Category: Covid 19

MIL-OSI USA: H.R. 1156, Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act

Source: US Congressional Budget Office

Bill Summary

H.R. 1156 would extend the statute of limitations from 5 to 10 years for federal criminal prosecution and civil enforcement actions for fraud related to the temporary unemployment programs enacted during the coronavirus pandemic. Under current law, the statute of limitations for those offenses will begin to expire in March 2025. Currently, states refer unemployment insurance claims involving allegations of fraud to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the Department of Labor (DOL) for further investigation. That office reviews cases and refers findings to the Department of Justice (DOJ) or other entities for criminal or civil prosecution.

The bill also would rescind direct appropriations provided for program integrity activities in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Estimated Federal Cost

The estimated budgetary effect of H.R. 1156 is shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget functions 500 (education training, employment, and social services), 600 (income security), and 750 (administration of justice).

Table 1.

Estimated Budgetary Effects of H.R. 1156

By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

2033

2034

2035

2025-2030

2025-2035

Increases or Decreases (-) in Direct Spending

Estimated Budget Authority

Estimated Outlays

-3

Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation

Estimated Authorization

n.e.

Estimated Outlays

n.e.

n.e. = not estimated; * = between -$500,000 and $500,000.

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1156 would increase revenues by less than $500,000 over the 2025-2035 period.

Basis of Estimate

CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted in March 2025. Estimated outlays are based on historical patterns for existing and similar activities.

Direct Spending and Revenues

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1156 would increase net direct spending and revenues by less than $500,000 over the 2025-2035 period (see Table 2).

Table 2. Estimated Changes in Direct Spending Under H.R. 1156
	By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033	2034	2035	2025-2030	2025-2035
	Increases or Decreases (-) in Direct Spending
Extend the Statute of Limitations
Estimated Budget Authority	5	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	5	5
Estimated Outlays	*	3	1	1	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	5	5
Rescind Funding for Program Integrity Activities
Budget Authority	-5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-5	-5
Estimated Outlays	-3	-2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-5	-5
Total Changes
Estimated Budget Authority	0	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Estimated Outlays	-3	1	1	1	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

Extend the Statute of Limitations. Upon the enactment of H.R. 1156, CBO expects that DOL would provide additional funding to states to continue their referrals of cases to DOL and provide information about those cases to the department’s OIG and federal law enforcement agencies. Under current law, DOL has permanent authority to fund whatever amounts are necessary for those activities for pandemic-related programs. Using information from DOL, CBO estimates that under the bill the department would provide $5 million in additional funding to states, increasing direct spending by the same amount over the 2025-2035 period.

By extending the period for which DOJ could pursue prosecutions, CBO expects that H.R. 1156 would increase the collections of penalties and the recovery of additional benefits paid fraudulently in 2025 and subsequent years. That change would not affect state laws or rules governing the recovery of overpayments. Based on an analysis of data for similar offenses from the U.S. Sentencing Commission, CBO estimates that the increase in penalty collections would be insignificant. Criminal and civil fines are recorded in the budget as revenues; criminal fines are deposited into the Crime Victims Fund and spent without further appropriation. Thus, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1156 would increase revenues and the associated direct spending from penalty collections by less than $500,000 over the 2025-2035 period. Additionally, using information from DOL and DOJ, CBO estimates that any additional recoveries of overpaid benefits, which are recorded as reductions in direct spending, would be insignificant. The extent to which any additional recoveries would happen is highly uncertain.

Rescind Funding for Program Integrity Activities. The bill would rescind $5 million in mandatory funding provided in the American Rescue Plan Act to state unemployment insurance agencies for program integrity activities, which are undertaken to ensure that benefits are paid correctly. Using information from DOL, CBO estimates that the rescission would decrease direct spending by $5 million over the 2025-2035 period.

Spending Subject to Appropriation

CBO assumes that if the statute of limitations were extended, more potential fraud cases would be referred to the OIG, and that office would continue to investigate cases it might otherwise have dropped. Using information from the Department of Labor, CBO estimates that the OIG would require an additional $5 million over the 2025-2030 period to handle those referrals and cases. Assuming appropriation of the estimated amounts, CBO estimates that outlays for those activities would total $5 million over the same period (see Table 1).

Pay-As-You-Go Considerations

The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. CBO estimates that enacting the bill would increase direct spending by less than $500,000 over the 2025-2035 period and increase revenues by less than $500,000 in every year and over the 2025-2035 period (see Table 3).

Table 3. CBO’s Estimate of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Effects of H.R. 1156, the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act, as Ordered Reported by the House Committee on Ways and Means on February 12, 2025
	By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033	2034	2035	2025-2030	2025-2035
	Net Increase or Decrease (-) in Outlays
Pay-As-You-Go Effect	-3	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Increase in Long-Term Net Direct Spending and Deficits

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1156 would not significantly increase net direct spending in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1156 would not significantly increase on‑budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.

Mandates

The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

Mandates: Erich Dvorak

Estimate Reviewed By

Elizabeth Cove Delisle
Chief, Income Security Cost Estimates Unit

Justin Humphrey
Chief, Finance, Housing, and Education Cost Estimates Unit

Kathleen FitzGerald
Chief, Public and Private Mandates Unit

Christina Hawley Anthony
Deputy Director of Budget Analysis

H. Samuel Papenfuss
Deputy Director of Budget Analysis

Phillip L. Swagel

Director, Congressional Budget Office

MIL OSI USA News –

February 25, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Excess mortality since 2020 – E-002411/2024(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
Data on excess mortality in EU/European Economic Area (EEA) countries is collected by the EuroMOMO project and by the Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the EU.

The EuroMOMO project is a European mortality monitoring activity based on overall mortality, but not cause-specific, supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), and hosted by Statens Serum Institut, Denmark[1].

The statistical office of the European Union (DG ESTAT) publishes an excess mortality indicator, which is based on data from National Statistical Institutes on weekly deaths on a voluntary basis since April 2020[2].

In the years 2020-2023 the excess deaths rates correlate with the COVID-19 waves and are inversely correlated with vaccination coverage, as highlighted by the WHO[3].

The Commission supports ongoing studies on post-COVID and its link to various disease outcomes, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancers, or neural dysfunctions[4].

The ECDC recommends further immunisation as the most effective measure to protect against severe viral respiratory diseases[5] and scenario modelling has shown that high vaccine uptake at the population level is strongly correlated with reduced disease burden.

[1] https://www.euromomo.eu/

[2] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?oldid=509982#Recent_data_on_excess_mortality_in_the_EU

[3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05522-2

[4] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/health/coronavirus_en

[5] https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/acute-respiratory-infections-eueea-epidemiological-update-and-current-public-health-0
Last updated: 24 February 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
February 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Delivery driver who spent Covid funds on drugs and gambling also withdrew cash for home renovations just before he went bankrupt
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Delivery driver who spent Covid funds on drugs and gambling also withdrew cash for home renovations just before he went bankrupt

Bounce Back Loan fraudster handed suspended sentence and curfew
Amraiz Mahmood secured more than £20,000 in Covid support funds by falsely declaring he had a turnover of £81,000 as a self-employed delivery driver and courier

Mahmood spent the money on drugs and gambling and also used a separate non-Covid related loan for almost £40,000 worth of renovations to his home just before he filed for his own bankruptcy

Insolvency Service investigations have resulted in Mahmood being given a suspended prison sentence and 12-month curfew

A delivery driver who spent Covid support funds he was not entitled to on drugs and gambling has been sentenced.

Amraiz Mahmood fraudulently secured a £20,250 Bounce Back Loan from his bank in 2020 by overstating his 2019 turnover by more than £65,000.

The 31-year-old then claimed to have assets of only £100 despite withdrawing almost £40,000 in cash for home improvements in the weeks before he filed for his own bankruptcy.

Mahmood, of Booker Lane, High Wycombe, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, when he appeared at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Friday 21 February.

He is also now subject to a 12-month daily curfew between 9pm and 7.45am which will be monitored with an electronic tag.

Mark Stephens, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

Amraiz Mahmood hugely inflated his turnover to secure taxpayers’ money he did not deserve. He then clearly failed to use the loan as it was intended.

Bounce Back Loans were designed to support small businesses through the pandemic. They were not intended to be used for personal gain and the Insolvency Service will not hesitate to take action when we identify such blatant abuse of the scheme.

Mahmood also concealed tens of thousands of pounds in assets from the Official Receiver when he was declared bankrupt.

Mahmood fraudulently applied for his Bounce Back Loan in May 2020, claiming his turnover as a self-employed courier and delivery driver was £81,000.

His self-assessment return for 2018-19 however showed an income of only £15,018.

Mahmood said that he spent the majority of the money he claimed on recreational drugs and gambling.

In May 2021, one year on from fraudulently securing the Bounce Back Loan, Mahmood applied for bankruptcy, stating he had assets of just £100 and liabilities of more than £200,000.

However, just one month before his bankruptcy, Mahmood had secured a non-Covid related loan from his bank worth £25,000 having also withdrawn £2,000 from his account in the days and weeks before.

He then withdrew a further £37,950 in cash across several transactions before being declared bankrupt.

Mahmood said he withdrew the money as he needed to make repairs to his home and he knew the assets would be frozen once the bankruptcy order was made.

Invoices for the house renovations were dated after Mahmood’s bankruptcy however, meaning he was in possession of the funds when he told the Official Receiver he only had £100 in assets.

Mahmood signed an eight-year Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking in March 2022, restricting him from being able to borrow more than £500 without disclosing his bankrupt status.

Efforts are now being made to recover the funds from Mahmood.

Further information

Amraiz Mahmood is of Booker Lane, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. His date of birth is 10 April 1983

Sentenced for: Fraud by false representation, contrary to sections 1 and 2 of the Fraud Act 2006; and concealment of assets within the 12 months preceding his bankruptcy application, contrary to section 354(1)(c) of the Insolvency Act 1986

Read more about the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the action the Insolvency Service can take if it finds misconduct

Guidance on the main statutory consequences flowing from a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order or Undertaking

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct.

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Published 24 February 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Funding applications now open to support events for Dingwall 800 celebrations in 2026

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

In 2026, the Royal Burgh of Dingwall will recognise and celebrate the 800th anniversary of becoming a Royal Burgh. This landmark anniversary will see a year of celebration with a wide range of activities being planned to mark this historic event.

Recognising the importance of this key year, The Highland Council is now accepting funding applications which will support events which contribute to the Dingwall 800 celebrations. The funding has been made available from the Place Based Investment Fund established initially to offset the four harms of Covid identified as direct health harms; health impacts not directly related to Covid; societal impacts and economic impacts.

Chair of the Dingwall and Seaforth Area Committee, Cllr Graham MacKenzie said: “We are delighted to be able to financially support the community as we come together to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Dingwall becoming a Royal Burgh.”

The total fund available is £10,000 and applications for up to £2,000 are open to eligible groups from today, information on fund criteria, eligible applicants and how to apply can be found using the following link: https://www.highland.gov.uk/dingwall800fund

24 Feb 2025

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MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, chairs 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Pune, Maharashtra

Source: Government of India (2)

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, chairs 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Pune, Maharashtra

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Whole of Government approach is not just a mantra but a culture

In the Modi government, Zonal Councils have been established as a strategic decision-making platform, surpassing their traditional role as formal institutions

The government’s goal is to ensure bank branches or postal banking facilities are available within a three-kilometer radius in every village across the country

Home Minister urges states to take the issues of malnutrition and stunting in children very seriously and implement all possible measures to address them

All states should launch a large-scale awareness campaign to connect farmers with the app designed to facilitate the sale of pulses to the Government of India at MSP

Topics of digital infrastructure and cyber crime will also be included in the purview of the Inter State Council

Posted On: 22 FEB 2025 6:53PM by PIB Delhi

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, chaired the 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Pune, Maharashtra today. The meeting was attended by several dignitaries including Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The Union Home Secretary, Secretary, Inter State Council Secretariat, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Chief Secretaries of States of Western Region, and other senior officials of State and Union Ministries and Departments also attended the meeting.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah stated that while the role of zonal councils are advisory in nature, in recent years, these meetings have evolved into a platform for sharing best practices adopted by various states and showcasing significant national-level achievements. He emphasized that through zonal council meetings, the country has successfully fostered inclusive solutions and holistic development, driven by dialogue, engagement, and collaboration.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Whole of Government approach has transformed from a mantra into a guiding culture. He emphasized that the Zonal Councils have been established as a strategic decision-making platform, surpassing their traditional role as a formal institutions. Through this platform, several significant and transformative decisions have been made, particularly in the meetings of the Eastern Zonal Council. He further highlighted that these meetings have facilitated the exchange of innovative solutions and efforts to resolve long-standing issues in a comprehensive and integrated manner.

The Home Minister emphasized the Western region’s critical role in the country’s economy, noting that it accounts for more than half of India’s trade with the world. He highlighted that the Northern and Central regions also rely on the Western region for global trade. Shri Amit Shah pointed out that key infrastructure, including ports and urban development facilities in the Western region, serves not only its states but also others like Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. He further stated that the Western region contributes 25% to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is home to industries where 80 to 90% of operations take place. Given its economic significance, he described the Western region as a benchmark for balanced and holistic development across the country.

Shri Amit Shah underlined that since Shri Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, the Zonal Councils have evolved from mere formal institutions into dynamic platforms driving meaningful change. He highlighted a significant increase in their activity, noting that from 2004 to 2014, only 25 meetings were held, whereas from 2014 to February 2025, despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, a total of 61 meetings took place—an increase of 140%. Similarly, he pointed out that while 469 topics were discussed between 2004 and 2014, the number rose to 1,541 from 2014 to February 2025, reflecting a 170% surge. In terms of issue resolution, only 448 cases were settled in the earlier decade, compared to 1,280 in the last ten years.

Shri Amit Shah said that the government is steadily moving towards achieving 100% targets in subject areas mentioned in the puview of Zonal Council meetings. He highlighted significant progress in expanding financial access, noting that the goal of establishing bank branches or postal banking facilities within 05 kilometers of every village has almost been accomplished. In today’s meeting, a new target was set to further reduce this distance to 03 kilometers, ensuring even greater accessibility. He emphasized that this achievement, made possible through the cooperation of all states, is a significant milestone and a source of collective satisfaction.

Shri Amit Shah acknowledged that the states in the western zone are among the most prosperous in the country. However, he expressed concern over the prevalence of Malnutrition and Stunting among children and citizens in these states. He urged the Chief Ministers, Ministers, and Chief Secretaries of the western zone to prioritize eliminating malnutrition to improve overall health. He emphasized that good health is not solely dependent on medicines and hospitals; rather, efforts should be made to ensure that children and citizens do not require them in the first place. The Home Minister stressed the need for serious attention to the problem of stunting in children and called for all possible measures to resolve it. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of reducing school dropout rates and enhancing the quality of education.

Union Home Minister expressed concern over the import of pulses and emphasized the need to boost domestic production. He noted that while farmers previously faced difficulties in getting fair prices for pulses, the government has now developed a mobile app that enables the direct purchase of 100% of their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). He urged the western states to actively promote this app and encourage farmer registrations, ensuring fair pricing and contributing to the country’s self-sufficiency in pulse production.

Highlighting Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’, Shri Amit Shah emphasized that cooperation is the key to achieving 100% employment in the country. He stressed the importance of strengthening Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), making them multi-dimensional, and effectively implementing more than 56 initiatives designed to realize the full potential of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’. He urged Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa to take all necessary steps to build a robust cooperative infrastructure at the grassroots level.

Referring to the implementation of three new criminal laws, the Union Home Minister emphasized that it is now time to ensure that citizens receive 100% of the constitutional rights granted to them. He further stated that in the coming days, issues related to digital infrastructure and cybercrime will also be brought under the purview of the Inter State Council. He urged the states to proactively prepare for these developments.

Shri Amit Shah emphasized the importance of leveraging current efforts and a well-defined roadmap to drive the long-term economic development of both the country and individual states. He stressed the need to maximize growth potential by utilizing the strategic platform of regional councils to achieve 100% development objectives.

