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Category: Commerce

  • MIL-OSI Australia: (WIP) How the ACCC will assess mergers under the new regime

    Source: Allens Insights (legal sector)

    Draft assessment guidelines open for consultation 5 min read

    The ACCC has released its draft merger assessment guidelines (Draft Guidelines) for consultation, offering a preview of how it plans to assess mergers under the new mandatory regime (which comes into effect on 1 January 2026).

    In this Insight, we highlight key aspects of the ACCC’s renewed approach and what the proposed changes would mean for your business.

    Key takeaways

    • Businesses that may be seen as already having a substantial degree of market power can expect close scrutiny of any transactions where the target has overlapping goods or services, even if the market share increment is low. According to the ACCC, even mergers that lead to a small change in market power can potentially substantially lessen competition.
    • The ACCC has set out its proposed framework for assessing mergers that may eliminate potential competition, involve multi-sided platforms or form part of a set of serial acquisitions. We expect these will be key areas of focus under the new regime for all sectors, but will particularly impact transactions in the tech, financial services and supermarket sectors.
    • Merger parties will need to demonstrate that any claimed pro-competitive efficiencies are specifically related to the merger and are likely to be realised.
    • The Draft Guidelines represent a significant update to the ACCC’s guidelines published in November 2008, with more detailed guidance on the approach to the new and more novel competition issues with which the ACCC has grappled in recent years. The Draft Guidelines indicate a level of convergence with those issued by US agencies in 2023.

    What you need to know

    Creating, strengthening or entrenching market power

    Under the new regime, the ACCC will consider whether a merger is likely to create, strengthen or entrench a substantial degree of market power in determining whether it substantially lessens competition.

    The ACCC’s position is that a merger can substantially lessen competition even if it leads to only a small change in market power.

    Mergers that eliminate potential competition, including killer acquisitions

    The ACCC plans to look closely at mergers that eliminate potential competition, eg mergers in which an incumbent acquires a nascent rival or potential entrant.

    The ACCC has expressly called out killer acquisitions, where an acquirer acquires a target (a potential competitor) to neutralise the competitive threat before the target develops into a true rival. Alternatively, a business may decide to acquire an existing player instead of entering a certain market itself, thereby removing competition that would have been introduced by the acquirer’s own entry.

    The ACCC considers that in markets characterised by network effects (where users derive more value from a product if more users use the same product), potential competitors that threaten to displace the incumbent’s market position may exert the greatest competitive constraint.

    The ACCC is on the lookout for acquirers undertaking multiple acquisitions of nascent rivals over time and says this could strengthen or entrench the acquirer’s market power.

    It considers that the loss of potential competition will be more relevant in markets where significant and long-term investments are necessary, eg digital platforms or pharmaceutical companies.

    Mergers involving multi-sided platforms

    In relation to multi-sided platforms (platforms that supply services to two or more distinct but related customer groups, eg social media platforms and shopping centres), the ACCC observes that such platforms tend to be characterised by network effects. The ACCC is concerned that these effects may be so strong and self-reinforcing that they create a ‘tipping effect‘, where one platform becomes supreme and smaller platforms only exert a weak constraint.

    The ACCC has indicated that in assessing mergers relating to multi-sided platforms, it will consider factors such as whether one or both sides of the platform are impacted, the incentives of the platform operator and the strength of network effects. It also proposes to consider the risk of amplifying a party’s market power, eg where interoperability or multi-homing is necessary to compete.

    Cumulative effects of serial acquisitions

    The ACCC is setting its sights on serial acquisitions. Under the new regime, the ACCC will be able to take into account prior acquisitions that, when viewed together (in the same or related markets and in the preceding three years), would be likely to substantially lessen competition.

    The ACCC foreshadows that it may consider information and evidence about the acquirer’s previous and future business plans, incentives behind the acquisitions and the likely impact of both the notified transaction and the series of acquisitions on the merged entity’s market position.

    Efficiencies

    The ACCC proposes to take a discerning approach to arguments about efficiencies.

    It says a merger that removes or weakens competitive constraints will, in many cases, substantially lessen competition even if the merger results in a more efficient firm with a lower cost structure.

    It has stressed that it will only consider merger-related efficiencies to be relevant where there is clear and compelling information or evidence that the efficiencies incentivise the merged firm to compete more vigorously against rivals.

    The ACCC will seek to verify that any claimed efficiencies arise specifically from the merger and will consider the parties’ alternative options to achieving these efficiencies in testing this.

    Merger parties will need to demonstrate that the efficiencies are likely to materialise and that they improve the incentives to compete, eg through internal documents and external experts’ studies.

    Comparisons with guidelines from overseas regimes

    The approach the ACCC has taken is similar to the approach taken by the UK Competition and Markets Authority as reflected in its 2021 Merger Assessment Guidelines and the approach taken by US agencies as set out in the 2023 Joint Merger Guidelines issued by the US Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission (US Merger Guidelines), although there are some subtle differences. Comparing the Draft Guidelines and US Merger Guidelines:

    • The Draft Guidelines do not create a presumption of illegality, unlike the US Merger Guidelines. However, both reflect the agencies’ respective positions that a small increase in existing market power may be sufficient to substantially lessen competition in an already consolidated market.
    • Both focus on eliminating potential competition and ‘killer acquisitions’.
    • The Draft Guidelines expressly deal with serial acquisitions, whereas the US Merger Guidelines frames this issue within a broader context of industry trends and consolidation.
    • Both approach mergers involving multi-sided platforms in a similar way. The US Merger Guidelines outline an approach to examining ‘competition between platforms, on a platform or to displace a platform’.
    • The Draft Guidelines include a framework to ensure claimed merger efficiencies are ‘merger specific’ and ‘verifiable’. This is largely consistent with the approach agencies have traditionally taken to closely scrutinise claims of efficiencies.

    Next steps

    The ACCC’s public consultation on the Draft Guidelines is open until 17 April 2025. If you would like to discuss the Draft Guidelines, the impact they may have on your business and the steps you can take to prepare for the new merger regime, please get in touch with us.

    You can read our previous Insight for a detailed overview of the legal framework and key elements of the new merger regime, or download our practical summary here.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Address to the Canberra Business Chamber and Institute of Public Accountants online budget breakfast

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    It’s terrific to be with you and I’m sorry we’re not meeting in person in the Great Hall today. I acknowledge that I’m on Ngunnawal land today, and acknowledge all First Nations people joining us.

    Thank you to the Canberra Business Chamber and the Institute of Public Accountants for again putting on this event, which is really a fixture in the budget calendar. I’ve done your event many times. I enjoy it more in person than virtually, but it is a real pleasure to be able to engage with the Canberra business community.

    Let me start off with where we are in a global context, then go to a couple of the key measures in the Budget and finally finish up by asking the question: ‘What does the Budget mean for Canberra?’

    If we look around the world, uncertainty is up. We’ve always lived in an uncertain world, but policy uncertainty is combining with geopolitical uncertainty. At this moment, we’ve seen a range of our counterpart economies go into recession as they’ve sought to battle inflation. The UK and New Zealand have suffered recessions, and many other economies around the world have experienced quarters of negative growth as they sought to tame the global cost‑of‑living challenge. Australia, uniquely in our history, has managed to bring inflation down into the Reserve Bank’s target band without a significant rise in unemployment. We should be collectively extraordinarily proud of this. It’s not the story of the 70s, the 80s or the 90s, where taming inflation meant increasing unemployment.

    In Australia, we’ve managed to maintain full employment while getting prices back under control. And that in itself is a remarkable achievement. More than a million jobs created, interest rates now coming down, inflation back within the band, a strong labour market. So, while you look around the world and see a lot of uncertainty, there’s not many places you’d rather be than Australia.

    The Treasurer last night talked about 5 big themes. I don’t have half an hour, so let me focus on 2: cost of living and productivity. In terms of cost of living, our biggest measure is continuing the tax cuts that we began last year. Last year as you remember, we adjusted the tax cuts so every taxpayer got a tax cut. Now we’re announcing that from 2026–27, we’ll be delivering a tax cut worth $268 for everyone earning over $45,000 per year, and the same again the year after that. That will be worth about $10 a week for the average worker, and it adds to the previous tax cut worth about $40 a week for the average worker to around $50 a week. That sits alongside the energy bill relief which will be extended for another half year, reflecting the pressure many households are under.

    And then there’s the systemic changes: cheaper medicines, cheaper childcare. The work we’re doing in supermarket competition has a cost‑of‑living lens as well. We’ve commissioned the biggest review of the supermarkets in 17 years, and that review continues to make recommendations which build on the government’s work to tackle shrinkflation and ensure that Australian shoppers get a better deal at the checkout. You’ll soon be seeing the next iteration of CHOICE’s quarterly gross price grocery price monitoring, which is another measure that Labor has put in place to ensure that shoppers get a better deal.

    Now, Emma [Alberici] talked about productivity and about a couple of the productivity boosting measures we have in place. I want to focus on those because it is really important that we as progressives, are focused on not only boosting demand, but also on the supply side, on ensuring that we’re unlocking the growth potential of the Australian economy. Emma rightly talked about the work that we’ve done on early learning, providing that 3 day guarantee, following the experts and getting rid of the activity test in order to unlock the productivity potential of the Australian workforce. We’re investing in skills, finally completing that Gonski project of ensuring that every school gets its appropriate level of funding, and that final agreement with the Queensland Premier that was announced this week is the last piece of the puzzle in those Gonski reforms. It’s not just money, it’s about reforms. It’s about more targeted teaching, more intensive literacy and numeracy education to tackle that challenge that we’ve seen in the OECD PISA tests, where Australian students since the beginning of the millennium have slipped back about a year of achievement. We need to do better, and this money will allow us to do that.

    The boost in Free TAFE places is vital in ensuring that we have more skills for the jobs in the modern economy, particularly in construction. We understand that we need to increase uptake and we need to encourage apprentices to stay in on the tools. We recognise that by boosting investment in modular methods of construction, we can also unlock productivity in the housing sector. Housing sector productivity has gone down in Australia, as it has in many other advanced countries, and a recent Productivity Commission report talked about some of the challenges. They’re not bagging unions – far from it. They’re talking about the challenges of scale and about the way in which modular construction has sometimes struggled, about some of the regulatory challenges that housing construction faces, and our government is very focused on unlocking housing sector productivity.

    Now, Emma also talked about one of our key productivity boosting measures in this Budget, which is around the competition reforms relating to non‑competes. When I first started looking at this about 5 years ago, people said ‘Oh, it’s just an American thing. Sure, one in 5 American workers have non‑competes but you won’t find the same in Australia.’ So, we worked with e61 and with the ABS in order to do surveys that revealed, lo and behold, that one in 5 Australian workers were subject to a non‑compete clause – a clause that stopped them from moving to a better job. And then the argument came ‘It’s just executives being put on gardening leave’. But it turned out in the surveys that it’s gardeners, it’s early childhood workers, security guards, a whole range of workers in low‑wage professions that have been caught by standard form employment agreements which are preventing them from moving to a better job.

    Our reform will then unlock a productivity boost, because if you want to start a firm on a full‑employment economy, you need to hire workers from other firms. It’ll apply to workers earning under $175,000 – the Fair Work Act high‑income threshold. Our estimate, the estimates we have from the experts on this suggests that it will boost wages by around $2,500 per year. That means for those affected workers, those one in 5 – that’s a boost of around $50 a week, commensurate with the tax cut gains that I talked about.

    Getting rid of non‑compete laws for low wage workers shouldn’t trouble businesses, because you can still put in place non‑disclosure agreements that ensure that your secrets can’t walk out. And in fact, what’s going on at the moment is that many of these non‑compete clauses are not legally enforceable. We’re tying up workers and firms in a thicket of legal regulations. By getting rid of non‑competes and encouraging firms to instead use targeted non‑disclosure agreements, we will unlock productivity.

    Finally, for Canberra this Budget builds on the investments of past budgets. On our record investment in the national cultural institutions. Investment in the War Memorial and the National Security precinct. This Albanese Labor government hasn’t neglected Canberra’s infrastructure spend, as the previous government did in their final budget, when Canberra received just one‑fifth of our fair share of infrastructure investment from the Coalition. Instead, this Albanese government has invested in bike paths, roads, and light rail for the nation’s capital.

    We’ve got a public service which is right sized for the needs of the nation, and the Coalition’s proposals for a public service cut would devastate the ACT. On one hand, they’re saying that they’re going to cut one in 5 public servants which suggests that frontline services such as people processing veterans’ claims or parental leave benefits would suffer. But then they try and say, ‘well we won’t hurt frontline services – we’ll only cut the Canberra public service’. If they rip 41,000 public service jobs out, and only in Canberra – that’s half the public service in Canberra. That would also devastate the nation’s capacity to deal with future pandemics, with national security risks, and with biosecurity challenges. The Coalition can’t have it both ways. Either their public service cuts are a threat to frontline services, or they will devastate the nation’s policy infrastructure, including our national security.

    So, thanks for the chance to talk about Budget 2025. Jim Chalmers and Katy Gallagher have put together a fantastic Budget which invests in productivity, tackles the cost of living, and delivers for Australia.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Grassley Talks District Judges, Reconciliation and Whistleblowers on The Bottom Line

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, joined The Bottom Line on Fox Business to discuss nationwide injunctions, reconciliation and his work to secure the promotion of IRS whistleblowers.
    Audio and excerpts of Grassley’s remarks follow.
    [embedded content]VIDEO
    On Nationwide Injunctions:
    “It ought to be a bipartisan issue, because within the last few years, Democrats have talked about reform, and we have Justice Kagan saying that the national approach is obviously being abused.
    “I would say that the very least we want to do is… limit [district court decisions] to the district court where the district judge sits and listen to the injunction as it applies to the people that are in the court. That eliminates one judge making a decision that affects 93 district court systems that we have in the United States.
    “I can’t wait to see if the Supreme Court does something when I’m Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and we see this process is being vastly abused. For the first 150 years [of the United States], there was never one of these national injunctions. Then, for the next 70 years, [nationwide injunctions were] not used very often. But, within the last 20 years, this has been used [against] both Republican and Democrat administrations.”
    On Reconciliation:
    “Some people are talking about getting [reconciliation] done by August. That’s too late. We had a November 5 election, where this was a big issue, and the President has a mandate… we have a responsibility to carry out the results of the November 5 election.
    “This debt ceiling limit should not be anything that stands in the way of getting the reconciliation bill passed, because [we must] get reconciliation passed to make sure we don’t have the biggest tax cut in the history of the country.
    “I think [President Trump] is going to get a good share of [his tax priorities], but I would doubt if he’s going to get all of them, because of the total cost of all five of them… I think the President needs to pick and choose and tell Congress what’s most important to him.”
    On IRS Whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler:
    “I’ve been protecting these whistleblowers for months, or maybe more than a year and a half, and I’m glad that they are getting their job back, getting a promotion and being able to help this new Trump administration know where the bodies are buried. 
    “Most whistleblowers that I know are very patriotic people. I think that these two that you bring up showed how patriotic they were. They stuck to it. They were willing to go public with it, and we ought to be honoring people that know where the bodies are buried.
    “There’s a lot of other whistleblowers throughout previous administrations that have been ill treated, and I’m going to fight to get their jobs back as well.”
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – CommBank establishes Seattle Tech Hub to further accelerate its AI capability – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    Recognising the role of technology and innovation in delivering excellent customer experiences.

