NewzIntel.com

Category: CTF

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Washington, D.C. arrests illegal Guatemalan gang member with extensive criminal history

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    FAIRFAX, Va. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an illegally present Guatemalan gang member with an extensive history of criminal activity that includes a multitude of charges and convictions for assault and battery, burglary, credit card fraud, trespassing and drug crimes. Officers with ICE Washington, D.C. arrested Mykol Santos-Santos, 25, in Fairfax May 12, after the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center refused to honor ICE’s 16th immigration detainer lodged against him.

    Santos-Santos resisted the arrest heavily, resulting in the injury of an ICE officer.

    “Mykol Santos-Santos is a habitual offender. He is a documented member of a violent criminal gang with a lengthy criminal history and represents an egregious danger to our Virginia communities,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Russell Hott. “While we are happy to have arrested him, we find it inexcusable that local law enforcement refused to honor 16 separate immigration detainers against Santos-Santos, forcing ICE officers to make an at large arrest where one of our officers was injured. We could have worked together with local law enforcement to arrange a safe transfer of custody. Instead, they decided to place politics ahead of public safety, and as a result one of our brave officers was injured. ICE Washington D.C. will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by arresting and removing criminal alien threats to our communities.”

    U.S. Border Patrol arrested Santos-Santos July 11, 2014, after he illegally entered the United States near Hidalgo, Texas. Border Patrol officials issued him a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge.

    ICE Washington, D.C. arrested Santos-Santos July 17, 2018, during a targeted enforcement operation in Annandale, Virginia.

    On Jan. 2, 2019, a Justice Department immigration judge granted him an $8,000 immigration bond.

    On June 30, 2023, a Justice Department immigration judge ordered Santos-Santos removed from the United States to Guatemala.

    Between Feb. 20, 2020, and May 8, 2025, Fairfax County Police arrested Santos-Santos at least 30 times and charged him with crimes including assault and battery, drug possession, drug possession with intent to distribute, burglary, theft, larceny, trespassing, property damage, obstruction of justice, attempting to flee police, failure to appear and violating court orders.

    Between June 17, 2022, and May 12, 2025, ICE Washington, D.C. lodged 16 separate immigration detainers against him with the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. The facility ignored all 16 detainers and released Santos-Santos back into the community on each occasion.  

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X at @EROWashington.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Public input needed for proposed detours for future fish barrier removal near Poulsbo, Silverdale

    Source: Washington State News 2

    People who use SR 307 and SR 308 are invited to give feedback during open house events 

    POULSBO – The Washington State Department of Transportation is seeking feedback on several fish barrier removal projects in Kitsap County during an online open house and two in-person open houses. 

    Starting in 2027, WSDOT will correct six fish passage barriers under Bond Road/State Route 307 and SR 308. 

    WSDOT is proposing to close the roadway at each location. During the work, a section of the roadway will be removed, and replaced with a fish-passable culvert or bridge. While the road is closed, signed detours will be provided.

    The open houses are an opportunity for the public to provide input on these detours.

    Kitsap 29 Fish Barrier Removal online open house

    When:   Now through Thursday, June 26
    Where:  engage.wsdot.wa.gov/kitsap-29-fish-barrier-removal/
    Details:  Information is available online 24/7 for people to visit and leave comments whenever best fits their schedule. 

    Kitsap 29 Fish Barrier Removal in-person open houses

    When:  4 to 6 p.m. Monday, June 2, 2025
    Where:  North Kitsap High School Commons
    1780 NE Hostmark St. Poulsbo, WA 98370

    When: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 5, 2025 
    Where: Hilder Pearson Elementary School Gym
    15650 Central Valley Road NW, Poulsbo, WA 98370

    Details:  The in-person open house will have the same information as the online open house. Project team members will be available to explain the project, answer questions and take comments. A translator fluent in Spanish will be present. There is no formal presentation. Attendees are welcome to drop by anytime during the two-hour event.

    Free, temporary internet access is available to those who do not have broadband service. To find the nearest Drive-In WiFi Hotspot visit the Department of Commerce website.

    Free WiFi access is available at these locations for people who wish to participate in the online open house:

    • Kitsap Regional Library, 700 NE Lincoln Road, Poulsbo, WA 98370
    • Kitsap Regional Library, 3650 NW Anderson Hill Road, Suite 101, Silverdale, WA 98383

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Contractor of USAID-Funded Program Extradited to the United States, Convicted and Sentenced for Conspiracy to Obtain Grant Money Through Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON— Stephen Paul Edmund Sutton, 53, a United Kingdom citizen, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for his participation in a fraud scheme, perpetrated when he was employed by a  contracting firm that implemented a U.S. Agency for International Development-funded (USAID) power distribution program (PDP) in Pakistan, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary.

                Sutton pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit theft concerning a program receiving federal funds, which is a felony. In his role as a Logistics Operations Manager, Sutton took kickbacks of USAID-funds used to pay for the services rendered. After fighting extradition for more than two years, Sutton was extradited to the United States. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta sentenced Sutton to time-served and ordered that Sutton be turned over to immigration authorities.

                He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. He was sentenced to time-served and one day of supervised release.

                According to court documents, PDP was a component of U.S. government assistance to the government of Pakistan to support its energy sector. Launched in September 2010, the five-year program was designed to facilitate improvements in Pakistan’s government-owned electric power distribution companies through interventions and projects addressing governance issues, technical and non-technical losses, and low revenue collection. The main goal of the PDP was to improve the commercial performance of the participating distribution companies through technology upgrades and improvements in processes, procedures, and practices, as well as training and capacity building. Under the PDP contract, Sutton’s employer subcontracted through purchase orders with vendors in Pakistan for certain goods and services.

                From May through November 2015, Sutton and his co-conspirator, an employee supervised by Sutton, participated in a kickback scheme by creating two companies, obtaining PDP purchase orders for forklift and crane services for the companies, and distributing the profits to themselves. As part of the scheme, his co-conspirator arranged for low-grade local vendors to provide the services for at least half the contract rates, and Sutton ensured that the company paid the invoices despite suspicions raised by an accounts payable officer. U.S. government sentencing documents indicate the agency was defrauded of almost $100,000 and that for his part, Sutton received at least $21,000 in kickbacks.

                Sutton’s co-conspirator is also charged by indictment and his case is pending disposition. 

                This case was investigated by the USAID Office of Inspector General and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Miller and former Special Assistant United States Attorneys Scot Morris and Nicholas Coates of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Sutton from the UK.

    20-cr-252

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 5 Connecticut Residents Charged with Defrauding Connecticut and Washington Small Business Loan Programs

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 20-count indictment charging MYCALL OBAS, 42, of Danbury, MBALI NCUBE, 35, of Danbury, PIERRE OBAS, 49, of Danbury, TERESA VARGAS, 43, of Hartford, and STEPHEN WALKER, 30, of New Canaan, with offenses related to fraudulent small business loan applications in Connecticut and Washington.

