NewzIntel.com

Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI: Amalgamated Financial Corp. Announces Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK,, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amalgamated Financial Corp. (“Amalgamated” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: AMAL) today announced that its second quarter 2025 financial results will be released before market open on Thursday, July 24, 2025. The Company will host a conference call at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the same day to discuss the financial results.

    Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial 1-877-407-9716 (international callers please dial 1-201-493-6779) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on the website at https://ir.amalgamatedbank.com/.

    A replay of the conference call will be available within two hours of the conclusion of the call and can be accessed both online and by dialing 1-844-512-2921 (international callers please dial 1-412-317-6671). The pin to access the telephone replay is 13754662. The replay will be available until July 31, 2025.  

    About Amalgamated Financial Corp.

    Amalgamated Financial Corp. is a Delaware public benefit corporation and a bank holding company engaged in commercial banking and financial services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Amalgamated Bank. Amalgamated Bank is a New York-based full-service commercial bank and a chartered trust company with a combined network of five branches across New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco, and a commercial office in Boston. Amalgamated Bank was formed in 1923 as Amalgamated Bank of New York by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, one of the country’s oldest labor unions. Amalgamated Bank provides commercial banking and trust services nationally and offers a full range of products and services to both commercial and retail customers. Amalgamated Bank is a proud member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values and is a certified B Corporation®. As of March 31, 2025, our total assets were $8.3 billion, total net loans were $4.6 billion, and total deposits were $7.4 billion. Additionally, as of March 31, 2025, our trust business held $35.7 billion in assets under custody and $14.2 billion in assets under management.

    Investor Contact:
    Jamie Lillis
    Solebury Strategic Communications
    shareholderrelations@amalgamatedbank.com 
    800-895-4172

    Source: Amalgamated Financial Corp.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Enact to Host Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Call July 31st

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RALEIGH, N.C., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enact Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACT) (Enact) announced it will issue its second quarter earnings release after the market closes on July 30, 2025. Enact will host a conference call to review second quarter 2025 financial results on July 31, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. (ET).

    Enact’s earnings release, summary presentation and financial supplement will be available through the company’s website, https://ir.enactmi.com/, at the time of their release to the public.

    Participants interested in joining the call’s live question and answer session are required to pre-register by clicking here to obtain a dial-in number and unique PIN. It is recommended to join at least 15 minutes in advance, although you may register ahead of the call and dial in at any time during the call. If you wish to join the call but do not plan to ask questions, a live webcast of the event will be available on our website, https://ir.enactmi.com/news-and-events/events.

    The webcast also will be archived on the company’s website for one year.

    About Enact Holdings, Inc.
    Enact (Nasdaq: ACT), operating principally through its wholly-owned subsidiary Enact Mortgage Insurance Corporation since 1981, is a leading U.S. private mortgage insurance provider committed to helping more people achieve the dream of homeownership. Building on a deep understanding of lenders’ businesses and a legacy of financial strength, we partner with lenders to bring best-in class service, leading underwriting expertise, and extensive risk and capital management to the mortgage process, helping to put more people in homes and keep them there. By empowering customers and their borrowers, Enact seeks to positively impact the lives of those in the communities in which it serves in a sustainable way. Enact is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Glacier Bancorp, Inc. Announces Second Quarter Earnings Release and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KALISPELL, Mont., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Glacier Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: GBCI) will report second quarter financial results after the market closes on July 24, 2025. A conference call for investors is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, July 25, 2025.

    Please note that our conference call host no longer offers a general dial-in number.

    Investors who would like to join the call may now register by following this link to obtain dial-in instructions: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI39099c48cd94493cadee5c8f4fe748e5

    To participate via the webcast, log on to: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/zusost57

    If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived on our website, www.glacierbancorp.com.

    Glacier Bancorp, Inc. is the parent company for Glacier Bank and its bank divisions: Altabank (American Fork, UT) Bank of the San Juans (Durango, CO), Citizens Community Bank (Pocatello, ID), Collegiate Peaks Bank (Buena Vista, CO), First Bank of Montana (Lewistown, MT), First Bank of Wyoming (Powell, WY), First Community Bank Utah (Layton, UT), First Security Bank (Bozeman, MT), First Security Bank of Missoula (Missoula, MT), First State Bank (Wheatland, WY), Glacier Bank (Kalispell, MT), Heritage Bank of Nevada (Reno, NV), Mountain West Bank (Coeur d’Alene, ID), The Foothills Bank (Yuma, AZ), Valley Bank (Helena, MT), Western Security Bank (Billings, MT), and Wheatland Bank (Spokane, WA).

    CONTACT:
    Randall M. Chesler, CEO
    (406) 751-4722
    Ron J. Copher, CFO
    (406) 751-7706

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Midland States Bancorp, Inc. to Announce Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results on Thursday, July 24

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EFFINGHAM, Ill., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Midland States Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: MSBI) announced today that it will issue its second quarter 2025 financial results after market close on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Along with the press release announcing the financial results, the Company will publish an investor presentation that will be available on the Webcasts and Presentations page of its investor relations website.

    About Midland States Bancorp, Inc.

    Midland States Bancorp, Inc. is a community-based financial holding company headquartered in Effingham, Illinois, and is the sole shareholder of Midland States Bank. As of March 31, 2025, the Company had total assets of approximately $7.28 billion, and its Wealth Management Group had assets under administration of approximately $4.10 billion. The Company provides a full range of commercial and consumer banking products and services and business equipment financing, merchant credit card services, trust and investment management, insurance and financial planning services. For additional information, visit https://www.midlandsb.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/midland-states-bank.

    CONTACTS:
    Eric T. Lemke, Chief Financial Officer, at elemke@midlandsb.com or (217) 342-7321

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: RXO Offers Factoring and LoadPay to Carriers Through Expanded Relationship with Triumph

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS and CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RXO (NYSE: RXO), a leading provider of asset-light transportation solutions, and Triumph (Nasdaq: TFIN), a financial and technology company focused on payments, factoring, intelligence and banking solutions for the transportation industry, today announced the expansion of their relationship to deliver new financial tools and services to carriers.

    RXO has launched RXO Extra | Factoring, a Triumph-powered offering that includes Factoring as a Service™ and LoadPay™, Triumph’s digital banking solution for carriers. The services provide carriers, even those that don’t haul for RXO, with access to seamless factoring and fast, reliable payments, including same-day payments, on approved invoices. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays.

    “Our expanded relationship with Triumph is enabling us to provide carriers with even more ways to improve their efficiency and profitability,” said Lou Amo, president of RXO’s truck brokerage business. “RXO Extra | Factoring allows carriers to get paid by RXO and other freight providers more quickly and easily.”

    Factoring as a Service (FaaS) is a white-labeled solution powered by the Triumph Network that enables brokers to offer branded factoring and payment services directly to carriers. It combines Triumph’s funding and technology infrastructure to help brokers improve carrier cash flow and strengthen relationships. LoadPay is Triumph’s purpose-built digital bank account for carriers, allowing payments to be received in minutes on approved invoices. RXO currently uses Triumph’s audit and payment capabilities.

    RXO Extra | Factoring is part of RXO Extra™, a loyalty program and discount marketplace for carriers. By hauling loads through RXO Connect®, carriers rise through loyalty tiers to earn more savings and bonuses on loads. In addition, through industry partnerships, RXO Extra offers carriers discounts on fuel, maintenance and tires, retail, and more.

    “RXO continues to demonstrate its commitment to the carrier community by delivering tools that simplify operations and improve cash flow,” said Aaron P. Graft, founder and chief executive officer of Triumph Financial. “We’re proud to expand our work with RXO and help carriers across their network transact confidently.”

    Carriers can learn more about RXO Extra | Factoring by visiting https://rxo.com/carriers/rxo-extra/rxo-extra-factoring.

    About Triumph

    Triumph (Nasdaq: TFIN) is a financial and technology company focused on payments, factoring, intelligence and banking to modernize and simplify freight transactions. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, its portfolio of brands includes Triumph, TBK Bank and LoadPay. www.Triumph.io

    About RXO

    RXO (NYSE: RXO) is a leading provider of asset-light transportation solutions. RXO offers tech-enabled truck brokerage services together with complementary solutions including managed transportation and last mile delivery. The company combines massive capacity and cutting-edge technology to move freight efficiently through supply chains across North America. The company is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. www.RXO.com

    About LoadPay

    LoadPay is a modern digital banking solution built for the freight industry. Designed to help carriers better manage their cash flow, LoadPay offers fast and flexible access to funds, along with tools specifically tailored to meet the demands of transportation businesses. LoadPay is a product of TBK Bank, SSB d/b/a Triumph, a financial and technology company focused on modernizing and simplifying freight transactions. www.LoadPay.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements are predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Triumph Financial’s expected financial results or other plans are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” and the forward-looking statement disclosure contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2025. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and Triumph Financial undertakes no duty to update the information.