    CommBank is establishing a dedicated Tech Hub in Seattle, Washington (USA), to advance the bank’s technology leadership and delivery of outstanding customer experiences by equipping teams with the cutting-edge skills needed to stay ahead.

    CommBank Chief Executive Officer, Matt Comyn said, “As the rate of global innovation continues to accelerate, we increasingly believe that the bank’s technology leadership will continue to provide a strong foundation to CommBank’s strategic performance and competitive advantage. Technology delivers superior customer experiences to our 16 million customers, which is at the core of our strategy to be tomorrow’s bank today.”

    Global opportunity for CommBank’s tech teams

    The first cohort of CommBank technologists currently at the Seattle Tech Hub are focused on learning to fast-track adoption of Agentic AI and Gen AI powered solutions to help small business banking customers manage their finances and run their businesses. The current cohort will also explore modernising testing to respond to customer feedback faster.

    CommBank’s Group Executive Technology Gavin Munroe says the Tech Hub will give the bank’s technologists a leading global advantage and enable the delivery of world-class digital experiences for customers at a safer and faster pace.

    “A Tech Hub based in Seattle – an area that is home to leading global technology companies – will connect our technologists with our partners to accelerate how we deliver new banking solutions for customers. Our teams will bring new ideas back to Australia to enhance how we work, while boosting the knowledge and expertise in Australia’s tech ecosystem.

    “The Seattle Tech Hub is part of our focus on fast-tracking how we’re using new technologies like Agentic AI, while creating an environment where technologists can continue to grow, learn and develop their career,” says Mr Munroe.

    Through the Tech Hub, which opened this month, CBA technology teams will have the opportunity to take part in a three-week exchange within the Seattle tech precinct, where they will participate in collaborative learning opportunities together with global technology leaders such as Amazon Web Services, Anthropic, H2O and Microsoft to deliver technology-led customer experiences.

    The Tech Hub will serve as a strategic gateway for the bank to collaborate with global technology leaders, foster innovation exchange, broaden employee learning to harness cutting-edge solutions. This presence in one of the world’s leading tech ecosystems will accelerate our transformation while enabling us to attract top talent and develop breakthrough capabilities for our customers.

    AWS Vice President of Agentic AI Swami Sivasubramanian said: “As CommBank’s preferred cloud provider, we’re excited about the learning opportunities that their new Seattle Tech Hub will offer. I’m confident this move will not only give them access to the best industry talent, but also bring our teams closer as we continue to scale AI innovations globally. We have entered an even more transformative phase with generative AI and the emergence of agentic AI applications represents a fundamental shift in its evolution. I look forward to our teams collaborating closely and achieving productivity and scale gains that will reshape banking experiences for customers.”

    Microsoft Business and Industry Copilot Corporate Vice President Charles Lamanna said: “CommBank’s Seattle Technology Hub exemplifies its leadership in banking innovation. By placing its people at the center of the global tech ecosystem, CommBank is ensuring it stays ahead of emerging trends and technologies. Microsoft is proud to support the bank’s vision by providing tools and access to expertise that will empower its team, enhance their learning, and push the boundaries of what is possible for their 16 million customers.”

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Northland News – Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust celebrates successes with public field day

    Source: Northland Regional Council

    Northland’s Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust – a finalist in an upcoming national award celebrating excellence in Māori farming and horticulture – is to hold a public field day to showcase the work it has been doing and share its journey and farming practices.
    The trust is one of just two finalists for the near century-old Ahuwhenua Trophy, which was inaugurated by Māori leader Sir Apirana Ngata and the Governor General at the time, Lord Bledisloe, in 1933. This year, the competition is for Sheep and Beef farmers.
    News of the trust’s success has been welcomed by the Northland Regional Council (NRC) which has worked closely with the trust across multiple environmental initiatives and is supporting its planned Thursday 03 April field day at Ngaiotonga Marae – 1561 Rawhiti Road, Whangaruru.
    The trust has been administering 1100 hectares of the Ngaiotonga A3 Block on behalf of 1284 beneficial owners. The coastal hill country stretches along North Whangaruru and consists of 360ha of effective farmland, 297ha of forestry, and 443ha of native forest and wetlands. (The trust also leases 40ha of a neighbouring block from the Department of Conservation, giving it a total of 400ha effective farming area.)
    The trust has worked actively with various departments within the NRC. To protect the health of the whenua and moana, the trust has been integral to eradicating sika deer in its area, helping mitigate flood risks, working to help enforce marine protection areas, and many more.
    Since regaining its farm in 2020, the trust has embarked on a major investment programme to fence off all of its native bush and wetland areas in partnership with NRC and other agencies to protect rare species including the critically endangered Matuku (Bittern) and Pāteke (Brown Teal duck).
    Council Chair Geoff Crawford says from rivers to the forest, to the coastline, to the farmlands the trust has always been proactive with working in the environmental area, collaborating with multiple council departments.
    “Council is thrilled that the trust’s work in the agricultural space is being recognised.”
    Trust Co Chair Huhana Lyndon says anyone is welcome to attend the public field day.
    “We have decided to host this day to celebrate this achievement and to give people an inside look at the work we’ve been carrying out.”
    The day is expected to have more than 250 attendees, including government ministers, local government, Northland farmers, local residents, whānau, hapū and iwi.
    A pōwhiri will begin at 9am and the farm tour will be with 4WD vehicles only.
    More information is available at: https://www.facebook.com/share/12GYMkCmdXW/
    Meanwhile, the trust’s finalist status for the Ahuwhenua Trophy is not its only success of late. It recently celebrated two wins at the Northland Ballance Farm Environment Awards in the Climate Change Resiliency and Agri Business Management categories.
    The winners of the Ahuwhenua Trophy will be announced on Friday June 06 in Papaioea, Palmerston North. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Apple boosts China presence

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    U.S. tech giant Apple on Wednesday announced it is accelerating its support for the next generation of developers in China with a new 30 million yuan (about 4.18 million U.S. dollars) donation to Zhejiang University.

    “We believe coding is a powerful tool that empowers people to create, communicate, and solve problems in entirely new ways,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook while visiting the university in east China on the same day.

    “We are proud to expand our decade-long partnership with Zhejiang University to support the next generation of coders with the skills to create innovative apps and build dynamic businesses,” he said.

    The fund will connect students with industry leaders and investors through workshops, internships, and mentorships, providing more business-related training for students to succeed in the growing iOS app economy and beyond, the company said in a statement.

    In collaboration with Apple, Zhejiang University will establish the Apple App Incubation Fund to offer training in the latest technologies, with specialized curricula in app development, product design, marketing, and business operations.

    The new donation follows Apple’s decade of support for the Mobile Application Innovation Contest organized by Zhejiang University, which has benefited some 30,000 participants from nearly 1,000 universities across the country.

    The donation followed a new clean energy fund worth 720 million yuan set up in China by Apple on Monday, amid Cook’s latest visit to China, during which he attended the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum in Beijing.

    The investment fund seeks to create an additional annual wind and solar energy generation capacity of approximately 550,000 megawatt-hours for China’s power grid, with the figure expected to increase as more investors join, the tech firm said in a statement.

    Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams visited the company’s suppliers in east China’s Jiangsu and Shandong provinces on Monday and Tuesday.

    “China is a central part of our critical supply chain and we’ve been investing here for 30 years,” said Williams. “We will continue to invest in China in a big way.”

    “What I consistently see here in China is this attitude of trying to figure out how to do what’s next. It really is inspiring to me,” Williams said.

    During his visit, he also paid close attention to the impact of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) on smart manufacturing.

    Whether it’s something as simple as glue dispensing or cosmetic inspection, it can now be done with AI in a way that is much more efficient and also much more effective than what a human can do, Williams said. “We’re seeing the growth of AI and its importance in our supply chain.”

    Apple began business operations in China in 1993. Currently, over 80 percent of its top 200 global suppliers maintain manufacturing facilities in China. The company said that over the past five years, it has invested 20 billion U.S. dollars in China, focusing on smart manufacturing and green initiatives.

    Some 59,000 new foreign-invested enterprises were established in China last year, reflecting an increase of 9.9 percent. Over the past five years, the rate of return on foreign direct investment in China has averaged approximately 9 percent, ranking among the highest globally.

    While meeting with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Beijing on Monday, Cook reaffirmed Apple’s commitment to increasing investments in sectors such as supply chains, research and development, and social responsibility in China. He also emphasized the company’s readiness to play an active role in promoting the stable, healthy development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: ECEQ Transforms Sustainable Finance With Blockchain Innovation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DENVER, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ecole de Commerce Esprit Quantique (ECEQ), also known as Quantum Mind Business School, has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative that seamlessly integrates financial innovation with environmental responsibility through its innovative ECEQ Token. This revolutionary approach establishes new standards for sustainable investment in the French market and beyond.

    Blockchain Technology Powers ECEQ’s Environmental Finance Solutions

    The ECEQ Token represents a sophisticated financial instrument specifically designed to catalyze environmental and technological transformation. By leveraging advanced blockchain technology and artificial intelligence capabilities, ECEQ has created a comprehensive ecosystem that effectively incentivizes and supports sustainable community development initiatives.

    “Our vision at Ecole de Commerce Esprit Quantique extends beyond traditional financial returns,” explains the institution’s leadership team. “We’re creating a technological and financial framework that makes sustainable investment both accessible and profitable for all stakeholders involved in our ecosystem.”

    The ECEQ Token distinguishes itself within the digital asset landscape through several innovative features that highlight Quantum Mind Business School’s commitment to technological advancement and environmental stewardship:

    • Transparent Blockchain Financing: Utilizing blockchain technology to ensure complete transparency in all financial transactions, allowing investors to track every aspect of green project investments with unprecedented clarity and accountability.
    • Smart Contract Ecosystem: Implementation of advanced smart contract technology that automates fund distribution for green initiatives, ensuring precise resource allocation while significantly reducing administrative overhead costs.
    • Decentralized Energy Exchange: Facilitating community-level energy trading that empowers residents and businesses to efficiently utilize and trade renewable energy resources, creating economic incentives for sustainable energy practices.

    Sustainable Environmental Practices Thrive Through ECEQ Token Ecosystem

    Ecole de Commerce Esprit Quantique has introduced a revolutionary reward system that directly encourages sustainable living practices through its token ecosystem. Residents and businesses can earn ECEQ Tokens by actively participating in verified low-carbon activities, creating direct financial incentives for sustainable choices including utilizing green energy sources, implementing effective waste management practices, and choosing eco-friendly transportation options.

    The ECEQ Token reward system represents a fundamental shift in how environmental behavior can be incentivized through financial mechanisms. By providing tangible economic benefits for sustainable practices, Quantum Mind Business School has created a self-reinforcing ecosystem where ecological responsibility becomes financially advantageous for all participants.

    Environmental Leadership Defines ECEQ’s Market Position

    Professor Pierre Duboisier, the driving force behind Ecole de Commerce Esprit Quantique, brings a profound personal commitment to the institution’s environmental initiatives. His philosophy emphasizes that finance must transcend simple wealth generation to become a catalyst for meaningful social progress.

    His personal observations of environmental challenges, particularly regarding the Seine River’s ecosystem degradation, have been instrumental in shaping ECEQ’s mission and strategic priorities. This connection to real-world environmental issues reflects Quantum Mind Business School’s commitment to addressing pressing ecological concerns through innovative financial instruments like the ECEQ Token.

    Smart City Development Advances Through ECEQ’s Blockchain Framework

    Quantum Mind Business School is positioning itself at the forefront of a transformative movement that integrates technology, finance, and environmental stewardship. By combining blockchain capabilities, artificial intelligence, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability, the ECEQ Token ecosystem is designed to:

    • Optimize urban resource management through data-driven solutions and automated efficiency mechanisms that enhance city infrastructure and reduce environmental impact.
    • Enhance investment returns while simultaneously generating positive environmental impact, proving that profitability and sustainability can successfully coexist within the same financial framework.
    • Accelerate the ecological transformation of cities worldwide by providing both financial resources and technological frameworks necessary for meaningful change at municipal, regional, and national levels.

    About ECEQ – Ecole de Commerce Esprit Quantique

    Ecole de Commerce Esprit Quantique (ECEQ), also known as Quantum Mind Business School, stands as a pioneering institution operating at the critical intersection of financial innovation, technological advancement, and environmental sustainability. With a comprehensive global vision and steadfast commitment to transformative solutions, ECEQ is actively redefining the role of finance in creating a more sustainable world.

    By combining rigorous financial expertise with cutting-edge technology and ecological consciousness, Ecole de Commerce Esprit Quantique is establishing new paradigms for responsible investment in the 21st century. The ECEQ Token represents the culmination of this visionary approach, offering a tangible mechanism through which financial incentives can drive positive environmental outcomes.

    Contact Information for Quantum Mind Business School

    • Business Name: Quantum Mind Business School
    • Contact Person: Pierre Duboisier
    • Email: service@eceq.org
    • Website: https://eceq.org/
    • Address: 518, 17th St, Denver, CO 80202, United States

    For more information about ECEQ’s innovative sustainable finance initiatives and the ECEQ Token ecosystem, please visit https://eceq.org/ or contact Quantum Mind Business School directly.

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

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mar 26, 2025 ATU Local 265-San Jose, CA, VTA Workers Slam Court Ruling Ending VTA Strike

    Source: US Amalgamated Transit Union

    Ruling is Outrageous for Workers, Riders, and Community, Union to Appeal Ruling

    San Jose, CA – Slamming Superior Court Judge Daniel Nishigaya’s ruling that VTA workers must end their 17-day strike, ATU Local 265-San Jose, CA, plans to appeal the court ruling immediately.

    “This ruling from Judge Nishigaya is outrageous,” said Local President/Business Agent Raj Singh.  “The VTA’s lawfare and the court’s ruling does not get the parties any closer to resolving the fundamental problem—the VTA’s refusal to offer a fair settlement of the labor dispute and its disrespect for its employees as demonstrated by its recent insistence that my coworkers and I are ‘uneducated.’  The community we serve would have been better served if the judge had ordered the VTA to come up with a fair offer instead of forcing us to report to work under court order.”