    The indictment was returned on May 14, 2025.  Mycall Obas, Ncube, Pierre Obas, and Vargas were arrested on May 15, and Walker was arrested today.  Each has entered a plea of not guilty and is released on bond pending trial.

    According to the indictment, the National Development Council (“NDC”), now known as Grow America, was a not-for-profit lender that provided capital to small businesses, including through state-sponsored small business loan programs.  The Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund (“CT Boost”) was an economic initiative supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development that connects Connecticut small businesses and non-profits with support services, including access to flexible funding for capital expenditures.  The Small Business Flex Fund (“Flex”) was an economic initiative supported by the Washington State Department of Commerce that connected Washington state small businesses and nonprofits with support services, including access to flexible funding for capital expenditures.  NDC worked with CT Boost and Flex to provide loan funding to small businesses in Connecticut and Washington, respectively.

    As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, Mycall Obas, Ncube, Pierre Obas, and Walker used stolen personal and business identities, or created false business identities, to apply to NDC for small business loans through the CT Boost and Flex programs.  In connection with the loan applications, they created and submitted false business records, including fraudulent certificates of organization, false income statements, false balance sheets, and false tax returns.  Vargas, who was a contractor for NDC and responsible for processing and underwriting small business loan applications, processed some of the fraudulent loan applications and submitted them to NDC for approval.  She also specifically requested to be the loan processor on certain loan applications submitted by her co-conspirators in order to further the scheme. 

    It is alleged that the co-conspirators applied for and obtained 12 loans totaling more than $2 million through this scheme.

    The indictment charges each of the five defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts of wire fraud.  Each of these charges carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The indictment also charges each of the five defendants with one more counts of making illegal monetary transactions, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.  Mycall Obas and Pierre Obas are also charged with aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years.

    U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the Meriden and Danbury Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ojo Amarillo Man Charged in Brutal Assault

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Ojo Amarillo man has been charged by criminal complaint with assault following an incident that left the victim with multiple fractures and severe facial injuries.

    According to court documents, on May 6, 2025, the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a residence in Ojo Amarillo, New Mexico, where officers discovered the victim suffering from extensive facial lacerations, swelling, and a right eye swollen shut. She was immediately transported to San Juan Regional Medical Center for emergency treatment.

    The victim reported that Kyle Kee, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, attacked her without warning, striking her repeatedly in the face, back, and stomach. The assault only ended when a phone call interrupted the attack. The victim said that Kee had previously assaulted her and was on probation for a prior offense.

    Officers located Kee hiding in a nearby field. After initially attempting to evade capture, Kee was apprehended and became verbally aggressive, spitting on and kicking an officer during the arrest.

    Medical records confirm the victim sustained an orbital fracture, nasal bone fractures, multiple contusions, and a laceration above her right eye requiring sutures.

    Keeis charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Kee faces up to 10 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jordan is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Tulare County Medical Doctor Pleads Guilty to Distributing Misbranded Drugs Using False Claims about COVID-19

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Stephen D. Meis, M.D., 73, formerly of Visalia, pleaded guilty today to one count of introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, Meis was the Medical Director of Golden Sunrise Pharmaceutical Inc. and Golden Sunrise Nutraceutical Inc. that manufactured, marketed, and sold products claiming to effectively treat a variety of medical conditions.

    Beginning on March 30, 2020, Meis and Golden Sunrise’s Chief Executive Officer Huu Tieu, 62, of Porterville, began selling a set of herbal mixtures they called the “Emergency D-Virus Plan of Care” as a COVID-19 treatment. The treatment consisted of a box containing various vials of Golden Sunrise drug products, including one called “Imunstem,” together with an “Emergency D-Virus Plan of Care” information sheet. Meis and Tieu mailed the products to various practitioners, public officials, and other individuals both inside and outside of California.

    The labeling for the drugs, including the information sheet that accompanied the drugs, was false and misleading and stated that ImunStem and other Golden Sunrise products were “uniquely qualified to treat and modify the course of the virus epidemic in China and other countries.” Golden Sunrise falsely claimed the products had been the first dietary supplement in the United States to be approved as a prescription medicine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat the COVID-19 virus. In fact, the drugs were not FDA approved, and no Golden Sunrise product had ever been approved by the FDA for any purpose.

    On June 12, 2024, Tieu was sentenced to 18 months in prison for introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Spivak and Emilia P.E. Morris are prosecuting the case.

    Meis is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on July 14, 2025. Meis faces a maximum statutory penalty of 12 months in prison and a $100,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sharon Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine in Close Proximity to School

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to fentanyl and cocaine trafficking within 1,000 feet of an elementary school and next to a day care facility, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Larry Marrow, 37, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville to possession with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine within 1,000 feet of a playground, school, or public housing on July 6, 2023.

    Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for September 30, 2025. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of not less than one year and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

    The Mercer County Drug Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Marrow.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: D.C. Man Sentenced to More Than 30 Years for Violent Armed Robbery Spree in Prince George’s County

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced William David Hill, aka Old Man, aka Tank, 68, of Washington, D.C., to more than 33 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. This sentence is in connection with two armed commercial robberies — and the discharging of a firearm during one of the robberies — in November 2016. 

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. 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.

    On July 3, 2019, following a seven-day trial, a federal jury convicted Hill and co-defendant Ronnell Francis Lewis of the robberies.  According to the evidence presented at trial, on November 22, 2016, Lewis, Hill, and a co-conspirator robbed an auto repair business in Clinton, Maryland. 

    Specifically, the evidence showed that the robbers entered the business brandishing firearms and ordered two employees to get on the ground.  The defendants took money from the victims’ pockets and ordered them into the front office.  They then bound and gagged one victim with zip ties and duct tape, respectively.  The second victim fought. As a result, the robbers shot and ultimately paralyzed the second victim, before fleeing in a vehicle that they stole earlier in the day.

    As detailed at trial, on November 26, 2016, the defendants also robbed a barbershop in Seat Pleasant, Maryland.  According to the trial testimony, the two defendants entered the business, ordered everyone on the ground, and then robbed them. 

    During the robbery, the defendants threatened the victims with violence.  According to the evidence, the robbers put the cash in a dark, single-strap duffle bag and fled in a stolen minivan. 

    Police saw the minivan at a traffic light and attempted to halt the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop, fleeing into Washington, D.C.  Law enforcement eventually stopped Lewis and the driver and seized their vehicle. The third person, later identified as Hill, escaped but authorities eventually apprehended him.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department, Seat Pleasant Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department for their assistance.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan S. McKoy and Elizabeth Wright who prosecuted the case.

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

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Haysville woman indicted for distributing child pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas woman made her initial appearance in federal court after a grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging her with distributing child sexual abuse materials. 

    According to court documents, Addilynn Jean Onuffer, 23, of Haysville is charged with three counts of distribution of child pornography for alleged actions that took place between June 2024 and July 2024. 

    The defendant made initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brooks Severson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. 

    The Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce (ICAC) and Wichita Police Department are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.

