do so, drawing on the experience of other countries. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) would then enforce the new “excessive pricing regime”.

    Labor’s proposal comes despite the fact the final report from the ACCC’s supermarkets inquiry didn’t make any explicit accusation of price gouging.

    Meanwhile, the Coalition and Greens still want new divestiture powers to break up the supermarkets, a course of action also not recommended by the ACCC’s report.



    Read more:
    Policy tracker: how will Labor, the Coalition, the Greens and the independents make Australia better?

    Price gouging

    Price gouging, also referred to as “excessive pricing”, isn’t illegal in Australia. As long as prices are set independently by an individual business – and not in collusion with supposed competitors – they can be set as high or low as desired.

    However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Act does allow the ACCC to monitor and regulate the price of some “notified” goods or services – with approval from the relevant federal minister.

    One current example are postal services. The ACCC assesses proposed price increases, and can make an objection.

    Price gouging isn’t illegal in Australia.
    doublelee/Shutterstock

    The legal situation on price gouging differs around the world.

    The European Union, for example, prohibits abuse of a dominant market position by “directly or indirectly imposing unfair purchase or selling prices”.

    It can be difficult to define an “unfair price”. Typically, it’s an excessive, monopolistic price higher than what would be set in a competitive market.

    A landmark EU judgement defines an excessive price as one with “no reasonable relation to the economic value of the product supplied”.

    Despite this ban, enforcement cases are somewhat rare. The European Commission has been more focused on tackling “exclusionary conduct” in recent decades.

    This is when a competitor with significant market power uses restrictive means to directly hurt its competitors and exclude them (and future competitors) from competing in the relevant market.

    An example is predatory pricing, where a company sets prices unrealistically low to drive out competitors – then becoming able to set them as high as they would like.

    What about divestiture?

    Both the Coalition and Greens have pledged to create new “divestiture” powers to break up supermarkets if they were found to be abusing their market power.

    In competition law, divestiture is when a commercial entity is ordered to sell a portion of its assets or its business to a third party, to improve competition in the affected market.

    Australian law has divestiture powers to address anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions. But currently, there aren’t powers to break up businesses for misuse of market power.

    It’s a different picture in the United States, where the government has had powers to break up businesses in the context of “monopolisation” for more than a century.

    The risks of splitting up

    Divestiture powers were not recommended in the ACCC’s final report. That may be linked to market structure here.

    The Australian grocery retail market is highly concentrated. The majority of retail sales are shared among only a few supermarket chains, primarily Woolworths (38%) and Coles (29%).

    However, the combined share of these two retail giants has declined over the past 14 years, from 80% to 67%. Meanwhile, Aldi’s market share has grown to 9%, showing these two retailers face some competition.

    This suggests divestiture may be a misguided approach. There are specific risks that come with divestiture remedies.

    For instance, who would purchase the assets under a specific divestiture order? When considering the structure of the current grocery retail market, there is a high risk it would be another powerful retailer interested in purchasing its competitor’s assets. This would defeat the purpose entirely.

    Other measures already in motion

    Any ban on price gouging or new divestiture powers should be implemented with caution and used as a temporary tool. Directly interfering with free markets comes with risks.

    Other actions are already underway to boost competition in the sector and improve supermarkets’ dealings with suppliers.

    The federal government has previously announced incentives for the states to “cut planning and zoning red tape”, with the aim of making it easier for smaller supermarkets to enter the market and compete.

    And from April, the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct will be made mandatory and enforceable, in line with a key recommendation of the independent Emerson review.

    The Food and Grocery Code of Conduct for dealing with suppliers is now mandatory.
    Nita Corfe/Shutterstock

    Certain restrictive and unfair practices in dealing with suppliers will be directly prohibited and enforced.

    The new code gives the ACCC a range of useful tools to enforce against a breach by a powerful supermarket chain.

    These include:

    • a confidential channel for whistleblowing suppliers
    • effective dispute resolution to address lengthy and costly litigation
    • heavy penalties – as high as A$10 million or 10% of annual turnover – for serious breaches of the code.

    Rather than bring in measures that have not been independently recommended – like a price gouging ban or divestiture powers – it would be worth first seeing how these new enforceable rules work to deliver a better deal for supermarket customers.

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

    – ref. A ban on price gouging and new powers to break up supermarkets are on the table this election. Would either work? – https://theconversation.com/a-ban-on-price-gouging-and-new-powers-to-break-up-supermarkets-are-on-the-table-this-election-would-either-work-253429

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Giving up a daily coffee or weekly parma? How the cost-of-living crisis is reshaping our spending habits

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meg Elkins, Senior Lecturer, School of Economics, Finance and Marketing and Behavioural Business Lab Member, RMIT University

    Bangkok Click Studio/Shutterstock

    Remember when grabbing a coffee was just… grabbing a coffee? When a parma at the local was a budget meal? When Friday night takeaway was a reward for getting through the week? It didn’t require a financial spread sheet.

    For many families navigating the cost-of-living crisis these small indulgences now have to be accounted for. They’re not just automatic purchases.

    We’re not just cutting back on buying large discretionary items, like new cars. The impact of inflation on household budgets has fundamentally reshaped our relationship with food, social connection and small pleasures.

    The current cost-of-living crisis can also create new spending habits. The ways we restructure our budgets can have lasting effects on our lives and local economies.

    Price anchors

    What five years ago was a A$3.80 coffee has now become $5.50 with some options as high as $7.00.

    Despite the price change, customers have a mental reference point of what a coffee should cost from the pre-inflationary period.

    Behavioural economists refer to this as “anchoring” – a rule of thumb price that purchase decisions are judged upon.

    So if you are used to paying $5 for a daily coffee, any price above this is beyond what you see as reasonable value for money.

    Look at parents at weekend sports matches. You’ll notice the increasing presence of the insulated mug full of homemade coffee, replacing the takeaway coffees from the local cafe.

    For my family, Friday night was pizza night and $50 would easily feed a family of four. Then the inflationary price creep started. For us $70 was the tipping point. When the same order cost more we started making pizzas at home.

    Mental accounting

    Nobel laureate Richard Thaler introduced the concept of mental accounting in 1985, as a model of how we allocate money into to different categories for spending.

    If the price is above our threshold point we mentally reassign its purchase to one of our other spending categories. It might shift from being an everyday item in our household budget to an occasionally purchased item.

    Decision fatigue

    During an inflation-fuelled cost-of-living crisis, we face not only financial strain but also significant decision fatigue from constant price revaluations.

    This cognitive burden emerges as mental exhaustion when making even routine purchases.

    Increasing pressure on our finances can trigger a scarcity mindset that consumes our thinking and affects our decision making.

    Our focus shifts to immediate needs, such as paying weekly grocery bills, instead of long-term financial planning for a holiday or retirement.

    The social cost

    These new purchasing habits and economic shifts also have implications for our social connections. The cafe, the pub and takeaway night are not only about food but they are about community and building social connections.

    The so-called third place is the place between work and home where you can be part of the community.

    Buying goods is often accompanied by an exchange of conversation. As the cost-of-living crisis continues making fewer purchases reduces opportunities to connect.

    If higher costs change our spending habits such as a weekly night at the pub, opportunities to connect are also affected.
    Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

    If the little pleasures we consume as a daily or weekly ritual become luxuries, this can increase the loss of the third space. It means spaces such as cafes, restaurants and pubs no longer foster community cohesion and increase social capital.

    As these goods become luxuries, social division intensifies. Rising prices exclude certain groups and may restrict social mixing across income levels.

    What it means for businesses

    A big question here is how much longer can some hospitality services survive as the cost-of-living crisis continues?

    Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals big changes for Australia’s café, restaurant and takeaway food industry.

    After a severe downturn during early COVID-19 lockdowns (-35.3% in March-April 2020), the sector rebounded to pre-pandemic levels by March 2021. This was followed by extraordinary expansion during 2021-2022 (26.8% growth) as pent-up demand was unleashed.