    The Union pointed out that when the VTA filed their legal complaint for an injunction against its striking workers, VTA Board Chair and Campbell Mayor Sergio Lopez told the press, “ATU has a legally protected right to strike, so that’s not what’s in question here.”

    “Shame on the VTA for challenging and backtracking on our members’ protected right to strike. This court order essentially slams the door shut on the hard working VTA employees, who have stood strong and united in their fight for fair wages, respect on the job, and better transit. It is demoralizing being forced back to work and being treated with disrespect by management,” said International President John Costa. “This ruling is not only an injustice but a direct slap in the face to the brave frontline heroes who dedicate their lives to serving the city of San Jose. They’ve been holding the line for three weeks because they want better for themselves and their community. They’re not just employees – they’re this city’s backbone and deserve nothing less than our support and respect. Our members are strong. This court ruling is not the end, and our fight is far from over.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New merger process guidance released for consultation

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The ACCC has today released draft guidance explaining the processes the ACCC will use when assessing acquisitions under Australia’s new merger regime, and is seeking feedback on the guidance through consultation. 

    In addition to releasing the draft merger process guidelines, the ACCC has also published a simpler quick guide for business and others less familiar with engaging with the ACCC on mergers.  

    Together they aim to assist businesses, advisers and other stakeholders understand and engage with Australia’s new merger regime. 

    “The changes to the merger regime mean that all acquisitions that meet certain thresholds need to be notified to the ACCC for assessment from 1 January 2026. This is a major change for businesses and for the ACCC,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. 

    “We are committed to ensuring stakeholders are well informed about the new process and its requirements and to provide transparency in how we will assess mergers in the new regime.” 

    The release of the draft merger process guidelines follow the recent release of guidance on transitional arrangements and the draft merger assessment guidelines.  

    “We committed to have these guidelines available for consultation before the end of March this year so stakeholders including businesses and their advisers have time to consider the ACCC’s approach under the new regime and provide feedback,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said 

    “We know many businesses are already preparing for when the new merger control regime starts on a voluntary basis from 1 July 2025.” 

    The ACCC has previously stated that it expects to approve around 80% of acquisitions in 15 to 20 business days, providing a faster and more predictable path to clearance.

    “Acquisitions that do not pose significant risk to competition will be approved early in Phase 1 or may be granted a waiver, removing their obligation to notify,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said 

    “Contentious mergers on the other hand will be closely scrutinised and subject to in-depth assessment to prevent anti-competitive mergers from causing harm to consumers and competition.”  

    The ACCC is seeking feedback on the guidance from businesses and their advisers, consumers and other interested members of the community. The guidelines and quick guide are available to download from the ACCC’s consultation hub. 

    Consultation will run from 27 March to 28 April 2025.  

    The ACCC expects the merger process guidance will be updated and further refined over time, including following consultation and as the legislative instruments are finalised. 

    The six month voluntary notification period which begins on 1 July 2025 will provide a valuable opportunity for the ACCC to assess whether refinements to the processes are required, before the guidance are finalised. 

    Anyone interested in merger reform updates can subscribe for updates on the ACCC website here: Merger reform. 

    Notes to editors:  

    A number of legislative instruments which relate to details in the new merger regime, including the thresholds for merger notification and applicable fees, are being considered by Treasury. 

    They will take effect once set by a Treasury minister. 

    Background 

    On 10 December 2024, the Australian Parliament passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Act 2024. The ACCC welcomed the new legislation. 

    Under the new regime, all acquisitions that are subject to the regime and meet a prescribed threshold must be notified to the ACCC. This represents a shift from a voluntary regime to a mandatory administrative regime. 

    The new regime commences on 1 January 2026. Businesses may voluntarily notify an acquisition to the ACCC from 1 July 2025. 

    The ACCC issued a Statement of Goals in October 2024 to outline its approach to implementing the new regime and to reduce uncertainty during the transition. The ACCC committed to consulting publicly on the draft merger assessment and merger process guidelines by Q1 2025.  

    The merger assessment guidelines were released for consultation on 20 March 2025.  The ACCC also recently released transition guidance to assist businesses navigate the transitional period leading up to 1 January 2026. 

    The ACCC encourages businesses considering a merger during the transition to contact us at mergers@accc.gov.au  

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to accelerate construction of intl consumption centers

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Consumers select blind boxes at a Pop Mart store in Xidan Joy City, a shopping mall in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China’s State Council on Wednesday released a document formulated by the Ministry of Commerce to accelerate the transformation of certain cities into international consumption centers.
    The document states that China will expedite the transformation of Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing into such centers. It also aims to create a globally attractive consumption environment, expand domestic demand and promote high-standard opening-up.
    China will actively promote the debut economy. For example, it will work to attract global high-quality brands to open flagship stores, set up R&D design centers and establish regional headquarters, thus perfecting the debut economy’s ecosystem.
    The country will expand its unilateral visa-free travel policy in an orderly manner, improve its consumption environment, and better leverage the role of duty-free stores and the national tax-refund-upon-departure policy.
    It also plans to organize various large-scale consumption promotion activities, support the hosting of more high-level international sports events and performance shows, and increase the supply of high-quality goods and services.
    Additionally, it will deepen economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchange, according to the document.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to accelerate construction of international consumption centers

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    China’s State Council on Wednesday released a document formulated by the Ministry of Commerce to accelerate the transformation of certain cities into international consumption centers.
    The document states that China will expedite the transformation of Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing into such centers. It also aims to create a globally attractive consumption environment, expand domestic demand and promote high-standard opening-up.
    China will actively promote the debut economy. For example, it will work to attract global high-quality brands to open flagship stores, set up R&D design centers and establish regional headquarters, thus perfecting the debut economy’s ecosystem.
    The country will expand its unilateral visa-free travel policy in an orderly manner, improve its consumption environment, and better leverage the role of duty-free stores and the national tax-refund-upon-departure policy.
    It also plans to organize various large-scale consumption promotion activities, support the hosting of more high-level international sports events and performance shows, and increase the supply of high-quality goods and services.
    Additionally, it will deepen economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchange, according to the document. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Ahead of 2025 NAB Show: How Microsoft tech is transforming sports

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Ahead of 2025 NAB Show: How Microsoft tech is transforming sports

    In the dynamic world of sports, where every second counts, technologies such as cloud computing, AI, and real-time data analysis have emerged as pivotal forces for optimizing strategies and captivating audiences. Ahead of the 2025 NAB Show, we’re sharing how Microsoft is at the forefront of this transformation, partnering with sports organizations worldwide to integrate technology and gain a competitive edge.

    Join Microsoft at the 2025 NAB Show

    Technology integration opportunities in sports 

    Microsoft technology helps drive the quality of the game and create new business opportunities for organizations by:

    • Enhancing performance with real-time data insights and analytics for data-driven decision-making. 
    • Improving operational efficiency through streamlined workflows, increased collaboration, and seamless data integration. 
    • Elevating fan engagement with AI and real-time customer insights to create a comprehensive ecosystem of personalized experiences.   
    • Unlocking broadcast and media integration opportunities by using advanced cloud and AI technologies to scale content operations and reach more audiences.  
    • Supporting secure data storage and processing by implementing advanced cloud technologies to secure content with high-speed data storage and processing. 

    Whether it’s supporting Formula One engineers to make split-second race decisions, empowering tennis players with AI-assisted match analysis, or delivering personalized experiences to fans, Microsoft technology is redefining the future of sports—making organizations faster, smarter, and more connected than ever before.  

    Learn more about Microsoft’s technical solutions through key partnerships below. 

    Data-driven decision-making 

    In high-performance sports, every decision can alter the course of the game. From AI-powered analytics that provide real-time insights for athletes to cloud-based solutions that optimize operations, learn more about how Microsoft technology is driving data-led decision-making and reshaping how teams compete in the Women’s World Cup of Tennis, the NFL, and Formula One. 

    Billie Jean King Cup: Transforming tennis strategy with AI 

    The Billie Jean King Cup uses Microsoft AI and cloud technologies to provide players and coaches with data visualizations and real-time insights during matches.  

    Key highlights include: 

    • Match Insights App: Azure hosted application that delivers critical gameplay data, such as player movement, ball trajectories, and shot accuracy, to coaches and players in near real-time. 
    • AI-powered analytics: Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service analyzes vast datasets to provide actionable rally and serve insights, helping coaches anticipate opponent strategies and make informed decisions. 
    • Secure data management: Microsoft Azure Cloud Services help to ensure the secure storage and processing of high-volume data generated during matches. 

    Read more about how Microsoft and the Billie Jean King Cup are elevating competition through data-driven insights.

    NFL: Game-changing technology on the sidelines 

    The NFL uses Microsoft hardware and software to enhance game-day operations and team collaboration. 

    Key highlights include: 

    • Microsoft Surface Sideline Viewing System (SVS): Hardware and software solution that provides coaches and players with near real-time, high-resolution images of plays, enabling rapid strategic adjustments. 
    • NFL Combine App: Application that streamlines talent evaluation by providing real-time access to key performance metrics. 
    • Enhanced collaboration: Microsoft Teams and Azure facilitate seamless communication and collaboration among NFL teams. 

    Read more about how Microsoft and the NFL are changing the game with new levels of operational efficiency.

    BWT Alpine Formula One Team: Data-powered racing innovation 

    BWT Alpine Formula One Team uses advanced AI and Azure’s robust cloud infrastructure to unlock new capabilities in data insights, regulatory compliance, and business operations.  

    Key highlights include: 

    • AI-powered race strategies: Azure Computer Vision and Multi-Agent Resourcing Optimization (MARO) reinforcement learning allows Alpine to optimize race day strategy and car setup based on real-time telemetry. 
    • High-speed data processing: Azure provides secure, high-speed data storage and retrieval, allowing split-second decisions during races. 
    • Regulatory compliance: Azure AI Search and Microsoft Copilot Studio streamline compliance processes, helping to ensure adherence to Formula One regulations. 

    Read more about how Microsoft and BWT Alpine Formula One Team are maximizing performance on and off the track.

    Integrated fan engagement 

    In today’s digital world, sports leagues are expected to meet fans at multiple touchpoints with highly personalized and easily accessible content. Learn more about how leagues such as LALIGA and the NBA are using Microsoft technology to redefine the sports and entertainment industries and take the fan ecosystem to the next level. 

    LALIGA: Enhancing fan engagement with data-driven insights 

    LALIGA uses real-time data processing and AI-powered analytics with Azure to deliver match insights and personalized digital experiences across platforms. 

    Key highlights include: 

    • Beyond Stats: Fan-facing data and insights platform powered by Azure that captures and analyzes more than 3.5 million data points per match to provide engaging content for fans across multiple platforms including social media, broadcast, and the LALIGA app. 
    • Data Sports Platform (DSP): Comprehensive system powered by Azure that unifies fan interaction data across touchpoints to generate tailored content and products to match fan preference. 
    • Seamless infrastructure: Azure’s high-performance infrastructure helps to ensure reliable content delivery and enhanced fan experiences across digital platforms. 

    Read more about how Microsoft and LALIGA are personalizing the experience for fans around the world.

    NBA: Building a next-generation fan engagement platform 

    The NBA integrates Azure and AI technology to provide fans with personalized content, real-time insights, and tailored experiences across digital platforms.  

    Key highlights include:  

    • AI-integrated platform: The NBA Insights and Top Performances platforms within the NBA App provide real-time game updates and AI-generated highlights to enhance the fan experience by utilizing Microsoft AI technology. 
    • The reimagined NBA App: Powered by Azure, the NBA App offers personalized content recommendations, real-time game insights, and a social-style video experience. 

    Read more about how Microsoft and the NBA are deeply engaging fans at every level.

    Transforming the sports industry

    Microsoft innovative technologies are transforming the sports industry, driving performance, enhancing fan engagement, and streamlining operations. From the racetracks of Formula One to the courts of the NBA, Microsoft’s partnerships are setting new standards for excellence in sports. As technology continues to evolve, the future of sports looks brighter than ever, with Microsoft leading the way in this exciting journey.

    Learn more about how Microsoft is transforming sports and other media and entertainment organizations around the world through our customer stories page. 

    Microsoft allows media organizations to achieve more through a trusted and secure platform, built to empower content creators and distributors, enhance the viewer experience, and reimagine monetization strategies. More information can be found on the Microsoft media and entertainment industry solutions website. 

    Next steps 

    Microsoft will be showcasing some of these case studies and more at our upcoming exhibition with NAB Show, April 5–9, 2025, in Las Vegas. Go through a journey of interactive demos that illustrate the capabilities needed to deliver fan-focused content and that highlight key aspects of the transformation process required to implement cutting-edge technologies for enhanced performance and fan engagement.

    Microsoft at the 2025 NAB Show

    See how Microsoft is helping to shape the future of broadcast and entertainment

    Silvia Candiani

    Vice President WW Telecommunications, Media and Gaming, Microsoft

    Silvia Candiani leads Microsoft’s Worldwide Telecommunications, Media and Gaming Industry, overseeing industry strategy, go-to-market plan, ecosystem growth, and solution development. Silvia was formerly CEO of Microsoft Italy, focused on accelerating digital transformation. Prior to Microsoft, Silvia led Consumer Marketing for Vodafone in Italy and was previously a consultant at McKinsey in the Media and Telecommunication industries. She has a BA from Bocconi University and an MBA from INSEAD. Silvia is also a member of the Bocconi University Alumni Advisory Board and Lavazza Group.

    See more articles from this author

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: China opposes US addition of Chinese entities to export control list

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China firmly opposes the United States’ move to add dozens of Chinese entities to its export-control “entity list,” a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said on Wednesday.

    The U.S. move aims to suppress and restrict foreign entities, depriving other countries of their development rights, the spokesperson said, noting that it will severely harm the legitimate rights of related entities and undermine the stability and security of the global supply chain.

    The move is detrimental to solving problems through dialogue and cooperation, and China urges the United States to end its wrongdoing immediately, the spokesperson said, adding that the country will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese entities. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Apple boosts China presence, partners on green initiatives, AI

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    U.S. tech giant Apple on Wednesday announced it is accelerating its support for the next generation of developers in China with a new 30 million yuan (about 4.18 million U.S. dollars) donation to Zhejiang University.

    “We believe coding is a powerful tool that empowers people to create, communicate, and solve problems in entirely new ways,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook while visiting the university in east China on the same day.

    “We are proud to expand our decade-long partnership with Zhejiang University to support the next generation of coders with the skills to create innovative apps and build dynamic businesses,” he said.