    Project Safe Childhood
    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
    ###
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Found Guilty in Bribery Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Admiral Robert Burke (USN-Ret.), 62, of Coconut Creek, Florida, was found guilty of bribery today in connection with accepting future employment at a government vendor in exchange for awarding that company a government contract.   

              Following a five-day trial, a federal jury found Burke guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and concealing material facts from the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2025. 

              The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Matthew R. Galeotti Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office, and Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office.   

              “When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Our office, with our law enforcement partners, will root out corruption – be it bribes or illegal contracts – and hold accountable the perpetrators, no matter what title or rank they hold.”

              According to court documents and as the evidence proved at trial, from 2020 to 2022, Burke was a four-star Admiral who oversaw U.S. naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa, and commanded thousands of civilian and military personnel. The two co-defendants Kim and Messenger were the co-CEOs of a company (Company A) and provided a workforce training pilot program to a small component of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019. The Navy terminated a contract with Company A in late 2019 and directed Company A not to contact Burke. 

              Despite the Navy’s instructions, the co-defendants met with Burke in Washington, D.C., in July 2021, to reestablish Company A’s business relationship with the Navy. At the meeting, the charged defendants agreed that Burke would use his position as a Navy Admiral to steer a contract to Company A in exchange for future employment at the company. They further agreed that Burke would use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A to train a large portion of the Navy with a value one of the co-defendants allegedly estimated to be “triple digit millions.” 

              In December 2021, Burke ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Company A to train personnel under Burke’s command in Italy and Spain. Company A performed the training in January 2022. Thereafter, Burke promoted Company A in a failed effort to convince another senior Navy Admiral to award another contract to Company A. To conceal the scheme, Burke made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by falsely implying that Company A’s employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded and omitting the truth on his required government ethics disclosure forms. 

              In October 2022, Burke began working at Company A at a yearly starting salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options. 

              This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca G. Ross for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Trevor Wilmot and Kathryn E. Fifield of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. It was investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein.

    24cr265

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Westwego Woman Guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud by Defrauding State Offices of Unemployment Insurance

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that REHA JANEE ARVIE,(“ARVIE”), age 34, of Westwego, LA, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. ARVIE faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine up to $250,000.00, or twice the gross gain to the defendant, or twice the gross loss to any victim, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.

    According to the indictment, beginning in or around July 2020, ARVIE defrauded, and attempted to defraud, various state offices of Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) through the submission of approximately 100 fraudulent UI applications. ARVIE recruited friends and family, via Facebook, to file these fraudulent UI applications. Additionally, ARVIE filed fraudulent UI applications for herself and others, in various states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Utah, Texas, and the territory of Guam. ARVIE charged those for whom she filed fraudulent UI claims fees, ranging from    $1,200.00 to $1,500.00. For example, ARVIE obtained $267,612.00 in UI benefits from California’s Employment Development Department. Moreover, during the investigation, ARVIE lied to federal agents during an interview.

    Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for September 10, 2025, before United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance.

    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. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, is an active member of the PRAC Fraud Task Force.

    “The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.”

    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.

    The United States Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; the National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force; The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee; the United States Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General COVID Fraud Unit; and the California Employment Development Department with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jefferson Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking Two Victims in Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A federal jury in the Eastern District of Texas convicted Corey Lamar Johnson, 42, of Jefferson, Texas, today on two counts of sex trafficking and related charges for his conduct in trafficking multiple young women in several states, compelling the victims to engage in commercial sex through acts and threats of physical and psychological harm. Specifically, the jury convicted Johnson of two counts of sex trafficking, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, obstruction of a sex trafficking investigation, three counts of interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit interstate travel in aid of racketeering. Johnson’s co-defendants, Jessica Smith, 38, and Rachel Walker, 31, previously pleaded guilty respectively to conspiracy to commit interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution sex trafficking.    

    “The defendant used violence and threats of violence to compel his victims to engage in commercial sex for his profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There is no place in a civilized society for the defendant’s inhumane conduct, and the Justice Department is committed to punishing human trafficking and achieving justice for its victims.”

    “Congratulations to the team who brought Corey Johnson to a well-deserved appointment with justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin Jr. for the Eastern District of Texas. “For far too long, the defendant treated vulnerable, young women in ways no person should ever be treated, but today justice was served. There is no more important work for the U.S. Attorney’s Office than to rescue the oppressed and protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

    Evidence at trial showed that Johnson recruited young and vulnerable women through alluring posts online of his supposedly extravagant lifestyle. Johnson promised the victims he recruited that they, too, could achieve such a lifestyle. Once recruited, however, Johnson had the victims engage in commercial sex acts, and when the victims wanted to leave Johnson, he turned violent, using threats, physical force, brandishing his firearms, and bragging about having “beat” a murder charge, all to keep the victims engaging in commercial sex for his profit.

    A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Johnson faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel Kummerfeld and Robert Wells for the Eastern District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Slava Kuperstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Columbus Circle Capital Corp. I and Cohen & Company Inc. Announce Completion of Upsized $250,000,000 Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, and Philadelphia, PA, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Columbus Circle Capital Corp. I (NASDAQ: CCCMU) (the “Company”) and Cohen & Company Inc. (NYSE American: COHN) (“Cohen & Company”) today announced the closing of the Company’s upsized initial public offering of 25,000,000 units, which included 3,000,000 units issued pursuant to the partial exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option. The offering was priced at $10.00 per unit, resulting in gross proceeds of $250,000,000. 

    The Company’s units began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market (“NASDAQ”) on May 16, 2025, under the ticker symbol “CCCMU.” Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share of the Company and one-half of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to certain adjustments. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and warrants are expected to be listed on NASDAQ under the symbols “CCCM” and “CCCMW,” respectively.

    Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of Cohen & Company’s broker-dealer subsidiary, J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC, acted as the lead book-running manager for the offering. Clear Street LLC acted as joint book-runner. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, and Ogier (Cayman) LLP, served as legal counsel to the Company, and Loeb & Loeb LLP served as legal counsel to the underwriters.  A subsidiary of Cohen & Company also acted as sponsor of the Company.

    A registration statement relating to the units and the underlying securities was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 15, 2025. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    The offering was made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from Cohen & Company Capital Markets, 3 Columbus Circle, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10019, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by email at: capitalmarkets@cohencm.com. Copies of the registration statement can be accessed for free through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Of the proceeds received from the consummation of the initial public offering and a simultaneous private placement of units, $250,000,000 was placed in the Company’s trust account for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders. An audited balance sheet of the Company as of May 19, 2025 reflecting receipt of the proceeds upon consummation of the initial public offering and the private placement will be included as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by the Company with the SEC.

    About Columbus Circle Capital Corp. I

    The Company is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company may pursue an initial business combination target in any industry or geographical location. The Company’s management team is led by Gary Quin, its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of directors, and Joseph W. Pooler, Jr., its Chief Financial Officer. Garrett Curran, Alberto Alsina Gonzalez, Dr. Adam Back and Matthew Murphy are independent directors.