A total of 18 issues were discussed in the 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council. In the meeting, some important issues related to the member states and the country as a whole was discussed in detail. These include land transfer, mining, speedy investigation of rape cases against women and children, implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) scheme for speedy disposal of rape and POCSO Act cases, implementation of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), bank branches/postal banking facility in every village, issues related to railway project and food security norms etc.

Apart from these, 6 issues of national importance were also discussed, which include – urban master plan and affordable housing, electricity operation/supply, eliminating malnutrition in children through Poshan Abhiyan, reducing drop-out rate of school children, participation of government hospitals in Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, strengthening Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). Best practices adopted by Member States/UTs were also shared in the meeting.

In his address during the meeting, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation described Pune as the cultural capital not just of Maharashtra but of the entire country. He highlighted Pune’s historical significance, noting that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great Peshwas, and Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak played pivotal roles in shaping the nation’s direction across various fields. He also expressed gratitude to Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, for successfully organizing the meeting and ensuring excellent arrangements.

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 24, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Mullin Debunks Media Narrative on Kash Patel and President Trump’s Ukraine-Russia Posture on CNN

US Senate News:

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

ICYMI: Mullin Debunks Media Narrative on Kash Patel and President Trump’s Ukraine-Russia Posture on CNN

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper to discuss the importance of confirming Kash Patel for Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and America’s response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Sen. Mullin’s full interview can be found here.

On the mistakes of President Zelensky:

“I believe Zelensky and Ukraine has made some mistakes. I believe they made some mistakes with the ambassador when they went on the campaign trail with Harris. I think that was a problem, and now I would say with President Zelensky being less than grateful to President Trump and the United States for their help in the last few meetings that they’ve had. It has been difficult for the support to still stay there.”

On how the war in Ukraine wouldn’t have happened under President Trump:

“President Trump is the only one that could have prevented this war from taking place, and President Trump now is cleaning up the mess that President Biden left behind. And President Trump will get it done, he will negotiate an end to this war. He wants to see the war ended, regardless of how that takes place. He wants to see a win for Ukraine and a win for Russia at the same time, because there’s a lose-lose going on for both countries right now. People are dying, and the president said he wants people to stop dying.”

On how Kash Patel uncovered the FBI’s bias:

“What he was doing was exposing what he felt was truth and I don’t think he was far off-base. He’s also the one that exposed the hypocrisy coming out of the FBI and exposing what Director Wray was doing by weaponizing the FBI to go after political enemies. You’ve got to remember this is the same FBI that was going after Catholic churches saying that they could be domestic terrorist organizations. They’re the same people who went after parents for going to school board meetings during Covid. This is an organization that should be mission-focused on keeping all Americans safe, not weaponizing themselves after political foes…”

MIL OSI USA News –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Florida Businessmen Receive Prison Sentences in COVID-19 Mask and Glove Sale Fraud Scheme

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ATLANTA – Brian H. Sperber and Edmond S. Norkus have received prison sentences for conspiring to commit wire fraud in a scheme in which the men tricked expectant purchasers of personal protective equipment out of more than $14 million.

“Sperber and Norkus cashed in on the unprecedented scarcity and skyrocketing price of personal protective equipment to get rich quick at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was exploding,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Now they justifiably confront prison terms for their cynical, illegal cash grab.”

“These sentences underline the FBI’s commitment to holding those who exploit federal relief programs for personal gain accountable,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke.

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Brian H. Sperber became an authorized distributor for a Georgia-based personal protective equipment (“PPE”) manufacturer. Edmond S. Norkus operated warehouse space in Florida and was Sperber’s longstanding business associate. As the pandemic worsened, demand for, and market value of, PPE steeply increased. Even though Sperber was only authorized to sell to customers in a specific geographic sales territory and manufacturers had only extremely limited supplies available, Sperber and Norkus promised to sell large quantities of PPE to a wide range of would-be buyers.

But to make it appear that they could deliver on their promise, Sperber and Norkus diverted and showcased products already earmarked for other customers. They also provided customers with a variety of altered and counterfeit documents, designed to deceive customers into believing the products they had ordered were on the way. Ultimately, there were no products to supply and Sperber and Norkus pocketed the money while providing the victims with nothing.

United States District Judge Michael J. Brown sentenced Brian H. Sperber, 48, of Plantation, Fla., to two years, two months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $14,231,605.36. Sperber was convicted on May 28, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.

Judge Brown sentenced Edmond S. Norkus, 61, of Deerfield Beach, Fla., to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Norkus was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $13,821,605.36. Norkus was convicted on May 28, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.

Sperber used proceeds from the scheme to purchase a multi-million dollar waterfront mansion in Boca Raton, Florida. In a related civil forfeiture action, the United States and Sperber agreed to sell the property, netting approximately $4 million, and resolve the forfeiture in the criminal prosecution. As part of Sperber’s sentence, the district court forfeited Sperber’s interest in the funds. The United States, in Sperber’s plea agreement, agreed to recommend that the funds seized from the sale of the property be restored to the victims named in the restitution order.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys Alana R. Black and C. Brock Brockington prosecuted the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General 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. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

MIL Security OSI –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Day 2 #CTDDR2025: The 9th MahaKumbh for Drug Research

Source: Government of India

Day 2 #CTDDR2025: The 9_th MahaKumbh for Drug Research

Drug Resistance, Car T Cell Therapy, Parasitic, Viral disease and Natural Product Chemistry was the main theme of the Day

Experts from different area shared their recent findings with the participants

Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 11:35AM by PIB Delhi

Today, on the second day of the 9^th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, observed important scientific deliberations by eminent scientists. Researchers and scholars presented their work through visually compelling posters, fostering discussions and knowledge exchange

Pan-drug-resistant Gram-negative isolates are major risk for life,

novel beta-lactam enhancerwould be helpful to manage the Pan-drug resistant: Sachin S. Bhagwat

In scientific session II on “Concept to point of care: Drugs pending submission/approval or recently approved,” Dr. Sachin S. Bhagwat from the Wockhardt Research Center, Aurangabad, India, delivered his talk on the discovery of a novel mechanism of action-based β-lactam + β-lactam enhancer combination, WCK 5222, with comprehensive coverage of pan-drug resistant Gram negatives. He highlighted AMR has rendered many existing antibiotics ineffective, posing a major global health crisis.The widespread prevalence of MDR, XDR, and PDR Gram-negative pathogens, including carbapenem-resistant strains, has rendered many last-line antibiotics ineffective. The ICMR data shows concerning carbapenem resistance rates: over 90% in Acinetobacter, 45% in P. aeruginosa, and 69% in Klebsiella. As a result, clinicians frequently use medications with diminished safety or unproven combinations. These infections are responsible for up to 8.85 lakh deaths annually, with an additional 9.6 lakh linked to sepsis. Further, he shared his research on the development of a novel β-lactam enhancer, Zidebactam, which, in combination with cefepime (WCK 5222), demonstrated potent activity against 35,000 global pan-drug-resistant Gram-negative isolates. He mentioned that WCK 5222 has saved over 45 lives under compassionate use and completed successful trials in severe documented meropenem-resistant infections and is expected to change the treatment paradigm for life-threatening Gram-negative infections.

Dr. Sachin S. Bhagwat speaking at the 9^th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

CAR-T cell therapy is an emerging approach for cancer care: Prof. Rahul Purwar

Prof. Rahul Purwar from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, shared the journey on First “Make in India” CAR-T cell therapy: from R&D to clinic to market. Cancer is a worldwide issue and India has the second-highest cancer mortality rate. The CAR-T cell therapy is an emerging approach for cancer care. However, this technology is extremely expensive (500,000 USD/patient) and not available in India. To ensure its accessibility to all, they developed a robust, safe and affordable technology platform and validated through Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. He further noted that, CD19 CAR-T is approved by CDSCO for commercial use in October 2023, and now over 300 patients are treated across the country.

Prof. Rahul Purwar from IIT, Bombay speaking at the 9^th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

Mitochondrial translation can be targeted for new possibilities of new therapeutic development for Apicomplexan parasites borne diseases: Prof. Dominique Soldati-Favre

In her Plenary Lecture on Toxoplasma gondii Mitoribosome from highly fragmented rRNAs to a functional Machine, Prof. Dominique Soldati-Favre from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, shared her research on Toxoplasma gondii Mitoribosome. Apicomplexan parasites are responsible for severe human diseases such as malaria, toxoplasmosis, and babesiosis. She said, these parasites, in addition to small mitochondrial genome, contain fragmented mitoribosomal rRNAs, which complicates our understanding of mitoribosome assembly. Using apicoplast-less T. gondii parasites, they have identified drugs that specifically target mitochondrial translation. This approach offers exciting new possibilities for therapeutic development.

Prof. Dominique Soldati-Favre speaking at the 9^th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

HACK-indices provides a rational basis for selecting next-generation probiotics and live biotherapeutic products: Dr. Tarini Shankar Ghosh

Dr. Tarini Shankar Ghosh from The Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi, presented the efforts to identify the Health-Associated Core-Keystones (HACK) across population groups. The availability of HACK-indices provides a rational basis for selecting next-generation probiotics and live biotherapeutic products to promote general health. Through global meta-analysis of gut microbiomes from 127 studies, his group investigated 196 taxa for their association with three hallmark properties, i.e., prevalence/community-influence in non-diseased subjects, longitudinal stability and host health and integrated them into a single measure, the HACK-index. Using this HACK-index, they presented a ranking order of microbiome taxa based on their estimated contribution to both microbiome stability and host-health.

Host-directed therapy for infectious diseases may be new hope for targeting antimicrobials: Prof. Christian Doerig

Prof. Christian Doerig from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia, explained about the host-directed therapy that offers untapped targets limiting cross-resistance to existing antimicrobials and reduced susceptibility to de novo resistance. Using an antibody microarray directed against human signalling proteins, they identified potential antiviral targets as well as lead compounds. He further reported the identification of some erythrocytic kinases that are activated by infection with Plasmodium falciparum. Inhibitors targeting these kinases display high potency against parasite proliferation.

Prof. Christian Doerig speaking at the 9^th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

Single-dose liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) as a game changer in the management of visceral leishmaniasis: Prof. Shyam Sundar

Prof. Shyam Sundar from the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, shared the journey of the epidemic of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), starting from its origin to elimination, in India. He emphasized single-dose liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) as a game changer in the management of VL in India. He noted that the elimination target for VL needs to hold in 2025 to obtain the WHO certification.

The open science discovery of DNDi-6510 led to an orally bioavailable SARS-CoV2 antiviral: Dr. Peter Sjö

In Session IV today, Dr. Peter Sjö from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), Switzerland, shared about the need for broad-spectrum oral antivirals. He reported the results of the COVID Moonshot, a fully open-science, crowd sourced, structure-enabled drug discovery campaign targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. He further discussed the lead series discovery and approaches to overcome ADMET issues which lead to the front runner preclinical candidate DNDI-6510 against SARS-CoV2.

Novel antivirals to provide immediate therapeutic options against serious viral infections is need of the day: Prof. Sudhanshu Vrati

Prof. Sudhanshu Vrati from the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad, also mentioned the need for the novel antivirals to provide immediate therapeutic options against serious viral infections. As the new viral pathogens are constantly emerging and posing a serious threat of imminent epidemics. He presented the background to the science of antiviral development with an example of a novel antiviral against Chikungunya virus, developed in his lab.

New rapid antigen tests are being developed for dengue, zika and chikungunya: Prof. Gaurav Batra

Prof. Gaurav Batra fromthe Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad delivered their novel findings on the diagnostics of Arboviral infections, which include, dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. He presented the data on the development of ELISA and rapid NS1 tests with high sensitivity, serotype-independent performance, and significantly improved detection of secondary infections of dengue virus. They are also developing rapid antigen tests for Zika and chikungunya, with the goal of integrating them into a multiplex diagnostic platform. These advanced diagnostics could enhance clinical trial design, patient selection, and treatment evaluation, ultimately contributing to more effective therapeutic strategies and public health responses.

The V Parallel Session of #CTDDR2025 was dedicated on Natural product chemistry for novel drugs.

Prof. Inder Pal Singh from NIPER, SAS Nagar, shared his research on development of wound healing and anti-inflammatory formulations from Seabuckthorn plant Hippophae rhamnoides L. They developed a cost effective method for plant extraction leading to isolation of Seabuckthorn fruit oil (IPHRFH) which showed good wound healing activity and was developed into Cream and Gel formulation.

Dr. Chandra Kant Katiyar from Emami Ltd, Gurgaon, shared his thoughts on new drug discovery from medicinal plants: Issues, challenges and way forward. His talk shared insights into the multifaceted approaches to developing plant-based drugs, covering forward pharmacology, where compounds are screened for biological activity, and reverse pharmacology, which builds on traditional knowledge to validate therapeutic claims. He emphasized that, by integrating traditional knowledge with technology guided by regulations, medicinal plants can continue to be a cornerstone in addressing unmet medical needs globally.

Dr. Ashutosh Pandey from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi, delivered a talk on “Engineering crops for value addition of health-beneficial natural products: From fundamentals to applications”. He presented insights into how plant metabolites regulate, interact with cellular signalling pathways, and modulate gene expression. Additionally, he discussed the regulatory roles of transcriptional factors and their interplay in fine-tuning flavonoid biosynthesis in agriculturally important crops like chickpea and banana. This knowledge can be leveraged for genetic manipulation to enhance the nutritional value of crops.

In the Flash Talks & Poster Session Young Investigators presented their novel findings

In the flash talk session, selected students and young faculty from different scientific fields, related to drug development, delivered their novel findings. In the Poster session today more than 180 posters were presented by the young investigators.

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 22, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – University of Auckland unveils its world-class Recreation Centre Hiwa – UoA

Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

The University of Auckland’s new recreation centre was formally opened on 21 February by Hon Chris Bishop, Minister for Infrastructure and Associate Minister for Sport and Recreation, and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland, Professor Dawn Freshwater.

The eight-storey building, complete with rooftop turf, pool, and state-of-the-art sports halls, is being used by staff, students and the public as part of the University’s concerted focus on balancing well-being with academia.

The centre’s name Hiwa, gifted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, means ‘vigorous, active, robust and sound’, reflecting the University’s aspirations for growth and well-being. The 26,000 sq m facility covers a space equivalent to roughly 3.7 rugby pitches or 100 standard tennis courts and is located on Symonds Street in the heart of Auckland.

With an innovative vertically ‘stacked’ design, it centralises the University’s sport and recreation services into a single premises, overcoming the spatial constraints of its central city location.

Features include a premier rooftop multi-sport turf and two sports halls with the southern hemisphere’s first glass sports floor with integrated LED markings to accommodate six different sports. It also holds capacity for 1,500 spectators, a running track, an eight-lane 33-metre lap pool, a dive tank, spa and sauna, climbing wall, group exercise studios, combat sports studio and expansive cardio and weights areas that make it one of the largest gym fit-outs in the southern hemisphere.

Hiwa serves as a vibrant community hub, offering a café, social spaces and versatile indoor and outdoor areas for various activities. The University’s physical education programmes and exercise science students will also use the facility.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater says the opening of Hiwa is a huge milestone for the University following comprehensive planning for a new recreation centre, spanning a decade. She says the investment in Hiwa further enhances the University of Auckland’s position as New Zealand’s pre-eminent, research-led higher education institution.

“We are delighted to open the doors to this wonderful facility to bolster the world-class education our students receive and enhance the well-being of the wider community.

“It’s an important hub for our growing University population and an asset for Auckland. Our community has long desired sport and recreation facilities that befit the world-class campus environment expected of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading university.”

She said campus experiences, especially in sport and recreation, are known to enhance student success.

“Staff will also have more opportunity to pursue their health and well-being goals, and through public memberships and collaboration with the sport and recreation sector, we hope to positively impact the wider Auckland community.”

