Category: Economy

MIL-OSI: Briarwood Chase Management increases holding in French AI firm Sidetrade as it accelerates in the US
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Sidetrade, the global leader in AI-powered Order-to-Cash applications, announces that Briarwood Chase Management has increased its stake in the listed company, now holding over 5% of capital since year end 2024.

Briarwood Chase Management, a prominent US-based investment firm, has surpassed the 5% ownership threshold in Sidetrade (Euronext Growth: ALBFR.PA). The decision to build its shareholding follows a comprehensive analysis of the SaaS leader’s economic model and a meeting at Sidetrade’s headquarters, solidifying the firm’s confidence in the CEO’s visionary leadership, its AI roadmap and market potential.

Robert Blatt, Managing Director of Briarwood Chase Management, said: “Our position in Sidetrade underscores our commitment to investing in exceptional businesses and management teams. Sidetrade’s strategic focus on and growth in North America, and exceptional margin potential align with our investment philosophy. In today’s economic environment, Sidetrade distinguishes itself as a robust and high-quality SaaS player, offering built-in growth, strong revenue predictability and recurring income. Furthermore, its status as a sought-after contender in a consolidating market highlights its significant medium-term potential. We are looking forward to being long-term partners to the business and management team.”

Sidetrade, recognized as a leader by top US technology research and consulting firms, is transforming the Order-to-Cash industry by simplifying the daily operations of financial leaders in large organizations to deliver immediate productivity improvements while securing and accelerating cash flow generation. This innovative approach sets new standards and redefines what’s possible in accounts receivable.

“We are very excited to have the trust of Briarwood Chase Management in our growth journey”, Olivier Novasque, CEO of Sidetrade, commented. “After two years of rapid expansion to build a critical foothold in the US, 2024 was a year of strategic consolidation, focusing on strengthening our foundations and fine-tuning our teams. With the US market showing exceptional momentum, we are reigniting investments in 2025 to seize this unparalleled opportunity and drive Sidetrade’s growth to the next level.”

The rapid rise of generative AI and the growing demand for efficiency are leading businesses to adopt cutting-edge technologies like Sidetrade’s. At the heart of Sidetrade’s innovation is Aimie, the most unique AI which – powered by the Sidetrade Data Lake – drives smart customer insights and delivers value for businesses worldwide.

Media relations @Sidetrade
Becca Parlby 00 44 7824 5055 84 bparlby@sidetrade.com

About Sidetrade (www.sidetrade.com)
Sidetrade (Euronext Growth: ALBFR.PA) provides a SaaS platform designed to revolutionize how cash flow is secured and accelerated. Leveraging its next-generation AI, nicknamed Aimie, Sidetrade analyzes $6.1 trillion worth of B2B payment transactions daily in its Cloud, thereby anticipating customer payment behavior and the attrition risk of more than 38 million buyers worldwide. Aimie recommends the best operational strategies, dematerializes and intelligently automates Order-to-Cash processes to enhance productivity, results and working capital across organizations.
Sidetrade has a global reach, with 400+ talented employees based in Europe, the United States and Canada, serving global businesses in more than 85 countries. Amongst them: Bidcorp, Biffa, Bunzl, Engie, Expedia, Inmarsat, KPMG, Lafarge, Manpower, Opentext, Page, Randstad, Saint-Gobain, Securitas, Sodexo, Tech Data, UGI, and Veolia.
Sidetrade is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, adhering to its principles-based approach to responsible business.

For further information, visit us at www.sidetrade.com and follow @Aimie on LinkedIn.
In the event of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of this press release, only the English version is to be taken into account.

Attachment
- Briarwood Chase increases holding in French AI firm Sidetrade as it accelerates in the US
The MIL Network –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: CMF’s Combined Task Force 150 Carries Out First Drug Interdiction with New Zealand In Command

Source: United States Naval Central Command

MANAMA, Bahrain —

A U.S. Coast Guard fast-response cutter, working in direct support of New Zealand-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 of Combined Maritime Forces, seized nearly 2,400 kilograms of illegal drugs from a vessel in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 7.

The interdiction by the Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC-1145) represents CTF 150’s first drug seizure since New Zealand assumed command Jan. 15.

The cutter’s boarding team discovered and seized 2,357kg of hashish from the vessel. After weighing and documenting the haul, the crew properly disposed of the narcotics.

Commodore Rodger Ward, commander of CTF 150, said he’s proud of the team effort that went into making this interdiction a reality after only a few weeks in command.

“Our command is a small cog in a system focused on interdicting illicit trafficking on the high seas,” Ward said. “This is a team effort and this bust would not have been possible without the support of the 46 nations who make up the Combined Maritime Forces.”

Ward noted that every bust we make reduces the flow of finances to terrorist organizations. “This is why we’re here, to contribute to maritime security and protect the rules-based international order,” he said.

Emlen Tunnell is forward deployed to Bahrain. The fast response cutter is part of a contingent of U.S. Coast Guard ships operating in the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships alongside U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East.

CTF 150 is one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the world’s largest international naval partnership. CTF 150’s mission is to deter and disrupt the ability of non-state actors to move weapons, drugs and other illicit substances in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.

Combined Maritime Forces is a 46-nation naval partnership upholding the international rules-based order by promoting security and stability across 3.2 million square miles of water encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

MIL Security OSI –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: A small consultancy firm in Puerto Rico adopts AI — helping other businesses thrive

Source: Microsoft

Headline: A small consultancy firm in Puerto Rico adopts AI — helping other businesses thrive

Embracing technology to be competitive

Intelligent Economics’ platform runs on Azure App Service, a service for hosting web applications running on Microsoft’s cloud computing services. It also uses Power BI, a set of software services, apps and connectors that turn data into visuals and interactive insights.

The portal was first introduced in 2018 and has been adding new features and improvements continuously since then. A beta version of the AI bot was launched in November for clients to speed up their customized data searches and improve their overall experience.

The bot runs on Azure OpenAI Service with a GPT4 model. It uses Azure AI Foundry and Azure AI Search, a set of tools to build, ground and deploy machine learning models on Azure. Clients’ information and personal data remain anonymous, according to IE, but interactions with the bot are used to fine-tune the bot’s responses, tone and functionality.

The platform and the AI bot are fed with more than 1,000 economic indicators of from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, verified and regularly polished by IE’s economists — from per capita income and inflation data to retail sales and personal consumption aggregates. There is also data for the rest of the US and Latin American countries.

“The most important thing is that it is fed with our database … not from random data found on the internet,” said Chantal Benet, vice president and chief economist at Intelligent Economics.

Additionally, clients can opt to upload their own internal operating data, such as sales data and price tags, which is not shared with others. They can combine local public data with their own to develop business projections.

Monthly and yearly indicators are tracked by Vélez’s group of economists from sometimes scattered and hard to find government websites and public and private sources of economic data. And much of the data is broken down by municipality, providing an exceptionally in-depth view of the state of the local economy.

Clients say they have all the economic data they need to identify regional and local trends in a single place, available around the clock, easy to access and displayed in an enticing manner through customized dashboards and colorful charts.

This real-time access allows them to enhance the efficiency and productivity of daily work and corporate planning, ultimately making them more competitive in a challenging environment.

Vélez has also developed his own economic surveys — he offers an exclusive monthly consumer confidence index — and provides specific daily analysis explaining indicators and economic trends. As the portal is mostly focused on local data, that exclusive analysis gives it an edge over other global platforms of economic content.

The web platform and the AI bot are fed with more than 1,000 economic indicators from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, giving it an edge over other global data platforms. Photo by Brandon Cruz.

Navigating local economics

Thompson, who runs De la Cruz, one of the largest advertising and marketing firms in Puerto Rico with offices in Miami and Colombia, has been a client of Vélez since 2006. He used to receive the data by phone in marathon sessions. Sometimes he could not reach Vélez immediately when he needed him the most.

Now, he says, the platform is saving him a lot of time and headaches. For instance, the portal was instrumental for Thompson to obtain, quickly and easily, the necessary hard data to justify a planned acquisition in the Dominican Republic to his stakeholders and to secure the needed financing.

Sometimes IE’s platform even helps Thompson’s own clients. Recently, it was key to identifying potential new markets and opportunities for a multinational bank that had overhauled its leading team in Puerto Rico and was being advised by De la Cruz.

“Having everything in a single portal speeds up our entire work and analysis process,” Thompson said. “That’s super important for us.”

Tapping into trustworthy information quickly is particularly important in Puerto Rico. The island, a US territory of 3.2 million people, has been immersed in a complex economic downturn since the mid-2000s, according to the World Bank, which coupled with natural disasters and government crises has fueled an unprecedented wave of migration.

“The economic situation in Puerto Rico is atypical enough to always require a short-term outlook to determine your next steps,” says Benet.

Vélez started his career in the island’s government in the early 1990s, working as an economist at the municipality of San Juan. After more than a decade in public service, he founded his own consultancy firm investing his life savings.

From the start, the economist and his team sought ways to stand out from the crowd — in his case, his then four competitors. He now anticipates that digitalization can triple his sales in the next decade and enable him to reach 400 clients without necessarily increasing the current staff.

Benet says the firm is focused on further implementing and expanding their digital journey: “We always knew that technology was the future.”

Top image: Gustavo Vélez and Chantal Benet, president and vice-president of Intelligent Economics, at the consultancy firm’s headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Photo by Brandon Cruz.

MIL OSI Economics –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Announces State Court Judge and County Solicitor Appointments

Source: US State of Georgia

Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the following appointments: Mason Rountree to the Paulding County State Court and Melissa Poole as the Solicitor General of Long County.

Mason B. Rountree is a native Georgian and founding partner of Rountree Law Firm in Paulding County, where he practiced primarily non-domestic civil litigation, misdemeanor criminal defense, and small business law. Rountree graduated from the University of Georgia with a business degree in economics and from Georgia State University College of Law. While attending law school, Rountree interned for Georgia Supreme Court Justices George Carley and Hugh Thompson. Upon graduating with his J.D., he served as the law clerk in the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit for the Honorable Superior Court Judges Arthur Fudger; William A. Foster, III; and Marion Cummings. Rountree joined the law firm of Brock, Clay, Wilson & Rogers in Cobb County in 1996 as a civil litigation associate before forming his law firm in 1999. He also previously served part-time as Judge of the City of Dallas. Rountree and his wife, Ana, have four children, one grandchild, and enjoy spending time on the water looking for wildlife on the Georgia coast and exploring their bat cave in west Georgia.

Melissa Poole currently serves as an assistant district attorney for the Atlantic Judicial Circuit and a solicitor for the City of Richmond Hill. Poole received her bachelor’s degree in international studies from Mount Vernon College and her J.D. from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law. After graduation, she served as a law clerk in the Oconee Judicial Circuit. Poole then joined the firm King & Spalding before joining the District Attorney’s Office in 2001. She has also worked as a certified mediator in the Atlantic Judicial Circuit. Poole has three children and is involved in their schools, including serving on both the parent’s council and the booster club.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Hackers Ramp Up Efficiency, Speed, and Scale in 2024, Targeting Business of All Sizes
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

COLUMBIA, Md., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hackers are getting faster, craftier, and harder to spot. Today, Huntress, the cybersecurity company purpose-built to protect businesses of all sizes, exposes their playbook with the Huntress 2025 Cyber Threat Report, an extensive analysis of hacker activity that draws insights from over three million endpoints across thousands of organizations. The report reveals how threat actors adapted their tradecraft throughout 2024, using sophisticated tools and techniques across industries to maximize efficiency and profits.

In 2024, the gap between attack sophistication on large and smaller businesses nearly disappeared. Hackers took the methods and strategies tested on larger companies and applied them to organizations of every size. Advanced evasion techniques—once exclusive to advanced persistent threats—became the new normal, including endpoint detection and response (EDR) tampering, bring your own vulnerable driver (BYOVD) privilege escalations, and User Account Control (UAC) bypasses.

The takedown of major ransomware groups like LockBit and Dharma didn’t slow down attacks either—it opened the door for smaller, more agile groups and rebranded operations. Among them, Lynx—which shares many similarities with and is widely believed to be a rebranding of INC ransomware—RansomHub, a sub-group of LockBit, and Akira all ramped up their activity significantly compared to 2023.

Over the past year, Huntress tracked ransomware incidents from Lynx, Akira, and RansomHub, with incidents from these groups increasing by 7.9%, 11.6%, and 15.3%, respectively. By giving affiliates higher percentage payouts, often reaching 80–90% of the ransom, and pursuing a quantity-over-quality approach, the three collectively accounted for 54% of all ransomware incidents observed by Huntress in 2024. These groups used ‘smash-and-grab’ tactics, quickly deploying ransomware, demanding payment, and hitting their goals with swift and efficient network infiltration to minimize dwell time and evade detection. While the average time-to-ransom (TTR)—the time from initial access to ransomware deployment—was shy of 17 hours, Akira and RansomHub’s came in around six hours, with Lynx not far behind at seven hours.

“Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) groups like Lynx, Akira, and RansomHub have industrialized cybercrime, adopting a ‘quantity over quality’ approach to maximize profits. By providing affiliates with streamlined playbooks and toolkits, they’ve made launching attacks deceptively simple and incredibly lucrative,” said Greg Linares, Principal Threat Intelligence Analyst. “The rise of RaaS groups such as these has led to increased attacks on businesses of all sizes with sophisticated techniques, once reserved for attacks on large enterprises, now becoming commonplace.”

Key trends in the Huntress 2025 Cyber Threat Report include:
- Education, healthcare, and technology industries were top targets: Education was the most targeted industry by hackers in 2024, making up 21% of all attacks, followed by healthcare (17%) and technology (12%). Hackers used tactics like credential theft, abuse of remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools, and malicious updates disguised as legitimate software to infiltrate educational institutions. Education is often seen as an easy target due to a reliance on shared networks, outdated systems, and lower security budgets, combined with the wealth of sensitive data, like student records and research, that makes these institutions top targets. Beyond that, the potential to disrupt learning processes and administrative functions also puts schools and universities under intense pressure to resolve attacks quickly, often forcing them into ransom payments.
- Infostealers drove initial access and ransomware attacks: Infostealers accounted for nearly a quarter (24%) of all observed incidents, highlighting their role in harvesting credentials, financial data, and sensitive information. Even adware and other unwanted programs, once seen as harmless infections, now have infostealing features that take sensitive data, contributing to a rise in infostealer incidents. Threat actors like Initial Access Brokers (IABs) regularly use infostealers to sell access to businesses, grouping them based on what gets stolen and increasing prices based on the freshness of the data, type of data (like session tokens), and target. Some IABs cherry-pick high-value data to sell to ransomware groups, earning percentages of ransom payments as a finder’s fee.
- Hackers maximized efficiency with automation: The majority (87%) of attacks in 2024 were automated or helped by automated tools, with hackers using malware, scripts, and other automated methods to conduct widespread, low-effort campaigns efficiently. Once attackers got access, they moved to more focused hands-on-keyboard (HOK) activity, representing 13% of activity, where manual actions like lateral movement or domain enumeration were executed. HOK activity spiked in February, June, July, and November 2024, with activity most common between 12:00 UTC and 20:00 UTC—aligning with US East Coast business hours. This timing suggests attackers exploit normal business activity as a cover or need active devices and personnel for social engineering tactics.
- Phishing attacks grew more sophisticated: Phishing is still a key tool for initial access and reconnaissance, with attackers moving towards more sophisticated tactics like QR code phishing and Living Off Trusted Sites (LoTS). QR code phishing—where users are sent an email with a QR embedded that directs to a malicious site—accounted for 8.1% of phishing emails, while 7% involved LoTS, a tactic that abuses legitimate platforms to share malicious documents. These advanced techniques mark a shift toward more targeted and deceptive strategies designed to exploit trust and evade traditional email filters.
“Hacker tradecraft is evolving fast, with ransomware groups growing bolder, attacks becoming harder to detect, and phishing scams reaching new levels of sophistication,” added Jamie Levy, Director, Adversary Tactics. “To stay ahead, organizations need a well-rehearsed incident response plan, ongoing vulnerability assessments, timely patching, and security awareness training that actually sticks. Key controls like endpoint detection and response, network segmentation, and identity and access management are also critical to minimizing risk. With ransomware deployed within hours of initial access, taking proactive steps now is essential to minimizing the impact of a breach.”

