Category: Commerce

MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft Cloud and AI strength drives second quarter results

Source: Microsoft

Headline: Microsoft Cloud and AI strength drives second quarter results

Microsoft Cloud and AI Strength Drives Second Quarter Results

REDMOND, Wash. — January 29, 2025 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the following results for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year:

· Revenue was $69.6 billion and increased 12%

· Operating income was $31.7 billion and increased 17% (up 16% in constant currency)

· Net income was $24.1 billion and increased 10%

· Diluted earnings per share was $3.23 and increased 10%

“We are innovating across our tech stack and helping customers unlock the full ROI of AI to capture the massive opportunity ahead,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. “Already, our AI business has surpassed an annual revenue run rate of $13 billion, up 175% year-over-year.”

“This quarter Microsoft Cloud revenue was $40.9 billion, up 21% year-over-year,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft. ”We remain committed to balancing operational discipline with continued investments in our cloud and AI infrastructure.”

Business Highlights

Revenue in Productivity and Business Processes was $29.4 billion and increased 14% (up 13% in constant currency), with the following business highlights:

· Microsoft 365 Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 15% driven by Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud revenue growth of 16% (up 15% in constant currency)

· Microsoft 365 Consumer products and cloud services revenue increased 8% driven by Microsoft 365 Consumer cloud revenue growth of 8%

· LinkedIn revenue increased 9%

· Dynamics products and cloud services revenue increased 15% (up 14% in constant currency) driven by Dynamics 365 revenue growth of 19% (up 18% in constant currency)

Revenue in Intelligent Cloud was $25.5 billion and increased 19%, with the following business highlights:

· Server products and cloud services revenue increased 21% driven by Azure and other cloud services revenue growth of 31%

Revenue in More Personal Computing was $14.7 billion and was relatively unchanged, with the following business highlights:

· Windows OEM and Devices revenue increased 4%

· Xbox content and services revenue increased 2%

· Search and news advertising revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs increased 21% (up 20% in constant currency)

Microsoft returned $9.7 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025.

Business Outlook

Microsoft will provide forward-looking guidance in connection with this quarterly earnings announcement on its earnings conference call and webcast.

Quarterly Highlights, Product Releases, and Enhancements

Every quarter Microsoft delivers hundreds of products, either as new releases, services, or enhancements to current products and services. These releases are a result of significant research and development investments, made over multiple years, designed to help customers be more productive and secure and to deliver differentiated value across the cloud and the edge.

Here are the major product releases and other highlights for the quarter, organized by product categories, to help illustrate how we are accelerating innovation across our businesses while expanding our market opportunities.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

To learn more about Microsoft’s corporate governance and our environmental and social practices, please visit our investor relations Board and ESG website and reporting at Microsoft.com/transparency.

Webcast Details

Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer, Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Alice Jolla, chief accounting officer, Keith Dolliver, corporate secretary and deputy general counsel, and Brett Iversen, vice president of investor relations, will host a conference call and webcast at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time (5:30 p.m. Eastern time) today to discuss details of the company’s performance for the quarter and certain forward-looking information. The session may be accessed at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor. The webcast will be available for replay through the close of business on January 29, 2026.

Constant Currency

Microsoft presents constant currency information to provide a framework for assessing how our underlying businesses performed excluding the effect of foreign currency rate fluctuations. To present this information, current and comparative prior period results for entities reporting in currencies other than United States dollars are converted into United States dollars using the average exchange rates from the comparative period rather than the actual exchange rates in effect during the respective periods. All growth comparisons relate to the corresponding period in the last fiscal year. Microsoft has provided this non-GAAP financial information to aid investors in better understanding our performance. The non-GAAP financial measures presented in this release should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, the measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Financial Performance Constant Currency Reconciliation

	Three Months Ended December 31,
($ in millions, except per share amounts)	Revenue	Operating Income	Net Income	Diluted Earnings per Share
2023 As Reported (GAAP)	$62,020	$27,032	$21,870	$2.93
2024 As Reported (GAAP)	$69,632	$31,653	$24,108	$3.23
Percentage Change Y/Y (GAAP)	12%	17%	10%	10%
Constant Currency Impact	$171	$206	$14	$0.00
Percentage Change Y/Y Constant Currency	12%	16%	10%	10%

Segment Revenue Constant Currency Reconciliation

	Three Months Ended December 31,
($ in millions)	Productivity and Business Processes	Intelligent Cloud	More Personal Computing
2023 As Reported (GAAP)	$25,854	$21,525	$14,641
2024 As Reported (GAAP)	$29,437	$25,544	$14,651
Percentage Change Y/Y (GAAP)	14%	19%	0%
Constant Currency Impact	$142	$(22)	$51
Percentage Change Y/Y Constant Currency	13%	19%	0%

We have recast certain prior period amounts to conform to the way we internally manage and monitor our business.

Selected Product and Service Revenue Constant Currency Reconciliation

	Three Months Ended December 31, 2024
	Percentage Change Y/Y (GAAP)	Constant Currency Impact	Percentage Change Y/Y Constant Currency
Microsoft Cloud	21%	0%	21%
Microsoft 365 Commercial products and cloud services	15%	0%	15%
Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud	16%	(1)%	15%
Microsoft 365 Consumer products and cloud services	8%	0%	8%
Microsoft 365 Consumer cloud	8%	0%	8%
LinkedIn	9%	0%	9%
Dynamics products and cloud services	15%	(1)%	14%
Dynamics 365	19%	(1)%	18%
Server products and cloud services	21%	0%	21%
Azure and other cloud services	31%	0%	31%
Windows OEM and Devices	4%	0%	4%
Xbox content and services	2%	0%	2%
Search and news advertising excluding traffic acquisition costs	21%	(1)%	20%

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as:

· intense competition in all of our markets that may adversely affect our results of operations;

· focus on cloud-based and AI services presenting execution and competitive risks;

· significant investments in products and services that may not achieve expected returns;

· acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances that may have an adverse effect on our business;

· impairment of goodwill or amortizable intangible assets causing a significant charge to earnings;

· cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities that could lead to reduced revenue, increased costs, liability claims, or harm to our reputation or competitive position;

· disclosure and misuse of personal data that could cause liability and harm to our reputation;

· the possibility that we may not be able to protect information stored in our products and services from use by others;

· abuse of our advertising, professional, marketplace, or gaming platforms that may harm our reputation or user engagement;

· products and services, how they are used by customers, and how third-party products and services interact with them, presenting security, privacy, and execution risks;

· issues about the use of AI in our offerings that may result in reputational or competitive harm, or legal liability;

· excessive outages, data losses, and disruptions of our online services if we fail to maintain an adequate operations infrastructure;

· supply or quality problems;

· government enforcement under competition laws and new market regulation may limit how we design and market our products;

· potential consequences of trade and anti-corruption laws;

· potential consequences of existing and increasing legal and regulatory requirements;

· laws and regulations relating to the handling of personal data that may impede the adoption of our services or result in increased costs, legal claims, fines, or reputational damage;

· claims against us that may result in adverse outcomes in legal disputes;

· uncertainties relating to our business with government customers;

· additional tax liabilities;

· sustainability regulations and expectations that may expose us to increased costs and legal and reputational risk;

· an inability to protect and utilize our intellectual property may harm our business and operating results;

· claims that Microsoft has infringed the intellectual property rights of others;

· damage to our reputation or our brands that may harm our business and results of operations;

· adverse economic or market conditions that may harm our business;

· catastrophic events or geo-political conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, that may disrupt our business;

· exposure to increased economic and operational uncertainties from operating a global business, including the effects of foreign currency exchange; and

· the dependence of our business on our ability to attract and retain talented employees.

For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations website at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor.

All information in this release is as of December 31, 2024. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company’s expectations.

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, rrt@we-worldwide.com

For more information, financial analysts and investors only:

Brett Iversen, Vice President, Investor Relations, (425) 706-4400

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers, and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. Shareholder and financial information, as well as today’s 2:30 p.m. Pacific time conference call with investors and analysts, is available at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor.

**MICROSOFT CORPORATION**

INCOME STATEMENTS

(In millions, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended December 31,		Six Months Ended December 31,
	Three Months Ended December 31,		Six Months Ended December 31,
	2024	2023	2024	2023
Revenue:
Product	$16,219	$18,941	$31,491	$34,476
Service and other	53,413	43,079	103,726	84,061
Total revenue	69,632	62,020	135,217	118,537
Cost of revenue:
Product	3,856	5,964	7,150	9,495
Service and other	17,943	13,659	34,748	26,430
Total cost of revenue	21,799	19,623	41,898	35,925
Gross margin	47,833	42,397	93,319	82,612
Research and development	7,917	7,142	15,461	13,801
Sales and marketing	6,440	6,246	12,157	11,433
General and administrative	1,823	1,977	3,496	3,451
Operating income	31,653	27,032	62,205	53,927
Other expense, net	(2,288)	(506)	(2,571)	(117)
Income before income taxes	29,365	26,526	59,634	53,810
Provision for income taxes	5,257	4,656	10,859	9,649
Net income	$24,108	$21,870	$48,775	$44,161
Earnings per share:
Basic	$3.24	$2.94	$6.56	$5.94
Diluted	$3.23	$2.93	$6.53	$5.92
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic	7,435	7,432	7,434	7,431
Diluted	7,468	7,468	7,469	7,465

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME STATEMENTS

(In millions) (Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended December 31,		Six Months Ended December 31,
	Three Months Ended December 31,		Six Months Ended December 31,
	2024	2023	2024	2023
Net income	$24,108	$21,870	$48,775	$44,161
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Net change related to derivatives	34	(3)	24	18
Net change related to investments	(434)	1,331	680	1,071
Translation adjustments and other	(1,034)	660	(730)	305
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,434)	1,988	(26)	1,394
Comprehensive income	$22,674	$23,858	$48,749	$45,555

BALANCE SHEETS

(In millions) (Unaudited)
	December 31, 2024	June 30, 2024
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$17,482	$18,315
Short-term investments	54,073	57,228
Total cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments	71,555	75,543
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $662 and $830	48,188	56,924
Inventories	909	1,246
Other current assets	26,428	26,021
Total current assets	147,080	159,734
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $82,820 and $76,421	166,902	135,591
Operating lease right-of-use assets	22,816	18,961
Equity and other investments	15,581	14,600
Goodwill	119,191	119,220
Intangible assets, net	25,385	27,597
Other long-term assets	36,943	36,460
Total assets	$533,898	$512,163
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$22,608	$21,996
Short-term debt	0	6,693
Current portion of long-term debt	5,248	2,249
Accrued compensation	9,176	12,564
Short-term income taxes	6,056	5,017
Short-term unearned revenue	45,508	57,582
Other current liabilities	20,286	19,185
Total current liabilities	108,882	125,286
Long-term debt	39,722	42,688
Long-term income taxes	24,389	27,931
Long-term unearned revenue	2,537	2,602
Deferred income taxes	2,513	2,618
Operating lease liabilities	17,254	15,497
Other long-term liabilities	35,906	27,064
Total liabilities	231,203	243,686
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock and paid-in capital – shares authorized 24,000; outstanding 7,435 and 7,434	104,829	100,923
Retained earnings	203,482	173,144
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(5,616)	(5,590)
Total stockholders’ equity	302,695	268,477
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$533,898	$512,163

CASH FLOWS STATEMENTS

(In millions) (Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended December 31,		Six Months Ended December 31,
	Three Months Ended December 31,		Six Months Ended December 31,
	2024	2023	2024	2023
Operations
Net income	$24,108	$21,870	$48,775	$44,161
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operations:
Depreciation, amortization, and other	6,827	5,959	14,210	9,880
Stock-based compensation expense	3,089	2,828	5,921	5,335
Net recognized losses on investments and derivatives	976	198	851	212
Deferred income taxes	(1,158)	(1,702)	(2,591)	(2,270)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(5,978)	(2,951)	8,059	8,083
Inventories	711	1,474	338	969
Other current assets	(353)	725	(435)	(71)
Other long-term assets	(1,089)	(1,427)	(2,850)	(3,440)
Accounts payable	958	(2,521)	42	(1,307)
Unearned revenue	(6,338)	(5,538)	(11,891)	(9,664)
Income taxes	(3,395)	(1,554)	(2,379)	(129)
Other current liabilities	3,217	1,518	(2,262)	(2,588)
Other long-term liabilities	716	(26)	683	265
Net cash from operations	22,291	18,853	56,471	49,436
Financing
Proceeds from issuance (repayments) of debt, maturities of 90 days or less, net	0	(8,490)	(5,746)	10,202
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	10,773	0	17,846
Repayments of debt	0	(2,916)	(966)	(4,416)
Common stock issued	256	261	962	946
Common stock repurchased	(4,986)	(4,000)	(9,093)	(8,831)
Common stock cash dividends paid	(6,170)	(5,574)	(11,744)	(10,625)
Other, net	(343)	(201)	(1,232)	(508)
Net cash from (used in) financing	(11,243)	(10,147)	(27,819)	4,614
Investing
Additions to property and equipment	(15,804)	(9,735)	(30,727)	(19,652)
Acquisition of companies, net of cash acquired, and purchases of intangible and other assets	(1,405)	(65,029)	(3,254)	(66,215)
Purchases of investments	(2,050)	(4,258)	(3,670)	(12,718)
Maturities of investments	2,604	4,150	4,740	19,868
Sales of investments	2,559	1,600	4,527	6,930
Other, net	(16)	1,347	(929)	365
Net cash used in investing	(14,112)	(71,925)	(29,313)	(71,422)
Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(294)	72	(172)	(27)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(3,358)	(63,147)	(833)	(17,399)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	20,840	80,452	18,315	34,704
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$17,482	$17,305	$17,482	$17,305

SEGMENT REVENUE AND OPERATING INCOME

(In millions) (Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended December 31,		Six Months Ended December 31,
	Three Months Ended December 31,		Six Months Ended December 31,
	2024	2023	2024	2023
Revenue
Productivity and Business Processes	$29,437	$25,854	$57,754	$51,080
Intelligent Cloud	25,544	21,525	49,636	41,538
More Personal Computing	14,651	14,641	27,827	25,919
Total	$69,632	$62,020	$135,217	$118,537
Operating Income
Productivity and Business Processes	$16,885	$14,515	$33,401	$28,812
Intelligent Cloud	10,851	9,555	21,354	18,463
More Personal Computing	3,917	2,962	7,450	6,652
Total	$31,653	$27,032	$62,205	$53,927

We have recast certain prior period amounts to conform to the way we internally manage and monitor our business.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Business – Clear the queue to boost innovation and primary sector – BusinessNZ

Source: BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ strongly backs Animal and Plant Health NZ’s call for a sensible and modern approvals process for innovative plant and animal products, to unlock greater economic potential for the primary sector and boost economic growth.

Chief Executive Katherine Rich says our current system is too slow, too costly and uncertain.

“Some multinational firms find great difficulty launching in New Zealand because we’ve made bringing innovation here cost and time-prohibitive.

“It should not take an application more than four years to get approval – particularly products or treatments which have been safely on the market elsewhere for a decade.

“Whether it be the approval of innovative new products through the Environmental Protection Authority or new pharmaceuticals and medical devices through Medsafe, New Zealand needs effective approval processes for launching innovation here which is not cost-prohibitive and many years long.

“New Zealand needs to be an attractive place to launch new products for innovation. We must have an effective and efficient approvals process.”

Rich says BusinessNZ gladly joined businesses and organisations in co-signing a letter to Ministers, calling for positive change.

“We also support the Ministry for Regulation’s review of the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory approval process, and BusinessNZ expects to hear more in the coming weeks after findings are presented to Cabinet.”

The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Designing the Cultural Heart of Ipswich

Source: Australian Ministers 1

The Ipswich CBD will soon begin its transformation thanks to a $3.8 million investment from the Albanese Government to fund detailed upgrade designs.

The Ipswich Central Heart: Art, Commerce and Urban Greening project is being funded through Stream One of the Australian Government’s urban Precincts and Partnerships Program (uPPP).

The project will develop designs for the expansion of the Ipswich Art Gallery and the redevelopment of the Ipswich Civic Centre. It will also include planning for a streetscape refresh of Brisbane Street, the integration of the Inner CBD Cycle Network and additional urban greening initiatives.

The planned precinct aims to enhance economic development by creating new local job opportunities, in addition to supporting the investment already underway in Ipswich Central.

It will also deliver an arts and cultural precinct, providing a place for artists and performers to collectively work and create.

City of Ipswich will work collaboratively alongside the Office of the Queensland Government Architect, Queensland Health, West Moreton Health, and the Department of Transport and Main Roads throughout this planning project.

Stream One of the uPPP funds the design of places that contribute to local economic growth and revitalise urban spaces to meet the needs of growing communities.

This funding demonstrates the Albanese Government’s commitment to valuing local voices and developing partnerships that will help build Australia’s future in the long term.

Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Catherine King:

“The Albanese Government’s urban Precincts and Partnerships Program is about reusing and reimagining our urban spaces to better serve the people who live in them.

“The Ipswich CBD has enormous potential and this funding is the first critical step in realising this project.”

Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Anthony Chisholm:

“This new precinct, right in the heart of Ipswich, will improve arts and cultural experiences for the local community and help secure Ipswich’s status as a cultural hub in the south east.

“This is yet another demonstration of the Federal Government’s ongoing commitment to back local priority infrastructure and community projects in our town centres.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann:

“This $3.8 million investment from the Albanese Government in Ipswich’s heart will boost local businesses and jobs, in addition to supporting the investment already underway in Ipswich Central to make our city more vibrant and liveable.

“Ipswich is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia, and this funding will help drive a thriving arts and cultural zone in our city centre that can be used by our diverse arts and entertainment community.”

Quotes attributable to Ipswich Deputy Mayor, Cr Nicole Jonic:

“We want to build an Ipswich that provides not only jobs and opportunities, but access to arts, culture and recreation.

“The Ipswich Central Heart: Art, Commerce and Urban Greening project will help us create a modern city where people can work, play and have pride in where they live.

“This much-needed Federal funding will enhance the capacity of Ipswich Central cultural assets, like the Ipswich Art Gallery and Ipswich Civic Centre, and improve connectivity between these venues and our revitalised CBD.”

MIL OSI News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: One Defendant Pleads Guilty And Two Others Charged With Fraudulently Obtaining $59 Million In Public Benefits And Laundering Proceeds To China

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bruce Jin, age 60, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in the amount of approximately $59 million. The United States Attorney’s Office also announced that Jin was charged with those offenses in August 2023, along with Brian R. Cleland, age 71, and Carlos A. Grijalva, age 59. All three defendants are residents of the Los Angeles, California area. The indictment also contains additional wire fraud charges against Cleland and Jin individually.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Cleland, Jin, and Grijalva, along with other unnamed coconspirators, conspired to obtain state unemployment compensation funds, and other public funds, through fraudulent means. The indictment alleges that the defendants and others entered into a series of agreements to make it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment. In reality, the funds that the defendants obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits. The indictment alleges that Economic Impact Payments, or “stimulus payments,” were also obtained through fraudulent means.

According to the indictment, unnamed members of the conspiracy, including some believed to be located in China, established thousands of accounts at banks across the United States using the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims. From there, fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts, including accounts in the names of people residing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The indictment alleges that these fraudulent UC claims were also generated by fraudsters based in China. As a result of this fraudulent activity, millions of dollars in fraudulent UC payments were made by Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, and other states.

After UC funds were paid out, they were then transferred from identity theft victims’ accounts to companies controlled by Cleland, Jin, and Grijalva. For instance, Jin, through companies that he controlled known as Ample International and Jin Commerce, allegedly received over $12 million in UC funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. In addition, the defendants are alleged to have used ACH processing—a type of electronic bank-to-bank transfer—to obtain over $45 million in fraudulent funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. This money mostly went from the accounts of identity theft victims to companies controlled by Cleland and Grijalva, including MexUS Service, Group Mex USA, CCB Group, GC Accounting, and CLECO. After that, Cleland and Grijalva transferred over $30 million to Jin’s companies and over $6 million to a company controlled by an associate of Jin who is referred to in the indictment as COCONSPIRATOR 1. That associate’s company is known in the indictment as COMPANY 1.

After Jin received the fraudulent funds, either from identity theft victims’ accounts or from Cleland and Grijalva through ACH processing, he then made international wire transfers totaling over $35 million to a bank account in China associated with a company known in the indictment as COMPANY 2. COMPANY 2 is controlled by an individual known in the indictment as COCONSPIRATOR 2, who, like COMPANY 2, is allegedly located in China. Jin also transferred over $2 million directly to COCONSPIRATOR 2.

The indictment also contains forfeiture allegations seeking over $59 million in US currency, as well as the contents of three bank accounts belonging to COMPANY 1 and a property in Honolulu, Hawaii that was purchased by COCONSPIRATOR 1 using funds connected to the charged offenses.

During his guilty plea, Bruce Jin admitted to the conduct that he is alleged to have engaged in with Cleland, Grijalva, and COCONSPIRATOR 2, as described above.

Jin has been detained since his arrest in August 2023. Cleland and Grijalva have been released pending trial on conditions. Cleland and Grijalva have both pleaded not guilty to the charged offenses and are scheduled for trial in May 2025.

“The Department of Justice is committed to identifying and punishing those who defrauded pandemic-era benefits programs, regardless of where they are located,” said Mandy Riedel, Director, COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement. “I commend the hard work of the prosecutors and investigators in the Middle District of Pennsylvania who doggedly pursued these organized overseas criminals to seek justice and the return of stolen tax payer funds.”

“Bruce Jin and his co-defendants engaged in an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme that targeted multiple state workforce agencies, including the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry,” stated Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “Jin conspired to file fraudulent UI claims in the names of identity theft victims who were not entitled to such benefits. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who seek to exploit this critical benefit program.”

“The millions of dollars fraudulently obtained in this case were meant to support struggling Americans, not to be funneled overseas,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI is grateful for the ongoing collaboration of our partners as we work to hold accountable those who commit such egregious and complex financial crimes.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Attorney General has established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

The maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit money laundering is also 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. Announces Departure

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

Tenure Marked by Violent Crime Declines, White Collar Fraud Crackdown, Dismantling Drug Traffickers, and Expansion of Civil Rights

RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., announced today that he is stepping down on Monday, February 3, 2025, after leading the Office since November 2021. President Joseph Biden nominated Easley on September 28, 2021, and the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed him on November 21, 2021. He was officially sworn in on November 26, 2021.

