Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI: Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited Announces Receipt of Nasdaq Notification Regarding Filing Delinquency

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COOTAMUNDRA, Australia, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: COOT), a manufacturer and seller of sustainable edible oils to customers globally, announced that it has received written notification from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) on May 27, 2025 stating that the Company was delinquent in filing its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2025. The Company previously filed a Form 12b-25 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 14, 2025, disclosing that it was unable to file the Form 10-Q within the prescribed time period without unreasonable effort or expense. The Nasdaq Letter provided that under Nasdaq rules, the Company has 60 calendar days to submit a plan to regain compliance with respect to the Delinquent Filing.

    The Company has filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2025 on May 30, 2025, thereby regaining compliance with its filing obligation, which eliminates the need for the Company to submit a formal plan to regain compliance.

    About Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited. Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: COOT) through its subsidiaries, including Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd., an Australian proprietary company, tis focused on the manufacture and sale of sustainable oilseeds (e.g., seeds grown primarily for the production of edible oils) and is committed to working with all suppliers in the food supply chain to eliminate chemicals from the production and manufacturing systems to supply quality products to customers globally. The Company engages in the business of processing, manufacture and sale of non-GMO oilseeds and organic and non-organic food-grade oils, for the rapidly growing oilseeds market, through sourcing materials from suppliers focused on reducing the use of chemicals in consumables in order to supply healthier food ingredients, vegetable oils, proteins and other products to customers globally. Over the past 20 years, the Company’s cold pressing oil plant has grown to become the largest in Australia, pressing strictly GMO-free conventional and organic oilseeds.

    Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding our financial outlook, business strategy and plans, market trends and market size, opportunities and positioning. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “believe,” “hope,” “target,” “project,” “goals,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “could,” “intend,” “shall” and variations of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. For example, global economic conditions could in the future reduce demand for our products; we could in the future experience cybersecurity incidents; we may be unable to manage or sustain the level of growth that our business has experienced in prior periods; our financial resources may not be sufficient to maintain or improve our competitive position; we may be unable to attract new customers, or retain or sell additional products to existing customers; we may experience challenges successfully expanding our marketing and sales capabilities, including further specializing our sales force; customer growth could decelerate in the future; we may not achieve expected synergies and efficiencies of operations from recent acquisitions or business combinations, and we may not be able to pay off our convertible notes when due. Further information on potential factors that could affect our financial results is included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for June 30, 2024 and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views only as of the date of this press release and we assume no obligation and do not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

    Contact
    Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited
    126-142 Cowcumbla Street
    Cootamundra New South Wales 2590
    Attn: Amarjeet Singh, CFO
    Email: amarjeet.s@energreennutrition.com.au

    Investor Relations Contact
    Reed Anderson
    (646) 277-1260
    reed.anderson@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton Introduces Bill to Ban Blacklisted Firms from Sensitive DOE Contracts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    June 4, 2025

    Cotton Introduces Bill to Ban Blacklisted Firms from Sensitive DOE Contracts

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Securing our Energy Supply Chains Act, legislation that would establish a Department of Energy non-procurement list for critical minerals, battery production, and other related energy needs. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) is cosponsoring the legislation.

    “Supply chains for our country’s critical minerals and battery production are a cut-and-dry national security issue. Firms that are banned from doing business with the Department of Defense and other federal agencies should face significant restrictions when working in these sensitive areas,” said Senator Cotton.

    “Organizations that threaten our national security have no business engaging in American energy production,” said Senator Risch. “The Securing our Energy Supply Chains Act protects the energy sector, which is critical to both our economy and security, from bad actors while advancing domestic needs.”

    Full text of the bill may be found here.

    The Securing our Energy Supply Chains Act would:

    • Establish a master energy non-procurement list for DOE projects prioritizing critical minerals and battery production
    • Establish a waiver process for contracts or projects that require exceptions
    • Require a federal study to pull all similar lists of entities of concern from Commerce, DOD, Energy, State, Treasury, DNI, and other agencies and make recommendations for harmonization.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fifth year in a row of equal gender representation on public sector boards

    Source: New Zealand Government

    For the fifth consecutive year, women’s representation on public sector boards and committees has reached 50 percent or above, with women now holding 52.1 percent of public sector board roles, Minister for Women Nicola Grigg says.

    Ms Grigg announced the results of the 2024 stocktake of gender and ethnic diversity on public sector boards and committees at an Institute of Directors event on Wednesday.

    “I am delighted to see that women’s representation in public sector governance remains strong, and that women also continue to be well-represented in Board chair positions – at 44.5 percent.

    “We know that having more women in leadership not only brings about greater diversity but is better for business with a positive impact on financial performance and better decision making.”

    Ms Grigg says that Māori and ethnic diversity on public sector boards has also increased since collection of ethnicity data began in 2019.

    “There are many great women leaders in New Zealand who have achieved amazing things. A big part of what we need to do now is inspire the next generation of leaders, and this includes identifying, supporting, and growing future generations of women in governance.

    “This is a great achievement, but the work is not done. It’s taken a deliberate and coordinated effort to achieve this result, and we continue to focus on ensuring we have gender-balanced boards appointed on merit that result in better governance practices, decision-making and financial performance and, ultimately, better outcomes for New Zealanders.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: How we work

    Source: Tertiary Education Commission

    Last updated 5 June 2025
    Last updated 5 June 2025

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    We invest government funding in tertiary education organisations (TEOs), monitor their performance, and provide information and advice. We invest over $3.8 billion into tertiary education and the careers system each year. 
    We invest government funding in tertiary education organisations (TEOs), monitor their performance, and provide information and advice. We invest over $3.8 billion into tertiary education and the careers system each year. 

    Our investment supports more than 700 tertiary education organisations across New Zealand to provide all forms of post-secondary-school education, including foundation education, vocational education and higher education (including research). 
    Our investment helps to ensure a network of provision which meets the needs of different learners and communities.
    The scope and breadth of our careers work has expanded to better support the changing nature of work and the future career needs of all New Zealanders between the ages of 7 and 70+. The focus is to help prepare New Zealanders for the future of work and the post-COVID challenges that lie ahead.
    Over the coming years we will focus on equipping New Zealanders with the skills and capabilities to make them career confident and resilient. For our customers this means providing information, tools and support to inform and enable good educational and employment decisions.
    Recognition of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
    The TEC recognises and affirms our responsibility to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi:

    We will give practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our work across the tertiary education and careers system.
    We will ensure that our work is consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi-related goals of the Education Work Programme, the Tertiary Education Strategy and Ka Hikitia.
    We acknowledge our responsibility to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in its entirety including taking into account the interests of whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori.
    In particular, through our Ōritetanga Learner Success work programme, we will give effect to the Crown’s Third Article Treaty obligations to ensure equitable outcomes for Māori as learners. We will work to ensure that all Māori learners receive what they need to be successful, through the intentional design and stewardship of the tertiary education system.
    We will support the Crown to meet its duties to actively protect the taonga of te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori and a strong wānanga system of tertiary educational delivery.

    We are required to give effect to the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES). The TES sets out the Government’s current and medium-term priorities and long-term strategic direction for tertiary education. It is intended to address economic, social and environmental goals, and the development aspirations of Māori and other population groups.
    Performance monitoring
    In addition to our performance monitoring of the tertiary education sector as a whole, our Chief Executive is required to report to the responsible Minister(s) on performance of universities, wānanga and Te Pūkenga – formally the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST), the tertiary education institutes (TEIs) reflecting your ownership interest (on behalf of the Crown) in all 12 TEIs.
    Through our work we support learners to understand and take hold of the lifelong opportunities they have to upskill, reskill and adapt to new challenges.
    Delivering for learners also means delivering for communities and employers. We do this by working with these groups to make sure learners are equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to contribute to thriving and resilient communities and an innovative and sustainable economy.
    For more information, please refer to our corporate publications: Annual Report, Statement of Performance Expectations, and the Briefing to the Incoming Minister 2020.

    Related Content

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advice seen by Minister(s)

    Source: Tertiary Education Commission

    Date
    Reference Number
    Title

    19 December 2019
    AM/19/01484
    Aide-Memoir: Discussion paper: establishing a CoVE specialising in Secondary Tertiary Programmes, Multiple Pathways and Transitions (PDF 1.4 MB) 

    5 December 2019
    B/19/01460
    Funding Agreement between the Crown and Lincoln University (PDF 1.3 MB) 

    3 December 2019
    1210568
    Education Report: High-level decisions on the unified funding system for discussion at the strategy session on 12 December (PDF 7.8 MB)

    22 November 2019
    B/19/01385
    Tertiary Education Commission 2019/20 Quarter One Performance Report

    20 November 2019
    B/19/01340
    Tertiary Education Report: August 2019 Fees-Free Enrolment Update (PDF 658 KB) 

    20 November 2019
    B/19/01339
    Tertiary Education Report: August 2019 Enrolment Update (PDF 590 KB) 

    15 November 2019
    AM/19/01341
    Expenditure accrual adjustment to Vote Tertiary Education

    13 November 2019
    AM/19/01357
    Overview of standard operating procedures and/or code of practices for TEI accommodation services

    11 November 2019
    Cabinet paper
    Confirmation of Crown capital investment to support the rebuild of Lincoln University’s science facilities (PDF 1.2 MB)

    7 November 2019
    AM/19/01351
    Tertiary Education Institution Accommodation Overview

    1 November 2019
    AM/19/01338
    No recoveries for exceeding prior achievement limit in 2019 for YG and SAC 1-2

    29 October 2019
    B/19/01328
    Tertiary Education Commission Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2019

    25 October 2019
    AM/19/01337
    Reform of Vocational Education Programme Governance – Update

    24 October 2019
    E/19/01252
    Ako Aotearoa 2019 Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards Evening – 30 October 2019

    23 October 2019
    B/19/01284
    Crown support for Whitireia Community Polytechnic

    15 October 2019
    E/19/01277
    Launch of Drawing the Future event on 18 October at Porirua East School

    14 October 2019
    B/19/01260
    Report to Ministers from the University of Canterbury Futures Governance Oversight Group

    14 October 2019
    B/19/01275
    ITP constitutions for two councils

    9 October 2019
    AM/19/01258
    AgResearch business case for a new building at Lincoln University

    4 October 2019
    E/19/01256
    Opening the 15th New Zealand Vocational Education and Training Research Forum on Tuesday 15 October 2019

    25 September 2019
    B/19/01192
    Update on Careers System Strategy Engagement Process (PDF 500 KB) 

    20 September 2019
    B/19/01175
    Tertiary Education Commission draft Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2019 (PDF 276 KB) 

    19 September 2019
    B/19/01211
    Tertiary Education Report: Draft Cabinet paper on supporting the rebuild of Lincoln University’s science facilities and reallocation of funding to Tai Poutini Polytechnic (PDF 159 KB) 