Additional resources:
- Get your copy of the Huntress 2025 Cyber Threat Report for insights on ransomware strategies, hacker activity, common tools and techniques, and more.
- Register for the webinar, “Breaking Down The Huntress 2025 Threat Report” on March 3, 2025, for insights from our experts on the latest cyber trends, shady tactics, and tradecraft we exposed in the Huntress 2025 Cyber Threat Report.
- Learn how Huntress protects endpoints, identities, and more with managed detection, investigation, and response.
- Read the Huntress Blog to stay updated on the latest tradecraft and tips to protect your business.
About Huntress
Huntress is the enterprise-grade, people-powered cybersecurity solution for all businesses, not just the 1%. With fully owned technology developed by and for its industry-defining team of security analysts, engineers, and researchers, Huntress elevates underresourced tech teams whether they work within outsourced environments (OIS) or in-house IT and security teams (IIS).

The 24/7 industry-leading Huntress Security Operations Center (SOC) covers cyber threats for OIS and IIS through remediation with a false-positive rate of less than 1%. With a mission to break down barriers to enterprise-level security and always give back more than it takes, Huntress is often the first to respond to major hacks and threats while protecting its partners, and shares tradecraft analysis and threat advisories with the community as they happen.

As long as hackers keep hacking, Huntress keeps hunting. Join the hunt at www.huntress.com and follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Huntress Contact:
Aaron Deal
press@huntresslabs.com

The MIL Network –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: ARKO Corp. Unveils ‘Fueling America’s Future’ Campaign with fas REWARDS®, Slashing Gas Prices Nationwide

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

The first-of-its-kind fuel discount program offers drivers nationwide up to $2 off per gallon of gas or $40 in savings per fill up at any ARKO location

RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ARKO Corp. (Nasdaq: ARKO) (“ARKO” or the “Company”), a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest convenience store operators in the United States, and its subsidiary GPM Investments, today has launched its ‘Fueling America’s Future’ campaign, offering customers significant savings at the pump with the long-term goal of slashing gas prices in America. This promotion, which has never been done by any gas station nationwide, can save consumers up to $40 per fill up through the ability to stack discounts earned through qualifying purchases for anyone enrolled in the Company’s free loyalty program, fas REWARDS^®.

This campaign is built on the belief that we must do more to address the needs of working Americans, particularly in mitigating the substantial expense of fuel. With thousands of convenience stores and QSR destinations, ARKO has helped lower costs for everyday essentials, from groceries to fuel, through ongoing promotions and value-driven discounts. In 2025, the Company will prioritize price cuts at the pump in its promotions to do its part in fueling America’s future.

“Gas prices are high, and our customers feel it every time they fill up. It’s putting a strain on families, small businesses, and household budgets,” said Arie Kotler, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of ARKO. “We’re in a moment of renewed economic awareness, where businesses have a responsibility to support working Americans. Fueling America’s Future is our way of stepping up, helping to ease that burden, and providing meaningful savings at the pump.”

Fas REWARDS^® members are eligible for fuel savings by buying qualifying items and receiving cents off fuel rewards that will go into their “virtual wallet.” These rewards can be stacked, allowing customers to accumulate up to $2 off per gallon subject to state restrictions. In addition, they’ll earn points on qualifying purchases, which can also be redeemed for fuel discounts. This unique offer helps fas REWARDS^® members save money at the pump and lower their everyday expenses.

“Fueling America’s Future demonstrates how customer-driven solutions can help lower costs for families, ultimately strengthening the national economy,” continued Kotler. “By reducing fuel prices, we’re putting more money back into consumer pockets and supporting local communities so they can free up spending on other essential goods.”

The above-mentioned promotions are available to enrolled loyalty members across ARKO’s more than 1,350 branded retail stores, including fas mart^®, E-Z mart^®, Scotchman^®, Roadrunner Markets, fastmarket^®, village pantry^®, Handy Mart and Pride retail stores.

As of 2024, the fas REWARDS^® program has approximately 2.3 million enrolled members. Download the free app today to begin saving with better deals. To learn more, visit: www.fasrewards.com.

About ARKO Corp.
ARKO Corp. (Nasdaq: ARKO) is a Fortune 500 company that owns 100% of GPM Investments, LLC and is one of the largest operators of convenience stores and wholesalers of fuel in the United States. Based in Richmond, VA, we operate A Family of Community Brands that offer delicious, prepared foods, beer, snacks, candy, hot and cold beverages, and multiple popular quick serve restaurant brands. Our high value fas REWARDS^® loyalty program offers exclusive savings on merchandise and gas. We operate in four reportable segments: retail, which includes convenience stores selling merchandise and fuel products to retail customers; wholesale, which supplies fuel to independent dealers and consignment agents; GPM Petroleum, which sells and supplies fuel to our retail and wholesale sites and charges a fixed fee, primarily to our fleet fueling sites; and fleet fueling, which includes the operation of proprietary and third-party cardlock locations, and issuance of proprietary fuel cards that provide customers access to a nationwide network of fueling sites. To learn more about GPM stores, visit: www.gpminvestments.com. To learn more about ARKO, visit: www.arkocorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This document includes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may address, among other things, ARKO’s expected financial and operational results and the related assumptions underlying its expected results. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by use of words such as “anticipate,” “aim,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “guidance,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to, among other things, changes in economic, business and market conditions; ARKO’s ability to maintain the listing of its common stock and warrants on the Nasdaq Stock Market; changes in its strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans; expansion plans and opportunities; changes in the markets in which it competes; changes in applicable laws or regulations, including those relating to environmental matters; market conditions and global and economic factors beyond its control; and the outcome of any known or unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings. Detailed information about these factors and additional important factors can be found in the documents that ARKO files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, such as Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements were made. ARKO does not undertake an obligation to update forward-looking information, except to the extent required by applicable law.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9988cefb-6aab-4e05-a82d-7c869858dcef

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Check before you act: ATO impersonation scams
Source: Australian Department of Revenue

ATO impersonation scams have become sophisticated, making it crucial to stay vigilant. One of the most effective ways to keep yourself and your clients safe is to stop, check and protectExternal Link.

Scammers often create a sense of urgency, hoping you’ll act without thinking. By taking a moment to check the legitimacy of the communication, you and your clients can avoid situations that could lead to a financial loss or personal information being stolen.

How to check 

If you aren’t sure whether something is legitimate, start by checking contact details. Look up the contact information for the organisation and reach out to them directly via details you’ve sourced yourself.

Next, look for red flags in the message. Be cautious of messages that: 
- contain a hyperlink
- create a sense of urgency or fear 
- ask for personal information or payments 
- contain spelling or grammar errors 
- come from unofficial email addresses or phone numbers. Scammers are increasingly using legitimate looking email addresses, so if you aren’t sure, always double check. 
Finally, cross-check any information mentioned in the message, such as a tax debt, or a problem with your account, through official sources. Always access our online services by typing the URL in a browser or via the ATO website.

The ATO will never send unsolicited messages with hyperlinks or ask for personal information via email or SMS. To help protect your personal information, use your Digital ID, such as myID and set it to the highest level you can achieve to access our online services.

By stopping and checking the authenticity of messages, calls, and emails you can protect yourself and your clients from impersonation scams.

If you think a phone call, SMS, voicemail, email, or interaction on social media claiming to be from the ATO is not genuine, do not engage with it. You should either: 
- go to Verify or report a scam to see how to spot and report a scam, or 
- if you have divulged information or paid a scammer money, phone us on 1800 008 540. 
For more information on staying scam safe, visit the ScamwatchExternal Link website.

MIL OSI News –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: LPL Financial Welcomes Lex Wealth Management

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC announced today that financial advisors Carmen M. Lex Jr., CFP^®, RICP^®, and Chris Lex, CRPC^®, have joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer, Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and custodial platforms. The brothers reported serving approximately $630 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and join LPL from Corebridge Financial, formerly Valic, a subsidiary of AIG.

Based in Marlton, N.J., Carmen and Chris have built a reputation for delivering tailored investment strategies and quality service since they teamed up in 2014. They specialize in financial planning, and both have significant experience in pension and social security analysis, including the intricacies of the Public School Employees’ Retirement System. The Lex brothers credit their grandmother and parents as inspiration for their financial journey.

“We had a lot of people who guided us to where we are today, especially our grandmother who taught us the importance of saving from a young age,” said Chris Lex. “That fueled our drive to help others with important financial decisions. We are committed to educating and empowering individuals and families to take control of their financial futures.”

Why they made the move to LPL Financial

After more than 15 years in the industry, Carmen and Chris realized their shared vision for delivering personalized, independent financial guidance. They decided to reshape their approach, prioritize independence and build a firm focused on providing tailored strategies and exceptional client service. This spurred their move to LPL and the creation of Lex Wealth Management.

“As we work with more clients in the distribution phases, we realized there are more personalized options available to us as independent advisors,” said Carmen. “By joining LPL Financial, we’ll benefit from innovative technology, strategic business resources, a comprehensive product selection and the support of an industry-leading wealth management firm. This move gives us everything we need to be better advisors and do right by our clients.”

Scott Posner, LPL Executive Vice President, Business Development, said, “We extend a warm welcome to Carmen and Chris and congratulate them on the move to independence. With more freedom and flexibility, financial advisors who choose LPL are able to work more effectively, run thriving practices and create value for the evolving needs of their clients. We look forward to supporting Lex Wealth Management for years to come.”

Related

Advisors, learn how LPL Financial can help take your business to the next level.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports nearly 29,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.7 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 6 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Lex Wealth Management and LPL are separate entities.

Throughout this communication, the terms “financial advisors” and “advisors” are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.

We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the “Investor Relations” or “Press Releases” section of our website.

*Value approximated based on asset and holding details provided to LPL from end of year, 2024.

Media Contact:
Media.relations@LPLFinancial.com
(704) 996-1840

Tracking #690597

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: QuEra Computing Completes $230M Financing to Accelerate Development of Large-Scale Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computers
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — QuEra Computing, the leader in neutral-atom quantum computing, today announced it has successfully completed a financing of more than $230 million. The funds will be used to accelerate the development and production of large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers, reinforcing the company’s position at the forefront of quantum innovation.

The investment comes from new investors, including Google (previously announced), SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Valor Equity Partners, and others. They join QuEra’s existing investors, including QVT Family Office, Safar Partners, and all other major existing investors, who all participated. Of the $230M, $60 million will be received in the near future upon satisfying a prerequisite funding condition, currently in progress. This financing validates the considerable technical breakthroughs achieved by QuEra in collaboration with Mikhail Lukin, Markus Greiner, and their teams at Harvard, as well as Vladan Vuletic and his team at MIT. This financing was also made possible by QuEra’s commercial progress with major customers such as AIST, as well as the new strategic partnerships the company has cultivated.

“This round represents a significant milestone for QuEra as we continue to deliver on our promise of scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing,” said Andy Ory, Interim CEO of QuEra. “Since our last funding round in 2023, we have achieved impressive scientific, technical, and commercial milestones, which have dramatically increased the value of our business. This new investment will fuel our next phase of growth, enabling us to deliver large-scale quantum solutions that address critical business challenges for our customers.”

“We believe quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize industries, and QuEra is at the forefront of making this technology accessible and transformative,” said Kentaro Matsui, Managing Partner of SoftBank Investment Advisers. “We are excited to support QuEra as it pioneers the next generation of computation, unlocking new possibilities in AI and beyond.”

“As early backers of QuEra, we are pleased to both significantly increase our investment and to welcome this new group of outstanding investors,” said Arthur Chu, QuEra board member and managing member of QVT. “We believe that this new capital will allow QuEra to extend its technological and commercial leadership in fault-tolerant quantum computing.”

Takuya Kitagawa, President of QuEra, says, “We are deeply grateful for the continued confidence of our existing investors and excited to welcome new strategic partners who believe in our team and share our long-term vision. Their support strongly advances our mission: to accelerate innovation by building scalable, useful, and fault-tolerant quantum computers.”

Ed Durkin, CFO of QuEra, added, “We are pleased to announce this very significant and successful financing. All our major existing investors have shown strong support by participating in this transaction, and we are thrilled to welcome such high-quality and knowledgeable new strategic and financial investors like Google and SoftBank Vision Fund, who share our long-term vision. This funding structure, coupled with our growing organic revenue stream, provides flexibility as we hit our development targets and scale production and provides the Company with a very long financial runway over the next several years.”

With this funding, QuEra will:
- Accelerate the development of fault-tolerant quantum computer technology.
- Rapidly expand its team of world-class scientists and engineers, with a focus on technical and scientific talent.
- Strengthening build and test capacity to scale up and meet growing demand for high-performance neutral-atom computers.
- Broaden its portfolio of application co-design, cloud, and on-premises engagements with global research organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and government programs.
QuEra’s continued momentum highlights the growing market demand for fault-tolerant quantum systems, which are poised to revolutionize industries such as finance, pharmaceuticals, logistics, and cybersecurity.

About QuEra
QuEra Computing is the leader in developing and productizing quantum computers using neutral atoms, widely recognized as a highly promising quantum computing modality. Based in Boston and built on pioneering research from Harvard University and MIT, QuEra operates the world’s largest publicly accessible quantum computer, available over a major public cloud and for on-premises delivery. QuEra is developing useful, scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computers to tackle classically intractable problems, becoming the partner of choice in the quantum field. Simply put, QuEra is the best way to quantum. For more information, visit us at quera.com and follow us on X or LinkedIn.

Media Contact
Merrill Freund
press@quera.com
+1-415-577-8637

The MIL Network –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: BexBack Revolutionizes Crypto Trading: Double Deposit Bonus, 100x Leverage & No KYC

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SINGAPORE, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the price of bitcoin once again trading below $100,000, many analysts believe it will enter a long period of high volatility. Holding spot positions may not continue to generate profits in the short term. BexBack Exchange is stepping up its efforts to provide traders with irresistible preferential packages. The platform now offers a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and a 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, creating unparalleled opportunities for investors.

What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

Simply put, 100x leverage allows you to open larger trading positions with less capital. For example:

Suppose the Bitcoin price is $100,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

One day later, if the price rises to $105,000, your profit will be (105,000 – 100,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

With BexBack’s deposit bonus

BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?
The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

About BexBack?

BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 500,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

Why recommend BexBack?

No KYC Required: Start trading immediately without complex identity verification.

100% Deposit Bonus: Double your funds, double your profits.

High-Leverage Trading: Offers up to 100x leverage, maximizing investors’ capital efficiency.

Demo Account: Comes with 10 BTC in virtual funds, ideal for beginners to practice risk-free trading.

Comprehensive Trading Options: Feature-rich trading available via Web and mobile applications.

Convenient Operation: No slippage, no spread, and fast, precise trade execution.

Global User Support: Enjoy 24/7 customer service, no matter where you are.

Lucrative Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission, perfect for promoters.

Take Action Now—Don’t Miss Another Opportunity!

If you missed the previous crypto bull run, this could be your chance. With BexBack’s 100x leverage and 100% deposit bonus and $50 bonus for new users (complete one trade within one week of registration), you can be a winner in the new bull run.