As a focal point on campus, Hiwa Recreation Centre is designed to enrich campus life by connecting learning, sporting and social facilities.

The building was designed by Warren and Mahoney in partnership with MJMA Architecture and Design, and constructed by Hawkins, in consultation with Rider Levett Bucknall, Beca and Colliers.

It is the most multi-faceted building on campus, requiring 500 workers on site at the peak of construction. The University’s Chief Property Officer Simon Neale says Hiwa Recreation Centre is the most complex build the University has ever undertaken.

“The project was not without its challenges, being delivered through one of the most challenging periods for the construction industry in New Zealand. The consultant and construction team masterfully navigated the Covid pandemic, supply-chain issues, moving 40-tonne trusses and vast pre-cast concrete beams for the pool hall roof overnight and at weekends.

“But thousands of people and many businesses helped us deliver this significant project for the University, with a strong ethos of partnership between all those involved enabling us to overcome the challenges and to deliver an outstanding facility which will support the health and well-being of our student and staff communities, and high-performance sport, for many years to come.”

Memberships are available to students, staff and members of the public. Casual visitors are also welcome.

As well as the minister, guests at the official launch included Mayor Wayne Brown, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, Sports NZ CEO Raelene Castle and Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner.

Bishop said as the former sports minister he had been to a number of sports facilities around the world, and Hiwa was “genuinely quite something. This is a remarkable facility for the university, but also for the city, and the whole country.”

Simpson said she was blown away by the new recreation centre. “We know Auckland needs assets like this, but this is truly international class.”

The event began with an elite diving demonstration for the Minister by engineering student and Commonwealth Games diver Frazer Tavener, and concluded with a shortened seven-aside netball match between the Vice-Chancellor’s Invitational Seven, which included Minister Bishop, and a Sport and Recreation Seven, which featured alumna and former Silver Fern Sulu Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick also spoke during the formalities, ahead of the plaque unveiling. She said: “The magnitude and the quality of this facility will make not only top athletes better for the world stage, but allow students and staff members to be happier and healthier, which will contribute to a better New Zealand. It’s exciting.”

About Hiwa, Recreation Centre
Hiwa, Recreation Centre is a showpiece for the University of Auckland and reflects the importance the University places on student and staff health and well-being. It significantly enhances the campus experience for students and staff, offering a state-of-the-art gym, sports centre and social hub, balancing health and relaxation with academia. It also offers gym memberships to Auckland residents and provides an additional recreational space for community outreach.

Hiwa opened on 25 November 2024 (following a dawn blessing on 20 November) and is now operational.

The official opening by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater and Hon Chris Bishop, Minister for Infrastructure and Associate Minister for Sport and Recreation, took place on Friday 21 February.

Hiwa facts and figures

Hiwa is a world-class facility for students, staff and the wider community to play sport, keep fit, have fun and socialise and get the most out of their time at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
Sport and recreation play a vital role in health and well-being. Hiwa befits a global university, meeting the national and international expectations of students.
Hiwa is a 26,000 sqm facility, covering a space equivalent to 100 standard tennis courts or 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Spread across eight levels, its innovative design overcomes the spatial challenges of a central city location.
It has a unique inner-city rooftop multi-sport turf and track, and two sports halls with the southern hemisphere’s first glass floor, accommodating six different sports.
Hiwa includes an eight-lane pool, dive tank, spa and sauna, bouldering wall, and is one of the largest gym fit-outs in the southern hemisphere.
As well as the fitness facilities, it serves as a community hub, with a café, and indoor and outdoor multi-purpose spaces.
While Hiwa is primarily for students and staff, Hiwa has reinvigorated the city centre. The University recognises Auckland’s need for quality sports facilities and will be working to support the wider sports sector and contribute to making Auckland a world-class city.
The University’s physical education programmes and exercise science students will also use the facility.

FAQs
What does Hiwa mean?
The Hiwa name, gifted to the University by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, means ‘vigorous (of growth), active, robust, sound’. It has multiple synergies with the recreation centre and its place at the heart of our University community.

How much did the new building cost?
The sum approved in the University Estate Strategy for the full programme was $320m, which covered demolition and clearance of the site, ground works, temporary facilities for use during construction and the design and construction costs themselves. Final costs will not be known until later this year at which time the overall position will be compiled.

How can the University afford this?
Hiwa is the culmination of decades of planning and more than half of the funding for its construction comes from past and present student levies. The former student facilities levy and the current Compulsory Student Services Fee is paid by all students to contribute to student support services and can only be spent on student initiatives.

Why is Hiwa needed?
Health and well-being are vital to the success of our students. Research shows that participation in sport, leisure, clubs, societies and fitness activities increases retention and translates into better academic performance among students, as well as a greater sense of community, social connection and belonging. World-class facilities attract high-quality students and academic talent and enhance the University’s relationship with the Auckland community.

The University of Auckland believes this is an investment in the well-being not only of our 46,000 students but of our wider community. Providing world-leading sports and recreation facilities will further enhance the reputation, visibility and attractiveness of Auckland as a premier city in which to study and live.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Baltimore Department Of Finance Employee Sentenced To Four Years In Connection With Bribery And Covid-19 Cares Act Scheme

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Baltimore Department of Finance employee took more than $250,000 in bribes and obtained more than $143,000 in fraudulent COVID-19 relief benefits

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett, today, sentenced Joseph Gillespie, age 35, of Baltimore City, Maryland, to four years in federal prison and three years of supervised release in connection with a bribery scheme and conspiracy to commit wire fraud scheme involving COVID-19 CARES Act relief benefits.

Phil Selden, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office.

“Defendant Gillespie abused the public trust through a bribery scheme and took advantage of money meant to help during the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Acting United States Attorney Selden. “When government employees take bribes and public funds, it harms the very communities they are meant to serve. The District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue those who try to compromise the public trust.”

“Gillespie’s extensive schemes and lies ultimately cost hardworking taxpayers. Instead of performing his job with honesty, he looked for illicit ways to line his own pockets. This sentence proves that corruption never pays,” said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno. “The FBI and our partners remain committed to holding accountable those who try to cheat the system for their own benefit and profit.”

According to Gillespie’s plea agreement, beginning in 2016, and continuing to 2023, the Defendant engaged in a bribery scheme in which he abused his position of trust as a public official within the Baltimore City Department of Finance for his own personal gain.

As an employee of the Baltimore City Department of Finance, Revenue Collections Department, Gillespie routinely accepted bribes from various property owners in Baltimore City (“the City”) whose property was subject to certain financial obligations, and if the obligations remained unpaid, to a tax sale. He accepted these bribes — typically 10-15 percent of the amount owed to the City — in exchange for removing or extinguishing these financial obligations, including for citations, tax obligations, and water obligations – thereby causing losses to the City. Gillespie also accepted bribes in exchange for delaying or postponing — without approval or permission from other City officials — due dates for the payment of outstanding financial obligations, fines, and payments owed to the City, thus forestalling the placement of a lien on the property by the City.

Once Gillespie received the bribe payment, he would extinguish the financial obligation owed to the City by marking the obligations as paid in the City’s online records. After removing the obligation, the Defendant would, at times, send a photograph of a cashier slip from his office reflecting that a payment was made towards a financial obligation owed to the City when, in fact, no such payment was made.

Gillespie engaged in multiple covertly recorded telephone and video conversations with an FBI undercover agent (UC), in which the Defendant and the UC discussed the specifics of the bribery scheme outlined above.

For example, in a recorded phone conversation with the UC, the UC confirmed the size of the bribe payment with the Defendant: “[S]o you want 100 for each property?” Defendant said, “yeah that’s basically how I do.” Gillespie then informed the UC that he (Gillespie) had a “girl” in “water”— i.e., the Baltimore City Department of Public Works — that could “wipe some s*** out,” referring to financial obligations owed to the City.

During a covert video recording of the conversation with the UC, Gillespie told the UC that he had the ability to “wipe a bill off” the City’s record of outstanding obligations tied to a particular property or to “put paid next to ‘em,” even though the financial obligation had not in fact been paid. The Defendant further stated that he removed certain financial obligations linked to the properties that the UC told the Defendant were his, stating “[t]here was a couple, extra miscellaneous bills that y’all had that I wiped off . . . . That s*** gone now.”

Gillespie also extended the deadline for payment of financial obligations owed to the City on eight properties by three months. Gillespie asked for $800 in bribes in return — $100 for each of the eight properties, and, during the recorded meeting, the UC provided Gillespie $800 cash. Gillespie also stated that he had the ability to wipe out overdue water bills owed to the City, “Once I let you know [about a big water bill], I’ll give it to my girl, and I’ll tell you what you need to give me for her to knock it off.” Gillespie then stated:

“Going forward, I’m just your inside man . . . That’s what I do for a lot of different people around the City. You know what I mean – manage their s*** for them a little bit. . . . I’m gonna go look at your s***. Anyone with a high water bill I’m gonna text you the address, and I’m gonna tell you what I need, and we can knock them out going forward with that . . . . Any water bill that’s too high, I’ll get my girl to take care of that.”

Gillespie’s bribery scheme continued for years thereafter, and he admitted that he enlisted the help of multiple co-conspirators in connection with his scheme. According to the plea agreement, Gillespie received more than $250,000 in connection with the bribery scheme and caused losses to the City in excess of $1,250,000.

Further, Gillespie also engaged in a scheme to fraudulent COVID-19 CARES relief funds. Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), administered through the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).

For example, in 2021, Gillespie and co-defendant Ahmed (“Adam”) Sary submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application to Cross River Bank to obtain a PPP loan for JAG Investments (“JAG”), a company the Defendant owned. The PPP loan application contained numerous material misrepresentations, including that JAG, in 2019, had 19 employees and an average monthly payroll of more than $55,000. In support of the loan application, a fabricated 2019 Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form 940 – Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return – was submitted, which falsely stated that JAG’s total payments to employees, in 2019, was more than $275,000.

Based on the false representations and fraudulent submissions made on behalf of Gillespie as the owner of JAG, the PPP loan was funded on March 6, 2021, and approximately $138,000 was distributed to a bank account controlled by Gillespie. Gillespie agreed to pay Sary kickbacks totaling $38,000 for his work in submitting the false application and obtaining the fraudulent PPP loan. In addition, after receipt of the PPP loan, Gillespie established payroll services for JAG to facilitate documentation that would later be used to substantiate a request for the PPP loan to be forgiven.

The District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Acting United States Attorney Phil Selden commended the FBI for their work in the investigation, the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the Baltimore City Inspector General for assistance as well. Mr. Selden thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Evelyn L. Cusson who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

# # #

MIL Security OSI –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: ChildFund – Don’t Abandon Ukrainian Children Now
Source: ChildFund New Zealand
“While the politicians talk, Ukrainian children enter their fourth year of no school and no normal childhood – longer if you include the interruptions of Covid,” says Josie Pagani CEO of ChildFund.

Thousands of children have relied on the help of New Zealanders and others around the world to make sure they can keep accessing online education, have safe places to play, or learn abroad as their families seek refuge in places like Moldova.

Many have never set foot in a classroom.

ChildFund will keep supporting these children, with the help of donations from the New Zealand public, and support from The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“This is the generation who will have to rebuild Ukraine. They will be the builders, engineers, teachers, and leaders of the future. It’s not just that they deserve to be safe, to learn, to have a future like any other child. It’s also that they are literally the future of Ukraine,” says Josie Pagani.

Since 2022, ChildFund’s partners implementing the Ukraine Regional Refugee Response have:
Reached over 3,700 caregivers and children with psychosocial support and counselling services

Provided access to child friendly spaces, supporting access for 2,383 children to play activities and facilities

Provided child dedicated food bags to 8,237 children and caregivers

Provided access to additional education and training services for 204 children and young people

Provided referrals, assistive devices and systems strengthening for 88 children with disabilities and service providers.
Since Russia invaded, more than 4,000 schools and educational institutions in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed.

“We are asking New Zealanders to keep supporting these efforts. Ukrainian children need decent food, safe places to learn. They need to be able to play like other children, and get the counselling they so desperately need.”

“We don’t know how this war will end. But we do know these children will be tasked with rebuilding their country and their communities. They need our support more than ever.”
MIL OSI New Zealand News –
February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: What to Know About Pneumonia as Pope Francis Is Hospitalized

Source: US State of Connecticut

So far, 2025 has been the winter of respiratory ailments, with influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) making up three-fourths of what some are referring to as the “quademic.” But one we haven’t heard relatively much about is pneumonia.

Dr. Mark Metersky is chief of UConn Health’s Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)

“One in approximately five patients who develops pneumonia ends up in the hospital in this country,” says Dr. Mark Metersky, chief of UConn Health’s Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.

We’re hearing more about it now, with Pope Francis in an Italian hospital and reported to have bilateral pneumonia, meaning pneumonia in both lungs.

“Pneumonia is often on both sides, not always, but the more lobes that are involved, the more lung tissue that’s involved, the more serious it is, on average,” says Metersky, who is a coauthor of the American Thoracic Society’s guidelines for pneumonia diagnosis and treatment, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in 2019.

“Pneumonia itself refers to an infection of the lower respiratory tract – so, the lungs themselves – whereas typical viral respiratory organisms usually cause upper respiratory symptoms — so runny nose, congestion, sometimes sinusitis, sore throat, even a cough,” says Dr. Lisa Chirch, UConn Health infectious disease physician.

Dr. Lisa Chirch is an infectious diseases physician at UConn Health. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)

Flu, RSV, COVID-19, and bronchitis can lead to pneumonia, as well as upper respiratory problems.

“There’s a ton of influenza circulating right now, and people with flu can then develop bacterial pneumonia on top of the viral infection, which puts them at higher risk,” Chirch says. “Lower respiratory tract infections more typically are caused by bacteria than are upper respiratory tract infections. There are certain bacteria that are often most problematic. Streptococcus pneumoniae, otherwise known as pneumococcus, which is vaccine preventable, is most common.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the pneumococcal vaccine for adults 50 and older, children younger than 5, and anyone considered at increased risk for pneumococcal disease. The vaccine is not seasonal and offers protection for several years. Chirch says there are nuances to the vaccine schedule because the pneumococcal vaccine is available in multiple versions.

“Depending on the timing of your last pneumococcal vaccine, you may be eligible to receive a newer one,” she says.

We also can protect ourselves from pneumonia by keeping current on other vaccinations, including influenza and RSV — ideally in the fall, though it’s still not too late for those to be helpful this winter and spring — and by following the CDC recommendations on COVID-19 vaccine.

Metersky published a paper in the journal Chest in 2012 showing that half the people who die within 30 days of being hospitalized with pneumonia die after leaving the hospital.

“Some of them are complications related to pneumonia, some of them are complications related to their underlying disease that made them at risk for pneumonia, so it’s a combination,” he says.

Other contributors to pneumonia risk include smoking, diabetes, alcohol use, opioid dependence, and benzodiazepine use (drugs similar to Valium).

For those dealing with bacterial pneumonia at home, especially an older person with other health problems, Chirch recommends monitoring closely for fever and other symptoms like worsening cough and difficulty breathing, at which point, hospitalization may be appropriate.

“Watch for high-grade fevers, chills, shortness of breath, feeling more winded just walking around the house, severe cough, chest pain, things like that,” she says. “From my perspective, probably the most concerning things would be difficulty breathing and high fever.”

Once in the hospital, “the mainstay is antibiotics and supportive care, so antibiotics, fluids, electrolytes, if they need it, oxygen, if they need it, a ventilator if they’re really severe, but the key thing is antibiotics,” Metersky says. “Unfortunately, many pneumonias are viral, and for most of these viruses, we don’t have any treatment. So, it’s really supporting them until they improve.”

Learn more about pulmonary medicine and critical care at UConn Health.