    17 September 2019
    B/19/01023
    Review of the appointment of the Commissioner of Whitireia and WelTec (PDF 250 KB) 

    13 September 2019
    B/19/01210
    Establishing a Stakeholder Advisory Group for Reform of Vocational Education

    13 September 2019
    B/19/01209
    Workforce Development Council and ITO Workstream: Progress update (PDF 861 KB) 

    13 September 2019
    1204429
    Briefing Note: Unified Funding Work Programme: Progress update (PDF 3.6 MB)

    10 September 2019
    E/19/01176
    Ministerial visit to the University of Auckland on Tuesday, 10 September 2019

    9 September 2019
    E/19/01176
    Ministerial visit to the University of Auckland on Tuesday, 10 September 2019 (PDF 871 KB) 

    9 September 2019
    E/19/01169
    Meeting with Greg Wallace, Chief Executive of Master Plumbers on Thursday 12 September 2019

    6 September 2019
    B/19/01141
    ITP constitutions for seven councils (PDF 297 KB) 

    2 September 2019
    E/19/01158
    Ministerial visit to Unitec Institute of Technology on Tuesday, 3 September 2019 (PDF 3.2 MB) 

    27 August 2019
    B/19/01065
    Tertiary Education Report: Lincoln University Programme Business Case: Moving Forward (PDF 487 KB) 

    27 August 2019
    B/19/01086
    Tertiary Education Report: April 2019 Fees-Free Enrolment Update (PDF 640 KB) 

    21 August 2019
    B/19/01085
    Tertiary Education Report: April 2019 Enrolment Update (PDF 826 KB)

    19 August 2019
    E/19/01093
    Minister of Education Opening the Primary ITO Symposium on Tuesday 20 August 2019

    8 August 2019
    AM/19/00929
    Fees-free monitoring and addressing non-complying TEOs

    26 July 2019
    E/19/00868
    Ōritetanga Learner Success Conference (PDF 240 KB) 

    26 July 2019
    AM/19/00971
    Talking Points for Cabinet on 29 July 2019 – NZIST Establishment Board Appointment

    25 July 2019
    B/19/00928
    Lincoln University and the University of Canterbury Partnership Proposal (PDF 1.5 MB) 

    24 July 2019
    B/19/00882
    Crown support for Tai Poutini Polytechnic (PDF 670 KB)

    20 July 2019
    AM/19/00790
    WAIKATO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 2018 Annual Report (PDF 459 KB) 

    19 July 2019
    AM/19/00959
    Southern Institute of Technology’s proposal for Telfrod – Talking point for Cabinet

    19 July 2019
    AM/19/00954
    Annotated Agenda – NZ Institute of Skills and Technology Establishment

    17 July 2019
    B/19/00773
    Update on Careers System Strategy and Career Action Plan (PDF 275 KB) 

    17 July 2019
    B/19/00867
    Southern Institute of Technology’s proposal for operating Telford in 2020 and 2021 (PDF 486 KB) 

    15 July 2019
    AM/19/00800
    Assurance findings for the Reform of Vocational Education Programme

    15 July 2019
    B/19/00763
    2020 Investment Round Update: Indicative Allocations

    11 July 2019
    E/19/00879
    Minister to visit Otago University on 12 July 2019 (PDF 465 KB) 

    10 July 2019
    B/19/00819
    Manukau Institute of Technology– council constitution (PDF 402 KB) 

    10 July 2019
    AM/19/00880
    Compliance monitoring of fees-free tertiary education and prosecution for false statutory declarations

    4 July 2019
    B/19/00785
    TEC 2018/19 Quarter Three Performance Report (PDF 355 KB) 

    3 July 2019
    B/19/00861
    Review of the appointment of the Commissioner of Unitec (PDF 289 KB) 

    1 July 2019
    B/19/00840
    2018 Educational Performance Indicators (PDF 1.1 MB) 

    1 July 2019
    AM/19/00820
    Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi 2018 Annual Report (PDF 506 KB) 

    1 July 2019
    B/19/00708
    Publication of the Tertiary Education Commission’s Statement of Intent 2019/20–2022/23 and Statement of Performance Expectations 2019/20 (PDF 274 KB) 

    1 July 2019
    AM/19/00827
    Aide-Memoire: Lincoln University Programme Business Case: Moving Forward (PDF 303 KB) 

    1 July 2019
    B/19/00840
    2018 Educational Performance Indicators

    28 June 2019
    E/19/00835
    Meeting with Service Skills Institute Incorporated on Monday 1 July 2019

    25 June 2019
    AM/19/00821
    Talking Points for APH on 26 June 2019 – Appointment to the council of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi (PDF 219 KB)

    20 June 2019
    AM/19/00790
    WAIKATO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 2018 Annual Report

    19 June 2019
    AM/19/00797
    Growing the Food and Fibres Sector – Recommendations for the TEC

    17 June 2019
    E/19/00776
    University of Canterbury – Opening of the Rehua Building on 25 June 2019 (PDF 326 KB) 

    12 June 2019
    E/19/00690
    Meeting with the Commissioner of WelTec and Whitireia (PDF 346 KB) 

    12 June 2019
    AM/19/00749
    Update on Whitireia Community Polytechnic and the Wellington Institute of Technology

    10 June 2019
    AM/19/00739
    Update on the current situation of funding training and education of carers

    7 June 2019
    B/19/00702
    Recognition of Skills Active Aotearoa Limited as an industry training organisation (PDF 1.1 MB) 

    31 May 2019
    B/19/00709
    Waikato Institute of Technology Council Constitution (PDF 441 KB) 

    31 May 2019
    AM/19/00704
    Unitec Institute of Technology 2018 Annual Report (PDF 408 KB)

    31 May 2019
    B/19/00706
    2018 final full-year enrolments at tertiary education organisations

    31 May 2019
    AM/19/00707
    Update on the financial position of ITPs

    30 May 2019
    B/19/00703
    Recognition of the Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand as an industry training organisation (PDF 479 KB) 

    30 May 2019
    B/19/00701
    Recognition of Primary Industry Training Organisation as an industry training organisation (PDF 897 KB) 

    30 May 2019
    E/19/00705
    Meeting with UCOL on 5 June 2019  (PDF 2.6 MB)

    27 May 2019
    AM/19/00648
    Advice on options to support the University of Canterbury following the Christchurch mosque attacks

    24 May 2019
    B/19/00650
    Ministerial appointment to Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi

    17 May 2019
    B/19/00706
    2018 Final Full-Year Enrolments at Tertiary Education Organisations (PDF 1.1 MB) 

    17 May 2019
    B/19/00640
    Tai Poutini Polytechnic Capital Injection – Final Milestone (PDF 386 KB) Tai Poutini Polytechnic Capital Injection Appendix A (PDF 1.6 MB) 

    16 May 2019
    AM/19/00651
    Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki 2018 Annual Report (PDF 516 KB) 

    10 May 2019
    E/19/00555
    Meeting with Professor Jan Thomas from Massey University on 22 May 2019 (PDF 682 KB) 

    10 May 2019
    E/19/00644
    Meeting with Southland Federated Farmers

    9 May 2019
    B/19/00613
    Letters for Ministerial appointments to two tertiary education councils (PDF 286 KB) 

    8 May 2019
    E/19/00509
    Minister to speak at the Open Polytechnic Graduation on Thursday, 23 May 2019 (PDF 3.2 MB).

    3 May 2019 
    AM/19/00611
    Lincoln University 2018 financial results (PDF 247 KB) 

    3 May 2019
    AM/19/00615
    Ministerial Appointment to the council of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi

    23 April 2019
    B/19/00527
    Release of the 2018 PBRF Quality Evaluation Results 

    10 April 2019
    E/19/00512
    Meeting with Primary Industry Training Organisation on Thursday 11 April 2019 

    9 April 2019
    E/19/00473
    Meeting with WITT to discuss RoVE on 11 April 2019 

    8 April 2019
    E/19/00482
    Meeting with Andrew Robb from Tai Poutini Polytechnic on 11 April 2019 

    3 April 2019
    B/19/00451
    Salvation Army foundation education delivery consultation outcomes 

    3 April 2019
    B/19/00469
    Inspiring Futures – Response 

    2 April 2019
    E/19/00465
    Ministerial visit to open new Tech Park Campus development at Manukau Institute of Technology on 5 April 2019 

    28 March 2019
    E/19/00446
    BusinessNZ Major Companies Group – Chief Executive Forum on Friday 5 April 2019 

    27 March 2019
    B/19/00448
    Letters for Ministerial appointments to eight tertiary education institution councils 

    27 March 2019
    B/19/00442
    Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology – council constitution 

    25 March 2019
    B/19/00360
    2018 Interim Full-Year Enrolments at Tertiary Education Organisations 

    18 March 2019
    AM/19/00414
    Talking Points for APH on appointments to eight ITP councils 

    14 March 2019
    B/19/00161
    TEC 2018/2019 Quarter Two Performance Report 

    12 March 2019
    E/19/00396
    Meeting with The Skills Organisation 14 March 2019 

    12 March 2019
    E/19/00398
    Meeting with Careerforce Thursday 14 March 2019 

    12 March 2019
    B/19/00381
    Letters for Ministerial appointments to two university councils 

    7 March 2019
    B/19/00158
    Careers System Strategy Workstream Implementation Update 

    5 March 2019
    AM/19/00330
    Talking Points for APH on appointments to two TEI Councils 

    1 March 2019
    E/19/00166
    Meeting with Competenz Chair and Chief Executive Thursday 7 March 

    1 March 2019
    E/19/00234
    Local Government New Zealand Rural and Provincial Meeting 

    27 February 2019
    E/19/00165
    Visit to Telford (PDF 326 KB) 

    26 February 2019
    E/19/00150
    Meeting with primary industry leaders to discuss your vision on Reform of Vocational Education (PDF 269 KB) 

    25 February 2019
    E/19/00246
    Meeting with the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) at Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) (PDF 2 MB) 

    15 February 2019
    B/19/00082
    Lincoln University and the University of Canterbury Partnership Proposal: next steps (PDF 2.3 MB) 

    11 February 2019
    AM/19/0060
    World Economic Forum OECD Release of Envisioning the Future of Education and Jobs: Trends, Data and Drawings report (PDF 159 KB) 

    7 February 2019
    AM/19/00083
    2018 full-year enrolment reporting timeline (PDF 397 KB) 

    1 February 2019
    B/19/00081
    Southern Institute of Technology’s proposal for operating Telford in 2019 (PDF 393 KB) 

    February 2019
    Cabinet paper
    Council Appointments for Ara Institute of Canterbury, Eastern Institute of Technology, Manukau Institute of Technology, NorthTec, Otago Polytechnic, Tai Poutini Polytechnic, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, UCOL and the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (PDF 320 KB) 

    30 January 2019
    B/19/00055
    Appointment of an advisory committee to support the Commissioner of Whitireia and WelTec (PDF 202 KB) 

    29 January 2019
    AM/19/00064
    Computer in Homes Tender (PDF 824 KB) 

    28 January 2019
    AM/19/00063
    Meeting with the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury (PDF 1.2 MB) 

    21 January 2019
    E/19/00010
    Ara Institute of Canterbury – Manawa and Outpatients facility opening on Thursday 31 January 2019 (PDF 1.2 MB) 

    11 January 2019
    B/19/00028
    Update World Economic Forum: Launch of Envisioning the Future of Education and Jobs (PDF 554 KB) 

    8 January 2019
    B/19/00007
    University of Auckland – amendment to council constitution (PDF 303 KB) 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Engineers make a big splash, turning water treatment sludge into sustainable concrete

    Source:

    05 June 2025

    Cracked and corroded sewer pipes cost Australian taxpayers almost $70 billion annually.