    But recent figures reveal a problem: while spending rose 3.76% from January 2024 to January 2025, real growth (adjusted for inflation) was negative at -0.43%.

    Inflationary psychology explains how customers’ behaviour changes and they buy less over time. Eventually a point is reached where they won’t pay the higher price.

    This means, in the case of the hospitality industry, fewer actual meals are being served due to higher prices.

    The industry faces a tough situation with costs rising faster than general inflation due to expensive ingredients, higher wages from worker shortages, and increased energy prices.

    Our happiness threshold

    Humans have a set-point of happiness. When economic pressures mean we adjust to new spending patterns to save money for an extended period, the new patterns, become the norm.

    Inflation, complicates social comparison. If everyone’s purchasing power falls simultaneously, relative positions may remain stable.

    As the current cost-of-living crisis continues our little pleasures such as a weekly parma or daily coffee are increasingly becoming conscious choices rather than automatic purchases.

    This has the potential to permanently change the way Australian households budget.

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

    – ref. Giving up a daily coffee or weekly parma? How the cost-of-living crisis is reshaping our spending habits – https://theconversation.com/giving-up-a-daily-coffee-or-weekly-parma-how-the-cost-of-living-crisis-is-reshaping-our-spending-habits-253424

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cancer patients from migrant backgrounds have a 1 in 3 chance of something going wrong in their care

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ashfaq Chauhan, Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University

    SeventyFour/Shutterstock

    More than 7 million people in Australia were born overseas. Some 5.8 million people report speaking a language other than English at home.

    But how well are we looking after culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians?

    In countries around the world, evidence suggests people from CALD backgrounds are at increased risk of harm as a result of the health care they receive when compared to the general population. Common problems include a higher risk of contracting a hospital-acquired infection or medication errors.

    People receiving cancer care are at particularly high risk of harm associated with their health care.

    In a recent study, we found CALD cancer patients in Australia had roughly a one-in-three risk of something going wrong during their cancer care. This is unacceptably high.

    We reviewed medical records

    We worked with four cancer services (two in New South Wales and two in Victoria) that provide care to high proportions of people from CALD backgrounds. These four cancer services offer a combination of care to patients in hospitals, clinics and in their homes.

    We analysed de-identified medical records of people from CALD backgrounds who received care at any of the four cancer services during 2018. To identify CALD patients, we used information from their medical records including “country of birth”, “preferred language”, “language spoken at home” and “interpreter required”.

    We reviewed a total of 628 medical records of CALD cancer patients. We found roughly one in three medical records (212 out of 628) had at least one patient safety event recorded. We defined a patient safety event as any event that could have or did result in harm to the patient as a result of the health care they receive. We also found 44 patient records had three or more safety events recorded over a 12-month period.

    Medication-related safety events were common, such as the wrong medication type or dose being given to a patient. Sometimes the patients themselves took the wrong type or dose of a medication or stopped medication all together. We also observed a variety of other patient safety events such as falls, pressure ulcers and infections after surgery.

    The number of incidents could even be higher than what we observed. We know from other research that not all patient safety events are documented.

    Our research looked at patient safety incidents among CALD patients at four Australian cancer services in 2018.
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    We didn’t have a control group, which is the main limitation of our study. In other words, we didn’t examine medical records of patients from non-CALD backgrounds to compare how common patient safety events were between groups.

    But looking at other data suggests the rate of incidents is much higher in CALD patients.

    Studies over many years indicate around one in ten patients admitted to hospital experience a safety event.

    One study from Norway found cancer patients have a 39% greater risk of experiencing adverse events in hospital when compared to other patients (24.2% compared to 17.4%).

    Why is the risk of incidents so high for CALD patients?

    We identified miscommunication as a key factor that put cancer patients from CALD backgrounds at risk.

    For example, we observed from one patient’s notes that the patient didn’t take their medication because they were confused by the instructions given by different clinicians. This confusion might have stemmed from language barriers or health literacy issues.

    In some medical records, we also saw interpreter requirements were unmet. For example, at the time of admission, assessment for language needs noted an interpreter was not required. However, later notes mentioned the patient had poor English or needed an interpreter.

    Also, with the limited availability of interpreters, they’re often reserved for specialist appointments, and not used for “routine” tasks, such as during chemotherapy treatment. This may result in side effects from cancer medications not being properly identified and responded to, potentially leading to patient harm.

    Risks may increase if a patient needs an interpreter but doesn’t have one.
    THICHA SATAPITANON/Shutterstock

    What can we do to improve things?

    To make care safer, patients, their families and the clinicians who care for them should come together so that any solutions developed are practical, relevant, and informed by their combined experiences.

    As an example, we developed a tool with consumers from CALD backgrounds and their clinicians that seeks to ensure that when patient medications are changed, there is common understanding between the clinician and the patient of their medication and care instructions. This includes recognising the side effects of the medications and who to contact if they have concerns.

    This tool uses images and simple language to support common understanding of medication and care instructions. It takes into account specific cultural expectations and is available in different languages. It’s currently being evaluated in two cancer clinics.

    To make cancer care safer for patients from CALD backgrounds, health systems and services will need to support and invest in strategies that are specifically targeted towards people from these backgrounds. This will ensure more equitable health solutions that improve the health of all Australians.

    Ashfaq Chauhan’s PhD was funded by Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship and Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. He receives funding from Medical Research Future Fund.

    Melvin Chin has received funding from South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Cancer Institute NSW, Cancer Australia, National Health and Medical Research Council, AstraZeneca, and Avant Foundation.

    Reema Harrison receives funding from Cancer Institute NSW, Medical Research Futures Fund, NHMRC and ARC.

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

    – ref. Cancer patients from migrant backgrounds have a 1 in 3 chance of something going wrong in their care – https://theconversation.com/cancer-patients-from-migrant-backgrounds-have-a-1-in-3-chance-of-something-going-wrong-in-their-care-250931

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tony Blevins Appointed Director of Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines as IAM Thanks Russ Gittlen for Leading Union’s Favorite Charity

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    The Board of Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines has appointed Tony Blevins as the charity’s Director. Blevins, a longtime IAM leader and advocate for the IAM’s favorite charity, had been appointed as GDA | TLC’s President by IAM International President Brian Bryant on Jan. 1, 2025. 

    Blevins, now the GDA | TLC President and Director, served as the charity’s Assistant Director from November 2023 through 2024.

    Throughout his career, Blevins has made GDA | TLC a central part of his professional and personal life. His tie was strengthened when his wife, Teresa, herself a GDA | TLC volunteer, lost her vision and has since relied on GDA | TLC guide dogs.

    Blevins, a U.S. Marine Corps Enlisted and U.S. Army Officer veteran, is a 39-year IAM member who began his union career as an active member of IAM Local 2003 at Fort Novosel in Alabama. He would go on to serve as District 75 Business Representative, Southern Territory International Representative and Aerospace Coordinator before being appointed Special Assistant to the International President.

    “Tony knows first-hand the impact of a guide dog on the lives of countless families,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “His passion for the IAM, as well as GDA | TLC, is taking our favorite charity to even greater heights as we continue to serve our communities.”

    Gittlen’s career leading GDA | TLC will be remembered for growing the charity to not only serve the blind and visually impaired community, but also military veterans with PTSD and children with autism. He expanded the fundraising reach of GDA | TLC to not only grow events within the IAM, but also with well-known personas who have helped make the charity a national name. 

    Gittlen joined the IAM as a UPS mechanic and has been an active member for nearly four decades. He became a shop steward at UPS in 1990 and was appointed as a Local 447 Business Representative in 2000. He would go on to serve as District 15’s New England Area Director.

    “Russ will forever be known as someone who took GDA | TLC to a completely new level of service,” said Bryant. “On behalf of our entire union, and the many families he has helped throughout the years, we are incredibly grateful for his leadership of GDA | TLC.”

    Share and Follow:

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Business Ethics Expert to Discuss Evolving Role of Religion, Ethics, and the Workplace

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    It was, perhaps, the most talked-about wedding cake in the history of marriage ceremonies.