“It has been the highest honor to serve as the top federal law enforcement official for Eastern North Carolina – a place I was born, raised, and am proud to call home,” said Easley. “The men and women of the Eastern District are among the hardest working in the nation – steadfast in the mission to keep America safe. Together, we helped drive down violent crime, turbocharged white-collar prosecutions, protected civil rights, and stemmed the tide of narcotics into our communities. We did it through partnering, shoulder to shoulder, with local law enforcement and community leaders to solve our region’s most challenging problems. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the prosecutors, judges, law enforcement, and staff who give so much to see justice done every day.”

“U.S. Attorney Easley is the kind of partner every sheriff hopes for – sharp, decisive, and committed to results. He didn’t just talk about law enforcement partnerships; he made them real, partnering with sheriffs for solutions and backing them up with action. Under his leadership, we made real progress— violent crime down, overdose deaths falling, and tighter collaboration. Easley set a new gold standard for what it means to lead in federal law enforcement,” said Eddie Caldwell, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the North Carolina Sheriffs Association.

“We are deeply grateful for the years that U.S. Attorney Easley served at the helm of the Eastern District of North Carolina. His leadership, particularly through collaborative efforts, like the VCAP initiative, played a critical role in prosecuting violent offenders. His work has significantly contributed to our goal of making Raleigh one of the safest cities in the nation. He will be greatly missed,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson.

Expansion of Resources to Make Communities Safer

U.S. Attorney Easley fought to significantly expand investigative and prosecutorial resources in the District, including a nearly 17% increase in prosecutors and new legal support staff and investigators. Much of the new personnel were allocated through a competitive national application process, with no district in the nation receiving more new prosecutors than the Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC). The Office’s productivity and strong law enforcement partnerships also led the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to add an additional team of agents to partner on violent crime reduction across the District.

Easley and his Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) team also worked with Department of Justice (DOJ) leadership to have Raleigh named a National Public Safety Partnership Site (PSP). The program aims to lower crime rates and improve quality of life through intensive training and technical assistance (TTA) to enhance gun violence investigations, constitutional policing, community engagement, crime analysis, and the use of technology in crime reduction.

Driving Down Violent Crime and Dismantling Drug Traffickers

Throughout his tenure, Easley and his team have led the charge to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in the District by launching a Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) with formal coordination sites in Raleigh, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Rocky Mount, New Bern, and the Albemarle Region. The VCAP strategy built deeper ties and sustained partnerships with law enforcement, with VCAP sites showing double-digit percentage declines in homicides since 2022, for example, Raleigh (↓37%), Fayetteville (↓39%), Wilmington (↓15%), and Rocky Mount (↓67%).

VCAP is a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local police departments, sheriff’s offices, and district attorney’s offices to identify and prosecute the most significant drivers of violence, specifically targeting shooters and the gunrunners who arm them. Notable cases include the 20-year sentence for a Crabtree Valley Mall robbery and the carjacking, the sentencing of a Crips Gang member for multi-state gun trafficking; the indictment of two Sampson County men allegedly responsible for a quintuple murder, the prosecution of gang members with fully-automatic machine guns; and gun smuggling to Mexico.

VCAP provides a forum for structured inter-agency coordination, intelligence-led policing, and deployment of federal Task Force Officers to bring federal technology to address local gun violence.

In 2022, 2023, and 2024, EDNC prosecuted over 850 individuals for firearms offenses and took over 750 guns off the streets.

In addition to VCAP, Easley revamped the Office’s Organized Crime & Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) by expanding the use of federal wiretaps, embedding federal agents alongside prosecutors, and increasing financial investigations. During Easley’s tenure, the Office achieved a #1 national rank for the number of OCDETF cases and #1 for the number of OCDETF defendants convicted of violence. Easley encouraged partners to prioritize national-scale cases with strong local impact, dismantling the trafficking, distribution, and money laundering pillars of criminal enterprises.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Notable cases include the 75-year sentence of a national leader of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club for narcotics trafficking and violence; the indictment of 16 members of the Hell’s Angels and Red Devils motorcycle gangs as part of an alleged violent criminal enterprise; the 40-year sentence for a narcotics trafficker operating from a daycare; the prosecution of the leader of white supremacist organization for armed drug trafficking; the 35-year sentence of a violent Fayetteville fentanyl trafficker; the conviction of a Raleigh Police officer for drug trafficking; the conviction of two fentanyl traffickers with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel; the conviction of a Rocky Mount Blood Gang leader for drug trafficking and COVID-19 fraud; the 40-year sentence of a drug trafficker linked to the murder, dismemberment and disposal of a confidential informant; the prosecution of a former Wayne County Sheriff’s deputy for drug trafficking and bid-rigging; and the 50-year sentence of a violent Sampson County Blood Gang leader for armed drug trafficking.

Attacking the Fentanyl Epidemic

Easley also prioritized the prosecution of cases involving counterfeit pills and overdose deaths arising from fentanyl poisoning. An Elizabeth City man was sentenced to 20 years for trafficking heroin and fentanyl after causing an overdose death, a Raleigh man received a 15-year sentence after assisting in the distribution of fentanyl that killed a young woman, and a Snapchat fentanyl trafficker whose counterfeit pills led to an overdose death received 13 years in prison.

To help local law enforcement get justice for victims of fentanyl poisoning and their families, Easley launched Overdose Death Investigation Trainings to train more than 200 law enforcement officers and prosecutors across the District on building fentanyl death cases.

Easley also worked to reduce demand for opioids through outreach and education through the Heroin Education Action Team (HEAT), including educational events in local communities and schools. The team launched a powerful new educational video to teach students and communities about the dangers.

Protecting America’s National Security, Sensitive Technology, and Cybersecurity

Under Easley’s leadership, the Office prioritized national security cases involving domestic and international terrorism, international cybercriminals, and protecting sensitive technology from foreign adversaries. The prosecutions included a man accused of attempting to join ISIS and convictions against five members of a white supremacist plot to attack the energy grid, an anti-government bombmaker teaching how to target law enforcement, and a U.S. Army Major convicted of shipping guns to Ghana. The Office also extradited and pursued a groundbreaking case against one of the FBI’s most wanted cybercriminals responsible for tens of millions of dollars in losses from widescale ransomware attacks, including on a hospital.

Easley also built deeper ties with the DOJ’s National Security Division and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry & Security to launch a Disruptive Technology Strike Force (DTSF) cell to protect innovation in the Research Triangle’s high-tech sector. The DTSF partners with law enforcement and industry to protect advanced technology from unlawful acquisition by foreign adversaries. As home to the Research Triangle Park, world-class research institutions, and some of the Department of Defense’s largest installations, the EDNC hosts critical technology that malign foreign actors seek to obtain. The Raleigh DTSF cell is only one of fifteen in the country.

Surge in White Collar Fraud and Corruption Enforcement

Under Easley’s leadership, the Office saw a significant surge in white-collar enforcement, with white-collar caseloads increasing 115% in a year. Cases included the prosecution of a former Morgan Stanley financial advisor who defrauded investors in a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, an ENT doctor sentenced to 25 years for defrauding Medicaid, a man who laundered $40mm in narco-linked crypto, and a plant manager who dumped tens of thousands of gallons of toxic waste into the Cape Fear River. The Office also prosecuted a $15-million-dollar COVID fraud scheme involving more than 20 businesses and individuals.

These cases arose from the launch of dedicated working groups focused on Securities Fraud, Money Laundering, Public Health, Environmental Crimes, and other priority areas. The Office also launched an annual Economic Crimes Summit to build deeper ties with investigators across about 30 different agencies.

Easley also launched an Illicit Finance Task Force with the Treasury Department to combat transnational money laundering by targeting third-party money launders and money-transmitting businesses utilizing cryptocurrency, banking, and brokerages to run dirty money through the American financial system.

Expanding Civil Rights Enforcement

Easley launched the Office’s first dedicated Civil Rights Team to enhance the Office’s civil rights enforcement. The team includes dedicated coordinators in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions and a designated Human Trafficking Coordinator. The Civil Rights Initiative emphasizes community engagement and law enforcement training.

As a part of the effort, the Office trained more than 200 officers in de-escalation, use of force, and community engagement strategies. The Office also hosted multiple outreach events through its United Against Hate Initiative to build stronger relationships between law enforcement and the community and to educate communities on how to identify and report hate crimes.

Easley also launched two human trafficking task forces – one in the Raleigh-Cary area and one in Southeastern North Carolina – to bring together law enforcement and community resources to share intelligence and investigative leads, provide specialized training, and promote greater public-private coordination to rescue and stabilize victims.

Strong Civil Practice

For the past three years, the EDNC’s Civil Division has ranked in the top 10 among large districts in the number of cases filed or responded to per AUSA. The Division has consistently ranked #1 in the Fourth Circuit for Affirmative Civil Rights and Affirmative Fraud cases and has ranked in the top five nationally compared to other large districts. EDNC’s Financial Litigation Program (FLP), responsible for collecting debts owed to the U.S. Government, collected over $58 million in the last three fiscal years.

About U.S. Attorney Easley

Prior to his appointment as the U.S. Attorney, Easley was a partner at a large international law firm focused on internal investigations and trial court work in state and federal courts.

Born in Southport, North Carolina, Easley attended the University of North Carolina, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors and distinction in political science. He later received his law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: Premium Income Corporation Announces Year End Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSX: PIC.A; PIC.PR.A) Premium Income Corporation today announces results of operations for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024. Increase in net assets attributable to holders of Class A shares amounted to $76.3 million or $4.34 per Class A share. Net assets attributable to holders of Class A shares were $83.6 million or $4.14 per Class A share. Cash distributions of $0.86 per Preferred share and $0.81 per Class A share were paid during the year.

Premium Income Corporation is a mutual fund corporation, which invests in a portfolio consisting principally of common shares of Bank of Montreal, The Bank of Nova Scotia, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, National Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, and the Toronto Dominion Bank. The Fund employs an active covered call writing strategy to enhance the income generated by the portfolio and to reduce volatility.

The investment portfolio of the Fund is managed by its investment manager, Mulvihill Capital Management Inc. The Fund’s Preferred and Class A shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols PIC.PR.A and PIC.A respectively.

Selected Financial Information: ($ Millions)

*Statement of Financial Position*		2024
*As at October 31*
Assets	$	397.4
Liabilities		(313.7)
Net Assets Attributable to
Holders of Class A Shares	$	83.6

*Statement of Comprehensive Income*
*Year ended October 31*
Income	$	96.8
Expenses		(4.3)
Operating Loss		92.4
Preferred Share Distributions		(16.1)
Increase in Net Assets Attributable
to Holders of Class A Shares	$	76.3

For further information, please contact Investor Relations at 416.681.3966, toll free at 1.800.725.7172 or visit www.mulvihill.com

John Germain, Senior Vice President & CFO	Mulvihill Capital Management Inc. 121 King Street West Suite 2600 Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3T9 416.681.3966; 1.800.725.7172 www.mulvihill.com info@mulvihill.com

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: Brookline Bancorp Announces Fourth Quarter Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Net Income of $17.5 million, EPS of $0.20

Operating Earnings of $20.7 million, Operating EPS of $0.23

Quarterly Dividend of $0.135

BOSTON, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brookline Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRKL) (the “Company”) today announced net income of $17.5 million, or $0.20 per basic and diluted share, and excluding $3.4 million of merger-related charges, operating earnings after tax (non-GAAP) of $20.7 million, or $0.23 per basic and diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to net income and operating earnings after tax (non-GAAP) of $20.1 million, or $0.23 per basic and diluted share, for the third quarter of 2024, and $22.9 million, or $0.26 per basic and diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2023.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company reported net income of $68.7 million, or $0.77 per basic and diluted share, compared to $75.0 million, or $0.85 per basic and diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company reported operating earnings after tax (non-GAAP) of $72.4 million, or $0.81 per basic and diluted share, compared to $92.9 million, or $1.05 per basic and diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Paul Perrault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the Company’s performance, “Brookline Bancorp had an excellent year in 2024. We finished the year with solid deposit and loan growth and are well positioned as we look forward to 2025. We are looking forward to 2025 and our recently announced strategic merger with Berkshire Hills Bancorp. I would like to recognize the contributions of our employees in contributing to our growth and success in 2024. Our employees exemplify the Brookline Bancorp culture of providing excellent customer service.”

BALANCE SHEET

Total assets at December 31, 2024 increased $228.6 million to $11.9 billion from $11.7 billion at September 30, 2024, and increased $523.1 million from $11.4 billion at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2024, total loans and leases were $9.8 billion, representing an increase of $24.1 million from September 30, 2024, and an increase of $137.7 million from December 31, 2023.

Total investment securities at December 31, 2024 increased $39.6 million to $895.0 million from $855.4 million at September 30, 2024, and decreased $21.6 million from $916.6 million at December 31, 2023. Total cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2024 increased $135.8 million to $543.7 million from $407.9 million at September 30, 2024, and increased $410.6 million from $133.0 million at December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2024, total investment securities and total cash and cash equivalents represented 12.1 percent of total assets, compared to 10.8 percent and 9.2 percent as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

Total deposits at December 31, 2024 increased $169.4 million to $8.9 billion from $8.7 billion at September 30, 2024, consisting of a $115.9 million increase in customer deposits and a $53.4 million increase in brokered deposits. Total deposits increased $353.5 million from $8.5 billion at December 31, 2023, primarily driven by growth in customer deposits.

Total borrowed funds at December 31, 2024 increased $22.3 million to $1.5 billion from September 30, 2024, and increased $143.2 million from $1.4 billion at December 31, 2023.

The ratio of stockholders’ equity to total assets was 10.26 percent at December 31, 2024, as compared to 10.54 percent at September 30, 2024, and 10.53 percent at December 31, 2023. The ratio of tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP) was 8.27 percent at December 31, 2024, as compared to 8.50 percent at September 30, 2024, and 8.39 percent at December 31, 2023. Tangible book value per common share (non-GAAP) decreased $0.08 from $10.89 at September 30, 2024 to $10.81 at December 31, 2024, and increased $0.31 from $10.50 at December 31, 2023.

NET INTEREST INCOME

Net interest income increased $2.0 million to $85.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 from $83.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. The net interest margin increased 5 basis points to 3.12 percent for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from 3.07 percent for the three months ended September 30, 2024, primarily driven by lower funding costs partially offset by lower yields on loans and leases.

NON-INTEREST INCOME

Total non-interest income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 increased $0.2 million to $6.6 million from $6.3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. The increase was primarily driven by an increase of $1.1 million in loan level derivative income, net, partially offset by a decline of $0.8 million in mark to market on interest rate swaps.

PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES

The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $4.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to $4.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. The decrease in the provision was largely driven by improving economic forecasts and stabilization in the volume of adversely graded credits.

Total net charge-offs for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $7.3 million, compared to $3.8 million in the third quarter of 2024. The $7.3 million in net charge-offs was driven by one large $5.1 million charge-off in equipment financing which was previously reserved for. The ratio of net loan and lease charge-offs to average loans and leases on an annualized basis increased to 30 basis points for the fourth quarter of 2024 from 16 basis points for the third quarter of 2024.

The allowance for loan and lease losses represented 1.28 percent of total loans and leases at December 31, 2024, compared to 1.31 percent at September 30, 2024, and 1.22 percent at December 31, 2023. The decrease in the ratio was driven by a reduction in specific reserves due to charge-offs in the quarter.

ASSET QUALITY

The ratio of total nonperforming loans and leases to total loans and leases was 0.71 percent at December 31, 2024 as compared to 0.73 percent at September 30, 2024. Total nonaccrual loans and leases decreased $1.9 million to $69.3 million at December 31, 2024 from $71.2 million at September 30, 2024. The ratio of nonperforming assets to total assets was 0.59 percent at December 31, 2024 as compared to 0.62 percent at September 30, 2024. Total nonperforming assets decreased $2.4 million to $70.5 million at December 31, 2024 from $72.8 million at September 30, 2024.

NON-INTEREST EXPENSE

Non-interest expense for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 increased $5.8 million to $63.7 million from $57.9 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. The increase was primarily driven by an increase of $3.4 million in merger and acquisition expense, and an increase of $2.1 million in compensation and employee benefits expense.

PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES

The effective tax rate was 26.4 percent and 25.1 percent for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024 compared to 24.7 percent for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 19.9 percent and 20.1 percent for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

RETURNS ON AVERAGE ASSETS AND AVERAGE EQUITY

The annualized return on average assets decreased to 0.61 percent during the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 0.70 percent for the third quarter of 2024; and was 0.60 percent for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 0.67 percent for the year ended December 31, 2023.

The annualized return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (non-GAAP) decreased to 7.21 percent during the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 8.44 percent for the third quarter of 2024; and was 7.24 percent for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 8.36 percent for the year ended December 31, 2023.

DIVIDEND DECLARED

The Company’s Board of Directors approved a dividend of $0.135 per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. The dividend will be paid on February 28, 2025 to stockholders of record on February 14, 2025.

PROPOSED TRANSACTION WITH BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC.

On December 16, 2024, the Company, Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (“Berkshire”), and Commerce Acquisition Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Berkshire formed solely to facilitate the merger (“Merger Sub”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”). The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Merger Sub will merge with and into Brookline, with Brookline as the surviving entity, and immediately thereafter, Brookline will merge with and into Berkshire, with Berkshire as the surviving entity (collectively, the “Merger”). As a result of the Merger, the separate corporate existence of the Company will cease, and Berkshire will continue as the surviving corporation. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, each outstanding share of Company common stock will be exchanged for the right to receive 0.42 shares of Berkshire common stock. Holders of Company common stock will receive cash in lieu of fractional shares of Berkshire common stock. As a result of the proposed transaction and a $100 million common stock offering by Berkshire to support the proposed transaction, Berkshire stockholders will own approximately 51%, Brookline stockholders will own approximately 45%, and investors in new shares will own approximately 4% of the outstanding shares of the combined company. The proposed transaction is expected to close by the end of the second half of 2025, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approvals from Berkshire and the Company stockholders.

CONFERENCE CALL

The Company will conduct a conference call/webcast at 1:30 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, January 30, 2025 to discuss the results for the quarter, business highlights and outlook. A copy of the Earnings Presentation is available on the Company’s website, www.brooklinebancorp.com. To listen to the call and view the Company’s Earnings Presentation, please join the call via https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/129324302. To listen to the call without access to the slides, please dial 833-470-1428 (United States) or 404-975-4839 (internationally) and ask for the Brookline Bancorp, Inc. call (Access Code 138268). A recording of the call will be available for one week following the call on the Company’s website under “Investor Relations” or by dialing 866-813-9403 (United States) or 929-458-6194 (internationally) and entering the passcode: 646121.

ABOUT BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC.

Brookline Bancorp, Inc., a bank holding company with approximately $11.9 billion in assets and branch locations in eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State, is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and operates as the holding company for Brookline Bank, Bank Rhode Island, and PCSB Bank. The Company provides commercial and retail banking services and cash management and investment services to customers throughout Central New England and the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State. More information about Brookline Bancorp, Inc. and its banks can be found at the following websites: www.brooklinebank.com, www.bankri.com and www.pcsb.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We may also make forward-looking statements in other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in our annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by our officers, directors or employees. You can identify forward looking statements by the use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “assume,” “outlook,” “will,” “should,” and other expressions that predict or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters, including statements regarding the Company’s business, credit quality, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. Forward-looking statements may differ, possibly materially, from what is included in this press release due to factors and future developments that are uncertain and beyond the scope of the Company’s control. These include, but are not limited to, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of the Company or Berkshire to terminate the merger agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Berkshire or Company; delays in completing the proposed transaction with Berkshire; the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals (and the risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed transaction) or stockholder approvals, or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all, including the ability of Berkshire and the Company to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the proposed transaction; the impact of certain restrictions during the pendency of the proposed transaction on the parties’ ability to pursue certain business opportunities and strategic transactions; diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; changes in interest rates; general economic conditions (including inflation and concerns about liquidity) on a national basis or in the local markets in which the Company operates; turbulence in the capital and debt markets; competitive pressures from other financial institutions; changes in consumer behavior due to changing political, business and economic conditions, or legislative or regulatory initiatives; changes in the value of securities and other assets in the Company’s investment portfolio; increases in loan and lease default and charge-off rates; the adequacy of allowances for loan and lease losses; decreases in deposit levels that necessitate increases in borrowing to fund loans and investments; operational risks including, but not limited to, cybersecurity incidents, fraud, natural disasters, and future pandemics; changes in regulation; the possibility that future credit losses may be higher than currently expected due to changes in economic assumptions and adverse economic developments; the risk that goodwill and intangibles recorded in the Company’s financial statements will become impaired; and changes in assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which are difficult to predict. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of, among others, the risks outlined in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings submitted to the SEC. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) as set forth by the Financial Accounting Standards Board in its Accounting Standards Codification and through the rules and interpretive releases of the SEC under the authority of federal securities laws. Certain amounts previously reported have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

The Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as operating earnings after tax, operating earnings per common share, operating return on average assets, operating return on average tangible assets, operating return on average stockholders’ equity, operating return on average tangible stockholders’ equity, tangible book value per common share, tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets, return on average tangible assets (annualized) and return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized). These non-GAAP financial measures provide information for investors to effectively analyze financial trends of ongoing business activities, and to enhance comparability with peers across the financial services sector. A detailed reconciliation table of the Company’s GAAP to the non-GAAP measures is attached.