Sign up on BexBack now, claim your exclusive bonus and start accumulating more BTC today!

Website: www.bexback.com

Contact: business@bexback.com

Contact:
Amanda
business@bexback.com

Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4445477-0112-4df9-8539-ab93cd5affac

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c33fa072-02d1-4cbc-b4af-8168cc1fc992

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dddf867f-8361-4b82-adca-bc3323f36632

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/296fa3c6-0da5-45fd-a274-3afbf2099c18

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: InStride Launches Capability Accelerators: Tailored Learning for Talent Development
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — InStride, a human capital management company providing workforce education solutions, today announced the launch of its Capability Accelerators. This solution, developed in partnership with some of America’s most innovative companies and leading academic institutions, delivers tailored, role-specific learning paths aligned with business strategy. By combining academic rigor with practical application, these cohort-based programs help top talent build skills that directly impact business performance.

“L&D leaders are searching for education programs that deliver real business outcomes that they can measure,” said Craig Maloney, CEO of InStride. “InStride’s Capability Accelerators are co-designed with employers and academic partners to take employees through cohort- and role-based learning that helps advance their careers as it ties directly to business strategy.”

Build skills, deliver results

InStride’s solution addresses critical skills gaps and workforce demands.
- Contextualized and role-specific academies: Customizable learning tracks built in collaboration with business leaders for specific roles, including first-line managers, manufacturing operations leaders, and early and mid-career healthcare leaders.
- Interactive, cohort-based learning: Learners collaborate in dynamic, applied scenarios while receiving personalized coaching and feedback delivered by real experts and enhanced by advanced AI tools, ensuring rapid skill application and measurable improvement.
- University content with real-world relevance: Programs blend rigorous academic insights with practical tools, equipping employees to tackle today’s challenges and drive innovation.
“InStride is transforming workforce education by building a bridge between rigorous learning and the real-world, corporate context, making these programs highly relevant and impactful,” said Jeff Schulz, VP of Professional Services at InStride. “By focusing on role-specific capabilities and contextualized learning, we’re empowering organizations to build stronger talent pipelines specific to their unique context and prepare future leaders for success.”

Early success stories

InStride’s Capability Accelerators are already making strides in reshaping leadership and talent development:
- Plant Management Accelerator: Created for a Fortune 500 global automotive technology company, this accelerator prepares aspiring plant leaders with skills in financial acumen, manufacturing innovation, and supply chain management, ensuring readiness for critical leadership roles.
- Healthcare Frontline Leadership Accelerators: Designed for a multi-state health system with 40,000 employees and aimed at high-potential individual contributors and first-line managers, these programs build critical patient-centered leadership capabilities, strengthening manager and team performance, and driving internal talent retention and growth.
These early examples illustrate how InStride’s customizable Capability Accelerators address businesses’ unique workforce challenges and strategic goals, offering an alternative to off-the-shelf leadership skill training.

Meeting today’s L&D challenges

The unique value of these programs lies in their ability to tackle the most common pain points faced by L&D leaders:
1. Relevance: Programs are contextualized to each organization’s industry and roles, ensuring practical application of skills.
2. Engagement: Cohort-based learning fosters collaboration and builds a culture of continuous education.
3. Results: The solution delivers measurable business outcomes, from improved employee retention to faster promotion rates.
Whether addressing leadership gaps, building manager capacity, developing AI fluency, or enhancing business acumen, InStride ensures that education investments translate into tangible impact for both employees and organizations.

Learn more about InStride’s Capability Accelerators.

About InStride
InStride is a human capital management company that helps organizations retain talent, upskill employees, and fill critical workforce roles through education programs. By breaking down barriers to learning, fostering career growth aligned with organizational goals, and simplifying program management, InStride delivers lasting impact. Partnering with forward-thinking companies like Labcorp, Adidas, and SSM Health, InStride drives meaningful social and business outcomes by providing access to life-changing education. Visit instride.com or follow InStride on LinkedIn for more information and up-to-date news.

Contact
Maryam Sohraby, Chief Marketing Officer, maryam.sohraby@instride.com, 908-461-0796

The MIL Network –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: StormFisher Hydrogen Secures US$50 million Commitment from Hy24 to Deliver Pipeline of Clean Fuel Production Projects in North America
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
- The investment will accelerate StormFisher Hydrogen’s current project pipeline deployment, including several facilities in the U.S. and Canada, with a total renewable capacity of up to 1.8 GW by 2030.
- Hy24, investing through their Clean Hydrogen Infrastructure Fund, is entering directly into the North American market, contributing to the advancement of clean fuel deployment in the region while supporting StormFisher Hydrogen’s export ambitions to European and Asian markets.
HOUSTON, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StormFisher Hydrogen, a leading developer and producer of clean fuels, announces today it has secured a US$50 million commitment from Hy24’s Clean Hydrogen Infrastructure Fund, the world’s leading low-carbon hydrogen asset manager. This strategic partnership will accelerate StormFisher Hydrogen’s pipeline of clean fuel production projects in North America, helping them to reach final investment decisions (FID) and catalyzing the transition to low carbon energy solutions.

“We are pleased to make our first direct investment in North America to support the growth of StormFisher Hydrogen,” said Pierre-Etienne Franc, co-founder and CEO of Hy24. “The company can leverage its energy platform approach, strong offtaker strategy, and a favorable international regulatory landscape to deploy its robust pipeline of e-Fuels projects and drive its export ambitions to European and Asian markets. These clean energy solutions present a significant opportunity for North America in its pursuit of energy security, economic growth, and its trade and continued leadership in the sector.”

StormFisher Hydrogen’s current project pipeline includes several facilities located across the United States (Texas, Kansas, Minnesota) and Canada (Ontario region). Together, they will have the capacity to convert up to 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy from solar and wind into RFNBO e-Fuels (renewable fuel of non-biological origin), such as green hydrogen, e-Methanol, green ammonia, and e-Methane. The company’s most advanced project located in North Texas, U.S. is expected to reach FID in early 2026 and will have an e-Methanol production capacity of more than 120,000 tonnes per year.

“This collaboration with Hy24 enables us to advance projects in our pipeline and reinforces our role as a leader in project development,” said Judson Whiteside, President and CEO of StormFisher Hydrogen. “We bring a lot of value and long-term jobs to the communities we are developing in, while increasing molecule exports to Europe and Asia. With cutting-edge energy infrastructure and highly skilled workforce, the United States is poised to lead the global low-carbon fuels market. Our projects strengthen America’s position in the energy transition while enhancing domestic energy resilience and independence.”

StormFisher Hydrogen will make a significant contribution to the development of North America’s e-Fuel production capacity, which is critical for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries such as maritime, aviation, and chemicals. It will also help establish the United States as a key supplier to the global market while reinforcing the country’s leadership in the energy sector.

With previous investment from ARC Financial Corp.’s ARC Energy Transition Fund and this new investment from Hy24, StormFisher Hydrogen is expected to deploy several billion dollars of capital over the next decade. The company’s clean fuel production facilities will have material economic benefits for local communities, creating approximately 50 permanent high-quality, full-time jobs per site.

“We are thrilled to partner with Hy24,” said Brian Boulanger, CEO of ARC Financial Corp. “Their deep expertise and sectoral focus in the hydrogen and e-Fuel space will be instrumental in accelerating StormFisher Hydrogen’s mission to lead in clean fuel development. With the management team’s proven track record in developing major projects, ARC Financial Corp.’s extensive North American investment experience, and Hy24’s global reach, we are well-positioned to deliver low-carbon hydrogen-derived products to our industrial customers at scale.”

About StormFisher Hydrogen

StormFisher Hydrogen develops and operates facilities that produce e-Fuels through the sourcing of renewable electricity to produce green hydrogen and the sourcing and use of carbon dioxide from industrial point sources. StormFisher Hydrogen works with hard-to-abate sectors such as transportation (maritime/aviation), heavy industry, and gas utility companies, as well as traditional methanol users seeking clean fuel solutions to support long-term decarbonization goals.

About Hy24

The Clean H2 Infra Fund is managed by Hy24, a 50/50 joint venture between Ardian, a world leading private investment house, and FiveT Hydrogen, a clean hydrogen investment pureplay. The world’s largest clean hydrogen infrastructure fund results from the initiative of Air Liquide, TotalEnergies and VINCI Concessions, combined with the one of Plug Power, Chart Industries and Baker Hughes, which were sharing a common objective to accelerate the development of the hydrogen sector. The fund is now up and running with €2 billion of allocations. With strong industrial and financial expertise at its core, Hy24 will have a unique capacity to accelerate the scaling up of hydrogen solutions along the whole value chain: production, conversion, storage, supply, and usage. Hy24 will support large early stage and strategic projects into becoming essential energy infrastructures. The infrastructure fund managed by Hy24 complies with Article 9 of the European regulation on sustainability-related disclosures in the financial services sector (SFDR). Hy24 is an alternative investment fund manager regulated by the French Autorité des marchés financiers under the number GP-202171. The Clean H2 Infra Fund is dedicated to professional investors and not commercialized in the United States of America.

About ARC Financial Corp.

Founded in 1989, ARC Financial Corp. is committed to building high-performing businesses that address the world’s energy and sustainability needs. To date, ARC has raised C$6.4 billion across eleven energy-focused funds since the launch of its private equity business in 1997, having invested capital in more than 180 companies across the energy landscape. ARC’s newest fund, ARC Energy Fund 10, is focused on infrastructure development and energy services & manufacturing opportunities in energy transition. For more information, please visit www.arcfinancial.com

Press Contacts

StormFisher Hydrogen
Karen Hamill, Director, Communications Strategy Group
khamill@wearecsg.com, W: https://stormfisher.com

Hy24
Elizabeth Adams, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting
Hy24@fticonsulting.com, W: https://hy24partners.com

The MIL Network –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Future AGI launches world’s most accurate multimodal AI evaluation tool

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

San Francisco, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While enterprise AI adoption accelerates, 85% of AI projects fail to meet expectations due to accuracy and reliability challenges in tooling*. Current tools lack the depth to provide actionable insights, leaving teams with vague evaluations without identifying root causes or improvement strategies.

Today, Future AGI announces a $1.6M pre-seed funding round to scale its AI lifecycle management platform that enables enterprises to build and maintain high-performing AI applications with unprecedented accuracy. The funding round is co-led by Powerhouse Ventures and Snow Leopard Ventures, with participation from Angellist Quant Fund, Swadharma Source Ventures, Saka Ventures and a marquee group of 30+ industry stalwarts and angels.

Future AGI founders: Nikhil Pareek and Charu Gupta.

Current AI tooling falls short in several critical areas—ranging from generating high-quality synthetic data and providing granular error analysis to enabling effective feedback and optimization loops—leaving cross-functional teams of subject matter experts, data scientists, and software developers without clear pathways to improvement. Most evaluations remain manual and superficial, with developers often defaulting to guesswork or “vibe checks” rather than informed experimentation. This fragmented ecosystem, coupled with limited domain expertise in tooling usage, makes it exceedingly difficult to pinpoint where models fail, devise data-driven remediation strategies, and ultimately treat AI development with the same rigor as modern software engineering.

Building trustworthy high-performing AI applications is complex — requiring rapid iterations across models, prompts, and data while safeguarding against harmful outputs. Future AGI’s platform streamlines this entire lifecycle with rapid experimentation, deep multi-modal evaluations, real-time observability, and continuous improvement capabilities. The platform’s proprietary technology includes advanced evaluation systems for text and images, agent optimizers, and auto-annotation tools that can reduce AI product development time by up to 95%. Users can complete evaluations in minutes and automatically optimize their AI systems for production, eliminating manual overhead and ensuring consistent performance.

“AI is becoming the new software, but its widespread adoption faces a critical challenge – reliability and accuracy at scale,” said Nikhil Pareek, CEO of Future AGI. “Today’s AI systems are probabilistic and error-prone, with improvement cycles taking 6-8 months. We’re building the foundational layer that ensures AI systems are trustworthy and reliable in production. Our platform isn’t just about workflow automation – we’re creating the data layer that continuously monitors, evaluates, and improves AI systems across multimodal interactions.”
FutureAGI is making significant strides across various industries. A Series E sales-tech company leveraged FutureAGI’s LLM Experimentation Hub to achieve an impressive 99% accuracy in agentic pipeline, accelerating their processes 10 times faster than previous methods, compressing weeks of work into just hours. This transformation has drastically improved their capacity for delivering personalized customer interactions at scale.

In another case, an AI image generation company utilized FutureAGI’s platform to streamline its image generation pipeline, resulting in a remarkable 90% reduction in costs by decreasing reliance on human evaluators while maintaining 99% accuracy for catalog and marketing images. These examples highlight FutureAGI’s ability to optimize operations and drive substantial cost savings while enhancing performance.

The platform’s capabilities extend beyond pure software applications to hardware AI agents in robotics and autonomous vehicles, where accuracy requirements are even more stringent. Future AGI’s synthetic data generation and evaluation systems enable companies to simulate edge cases and validate AI models under various real-world conditions before deployment.

Future AGI was the genesis of Nikhil Pareek and Charu Gupta and was born out of founders’ frustration with the growing challenges in data collection, annotation, and training model readiness. Each iteration magnified these issues, and through conversations with fellow AI builders, they realized this problem was widespread. Nikhil Pareek is a former AI founder, with multiple patents and research papers, comes with experience ranging from building autonomous drones to tackling complex data science challenges for Fortune 50 companies. Charu Gupta is a veteran in revenue growth, having successfully navigated multiple startups from inception to achieving revenues of up to $100 million.

Future AGI team.

With a powerful team of 30 AI researchers and ML engineers—hailing from Microsoft, Amazon, and other top tech giants—alongside alumni from Ivy League and premier institutions, they bring deep expertise in AI innovation, published research, and patented technologies. Together, the team is tackling one of AI’s most formidable challenges—redefining accuracy and trust in AI at an unprecedented scale’

“The AI landscape is evolving rapidly, and one of the biggest challenges enterprises face today is ensuring the accuracy and reliability of their AI applications,” said Sri Peddu, General Partner at Powerhouse Ventures “Future AGI’s innovative approach to solving this critical problem through their comprehensive AI lifecycle management platform positions them uniquely in the market. We believe their solution will be instrumental in helping companies achieve the highest accuracy levels required for production-grade AI applications.”

“We believe great people build great companies, and we know from our data that Future AGI is one of the top early-stage startups for attracting the best job applicants on Wellfound (fka AngelList Talent)” said Abraham Othman, PhD, managing partner of the AngelList Early-Stage Quant Fund.

The timing for this challenge becomes especially critical as organizations transition from experimental AI implementations to business-critical applications, and as major players like Meta, Google, and Anthropic rapidly expand into multimodal AI — combining text, images, audio, and video. This evolution of AI has intensified market demand for solutions that can effectively manage the trustworthiness and reliability of AI products by ensuring accuracy.

Looking ahead, Future AGI will use the new funding to accelerate product development and grow its engineering and growth teams while strengthening its proprietary technology stack. The company has offices in the Bay Area and its R&D center in Bangalore, positioning it to serve the growing global demand for reliable AI solutions.

Ends
*Gartner, Gartner Business Insights, Strategies & Trends For Executives

Media images can be found here.

About Future AGI
Future AGI is a venture-backed AI infrastructure company founded by seasoned entrepreneurs with deep expertise in AI and business scaling. Led by a technical founder with multiple patents and an experienced business leader, the company is transforming how enterprises build and maintain high-quality AI products. Our platform dramatically reduces the time and effort needed to achieve reliable AI systems, enabling organizations to confidently deploy AI across their operations. With a growing roster of clients and POCs, Future AGI is positioned to become the foundation for trustworthy AI development.