    In 2012, Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colo., refused to make a custom wedding cake for the marriage of a same-sex couple. The bakery owner objected, saying that the ceremony conflicted with his religious beliefs.

    Although the Colorado Civil Rights Commission found the bakery had discriminated against the couple, the U.S. Supreme Court later overturned that decision in 2018. The ruling said the Commission failed to maintain religious neutrality, sidestepping questions about anti-discrimination laws and human rights.

    “The case arose when two populations wanted vastly different outcomes,’’ said professor Eric D. Yordy of the W.A. Franke College of Business at Northern Arizona University. “The LGBTQ community was unhappy that the bakery told the couple to find a cake somewhere else. And others felt that the bakery shouldn’t be forced to do something that conflicted with the owner’s religion.’’

    Social Media Has Put Religious Conflict in the Spotlight

    Yordy will be the guest presenter at the School of Business’ Equity Now Speaker Series at 6 p.m. April 16. His presentation, which will be virtual, is open to students, faculty, alumni and friends of the university. To register for the program, please visit the Equity Now Website

    Despite being a nation that embraces religious freedom, the parameters are still evolving.

    “We are a country founded on religious freedom, but this issue is what are the boundaries of religious freedom and how do they impact business?,’’ he said.

    The cake dispute is just one of many.

    Hobby Lobby, the 1,000-store arts and crafts retailer, was founded on evangelical Protestant beliefs. It found itself in the crosshairs of law and religion when it denied employees access to contraceptives and the morning-after pill. The company argued that the First Amendment to the Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act serve to protect its religious beliefs. The Supreme Court ruled in the company’s favor.

    What might have once been an internal conflict to resolve, today frequently leads to publicity and public outcry.

    “With the way the world is now and so much that has happened in the last 20 years with social media, company decisionmakers need to be much more careful about what they’re doing,’’ Yordy said. “They can be crucified by social media. Now more than ever, consequences are bigger. Twenty years ago, most people wouldn’t have known about these disagreements.’’

    Professor Designed Ethical Model

    Yordy is a professor of business covering business law and ethics at Northern Arizona University and he has served in a variety of executive roles there, including as associate dean. He is also the founding director of the college’s Institute for Public and Professional Ethics in Leadership, an interdisciplinary initiative to increase ethics work both on campus and in the community.
    Yordy and a colleague devised the ethics COVER model, a framework for ethical decision-making that helps users identify and analyze decisions with ethical ramifications by incorporating managerial decision-making and philosophical approaches. It address values, outcomes, and legal requirements.

    He has authored or co-authored numerous case studies using the COVER model and other decision-making tools on topics as far ranging as the ethics of reverse mortgages, conflicts of interest, censorship in mobile application development, and the marketing of sugary cereal to children.

    “We were seeing a lot of arguments that asked, ‘If everyone else is doing it, is it a bad decision?’ he said. “Well, yes, if you polluted something, even ‘just a little bit,’ it is still unethically sound. One of the questions we pose is: ‘If people heard about what you’re doing, would it influence who they think you are?’ ’’

    The Equity Now Speaker Series is produced by the UConn School of Business in coordination with the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, Virginia tech, Indiana University and Temple University. This is the final installment of five programs during the 2024-25 academic year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta to California Attorneys: Guidance on Solicitation Limits After L.A. Fires Is Available

    Source: US State of California

    Tuesday, April 1, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today released information for the public and attorneys, about California attorneys’ ethical obligations after a natural disaster, like the Los Angeles fires this year. Attorneys with questions or concerns about these obligations should review California’s Rules of Professional Conduct (7.1-7.3) on communications concerning a lawyer’s services, advertising, and solicitation.

    “As the Attorney General serving Californians, I know the great honor and privilege that working in the legal field can bring. With that great privilege, also comes great responsibility,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “I encourage attorneys practicing in California to familiarize themselves with laws governing client solicitation after a natural disaster or catastrophe. Given the great collective damage of the Los Angeles fires, attorneys should ensure they are practicing ethically and in compliance with the law.”

    The State Bar of California has also warned the public to watch out for and report potential fraud by lawyers. 

    “The State Bar thanks Attorney General Bonta for his leadership in protecting Californians impacted by the wildfires,” said Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona. “During times of crisis, individuals and families are particularly vulnerable. It is critical that attorneys follow the rules regarding solicitation and advertising. We urge the public to take their time when seeking legal help, avoid rushing into agreements, and immediately report any suspected misconduct by attorneys.”

    The public and attorneys should know that California law prohibits lawyers or their representatives from: 

    • Soliciting clients in person or by telephone calls or other real-time electronic contact.
    • Soliciting clients who have made known to the lawyer a desire not to be solicited or if the transmission of the solicitation involves intrusion, coercion, duress or harassment.
    • Mailing written communications offering legal representation unless the communication is clearly labeled as an advertisement on the outside of the envelope. 
    • Sending recorded or electronic communications offering legal representation unless the communication is clearly labeled as an advertisement at the beginning and end of any such communications.  

    Before hiring an attorney, Californians should check the State Bar website for the status of an attorney’s license to practice law and whether they have any record of discipline.  

    The legal processes for a disaster of this magnitude often will take place over many months, and even years. Californians should take their time and not rush important legal decisions, including signing legal agreements. Consumers should be particularly wary of any claims that immediate payment of legal fees or other costs are necessary to protect legal rights or remedies. There is time for fire victims to ensure they are getting the best legal services possible for them and their families.

     For more information, attorneys with questions about their obligations regarding advertising and solicitation, or other ethical obligations, should contact the State Bar of California’s free and confidential Ethics Hotline: 800-2-ETHICS or 800-238-4427 or visit the Ethics webpage, where attorneys can also submit their questions via an online form. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Atos appoints Pierre-Yves Jolivet as Head of Eviden and Cyber Business

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                                                                    Press Release

    Atos appoints Pierre-Yves Jolivet as Head of Eviden and Cyber Business

    Paris, France – April 1st, 2025 – Atos Group today announces that Pierre-Yves Jolivet is appointed Executive Vice-President and Head of Eviden. Pierre-Yves will also serve as Head of Cybersecurity business, overseeing both cybersecurity services and products strategy and portfolio.

    Pierre-Yves is a recognized tech executive who brings a deep knowledge of the cyber, defense, and public sectors. Previously at Thales, he held positions of growing responsibilities in the Defence and Cyber markets, leading most recently as Vice-President and General Manager the Cyber Digital Business Line at Thales.

    Before joining Thales in 2017, he spent 13 years at the Boston Consulting Group, becoming Partner and Managing Director in charge of the Tech and Telecom practice in France, leading consulting assignments for international companies in France, EMEA and the USA.

    After graduating from École Polytechnique in 1996, he specialized in telecoms (Télécom Paris) and economics (Université Paris Dauphine). He began his career at Alcatel-Telspace, before spending 5 years in public office at Ministry of Finance, notably at Treasury Department (“Direction Générale du Trésor”), where he oversaw public funding to innovative industries.

    Philippe Salle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Atos Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome Pierre-Yves as the new Head of Eviden and of our Cyber business. His broad experience and deep knowledge of the industry makes him a great addition to our leadership team. I am looking forward to working with him to drive profitable growth in both areas and make a decisive contribution to Atos future successes”.

    ***

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 78,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 68 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    Press contact: globalprteam@atos.net

    Attachment

    • PR – Atos Group appoints Pierre-Yves Jolivet as Head of Eviden and Cyber Business

    The MIL Network –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Business benefits of the latest Azure AI Foundry innovations

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Business benefits of the latest Azure AI Foundry innovations

    Azure AI Foundry’s latest innovations empower businesses to optimize AI investments and differentiate in a competitive landscape. New tools like Azure AI Agent Service and Microsoft Fabric data agents enhance operational efficiency, while NVIDIA NIM microservices boost performance and cost optimization. Discover how these advancements can transform your AI strategy.

    Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen tech teams go from feeling excited yet overwhelmed by the blistering pace of AI advancement to now helping bend and direct that curve of innovation using the cutting-edge capabilities of Azure AI Foundry. 

    This rapid transformation underscores the critical role of a robust enterprise AI platform to help you push the AI curve. We continually add capabilities to Azure AI Foundry to empower your teams to do just that. That means business leaders in the era of AI have a lot to consider—it’s easy to get lost in the forest when all the new trees keep making it bigger. 

    Today I’m sharing a couple of the most important Azure AI Foundry innovations announced in recent weeks that keep the forest in view, and that improve operational efficiency, maximize investments, so that you can focus on differentiating in a competitive landscape. 

    Get started with Azure AI Foundry

    AI agents have the potential to transform every business process—revolutionizing productivity by automating routine tasks and enabling employees to focus on more strategic work. We’ve announced several agentic capabilities and tools on Azure AI Foundry to help you efficiently put AI agents to work in your organization. 

    New knowledge tools with Azure AI Agent Service securely ground AI agent outputs with enterprise knowledge, for accurate, relevant, and contextually aware responses. Azure AI Agent Service provides a wide range of knowledge tools for various data types, including unstructured, structured, private, licensed, and public web data.

    And Microsoft Fabric data agents were announced today at the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference to allow developers using Azure AI Agent Service to connect customized, conversational agents created in Microsoft Fabric. These data agents can reason over and unlock insights from various enterprise structured and semantic data sources, making better data-driven decisions. Fabric data agents retrieve, understand, and synthesize data from OneLake, determining when to use specific data and how to combine it. 

    Combining Fabric’s sophisticated enterprise data analysis capabilities with Azure AI Foundry’s cutting-edge GenAI technology means you can create custom conversational AI agents leveraging domain expertise. And the Fabric-Foundry pathway connects your data teams with your dev teams, putting them on a common, secure, and enterprise-ready AI platform. 

    One customer making use of the Microsoft Fabric-Azure AI Foundry bridge is NTT DATA. NTT DATA leverages data agents in Microsoft Fabric to actually have conversations with HR and back office operations data to better understand what is happening in the organization. 

    We also recently announced two more capabilities to empower businesses to deploy AI not just as an assistant, but as an active digital workforce:

    Responses API is a powerful tool enabling AI-powered apps to seamlessly retrieve information, process data, and then act. It simplifies complex tasks, allowing your business to operate more efficiently and ultimately reduce costs. 

    Computer-using agent, or CUA, is a breakthrough AI model that can navigate software interfaces, execute tasks, and automate workflows. It can open applications, click buttons, fill out forms, and navigate multi-page workflows. CUA can adapt dynamically to changes for smooth operations across both web and desktop applications, integrating disparate systems without API dependencies.

    Enhancing AI efficiency and performance with Azure AI Foundry 

    The only thing growing as fast as generative AI technology is the number of use cases for it across your organization, along with the need for tools to optimize efficiency and performance. Azure AI Foundry includes a suite of governance tools and controls to monitor and manage costs, compliance, performance, and more. We also added NVIDIA NIM microservices and NVIDIA AgentIQ toolkit to unlock unprecedented efficiency, performance, and cost optimization for your AI projects. 

    Part of the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software suite, NVIDIA NIM is a suite of easy-to-use microservices engineered for secure, reliable, and high-performance AI inferencing, and are built to scale seamlessly on managed Azure compute, providing: 

    • Zero-configuration deployment: Get started quickly with out-of-the-box optimization. 
    • Seamless Azure integration: Works effortlessly with Azure AI Agent Service and Semantic Kernel. 
    • Enterprise-grade reliability: Benefit from NVIDIA AI Enterprise support for continuous performance and security. 
    • Scalable inference: Tap into Azure’s NVIDIA accelerated infrastructure for demanding workloads. 
    • Optimized workflows: Accelerate applications ranging from large language models to advanced analytics. 

    Stay agile and performant with Azure OpenAI Service Provisioned spillover 

    Provisioned (PTU) spillover is a new feature in Azure OpenAI Service that helps ensure consistent and efficient performance of AI applications, even during high usage periods.

    Now in public preview, PTU spillover automatically reroutes excess traffic from your provisioned deployments to help maintain smooth service operation and uninterrupted critical processes. This feature gives you the flexibility to manage unexpected traffic bursts or peak demand season without compromising performance so you can adapt to dynamic conditions and maximize your AI investments. 

    New report: Customized generative AI experiences to differentiate your business

    One way we see more and more companies using AI to push the curve on innovation is by leaning into customization capabilities that can create distinctive experiences or services that help their business stand out in the competitive market.

    We recently released a report, DIY GenAI: Customizing generative AI for unique value, that details how businesses are using capabilities like fine-tuning, retrieval-augmented generation, or RAG, and agentic specialization to differentiate. After all, the world’s most powerful AI models don’t know anything about your specific business so it’s your unique business data and customization that helps you differentiate from the competition.

    The report also highlights the motivations, methods, and challenges faced by technology leaders as they tailor AI models to create net-new value for their businesses.

    The findings are worth reading because they offer a glimpse at where AI development is going in the future. I’m confident that what feels custom today will most likely be the norm faster than we can all believe.

    Get the report

    Learn top techniques from 300 technical leaders who are differentiating their businesses through customized generative AI solutions.

    Build a more accessible world with Azure AI Foundry 

    Microsoft has a long-standing legacy of building inclusive technologies, from early screen readers to speech-to-text innovations. This commitment to accessibility is well in line with our mission as a company—and it’s now being realized in Azure AI Foundry where it’s integrated right into the AI development lifecycle.

    Accessibility and inclusivity in AI are essential for any business because they can help expand your reach, boost customer satisfaction, and even enhance your reputation for social responsibility. Put simply, prioritizing these values can drive innovation and your long-term success. 

    Kickstart your AI transformation with Azure AI Foundry 

    Can you believe that was just March? We delivered so much more! From exciting developments in Azure AI Foundry to our comprehensive approach to trustworthy AI, we’re here to support you and lead through this fast-paced era of AI. We’re proud to offer a comprehensive platform with quality, flexibility, security, safety, and choice. When it’s time to invest in AI transformation for your business, you can trust that the latest innovations are ready and waiting for you on Azure AI Foundry.

    Start building with Azure AI Foundry

    About Jessica 

    Jessica leads Azure Data, AI, and Digital Applications at Microsoft. Find Jessica’s blog posts here and be sure to follow Jessica on LinkedIn.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer, Congressional Delegation Announce Military Service Academy Days Across Nebraska

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Today, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and U.S. Representatives Mike Flood (NE-01), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Adrian Smith (NE-03) announced that their staff will hold Service Academy Days in Bellevue, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha, Grand Island, and Lincoln. 

    The events inform high school students about the process to apply for a congressional nomination to one of our nation’s military service academies. Service academy representatives will be on hand to answer questions. 

    “Home to Offutt Air Force Base and Camp Ashland, Nebraska has long been the home of our nation’s exceptional service members. To continue our state’s proud tradition of military service, I’m happy to host Academy Days for high school students and their parents to learn more about how to apply for nominations to one of our prestigious Military Service Academies,” said Senator Fischer.

    “Nebraska has a strong tradition of supporting our military. Each year, I honor that tradition by nominating outstanding young Nebraskans to attend our United States service academies. I encourage high school students from across our state to attend Academy Days and learn more about the nomination process,” said Senator Ricketts.

    “America’s Military Service Academies are training a new generation of young leaders who are stepping up to serve in our nation’s Armed Forces. Academy Days hosted by the Nebraska delegation will provide in depth briefings on how nominations work. I strongly encourage any young Nebraskan who has an interest in attending one of the academies to join our offices to learn more and get all your questions answered before diving into the application process,” said Representative Flood.

    “As a veteran who served nearly 30 years in the Air Force, I cannot share enough how much my military career meant to me and these academies help our youth get a start on their own exciting and fulfilling careers. I encourage our high school students to check out each of the academies and wish them the best as they start their application process,” said Representative Bacon.