    The fund will connect students with industry leaders and investors through workshops, internships, and mentorships, providing more business-related training for students to succeed in the growing iOS app economy and beyond, the company said in a statement.

    In collaboration with Apple, Zhejiang University will establish the Apple App Incubation Fund to offer training in the latest technologies, with specialized curricula in app development, product design, marketing, and business operations.

    The new donation follows Apple’s decade of support for the Mobile Application Innovation Contest organized by Zhejiang University, which has benefited some 30,000 participants from nearly 1,000 universities across the country.

    The donation followed a new clean energy fund worth 720 million yuan set up in China by Apple on Monday, amid Cook’s latest visit to China, during which he attended the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum in Beijing.

    The investment fund seeks to create an additional annual wind and solar energy generation capacity of approximately 550,000 megawatt-hours for China’s power grid, with the figure expected to increase as more investors join, the tech firm said in a statement.

    Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams visited the company’s suppliers in east China’s Jiangsu and Shandong provinces on Monday and Tuesday.

    “China is a central part of our critical supply chain and we’ve been investing here for 30 years,” said Williams. “We will continue to invest in China in a big way.”

    “What I consistently see here in China is this attitude of trying to figure out how to do what’s next. It really is inspiring to me,” Williams said.

    During his visit, he also paid close attention to the impact of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) on smart manufacturing.

    Whether it’s something as simple as glue dispensing or cosmetic inspection, it can now be done with AI in a way that is much more efficient and also much more effective than what a human can do, Williams said. “We’re seeing the growth of AI and its importance in our supply chain.”

    Apple began business operations in China in 1993. Currently, over 80 percent of its top 200 global suppliers maintain manufacturing facilities in China. The company said that over the past five years, it has invested 20 billion U.S. dollars in China, focusing on smart manufacturing and green initiatives.

    Some 59,000 new foreign-invested enterprises were established in China last year, reflecting an increase of 9.9 percent. Over the past five years, the rate of return on foreign direct investment in China has averaged approximately 9 percent, ranking among the highest globally.

    While meeting with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Beijing on Monday, Cook reaffirmed Apple’s commitment to increasing investments in sectors such as supply chains, research and development, and social responsibility in China. He also emphasized the company’s readiness to play an active role in promoting the stable, healthy development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Reducing debt financing barriers for Community Housing Providers

    Source: New Zealand Government

    New Crown lending facilities and a loan guarantee scheme will support the growth of the Community Housing Provider (CHP) sector and put CHPs on a more level playing field with Kāinga Ora, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. 

    “This Government believes in social housing. We are working hard to deliver better housing to those who need support, including by assisting the CHP sector to expand and grow.

    “Currently, CHPs account for 16 percent of our social homes – around 13,000 houses. The government has funded an additional 1,500 social houses in Budget 2024, 1,000 of which are to be delivered by CHPs from June this year.

    “Our ambition for the social housing system is for a level playing field between CHPs and Kāinga Ora. The underlying ownership of a house – whether public or private – should be irrelevant. What matters is the provision of warm, dry homes to those who need them, along with social support if required.

    “We call this competitive neutrality. In some areas and for some people, CHPs are the answer. In other areas, Kāinga Ora will be the way to go.

    “While KO’s borrowing is done through the Crown, CHPs currently access debt from the private market at higher rates. We have further work to do to better align KO and CHP access to, and costs of, finance.

     “The Government is moving to level the playing field between Kāinga Ora and CHPs by establishing Crown lending facilities of up to $150 million for the Community Housing Funding Agency (CHFA). CHFA was launched by Community Finance in 2024 and pools financing requirements for CHPs, unlocking lower cost finance at scale to support the delivery of CHP housing.  

    “The Government is working closely with CHFA and will provide them an interim lending facility in early April to support their immediate financing needs, with the final liquidity facility up and running later this year. 

    “This will lay the foundation for CHFA to borrow hundreds of millions or billions of dollars, supporting not just the delivery of social housing, but also CHPs’ broader affordable housing portfolios.  

    “We are also exploring the appetite of banks to participate in a loan guarantee scheme for CHPs, aligned to the principles of previous initiatives like the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme, and the North Island Weather Events Loan Guarantee Scheme.  

    “A loan guarantee scheme is where the Government takes on some proportion of the loan’s default risk, meaning lenders won’t need to hold as much capital to cover the debt and can use the capital elsewhere. This will likely enable lenders to pass on reduced interest rates to borrowers.  

    “I expect that this scheme will encourage greater participation by banks in the sector and enable them to pass on meaningfully reduced interest rates and other lending accommodations to CHPs. 

    “If banks see merit in a CHP loan guarantee scheme, the Minister of Finance will finalise its design and work towards a go-live date later this year. 

    “Together, these two initiatives will increase the scale at which CHPs can access lower cost debt financing, enabling them to grow.  

    “This is a really exciting day for the CHP sector in New Zealand. The changes are complex but important and will do a lot to allow the CHP sector to grow and deliver more warm dry houses for people in need.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Arkansas Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Summer Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Arkansas who sustained economic losses caused by the excessive heat and drought occurring from Aug. 1-Dec. 27, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Ashley, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Carroll, Chicot, Cleveland, Conway, Crawford, Desha, Drew, Franklin, Garland, Johnson, Lincoln, Logan, Madison, Montgomery, Newton, Perry, Pope, Scott, Searcy, Van Buren, Washington, and Yell in Arkansas, as well as Barry, Stone and Taney counties in Missouri.

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

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

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

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months after the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

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

    Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Nov. 21.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff, Join Congressmembers Scott, Bishop, to Reintroduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s First National Park & Preserve

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff, Join Congressmembers Scott, Bishop, to Reintroduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s First National Park & Preserve


    Bipartisan, bicameral bill would establish Georgia’s first U.S. National Park & Preserve
    Bill introduction follows years of advocacy by Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Middle Georgia leaders
    Senator Reverend Warnock toured the Ocmulgee Mounds in Macon in November 2023
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Ocmulgee Mounds is a living testament to our intertwined histories and a robust source of economic and cultural vitality, so I’m proud to continue supporting the bipartisan, bicameral efforts to establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve”

    Above: Senator Reverend Warnock’s visit to Ocmulgee Mounds in November 2023

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), alongside U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and U.S. Representatives Austin Scott (R-GA-08) and Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02) reintroduced the bipartisan Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act, which would establish the Ocmulgee Mounds and surrounding areas in Middle Georgia as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve.

    “Ocmulgee Mounds is a living testament to our intertwined histories and a robust source of economic and cultural vitality, so I’m proud to continue supporting the bipartisan, bicameral efforts to establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I want to thank Congressmen Scott and Bishop for their yearslong efforts on this in the U.S. House, as well as Senator Ossoff for his leadership. Local leaders and everyday Georgians have been waiting for Congress to act and now is the time. Working together, we can prove what is possible when we put politics aside to serve the people of Georgia.”

    “We made unprecedented progress last Congress toward creating Georgia’s first ever National Park,” Senator Ossoff said. “I look forward to working alongside Congressman Scott, Senator Reverend Warnock, Congressman Bishop, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and local leaders to successfully establish Georgia’s first national park.”

    “Establishing the Ocmulgee Mounds and surrounding areas as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve remains a top bipartisan initiative for all lawmakers and stakeholders involved,” said Rep. Austin Scott. “The Ocmulgee Mounds are of invaluable cultural, communal, and economic significance to our state, and I am committed to keeping this initiative moving forward.”

    “I am proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this bipartisan bill. By establishing the Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve, we are highlighting over 17,000 years of history and culture as well as welcoming people from across the country to enjoy Georgia’s natural beauty,” said Rep. Bishop. “Elevating the status of and expanding this site to a national park and preserve will raise awareness about it, increase public hunting and fishing grounds, encourage more visitors to our area, and boost the local economy.”

    The bill is cosponsored by 11 other members of Georgia’s Congressional Delegation: Representatives Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA-01), Brian Jack (R-GA-03), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-GA-04), Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), Lucy McBath (D-GA-06), Rich McCormick (R-GA-07), Mike Collins (R-GA-10), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11), Rick Allen (R-GA-12), David Scott (D-GA-13), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14).

    The area is the ancestral home of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and has been inhabited continuously by humans for over 12,000 years. American Indians first arrived in the area during the Paleo-Indian Period hunting Ice Age mammals. Around 900 CE, the Mississippian Period began, and Muskogean people constructed mounds for meeting, living, burial, agricultural, and other purposes, many of which remain today and would be encompassed in the new U.S. National Park and Preserve.

    “The Muscogee (Creek) Nation remains steadfast in our support of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Bill. The opportunity to make the historic Ocmulgee Mounds a national park is so important to us because we have been included, we have been shown the respect of collaboration, and because of that we can feel confident that the living history that will be told here is authentic and has the power to elevate Georgia forever. We are thrilled to continue offering our support for this legislation every step of the way,” said David Hill, Principal Chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

    “I cannot overstate the importance of this legislation to our region, state, and country. Tens of millions of private dollars have been leveraged to conserve the precious cultural and ecological resources of the Ocmulgee Corridor and this bipartisan legislation allows us to continue to grow the middle Georgia economy, protect our national security interests at Robin Air Force Base, expand hunting and fishing access, and authentically preserve some of the most culturally significant sites in the country,” said Seth Clark, Macon Mayor Pro Tempore and Executive Director of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative.“We’re grateful for the continued bipartisan dedication of the Georgia delegation. And call for the swift passage of this legislation this year so that we can continue our stewardship of this landscape and our economy.” 

    “Preserving the undeveloped lands within the Ocmulgee River Corridor is critical to safeguarding Robins Air Force Base from incompatible land use, ensuring we can sustain our national security missions,” said Brig. Gen. John C. Kubinec, USAF (ret), President/CEO of 21st Century Partnership. “This park and preserve will also provide our military members and their families with valuable opportunities for outdoor recreation and leisure, enhancing their quality of life while strengthening the economic vitality of Middle Georgia.”

    “Establishing Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve at Ocmulgee Mounds will serve as a robust form of economic development for Middle Georgia while conserving the site’s important series of ecological and cultural assets. Representatives Austin Scott and Sanford Bishop with their bipartisan leadership and admirable partnership with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation have assembled a broad statewide coalition including chambers of commerce, hunters and anglers, and conservation organizations working to pass this legislation. The formal process of creating a National Monument out of the Ocmulgee Old Fields formally began in 1933, when the Macon Junior Chamber of Commerce purchased the sites and requested their protection. Today, through the leadership of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce and other local leaders, we are one step closer to making that a reality. The Georgia Chamber is proud to support Representatives Scott and Bishop’s legislation to create Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve, after almost a century of civic advocacy,” said Chris Clark, CCE, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber.

    “The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce has long seen the national park and preserve designation as a top congressional priority. Getting this done this year is vital to the economic viability and stability of middle Georgia. Being home to Georgia’s first and only national park and preserve will create a better business climate, allow for lower taxes, and create thousands of good paying, sustainable jobs. Our members have marshaled tens of millions of dollars in preparing middle Georgia for the passage of this legislation and as we have for almost a century, we and the greater middle Georgia business community fully support and call for getting it done this year,” said Jessica Walden, President and CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce.

    The full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Joins Colleagues to Fight for Social Security Recipients

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    03.26.25
    Cantwell Joins Colleagues to Fight for Social Security Recipients
    As DOGE hacks away at Social Security, Seattle constituent was incorrectly marked dead; this week, he’s still fighting SSA to get his money back; Cantwell: These billionaires are “so out of touch with the American people.”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Democratic colleagues at a press conference standing up for Social Security in the face of multiple Trump Administration efforts that will make it harder for recipients to access the benefits they earned and are entitled to.
    “Social Security is a contract between citizens and their government, so they can retire with dignity. 1.4 million people in the State of Washington want that right, of what they sacrificed and paid in to have that retirement. But what have they gotten out of the Trump administration?” Sen. Cantwell said. “First, cutting the workforce, then trying to cut offices, then coming up with a suggestion that that you should re-register to even qualify for Social Security. Is that any way to meet the contractual obligation our government has to help people have a minimal amount of dignity in retirement? But no – instead, this administration is trying to claim fraud.” 
    Referencing previous remarks from billionaire and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on a conservative podcast claiming that anyone who complains about missed Social Security payments must be a fraudster, Sen. Cantwell added: “I guess he is so out of touch with the American people that he doesn’t understand that people are depending on that for a lifeline.”
    Yesterday, during a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Cantwell pressed Frank Bisignano — President Trump’s pick to serve as Commissioner of the Social Security Administration — on recent comments by Trump officials attacking Americans’ Social Security benefits.
    WATCH MORE:
    MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow: “Washington state Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell today bringing a story from her home state paper.”
    KXLY Spokane: “Senator Maria Cantwell grilled President Trump’s pick to oversee Social Security.”
    KEPR Pasco: “Cantwell says the cuts by President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE team are already impacting Washingtonians.”
             
    In the State of Washington, 1.4 million people receive Social Security. Below is a breakdown of Social Security Recipients by county:

    County

    Number of Social Security Recipients

    King Co.

    312,000+

    Spokane Co.

    115,000+

    Clark Co.

    98,000+

    Yakima Co.

    46,000+

    *County data sourced from SSA.gov*
    At yesterday’s hearing, Sen. Cantwell referenced a constituent in Seattle who was incorrectly presumed dead shortly after Elon Musk sicced his DOGE team on the Social Security Administration. DOGE staffers were specifically tasked with seeking out evidence that tens of millions of dead people are receiving Social Security benefits – a false claim made by both President Trump and Musk. Subsequently, Ned Johnson was incorrectly listed as dead by SSA, which failed to issue his next Social Security check and clawed back over $5,000 in prior benefits payments from his and his wife’s joint bank account.
    Sen. Cantwell said in the hearing, “And then what did he do? He had to go down to the building in Seattle, the federal building that you’re trying to close, and stand in line for hours and hours and hours to try to say he wasn’t dead and to stop taking his money.”
    Although his money was originally returned, on Monday the Social Security Administration withdrew the same amount from Mr. Johnson’s bank account yet again. He also found out that the administration had notified his Medicare carrier of his “demise,” so Mr. Johnson and his wife, Pam, went without health insurance for three months, KUOW reported this morning.
    Sen. Cantwell has been a long-standing champion for Social Security and protecting Washingtonian’s benefits. Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored and voted in December 2024 to pass the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act, which repealed two Social Security policies that unfairly limited payments for people who also receive a pension from a job that is not covered by Social Security, as well as their surviving spouses and widow(ers). In 2018, Sen. Cantwell introduced and passed the Tribal Social Security Fairness Act to correct a long-standing inequity in the Social Security Act that prevented elected tribal leaders from contributing to and accessing Social Security benefits.
    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks today are available HERE, audio HERE, and a transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Fentanyl Overdose Tracking

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    03.26.25

    Cantwell Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Fentanyl Overdose Tracking

    The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act would expand use of tools that record fatal and nonfatal overdoses in near-real-time; WA first responders say better data collection could help identify overdose hotspots so they can deploy resources faster & save lives

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, reintroduced the bipartisan Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act. The bill would direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to states, units of local government, law enforcement task forces, and tribes to adopt and implement an overdose data collection program, including the Overdose Data Mapping Application Program (ODMAP).