INVESTOR RELATIONS:

Contact:

Carl M. Carlson
Brookline Bancorp, Inc.
Co-President and Chief Financial and Strategy Officer
(617) 425-5331
carl.carlson@brkl.com


BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Selected Financial Highlights (Unaudited)

	At and for the Three Months Ended															At and for the Twelve Months Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
	(Dollars In Thousands Except per Share Data)
Earnings Data:
Net interest income	$	84,988		$	83,008		$	80,001		$	81,588		$	83,555		$	329,585		$	339,711
Provision for credit losses on loans		4,141			4,832			5,607			7,423			3,851			22,003			37,868
Provision (credit) for credit losses on investments		(104	)		(172	)		(39	)		(44	)		(76	)		(359	)		339
Non-interest income		6,587			6,348			6,396			6,284			8,027			25,615			31,934
Non-interest expense		63,719			57,948			59,184			61,014			59,244			241,865			239,524
Income before provision for income taxes		23,819			26,748			21,645			19,479			28,563			91,691			93,914
Net income		17,536			20,142			16,372			14,665			22,888			68,715			74,999

Performance Ratios:
Net interest margin (1)		3.12	%		3.07	%		3.00	%		3.06	%		3.15	%		3.06	%		3.24	%
Interest-rate spread (1)		2.35	%		2.26	%		2.14	%		2.21	%		2.39	%		2.24	%		2.50	%
Return on average assets (annualized)		0.61	%		0.70	%		0.57	%		0.51	%		0.81	%		0.60	%		0.67	%
Return on average tangible assets (annualized) (non-GAAP)		0.62	%		0.72	%		0.59	%		0.53	%		0.83	%		0.61	%		0.69	%
Return on average stockholders’ equity (annualized)		5.69	%		6.63	%		5.49	%		4.88	%		7.82	%		5.67	%		6.42	%
Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized) (non-GAAP)		7.21	%		8.44	%		7.04	%		6.26	%		10.12	%		7.24	%		8.36	%
Efficiency ratio (2)		69.58	%		64.85	%		68.50	%		69.44	%		64.69	%		68.09	%		64.45	%

Per Common Share Data:
Net income — Basic	$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18		$	0.16		$	0.26		$	0.77		$	0.85
Net income — Diluted		0.20			0.23			0.18			0.16			0.26			0.77			0.85
Cash dividends declared		0.135			0.135			0.135			0.135			0.135			0.540			0.540
Book value per share (end of period)		13.71			13.81			13.48			13.43			13.48			13.71			13.48
Tangible book value per common share (end of period) (non-GAAP)		10.81			10.89			10.53			10.47			10.50			10.81			10.50
Stock price (end of period)		11.80			10.09			8.35			9.96			10.91			11.80			10.91

Balance Sheet:
Total assets	$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292		$	11,542,731		$	11,382,256		$	11,905,326		$	11,382,256
Total loans and leases		9,779,288			9,755,236			9,721,137			9,655,086			9,641,589			9,779,288			9,641,589
Total deposits		8,901,644			8,732,271			8,737,036			8,718,653			8,548,125			8,901,644			8,548,125
Total stockholders’ equity		1,221,939			1,230,362			1,198,480			1,194,231			1,198,644			1,221,939			1,198,644

Asset Quality:
Nonperforming assets	$	70,452		$	72,821		$	62,683		$	42,489		$	45,324		$	70,452		$	45,324
Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets		0.59	%		0.62	%		0.54	%		0.37	%		0.40	%		0.59	%		0.40	%
Allowance for loan and lease losses	$	125,083		$	127,316		$	121,750		$	120,124		$	117,522		$	125,083		$	117,522
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases		1.28	%		1.31	%		1.25	%		1.24	%		1.22	%		1.28	%		1.22	%
Net loan and lease charge-offs	$	7,252		$	3,808		$	8,387		$	8,781		$	7,141		$	28,228		$	19,663
Net loan and lease charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases (annualized)		0.30	%		0.16	%		0.35	%		0.36	%		0.30	%		0.29	%		0.21	%

Capital Ratios:
Stockholders’ equity to total assets		10.26	%		10.54	%		10.30	%		10.35	%		10.53	%		10.26	%		10.53	%
Tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP)		8.27	%		8.50	%		8.23	%		8.25	%		8.39	%		8.27	%		8.39	%

(1) Calculated on a fully tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Calculated as non-interest expense as a percentage of net interest income plus non-interest income.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
ASSETS	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Cash and due from banks	$	64,673		$	82,168		$	60,067		$	45,708		$	34,514
Short-term investments		478,997			325,721			283,017			256,178			98,513
Total cash and cash equivalents		543,670			407,889			343,084			301,886			133,027
Investment securities available-for-sale		895,034			855,391			856,439			865,798			916,601
Total investment securities		895,034			855,391			856,439			865,798			916,601
Allowance for investment security losses		(82	)		(186	)		(359	)		(398	)		(441	)
Net investment securities		894,952			855,205			856,080			865,400			916,160
Loans and leases held-for-sale		—			—			—			6,717			—
Loans and leases:
Commercial real estate loans		5,716,114			5,779,290			5,782,111			5,755,239			5,764,529
Commercial loans and leases		2,506,664			2,453,038			2,443,530			2,416,904			2,399,668
Consumer loans		1,556,510			1,522,908			1,495,496			1,482,943			1,477,392
Total loans and leases		9,779,288			9,755,236			9,721,137			9,655,086			9,641,589
Allowance for loan and lease losses		(125,083	)		(127,316	)		(121,750	)		(120,124	)		(117,522	)
Net loans and leases		9,654,205			9,627,920			9,599,387			9,534,962			9,524,067
Restricted equity securities		83,155			82,675			78,963			74,709			77,595
Premises and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation		86,781			86,925			88,378			89,707			89,853
Right-of-use asset operating leases		43,527			41,934			35,691			33,133			30,863
Deferred tax asset		56,620			50,827			60,032			60,484			56,952
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization		17,461			19,162			20,830			22,499			24,207
Other real estate owned and repossessed assets		1,103			1,579			1,974			1,817			1,694
Other assets		282,630			261,383			309,651			310,195			286,616
Total assets	$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292		$	11,542,731		$	11,382,256
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Deposits:
Demand checking accounts	$	1,692,394		$	1,681,858		$	1,638,378		$	1,629,371		$	1,678,406
NOW accounts		617,246			637,374			647,370			654,748			661,863
Savings accounts		1,721,247			1,736,989			1,735,857			1,727,893			1,669,018
Money market accounts		2,116,360			2,041,185			2,073,557			2,065,569			2,082,810
Certificate of deposit accounts		1,885,444			1,819,353			1,718,414			1,670,147			1,574,855
Brokered deposit accounts		868,953			815,512			923,460			970,925			881,173
Total deposits		8,901,644			8,732,271			8,737,036			8,718,653			8,548,125
Borrowed funds:
Advances from the FHLB		1,355,926			1,345,003			1,265,079			1,150,153			1,223,226
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,328			84,293			84,258			84,223			84,188
Other borrowed funds		79,592			68,251			80,125			127,505			69,256
Total borrowed funds		1,519,846			1,497,547			1,429,462			1,361,881			1,376,670
Operating lease liabilities		44,785			43,266			37,102			34,235			31,998
Mortgagors’ escrow accounts		15,875			14,456			17,117			16,245			17,239
Reserve for unfunded credits		5,981			6,859			11,400			15,807			19,767
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		195,256			151,960			204,695			201,679			189,813
Total liabilities		10,683,387			10,446,359			10,436,812			10,348,500			10,183,612
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, and 96,998,075 shares issued, respectively		970			970			970			970			970
Additional paid-in capital		902,584			901,562			904,775			903,726			902,659
Retained earnings		458,943			453,555			445,560			441,285			438,722
Accumulated other comprehensive income		(52,882	)		(38,081	)		(61,693	)		(60,841	)		(52,798	)
Treasury stock, at cost;
7,019,384 shares, 7,015,843 shares, 7,373,009 shares, 7,354,399 shares, and 7,354,399 shares, respectively		(87,676	)		(87,644	)		(91,132	)		(90,909	)		(90,909	)
Total stockholders’ equity		1,221,939			1,230,362			1,198,480			1,194,231			1,198,644
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292		$	11,542,731		$	11,382,256

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Interest and dividend income:
Loans and leases	$	147,436		$	149,643		$	145,585		$	145,265		$	142,948
Debt securities		6,421			6,473			6,480			6,878			6,945
Restricted equity securities		1,460			1,458			1,376			1,492			1,333
Short-term investments		2,830			1,986			1,914			1,824			1,093
Total interest and dividend income		158,147			159,560			155,355			155,459			152,319
Interest expense:
Deposits		56,562			59,796			59,721			56,884			54,034
Borrowed funds		16,597			16,756			15,633			16,987			14,730
Total interest expense		73,159			76,552			75,354			73,871			68,764
Net interest income		84,988			83,008			80,001			81,588			83,555
Provision for credit losses on loans		4,141			4,832			5,607			7,423			3,851
Credit for credit losses on investments		(104	)		(172	)		(39	)		(44	)		(76	)
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		80,951			78,348			74,433			74,209			79,780
Non-interest income:
Deposit fees		2,297			2,353			3,001			2,897			3,064
Loan fees		439			464			702			789			515
Loan level derivative income, net		1,115			—			106			437			778
Gain on sales of loans and leases		406			415			130			—			410
Other		2,330			3,116			2,457			2,161			3,260
Total non-interest income		6,587			6,348			6,396			6,284			8,027
Non-interest expense:
Compensation and employee benefits		37,202			35,130			34,762			36,629			35,401
Occupancy		5,393			5,343			5,551			5,769			5,127
Equipment and data processing		6,780			6,831			6,732			7,031			7,245
Professional services		1,345			2,143			1,745			1,900			1,442
FDIC insurance		2,017			2,118			2,025			1,884			1,839
Advertising and marketing		1,303			859			1,504			1,574			758
Amortization of identified intangible assets		1,701			1,668			1,669			1,708			1,965
Merger and restructuring expense		3,378			—			823			—			—
Other		4,600			3,856			4,373			4,519			5,467
Total non-interest expense		63,719			57,948			59,184			61,014			59,244
Income before provision for income taxes		23,819			26,748			21,645			19,479			28,563
Provision for income taxes		6,283			6,606			5,273			4,814			5,675
Net income	$	17,536		$	20,142		$	16,372		$	14,665		$	22,888
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18		$	0.16		$	0.26
Diluted	$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18		$	0.16		$	0.26
Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic		89,098,443			89,033,463			88,904,692			88,894,577			88,867,159
Diluted		89,483,964			89,319,611			89,222,315			89,181,508			89,035,505
Dividends paid per common share	$	0.135		$	0.135		$	0.135		$	0.135		$	0.135

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

	Twelve Months Ended December 31,
	2024			2023
	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Interest and dividend income:
Loans and leases	$	587,929		$	533,739
Debt securities		26,252			29,648
Restricted equity securities		5,786			5,571
Short-term investments		8,554			8,329
Total interest and dividend income		628,521			577,287
Interest expense:
Deposits		232,963			175,665
Borrowed funds		65,973			61,911
Total interest expense		298,936			237,576
Net interest income		329,585			339,711
Provision for credit losses on loans		22,003			37,868
(Credit) provision for credit losses on investments		(359	)		339
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		307,941			301,504
Non-interest income:
Deposit fees		10,548			11,611
Loan fees		2,394			2,036
Loan level derivative income, net		1,658			3,890
Gain on investment securities, net		—			1,704
Gain on sales of loans and leases		951			2,581
Other		10,064			10,112
Total non-interest income		25,615			31,934
Non-interest expense:
Compensation and employee benefits		143,723			138,895
Occupancy		22,056			20,203
Equipment and data processing		27,374			27,004
Professional services		7,133			7,226
FDIC insurance		8,044			7,844
Advertising and marketing		5,240			4,724
Amortization of identified intangible assets		6,746			7,840
Merger and restructuring expense		4,201			7,411
Other		17,348			18,377
Total non-interest expense		241,865			239,524
Income before provision for income taxes		91,691			93,914
Provision for income taxes		22,976			18,915
Net income	$	68,715		$	74,999
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.77		$	0.85
Diluted	$	0.77		$	0.85
Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic		88,983,248			88,230,681
Diluted		89,302,304			88,450,646
Dividends paid per common share	$	0.540		$	0.540

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Asset Quality Analysis (Unaudited)

	At and for the Three Months Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
	(Dollars in Thousands)
NONPERFORMING ASSETS:
Loans and leases accounted for on a nonaccrual basis:
Commercial real estate mortgage	$	11,525		$	11,595		$	11,659		$	18,394		$	19,608
Multi-family mortgage		6,596			1,751			—			—			—
Construction		—			—			—			—			—
Total commercial real estate loans		18,121			13,346			11,659			18,394			19,608

Commercial		14,676			15,734			16,636			3,096			3,886
Equipment financing		31,509			37,223			27,128			13,668			14,984
Total commercial loans and leases		46,185			52,957			43,764			16,764			18,870

Residential mortgage		3,999			3,862			4,495			4,563			4,292
Home equity		1,043			1,076			790			950			860
Other consumer		1			1			1			1			—
Total consumer loans		5,043			4,939			5,286			5,514			5,152

Total nonaccrual loans and leases		69,349			71,242			60,709			40,672			43,630

Other real estate owned		700			780			780			780			780
Other repossessed assets		403			799			1,194			1,037			914
Total nonperforming assets	$	70,452		$	72,821		$	62,683		$	42,489		$	45,324

Loans and leases past due greater than 90 days and still accruing	$	811		$	16,091		$	4,994		$	363		$	228

Nonperforming loans and leases as a percentage of total loans and leases		0.71	%		0.73	%		0.62	%		0.42	%		0.45	%
Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets		0.59	%		0.62	%		0.54	%		0.37	%		0.40	%

PROVISION AND ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN AND LEASE LOSSES:
Allowance for loan and lease losses at beginning of period	$	127,316		$	121,750		$	120,124		$	117,522		$	119,081
Charge-offs		(8,414	)		(4,183	)		(8,823	)		(5,390	)		(7,722	)
Recoveries		1,162			375			436			309			581
Net charge-offs		(7,252	)		(3,808	)		(8,387	)		(5,081	)		(7,141	)
Provision for loan and lease losses excluding unfunded commitments *		5,019			9,374			10,013			7,683			5,582
Allowance for loan and lease losses at end of period	$	125,083		$	127,316		$	121,750		$	120,124		$	117,522

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases		1.28	%		1.31	%		1.25	%		1.24	%		1.22	%

NET CHARGE-OFFS:
Commercial real estate loans	$	—		$	—		$	3,819		$	606		$	1,087
Commercial loans and leases **		7,257			3,797			4,571			8,179			6,061
Consumer loans		(5	)		11			(3	)		(4	)		(7	)
Total net charge-offs	$	7,252		$	3,808		$	8,387		$	8,781		$	7,141

Net loan and lease charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases (annualized)		0.30	%		0.16	%		0.35	%		0.36	%		0.30	%

*Provision for loan and lease losses does not include (credit) provision of $(0.9 million), $(4.5 million), $(4.4 million), $(0.3 million), and $(1.7 million) for credit losses on unfunded commitments during the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024, March 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively.
** The balance at March 31, 2024 includes a $3.7 million charge-off on a letter of credit which impacted the provision.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Average Yields / Costs (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended
	December 31, 2024						September 30, 2024						December 31, 2023
	Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost
	(Dollars in Thousands)
Assets:
Interest-earning assets:
Investments:
Debt securities (2)	$	856,065	$	6,463	3.02	%	$	853,924	$	6,516	3.05	%	$	876,350	$	6,986	3.19	%
Restricted equity securities (2)		75,879		1,459	7.69	%		75,225		1,459	7.76	%		67,567		1,334	7.90	%
Short-term investments		236,784		2,830	4.78	%		145,838		1,986	5.44	%		85,790		1,093	5.09	%
Total investments		1,168,728		10,752	3.68	%		1,074,987		9,961	3.71	%		1,029,707		9,413	3.66	%
Loans and Leases:
Commercial real estate loans (3)		5,752,591		81,195	5.52	%		5,772,456		83,412	5.65	%		5,727,930		81,653	5.58	%
Commercial loans (3)		1,170,295		19,750	6.61	%		1,079,084		18,440	6.69	%		969,603		16,296	6.58	%
Equipment financing (3)		1,310,143		26,295	8.03	%		1,353,649		26,884	7.94	%		1,347,589		25,211	7.48	%
Consumer loans (3)		1,529,654		20,881	5.44	%		1,505,095		21,123	5.60	%		1,475,580		19,888	5.37	%
Total loans and leases		9,762,683		148,121	6.07	%		9,710,284		149,859	6.17	%		9,520,702		143,048	6.01	%
Total interest-earning assets		10,931,411		158,873	5.81	%		10,785,271		159,820	5.93	%		10,550,409		152,461	5.78	%
Non-interest-earning assets		649,161						666,067						721,532
Total assets	$	11,580,572					$	11,451,338					$	11,271,941

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Deposits:
NOW accounts	$	630,408		1,056	0.67	%	$	639,561		1,115	0.69	%	$	657,134		1,146	0.69	%
Savings accounts		1,741,355		10,896	2.49	%		1,738,756		12,098	2.77	%		1,658,144		10,684	2.56	%
Money market accounts		2,083,033		13,856	2.65	%		2,038,048		15,466	3.02	%		2,140,225		16,239	3.01	%
Certificates of deposit		1,857,483		20,691	4.43	%		1,768,026		20,054	4.51	%		1,530,772		14,517	3.76	%
Brokered deposit accounts		797,910		10,063	5.02	%		841,067		11,063	5.23	%		880,604		11,448	5.16	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		7,110,189		56,562	3.16	%		7,025,458		59,796	3.39	%		6,866,879		54,034	3.12	%
Borrowings:
Advances from the FHLB		1,144,157		13,958	4.77	%		1,139,049		14,366	4.94	%		965,846		11,943	4.84	%
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,311		1,944	9.22	%		84,276		1,378	6.54	%		84,170		1,381	6.56	%
Other borrowed funds		65,947		695	4.20	%		53,102		1,012	7.58	%		136,566		1,406	4.09	%
Total borrowings		1,294,415		16,597	5.02	%		1,276,427		16,756	5.14	%		1,186,582		14,730	4.86	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		8,404,604		73,159	3.46	%		8,301,885		76,552	3.67	%		8,053,461		68,764	3.39	%
Non-interest-bearing liabilities:
Demand checking accounts		1,693,138						1,669,092						1,723,849
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		250,303						264,324						323,855
Total liabilities		10,348,045						10,235,301						10,101,165
Stockholders’ equity		1,232,527						1,216,037						1,170,776
Total liabilities and equity	$	11,580,572					$	11,451,338					$	11,271,941
Net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) /Interest-rate spread (4)				85,714	2.35	%				83,268	2.26	%				83,697	2.39	%
Less adjustment of tax-exempt income				726						260						142
Net interest income			$	84,988					$	83,008					$	83,555
Net interest margin (5)					3.12	%					3.07	%					3.15	%

(1) Tax-exempt income on debt securities, equity securities and revenue bonds included in commercial real estate loans is included on a tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Average balances include unrealized gains (losses) on investment securities. Dividend payments may not be consistent and average yield on equity securities may vary from month to month.
(3) Loans on nonaccrual status are included in the average balances.
(4) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
(5) Net interest margin represents net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) divided by average interest-earning assets.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Average Yields / Costs (Unaudited)

	Twelve Months Ended
	December 31, 2024						December 31, 2023
	Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost
	(Dollars in Thousands)
Assets:
Interest-earning assets:
Investments:
Debt securities (2)	$	862,381	$	26,416	3.06	%	$	947,782	$	29,891	3.15	%
Restricted equity securities (2)		74,788		5,786	7.74	%		72,264		5,572	7.71	%
Short-term investments		164,445		8,554	5.20	%		158,718		8,329	5.25	%
Total investments		1,101,614		40,756	3.70	%		1,178,764		43,792	3.72	%
Loans and Leases:
Commercial real estate loans (3)		5,760,432		327,221	5.59	%		5,654,385		307,652	5.37	%
Commercial loans (3)		1,086,460		73,369	6.65	%		929,077		59,110	6.28	%
Equipment financing (3)		1,352,993		106,329	7.86	%		1,277,224		92,112	7.21	%
Consumer loans (3)		1,501,626		82,273	5.47	%		1,470,677		75,098	5.10	%
Total loans and leases		9,701,511		589,192	6.07	%		9,331,363		533,972	5.72	%
Total interest-earning assets		10,803,125		629,948	5.83	%		10,510,127		577,764	5.50	%
Non-interest-earning assets		670,299						704,244
Total assets	$	11,473,424					$	11,214,371

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Deposits:
NOW accounts	$	650,225		4,543	0.70	%	$	720,572		4,275	0.59	%
Savings accounts		1,726,504		46,220	2.68	%		1,439,293		27,974	1.94	%
Money market accounts		2,056,066		60,796	2.96	%		2,205,430		58,153	2.64	%
Certificates of deposit		1,737,697		76,134	4.38	%		1,428,727		44,122	3.09	%
Brokered deposit accounts		873,182		45,270	5.18	%		819,419		41,141	5.02	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		7,043,674		232,963	3.31	%		6,613,441		175,665	2.66	%
Borrowings:
Advances from the FHLB		1,124,432		55,851	4.89	%		1,092,996		52,467	4.73	%
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,258		6,074	7.21	%		84,116		5,476	6.51	%
Other borrowed funds		78,859		4,048	5.13	%		124,793		3,968	3.18	%
Total borrowings		1,287,549		65,973	5.04	%		1,301,905		61,911	4.69	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		8,331,223		298,936	3.59	%		7,915,346		237,576	3.00	%
Non-interest-bearing liabilities:
Demand checking accounts		1,657,922						1,823,759
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		273,243						307,160
Total liabilities		10,262,388						10,046,265
Stockholders’ equity		1,211,036						1,168,106
Total liabilities and equity	$	11,473,424					$	11,214,371
Net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) /Interest-rate spread (4)				331,012	2.24	%				340,188	2.50	%
Less adjustment of tax-exempt income				1,427						477
Net interest income			$	329,585					$	339,711
Net interest margin (5)					3.06	%					3.24	%

(1) Tax-exempt income on debt securities, equity securities and revenue bonds included in commercial real estate loans is included on a tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Average balances include unrealized gains (losses) on investment securities. Dividend payments may not be consistent and average yield on equity securities may vary from month to month.
(3) Loans on nonaccrual status are included in the average balances.
(4) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
(5) Net interest margin represents net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) divided by average interest-earning assets.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)

										At and for the Three Months Ended December 31,						At and for the Twelve Months Ended December 31,
										2024			2023			2024			2023
Reconciliation Table – Non-GAAP Financial Information										(Dollars in Thousands Except Share Data)

Reported Pretax Income										$	23,819		$	28,563		$	91,691		$	93,914
Less:
Security gains											—			—			—			1,704
Add:
Day 1 PCSB CECL provision											—			—			—			16,744
Merger and acquisition expenses											3,378			—			4,201			7,411
Operating Pretax income										$	27,197		$	28,563		$	95,892		$	116,365
Effective tax rate											23.9	%		19.9	%		24.5	%		20.1	%
Provision for income tax											6,511			5,675			23,480			23,437
Operating earnings after tax										$	20,686		$	22,888		$	72,412		$	92,928