Founded in 2024 and headquartered in the US with an R&D center in India, Future AGI’s proprietary technology includes advanced evaluation systems for text and images, auto-tuning prompt optimizers, and auto-annotation tools that can reduce AI product development time by up to 95%. The company serves a diverse client base ranging from late-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies, helping them achieve and maintain 99% accuracy in their AI applications.

Powerhouse Ventures
Powerhouse Ventures (PV) is a Singapore-based early-stage Venture Capital firm with an investment focus on startups emerging from India and the United States. PV supports early-stage companies in high-growth sectors where technology is the driver. Currently, PV manages an active portfolio of 40+ companies spread across India, the United States, and Singapore and includes category-defining companies such as Whatfix, Slintel, Medibuddy, Quizizz, DailyRounds/Marrow, Sybill, etc.

Snow Leopard Ventures
Snow Leopard Ventures/Snow Leopard Global Capital Management is a global alternative asset manager investing largely proprietary capital with offices in Pune, India and New York, NY. The firm invests across multiple industries and across different stages, from pre-seed through pre-IPO.

AngelList Early Stage Quant Fund
The AngelList Early Stage Quant Fund is a data-driven investment fund that has raised $25 million to invest in over 100 early-stage startups in technology, data, and finance sectors, leveraging advanced analytics to enhance decision-making.

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Parkway International Capital Group Kicks Off 2025 with $12.3 Million Refinance for Charleston Boutique Hotel
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Parkway International Capital Group (PIC Group) is pleased to announce the successful closing of a $12.3 million refinance loan for a historic boutique hotel in Charleston, South Carolina. This transaction marks PIC Group’s first deal of the year, setting the stage for another strong year of strategic financing solutions for real estate investors and developers.

Supporting Growth in One of America’s Top Travel Destinations
The borrower is a well-established boutique hotel operator with a track record of successfully restoring and managing heritage properties across the Southeast. With Charleston experiencing record-high tourism and occupancy rates, the borrower sought a refinance solution to reduce debt costs and fund property enhancements.
- 52-room luxury boutique hotel housed in a restored 19th-century landmark
- Planned upgrades, including modernized guest suites, sustainability enhancements, and expanded amenities
- Prime location in Charleston’s historic district, a top-ranked U.S. travel destination
- Refinancing structured to optimize cash flow and unlock capital for future investments
“Charleston remains one of the most sought-after destinations in the country, and this financing ensures our borrower can continue delivering an elevated guest experience while optimizing financial performance,” said Jonathan Lockard, VP Originations of Parkway International Capital Group. “We are proud to start the year by providing a tailored financing solution that supports both operational flexibility and long-term success.”

Strategic Loan Terms for Long-Term Growth
PIC Group structured this refinance package to lower the borrower’s debt service while freeing up capital for reinvestment:
- Loan Amount: $12,300,000
- Loan Term: 48 months, interest-only
- Interest Rate: Fixed at 8.75%
- Loan-to-Value (LTV): 70%
- $2 Million Cash-Out Component allocated for property renovations and operational enhancements
“This financing not only lowers our borrower’s annual debt obligations but also allows them to strategically reinvest in the property,” added Jonathan. “With the hospitality sector in Charleston seeing continued strength, this loan positions the hotel for sustained growth and profitability.”

New Year, New Momentum: Faster Deals, Greater Capital Access
As PIC Group’s first transaction of 2025, this deal reflects the firm’s ongoing commitment to helping developers, operators, and investors thrive in today’s market. To enhance efficiency and capital deployment this year, PIC Group has:
- Expanded its investor network, ensuring faster approvals and greater funding flexibility
- Streamlined underwriting and closing processes, allowing for quicker turnaround times
- Increased capital availability for multifamily, hospitality, industrial, and mixed-use projects
Looking Ahead: More Deals on the Horizon
With a strong pipeline for 2025, Parkway International Capital Group remains a trusted capital partner for real estate investors seeking customized financing solutions.

About Parkway International Capital Group
Parkway International Capital Group (PIC Group) is a leading private commercial lending firm, specializing in tailored financing solutions for real estate developers and investors. With a focus on efficiency, innovation, and strategic capital deployment, PIC Group partners with clients to bring high-value real estate projects to life.

Media Contact

Marvin Fincham
Visit our website at pic-group.net
Email us at loans@pic-group.net

The MIL Network –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Research from QphoX, Rigetti, and Qblox Demonstrating Optical Readout Technique for Superconducting Qubits Published in Nature Physics

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DELFT, The Netherlands and Berkeley, Calif., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — QphoX B.V., a Dutch quantum technology startup that is developing leading frequency conversion systems for quantum applications, Rigetti Computing, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGTI), a pioneer in full-stack quantum-classical computing, and Qblox, a leading innovator in quantum control stack development, today announced that their joint research demonstrating the ability to readout superconducting qubits with an optical transducer was published in Nature Physics.

Quantum computing has the potential to drive transformative breakthroughs in fields such as advanced material design, artificial intelligence, and drug discovery. Of the quantum computing modalities, superconducting qubits are a leading platform towards realizing a practical quantum computer given their fast gate speeds and ability to leverage existing semiconductor industry manufacturing techniques. However, fault-tolerant quantum computing will likely require 10,000 to a million physical qubits. The sheer amount of wiring, amplifiers and microwave components required to operate such large numbers of qubits far exceeds the capacity of modern-day dilution refrigerators, a core component of a superconducting quantum computing system, in terms of both space and passive heat load.

A potential solution to this problem may be to replace coaxial cables and other cryogenic components with optical fibers, which have a considerably smaller footprint and negligible thermal conductivity. The challenge lies in converting the microwave signals used to control qubits into infrared light that can be transmitted through fiber. This is where microwave-to-optical transduction comes into play, a field dedicated to the coherent conversion of microwave photons to optical photons. QphoX has developed transducers with piezo-optomechanical technology that are capable of performing this conversion, forming an interface between superconducting qubits and fiber-optics.

To demonstrate the potential of this technology, QphoX, Rigetti and Qblox connected a transducer to a superconducting qubit, with the goal of measuring its state using light transmitted through an optical fiber. The results of this collaborative effort have been published in Nature Physics. Remarkably, it was discovered that not only is the transducer capable of converting the signal that reads out the qubit, but that the qubit can also be sufficiently protected from decoherence introduced by thermal noise or stray optical photons from the transducer during operation.

“Microwave-to-optics transduction is a rapidly emerging technology with far-reaching implications for quantum computing. Our work demonstrates that transducers are now ready to interface with superconducting qubit technology. This is an exciting and crucial demonstration, with the potential for this technology being far reaching and potentially transformative for the development of quantum computers,” says Dr. Thierry van Thiel, lead author of the work and Lead Quantum Engineer at QphoX.

“Developing more efficient ways to design our systems is key as we work towards fault tolerance. This innovative, scalable approach to qubit signal processing is the result of our strong partnerships with QphoX and Qblox and showcases the value of having a modular technology stack. By allowing our partners to integrate their technology with ours, we are able to discover creative ways to solve long-standing engineering challenges,” says Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, Rigetti CEO.

“Realizing industrial-scale quantum computers comes with solving several critical bottlenecks. Many of these lie in the scalability of the readout and control of qubits. As Qblox is entirely focused on exactly this theme, we are proud to be part of this pivotal demonstration that shows that QphoX microwave-to-optical transducers are a solid route to scalable quantum computing. We look forward to the next steps with Rigetti and QphoX to scale up this technology,” says Dr. Niels Bultink, Qblox CEO.

About QphoX
QphoX is the leading developer of quantum transduction systems that enable quantum computers to network over optical frequencies. Leveraging decades of progress in photonic, MEMS and superconducting device nanofabrication, their single-photon interfaces bridge the gap between microwave, optical and telecom frequencies to provide essential quantum links between computation, state storage and networking. QphoX is based in Delft, the Netherlands. See https://www.qphox.eu/ for more information.

About Rigetti
Rigetti is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The Company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. In 2021, Rigetti began selling on-premises quantum computing systems with qubit counts between 24 and 84 qubits, supporting national laboratories and quantum computing centers. Rigetti’s 9-qubit Novera™ QPU was introduced in 2023 supporting a broader R&D community with a high-performance, on-premises QPU designed to plug into a customer’s existing cryogenic and control systems. The Company’s proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides high-performance integration with public and private clouds for practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industry’s first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The Company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industry’s first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Learn more at https://www.rigetti.com/.

About Qblox
Qblox is a leading provider of scalable and modular qubit control stacks. Qblox operates at the frontier of the quantum revolution in supporting academic and industrial labs worldwide. The Qblox control stack, known as the Cluster, combines key technologies for qubit control and readout and supports a wide variety of qubit technologies. Qblox has grown to 130+ employees and continues to innovate to enable the quantum industry. Learn more at https://www.qblox.com/.

Reference
T.C. van Thiel, M.J. Weaver, F. Berto, P. Duivestein, M. Lemang, K.L. Schuurman, M. Žemlička, F. Hijazi, A.C. Bernasconi, C. Ferrer, E. Cataldo, E. Lachman, M. Field, Y. Mohan, F.K. de Vries, C.C. Bultink, J.C. van Oven, J.Y. Mutus, R. Stockill, and S. Gröblacher, Optical readout of a superconducting qubit using a piezo-optomechanical transducer, Nature Physics, 11 February 2025.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-024-02742-3

QphoX Media Contact
Simon Gröblacher, CEO
press@qphox.eu

Rigetti Media Contact
Rebecca Malamud, Senior Marketing & Communications Manager
press@rigetti.com

Qblox Media Contact
Eva Flipse, Head of Marketing
eflipse@qblox.com

Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this communication may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements with respect to the Company’s expectations with respect to its future success and performance, including expectations with respect to the ability to use an optical transducer to perform readout on the Company’s superconducting qubits; the potential with respect to quantum computing driving transformative breakthroughs in fields such as advanced material design, artificial intelligence, and drug discovery; the number of qubits necessary to reach fault tolerance; potential to replace coaxial cables and other cryogenic components with optical fibers; the ability to convert microwave signals used to control qubits into infrared light that can be transmitted through fiber; expectations of using optical transducers to protect a qubit from decoherence introduced by thermal noise or stray optical photons; readiness of interfacing optical transducers with semiconducting qubit technology; expectations with respect to scaling to create larger qubit systems without sacrificing gate performance using the Company’s modular chip architecture, including expectations with respect to the Company’s anticipated systems; expectations with respect to the Company’s partners and customers and the quantum computing plans and activities thereof; and expectations with respect to the anticipated stages of quantum technology maturation, including the Company’s ability to develop a quantum computer that is able to solve practical, operationally relevant problems significantly better, faster, or cheaper than a current classical solution and achieve quantum advantage on the anticipated timing or at all; expectations with respect to the quantum computing industry and related industries. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company and its management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: the Company’s ability to achieve milestones, technological advancements, including with respect to its technology roadmap, help unlock quantum computing, and develop practical applications; the ability of the Company to obtain government contracts successfully and in a timely manner and the availability of government funding; the potential of quantum computing; the ability of the Company to expand its QPU sales and the Novera QPU Partnership Program; the success of the Company’s partnerships and collaborations; the Company’s ability to accelerate its development of multiple generations of quantum processors; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company or others; the ability to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and attract and retain management and key employees; costs related to operating as a public company; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the possibility that the Company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, or competitive factors; the Company’s estimates of expenses and profitability; the evolution of the markets in which the Company competes; the ability of the Company to implement its strategic initiatives, expansion plans and continue to innovate its existing services; the expected use of proceeds from the Company’s past and future financings or other capital; the sufficiency of the Company’s cash resources; unfavorable conditions in the Company’s industry, the global economy or global supply chain, including financial and credit market fluctuations and uncertainty, rising inflation and interest rates, disruptions in banking systems, increased costs, international trade relations, political turmoil, natural catastrophes, warfare (such as the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and related sanctions and the state of war between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and related threat of a larger conflict), and terrorist attacks; the Company’s ability to maintain compliance with the continued listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements other than as required by applicable law. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Parallels Introduces New “Elevate Now” Partner Program to Boost Partner Growth and Success
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Parallels, a global leader in virtualization and end-user computing solutions, today introduced its “Elevate Now” Partner Program, designed to equip new and existing partners with more resources, greater profitability, and enhanced support. The program updates, which focus on delivering increased value and growth opportunities, are aimed at enabling resellers, managed service providers (MSPs), value added resellers (VARs), and system integrators (SI) to thrive.

“Our goal with this program redesign is to ensure that all partners, regardless of size, can navigate the changes and disruption in the traditional virtual desktop landscape,” said Michelle Chiantera, Chief Revenue Officer for Parallels. “With substantial updates to discounts, program tiers, and support, we’re delivering a partner-first, channel-first model that helps partners meet market demands, boost their bottom line, and offers an attractive alternative to Citrix.”

Key benefits of Parallels’ “Elevate Now” Partner Program include:
- Updated program tiers. In addition to added benefits for existing Silver, Gold, and Platinum partners, Parallels has introduced a new Essentials tier, tailored for smaller partners who may not yet meet the minimum deal size requirements of higher tiers. This entry-level tier provides resources and support to help these partners grow and advance through the program. Plus, a new partner portal offers streamlined access to vital resources, empowering all partners to maximize program benefits and succeed.
- Expanded partner benefits. Higher discounts, enriched support, faster onboarding, and free enablement and certification across all program tiers ensure partners can more easily grow and thrive.
- Increased profitability. The updated discount model emphasizes new business generation, offering higher margins for resellers, while enabling partners to manage and fully benefit from customer renewals.
“With our partner-sourced sales pipeline doubling and new deal registrations tripling over the past year, we’re excited to see that our partners are thriving,” said Chiantera. “The changes we’ve made to our program are designed to sustain this momentum, giving partners even greater profit margins and the resources they need to unlock new opportunities.”

“The benefits we receive as strategic partners allow us to increase our margins through enhanced deal registration and MDF investments, helping us grow and expand our Parallels footprint. Parallels also supports us in maintaining our installed base, which has become a key market differentiator for us.” – Pedro Guerreiro, Chief Solutions Officer, A2it Technology

Parallels extends migration program

Parallels is empowering Citrix and Omnissa customers to transition smoothly to Parallels solutions with its specialized migration program, extended through to May 31, 2025. This program includes tailored migration tools and financial incentives, such as a free one-year license for customers committing to a three-year paid subscription and additional rebates for gold and platinum partners. For more details, including the program terms, conditions, and complete eligibility requirements, visit: www.parallels.com/lp/parallels-migration.

Flexible SPLA billing simplifies license management for MSPs

Parallels offers tailored support for MSPs through its flexible SPLA concurrent billing model, enabling partners to manage customer licenses on a monthly basis with ease and scalability. With this model, MSPs can access Parallels’ powerful suite of solutions to deliver secure, high-performance virtual workspaces without upfront commitments. To learn how Parallels can streamline your services, visit www.parallels.com/partners/msp/.

Empower customer success with Parallels’ suite of end-user computing solutions

“Elevate Now” partners gain access to Parallels’ comprehensive suite end-user computing solutions, including Parallels RAS, Parallels Secure Workspace, Parallels DaaS, and Parallels Browser Isolation. Learn more at www.parallels.com/partners.

About Parallels

Parallels is a global leading brand in cross-platform solutions that make it simple for businesses and individuals to use and access the applications and files they need on any device or operating system. Parallels helps customers leverage the best technology out there, whether it’s Windows, Mac, ChromeOS, iOS, Android, or the cloud. Parallels solves complex engineering and user-experience problems by making it simple and cost-effective for businesses and individual customers to use applications anywhere, anytime. For more information, please visit www.parallels.com.