    About Cohen & Company Inc.

    Cohen & Company is a financial services company specializing in an expanding range of capital markets and asset management services. Cohen & Company’s operating segments are Capital Markets, Asset Management, and Principal Investing. The Capital Markets segment consists of fixed income sales, trading, gestation repo financing, new issue placements in corporate and securitized products, underwriting, and advisory services, operating primarily through Cohen & Company’s subsidiaries, J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC (“JVB”) in the United States and Cohen & Company Financial (Europe) S.A. in Europe. Cohen & Company Capital Markets (“CCM”), a division of JVB, is Cohen & Company’s full-service boutique investment bank that focuses on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and SPAC advisory services. The Capital Markets segment also includes investment returns on financial instruments that Cohen & Company has received as consideration for advisory, underwriting, and new issue placement services provided by CCM. The Asset Management segment manages assets through collateralized debt obligations, managed accounts, joint ventures, and investment funds. As of March 31, 2025, Cohen & Company had approximately $2.3 billion of assets under management in primarily fixed income assets in a variety of asset classes including U.S. and European bank and insurance trust preferred securities, debt issued by small and medium sized European, U.S., and Bermudian insurance and reinsurance companies, equity interests of SPACs and their sponsor entities, and commercial real estate loans. The Principal Investing segment is comprised primarily of investments Cohen & Company holds related to its SPAC franchise and other investments Cohen & Company has made for the purpose of earning an investment return rather than investments made to support its trading or other capital markets business activity. For more information, please visit www.cohenandcompany.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the initial public offering. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s registration statement and prospectus for the offering filed with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this press release, except as required by law.

    Contact Information:

    Columbus Circle Capital Corp I
    Gary Quin, Chief Executive Officer
    gquin@cohencm.com

    Cohen & Company Inc.
    Joseph W. Pooler, Jr.
    investorrelations@cohenandcompany.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IPAA Support Letter One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    Source: Independent Petroleum Association of America

    Headline: IPAA Support Letter One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    May 19, 2025 IPAA Support Letter One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    Posted at 16:52h in Letters and Comments by

    The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) strongly supports H.Con.Res.14, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and urges the House of Representatives to pass the measure as soon as possible.

    Continue Reading

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Rangers Connect with the Community

    Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)

    —————
    The @usarmy 5th Ranger Training Battalion hosted an open house for friends, families and the local community featuring mountaineering, hand-to-hand combat and reptile demonstrations, static displays and a Rangers in Action demonstration at Camp Frank D. Merrill in Dahlonega, Ga.

    #military #departmentofdefense #usa

    For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov
    —————
    Keep up with the Department of Defense on social media!

    Like the DoD on Facebook: http://facebook.com/DeptofDefense
    Follow the DoD on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeptofDefense
    Follow the DoD on Instagram: http://instagram.com/DeptofDefense
    Follow the DoD on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/DeptofDefense

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emZRbhKfhuk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 19 May 2025 News release Member States approve WHO Pandemic Agreement in World Health Assembly Committee, paving way for its formal adoption

    Source: World Health Organisation

    World Health Organization Member States, meeting today in Committee A of the World Health Assembly, approved a resolution that calls for the adoption of an historic global compact to make the world safer from future pandemics. The WHO Pandemic Agreement will next be considered for final adoption by the Assembly on Tuesday during the plenary session.

    Monday’s approval of the Pandemic Agreement resolution follows a more than three-year process, launched by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, to negotiate the world’s first such accord to address the gaps and inequities in preventing, preparing for and responding to pandemics. This watershed agreement was adopted under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution. It aims to foster stronger collaboration and cooperation among countries, international organizations like WHO, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders to prevent pandemics occurring in the first place, and to better respond in the event of a future pandemic crisis.

    “Governments from all over the world are making their countries, and our interconnected global community, more equitable, healthier and safer from the threats posed by pathogens and viruses of pandemic potential,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “I congratulate WHO‘s Member States for resolving to come together in the aftermath of COVID-19 to better protect the world from future pandemics. Their work to develop this global accord will ensure countries work better, faster and more equitably together to prevent and respond to the next pandemic threat.”

    The Pandemic Agreement and the resolution calling for its adoption will be taken up by the full plenary of the World Health Assembly on Tuesday, 20 May. Immediately after, there will be a High-Level segment featuring statements from Heads of States of multiple countries.

    “The WHO Pandemic Agreement is a demonstration of the shared desire by all people to be better prepared to prevent and respond to the next pandemic, with a commitment to the principles of respect for human dignity, equity, solidarity and sovereignty, and basing public health decisions to control pandemics on the best available science and evidence,” said the Honorable Dr Esperance Luvindao, Minister of Health and Social Services of Namibia, and Chair of the Committee A meeting that adopted today’s resolution. “The costs that COVID inflicted on lives, livelihoods and economies were great and many, and we – as sovereign states – have resolved to join hands, as one world together, so we can protect our children, elders, frontline health workers and all others from the next pandemic. It is our duty and responsibility to humanity.”

    The resolution sets out several steps for taking the world forward and preparing for the Pandemic Agreement’s implementation. It includes the launch of a process to draft and negotiate an annex to the Agreement that would establish a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS) through an Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG). The result of this process will be considered at next year’s World Health Assembly. Once the Assembly adopts the PABS annex, the Pandemic Agreement will then be open for signature and consideration of ratification, including by national legislative bodies. After 60 ratifications, the Agreement will enter into force.

    In addition, Member States also directed the IGWG to initiate steps to enable setting up of the Coordinating Financial Mechanism for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and the Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network (GSCL) to “enhance, facilitate, and work to remove barriers and ensure equitable, timely, rapid, safe, and affordable access to pandemic-related health products for countries in need during public health emergencies of international concern, including pandemic emergencies, and for prevention of such emergencies.”

    According to the Agreement, pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in the PABS system will play a key role in equitable and timely access to pandemic-related health products by making available to WHO “rapid access targeting 20% of their real time production of safe, quality and effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for the pathogen causing the pandemic emergency.”  The distribution of these products to countries will be carried out on the basis of public health risk and need, with particular attention to the needs of developing countries and those supported through the GSCL.

    The Pandemic Agreement aligns with the International Health Regulations, amendments to which were adopted by governments at last year’s World Health Assembly to bolster international rules to better detect, prevent and respond to outbreaks.

    Dr Tedros thanked the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) that coordinated and facilitated the process to draft and negotiate the Pandemic Agreement. The WHO Director-General also praised the tireless work and excellence of the WHO Secretariat team that supported the Bureau and Member States, led by Dr Michael Ryan and Dr Jaouad Mahjour.

    “An immensely talented, experienced and driven WHO team was assembled to support the vision of governments to develop this historic Pandemic Agreement,” Dr Tedros said. “This group of individuals, representing so many countries and regions of the world, deserve enormous credit and thanks from the international community for what they have done to help make the world safer for future generations.”