Operating earnings per common share:
Basic										$	0.23		$	0.26		$	0.81		$	1.05
Diluted										$	0.23		$	0.26		$	0.81		$	1.05

Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic											89,098,443			88,867,159			88,983,248			88,230,681
Diluted											89,483,964			89,035,505			89,302,304			88,450,646


Return on average assets *											0.61	%		0.81	%		0.60	%		0.67	%
Less:
Security gains (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.01	%
Add:
Day 1 PCSB CECL provision (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.12	%
Merger and acquisition expenses (after-tax) *											0.09	%		—	%		0.03	%		0.05	%
Operating return on average assets *											0.70	%		0.81	%		0.63	%		0.83	%


Return on average tangible assets *											0.62	%		0.83	%		0.61	%		0.69	%
Less:
Security gains (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.01	%
Add:
Day 1 PCSB CECL provision (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.12	%
Merger and acquisition expenses (after-tax) *											0.09	%		—	%		0.03	%		0.05	%
Operating return on average tangible assets *											0.71	%		0.83	%		0.64	%		0.85	%


Return on average stockholders’ equity *											5.69	%		7.82	%		5.67	%		6.42	%
Less:
Security gains (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.12	%
Add:
Day 1 PCSB CECL provision (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		1.14	%
Merger and acquisition expenses (after-tax) *											0.83	%		—	%		0.26	%		0.51	%
Operating return on average stockholders’ equity *											6.52	%		7.82	%		5.93	%		7.95	%


Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity *											7.21	%		10.12	%		7.24	%		8.36	%
Less:
Security gains (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		0.15	%
Add:
Day 1 PCSB CECL provision (after-tax) *											—	%		—	%		—	%		1.49	%
Merger and acquisition expenses (after-tax) *											1.06	%		—	%		0.33	%		0.66	%
Operating return on average tangible stockholders’ equity *											8.27	%		10.12	%		7.57	%		10.36	%
* Ratios at and for the three months ended are annualized.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)

	At and for the Three Months Ended															At and for the Twelve Months Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
	(Dollars in Thousands)

Net income, as reported	$	17,536		$	20,142		$	16,372		$	14,665		$	22,888		$	68,715		$	74,999

Average total assets	$	11,580,572		$	11,451,338		$	11,453,394		$	11,417,185		$	11,271,941		$	11,473,424		$	11,214,371
Less: Average goodwill and average identified intangible assets, net		259,496			261,188			262,859			264,536			266,225			262,011			270,637
Average tangible assets	$	11,321,076		$	11,190,150		$	11,190,535		$	11,152,649		$	11,005,716		$	11,211,413		$	10,943,734

Return on average tangible assets (annualized)		0.62	%		0.72	%		0.59	%		0.53	%		0.83	%		0.61	%		0.69	%

Average total stockholders’ equity	$	1,232,527		$	1,216,037		$	1,193,385		$	1,201,904		$	1,170,776		$	1,211,036		$	1,168,106
Less: Average goodwill and average identified intangible assets, net		259,496			261,188			262,859			264,536			266,225			262,011			270,637
Average tangible stockholders’ equity	$	973,031		$	954,849		$	930,526		$	937,368		$	904,551		$	949,025		$	897,469

Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized)		7.21	%		8.44	%		7.04	%		6.26	%		10.12	%		7.24	%		8.36	%

Total stockholders’ equity	$	1,221,939		$	1,230,362		$	1,198,480		$	1,194,231		$	1,198,644		$	1,221,939		$	1,198,644
Less:
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net		17,461			19,162			20,830			22,499			24,207			17,461			24,207
Tangible stockholders’ equity	$	963,256		$	969,978		$	936,428		$	930,510		$	933,215		$	963,256		$	933,215

Total assets	$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292		$	11,542,731		$	11,382,256		$	11,905,326		$	11,382,256
Less:
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net		17,461			19,162			20,830			22,499			24,207			17,461			24,207
Tangible assets	$	11,646,643		$	11,416,337		$	11,373,240		$	11,279,010		$	11,116,827		$	11,646,643		$	11,116,827

Tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets		8.27	%		8.50	%		8.23	%		8.25	%		8.39	%		8.27	%		8.39	%

Tangible stockholders’ equity	$	963,256		$	969,978		$	936,428		$	930,510		$	933,215		$	963,256		$	933,215

Number of common shares issued		96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075
Less:
Treasury shares		7,019,384			7,015,843			7,373,009			7,354,399			7,354,399			7,019,384			7,354,399
Unvested restricted shares		880,248			883,789			713,443			749,099			749,099			880,248			749,099
Number of common shares outstanding		89,098,443			89,098,443			88,911,623			88,894,577			88,894,577			89,098,443			88,894,577

Tangible book value per common share	$	10.81		$	10.89		$	10.53		$	10.47		$	10.50		$	10.81		$	10.50

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/396afece-df5e-4cc5-a637-0706599b2b0d

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Global: Meditation and mindfulness at work are welcome, but do they help avoid accountability for toxic culture?

Source: The Conversation – France (in French) – By Raysa Geaquinto Rocha, Assistant Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and lecturer, University of Essex

In an age when home offices, hybrid work arrangements and blurred boundaries between work and personal life are the norm, a recently established narrative is intensifying: the integration of spirituality into business.

This idea involves deliberately incorporating personal values and meaningful purpose into all aspects of organisational life – from individual expression to workplace practices and corporate identity. It’s an approach that seeks to cultivate environments where employees can find deeper meaning in their work while contributing to both economic and social progress, as my past research in the Journal of Business Ethics shows.

Spirituality in business transcends traditional management methods by acknowledging the inner lives of workers, promoting their personal growth and fostering genuine community connections. According to a 2016 interview with Eileen Fisher, the founder and then CEO of a $450-million fashion brand, company meetings opened with the ring of a meditation bell followed by a minute of silence. Fisher said the practice allows employees “to get in touch with what they’re there for and what matters to them and show up a little differently” and has contributed to the company’s recognised leadership in sustainability and women’s advocacy.

But are all corporate efforts like these genuine attempts to foster well-being, or can they instead be strategies to rebrand productivity demands?

Spiritual well-being in business

The incorporation of spirituality into the workplace represents a shift in how businesses approach leadership, employee wellbeing and corporate culture.

Take ice-cream maker Ben & Jerry’s partnership with Greyston Bakery, a leader in social enterprise. Under their “linked prosperity” model, Ben & Jerry’s sources all brownies for its Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavour from Greyston, which operates with an “open hiring” policy that does not require a background check for applicants and provides “help with child care, housing and ESL (English as a second language) classes”. The partnership shows how valuing human dignity and community empowerment can reshape conventional business practices into drivers of social change.

Spiritual integration manifests in plenty of other ways, too. Morning gatherings can become spaces for shared reflection rather than mere status updates. Dedicated quiet rooms can offer sanctuary for contemplation or prayer. Through mentorship relationships and community service initiatives, workplaces can evolve into environments where individuals can explore deeper questions about purpose. US outdoor clothing company Patagonia describes how it offers paid environmental internships and flexible policies that enable employees to align their work lives with how they see their authentic selves. These offerings reflect the idea that while people come to work to earn a living, they stay and thrive when work nourishes their spirit.

The trend of integrating spirituality into the workplace taps into the practical wisdom of spiritual traditions, honed over millennia, to foster attributes like mindfulness, compassion and interconnectedness. But despite its benefits, integration – or lip service to it – risks becoming a convenient excuse for businesses to shift the responsibility for stress and burn-out onto employees instead of addressing systemic issues.

The rise and fall of WeWork illustrates this phenomenon. As documented in both Hulu’s “WeWork: or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn” and Apple TV+’s dramatic series “WeCrashed”, the workspace company masterfully leveraged spiritual rhetoric to attract young professionals. While the company promoted meditation spaces and wellness initiatives, these benefits masked issues including unsustainable work expectations, questionable management practices and a sexual assault claim. The disconnect between WeWork’s offerings and operational reality demonstrates how companies can appropriate spiritual practices only as a veneer.

When suits start talking spirit

When McKinsey & Company, a US management consulting firm that epitomizes corporate pragmatism, releases a podcast titled “Beyond 9 to 5: The power of spiritual health in the workplace”, it is clear that spirituality in business has moved beyond the fringe.

McKinsey’s global survey of 41,000 respondents, detailed in their May 2024 report “In search of self and something bigger: A spiritual health exploration”, found that spiritual health matters deeply to employees. But does this data reflect a genuine commitment to spirituality, or is it just a reflection of its currency in the corporate world?

After almost half a century of research on spirituality in business, it has become a mature field. The Academy of Management, “an association for management and organizational scholars”, recognised Management, Spirituality, and Religion as a Division, [“reflecting”] a broad range of member interests”. Still, the corporate world’s interest is raising eyebrows: the suspicion remains that spirituality is merely being repackaged as a tool for enhancing productivity. In his 2019 book “McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality”, Ronald Purser illustrates this concern through Google’s “Search Inside Yourself” programme. While marketed as a path to employee wellness, the initiative exemplifies how meditation and mindfulness can be transformed into performance-enhancement tools, asking workers to develop “resilience” rather than addressing the root causes of workplace stress.

The whole self at work

The concept of bringing one’s “whole self” to work – a cornerstone of the Industry 5.0 concept promoted by the European Commission – emphasises employee authenticity. The idea of spirituality in the workplace intertwines with the idea of authentic self-expression, encompassing the recognition of one’s beliefs, values and quest for deeper meaning. These are dimensions historically excluded from professional settings. The idea is to create an environment where people can align their deepest motivations with their work.

While this ideal is noble in concept, it also raises complex questions about which aspects of our “whole selves” are appropriate to bring into the workplace. In 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled in favour of a job applicant whom the clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch refused to hire because her hijab conflicted with its dress code. Delta Airlines’ uniform policy revision last July illuminates the ongoing complexity of the issue. Following a controversy that began when a passenger made a social media post describing two flight attendants’ Palestinian flag pins – which were permitted under existing policy – as “Hamas badges”, the airline banned all national flag pins except US ones.

Juggling multiple selves

The promise of integrating our identities more seamlessly instead of compartmentalizing them features in the Apple TV series Severance. The show presents a dystopian take on work-life balance in which employees surgically separate their work and personal memories, inviting us to reflect on the identities we balance in our professional and personal lives. The character of Mark Scout, whose “innie” (work self) develops genuine connections with colleagues like Helly, demonstrates how even artificially separated selves seek authentic relationships and meaning. However, when these connections begin to flourish, employer Lumon Industries’ harsh punishments and control mechanisms kick in – suggesting that true workplace innovation and collaboration can only emerge when we’re allowed to bring our whole, unsevered selves to work.

By acknowledging and nurturing the various aspects of our personalities, we might attain new levels of connection in the workplace. But could the integration of spirituality and work lead to an environment where employees are perpetually “on”? A risk lies in creating a culture where work infiltrates every aspect of life, leaving no true respite. The very practices meant to nurture the spirit could paradoxically become tools that further blur the boundaries between professional obligations and personal renewal. A constant connection to work erodes personal boundaries, which can lead to stress and dissatisfaction that spills over into personal life. Addressing this “shadow side” is essential if we are to answer the question “Do you believe in life after work?” with a resounding yes.

A balanced approach

The integration of spirituality into business requires genuine commitment. While spiritual practices can bring multiple benefits, they must emerge from authentic values rather than serving as a quick fix for systemic issues.

Since the 1980s, when major corporations first explored Eastern spirituality, workplace spirituality has evolved into a $7.9 billion meditation market. But as companies invest in meditation apps and mindfulness programmes, they often fail to address the root causes of workplace stress and burn-out. Today, well-intentioned apps like CHILL Anywhere risk functioning as band-aids that place the burden of stress management on employees, instead of examining issues like unrealistic workloads, inadequate compensation, toxic leadership or prejudice.

Instrumentalizing spiritual practices into productivity tools fundamentally misses the point: true spirituality in business requires organizations to critically examine and transform the structural conditions that create employee suffering in the first place. Until companies commit to addressing these foundational issues, meditation rooms and mindfulness apps will remain superficial solutions that enable rather than challenge harmful workplace dynamics.

The future workplace should aim to harmonise profit and purpose, recognising that employee well-being is integral to long-term success. Spirituality in business manifests when organisations commit to both business excellence and human flourishing – addressing foundational concerns while nurturing deeper meaning and purpose. Only then can the promise of bringing our whole selves to work become a reality worth believing in.

Raysa Geaquinto Rocha ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

– ref. Meditation and mindfulness at work are welcome, but do they help avoid accountability for toxic culture? – https://theconversation.com/meditation-and-mindfulness-at-work-are-welcome-but-do-they-help-avoid-accountability-for-toxic-culture-244587

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2024

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: NECB) (the “Company”), the parent holding company of NorthEast Community Bank (the “Bank”), generated net income of $10.9 million, or $0.83 per basic share and $0.80 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to net income of $12.1 million, or $0.82 per basic and diluted share, for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023. In addition, the Company generated net income of $47.8 million, or $3.64 per basic share and $3.58 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to net income of $46.3 million, or $3.32 per basic share and diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Kenneth A. Martinek, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, stated “We are pleased to report another quarter of strong earnings due to the strong performance of our loan portfolio. Despite the challenging high interest rate environment during 2023 that continued into most of 2024, loan demand remained strong with originations and outstanding commitments remaining robust. As has been in the past, construction lending in high demand-high absorption areas continues to be our focus.”

Highlights for the fourth quarter and the year ended December 31, 2024 are as follows:

Performance metrics continue to be strong with a return on average total assets ratio of 2.19%, a return on average shareholders’ equity ratio of 13.80%, and an efficiency ratio of 38.99% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company generated a return on average total assets ratio of 2.50%, a return on average shareholders’ equity ratio of 15.83%, and an efficiency ratio of 37.00%.
Net interest income increased by $91,000 and $5.6 million, or 0.4% and 5.8%, respectively, for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same periods in 2023.
Our net loans receivable increased by $227.0 million, or 14.3%, to $1.8 billion at December 31, 2024 compared to $1.6 billion at December 31, 2023.

Balance Sheet Summary

Total assets increased $246.2 million, or 14.0%, to $2.0 billion at December 31, 2024, from $1.8 billion at December 31, 2023. The increase in assets was primarily due to increases in net loans of $227.0 million, cash and cash equivalents of $9.6 million, equity securities of $3.9 million, real estate owned of $3.7 million, and other assets of $3.3 million.

Cash and cash equivalents increased $9.6 million, or 14.0%, to $78.3 million at December 31, 2024 from $68.7 million at December 31, 2023. The increase in cash and cash equivalents was a result of an increase in deposits of $270.3 million, partially offset by a decrease in borrowings of $64.0 million, an increase of $227.0 million in net loans, dividends to shareholders of $8.7 million, and stock repurchases of $2.4 million.

Equity securities increased $3.9 million, or 21.5%, to $22.0 million at December 31, 2024 from $18.1 million at December 31, 2023. The increase in equity securities was attributable to the purchase of $4.0 million in equity securities during the second half of 2024, offset by market depreciation of $109,000 due to market interest rate volatility during the year ended December 31, 2024.

Securities held-to-maturity decreased $1.2 million, or 7.8%, to $14.6 million at December 31, 2024 from $15.9 million at December 31, 2023 due to $1.2 million in maturities and pay-downs of various investment securities, partially offset by a decrease of $10,000 in the allowance for credit losses for held-to-maturity securities.

Loans, net of the allowance for credit losses, increased $227.0 million, or 14.3%, to $1.8 billion at December 31, 2024 from $1.6 billion at December 31, 2023. The increase in loans, net of the allowance for credit losses, was primarily due to loan originations of $656.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, consisting primarily of $573.8 million in construction loans with respect to which approximately 36.3% of the funds were disbursed at loan closings, with the remaining funds to be disbursed over the terms of the construction loans. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2024, we originated $54.9 million in commercial and industrial loans, $14.0 million in non-residential loans, $12.6 million in multi-family loans, and $600,000 in mixed-use loans. We also originated $9.2 million in letters of credit.

Loan originations during the year ended December 31, 2024 resulted in a net increase of $206.8 million in construction loans, $8.6 million in commercial and industrial loans, $8.3 million in non-residential loans, $7.7 million in multi-family loans, and $409,000 in consumer loans. The increase in our loan portfolio was partially offset by decreases of $3.1 million in mixed-use loans and $1.8 million in residential loans, coupled with normal pay-downs and principal reductions.

The allowance for credit losses related to loans decreased to $4.8 million as of December 31, 2024, from $5.1 million as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in the allowance for credit losses related to loans was due to charge-offs totaling $347,000, offset by provision for credit losses totaling $84,000.

Premises and equipment decreased $647,000, or 2.5%, to $24.8 million at December 31, 2024 from $25.5 million at December 31, 2023 primarily due to the depreciation of fixed assets.

Investments in Federal Home Loan Bank stock decreased $532,000, or 57.3%, to $397,000 at December 31, 2024 from $929,000 at December 31, 2023. The decrease was due primarily to the mandatory redemption of Federal Home Loan Bank stock totaling $630,000 in connection with the maturity of $14.0 million in advances in 2024, offset by purchases of Federal Home Loan Bank stock totaling $98,000 due to the growth of our mortgage loan portfolio.

Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) increased $656,000, or 2.6%, to $25.7 million at December 31, 2024 from $25.1 million at December 31, 2023 due to increases in the BOLI cash value.

Accrued interest receivable increased $1.2 million, or 9.5%, to $13.5 million at December 31, 2024 from $12.3 million at December 31, 2023 due to an increase in the loan portfolio.

Real estate owned increased $3.7 million, or 251.6%, to $5.1 million at December 31, 2024 from $1.5 million at December 31, 2023 due to foreclosure of a property, with a book value of $4.4 million, located in the Bronx, New York, offset by charge-offs totaling $689,000 resulting from a decrease in the estimated fair value of a foreclosed property located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Right of use assets — operating decreased $565,000, or 12.4%, to $4.0 million at December 31, 2024 from $4.6 million at December 31, 2023, primarily due to amortization.

Other assets increased $3.3 million, or 40.5%, to $11.3 million at December 31, 2024 from $8.0 million at December 31, 2023 due to increases of $2.8 million in tax assets, $476,000 in suspense accounts, and $6,000 in miscellaneous assets, partially offset by decreases of $40,000 in prepaid expenses and $2,000 in securities receivables.

Total deposits increased $270.3 million, or 19.3%, to $1.7 billion at December 31, 2024 from $1.4 billion at December 31, 2023. The increase in deposits was primarily due to the Bank offering competitive interest rates to attract deposits. This resulted in a shift in deposits whereby certificates of deposit increased $239.7 million, or 31.5%, and NOW/money market accounts increased $98.0 million, or 67.4%, partially offset by decreases in savings account balances of $54.3 million, or 28.2%, and non-interest bearing demand deposits of $14.7 million, or 4.9%.

Federal Reserve Bank borrowings of $50.0 million at December 31, 2023 and Federal Home Loan Bank advances of $14.0 million at December 31, 2023 were paid-off during the year ended December 31, 2024.

Advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance decreased $402,000, or 19.9%, to $1.6 million at December 31, 2024 from $2.0 million at December 31, 2023 due primarily to real estate tax payments for borrowers.

Lease liability – operating decreased $517,000, or 11.2%, to $4.1 million at December 31, 2024 from $4.6 million at December 31, 2023, primarily due to amortization.

Accounts payable and accrued expenses increased $972,000, or 7.2%, to $14.5 million at December 31, 2024 from $13.6 million at December 31, 2023 due primarily to increases in dividends payable and other payables of $856,000 and deferred compensation of $729,000, partially offset by decreases in accrued interest expense of $102,000, suspense account for loan closings of $99,000, and accrued expense of $79,000. The allowance for credit losses for off-balance sheet commitments decreased $333,000, or 32.1%, to $704,000 at December 31, 2024 from $1.0 million at December 31, 2023.

Stockholders’ equity increased $39.7 million, or 14.2% to $319.1 million at December 31, 2024, from $279.3 million at December 31, 2023. The increase in stockholders’ equity was due to net income of $47.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, the amortization expense of $2.0 million relating to restricted stock and stock options granted under the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, an increase of $1.3 million in earned employee stock ownership plan shares coupled with a reduction of $475,000 in unearned employee stock ownership plan shares, and an exercise of stock options totaling $14,000, partially offset by dividends paid and declared of $8.7 million, stock repurchases and stock repurchase excise taxes totaling $2.5 million, awarding restricted stock totaling $725,000. and $93,000 in other comprehensive income.

Results of Operations for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023

Net Interest Income

Net interest income was $25.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, as compared to $25.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The increase in net interest income of $92,000, or 0.4%, was primarily due to an increase in interest income that exceeded an increase in interest expense.

The increase in interest income is attributable to increases in the average balances of loans, interest-bearing deposits, and investment securities, partially offset by a decrease in the average balances of FHLB stock. However, the Federal Reserve’s decrease of interest rates starting in September 2024 impacted the yield on our interest earning assets.

The increase in market interest rates in 2023 that continued until September 2024 also caused an increase in our interest expense. As a result, the increase in interest expense for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was due to an increase in the cost of funds on our deposits. The increase in interest expense was also due to an increase in the average balances on our certificates of deposits and our interest-bearing demand deposits, offset by a decrease in the average balances on our savings and club deposits and our borrowed money.

Total interest and dividend income increased $3.3 million, or 9.0%, to $40.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from $37.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest and dividend income was due to an increase in the average balance of interest earning assets of $249.5 million, or 15.0%, to $1.9 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from $1.7 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, partially offset by a decrease in the yield on interest earning assets by 47 basis points from 8.93% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 to 8.46% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

Interest expense increased $3.3 million, or 27.3%, to $15.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from $11.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest expense was due to an increase in the cost of interest bearing liabilities by 20 basis points from 4.14% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 to 4.34% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 and an increase in average interest bearing liabilities of $247.3 million, or 21.5%, to $1.4 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from $1.2 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.

Our net interest margin decreased 77 basis points, or 12.7%, to 5.29% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to 6.06% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in the net interest margin was due to an increase in the cost of funds on interest-bearing liabilities and a decrease in the yield on interest-earning assets.