    Australian researchers are tackling a $70 billion problem facing our nation’s infrastructure by developing an eco-friendly alternative solution to traditional cement sewer pipes that are prone to cracking and corroding.

    By combining sludge – a byproduct of the drinking water purification process – and blast-furnace slag, University of South Australia (UniSA) engineers have demonstrated that a new, corrosive-resistant material is more than 50% stronger than cement and resistant to acid-induced degradation.

    Concrete is widely used for making sewage pipes due to its availability, affordability and structural strength, but it is highly susceptible to acid and microbial corrosion in sewers, requiring ongoing repairs and maintenance that cost Australian taxpayers close to $70 billion each year.

    A new study published in the Journal of Building Engineering evaluates the effectiveness of the alkali-activated materials (AAMs) and demonstrates why they could revolutionise sewage infrastructure worldwide.

    Samples containing 20% to 40% of alum-based water treatment sludge (AWTS) retained over 50% higher compressive strength compared to 100% ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), which is used in the production of cement.

    The new material also limited the penetration of sulphur-oxidizing bacteria and slowed acid-reduced degradation.

    UniSA civil engineering PhD candidate Weiwei Duan, whose research is based on this project, says there is another major benefit: finding a cost-effective and environmental use for water treatment residue.

    “Sludge is usually disposed of in landfill sites, which not only reduces available land for other uses, but also harms the environment, creating CO₂ emissions from transporting the waste,” Weiwei says.

    Principal supervisor and lead researcher on the project, Professor Yan Zhuge, says the findings suggest that partially replacing the blast furnace slag with 20-40% of water treatment sludge makes them “promising candidates” for use in sewers.

    “This has the potential to extend the service life of sewage pipes, reduce maintenance costs, and promote the reuse of water treatment byproducts, thus contributing to the circular economy.

    “The construction industry is one of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters, so if we can cut down on the need for cement, we will be helping to lower carbon emissions,” Prof Zhuge says.

    In May, Weiwei Duan took out the 2025 Australian Water Association’s Student Water Prize for his research – the first UniSA student to receive this national honour in 60 years.

    “Evaluating microbiologically influenced corrosion in alkali-activated materials incorporating alum sludge” is authored by UniSA researcher Professor Yan Zhuge, Weiwei Duan, Dr Yue Liu, Professor Christopher Chow and Alexandra Keegan from the SA Water Corporation. DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2025.112682

    The University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide are joining forces to become Australia’s new major university – Adelaide University. Building on the strengths, legacies and resources of two leading universities, Adelaide University will deliver globally relevant research at scale, innovative, industry-informed teaching and an outstanding student experience. Adelaide University will open its doors in January 2026. Find out more on the Adelaide University website.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contacts for interview:

    Weiwei Duan E: weiwei.duan@mymail.unisa.edu.au
    Prof Yan Zhuge E: yan.zhuge@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Amendments protocol

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Amending transactions, balances, and events

    When to amend

    If you discover any material errors or omissions in the balances, contributions, or events you have reported, you must amend your reporting within 30 days of becoming aware of these errors under Section 390-115 of Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (TAA).

    All monetary reporting errors are automatically considered material unless you’ve engaged with us to assess the specifics of a reporting issue as it relates to individual members and reporting years.

    Materiality is the threshold above which missing or incorrect information is considered to have any impact on the decision-making of the user. For example, if a contribution has been incorrectly classified as an employer contribution and it should have been classified as personal, this impacts you, the member and us.

    Even if the amount is small, if you’re aware of the error it must be corrected. You can’t make a decision based on an amount threshold as you don’t have the full details of the member’s taxation or financial position to understand the impact.

    The obligation to report amendments has no time limitation. It exists regardless of when you become aware of the material error or omission, and is not altered by any subsequent events such as:

    • closure of the member’s account
    • commencement of a pension.

    Example 1: amending errors on closed accounts

    Debra was nearing retirement age and for the last 5 years she had made regular personal contributions to Ridgeway Super to increase her superannuation balance. She retired in August 2023 aged 60 and rolled out her entire balance to Summerleas Retirement Scheme. Unknown to Debra, the staff at Ridgeway Super had made errors in processing her contributions and had not reported any of the personal contributions it received for her.

    Debra visited an accountant in September 2023 who realised she was entitled to a super co-contribution. She checked her records and contacted Ridgeway Super to ask why no co-contribution was received.

    Ridgeway Super accepted that an error was made but told Debra that they could not amend their reporting because her account was now closed. Debra wrote to the ATO to complain about this refusal. We advised Ridgeway Super of its obligation to correct all material errors even after an account is closed and confirmed that amendments can be made to accounts that have been reported closed with us.

    Ridgeway Super lodged the amendments more than 8 months after Debra first brought the error to their attention. We imposed a penalty on Ridgeway Super for failing to notify us within 30 days of becoming aware of a material omission.

    We paid the co-contribution directly to Debra as she had retired.

    End of example

    Correcting systemic reporting errors

    Ensure you have processes in place to identify and correct systemic reporting issues when you’re asked to correct an error for a member. Penalties may apply if you don’t take reasonable care.

    If a member brings an error to your attention, you need to:

    • correct the error for that member
    • check to see if the same error impacts other members so you can proactively fix it for them as well.

    Example 2: correcting systemic errors

    In the previous example, Ridgeway Super checked whether the errors their staff made in processing Debra’s personal contributions had occurred for other members.

    Ridgeway Super discovered another 3,000 members’ personal contributions weren’t reported to us. Ridgeway Super amended its reporting for these cases and developed new procedures to ensure the errors wouldn’t recur.

    End of example

    Only amend to correct a genuine error

    Only amend your reporting where genuine errors have occurred. For example, you shouldn’t amend because a member has decided that they wish to change the amount or character of the contributions they made during the year to avoid an excess contributions tax liability.

    Mistakes and returning contributions

    In limited circumstances, you may be required to amend your reporting when the retrospective operation of the law causes a transaction to be unwound or become void. This may occur when you return contributions credited to a member’s account in restitution of a legal mistake of law or mistake of fact.

    Contributions can’t be returned to a member because they regret making them or because they or their agents made an error in their decision to contribute.

    Whether or not contributions have been returned is not determinative of whether or not they should be reported, or an amendment lodged to remove them from a previous report.

    See ATO ID 2010/104Opens in a new window Excess contributions tax: restitution of a ‘mistaken’ contribution for an example of when a personal contribution will still be included in an individual’s non-concessional contributions for the financial year. This is where the trustee has repaid the contribution to the member in purported restitution of a mistaken payment when in fact there was no case for restitution on the grounds of mistake of law or of fact.

    If you correctly return contributions in accordance with the law of restitution, you must amend your reporting so that the contributions aren’t counted towards the member’s contributions caps. However, in circumstances where the law of restitution doesn’t apply to unwind or void a transaction, you must still report the contributions (and not amend any previous reporting) even if they have been returned.

    We apply considerable scrutiny to situations where contributions are returned to a member or they are re-characterised, after the member realises that they’ve exceeded a contributions cap. Understand your legal obligations in these situations and develop procedures and systems to ensure member requests of this nature are considered very carefully.

    While we scrutinise these decisions, we recognise there are many circumstances where a decision to amend is correct and a failure to do so would be a failure to report correctly.

    Example 3: provider administrative error

    An employer made contributions to a provider for a number of employees in June 2022. The provider’s administrative staff misread the instructions the employer provided with the contributions and allocated too much to one member and too little to another. The error was discovered in December 2022, after the provider had reported to us for each of the affected members.

    The provider had made a mistake of fact, to correct it they transferred amounts between the accounts of the affected members in December 2022. The reallocation of contributions was treated as having retrospective effect back to June 2022. Each member’s reporting was amended to reflect this.

    The fund also needs to amend each member’s account balance as this will impact the calculation of total super balance for the member and what the member sees in ATO online services.

    Example 4: member error in contribution classification

    Walter, a self-employed investor, and businessman made a super contribution to Big Super without the involvement of any other person or entity, using a personal cheque drawing on a bank account in his own name.

    In error, he entered this contribution on one of Big Super’s forms as a contribution made by an employer. He put his name down as both employer and employee and failed to indicate the nature of the contribution. He entered this despite a clear alert on the form that said, ‘All contributions will be treated as super guarantee contributions unless otherwise indicated’. Big Super recorded the contribution as an employer contribution and reported it as such to us.

    Walter received an excess contributions tax assessment based on the reporting that indicated he had exceeded the concessional contributions cap. Walter asked Big Super to amend their reporting. He provided evidence that he had made the contribution himself. Using their internal records, Big Super also considered the obvious errors in the form Walter had given them and the cheque’s drawer.

    Big Super agreed that the contribution had been mischaracterised by them when it was made based on Walter’s error. Even though Walter’s lack of care in completing the form was the source of the error, Big Super recognised its obligation to now amend the reporting involved, correcting what was now known to be a reporting error.

    Example 5: amendment to contribution causing an amendment to account balance and accumulation phase reporting

    In December 2022, a super fund realises that it has incorrectly recorded in its systems a $100,000 contribution from a member as $10,000 and had reported the $10,000 contribution to us on 30 May 2022. The fund reports an adjustment to the contribution by using the delta amount of $90,000 and the original details of the contribution. The fund also needs to amend the member’s balance as this will impact the calculation of total super balance for the member and what the member sees in ATO online services.

    The fund reports the new balance with the effective date of the previous balance to overwrite the incorrect balance. The fund had also reported an accumulation phase value for this member which was different from the 30 June balance and therefore cancels that report and re-reports accordingly. All these amounts are re-reported within the 30-day period the fund must correct an error or omission.

    End of example

    Actioning amendments via different channels

    Originally reported through MATS

    For amounts relating to the 2018–19 year onwards, providers will correct reporting of contributions, annual amounts, acknowledged notices of intent and balances using member account transaction service (MATS).

    Correcting the reporting of retirement phase events, personal injury and or structured settlement amounts, and accumulated phase value (APV) and retirement phase value (RPV), can only be done by cancelling the original lodgment and then lodging a new report with the correct information.

    Correcting annual amounts and balances (excluding APV and RPV) can be done by overwriting the original or cancelling and re-reporting.

    Originally reported through TBAR

    Cancellations are most effective if completed through their original channel. However, anything reported on the transfer balance account report (TBAR) can be cancelled through MATS if both:

    • a member account attribute service (MAAS) has been lodged for that account
    • the information in the cancellation report exactly matches the original lodgment.

    The new report with the correct information can be lodged using MATS.

    If you need to correct retirement phase event reporting for an account which has never been on-boarded to MAAS, the re-reporting will need to occur through the original channel. We are exploring options for these amendments and will provide further guidance when available.