    Source: Triumph

    Triumph Investor Contact
    Luke Wyse, lwyse@tfin.com

    Triumph Media Contact
    Amanda Tavackoli, atavackoli@tfin.com

    RXO Media Contact
    Nina Reinhardt, nina.reinhardt@rxo.com

    RXO Investor Contact
    Kevin Sterling, kevin.sterling@rxo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Little Pepe Launches Stage 5 as Presale Surges Past $4.8 Million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Little Pepe ($LILPEPE) has officially sold out Stage 4 of its presale and the project has crossed the $4.8 million mark, signaling rising enthusiasm and investor confidence in the meme coin project. As Stage 5 kicks off, the new token price of $0.0014 reflects the surging demand and growing momentum behind what many now consider one of the most promising meme coins of 2025. With each phase selling out faster than the last, investors are now eyeing Stage 5 as a critical opportunity to enter before further price increases and upcoming exchange listings.

    Little Pepe — A Meme Coin Built on Real Infrastructure

    What separates Little Pepe from the bunch of meme projects coming into the market is its backbone—a totally functioning Ethereum-like minded Layer 2 network referred to as the Little Pepe Chain. While most meme tokens are deployed immediately on Ethereum or BNB Smart Chain, $LILPEPE is a custom-built infrastructure designed for speed, scalability, and ultra-low transaction fees.

    This innovative approach adds long-term utility and flexibility, allowing Little Pepe to serve more than just meme coin enthusiasts. Developers and users alike can benefit from the high throughput and minimal costs, opening the door for a range of applications and use cases far beyond what traditional meme coins offer.

    Over $4.8M Raised

    Stage 4 wrapped up with Little Pepe securing over $4.8 million in funding from a rapidly expanding community of whale investors. The milestone places $LILPEPE some of the most successful ongoing presales this year, highlighting its particular position at the intersection of meme culture and real tech advancement.

    Social platforms like X, Telegram, and Reddit have become the hotspots for ongoing conversations about the project, drawing in thousands of users who are looking for every presale update and getting ready for potential exchange listings. The momentum has created a viral effect, propelling interest in Stage 5 to new highs.

    Stage 5 Opens at $0.0014

    Now that Stage 5 is live, the price of $LILPEPE has increased to $0.0014—a modest jump that reflects both the project’s current traction and its anticipated growth. With previous stages selling out rapidly, the urgency among new buyers is growing. Each new phase brings a higher entry price, and the presale is only accessible via the official website: littlepepe.com.

    For early adopters, this phase offers what could be one of the final chances to buy in before centralized exchange listings potentially send the price much higher. As more media coverage and community-generated content continue to highlight the project, visibility is expected to rise dramatically in the coming weeks.

    Little Pepe’s Unique Appeal in a Crowded Market

    The crypto space has no shortage of meme coins, but few manage to blend cultural resonance with blockchain innovation like Little Pepe. At its core, the project leverages the viral potential of internet humor while remaining grounded in performance and scalability.

    Unlike tokens that rely purely on influencer hype or speculative pumps, Little Pepe has built its foundation on real tech. Its Layer 2 structure provides the kind of speed and affordability that most meme coins lack, making it a more attractive long-term hold.

    Looking Ahead: Exchange Listings and Expansion

    While the presale is still ongoing, many are already speculating on what comes next. Exchange listings are expected once the final presale stage is completed, and that could significantly expand access to $LILPEPE on a global scale. With a working blockchain, engaged community, and proven investor demand, Little Pepe appears well-positioned to make that leap.

    Until then, Stage 5 remains the focus—and the momentum isn’t slowing down. As the token’s price climbs and the presale nears its final rounds, $LILPEPE continues to attract attention as one of the most exciting meme coins in the crypto space today.

    About Little Pepe

    Little Pepe is a next-gen Layer 2 blockchain designed to merge meme culture with high-speed, low-cost decentralized infrastructure. Built for scalability, security, and accessibility, Little Pepe supports EVM-compatible applications and is powered by means of the $LILPEPE token. The project’s mission is to create a meme coin environment wherein utility meets virality, empowering users through cutting-edge technology and lightning-fast transactions.

    For more information:
    Website: https://littlepepe.com/
    Telegram: https://t.me/littlepepetoken
    Twitter: https://x.com/littlepepetoken

    Contact Details: COO- James Stephen Email: media@littlepepe.com

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

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d3c8f246-5f7a-4d94-8109-afc10647151d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Optimization of issuers’ reporting: proposals from the Bank of Russia.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The Bank of Russia plans to improve the quality of issuers’ reporting, increase its value and ensure greater demand. Your suggestions the regulator puts it up for public discussion.

    First of all, it is proposed to eliminate duplication of information. Currently, issuers are required to publish reports on their activities twice a year – at the end of 6 and 12 months. Moreover, these documents have static sections where there is no promptly updated information, for example, a section on corporate governance. It is advisable to disclose such information in the annual report – a key tool for communicating with investors. Moreover, the regulator considers it necessary to standardize this document: it will have mandatory chapters that the issuer will be able to structure at its own discretion. Currently, there are no strict requirements for its composition – it is important that it simply exists.

    The Bank of Russia also proposes to eliminate the time lag between the publication of consolidated financial statements and the issuer’s report, which explains the reasons for achieving such results. According to the regulator, these documents should be disclosed simultaneously so that the market has up-to-date information on the company’s activities.

    One of the important initiatives is the transition from manual preparation of reports to electronic formats. The use of machine-readable forms will reduce the time for processing and analyzing data, which will help investors make investment decisions based on high-quality information.

    The discussion of the Bank of Russia’s initiatives will last until August 1, 2025 inclusive.

    Preview photo: Cristina Conti / Shutterstock / Fotodom

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Alexander Novak: Russia is ready to consider options for cooperation with Moldova in all areas, including economics and energy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak met with the leaders of the parties: Igor Dodon – Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova, Irina Vlah – “Heart of Moldova” and Vasile Tarlev – “Future of Moldova”. The parties discussed economic and energy cooperation between the two countries.

    Alexander Novak noted Russia’s desire to build good-neighborly relations, friendship and cooperation with Moldova, where more than 220 thousand Russian citizens live. At the same time, the Moldovan diaspora in the Russian Federation, according to various estimates, is from 300 thousand to 500 thousand people.

    “Russia is committed to maintaining and developing centuries-old ties with the Republic of Moldova, continuing the dialogue with all constructively minded political forces of the republic that advocate strengthening Moldovan statehood, sovereignty, maintaining its neutral status and strengthening friendly relations with our country,” said Alexander Novak at a meeting with representatives of the Socialist, Heart of Moldova and Future of Moldova parties.

    In recent years, due to the policies of the current Moldovan authorities, economic relations between Russia and Moldova have significantly deteriorated. After Moldova signed the Association Agreement with the European Union in 2014, trade turnover between the two countries fell sharply. In 2015, trade turnover between Russia and Moldova had already fallen by 32%, and Russia’s share in Moldova’s exports had fallen from 70% to just over 3% in 15 years.

    The Deputy Prime Minister added that Russia is always glad to see representatives of Moldova at various venues, be it congresses or exhibition events.

    “We value and encourage the development of interregional ties between our countries, contacts between political parties, public associations and interdepartmental cooperation,” he concluded.

    Alexander Novak also noted that the energy sector has always been an important component of cooperation between Moscow and Chisinau.

    “Russia has always supplied gas to Moldova at a much more favorable price compared to the supplies that went to Europe. It is unclear why the Moldovan authorities are not satisfied with them,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.

    “The Moldovan authorities have refused direct contracts with Russian partners. Moreover, they have created practically unacceptable conditions for Moldovagaz to operate. We are sure that we need to return to direct dialogue, to direct supplies,” said Igor Dodon, leader of the Socialist Party.

    He noted that in 2020, Moldova bought gas from Russia for $148 per thousand cubic meters. According to the politician, this was the lowest price in the last 10-15 years.

    “Of course, these were very favorable tariffs for the end consumer, for our economy and the competitiveness of our goods. With the arrival of the current government, we purchased Russian gas at $842. Tariffs also increased sevenfold,” added Igor Dodon.

    Alexander Novak emphasized that Russia is ready to return to friendly cooperation in the energy sector if the Moldovan side has such a desire.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Prospects for the development of the retail mutual fund market: report of the Bank of Russia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The Bank of Russia has analyzed and summarized the accumulated law enforcement practice in the retail mutual investment fund (MIF) market, international experience, as well as initiatives of market participants, and proposes to discuss possible directions for the development of this segment.

    One of the development vectors may be the expansion of investment opportunities for retail funds. It is proposed to increase the list of non-traded securities in which they can invest, but to set a limit. Digital financial assets may also appear in the list of objects available for mutual funds for investment. This will require creating a legal framework, as well as developing a procedure for separating and storing such assets. But retail funds will not be able to start investing in them immediately, but over time.

    Market participants also proposed creating opportunities for the emergence of funds with increased financial leverage in Russia. These are borrowed funds or derivative financial instruments that the fund additionally uses to generate profit. Currently, the amount of financial leverage that a mutual fund for non-qualified investors can take on is limited to 20% of the fund’s net asset value (with the possibility of deviation up to 40% as a result of market factors). The Bank of Russia believes that increasing the leverage entails increased risks and requires additional investor protection measures.