    “Nebraska has many bright young people who are willing to serve and would make outstanding cadets at our country’s service academies. It is an honor to partner with our congressional delegation and connect our state’s leading students with a first-rate education, leadership opportunities, and training for service,” said Representative Smith.

    The event includes representatives from the Nebraska chapters of the service academy alumni associations and Nebraska service academy parent clubs.

    All high school students, parents, and guidance counselors who have an interest in the nation’s service academies are welcome and no preregistration is required. The targeted audience is freshman through juniors.

    To learn more, please contact Kevin Huebert, Senator Fischer’s Director of Military and Veterans Affairs, at (402) 391-3411.

    Please click here or see below for dates, locations, and more information:

    • April 5
      • 8:00am – 12:00pm CT
      • Bellevue University, John B. Muller Admin Bldg.
        • 812 Bruin Blvd

    Bellevue, NE 68005

    • May 3
      • 9:00am – 12:00pm CT
      • Norfolk Chamber of Commerce
        • 609 W. Norfolk Ave

    Norfolk, NE 68701

    • May 10
      • 9:00am – 12:00pm CT
      • Nebraska National Guard Armory
        • 1700 N. Jeffers St

    North Platte, NE 69101

    • May 17
      • 9:00am – 12:00pm CT
      • Omaha North High School
        • 4410 N. 36th St

    Omaha, NE 68111

    • August 9
      • 11:00am – 2:00pm CT
      • Grand Island Public Library
        • 1124 W 2nd St
          Grand Island, NE 68801
    • August 23
      • 11:00am – 2:00pm CT
      • John J. Pershing Army Reserve Center
        • 3700 West O Street
          Lincoln, NE 68528

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch’s LOCAL Foods Act Reintroduced with Bipartisan Support

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the bipartisan Livestock Owned by Communities to Advance Local (LOCAL) Foods Act, legislation to update the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906’s (FMIA) ‘Personal-Use Exemption’ to better support small-scale meat producers in rural communities. The LOCAL Foods Act would codify current USDA guidance on Personal-Use and Custom Exemptions, allowing consumers to buy live animals from producers and designate agents to handle the slaughter and processing of their meat.  
    “Small, Vermont-sized farms have produced locally-grown produce and farm-fresh meat for their neighbors and community for years, but regulations designed for large-scale farms have made that increasingly difficult. We need to cut through red tape and help our rural producers compete in the marketplace. This bipartisan bill will help support our local producers and help local customers access fresh, locally-sourced products,” said Sen. Peter Welch. 
    “If you’re purchasing livestock for personal consumption, you shouldn’t have to jump through the same regulatory hoops present in the commercial meat market,” said Senator Lee. “This bipartisan, commonsense legislation gives freedom to farmers and ranchers of every size to feed themselves and their communities without going through unnecessary steps to please the government.” 
    The Federal Meat Inspection Act requires all meat in the United States to be inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, the small number of USDA-inspected slaughterhouses creates bottlenecks for producers, especially small-scale producers that have to compete for slaughterhouse time with much larger operations. To address this, the LOCAL Foods Act will amend Personal-Use and Custom Exemptions to allow producers to sell a live animal to a consumer. The consumer will then have the freedom to either hire someone or slaughter and process the meat themselves, helping farmers to avoid bottlenecks to continue providing their communities with locally sourced food.  
    In 2013, Vermont adopted an on-farm slaughter law similar to the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s guidelines to allow owners to slaughter their livestock on the farm where it was raised while upholding food safety standards. This law helps reduce costs and emissions from animal transport, alleviate pressure on backlogged slaughterhouses, increase farm viability, and improve animal welfare and food security. However, USDA retains the authority to eliminate Vermont’s on-farm slaughter inspection program if the state fails to meet federal standards.  
    In 2018, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service issued updated guidelines to create an avenue for producers to sell their produce locally and without an inspection. This guidance gives livestock owners the option to slaughter livestock themselves, or have an agent slaughter their livestock on the farm where it was raised. This change also allows producers to sell a live animal to a consumer, have it slaughtered on the farm, and then processed at a custom processing facility. Custom processing facilities are inspected periodically, in contrast to round-the-clock inspectors that are present at USDA-certified facilities.  
    The LOCAL Foods Act is endorsed by the Farm Action Fund, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability, Kentucky Black Farmers Association, National Family Farm Coalition, and Rural Vermont.
    “This legislation will reduce financial and regulatory burdens on small farmers, thereby improving consumers’ access to local foods,” commented Judith McGeary, regenerative farmer, lawyer, and Executive Director of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance. “Many consumers want to buy from local farmers instead of massive corporations, but farmers are blocked by burdensome regulations written by and for agribusiness.”  
    “The LOCAL Foods Act protects the rights of farmers to sell directly from their farm and the rights of consumers to access the foods of their choice from the source of their choice, achieving the kind of food freedom so many desire for themselves, their families, and their communities,” said Christine Dzujna, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund’s Policy Manager. 
    “On-farm slaughter aligns with the growing demand for locally-sourced food that respects community traditions,” said Diana Padilla, owner operator of Yahweh’s All Natural Farm and Garden and Executive Director of HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability, “Through my work with farmers in my community, and as a beef farmer myself, I’m seeing increased demand from people who want to buy their meat directly from a farmer they personally know. The LOCAL Foods Act is a straightforward solution that will put more money in farmers’ pockets while fostering meaningful connections between producers and their customers.”   
    “Modernizing the personal-use exception reflects the realities of diverse communities demanding access to local food that honor their traditions,” said Kenya Abraham, member of the Kentucky Black Farmers Association. “We are observing a growing demand to access local producers like me, but we need legislation that gives us an incentive to continue our operations.”  
    “Securing the independence of farmers and consumers is key to building a healthy food system,” commented Antonio Tovar, Senior Policy Associate at the National Family Farm Coalition. “When consumers are effectively forced to access their food from corporations, it makes us vulnerable to a weak and unreliable market. The LOCAL Foods Act offers a real opportunity to start building a food system allowing freedom of choice.” 
    “Updating the personal-use exemption to be based on ownership aligns with current USDA standards and is needed to protect the rights of livestock owners, producers, and itinerant slaughterers to practice on-farm slaughter in compliance with their state regulations,” said Caroline Sherman-Gordon, a small farmer and Rural Vermont’s Legislative Director. “The LOCAL Foods Act protects farmers from arbitrary change to regulations, offering them the stability they need to plan and grow their businesses.” 
    Learn more about the LOCAL Foods Act.  
    Read and download the full text of the bill.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Isabel Doverty appointed as the interim Chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Isabel Doverty appointed as the interim Chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

    Isabel Doverty has been appointed as the interim Chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA).

    Isabel Doverty has been appointed as the interim Chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA). Isabel will take up the role on 1 April 2025 and will serve as interim Chair until 31 December 2025.

    Isabel was appointed as  an independent member of  the Committee in January 2021 after an open competition. She was formerly Global Head of Human Resources, Wholesale Banking, at Standard Chartered Bank. She is also an independent member of the State Honours Committee. Throughout her private sector career she has held senior HR roles in the energy and financial services sectors, specialising in employee relations, organisational change, and executive level recruitment. Isabel also served as an independent Civil Service Commissioner from 2015 – 2020. 

    The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is an independent advisory Non Departmental Public Body sponsored and funded by the Cabinet Office. It is responsible for providing independent advice on applications submitted under the government’s Business Appointment Rules from former ministers, the most senior civil servants and other Crown servants. In doing so it advises on the conditions that should apply to new appointments or employment after individuals have left public office.