    Originally reported through MCS

    Amendments to anything reported on the member contributions statement (MCS) in the 2017–18 income year and prior years should be done using Online services for business. For more information, see Member contributions statement.

    More information

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Flexible lodgment for those affected by NSW floods

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    If you or your clients have been affected by the recent NSW floods, we have a range of support options available to help you meet your obligations.

    We encourage those who can lodge on time to do so, but where lodgment is not possible, clients or agents within the declared natural disaster area as per Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP)External Link will have until 26 June to lodge the following obligations:

    • May monthly BAS with an original due date of 21 June
    • Income tax returns for the 2023–24 income year for individuals and small businesses (including sole traders and trusts), with a current lodgment due date between 29 May and 26 June 2025
    • individuals and small businesses (including sole traders and trusts) that may already have a lodgment deferral for the 2023–24 income tax return; or May activity statement lodgment obligation, may lodge up to 26 June.

    You won’t be penalised for lodging these obligations by the later date. If you already have a deferral, it will remain in place.

    These concessions automatically apply to agents and taxpayers identified as residing within the declared areas, only for those lodgments as listed above – so you don’t need to contact us for a deferral. There’s an indicator on the accounts of affected clients, which you can identify by running an on-demand Outstanding Lodgment Report for either Income Tax or Activity Statements in Online services for agents, or through practice management software.

    The payment due date for your obligations has not changed. General interest charge (GIC) will apply if payment is not made by the original payment due date.

    If your client is not able to pay by the due date, contact us to discuss their options. We will take an empathetic approach to your situation.

    You can find more information on flood support on our website.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins RFD-TV to Discuss Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, MAHA, and the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Market Day Report on RFD-TV today to highlight the Senate Agriculture Committee advancing his legislation, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which will put whole milk back in schools. He detailed the next steps to get the bill across the finish line and to President Trump’s desk.
    The Senator also discussed the recent Make America Healthy Again Commission report and President Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill.’

    [embedded content]

    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    On the importance of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act:
    Senator Marshall: “This is so important to me, to my family. My dad grew up on a dairy [farm] where every day for 25 years, they milk cows twice a day. And some of your listeners know exactly what that’s like, but milk is the most nutritious drink known to mankind, and for whatever reason, the federal government took whole milk out of our schools over a decade ago.
    “Because of that, we have a generation of young adults now whose bones will never reach their peak mass. We’re going to have an epidemic of osteoporosis and osteopenia. Look, whole milk just tastes better. So we need to focus on the quality of the nutrition as opposed to just the calorie count. And again, milk [is] the most nutritious drink known to mankind.”
    On the next steps for the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act:
    Senator Marshall: “I think very easily we could go to the Senate floor and ask unanimous consent, and as long as not one senator stands up objects to it, we’ll get it across the Senate floor. Hopefully, they can do a similar effort over on the House side and get it to the President’s desk. So we’ll do our very best to give the President a win here.”
    On the MAHA Commission report:
    Senator Marshall: “As you look at that MAHA commission report, I didn’t write it, but certainly I agree with the same goals that they have, that we want healthy, nutritious food out there for everybody, a special emphasis on children…
    “My emphasis is soil health. Soil health is where agriculture meets healthy food. Healthy soil means healthy food. And so many of our farmers are out there doing regenerative agriculture. They’ve been doing it for decades. We’ve got to share what we’ve been doing. You know, you showed a little aerial report of a person using drones to grow more with less to grow more. Instead of blanketing that field with the fungicide, they were able to spot-spray it.
    “… Regenerative agriculture, healthy soil, what that means to me is, number one is using no-till farming, coming back and using the least amount of fertilizers, pesticides. That means precision agriculture. It means putting a cover crop on and then grazing cattle over it, maybe bringing in some manure from the local dairy or the local feedlot as well, and then measuring the quality of that soil as well, and showing our customers out there… they’re who is driving this, I’m not driving this, the MAHA moms out there that are driving this, and I know that American agriculture is doing incredible jobs in this area, and they but they need to be reimbursed for it, because it’s expensive to undertake all these efforts.”
    On the hurdles President Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ may face:
    Senator Marshall: “Well, there’s always hurdles. We have 53 Republican senators and 53 opinions. But it’s important for your listeners to know why this is so important to them. This will take care of the reference price issues on the title one, funding, and open the doors for us to be able to get the Farm Bill across the finish line. 
    “From the business tax perspective on this, we’re going to take care of permanently, the 199a, which your listeners will be excited about, as well as the R and D deduction, capital appreciation, bonus depreciation as well, and writing off their interest expenses. So all those are important to every one of your listeners and making those permanent will be so, so important to the financial viability of the future farmers of America.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Whitehouse, Durbin, Blumenthal, Coons Question DOJ Decision to Shutter Specialized Unit for Cracking Down on Transnational Crime

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program has helped arrest fentanyl traffickers, seize hundreds of tons of narcotics, and confiscate billions in dirty money

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi questioning the Department of Justice’s plan to end the successful Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. 

    “As the Department’s website notes, OCDETF ‘is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation.’ OCDETF oversees coordination of thousands of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to implement a national strategy to dismantle transnational drug cartels, the financial networks that support them, and the flow of drugs from these cartels into the United States,” wrote the senators.

    The OCDETF program is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. In just the past two months, OCDETF program resources have been used to secure prison sentences for two individuals operating a clandestine fentanyl lab in South Carolina and to take down three prolific Chinese money launderers who pleaded guilty to laundering tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds. Many OCDETF investigations target the cartels’ financial networks, an often-overlooked component of the U.S. strategy to combat drug-trafficking organizations. In Fiscal Year 2023, OCDETF investigations resulted in forfeitures and seizures totaling more than $423 million. 

    Reporting from Bloomberg in May revealed that the Trump Administration plans to eliminate the OCDETF program, including its support for specialized investigators and prosecutors, in a move that would kneecap America’s ability to dismantle cartels trafficking illicit fentanyl. 

    “We seek to fully understand the Department’s plans to cease OCDETF operations.  We also seek to ensure that the federal government continues to have a coordinated strategy for working with state and local stakeholders to investigate and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations operating in, or financing the operations of organizations that operate in, the United States,” added the senators.

    The senators requested answers to the following questions by June 13, 2025:

    1. How many cases has OCDETF led, or supported with funds, intelligence, or other resources, that disrupted fentanyl traffickers’ production, distribution, financing, or money laundering networks?
    1. Does the Department intend to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations?  If so, please specify how.
    1. If the Department intends to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations:
    1. Why is the Department choosing to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations?
    1. How will the Department ensure that ongoing OCDETF investigations and prosecutions continue uninterrupted?
    1. According to GAO, “OCDETF cases must have a financial component” to facilitate the targeting of financial networks underpinning drug trafficking organizations.  How will the Department ensure that OCDETF-enabled inter-agency coordination on investigations into the financial networks of fentanyl traffickers and transnational criminal organizations continues uninterrupted?
    1. How will the Department ensure that federal, state, and local law enforcement relying on OCDETF’s Fusion Center intelligence products are not hampered by a cessation or reduction of OCDETF operations? 
    1. Does the Department intend to designate another entity to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of transnational criminal organizations, unrelated to low-level offenders?  If so, which entity?

    The text of the letter is below and a PDF is available here.

    Dear Attorney General Bondi:

    We write to request information on the Department of Justice’s plans to terminate its Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program.  On May 5, 2025, Bloomberg reported that DOJ has begun the process of “closing down” OCDETF and “zeroing” out its budget in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.

    As the Department’s website notes, OCDETF “is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation.”  OCDETF oversees coordination of thousands of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to implement a national strategy to dismantle transnational drug cartels, the financial networks that support them, and the flow of drugs from these cartels into the United States.  By leveraging resources from its participating and partner agencies, OCDETF can pursue investigations into the highest-level criminal actors behind these drug crime networks.

    OCDETF’s intelligence products and insights enhance the capacity of federal, state, and local law enforcement.  In FY 2023, OCDETF Fusion Center analysts disseminated 4,141 intelligence products to 36,693 law enforcement personnel across the country.  These resources buoy state and local agencies that may otherwise lack the expertise or funds to launch longer, more complex investigations. 

    According to DEA, “since OCDETF’s inception tens of thousands of arrests have been made and hundreds of tons of narcotics and billions in currency, real property, and conveyances have all been seized.”  And as the Department of Justice noted upon the 40th anniversary of President Reagan’s establishment of OCDETF, “[s]ome of the department’s most notable successes against drug cartels have resulted from OCDETF coordinated investigations and prosecutions.”  These successes include “taking down the powerful Colombian cartels of the 1980s, the notorious and violent Mexican cartels . . . in the 1990s; and the methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and opioid threats from all over the world in the last two decades.”

    OCDETF investigations continue to deliver.  This month, DOJ announced that “three members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organizations plead[ed] guilty to laundering tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds.”  In April, DEA reported that two individuals operating a clandestine fentanyl lab in South Carolina “were each sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.”  OCDETF resources were used for both cases.     

    Many OCDETF-supported investigations that result in financial forfeitures or seizures channel money into government funds, which can be used to pay for the expenses associated with forfeiture operations, as well as certain investigative costs.  In FY 2023, closed OCDETF investigations resulted in forfeitures and seizures totaling $423.1 million.  These benefits are in addition to money judgments resulting from ODCETF investigations, which ranged between $125 million to over $750 million from FY 2019 to FY 2023. 

    We seek to fully understand the Department’s plans to cease OCDETF operations.  We also seek to ensure that the federal government continues to have a coordinated strategy for working with state and local stakeholders to investigate and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations operating in, or financing the operations of organizations that operate in, the United States.  Thus, we request that you provide answers to the following questions.

    1. How many cases has OCDETF led, or supported with funds, intelligence, or other resources, that disrupted fentanyl traffickers’ production, distribution, financing, or money laundering networks?
    1. Does the Department intend to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations?  If so, please specify how.
    1. If the Department intends to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations:
    1. Why is the Department choosing to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations?
    1. How will the Department ensure that ongoing OCDETF investigations and prosecutions continue uninterrupted?
    1. According to GAO, “OCDETF cases must have a financial component” to facilitate the targeting of financial networks underpinning drug trafficking organizations.  How will the Department ensure that OCDETF-enabled inter-agency coordination on investigations into the financial networks of fentanyl traffickers and transnational criminal organizations continues uninterrupted?
    1. How will the Department ensure that federal, state, and local law enforcement relying on OCDETF’s Fusion Center intelligence products are not hampered by a cessation or reduction of OCDETF operations? 
    1. Does the Department intend to designate another entity to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of transnational criminal organizations, unrelated to low-level offenders?  If so, which entity?

    Please provide your response to our questions no later than June 13, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Public Servants Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    MIAMI – Angelo Stephen, 33, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer, and George Arestuche, 47, a former Miami-Dade County Aviation Department employee, were sentenced in separate cases after pleading guilty to defrauding COVID-19 relief programs. 

    Angelo Stephen

    On May 22, Stephen was sentenced to four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $75,513 in restitution by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. Chief Judge Altonaga also entered a forfeiture money judgment against Stephen in the additional amount of $71,166. The sentence follows Stephen’s conviction for wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), as well as his participation in two bank account takeover schemes.