    The idea of creating a fund of funds also requires a comprehensive assessment. Currently, in Russia, a management company cannot acquire investment units of one mutual fund under its management as part of the assets of another mutual fund under its management. However, in international practice, there are master-feeder fund structures – this is the name for a central fund consisting of assets collected from other funds under its management. The regulator proposes to discuss the prospects for using such structures in Russia, as well as the problems that they will help solve in the collective investment market.

    In addition, the report considers proposals to speed up operations with units. Currently, the procedures for issuing, redeeming and exchanging investment units of open-end mutual funds, as a rule, take place within 1 to 4 business days from the moment the client provides all the necessary documents and makes the payment. It is proposed to consider the possibility of reducing this period so that operations are carried out in T 0 mode.

    More about possible scenarios for the development of retail mutual fundsread in the report. Answers to questions presented in the material, comments and suggestions to it can be sent up to and including September 1.

    Preview photo: Tools Konten / Shutterstock / Fotodom

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Over the year, the number of small and medium-sized companies has grown by 3%.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    According to the annual update of the Unified Register of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, which is administered by the Federal Tax Service of Russia, the country has recorded an increase in companies and individual entrepreneurs. Currently, there are almost 6.4 million SMEs.

    “Based on the results of the annual update of the Unified Register of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in Russia, 6.4 million operating companies and individual entrepreneurs have been registered. This is the highest figure since 2017, when the register was launched. We are recording a stable positive trend: compared to the previous period, the number of SMEs has increased by 3.2%, or about 200 thousand. Such results confirm the high role of small and medium businesses in the country’s economy and the effectiveness of the measures taken to support and develop them,” said Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak.

    The annual update of the Unified Register takes place on July 10 and reflects the most current number of SME entities. It is carried out on the basis of the reports submitted by entrepreneurs at the beginning of the year for the previous period. Companies and individual entrepreneurs that no longer meet the SME criteria or have not submitted the required reports within the established deadline are excluded from the register.

    “More and more enterprises are demonstrating dynamic development, going beyond the criteria established for small and medium-sized businesses. If previously about three thousand companies made the annual transition beyond the SME sector, this year their number approached five thousand. This indicates qualitative growth of business, its transition to a new level of maturity and scale. For such companies, we are already developing special measures to support SMEs in order to ensure their stable development and further integration into a higher-level economy,” explained Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of Russia.

    “The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia also notes positive dynamics in the growth of the number of medium-sized enterprises. Currently, more than 22 thousand medium-sized companies are registered, their number has grown by 6% over the year, and by 19% compared to 2023,” commented Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Tatyana Ilyushnikova.

    As a result of monthly updates of the Unified Register of SMEs, as a rule, an increase in the number of small and medium-sized enterprises is recorded. However, during the annual update, which is carried out on July 10, a reduction in the total number of entities is usually observed. This is primarily due to the administrative features of maintaining the register and does not reflect the real state of the SME sector.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Monitoring of industry financial flows: payments in June at the level of the first quarter

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In June, the volume of incoming payments processed through the Bank of Russia increased after a decline in May and was 0.1% higher than the average level in Q1 2025.

    Excluding extractive industries, oil product manufacturing and public administration, receipts decreased by 0.6%. A decrease in incoming payments in June was recorded in the consumer, investment and external demand sectors.

    Read more in the next issue “Monitoring of industry financial flows”.

    Preview photo: thinkhubstudio / Shutterstock / Fotodom

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Our Shoreline Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced bipartisan legislation, the Digital Coast Act, to help coastal communities better prepare for storms, cope with varying water levels, and plan for future development. The bill reauthorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Digital Coast Program, which Baldwin and Murkowski previously spearheaded to reestablish the program in 2020.
    “The Great Lakes are essential to the Wisconsin way of life and our economy, but make no mistake – they face some serious and unique challenges, and our local communities need tools and information to address them, keep families safe, and support our local businesses,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to once again work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to support our local coastal communities and ensure they have the resources and data they need to prepare for disasters, keep our water clean and safe, and make smart planning decisions for the future.”
    “As we confront the escalating impacts of climate change, it is crucial our coastal communities remain equipped with the tools and data they need to adapt and thrive,” said Senator Murkowski. “The Digital Coast Program has proven to be a vital resource in this effort, providing essential information and support for our local leaders to make informed decisions.”
    NOAA currently assembles and hosts the Digital Coast Project, a collaborative online database of the most up-to-date coastal information and makes it available to both the public and private sectors. Digital Coast also provides tools for coastal communities to decipher and use the high-tech mapping data to make accurate decisions and smart investments in coastal communities.
    The Digital Coast Act reauthorizes the program and ensures that communities will continue to have the data to make smart choices for economic development, shoreline management, and coastal restoration. The bill supports further development of the current project, including increasing access to uniform, up-to-date data, to help communities get the coastal data they need to respond to emergencies, plan for long-term coastal resilience, and manage their water resources.
    Companion legislation was introduced yesterday in the U.S. House by Representatives Dave Min (D-CA-47) and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01).
    “From extreme weather to competing demands for coastal property, our coastal communities need the best available resources to respond to the mounting threat of climate change,” said Congressman Min. “NOAA’s Digital Coast Program provides essential research and data to address the adverse effects of the climate crisis, all while creating thousands of high tech jobs around America. I’m proud to be leading the charge to protect Orange County’s beautiful coastline.”
    “Virginia’s First District is home to vibrant coastal communities that rely on cutting-edge data and resources to thrive, especially in the face of challenges such as extreme weather and aging infrastructure,” said Congressman Wittman. “I’m proud to help introduce the Digital Coastal Reauthorization Act alongside Rep. Dave Min, legislation that will reauthorize NOAA’s Digital Coast program. This vital program collects and distributes data that will help mitigate future weather-related issues and provide communities with the tools they need to expand and plan for the future.” 
    “Digital Coast represents the best of government at work,” said Sue Schwartz, FAICP, President of the American Planning Association. “It’s innovative, collaborative, efficient, bipartisan, and cost-effective; all while helping local communities make better decisions about how to tackle tough coastal challenges. Planners benefit from access to critical data that shapes the insights they bring to residents and local leaders. The American Planning Association strongly supports the reauthorization of this vital resource for protecting and planning our communities.” 
    “NOAA’s Digital Coast provides a one-stop shop for the data, tools and training that coastal managers and researchers use to learn and do their jobs. As a collaboration between the federal government and partner organizations and used extensively by the public and private sectors, Digital Coast is government at its most effective,” said Derek Brockbank, Executive Director of Coastal States Organization.?“The Digital Coast Act will ensure this important resource for all communities is authorized and funded for the next 5 years.”?  
    “The Digital Coast Program empowers coastal states with the tools and data they need to address real-world challenges—from flooding and hurricanes to smart growth and resource management,” said Ken Nelson, National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) President. “Continued federal support is vital to strengthening the geospatial foundation that drives both our economy and our national preparedness. Reauthorizing the Digital Coast Act ensures coastal communities have the high-quality data they need to plan, protect, and prosper.” 
    “To make sure that people can enjoy everything our coasts have to offer, coastal managers need to have the right tools, data and training. The Digital Coast partnership provides those products and services,” said Stephanie Bailenson, US Federal Water Policy Team Lead at The Nature Conservancy. “We’ve seen in our work across the country how Digital Coast helps coastal communities address storms and flooding while strengthening local economies. We’re happy to see the sponsors of the partnership’s reauthorization bill demonstrate the continued bi-partisan support for the partnership.”
    “The provisions of the Digital Coast Reauthorization will modernize the Digital Coast program and provide for the continuation of a sustainable program to utilize geospatial technologies to map and monitor the coastal waterways of the United States, providing an invaluable benefit to the public, and to the professionals whose charge is to protect their health, safety, and welfare,” said Timothy W. Burch, PLS, Executive Director of National Society of Professional Surveyors. 
    “The Digital Coast Program is a balanced approach to environmental protection and economic development in our valuable coastal areas.? This bill reauthorizes and modernizes a successful program that utilizes the talent of the private sector and intergovernmental agencies by providing data and services that are essential to the economic engine that is coastal America, while conserving it’s precious natural resources through geospatial data and related activities,” said John Palatiello, Founder of US Geospatial Executives Organization (U.S. GEO).
    “The Digital Coast Partnership Advocacy Coalition commends Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) for introducing the Digital Coast Reauthorization Act. The Coalition also wishes to thank Representatives Dave Min (D-CA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) for their leadership in introducing the companion bill in the House. The strong bipartisan support for this measure is a demonstration of its broad appeal and value to the nation’s communities. By consolidating coastal data from a variety of sources in one place and making it publicly accessible, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Digital Coast program is helping the coastal management community better plan for storms, flooding, natural disasters, and other challenges that impact vulnerable coastal and Great Lakes communities. Data included in the Digital Coast ranges from surveying, mapping, geospatial, economic, demographic and ecosystem data to satellite imagery. In addition to making this data publicly available online, the Digital Coast provides a wide array of visualization and prediction tools that dramatically improve the effectiveness and efficiency of coastal management projects around the country. Over the next 15 years, NOAA predicts a 411 percent return on investment from the Digital Coast program. In addition to the return on investment, the Digital Coast has played a significant role in protecting communities and natural resources from damaging natural disasters. Furthermore, 75 percent of Digital Coast users surveyed by NOAA indicated that their projects would not have been possible without the Digital Coast. By having bipartisan and bicameral introduction of the Digital Coast Reauthorization Act, we deeply appreciate your recognition of the numerous benefits the Digital Coast can provide to coastal communities and those working to make them more resilient,” said John “JB” Byrd, Coordinator, Digital Coast Partnership Advocacy Coalition. 
    “As our coastlines and beaches bear the brunt of extreme weather events, flooding, chronic erosion, sea level rise, and other hazards, coastal communities need every tool at their disposal to make informed decisions and plan for a safer, more resilient future,” said Emma Haydocy, Senior Manager of Coasts and Climate Initiative at the Surfrider Foundation. “NOAA’s Digital Coast program makes invaluable data accessible to the American public in light of these challenges, and reauthorizing and expanding this program will help safeguard vital coastal resources throughout the U.S. for years to come.”
    The legislation is endorsed by Coastal States Organization, American Planning Association, Association of State Floodplain Managers, National Association of Counties, National Society of Professional Surveyors, U.S Geospatial Executives Organization (U.S. GEO), Surfrider Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, National States Geographic Information Council, National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, Quantum Spatial Inc., Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors, and Digital Coast Partnership Advocacy Coalition.
    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Will my private health insurance cover my surgery? What if my claim is rejected?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, The University of Melbourne