    The bill was drafted by and reintroduced alongside Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and John Cornyn (R-TX). Originally introduced in September, it unanimously passed the Senate in December but was not brought up by the House of Representatives before the end of last session.

    “When responding to fentanyl overdoses, an extra minute can save a life,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Tracking fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses will help our first responders, law enforcement, and public health professionals better target and prevent OD spikes and surge resources to communities that need them the most.”

    “The fight to end addiction and drug abuse in our communities requires a robust understanding of the problem at hand. By investing in local partners, we empower communities to more effectively track drug abuse trends and prevent future overdoses,” Sen. Grassley said. “I’m glad to support this cost-effective plan to expand vital data collection programs.”

    During Sen. Cantwell’s 10-city fentanyl roundtable tour across Washington state, she heard from multiple officials on the front lines of the epidemic that expanding ODMAP could help prevent overdoses and save lives. Expanding ODMAP would provide near real-time awareness of known or suspected overdose incidents across the United States, supporting public safety and public health efforts to coordinate immediate responses to sudden spikes in overdoses.

    The bill has supporters across the State of Washington:

    PUGET SOUND:

    “Effective and timely overdose prevention and response activities rely upon high-quality data. Within the ecosystem of Seattle, King County, and community teams working to address opioid overdose, timely and targeted data are always the starting point for interventions. We endorse legislation that will expand similar shared platforms of overdose data collection, mapping, and analysis,” said Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins.

    “This bill would help Everett and communities across the country address the fentanyl and opioid crisis by implementing proven cutting-edge data tools to track overdoses,” said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin. “The City of Everett supports all efforts to implement data-driven methods to address this critical issue and is proud to support the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act.”

    “The opioid epidemic affects all corners of our community,” said King County Sheriff Patricia Cole-Tindall. “I welcome Senator Cantwell’s efforts to help address this by building on the programs we have in place. Bringing more resources to fight this crisis is an essential step in saving lives.”

    “The importance of a robust data collection tool, such as the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, that facilitates the near real-time tracking of fatal and nonfatal overdoses, and the administration of opioid reversal medications, cannot be overstated. By Senator Cantwell introducing this important bill, the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act, participating agencies and entities will be better able to identify overdose spikes and trends, allowing for rapid responses and deliberate strategies to save lives,” said NW HIDTA Executive Director Jonathan Weiner.

    EASTERN WA:

    “In critical emergencies, first responders need accurate information to act fast. This legislation would improve data collection, giving police officers and firefighters the reliable tools they need to protect and serve their communities,” said Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown.

    “As first responders on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, we see the devastating impact of overdoses every day. Expanding access to real-time overdose data through ODMAP is critical for improving emergency response, identifying emerging trends, and ultimately saving lives. The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act will provide vital support to local communities and agencies like ours, ensuring we have the tools needed to respond effectively to this crisis. I strongly support this bill and urge its swift passage,” said Spokane Fire Chief Julie O’Berg.

    “Fentanyl and other illicit drugs pose a significant risk to the health and well-being of Spokane citizens. The overwhelming majority of these substances make their way to our county from neighboring foreign countries such as Mexico. Investment in real-time overdose mapping technology will help law enforcement disrupt the flow of Fentanyl in the United States. Having accurate data on where overdose spikes occur will go a long way towards securing safer communities and saving lives threatened by the fentanyl crisis,” said Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels.

    “With over thirty-three years in law enforcement and currently serving as police chief in Spokane, Washington, I witness firsthand the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on individuals, families, and entire communities. The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act is a crucial step forward in equipping law enforcement, first responders, and public health professionals with the necessary tools to track, respond to, and prevent overdoses more effectively. This bill expands access to real-time overdose data collection tools, such as the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP). These tools enable us to identify trends, coordinate responses, and allocate resources where they are most needed. By utilizing existing DOJ funding, this legislation enhances our ability to combat the opioid epidemic without imposing additional financial burdens on taxpayers. I wholeheartedly support this initiative because timely, accurate data saves lives. The ability to monitor overdose spikes and share critical information across agencies allows us to act more swiftly, prevent more deaths, and ultimately foster safer, healthier communities,” said Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall.

    CENTRAL WA:

    “The collection of data on overdoses is critical to the effectively addressing the serious opioid problem in this country.  Knowing when and where overdoses occur can enable agencies to focus on the areas needing more attention.  Funding for programs designed to collect overdose data is essential in the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said Yakima County Sheriff Robert Udell.

    “Having a single platform to share overdose data is essential to saving lives, guiding decisions, and preventing overdoses. ODMAP (Overdose Mapping) is the platform.  ODMAP allows for the collaboration and real-time data sharing between law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, hospitals, and health departments,” said Kennewick Police Chief Chris Guerrero.

    “Using ODMAP locally throughout our county has already proven invaluable in identifying overdose hotspots and enabling rapid, targeted responses. Expanding its use statewide has the potential to transform how we address the fentanyl crisis in Washington. By standardizing overdose tracking across the state, we can pinpoint trends, respond more effectively, and deploy life-saving resources faster than ever. This tool is more than just data—it empowers us to act decisively and collaboratively to save lives and combat this devastating epidemic,” said Melissa Sixberry, Director of Disease Control at the Yakima Health District.

    “In order to make the most appropriate moves to facilitate change, we must have good, accurate data. Otherwise we are blindly throwing darts at a board. ODMAP will allow for the most appropriate distribution of resources to help combat the nation-wide opioid epidemic. Without it, we will continue to potentially ignore high impacted areas that may desperately need the assistance,” said Cameron Haubrich, Chief of the Sunnyside Fire Department.

    “ODMAP creates a unified, real-time system to track and respond to overdoses, enabling first responders, health departments, and law enforcement to allocate resources more effectively. By identifying overdose hotspots and trends as they happen, we can deploy targeted interventions and engage communities in prevention efforts,” said Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete when the bill passed the Senate in December.

    “ODMAP is a game-changer in fighting the overdose epidemic! With the real-time data from ODMAP, responders and communities can monitor overdose events, identify patterns, deploy resources where needed, and ultimately save lives! In the State of Washington, we currently only track overdose deaths which grossly underestimates the true magnitude of the overdose epidemic (by 6200%),” said Alicia Stromme Tobin, Executive Director of Safe Yakima Valley, when the bill passed the Senate in December. “ODMAP provides agencies with a tool to track fatal and nonfatal overdoses. By providing a comprehensive view of overdose trends, ODMAP fosters collaboration across public health, law enforcement and EMS, allowing for more targeted interventions and prevention efforts. I applaud Senator Cantwell for recognizing the tremendous positive impact ODMAP will have on saving lives! Congratulations and well done!”

    “Solutions start with a hope, hope is the gateway for innovation and collaboration, and efforts like ODMAP are the tools that communities need to impact the fentanyl crisis and save lives,” said Yakima Police Department Lt. Chad Janis when the bill passed the Senate in December.

    SOUTHWEST WA:

    “Vancouver strongly supports the Opioid Overdose Enhancement Act and urges the Department of Justice to award grants for the adoption and implementation of the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP). As Vancouver Fire responded to over 400 overdose calls in 2024, it has become increasingly clear that gathering and analyzing overdose data is a significant challenge. Our current process of manually searching medical records for specific call information is labor-intensive and costly. A centralized database would be invaluable in identifying overdose hotspots, tracking trends, and saving lives. This federal legislation is a crucial step toward streamlining these efforts and addressing the opioid crisis effectively,” said Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle.

    “Vancouver Fire responded to more than 400 overdose calls in 2024. It has been a consistent challenge for us to gather data because it requires us to dig deep into our medical records system and search for keywords that will identify the specific call information. This process is labor intensive and time consuming. A centralized database would be very helpful to allow us to not only track location hotspots, but also trends. We fully support federal legislation that streamlines this process,” said Vancouver Fire Chief Brennan Blue.

    “Senator Cantwell’s bill to implement the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program is a critical step in combating the opioid crisis. By providing timely data on overdoses and opioid reversal medication applications, this program will allow local departments of health and law enforcement to respond quickly and effectively, saving lives, holding opioid dealers accountable, and targeting resources where they’re needed most.  I strongly endorse this vital legislation,” said Vancouver Police Chief Troy Price.

    “Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR) supports the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act and Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program. With the rise of opioid related incidents in our district as well as in the counties we serve, CCFR has worked with community partners to address opioid use, overdose, and treatment. Through our CARES Program and in partnership with neighboring fire districts and the Clark County’s Medical Program Director’s Office, CCFR has implemented administration of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during the time of an opioid related incident or overdose. CCFR crews are able to introduce buprenorphine as well as provide leave-behind Narcan for individuals following administration of opioid overdose reversal medication. In partnership with treatment centers in the county, CARES is able to provide immediate referrals to these facilities in order to assist community members seeking treatment,” said John Nohr, Fire Chief of Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue.

    “The Washington Fire Chiefs Association fully endorses Senator Cantwell’s Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act.  We believe that a crucial component of the Act, which supports adoption and implementation of the Overdose Detection Mapping Application (ODMAP), will place critical, data-driven, information into the hands of first responders, saving lives,” said Kristan Maurer, President of Washington Fire Chiefs Association, Fire Chief of Clark County Fire District 6.

    OLYMPIC PENINSULA:

    “Having access to real-time data is critical to getting ahead of the overdose crisis. With the rapidly changing drug supply, these kinds of data allow us to identify overdose clusters and communicate with individuals at risk as well as community partners so that we can help prevent overdoses in the future,” said Allison Berry, Health Officer for Clallam County & Jefferson County.

    The bill is also endorsed by several coveted national law enforcement organizations including: National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC), National HIDTA Directors Association (NHDA), National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies (NASDEA), Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), Major County Sheriffs Association (MCSA).

    ODMAP was developed in 2017 by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) as a free, web-based, mobile-friendly platform for near real-time reporting and monitoring of suspected fatal and non-fatal overdose events, as well as instances where opioid overdose reversal medications such as Naloxone were administered. It displays overdose data within and across jurisdictions, helping agencies identify spikes and clusters of suspected overdose events in their community, neighboring communities, and across the country.

    As of February 2025, approximately 5,330 agencies across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are using the platform. Over 2.9 million overdose events have been entered into ODMAP and more than 36,000 users registered.

    Washington state has not adopted ODMAP statewide, however, localities in the state utilize the program. In 2025, 77 agencies across 17 counties in Washington state use ODMAP, and have logged 2,248 entries into ODMAP. In 2024, 7,857 entries were logged. Yakima County, Spokane County, and the City of Seattle have recently implemented programming that allows their data to instantaneously populate the ODMAP dashboard with all overdose responses. Elsewhere in the state, ODMAP coverage is limited and therefore only captures a portion of the overdose instances occurring.

    Currently, overdose data in Washington state is only available to government health partners and only contains fatal overdose cases (which are released months or years after the fact). Overdose counts are released publicly via Washington State’s Department of Health website. However, they only provide instances of fatal overdoses (a small fraction of all overdose incidents) and are hampered by significant delays. Currently, the most recent data populating the DOH overdose death rate data dashboard is from the fourth quarter of 2023.

    In 2023 and 2024, Sen. Cantwell traveled across the State of Washington to 10 communities — Tacoma, Everett, Tri-Cities, Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, Port Angeles, Walla Walla, Yakima, and Longview – hearing from people on the front lines of the fentanyl crisis, including first responders, law enforcement, health care providers, and people with firsthand experience of fentanyl addiction.  She also participated in the National Tribal Opioid Summit, a gathering of approximately 900 tribal leaders, health care workers, and first responders from across the country hosted by the Tulalip Tribes following the first-ever statewide summit hosted by the Lummi Nation.  Sen. Cantwell has since used what she heard in those roundtables and related events to craft and champion specific legislative solutions, including:

    • The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act, which would permanently classify illicit fentanyl knockoffs as Schedule I drugs;
    • The Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on U.S. Transportation Networks Act, which would crack down on the trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, using the U.S. transportation network;
    • The FEND Off Fentanyl Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden, which will help U.S. government agencies disrupt opioid supply chains by imposing sanctions on traffickers and fighting money laundering;
    • The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act, which would require that all pill presses be engraved with a serial number and impose penalties for the removal or alteration of the number;
    • The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which would list xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance while protecting the drug’s legal use by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers, enable the Drug Enforcement Administration to track xylazine’s manufacturing to ensure it is not diverted to the illicit market;
    • The TRANQ Research Act of 2023, signed into law by President Biden, which will spur more research into xylazine (also called “tranq”) and other novel synthetic drugs by directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology to tackle these issues; and
    • The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act, which would bolster Tribal law enforcement agencies by helping them hire and retain tribal law enforcement officers by raising their retirement, pension, death, and injury benefits to be on part with those of federal law enforcement officers.

    In addition, Sen. Cantwell voted for a series of federal funding bills allocating $1.69 billion to combat fentanyl and other illicit drugs coming into the United States, including an additional $385.2 million to increase security at U.S. ports of entry, with the goal of catching more illegal drugs like fentanyl before they make it across the border.  Critical funding will go toward Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technology at land and sea ports of entries. NII technologies—like large-scale X-ray and Gamma ray imaging systems, as well as a variety of portable and handheld technologies—allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help detect and prevent contraband from being smuggled into the country without disrupting flow at the border.