    During his change of plea hearing, Stephen admitted that on August 4, 2020, he submitted a false and fraudulent EIDL application in his own name to the Small Business Administration (SBA), claiming to be an independent contractor and the sole owner of a business that provided event planning and entertainment services with 10 employees.  The EIDL application falsely certified that for the applicable 12-month period, the business had approximately $62,018 in gross revenue and a cost of goods sold of $0. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen received $20,000 in EIDL proceeds from the SBA. 

    Stephen additionally admitted to fraudulently obtaining two PPP loans. On April 24, 2021, Stephen submitted a first-draw PPP loan application, claiming to be the sole proprietor of a non-existent business with $106,554 in gross income in 2020. In support of the application, Stephen submitted a fraudulent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen received $20,833 in PPP loan proceeds from an SBA-approved lender.  On May 11, 2021, Stephen submitted a second-draw PPP loan application, making the same false claims about his nonexistent business that was supported by submission of the identical false Schedule C. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen obtained $20,833 in PPP loan proceeds from a different SBA-approved lender. 

    Stephen also admitted to taking part in two bank account takeover schemes. On March 30, 2023, Stephen received a $20,000 wire transfer from the account of an unsuspecting victim in Virginia. Stephen quickly withdrew all illegally obtained money through a series of cash withdrawals and Zelle transfers to others. In the second takeover scheme, Stephen and his accomplices obtained new checks from the credit union account of a different unsuspecting victim. Stephen subsequently used one of those checks to obtain $8,500 in cash that he was not entitled to. 

    George Arestuche

    On May 28, Arestuche was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck to five years of probation to include 210 days in home detention and ordered to pay $114,679 in restitution, plus community service. The sentence follows Arestuche’s conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent application for an EIDL.

    According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearing, Arestuche and a co-conspirator devised a scheme to defraud the SBA by submitting a false and fraudulent application for Arestuche to obtain an EIDL and EIDL advance. As part of the conspiracy, Arestuche agreed to pay the co-conspirator a large fee.

    On July 9, 2020, Arestuche’s co-conspirator submitted a false and fraudulent EIDL application to the SBA on behalf of Arestuche, claiming that Arestuche was an independent contractor and the sole owner of an automotive repair business with 10 employees. The EIDL application falsely certified that for the applicable 12-month period, the business had $600,000 in gross revenue and a cost of goods sold of $184,000. In reality, Arestuche was not an independent contractor and did not own any type of business.  The EIDL application was supported by a fraudulent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C. As a result of this false and fraudulent EIDL application, Arestuche obtained $149,900 in EIDL proceeds and a $10,000 EIDL advance from the SBA. Arestuche subsequently paid his co-conspirator $17,275 for helping him fraudulently obtain the money from the SBA. Since pleading guilty, Arestuche has paid $50,000 in advance restitution payments. 

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Amber Howell of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s Fraud Detection Office (DOJ-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region; acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami; and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC-OIG) made the announcement.

    DOJ-OIG and SBA-OIG investigated the Stephen case.  SBA-OIG and the FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the MDC-OIG, investigated the Arestuche case. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm prosecuted both cases. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling forfeiture matters in the Stephen case.

    In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred.  EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.

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

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 25-cr-20014 (Stephen) and 25-cr-20001 (Arestuche).

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Nanette Barragán Leads Letter Demanding Protections for Multilingual Weather Alerts and Forecasts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    June 4, 2025

    Rep. Nanette Barragán Leads Letter Demanding Protections for Multilingual Weather Alerts and Forecasts

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) led a letter to National Weather Service (NWS) Director Ken Graham urging immediate action to protect and strengthen access to multilingual weather alerts and forecasts. The letter was co-led by the current and most recent chairs of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)— key caucuses whose members represent communities most impacted by language-access failures.

    Rep. Barragán’s letter follows a recent disruption in the NWS’s multilingual alert services, which occurred when NWS allowed its contract with a third-party translation firm to lapse. Although the service has since been restored, the letter highlights that the gap placed millions of Americans with limited English proficiency at risk and exposed dangerous vulnerabilities in the country’s emergency communication system.

    “Ensuring that all Americans, regardless of the language they speak, have access to life-saving weather information is not optional—it is a core responsibility of the National Weather Service,” said Rep. Barragán. “In a nation as diverse as ours, language access must be treated as an essential component of emergency preparedness and public communication— not an expendable service.”

    In the letter, CHC, CAPAC, and CBC members posed specific questions to the NWS about how it plans to prevent future lapses, evaluate translation service providers, and ensure inclusive outreach to limited-English-proficient communities. The lawmakers also pressed for transparency on the criteria used to select which languages are included in multilingual alerts and how the agency plans to update those lists to reflect shifting demographics.

    Nearly 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home— roughly one in five Americans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The letter underscores that access to accurate weather information in one’s language is essential, not just during emergencies, but also for everyday decisions that affect safety, health, and economic security.

    Rep. Barragán has long championed language accessibility and continues to lead efforts in Congress to ensure that language is never a barrier to safety or survival. 

    The letter was signed by the following Tri-Caucus leaders and members: Reps. Adriano Espaillat, Judy Chu, Grace Meng, Steven Horsford, Yvette Clarke, Robin Kelly, Maxwell Frost, Debbie Dingell, Dan Goldman, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Danny Davis, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robert Menendez, Nydia Velázquez, Lizzie Fletcher, Kevin Mullin, Doris Matsui, Frederica Wilson, Gilbert Cisneros, Andrea Salinas, Dave Min, Emilia Sykes, Jill Tokuda, Robert Garcia, Sara Jacobs, and Senator Ben Ray Luján.

    The full letter to NWS Director Graham can be found here and below:

    Director Graham:

    We write to express our serious concern regarding the National Weather Service’s (NWS) recent decision to discontinue the translation of weather alerts and forecasts into languages other than English. This change, purportedly prompted by the lapse of a contract with a third-party provider, created a dangerous gap in access to information for the many Americans who rely on multilingual alerts and forecasts to stay safe during critical emergencies and make everyday decisions that impact their families, livelihoods, and our nation’s economy.

    We are relieved that multilingual translation services have now been restored. However, the disruption highlighted the vulnerabilities in the current system and the unacceptable risk created by lapses in language access. For tens of millions of Americans, receiving weather alerts in a language they understand can mean the difference between life and death. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 68 million people in the United States speak a language other than English at home.[1]That number has nearly tripled since 1980 and now represents one in five Americans.[2]For these individuals and families, multilingual alerts are critical for preparing for severe weather events, which increase in frequency and intensity every year. The absence of accessible warnings can—and likely will—lead to avoidable tragedy. ​

    The real-world consequences of inaccessible alerts are not hypothetical. Take, for example, the 2021 deadly tornado outbreak that hit Mayfield, Kentucky, a city with a large Spanish-speaking population. According to news coverage of the outbreak, a Spanish-speaking family in the impacted area had initially ignored a tornado alert delivered only in English because they could not read the warning.[3]It was not until the family received a Spanish-language alert that they quickly took shelter​ on the first floor of their home—shortly before the second floor of their home was wiped out. If they had not received the alert in Spanish, the outcome could have been fatal.[4]Communities across the United States — including speakers of Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, French, Haitian Creole, and many African languages — also face significant barriers during emergencies when alerts are not available in their primary language. No one should be left without life-saving information simply because of the language they speak.

    Beyond the immediate risk to public safety, this abrupt lapse in translation services also risked creating operational challenges for those on the front lines of weather communication. During the lapse, local meteorologists and alert originators—who rely on NWS-provided multilingual content—were forced to fill the gap themselves. Unfortunately, on-site translation is something not many have the staff or resources to do quickly and accurately. Many communities that rely on NWS-provided multilingual content are unlikely to continue sending multilingual weather alerts should NWS’s centralized translation support halt or lapse again.

    Multilingual access to weather forecasts is not only critical during emergencies—it is equally vital for day-to-day planning and economic stability. Families rely on accurate, understandable forecasts to decide whether it’s safe to send their children to school or for parents to travel to work. Businesses across key sectors—including agriculture, construction, transportation, energy, and tourism—depend on timely weather information to operate safely and efficiently. When forecasts are delivered in clear, accessible language, they empower individuals and industries alike to make informed decisions, reduce risk, and maintain productivity. Stripping away multilingual access undermines this everyday functionality and places non-English-speaking communities and families at a great disadvantage.

    Ensuring that all Americans—regardless of the language they speak—have access to life-saving weather information is not optional; it is a core responsibility of the NWS. In a nation as diverse as ours, language access must be treated as an essential component of emergency preparedness and public communication—not an expendable service.

    In light of the recent disruption and the restoration of multilingual services, we respectfully request responses to the following questions no later than August 1, 2025, to better understand how NWS plans to ensure long-term, uninterrupted language access for all communities:

    What is the scope of the new contract for multilingual translation services? Does it include options for renewal or extension to ensure service continuity beyond the initial term?

    What safeguards has NWS put in place to prevent future gaps in translation services, particularly during contract transitions or vendor changes?

    Has NWS conducted a risk assessment or after-action review to identify what led to the previous lapse and how similar disruptions can be avoided in the future? If so, what were the findings and resulting action steps?

    Is there a contingency plan or backup system in place to provide uninterrupted translation services in the event of a contract lapse, provider failure, or other unexpected disruption?

    How does NWS evaluate and monitor the performance and reliability of its language service providers? Are there benchmarks or quality assurance measures to ensure timely and accurate translations in all covered languages?

    What criteria does NWS use to determine which languages are included in its multilingual alerts? How frequently is this list updated to reflect demographic shifts and community needs?

    How is NWS engaging with non-English-speaking communities and local emergency managers to ensure that multilingual weather communication is effective, culturally appropriate, and broadly accessible?

    We strongly urge NWS to institutionalize safeguards to prevent future interruptions to multilingual services and to treat language access as a permanent, non-negotiable aspect of public safety.

    We stand ready to support your efforts to secure the necessary resources to sustain and strengthen language access in weather communications. The safety, preparedness, and economic resilience of our communities depend on it.

    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sanders, AGFC Announce Arkansas Outdoor Education Pilot Program

    Source: US State of Arkansas

    LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today joined First Gentleman and Natural State Initiative Advisory Council Chair, Bryan Sanders, Mary Beth Hatch, Chief of Education for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and Director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Doug Schoenrock, to announce Arkansas’ new Outdoor Education Pilot program.

    The pilot will be a partnership between the Arkansas Department of Education and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and will help equip students for a future career in outdoor recreation such as becoming an ecologist or researcher. 30 schools from across the state will be selected to participate in the program during its first year, after which the State will evaluate the program’s effectiveness and prepare for a statewide launch.

     “A student’s education should not be fully reliant on technology and smart devices,” said Governor Sanders. “This program emphasizes another reason why my husband, Bryan, and I started the Natural State Initiative: to get kids off screens and outside. Thank you to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for investing in our kids’ future and promoting outdoor education.”