    shurkin_son/Shutterstock

    The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has fined Bupa A$35 million for unlawfully rejecting thousands of health insurance claims over more than five years.

    Between May 2018 and August 2023 Bupa incorrectly rejected claims from patients who had multiple medical procedures, with at least one of those procedures covered under their health insurance policy.

    Instead of paying the portion of the treatment that was covered, Bupa’s automated systems wrongly rejected the entire claim.

    Bupa admitted these errors were due to system problems and poor staff guidance, and has started to recompensate members.

    So you may be worried whether your private health insurance will cover you for the procedures you need.

    Here’s what you need to know about the different types of hospital cover. And if your claim is rejected, what to do next.

    From basic to gold

    As of March 2025, 45.3% of Australians have private health insurance for hospital cover. There are four tiers: basic, bronze, silver and gold.

    Each tier has a minimum set of “clinical categories”. These are groups of hospital treatments that must be covered.

    For example, basic hospital cover only has three mandatory inclusions: rehabilitation, hospital psychiatric services and palliative care. But this is “restricted” cover, meaning patients will often still have to pay substantial out-of-pocket costs for these services.

    Basic cover is entry-level cover, mainly for people who want to avoid the Lifetime Health Cover loading and the Medicare Levy Surcharge. These are both ways of encouraging people to take up private health insurance while young and keeping it, especially people on higher incomes.

    At the other end of the scale is gold cover, which includes unrestricted cover for all defined clinical categories, including pregnancy and birth.

    You can generally change your level of cover at any time. When you upgrade to include new services or increase benefits for existing services, you will need to serve new waiting periods for those new or increased benefits.

    A common waiting period is 12 months for pre-existing conditions (any ailment, illness or condition that you had signs or symptoms of during the six months before upgrading, even if undiagnosed), and for pregnancy and birth-related services. But there is generally only a two-month waiting period for psychiatric care, rehabilitation or palliative care, even if it’s for a pre-existing condition.

    It’s a good idea to review your policy every two years because your health needs and financial circumstances can change.

    How much do companies pay out?

    The proportion of premiums that are paid out to cover medical claims is known as the “average payout ratio”. And this has been about 84–86% over most of the past 20 years.

    This does not mean your health insurer will pay out 84–86% of your individual claim. This national average accounts for the percentage of all premiums in any one year, across all insurers, that’s paid out in claims.

    The payout ratios vary by insurer and are slightly higher for not-for-profit health insurers than for-profit insurers.

    That’s because for-profit health insurers have pressure to deliver profits to shareholders and have incentives to minimise payouts and control costs.

    If not properly managed, these incentives may result in higher out-of-pocket expenses and denied claims.

    Why has my claim been rejected?

    Common reasons for claims to be rejected include:

    • the policy excluded or restricted the clinical category

    • the waiting period was not served

    • incorrect information (for example, a doctor billed an incorrect item number)

    • what’s known as “mixed coverage” (as in the Bupa scandal), where not everything in a claim is covered, but the entire claim is declined.

    What if I think there’s an error?

    If your health insurance company refuses your claim, you can request a detailed explanation in writing.

    If you believe your claim has been incorrectly denied, you can make a formal complaint directly with the insurer. For this you need to check your policy documents, and gather supporting evidence. This may include detailed invoices, medical reports, referral letters and correct item numbers.

    If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the health fund’s internal review, or the fund doesn’t respond with the specific time-frame (for instance, 30–45 days), you can escalate your complaint.

    You can get in touch with the Commonwealth Ombudsman (phone: 1300 362 072). This provides a free, independent complaint handling service for a range of consumer issues, including health insurance.

    Bupa customers concerned about a “mixed coverage” claim can contact the company directly.

    What can governments do?

    The Bupa scandal, along with ongoing concerns about transparency and rising out-of-pocket costs, highlights the need for policy reforms to better protect consumers.

    The government should require health insurers and health-care providers to give clear estimates of all potential out-of-pocket costs for a procedure before it happens. This would avoid unexpected bills and help consumers make informed decisions about their health care.

    The government could also let the ACCC or the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority conduct regular, independent audits of insurers’ claims systems and practices.

    Yuting Zhang has received funding from the Australian Research Council (future fellowship project ID FT200100630), Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Victorian Department of Health, National Health and Medical Research Council and Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network. In the past, Professor Zhang has received funding from several US institutes including the US National Institutes of Health, Commonwealth fund, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She has not received funding from for-profit industry including the private health insurance industry.

    – ref. Will my private health insurance cover my surgery? What if my claim is rejected? – https://theconversation.com/will-my-private-health-insurance-cover-my-surgery-what-if-my-claim-is-rejected-260702

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China Ready to Always Be Bangladesh’s Good Friend, Neighbor, and Partner – Chinese Foreign Minister

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Xinhua) — China is willing to always be a reliable and good friend, neighbor and partner of Bangladesh, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday during a meeting with Bangladesh interim foreign minister Touhid Hossain in Kuala Lumpur.

    Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, said China has always been committed to advancing strategic cooperation with Bangladesh based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and pursuing a policy of good-neighborliness and friendship toward all the Bangladeshi people.

    This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bangladesh, which is of great significance to both countries, Wang said, adding that China supports Bangladesh’s interim government, the stable and successful holding of the general election in the country, and its pursuit of a development path suited to its national conditions.

    As the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized, Chinese-Bangladesh cooperation is mutually beneficial, and China has introduced a zero customs tariff on all Bangladeshi products, creating opportunities for the development of this country. At the same time, Wang Yi continued, the United States has imposed 35 percent duties on products from Bangladesh, which is classified as one of the least developed countries. The Chinese diplomat described this move as unreasonable and at the same time immoral.

    China is firmly committed to building a regional community with a shared future, Wang Yi assured. He pointed out that as the largest neighbor of South Asian countries, China is willing to work with Bangladesh and other South Asian countries to achieve modernization and make common contributions to Asia’s development and rise.

    Recalling that the trilateral meeting at the level of deputy foreign ministers of China, Bangladesh and Pakistan was successfully held in the Chinese city of Kunming, Wang Yi expressed hope that joint efforts with Bangladesh and Pakistan would be made to actively promote trilateral cooperation and achieve tangible results.

    T. Hossain, for his part, noted that China is a reliable partner and a true friend of Bangladesh, and the development of friendly and cooperative relations with China reflects the consensus of the entire Bangladeshi people.

    T. Hossain expressed gratitude to China for its selfless development assistance to Bangladesh over the years. He said Bangladesh firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to learn from China’s experience in governance, expand friendly cooperation in areas such as economy, trade and health, enhance regional multilateral coordination and cooperation, and use the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries as an opportunity to take Bangladesh-China relations to a new level. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Appoints Strong to Serve on Commission Dedicated to Holding China Accountable

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dale Strong (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON—Today, Speaker Mike Johnson appointed Representative Dale Strong to serve as a Commissioner on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC).  

    “I am proud to be appointed to the CECC as a Commissioner this Congress. The Chinese Communist Party is relentless in its efforts to undermine America, not just through open confrontation but by exploiting our laws, infiltrating our institutions, and using covert tactics to weaken our economy and security from within,” said Representative Dale Strong. “This commission plays a critical role in shining a light on abuses and holding the Chinese government accountable.”

    “For 25 years, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China has done vital work to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable and educate the western world about their abuse of human rights and the rule of law,” said Speaker Johnson. “I am honored to appoint my friend Dale Strong to serve on the Commission to continue carrying out this longstanding, bipartisan priority and to ensure that the CCP’s abuses do not go unchecked.”

    BACKGROUND:  

    Congress created the CECC in 2000 with the mandate to monitor the rule of law in China and to provide transparency and accountability on the actions of the Chinese government.

    The Commission submits an annual report to Congressional leadership and the President to inform U.S. policy decisions. The CECC holds formal hearings and roundtables with academics, government officials, business representatives, and other experts to gather information for the report. Most recently, the CECC has reported on China’s use of forced labor, proliferation of mass biometric surveillance systems, cultural and religious suppression, and imprisonment of political dissidents.  