© 2025 Parallels International GmbH. All rights reserved. Parallels is a trademark or registered trademark of Parallels International GmbH. in Canada, the United States and/or elsewhere. Mac is a trademark of Apple Inc. Android and ChromeOS are trademarks of Google LLC. All other company, product and service names, logos, brands and any registered or unregistered trademarks mentioned are used for identification purposes only and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners. For all notices and legal information please visit www.parallels.com/about/legal/

Contact:
Ashley Ruess
ashley.ruess@alludo.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8652a83e-758b-429e-8cb6-22324f22f756

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bfbf424c-3b2e-442b-8fa5-89b0c64d2fec

The MIL Network –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: StoneX and Fiserv Partner to Enhance Cross-Border Payment Capabilities for Financial Institutions

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StoneX Group Inc. (“StoneX”; NASDAQ: SNEX) announced that its Payments Division (“StoneX Payments”) has entered into a partnership with Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE: FI) to extend its advanced cross-border payments offering to financial institutions. In conjunction with Fiserv’s Payments Exchange Services, community banks and credit unions will have an opportunity to directly leverage StoneX’s institutional-grade infrastructure, resulting in dramatically improved global reach, ultra-competitive pricing, and robust transparency across cross-border payment lifecycles.

Payments Exchange Services from Fiserv is a flexible, web-based platform for completing end-to-end, real-time payments 24/7/365 through the RTP® Network from The Clearing House and the US Federal Reserve’s FedNow® Service, while also offering a range of foreign exchange and global payment capabilities.

“This partnership with Fiserv is a key part of our broader strategic vision to expand StoneX Payments’ reach and enhance cross-border money movement for financial institutions globally,” said Thiago Vieira, Global Head of StoneX Payments. “This collaboration represents a significant opportunity for banks and credit unions to obtain enhanced capabilities that have traditionally been reserved for only the world’s largest financial institutions.”

StoneX’s broad global coverage eliminates redundancies and streamlines processes associated with legacy systems and networks, which are reliant on multiple intermediaries to facilitate international transfers. This approach can result in significant cost reduction, faster payment fulfillment, and an enhanced client experience throughout the payment lifecycle.

“Over time, through our close work with community banks and credit unions, we’ve recognized the critical need for a more competitive offering compared to what the market has traditionally provided,” said Stephen Kuhl, Managing Director, Financial Institutions for StoneX Payments. “Our platform empowers financial institutions to significantly elevate their client offering with a global payments solution and leverage multiple benefits, including improved client retention, new revenue streams, and enhanced competitiveness. Community banks and credit unions increasingly have realized that offering international payments services is essential to meeting the needs of their diverse client base, including businesses, high-net-worth clients, and individuals at large with global requirements.”

“At Fiserv, we recognize that foreign exchange and international payments are an invaluable part of community banks’ and credit unions’ product suites. It is imperative that they offer capabilities on par with the broader competitive landscape,” said Justin Jackson, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Payment Solutions at Fiserv. “We look forward to partnering with StoneX to bring their comprehensive service offering to this segment.”

About Fiserv:

Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE: FI), a Fortune 500 company, aspires to move money and information in a way that moves the world. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and the Clover® cloud-based point-of-sale and business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index and one of Fortune® World’s Most Admired Companies™. Visit fiserv.com and follow on social media for more information and the latest company news.

About StoneX:

StoneX Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates a global financial services network that connects companies, organizations, traders, and investors to the global market ecosystem through a unique blend of digital platforms, end-to-end clearing and execution services, high-touch service, and deep expertise. The company strives to be the one trusted partner to its clients, providing its network, products, and services to allow them to pursue trading opportunities, manage their market risks, make investments, and improve their business performance. A Fortune 100 company headquartered in New York City and listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (NASDAQ: SNEX), StoneX Group Inc. and its 4,300+ employees serve more than 54,000 commercial, institutional, and global payments clients, and more than 400,000 retail accounts, from more than 80 offices spread across six continents.

NASDAQ: SNEX
www.stonex.com

For more information contact:
Stephen Kuhl, Managing Director: Financial Institutions
Stephen.kuhl@stonex.com

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Influence on Healthcare Market Expected to Generate Revenues of $610 Billion By 2034

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – The growing adoption of the digital technologies in the healthcare sector owing to the growing need for reducing the healthcare costs and offer enhanced quality patient care services to the patients are the prominent factors that are boosting the growth of the global artificial intelligence in healthcare market. The surging prevalence of various chronic diseases and growing elderly population is resulting in the increased pool of patients at hospitals. The large volume of patient health data is generated every day, which is required to be stored and managed effectively. The growing demand for the personalized medicines and the necessity of maintaining digital health records are significantly driving the artificial intelligence in healthcare market. The novel technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are now being integrated to the healthcare systems that will allow the health professionals in early identification of the diseases and offer enhanced care services to the patients. Moreover, the data analytics, deep learning technology, natural language processing (NPL), predictive analytics, and content analytics are supporting the healthcare professionals in early diagnosis and care services. A report from Precedence Research said that the global artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare market size accounted for USD 26.69 billion in 2024 and is predicted to reach around USD 613.81 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 36.83% from 2024 to 2034. North America AI in healthcare market size reached USD 8.67 billion in 2023. Active A.I. companies active in the markets include: Avant Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI), Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEM), BigBear.ai (NYSE: BBAI), Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK), SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOUN).

The Precedence Research report added: “North America region was the highest market share holder in (recent years). North America is characterized by the increased inclination towards the advanced and latest digital technologies. The strong and developed healthcare, IT, and telecommunications infrastructure in North America has supported the growth of the artificial intelligence in healthcare market. Furthermore, the favorable government policies that encourage the adoption of the digital and novel technologies like artificial intelligence in the healthcare sector. North America has the presence of huge pool of patients. It is estimated that over half of the US population is suffering from one or more chronic diseases. This is resulting in increased volume of patients in hospitals. The health data of these patients needs to be stored and managed in digital form as per the government regulations. This is a major factor that propels the demand for the artificial intelligence in healthcare sector.”

Avant Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI) and Ainnova Advance Toward FDA Clinical Trial with Selection of Top CRO – Avant Technologies, Inc. (“Avant” or the “Company”) and its partner, Ainnova Tech, Inc., (Ainnova), a leading healthcare technology company focused on revolutionizing early disease detection using artificial intelligence (AI), today announced the selection of Fortrea, a global provider of clinical development solutions to the life sciences industry, as the contract research organization (CRO) to conduct Ainnova’s upcoming clinical studies to seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Ainnova’s Vision AI platform.

Fortrea will assist Ainnova in requesting a pre-submission meeting with the FDA for guidance on the clinical testing needed for its Vision AI platform in the early detection of diabetic retinopathy. After a pre-submission meeting, Fortrea will then work with Ainnova on its FDA submission and a subsequent clinical study before concluding with an FDA 510(k) submission to obtain clearance from the FDA to market its Vision AI platform.

The upcoming clinical studies are significant to Avant and its shareholders because of the partnership formed by Avant and Ainnova to advance and commercialize Ainnova’s technology portfolio, including its Vision AI platform and its versatile retinal cameras. The joint venture formed by the two companies, Ai-nova Acquisition Corp. (AAC), has the licensing rights for this portfolio in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, so the success of Ainnova’s clinical studies with the FDA will be vital to marketing the technology portfolio in the United States.

Ainnova’s Chief Executive Officer, Vinicio Vargas, said of the selection, “We worked diligently to identify and select the right CRO to help us both engage the FDA and then conduct our clinical studies. Fortrea is an established and highly regarded full-service CRO with expertise in more than 20 therapeutic areas, and a CRO with an extensive portfolio of successfully completed clinical trials, including those involving both emerging and large biopharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostic companies.”

With Fortrea’s guidance, Ainnova expects to submit its pre-submission application in the coming weeks and expects to meet with the FDA for its pre-submission meeting in late March/early April 2025. Additionally, Ainnova will also interact with the FDA to devise a plan to obtain clearance for four algorithms it recently acquired the exclusive licensing rights to, which include early detection for cardiovascular risk, prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and chronic kidney disease. CONTINUED… Read this and more news for Avant Technologies at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-avai/

In other A.I. developments and happenings in the market recently include:

Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEM), a technology company leading the adoption of AI to advance precision medicine and patient care, recently announced it has completed its acquisition of Ambry Genetics, a recognized leader in genetic testing that aims to improve health by understanding the relationship between genetics and disease.

“This acquisition complements our strategy of leveraging diagnostics and data to drive innovation, further strengthening our ability to deliver cutting-edge solutions to clinicians, patients, and life sciences companies,” said Eric Lefkofsky, Founder and CEO of Tempus. “We are excited to welcome Ambry to the Tempus team as we work together to improve patient outcomes and transform treatment journeys through the power of technology.”

BigBear.ai (NYSE: BBAI) has recently been awarded a contract by the Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) to advance BigBear.ai’s Virtual Anticipation Network (VANE) prototype. This initiative will support the CDAO and Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) by leveraging custom AI models to better assess news media originating in countries that are potential foreign adversaries.

The prototype award is designed to improve CDAO’s ability to identify key trends and topics related to potential foreign adversarial areas of interest, enabling faster and more informed assessments of media data vital to national security. VANE was created to contrive clarity in multi-domain environments for military and government applications by aggregating and analyzing vast data points, enabling predictions of adversarial activity in complex situations.

“We are honored to continue our support in the modernization of our nation’s defense efforts. This award underscores the importance of leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies to address complicated geopolitical challenges,” said Ryan Legge, President of National Security at BigBear.ai. “By advancing VANE within CDAO, we are arming our warfighters with sophisticated intelligence capabilities to leverage foreign insights critical to the safety of our Nation and those protecting it.”

Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK) recently announced the launch of Insights, a new feature that enhances therapeutic care by helping Talkspace providers efficiently prepare for sessions and guide client care between sessions. The feature was developed and refined in partnership with Talkspace clinicians.

Before each session, providers can use Insights to synthesize data from each client’s care journey, a process that is typically manual — including changes in that client’s symptom acuity from evidence-based psychological assessments and key details from the most recent session — to generate a concise pre-session primer tailored to the therapist’s upcoming appointment. After the session, an update can be generated to reflect the discussion’s key points, highlight therapeutic progress, and note follow-ups for future sessions.

SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOUN), a global leader in voice artificial intelligence, recently announced the launch of Brand Personalities, a groundbreaking feature for its SoundHound Chat AI Automotive voice assistant – making it the first in-vehicle assistant to offer distinct, customizable personas tailored to each automaker’s unique brand identity, designed to enhance both the user experience and brand loyalty for OEMs.

Brand Personalities enables car makers to control the entire personality of their voice assistant including response style, character and vivaciousness. Automotive partners can choose from pre-designed personas, create fully customized personalities tailored to their specific needs, or even introduce seasonal characters for campaigns. Due to SoundHound’s unique software architecture, multiple personas can be defined for specific sub-brands or model lines—allowing sports cars, family cars, and commercial vehicles to each have distinct personalities that reflect the unique needs of their customers.

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DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM was compensated forty nine hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Avant Technologies, Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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SOURCE: FN Media Group

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Primech AI Signs Three Pilot Program Agreements with Leading Singapore Cleaning Companies for HYTRON Cleaning Robot

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SINGAPORE, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Primech AI Pte. Ltd. (“Primech AI”), a subsidiary of Primech Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: PMEC), proudly announces the signing of three important pilot program agreements for its groundbreaking HYTRON AI-powered cleaning robots. These agreements with established Singapore-based cleaning companies, including a leading provider of facilities and industrial services operating across Singapore, China, and Malaysia, represent a major expansion of Primech AI’s market presence and a solid vote of confidence in its advanced AI technology.

These agreements involve deploying HYTRON units across various sectors, showcasing the versatility and efficiency of these AI-powered cleaning solutions. The HYTRON units are powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin Super, a state-of-the-art System-on-Module (SoM) designed for robust edge AI and robotics applications robots that will enhance hygiene standards and operational efficacy at several key facilities, reflecting growing industry confidence in robotic automation.

At the core of HYTRON’s navigation capabilities is a multi-sensor system consisting of (1) LIDAR for Mapping and Navigation, which enhances both precision and safety; (2) Ultrasonic Sensors for Proximity Detection to identify nearby objects and adjust its path accordingly, ensuring seamless movement through cluttered spaces without colliding with furniture or other obstacles; and (3) AI-powered Camera Sensors for Object Identification to recognize and classify bathroom objects, such as sinks, toilets, and mirrors. This ensures it applies the appropriate cleaning technique to each surface, enhancing its efficiency in commercial restroom cleaning.

Under the two-year pilot program agreements, these prominent cleaning companies will integrate HYTRON robots into their daily facility operations. This reflects the sector’s readiness to embrace innovative cleaning solutions that promise to revolutionize facility management through enhanced efficiency and reduced costs. This deployment is set to showcase the substantial benefits of integrating AI-powered automation into traditional cleaning processes.

Each pilot program agreement includes full support from Primech AI’s customer service framework, ensuring that HYTRON operates at peak efficiency and reliability. In addition, Primech AI will conduct staff training for the companies to ensure the effective operation and maintenance of the robots.

“Our three new esteemed partners for these pilot programs have a combined 75 years of facilities service and have worked on nearly 1,000 different commercial cleaning projects. Securing these leases is a strong endorsement of HYTRON’s capabilities and our Company’s direction,” stated Charles Ng, Chief Operating Officer of Primech AI. “We believe HYTRON is the future of cleaning and look forward to sharing updates with our shareholders about our continued development as the facility management industry reflects a continued shift and acceptance of robotic solutions.”

About Primech Holdings Limited
Headquartered in Singapore, Primech Holdings Limited is a leading provider of comprehensive technology-driven facilities services, predominantly serving both public and private sectors throughout Singapore. Primech Holdings offers an extensive range of services tailored to meet the complex demands of its diverse clientele. Services include advanced general facility maintenance services, specialized cleaning solutions such as marble polishing and facade cleaning, meticulous stewarding services, and targeted cleaning services for offices and homes. Known for its commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge technology, Primech Holdings integrates eco-friendly practices and smart technology solutions to enhance operational efficiency and client satisfaction. This strategic approach positions Primech Holdings as a leader in the industry and a proactive contributor to advancing industry standards and practices in Singapore and beyond. For more information, visit www.primechholdings.com.

About Primech AI
Primech AI is a leading robotics company dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation in technology. With a team of passionate individuals and a commitment to collaboration, Primech AI is poised to revolutionize the robotics industry with groundbreaking solutions that make a meaningful impact on society. For more information, visit www.primech.ai.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including, for example, statements about completing the acquisition, anticipated revenues, growth, and expansion. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are also based on assumptions regarding the Company’s present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future. Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure that such expectations will be correct. The Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC.

Company Contact:
Email: ir@primech.com.sg

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

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: New Forests adopts Intapp DealCloud to bolster capital raising

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intapp (NASDAQ: INTA), a leading global provider of AI-powered solutions for professionals at advisory, capital markets, and legal firms, announces that New Forests has implemented Intapp DealCloud to modernize its investor relations and fundraising functions. New Forests is a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies with teams spanning the United States, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Australia. The firm manages a diversified portfolio of sustainable timber plantations and conservation areas, carbon and conservation finance projects, agriculture, timber processing, and infrastructure.

Leading strategic change
“With Intapp DealCloud, we are able to keep better track of our investors, and the entire fundraising process, to ensure we’re offering investors and prospective investors a more targeted and tailored approach to relationship management,” said Sarah Clawson, Global Head of Investor Relations at New Forests. “The AI capabilities within DealCloud will help streamline reporting, investor outreach, and follow ups.”