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    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H., Sworn in as FDA Commissioner

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    For Immediate Release:
    April 01, 2025

    Renowned surgeon-scientist and health policy expert, Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H., took the oath of office to become the 27th Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Dr. Makary was confirmed by a bipartisan vote of the U.S. Senate.
    “I am pleased to welcome Dr. Makary to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “He is a national leader in medicine with impeccable credentials. His extensive research, clinical experience, and national leadership make him uniquely qualified to lead the FDA as we work together to Make America Healthy Again.”
    Dr. Makary’s accomplishments as a researcher, clinician and prolific author are numerous. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles in medical literature and founded the Johns Hopkins Center for Surgical Trials and Outcomes Research. Dr. Makary has led cross-disciplinary research on a range of subjects including cancer care, obesity, frailty and psychologic reserve in older patients, adverse event monitoring, the Orphan Drug Act, antimicrobial resistance, and Alzheimer’s. Of note, he is the co-developer of the Surgery Checklist used in many operating rooms around the world today. A member of the prestigious National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Makary has been a visiting professor at more than 25 medical schools across the U.S. and internationally.
    “I am honored and humbled to assume this role at the FDA under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Kennedy,” said FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “I look forward to working with this Administration and the FDA workforce to advance our shared goals in meeting the agency’s public health mission. As Commissioner, I hope to ensure that the FDA holds to the gold standard of trusted science, transparency, and common sense so that we can Make America Healthy Again.”
    Dr. Makary is a graduate of Bucknell University, Thomas Jefferson University, and the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his residency at Georgetown University and surgical oncology fellowship at Johns Hopkins. After six years on the faculty at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Makary was named an endowed chair in gastrointestinal surgery and subsequently promoted to full professor with tenure. He has held joint appointments at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
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    The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

    Inquiries

    Consumer:
    888-INFO-FDA

    Content current as of:
    04/01/2025

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    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta, Assemblymember Haney Unveil Legislation to Protect 17 Million Californians From Unfair Rent Fees

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    AB 1248 seeks to protect tenants from unfair and unpredictable fees  

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), and a prominent coalition of organizations today unveiled Assembly Bill 1248 (AB 1248), legislation that seeks to protect tenants from unpredictable and costly housing fees. In recent years, some landlords have adopted the practice of charging separate piecemeal fees in addition to the rent, which can cost tenants hundreds of dollars more each month on top of the base rent. This practice hinders tenants’ financial stability and ability to budget for housing and other needs — and hurts landlords who do not charge these fees by putting them at a competitive disadvantage and creating an unfair marketplace. The practice of charging separate piecemeal fees has become even more rampant since the enactment of California’s Tenant Protection Act (TPA), which provides statewide rent-increase protections. AB 1248 aims to prevent landlords from unbundling housing services — many of which have traditionally been covered by rent — and then charging additional, often mandatory, fees for those services. AB 1248 makes clear that landlords cannot play games with state rent caps by charging fees that amount to shadow rent increases or advertise a deceptively low rent. By prohibiting added fees, AB 1248 will help ensure that tenants’ housing payments remain stable and predictable, and that people can compare true costs when searching for housing within their budget. 

    “When landlords tack on fees on top of rent it makes it almost impossible for families to compare housing costs or plan for monthly expenses. As it stands, the scarcity and high cost of housing means California’s 17 million renters spend a significant portion of their paychecks on rent, with an estimated 150,000 people at risk of eviction any given month,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The price of housing should be clear to California tenants in the same way that the cost of a concert ticket or a hotel is clear to California consumers. I thank Assemblymember Haney for introducing legislation to ensure California tenants receive the full protection afforded to them by the Tenant Protection Act. AB 1248 will help Californians’ housing payments remain straightforward, stable, and predictable.”

    “Housing costs in California are already high, and added fees only make it harder for renters to budget and stay financially stable. These unfair and unpredictable costs are nothing more than a scam that drives up housing expenses and leaves tenants paying far more than they expected,” said Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco). “AB 1248 ensures fairness by making sure the rent tenants agree to is the rent they actually pay. This bill will help protect Californians from misleading pricing practices and create a more honest and predictable rental market.”

    “Unfair fees in the rental housing market have exploded in recent years — far too many consumers feel the crushing burden of all these unpredictable fees on a monthly basis,” said Robert Herrell, Executive Director of the Consumer Federation of California. “This bill by Assemblymember Haney will dramatically improve consumer protections so renters don’t get taken advantage of. We are proud to co-sponsor this bill with Attorney General Bonta and other leading consumer housing advocates.”

    “Low-income renters need certainty in their monthly rent payments. Most of these tenants are already severely rent-burdened and struggling to retain their housing. The exploitive practice of adding on fees after a lease has already been signed or charging for services that had previously been included in rent makes it even harder for people to stay housed,” said Brian Augusta, Legislative Advocate, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation. “We are proud to co-sponsor this measure with the Attorney General and the Consumer Federation and thank Assemblymember Haney for authoring it.” 

    Co-authored by Attorney General Bonta during his time as a state assemblymember, the Tenant Protection Act (TPA) was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019. It created significant statewide protections for most tenants, including by limiting rent increases and prohibiting landlords from evicting tenants without just cause. Under the TPA, landlords cannot raise the gross rental rate more than 10% total or 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living – whichever is lower – over a 12-month period.

    Particularly since enactment of the TPA, an increasing number of landlords, including large corporate landlords, are charging tenants a proliferation of separate fees, including for services that should be and have historically been covered by the rent. For example, some landlords charge monthly fees for pest control, “trash concierge” services, and Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) fees where tenants are charged for a portion of the building’s utilities, like water and sewer, based on a complex formula with little transparency and that landlords can often change at any time, resulting in charges that can vary widely from month to month. These fees can add up to hundreds of dollars each month on top of rent.

    By engaging in this practice, these landlords place significant burdens on tenants, including uncertainty about monthly housing costs due to variable or increasing fees, and create an unfair and confusing marketplace for prospective tenants and honest landlords — particularly small “mom and pop” landlords — who don’t engage in this deceptive pricing practice. If the combination of rent increases and new fees exceed the TPA’s rent cap, these landlords are also violating California law. 

    With the number of various fee and fee increases, it may be difficult for tenants to keep track of their monthly payments. When a landlord applies a tenant’s payment to late fees or other obligations before applying it to the rent and then charges a late fee because they consider the rent to not be fully paid, it can create a spiral of rent debt for the tenant, which increases the risk of eviction for nonpayment of rent.

     AB 1248 would: 

    • Require landlords to include all costs in the rent rather than charging separate fees.
    • Create more predictable housing costs for existing tenants by preventing landlords from adding new fees during a tenancy.
    • Require landlords to apply a tenant’s rent payment to their rent first, which will help prevent landlords from creating a debt spiral for tenants.

    Text of this legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: CNB ends the first phase of its monetary policy review with an international workshop and will now start work on developing a new forecasting model

    Source: Czech National Bank

    The first phase of the review of the CNB’s monetary policy analytical and modelling framework has been completed successfully. The CNB brought this phase to a close today with an international workshop attended by top foreign economists led by Claudio Borio, the former Head of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements. In the next step, the central bank will develop a new forecasting model to supplement its existing tools. It will also put into practice other recommendations made by domestic and foreign experts who have evaluated the CNB’s past monetary policy. The aim is to enhance the CNB’s analytical and modelling framework so that, among other things, it can better withstand the current environment of unexpected economic shocks.

    The CNB is now entering the second phase of its monetary policy review. This will build on the first phase, which the CNB began by having its analytical and modelling framework assessed independently for the first time ever. Based on the experts’ recommendations, it then strengthened the role of research in the Research and Statistics Department and made other organisational changes to prepare the CNB for the key period ahead. At an international workshop in Prague today, CNB representatives presented the steps taken so far and the outlook for the future. They also discussed the way forward with leading foreign economists with experience of monetary policy reviews in other countries.

    “Looking ahead, the toughest challenges for monetary policy regimes may well be still to come. For one, the political environment is becoming less conducive to a stability-oriented monetary policy. Over time, a dangerous expectations gap has been developing between what monetary policy can deliver and what it is expected to deliver. But inflation targeting regimes cannot afford to stay still,” said Claudio Borio, the former Head of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements, who also attended the CNB workshop.