Learn more about UConn Health’s Infectious Diseases Division.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for $1.5 Million COVID-Relief Fraud

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

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a suburban Chicago man to more than five years in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $1.5 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Over a five-month period in 2021, FEROZ JALAL participated in a scheme to defraud banks and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program allowed qualifying small businesses to receive low-interest, government-backed loans to cover a temporary loss of revenue during the Covid pandemic. As part of the scheme, Jalal submitted to lenders and the SBA at least a dozen applications for PPP loans on behalf of businesses that he and others purportedly owned. The applications contained false statements and misrepresentations concerning the purported entities’ employees, revenues, costs, and statuses of operations. In support of his applications, Jalal provided, among other things, fake IRS tax filings and bogus spreadsheets that purported to document the companies’ payroll expenses.

Jalal and co-schemers submitted fraudulent applications for PPP loans in amounts totaling $1.792 million, causing $1.644 million to be disbursed by lenders.

Jalal, 51, of Niles, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to bank fraud and money laundering charges. On Feb. 11, 2025, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Jalal to five years and two months in federal prison and ordered him to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution to the SBA.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes.

Anyone with information about attempted Covid-relief fraud can report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721, or by filing an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

MIL Security OSI –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: 29 Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in $5M COVID Fraud Investigation

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

COLUMBIA, S.C. —Twenty-Nine out of 31 indicted defendants have pleaded guilty in a five-year investigation into a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits led by SCDC inmates along with family members and friends outside the prison system.

Evidence presented in court revealed that incarcerated inmates harvested personal information, such as social security numbers and dates of birth, from other inmates and used the information to apply for COVID unemployment benefits in the names of those inmates as well as themselves. Some inmates provided their details willingly to the named defendants in exchange for a portion of the proceeds derived from the unemployment benefits. Other inmates had no knowledge that unemployment benefits were being applied for on their behalf. The incarcerated defendants also obtained the information of unwitting individuals outside of the Department of Corrections using various extortion schemes.

One of the primary schemes utilized by the defendants was known as “Johning.” Using contraband cellphones within the Department of Corrections, inmates posed as younger males or females and lured individuals to send them nude or compromising photos. After obtaining the photos, the inmates used a second line feature on their contraband cell phones and contacted the victim posing as law enforcement. The inmates then extorted the victims into sending them money and/or photos of their social security cards and driver’s license.

After the defendants applied for unemployment benefits in the names of the extortion victims and Department of Corrections inmates, the benefits were diverted to the incarcerated defendants with the assistances of the non-incarcerated defendants. The non-incarcerated defendants received government checks and prepaid Visa debit cards in the mail. The non-incarcerated defendants then utilized ATM withdrawals, wire transfers, and mobile banking applications such as Zelle, Venmo, Green Dot, and Cash App to make the proceeds available to the incarcerated defendants.

The indictment alleges the named defendants submitted COVID-19 unemployment applications in multiple states. Fraudulent benefit applications were filed in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, Missouri, Arizona, and California. In total, the fraudulent scheme resulted in a loss of approximately $4,996,673.00 to the United States Government.

“This extensive fraud scheme exploited and misused individuals’ personal information, some unknowingly, for financial gain at the expense of American taxpayers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “The individuals involved showed a complete disregard for the law and used deception, manipulation, and extortion to unlawfully obtain nearly $5 million in unemployment benefits. Our agencies remain committed to holding those responsible accountable and ensuring that such fraudulent schemes do not undermine public trust in vital government programs.”

“Inmates using this brazen scheme stole millions of dollars from an effort to help everyday Americans survive the COVID-19 pandemic,” SCDC Director Bryan Stirling said. “It is shameful, and the taxpayers deserve better. I am grateful to everyone involved in bringing these defendants to justice.”

Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Sherri A. Lydon has accepted 29 guilty pleas and handed down sentences for 14 of the defendants thus far. The remaining defendants will be sentenced after the court receives and reviews a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. One defendant, Jessica Ann Howell, passed away and another defendant, Christine Hankins, remains at large as a fugitive.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General 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. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Scott Matthews are prosecuting the case.

###

MIL Security OSI –

February 21, 2025

MIL-OSI: Coface : 2024 results: net income at €261.1m, up 8.6%, and proposed dividend at €1.40

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

2024 results: net income at €261.1m, up 8.6%, and proposed dividend at €1.40

Paris, 20 February 2025 – 17.35

Turnover: €1,845m, down -0.6% at constant FX and perimeter and down -1.3% on a reported basis
- Trade credit insurance revenue decreased by -2.2% at constant exchange rates, with slightly positive customer activity in Q4-24
- Client retention is still high at 92.3% but down slightly from 2023 records; pricing remained negative at -1.4%, in line with historical trends
- Business information once again recorded double-digit growth (+16.3% at constant FX); factoring stabilised at +0.3% with solid growth in Q4-24
Net loss ratio at 35.2%, improved by 2.5 ppts; net combined ratio at 65.5%, up 1.2 ppt
- Gross loss ratio at 33.4%, improved by 2.4 ppts with still high opening year reserving and high reserve releases
- Net cost ratio increased by 3.6 ppts to 30.2%, reflecting slightly lower revenues and continued investment, in line with our strategy
- Net combined ratio in Q4-24 at 68.7%, up 9.7 ppts due to a higher net cost ratio and a very low combined ratio in Q4-23 (59.0%)
Net income (group share) of €261.1m, up +8.6%, of which €53.4m in Q4-24, the highest annual figure since the adoption of IFRS 17. Annualised RoATE¹at 13.9%
Coface continues to be backed by a solid balance sheet:
- Estimated solvency ratio at ~196%², above the upper end of target range (155% to 175%)
- Proposal to distribute³ a dividend per share of €1.40 representing an 80% pay-out ratio
- Earnings per share reached €1.75
Coface signed the acquisition of Cedar Rose, strengthening its capabilities in information services in the Middle East and Africa
Gonzague Noël has been appointed as Group Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Unless otherwise indicated, change comparisons refer to the results as at 31 December 2023

Xavier Durand, Coface’s Chief Executive Officer, commented:
“2024 was marked by the launch of our Power the Core strategic plan which is deliberately focused on innovation.
In an environment characterised by weak economic growth, a decrease of our clients’ activity and an increase in the number of bankruptcies, the discipline of our underwriting enabled us to contain the increase in the combined ratio, which rose moderately to 65.5%. Finally, we benefited from the repositioning of our investment portfolio to achieve a return on average tangible equity of 13.9%, above our mid-cycle targets. The net income of €261m marked the highest level since the transition to IFRS 17.
All these achievements would not have been possible without the engagement of our employees.
These good results and solid solvency ratio of 196% allow us to propose the payment of a dividend of €1.40 per share to the Shareholders’ meeting.”

Key figures at 31 December 2024

The Board of Directors of COFACE SA approved the consolidated financial statements at 31 December 2024 at its meeting of 20 February 2025. The Audit Committee at its meeting on 18 February 2025 also previously reviewed them. Accounts are non-audited, certification is in progress.

Income statements items in €m	2023	2024	Variation	% ex. FX*
Insurance revenue	1,559.1	1,512.9	(3.0)%	(2.2)%
Services revenue	309.2	331.9	+7.4%	+7.4%
REVENUE	1,868.2	1,844.8	(1.3)%	(0.6)%
UNDERWRITING INCOME/LOSS AFTER REINSURANCE	395.4	368.7	(6.8)%	(5.3)%
Investment income, net of management expenses, excluding finance costs	12.4	91.7	638.0%	595.7%
Insurance Finance Expenses	(40.0)	(42.5)	6.4%	12.9%
CURRENT OPERATING INCOME	367.9	417.9	+13.6%	+12.8%
Other operating income / expenses	(5.0)	(8.6)	74.5%	74.2%
OPERATING INCOME	362.9	409.2	+12.8%	+12.0%
NET INCOME (GROUP SHARE)	240.5	261.1	+8.6%	+6.3%

Key ratios	2023	2024	Variation
Loss ratio net of reinsurance	37.7%	35.2%	(2.5)%	ppts
Cost ratio net of reinsurance	26.6%	30.2%	3.6%	ppts
COMBINED RATIO NET OF REINSURANCE	64.3%	65.5%	1.2%	ppt

Balance sheet items in €m	2023	2024	Variation
Total equity (group share)	2,050.8	2,193.6	+7.0%
Solvency ratio	199%	196%¹	-3 ppt

* Also excludes scope impact

¹This estimated solvency ratio constitutes a preliminary calculation made according to Coface’s interpretation of Solvency II regulations and using the Partial Internal Model. The final calculation may differ from this preliminary calculation. The estimated solvency ratio is not audited.

1. Turnover

In 2024, Coface recorded a consolidated turnover of €1,844.8 million, down by -0.6% at constant FX and perimeter compared to 2023. As reported (at current FX and perimeter), turnover was down -1.3%.

Revenue from insurance activities (including bonding and Single Risk) fell -2.2% at constant FX and perimeter, although the year ended on a slightly more positive note (Q4-24 revenue from insurance activities rose +3.7% and total revenue increased +4.3%). Client retention remains high at 92.3% (but down from the record level in 2023), in a competitive market where Coface implemented risk mitigation plans that impacted renewals at the beginning of the year. New business rose to €126m, up €9m compared to 2023 driven by an increase in demand and the positive effects of investments for growth, mainly in the mid-market segment.

Client activity grew modestly at 0.5%, below the historical average with an improvement in Q4-24 (+0.4%). Over the year, the decline in activity in the metals sector, with lower prices, partially offset the positive trend in the agri-food sector. The price effect remained negative at -1.4% in 2024 (vs. -1.9% in 2023), in line with long-term trends.

Turnover from non-insurance activities was up +8.2% compared to 2023. Factoring turnover stabilised at +0.3% with a positive Q4-24 that reversed the full-year trend. Information services turnover rose +16.3%. Fee and commission income (debt collection commissions) increased by +19.6%, from a low base, due to the increase in claims to be collected and investments made in third-party debt collection. Commissions were up +6.6%.

Total revenue – in €m (by country of invoicing)	2023	2024	Variation	% ex. FX⁴
Northern Europe	379.6	362.2	(4.6)%	(4.6)%
Western Europe	380.1	391.8	+3.1%	+0.4%
Central & Eastern Europe	177.1	173.8	(1.9)%	(3.2)%
Mediterranean & Africa	526.3	538.5	+2.3%	+5.6%
North America	171.8	176.6	+2.7%	(6.4)%
Latin America	100.3	77.7	(22.5)%	+4.0%
Asia-Pacific	133.1	124.3	(6.6)%	(7.1)%
Total Group	1,868.2	1,844.8	(1.3)%	(0.6)%

In Northern Europe, turnover was down by -4.6% at constant and current FX, due to the selective non-renewal of some loss-making policies at the beginning of the year, despite the stabilisation of client activity in Q4-24.

In Western Europe, turnover increased by +0.4% at constant FX (+3.1% at current FX and perimeter following the integration of certain African countries in the first half of the year) thanks to a sharp increase in information services sales (+30.3%) combined with a better Q4-24 in credit insurance under the effect of significant business catch-up.

In Central and Eastern Europe, turnover fell -3.2% at constant FX (-1.9% at current FX) due to the decline in client activity, which weighed on credit insurance, despite a high client retention rate. Factoring was down -1.0% at constant exchange rates.

In the Mediterranean and Africa region, which is driven by Italy and Spain, turnover rose +5.6% at constant FX and +2.3% at current FX driven by robust sales in credit insurance and services and a stronger economic environment.

In North America, turnover was down -6.4% at constant FX but increased by +2.7% at current FX due to the integration of Mexico in this scope. The region saw a slowdown in client activity despite higher retention and a fairly strong economic environment.

In Latin America, turnover rose +4.0% at constant FX but fell -22.5% at current FX. The region is benefiting from a recovery in client activity after 2023 was dominated by risk prevention actions. However, the transfer of Mexico to the North America region had a negative impact.

In Asia-Pacific, turnover decreased by -7.1% at constant FX and -6.6% at current FX. This lower turnover was due to a slowdown in client activity that robust sales were unable to offset and selective non-renewal of certain policies.

2. Result

Combined ratio

The annual combined ratio net of reinsurance was 65.5% in 2024, up 1.2 ppt year on year.

(i) Loss ratio

The gross loss ratio stood at 33.4%, a 2.4 ppts improvement on the previous year. This improvement reflects both the gradual normalisation of the loss experience, offset by rising reserve releases. The amount of claims recorded is now higher than in 2019. The total number of claims decreased, offset by an increase in the number of mid-sized claims.

The Group’s provisioning policy remained unchanged. The amount of provisions related to the underwriting year, although discounted, reflects the increase in the claims frequency. Strict management of past claims enabled the Group to record 51.9 ppts of recoveries.

The net loss ratio improved to 35.2%, down 2.5 ppts compared to 2023.

(ii) Cost ratio

Coface is pursuing a strict cost management policy and is continuing to invest, in line with its Power the Core strategic plan. As a result, over the full year 2024, costs rose by +5.5% at constant FX and perimeter, and by +5.3% at current FX.

The cost ratio before reinsurance was 33.7%, up 2.2 ppts year on year. This rise was mainly due to the decline in revenues (1.0 ppt), embedded cost inflation (1.5 ppt) and ongoing investments (1.5 ppt). In contrast, the improved product mix (information services, debt collection and fee and commission income) had a positive effect. High reinsurance commissions explain the remainder of the variation.

Financial result

Net financial income for 2024 was €91.7m, up sharply compared to 2023. This figure includes capital gains of +€11.4m, which more than offset negative market value adjustments on investments of -€2.9m. The FX effect remained slightly negative at -€2.7m but improved significantly compared to 2023, which was marked by the accounting effect of IAS 29 (hyperinflation) in Turkey and Argentina as well as the sharp devaluation of the Argentine peso.

The portfolio’s current yield (i.e. excluding capital gains, depreciation and FX impact) was €96.6m, of which €25.7m in Q4-24. The accounting yield⁵, excluding capital gains and fair value effect, was 2.9% for 2024. The yield on new investments made year-to-date was 4.1% and fell in Q4-24 in line with the trend in market rates.

Insurance Finance Expenses (IFE) stood at €42.5m (€40.0m in 2023).

Operating income and net income

Operating income amounted to €409.2m in 2024, up +12.0% at constant FX.

The effective tax rate was 29% for the year (vs. 27% in 2023), including the impact of Pillar 2 (global minimum tax).

In total, net income (group share) was €261.1m, up +8.6% compared to 2023.

3. Shareholders’ equity

At 31 December 2024, Group shareholders’ equity stood at €2,193.6m, up €142.8m or +7.0% (€2,050.8m at 31 December 2023).

These changes are mainly due to the positive net income of €261.1m and the dividend payment of -€194.3m. Other items include changes in unrealised capital gains for €72.0m.

The annualised return on average tangible equity (RoATE) was 13.9%, up 0.5 ppt mainly due to the improvement in financial income, which more than offset the decrease in underwriting income (decline in net premiums and slight increase in the combined ratio).

The solvency ratio reached 196%⁶, representing a decrease of 3 ppts compared to FY-23. It remains well above the upper end of the target range (155%-175%).

Coface will propose €1.40 dividend per share at the Shareholders’ meeting, corresponding to a payout ratio of 80%⁷, in line with its capital management policy.

4. Outlook

Once again, the global economy experienced modest growth in 2024 (2.7%), in line with Coface’s forecasts and still driven being by the United States. The electoral calendar, which involved an unprecedented number of countries, delivered generally unsurprising outcomes, with some exceptions.

For 2025, Coface is forecasting growth identical to that of 2024 at 2.7%. Further downgrades to European growth are likely to be offset by the good performance of the United States, while political risk remains. Donald Trump’s return to power seems to have been welcomed by economic circles so far, raising hopes of deregulation, which is stimulating in the short term but often carries longer-term risks. The announced introduction of tariffs for many countries is also a destabilising factor for global trade.

Against this backdrop, Coface is anticipating a continued rise in bankruptcies, as businesses are caught between depleted levels of cheap financing and sluggish growth. Coface and its teams will continue to support their clients in this still uncertain environment.