    A full timeline of Sen. Cantwell’s actions to combat the fentanyl crisis is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Henkel Capital S.A. de C.V. Recalls Tec Italy Totale Shampoo Due to Potential Health Risk

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    March 25, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    March 26, 2025
    Product Type:
    CosmeticsHair Products
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Potential to be contaminated with the bacteria, Klebsiella oxytoca

    Company Name:
    Henkel Capital S.A. de C.V
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    Tec Italy

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Shampoo

    Company Announcement
    Rocky Hill, Connecticut
    Henkel Capital S.A. de C.V. (“Henkel”) of Mexico is voluntarily recalling 1,068 units of its Tec Italy Shampoo Totale, as the product has the potential to be contaminated with Klebsiella oxytoca. Exposure to these bacteria can cause infections in humans, including infection in the eyes, nose and skin, with additional reactions for consumers with immune-compromised conditions.
    The shampoo was distributed in the United States through distributors in New York and California. The shampoo may have been further distributed to other states. It was also sold to consumers at the retail level.
    The recalled Tec Italy brand Totale Shampoo is packaged in a 33.81 fl. oz./1 L, green plastic bottle marked with Lot # 1G27542266 on the side of the bottle. The UPC code is 7501438375850.
    The potential for product contamination was noted after microbiological analyses performed by the company revealed the presence of these bacteria in some of its 33.81 fl. oz./ 1 L bottles of Tec Italy Shampoo Totale.
    To date, there have been no reports of user harm or injury related to these products. Consumers who experience symptoms, or have any medical questions associated with this recall, should consult a physician immediately.
    Consumers who have purchased the applicable 33.81 fl. oz./1 L bottles of Tec Italy Shampoo Totale should stop using the product and return the products to their place of purchase for a full refund.
    Tec Italy seeks to minimize all inconvenience this may cause consumers and are committed to their complete satisfaction. Questions may be directed to Tec Italy’s dedicated customer specialists at sacli@henkel.com.
    Henkel is conducting this recall with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pictures of the recalled product are below.
    About Henkel in North AmericaHenkel’s portfolio of well-known brands in North America includes Schwarzkopf® hair care, Dial® soaps, Persil®, Purex®, and all® laundry detergents, Snuggle® fabric softeners as well as Loctite®, Technomelt® and Bonderite® adhesives. With sales close to 6.5 billion US dollars (6 billion euros) in 2024, North America accounts for 28 percent of the company’s global sales. Henkel employs around 8,000 people across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.henkel-northamerica.com and on Twitter @Henkel_NA.
    About HenkelWith its brands, innovations and technologies, Henkel holds leading market positions worldwide in the industrial and consumer businesses. The business unit Adhesive Technologies is the global leader in the market for adhesives, sealants and functional coatings. With Consumer Brands, the company holds leading positions especially in laundry & home care and hair in many markets and categories around the world. The company’s three strongest brands are Loctite, Persil and Schwarzkopf. In fiscal 2024, Henkel reported sales of more than 21.6 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of around 3.1 billion euros. Henkel’s preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX. Sustainability has a long tradition at Henkel, and the company has a clear sustainability strategy with specific targets. Henkel was founded in 1876 and today employs a diverse team of about 47,000 people worldwide – united by a strong corporate culture, shared values and a common purpose: “Pioneers at heart for the good of generations.” More information at www.henkel.com.
    Photo material is available at www.henkel-northamerica.com/press
    Media Contact:Jennifer SchiavoneJennifer.schiavone@henkel.com+1-475-299-9192

    Company Contact Information

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    03/26/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Urges Consumers to Check Eligibility for Compensation for Inflated Generic Drug Prices

    Source: US State of California

    Consumers who purchased certain generic prescription drugs between May 2009 and December 2019 can check eligibility by visiting www.AGGenericDrugs.com, calling 1-866-290-0182 (Toll-Free), or emailing info@AGGenericDrugs.com 

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta is urging consumers to check their eligibility for compensation for certain generic drug purchases as California joins 50 states and territories in seeking preliminary approval of a $39.1 million settlement with generic drug manufacturer Apotex over conspiracy to inflate prices and limit competition. Attorney General Bonta previously announced the settlement in principle with Apotex last fall, along with a $10 million settlement with Heritage Pharmaceuticals. At the time of that announcement, the settlement with Apotex was conditioned on the signatures of all necessary states and territories. Those signatures have been obtained, and the coalition is filing the settlement today in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. 

    “Since taking office, I have been committed to making the lives of Californians more affordable. As part of those efforts, my team and I have worked day and night to go after companies and individuals who engage in anti-competitive practices solely to increase their profits,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today, I’m joining 50 states and territories in announcing a settlement that not only holds Apotex accountable, but also puts money back in Californians’ pockets. If you purchased certain generic prescription drugs between May 2009 and December 2019, you may be eligible for compensation. To determine your eligibility, please visit www.AGGenericDrugs.com, call 1-866-290-0182 (Toll-Free), or email info@AGGenericDrugs.com.” 

    The compensation individuals receive will be determined on a case-by-case basis and depend on, among other things, how much money they spent on the drugs at issue. The complete list of generic prescription drugs part of today’s settlement can be found here. The list includes medications like: 

    • Baclofen tablets, used to treat muscle spasms. 
    • Budesonide inhalation, used to treat asthma. 
    • Carbamazepine ER tablets, used to treat seizures. 
    • Glyburide-metformin, a diabetes medication.
    • Verapamil, used to treat high blood pressure.
    • Warfarin, used to prevent blood clots. 

    The settlement agreements resolve allegations that both Apotex and Heritage engaged in widespread, long-running conspiracies to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and unreasonably restrain trade with regard to numerous generic prescription drugs. As part of the settlement agreements, both Apotex and Heritage have agreed to cooperate in the ongoing multistate litigations against 30 corporate defendants and 25 individual executives. Both companies have further agreed to injunctive relief to prevent future misconduct and to a series of internal reforms to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust laws.

    California is among a coalition of nearly all states and territories filing three antitrust complaints, starting first in 2016. The first complaint included Heritage and 17 other corporate Defendants, two individual Defendants, and 15 generic drugs. Two former executives from Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Jeffery Glazer and Jason Malek, have since entered into settlement agreements and are cooperating. The second complaint, which California joined in November 2024, was filed against Teva Pharmaceuticals and 19 of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers. The Complaint names 16 individual senior executive Defendants. The third complaint, to be tried first, focuses on 80 topical generic drugs that account for billions of dollars of sales in the United States and names 26 corporate defendants and 10 individual defendants. Six additional pharmaceutical executives have entered into settlement agreements with the States and have been cooperating to support the States’ claims in all three cases.  

    The cases all stem from a series of investigations built on evidence from several cooperating witnesses at the core of the different conspiracies, a massive document database of over 20 million documents, and a phone records database containing millions of call detail records and contact information for over 600 sales and pricing individuals in the generics industry. 

    Each complaint addresses a different set of drugs and defendants, and lays out an interconnected web of industry executives where these competitors met with each other during industry dinners, “girls nights out”, lunches, cocktail parties, and golf outings, and communicated via frequent telephone calls, emails and text messages, which sowed the seeds for their illegal agreements. Throughout the complaints, defendants use terms like “fair share,” “playing nice in the sandbox,” and “responsible competitor” to describe how they unlawfully discouraged competition, raised prices, and enforced an ingrained culture of collusion. Among the records obtained by the States is a two-volume notebook containing the contemporaneous notes of one of the States’ cooperators that memorialized his discussions during phone calls with competitors and internal company meetings over a period of several years.

    Joining Attorney General Bonta in today’s announcement are the attorneys general of: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Adjusts Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts into the United States

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    COUNTERING TRADE PRACTICES THAT THREATEN TO IMPAIR U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose a 25% tariff on imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts, addressing a critical threat to U.S. national security.
    President Trump is taking action to protect America’s automobile industry, which is vital to national security and has been undermined by excessive imports threatening America’s domestic industrial base and supply chains.
    The 25% tariff will be applied to imported passenger vehicles (sedans, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, cargo vans) and light trucks, as well as key automobile parts (engines, transmissions, powertrain parts, and electrical components), with processes to expand tariffs on additional parts if necessary.
    Importers of automobiles under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement will be given the opportunity to certify their U.S. content and systems will be implemented such that the 25% tariff will only apply to the value of their non-U.S. content.
    USMCA-compliant automobile parts will remain tariff-free until the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), establishes a process to apply tariffs to their non-U.S. content.

    The President is exercising his authority under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to adjust imports to protect our national security.
    This statute provides the President with authority to adjust imports being brought into the United States in quantities or under circumstances that threaten to impair national security.

    MAINTAINING A RESILIENT DOMESTIC INDUSTRIAL BASE: President Trump is taking action to end unfair trade practices that jeopardize U.S. national security.
    The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities and choke points in global supply chains, undermining our ability to maintain a resilient domestic industrial base.
    Legislation, pre-existing trade agreements like the USMCA, revisions to the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, and subsequent negotiations have not sufficiently mitigated the threat to national security posed by imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts.
    These new tariffs aim to ensure the U.S. can sustain its domestic industrial base and meet national security needs. 
    STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY: President Trump’s decision to implement tariffs on imports of automobiles and automobile parts will protect and strengthen the U.S. automotive sector.
    Foreign automobile industries, bolstered by unfair subsidies and aggressive industrial policies, have expanded, while U.S. production has stagnated.
    In 1985, American-owned facilities in the United States manufactured 11.0 million automobiles, representing 97% of overall domestic (American- and foreign-owned) production of automobiles.
    In 2024, Americans bought approximately 16 million cars, SUVs, and light trucks, and 50% of these vehicles were imports (8 million).
    Of the other 8 million vehicles assembled in America and not imported, the average domestic content is conservatively estimated at only 50% and is likely closer to 40%.
    Therefore, of the 16 million cars bought by Americans, only 25% of the vehicle content can be categorized as Made in America.

    The United States trade deficit in automobile parts reached $93.5 billion in 2024.
    Currently, the U.S. automobile and automobile parts industry (American-owned and foreign-owned firms) employs approximately one million U.S. workers.
    Employment in automotive parts manufacturing totaled approximately 553,300 jobs in 2024, a decline of 286,000 jobs or 34% since 2000.
    In 2023, Research and Development (R&D) by American-owned automobile manufacturers amounted to only 16% of global R&D spending. R&D by American-owned firms lagged behind the EU, which controlled 53% of global R&D.
    TARIFFS WORK: Studies have repeatedly shown that tariffs can be an effective tool for reducing or eliminating threats to impair U.S. national security and achieving economic and strategic objectives.
    A 2024 study on the effects of President Trump’s tariffs in his first term found that they “strengthened the U.S. economy” and “led to significant reshoring” in industries like manufacturing and steel production.
    A 2023 report by the U.S. International Trade Commission that analyzed the effects of Section 232 and 301 tariffs on more than $300 billion of U.S. imports found that the tariffs reduced imports from China and effectively stimulated more U.S. production of the tariffed goods, with very minor effects on prices.
    According to the Economic Policy Institute, the tariffs implemented by President Trump during his first term “clearly show[ed] no correlation with inflation” and only had a temporary effect on overall price levels.
    An analysis from the Atlantic Council found that “tariffs would create new incentives for US consumers to buy US-made products.”
    Former Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen affirmed last year that tariffs do not raise prices: “I don’t believe that American consumers will see any meaningful increase in the prices that they face.”
    A 2024 economic analysis found that a global tariff of 10% would grow the economy by $728 billion, create 2.8 million jobs, and increase real household incomes by 5.7%.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Autombile Parts Into the United States