    The bipartisan group is composed of 23 members: nine Senators, nine members of the House of Representatives, and five senior Administration officials appointed by the President.

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney participates in a virtual meeting in support of Ukraine

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, participated in a virtual meeting of the Coalition of the Willing.

    The meeting was co-chaired by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer, and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. It was also attended by many of Canada’s closest allies and partners, including the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and representatives of the United States – senators Lindsay Graham and Richard Blumenthal as well as U.S. Special Envoy General Keith Kellogg.

    The Coalition unequivocally condemned Russia’s latest strikes against Ukraine. They affirmed collective efforts to exert pressure on Russia, including through further sanctions as well as military and financial assistance to Ukraine. Prime Minister Carney raised Canada’s robust support to Ukraine, most recently through a major sanctions package targeting Russia’s shadow fleet and energy revenues; an additional $2 billion in new military support, with funding for drones, ammunition, and armoured vehicles, among other capabilities; and the disbursement of a $2.3 billion loan, to help rebuild Ukraine’s infrastructure and public systems.

    The Coalition underscored their steadfast support for Ukraine’s long-term security and sovereignty, and actions to establish a post-ceasefire force. To advance a just and lasting peace, the Coalition of the Willing will have new permanent headquarters in Paris, with plans in place for a future co-ordination cell in Kyiv.

    Associated link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: TrustCo to Release Second Quarter 2025 Results on July 21, 2025; Conference Call on July 22, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GLENVILLE, N.Y., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TrustCo Bank Corp NY (TrustCo, Nasdaq: TRST) today announced that it will release second quarter 2025 results after the market close on July 21, 2025. Results are released on the 21st of the reporting months (January, April, July and October), or on the next day that equity markets are open if the 21st falls on a Friday, weekend or holiday. A conference call to discuss the results will be held at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on July 22, 2025. Those wishing to participate in the call may dial toll-free for the United States at 1-833-470-1428, and for Canada at 1-833-950-0062, Access code 258501.   A replay of the call will be available for thirty days by dialing toll-free for the United States at 1-866-813-9403, Access code 410483.

    The call will also be audio webcast at https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/979003710, and will be available for one year. The earnings press release will be posted on the Company’s Investor Relations website at: https://trustcobank.q4ir.com/corporate-overview/corporate-profile/default.aspx. Other information, including the Company’s most recent annual report, proxy statement and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission can also be found at this website.

    TrustCo Bank Corp NY is a $6.3 billion savings and loan holding company and through its subsidiary, Trustco Bank, operates 136 offices in New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Florida. For more information, visit www.trustcobank.com.

    In addition, the Bank’s Wealth Management Department offers a full range of investment services, retirement planning and trust and estate administration services.

    The common shares of TrustCo are traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol TRST.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    All statements in this news release that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “seek,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future developments, results or periods. TrustCo wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, and such forward-looking statements are subject to factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially for TrustCo from the views, beliefs and projections expressed in such statements. Examples of these include, but are not limited to: volatility in financial markets and the soundness of other financial institutions; U.S. government shutdowns, credit rating downgrades, or failure to increase the debt ceiling; changes in interest rates; the effects of inflation and inflationary pressures and changes in monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including changes in the Federal funds target rate by, and interest rate policies of, the Federal Reserve Board; ongoing armed conflicts (including the Russia/Ukraine conflict and the conflict in Israel and surrounding areas); the risks and uncertainties under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and, if any, in our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q; the other financial, operational and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in TrustCo’s cautionary statements contained in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and the effect of all of such items on our operations, liquidity and capital position, and on the financial condition of our borrowers and other customers. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent TrustCo management’s judgment as of the date of this news release. TrustCo disclaims, however, any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements, either as a result of future developments, new information or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Subsidiary: Trustco Bank

    Contact:     Robert Leonard
    Executive Vice President
    (518) 381-3693
         

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: United Fire Group, Inc. announces senior notes offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — United Fire Group, Inc. (UFG) (Nasdaq: UFCS), a property and casualty insurance holding company, today announced that it has successfully completed a placement of $30 million aggregate principal senior unsecured 9.0% Series B notes due May 31, 2039, (the “notes”) in a private offering (the “offering”) with Ares Alternative Credit funds. Proceeds from the offering will be used to support anticipated growth and for general corporate purposes.

    Stonybrook Capital, LLC served as the company’s exclusive financial advisor in connection with the offering.  

    The notes were offered and sold in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and in the United States only to persons reasonably believed to be “qualified institutional buyers” in reliance on the exemption from registration under the Securities Act provided by Rule 144A and outside the United States to certain non U.S. persons in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state.

    About UFG

    Founded in 1946 as United Fire & Casualty Company, UFG, through its insurance company subsidiaries, is engaged in the business of writing property and casualty insurance. The company is licensed as a property and casualty insurer in 50 states and the District of Columbia, and is represented by approximately 1,000 independent agencies. AM Best assigns a rating of “A-” (Excellent) for members of the United Fire & Casualty Group. For more information about UFG, visit www.ufginsurance.com.

    Disclosure of forward-looking statements

    This release may contain forward-looking statements about our operations, anticipated performance and other similar matters. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expected and/or projected. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the company, the industry in which we operate, and beliefs and assumptions made by management. Words such as “expect(s),” “anticipate(s),” “intend(s),” “plan(s),” “believe(s),” “continue(s),” “seek(s),” “estimate(s),” “goal(s),” “remain(s) optimistic,” “target(s),” “forecast(s),” “project(s),” “predict(s),” “should,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “hope,” “can” and other words and terms of similar meaning or expression in connection with a discussion of future operations, financial performance or financial condition, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed in such forward-looking statements. Information concerning factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements is contained in Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 (“2024 Annual Report”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 26, 2025. The risks identified in our 2024 Annual Report and in our other SEC filings are representative of the risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from what is expressed in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release or as of the date they are made. Except as required under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of the SEC, we do not have any intention or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Contact:

    Investor relations
    Email: ir@unitedfiregroup.com

    Media inquiries
    Email: news@unitedfiregroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Gibson Energy Confirms 2025 Second Quarter Earnings Release Date and Provides Conference Call & Webcast Details

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gibson Energy Inc. (TSX:GEI) (“Gibson” or the “Company”) announced today that it expects to release its 2025 second quarter financial and operating results on Monday, July 28, 2025, after the close of North American markets. The 2025 second quarter management’s discussion and analysis and unaudited consolidated financial statements will be available on the Company’s website at www.gibsonenergy.com and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Earnings Conference Call & Webcast Details
    A conference call and webcast will be held to discuss the 2025 second quarter financial and operating results at 7:00am Mountain Time (9:00am Eastern Time) on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

    To register for the call, view dial-in numbers, and obtain a dial-in PIN, please access the following URL:

    Registration is currently open and recommended at least five minutes prior to the conference call.

    This call will also be broadcast live on the Internet and may be accessed directly at the following URL:

    The webcast will remain accessible for a 12-month period at the above URL.

    About Gibson
    Gibson is a leading liquids Infrastructure company with its principal businesses consisting of the storage, optimization, processing, and gathering of liquids and refined products, as well as waterborne vessel loading. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, the Company’s operations are located across North America, with core terminal assets in Hardisty and Edmonton, Alberta, Ingleside and Wink, Texas, and a facility in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

    Gibson shares trade under the symbol GEI and are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.gibsonenergy.com.

    For further information, please contact:

    Investor Relations
    Phone: (403) 776-3077
    Email: investor.relations@gibsonenergy.com

    Media
    Phone: (403) 476-6334
    Email: communications@gibsonenergy.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Gibson Energy Confirms 2025 Second Quarter Earnings Release Date and Provides Conference Call & Webcast Details

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gibson Energy Inc. (TSX:GEI) (“Gibson” or the “Company”) announced today that it expects to release its 2025 second quarter financial and operating results on Monday, July 28, 2025, after the close of North American markets. The 2025 second quarter management’s discussion and analysis and unaudited consolidated financial statements will be available on the Company’s website at www.gibsonenergy.com and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Earnings Conference Call & Webcast Details
    A conference call and webcast will be held to discuss the 2025 second quarter financial and operating results at 7:00am Mountain Time (9:00am Eastern Time) on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

    To register for the call, view dial-in numbers, and obtain a dial-in PIN, please access the following URL:

    Registration is currently open and recommended at least five minutes prior to the conference call.

    This call will also be broadcast live on the Internet and may be accessed directly at the following URL:

    The webcast will remain accessible for a 12-month period at the above URL.

    About Gibson
    Gibson is a leading liquids Infrastructure company with its principal businesses consisting of the storage, optimization, processing, and gathering of liquids and refined products, as well as waterborne vessel loading. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, the Company’s operations are located across North America, with core terminal assets in Hardisty and Edmonton, Alberta, Ingleside and Wink, Texas, and a facility in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

    Gibson shares trade under the symbol GEI and are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.gibsonenergy.com.