At the end of 2024, client activity finally posted a slightly positive performance after several quarters of decline. This slight rebound may give hope that the post-Covid decline in client activity has come to an end. In 2025, Coface will continue to implement its Power the Core strategic plan, which aims to develop a leading global ecosystem in credit risk management.

5. Governance evolution

In the Executive Committee:

As of February 1^st, 2025, Carole Lytton leads the Specialties Businesses, in addition to her role as General Secretary. She takes over from Antonio Marchitelli who decided to leave and take another appointment outside Coface after many years of dedication to the Group.
As of February 3^rd, Gonzague Noël has been appointed as Group Chief Operating Officer (COO). He takes over Declan Daly, joins the Group executive committee and reports to Xavier Durand, Coface CEO.

Conference call for financial analysts

Coface’s results for FY-2024 will be discussed with financial analysts during the conference call on Thursday, 20 February 2025 at 18.00 (Paris time). Dial one of the following numbers:

The presentation will be available (in English only) at the following address:
http://www.coface.com/Investors/financial-results-and-reports

Income statements items in €m Quarterly figures	Q1-23	Q2-23	Q3-23	Q4-23	Q1-24	Q2-24	Q3-24	Q4-24	%	% ex. FX*
Insurance revenue	395.3	407.8	384.7	371.3	378.6	375.6	375.9	382.7	+3.1%	+3.7%
Other revenue	79.8	76.8	73.4	79.2	85.0	83.4	78.0	85.5	+8.0%	+7.6%
REVENUE	475.1	484.5	458.1	450.4	463.7	459.1	453.8	468.3	+4.0%	+4.3%
UNDERWRITING INCOME (LOSS) AFTER REINSURANCE	95.3	103.5	91.2	105.4	100.3	94.7	88.8	84.9	(19.5)%	(17.9)%
Investment income, net of management expenses, excluding finance costs	(2.6)	4.0	13.0	(2.0)	17.9	22.8	19.0	31.9	(1667)%	(1568)%
Insurance Finance Expenses	(2.4)	(12.3)	(15.4)	(9.9)	(11.4)	(6.7)	(7.3)	(17.1)	+73.3%	+77.9%
CURRENT OPERATING INCOME	90.4	95.2	88.9	93.5	106.8	110.9	100.5	99.7	+6.7%	+7.9%
Other operating income / expenses	(0.3)	(0.4)	(0.2)	(4.0)	(0.1)	(0.5)	(2.6)	(5.5)	+38.3%	+36.4%
OPERATING INCOME	90.0	94.8	88.6	89.5	106.8	110.4	97.9	94.2	+5.2%	+6.6%
NET INCOME (GROUP SHARE)	61.2	67.7	60.9	50.8	68.4	73.8	65.4	53.4	+5.1%	+4.9%
Income tax rate	25.5%	21.9%	24.2%	36.0%	27.2%	26.8%	25.5%	36.2%	+0.2 ppt

Appendices

Quarterly results

Cumulated results*

Income statements items in €m
Cumulated figures

Q1-23

H1-23

9M-23

2023

Q1-24

H1-24

9M-24

2024

%
ex. FX*

Insurance revenue

395.3

803.1

1,187.8

1,559.1

378.6

754.3

1,130.2

1,512.9

(3.0)%

(2.2)%

Other revenue

79.8

156.6

230.0

309.2

85.0

168.5

246.4

331.9

+7.4%

REVENUE

475.1

959.7

1,417.8

1,868.2

463.7

922.7

1,376.6

1,844.8

(1.3)%

(0.6)%

UNDERWRITING INCOME (LOSS)
AFTER REINSURANCE

95.3

198.8

290.0

395.4

100.3

195.0

283.8

368.7

(6.8)%

(5.3)%

Investment income, net of management expenses, excluding finance costs

(2.6)

1.4

14.5

12.4

17.9

40.8

59.8

91.7

+638.0%

+595.7%

Insurance Finance Expenses

(2.4)

(14.7)

(30.1)

(40.0)

(11.4)

(18.1)

(25.4)

(42.5)

+6.4%

+12.9%

CURRENT OPERATING INCOME

90.4

185.5

274.4

367.9

106.8

217.7

318.2

417.9

+13.6%

+12.8%

Other operating income / expenses

(0.3)

(0.7)

(0.9)

(5.0)

(0.1)

(0.5)

(3.1)

(8.6)

+74.5%

+74.2%

OPERATING INCOME

90.0

184.8

273.4

362.9

106.8

217.2

315.1

409.2

+12.8%

+12.0%

NET INCOME (GROUP SHARE)

61.2

128.8

189.7

240.5

68.4

142.3

207.7

261.1

+8.6%

+6.3%

Income tax rate

25.5%

23.7%

23.8%

26.8%

27.2%

27.0%

26.5%

28.7%

+1.9 ppt

* Also excludes scope impact

CONTACTS

ANALYSTS / INVESTORS
Thomas JACQUET: +33 1 49 02 12 58 – thomas.jacquet@coface.com
Rina ANDRIAMIADANTSOA: +33 1 49 02 15 85 – rina.andriamiadantsoa@coface.com

MEDIA RELATIONS
Saphia GAOUAOUI: +33 1 49 02 14 91 – saphia.gaouaoui@coface.com
Adrien BILLET: +33 1 49 02 23 63 – adrien.billet@coface.com

FINANCIAL CALENDAR 2025
(subject to change)

Q1-2025 results: 5 May 2025 (after market close)
Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting: 14 May 2025
H1-2025 results: 31 July 2025 (after market close)
9M-2025 results: 3 November 2025 (after market close)

FINANCIAL INFORMATION
This press release, as well as COFACE SA’s integral regulatory information, can be found on the Group’s website: http://www.coface.com/Investors

For regulated information on Alternative Performance Measures (APM), please refer to our Interim Financial Report for H1-2024 and our 2023 Universal Registration Document (see part 3.7 “Key financial performance indicators”).

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

COFACE: FOR TRADE
As a global leading player in trade credit risk management for more than 75 years, Coface helps companies grow and navigate in an uncertain and volatile environment.
Whatever their size, location or sector, Coface provides 100,000 clients across some 200 markets. with a full range of solutions: Trade Credit Insurance, Business Information, Debt Collection, Single Risk insurance, Surety Bonds, Factoring.
Every day, Coface leverages its unique expertise and cutting-edge technology to make trade happen, in both domestic and export markets.
In 2024, Coface employed ~5,236 people and registered a turnover of €1.84 billion.

www.coface.com

COFACE SA is listed in Compartment A of Euronext Paris
ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

DISCLAIMER – Certain declarations featured in this press release may contain forecasts that notably relate to future events, trends, projects or targets. By nature, these forecasts include identified or unidentified risks and uncertainties, and may be affected by many factors likely to give rise to a significant discrepancy between the real results and those stated in these declarations. Please refer to chapter 5 “Main risk factors and their management within the Group” of the Coface Group’s 2023 Universal Registration Document filed with AMF on 5 April 2024 under the number D.24-0242 in order to obtain a description of certain major factors, risks and uncertainties likely to influence the Coface Group’s businesses. The Coface Group disclaims any intention or obligation to publish an update of these forecasts, or provide new information on future events or any other circumstance.

¹RoATE = Return on average tangible equity
²This estimated solvency ratio is a preliminary calculation made according to Coface’s interpretation of Solvency II regulations and using the Partial Internal Model. The final calculation may differ from this preliminary calculation. The estimated solvency ratio is not audited.
³The distribution proposal will be submitted to the Shareholders’ Meeting to be held on 14 May 2025.
4 Also excludes scope impact
5 Book yield calculated on the average of the investment portfolio excluding non-consolidated subsidiaries.
6 This estimated solvency ratio is a preliminary calculation made according to Coface’s interpretation of Solvency II regulations and using the Partial Internal Model. The final calculation may differ from this preliminary calculation. The estimated solvency ratio is not audited.
7 The distribution proposal will be submitted to the Shareholders’ Meeting to be held on 14 May 2025.

Attachment

2025 02 20 PR results FY-2024 COFACE

The MIL Network –

February 21, 2025

MIL-OSI Global: A fiscal crisis is looming for many US cities

Source: The Conversation – USA – By John Rennie Short, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Houston residents at a flooded park after the passage of Hurricane Beryl, July 8, 2024. Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

Five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. cities are still adjusting to a new normal, with more people working remotely and less economic activity in city centers. Other factors, such as underfunded pension plans for municipal employees, are pushing many city budgets into the red.

Urban fiscal struggles are not new, but historically they have mainly affected U.S. cities that are small, poor or saddled with incompetent managers. Today, however, even large cities, including Chicago, Houston and San Francisco, are under serious financial stress.

This is a looming nationwide threat, driven by factors that include climate change, declining downtown activity, loss of federal funds and large pension and retirement commitments.

Spending cuts abound in many U.S. cities as inflation lingers and pandemic-era stimulus dries up.

Why cities struggle

Many U.S. cities have faced fiscal crises over the past century, for diverse reasons. Most commonly, stress occurs after an economic downturn or sharp fall in tax revenues.

Florida municipalities began to default in 1926 after the collapse of a land boom. Municipal defaults were common across the nation in the 1930s during the Great Depression: As unemployment rose, relief burdens swelled and tax collections dwindled.

In 1934 Congress amended the U.S. bankruptcy code to allow municipalities to file formally for bankruptcy. Subsequently, 27 states enacted laws that authorized cities to become debtors and seek bankruptcy protection.

Declaring bankruptcy was not a cure-all. It allowed cities to refinance debt or stretch out payment schedules, but it also could lead to higher taxes and fees for residents, and lower pay and benefits for city employees. And it could stigmatize a city for many years afterward.

In the 1960s and 1970s, many urban residents and businesses left cities for adjoining suburbs. Many cities, including New York, Cleveland and Philadelphia, found it difficult to repay debts as their tax bases shrank.

The New York Daily News, Oct. 30, 1975, after U.S. President Gerald Ford ruled out providing federal aid to save the city from bankruptcy. Several months later, Ford signed legislation authorizing federal loans.
Edward Stojakovic/Flickr, CC BY

In the wake of the 2008-2009 housing market collapse, cities including Detroit, San Bernardino, California, and Stockton, California, filed for bankruptcy. Other cities faced similar difficulties but were located in states that did not allow municipalities to declare bankruptcy.

Even large, affluent jurisdictions could go off the financial rails. For example, Orange County, California, went bankrupt in 2002 after its treasurer, Robert Citron, pursued a risky investment strategy of complex leveraging deals, losing some $1.65 billion in taxpayer funds.

Today, cities face a convergence of rising costs and decreasing revenues in many places. As I see it, the urban fiscal crisis is now a pervasive national challenge.

Climate-driven disasters

Climate change and its attendant increase in major disasters are putting financial pressure on municipalities across the country.

Events like wildfires and flooding have twofold effects on city finances. First, money has to be spent on rebuilding damaged infrastructure, such as roads, water lines and public buildings. Second, after the disaster, cities may either act on their own or be required under state or federal law to make expensive investments in preparation for the next storm or wildfire.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (center) discusses wildfire recovery in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Jan. 27, 2025. Cleaning up after the wildfires, which destroyed more than 16,000 structures, will include disposing of several million tons of toxic ash and debris.
Drew A. Kelley/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images

In Houston, for example, court rulings after multiple years of severe flooding are forcing the city to spend $100 million on street repairs and drainage by mid-2025. This requirement will expand the deficit in Houston’s annual budget to $330 million.

In Massachusetts, towns on Cape Cod are spending millions of dollars to switch from septic systems to public sewer lines and upgrade wastewater treatment plants. Population growth has sharply increased water pollution on the Cape, and climate change is promoting blooms of toxic algae that feed on nutrients in wastewater.

Increasing uncertainty about the total costs of mitigating and adapting to climate change will inevitably lead rating agencies to downgrade municipal credit ratings. This raises cities’ costs to borrow money for climate-related projects like protecting shorelines and improving wastewater treatment.

Underfunded pensions

Cities also spend a lot of money on employees, and many large cities are struggling to fund pensions and health benefits for their workforces. As municipal retirees live longer and require more health care, the costs are mounting.

For example, Chicago currently faces a budget deficit of nearly $1 billion, which stems partly from underfunded retirement benefits for nearly 30,000 public employees. The city has $35 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and almost $2 billion in unfunded retiree health benefits. Chicago’s teachers are owed $14 billion in unfunded benefits.

Policy studies have shown for years that politicians tend to underfund retirement and pension benefits for public employees. This approach offloads the real cost of providing police, fire protection and education onto future taxpayers.

Struggling downtowns and less federal support

Cities aren’t just facing rising costs – they’re also losing revenues. In many U.S. cities, retail and commercial office economies are declining. Developers have overbuilt commercial properties, creating an excess supply. More unleased properties will mean lower tax revenues.

At the same time, pandemic-related federal aid that cushioned municipal finances from 2020 through 2024 is dwindling.

State and local governments received $150 billion through the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and an additional $130 billion through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. Now, however, this federal largesse – which some cities used to fill mounting fiscal cracks – is at an end.

In my view, President Donald Trump’s administration is highly unlikely to bail out urban areas – especially more liberal cities like Detroit, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Trump has portrayed large cities governed by Democrats in the darkest terms – for example, calling Baltimore a “rodent-infested mess” and Washington, D.C., a “dirty, crime-ridden death trap.” I expect that Trump’s animus against big cities, which was a staple of his 2024 campaign, could become a hallmark of his second term.

Detroit officials respond to disparaging remarks about the city by Donald Trump during a campaign speech in Detroit, Oct. 10, 2024.

Resistance to new taxes

Cities can generate revenue from taxes on sales, businesses, property and utilities. However, increasing municipal taxes – particularly property taxes – can be very difficult.

In 1978, California adopted Proposition 13 – a ballot measure that limited property tax increases to the rate of inflation or 2% per year, whichever is lower. This high-profile campaign created a widespread narrative that property taxes were out of control and made it very hard for local officials to support property tax increases.

Thanks to caps like Prop 13, a persistent public view that taxes are too high and political resistance, property taxes have tended to lag behind inflation in many parts of the country.

The crunch

Taking these factors together, I see a fiscal crunch coming for U.S. cities. Small cities with low budgets are particularly vulnerable. But so are larger, more affluent cities, such as San Francisco with its collapsing downtown office market, or Houston, New York and Miami, which face growing costs from climate change.

Workers in North Miami Beach, Fla., distribute sandbags to residents to help prevent flooding as Hurricane Milton approaches the state on Oct. 8, 2024.
AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

One city manager who runs an affluent municipality in the Pacific Northwest told me that in these difficult circumstances, politicians need to be more frank and open with their constituents and explain convincingly and compellingly how and why taxpayer money is being spent.

Efforts to balance city budgets are opportunities to build consensus with the public about what municipalities can do, and at what cost. The coming months will show whether politicians and city residents are ready for these hard conversations.

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

– ref. A fiscal crisis is looming for many US cities – https://theconversation.com/a-fiscal-crisis-is-looming-for-many-us-cities-249436

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 21, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: A fiscal crisis is looming for many US cities

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rennie Short, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Houston residents at a flooded park after the passage of Hurricane Beryl, July 8, 2024. Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

Five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. cities are still adjusting to a new normal, with more people working remotely and less economic activity in city centers. Other factors, such as underfunded pension plans for municipal employees, are pushing many city budgets into the red.

Urban fiscal struggles are not new, but historically they have mainly affected U.S. cities that are small, poor or saddled with incompetent managers. Today, however, even large cities, including Chicago, Houston and San Francisco, are under serious financial stress.

This is a looming nationwide threat, driven by factors that include climate change, declining downtown activity, loss of federal funds and large pension and retirement commitments.

Spending cuts abound in many U.S. cities as inflation lingers and pandemic-era stimulus dries up.

Why cities struggle

Many U.S. cities have faced fiscal crises over the past century, for diverse reasons. Most commonly, stress occurs after an economic downturn or sharp fall in tax revenues.