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
    A PROCLAMATION
    1.  On February 17, 2019, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) transmitted to me a report on his investigation into the effects of imports of passenger vehicles (sedans, sport utility vehicles, crossover utility vehicles, minivans, and cargo vans) and light trucks (collectively, automobiles) and certain automobile parts (engines and engine parts, transmissions and powertrain parts, and electrical components) (collectively, automobile parts) on the national security of the United States under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862) (section 232).  Based on the facts considered in that investigation, the Secretary found and advised me of his opinion that automobiles and certain automobile parts are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States. 
    2.  In Proclamation 9888 of May 17, 2019 (Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts Into the United States), I concurred with the Secretary’s finding in the February 17, 2019, report that automobiles and certain automobile parts are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States.  I also directed the United States Trade Representative (Trade Representative), in consultation with other executive branch officials, to pursue negotiation of agreements to address the threatened impairment of the national security of the United States with respect to imported automobiles and certain automobile parts from the European Union, Japan, and any other country the Trade Representative deems appropriate.
    3.  The Trade Representative’s negotiations did not lead to any agreements of the type contemplated by section 232.
    4.  In Proclamation 9888, I also directed the Secretary to monitor imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts and inform me of any circumstances that, in the Secretary’s opinion, might indicate the need for further action under section 232 with respect to such imports.
    5. The Secretary has informed me that, since the February 17, 2019, report, the national security concerns remain and have escalated.  The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities and choke points in global supply chains, undermining our ability to maintain a resilient domestic industrial base.  In recent years, American-owned automotive manufacturers have experienced numerous supply chain challenges, including material and parts input shortages, labor shortages and strikes, and electrical-component shortages.  Meanwhile, foreign automotive industries, propelled by unfair subsidies and aggressive industrial policies, have grown substantially.  Today, only about half of the vehicles sold in the United States are manufactured domestically, a decline that jeopardizes our domestic industrial base and national security, and the United States’ share of worldwide automobile production has remained stagnant since the February 17, 2019, report.  The number of employees in the domestic automotive industry has also not improved since the February 17, 2019, report. 
    6.  I am also advised that agreements entered into before the issuance of Proclamation 9888, such as the revisions to the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), have not yielded sufficient positive outcomes.  The threat to national security posed by imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts remains and has increased.  Investments resulting from other efforts, such as legislation, have also not yielded sufficient positive outcomes to eliminate the threat to national security from such imports.
    7.  After considering the current information newly provided by the Secretary, among other things, I find that imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts continue to threaten to impair the national security of the United States and deem it necessary and appropriate to impose tariffs, as defined below, to adjust imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts so that such imports will not threaten to impair national security.
    8.  To ensure that the imposition of tariffs on automobiles and certain automobile parts in this proclamation are not circumvented and that the purpose of this action to eliminate the threat to the national security of the United States by imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts is not undermined, I also deem it necessary and appropriate to establish processes to identify and impose tariffs on additional automobile parts, as further described below.
    9.  Section 232 provides that, in this situation, the President shall take such other actions as the President deems necessary to adjust the imports of the relevant article so that such imports will not threaten to impair national security.  
    10.  Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), authorizes the President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) the substance of statutes affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code; section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended; and section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, do hereby proclaim as follows:(1)  Except as otherwise provided in this proclamation, all imports of articles specified in Annex I to this proclamation or in any subsequent annex to this proclamation, as set out in a subsequent notice in the Federal Register, shall be subject to a 25 percent tariff with respect to goods entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 3, 2025, for automobiles, and on the date specified in the Federal Register for automobile parts, but no later than May 3, 2025, and shall continue in effect, unless such actions are expressly reduced, modified, or terminated.  The above ad valorem tariff is in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported automobiles and certain automobile parts articles.(2)  For automobiles that qualify for preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA, importers of such automobiles may submit documentation to the Secretary identifying the amount of U.S. content in each model imported into the United States.  “U.S. content” refers to the value of the automobile attributable to parts wholly obtained, produced entirely, or substantially transformed in the United States.  Thereafter, the Secretary may approve imports of such automobiles to be eligible to apply the ad valorem tariff of 25 percent in clause (1) of this proclamation exclusively to the value of the non-U.S. content of the automobile.  The non-U.S. content of the automobile shall be calculated by subtracting the value of the U.S. content in an automobile from the total value of the automobile.(3)  If U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determines that the declared value of non-U.S. content of an automobile, as described in clause (2) of this proclamation, is inaccurate due to an overstatement of U.S. content, the 25 percent tariff shall apply to the full value of the automobile, regardless of the actual U.S. content of the automobile.  In addition, the 25 percent tariff shall be applied retroactively (from April 3, 2025, to the date of the inaccurate overstatement) and prospectively (from the date of the inaccurate overstatement to the date the importer corrects the overstatement, as verified by CBP) to the full value of all automobiles of the same model imported by the same importer.  This clause does not apply to or otherwise affect any other applicable fees or penalties.(4)  The ad valorem tariff of 25 percent described in clause (1) of this proclamation shall not apply to automobile parts that qualify for preferential treatment under the USMCA until such time that the Secretary, in consultation with CBP, establishes a process to apply the tariff exclusively to the value of the non-U.S. content of such automobile parts and publishes notice in the Federal Register.(5)  For avoidance of doubt, clause (4) of this proclamation does not apply to automobile knock-down kits or parts compilations.  Clause (4) of this proclamation applies only to individual automobile parts as defined by Annex I to this proclamation that otherwise meet the requirements of clause (4) of this proclamation.(6)  The Secretary, in consultation with the United States International Trade Commission and CBP, shall determine the modifications necessary to the HTSUS to effectuate this proclamation and shall make such modifications to the HTSUS through notice in the Federal Register.  (7)  Within 90 days of the date of this proclamation, the Secretary shall establish a process for including additional automobile parts articles within the scope of the tariffs described in clause (1) of this proclamation. In addition to inclusions made by the Secretary, this process shall provide for including additional automobile parts articles at the request of a domestic producer of an automobile or automobile parts article, or an industry association representing one or more such producers, where the request establishes that imports of additional automobile parts articles have increased in a manner that threatens to impair the national security or otherwise undermines the objectives set forth in any proclamation issued on the basis of the Secretary’s February 17, 2019, report or any additional information submitted to the President under clause (3) of Proclamation 9888 or clause (9) of this proclamation. When the Secretary receives such a request from a domestic producer or industry association, the Secretary, after consultation with the United States International Trade Commission and CBP, shall issue a determination regarding whether to include the articles within 60 days of receiving the request.  Any additional automobile parts articles that the Secretary has determined to be included within the scope of the tariffs described in clause (1) of this proclamation shall be so included on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time the day after a notice in the Federal Register describing the determination of the Secretary.  The notice in the Federal Register shall be made as soon as practicable but no later than 14 days after the Secretary’s determination.(8) Any automobile or automobile part, except those eligible for admission under “domestic status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.43, that is subject to the duty imposed by this proclamation and that is admitted into a United States foreign trade zone on or after the effective date of this proclamation, in accordance with clause (1) of this proclamation, must be admitted as “privileged foreign status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.41, and will be subject upon entry for consumption to any ad valorem rates of duty related to the classification under the applicable HTSUS subheading.(9)  The Secretary shall continue to monitor imports of automobiles and automobile parts.  The Secretary also shall, from time to time, in consultation with any senior executive branch officials the Secretary deems appropriate, review the status of such imports with respect to national security.  The Secretary shall inform the President of any circumstances that, in the Secretary’s opinion, might indicate the need for further action by the President under section 232.  The Secretary shall also inform the President of any circumstance that, in the Secretary’s opinion, might indicate that the increase in duty rate provided for in this proclamation is no longer necessary.(10)  No drawback shall be available with respect to the duties imposed pursuant to this proclamation.(11)  The Secretary may issue regulations and guidance consistent with this proclamation, including to address operational necessity.(12)  CBP may take any necessary or appropriate measures to administer the tariffs imposed by this proclamation.(13)  Any provision of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that is inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation is superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER REVEALS: MUSK AND TRUMP ARE TRYING TO BREAK SOCIAL SECURITY IN NY AS ‘DOGE’ ENDANGERS $7+ BILLION IN MONTHLY CHECKS FOR OVER 4 MILLION NEW YORKERS; SENATOR SOUNDS ALARM TO PROTECT SOCIAL…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Social Security Services Are Breaking Down For New Yorkers Who Rely On Monthly Checks To Live, With NY Offices Closing, Websites Crashing, Hours Long Wait Times, And Now ‘DOGE’ Firing 7,000+ SSA Workers Who Help Seniors, Disabled, & Families Get Their Benefits

    Senator Breaks Down Impact Region By Region In NY Of ‘DOGE’ Destructive Attacks On Social Security Benefits For 4.3M NY-ers That Threatens Their Monthly Checks And Services

    Schumer: ‘DOGE’ Cabal Needs To Get Their Hands Off NY Seniors’ & Families’ Social Security Checks

    Amid reports of the Social Security Administration (SSA) core operations breaking down from the Trump administration and ‘DOGE’ systematic attacks and rash cuts, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer sounded the alarm on the looming crisis for over 4 million New York seniors, people with disabilities, and families who rely on their monthly checks to live, pay rent, buy food and make ends meet.  

    In the past month, the SSA website has already crashed four times in 10 days, blocking millions from accessing their accounts, and seniors have had to wait more than two hours on clogged phone lines. 

    “When it comes to Social Security, Trump and ‘DOGE’ are purposely causing chaos and inefficiency to attack the program millions of New York seniors and families rely on to make ends meet. It’s appalling and they need to back off,” said Senator Schumer. 

    ‘DOGE’ has already taken credit for closing two NY Social Security Offices in Westchester and Chemung County, and are pursuing further cuts, including eliminating 12% of agency staff.

    “This is a direct attack on New York seniors’ Social Security checks. From Rochester to Rockland County, nearly 4 million New Yorkers rely on Social Security every month. But right now, Trump and Musk, two billionaires, are trying to take a chainsaw to your Social Security benefits by closing offices, firing staff, shutting off the phone lines, and adding burdensome bureaucratic rules for seniors, people with disabilities and their families. It’s outrageous, and, if they continue to cut Social Security operations to the bone, the system soon won’t be able to function,” said Senator Schumer. “These cuts make no sense – they are closing offices and saying they want to shut down phone service at the same time, how do they expect seniors to get their benefits? Already the Social Security safety net is breaking at the seams. If no one can take your call, if the website keeps crashing, if they fire the staff that process your claims, that’s a cut in benefits. New Yorker’s aren’t falling for it and won’t stand for it. I have a simple message for ‘DOGE’ and Trump: Hands off New Yorkers Social Security.”

    Schumer said these massive cuts to services come as ‘DOGE’ plans to cut off Social Security 1-800 phone helplines and require in-person visits, which, in tandem with massive staffing cuts, experts say will lead to massive disruptions for New Yorkers relying on over $7+ billion in benefits every month. The senator said we need congressional Republicans, especially those in the NY delegation, to stand up to ‘DOGE’ and tell them to get their hands of New Yorkers’ Social Security.

    A county-by-county breakdown of Social Security beneficiaries across New York can be found here for SSI and Old Age, Survivors, and Disability benefits. Schumer said this impact can be seen at a staggering level across every region of Upstate NY:

    Region

    Social Security Beneficiaries Receiving Monthly Checks or SSI

    Total Payments Per Month

    Capital Region

    287,704

    $509,831,000

    Western New York

    359,603

    $607,973,000

    Rochester-Finger Lakes

    323,274

    $564,706,000

    Central New York

    197,407

    $338,701,000

    Hudson Valley

    487,974

    $942,849,000

    Southern Tier

    203,366

    $331,706,000

    Mohawk Valley

    113,343

    $177,575,000

    North Country

    114,890

    $178,568,000

    UPSTATE NY TOTAL

    2,087,561

    $3,651,909,000

    Schumer said staffing shortages, office closures and mandatory in-person identity checks will make it more difficult for people to access the assistance they need to receive their Social Security benefits. Elon Musk has targeted Social Security, calling it a “ponzi scheme” and saying that Social Security is “the big one to eliminate”. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik said his mother wouldn’t call and complain if she didn’t receive her Social Security benefits. Schumer said rather than making the government more efficient, these cuts will reduce government efficiency by making it more difficult for Social Security beneficiaries to receive their hard-earned benefits. Former Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley said these cuts will crush our seniors and most vulnerable, and the system could collapse within a month, interrupting benefits.

    ‘DOGE’ & TRUMP WANT DEEP CUTS TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINSTRATION

    THOSE DEEP CUTS MEAN DEEP IMPACTS FOR NEW YORKERS
    • Over 12% of SSA staff are planned to be cut, that is 7,000+ who help run the agency.
    • SSA staff is already at the lowest level in 50 years.
    • ‘DOGE’ is already closing regional offices across the country, including listing offices in Westchester & Chemung County as on the chopping block, with more coming.
    • Trump and Musk are no longer allowing seniors to claim benefits or change payment information over the phone, forcing them to drive to offices ‘DOGE’ is attempting to close.
    • Trump’s acting head of Social Security attempted to shut down the entire agency, endangering benefits, instead of kicking DOGE out of SSA.
    • The SSA website has already crashed four times in 10 days this month, locking out 4+ million NY seniors, disabled, and families.
    • Phone lines already 2+ hour long wait times, and new in person requirements could severely hurt places like Upstate NY and rural areas.
    • If cuts continue, wait times would sky rocket:
      • 9 months to process disability claims
      • 8 months for benefit appeals
      • 11 months for benefit hearings according to SS experts.
    • Former Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley said, “Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse and an interruption of benefits… I believe you will see that within the next 30 to 90 days.”  

    Already, the SSA website has crashed four times in ten days this month, preventing millions of Social Security beneficiaries across the country from logging into their online accounts. Beneficiaries are calling for help but with fewer workers to answer phones due to staffing cuts, wait times are much longer.

    In addition, the Trump administration issued new guidance that millions of Social Security recipients must verify their identities in person at agency field offices, which they were previously able to do over the phone. The Trump administration is closing six of the ten regional offices that oversee field operations. Schumer said this will particularly hurt rural areas and New Yorkers with mobility issues who have trouble accessing in-person offices who may live far from a field office or have limited internet access, especially given an alarming pattern of SSA local office closures. Earlier this year, the White Plains Social Security office lease was terminated and listed on the ‘DOGE’ website as cost saving in addition to the Big Flats office in Chemung County.

    Schumer added, “Elon Musk may not understand how a senior citizen depends on Social Security payments to buy food and pay rent, but New Yorkers do. Social Security is not a ‘ponzi scheme’ or ‘government waste’; it is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers that I’m calling on my Republican colleagues in Congress, especially in the New York delegation, to help us protect.”

    Social Security has been a crucial piece of the social safety net since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the law creating it in 1935, and it was designed to be self-sufficient. It has a dedicated revenue source from payroll taxes, which workers split with their employers. Schumer has expressed concerns that layoffs and sudden closures mean hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and millions of Americans who depend on Social Security could be in serious trouble.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: TransAlta Corporation Enters into Automatic Share Purchase Plan

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TransAlta Corporation (“TransAlta” or the “Company”) (TSX: TA) (NYSE: TAC) announced today that it has entered into an automatic share purchase plan (“ASPP”) with its broker in order to facilitate repurchases of TransAlta’s common shares (“Common Shares”) under the Company’s previously announced normal course issuer bid (“NCIB”).

    The Company previously announced that it had received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) to purchase up to 14,000,000 of its Common Shares during the 12-month period that commenced May 31, 2024, and terminates May 30, 2025. Purchases under the NCIB may be made through open market transactions on the TSX and any alternative Canadian trading systems on which the Common Shares are traded, based on the prevailing market price. Since the beginning of the current NCIB on May 31, 2024, the Company has purchased 6,102,300 at a weighted average price per Common Share of $11.89 for an aggregate value of approximately $72.5 million.

    The Company believes that the prevailing price for the Common Shares may not, from time to time, reflect the underlying value of the Common Shares and that the purchase of Common Shares pursuant to the NCIB may be an attractive and appropriate use of available funds relative to other alternatives. The ASPP will facilitate purchases under the NCIB as it will allow for purchases of Common Shares to be made at times when the Company would ordinarily not be permitted to make purchases, whether due to regulatory restriction or customary self-imposed blackout periods. TransAlta is committed to enhancing shareholder returns through appropriate capital allocation such as a share buyback and its quarterly dividend, which are underpinned by the Company’s strong free cash flow position.

    Under the ASPP, the Company’s broker may purchase Common Shares from the effective date of the ASPP until the end of the NCIB. The ASPP will facilitate purchases of Common Shares under the NCIB by authorizing the Company’s broker to make purchases at its sole discretion based on parameters set by the Company in accordance with TSX rules, applicable law and the terms of the ASPP. Outside of periods that the Company is restricted from purchasing Common Shares pursuant to insider trading rules or its own internal trading blackout policies, Common Shares may also be purchased based on management’s discretion, in compliance with TSX rules and applicable law.

    All purchases of Common Shares made under the ASPP will be included in determining the number of Common Shares purchased under the NCIB. Any Common Shares purchased by the Company pursuant to the NCIB will be cancelled. The Company is not currently in possession of any material undisclosed information in relation to the Company.  The ASPP has been pre-cleared by the TSX and will be effective on April 1, 2025.   

    The ASPP will terminate on the earliest of the date on which: (a) the maximum purchase limits under the ASPP are reached; (b) May 8, 2025; or (c) the Company terminates the ASPP in accordance with its terms.

    About TransAlta Corporation:

    TransAlta owns, operates and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States and Australia with a focus on long-term shareholder value. TransAlta provides municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses and utility customers with affordable, energy efficient and reliable power. Today, TransAlta is one of Canada’s largest producers of wind power and Alberta’s largest producer of thermal generation and hydro-electric power. For over 113 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud member of the communities where we operate and where our employees work and live. TransAlta aligns its corporate goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Future-Fit Business Benchmark, which also defines sustainable goals for businesses. Our reporting on climate change management has been guided by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S2 Climate-related Disclosures Standard and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. TransAlta has achieved a 66 per cent reduction in GHG emissions or 21.3 million tonnes CO2e since 2015 and received an upgraded MSCI ESG rating of AA.

    For more information about TransAlta, visit its website at transalta.com.