    The INB was established in December 2021, at a special session of the World Health Assembly. WHO Member States were tasked to develop a convention, agreement or other international instrument under the WHO Constitution to strengthen pandemic preparedness, prevention and response. Members of the INB Bureau that guided the process were Co-Chairs Ms Precious Matsoso (South Africa) and Ambassador Anne-Claire Amprou (France), and Vice-Chairs Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes (Brazil), Ambassador Amr Ramadan (Egypt), Dr Viroj Tangcharoensathien (Thailand); and Ms Fleur Davies (Australia). Past members included former Co-Chair, Mr Roland Driece (the Netherlands), and former Vice-Chairs Ambassador Honsei Kozo (Japan), Mr Kazuho Taguchi (Japan), and Mr Ahmed Soliman (Egypt).

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Upgrades to improve rail reliability

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    Train commuters and businesses moving goods around the country will see more reliable rail services, thanks to the Government’s investment of $604.6 million for rail upgrades and renewals through Budget 2025, Rail Minister Winston Peters and Transport Minister Chris Bishop say. 

    “The funding provides $461 million to maintain and renew the rail freight network, and $143.6 million to replace and upgrade the Auckland and Wellington metropolitan rail networks, and will deliver a more productive, efficient and reliable rail network that supports economic growth and productivity,” Mr Peters says.

    “We want railways to succeed for this country – rail freight backs our business, and business backs our cities and provinces.

    “Rail currently moves 13 per cent of national freight and a quarter of New Zealand’s exports, complementing our road freighters’ short-hauls by doing the heavy-haul weights, the long-distance runs, and being the efficient clearing house so coastal ports can handle more export ships.

    “The Rail Network Investment Programme for 2024-2027 is now funded, meaning maintenance, network operations, asset renewals and modest improvements are funded.

    “This programme replaces decades’ old bridges, culverts, and other assets with infrastructure to last for generations to come, and provides the bedrock for growth by the commercially-funded freight operations to move our goods.

    “We have a legacy for rail freight and this builds on it. The Northland line is upgraded from Swanson to Whangārei, new locomotives and shunts are arriving, new wagons are serving customers and more are being assembled in Dunedin, and rail ferries are being secured on the Strait,” says Mr Peters.

    The Government is also funding critical network renewals in Auckland and Wellington.

    “Metro rail investment in Auckland and Wellington will improve the level of service for passengers by addressing overdue and critical renewals work,” Mr Bishop says.

    “A backlog of overdue renewals has made services less reliable, with commuters experiencing ongoing disruption in recent years. Piecemeal network maintenance has increased overall costs and has not delivered the high-performing metro rail service that our cities need to flourish.

    “The poor state of our metro networks has flow-on impacts for performance. For example, temporary speed restrictions are often needed as a safety precaution, leading to increased travel times and disrupting service schedules. 

    “The Budget investment in metro rail will continue to support delivery of modern networks that are more reliable, can be efficiently maintained, ease congestion on the busiest parts of the network, and allow for increased future demand. It will also ensure a better experience for commuters who already make 24 million journeys on the networks each year. 

    “Auckland Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council will also need to meet their fair share of costs to deliver the services we want for metro rail.”

    Editor’s notes for the metro networks and the Wairarapa:

    Recent rail investments include funding through previous Budgets and the National Land Transport Fund of:

    • $159.2 million funding to complete the Rail Network Rebuild programme in Auckland, and to address historic formation, drainage and track issues. This investment is critical to prepare the network for the opening of City Rail Link
    • $107.7 million in Budget 2024 funding for metro rail networks was split between Auckland and Wellington to address the renewals backlog and deliver more reliable services for commuters in our main cities:
      • $48.8 million for Auckland
      • $52.9 million for Wellington
      • $6 million of contingency funding to manage cost escalations on maintenance and renewal works.
    • $137.2 million for upgrades to substations on the Wellington metro rail network, to improve the reliability of services
    • $802.8 million investment into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail network infrastructure and rolling stock to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Project Homecoming Charter Flight Brings Self-Deporters to Honduras, Colombia

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Illegal Aliens, Using the CBP Home App, Chose to Return Home the Right Way 

    WASHINGTON – Today, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted avoluntary charter flight from Houston, TX, to Honduras and Colombia, bringing 64 participants who opted to self-deport back to their home countries. This charter flight is one of the first actions the Department has taken to fulfill President Trump’s recent proclamation to create Project Homecoming.  

    This was a voluntary charter flight, not an ICE enforcement operation. All participants were offered the same benefits as any illegal alien who self-deports using the CBP Home App. Theyreceived travel assistance, a $1,000 stipend, and preserved the possibility they could one day return to the United States legally.   

    In Honduras, 38participants were warmly welcomed by their home government and family members. They also benefitedfrom the Honduran government’s “Hermano, Hermana, Vuelve a Casa” program, which includes an additional $100 bonus for people over 18, food vouchers, and assistance in finding employment. 

    In Colombia, 26 participants were welcomed back by their families and representatives of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Migration Colombia. The Colombian government provided social services from the Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), and the Department of Social Prosperity.

    “Today, DHS conducted its first Project Homecoming charter flight of 64 individuals who voluntarily chose to self-deport to their home counties of Honduras and Colombia,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home. If you don’t, you will be subjected to fines, arrest, deportation and will never be allowed to return. If you are in this country illegally, self-deport NOW and preserve your opportunity to potentially return the legal, right way.” 

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Capital Bank Launches New Digital Banking Platform in Partnership with Q2, Advancing Innovation and Customer-Focused Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ROCKVILLE, Md., May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Capital Bank, N.A. has officially launched its new digital banking platform, powered by Q2, a leader in digital transformation for financial services. The upgrade delivers a secure, modern experience for business customers and marks a major step in the Bank’s ongoing digital evolution.

    Known for its agile, growth-oriented approach, Capital Bank continues to invest in technology that enhances efficiency and meets the demands of today’s business environment . The new platform includes advanced digital treasury management capabilities and provides the scalability needed to expand into new geographies and new customer segments.

    “This launch is more than a technology upgrade—it’s a strategic step in how we scale Capital Bank,” said Ed Barry, CEO of Capital Bank. “By investing in a modern, flexible platform, we’re strengthening our ability to serve complex business needs, expand into new markets, and deliver the kind of seamless experience today’s customers expect. It’s a move that aligns technology with our broader growth strategy and positions us to better serve an increasingly digital economy—without losing the personal touch that defines who we are.”

    The platform gives customers consistent access across devices and equips the Bank to stay nimble in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

    “Providing reliable, high-quality service—both in person and online—is a priority for our entire organization,” added Steve Poynot, President and COO of Capital Bank. “This partnership with Q2 allows us to bring our relationship-first approach into the digital space, ensuring our customers experience convenience without compromise.”

    About Capital Bank
    Capital Bank is a subsidiary of Capital Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBNK), a publicly traded company with more than $3.3 billion in assets as of March 31, 2025. The Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank System, FDIC-insured, and an Equal Housing Lender.