Modernizing investor relations
DealCloud provides New Forests’ investor relations teams with the insight they need to make important decisions and build long-term relationships with investors. It is a data-powered platform built for capital markets firms that centralizes critical proprietary and third-party data. Access to real-time data and analytics helps New Forests’ IR professionals cultivate existing and prospective investor relationships, build pipeline, organize investor events, and tailor thought leadership content.

Using Applied AI, DealCloud furthers the modernization of investor relations processes through every stage of the process. With AI assistance, IR professionals can analyze data quickly and accurately, and make more informed decisions based on real-time insights, market trends, and existing firm knowledge. DealCloud’s AI capabilities also help automate everyday workflows, identify and communicate with potential new investors, and ensure investor and fundraising activity is recorded for future reference.

Multiplying success with Intapp
“We’re excited to work with New Forests, a leading investment manager across Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Africa and the United States,” said Rudy Saad, Global Head of Private Equity and Private Capital Markets at Intapp. “With Intapp DealCloud, their IR professionals are empowered with greater visibility into key investor interactions, more targeted business development campaigns, and ultimately better management of capital raising initiatives while automating more manual processes.”

About Intapp
Intapp software helps professionals unlock their teams’ knowledge, relationships, and operational insights to increase value for their firms. Using the power of Applied AI, we make firm and market intelligence easy to find, understand, and use. With Intapp’s portfolio of vertical SaaS solutions, professionals can apply their collective expertise to make smarter decisions, manage risk, and increase competitive advantage. The world’s top firms — across accounting, consulting, investment banking, legal, private capital, and real assets — trust Intapp’s industry-specific platform and solutions to modernize and drive new growth. For more information, visit intapp.com and LinkedIn.

About New Forests
New Forests is a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies, with A$11.6 billion in assets under management across more than 4.2 million hectares of investments. We manage a diversified portfolio of sustainable timber plantations and conservation areas, carbon and conservation finance projects, agriculture, timber processing and infrastructure. We aim to generate shared prosperity for our clients and the communities in which we operate and accelerate the transition to a sustainable future (as at 30 June 2024).

Headquartered in Sydney, New Forests is a Certified B Corp and operates in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Africa and the United States. www.newforests.com.

Intapp
Ali Robinson
Global Media Relations Director, Intapp
press@intapp.com

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The New Yorker turns 100 − how a poker game pipe dream became a publishing powerhouse

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christopher B. Daly, Professor Emeritus of Journalism, Boston University

The New Yorker expanded the scope of journalism far beyond the standard categories of crime, courts, politics and sports. Design Uncensored

Literate in tone, far-reaching in scope, and witty to its bones, The New Yorker brought a new – and much-needed – sophistication to American journalism when it launched 100 years ago this month.

As I researched the history of U.S. journalism for my book “Covering America,” I became fascinated by the magazine’s origin story and the story of its founder, Harold Ross.

In a business full of characters, Ross fit right in. He never graduated from high school. With a gap-toothed smile and bristle-brush hair, he was frequently divorced and plagued by ulcers.

Ross devoted his adult life to one cause: The New Yorker magazine.

For the literati, by the literati

Born in 1892 in Aspen, Colorado, Ross worked out west as a reporter while still a teenager. When the U.S. entered World War I, Ross enlisted. He was sent to southern France, where he quickly deserted from his Army regiment and made his way to Paris, carrying his portable Corona typewriter. He joined up with the brand-new newspaper for soldiers, Stars and Stripes, which was so desperate for anybody with training that Ross was taken on with no questions asked, even though the paper was an official Army operation.

Harold Ross and Jane Grant in 1926.
University of Oregon Libraries

In Paris, Ross met a number of writers, including Jane Grant, who had been the first woman to work as a news reporter at The New York Times. She eventually became the first of Ross’ three wives.

After the armistice, Ross headed to New York City and never really left. There, he started meeting other writers, and he soon joined a clique of critics, dramatists and wits who gathered at the Round Table in the Algonquin Hotel on West 44th Street in Manhattan.

Over long and liquid lunches, Ross rubbed shoulders and wisecracked with some of the brightest lights in New York’s literary chandelier. The Round Table also spawned a floating poker game that involved Ross and his eventual financial backer, Raoul Fleischmann, of the famous yeast-making family.

In the mid-1920s, Ross decided to launch a weekly metropolitan magazine. He could see that the magazine business was booming, but he had no intention of copying anything that already existed. He wanted to publish a magazine that spoke directly to him and his friends – young city dwellers who’d spent time in Europe and were bored by the platitudes and predictable features found in most American periodicals.

First, though, Ross had to come up with a business plan.

The kind of smart-set readers Ross wanted were also desirable to Manhattan’s high-end retailers, so they got on board and expressed interest in buying ads. On that basis, Ross’ poker partner Fleischmann was willing to stake him US$25,000 to start – roughly $450,000 in today’s dollars.

Ross goes all in

In the fall of 1924, using an office owned by Fleischmann’s family at 25 West 45th St., Ross got to work on the prospectus for his magazine:

“The New Yorker will be a reflection in word and picture of metropolitan life. It will be human. Its general tenor will be one of gaiety, wit and satire, but it will be more than a jester. It will not be what is commonly called radical or highbrow. It will be what is commonly called sophisticated, in that it will assume a reasonable degree of enlightenment on the part of its readers. It will hate bunk.”

The magazine, he famously added, “is not edited for the old lady in Dubuque.”

In other words, The New Yorker was not going to respond to the news cycle, and it was not going to pander to middle America.

Ross’ only criterion would be whether a story was interesting – with Ross the arbiter of what counted as interesting. He was putting all his chips on the long-shot idea that there were enough people who shared his interests – or could discover that they did – to support a glossy, cheeky, witty weekly.

Ross almost failed. The cover of the first issue of The New Yorker, dated Feb. 21, 1925, carried no portraits of potentates or tycoons, no headlines, no come-ons.

Instead, it featured a watercolor by Ross’ artist friend Rea Irvin of a dandified figure staring intently through a monocle at – of all things! – a butterfly. That image, nicknamed Eustace Tilly, became the magazine’s unoffical emblem.

A magazine finds its footing

Inside that first edition, a reader would find a buffet of jokes and short poems. There was a profile, reviews of plays and books, lots of gossip, and a few ads.

It was not terribly impressive, feeling quite patched together, and at first the magazine struggled. When The New Yorker was just a few months old, Ross almost even lost it entirely one night in a drunken poker game at the home of Pulitzer Prize winner and Round Table regular Herbert Bayard Swope. Ross didn’t make it home until noon the next day, and when he woke, his wife found IOUs in his pockets amounting to nearly $30,000.

Fleischmann, who had been at the card game but left at a decent hour, was furious. Somehow, Ross persuaded Fleischmann to pay off some of his debt and let Ross work off the rest. Just in time, The New Yorker began gaining readers, and more advertisers soon followed. Ross eventually settled up with his financial angel.

A big part of the magazine’s success was Ross’ genius for spotting talent and encouraging them to develop their own voices. One of the founding editor’s key early finds was Katharine S. Angell, who became the magazine’s first fiction editor and a reliable reservoir of good sense. In 1926, Ross brought James Thurber and E.B. White aboard, and they performed a variety of chores: writing “casuals,” which were short satirical essays, cartooning, creating captions for others’ drawings, reporting Talk of the Town pieces and offering commentary.

E.B. White in his office at The New Yorker.
Bettmann/Getty Images

As The New Yorker found its footing, the writers and editors began perfecting some of its trademark features: the deep profile, ideally written about someone who was not strictly in the news but who deserved to be better known; long, deeply reported, nonfiction narratives; short stories and poetry; and, of course, the single-panel cartoons and the humor sketches.

Intensely curious and obsessively correct in matters grammatical, Ross would go to any length to ensure accuracy. Writers got their drafts back from Ross covered in penciled queries demanding dates, sources and endless fact-checking. One trademark Ross query was “Who he?”

During the 1930s, while the country was suffering through a relentless economic depression, The New Yorker was sometimes faulted for blithely ignoring the seriousness of the nation’s problems. In the pages of The New Yorker, life was almost always amusing, attractive and fun.

The New Yorker really came into its own, both financially and editorially, during World War II. It finally found its voice, one that was curious, international, searching and, ultimately, quite serious.

Ross also discovered still more writers, such as A.J. Liebling, Mollie Panter-Downes and John Hersey, who was raided from Henry Luce’s Time magazine. Together, they produced some of the best writing of the war, most notably Hersey’s landmark reporting on the use of the first atomic bomb in warfare.

A crown jewel of journalism

Over the past century, The New Yorker had a profound impact on American journalism.

For one thing, Ross created conditions for distinctive voices to be heard. For another, The New Yorker provided encouragement and an outlet for nonacademic authority to flourish; it was a place where all those serious amateurs could write about the Dead Sea Scrolls or geology or medicine or nuclear war with no credentials other than their own ability to observe closely, think clearly and put together a good sentence.

Finally, Ross must be credited with expanding the scope of journalism far beyond standard categories of crime and courts, politics and sports. In the pages of The New Yorker, readers almost never found the same content that they’d come across in other newspapers and magazines.

Instead, readers of The New Yorker might find just about anything else.

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

– ref. The New Yorker turns 100 − how a poker game pipe dream became a publishing powerhouse – https://theconversation.com/the-new-yorker-turns-100-how-a-poker-game-pipe-dream-became-a-publishing-powerhouse-246774

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Whether Christians should prioritize care for migrants as much as for fellow citizens has been debated for centuries

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Laura E. Alexander, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Nebraska Omaha

Vice President JD Vance has criticized the U.S. Catholic bishops condemning agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement entering churches and schools. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Vice President JD Vance and several bishops of the U.S. Roman Catholic Church are having a war of words over the Trump administration’s flurry of executive orders and highly publicized immigration raids. The bishops argue that these policies tend to empower gangs and traffickers while harming vulnerable families; Vance has criticized the bishops’ stance and argued that crackdowns are a matter of public safety.

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive orders, both Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Bishop Mark Seitz, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, publicly objected to the tone and the humanitarian impacts of the orders.

Seitz critiqued generalizations that denigrate and describe migrants without legal status as “criminals” or “invaders,” saying this “is an affront to God, who has created each of us in his own image.” Instead, he urged humane policies and bipartisan immigration reform for an “effective, orderly immigration system.”

Interviewed on “Face the Nation,” Vance argued that the USCCB should “look in the mirror … and recognize that when they receive over US$100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?”

To be clear, this line of attack appears to be false. USCCB contracts with the U.S. State Department to resettle refugees and has received over $100 million in recent years to do so, but refugee resettlement is a legal immigration program. The Catholic Church, rather than making money on this program, provides funding from its own budget to supplement its humanitarian work with refugees. For example, according to the USCCB’s audited financial statements, in 2023, the most recent year reported, the USCCB spent over $134.2 million on resettlement services. Federal grants provided over $129.6 million for these services, with the USCCB covering the rest.

As a scholar of religion and migration, I see in this debate long-standing tensions among Catholic – and other Christian – thinkers and practitioners about moral obligations to people with whom we have closer versus more distant relationships.

This tension is magnified in the case of migrants without legal status, since most of these migrants do have close relationships with U.S. communities and citizens, but they are not legally authorized by the U.S. government.

2 perspectives on moral responsibility

In international relations, different stances on how to treat people who are not citizens of one’s own state are described as “cosmopolitan” and “communitarian,” respectively.

Some Christian thinkers have adopted these terms as a helpful way to understand Christian ethical debates over how to prioritize caring for people who are more closely connected or less connected to us. Those who take a cosmopolitan stance argue that Christians should care equally about all people of the world and should not show preference to family members or those within their near orbit, even if, for practical reasons, they do assist those close to them more often.

Meanwhile, thinkers who take a communitarian stance argue that Christians certainly should care about the well-being of all but have a moral obligation to prefer helping people they have a closer relationship with, such as family members, those who are close geographically and possibly fellow citizens.

Christian theologies of neighborly love

Many Christian thinkers have developed perspectives on how to prioritize care for different neighbors by interpreting the words and actions of Jesus, as well as the teachings and practices of the early Christian church. Over time, Christian thinkers have also considered institutional statements and traditional teachings of different church bodies.

Early theologians, including Clement of Rome, the first-century bishop of Rome, and John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople in the fourth and fifth centuries, demonstrated cosmopolitan tendencies.

Biblical passages encourage believers to welcome strangers.
‘Sermon on the Mount’ by Henrik Olrik via Wikimedia Commons

These early church leaders consider biblical passages, including commandments in the Hebrew Bible, to welcome strangers. In the Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan upholds a person of different ethnicity and religion from Jesus and his followers as an ideal “neighbor.” It also praises acts of kindness across ethnic and religious boundaries.

In another passage, Jesus heals the daughter of a woman who was both non-Jewish and of foreign ethnicity, accepting her chastisement for his initial reluctance to assist a non-Jew.

Later in the New Testament, the apostle Paul used expansive language for the Christian community, particularly in Galatians, the ninth book of the New Testament: “There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

The contemporary Roman Catholic Church has often taken a cosmopolitan perspective on social issues. Pope Francis, in his message for the 2024 World Day of Migrants and Refugees, highlights the biblical passage that “our citizenship is in heaven” and states that “the encounter with the migrant … ‘is also an encounter with Christ.’”

Catholic service organizations draw on this thinking when they help migrants in concrete ways. In addition to refugee resettlement services, many Catholic organizations provide humanitarian assistance such as food and shelter to migrants, no matter where they are from.

Christian communitarian thought

From a communitarian perspective, some thinkers argue that Christians’ concrete obligations to members of their communities can differ from their obligations to others, even though they view all people as of equal moral worth.

New Testament writings describe how members of early Christian groups provided food and care for those in their communities – even as they also gave charity to the poor in the wider society.

St. Thomas Aquinas, whose writings have also become part of the current debate after Vance referenced them online, argues that Christians should assist people in need, even to the point of depriving themselves of luxuries or social standing. He consistently urges Christians to love all people as commanded by God. Yet he also writes that, all other things being equal, Christians can properly meet the needs of people close to them before they give to those outside their own family or close circles, and that in political matters there can be some justification for preferring fellow citizens.

Some contemporary Christian thinkers apply similar ideas to relationships between citizens and noncitizens in modern states. Ethicist Mark Amstutz argues that American Christian churches should incorporate a stronger focus on citizens’ needs and solidarity within state communities into their statements on immigration. German Catholic thinker Manfred Spieker has advocated that Christian social teachings permit preferences for people one is close to, as well as requirements of cultural integration by immigrants.

These proponents of Christian communitarian perspectives continue to stress that all neighbors should be treated well even if some are prioritized over others. In this way, Vance’s remarks are not the best example of Christian communitarian thought, since migrants without legal status still should not be demonized nor falsely accused of criminal behavior, both of which Vance himself has done in the past few months.

Immigrants in communities and the command to love

Christian thinkers do agree that Christians are commanded by God to show love for all people – those who are like them, those who are not like them and even enemies.

But it’s possible that love could take different shapes in different relationships. Immigration poses a unique test case because immigrants are not citizens, but they are “close” neighbors to U.S. citizens.

Immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, are integral parts of the communities where they live. They work in vital jobs; in 2020-22, 42% of hired farmworkers were migrants without legal status. Immigrants, both with legal status and without, have brought new workers and young families to small towns whose populations have declined in recent decades.

This further nuances debates about cosmopolitan and communitarian moral perspectives, since immigrants arrive from places outside the U.S. but have close relationships with U.S. citizens, whether as family members or as neighbors with whom they work, shop and worship.

At the moment, public debate over immigration reflects trends in U.S. politics as much or more than it does Christian ethics. Yet Christian communities do continue to wrestle with cosmopolitan and communitarian ways of thinking, as they try to understand and apply Christian scriptural and moral commands to care for all people.