    “Getting kids outside is one of the best things we can do for them, improving their education, health and quality of life,” said First Gentleman and Natural State Initiative Advisory Council Chair Bryan Sanders. “This program will inspire our kids to develop a greater appreciation for the Natural State, and help Arkansas build a pipeline of future workers and entrepreneurs to support our growing tourism industry and outdoor economy.”

     “The Arkansas Outdoor Education initiative is a way for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to lead the way in the integration of conservation and outdoor recreation experiences into the educational journey for every student in Arkansas,” said Mary Beth Hatch, Chief of Education for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. “We have designed this with resources that are built around the standards taught in core and elective content areas, experiences in outdoor learning and engagement, and projects that empower students to think critically and solve problems about the world around them. These outdoor learning experiences that are connected to what is being taught in the classroom will provide opportunities for students to improve mental and physical health, learn new knowledge and skills in the natural state, gain confidence and independence, and reduce screen time. We are excited to collaborate with these other state agencies to bring this conservation and outdoor recreation-focused learning model to all schools in the state.” 

     “The Arkansas Department of Education, in partnership with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, is excited to support this outdoor education initiative,” said Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva. “Arkansas’ natural landscapes offer powerful opportunities for hands-on learning that inspire curiosity, support academic growth, and build a lasting connection to the environment. As the Natural State, we are uniquely positioned to make the outdoors an essential part of every student’s education, while also building a strong talent pipeline for rewarding, in-demand careers in outdoor recreation and conservation.”

    “Arkansans serve a vital role in keeping the Natural State Natural,” said Director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Doug Schoenrock. “The knowledge and experiences gained from this initiative will provide students with a connection to the woods and waters of Arkansas, building future outdoor recreationists and conservationists. The Governor and First Gentleman’s vision to incorporate the outdoors in everyday classroom content is truly revolutionary and speaks volumes about how natural resources and outdoor activities are woven into the fabric of The Natural State.

    Tourism is Arkansas’ second-largest industry, and, under Governor Sanders’ leadership, Arkansas’ outdoor economy has grown from $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion. In the most recent year for which data is available, Arkansas welcomed more than 50 million visitors who spent nearly $10 billion, much of it on outdoor recreation opportunities.

    Governor Sanders has made expanding Arkansas’ outdoor economy a priority and launched the Natural State Initiative, under the leadership of First Gentleman Bryan Sanders, to bring together the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. This education pilot program is one of the Initiative’s key objectives, identified as part of the report they issued in 2023.

    Applications for the pilot program are now open. Please visit here to apply.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Proposition 123 Equity Program to Support 1,017 Affordable Housing Units Across Colorado

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), and Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) announced eleven recipients of voter-approved Proposition 123 Equity funds. This funding is intended to provide investment capital for an estimated 1,017 low- and middle-income multifamily affordable rental housing units in communities across the state including Buena Vista, Denver, Monte Vista and Trinidad. 

    “We are focused on building more housing Coloradans can afford and these funds are an important step in building more homes across the state so Coloradans can live where you choose, close to jobs, schools, in the communities we love,” said Gov. Jared Polis. 

    Among the recipients, the Fieldhouse Apartments in Idaho Springs plans to serve residents earning 70% – 100% of the Area Median Income (AMI), and will offer a preference to local school district employees. The proposed Holy Trinity Apartments is an adaptive reuse of the Historic Holy Trinity Convent and School, located in downtown Trinidad. The development of St. Louis Landing Phase I will include a purpose-built Early Childhood Learning Center and offer units for residents earning 30% – 120% AMI in Fraser. Denver’s Blue Room House plans to offer rental apartments between 30% – 80% AMI, using modular construction. 

    Five recipients plan to utilize modular and off-site construction, including Colorado manufacturers Vederra Modular, Aboda, and Fading West, all companies supported by the Innovative Housing Incentive Program (IHIP) and Proposition 123’s Modular and Factory-built Finance program as part of the state’s efforts to support and grow this industry. 

    “We’re committed to strengthening economies across Colorado by ensuring everyone has a place to call home. These investments will strengthen communities while providing residents the opportunity to benefit directly from the success of these developments through the Tenant Equity Vehicle, expected to launch this year,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT Executive Director. 

    The Proposition 123 Equity program offers below-market-rate equity investments for developers focused on building low- and/or middle-income housing. The recipients announced today prioritized the State’s strategic land use goals including transit oriented development or walkability to a community job center, water and energy efficient or all electric design, plus demonstrating a readiness to proceed. In addition, residents will benefit from the Tenant Equity Vehicle (TEV), a program being designed to share Proposition 123 program earnings with tenants to assist with building up savings that can be used for down payment assistance or other important needs. 

    “These investments will support the development of quality affordable housing in communities located throughout Colorado,” said Thomas Bryan, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of CHFA. “In addition, the Tenant Equity Vehicle is an exciting innovation to further support housing stability and economic prosperity for residents supported by the Equity program.” 

    A total of $67,500,074 has been preliminarily approved for the eleven recipients. Final award details will be determined during the underwriting process for each project. The AMIs proposed by the recipients range from 30% – 120% AMI. 

    The awardees include: 

    Alpine Valley Apartments – $3,700,00 – Monte Vista 2
    6 units for tenants earning 80%-120% of the AMI 

    Balsam Townhomes – $1,881,360 – Lakewood 
    20 units for tenants earning 90% of the AMI 

    Blue Room House One – $3,800,000 – Denver 
    54 units for tenants earning 30%-80% of the AMI 

    Cityline Station Phase II – $8,049,671 – Greeley 
    310 units for tenants earning 70%-90% of the AMI Exodus at 

    Green Valley Ranch – $9,000,000 – Denver 
    205 units for tenants earning 70%-90% of the AMI 

    Fieldhouse Apartments – $8,500,000 – Idaho Springs 1
    20 units for tenants earning 70%-100% of the AMI 

    Holy Trinity Apartments – $6,889,956 – Trinidad 
    46 units for tenants earning 80%-100% of the AMI 

    St. Louis Landing Phase I – $12,900,000 – Fraser 
    129 units for tenants earning 30%-120% of the AMI 

    Teller Street Apartments – $6,500,000 – Arvada 
    54 units for tenants earning 70%-90% of the AMI 

    The Crossing Apartments – $4,279,087 – Buena Vista 
    33 units for tenants earning 90% of the AMI 

    The Flour Mill – $2,000,000 – Salida 
    20 units for tenants earning 80%-100% of the AMI 

    The Equity program is funded by the Affordable Housing Financing Fund established by Proposition 123, which is managed by OEDIT and administered by CHFA to distribute 60% of Proposition 123 funding in support of land banking, equity and concessionary debt for affordable housing. With the projects announced today, approximately $252 million has been awarded through the Affordable Housing Financing Fund. 

    Ongoing updates on funding are available at coloradoaffordablehousingfinancingfund.com and by signing up to receive newsletter updates. 

    About the Colorado Affordable Housing Financing Fund 

    Passed by voters in November 2022, Proposition 123 established the State Affordable Housing Fund to advance the development and preservation of affordable housing in Colorado. The measure directs 40% of those funds to the Colorado Affordable Housing Support Fund administered by the state Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and 60% of funds to the Colorado Affordable Housing Financing Fund managed by OEDIT. OEDIT selected Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) to serve as the Affordable Housing Financing Fund third-party administrator. The Affordable Housing Financing Fund consists of three programs: Land Banking, Equity and Concessionary Debt. 

    About the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) 

    The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT. 

    About Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) 

    For more than 50 years, CHFA has strengthened Colorado by investing in affordable housing and community development. CHFA invests in affordable homeownership, the development and preservation of affordable rental housing, helps small- and medium-sized businesses access capital, offers technical assistance and financial support to strengthen local communities, and supports mission-aligned nonprofits through philanthropic investment. CHFA is not a state agency. CHFA is a self-sustaining public enterprise. For more information about CHFA, please visit chfainfo.com or call 1.800.877.chfa (2432).

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Resident Sentenced for Leading Bank Fraud and ID Theft Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Created Fake Recruiting Website to Steal Identifications; 14 Others Convicted

    ALBANY, Ga. – The final defendant and ringleader of a bank fraud and aggravated identity theft scheme involving stolen checks and a fake online recruiting website was sentenced to federal prison today.

    Jalen Tylee Hill, aka “Roscoe Hill,” 26, of Americus, was sentenced to serve 81 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court will determine restitution at a later date. Hill previously pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to possess stolen mail on May 14, 2024. A codefendant, Victoria Lynn Carter, 25, of Americus, was sentenced to serve one year of supervised release after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. The sentences were handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on June 4. There is no parole in the federal system.

    “Schemes to defraud and steal from citizens will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “This case serves as a reminder for all of us to be as vigilant as possible with what we share online and monitor our financial accounts. I commend the good investigative work of our local and federal law enforcement partners for helping to prevent any more people and businesses from falling victim to this fraud.”

    “The sentencing of this defendant and co-defendants exemplifies the dedication of the investigative efforts which sends a strong message to individuals to consider the consequences of stealing mail and committing financial fraud,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “I commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all of the law enforcement agencies involved, which resulted in the dismantling of this criminal network.”

    According to court documents and statements made in court, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from a local church in December 2021 about mail theft and forged checks. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that numerous checks had been stolen out of mailboxes at residential and commercial locations in Georgia. The checks were then forged and deposited into other bank accounts. Specifically, the checks were often altered by having the “Pay To” designation changed to an individual involved in the fraud. That individual would then

    make a deposit into their banking account. Other times, the checks would be altered by computer software.

    Investigators discovered that Hill directed the scheme and would recruit people via Facebook. Hill would often offer to deposit stolen, forged or duplicated checks into the bank accounts of the recruits on condition that they would split half the funds. Investigators were able to determine that in six months, Hill stole hundreds of pieces of mail, participated in at least 68 incidents of bank fraud, and unlawfully used debit cards belonging to other individuals at least 14 occasions. Hill then deposited, or attempted to deposit, the numerous stolen, forged or otherwise fraudulent checks of more than ten financial institutions into other bank accounts, resulting in an intended loss of approximately $165,743.68. As part of another scheme discovered by investigators, Hill created a fake solar panel installation company recruiting page online from which he stole the identities of 28 individuals, including their driver’s licenses, social security cards, birth certificates, instructional permits and other documents depicting personally identifiable information.

    The following codefendants have been convicted for their participation in the crime:

    Quontavius Markeese Hill, 34, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and after serving more than eight months in custody was sentenced to time served plus three years of supervised release and to pay $10,815.89 restitution on Nov. 8, 2023;

    Accacia Renae Gordon, 24, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve four months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release and to pay $14,970.35 restitution on Jan. 15, 2025;

    Shaneria Sharae Murray, 33, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve 45 days in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and to pay $2,000 restitution on Dec. 2, 2024;

    Chelsea Ja’Nay Tullis, 29, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve one month in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on March 15, 2024;

    LaQuashia Nichole French, 24, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve 15 days in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release and to pay $2,227.91 restitution on Oct. 23, 2024;

    Jazmon Lace Whitehead, 31, of Oglethorpe, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $7,658.59 restitution on March 17, 2025;

    Chasity LaCole Wellons, 31, of Cordele, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,000 restitution on Jan. 22, 2025;

    DeKeyvia Moasha Blackshear, 26, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release on Aug. 16, 2024;

    Janita Bre’Shaye Terry, 24, of Columbus, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release on Dec. 2, 2024;

    Kelbresha Danielle Thomas, 30, of Oglethorpe, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release on Dec. 2, 2024;

    Jenetta Small, 29, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve two years of supervised release on March 14, 2025;

    Tyavia Deashia Richardson, 24, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to one year of supervised release and to pay $4,740 restitution on Aug. 14, 2024; and

    Kimbreyanna Andranique Peeples, 23, of Butler, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve one year of supervised release on Dec. 2, 2024.