    For further information, please contact:

    Investor Relations
    Phone: (403) 776-3077
    Email: investor.relations@gibsonenergy.com

    Media
    Phone: (403) 476-6334
    Email: communications@gibsonenergy.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nasdaq Announces End-of-Month Open Short Interest Positions in Nasdaq Stocks as of Settlement Date June 30, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At the end of the settlement date of June 30, 2025, short interest in 3,257 Nasdaq Global MarketSM securities totaled 14,138,758,851 shares compared with 13,689,191,607 shares in 3,207 Global Market issues reported for the prior settlement date of June 13, 2025. The mid-June short interest represents 2.59 days compared with 2.32 days for the prior reporting period.

    Short interest in 1,636 securities on The Nasdaq Capital MarketSM totaled 2,790,159,938 shares at the end of the settlement date of June 30, 2025, compared with 2,687,331,325 shares in 1,642 securities for the previous reporting period. This represents a 1.00 day average daily volume; the previous reporting period’s figure was 1.00.

    In summary, short interest in all 4,893 Nasdaq® securities totaled 16,928,918,789 shares at the June 30, 2025 settlement date, compared with 4,849 issues and 16,376,522,932 shares at the end of the previous reporting period. This is 1.72 days average daily volume, compared with an average of 1.72 days for the prior reporting period.

    The open short interest positions reported for each Nasdaq security reflect the total number of shares sold short by all broker/dealers regardless of their exchange affiliations. A short sale is generally understood to mean the sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale that is consummated by the delivery of a security borrowed by or for the account of the seller.

    For more information on Nasdaq Short interest positions, including publication dates, visit
    http://www.nasdaq.com/quotes/short-interest.aspx
    or http://www.nasdaqtrader.com/asp/short_interest.asp.

    About Nasdaq:
    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions, and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.     

    Media Contact:
    Maximilian Leitenberger
    Maximilian.leitenberger@nasdaq.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1388d4e0-9656-4125-8d3e-8cfc1bbc9049

    NDAQO

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nasdaq Announces End-of-Month Open Short Interest Positions in Nasdaq Stocks as of Settlement Date June 30, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At the end of the settlement date of June 30, 2025, short interest in 3,257 Nasdaq Global MarketSM securities totaled 14,138,758,851 shares compared with 13,689,191,607 shares in 3,207 Global Market issues reported for the prior settlement date of June 13, 2025. The mid-June short interest represents 2.59 days compared with 2.32 days for the prior reporting period.

    Short interest in 1,636 securities on The Nasdaq Capital MarketSM totaled 2,790,159,938 shares at the end of the settlement date of June 30, 2025, compared with 2,687,331,325 shares in 1,642 securities for the previous reporting period. This represents a 1.00 day average daily volume; the previous reporting period’s figure was 1.00.

    In summary, short interest in all 4,893 Nasdaq® securities totaled 16,928,918,789 shares at the June 30, 2025 settlement date, compared with 4,849 issues and 16,376,522,932 shares at the end of the previous reporting period. This is 1.72 days average daily volume, compared with an average of 1.72 days for the prior reporting period.

    The open short interest positions reported for each Nasdaq security reflect the total number of shares sold short by all broker/dealers regardless of their exchange affiliations. A short sale is generally understood to mean the sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale that is consummated by the delivery of a security borrowed by or for the account of the seller.

    For more information on Nasdaq Short interest positions, including publication dates, visit
    http://www.nasdaq.com/quotes/short-interest.aspx
    or http://www.nasdaqtrader.com/asp/short_interest.asp.

    About Nasdaq:
    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions, and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.     

    Media Contact:
    Maximilian Leitenberger
    Maximilian.leitenberger@nasdaq.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1388d4e0-9656-4125-8d3e-8cfc1bbc9049

    NDAQO

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Gevo’s RNG Subsidiary Closes $40 Million in New Bond Sales, Refinances Debt, and Strengthens Gevo Balance Sheet

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ENGLEWOOD, Colo., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) is pleased to announce that Barclays Capital Inc. has purchased $40 million of newly issued non-recourse tax-exempt private activity bonds (the “2025 Bonds”) issued by the Iowa Finance Authority for the benefit of Gevo’s wholly owned subsidiary, Gevo NW Iowa RNG, LLC (“Gevo RNG”). The bond proceeds were used to refinance $40 million of the previously issued Iowa Finance Authority Solid Waste Facility Revenue Bonds (Gevo NW Iowa RNG, LLC Renewable Natural Gas Project), Series 2021 (Green Bonds) (the “Previous Bonds”), which were issued in the aggregate principal amount of $68.2 million and secured by an irrevocable direct pay letter of credit. This partial refinancing of the Previous Bonds enabled Gevo to release $40 million of restricted cash that was securing the letter of credit and increase its balance sheet liquidity by approximately $30 million after paying transaction costs and funding reserves associated with the 2025 Bonds.

    Gevo expects to release additional restricted cash later this year by refinancing the remaining balance of the Previous Bonds through the issuance of an additional series of 2025 Bonds.

    Gevo RNG generates renewable natural gas (“RNG”) by collecting manure on dairy farms and placing it in anaerobic digesters installed on those farms, where biogas is captured, then refined to serve as a more sustainable alternative to fossil natural gas as a transportation fuel. Gevo RNG sells the RNG into California via a marketing agent. In March 2025, Gevo RNG received California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) certification of a carbon intensity score of negative 339 gCO2e/MJ to be used in calculating California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (“LCFS”) credits. Under current LCFS modeling, RNG produced by Gevo RNG is expected to yield upwards of 175,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions reductions annually. Gevo continues to explore increased scaling and margin expansion opportunities for its RNG business, and how to leverage it synergistically with its other lines of business.

    About Gevo

    Gevo is a next-generation diversified energy company committed to fueling America’s future with cost-effective, drop-in fuels that contribute to energy security, abate carbon, and strengthen rural communities to drive economic growth. Gevo’s innovative technology can be used to make a variety of renewable products, including synthetic aviation fuel (“SAF”), motor fuels, chemicals, and other materials that provide U.S.-made solutions. By investing in the backbone of rural America, Gevo’s business model includes developing, financing, and operating production facilities that create jobs and revitalize communities. Gevo owns and operates one of the largest dairy-based RNG facilities in the United States, turning by-products into clean, reliable energy. Gevo also operates an ethanol plant with an adjacent carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”) facility, further solidifying America’s leadership in energy innovation. Additionally, Gevo owns the world’s first production facility for specialty alcohol-to-jet (“ATJ”) fuels and chemicals. Gevo’s market-driven “pay for performance” approach regarding carbon and other sustainability attributes, helps ensure value is delivered to our local economy. Through its Verity subsidiary, Gevo provides transparency, accountability, and efficiency in tracking, measuring and verifying various attributes throughout the supply chain. By strengthening rural economies, Gevo is working to secure a self-sufficient future and to make sure value is brought to the market.

    For more information, see www.gevo.com.

    About Barclays Capital Inc.

    Barclays Capital Inc. (BCI) is a US registered broker-dealer and futures commission merchant (FCM) that serves clients worldwide. It’s an affiliate of Barclays Bank PLC and is regulated by the SEC and FINRA. BCI offers a wide range of brokerage and investment services, including securities trading, investment advice, and financial planning.

    Forward Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters including, without limitation, the liquidity effects of the 2025 Bonds, the ability to refinance the Previous Bonds, expected greenhouse gas emission yields, expected expansion projects, and other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Gevo undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Although Gevo believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Gevo.

    Media Contact

    Heather L. Manuel
    VP, Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
    PR@gevo.com

    IR Contact

    Eric Frey, PhD
    VP, Finance & Strategy
    IR@Gevo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: LPL Financial Announces Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Release Date and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) (the “Company”), the parent corporation of LPL Financial LLC, announced today it will report second quarter financial results after the market closes on Thursday, July 31. The Company will host a conference call to discuss its results at 5 p.m. ET the same day.

    The conference call will be accessible and available for replay at investor.lpl.com/events.

    Contacts

    Investor Relations
    investor.relations@lplfinancial.com

    Media Relations
    media.relations@lplfinancial.com

    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 over 29,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.8 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 7 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 LLC (“LPL Financial”) and LPL Enterprise, LLC (“LPL Enterprise”), both registered investment advisors and broker-dealers. Members FINRA/SIPC.

    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 or LPL Enterprise.

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Rapid7 to Report Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results on August 7

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD), a leader in threat detection and exposure management, today announced that the company will release its second quarter 2025 financial results on Thursday, August 7, 2025, after the financial markets close.

    The company will host a conference call that same day to discuss its results and business outlook at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. To register for the live event please visit: https://q2-2025-rapid7-earnings-call.open-exchange.net/.

    A live webcast of the conference call and the financial results press release will be accessible from the Rapid7 investor relations website at https://investors.rapid7.com. A webcast replay of the call will be available at https://investors.rapid7.com.

    About Rapid7
    Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD) is on a mission to create a safer digital world by making cybersecurity simpler and more accessible. We empower security professionals to manage a modern attack surface through our best-in-class technology, leading-edge research, and broad, strategic expertise. Rapid7’s comprehensive security solutions help more than 11,000 global customers unite cloud risk management and threat detection to reduce attack surfaces and eliminate threats with speed and precision. For more information, visit our website, check out our blog, or follow us on LinkedIn or X.