Florida municipalities began to default in 1926 after the collapse of a land boom. Municipal defaults were common across the nation in the 1930s during the Great Depression: As unemployment rose, relief burdens swelled and tax collections dwindled.

In 1934 Congress amended the U.S. bankruptcy code to allow municipalities to file formally for bankruptcy. Subsequently, 27 states enacted laws that authorized cities to become debtors and seek bankruptcy protection.

Declaring bankruptcy was not a cure-all. It allowed cities to refinance debt or stretch out payment schedules, but it also could lead to higher taxes and fees for residents, and lower pay and benefits for city employees. And it could stigmatize a city for many years afterward.

In the 1960s and 1970s, many urban residents and businesses left cities for adjoining suburbs. Many cities, including New York, Cleveland and Philadelphia, found it difficult to repay debts as their tax bases shrank.

The New York Daily News, Oct. 30, 1975, after U.S. President Gerald Ford ruled out providing federal aid to save the city from bankruptcy. Several months later, Ford signed legislation authorizing federal loans.
Edward Stojakovic/Flickr, CC BY

In the wake of the 2008-2009 housing market collapse, cities including Detroit, San Bernardino, California, and Stockton, California, filed for bankruptcy. Other cities faced similar difficulties but were located in states that did not allow municipalities to declare bankruptcy.

Even large, affluent jurisdictions could go off the financial rails. For example, Orange County, California, went bankrupt in 2002 after its treasurer, Robert Citron, pursued a risky investment strategy of complex leveraging deals, losing some $1.65 billion in taxpayer funds.

Today, cities face a convergence of rising costs and decreasing revenues in many places. As I see it, the urban fiscal crisis is now a pervasive national challenge.

Climate-driven disasters

Climate change and its attendant increase in major disasters are putting financial pressure on municipalities across the country.

Events like wildfires and flooding have twofold effects on city finances. First, money has to be spent on rebuilding damaged infrastructure, such as roads, water lines and public buildings. Second, after the disaster, cities may either act on their own or be required under state or federal law to make expensive investments in preparation for the next storm or wildfire.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (center) discusses wildfire recovery in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Jan. 27, 2025. Cleaning up after the wildfires, which destroyed more than 16,000 structures, will include disposing of several million tons of toxic ash and debris.
Drew A. Kelley/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images

In Houston, for example, court rulings after multiple years of severe flooding are forcing the city to spend $100 million on street repairs and drainage by mid-2025. This requirement will expand the deficit in Houston’s annual budget to $330 million.

In Massachusetts, towns on Cape Cod are spending millions of dollars to switch from septic systems to public sewer lines and upgrade wastewater treatment plants. Population growth has sharply increased water pollution on the Cape, and climate change is promoting blooms of toxic algae that feed on nutrients in wastewater.

Increasing uncertainty about the total costs of mitigating and adapting to climate change will inevitably lead rating agencies to downgrade municipal credit ratings. This raises cities’ costs to borrow money for climate-related projects like protecting shorelines and improving wastewater treatment.

Underfunded pensions

Cities also spend a lot of money on employees, and many large cities are struggling to fund pensions and health benefits for their workforces. As municipal retirees live longer and require more health care, the costs are mounting.

For example, Chicago currently faces a budget deficit of nearly $1 billion, which stems partly from underfunded retirement benefits for nearly 30,000 public employees. The city has $35 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and almost $2 billion in unfunded retiree health benefits. Chicago’s teachers are owed $14 billion in unfunded benefits.

Policy studies have shown for years that politicians tend to underfund retirement and pension benefits for public employees. This approach offloads the real cost of providing police, fire protection and education onto future taxpayers.

Struggling downtowns and less federal support

Cities aren’t just facing rising costs – they’re also losing revenues. In many U.S. cities, retail and commercial office economies are declining. Developers have overbuilt commercial properties, creating an excess supply. More unleased properties will mean lower tax revenues.

At the same time, pandemic-related federal aid that cushioned municipal finances from 2020 through 2024 is dwindling.

State and local governments received $150 billion through the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and an additional $130 billion through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. Now, however, this federal largesse – which some cities used to fill mounting fiscal cracks – is at an end.

In my view, President Donald Trump’s administration is highly unlikely to bail out urban areas – especially more liberal cities like Detroit, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Trump has portrayed large cities governed by Democrats in the darkest terms – for example, calling Baltimore a “rodent-infested mess” and Washington, D.C., a “dirty, crime-ridden death trap.” I expect that Trump’s animus against big cities, which was a staple of his 2024 campaign, could become a hallmark of his second term.

Detroit officials respond to disparaging remarks about the city by Donald Trump during a campaign speech in Detroit, Oct. 10, 2024.

Resistance to new taxes

Cities can generate revenue from taxes on sales, businesses, property and utilities. However, increasing municipal taxes – particularly property taxes – can be very difficult.

In 1978, California adopted Proposition 13 – a ballot measure that limited property tax increases to the rate of inflation or 2% per year, whichever is lower. This high-profile campaign created a widespread narrative that property taxes were out of control and made it very hard for local officials to support property tax increases.

Thanks to caps like Prop 13, a persistent public view that taxes are too high and political resistance, property taxes have tended to lag behind inflation in many parts of the country.

The crunch

Taking these factors together, I see a fiscal crunch coming for U.S. cities. Small cities with low budgets are particularly vulnerable. But so are larger, more affluent cities, such as San Francisco with its collapsing downtown office market, or Houston, New York and Miami, which face growing costs from climate change.

Workers in North Miami Beach, Fla., distribute sandbags to residents to help prevent flooding as Hurricane Milton approaches the state on Oct. 8, 2024.
AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

One city manager who runs an affluent municipality in the Pacific Northwest told me that in these difficult circumstances, politicians need to be more frank and open with their constituents and explain convincingly and compellingly how and why taxpayer money is being spent.

Efforts to balance city budgets are opportunities to build consensus with the public about what municipalities can do, and at what cost. The coming months will show whether politicians and city residents are ready for these hard conversations.

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

– ref. A fiscal crisis is looming for many US cities – https://theconversation.com/a-fiscal-crisis-is-looming-for-many-us-cities-249436

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Marketing authorisation for an RNA-based vaccine with self-strengthening mRNA – P-000048/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament

The Commission shall adopt its decision on Kostaive based on the scientific evaluation of the quality, safety, and efficacy of the vaccine by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

On 12 December 2024 the CHMP concluded that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh any potential risks and recommended granting marketing authorisation for the prevention of COVID-19 in adults[1].

The EMA was aware of concerns expressed by some academics in Japan during its assessment. Research into self-amplifying mRNA vaccines has been ongoing for over two decades. Notably, the self-amplifying mRNA technology, like other mRNA vaccines, does not interfere with a person’s genetic code.

The CHMP identified no major safety concerns, and data indicate that Kostaive’s safety profile is comparable to that of existing mRNA vaccines.

The most common side effects observed in clinical trials were mild, including pain and tenderness at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle and joint pain, chills, dizziness, and fever. Patients involved in the studies with Kostaive have been followed for at least one year.

Kostaive’s safety will be closely monitored by EMA and national authorities in the EU to ensure any possible risks are detected and mitigated as early as possible[2]. The assessment report as well as the risk management plan for the vaccine, will be published on EMA’s website.

In the framework of marketing authorisation of medicines, the Commission relies on the scientific advice provided by the EMA’s scientific committees.

Concerns and developments from other jurisdictions in relation to medicines are noted but do not alter the EU’s commitment to upholding its rigorous safety, efficacy, and quality standards.
- [1] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/kostaive
- [2] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/public-health-threats/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-19-medicines/safety-covid-19-vaccines
MIL OSI Europe News –
February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Review and possible revocation of the authorisation for mRNA vaccines in view of new findings – P-002990/2024(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
The Commission is in contact with Member States and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to ensure the continuous quality, safety and efficacy of medicines, including COVID-19 vaccines.

EMA continuously monitors safety signals and investigates whether there is a causal link between specific batches and reported adverse events. EMA has no evidence so far suggesting that some batches of Comirnaty caused more (or more serious) side effects than other batches[1].

The quality of every batch is checked by Official Medicines Control Laboratories in Member States and only those complying with the approved quality specifications can be released in the EU.

Regulators request and collect batch numbers for vaccines to allow them to establish patterns and determine whether suspected side effects are linked to a specific batch.

The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) reports suspected side effects with Comirnaty, but it does not confirm these as side effects, nor does it link them to specific batches.

Most side effects of Comirnaty are mild. These are not batch specific and are clearly listed in the product information with the respective frequency.

A conditional marketing authorisation was granted by the Commission to Comirnaty in December 2020, based on EMA’s rigorous scientific evaluation, weighing up the benefits and risks.

The conditional marketing authorisation was converted into a standard marketing authorisation on 10 October 2022. After authorisation in 2020, EMA has been continuously monitoring suspected side effects and evaluating any new information that emerges[2]. This evaluation is conducted by EMA’s expert committees, and action is taken, if necessary.

Comirnaty continues to fulfil the necessary requirements for authorisation in the EU.

[1] Vaccine safety (Comirnaty): https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/public-health-threats/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-19-medicines/covid-19-vaccines-key-facts

[2] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/comirnaty#authorisation-details
Last updated: 20 February 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Liverpool Remembers as Hall Hosts Covid-19 Reflection Event

Source: City of Liverpool

The civic heart of Liverpool – and one of Britain’s most beloved buildings – is to become the city’s focal point for remembering the Covid-19 pandemic.

To commemorate five years since the pandemic began, a national Covid-19 Day of Reflection will take place on Sunday, 9 March.

In Liverpool, the Great Hall in St George’s Hall will be transformed into a special space for people to visit, remember those we lost, acknowledge and celebrate all the acts of kindness that took place across our communities and reflect on the profound impact of the pandemic on our everyday lives.

The stunning venue will be beautifully illuminated by paper lanterns, representing the challenges people lived with throughout the pandemic – whether that be the loss of a loved one, isolation, economic hardship or mental health struggles, but also acknowledging the tremendous resilience shown throughout.

A gentle and poignant soundscape will play, creating an ambience for quiet contemplation, and a Book of Commemoration will allow people to leave a message of reflection if they wish to do so.

Members of the public are invited to reflect on their experiences and memories within the Grade I listed neo-classical masterpiece, situated off Lime Street, which will be open from 10am-4pm for this unique event.

The event has been organised by Liverpool City Council and the lanterns will be supplied by local arts organisation, the Lantern Company.

For more information, visit St George’s Hall website.

Leader of Liverpool City Council, Councillor Liam Robinson, said:
“Five years ago the world changed and we’re still feeling that ripple-effect today.

“It was an incredibly tough time for Liverpool – case rates and deaths were high, businesses were under huge pressure to stay afloat and people were lonely and fearful of what could happen – it was a chapter of history which we will never forget.

“But throughout this extraordinary crisis, the true spirit of Liverpool shone through, communities came together to help and support one another. This city stepped forward, blazing a trail for others to follow when it came to mass testing and paving the way for large cultural events to start welcoming people once again – things we should all be proud of.

“On Sunday March, St George’s Hall will be a hub to reflect on this time of so many mixed emotions, acknowledging our city’s resilience, strength, and solidarity, and looking ahead to the future with hope.”

Director of Public Health for Liverpool City Council, Matthew Ashton, said:
“Every single one of us has been affected by Covid. The intensity of our shared experience should never be underestimated – along with the disease itself, we had to juggle not being able to see our family and friends, social distancing, wearing face coverings, working from home, home schooling – all of which have impacted on our individual mental health and wellbeing, and on the health and economic prosperity of our city overall.

“Thankfully we are well into our recovery journey, and one of the most important lessons we have learnt, is the power of strong communities and partnerships. Throughout, stakeholders from across the city have worked closely with health professionals to ensure the best outcomes for our communities, and although the pandemic may be over, these partnerships will continue to provide support in this recovery phase.

“Liverpool’s event is a way for us to process what has happened over the past five years and I encourage people to take some time out of their day, honour those we lost and celebrate all of our remarkable achievements during this unprecedented period.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Roy Re-Introduces Legislation to Remove Federal Liability Protections for COVID-19 Vaccines
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)

WASHINGTON — Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) re-introduced H.R.1432, the Let Injured Americans Be Legally Empowered (LIABLE) Act today, a bill that would empower Americans to hold COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers liable for any harms their vaccines caused.

Congressman Roy said the following about this legislation:

“The government-healthcare industrial complex’s response to COVID-19 was a tragedy for healthcare freedom. Millions of Americans were forced to choose between a largely untested vaccine or their livelihood, leading to many suffering a range of vaccine injuries as a result.

Few have been afforded proper recourse. The COVID-19 vaccine is the most liability-protected vaccine on the market right now. To date, only 50 injury cases have been opened and paid out, despite hundreds of millions of doses administered.

The American people harmed by this deserve justice. I am re-introducing the LIABLE Act to give Americans who were injured by the COVID-19 vaccines a chance to have their day in court and their injuries properly addressed.”

The LIABLE Act would empower injured Americans by:
- Removing all federal liability protections for the COVID-19 vaccine;
- Preserving the ability of injured Americans to access pre-existing compensation programs; and
- Specifying the bill is retroactive to ensure Americans who received the COVID-19 vaccine before the bill is enacted benefit.
Co-sponsors of the bill include Representatives Thomas Massie (KY-04), Josh Breechen (OK-02), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Eli Crane (AZ-02), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Warren Davidson (OH-08), Ralph Norman (SC-05), and Scott Perry (PA-10).

Supporting organizations of the bill include React19.

“In exchange for our constitutional right to sue, the US taxpayer is set to foot the bill for all Covid vaccine harms. This inevitable multi-billion dollar bill is an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer. Chip Roy’s bill would put the responsibility back where it belongs, on the manufacturer.” – Brianne Dressen, Co-Chairwoman, and Joel Wallskog, Co-Chairman, React 19.

Full text of the legislation here.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Guterres urges Caribbean leaders to keep pushing for peace, climate action and sustainable development

Source: United Nations 2

19 February 2025 Peace and Security

In an address on Wednesday to Caribbean leaders meeting in Barbados, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced a potential plan to support an “effective force” in Haiti as armed gangs continue to terrorize the population.

Mr. Guterres was speaking during the opening of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government Meeting in the capital Bridgetown, where he called for unity to achieve progress in peace and security, climate and sustainable development.

“A unified Caribbean is an unstoppable force,” he said. “I urge you to keep using that power to push the world to deliver on its promises.”

‘Trouble in paradise’

The Secretary-General noted that the region’s “exquisite beauty is famed the world over, but there is trouble in paradise.”

He told leaders that “wave after wave of crisis is pounding your people and your islands – with no time to catch your breath before the next disaster strikes.”

Caribbean countries are experiencing uncertainty fuelled by geopolitical tensions, the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring debt and interest rates, and a surge in the cost of living.

Global solutions exist

These are all happening “amidst a deadly swell of climate disasters – ripping development gains to shreds, and blowing holes through your national budgets,” and as countries “remain locked-out of many international institutions – one of the many legacies of colonialism today.”

The UN chief insisted that “the cure for these ills is global,” and the world needs to deliver on hard-won global commitments to address the immense challenges the international community is facing.

He listed three key areas “where, together, we must drive progress.”

Peace in Haiti

Mr. Guterres called for unity for peace and security, “particularly to address the appalling situation in Haiti – where gangs are inflicting intolerable suffering on a desperate and frightened people.”

He said CARICOM and its Eminent Persons Group have provided invaluable support in this regard.

“We must keep working for a political process – owned and led by the Haitians – that restores democratic institutions through elections,” he said.

Security and stability

A UN-backed Multinational Security Support Mission is currently on the ground to back up the Haitian National Police.

The Secretary-General said he will soon report to the Security Council on the situation in the country, including proposals on the role the UN can play to both support stability and security, and address the root causes of the crisis.

He intends to present a proposal similar to the one for Somalia, in which the UN assumes responsibility for the structural and logistical expenditures necessary to put the force in place. Salaries are paid through a trust fund that already exists.