    In the second phase, the CNB will put into practice the recommendations contained in the assessments prepared by expert teams led by Professor John Muellbauer from the University of Oxford, Roman Šustek from Queen Mary University of London and Professor Martin Mandel and Associate Professor Karel Brůna from the Prague University of Economics and Business. These assessments identified deficiencies in the CNB’s current modelling framework and emphasised the need to strengthen the role of economic research at the central bank and to increase the emphasis on the use of available data sources. “Theories and models are valuable to a central bank only to the extent that they facilitate an informed and sufficiently comprehensive debate – one that helps us understand the evolving economic story in the short, medium and long run,” said CNB Deputy Governor Jan Frait. In his opinion, the reviews have shown that the CNB’s current tools cannot fulfil this role to the full.

    “We need analyses that are not only technically accurate, but also sensitive to economic, social and political realities – analyses that reflect emotions as well as facts and figures. To achieve this, we should be open to different points of view, be prepared to reassess our positions when major changes occur, and invest in people who are able to come up with new approaches and ideas based on knowledge of cutting-edge economic research,” added Deputy Governor Frait.

    The main innovation will be an alternative macroeconomic forecasting model to be developed by the Research and Statistics Department at the CNB. The Department was established on 1 January 2025 through the merger of the Economic Research Division of the Monetary Department and the Financial Research Division of the Financial Stability Department with the then Statistics and Data Support Department. “The CNB is currently an outlier internationally. Most other central banks rely on two or more models for monetary policy purposes, whereas we currently use only one central DSGE model. Where a central bank does have a single model, with few exceptions, it is not a DSGE one,” said CNB Deputy Governor Eva Zamrazilová, giving one of the reasons for supplementing the central DSGE model with another powerful forecasting tool.

    The Czech National Bank expects the initial results of the development of the alternative model to emerge before the end of this year. However, according to Eva Zamrazilová, it could take two to three years to complete the entire process, including testing and validation of the proper functioning of the new tool. “We don’t want to rush anything. We will put the emphasis on top quality, not speed, because this is a major step as regards Czech monetary policy,” added Deputy Governor Zamrazilová.

    In addition to the development of an alternative model, the monetary policy review will be reflected in practice on other levels, such as research. According to Bank Board member Jan Kubíček, the expert assessments have not only identified problem areas in the existing modelling framework, but are also an illuminating source of inspiration for the future development of the CNB. “Major advancements have been made around the world in the field of analytical instruments. The monetary policy review gives us an opportunity to take them and use them to our advantage,” said Jan Kubíček, adding that via the CNB, all individuals and companies in the Czech Republic stand to benefit from the results of the monetary policy review in the future.

    Jakub Holas
    Director, Communications Division

    Programme

    9.00 Opening Remarks
    Aleš Michl, Governor, Czech National Bank
    9.05 Keynote Speech: Adjusting Inflation Targeting Frameworks
    Claudio Borio, former Head of Monetary and Economic Department, Bank for International Settlements
    10.05 Panel Discussion: Analytical and Forecasting Frameworks for Inflation Targeting: Lessons Learned
    Chair: Eva Zamrazilová, Deputy Governor, Czech National Bank
    Panellists:
    Óscar Arce, Director General Economics, European Central Bank
    Huw Pill, Chief Economist, Bank of England
    Jan Kubíček, Board Member, Czech National Bank
    11.45 Panel Discussion: Chair: Jan Frait, Deputy Governor, Czech National Bank
    Panellists:
    John Muellbauer, Nuffield College, Oxford University & INET, Oxford
    Roman Šustek, Queen Mary University of London & Centre for Macroeconomics (LSE)
    Jakub Matějů, Deputy Executive Director, Monetary Department, Czech National Bank

    Related links

    MIL OSI Economics –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Laundering Millions in Criminal Proceeds Linked to Romance Scams and Business Email Compromise Schemes

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

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Olumide Olorunfunmi, 39, a Nigerian national, appeared in federal court in Charlotte today and pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy for laundering millions in criminal proceeds linked to romance scams and business email compromise schemes, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  According to documents filed with the court and today’s plea hearing, the scheme caused more than 125 victims to transfer over $4.5 million of proceeds stemming from illegal activities.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

    Two of Olorunfunmi’s co-conspirators, both Nigerian nationals, have also pleaded guilty to federal charges and are awaiting sentencing. Specifically, Samson Amos, 53, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Emmanuel Unuigbe, 42, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

    As Olorunfunmi admitted in court today, from 2020 through 2023, Olorunfunmi conspired with Amos, Unuigbe, and others to launder the criminal proceeds of various illegal activities, including romance scams that typically targeted elderly victims, and business email compromise schemes (BECs). Court records show that the victims of the schemes were directed to transfer funds into domestic and international bank accounts controlled by Olorunfunmi and his co-conspirators. Upon receiving the fraud proceeds, Olorunfunmi and his co-conspirators transferred the funds to other bank accounts, in the U.S. and overseas.

    Olorunfunmi, Amos and Unuigbe profited by keeping a portion of the criminal proceeds obtained through the schemes. They also profited by agreeing to “pay” for the domestic deposits received by others by transferring Nigerian Naira from accounts the co-conspirators controlled in Nigeria to other accounts in Nigeria, based upon a “black market” exchange rate for United States Dollars to Naira.

    The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI for the investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.

    Business Email Compromise Schemes

    BEC schemes, also referred to as “cyber-enabled financial fraud,” are sophisticated scams that often target individuals, employees, or businesses involved in financial transactions or that regularly perform wire transfer payments. Fraudsters are usually part of larger criminal networks

    operating in the United States and abroad. There are many variations of BEC schemes. Generally, the schemes involve perpetrators gaining unauthorized access to legitimate email accounts or creating email accounts that closely resemble those of individuals or employees associated with the targeted businesses or involved in business transactions with the victim businesses. The scammers then use the compromised or fake email accounts to send false wiring instructions to the targeted businesses or individuals, to dupe the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by perpetrators of the scheme. Generally, the money is quickly transferred to other accounts in the United States or overseas. More information on BEC schemes can be found here.

    Romance Scams

    In romance scams, fraudsters use a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The fraudsters then use the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. The fraudsters want to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear themselves to the victim, and gain trust. Fraudsters may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually, they will ask for money. The fraudsters who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable, and are present on most dating and social media sites. They also claim to be in the building or construction industry and/or are engaged in projects outside the U.S. That makes it easier to avoid meeting in person and more plausible when they ask for money for a medical emergency or unexpected legal fees. More information on romance scams can be found here.

    If you have been the victim of an online scam or know someone who has been victimized, it is important to report it to law enforcement. Please visit ic3.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), to file a complaint. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: CentralReach Named to Inc. Magazine’s 2025 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the Southeast for 5th Time

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Fort Lauderdale, FL, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CentralReach, a leading provider of Autism and IDD Care software for ABA, multidisciplinary, and special education, today was named to the Inc. Regionals: Southeast list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southeast, which includes South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, and Puerto Rico. An extension of the national Inc. 5000 list, the Regionals offer a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southeast economy’s most dynamic segment–its independent small businesses.

    CentralReach provides a leading software and services platform to help children and adults diagnosed with autism and related IDDs – and those who serve them – unlock potential, achieve better outcomes, and live more independent lives. The company offers purpose-built solutions for all the settings where care and learning are provided – in homes, clinics, schools, and the workplace.

    The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southeast. Between 2021 and 2023, these 192 private companies had a median growth rate of 114 percent; by 2023, they’d also added 11,493 jobs and $8.1 billion to the region’s economy.

    “The honorees on this year’s Inc. Regionals list are true trailblazers driving economic growth in their respective regions, industries, and beyond. This list celebrates their achievements and tells the stories of remarkable companies that are fueling growth and adding jobs in local economies throughout the country,” said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc.

    Inc. has also recognized CentralReach in several of its other awards programs including naming the company a Best in Business honoree for the last two years, Best Workplace for the last three years, and an Inc. 5000 honoree for the last five years. 