    Note: All financial figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

    For more information:

    Investor Inquiries: Media Inquiries:
    Phone: 1-800-387-3598 in Canada and U.S. Phone: 1-855-255-9184
    Email: investor_relations@transalta.com Email: ta_media_relations@transalta.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senator Mullin Welcomes Lawton-Fort Sill Community Leaders to Washington, Holds Q&A

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    RELEASE: Senator Mullin Welcomes Lawton-Fort Sill Community Leaders to Washington, Holds Q&A

    Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke with Lawton-Fort Sill community leaders about issues facing our national defense, addressed DOGE cuts concerns, answered questions about advancing the community, and bolstered his support for Lawton’s lasting impact on the state and our national defense industrial base.

    As the Senator noted in his remarks, a crucial piece to Lawton-Fort Sill’s standing as a premiere national defense hub is the Fires Innovation Science and Technology Accelerator (FISTA). It is a model private-public partnership for communities to replicate across the country to support America’s warfighters. As our nation transitions to modern warfare, our defense needs have changed, and it’s more important than ever that we adapt to the needs of today’s warfighter. Partnerships like FISTA put Lawton at the center of advanced weaponry and engineering, which attracts high-paying jobs and business from across the nation to Oklahoma’s growing defense industrial base. 

    “What you guys are doing with FISTA is remarkable. It shows partnership, a private-public partnership,” said Sen. Mullin “It is something that while other communities may have tried it, I would say Lawton has led it in understanding what it is actually capable of doing.” 

    “The Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce is grateful for the work our Oklahoma delegation is doing in Washington, D.C. and appreciates each of them taking the time to meet with the Lawton community leaders to update us on the future of our country under the current administration,” Austin Rabon, Chairman of the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce.

    Additional highlights from Sen. Mullin’s remarks are below:

    “The President came in very strong on this, saying that he wants to make reforms. He doesn’t want to weaken our military, he wants to strengthen it. But we feel like there’s a lot of opportunities to strengthen it by being more efficient, being more efficient on how we spend the money, being more efficient on the programs that we do, looking at what programs we’re paying for that shouldn’t be there.”  

    “There’s some technology that we’re paying for that we started developing 12 years ago. I’m sorry, that technology’s out of date. There’s technology that we’re still working on, platforms we’re still working toward, that was designed to fight the war on terror, not the conventional fight that’s facing us down the road. We’re still paying those… That’s part of the cuts. We’re saying there’s no point in us still using that platform of technology that is not useful today.”

    “General Brown… was very proud of what we’re doing in Oklahoma. I will tell you, that’s continued throughout the Department of Defense and you guys, by setting that standard so high for other communities to look at, is a huge bragging point for me. So, thank you for giving me something to hang on.”

    “I think we have a true, once in a generation, opportunity to make real changes for the generations that come behind us.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Commercial Innovation Incentive Extended to 2027

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on March 26, 2025

    Incentive Improvements Expand Eligibility Ensuring Saskatchewan Businesses Succeed

    Today, the Government of Saskatchewan introduced legislation that will extend the Saskatchewan Commercial Innovation Incentive (SCII). 

    “By extending the SCII, we are reaffirming Saskatchewan’s commitment to innovation and ensuring our province remains one of the best places in Canada to invest and do business,” Trade and Export Development Minister Warren Kaeding said. “All of this means more opportunities, jobs and services the people of Saskatchewan need and deserve.”

    The SCII is a growth-focused tax incentive designed to support businesses commercializing innovation by reducing the provincial Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rate to 6 per cent for a period of 10 consecutive years. Eligible companies can extend the CIT benefit period to 15 years, if 50 per cent or greater of the related research and development has been conducted in Saskatchewan.

    Last year, the Government of Saskatchewan began an external review aimed at improving the program’s eligibility requirements and simplifying the application process. Based on this review, the SCII will be eliminating the economic eligibility criteria to further improve eligibility. These improvements will encourage commercialization and innovation in the province.

    The new sunset date for SCII is June 30, 2027.

    The SCII is also highlighted in Securing the Next Decade of Growth: Saskatchewan’s Investment Attraction Strategy, reinforcing the province’s dedication to fostering a thriving business environment.

    Investment in the province continues to rise. Private capital investment in Saskatchewan increased last year by 17.3 per cent to $14.7 billion, ranking first among provinces for growth. Private capital investment is projected to reach $16.2 billion in 2025, an increase of 10.1 per cent over 2024. This is the second highest anticipated percentage increase among the provinces.

    For more information on the SCII, please visit: saskatchewan.ca. 

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: QCI’s Andrew Cardno to Speak on “The Next Era of Tribal Gaming: The 7 Forces Shaping Its Future” at the Indian Gaming Association Trade Show

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) is pleased to announce that Andrew Cardno, Chief Technology Officer of QCI, will be delivering a featured session at the 2025 Indian Gaming Trade Show & Convention in San Diego, CA. The session, titled “The Seven Forces Transforming Our Industry (Whether We Like It or Not),” will take place on April 1, 2025, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

    Tribal gaming stands at the forefront of an unprecedented era of transformation. Both internal dynamics and external pressures are driving change at a pace never seen before. In this timely session, Mr. Cardno will provide an in-depth exploration of seven powerful forces reshaping the future of tribal gaming. From the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics to shifting consumer expectations and evolving market forces, attendees will gain valuable insights into the technologies and trends defining the next era of the industry.

    “Tribal gaming has always been a leader in innovation, but the convergence of AI, robotics, and rapid technological advancement presents new challenges and exciting opportunities,” said Andrew Cardno, CTO of QCI. “This session is about equipping tribal operators with the knowledge and tools to embrace these changes while protecting the core traditions that make tribal gaming unique. By understanding these forces, we can ensure that team members are empowered, operations are optimized, and tribal enterprises continue to thrive.”

    Victor Rocha, Conference Chairman of the Indian Gaming Trade Show & Convention, added, “We are excited to feature Andrew Cardno in this important session. Tribal gaming is facing a critical moment, and understanding these seven forces is essential for our industry’s future. This conversation goes beyond technology — it’s about how we protect our sovereignty, strengthen our communities, and continue leading the gaming industry into the future.”

    Attendees will leave with practical strategies to integrate emerging technologies in ways that reinforce the unique strengths of tribal gaming enterprises. The session will focus on how these tools can enhance operational efficiency, improve customer experiences, and create new opportunities for team member growth — all while honoring the cultural and economic significance of tribal gaming.

    ABOUT The 2025 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention
    As the premier events for the tribal gaming community, the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention and Mid-Year Conference & Expo deliver the insight and strategies you need to rise to the top of the competitive gaming industry landscape. There’s no better opportunity to meet industry leaders, access cutting-edge trends and celebrate a proud tradition of success. For more information visit: www.indiangamingtradeshow.com.

    ABOUT QCI
    Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) has pioneered the revolutionary QCI Enterprise Platform, an artificial intelligence platform that seamlessly integrates player development, marketing, and gaming operations with powerful, real-time tools designed specifically for the gaming and hospitality industries. Our advanced, highly configurable software is deployed in over 250 casino resorts across North America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Latin America, and Europe. The QCI AGI Platform, which manages more than $35 billion in annual gross gaming revenue, stands as a best-in-class solution, whether on-premises, hybrid, or cloud-based, enabling fully coordinated activities across all aspects of gaming or hospitality operations. QCI’s data-driven, AI-powered software propels swift, informed decision-making vital in the ever-changing casino industry, assisting casinos in optimizing resources and profits, crafting effective marketing campaigns, and enhancing customer loyalty. QCI was co-founded by Dr. Ralph Thomas and Mr. Andrew Cardno and is based in San Diego, with additional offices in Las Vegas, St. Louis, Dallas, and Tulsa. Main phone number: (858) 299.5715. Visit us at www.quickcustomintelligence.com.

    ABOUT Andrew Cardno
    Andrew Cardno is a distinguished figure in the realm of artificial intelligence and data plumbing. With over two decades spearheading private Ph.D. and master’s level research teams, his expertise has made significant waves in data tooling. Andrew’s innate ability to innovate has led him to devise numerous pioneering visualization methods. Of these, the most notable is the deep zoom image format, a groundbreaking innovation that has since become a cornerstone in the majority of today’s mapping tools. His leadership acumen has earned him two coveted Smithsonian Laureates, and teams under his mentorship have clinched 40 industry awards, including three pivotal gaming industry transformation awards. Together with Dr. Ralph Thomas, the duo co-founded Quick Custom Intelligence, amplifying their collaborative innovative capacities. A testament to his inventive prowess, Andrew boasts over 150 patent applications. Across various industries—be it telecommunications with Telstra Australia, retail with giants like Walmart and Best Buy, or the medical sector with esteemed institutions like City Of Hope and UCSD—Andrew’s impact is deeply felt. He has enriched the literature with insights, co-authoring eight influential books with Dr. Thomas and contributing to over 100 industry publications. An advocate for community and diversity, Andrew’s work has touched over 100 Native American Tribal Resorts, underscoring his expansive and inclusive professional endeavors.

    ABOUT Victor Rocha
    Victor Rocha holds the distinguished position of Conference Chairman for the Indian Gaming Association, while also leading Victor-Strategies as its president. As the owner and publisher of Pechanga.net, he has been deeply engaged in the political landscape of U.S. tribal gaming since 1998. Rocha’s outstanding contributions to the industry have been recognized through numerous accolades, such as AGEM’s 2023 Peter Mead Memorial Award Honoring Excellence in Gaming Media & Communication, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s 2015 Tribal Gaming Visionary Award, the American Gaming Association’s 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award for Gaming Communications, Raving’s 2012 Casino Marketing Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Indian Gaming Association’s 2002 Outstanding Contribution to Indian Country, VCAT’s 2001 Catalyst Award, and Global Gaming Business Magazine’s 2000 “40 Under 40” list.

    Contact:
    Laurel Kay, Quick Custom Intelligence
    Phone: 858-349-8354

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Support for Wildfire Survivors Tops $2 Billion

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Federal Support for Wildfire Survivors Tops $2 Billion

    Federal Support for Wildfire Survivors Tops $2 Billion

    LOS ANGELES – As of March 25, just over two months since the Los Angeles County wildfires were declared a major disaster by the president, FEMA and its federal partners have made more than $2 billion available to disaster survivors

    Federal assistance to eligible homeowners, renters, and businesses, in the form of FEMA grants and low-interest SBA Disaster Loans, has topped $2 billion

    That number includes:$101 million in FEMA housing and other needs assistance

    $2 billion in home and business loan offers from the SBA, the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds for homeowners, renters, businesses, and certain nonprofits

    31,941 household have been approved for FEMA funds, including: $24,316,400 in housing assistance for short-term rental assistance and home repair costs$76,431,025 in other essential disaster-related needs, such as expenses related to medical, dental, and lost personal possessions

    Two Disaster Recovery Centers remain open at UCLA Research Park and Altadena Recovery Center

    In total, the centers have logged 32,511 survivor visits

    At the centers, residents may speak in person to representatives from federal and state programs, the American Red Cross and various nongovernmental nonprofits and community groups

    In partnership with the State of California, Los Angeles County, and local officials, FEMA will continue helping California’s individuals and families get back on their feet and jumpstart their recovery

    The deadline to apply for both FEMA and SBA disaster assistance is March 31, 2025

    How To Apply for FEMA Individual Assistance:Online at DisasterAssistance

    gov

    On the FEMA App

    By calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362

    If you use a relay service, give FEMA your number for that service

    Assistance is available in multiple languages

    Lines are open Sunday–Saturday, from 4 a

    m

    – 10 p

    m

    Pacific Time

    At a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC)

    To locate a DRC near you, visit the DRC Locator

    For an American Sign Language video on how to apply, visit FEMA Accessible: Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster AssistanceApply for SBA Low-Interest Disaster Loans:Online at sba

    gov/disaster By calling SBA’s Customer Service Center hotline at 800-659-2955

     People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability may dial 711 to access relay services

    By emailingDisasterCustomerService@sba

    govAt a Disaster Recovery Center or Business Recovery Center, where you can submit a completed application or SBA representatives can help you apply

    To find a BRC near you, go to Appointment

    sba

    gov

    Applications for disaster loans may be submitted online using the MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending

    sba

    gov or other locally announced locations

    Follow FEMA online, on X @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA’s Facebook page or Espanol page and at FEMA’s YouTube account

    For preparedness information follow the Ready Campaign on X at @Ready

    gov, on Instagram @Ready

    gov or on the Ready Facebook page

    California is committed to supporting residents impacted by the Los Angeles Hurricane-Force Firestorm as they navigate the recovery process

    Visit CA

    gov/LAFires for up-to-date information on disaster recovery programs, important deadlines, and how to apply for assistance

    alberto

    pillot
    Wed, 03/26/2025 – 17:29

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA May Contact You by Phone

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA May Contact You by Phone

    FEMA May Contact You by Phone

    FEMA Representatives Calling Kentucky Storm SurvivorsFEMA representatives are reaching out to survivors of the February severe storms that have applied for disaster assistance

    Representatives may call for a variety of reasons such as issues with applications (missing documents, insurance settlement paperwork, etc

    ), follow-up on access and functional needs and/or to schedule inspections at the address where the damage was reported

    Representatives may also be calling eligible survivors for the Direct Temporary Housing Program

    In these instances, phone calls may come from unknown phone numbers or unfamiliar area codes

    If you receive a phone call from FEMA, don’t share your personal information unless you are sure the person you are talking to is a legitimate FEMA representative

    If you receive a call from someone stating they are a FEMA representative, but you are skeptical, do not give out any information

    Call 800-621-3362 to verify the call is legitimate

    If you suspect fraud, please send an email to StopFEMAFraud@fema

    dhs

    govWhen an applicant calls the Helpline to speak with a FEMA representative, they may be asked to share personal information to verify identity

    How to Apply for FEMA AssistanceIf you live in Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Simpson, or Woodford county, and haven’t yet applied for FEMA assistance, you may still complete an application

    The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is Friday, April 25

    You can visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to meet face to face with specialists from FEMA to get assistance filling out your application

    The Small Business Administration (SBA) and other state and local agencies are also in DRCs to answer questions about disaster assistance and other recovery resources

    You may also upload any documents needed for applications at the centers

    If you are unable to visit a DRC, there are other ways to apply: online at DisasterAssistance

    gov, use the FEMA App for mobile devices or call 800-621-3362

    If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service

    When you apply, you will need to provide:A current phone number where you can be contacted

    Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying

    Your Social Security Number

    A general list of damage and losses

    Banking information if you choose direct deposit

    If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name

    For an accessible video on how to apply for FEMA assistance, go to youtube

    com/watch?v=WZGpWI2RCNw

    For more information about Kentucky flooding recovery, visit www

    fema

    gov/disaster/4860

    Follow the FEMA Region 4 X account at x

    com/femaregion4

    martyce

    allenjr
    Wed, 03/26/2025 – 16:57

    MIL OSI USA News –