Credit Loss Expense

The Company recorded a credit loss expense of $26,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to a credit loss expense of $205,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The credit loss expense of $26,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was comprised of credit loss expense for loans of $230,000 due to charge-offs of $232,000 in unpaid overdrafts in our demand deposit accounts, offset by credit loss expense reduction for off-balance sheet commitments of $204,000 primarily attributable to a decrease in the aggregate unfunded off-balance sheet commitments.

The credit loss expense of $205,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was comprised of credit loss expense for loans of $352,000 and credit loss expense for held-to-maturity investment securities of $6,000, partially offset by credit loss expense reduction for off-balance sheet commitments of $153,000.

With respect to the allowance for credit losses for loans, we charged-off $232,000 during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 as compared to charge-offs of $27,000 during the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The charge-offs during both periods were against various unpaid overdrafts in our demand deposit accounts.

We recorded no recoveries from previously charged-off loans during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Non-Interest Income

Non-interest income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was $149,000 compared to non-interest income of $1.4 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decrease of $1.2 million, or 89.2%, in total non-interest income was primarily due to decreases of $1.2 million in unrealized gain (loss) on equity securities, $115,000 in investment advisory fees, and $12,000 in miscellaneous other non-interest income, partially offset by increases of $40,000 from sale/disposition of fixed assets, $14,000 in BOLI income, and $11,000 in other loan fees and service charges.

The increase in unrealized gain (loss) on equity securities was due to an unrealized loss of $554,000 on equity securities during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to an unrealized gain of $621,000 on equity securities during the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The unrealized loss of $554,000 on equity securities during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was due to market interest rate volatility during the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

Regarding the sale/disposition of fixed assets, we recorded gains of $22,000 during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to losses of $18,000 during the quarter ended December 31, 2023.

The increase in BOLI income of $14,000 was due to an increase in the yield on BOLI assets.

The increase of $11,000 in other loan fees and service charges was due to an increase of $24,000 in ATM/debit card/ACH fees and an increase of $2,000 in deposit account fees, partially offset by a decrease of $15,000 in other loan fees and loan servicing fees.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense increased $688,000, or 7.5%, to $9.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from $9.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The increase resulted primarily from increases of $444,000 in salaries and employee benefits, $163,000 in real estate owned expense, $108,000 in outside data processing expense, $79,000 in other operating expense, $18,000 in equipment expense, $7,000 in occupancy expense, and $7,000 in advertising expense, partially offset by a decrease of $138,000 in loss on the disposition of the Bank’s assets relating to the Harbor West Wealth Management Group.

Income Taxes

We recorded income tax expense of $4.6 million and $5.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the quarter ended December 31, 2024, we had approximately $205,000 in tax exempt income, compared to approximately $190,000 in tax exempt income for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. Our effective income tax rates were 29.5% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Results of Operations for the Year Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023

Net Interest Income

Net interest income was $102.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to $97.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in net interest income of $5.6 million, or 5.8%, was primarily due to an increase in interest income that exceeded an increase in interest expense.

The increase in interest income is attributable to increases in loans and interest-bearing deposits, partially offset by decreases in investment securities and FHLB stock. The increase in interest income is also attributable to the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases during 2023 that continued until September 2024. However, the Federal Reserve’s decrease of interest rates starting in September 2024 impacted the yield on our interest earning assets.

The increase in market interest rates in 2023 that continued until September 2024 also caused an increase in our interest expense. As a result, the increase in interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 was due to an increase in the cost of funds on our deposits and borrowed money. The increase in interest expense was also due to increases in the average balances on our certificates of deposits, our interest-bearing demand deposits, and our borrowed money, offset by a decrease in the average balance of our savings and club deposits.

Total interest and dividend income increased $27.5 million, or 20.8%, to $160.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $132.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest and dividend income was due to an increase in the average balance of interest earning assets of $312.3 million, or 20.6%, to $1.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $1.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023 and an increase in the yield on interest earning assets by two basis points from 8.73% for the year ended December 31, 2023 to 8.75% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Interest expense increased $21.9 million, or 62.1%, to $57.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $35.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest expense was due to an increase in the cost of interest bearing liabilities by 77 basis points from 3.58% for the year ended December 31, 2023 to 4.35% for the year ended December 31, 2024, and an increase in average interest bearing liabilities of $328.9 million, or 33.3%, to $1.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $986.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Net interest margin decreased 79 basis points, or 12.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 to 5.62% compared to 6.41% for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Credit Loss Expense

The Company recorded a credit loss expense reduction totaling $260,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to a credit loss expense totaling $972,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The credit loss expense reduction of $260,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 was comprised of a credit loss expense reduction for off-balance sheet commitments of $334,000 and a credit loss expense reduction for held-to-maturity investment securities of $10,000, offset by a credit loss expense for loans of $84,000.

The credit loss expense reduction for off-balance sheet commitments of $334,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributed to a reduction of $157.6 million in the level of off-balance sheet commitments. The credit loss expense reduction for held-to-maturity investment securities of $10,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributed to a reduction of $708,000 in the level of applicable held-to-maturity investment securities.

The credit loss expense for loans of $84,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributed to charge-offs totaling $347,000, partially offset by favorable trends in the economy.

The credit loss expense of $972,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023 was comprised of credit loss expense for loans of $1.5 million and credit loss expense for held-to-maturity investment securities of $5,000, partially offset by a credit loss expense reduction for off-balance sheet commitments of $548,000.

We charged-off $347,000 during the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to charge-offs of $313,000 during the year ended December 31, 2023. The charge-offs of $347,000 during the year ended December 31, 2024 were against various unpaid overdrafts in our demand deposit accounts. The charge-offs of $312,000 during the year ended December 31, 2023 were comprised of a charge-off of $159,000 related to three performing construction loans on the same project whereby we sold the loans to a third-party at a loss of $159,000. The remaining charge-offs of $153,000 for the 2023 period were against various unpaid overdrafts in our demand deposit accounts.

We recorded no recoveries from previously charged-off loans during the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Non-Interest Income

Non-interest income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $2.8 million compared to non-interest income of $3.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease of $960,000, or 25.6%, in total non-interest income was primarily due to decreases of $458,000 in investment advisory fees, $403,000 in unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities, and $357,000 in BOLI income, partially offset by increases of $207,000 in other loan fees and service charges, $40,000 from sale/disposition of fixed assets, and $11,000 in miscellaneous other non-interest income.

The decrease in investment advisory fees was due to the disposition in January 2024 of the Bank’s assets relating to the Harbor West Wealth Management Group. As a result of the transaction, the Bank no longer generates investment advisory fees. The decrease in unrealized gain (loss) on equity securities was due to an unrealized loss of $109,000 on equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to an unrealized gain of $294,000 on equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2023. The unrealized loss of $109,000 on equity securities during the 2024 period was due to market interest rate volatility during the year ended December 31, 2024.

The decrease in BOLI income was primarily due to two death claims totaling $1.8 million on BOLI policies that resulted in additional BOLI income of $404,000 in the year ended December 31, 2023.

The increase of $207,000 in other loan fees and service charges was due to increases of $148,000 in other loan fees and loan servicing fees, $51,000 in ATM/debit card/ACH fees, and $7,000 in deposit account fees.

Regarding the sale/disposition of fixed assets, we recorded gains of $22,000 during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to losses of $18,000 during the year ended December 31, 2023.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense increased $3.8 million, or 10.9%, to $39.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $35.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase resulted primarily from increases of $2.1 million in salaries and employee benefits, $879,000 in other operating expense, $638,000 in real estate owned expense, $394,000 in outside data processing expense, and $233,000 in occupancy expense, partially offset by decreases of $165,000 in equipment expense, $138,000 in loss on the disposition of the Bank’s assets relating to the Harbor West Wealth Management Group, and $103,000 in advertising expense.

Income Taxes

We recorded income tax expense of $19.0 million and $18.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we had approximately $802,000 in tax exempt income, compared to approximately $1.1 million in tax exempt income for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in tax exempt income was due to two death claims totaling $1.8 million on BOLI policies during the year ended December 31, 2023. Our effective income tax rates were 28.4% and 28.5% for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Asset Quality

Non-performing assets were $5.1 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $5.8 million at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2023, we had two non-performing construction loans totaling $4.4 million secured by the same project located in the Bronx, New York. We successfully foreclosed on these two loans on October 21, 2024 and the balances were transferred to foreclosed real estate. As a result, at December 31, 2024, we had two non-performing assets consisting of two foreclosed properties, with one foreclosed property totaling $4.4 million located in the Bronx, New York and one foreclosed property totaling $767,000 located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Our ratio of non-performing assets to total assets remained low at 0.25% at December 31, 2024 as compared to 0.33% at December 31, 2023.

The Company’s allowance for credit losses related to loans was $4.8 million, or 0.27% of total loans as of December 31, 2024, compared to $5.1 million, or 0.32% of total loans, as of December 31, 2023. Based on a review of the loans that were in the loan portfolio at December 31, 2024, management believes that the allowance for credit losses related to loans is maintained at a level that represents its best estimate of inherent losses in the loan portfolio that were both probable and reasonably estimable.

In addition, at December 31, 2024, the Company’s allowance for credit losses related to off-balance sheet commitments totaled $704,000 and the allowance for credit losses related to held-to-maturity debt securities totaled $126,000.

Capital

The Company’s total stockholders’ equity to assets ratio was 15.87% as of December 31, 2024. At December 31, 2024, the Company had the ability to borrow $834.7 million from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, $18.2 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and $8.0 million from Atlantic Community Bankers Bank.

The Bank’s capital position remains strong relative to current regulatory requirements and the Bank is considered a well-capitalized institution under the Prompt Corrective Action framework. As of December 31, 2024, the Bank had a tier 1 leverage capital ratio of 14.76% and a total risk-based capital ratio of 14.04%.

The Company completed its first stock repurchase program on April 14, 2023 whereby the Company repurchased 1,637,794 shares, or 10%, of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock. The cost of the stock repurchase program totaled $23.0 million, including commission costs and Federal excise taxes. Of the total shares repurchased under this program, 957,275 of such shares were repurchased during 2023 at a total cost of $13.7 million, including commission costs and Federal excise taxes.

The Company commenced its second stock repurchase program on May 30, 2023 whereby the Company will repurchase 1,509,218, or 10%, of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had repurchased 1,091,174 shares of common stock under its second repurchase program, at a cost of $17.2 million, including commission costs and Federal excise taxes.

About NorthEast Community Bancorp

NorthEast Community Bancorp, headquartered at 325 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains, New York 10601, is the holding company for NorthEast Community Bank, which conducts business through its eleven branch offices located in Bronx, New York, Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan Counties in New York and Essex, Middlesex, and Norfolk Counties in Massachusetts and three loan production offices located in New City, New York, White Plains, New York, and Danvers, Massachusetts. For more information about NorthEast Community Bancorp and NorthEast Community Bank, please visit www.necb.com.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding anticipated future events and can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” and “intend” or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.” These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include, but are not limited to, changes in market interest rates, regional and national economic conditions (including higher inflation and its impact on regional and national economic conditions), legislative and regulatory changes, monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government, including policies of the United States Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board, the quality and composition of the loan or investment portfolios, demand for loan products, decreases in deposit levels necessitating increased borrowing to fund loans and securities, competition, demand for financial services in NorthEast Community Bank’s market area, changes in the real estate market values in NorthEast Community Bank’s market area, the impact of failures or disruptions in or breaches of the Company’s operational or security systems, data or infrastructure, or those of third parties, including as a result of cyberattacks or campaigns, and changes in relevant accounting principles and guidelines. Additionally, other risks and uncertainties may be described in our annual and quarterly reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available through the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating any forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, the Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to release publicly the result of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.


CONTACT:	Kenneth A. Martinek
	Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

PHONE:	(914) 684-2500


NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (Unaudited)

	December 31,			December 31,
	2024			2023
	(In thousands, except share
	and per share amounts)
ASSETS
Cash and amounts due from depository institutions	$	13,700		$	13,394
Interest-bearing deposits		64,559			55,277
Total cash and cash equivalents		78,259			68,671
Certificates of deposit		100			100
Equity securities		21,994			18,102
Securities held-to-maturity ( net of allowance for credit losses of $126 and $136, respectively )		14,616			15,860
Loans receivable		1,813,647			1,586,721
Deferred loan (fees) costs, net		(49	)		176
Allowance for credit losses		(4,830	)		(5,093	)
Net loans		1,808,768			1,581,804
Premises and equipment, net		24,805			25,452
Investments in restricted stock, at cost		397			929
Bank owned life insurance		25,738			25,082
Accrued interest receivable		13,481			12,311
Real estate owned		5,120			1,456
Property held for investment		1,370			1,407
Right of Use Assets – Operating		4,001			4,566
Right of Use Assets – Financing		347			351
Other assets		11,302			8,044
Total assets	$	2,010,298		$	1,764,135
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Liabilities:
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing	$	287,135		$	300,184
Interest bearing		1,383,240			1,099,852
Total deposits		1,670,375			1,400,036
Advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance		1,618			2,020
Borrowings		–			64,000
Lease Liability – Operating		4,108			4,625
Lease Liability – Financing		609			571
Accounts payable and accrued expenses		14,530			13,558
Total liabilities		1,691,240			1,484,810

Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 25,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding	$	—		$	—
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 75,000,000 shares authorized; 14,016,254 shares and 14,144,856 shares outstanding, respectively		140			142
Additional paid-in capital		110,091			109,924
Unearned Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”) shares		(6,088	)		(6,563	)
Retained earnings		214,691			175,505
Accumulated other comprehensive income		224			317
Total stockholders’ equity		319,058			279,325
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	2,010,298		$	1,764,135

NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited)


	Quarter Ended December 31,						Year Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
							(In thousands, except per share amounts)
INTEREST INCOME:
Loans	$	39,081		$	35,660		$	153,902		$	127,486
Interest-earning deposits		1,144			1,257			5,202			4,143
Securities		247			209			909			859
Total Interest Income		40,472			37,126			160,013			132,488
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits		15,160			11,131			55,619			34,181
Borrowings		5			779			1,564			1,078
Financing lease		9			10			38			38
Total Interest Expense		15,174			11,920			57,221			35,297
Net Interest Income		25,298			25,206			102,792			97,191
Provision for (reversal of) credit loss		26			205			(260	)		972
Net Interest Income after Provision for (Reversal of) Credit Loss		25,272			25,001			103,052			96,219
NON-INTEREST INCOME:
Other loan fees and service charges		485			474			2,098			1,891
Gain (loss) on disposition of equipment		22			(18	)		22			(18	)
Earnings on bank owned life insurance		170			156			656			1,013
Investment advisory fees		–			115			–			458
Realized and unrealized (loss) gain on equity securities		(554	)		621			(109	)		294
Other		26			38			116			105
Total Non-Interest Income		149			1,386			2,783			3,743
NON-INTEREST EXPENSES:
Salaries and employee benefits		5,204			4,760			20,942			18,839
Occupancy expense		712			705			2,828			2,595
Equipment		229			211			890			1,055
Outside data processing		680			572			2,604			2,210
Advertising		108			101			418			521
Loss on disposition of business		–			138			–			138
Real estate owned expense		204			41			731			93
Other		2,785			2,706			10,649			9,770
Total Non-Interest Expenses		9,922			9,234			39,062			35,221
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES		15,499			17,153			66,773			64,741
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES		4,566			5,052			18,982			18,465
NET INCOME	$	10,933		$	12,101		$	47,791		$	46,276

NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA (Unaudited)

	Quarter Ended December 31,						Year Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)						(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Per share data:
Earnings per share – basic	$	0.83		$	0.82		$	3.64		$	3.32
Earnings per share – diluted		0.80			0.82			3.58			3.32
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic		13,132			14,720			13,136			13,930
Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted		13,582			14,778			13,359			13,936
Performance ratios/data:
Return on average total assets		2.19	%		2.77	%		2.50	%		2.90	%
Return on average shareholders’ equity		13.80	%		17.49	%		15.83	%		17.09	%
Net interest income	$	25,298		$	25,206		$	102,792		$	97,191
Net interest margin		5.29	%		6.06	%		5.62	%		6.41	%
Efficiency ratio		38.99	%		34.72	%		37.00	%		34.90	%
Net charge-off ratio		0.05	%		0.01	%		0.02	%		0.02	%

Loan portfolio composition:							December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
One-to-four family							$	3,472		$	5,252
Multi-family								206,606			198,927
Mixed-use								26,571			29,643
Total residential real estate								236,649			233,822
Non-residential real estate								29,446			21,130
Construction								1,426,167			1,219,413
Commercial and industrial								119,736			111,116
Consumer								1,649			1,240
Gross loans								1,813,647			1,586,721
Deferred loan (fees) costs, net								(49	)		176
Total loans							$	1,813,598		$	1,586,897
Asset quality data:
Loans past due over 90 days and still accruing							$	–		$	–
Non-accrual loans								–			4,385
OREO property								5,120			1,456
Total non-performing assets							$	5,120		$	5,841

Allowance for credit losses to total loans								0.27	%		0.32	%
Allowance for credit losses to non-performing loans								0.00	%		116.15	%
Non-performing loans to total loans								0.00	%		0.28	%
Non-performing assets to total assets								0.25	%		0.33	%

Bank’s Regulatory Capital ratios:
Total capital to risk-weighted assets								13.92	%		13.43	%
Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets								13.65	%		13.10	%
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets								13.65	%		13.10	%
Tier 1 leverage ratio								14.44	%		14.43	%

NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. NET INTEREST MARGIN ANALYSIS (Unaudited)

	Quarter Ended December 31, 2024								Quarter Ended December 31, 2023
	Average			Interest		Average			Average			Interest		Average
	Balance			and dividend		Yield			Balance			and dividend		Yield
	(In thousands, except yield/cost information)								(In thousands, except yield/cost information)
Loan receivable gross	$	1,784,920		$	39,081		8.76	%	$	1,545,446		$	35,660		9.23	%
Securities		36,817			232		2.52	%		33,124			188		2.27	%
Federal Home Loan Bank stock		455			15		13.19	%		929			21		9.04	%
Other interest-earning assets		90,279			1,144		5.07	%		83,436			1,257		6.03	%
Total interest-earning assets		1,912,471			40,472		8.46	%		1,662,935			37,126		8.93	%
Allowance for credit losses		(4,833	)							(4,771	)
Non-interest-earning assets		92,422								87,557
Total assets	$	2,000,060							$	1,745,721

Interest-bearing demand deposit	$	233,112		$	2,198		3.77	%	$	118,691		$	1,026		3.46	%
Savings and club accounts		137,295			767		2.23	%		206,120			1,404		2.72	%
Certificates of deposit		1,026,433			12,195		4.75	%		758,928			8,701		4.59	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		1,396,840			15,160		4.34	%		1,083,739			11,131		4.11	%
Borrowed money		1,293			14		4.33	%		67,049			789		4.71	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		1,398,133			15,174		4.34	%		1,150,788			11,920		4.14	%
Non-interest-bearing demand deposit		263,711								298,739
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		21,428								19,449
Total liabilities		1,683,272								1,468,976
Equity		316,788								276,745
Total liabilities and equity	$	2,000,060							$	1,745,721

Net interest income / interest spread				$	25,298		4.12	%				$	25,206		4.79	%
Net interest rate margin							5.29	%							6.06	%
Net interest earning assets	$	514,338							$	512,147
Average interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities		136.79	%							144.50	%


NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. NET INTEREST MARGIN ANALYSIS (Unaudited)

	Year Ended December 31, 2024								Year Ended December 31, 2023
	Average			Interest		Average			Average			Interest		Average
	Balance			and dividend		Yield			Balance			and dividend		Yield
	(In thousands, except yield/cost information)								(In thousands, except yield/cost information)
Loan receivable gross	$	1,701,079		$	153,902		9.05	%	$	1,401,492		$	127,486		9.10	%
Securities		34,765			839		2.41	%		37,819			777		2.05	%
Federal Home Loan Bank stock		677			70		10.34	%		984			82		8.33	%
Other interest-earning assets		92,610			5,202		5.62	%		76,542			4,143		5.41	%
Total interest-earning assets		1,829,131			160,013		8.75	%		1,516,837			132,488		8.73	%
Allowance for credit losses		(4,940	)							(4,676	)
Non-interest-earning assets		90,675								84,287
Total assets	$	1,914,866							$	1,596,448

Interest-bearing demand deposit	$	209,993		$	8,498		4.05	%	$	93,426		$	2,459		2.63	%
Savings and club accounts		154,430			3,799		2.46	%		248,755			6,777		2.72	%
Certificates of deposit		917,665			43,322		4.72	%		615,124			24,945		4.06	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		1,282,088			55,619		4.34	%		957,305			34,181		3.57	%
Borrowed money		33,117			1,602		4.84	%		29,007			1,116		3.85	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		1,315,205			57,221		4.35	%		986,312			35,297		3.58	%
Non-interest-bearing demand deposit		277,957								322,185
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		19,739								17,139
Total liabilities		1,612,901								1,325,636
Equity		301,965								270,812
Total liabilities and equity	$	1,914,866							$	1,596,448

Net interest income / interest spread				$	102,792		4.40	%				$	97,191		5.15	%
Net interest rate margin							5.62	%							6.41	%
Net interest earning assets	$	513,926							$	530,525
Average interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities		139.08	%							153.79	%

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: U.S. Coast Guard awards Verizon Business $66 million Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions task order

Source: Verizon

Headline: U.S. Coast Guard awards Verizon Business $66 million Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions task order

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded Verizon Business an 8-year Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) task order worth up to $66 million over the life of the contract. Under this agreement, Verizon will provide Wi-Fi, phone, data, and other services to the U.S. Coast Guard’s C5I (Command, Control, Communication, Computer, Cyber, and Intelligence) office.

Verizon will be partnering with the Coast Guard to phase out end-of-life TDM services, implementing solutions like a cellular-based POTS replacement for essential voice communications. This includes offering Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), delivering secure IL-4 (Impact Level 4) software-based solutions for Coast Guard call centers.

“The U.S. Coast Guard task order is yet another example of the strong relationship Verizon enjoys with a number of federal agencies, to include the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Veterans Affairs and more” said Michael Adams, associate vice president for federal civilian services at Verizon. “The trust placed in Verizon by the federal government is indicative of the reliability and security of our enterprise solutions.”