“If the Security Council will accept this proposal, we will have the conditions to finally have an effective force to defeat the gangs in Haiti and create the conditions for democracy to thrive,” he said, drawing applause.

© WFP/Fedel Mansour

Hurricane Beryl last July caused devastation on Union Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Climate crisis opportunity

His second point – unity on the climate crisis – underlined “a deplorable injustice” as Caribbean countries “have done next to nothing” to create it. Moreover, they have “fought tooth and nail for the global commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.”

Mr. Guterres said countries must deliver new national climate plans ahead of the COP30 UN climate conference later this year. The plans must align with the 1.5 goal, with the G20 group of industrial nations leading the way.

“This is a chance for the world to get a grip on emissions,” he said. “And it’s a chance for the Caribbean to seize the benefits of clean power, to tap your vast renewables potential, and to turn your back on costly fossil fuel imports.”

As finance is required, he underscored the need for confidence that the $1.3 trillion agreed at the previous COP will be mobilized. Developed countries also must honour their promises on adaptation finance and make meaningful contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund.

“When the Fund was created, the pledges made were equivalent to the new contract for just one baseball player in New York City,” he remarked.

Finance for sustainable development

Meanwhile, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “are starved of adequate finance, as debt servicing soaks-up funds, and international financial institutions remain underpowered.”

The Secretary-General said Caribbean countries have been at the forefront of the fight for change, pioneering bold and creative solutions. He said the Pact for the Future, together with the Bridgetown Initiative, marks significant progress.

Mr. Guterres thanked Caribbean leaders for supporting the Pact, which UN Member States adopted last year.

Key deliverables include support for an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion annually and commitment to reform international financial institutions to allow greater participation by developing countries.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Making False Statements to United States Small Business Administration

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RENIC PALMER, JR. (“PALMER”), age 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 13, 2025, before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier. PALMER previously pled guilty to making or using false writings or documents to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(3), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

According to court documents, PALMER submitted false writings and documents to the SBA, to obtain a Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) Loan. In his application, among other things, PALMER falsely represented that he was the owner of a merchant wholesale hair supply company formed in 2017, and that he was eligible for PPP funds. As a result of these false representations, PALMER obtained $20,832.00 from the SBA.

Judge Barbier sentenced PALMER to three years of probation, restitution of $20,832 to the SBA, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the Special Agents of the Coast Guard Investigative Service for their work on this case. Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

MIL Security OSI –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: CDC layoffs strike deeply at its ability to respond to the current flu, norovirus and measles outbreaks and other public health emergencies

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jordan Miller, Teaching Professor of Public Health, Arizona State University

The CDC played an instrumental, if imperfect, role in the response to COVID-19. JHDT Stock Images LLC/iStock via Getty Images

In just a few short weeks, the Trump administration has brought drastic changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health. Beginning with the removal of websites and key public health datasets in January 2025, the Trump administration has taken actions to dismantle established public health infrastructure as part of its second-term agenda.

In addition, the administration has begun a widespread purge of the federal public health workforce. As of Feb. 19, around 5,200 employees at the CDC and the National Institutes of Health had been let go. About 10% of the CDC’s staff have been removed, with plans for additional firings.

As a teaching professor and public health educator, I, like thousands of other health professionals, rely on CDC data and educational resources throughout my work. CDC websites are the first stop for health information for my students and for health care practitioners, and are vital to protecting the U.S. from infectious diseases, like avian flu and COVID-19, as well as noninfectious health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.

Here’s a quick look at what the CDC does to protect Americans’ health, and how it’s likely to be affected by the Trump administration’s actions:

Gutting the CDC’s capacity

Prior to the February cuts, the CDC employed over 10,000 full-time staff in roles spanning public health, epidemiology, medicine, communications, engineering and beyond to maintain this critical public health infrastructure.

In addition to the centers’ wide variety of functions to protect and promote public health in the U.S., a vast amount of research in the U.S. relies on CDC data. The CDC obtains data from all 50 states, territories and the District of Columbia, which is collated into widely utilized databases such as the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Health Interview Survey and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Several of these datasets and CDC websites were removed at the start of the second Trump term, and while they are currently back online due to a federal court order, it remains to be seen if these important sources of information will remain accessible and updated going forward.

The CDC also publishes the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which allows for ongoing and timely surveillance of key health conditions. The reports cover a wide range of topics, including wildfires, motor vehicle accidents, autism, asthma, opioids, mental health and many others. The CDC plays a central role in monitoring and reporting the spread of flu in winter months through its FluView, which informs clinical practice as well as public health interventions.

Physicians are reporting that their ability to respond to the surges in respiratory viruses they are seeing has been hobbled by the missing data and by prohibitions on CDC staff communicating outside the agency.

The CDC’s famed “disease detectives,” part of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, appear to have been spared following public outcry after more than half of its members were initially told they would be let go as part of the Feb. 14 mass layoffs.

It remains to be seen if this group will remain intact long term. Concerns are growing that shakeups to the nation’s infectious disease surveillance teams will hamper the government’s ability to respond effectively at a time when avian flu and measles are growing concerns in the U.S.

The CDC’s headquarters are in Atlanta.
Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

History of the CDC

The CDC began as a small branch of the U.S. Public Health Service in 1946 as an outgrowth of successes fighting malaria in southern states during World War II and before. Its founder, Dr. Joseph W. Mountin, envisioned that it would come to serve all states, addressing all communicable diseases. Since that time, the CDC has evolved into the nation’s premier public health organization, leveraging both clinical and population health sciences to prevent and mitigate challenges to the nation’s health.

In its first 40 years, the CDC helped eradicate smallpox and identify the causes of Legionnaires’ disease, toxic shock syndrome and HIV.

As the country’s primary health challenges have shifted from communicable diseases to noncommunicable ones over recent decades, the organization has adapted, expanding its reach and priorities to meet changing public health needs. The CDC also has the ability to flex and scale up efforts rapidly when needed to respond to novel outbreaks, which is essential for containing infectious diseases and preventing escalation.

CDC’s global reach

Recognizing that health does not exist in a vacuum, the CDC also operates internationally to mitigate health challenges that could threaten health in the U.S. over time. The agency is active in addressing diseases that are endemic in certain areas, such as tuberculosis and HIV. It also responds to outbreaks from emerging threats, like Ebola and Marburg virus disease.

The CDC played a crucial role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, coordinating with the World Health Organization, domestic health agencies and others to plan and execute a robust response.

In 2024, the CDC worked with the WHO to respond to a Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda that lasted for several months. On average, about half of people infected with Marburg virus do not survive, so early detection and effective response are essential to prevent loss of life and contain outbreaks before they spread widely.

On Jan. 20, 2025, the White House announced President Donald Trump’s plans to withdraw from the WHO. This move further weakens the country’s ability to manage and mitigate threats to Americans’ health and national security.

Not only does the WHO do essential work to protect children around the world from needless death due to starvation, but it monitors and responds to infectious diseases. The U.S. has been the largest contributor to the WHO, with approximately 12%-15% of its operating costs coming from the U.S. That means that removal of U.S. support will also affect the WHO’s capacity to respond to international public health issues.

As the COVID-19 pandemic made plain, a delayed response to infectious disease outbreaks can exponentially increase long-term costs and consequences. It remains to be seen what impact the established relationships between the CDC and the WHO will have on their ability to coordinate effectively during times of crisis.

The CDC’s work around the world helps to stop outbreaks before they spread – and reach the U.S.

Future health care workforce threatened

The reach, flexibility, adaptability and robust foundation of relationships developed over the past eight decades enable the CDC to respond to threats quickly, wherever in the world they arise. This is important for protecting health, and it plays a vital role in global and national security as well.

In addition to its direct actions to promote public health, the CDC provides workforce development and training to help create an enduring public health infrastructure in the U.S. and abroad. This is more important than ever, as systemic factors have placed pressure on health professionals. The domestic public health workforce has shrunk drastically, losing 40,000 workers since the start of the Great Recession in 2009 due to economic constraints and social pressures during the pandemic. The CDC’s workforce development efforts help counteract these trends.

Public health workers were reporting high rates of burnout and stress even before the COVID-19 pandemic, which the pandemic worsened. Cuts to the federal workforce, as well as funding for public health programs, will no doubt add to these strains.

Jordan Miller received funding from CDC in the past.

– ref. CDC layoffs strike deeply at its ability to respond to the current flu, norovirus and measles outbreaks and other public health emergencies – https://theconversation.com/cdc-layoffs-strike-deeply-at-its-ability-to-respond-to-the-current-flu-norovirus-and-measles-outbreaks-and-other-public-health-emergencies-248486

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Housing and Construction – The staggering increase in home building costs over 4 years – QV

Source: Quotable Value (QV)

Building costs have increased at an average rate of 44% over the last four years, despite the rate of inflation slowing markedly last year.

This was the major finding from a new QV CostBuilder study that looked at the comparative cost of building a standardised 150m² home across six main urban centres – Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton and Palmerston North.

This bespoke research also showed that construction costs have increased by the largest percentage in Dunedin (47.1%) since 2020, followed by Palmerston North (46%).

Despite always being the most expensive city to build a home in overall, construction costs actually increased by the smallest margin in Auckland (39.4%). Christchurch (40.5%) wasn’t far behind, with Hamilton (44.8%) sitting just above average.

In real dollar terms, however, Wellington saw the largest average increase in the cost to build a home; its average build cost increased by $900 per square metre in five years. As a percentage, the cost of building a home in the capital increased by an average of 45.9% since 2020.

But the good news for developers or for anyone looking at building a home is that the rate of building cost inflation has slowed markedly in recent years. In 2024, costs increased at a rate of between 0.7% and 2.2% across these six main urban areas.

The smallest percentage increases last year were in Auckland (0.7%) and Hamilton (0.7%). Palmerston North (2.2%) saw the largest increase in 2024.

“There are currently no significant differences in the rate of construction cost increases across the country. What these numbers show is just a relatively small difference in cost, which can be attributed to variable labour rates, different company overheads, some variance in materials, and differing transport costs across the country,” QV CostBuilder quantity surveyor Martin Bisset said.

“After years of pronounced inflation that came as a result of managing the Covid-19 epidemic here and abroad, it’s good to see that construction costs have become significantly more stable in recent years. Hopefully the years of such staggeringly large construction cost increases are now firmly in the rear-view mirror.”

Mr Bisset is currently busy preparing QV CostBuilder’s latest quarterly update for release next month. Though still early in the process, he said it looked as though Q1 in 2025 had been another relatively flat quarter.

However, he also pointed out that ongoing geopolitical instability in Ukraine and the Middle East, the proliferation of US-led trade wars, and increased tariffs on construction materials could all have a major detrimental impact on the cost of building a home in New Zealand in the future.

“Given that Aotearoa relies so heavily on importing building materials, a lot always depends on the buying power of the New Zealand dollar.”

For this research, the standard home was based on three or four bedrooms, with one or two bathrooms. Construction consisted of Ribraft floor slab, Colorsteel® roof, weatherboard or brick veneer cladding, 2.4m high stud, floor tiles to bathrooms and kitchen, half height wall tiles to bathroom, and medium quality fittings.

These rates are based on the total floor area of all levels, measured over all external walls. They include the following percentages, which are based on the total cost of the building – preliminaries at 7%, margin at 5%, and contingency at 1.5%.

Mr Bisset noted these rates exclude the cost of land, demolition of existing structures on site, site works to achieve the starting level of the build, increased structural requirements, external works, utilities (outside the boundary of the site), professional and legal fees, fittings, furniture, or equipment. They also exclude GST.

“It’s important to remember that all of these figures are averages and the cost of building will always depend on the level of finishes, internal layout, and all manner of other elements,” he said.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Influenza, COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Available to Book; COVID Testing Requirements Change
Source: Government of Canada regional news

Nova Scotians can now book appointments for the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. These safe, effective and free vaccines are recommended for everyone aged six months and older.

“Getting vaccinated against respiratory illnesses like influenza and COVID-19 can help prevent serious illness and unnecessary hospital visits,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “It is particularly important for people at increased risk of severe disease to get vaccinated, including older adults, young infants and toddlers, and people with chronic health conditions. Anyone who is in regular contact with someone from any of these groups should also get vaccinated.”

Nova Scotians can get the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines from participating family doctors, nurse practitioners, family practice nurses, pharmacies, public health offices and mobile units. People have several options for booking an appointment:

This year, family booking is available, which allows someone to book up to six people for a single appointment.

If people find their preferred time and location are not available, they are encouraged to check back in a few days, as appointments will be added regularly. People using the toll-free number in the next few days should also be aware that there may be a wait because of large call volumes.

During this respiratory illness season, Nova Scotia has additional focus on older adults. An enhanced influenza vaccine, which is shown to provide better protection for older adults, is available to people aged 65 and older. And in November, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines will be available to Nova Scotians aged 60 and older living in licensed long-term care facilities, as well as hospital inpatients that age who are awaiting placement in long-term care.

This fall, COVID-19 testing guidance is changing to align with eligibility for COVID-19 medications, which benefit people at higher risk for severe disease or hospitalization. Both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid testing will be focused on those at higher risk, such as people who are 65 years of age and older or immunocompromised.

People at higher risk can access rapid and PCR tests by booking an appointment online at https://covidbooking.nshealth.ca or by calling 1-833-797-7772. Full details of the testing eligibility criteria and availability can be found at: https://www.nshealth.ca/coronavirustesting

Influenza and COVID-19 symptoms can include a sudden high fever, headache, general aches and pains, fatigue and weakness, a runny, stuffy nose, sneezing and sore throat.

Quotes:

“Now that COVID-19 is part of our everyday lives, we need to prioritize testing and treatment for those who need it most, as we do with all infectious diseases. The goal is to reduce the number of vulnerable patients seeking primary care, visiting emergency departments and needing hospitalization. People who need a test will be able to access them, but for most people, having COVID-19 should be treated like any other respiratory virus.”
— Dr. Shelly McNeil, Medical Director, Emerging and Re-Emerging Infections Network (ERIN), Nova Scotia Health

Quick Facts:
- the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are updated annually to protect against the latest strains of influenza and COVID-19
- children younger than nine years old who have never had an influenza vaccine should receive two doses four weeks apart
- it is recommended to wait six months after having a COVID-19 infection or vaccine before receiving the updated vaccine, though people may get it after three months if they wish
- Nova Scotians can access their vaccine records via the YourHealthNS app and online at https://vaxrecordns.nshealth.ca
Additional Resources:

More information on vaccines and bookings for both influenza and COVID-19 is available at: https://www.nshealth.ca/seasonal-vaccines

More information on influenza: https://novascotia.ca/flu

More information on COVID-19 and testing: https://www.nshealth.ca/coronavirusvaccine

Other than cropping, CNS photos are not to be altered in any way

MIL OSI Canada News –
February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI: Inuvo to Host Fourth Quarter and Year End 2024 Financial Results Conference Call on Thursday, February 27th at 4:15 P.M. EST

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inuvo, Inc. (NYSE American: INUV), a leading provider of intelligent advertising technology, will host a conference call on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at 4:15 PM Eastern Standard Time to discuss its financial results and provide a business update for the fourth quarter and year-end 2024.

Conference Call Details:
Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025
Time: 4:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Toll-free Dial-in Number: 1-800-717-1738
International Dial-in Number: 1-646-307-1865
Conference ID: 11158080
Webcast Link: HERE

A telephone replay will be available through Thursday, March 13, 2025. To access the replay, please dial 1- 844-512-2921 (domestic) or 1-412-317-6671 (international). At the system prompt, please enter the code 11158080 followed by the # sign. You will then be prompted for your name, company, and phone number. Playback will then automatically begin.

About Inuvo

Inuvo^®, Inc. (NYSE American: INUV) is a market leader in Artificial Intelligence built for advertising. Its IntentKey AI solution is a first-of-its-kind proprietary and patented technology capable of identifying and actioning to the reasons why consumers are interested in products, services, or brands, not who those consumers are. To learn more, visit www.inuvo.com.