Laura E. Alexander receives funding from the Mellon Foundation and has previously received funding from the Public Religion Research Institute. As a private individual, she is a member of the Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities, a statewide network of businesses, institutions, and individuals seeking immigration reform solutions.

– ref. Whether Christians should prioritize care for migrants as much as for fellow citizens has been debated for centuries – https://theconversation.com/whether-christians-should-prioritize-care-for-migrants-as-much-as-for-fellow-citizens-has-been-debated-for-centuries-248640

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Mirror life is a scientific fantasy leading to a dangerous reality − a synthetic biologist explains how mirror bacteria could conquer life on Earth

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kate Adamala, Assistant Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota

Synthetic biology offers many tantalizing possibilities, but scientists consider some projects too risky to pursue. DBenitostock/Moment via Getty Images

Most major biological molecules, including all proteins, DNA and RNA, point in one direction or another. In other words, they are chiral, or handed. Like how your left glove fits only your left hand and your right glove your right hand, chiral molecules can interact only with other molecules of compatible handedness.

Two chiralities are possible: left and right, formally called L for the Latin laevus and D for dexter. All life on Earth uses L proteins and D sugars. Even Archaea, a large group of microorganisms with unusual chemical compositions, stick to the program on the handedness of the main molecules they use.

For a long time, scientists have been speculating about making biopolymers that would mirror compounds in nature but in the opposite orientation – namely, compounds made of D proteins and L sugars. Recent years have seen some promising advancements, including enzymes that can make mirror RNAs and mirror DNAs.

Chirality refers to something that is not superimposable on its mirror image – like your hands.
NASA

When scientists observed that these mirror molecules behave just like their natural equivalents they considered that it would be possible to make a whole living cell from them. Mirror bacteria in particular had the potential to be a useful basic research tool – possibly allowing scientists to study a new tree of life for the first time and solve many problems in bioengineering and biomedicine.

This so-called mirror life – living cells made from building blocks with an opposite chirality to those that make up natural life – could have very similar properties to natural living cells. They could live in the same environment, compete for resources and behave like you would expect of any living organism. They would be able to evade infection from other predators and immune systems because these opponents wouldn’t be able to recognize them.

These features are why researchers like me were so attracted to mirror life in the first place. But these qualities are also huge bugs of this technology that make it a problem.

I am a synthetic biologist who studies using chemistry to create living cells. I am also a bioengineer who develops tools for the bioeconomy. As a chemist by training, engineering mirror life initially seemed like a fascinating way to answer foundational questions about biology and practically apply those findings to industry and medicine. As I learned more about the immunology and ecology of mirror life, however, I became aware of the potential environmental and health consequences of this technology.

Real concerns about hypothetical mirror life

It’s important to note that researchers are likely at least 10 to 30 years away from creating mirror bacteria. On the timescale of a fast-moving field like synthetic biology, a decade is a very long time. Creating synthetic cells is difficult on its own. Creating mirrored ones would require several technical breakthroughs.

However, it would come with a risk. If mirror cells were released into the environment, they would likely be able to quickly proliferate without much restriction. The natural mechanisms that keep ecosystems in balance, including infection and predation, would not work on mirror life.

Bacteria, like most life forms, are susceptible to viral infections. These bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages, enter bacteria by binding to their surface receptors and then use their cellular machinery to replicate. But just as a left glove doesn’t fit a right hand, natural bacteriophages wouldn’t recognize mirror cell receptors or be able to use its machinery. Mirror life would likely be resistant to viruses.

Mirror bacteria may be able to evade the bacteriophages that would otherwise help keep them in check. Here, multiple bacteriophages are attached to a bacterial cell wall.
Professor Graham Beards/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Microorganisms foraging in the environment also keep bacterial populations in check. They differentiate food from nonfood by using chemical “taste” receptors. Anything those receptors bind to, such as bacteria and organic debris, are considered edible, while things that cannot bind to those receptors, such as rocks, are classified as inedible. Think about how a dog foraging on the kitchen floor will eat a bread roll but only sniff a spoon and move on. Mirror life would be, to the bacterial predators, more like a spoon than bread – predators would “sniff” it with their receptors and move on because these cells can’t bind.

Safety from being eaten would be great news for mirror bacteria, because it would allow it to replicate freely. It would be much worse news to the rest of the ecosystem, because mirror bacteria might hog all the nutrients and spread uncontrollably. Even if mirror bacteria don’t actively attack other organisms, they would still consume food sources other organisms need. And since mirror cells would have much lower death rates than regular organisms due to a lack of predation, they would slowly but surely take over the environment.

Even if mirror cells grow more slowly than normal cells, they would be able to grow without anything stopping them.

Insufficient immunity

Another biological control mechanism that wouldn’t be able to “sniff” out mirror cells is the immune system.

Your immune cells constantly check everything they find in your blood. The decision tree of an immune cell is fairly simple. First, decide whether something is alive or not, then compare it with its database of “self” – your own cells. If it is alive but is not a part of you, then it needs to be killed. Mirror cells likely wouldn’t pass the first step of that screen: it would not induce an immune response because the immune system would not be able to recognize or bind to mirror cell antigens. This means mirror cells could infect an unprecedentedly wide variety of hosts.

You might think an infection from mirror bacteria could be treated with antibiotics of the same handedness. It would probably work, and may even be easier on your gut than regular antibiotic therapy. Because antibiotics are also handed, mirror versions of these drugs would not affect your gut microbiome, just like how regular antibioics would not affect mirror cells.

But humans are a relatively small part of the ecosystem. All other animals and plants may also be susceptible to infection from mirror pathogens. While it is possible to imagine developing mirror antibiotics to treat human infections, it is physically impossible to treat the entire plant and animal world. If all organisms are susceptible to even a slow-moving infection by mirror bacteria, there is no good treatment that could be deployed across the entire ecosystem.

Better safe than sorry

Mirror life is an exciting research subject and a potential tool with some practical applications in medicine and biotechnology. But for many scientists, including me, none of those benefits outweigh the serious consequences to human health and the environment that mirror life poses.

I and a group of researchers in immunology, ecology, biosafety and security – including some who used to actively work on mirror life – conducted a thorough analysis of possible concerns regarding the creation of mirror life. No matter how we looked at it, straight up or in the mirror, the conclusions were clear: The potential benefits of engineering mirror life are not worth the risk.

Mirror life is scientifically tantalizing but ethically unwise.

There is no way to make anything completely foolproof, and that includes any safeguards built into a mirror cell that could prevent the risk of accidental or deliberate release into the environment. Researchers working in this space, including us, may find this disappointing. But not making mirror cells can ensure the safety and security of the planet. More discussion among the global scientific community about what kinds of research on mirror biomolecules and related technologies are safe – as well as how to regulate this research – can help safeguard against potential harms.

Keeping mirror cells inside the mirror, rather than making them a physical reality, is the clearest path to staying safe.

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

– ref. Mirror life is a scientific fantasy leading to a dangerous reality − a synthetic biologist explains how mirror bacteria could conquer life on Earth – https://theconversation.com/mirror-life-is-a-scientific-fantasy-leading-to-a-dangerous-reality-a-synthetic-biologist-explains-how-mirror-bacteria-could-conquer-life-on-earth-245842

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council Tax needs to be replaced not reformed say Scottish Greens

Source: Scottish Greens

11 Feb 2025 Finance

Councils and local communities deserve our support to succeed.

More in Finance

Council Tax is a broken system that needs to be replaced rather than reformed, says Scottish Greens spokesperson for local government, Ariane Burgess MSP.

The call comes as the Scottish Government has announced that it is taking action to make the system “fairer.”

Ms Burgess said:

“Council tax is an outdated and broken tax that works for nobody.

“It isn’t fair to the households who are paying it and does not benefit the councils that are struggling to fund essential services.

“From schools and social care to waste collections, libraries and community centres, our councils are on the front line of delivering for our communities. We need to support them.

“Tweaking and reforming it is not enough. It is time to replace it with a fairer and more progressive system that would see most households paying less while the wealthiest would pay more.”

Ms Burgess added:

“The Scottish Greens have already delivered important reforms, like doubling Council Tax on holiday homes and allowing councils to set tourist levies, raising money for local services and helping to tackle the housing crisis.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New UK sanctions target Russian cybercrime network
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

A key Russian cybercrime syndicate responsible for aiding merciless ransomware attacks around the world has been targeted by new UK sanctions.
UK sanctions target Russian cyber entity, ZSERVERS responsible for facilitating crippling ransomware attacks globally

targets also include 6 ZSERVERS members who are part of a prolific cybercrime supply chain, and their UK front company XHOST

action on illicit Russian cybercrime syndicate is latest step to strengthen UK national security

Fresh sanctions are targeting ZSERVERS, a key component of the Russian cybercrime supply chain, and 6 of its members, as well as its UK front company, XHOST Internet Solutions LP. ZSERVERS provide vital infrastructure for cybercriminals as they plan and execute attacks against the UK.

The illicit supply chain protects, supports and conceals the operations of some of the world’s most ruthless ransomware gangs. Ransomware actors rely on these services to launch attacks, extort victims and store stolen data.

In the modern digital-first economy, cyber security is a non-negotiable cornerstone of business success. A secure digital economy is a less attractive target for cybercriminals and a more attractive home for investment, generating jobs and putting more money into hardworking people’s pockets, delivering on this government’s Plan for Change.

Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:

Putin has built a corrupt mafia state driven by greed and ruthlessness. It is no surprise that the most unscrupulous extortionists and cyber-criminals run rampant from within his borders.

This government will continue to work with partners to constrain the Kremlin and the impact of Russia’s lawless cyber underworld. We must counter their actions at every opportunity to safeguard the UK’s national security and deliver on our Plan for Change.

Predatory ransomware groups pose a clear and persistent threat to national security, public services and privacy. These attacks threaten critical national infrastructure, disrupt essential services, compromise sensitive data and generated $1 billion from their victims globally in 2023 alone.

Minister of State for Security, Dan Jarvis, said:

Ransomware attacks by Russian affiliated cybercrime gangs are some of the most harmful cyber threats we face today and the government is tackling them head on. Denying cybercriminals the tools of their trade weakens their capacity to do serious harm to the UK.

We have already announced new world-first proposals to deter ransomware attacks and destroy their business model. With these targeted sanctions and the full weight of our law enforcement, we are countering the threats we face to protect our national security, a foundation of our Plan for Change, and our economy.

ZSERVERS explicitly advertise themselves to illicit actors as a Bulletproof Hosting (BPH) Provider. Some BPH are known to host hackers, misinformation, child exploitation material, spam and hate speech. BPH providers like ZSERVERS, protect and enable cybercriminals, offering a range of purchasable tools which mask their locations, identities, and activities. Targeting these providers can disrupt hundreds or thousands of criminals simultaneously.

Today’s action is the latest in a series of coordinated steps alongside US and Australian partners, and comes off the back of recent sanctions against notorious ransomware groups LockBit and Evil Corp.

LockBit affiliates are known to have used ZSERVERS as a launch pad for targeting the UK, enabling ransomware attacks against various targets, including the non-profit sector.

Protecting the nation from threats both physical and digital sits at the foundation of the government’s Plan for Change. That is why we are moving through the entire ransomware pipeline step by step, cracking down on Russian cybercriminals that threaten the UK’s security, integrity, and prosperity.

Background

The full list of those sanctioned today:

ZSERVERS

XHOST Internet Solutions LP

Aleksandr Bolshakov (employee)

Aleksandr Mishin (employee)

Ilya Sidorov (employee)

Dmitriy Bolshakov (employee)

Igor Odintsov (employee)

Vladimir Ananev (employee)

Further information on how our actions align with the UK government’s overall strategy to disrupt cybercrime, and how these actors support the broader cybercrime ecosystem: Ransomware, extortion and the cyber crime ecosystem, NCSC.GOV.UK

An overview of Bulletproof Hosting (BPH) providers from our Australian partners: “Bulletproof” hosting providers, Cyber.gov.au

View the full UK Sanctions List and more information on UK sanctions relating to Russia.

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Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

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Published 11 February 2025

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MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Siebert Financial Launches Investment Banking Division, Adding Industry Leaders Kimberly Boulmetis and Ajay Asija as Co-Heads

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIAMI and NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Siebert Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: SIEB) has launched Siebert Investment Banking, a strategic expansion designed to serve middle-market clients often overlooked by larger financial institutions. Leading this new division are Kimberly Boulmetis and Ajay Asija, two seasoned professionals with extensive experience in capital markets, M&A, and financial advisory services.

Siebert Investment Banking will initially focus on providing tailored solutions for underserved companies in financial services in FinTech, depository, and specialty finance, expanding the practice into blockchain and digital assets and building additional verticals over time. In addition to the existing institutional distribution channels, the new division will be able to leverage Siebert’s extensive retail distribution network. The firm is uniquely positioned to provide certainty of execution in equity and debt financings while offering a client-centric, transparent business model that attracts top banking talent.

John J. Gebbia Sr., CEO of Siebert Financial, emphasized the firm’s strategic vision. “Investment banking is a natural extension of Siebert’s commitment to providing best-in-class financial solutions to its clients. Kimberly and Ajay bring the expertise and leadership necessary to develop a strong platform, serving a vital market segment.”

Asija and Boulmetis’ appointment strategically complements the recent expansion of the firm with the Capital Markets Group, led by Randy Billhardt complementing Siebert’s existing strengths.

Ajay Asija, bringing over 25 years of experience in investment banking, has advised on over $90 billion in transactions throughout his career at firms including Lehman Brothers, J.P. Morgan, Bear Stearns, and B. Riley. Most recently, he served as CFO of BM Technologies, a publicly traded FinTech company, orchestrating its successful sale to First Carolina Bank. His M&A and strategic financial advisory expertise make him a key driver in Siebert’s expansion.

“The middle market deserves the same level of expertise and execution as larger firms,” said Asija. “Siebert’s platform offers the ideal foundation to deliver trusted high-quality advisory services to clients who need them most.”

With over 25 years of experience in debt capital markets and financial institutions advisory, Kimberly Boulmetis most recently was the head of U.S. Financial Institutions for the DCM Group at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) where she was responsible for covering a broad roster of financial institution clients – including banks, insurance companies, asset management firms, private equity sponsors, business development companies (BDCs) and closed-end funds. She has a deep knowledge of markets, providing her clients with innovative strategic and financing solutions in both public & private markets. One of her major areas of focus is helping ’40 Act companies, specifically BDCs and Closed-End Funds, optimize their cost of capital.

“I am so excited to join Siebert, a firm that was originally founded by Muriel Siebert, a true trailblazer, with current leadership that honors her legacy with incredible focus, drive, and the desire to continue to strategically enhance the firm for our clients’ benefit,” said Boulmetis. “Siebert’s current platform, coupled with the areas that the firm is building out, will allow Randy, Ajay & I to be extremely well-positioned to truly add value to our clients from a corporate advisory and capital raising perspective.”

Randy Billhardt, Head of Capital Markets at Siebert, comments, “Investment banking at Siebert will be defined by its ability to provide a boutique, high-touch experience while leveraging the firm’s broad distribution network. I am proud to welcome Kimberly and Ajay to Siebert, adding their deep expertise and leadership to our growing capabilities.”

About Siebert Financial Corp.
Siebert is a diversified financial services company and has been a member of the NYSE since 1967 when Muriel Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the NYSE and the first to head one of its member firms.