While the base task order spans 12 months, it may extend up to an eight-year period of performance. Verizon will deliver EIS services, including internet protocol service (IPS), broadband internet service (BIS), internet protocol voice service (IPVS), toll-free service, managed network services, managed security services, contact center services, and related equipment.

Verizon has earned the trust of the U.S. Armed Forces through a number of contract wins, including a 10-year, $2.67 billion multiple award contract with the U.S. Navy, a $1 billion DoD engagement to overhaul the Pentagon’s network, and a $78 million digital modernization contract with Naval District Washington.

For more information on Verizon’s work across the public sector, visit our website.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson stands up for farmers: fights California’s power grab on porkRead More
Source: US State of South Carolina

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that he has joined 22 other state attorneys general in filing a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case Iowa Pork Producers Association v. Bonta. This case challenges California’s Proposition 12, a law that imposes strict animal welfare regulations on pork producers across the country, regardless of the state that they operate in.

“California’s Californication of our food supply is out of control—first, they come for pork, next, they’ll have us eating crickets. Proposition 12 is nothing more than a power grab by coastal elites who want to dictate how the rest of America farms, eats, and does business. South Carolina won’t stand by while they force their radical agenda on the entire country.” said Attorney General Wilson.

The brief argues that California’s Proposition 12 Law:
- Harms agricultural states and consumers by imposing costly regulations that raise pork prices nationwide.
- Encourages economic protectionism by allowing one state to impose its regulatory preferences on others, creating a dangerous precedent that could lead to conflicting state mandates.
- Violates the U.S. Constitution, including the Dormant Commerce Clause, Import-Export Clause, and Full Faith and Credit Clause.
- Proposition 12 requires that all pork sold in California come from pigs raised under specific housing conditions but also requires these standards for pork produced in other states. Given California’s position as the largest consumer of pork in the nation while producing very little itself, the law effectively forces out-of-state farmers to comply with California’s regulations or be excluded from the market.
“The Constitution was designed to prevent exactly this kind of economic balkanization,” Attorney General Wilson said. “If Proposition 12 is allowed to stand, it will set a dangerous precedent where states can impose their own regulatory will on others, leading to chaos in national markets.”

The U.S. Supreme Court is being urged to review the Ninth Circuit’s decision, which declined to consider key constitutional issues raised by the petitioners. The coalition of attorneys general argues that the Supreme Court must step in to clarify the limits of state power and uphold the principles of free and fair interstate commerce.

You can read the brief here.

MIL OSI USA News –
January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Votes Against Sean Duffy’s Nomination to Be Transportation Secretary

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
January 28, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee (CST)—released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Rep. Sean Duffy by a vote of 77-22 to serve as Secretary of the Department of Transportation.
“Heading into this week, I was prepared to vote to confirm Rep. Duffy. Our conversations were productive and encouraging, and I thought he was sufficiently qualified to serve as Transportation Secretary. But President Trump’s sweeping order to freeze federal grant funding—including historic investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—is illegal and hurting Americans in red and blue states alike, and I cannot vote to confirm a Transportation Secretary while transportation funding is being unlawfully withheld.”
-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Named Ranking Member of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced she will serve as Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies (Ag-FDA). This Subcommittee oversees funding for the majority of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“I’m honored to serve in this new role and committed to building on my work to address the high cost of living that so many Granite Staters are experiencing,” said Senator Shaheen. “I look forward to finding new and creative opportunities to improve support for New Hampshire’s rural communities, including by investing in rural housing and water infrastructure, championing our small businesses and small and diversified farmers, continuing my bipartisan efforts to tackle the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs, such as those to treat Type 1 diabetes, as well as funding federal nutrition programs that help Granite Staters put food on the table.”
Shaheen has served on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee since 2012, and formerly chaired the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee. She will also serve as a member of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services and Education and Related Agencies and State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittees.
Shaheen has long fought to support farmers in New Hampshire, including by successfully helping to secure disaster supplemental funding for farmers impacted by crop losses in 2023. Shaheen also has a strong record of working to improve crop insurance policies to support farmers in New Hampshire and leads legislation to reform the federal government’s crop insurance program. Senator Shaheen has supported more than 230 New Hampshire small businesses who have received over $25 million to lower energy bills and cut costs through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. She has consistently fought for increased funding and improved support for rural development programs, including rural water programs.
Shaheen also spearheads efforts to combat rising drug prices and make essential medications more affordable, including leading legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and bring generic drugs to market faster. Last Congress, Shaheen introduced bipartisan legislation, the Ensuring Timely Access to Generics Act, that would work to increase competition from generic drugs through better oversight of FDA’s citizen petition process. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed this bill unanimously. As co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus, Shaheen has also consistently worked with FDA on access to diabetes technology and cures for type 1 diabetes. Senator Shaheen’s bipartisan INSULIN Act also includes proposals to expedite FDA approval of biosimilar drugs, which are proven to increase competition and lower drug costs.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Affordable Child Care Availability, Support Child Care Providers

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Committee Chair Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced the Small Business Child Care Investment Act. This bipartisan legislation would increase the availability of affordable, high-quality child care for working families by allowing non-profit child care providers, that qualify as small businesses, to participate in Small Business Administration loan programs.
A recent report labeled the entire state of Nevada as a “child care desert,” and found that nearly 75 percent of children below the age of five don’t have access to a licensed child care provider. The report deemed the cost of child care a “huge concern” in Nevada and found it often to be more expensive than college tuition.
“The lack of affordable child care options in our communities hurts hardworking families at a time when they are already being squeezed by rising costs,” said Senator Rosen. “Our bipartisan bill will help increase the number of child care providers in Nevada and across the country by bolstering non-profits with access to much-needed federal resources, giving families greater access to care. I will continue working to lower costs of the everyday essentials that Nevadans rely on.”
“Finding affordable and high-quality childcare is one of the most pressing issues facing small businesses looking to hire and retain capable staff,” said Senator Ernst. “As chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I’m proud to help alleviate the pressure on hardworking families, especially in rural areas. This commonsense legislation will clear the Washington red tape, expand options, and drive down costs in Iowa and across the country.”
“The Small Business Child Care Investment Act is a game-changer for families and communities across the United States. By empowering nonprofit child care providers to access critical small business loan programs, this legislation ensures they have the resources to expand, improve and sustain the high-quality child care that working families depend on. At Save the Children, we know that accessible and affordable child care is essential not only for children’s healthy development but also for economic stability. We applaud this bipartisan effort and urge swift action to make these vital investments a reality for families nationwide,” said Christy Gleason, Vice-President for Policy, Advocacy, and Campaigns at Save the Children.
“For too many parents balancing work and family responsibilities, finding reliable child care remains a significant challenge,” said Sarah Rittling, Executive Director of the First Five Years Fund. “We are thankful to Senators Rosen and Ernst for their bipartisan work on this innovative bill to support small, non-profit child care providers and expand access so more children and families can find and afford the care they need.”
“Access to quality child care providers is critical for hardworking families and a strong, stable economy. Yet across the country, providers are struggling to deliver care on razor thin margins and with limited resources. Increasing access to capital by allowing these nonprofit child care businesses to utilize Small Business Administration loans will support providers looking to enter the child care space, expand services, and increase quality. These resources can be especially crucial in rural communities where access to child care fails to meet the needs of many working families. We applaud Sens. Rosen (D-NV) and Ernst (R-IA) for their leadership and making child care more accessible with the introduction of the Small Business Childcare Investment Act,” said Michele Stockwell, President of the Bipartisan Policy Center Action.
“United Way of Southern Nevada is a long-standing partner of Nevada Ready! State Pre-K, a program enabling hundreds of children from qualifying families to attend preschool at no cost. We have seen firsthand the positive impact that affordable high-quality care and education options have provided not only for our children, but entire families,” said Julie Houchins, Senior Director of Early Education at the United Way of Southern Nevada. “The Small Business Child Care Investment Act allows nonprofit childcare and early education providers to grow their capacity so they can meet the needs of working families in Nevada. We are very grateful for this bipartisan effort that will help local children, parents, and businesses alike.”
The bipartisan Small Business Child Care Investment Act would:
Ensure that qualified non-profit providers have equal access to key SBA loan options that allow providers to invest in and expand their operations, which creates local jobs and gives working families more options for affordable and quality child care;
Ensure non-profit providers can access the larger and more flexible loan programs like 7(a) and 504 that can be used for real estate, construction, remodeling, and other expenses critical to maintaining and expanding high-quality child care operations.
Senator Rosen continues working to lower child care costs for Nevada’s hardworking families. Last year, she joined a bipartisan bill to provide child care services for police officers and support law enforcement families. During a confirmation hearing in the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Rosen secured a commitment from General David Allvin, Air Force Chief of Staff, to cut red tape in a program designed to make child care available for military families like Airmen at Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases who work overnight shifts. Additionally, Senator Rosen joined in helping to introduce the Child Care for Working Families Act, legislation that would help lower child care costs for an average American family to no more than $10-a-day.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Capito to Chair Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today announced that she will serve as the chairman of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding across a large range of programs within the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), and other independent agencies. Senator Capito previously served as ranking member of the subcommittee during the 118th Congress.
“I’m honored to continue my efforts—now as chairman—on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee to represent the needs of West Virginians. In this impactful role, I will strive to ensure the funding we provide is used in the most efficient and effective manner and that critical oversight is provided.
“Additionally, I look forward to working with committee leadership and members in this new role to support many priorities that are important to my state of West Virginia, such as Alzheimer’s research, efforts to end childhood cancer, fighting the addiction crisis, the wellbeing of our miners, and supporting the education and research missions of our schools and universities. Regardless of the scope or challenges, I will approach this opportunity with the objective of ensuring the voices and priorities of West Virginia are heard and understood. I appreciate the support of Chairman Collins in this role and I am excited to work together in our Republican Congress to advance the goals of the Trump administration,” Chairman Capito said.
In addition to her chairman role, Senator Capito will continue serving on the following Appropriations Subcommittees: Defense; Homeland Security; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.
In addition to the Appropriations Committee, Senator Capito will continue serving on the Committee on Environment and Public Works as chairman; the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and the Committee on Rules and Administration.
This is the fourth Appropriations Subcommittee Senator Capito has been a chairman of as a member of the committee during her time in the Senate. She previously chaired the Homeland Security, Financial Service and General Government, and Legislative Branch subcommittees.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Defence Secretary speech at the ADS Annual Dinner: 28 January 2025
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

Defence Secretary John Healey addressed the ADS Annual Dinner on 28 January 2025.
Good evening. Let me begin by thanking Kevin and his team at ADS for hosting this splendid event and for their work in promoting an industry that is the foundation for our way of life.

ADS is going from strength to strength, with a double digit increase in your membership last year.

You represent a commitment to innovation and excellence that are hallmarks of the British business spirit.

Yours is an industry which proves that we are still – at heart – a nation of makers and inventors. I know recent times haven’t been easy. And as Defence Secretary, I am grateful to you all.

This event brings us together from across the UK, across the industry and across the political divide.

I welcome this because defence policy and procurement commitments reach beyond political cycles.

I believe I’m the first Defence Secretary who’s spoken at this dinner, and tonight, you have two for the price of one with me as the warmup act for Penny Mourdant’s after dinner speech.

Penny is someone with a lifelong connection and commitment to our armed forces, who rose to become the first woman ever to hold the role of Defence Secretary.

I’ve had the privilege of six months in the role, part of a government taking on profound challenges in our economy, our public finances and our national security.

Yet, as a new government, we’ve already:

Stepped up and speeded up support for Ukraine…

Increased defence spending by nearly £3 billion…

Launched a first of its kind Strategic Defence Review…

Given service personnel the largest pay rise in over 20 years… and still dealt with a multi-billion in-year deficit…

Signed the landmark Trinity House Agreement with Germany…

Secured a huge deal to buy back over 36,000 military homes to improve forces housing and save taxpayers billions…

Set new targets to tackle the recruitment crisis…

Begun a transformational MOD reform programme…

And got the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill through the House of Commons to improve service life.

The point I want to make is that this is a new government that is delivering for defence.

Something which I was able to underline last Friday at Rolls Royce, announcing a major new contract over 8 years, which will boost British jobs, business and national security.

There’s incredible work being done there in Derby, by an incredible team, some of whom are here this evening.

It’s a big investment, but behind the numbers are 200 apprentices a year who now feel they have a future.

And suppliers – 92 per cent of which are British based – who now feel like have certainty.

What really struck me – and it happens every time I visit a defence site – is the deep sense of pride and purpose.

Defence workers are right to feel that way. Their efforts keep us all safe.

And as an industry, you also invest huge sums in research and development. One of the great strengths of the defence industry is that you force us to reach for the future.

Down the years, you’ve been responsible for some of the most significant innovations in history. Designed for times of war but which often produce lasting benefits for wider society well beyond the battlefield.

As a nation, we’re good – and rightly so – at taking pride in the professionalism of our soldiers, sailors and aviators.

But we know that that they are only as effective as the industry which equips them.

We must be better at celebrating the role of the coders, programmers, scientists and engineers who provide our forces with the tools they need to protect us.

It’s why I want us to not only change the way we work with the defence industry, but also change the way we see the defence industry.

On the way we work with industry, I hope the last few months serve as a glimpse of type of partnership we want to forge.

From industry involvement – for the first time ever – in our war gaming, to the creation of the new Defence Industrial Joint Council.

And on the way we see industry, we know we have much to do.

Right now, there’s growing security concerns for defence firms at university careers, you attend to offer young people a route to a better life.

You’re facing harassment and intimidation, forced to cancel events on campus. This is wrong.

This attitude takes for granted the privileged position we enjoy in Britain – to live in freedom and security… security our defence industry guarantees.

So, today – alongside the Business and Education Secretaries – I’ve written to Universities UK for assurances about your safety on campuses.

We’re also seeing defence firms ranked alongside tobacco and gambling in Environmental, Social and Governance audits. And pension funds divest from you.

I have no doubt the intentions are well-meaning. But they’re fundamentally flawed.

We don’t stop wars by boycotting our defence industry.

We stop wars by backing it.

Let’s not forget that national security is a pre-condition for economic security, investor confidence and social stability.

I will always be a fierce advocate for you in the Department, to wider government, to the City, to the British public and to whoever needs to hear it.

My challenge to you – as an industry – is to be louder and confident about your role.

As my friend – Jonny Reynolds– said to the President’s Reception earlier:

“You are exceptional in your importance… in helping to safeguard our national security and our way of life.

“But you are also exceptional in your contribution to our economy. Nearly half a million well paid jobs are directly owed to aerospace, defence, security and space sectors.”

To meet the challenges of this new era of threats, you’ve seen the direction we want to take with our Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent.

And let me thank everyone who’s shared their insights so far in submissions to both our industrial strategy, and SDR consultations.

I know – for some – our Statement of Intent may have been met with a degree of scepticism. You’ve been here before… I get that…

New government, new ideas.

But old habits die hard and entrenched interests dig in.

Previous industrial strategies have produced policies – many of them good – but there wasn’t the plan, the structures and the relentless attention to reform needed to make change happen.

So, why will this be different?

First, it has to be different.

The war in Ukraine confronts us with the deep truth that when a country faces conflict or is forced to fight, its armed forces are only as strong as the industry which stands behind them…

That innovation and production capacity is a major part of our nation’s – and our alliance’s – deterrence.

And that industry’s constant purpose is to give the nation’s war fighters the advantage over our adversaries.

The last Defence Industrial Strategy was published in 2021, a year before Putin shattered the peace in Europe.

Ours will hardwire in these lessons and so too will the Strategic Defence Review.

Second, I’m driving deep reform to defence.

It doesn’t make news headlines, but it’s an essential foundation for implementing both the SDR and Defence Industrial Strategy.

For industry, it means you’ll be brought in earlier to the conversation on how we should fight…

We’ll ask you how you can help solve our problems rather than giving you a requirement to deliver.

You’ll also see the creation of a new role, the National Armaments Director, soon-to-be one of the most senior roles in UK Defence, sitting alongside the Chief of the Defence Staff and Permanent Secretary.

Their responsibilities will include:

Repairing a broken procurement system…

Ensuring our armed forces have what they need to fulfil their duty of protecting our nation…

And championing your industry at home and abroad.

Third, defence is part of our bigger British drive for growth – the government’s number one mission.

The Chancellor is speaking tomorrow about how we are going to meet this challenge.

But the message I want to reinforce is that defence is an engine for driving economic growth.

Fourth, we’ve proved we can do it by supporting Ukraine through Taskforce KINDRED and HIRST.

From the onset, when it took 287 days after Putin invaded to sign contracts for new NLAWs…

… to today, when we’ve created industrial bases for new capabilities – virtually from scratch…

Supplying – at scale – one of the most effective drone systems in Ukraine.

Restarted artillery barrel manufacturing in the UK to deliver hundreds to the front line.

Enhancing our own capabilities through Stormer and Starstreak…while Gravehawk, Snapper and Wasp have all been developed with breathtaking speed.

I don’t just want this to be the government’s new Defence Industrial Strategy, it needs to be a national endeavour… private and public… SMEs and primes… innovators and educators… trade associations and trade unions…

All creating a defence industry which is better and more integrated…

One that can keep our armed forces equipped… and innovating at wartime pace, ahead of our adversaries.

The Shadow Defence Secretary is familiar with the challenges.

I know he will play his part in holding us to account.

And I trust he – and his Party – will play their part in backing reforms that strengthen our country’s defence and its defence industry.

This is new era of threats, demands a new era for defence.

Change is essential, not optional.

Our success rests on a new partnership with innovators, investors and industry.

Our government is determined to meet the challenge, determined to deliver for defence.

Together, we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

Thank you – enjoy your evening and I look forward to working with you over the coming years.

Updates to this page

Published 29 January 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defendant Extradited To Face Charges Related To International Bank Fraud And Money Laundering Ring That Caused Over $60 Million In Losses

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Members of the Charged Conspiracy Opened Bank Accounts for Over 1,000 Fake Businesses to Receive and Launder the Proceeds of Fraudulent Schemes, Causing Actual Losses of Over $60 Million and Intended Losses of Over $150 Million

Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Patrick J. Freaney, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Secret Service (“USSS”), announced today that ERICK JASON VICTORIA-BRTIO was extradited from the Dominican Republic and will appear in a federal courtroom in Manhattan later today. VICTORIA-BRITO is charged in a two-count Indictment with conspiring to commit bank fraud and money laundering from December 2017 through November 2022. In connection with the scheme, VICTORIA-BRITO and other members of the charged conspiracy registered over 1,000 fake businesses, used those fake businesses to open bank accounts to receive money stolen through business e-mail compromise schemes, and then laundered that money. Members of the conspiracy caused over $60 million in actual losses and attempted to steal over $150 million.

U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As we allege, Erick Jason Victoria-Brito and his co-conspirators ran an international bank fraud and money laundering scheme designed to help carry out business email compromise scams. These scams cause significant harm to businesses, nonprofits, and even local governments. As the successful extradition of Erick Jason Victoria-Brito shows, this Office and our partners will not rest until every individual responsible is held accountable.”

USSS Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Freaney said: “This alleged scheme rained down financial ruin upon unwitting businesses and individuals. While the suspects operated with impunity across the nation and beyond, the U.S. Secret Service and its partners remained steadfast in building a strong case — no matter where the evidence took them. I commend the investigators and prosecutors for their commitment to disrupting this type of insidious fraud on behalf of all those victimized by it.”

As alleged in the Indictment, Superseding Indictments, and court filings:[1]

From at least December 2017 through at least November 2022, a group of individuals perpetrated a massive, international bank-fraud and money-laundering scheme (the “Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme”) designed to obtain and launder the proceeds of business e-mail compromise schemes. In a business email compromise scheme, a scheme member fraudulently induces a company or individual to send money to a bank account controlled by that scheme member or the scheme member’s compatriots.

The Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme operated across borders and preyed on businesses large and small. Between 2020 and 2021 alone, participants in the scheme stole tens of millions of dollars, targeting victims that included a major American sports organization, a publicly traded healthcare company, and a prominent international nonprofit organization, along with multiple city governments, law firms, construction companies, and investment funds. Participants in the Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme registered over 1,000 fake businesses, then used those businesses to open bank accounts. Those bank accounts then received the proceeds of business email compromise schemes. Once the stolen funds reached those fraudulent bank accounts, participants in the Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme worked quickly to take advantage of the international banking system by either withdrawing the money or helping to launder it by wiring it to overseas banks, thereby preventing victims from recouping their losses. The co-conspirators accomplished that primarily by wiring stolen money to banks in China, outside the reach of American banks. During the course of the charged conduct, members of the conspiracy participated in inflicting over $60 million in actual losses and attempted to inflict losses of over $150 million.

* * *

VICTORIA-BRITO, 30, of Hollywood, Florida, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, USSS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Ms. Sassoon further thanked the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations for their assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Burnett and Amanda C. Weingarten are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment and Superseding Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Indictment and Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Following Data Privacy Day, Attorney General Bonta Reminds Consumers of Their Right to Opt-Out of the Sale of Their Personal Information

Source: US State of California

Global Privacy Control signal sends ‘do not sell’ requests on your behalf

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today reminded Californians of their right to stop or “opt-out” of the sale and sharing of their personal information under the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), California’s landmark, first-in-nation privacy law. Along with the attorneys general of Colorado and Connecticut, states that also have robust privacy protections, Attorney General Bonta encourages consumers to consider familiarizing themselves with the Global Privacy Control (GPC), an easy-to-use browser setting or extension that automatically signals to businesses that they should not sell your personal information to third parties, including for targeted advertising.

“Every single one of our online interactions is a robust source of data that broadcasts who we are, what we like, and how we live. Many websites install tracking software that allows third parties to track consumers, use the information they learn to create entire profiles of users, and deploy targeted ads that follow us around our time surfing the web,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Today, I remind Californians of their right to opt-out and take back control of their personal data. Global Privacy Control is the easiest way to limit the number of third parties that have access to our personal information and online behavioral data. I also encourage mobile device manufacturers to develop an easy, GPC-like feature that consumers can use to signal the right to opt-out.”

“Websites are constantly tracking and collecting our personal information for every purpose you can imagine. In Connecticut, you can now opt out of tracking across all sites by selecting a single simple option. It’s an easy step to take back control over your data and protect your privacy,” said Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.

Data comes from nearly everywhere online, even when people think they’re not revealing anything. It has been estimated that the average person produces 1.7 MB of data per second or 6,120 MB of data per hour.