Safe Harbor / Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Inuvo’s quarter-end financial close process and preparation of financial statements for the quarter that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including, without limitation risks detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and represent our views only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. You are urged to carefully review and consider any cautionary statements and other disclosures, including the statements made under the heading “Risk Factors” in Inuvo, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 as filed on February 29, 2024, and our other filings with the SEC. Additionally, forward looking statements are subject to certain risks, trends, and uncertainties including the continued impact of Covid-19 on Inuvo’s business and operations. Inuvo cannot provide assurances that the assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based will prove to have been correct. Should one of these risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements, and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of this date. Inuvo does not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Inuvo further expressly disclaims any written or oral statements made by a third-party regarding the subject matter of this press release. The information which appears on our websites and our social media platforms is not part of this press release.

Inuvo Company Contact:
Wally Ruiz
Chief Financial Officer
Tel (501) 205-8397
wallace.ruiz@inuvo.com

Investor Relations :
David Waldman / Natalya Rudman
Crescendo Communications, LLC
Tel: (212) 671-1020
inuv@crescendo-ir.com

The MIL Network –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to the announcement of the expansion of the OpenSAFELY data platform
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

February 19, 2025

Scientists comment on the expansion of the OpenSAFELY data platform.

Prof Andrew Morris, Director of HDR UK, said:

“OpenSAFELY is an excellent example of what is possible when we get health data right with the confidence of patients, the public and health professionals. Access to comprehensive GP data across all of England is a great step forward for safe and approved research. GP data offers greater breadth and depth than hospital data, providing a detailed picture of people’s health over time. Many common conditions, like arthritis, depression and back pain are mostly managed by GPs, so this data is vital for research that can improve care for millions.

“The OpenSAFELY platform is one that proved its worth during the pandemic, giving us much needed knowledge about COVID-19. It permits researchers to work with the information the data provides – while preventing them from accessing the data itself. Now by moving beyond COVID-19, researchers will be able to uncover groundbreaking insights that can improve the health and well-being of countless individuals. Significant challenges remain – the system is still evolving, with much work still to be done. But as OpenSAFELY and other initiatives show, the UK has both the skills and the will to make it work.

“The UK has long been a global leader in health data research. But to stay ahead, we must make coordinated investments in secure data infrastructure if data driven research is to power improvements in patient care, public health, NHS efficiency, clinical trials and enable medical discovery. This includes secure data sharing with flagship programmes such as Our Future Health, UK Biobank and Genomics England.”

Professor Sir Rory Collins, Principal Investigator and CEO of UK Biobank, said:

“The expansion of OpenSAFELY should be welcomed as it enhances an innovative and useful tool for health researchers working on GP data. However, the most significant leaps in scientific discovery will come from comparing many different types of data simultaneously, and at scale. For example, the 20,000 researchers who use UK Biobank can analyse over 10,000 variables on many of our 500,000 volunteers, with whole genome sequencing being just one of those.

“It is this ability to study the genetic, imaging, lifestyle, secondary and – soon – primary care data in combination that is so vital for research. That’s why we’ve seen over 14,000 peer-reviewed papers published using UK Biobank data, including developments that should lead to better diagnostics and treatments for conditions such as diabetes, dementia and heart disease.

“GP data is a critical national asset, and both researchers and patients will benefit from this expansion. The next step is adding consented GP data to larger datasets, and we at UK Biobank are delighted to be working with NHS England to add the de-identified primary care data of our 500,000 volunteers.”

Prof Sheila Bird, Honorary Professor, University of Edinburgh’s College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine; and Visiting Senior Fellow at the MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge, said:

“Dr. (now Professor) Ben Goldacre, a physician by profession, was first to receive the Royal Statistical Society’s Award for Statistical Excellence in Journalism for his Bad Science column in the Guardian.

“Professor Goldacre, who authored the Goldacre Review in 2022 [1] is against Bad Science. But he is staunchly for properly-approved record-linkages which respect patient confidentiality: and his team at OpenSafely have worked, during SARS-CoV-2 and since, to deliver just that. The delivery is a work in progress, as the excellent video about OpenSafely makes clear. Hence, my comment is about elements of enhanced delivery.

“First, as the Royal Statistical Society has argued for since swine-flu in 2009/10, the public – and OpenSafely – need legislation to end the late registration of fact-of-death in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Only in Scotland, in our dis-United Kingdom, is fact-of-death registered, by law, within 8 days of death having been ascertained. OpenSafely for E&W urgently needs prompt and proper registration of fact-of-death which – for inquest deaths – is delayed by months or years [2].

“Second, since one of five deaths aged 5-44 years in E&W is not registered for at least 6 months [2], ending the late registration of deaths is essential if we are to learn by OpenSafely’s research how to prevent or reduce premature mortality such as deaths due to suicide or addictions.

“Third, analysts – including biostatisticians such as I – need to know in more detail about the random generators that OpenSafely uses for creating its pseudo-data, on which, as a biostatistician, I would develop and test my analysis routines. In particular, real data are often more complex in structure than statistical approximations to them in terms of their distribution (eg lognormal distribution assumed but the actual ln-data are not normally-distributed) or correlation structure. Analysts typically need to check assumptions on real data but may be writing checking-code based on approximations. For the checking-code to be incisive enough, analysts may need to understand in some detail the “random generation” processes.

“Fourthly, enhancements to OpenSafely may lead to important evolution in how some data are recorded by general practitioners. For example, when Gao et al. used record-linkage within Scotland’s safe-haven to analyse the methadone-specific death-rate and other opioid-related deaths in Scotland’s Methadone Client Cohort (2009-2015)[4], we found that the available data were quantity of methadone prescribed (not daily-dose) and reimbursement date (not prescription end-date) because those quantities were the data needed to audit the reimbursement of pharmacists[5]. By contrast, guidelines on safe prescribing of methadone are written in terms of daily-dose!

“Finally, the precautions built-into OpenSafely may mean that patients who registered objection to the use of their GP-data by care.data or the subsequent attempted grab during SARS-CoV-2 (which also failed) may wish to re-consider their objection. How does one do so?
1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/better-broader-safer-using-health-data-for-research-and-analysis
2. Bird SM. Editorial: Counting the dead properly and promptly. Journal of the Royal Statistics Society Series A 2013; 176: 815 – 817.
3. Bird SM. End late registration of fact-of-death in England and Wales. Lancet 2015: 385: 1830 – 1831.
4. Bird SM. Everyone counts – so count everyone in England and Wales. Lancet 2016: 387: 25 – 26. Gao L, Robertson JR,
5. Bird SM. Scotland’s 2009-2015 methadone-prescription cohort: quintiles for daily-dose of prescribed methadone and risk of methadone-specific death. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2020; accepted 12 June 2020; https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14432.
This was announced at an SMC Press Briefing, and was accompanied by a funding announcement from Wellcome. The embargo lifted at 11:30am on Wednesday 19th February.

Declared interests:

Prof Andrew Morris “Andrew Morris is Director of Health Data Research UK, the national institute for health data science; is Professor of Medicine and Vice Principal at the University of Edinburgh; is President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, has minority (

Prof Sir Rory Collins “I am CEO and PI of UK Biobank, which is a Charitable Company established as a Joint Venture by the MRC and Wellcome. I have been in that role since September 2005, seconded 60%FTE from the University of Oxford where I am Head of the Nuffield Department of Population Health (which, along with other research organisations globally, benefits from using the UK Biobank – without any preferential access – for health-related research that is in the public interest).” 

Prof Sheila Bird “has 30-years of experience of confidential record-linkage; & leads for Royal Statistical Society on need for legislation to end late registration of fact-of-death in E&W and Northern Ireland.”
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
Source: European Investment Bank

EIB
- EIB Group’s fresh financing in Greece last year amounted to €2.2 billion
- Focus last year on energy supply, business growth and disaster management
- Latest annual results bring EIB Group support in Greece over past five years to €14.5 billion
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group’s new financing in Greece amounted to €2.2 billion last year, with major support to bolster energy supplies, strengthen businesses and protect against environmental disasters in the country.

The total for 2024 included €2.03 billion from the EIB and portfolio guarantees of €152 million from the European Investment Fund (EIF), which focuses on innovative and technology-driven small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as Small Mid-Caps in Europe.

Top operations included loans of €390 million to natural-gas supplier DEPA Commercial to build solar parks, €150 million to power provider HEDNO to upgrade the grid, loans and guarantees of €550 million to domestic banks to expand financing for SMEs and Mid-Caps and €220 million to the government to bolster disaster management.

Kostis Hatzidakis, Minister of Finance of the Hellenic Republic noted: “Greece’s relationship with the European Investment Bank is long-standing and strong. This was reaffirmed in 2024, with new financing reaching €2.2 billion. These funds will be used for investments in renewable energy sources, upgrades to the electricity grid, support for SMEs, and the purchase of firefighting aircraft and rescue equipment. The EIB was a valuable ally when Greece was cut off from the markets. It will remain a partner, but with a new approach. Going forward, priorities will focus on energy interconnections, research and technology, climate adaptation, and defense investments, as outlined in the EIB’s Strategic Roadmap”.

“Our work in Greece is a testament to the transformative power of strategic financing,” said EIB Vice-President Yannis Tsakiris. “In 2024, we reinforced our commitment to the country by supporting clean energy, climate resilience and critical infrastructure while strengthening SMEs, innovation, job creation and social cohesion.”

The latest annual results bring total EIB Group financing in Greece over the past five years to €14.5 billion. The yearly average in the country since 2000 is almost €2.9 billion, which reflects an unusually high sum of almost €5 billion in 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The EIB Group’s support last year was almost 1% of Greece’s gross domestic product (GDP), the third-highest level among European Union countries behind only Croatia and Estonia. That means that EIB Group financing in Greece last year averaged €631 per inhabitant, making the country one of the biggest beneficiaries based on the size of the population and the economy. The funding is projected to catalyse investments in Greece of up to €6.6 billion – about 2.5% of its GDP.

Energy supply

The €390 million EIB loan to DEPA Commercial is for new photovoltaic (PV) parks in the regions of western Macedonia, Thessaly and central Greece. The sites will add approximately 800 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy – enough to power 278,000 households for a year.

Also in the area of clean energy, the EIB last year provided a €195 million loan to supplier PPC Renewables to develop 580 MW of solar plants and 175 MW of battery storage. The moves will boost renewables capacity, grid stability and energy security.

The €150 million EIB credit to HEDNO covers upgrades to Greece’s electricity-distribution network, improving grid reliability and facilitating integration of renewables.

The EIB last year also took part in the creation of an EU “Decarbonisation Fund” for Greece that will channel €1.6 billion in revenue from the European emissions-trading system into sustainable energy and development projects on Greek islands. These include grid interconnections with the mainland and the phase-out of local power plants.

Business boost

The EIB last year allocated a total €702 million to strengthen SMEs and Mid-Caps in Greece. The support – 28% of the total – took the form of intermediated loans and guarantees.

Top operations included €300 million guarantees to Eurobank and National Bank of Greece covering €600 million new loans to Mid-Caps. In addition, the EIB provided a €250 million loan to the National Bank of Greece to bolster green investments by Greek SMEs and Mid-Caps. The credit raised total EIB support for such investments in Greece to €1 billion.

The EIF also showed its agility in supporting vital investments for both debt and equity. It signed €152m with several of Greece’s financial institutions for capped portfolio guarantees. They are expected to mobilise up to €1,8bn in financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, while making the Greek economy greener, and supporting innovation and the country’s digital transition.

The EIF also signed a new €200 million equity mandate to support innovative companies in Life Sciences & Healthcare and Sustainability & Social Impact by improving their access to vital financing. Funded by Cohesion policy and national resources of the Hellenic Republic, the mandate will cover a financing gap in these sectors, supporting investments from pre-seed to growth stages based on market needs.

Disaster protection

The €220 million EIB loan last year to the Greek government is to buy fire trucks, rescue vehicles and aircraft needed to fight to natural disasters such as wildfires and floods, both of which have caused extensive damage in Greece in recent years. The credit also covers upgrades to essential disaster-management services.

The financing forms part of a European climate-adaptation plan by the EIB Group and brings its total support for Greek civil protection and disaster preparedness to €595 million.

EIB Advisory

There were also key technical assistance projects delivered from EIB Advisory, a highlight being an agreement with the Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company (EYDAP) to back its €2 billion, 10-year investment programme to ensure the Greek capital has a more resilient water supply and supporting investments in lignite-dependent regions such as Western Macedonia and Megalopolis in the Peloponnese, facilitating their transition to a future of clean energy.

In December 2024, the continuation of advisory support by EIB advisors from the PASSA team to the Greek administration was approved. This support aims to ensure the smooth implementation of sustainable development and Just Transition projects financed by the EU.

Background information

EIB

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, , we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, important investments outside the EU, and the Capital Markets Union.

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.

Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers

Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
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Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
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Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
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Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
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Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
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MIL OSI Europe News –
February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Rate cuts highlight Willis’ economic blunders

Source: New Zealand Labour Party

Today’s Official Cash Rate cut is good news for borrowers, but also a symptom of rising unemployment and an economy in recession.

“Nicola Willis loves to take credit for the decisions of the Reserve Bank, which is an independent agency outside of her control, but if she wants to own the rate cuts then she needs to own what’s causing those cuts: rising unemployment and the worst recession in 30 years, excluding COVID-19,” Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

“I welcome the Reserve Bank’s decision and hope that this provides some relief for Kiwis who are struggling under National’s recession, which the Bank cites as taking a sharp decline in mid-2024. The Bank’s rate cut is a direct response to the economic downturn that Luxon’s government’s decisions have caused. The economy is weak thanks to the government’s cancellation of infrastructure projects, leaving 13,000 construction workers out of a job.

“New Zealanders are expressing their frustration by leaving Aotearoa New Zealand. The latest data shows a record number of people are leaving, with 128,700 departures last year.

“If the government was serious about economic growth, it would take immediate action to stabilise the job market. That means investing in public services, infrastructure, and climate initiatives that create jobs, not axing funding for schools, hospitals, and public housing. It’s time for leadership that invests in jobs, skills, and the future, not cuts and excuses,” Barbara Edmonds said.

Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 19, 2025

Category: Covid 19

Bill Summary

Estimated Federal Cost

Basis of Estimate

Direct Spending and Revenues

Spending Subject to Appropriation

Pay-As-You-Go Considerations

Increase in Long-Term Net Direct Spending and Deficits

Mandates

Estimate Reviewed By

Delivery driver who spent Covid funds on drugs and gambling also withdrew cash for home renovations just before he went bankrupt

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Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, chairs 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Pune, MaharashtraPrime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Whole of Government approach is not just a mantra but a culture

ICYMI: Mullin Debunks Media Narrative on Kash Patel and President Trump’s Ukraine-Russia Posture on CNN

Day 2 #CTDDR2025: The 9th MahaKumbh for Drug ResearchDrug Resistance, Car T Cell Therapy, Parasitic, Viral disease and Natural Product Chemistry was the main theme of the Day

Why cities struggle

Climate-driven disasters

Underfunded pensions

Struggling downtowns and less federal support

Resistance to new taxes

The crunch

Why cities struggle

Climate-driven disasters

Underfunded pensions

Struggling downtowns and less federal support

Resistance to new taxes

The crunch

‘Trouble in paradise’

Global solutions exist

Peace in Haiti

Security and stability

Climate crisis opportunity

Finance for sustainable development

Gutting the CDC’s capacity

History of the CDC

CDC’s global reach

Future health care workforce threatened

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February 19, 2025

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, chairs 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Pune, Maharashtra

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Whole of Government approach is not just a mantra but a culture

Day 2 #CTDDR2025: The 9_th MahaKumbh for Drug Research

Drug Resistance, Car T Cell Therapy, Parasitic, Viral disease and Natural Product Chemistry was the main theme of the Day