    The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the FBI and the U.S Secret Service (USSS).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid prosecuted the case for the Government.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines awards $20 million to support Minnesota communities through the Member Impact Fund

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Des Moines, Iowa, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) has awarded $20 million to 174 financial institution members to be distributed alongside their own grant contributions to hundreds of eligible not-for-profit and government organizations in Minnesota.

    Funding was made possible through the Member Impact Fund, a matching grant program designed to amplify FHLB Des Moines member financial institutions’ donations that provide critical financial support for affordable housing and community development initiatives in targeted areas of the FHLB Des Moines district.

    With 798 applications awarded, FHLB Des Moines matched $3 for every $1 contributed by a member institution. These combined grants range from $10,000 to $1,000,000.

    Since its launch in 2023, the Member Impact Fund has supported affordable housing and community development with more than $70 million in grants from FHLB Des Moines, resulting in combined grants of over $95 million. Every eligible grant application has been awarded funds.

    “The Member Impact Fund enables our members to directly support local organizations who matter to them, creating value and a profound impact in their own communities,” said Kris Williams, president and CEO of FHLB Des Moines. “The commitment of our members to champion their local organizations inspires us all.” 

    FHLB Des Moines provides funding solutions to more than 1,200 members to support mortgage lending, economic development and affordable housing in the communities they serve. Member Impact Fund awards are given in partnership with FHLB Des Moines member financial institutions to strengthen the ability of not-for-profits or government entities to serve the affordable housing or community development needs of their communities.

    ###

    About Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines

    The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) is deeply committed to strengthening communities, serving 13 states and three U.S Pacific territories as a member-owned cooperative. We work together with over 1,200 member financial institutions to support affordable housing, economic development and community improvement.

    FHLB Des Moines is one of 11 regional Banks that make up the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Members include community and commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, thrifts and community development financial institutions. FHLB Des Moines is wholly owned by its members and receives no taxpayer funding. For additional information about FHLB Des Moines, please visit www.fhlbdm.com.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Gran Tierra Energy Announces Sale of Gran Tierra North Sea Limited

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta , June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (“Gran Tierra” or the “Company”) (NYSE American:GTE) (TSX:GTE) (LSE:GTE) today announced that a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company has signed an agreement to sell its wholly owned subsidiary, Gran Tierra North Sea Limited (“GTNSL”), to NEO Energy for total consideration of US$7.5 Million. NEO Energy is a private upstream company and a leading independent operator in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf.

    GTNSL holds a 100% equity interest in UKCS licence P2358 which includes the Serenity Discovery.

    Completion of the transaction is subject to certain customary conditions precedent, including consent from the North Sea Transition Authority in respect of the change of control of GTNSL. The transaction is expected to close sometime in the third quarter of 2025.

    About Gran Tierra Energy Inc.

    Gran Tierra Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, is an independent international energy company currently focused on oil and natural gas exploration and production in Canada, Colombia and Ecuador. The Company is currently developing its existing portfolio of assets in Canada, Colombia and Ecuador and will continue to pursue additional new growth opportunities that would further strengthen the Company’s portfolio. The Company’s common stock trades on the NYSE American, the Toronto Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GTE. Additional information concerning Gran Tierra is available at www.grantierra.com. Except to the extent expressly stated otherwise, information on the Company’s website or accessible from our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into and should not be considered part of this press release. Investor inquiries may be directed to info@grantierra.com or (403) 265-3221.

    Gran Tierra’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) are available on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company’s Canadian securities regulatory filings are available on SEDAR+ at http://www.sedarplus.ca and UK regulatory filings are available on the National Storage Mechanism website at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

    Contact Information

    For investor and media inquiries please contact:

    Gary Guidry
    President & Chief Executive Officer

    Ryan Ellson
    Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

    +1-403-265-3221

    info@grantierra.com

    Forward Looking Statements and Legal Advisories:

    This press release contains statements about future events that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and financial outlook and forward looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release, including those statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “expect,” “plan,” “can,” “will,” “should,” and “believes,” derivations thereof and similar terms identify forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to the risk factors detailed from time to time in Gran Tierra’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, under the caption “Risk Factors” in Gran Tierra’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed February 24, 2025 and its other filings with the SEC. These filings are available on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and the fact that this press release remains available does not constitute a representation by Gran Tierra that Gran Tierra believes these forward-looking statements continue to be true as of any subsequent date. Gran Tierra disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Investing in diplomacy to strengthen economic ties

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods in Chicago

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

    CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced an expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”)—a key component of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy—to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city.

    The PSN program is a federally funded, nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  Until today, the PSN program was deployed in seven Chicago neighborhoods on the West and South sides of the city.  The expansion announced today will implement the program in parts of three police districts in downtown financial zones that represent the economic engines of the city and region, as well as on the CTA trains that bring residents and visitors to those areas from every neighborhood of Chicago and from the city’s two international airports.  Today’s announcement represents the first time anywhere in the country that the program will be deployed on mass transit.

    The PSN expansion was announced by U.S. Attorney Boutros and members of the PSN Chicago Task Force, including the Chicago Police Department.  Substantial assistance to the PSN program is provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

    “Downtown Chicago is the capital of the region’s economy and the cultural and civic heart of the Midwest, where interstate commerce runs strong,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros, who was sworn in as the United States Attorney on April 7, 2025.  “Many billions of dollars of revenue, taxes, and investments are anchored in our city’s financial districts, and when violence and criminal activity cause our residents, businesses, and tourists not to feel safe to live, invest, and shop in Chicago, everyone suffers, whether at the federal, state, or local level. By investing PSN resources in our urban economic centers and the public transit system that feeds into them, we will help foster a downtown that is both safe and friendly to economic vitality for everyone.  This initiative could not happen without a deep collaboration and shared commitment between the Department of Justice and our PSN partners to dedicate the resources necessary to support the downtown economic zones and the many millions of people who annually visit them, as well as the scores of businesses both large and small who serve them.”

    “Partnership and collaboration with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners are vital in reducing violence and making Chicago safer for all,” said Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling.  “Project Safe Neighborhoods reflects this spirit of collaboration and serves as an important tool in addressing crime in one of the busiest areas of our city.  The expansion of this program builds on the progress CPD is making in combating crime citywide.”

    “This new investment of federal resources is critically needed to address the threat that crime—including organized retail theft, carjacking, and armed robberies—pose to the heart of Chicago’s economy and to the transportation systems that tens of thousands of Chicagoans use to travel to and from the downtown,” said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart.  “For years, my office has devoted significant resources to aggressively combat crime throughout downtown Chicago, the Magnificent Mile, and the surrounding areas, and we welcome the much-needed expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods to these areas.”

    “ATF is proud to work with our federal, state, and local partners on the expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said ATF Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Amon.  “By combining resources and expertise, we are proactively taking steps to disrupt violent crime in key transit and economic areas to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors.”

    “The FBI remains steadfast in our dogged pursuit of eliminating violent crime,” said FBI Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas S. DePodesta. “We continue to be thankful for the powerful collaboration between our many law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in this fight.  Our combined efforts reflect our unwavering commitment to ensure that anyone who seeks to endanger our community will be held accountable.”

    Originally launched in 2001, PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders, and partners with local prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.  PSN follows four key design elements: focused and strategic enforcement; prevention and intervention; accountability; and community engagement.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with its Chicago PSN Task Force partners to assist with applying for and obtaining federal PSN grants to support anti-violence strategies in Chicago.  By designating the downtown economic centers and CTA trains as PSN Enforcement Zones, PSN funds can now be deployed in various ways to help reduce violent crime in those areas, including:

    • Aggressively prosecuting violent offenders.

    • Hiring law enforcement personnel.

    • Paying certain overtime costs for law enforcement officers and others working downtown and aboard CTA trains.

    • Purchasing equipment to assist with violent crime reduction efforts.

    • Supporting multi-jurisdictional task forces.

    • Providing training and technical assistance under the national PSN program.

    • Expanding messaging to deter violence, including signage aboard CTA trains.

    The enforcement efforts in the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zones will focus on the investigation and prosecution of individuals and organized groups who engage in illegal firearm possession, drug trafficking, robberies, carjackings, and other violent offenses.  For violent offenders arrested downtown or aboard CTA trains, criminal prosecutors will bring appropriate charges to achieve maximum deterrence and will seek pretrial detention and substantial prison sentences for defendants who pose a danger to the community.

    In addition to all of the CTA rail lines in every neighborhood in Chicago, the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zone, depicted on this map (reproduced below), extends from Division Street on the Near North Side, between Lake Michigan and La Salle Drive (e.g., Magnificent Mile and Oak Street shopping corridors, Navy Pier, Loop, and Millennium Park), to I-55 between Clark Street and Lake Michigan on the Near South Side (e.g., Museum Campus and McCormick Place), and extends west to Ogden and Ashland Avenues, between Grand Avenue and I-290 (e.g., Fulton Market and West Loop business corridors).

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Asure Partners with PensionBee to Offer Retirement Account Rollover Services to Small and Mid-Sized Businesses

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AUSTIN, Texas and NEW YORK, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Asure Software (NASDAQ: ASUR), a leading provider of cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) software and solutions, today announced its strategic partnership with PensionBee (LON: PBEE), a digital-first retirement provider specializing in simplifying retirement savings. This collaboration empowers employees of Asure’s payroll and HR customers to seamlessly roll over their disparate or forgotten 401(k) and IRA accounts into a single, easy-to-manage retirement savings plan with PensionBee. 

    Through this partnership, Asure continues its mission to deliver big-company benefits to small and mid-sized organizations, leveling the playing field with innovative solutions that simplify employee financial wellness. PensionBee’s user-friendly platform will allow employees of Asure’s payroll clients to consolidate their existing retirement accounts into one streamlined account, making it easier than ever to manage and grow their savings.

    “At Asure, we’re committed to bringing the benefits of innovative HR and payroll solutions to small and mid-sized businesses,” said Pat Goepel, Asure Chairman & CEO. “Our marketplace partnership with PensionBee is a perfect example of how we are democratizing financial wellness by offering streamlined retirement savings solutions that are typically reserved for larger enterprises.”

    Known for its straightforward, consumer-friendly services, PensionBee empowers employees to effortlessly enroll in, consolidate, and manage their retirement savings plans. The award-winning provider offers a robust selection of retirement accounts geared towards everyday savers.