    Since 1999, Capital Bank has combined innovative technology with customized financial solutions to help clients grow. Its long-standing success is grounded in a simple principle: Think Big, Act Local.

    To learn more, visit www.capitalbankmd.com.

    Dominic Canuso
    EVP, Chief Financial Officer
    dcanuso@capitalbankmd.com
    240-283-0402 ext.1223

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Stanford Medicine is orchestrating multiple agents to connect medical data, clinical trials and more – all with the goal of delivering more effective cancer care. Incredible to see in action. Learn more about our new healthcare agent orchestrator.

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Stanford Medicine is orchestrating multiple agents to connect medical data, clinical trials and more – all with the goal of delivering more effective cancer care. Incredible to see in action. Learn more about our new healthcare agent orchestrator.

    Stanford Medicine is orchestrating multiple agents to connect medical data, clinical trials, and more – all with the goal of delivering more effective cancer care. Incredible to see in action. Learn more about our new healthcare agent orchestrator: https://lnkd.in/gGJd-uQG

    Transcript

    Sanford Medicine is the at the forefront of Cancer Research in the context of treatment. Tumor boards are a really important meeting of many different clinicians who convene because a patient presents in a way that they’re not familiar with. You have to pull together information about medications, procedures, radiology, labs, a patients history and the medical literature. That information is fragmented in a bunch of different places. Those are things we do manually and we can’t do them 4000 times per year. Their health care agent Orchestrator is a way of bringing all this together at the beginning so that we can help make patient decisions more efficiently, faster, and perhaps more accurately. This is an agentic AI solution deployable through Azure AI Foundry. We’ve been able to build, customize, and deploy our own agents to provide a comprehensive report that brings together all of these disparate information sources. They’re already using Word to summarize things. They often make PowerPoint slides. This enables us. To put everything in an integrated setting into one summary, it took just a few lines of code to deploy these agents into teams so that we could start interacting with them directly. It’s being delivered as a platform on which we can build. We can package things to share with others. We wanted to develop tools that would help physicians all over the world. I think it’s going to be transformative.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Trump Participates in a Law Enforcement Event, May 19, 2025

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    The White House

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqnskJnxRrw

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Miller-Meeks Leads Letter Inviting Pope Leo XIV to Address Congress

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ (IA-02)

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) is leading a formal letter to Speaker Mike Johnson requesting an invitation for Pope Leo XIV to address a Joint Session of Congress.

    The letter comes just days after Congresswoman Miller-Meeks joined a historic congressional delegation to the Vatican for the (inaugural) Mass of Pope Leo XIV—the first American pope—alongside Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and nearly 20 members of Congress.

    “Pope Leo XIV represents a profound moment in both American and world history,” said Miller-Meeks. “His life, leadership, and message of faith are already uniting people across the globe. Whether you’re Catholic or not, his message is one of human dignity, responsibility, and truth. It would be an incredible honor for Congress and the American people to hear directly from him. At a time when the world is searching for moral clarity and renewed purpose, Congress should welcome that message.”

    If accepted, Pope Leo XIV would become only the second pontiff in history to address a Joint Session of Congress.

    Joining Rep. Miller-Meeks in penning this letter are Reps. Jeff Hurd (CO), Michael T. McCaul (TX), Chuck Fleischmann (TN), Don Bacon (NE), Tom Barrett (MI), Buddy Carter (GA), Mark B. Messmer (IN), Rob Bresnahan Jr. (PA), Glenn Grothman (WI), Carlos Gimenez (FL), Darin LaHood (IL), Rick Crawford (AR), and Michael V. Lawler (NY).

    To read the full letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, please click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Stanford Medicine is orchestrating multiple agents to connect medical data, clinical trials and more – all with the goal of delivering more effective cancer care. Incredible to see in action. Learn more about our new healthcare agent orchestrator.

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Stanford Medicine is orchestrating multiple agents to connect medical data, clinical trials and more – all with the goal of delivering more effective cancer care. Incredible to see in action. Learn more about our new healthcare agent orchestrator.

    Stanford Medicine is orchestrating multiple agents to connect medical data, clinical trials, and more – all with the goal of delivering more effective cancer care. Incredible to see in action. Learn more about our new healthcare agent orchestrator: https://lnkd.in/gGJd-uQG

    Transcript

    Sanford Medicine is the at the forefront of Cancer Research in the context of treatment. Tumor boards are a really important meeting of many different clinicians who convene because a patient presents in a way that they’re not familiar with. You have to pull together information about medications, procedures, radiology, labs, a patients history and the medical literature. That information is fragmented in a bunch of different places. Those are things we do manually and we can’t do them 4000 times per year. Their health care agent Orchestrator is a way of bringing all this together at the beginning so that we can help make patient decisions more efficiently, faster, and perhaps more accurately. This is an agentic AI solution deployable through Azure AI Foundry. We’ve been able to build, customize, and deploy our own agents to provide a comprehensive report that brings together all of these disparate information sources. They’re already using Word to summarize things. They often make PowerPoint slides. This enables us. To put everything in an integrated setting into one summary, it took just a few lines of code to deploy these agents into teams so that we could start interacting with them directly. It’s being delivered as a platform on which we can build. We can package things to share with others. We wanted to develop tools that would help physicians all over the world. I think it’s going to be transformative.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Holds Talks with the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Congress of Mexico

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) — Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), held talks with Sergio Gutierrez Luna, president of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) of Mexico, in Beijing on Monday.

    Zhao Leji said China is willing to work with Mexico to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, implement the five plans for building a community with a shared future for China and Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC), enrich the content of the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership, and promote unity and prosperity between China and LAC.

    The above-mentioned five programs, covering aspects such as solidarity, development, civilization, peace and people-to-people connectivity, were introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the 4th China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum Ministerial Meeting in Beijing last week.

    The NPC Standing Committee chairman noted that the Chinese side highly appreciates the long-term commitment of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies to the one-China principle and welcomes Mexico’s flexible participation in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.

    According to Zhao Leji, China welcomes deepening cooperation with Mexico in traditional sectors such as infrastructure construction, expanding cooperation in new sectors including electric vehicles, new energy and agricultural machinery, strengthening cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and expanding cooperation in education, think tanks and the media.

    Zhao Leji stressed that the Chinese National People’s Congress is willing to strengthen exchanges and maintain close coordination with the Mexican parliament.

    As important representatives of the Global South, China and LAC countries should carry forward the glorious tradition of independence and self-reliance, safeguard their right to development, uphold international fairness and justice, and practice genuine multilateralism, the NPC Standing Committee chairman added.

    S. Gutierrez Luna, for his part, stated that Mexico is ready to work with China to promote the implementation of the results of the China-CELAC Forum and strengthen cooperation in the areas of economics, science, technology, culture, education and tourism.