    For the complete results of this year’s Inc. Regionals: Southeast winners, including company profiles, visit: https://www.inc.com/regionals/southeast.

    About CentralReach

    CentralReach is a leading provider of autism and IDD care software, providing a complete, end-to-end software and services platform that helps children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) – and those who serve them – unlock potential, achieve better outcomes, and live more independent lives. With its roots in Applied Behavior Analysis, the company is revolutionizing how the lifelong journey of autism and IDD care is enabled at home, school, and work with powerful and intuitive solutions purpose-built for each care setting.

    Trusted by more than 200,000 professionals globally, CentralReach is committed to ongoing product advancement, market-leading industry expertise, world-class client satisfaction, and support of the autism and IDD community to propel autism and IDD care into a new era of excellence. For more information, please visit CentralReach.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.

    About Inc.

    Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

    The MIL Network –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: COFACE SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at March 31, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COFACE SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at March 31, 2025

    Paris, April 1st, 2025 – 17.45

    Total Number of
    Shares Capital    		 Theoretical Number of Voting Rights1 Number of Real
    Voting Rights2
    150,179,792 150,179,792 149,506,903

    (1)   including own shares
    (2)   excluding own shares

      Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.

    About Coface

    COFACE SA is a société anonyme (joint-stock corporation), with a Board of Directors (Conseil d’Administration) incorporated under the laws of France, and is governed by the provisions of the French Commercial Code. The Company is registered with the Nanterre Trade and Companies Register (Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés) under the number 432 413 599. The Company’s registered office is at 1 Place Costes et Bellonte, 92270 Bois Colombes, France.

    At the date of 31 December 2024, the Company’s share capital amounts to €300,359,584, divided into 150,179,792 shares, all of the same class, and all of which are fully paid up and subscribed.

    All regulated information is available on the company’s website (http://www.coface.com/Investors).

    Coface SA. is listed on Euronext Paris – Compartment A
    ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

    Attachment

    • 2025 03 31 Declaration SharesVoting Rights

    The MIL Network –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Phorcys Capital Partners Acquires Hunt Trace Senior Living, Expanding Senior Living Exposure to Florida

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ALPHARETTA, Ga., April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Phorcys Capital Partners, LLC (“Phorcys”) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Hunt Trace Senior Living (“Hunt Trace”), a 114-unit assisted living community located just west of Orlando in Clermont, Florida. The community was acquired through a court-appointed receivership sale for an undisclosed amount.

    “Hunt Trace represented a compelling opportunity to acquire a stabilized asset at a level well below replacement in a high-growth Florida market,” said Vasileios Sfyris, Managing Partner at Phorcys. “We are excited to partner with Impact Senior Living to improve upon the already excellent care and comfort offered at the community.”

    Originally built in 2002 and expanded in 2014, Hunt Trace sits on six acres and includes both assisted living and memory care services. The community maintains a strong reputation within the market, recently winning a “Best of 2025” award from the South Lake Chamber of Commerce. Phorcys Capital Partners plans to invest approximately $1.5 million in the community over the next year to modernize the plant.

    “Phorcys Capital Partners brings a strong vision and an ownership mindset that truly supports long-term operational success,” said Andrew Hendry, Vice President of Operations for Impact Senior Living. “At Hunt Trace, that translates into a collaborative environment where innovation and resident satisfaction remain top priorities.”

    Hunt Trace Senior Living is the latest addition to Phorcys’s growing senior housing platform, which has now invested over $125 million in the sector. Phorcys anticipates additional acquisitions this year through its unique sourcing platform to acquire senior living assets at an attractive basis.

    “We continue to see significant opportunity in the senior housing space,” added Sfyris. “The promising tailwinds in the sector should allow us to generate very attractive risk-adjusted returns for our investors for the foreseeable future.”

    About Phorcys Capital Partners
    Phorcys is an alternative asset manager, with a focus on investing in distressed municipal bonds and/or acquiring the underlying assets secured by municipal bonds. Phorcys strategically invests in a diverse range of sectors, including senior living, multifamily housing, student housing, and hospitality. Since its inception, the firm has invested approximately $425 million across all sectors.

    For more information, contact:
    Phorcys Capital Partners
    Matt Doss
    770-777-9373
    mdoss@phorcyscp.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cb2707e9-0908-4872-84a5-d8721e60f3d2

    The MIL Network –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Walker’s Wine Juice LLC Recalls Product Due to Possible Health Risk

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    April 01, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    April 01, 2025
    Product Type:
    Food & BeveragesJuiceFoodborne Illness
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Potential Foodborne Illness – Botulism

    Company Name:
    Walker’s Wine Juice LLC
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    Walker’s Wine Juice LLC

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Pumpkin Juice

    Company Announcement
    Walker’s Wine Juice LLC of Forestville, NY is recalling its pumpkin juice because it may be contaminated with Botulism. Botulism is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning and can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision, and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension, and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.
    Product was distributed via Walker’s Wine Juice retail store in NY. The juice was also distributed directly by Walker’s to a limited number of commercial wineries in the following states: IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MI, MN, NJ, NY, OH, PA, WI.
    Products can be identified as follows:

    2.5-gallon bag in box and 5-gallon hot pack are labeled “pumpkin”; All lots are subject to the recall
    30-, 60-, and 275-gallon bulk containers are tagged “pumpkin”; All lots are subject to the recall

    No illnesses have been reported to date.
    The potential contamination was discovered after an inspection by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors found that the pumpkin juice pH was too high to be processed per Walker’s “hot fill” schedule process. As a result, it was determined that no adequate kill step was used to address the possibility of microbiological hazards.
    Consumers are urged to contact Walker’s Wine Juice to determine appropriate disposal of the remaining product and determine other appropriate steps including a calculation of reimbursement.

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    Matthew Walker
    716-679-1292 x 1016

    Content current as of:
    04/01/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Topic(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 2, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Solomon Partners Hires Jon Pritti as a Partner in the Healthcare Group

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Solomon Partners, a leading financial advisory firm and independent affiliate of Natixis, today announced the appointment of Jon Pritti as a new Partner in its Healthcare Group, where he will lead the firm’s expansion into the fast-growing Healthcare Technology sub-sector.

    “Jon’s experience and industry expertise will be invaluable to our growing Healthcare team and expand Solomon’s coverage in the Healthcare Technology space,” said Solomon Partners’ CEO Marc Cooper.

    Mr. Pritti joins Solomon with over two decades of investment banking experience, most recently serving as a Senior Managing Director in the Private Equity Advisory group at Guggenheim Securities. Prior to that role, he served as Managing Director in the Healthcare Investment Banking practice and Head of Healthcare Technology at Houlihan Lokey. Mr. Pritti earned a BBA from Emory University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

    “We are incredibly fortunate to welcome a banker with Jon’s background and extensive network. Jon will be a critical addition to the team as we continue to expand our capabilities to deliver exceptional service to our clients,” said Jon Hammack, a Partner and Head of Solomon’s Healthcare Group.

    “I have been impressed by Solomon’s collaborative, client-centric approach,” Mr. Pritti said. “This is an exciting era for Healthcare Technology, and I look forward to working with my new partners to help Solomon expand its services in this part of the healthcare ecosystem.”

    About Solomon Partners

    Founded in 1989, Solomon Partners is a leading financial advisory firm with a legacy as one of the oldest independent investment banks. Our difference is unmatched industry knowledge in the sectors we cover, creating superior value with unrivaled wisdom for our clients. We advise clients on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, recapitalizations, capital markets solutions and activism defense across a range of verticals. These include Business Services, Consumer Retail, Distribution, Financial Institutions, FinTech, Financial Sponsors, Healthcare, Grocery, Pharmacy & Restaurants, Healthcare, Industrials, Infrastructure, Power & Renewables, Media and Technology. Solomon Partners is an independently operated affiliate of Natixis, part of Groupe BPCE. For further information, visit solomonpartners.com.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/97f1532a-940b-4b92-ac42-dc71d170c0a4

    The MIL Network –

    April 2, 2025
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