Websites can track and amass personal information and behavioral data like pages visited, time spent on pages, clicks, and detailed purchase information to create and share profiles and inferences about consumers. Apps and other software can collect and transmit personal information as well, including sensitive personal information like a user’s precise geolocation. Preventing third parties from receiving this information is a key step to protecting private information and stopping the proliferation of your data in the online ecosystem.

YOUR RIGHT TO OPT OUT

The CCPA vests California consumers with control over the personal information that businesses collect about them, including the right to request that businesses stop selling or sharing your personal information. With some exceptions, businesses cannot sell or share your personal information after they receive your opt-out request unless you later provide authorization allowing them to do so again. Businesses must wait at least 12 months before asking you to opt back in to the sale or sharing of your personal information.

HOW DO I OPT OUT?

Consumers have two options to opt out of the sale of their data:

OPTION 1: Enabling Global Privacy Control

The GPC is a signal that allows users to automatically indicate to the websites they visit that they would like to opt-out of the “sale” of their personal information. The GPC signal is an easy way to opt-out because a consumer does not have to make individualized requests to opt-out on each website they visit. GPC can be downloaded via a browser extension; some browsers offer a GPC setting. Installing GPC is simple and ensures your personal is protected.

Click here for a video to show you how to install GPC.

OPTION 2: Opt-Out One Business at a Time

Businesses that sell personal information must provide a clear and conspicuous “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link on their website that allows you to submit an opt-out request. Businesses cannot require you to create an account to submit your request or ask for additional information to process your opt-out.

If you can’t find a business’s “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link, review its privacy policy to see if it sells or shares personal information. If the business does, it must also include that link in its privacy policy. If a business’s “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” link is not working or difficult to find, you may report the business to our office by visiting oag.ca.gov/report.

For more information on the CCPA and opting out, please see here. For a tutorial on installing GPC, please see here.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: California Food Distributor Settles False Claims Act Liability Relating to Self-Disclosure of Small Business Contracting Violations

Source: US State of California

GS Foods Group Inc. (GS Foods), headquartered in Ontario, California, has agreed to pay $949,696.90 to resolve False Claims Act liability in connection with bidding on contracts reserved for small businesses when GS Foods did not qualify as a small business. The contracts involved supplying food to facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that GS Foods took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government.

“Businesses that participate in federal small business contracting programs must ensure that they comply with applicable rules and regulations relating to eligibility,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When businesses run afoul of small business contracting requirements, they can mitigate the consequences by making timely self-disclosures, cooperating with investigations, and taking appropriate remedial measures.”

The settlement resolves allegations that, between Oct. 1, 2018 and March 8, 2024, GS Foods did not qualify as a small business because of its affiliation with certain other companies. The United States alleged that subsidiaries of GS Foods, GoodSource Solutions Inc., and Dori Foods Inc., bid on contracts and orders that had been expressly reserved, or set-aside, exclusively for small businesses. As a result, GoodSource Solutions and Dori Foods allegedly obtained contracts for which they were not eligible. GS Foods timely self-reported the conduct to the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), and cooperated with the Justice Department’s investigation, including, for example, by identifying key witnesses and documents and making employees available for interviews. The company also took remedial measures, including updating its code of conduct, establishing an Ethics and Compliance Management Committee, establishing the position of Chief Compliance Officer, and developing and implementing additional employee training.

“It is a disservice to small businesses when contracts that were expressly set aside to create opportunities for small businesses are awarded to ineligible organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Andrew Hartwell of DOJ-OIG, Fraud Detection Office. “The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to playing our part to maintain the integrity of small business contracts.”

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and DOJ-OIG. Fraud Section Senior Trial Counsel Jonathan H. Gold handled the matter.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI: Moody Capital Solutions Consolidates Capitalyst Division into Moody, Enhancing Investment Banking Capabilities

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

ATLANTA, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Moody Capital Solutions, Inc. (Moody Capital), a leading investment bank based in Atlanta, Georgia, is pleased to announce the consolidation of the Capitalyst Advisory Group division into its operations. This strategic move is aimed at expanding Moody Capital’s investment banking services and integrating Capitalyst’s expertise into its business.

Richard Kreger, CEO of Moody Capital Solutions, welcomed Katherine Danielson and Todd Bertsch to the team: “We are thrilled to welcome the Capitalyst division into the Moody Capital family. This consolidation aligns with our commitment to providing top-tier investment banking services and strengthens our position in the market.”

Katherine Danielson, joining Moody Capital Solutions as Managing Director, founded Capitalyst Advisory Group to integrate scalable business practices with a focus on fundraising and successful exits. Katherine brings extensive experience from her leadership roles at Citigroup and Nomura Securities, as well as a dynamic and diverse background. Prior to her career in investment banking, Katherine served for seven years in the U.S. Army as a broadcast journalist, honing her ability to tell compelling stories and communicate effectively under pressure. She also founded the food manufacturing company Zen Monkey Overnight Oatmeal, demonstrating her entrepreneurial acumen and deep understanding of business operations. Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Global Studies from the University of Texas and an MBA from Cambridge Judge Business School. On joining Moody Capital, she said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our team and clients. We look forward to leveraging Moody Capital’s resources and expertise to deliver even greater value and innovative solutions.”

Todd Bertsch, Managing Director of Capitalyst Advisory Group, brings over 25 years of expertise in investment banking, venture capital, and financial technology. A former leader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Cowen Inc., and Weild & Co., Todd has overseen operations generating over $100 million in revenues, specializing in capital raising, M&A, and corporate finance.

As co-founder of Gateway Financial Technologies, Todd revolutionized trading through direct market access via FIX protocols, positioning the firm as an industry leader. In venture capital, his role as a Venture Partner at VU Venture Partners has helped high-potential ventures secure funding and strategic partnerships.

Todd’s ability to balance financial, operational, and strategic priorities makes him a trusted advisor to businesses navigating growth. At Capitalyst, he provides tailored fundraising and M&A strategies, helping clients unlock value and achieve sustainable success.

The consolidation will enable Moody Capital to enhance its service offerings, particularly in the areas of capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and other investment banking services. The integration of Capitalyst Advisory Group’s talented team will further solidify Moody Capital’s reputation as a premier investment banking firm.

For more information, please contact: info@moodycapital.com

About Moody Capital Solutions, Inc.:

Moody Capital Solutions, Inc. is a leading investment bank providing capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and other investment banking services. Founded in 2002, Moody Capital is dedicated to delivering exceptional financial solutions to its clients.

About Capitalyst Advisory Group:

Capitalyst Advisory Group specializes in providing strategic financial advice and investment banking services to clients across various industries. Known for its innovative approach and commitment to client success, Capitalyst integrates scalable business practices with fundraising and successful exits in mind. Learn more at www.capitalystadvisorygroup.com.

Contact:
Moody Capital Solutions, Inc.
Richard H. Kreger
(845)448-8857
info@moodycapital.com

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: 01.28.2025 Sens. Cruz, Schatz, Britt, and Tuberville Introduce Bill Targeting Illegal Fishing Operations

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) introduced the bipartisan Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, which directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of red snapper and certain species of tuna imported into the United States.
Technology exists to chemically test and find the geographic origin of many foods, but not for red snapper and tuna. The legislation aims to develop a field test kit that can be used to accurately ascertain whether fish were caught in U.S. or foreign waters, thus allowing federal and state law enforcement officers to identify the origin of the fish and confiscate illegally caught red snapper and tuna before it is imported back into the U.S.
Upon the introduction of the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, Sen. Cruz said, “Cartels and other criminal entities are illegally catching, importing, and selling red snapper and tuna to unwitting consumers then using such profits to fund other illicit activities like drug smuggling and human trafficking. I am glad to join my colleagues in introducing this common-sense, bipartisan legislation to support U.S. fishermen, and I am hopeful Congress will act quickly to stop these dangerous criminal gangs.”
Sen. Schatz said, “Seafood that’s caught illegally or intentionally mislabeled rips off consumers and makes it harder for law-abiding U.S. fishermen to compete. Our bill will help fight against pirate fishermen who try to pass off cheap foreign tuna for high-quality ahi from local Hawai‘i fishermen.”
Sen. Britt said, “Cartel-backed poachers need to face consequences for their illicit activities in the Gulf of America. Red snapper is a core component of Coastal Alabama’s economy, and our hardworking fishermen and food producers deserve fairness when fishing in the Gulf. Senator Cruz’s and my Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act will help protect Alabama’s fishermen. This is yet another message to Mexico that illegal actions cannot and will not stand.”
Sen. Tuberville said, “Alabama lands 34 percent of all recreationally caught Red Snapper in the Gulf. Unfortunately, our domestic Red Snapper industry is being undermined by Mexican fishermen who are illegally catching American snapper in the Gulf, smuggling them into Mexico, and then reselling the same fish back to American consumers. In addition to taking business away from Alabama’s fishermen, many of the profits from these illegal fishing operations are funding the cartels. I’m proud to join Senator Cruz in introducing the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act to stop illegal Red Snapper from flooding our markets and bankrupting our great fishermen.”
Background:
Mexican fishermen cross the maritime border between Texas and Mexico on small boats called “lanchas” to illegally catch red snapper in U.S. waters and return to Mexico. The fish are sold in Mexico or mixed in with legally-caught red snapper then exported back into the United States across land borders. Red snapper is one of the most well-managed and profitable fish in the Gulf, but illegal fishing by Mexican lanchas puts law-abiding U.S. fishermen and seafood producers at a competitive disadvantage.
In Hawaii, commercial fishermen have long fought to combat illegal fishing and human trafficking in the seafood industry. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities violate both national and international fishing regulations.
Sens. Cruz, Britt, and Tuberville previously introduced similar legislation during the 118th Congress, which passed the Commerce Committee in July of last year.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: California Food Distributor Settles False Claims Act Liability Relating to Self-Disclosure of Small Business Contracting Violations

Source: United States Attorneys General

GS Foods Group Inc. (GS Foods), headquartered in Ontario, California, has agreed to pay $949,696.90 to resolve False Claims Act liability in connection with bidding on contracts reserved for small businesses when GS Foods did not qualify as a small business. The contracts involved supplying food to facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that GS Foods took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government.

“Businesses that participate in federal small business contracting programs must ensure that they comply with applicable rules and regulations relating to eligibility,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When businesses run afoul of small business contracting requirements, they can mitigate the consequences by making timely self-disclosures, cooperating with investigations, and taking appropriate remedial measures.”

The settlement resolves allegations that, between Oct. 1, 2018 and March 8, 2024, GS Foods did not qualify as a small business because of its affiliation with certain other companies. The United States alleged that subsidiaries of GS Foods, GoodSource Solutions Inc., and Dori Foods Inc., bid on contracts and orders that had been expressly reserved, or set-aside, exclusively for small businesses. As a result, GoodSource Solutions and Dori Foods allegedly obtained contracts for which they were not eligible. GS Foods timely self-reported the conduct to the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), and cooperated with the Justice Department’s investigation, including, for example, by identifying key witnesses and documents and making employees available for interviews. The company also took remedial measures, including updating its code of conduct, establishing an Ethics and Compliance Management Committee, establishing the position of Chief Compliance Officer, and developing and implementing additional employee training.

“It is a disservice to small businesses when contracts that were expressly set aside to create opportunities for small businesses are awarded to ineligible organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Andrew Hartwell of DOJ-OIG, Fraud Detection Office. “The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to playing our part to maintain the integrity of small business contracts.”

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and DOJ-OIG. Fraud Section Senior Trial Counsel Jonathan H. Gold handled the matter.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: 2024 Q4 Revenue

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

€994.6 million in total revenue for 2024, down -5.9%, reflecting the Group’s strategic orientations
- Prioritizing margins over revenue growth
- Managed decrease in the most mature markets
- Focus on the Group’s profitable growth drivers, primarily in Germany and in Energy activities
Q4: €251.8 million in revenue, down -12.4%
- Q4 2023 comparison basis particularly high
- Impact of selectivity measures implemented in Q2 in the telecom sector in France and Spain
- Fiber activity in Belgium remains low as negotiations continue between telco service providers seeking to pool their investments.
- Strong growth in Germany, the group’s future third pillar: +51%
- Strong growth in Energy activities: +30%
2024 full-year margin outlook confirmed
- Improvement of the Group’s adjusted EBITDA margin
- Increase in adjusted EBITDA despite the revenue decline, demonstrating the relevance of the Group’s reinforced selectivity strategy

	12 months			Q4
In millions of euros (unaudited)	2024	2023	% change	2024	2023	% change
Group	994.6	1,057.0	-5.9%	251.8	287.3	-12.4%
Benelux	371.6	381.6	-2.6%	92.7	112.0	-17.2%
France	360.6	403.3	-10.6%	90.5	105.6	-14.3%
Other Countries	262.4	272.1	-3.6%	68.6	69.7	-1.6%

Gianbeppi Fortis, Chief Executive Officer of Solutions30, stated: “As previously announced, Solutions30’s 2024 revenue trends reflect the Group’s strategic priorities, with a stronger focus on margins over revenue growth in a mixed market environment. In the fourth quarter, we continued to selectively scale back our revenue in our most mature segments, particularly in telecoms in France and Spain, in order to enhance operating margins. Meanwhile, fiber activity in Belgium remained temporarily subdued due to ongoing negotiations between service providers. At the same time, our key growth drivers – primarily Germany and energy transition-related services – continued to expand. Notably, energy services now represent nearly 20% of our fourth-quarter revenue. We confirm our objective of increasing the Group’s adjusted EBITDA for the full year 2024, despite the revenue decrease. This demonstrates our ability to significantly improve operating margins and highlights the effectiveness of our selectivity strategy in the market environment we faced in 2024.”

Consolidated revenue

In 2024, Solutions30’s consolidated revenue stood at €994.6 million, down -5.9% compared to 2023. This includes an organic contraction of -6.5%, a +0.2% impact from acquisitions, and a +0.4% favorable exchange rate effect.

It also reflects the Group’s strategic objectives, as outlined during the Capital Markets Day on September 26, 2024, in a context where Solutions30 operates across markets and business segments at different stages of maturity. The Group has chosen to increasingly prioritize margins over revenue growth, leading to a scaling down in the French and Spanish telecom sectors, where certain contracts no longer met profitability requirements. At the same time, Solutions30 is accelerating the expansion of its profitable growth drivers in Germany and in the energy sector.

Q4 consolidated revenue stood at €251.8 million, down -12.4% (-12.9% organically) compared to Q4 2023, which represented a particularly high basis for comparison (€287.3 million). Trends in Q4 remained in line with those observed in Q3, with: (i) the impact of selectivity measures implemented in Q2 in the French and Spanish telecom sectors, (ii) continued low levels of activity in Benelux, largely due to ongoing negotiations between Belgian service providers seeking to pool their fiber roll-out investments, and (iii) continued strong momentum in the Group’s key growth drivers: Germany, where fiber deployments are accelerating rapidly, and Energy services, a business the Group is successfully expanding.

Benelux

2024 Q4 revenue in Benelux stood at €92.7 million, down -17.2% (-17.6% organically) from a particularly high comparison basis (+61% in Q4 of 2023). Connectivity activities posted revenue of €67.3 million in Q4, down
-26%. In Belgium, fiber optic deployment remained hindered by ongoing negotiations between telecom service providers seeking to streamline nationwide deployment. These negotiations continued to cause delays in activity for Solutions30, with the impact further amplified in Q4 by the merger of two of its local clients, Proximus and Fiberklaar, which led to discussions on adapting operational processes.

Revenue from Energy activities reached €16.4 million in Q4, posting a modest 1.8% increase. While the roll-out of smart meters in Flanders has reached a plateau, further roll-outs in Wallonia and growth in network services are expected to drive momentum in the coming quarters. Meanwhile, Energy services in the Netherlands have slowed down due to electrical grid congestion, which is expected to prompt additional infrastructure investments.

Technology Solutions remained strong, generating €9.0 million in revenue, up +67%, driven by the launch of a new IT support contract.

2024 annual revenue in Benelux reached €371.6 million, down slightly by -2.6% (-2.8% organically), after extremely strong growth (+72%) in 2023.

France

In France, 2024 Q4 revenue was €90.5 million, down -14.3% on an organic basis. This decrease is primarily attributable to Connectivity activities, which contracted by -38.2% to €45.2 million, following the selectivity measures implemented since the second quarter. As part of its strategic focus on profitability, the Group has significantly reduced its exposure to certain contracts that no longer met its profitability standards, with the impact further amplified by the slowdown in the fiber deployment market observed since the beginning of the year.

The Group continues to successfully expand its Energy business, which posted strong growth of +54% in the fourth quarter, reaching €26.0 million in revenue, or 29% of the total. Supported by highly favorable structural trends, this segment is gradually establishing itself as a major growth driver for Solutions30, particularly in the photovoltaic sector, where the Group is achieving significant commercial and operational successes, recording a +72% increase in the fourth quarter. Momentum also remains strong in energy network services, which grew by +61% over the period.

Technology activities sustain a strong momentum, generating €19.3 million in revenue in Q4, up +24%. Following an exceptional surge in business during the 2024 Paris Olympics in Q2, IT support services continued to grow strongly, driven by the expansion of Internet of Things solutions, particularly the installation of smart thermostats.

Annual revenue for France in 2024 stood at €360.6 million, down -10.6%, including a -11% organic contraction and a +0.4% contribution from recent acquisitions.

Other Countries

In Other countries, the group generated €68.6 million in revenue in Q4 2024, down slightly by -1.6%. This includes an organic decline of -3.4% and a positive currency impact of +1.8%, reflecting the appreciation of the zloty and pound sterling against the euro during this period.

In Germany, Solutions30 is capitalizing on exceptional market momentum, with 2024 Q4 revenue increasing by +51.3% to €24.6 million. Coaxial network services remain strong while fiber growth is picking up speed. Firmly established with the leading national telecom operators, the Group has the organization, expertise, and resources required to play a key role in accelerating roll-outs in the coming quarters.

Solutions30 has continued to grow in Poland, with +6.4% revenue growth in Q4, reaching €15.1 million. While it has, until now, focused on Connectivity activities in this country, the Group recently won two electric vehicle charging infrastructure contracts with two major players, Ekoenergetyka and Inbalance Grid (see press release dated January 8, 2025).

In Italy, Q4 revenue totaled €14.5 million. Business has returned to growth, posting a +6.2% increase over the period. However, this growth is offset by the positive impact of 2023 negotiations with the Group’s main Italian client, which was fully accounted for in Q4 2023, despite covering the entire fiscal year. This distorts the comparison, resulting in an apparent -10.6% decline in Q4 2024.

In Spain, revenue amounted to €7.3 million, down -44.1% due to steps taken in Q2 to reduce the Group’s exposure to the mature telecoms market. The restructuring of the Connectivity business and the refocus on the Energy and Technology activities are ongoing.

Finally, In the United Kingdom, revenue came in at €7.2 million, down -28.4% compared to Q4 2023. The Group continues to shift its focus toward the fiber and energy services markets, driven by a newly appointed local management team.

In 2024, annual revenue for Other Countries was €262.4 million, down -3.6%, including a -5.0% organic contraction and a positive exchange rate effect of +1.4%.

2024 full-year margin outlook confirmed

For the whole of 2024, Solutions30 confirms its outlook for an improvement in its adjusted EBITDA margin, as well as an increase in adjusted EBITDA in absolute terms, despite the decline in revenue. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the selectivity strategy implemented by the Group in 2024.

Governance

Today the Supervisory Board appointed Mrs. Paola Bruno as Vice Chair of the Supervisory Board. A valued member of the Supervisory Board since 2023, Paola Bruno will continue to bring her extensive experience in corporate finance and strategy to this leadership role and to Solutions30 organization as a whole.

Webcast for Investors and Analysts
Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
6:30 PM (CET) – 5:30 PM (GMT)

Speakers
Gianbeppi Fortis, Chief Executive Officer
Amaury Boilot, Group General Secretary

Connection Details
Webcast in French: https://channel.royalcast.com/landingpage/solutions30-fr/20250129_1/

Upcoming Events

2024 Earnings Report March 31, 2025

About Solutions30 SE

Solutions30 provides consumers and businesses with access to the key technological advancements that are shaping our everyday lives, especially those driving the digital transformation and energy transition. With its network of more than 16,000 technicians, Solutions30 has completed over 65 million call-outs since its inception and led over 500 renewable energy projects with a combined maximum output surpassing 1600 MWp. Every day, Solutions30 is doing its part to build a more connected and sustainable world. Solutions30 has become an industry leader in Europe with operations in 10 countries: France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Poland.
The capital of Solutions30 SE consists of 107,127,984 shares, equal to the number of theoretical votes that can be exercised. Solutions30 SE is listed on the Euronext Paris exchange (ISIN FR0013379484- code S30).
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Press – Image 7:
Charlotte Le Barbier – Tel: +33 6 78 37 27 60 – clebarbier@image7.fr

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PR Q4 29012025

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Africa: Angola Oil & Gas (AOG’25) Kicks Off to Celebrate 50 Years of Angola’s Independence and Its Leadership in the Oil Sector in Africa

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

LUANDA, Angola, January 29, 2025/APO Group/ —

The sixth edition of the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) Conference & Exhibition was officially launched today, marking the beginning of a historic celebration. The event, scheduled for September 3-4, 2025, in Luanda, is the country’s largest oil and gas investment platform, bringing together industry leaders, financiers, technology providers, and both local and international service providers.

Under the theme “Turning Dialogue into Business,” AOG 2025 promises to be the biggest edition yet, standing out for its B2B networking, promotion of strategic collaboration and support for signing agreements among key industry decision-makers. The conference also commemorates 50 years of Angola’s independence and five decades of growth in the oil and gas industry, which has been achieved through factors such as transparent cooperation with major global operators, consistent investment, collaboration among industry stakeholders and continuous innovation.

According to José Barroso, Angolan Secretary of State for Oil and Gas, “the sixth edition of AOG 2025, organized this year as part of the celebration for the 50th anniversary of our independence, comes at an important time for Angola and the national oil and gas sector,” he said, adding that “Angola’s oil and gas sector marks 50 years of resilience and growth, offering a compelling investment opportunity for international partners and reaffirming its position as a hub for global industry leaders.”