    Rapid7 Investor Contact:
    Elizabeth Chwalk
    Vice President, Investor Relations
    investors@rapid7.com
    (617) 865-4277

    Rapid7 Press Contact:
    Alice Randall
    Director, Global
    Corporate Communications
    press@rapid7.com
    (857) 216-7804

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Varonis Announces Date of Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Varonis Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRNS), the leader in data security, announced that it will report its second quarter 2025 financial results following the close of the U.S. financial markets Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

    In conjunction with this announcement, Varonis will host a conference call Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss the company’s financial results.

    To access this call, dial 877-425-9470 (domestic) or 201-389-0878 (international). The conference ID number is 13754774. A replay of this conference call will be available through August 6, 2025, at 844-512-2921 (domestic) or 412-317-6671 (international). The replay passcode is 13754774.

    A live webcast of this conference call will be available on the “Investor Relations” page of the company’s website (https://ir.varonis.com), and the replay will be archived on the website for one year.
      
    Additional Resources

    About Varonis

    Varonis (Nasdaq: VRNS) is the leader in data security, fighting a different battle than conventional cybersecurity companies. Our cloud-native Data Security Platform continuously discovers and classifies critical data, removes exposures, and detects advanced threats with AI-powered automation.

    Thousands of organizations worldwide trust Varonis to defend their data wherever it lives — across SaaS, IaaS, and hybrid cloud environments. Customers use Varonis to automate a wide range of security outcomes, including data security posture management (DSPM), data classification, data access governance (DAG), data detection and response (DDR), data loss prevention (DLP), AI security, identity protection, and insider risk management.

    Varonis protects data first, not last. Learn more at www.varonis.com.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Tim Perz
    Varonis Systems, Inc.
    646-640-2112
    investors@varonis.com

    News Media Contact:
    Rachel Hunt
    Varonis Systems, Inc.
    877-292-8767 (ext. 1598)
    pr@varonis.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Robert Garcia and Senator Alex Padilla Reintroduce the ‘Clean Shipping Act’ to Reduce Port Pollution and Protect the Health of Port Communities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Garcia California (42nd District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) reintroduced the Clean Shipping Act. This bill establishes a path to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from large ships that come to U.S. ports, protecting the health of port communities and addressing the environmental and climate impacts of shipping pollution. Specifically, the bill would mandate that by 2050, ships must cut all greenhouse gas pollution, and by 2035, they must emit zero emissions while parked at ports. The bill is co-led by Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44). The bill text can be found here. 

    “Our nation’s ports, particularly the Port of Long Beach, are crucial parts of the economy that drive our supply chain at home. However, they’re also among the largest sources of pollution in our coastal communities,” said Congressman Robert Garcia. “Ship pollution is harmful for the health of people living near ports, and disproportionately affects low-income, working-class neighborhoods and communities of color. That’s why I’m proud to introduce a bill that addresses greenhouse gas pollution and creates a path to fully eliminate emissions. We must protect people’s health and stop our climate crisis, while ensuring good-paying jobs for the future.”

    “California’s ports are the powerhouse of our country’s economy, moving critical freight and providing good-paying jobs, all while leading the nation’s decarbonizing efforts. But neighboring communities have been forced to shoulder the brunt of global shipping pollution for too long,” said Senator Alex Padilla. “Our legislation would strengthen the sustainability of our shipping industry by reducing emissions in maritime transportation while simultaneously protecting coastal communities. The health of our communities and our planet requires us to be forward-looking and ambitious — we owe future generations nothing less than bold, transformative action.”

    “I’m proud to reintroduce the Clean Shipping Act because people deserve to breathe clean air, and this bill will help make that a reality. Communities near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—many of them communities of color—continue to suffer from toxic air pollution caused by ships. This bill sets a clear path to zero-emission shipping. It’s a critical step to clean up our air, protect public health, and take on the climate crisis. Port communities have waited long enough, we must act now,” said Congresswoman Nanette Barragán.

    “In order to protect our ocean and stay competitive with the rest of the world, we need federal leadership to help modernize and clean up U.S. shipping. By driving the shipping sector to develop, scale and deploy zero-emission technologies, we can spur job creation, help tackle the climate crisis and help create cleaner air for the millions of Americans living near ports. We commend Representative Garcia and Senator Padilla for their leadership on this issue and look forward to working with members of Congress to make this bill a reality,” said Caroline Bonfield, Ocean Conservancy’s Shipping Emissions U.S. Policy Manager

    “The Clean Shipping Act of 2025 will send a clear signal to the shipping industry that they must reduce their emissions by phasing out the use of fossil fuels and transition to a cleaner future. Technology-forcing policies like this legislation will enable large-scale investment in sustainable maritime fuels and technologies and establish a level playing field, minimizing the risk for manufacturers and suppliers. For far too long, dirty ships have brought significant levels of air pollution into U.S. port communities. We commend Representative Garcia and Senator Padilla for reintroducing this important bill and leading the effort to help protect communities disproportionately impacted by these harmful emissions,” said Antonio Santos, Federal Climate Policy Director, Pacific Environment.

    “The shipping industry has been polluting communities for decades, but we have the power to make shipping cleaner. Port expansions across the country have been especially devastating for communities living closest to the harbors where large ships spew toxic diesel exhaust that worsens air quality and contributes to the climate crisis. People living near ports deserve to breathe clean air, and the Clean Shipping Act will help make that a reality,” said Katherine García, Director of the Clean Transportation for All Campaign, Sierra Club. 

    “GreenLatinos endorses the urgently needed Clean Shipping Act, which protects Latino/e and other vulnerable communities from further exposure to port pollution and takes important steps to reduce harm from toxic ship fuels. 1 in 3 Latines live in the top 20% of most pollution-impacted communities. Pollution burdened communities are facing even more exposure as idling ships wait days to enter port and offload their cargo. We urge Congress to act swiftly in passing this vital legislation and protect our coastal communities from the harms of port emissions,” said Andrea Marpillero-Colomina, Policy Advisor, GreenLatinos.

    “The Clean Shipping Act of 2025 will help us work toward a future where healthy port communities thrive and everyone benefits from leveraging the tremendous potential of the ocean and ocean industries as powerful sources of climate solutions. We are grateful for the leadership of Congressman Garcia and Senator Padilla for advancing this legislation for our ocean, climate, and communities,” said Sarah Guy, Executive Director, Ocean Defense Initiative. 

    The global shipping industry accounts for nearly 3% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, and that number is expected to rise if no action is taken. Additionally, almost 40% of Americans live near ports, where people’s health is harmed by air pollution. This especially impacts working-class neighborhoods and communities of color. 

    The Clean Shipping Act is endorsed by Breathe Southern California, CleanEarth4Kids.org, Don’t Waste Arizona, Environmental Investigation Agency, Friends of the Earth, GreenLatinos, Intheshadowofthewolf, Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Ocean Conservancy, Ocean Defense Initiative, Pacific Environment, Restoring Earth Connection, San Pedro & Peninsula Homeowners Coalition, Seattle Cruise Control, Sierra Club, Sunflower Alliance, 350 Bay Area Action, 350 Sacramento, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, ABB, Evolve Hydrogen Inc., Maritime Battery Forum, and Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association

    Congressman Garcia, a co-chair of the Congressional PORTS Caucus, is committed to advocating for bold climate action and environmental justice, which includes improving port infrastructure. Congressman Garcia first introduced the Clean Shipping Act alongside Senator Padilla in 2023. During his time in Congress, Congressman Garcia has helped secure over $283 million in federal grant money for the completion of the Port of Long Beach Pier B Port Project, which will significantly reduce truck traffic and harmful emissions while improving safety, local congestion, and yielding nationwide economic benefits. Congressman Garcia also helped secure two federal grants through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law totaling nearly $44 million to reduce truck emissions at port facilities located in the Port of Long Beach. As Mayor of Long Beach, Congressman Garcia worked with the Port of Long Beach to navigate the historic surge in volume in freight in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper Statement on House Passage of Republican’s Budget Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    The budget will increase prices for Coloradans, strip health care from 17 million Americans, increase the deficit, and give tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement after the House voted to pass the Republicans’ extreme budget reconciliation bill.

    “House Republicans – including our colleagues from Colorado – didn’t need to do this.

    “Excessive tax cuts for the wealthy few are NOT worth mortgaging our future economy, sacrificing health care for 17 million Americans, and forfeiting our clean energy dominance.

    “The choice should have been clear.”

    The Republicans’ reconciliation bill includes a $3 trillion tax cut for the wealthiest Americans. It pays for those tax cuts by taking healthcare away from 17 million Americans, forcing rural hospitals in Colorado to close their doors, gutting clean energy investments, and ballooning our national debt by trillions of dollars.

    On Tuesday, Hickenlooper voted NO on the Senate budget resolution after Republicans voted down critical Democratic-led amendments to prevent cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and Inflation Reduction Act clean energy funding.

    Yesterday, while the House considered the legislation, Hickenlooper held a statewide press conference with Colorado Governor Jared Polis, and U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen to call on House Republicans to reject the extreme legislation and highlight the harm it will cause Colorado.