    Mexico advocates for strengthening international cooperation instead of erecting barriers, S. Gutierrez Luna emphasized, adding that the Chamber of Deputies of the Mexican Congress hopes to deepen exchanges with the NPC to promote Mexico-China relations and LAC-China relations. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Minister Calls on China and Germany to Deepen Mutually Beneficial Cooperation, Jointly Oppose Unilateralism and Protectionism

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called on China and Germany to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism.

    Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, made the statement during a telephone conversation with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

    The Chinese diplomat congratulated his colleague on taking office, noting that Chinese-German relations go beyond bilateral relations in their significance and have an important impact on economic development and strategic stability throughout the world.

    Stressing that China and Germany enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang Yi expressed hope that the new German government will remain committed to this status of bilateral relations and pursue a rational and pragmatic policy towards China.

    Wang Yi pointed out that the Taiwan issue is a matter of China’s fundamental interests. He expressed his belief that the German side will firmly adhere to the one-China principle, just as China once supported the reunification of Germany.

    Deepening mutually beneficial cooperation is a natural choice for China and Germany, whose economies are highly complementary, whose industries are deeply interconnected and whose interests are closely integrated, Wang said, stressing that both sides should not allow normal bilateral cooperation to be undermined in the interests of so-called risk reduction.

    As the Chinese Foreign Minister noted, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, which is an important milestone connecting the past and the future. In this regard, Wang Yi expressed hope that Germany will play an active role as a key member state of the European Union and give new impetus to the development of relations between China and the EU through high-quality Sino-German cooperation.

    According to him, the Chinese side also expects the European Union to move towards China, promptly and properly resolve the anti-subsidy case against Chinese electric vehicles, and promote qualitative improvement of cooperation between China and the EU.

    Wang Yi added that China and Germany should shoulder their responsibilities as major countries, jointly advocate and adhere to free trade, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, ensure the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, practice genuine multilateralism, and uphold the international system with the UN at its core. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Minister Calls on China and Germany to Deepen Mutually Beneficial Cooperation, Jointly Oppose Unilateralism and Protectionism /more details/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called on China and Germany to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism.

    Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, made the statement during a telephone conversation with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

    The Chinese diplomat congratulated his colleague on taking office, noting that Chinese-German relations go beyond bilateral relations in their significance and have an important impact on economic development and strategic stability throughout the world.

    Stressing that China and Germany enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang Yi expressed hope that the new German government will remain committed to this status of bilateral relations and pursue a rational and pragmatic policy towards China.

    Wang Yi pointed out that the Taiwan issue is a matter of China’s fundamental interests. He expressed his belief that the German side will firmly adhere to the one-China principle, just as China once supported the reunification of Germany.

    Deepening mutually beneficial cooperation is a natural choice for China and Germany, whose economies are highly complementary, whose industries are deeply interconnected and whose interests are closely integrated, Wang said, stressing that both sides should not allow normal bilateral cooperation to be undermined in the interests of so-called risk reduction.

    As the Chinese Foreign Minister noted, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, which is an important milestone connecting the past and the future. In this regard, Wang Yi expressed hope that Germany will play an active role as a key member state of the European Union and give new impetus to the development of relations between China and the EU through high-quality Sino-German cooperation.

    According to him, the Chinese side also expects the European Union to move towards China, promptly and properly resolve the anti-subsidy case against Chinese electric vehicles, and promote qualitative improvement of cooperation between China and the EU.

    Wang added that China and Germany should shoulder their responsibilities as major countries, jointly advocate and adhere to free trade, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, ensure the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, practice genuine multilateralism, and uphold the international system with the UN at its core.

    J. Wadephul, for his part, stated that German-Chinese relations are of great importance for the development of the world economy and for the future of the international community. He pointed out that the new German government pays close attention to relations with China and intends to pursue an active policy towards the PRC.

    As J. Wadephul emphasized, Germany has firmly adhered to the one-China policy in the past and will continue to do so in the future, wishing to be a reliable and predictable partner for the Chinese side.

    As a leading member of the European Union, Germany intends to make efforts to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and supports the EU and China in resolving issues such as the anti-subsidy case against Chinese electric vehicles through negotiations, the German diplomat assured.

    The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukrainian crisis. Wang Yi said China has made continuous efforts to advance peace talks and supports achieving a fair, lasting and legally binding peace agreement through direct dialogue.

    J. Wadeful, in turn, expressed hope that China will use its influence to promote a ceasefire and a speedy end to the crisis in Ukraine. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Proposed temporary fisheries closures at Tangoiro/Waihirere and Motuoroi, north of Gisborne

    Source: police-emblem-97

    Have your say

    Ngāti Wakarara – Ngāti Hau Takutai Kaitiaki Trust has requested 2 temporary closures at:

    1. Tangoiro/Waihirere
    2. Motuoroi.

    Both areas are north of Gisborne. If granted, the closures would prohibit the take of finfish and shellfish (including crustaceans and rock lobster) for 2 years, under section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996.

    The request follows a rāhui and previous temporary closures. The request states that additional time is needed for:

    • further population recovery after Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle
    • data collection over a sufficient timescale
    • to establish longer-term protection strategies.

    Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions from anyone who has an interest in the species concerned, or in the effects of fishing in the areas.

    We are accepting submissions from 20 May until 5pm on 18 June 2025.

    Letter requesting the closures

    Tangoiro Waihirere and Motuoroi Temporary Closure Request 2025 (Redacted) [PDF, 1 MB]

    The proposed closure areas

    The area of the proposed Tangoiro/Waihirere temporary closure covers about 0.7 square kilometres and includes the fisheries waters offshore of Tangoiro and Waihirere Beachs. The proposed area excludes the rock platform at the southern end of Waihirere Beach.

    Map of the proposed Tangoiro/Waihirere temporary closure [PDF, 625 KB]

    The area of the proposed Motuoroi temporary closure covers about 1.2 square kilometres, and includes the fisheries waters between Motuoroi Island and the mainland, from the Lockwood Woolshed to south of the shore caves.

    Map of the proposed Motuoroi temporary closure [PDF, 637 KB]

    Map of both proposed temporary closures [PDF, 519 KB]

    Making your submission

    The closing date for submissions is 5pm on Wednesday 18 June 2025.

    Email your submission to FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz

    While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:

    Spatial Allocations
    Fisheries Management
    Fisheries New Zealand
    PO Box 2526
    Wellington 6140.

    Public notice

    A public notice about the call for submissions is scheduled to appear in the Gisborne Herald on Tuesday 20 May 2025.

    About temporary closures

    Section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996 allows the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to temporarily close an area, or temporarily restrict or prohibit the use of any fishing method in respect of an area, if satisfied that the closure, restriction, or prohibition will recognise and provide for the use and management practices of tangata whenua in the exercise of non-commercial fishing rights.

    Find out more about temporary closures

    Submissions are public information

    Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

    People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

    If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

    Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cheers to New Adventures: Rip Shively’s Retirement Celebration!

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Cheers to New Adventures: Rip Shively’s Retirement Celebration!