Siebert operates through its subsidiaries Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC, Siebert AdvisorNXT, LLC, Park Wilshire Companies, Inc., RISE Financial Services, LLC, Siebert Technologies, LLC, and StockCross Digital Solutions, Ltd, and Gebbia Entertainment LLC. Through these entities, Siebert provides a full range of brokerage and financial advisory services, including securities brokerage, investment advisory and insurance offerings, securities lending, and corporate stock plan administration solutions, in addition to entertainment and media productions. For over 55 years, Siebert has been a company that values its clients, shareholders, and employees. More information is available at www.siebert.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “intend” and similar words or expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements, which reflect beliefs, objectives, and expectations as of the date hereof, are based on the best judgment of the management of Siebert. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, including, without limitation, the following: economic, social and political conditions, global economic downturns resulting from extraordinary events; securities industry risks; interest rate risks; liquidity risks; credit risk with clients and counterparties; risk of liability for errors in clearing functions; systemic risk; systems failures, delays and capacity constraints; network security risks; competition; reliance on external service providers; new laws and regulations affecting Siebert’s business; net capital requirements; extensive regulation, regulatory uncertainties and legal matters; failure to maintain relationships with employees, customers, business partners or governmental entities; the inability to achieve synergies or to implement integration plans; and other consequences associated with risks and uncertainties detailed in Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors of Siebert’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and Siebert’s filings with the SEC.

Siebert cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive, and new factors may emerge, or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that could impact its business. Siebert undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required by the federal securities laws.

Media Contact
Deborah Kostroun, Zito Partners
deborah@zitopartners.com
+1 (201) 403-8185

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cca28fdf-fc44-4b26-8a62-2f005b866714

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Turbo Energy Welcomes International Business Executive Julian Groves to Board of Directors
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VALENCIA, Spain, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Turbo Energy, S.A. (NASDAQ:TURB) (“Turbo Energy” or the “Company”), a global provider of leading-edge, AI-optimized solar energy storage technologies and solutions, today announced the appointment of Julian Groves to the Company’s Board of Directors, which was approved by the Company’s shareholders on December 18, 2024 at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders.

Turbo Energy Welcomes Julian Groves to Board of Directors

Groves brings Turbo Energy extensive experience in commercial strategy, geographic market expansion, worldwide product distribution and logistics, capital formation, private equity investments and corporate governance, as well as nearly three decades of experience leading business-to-business, direct-to-consumer, retail, wholesale and ecommerce initiatives for numerous iconic global brands in both the public and private sectors.

Since February 2019, Groves has served as Chief Operating Officer and executive member of the Board of MGO Global, Inc., a Nasdaq-listed company engaged in global commercialization of digitally-native lifestyle brands that have included both legendary soccer icon Leo Messi’s apparel brand, Messi Brand, and Stand Flagpoles. In this role, he has helped MGO raise tens of millions in pre-IPO, IPO and follow-on financings and is currently working to complete MGO’s business combination with one of the world’s leading commercial and pool management businesses serving the crude oil and refined petroleum tanker market in a transaction expected to be valued at more than $300 million.

Previously, Groves served as CEO of EC2M Holdings, a lifestyle brand-building company which owned and operated London Persona, a growing men’s lifestyle brand launched as a direct-to-consumer shopping experience for men seeking season-to-season high-end wardrobes. EC2M also represented the lifestyle brand Trickers throughout North America and Canada, charged with developing and managing the brand’s B2B channel. Other former senior executive posts have included Sales Director, EMEA of J Brand Europe, a premium, American denim clothing company in which Fast Retailing acquired an 80% stake for $290 million in 2012. As General Manager, EMEA of True Religion, Julian had full profit and loss (P&L) responsibility for the region, overseeing corporate operations in Switzerland and managing full P&L responsibility for the growing, fashion-forward denim brand.

In August 2007, Julian was recruited by GUESS Europe to serve as Country Manager of the casual lifestyle brand’s operations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Under his proven leadership, GUESS Europe opened 32 concessions and 22 retail shops, including GUESS’ Central London flagship store. Earlier in his distinguished career, he was General Manager, UK and Ireland, for Groupe Zannier International from September 2004 through 2007; United Kingdom Sales Director for Burberry from September 2001 through 2004; and United Kingdom Sales Manager for LVMH Kenzo Homme UK Ltd. from November 1997 through August 2001.

Commenting on Groves’ appointment to the Board Enrique Selva, Chairman of the Board of Turbo Energy, stated, “I am delighted to welcome Julian to Turbo Energy’s Board and believe that his deep understanding of business strategy and global market penetration will have a significant impact on Turbo Energy’s planned expansion initiatives – with particular emphasis on commercialization of our SUNBOX Home solar energy storage technologies in the United States. He represents an outstanding addition to our Board and his unique and proven skillset is expected to greatly complement and enhance the overall strength and depth of capabilities of our leadership.”

About Turbo Energy, S.A.

Founded in 2013, Turbo Energy is a globally recognized pioneer of proprietary solar energy storage technologies and solutions managed through Artificial Intelligence. Turbo Energy’s elegant all-in-one and scalable, modular energy storage systems empower residential, commercial and industrial users expanding across Europe, North America and South America to materially reduce dependence on traditional energy sources, helping to lower electricity costs, provide peak shaving and uninterruptible power supply and realize a more sustainable, energy-efficient future. A testament to the Company’s commitment to innovation and industry disruption, Turbo Energy’s introduction of its flagship SUNBOX represents one of the world’s first high performance, competitively priced, all-in-one home solar energy storage systems, which also incorporates patented EV charging capability and powerful AI processes to optimize solar energy management. Turbo Energy is a proud subsidiary of publicly traded Umbrella Global Energy, S.A., a vertically integrated, global collective of solar energy-focused companies. For more information, please visit www.turbo-e.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of the business of the Company, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control, including the risks described in our registration statements and annual report under the heading “Risk Factors” as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Turbo Energy, S.A. specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For more information, please contact:
At Turbo Energy, S.A.
Dodi Handy, Director of Communications
Phone: 407-960-4636
Email: dodihandy@turbo-e.com

Attachment
- Julian Groves
The MIL Network –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Moderne Secures $30M to Drive Billions in Enterprise Code Modernization Savings – Based on Its Innovative Tech Used by AWS, Microsoft, and Broadcom AI Assistants

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIAMI, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Moderne, the automated code refactoring and analysis company, announced it has closed $30 million in Series B funding led by Acrew Capital with participation from Morgan Stanley, Amex Ventures, and TIAA Ventures, as well as all previous investors Allstate, Intel Capital, Mango Capital and True Ventures. The funding is further validation that Moderne is emerging as the only company driving mass-scale code modernization and tech debt remediation critical to the progress and success of enterprises and hyperscalers.

In the last two years, billions of dollars have been invested in AI-powered coding assistants to help developers write new software. However, these tools can fail to address the millions of applications and billions of lines of existing code that companies have developed over the last three decades that must be constantly updated, maintained and secured.

Moderne is the only company with a proven platform designed to analyze and transform large codebases efficiently and cost-effectively. The technology, developed for a fraction of the cost of the new crop of AI-powered coding assistants, stems from the OpenRewrite open-source project Moderne CEO and co-founder Jonathan Schneider developed at Netflix. OpenRewrite has become the de facto standard for code migration and maintenance, and it has been integrated into a number of developer tools from the world’s largest software companies, including AWS’s Amazon Q, Broadcom’s App Advisor, and Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot.

“The challenge of addressing technical debt impacts nearly every company, but it’s mission-critical for enterprises managing massive, complex codebases,” said Mark Kraynak, Founding Partner at Acrew Capital. “Moderne’s technology is purpose-built for this scale, plus it complements and improves this new generation of AI for code. Moderne has redefined what success in code modernization looks like—delivering proven results for some of the largest and most sophisticated enterprises.”

The breakthrough innovation powering Moderne is its one-of-a-kind Lossless Semantic Tree (LST) data model for code that enables a new level of insights into a codebase beyond what is visible in the typical ‘code as text’ representation. The Moderne Platform can work across multiple LST files at once to analyze and transform codebases quickly and accurately. When combined with agentic experiences, like Moderne’s new Mod Agent, developers can work even more efficiently to understand and evolve large codebases.

“Moderne alone produces the data that is going to drive the next decade of code modernization. This data covers everything the compiler knows about the code multiplied by tens of thousands of repositories at each customer,” said Schneider. “Moderne is already driving large-scale application modernization savings for our customers over and over again—and we’re only scratching the surface of what can be done.”

With a team of language engineering and software development experts, Moderne grew its customer base by 250% in 2024, attracting many Fortune 500 companies, including Allstate, Choice Hotels, and Walmart. In fact, five top North American banks are Moderne customers. The company will use the new funding to extend its commitment to providing ideal customer experiences and rapid time to value with Moderne.

Additional Investor Quotes:

Amex Ventures: “Moderne’s technology and open-source community can help enterprises move their valuable software forward with higher accuracy and reliability,” said Kevin Weber, Managing Director at Amex Ventures. “The company helps ensure efficient and cost-effective modernization.”

TIAA Ventures: “It’s crucial that financial institutions are agile and adaptive in today’s advanced digital age. Moderne offers an impressive at-scale approach that can revolutionize code modernization, helping to streamline, improve, and secure the software that’s driving some of the biggest industries. This investment can streamline and improve services for TIAA retirement clients, and we look forward to working with the Moderne team,” said Thompson Barro, Senior Director at TIAA Ventures.

About Moderne
Moderne automates mass-scale code modernization that’s critical to the progress and success of enterprise companies today—making a difference in minutes, not months. Moderne is based in Miami, and its investors include Acrew Capital, Intel Capital, True Ventures, Mango Capital, Allstate Strategic Ventures, Morgan Stanley, Amex Ventures, and TIAA Ventures, among other investors and advisors. To learn more visit www.moderne.ai

Contact: merrill@freundpr.com

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. Announces Transfer of Listing of Common Stock to the New York Stock Exchange and Change in Ticker Symbol

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBI) (“Company” or “HomeTrust”), the holding company of HomeTrust Bank, today announced that the Company will transfer the listing of its common stock from the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”) to the New York Stock Exchange LLC (“NYSE”). HomeTrust’s common stock is expected to commence trading on the NYSE on Monday, February 24, 2025 under a new ticker symbol, “HTB”. The Company’s common stock is expected to continue to trade on NASDAQ until the close of the market on Friday, February 21, 2025.

“We are excited to announce our partnership with the NYSE,” said Hunter Westbrook, President and Chief Executive Officer. “In joining the world’s largest stock exchange, we believe leveraging the NYSE trading platform will provide greater exposure for our Company and long-term value for our stockholders. We look forward to celebrating this occasion and milestone for HomeTrust by ringing The Opening Bell on our first of day of trading on the NYSE.”

“We are pleased to welcome HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. to the New York Stock Exchange,” said Tara Dziedzic, Head of US Listings, New York Stock Exchange. “As an NYSE-listed company, HomeTrust joins our community of icons, disruptors and many of its peers, leveraging the membership value that our exchange uniquely provides.”

About HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc.

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for HomeTrust Bank. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had assets of $4.6 billion. The Bank, founded in 1926, is a North Carolina state chartered, community-focused financial institution committed to providing value added relationship banking with over 30 locations as well as online/mobile channels. Locations include: North Carolina (the Asheville metropolitan area, the “Piedmont” region, Charlotte, and Raleigh/Cary), South Carolina (Greenville and Charleston), East Tennessee (Kingsport/Johnson City, Knoxville, and Morristown), Southwest Virginia (Roanoke Valley) and Georgia (Greater Atlanta).

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, but instead are based on certain assumptions including statements with respect to the Company’s beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, assumptions and statements about future economic performance and projections of financial items. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated or implied by forward-looking statements. The factors that could result in material differentiation include, but are not limited to, the impact of bank failures or adverse developments involving other banks and related negative press about the banking industry in general on investor and depositor sentiment; the remaining effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on general economic and financial market conditions and on public health, both nationally and in the Company’s market areas; natural disasters, including the effects of Hurricane Helene; expected revenues, cost savings, synergies and other benefits from merger and acquisition activities might not be realized to the extent anticipated, within the anticipated time frames, or at all, costs or difficulties relating to integration matters, including but not limited to customer and employee retention, might be greater than expected, and goodwill impairment charges might be incurred; increased competitive pressures among financial services companies; changes in the interest rate environment; changes in general economic conditions, both nationally and in our market areas; legislative and regulatory changes; and the effects of inflation, a potential recession, and other factors described in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission – which are available on the Company’s website at www.htb.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Any of the forward-looking statements that the Company makes in this press release or in the documents the Company files with or furnishes to the SEC are based upon management’s beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made and may turn out to be wrong because of inaccurate assumptions, the factors described above or other factors that management cannot foresee. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

www.htb.com

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Two Payden Mutual Funds Receive Five-Star Overall Morningstar Rating™

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Payden Floating Rate Fund (PYFRX) and the Payden High Income Fund (PYHRX) each received a five-star overall Morningstar rating as of January 31, 2025.

The Floating Rate Fund’s investment objective is to seek a high level of current income through floating rate debt instruments, with a secondary objective of long-term capital appreciation. In addition, the fund received a five-star Morningstar rating for the three-, five- and ten-year periods.

The High Income Fund invests in corporate high-yield bonds, which provide a premium to U.S. Treasury bonds. The fund generally invests in the higher-quality segment of the market and looks for companies with good growth prospects, superior and defensible products and strong management teams.

The Payden Funds span the fixed income asset class, from short-term floating rate bonds to socially responsible municipal bonds to credit sensitive areas like high yield and emerging markets corporates. During a turbulent period for the bond market, with rising rates and increasing uncertainty about the future direction of the global economy, Payden’s process has endured even in challenging markets.

About Payden & Rygel

With $159 billion under management, Payden & Rygel is one of the largest privately-owned global investment advisers focused on the active management of fixed income and equity portfolios. Payden & Rygel provides a full range of investment strategies and solutions to investors around the globe, including Central Banks, Pension Funds, Insurance Companies, Private Banks, and Foundations. Independent and privately-owned, Payden is headquartered in Los Angeles and has offices in Boston, London, and Milan. Visit www.payden.com for more information about Payden’s investment offerings, including US mutual funds and Irish-domiciled funds (subject to investor eligibility).

*Morningstar rates funds from one to five stars based on how well their risk-adjusted performance compares to similar funds. Within each Morningstar Category, the top 10% of funds receive five stars, the next 22.5% four stars, the middle 35% three stars, the next 22.5% two stars, and the bottom 10% receive one star. Funds are rated for up to three time periods—three-, five-, and 10 years—and these ratings are combined to produce an overall rating. Funds with less than three years of history are not rated. Ratings are objective, based entirely on a mathematical evaluation of past performance. They’re a useful tool for identifying funds worthy of further research, but shouldn’t be considered buy or sell recommendations. Morningstar does not adjust total returns for sales charges (such as front-end loads, deferred loads, and redemption fees). Total returns do account for the expense ratio, which includes management, administrative, 12b-1 Distribution fees, and other costs that are taken out of assets.

© 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete, or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate, so investors’ shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. For the most recent month-end performance, which may be higher or lower than that quoted, visit our website at payden.com or call 800 572-9336.

For more information and to obtain a prospectus or summary prospectus, visit payden.com or call 800 572-9336. Before investing, investors should carefully read and consider investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other important information about the Fund, which is contained in these documents.

^A Investing in high-yield securities entails certain risks from investing in investment grade securities, including higher volatility, greater credit risk, and the issues’ more speculative nature.

^B Investment in foreign securities entails certain risks from investing in domestic securities, including changes in exchange rates, political changes, differences in reporting standards, and, for emerging-market securities, higher volatility. The Payden Funds are distributed through Payden & Rygel Distributors, member FINRA.

Sources for the material contained herein are deemed reliable but cannot be guaranteed. This material is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or an offer to sell or buy any security. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

A chart accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2b8d395c-a448-4ade-a15e-69e566acc651

This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025