He further stated, “As Angola’s oil and gas sector celebrates 50 years of growth, we’re showcasing its profitability to foreign investors. Events like AOG 2025 play a crucial role in boosting the sector, promoting Angola globally and attracting investment, ultimately driving economic and social progress.”

Meanwhile, Barroso highlighted that oil production was averaging over one million barrels per day, and that the country seeks to further increase output through a multifaceted investment approach, including the launch of its 2025 licensing round which will offer new blocks in the offshore Kwanza and Benguela basins, in addition to new opportunities in marginal fields.

Angola’s licensing round, scheduled for the first quarter of 2025, includes blocks 22, 35, 37, 38, and 36 in the Kwanza Basin, and blocks 40, 25, 39 and 26 in the Benguela Basin. Meanwhile, the available marginal fields cover areas in blocks 4, 14, 15, 17/06, and 18. The Incremental Production Initiative, which offers more attractive fiscal conditions, has been a key tool to maximize production from existing assets.

In the natural gas sector, Angola is also striving to position itself as a major exporter, increasing the share of gas in the energy mix to 25%. The government is attracting new investments and technological innovations, with strategic projects such as Angola LNG.

Among recent developments, Chevron launched the Sanha Lean Gas Connection Project in December 2024, while the New Gas Consortium expects to start producing non-associated gas by late 2025 or early 2026. Angola also presents investment opportunities in gas-to-power, LPG, and distribution projects, making it an increasingly attractive market for investors. In the downstream sector, the Cabinda Refinery is expected to begin operations in 2025, with an initial capacity of 30,000 barrels per day. Additionally, the Lobito and Soyo refinery projects are under development, with Angola seeking investors to accelerate their completion.

Bráulio de Brito, President of AECIPA, emphasized the role of this initiative “in developing local content, particularly in training national staff, implementing innovative and robust equipment and technology in Angola and Angolan companies, as well as in the growing openness of national banks to seriously consider projects and national entrepreneurs in the sector.”

The President of AECIPA also stated that “I hope the sixth edition of Angola Oil & Gas will break all records for business and professional participation, both international and national, and that it will be a moment to celebrate the country, the industry, and all those who, at the governmental and business levels, make it happen in Angola.”

Meanwhile, Luís Conde, Conference Director at Energy Capital & Power, summed up the spirit of the event by stating, “In honor of this golden jubilee, the Angola Oil & Gas 2025 Conference will celebrate Angola’s legacy as one of the undisputed leaders in the oil and gas sector in Africa, while looking toward a future filled with opportunities. The event will transform today’s conversations into partnerships, investments, and key contracts for the next 50 years.”

Registrations for AOG 2025 are now open. To secure your spot and learn more about the event, visit: https://AngolaOilAndGas.com/.

MIL OSI Africa –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Installation begins for new information screens at bus stops in Portsmouth

Source: City of Portsmouth

Installation has begun on 287 new information screens set to improve journeys for bus passengers across the city.

Portsmouth City Council is enhancing travel across the city by installing 287 new information screens at bus stops, as part of the Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). This upgrade will ensure that over 90% of bus stops in Portsmouth are equipped with real time information about bus arrivals and passenger capacity, making journeys smoother and more informed for passengers.

The fresh new look signs make it easier to see the bus services operating to and from the bus stop. The new information screens will also feature a push-button option, allowing passengers with visual impairments to hear the information displayed, making bus travel more inclusive and user-friendly.

The installation of the new screens is a direct response to feedback from bus users, who identified the need for more real time information and clearer signage at bus stops. This demand was highlighted as one of the key priorities in the BSIP public consultation.

Councillor Peter Candlish, Portsmouth’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said:

“We’ve heard loud and clear from bus passengers that they want more accurate, accessible information at bus stops, and we’re thrilled to begin installing these new screens throughout the city. These updates will make it easier for passengers to navigate the bus network and plan their journeys with confidence. Our aim is to make public transport in Portsmouth as accessible and convenient as possible for everyone.”

Transport systems experts, Vix Technology, will carry out the installation of the new screens. Two different types of screens will be installed: one set at bus shelters and another set on poles at stops without shelters.

The screens will display the estimated arrival times of buses, with a countdown to show when the bus will arrive. The real time data is provided via GPS technology, which tracks the buses’ locations to calculate how soon they’ll reach each stop. The bus shelter mounted screens will also be able to display additional live information, including weather updates and news.

Daniel Jacklin, Business Development Manager at Vix Technology, said:

“We’re excited to continue our long-standing partnership with Portsmouth City Council to expand real time information across the city. The installation of over 287 new screens, marks a significant milestone. We’re looking forward to helping passengers navigate the city more easily and travel with greater confidence.”

This installation is the latest in a series of improvements to the city’s bus stop infrastructure, designed to make travel information easier to access and the overall bus experience more seamless. Improving the bus service is a key part of the Council’s overall plan to make travel in the city better for everyone.

For more information about bus stop improvements in the city, visit: travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/bsip-schemes/rti-screens/)

More information about the Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan

The Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) is Portsmouth’s visionary delivery scheme aligned with the government’s National Bus Strategy and aims to dramatically improve bus services in Portsmouth and to encourage passengers back to the bus.

This programme is managed by an enhanced partnership between local bus companies Stagecoach South, First Solent and Portsmouth City Council. With a £48 million grant from the Department for Transport (DfT) the Portsmouth BSIP aims to increase bus usage in Portsmouth by engaging with the local community and transforming the bus network in the city so that it is faster, more reliable, and more affordable.

The Portsmouth BSIP has already funded early morning travel, and later night services, tap on tap off technology, fare free weekends to encourage residents to try the bus, Christmas Day bus services and much more, with even more exciting developments planned for 2024/2025.

According to the latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures, Portsmouth has seen a 20% rise in bus passengers over the past year and is recognised as the top city for bringing people back to bus travel, with over 12 million bus journeys taken.

More information can be found on our website: https://travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/bsip/

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI: Elliott Broidy and Dr. Thomas Kaplan Co-Chair Fundraising Initiative to Convert Nazi Commandant’s Home Adjacent to Auschwitz into a New Global Center for Combating Antisemitism, Extremism, and Hate
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Boca Raton, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On January 27^th, International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and co-chairs of The Fund to End Antisemitism, Extremism, and Hate, Elliott Broidy and Dr. Thomas Kaplan announced the launch of a major fundraising campaign to help fund the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism, and Radicalization (ARCHER) at House 88.

Spearheaded by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), ARCHER aims to transform the former residence of Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss in Oświęcim, Poland, from a center of hate to a center against hate in all forms. In addition to the residence, famed architect Daniel Libeskind has designed an extraordinary new building on the grounds of House 88 to house the organization’s research, education, and advocacy activities.

“This historic initiative represents a crucial step in our fight against extremism,” said Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, CEO of the Counter Extremism Project. “ARCHER at House 88 will serve as a vital hub for research, education, and—crucially—action in countering hate, antisemitism, and extremism globally.”

“The lessons of history demand that we do more than just remember—we must act,” said Dr. Thomas Kaplan. “ARCHER at House 88 is not just about preserving history; it is about changing the future. By transforming this house—once a symbol of unimaginable evil—into a center dedicated to combating extremism and hate, we are sending a powerful message. But we cannot do this alone.”

Elliott Broidy added, “This is a call to action—our fundraising efforts are critical to ensuring that this initiative succeeds in its mission to create a world free from extremism. I am thrilled that leaders and philanthropists Aryeh Bourkoff, Senator Norm Coleman, Eric Herschmann, Kenneth B. Mehlman, George Schaeffer, Lenny Sands, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, and Dr. Herbert Wertheim have all joined the Board of the Fund.” (Board In Formation)

Senator Norm Coleman said, “I am honored to stand in support of ARCHER at House 88 and its mission to confront antisemitism and extremism head-on. Converting the former Auschwitz Commandant’s residence into a global center for education and advocacy sends a resounding message: antisemitism, extremism, and hate will never prevail, and we are committed to building a future defined by tolerance and understanding.”

Businessman Kenneth B. Mehlman said, “Never Again must be more than a slogan. It requires active engagement, education, and vigilance. ARCHER at House 88 will honor Auschwitz’s victims by educating, engaging, and warning future generations about the evils of genocidal hatred.”

The ARCHER initiative is now actively seeking additional support to expand its programs, including:
- A fellowship program for leading scholars focused on extremism research
- Educational programs for policymakers, educators, and the public
- Policy advocacy implementing actionable strategies to combat hate
To learn more about ARCHER at House 88 or to make a donation, visit https://www.counterextremism.com/donate.

For media inquiries:
Vlad Drazdovich – vlad@redbanyan.com
(954) 773-9456

For fundraising inquiries:
Robert Benton – rbenton@counterextremism.com

About Elliott Broidy
Elliott Broidy is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist with a career spanning four decades. As Chairman and CEO of Broidy Capital Holdings, he has invested in over 160 companies across multiple industries. Since 9/11, his investments have focused on companies in the public safety and national security sectors. Through his philanthropic efforts, he has supported numerous organizations dedicated to countering hate and extremism, including The Simon Wiesenthal Center-Museum of Tolerance, The Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL), the George Washington University Program on Extremism, and StandWithUs.

About Dr. Thomas Kaplan
Dr. Thomas Kaplan is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and advocate for global education, cultural preservation, and the fight against extremism. As the former President and Chairman of New York’s 92nd Street Y, a world-renowned Jewish community and cultural center in New York, Dr. Kaplan has long supported initiatives that promote Jewish history and cultural awareness. He is also the founder of the Recanati-Kaplan Intelligence Fellows Program at Harvard’s Belfer Center and co-creator of a similar program at Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs, furthering advancements in intelligence and geopolitical strategy. Through his philanthropic work, Dr. Kaplan is committed to fostering education, historical preservation, and impactful global change.

About ARCHER at House 88
ARCHER at House 88 is a global research and education center dedicated to combating extremism, antisemitism, and hate. Established by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) in collaboration with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and UNESCO, the center serves as a hub for scholarly research, policy development, and public education.

About the Counter Extremism Project (CEP)
The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a nonprofit, non-partisan policy organization formed in 2014 to combat extremism by pressuring financial and material support networks; combating online recruitment and communications; and promoting progressive laws, policies, and, regulations.

The MIL Network –
January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: AI is bad for the environment, and the problem is bigger than energy consumption

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hamish van der Ven, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Business Management of Natural Resources, University of British Columbia

The growing use of artificial intelligence has led to larger and more powerful data centres, with increased demands on the environment. (Shutterstock)

Artificial intelligence technologies, like chatbots, are attracting growing scrutiny for their voracious energy demands. However, energy consumption is only one part of their broader environmental impact.

Late last year, ChatGPT, the popular AI chatbot run by OpenAI, celebrated its second birthday. In its brief existence, the platform has amassed over 300 million weekly users who send roughly one billion messages to the chatbot per day.

With US$6.6 billion raised in its last funding round, OpenAI has emerged as one of the most valuable private companies in the world.

Soaring emissions

Elsewhere in tech, other companies marked less savoury milestones. Alphabet — the parent company of Google — recently announced that its GHG emissions are up 48 per cent since 2019. At roughly the same time, Microsoft announced that its emissions are up 29 per cent since 2020.

Both companies cite emissions associated with the need for more data centres to support AI workloads as a key factor in surging GHG emissions. AI is notoriously thirsty for energy — according to one researcher, one query to ChatGPT uses approximately as much electricity as one light bulb for 20 minutes.

The collective energy demand of data centres in the United States is so high that Microsoft recently reached a deal to reopen Three Mile Island, the site of the worst nuclear accident in American history.

The burgeoning AI industry needs so much electricity that plans to decommission several coal plants have been delayed. By some estimates, the collective demand of AI and other digital technologies will constitute 20 per cent of global electricity use by 2030.

Insidious effects

The energy use of AI is important, but it does not tell the whole story of AI’s environmental impacts. The social and political mediums through which AI affects the planet are far more insidious and, arguably, more consequential for the future of humanity.

In the Business, Sustainability and Technology Lab at the University of British Columbia, we specialize in evaluating the social and political ways in which digital technologies affect the environment.

In our recently published paper, “Does artificial intelligence bias perceptions of environmental challenges?,” my students and I argue that AI changes how humans perceive environmental challenges in ways that obscure the accountability of powerful entities, ignore marginalized communities and promote cautious and incremental solutions that are drastically out of sync with the timeline required to avert environmental crises.

We asked four chatbots the same series of questions about the issues, causes, consequences and solutions to nine environmental challenges. We found evidence of systematic biases in their responses. Most notably, chatbots avoid mentioning radical solutions to environmental challenges. They are far more likely to propose combinations of soft economic, social or political changes, like greater deployment of sustainable technologies and broader public awareness and education.

Chatbots by OpenAI and Anthropic exhibited a reluctance to discuss the broader social, cultural and economic issues that are entangled in environmental challenges. For example, the term “environmental justice” is absent from nearly all chatbot responses. Chatbots also avoided references to dismantling colonialism or rethinking infinite economic growth as solutions to these challenges.

Chatbots may be programmed to avoid raising the broader social, cultural and economic issues that are entangled in environmental challenges.
(Shutterstock)

AI bias

Biases also exist in who chatbots see as responsible or vulnerable to environmental challenges. The chatbots we studied were far more likely to blame governments for environmental challenges than businesses or financial organizations. Similarly, while the vulnerability of Indigenous groups to climate change and biodiversity loss was mentioned frequently, the susceptibility of Black people and women to these same challenges received scant attention.

All of this is particularly worrisome given the increasingly widespread use of AI chatbots by educators, students, policymakers and business leaders to understand and respond to environmental challenges. Chatbots present information in an oracular way, usually as a single text box written in an authoritative manner and understood as a synthesis of all digitalized knowledge.

If AI users treat this text uncritically, they risk arriving at conclusions that propagate biased conceptions of environmental challenges and reinforce ineffective efforts to avert ecological crises.

In the near future, the problem of bias in AI looks to get even worse, as OpenAI and other AI companies consider incorporating advertising to generate the revenue needed to train newer and more complex large language models.

While it remains unclear what advertising will look like when integrated into ChatGPT, it is not difficult to see a world in which a description of climate change and its attendant solutions will be brought to you by the good folks at ExxonMobil or Shell.

Hamish van der Ven receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

– ref. AI is bad for the environment, and the problem is bigger than energy consumption – https://theconversation.com/ai-is-bad-for-the-environment-and-the-problem-is-bigger-than-energy-consumption-247842

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Apprenticeship Week to highlight ideal pathway to full time employment

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Apprenticeship Week to highlight ideal pathway to full time employment

29 January 2025

Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Labour Market Partnership are hosting a number of events for prospective apprentices and employers to mark Apprenticeship Week 2025.

The Northern Ireland wide initiative, from Monday February 3^rd to Friday February 5^th 2025, seeks to celebrate and showcase the value of apprenticeships for individuals, businesses, communities and the wider economy.

The events highlight the apprenticeship route as an alternative to full time education and will allow prospective employers and candidates to connect and learn more about the options available.

Labour Market Partnership (LMP) Manager, Nicky Gilleece, explained more about the format of the combination of training and employment.

“Apprenticeships take between two and four years to complete and offer paid employment for participants who can earn as they learn while working alongside experienced staff and gaining experience and qualifications specific to their chosen industry,” she explained.

“The Derry Strabane LMP work proactively with the North West Regional College, the Careers Service and local private training providers to actively promote this as a viable pathway and to create jobs for young people.

“We are organising a number of events this week for both employers and students interested in pursuing this route and I would encourage them to access the programme now and get involved.”

The programme starts on Wednesday February 5^th with an Employer Support Lunchtime Briefing for employers based in the Waterside area at the BEAM Centre in Maydown.

On Thursday February 6^th, the LMP will host an Employer Apprenticeship Brunch at 11am in the Guildhall’s Main Hall followed by an Apprenticeship and Careers Fair from 1pm-4pm where prospective apprentices, parents, guardians and school careers staff can meet with employers and education providers to learn more about the opportunities available in the Council area.
On Friday February 7^themployers can attend a Networking Business Breakfast from 8.30am to 12.30pm at Strabane Golf Club which will be followed by an Apprenticeship Lunch Expo from 12.30pm to 2.30pm where anyone considering an apprenticeship can get more information.

For full details on the Apprenticeship programme visit http://getapprenticeships.me/ or email [email protected].

For a listing of Apprenticeship Week Events visit https://www.derrystrabane.com/services/employment,-skills-training

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: SRC Indigenous Action Plan Builds on Decades Long Reputation of Collaboration

Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on January 29, 2025

An Indigenous Action Plan being set in motion by the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) aims to engage and advance the participation of Indigenous Peoples within the organization and communities across Saskatchewan.

SRC is proud to launch a new Indigenous Action Plan that centers on Indigenous Peoples, communities and businesses to help achieve shared goals. Continuing to build trust and strong relationships with Indigenous communities is a hallmark of this plan.

“The Saskatchewan Research Council has a long history of collaboration with First Nations and Métis communities, spanning more than 40 years in areas such as ecological studies, student enrichment and job training opportunities, and longer-term initiatives including remediation of former mine and mill sites in northern Saskatchewan,” Minister Responsible for SRC Warren Kaeding said. “The new Indigenous Action Plan further builds upon these relationships to ensure continued Indigenous participation in Saskatchewan’s key economic sectors and growing workforce.”

SRC’s Indigenous Action Plan has been built to align with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) Call to Action 92 and will be lifted by four integral pillars: Employment, Leadership, Indigenous Community Relationships and Business Development.

“Continuing to build trust and strong relationships with Indigenous communities is a hallmark of this plan,” President and CEO of SRC Mike Crabtree said. “Advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples is not only the right thing to do, it is simply good business. We encourage all our staff, collaborators and clients to embrace reconciliation each and every day.”

Of particular importance within the Plan will be two new programs supported by the Employment pillar: an Indigenous Workforce Program and an Indigenous Summer Student Program, Kiskiyihta (Kiskee ih-taah), which is a Cree word meaning to learn or to know.

Together, these programs will help SRC increase recruitment and hiring of Indigenous Peoples by collaborating with Indigenous educational institutions and training entities to develop strategies for the retention and advancement of Indigenous employees. The collaborating organizations will also support SRC in finding potential candidates for SRC job openings and for the Indigenous Summer Student Program.

Other important initiatives within the Plan include the formation of an Indigenous Advisory Committee, increasing Indigenous procurement via SRC’s Indigenous Procurement Policy, growing the number of Indigenous learning opportunities for SRC employees, and strengthening meaningful engagement and collaboration with Indigenous communities and Tribal Councils.

SRC would like to recognize and thank Saskatchewan-based Indigenous artist Arnold Isbister for his valuable contributions to the Plan. Isbister provided much of the document’s original artwork, helping bring the Plan’s holistic approach to life with his colourful interpretations of its four Pillars and its symbolic cover pages.

SRC is Canada’s second largest research and technology organization with 1,400 clients in 22 countries around the world. With more than 350 employees, SRC has been helping clients solve technology problems, make improvements, increase productivity and develop new markets for more than 77 years. More details about SRC’s Indigenous Action Plan can be found at src.sk.ca/IAP.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Allison Collins
External Relations
Saskatchewan Research Council
Phone: 306-385-4208
Email: allison.collins@src.sk.ca

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Lean Manufacturing Technologies: GUU to Become Pilot Universities in Federal Project

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

The State University of Management held a meeting between the rector’s office and representatives of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Federal Competence Center (FCC) to discuss the issue of including SUM in the list of pilot universities for the implementation of the lean manufacturing initiative.

The State University of Management was represented by: Rector Vladimir Stroev, representatives of the rector’s office and other departments.

The delegation of guests included: Head of the Monitoring and Statistics Department of the Department for Coordination of Activities of Educational Organizations of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia Alena Petrenko and representatives of the Federal Center for Strategic Studies Vyacheslav Tikhomirov and Ekaterina Nikolenko.

Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroev spoke about the rich experience of interaction with ministries and implementation of joint projects.

“GUU has a close-knit team, ready to implement solutions and maximally interested in the success of our university, especially in terms of development. We have a separate department for this issue. Moreover, many ministries are already implementing various solutions on our platform, so we are ready for this. Thus, for the Ministry of Economic Development we carry out many different tasks, including organizing foreign internships for graduates of the Presidential Program, we are also the operator of the competition “My Good Business” and much more,” shared Vladimir Vitalievich.

Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Dmitry Bryukhanov outlined the issues proposed for discussion.

“GUU has joined the pilot universities for the application of lean manufacturing ideology in educational institutions. Much is happening in the sphere of lean schooling, it is widely used in industry, and we are already seeing a positive effect from process optimization. For the first time, the experience of using lean technologies will be applied in university practice. The task of universities is to determine the main directions and goals for implementing this initiative,” Dmitry Yuryevich noted.

Alena Petrenko spoke about what has already been done within the framework of the project and what plans there are for the implementation of lean technologies for this year.

“The project will be implemented in close cooperation with the Federal Competence Center, the coordinator is the socio-center. Inter-ministerial cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Economic Development will be implemented. The project passport and its roadmap have already been formed, pilot participating universities have been identified. By the end of the year, we must develop and implement solutions in five universities, and by the end of 2030, connect absolutely all higher education institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Education and Science to the lean manufacturing system. An important point is the rector’s interest and the university’s readiness for change,” said the head of the monitoring and statistics department of the Department for Coordination of Educational Organizations of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.

Vyacheslav Tikhomirov shared details about the upcoming project.

“The work will be carried out within the framework of the federal project “Labor Productivity”, in which a significant number of industrial enterprises are already participating, and now it will be expanded to the social sphere. How it is implemented: we examine and describe in detail the processes in the organization in order to identify losses based on lean manufacturing, i.e. those actions that take resources but do not produce an effect. Together with the university working group, we will find ways to solve them and improve the process. As a result, we will receive a collection of best practices of boxed solutions, on the basis of which all organizations will be able to find techniques to improve their own indicators,” explained the head of the department for the implementation of projects in the social sphere of the FCC.

The participants studied the project presentation and discussed possible areas of work, after which they went on a tour of the university.

At the end of the meeting, it was decided to create a working group to implement the project and continue interaction.

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/29/2025

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 30, 2025

Category: Commerce

Source: BusinessNZ

Spiritual well-being in business

When suits start talking spirit

The whole self at work

Juggling multiple selves

A balanced approach

Updates to this page

Soaring emissions

Insidious effects

AI bias

Apprenticeship Week to highlight ideal pathway to full time employment