    We are both excited and saddened to announce the retirement of Rip Shively, who has served as the Environmental Health Program Coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since 2022. 

                                

    Rip’s contributions to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) span an impressive career of over 35 years, during which he has significantly advanced our understanding of environmental health issues and fostered meaningful collaborations across various sectors.

    Throughout his distinguished career, Rip has exemplified dedication and passion as a civil servant. Rip began his career at the Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC) in Cook, WA in April of 1990.  In 1990, WFRC was a US Fish and Wildlife Service organization.  He was a temp employee until November of 1992 when he was hired as a term employee, but his leadership and can-do attitude soon garnered him a permanent position.  In 1993, WFRC was moved into the newly created National Biological Service (NBS).  He continued to lead field teams to collect data on the Columbia River, looking at a variety of issues in support of State and Federal Agencies.  The change continued, and in 1996 the NBS was swept up into the USGS.  Around 2000, Rip took a position in Klamath Falls, OR working on the Suckers in Klamath Lake.  His ability to navigate the highly charged political environment and bring in researchers from the Oregon Water Science Center to assist on the project was rewarded with a DOI Conservation Service Award in 2005.  Then in 2008, Rip’s wife’s job required the family to move, and he took a position as the Bureau Approving Official for Biology.  While it was not what he was accustomed to, he took away with him a greater knowledge of the outstanding science across all of USGS.  

    Years later, Rip’s leadership skills, were put to the test when he took on the Acting Center Director roll at Northern Prairie Research Center.  This detail led to the opportunity to apply for the Center Director position at Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC).  He was selected and served CERC as a strong advocate for the science conducted and opportunities for the staff.  In late 2022, Rip joined the Ecosystems Mission Area as Environmental Health (EH) Program Coordinator.  Within the EH Program, Rip has been leading from the front looking for all opportunities to support the science and the centers. 

    Rip has been a mentor and a source of inspiration for many within the USGS and beyond. His ability to unite teams, promote innovative research, and advocate for One Health has left a lasting legacy that will continue to shape our work long after his departure. He has always taken the time to support and empower his colleagues, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment that encouraged professional growth.

    In addition to his professional achievements, Rip has also contributed greatly to the spirit and culture of our organization. His enthusiasm for teaching others, his unwavering support for his team, and his knack for bringing humor and camaraderie to our work gatherings make his retirement announcement hard to hear.

    As Rip embarks on this new chapter of his life, we hope he enjoys every moment of his well-deserved retirement. May it be filled with joy, adventure, family time, travel, and dogs. We know he will be missed both professionally and personally, but we look forward to hearing about the exciting new experiences he will pursue.

    Rip, thank you for your years of dedicated service, guidance, and friendship. Congratulations on your retirement!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 296

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL6

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 296
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    345 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southern Iowa
    Northern Missouri

    * Effective this Monday afternoon and evening from 345 PM until
    1000 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter likely
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible

    SUMMARY…Strong to severe thunderstorms over northern Missouri will
    spread northward across the watch this afternoon and evening. The
    strongest storms will pose a risk of large hail.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 50
    statute miles north and south of a line from 65 miles west northwest
    of Lamoni IA to 25 miles south of Ottumwa IA. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 292…WW 293…WW
    294…WW 295…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    22030.

    …Hart

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW6
    WW 296 SEVERE TSTM IA MO 192045Z – 200300Z
    AXIS..50 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
    65WNW LWD/LAMONI IA/ – 25S OTM/OTTUMWA IA/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 45NM N/S /32ESE OVR – 36N IRK/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22030.

    LAT…LON 41699508 41469245 40009245 40249508

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU6.

    Watch 296 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (10%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (50%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (60%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (90%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Aether Holdings to Present at the Aegis Capital Corp. 2025 Virtual Conference on May 22nd

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aether Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATHR) (“Aether” or the “Company”), an emerging financial technology platform company that offers proprietary research analytics, today announced that its management team is scheduled to present at the Aegis Capital Corp. 2025 Virtual Conference on Thursday, May 22nd, 2025.

    Presentation Details:
    Date: May 22nd, 2025
    Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
    Webcast Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/AfmnLxICTqmjEvoSG9-MMQ

    Frank Cid, VP of Business Development at Aether Holdings, will present the Company’s strategic vision, highlighting the recent launch of Alpha Edge Media, its digital-first content arm focused on expanding subscriber engagement through targeted newsletters and proprietary market insights.

    “We are excited to showcase Aether at the Aegis Virtual Conference following our recent initial public offering,” said Nicolas Lin, CEO of Aether Holdings. “This is a key moment to share how we’re scaling subscriber engagement through Alpha Edge Media, our content engine designed to grow a data-rich investor audience. By connecting media, behavior, and analytics, we’re creating a self-learning system that delivers smarter, faster insights and positions us to lead the next wave of fintech innovation.”

    About Aether Holdings, Inc.

    Aether Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATHR) is an emerging financial technology holding company focused on transforming the way investors navigate the markets. Leveraging decades of market expertise and cutting-edge technology, Aether delivers proprietary tools, data, and research to empower traders with actionable insights and enhanced decision-making capabilities.

    Aether’s flagship platform, SentimenTrader.com, is designed to serve both retail and institutional investors by offering advanced sentiment analysis through the use of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. With over 20 years of sentiment data integrated into its systems, Aether aims to provide its users with a powerful combination of technology and expertise, enabling them to make informed decisions to level up their trading in the markets.

    Aether is committed to building an ecosystem that supports smarter, data-driven trading strategies, reinforcing its mission to empower the investing community and redefine excellence in fintech. By integrating advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence tools with the critical thinking and analytical abilities of its team of evidence-based trading veterans, Aether aims to provide its users with a powerful combination of technology and expertise, enabling them to make informed decisions to level up their trading in the markets.

    Find out more about Aether Holdings at https://helloaether.com/

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This news release and statements of Aether’s management in connection with this news release contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. In this press release, forward-looking statements relate to the anticipated benefits to Aether of the launch and business plan for Alpha Edge Media as described herein. These and other forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For Aether, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to Aether’s ability to adequately market its products and services, and to develop or acquire additional products and product offerings; (ii) risks related to intense competition in the fintech and financial newsletter sector; (iii) risk related to artificial intelligence and machine learning; (iv) the inability of Aether to maintain and protect its reputation for trustworthiness and independence; (v) the inability of Aether to attract new users and subscribers and convert free users to paying subscribers; (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with operating a relatively small business a rapidly evolving industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and Aether therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov and at https://investor.helloaether.com/#sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    Aether Holdings, Inc. Contact
    Nicolas Lin, CEO
    (347) 363-0886
    ir@helloaether.com

    Investor Relations Contact
    Matthew Abenante, IRC
    President, Strategic Investor Relations, LLC
    (347)-947-2093
    Email: matthew@strategic-ir.com

    Media Contact
    Jessica Starman, MBA
    media@helloaether.com

    The MIL Network –