    The bill now heads to President Trump to be signed into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Meet Mineral Mappers Flying NASA Tech Out West

    Source: NASA

    NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey have been mapping the planets since Apollo. One team is searching closer to home for minerals critical to national security and the economy.
    If not for the Joshua trees, the tan hills of Cuprite, Nevada, would resemble Mars. Scalded and chemically altered by water from deep underground, the rocks here are earthly analogs for understanding ancient Martian geology. The hills are also rich with minerals. They’ve lured prospectors for more than 100 years and made Cuprite an ideal place to test NASA technology designed to map the minerals, craters, crusts, and ices of our solar system.
    Sensors that discovered lunar water, charted Saturn’s moons, even investigated ground zero in New York City were all tested and calibrated at Cuprite, said Robert Green, a senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. He’s honed instruments in Nevada for decades.
    One of Green’s latest projects is to find and map rocky surfaces in the American West that could contain minerals crucial to the nation’s economy and security. Currently, the U.S. is dependent on imports of 50 critical minerals, which include lithium and rare earth elements used in everything from rechargeable batteries to medicine.
    Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are searching nationwide for domestic sources. NASA is contributing to this effort with high-altitude aircraft and sensors capable of detecting the molecular fingerprints of minerals across vast, treeless expanses in wavelengths of light not visible to human eyes.

    The collaboration is called GEMx, the Geological Earth Mapping Experiment, and it’s likely the largest airborne spectroscopic survey in U.S. history. Since 2023, scientists working on GEMx have charted more than 190,000 square miles (500,000 square kilometers) of North American soil.
    Mapping Partnership Started During Apollo
    As NASA instruments fly in aircraft 60,000 feet (18,000 meters) overhead, Todd Hoefen, a geophysicist, and his colleagues from USGS work below. The samples of rock they test and collect in the field are crucial to ensuring that the airborne observations match reality on the ground and are not skewed by the intervening atmosphere.
    The GEMx mission marks the latest in a long history of partnerships between NASA and USGS. The two agencies have worked together to map rocky worlds — and keep astronauts and rovers safe — since the early days of the space race.
    For example, geologic maps of the Moon made in the early 1960s at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, helped Apollo mission planners select safe and scientifically promising sites for the six crewed landings that occurred from 1969 to 1972. Before stepping onto the lunar surface, NASA’s Moon-bound astronauts traveled to Flagstaff to practice fieldwork with USGS geologists. A version of those Apollo boot camps continues today with astronauts and scientists involved in NASA’s Artemis mission.

    Rainbows and Rocks
    To detect minerals and other compounds on the surfaces of rocky bodies across the solar system, including Earth, scientists use a technology pioneered by JPL in the 1980s called imaging spectroscopy. One of the original imaging spectrometers built by Robert Green and his team is central to the GEMx campaign in the Western U.S.
    About the size and weight of a minifridge and built to fly on planes, the instrument is called AVIRIS-Classic, short for Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer. Like all imaging spectrometers, it takes advantage of the fact that every molecule reflects and absorbs light in a unique pattern, like a fingerprint. Spectrometers detect these molecular fingerprints in the light bouncing off or emitted from a sample or a surface.  
    In the case of GEMx, that’s sunlight shimmering off different kinds of rocks.  
    Compared to a standard digital camera, which “sees” three color channels (red, green, and blue), imaging spectrometers can see more than 200 channels, including infrared wavelengths of light that are invisible to the human eye.
    NASA spectrometers have orbited or flown by every major rocky body in our solar system. They’ve helped scientists investigate methane lakes on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, and study Pluto’s thin atmosphere. One JPL-built spectrometer is currently en route to Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter, to help search for chemical ingredients necessary to support life.
    “One of the cool things about NASA is that we develop technology to look out at the solar system and beyond, but we also turn around and look back down,” said Ben Phillips, a longtime NASA program manager who led GEMx until he retired in 2025.
    The Newest Instrument
    More than 200 hours of GEMx flights are scheduled through fall 2025. Scientists will process and validate the data, with the first USGS mineral maps to follow. During these flights, an ER-2 research aircraft from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, will cruise over the Western U.S. at altitudes twice as high as a passenger jet flies.
    At such high altitudes, pilot Dean Neeley must wear a spacesuit similar to those used by astronauts. He flies solo in the cramped cockpit but will be accompanied by state-of-the-art NASA instruments. In the belly of the plane rides AVIRIS-Classic, which will be retiring soon after more than three decades in service. Carefully packed in the plane’s nose is its successor: AVIRIS-5, taking flight for the first time in 2025.
    Together, the two instruments provide 10 times the performance of the older spectrometer alone, but even by itself AVIRIS-5 marks a leap forward. It can sample areas ranging from about 30 feet (10 meters) to less than a foot (30 centimeters).
    “The newest generation of AVIRIS will more than live up to the original,” Green said.
    More About GEMx
    The GEMx research project will last four years and is funded by the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative. The initiative will capitalize on both the technology developed by NASA for spectroscopic imaging, as well as the agency’s expertise in analyzing the datasets and extracting critical mineral information from them.
    Data collected by GEMx is available here.
    News Media Contacts
    Andrew Wang / Jane J. LeeJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.626-379-6874 / 818-354-0307andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov
    Karen Fox / Elizabeth VlockNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov
    Written by Sally Younger
    2025-086

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: DWP’s ‘unhealthy obsession’ with AI discriminates against people with disabilities

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Report finds DWPs use of AI traps disabled people, those in poverty and the digitally excluded in ‘bureaucratic limbo’ 

    The report highlights how intrusive data practices have led to disproportionate monitoring of disadvantaged communities  

    ‘Have some form of sort of compassion, make the forms and things easier’ – Claimant 

    ‘While people struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table due to inadequate social security, the DWP is still spending millions of pounds on costly, experimental systems designed to profile and surveil claimants’ – Imogen-Richmond Bishop 

    People with disabilities, limited digital skills, digital illiteracy, serious health concerns, or living in poverty are being pushed into bureaucratic limbo and subjected to immense stress caused by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) unchecked roll-out of technologies, Amnesty International said today in a new report. 

    The 67-page report, “Too Much Technology, Not Enough Empathy”, exposes how the DWP’s constant cycle of testing, deploying, and withdrawing costly artificial intelligence (AI) and digital systems for Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has created an inaccessible and exclusionary social security system – disproportionately harming the most marginalised.  

    The tech-driven systems for applications and management are causing relentless dehumanisation and psychological distress for people already struggling to meet their basic needs. These systems are accompanied by intrusive data collection, resulting in excessive surveillance and profiling of disadvantaged groups – contributing to the emergence of an all-seeing state.  

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for the UK to become an ‘AI superpower,’ with plans to accelerate AI across the public sector in a bid to boost economic growth.   

    Imogen-Richmond Bishop, Amnesty International Researcher on Technology, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, said: 

    “The DWP’s mission to reduce ‘costs’ is an unhealthy obsession and overreliance on flawed technology. But urgent questions remain: Is the tech rollout truly cost-effective – or simply cutting corners at the expense of vulnerable people? 

    “With the UK’s National Audit Office expressing serious doubts about these technologies, it’s deeply concerning that while people struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table due to inadequate  social security, the DWP is still spending millions of pounds on costly, experimental systems designed to profile and surveil claimants,”. 

    ‘Dehumanising and discriminatory’ 

    The report follows Amnesty’s earlier publication this year, ‘Social Insecurity’, which found the UK’s social security system to be “consciously cruel”, with widespread dehumanisation and discrimination. It revealed significant barriers to access:   

    Digital exclusion is not fixed. People may experience it to varying degrees, and it can fluctuate based on factors such as living conditions, education, health, and income. 

    Furthermore, limited access to digital technologies, including the internet or internet connected devices, and their affordability are key factors contributing to digital exclusion caused by the DWP’s systems. Language barriers and excessively long wait times on telephone services offered for UC claimants add a strain, often resulting in significant psychological stress. 

    For one of the claimants interviewed by Amnesty, literacy level, gender, and socio-economic status all represented barriers to her being able to access services online. 

    One claimant told Amnesty: “Have some form of sort of compassion, make the forms and things easier. I mean, I’m quite illiterate. I mean, a lot of women are, are men of my age, can’t use them […] So they’re stuffed. They send me. Letters on my phone. I can’t open them. So I ring up. I can’t open it. I haven’t got an iPad. I can’t afford an iPad.” 

    Imogen Richmond-Bishop added: 

    “The DWP’s experimentation with tech systems has reduced people to data points, where the success of a claim often depends more on fitting into rigid digital categories than actual eligibility.  

    “Technology in this instance has oversimplified people’s complex realities by creating narrow and opaque processing that demeans people’s needs especially when they are unable to get the support from a human case worker that they need. 

    “The DWP’s data collection practices are alarmingly invasive and deeply opaque. Requiring applicants to surrender vast amounts of sensitive personal data – including health, disability, housing, marital status, and detailed financial records like bank statements – raises serious red flags. This excessive data harvesting calls into question the proportionality, legality, and fairness of how information is collected, processed and potentially exploited.”   

    The UK must ensure AI doesn’t contribute to human rights violations and Amnesty is calling for: 

    The report interviewed 783 people between October 2024 to January 2025. 

    MIL OSI NGO –