    “When individuals are starting or leaving jobs or navigating other significant life changes, retirement savings should be top of mind,” said Romi Savova, CEO of PensionBee. “Our partnership with Asure allows us to reach millions of Americans at precisely the right moment, connecting more employees with flexible and modern retirement solutions.”

    PensionBee is the latest to join Asure’s Partner Marketplace, which gives Asure clients access to a variety of value-added software and services designed to enhance business operations and employee satisfaction.

    About Asure
    Asure (NASDAQ: ASUR) provides cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) software solutions that assist organizations of all sizes in streamlining their HCM processes. Asure’s suite of HCM solutions includes HR, payroll, time and attendance, benefits administration, payroll tax management, and talent management. The company’s approach to HR compliance services incorporates AI technology to enhance scalability and efficiency while prioritizing client interactions. For more information, please visit www.asuresoftware.com

    About PensionBee
    PensionBee (LON: PBEE) is a leading online retirement provider, helping people easily consolidate, manage, and grow their retirement savings. The company manages approximately $8 billion in assets and serves over 275,000 customers globally, with a focus on simplicity, transparency, and accessibility.

    Notes
    The information provided in this announcement, including any projections for investment returns and future performance, is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal. PensionBee is not liable for any losses or damages arising from the use of this information. Projections and forecasts are based on assumptions and current market conditions, which are subject to change.

    Contact Information:
    Patrick McKillop 
    Vice President, Investor Relations  
    617-335-5058
    patrick.mckillop@asuresoftware.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Descartes Announces Fiscal 2026 First Quarter Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Record Services Revenues

    WATERLOO, Ontario and ATLANTA, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Descartes Systems Group Inc. (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX) announced its financial results for its fiscal 2026 first quarter (Q1FY26). All financial results referenced are in United States (US) currency and, unless otherwise indicated, are determined in accordance with US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

    “Our first quarter of fiscal 2026 showed strong annual growth, consistent with our communicated plans,” said Edward J. Ryan, Descartes’ CEO. “This is a challenging and uncertain economic and trade environment for shippers, carriers and logistics services providers. They face challenges on how, when, or if, to react to changes in global trade relationships, tariffs, sanctions and economic forecasts. We continue to see strong interest in our domain expertise and our solutions to help companies navigate the complex trade landscape. We remain committed to growing our business with prudent investments and cost discipline to build the premier network and technology for logistics-intensive businesses.”

    Q1FY26 Financial Results
    As described in more detail below, key financial highlights for Descartes’ Q1FY26 included:

    • Revenues of $168.7 million, up 12% from $151.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 (Q1FY25) and up 1% from $167.5 million in the previous quarter (Q4FY25);
    • Revenues were comprised of services revenues of $156.6 million (93% of total revenues), professional services and other revenues of $11.8 million (7% of total revenues) and license revenues of $0.3 million (less than 1% of total revenues). Services revenues were up 14% from $137.8 million in Q1FY25 and consistent with $156.5 million in Q4FY25;
    • Cash provided by operating activities of $53.6 million, down from $63.7 million in Q1FY25 and down from $60.7 million in Q4FY25;
    • Income from operations of $46.2 million, up 9% from $42.4 million in Q1FY25 and down from $47.1 million in Q4FY25;
    • Net income of $36.2 million, up 4% from $34.7 million in Q1FY25 and down from $37.4 million in Q4FY25. Net income as a percentage of revenues was 21%, compared to 23% in Q1FY25 and 22% in Q4FY25;
    • Earnings per share on a diluted basis of $0.41, up 2% from $0.40 in Q1FY25 and down from $0.43 in Q4FY25; and
    • Adjusted EBITDA of $75.1 million, up 12% from $67.0 million in Q1FY25 and consistent with $75.0 million in Q4FY25. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues was 45%, compared to 44% in Q1FY25 and 45% in Q4FY25.

    Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues are non-GAAP financial measures provided as a complement to financial results presented in accordance with GAAP. We define Adjusted EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation (for which we include related fees and taxes) and other charges (for which we include restructuring charges, acquisition-related expenses, and contingent consideration incurred due to better-than-expected performance from acquisitions). These items are considered by management to be outside Descartes’ ongoing operational results. We define Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues as the quotient, expressed as a percentage, from dividing Adjusted EBITDA for a period by revenues for the corresponding period. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues to net income determined in accordance with GAAP is provided later in this release.

    The following table summarizes Descartes’ results in the categories specified below over the past 5 fiscal quarters (unaudited; dollar amounts, other than per share amounts, in millions):

      Q1
    FY26
    Q4
    FY25
    Q3
    FY25
    Q2
    FY25
    Q1
    FY25
    Revenues 168.7 167.5 168.8 163.4 151.3
    Services revenues 156.6 156.5 149.7 146.2 137.8
    Gross margin 76% 76% 74% 75% 77%
    Cash provided by operating activities 53.6 60.7 60.1 34.7 63.7
    Income from operations 46.2 47.1 45.8 45.9 42.4
    Net income 36.2 37.4 36.6 34.7 34.7
    Net income as a % of revenues 21% 22% 22% 21% 23%
    Earnings per diluted share 0.41 0.43 0.42 0.40 0.40
    Adjusted EBITDA 75.1 75.0 72.1 70.6 67.0
    Adjusted EBITDA as a % of revenues 45% 45% 43% 43% 44%
               

    Cash Position
    At April 30, 2025, Descartes had $176.4 million in cash. Cash decreased by $59.7 million in Q1FY26. The table set forth below provides a summary of cash flows for Q1FY26 in millions of dollars:

      Q1FY26
    Cash provided by operating activities 53.6
    Additions to property and equipment (1.9)
    Acquisitions of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired (112.3)
    Issuances of common shares, net of issuance costs 3.6
    Payment of withholding taxes on net share settlements (6.5)
    Effect of foreign exchange rate on cash 3.8
    Net change in cash (59.7)
    Cash, beginning of period 236.1
    Cash, end of period 176.4
       

    Acquisition of 3GTMS
    On March 24, 2025, Descartes acquired all of the shares of 3GTMS, a leading provider of transportation management solutions. The purchase price for the acquisition was approximately $112.7 million, net of cash acquired, which was funded from cash on hand.

    Cost Reduction Initiatives
    Considering the economic and global trade uncertainty many Descartes customers are facing, Descartes has undertaken cost reduction initiatives designed to reduce its cost base. The plan is designed to reduce Descartes’ global workforce by approximately 7% and eliminate various other operating expenses. As a result, Descartes expects to incur restructuring charges of approximately $4 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 (Q2FY26), which will also impact cash generated from operations in Q2FY26. Once completed, Descartes anticipates annualized cost savings of approximately $15 million.

    Management Update
    Descartes is pleased to announce the appointment of William Green as Executive Vice President, Global Sales. Mr. Green has served as Descartes’ Senior Vice President for North American Sales since August 2020. Mr. Green has previously held senior commercial roles at Salesforce, PROLIFIQ and CDC Software (now Aptean). “We’re excited for Bill to extend his leadership of our growth successes in North America to our global commercial operations,” said Mr. Ryan.

    Andrew Roszko, Descartes’ Chief Commercial Officer, will depart the company in Q2FY26 to pursue another opportunity. Mr. Roszko was appointed EVP Global Sales in February 2019 and appointed Chief Commercial Officer in June 2022. “Andrew has been a valuable contributor to Descartes’ commercial development. We wish him well in his future endeavors,” said Mr. Ryan.

    Conference Call
    Members of Descartes’ executive management team will host a conference call to discuss the company’s financial results at 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 4. Designated numbers are +1 289 514 5100 for North America and +1 800 717 1738 for international, using conference ID 26605.

    The company will simultaneously conduct an audio webcast on the Descartes website at www.descartes.com/descartes/investor-relations. Phone conference dial-in or webcast login is required approximately 10 minutes beforehand.

    Replays of the conference call will be available until June 11, 2025, by dialing +1 289 819 1325 or Toll-Free for North America using +1 888 660 6264 with Playback Passcode: 26605#. An archived replay of the webcast will be available at www.descartes.com/descartes/investor-relations.

    About Descartes

    Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

    Descartes Investor Contact
    Laurie McCauley                                                                     
    (519) 746-2969
    investor@descartes.com

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relates to Descartes’ expectations concerning future revenues and earnings, and our projections for any future reductions in expenses or growth in margins and generation of cash; our assessment of the potential impact of geopolitical events, such as the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine (the “Russia-Ukraine Conflict”), and between Israel and Hamas (“Israel-Hamas Conflict”), or other potentially catastrophic events, on our business, results of operations and financial condition; our assessment of the potential impact of tariffs, sanctions and other actions by individual countries on global trade and our business; continued growth and acquisitions including our assessment of any increased opportunity for our products and services as a result of trends in the logistics and supply chain industries; rate of profitable growth and Adjusted EBITDA margin operating range; demand for Descartes’ solutions; growth of Descartes’ Global Logistics Network (“GLN”); customer buying patterns; customer expectations of Descartes; development of the GLN and the benefits thereof to customers; and other matters. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions including the following: global shipment volumes continuing at levels generally consistent with those experienced historically; the Russia-Ukraine Conflict and Israel-Hamas Conflict not having a material negative impact on shipment volumes or on the demand for the products and services of Descartes by its customers and the ability of those customers to continue to pay for those products and services; countries continuing to implement and enforce existing and additional customs and security regulations relating to the provision of electronic information for imports and exports; countries continuing to implement and enforce existing and additional trade restrictions and sanctioned party lists with respect to doing business with certain countries, organizations, entities and individuals; Descartes’ continued operation of a secure and reliable business network; the stability of general economic and market conditions, currency exchange rates, and interest rates; equity and debt markets continuing to provide Descartes with access to capital; Descartes’ continued ability to identify and source attractive and executable business combination opportunities; Descartes’ ability to develop solutions that keep pace with the continuing changes in technology, and our continued compliance with third party intellectual property rights. These assumptions may prove to be inaccurate. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Descartes, or developments in Descartes’ business or industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, Descartes’ ability to successfully identify and execute on acquisitions and to integrate acquired businesses and assets, and to predict expenses associated with and revenues from acquisitions; the impact of network failures, information security breaches or other cyber-security threats; disruptions in the movement of freight and a decline in shipment volumes including as a result of the impact of current and future trade barriers, including tariffs, further protectionist measures and reactive countermeasure or contagious illness outbreaks; a deterioration of general economic conditions or instability in the financial markets accompanied by a decrease in spending by our customers; the ability to attract and retain key personnel and the ability to manage the departure of key personnel and the transition of our executive management team; changes in trade or transportation regulations that currently require customers to use services such as those offered by Descartes; changes in customer behaviour and expectations; Descartes’ ability to successfully design and develop enhancements to our products and solutions; departures of key customers; the impact of foreign currency exchange rates; Descartes’ ability to retain or obtain sufficient capital in addition to its debt facility to execute on its business strategy, including its acquisition strategy; disruptions in the movement of freight; the potential for future goodwill or intangible asset impairment as a result of other-than-temporary decreases in Descartes’ market capitalization; and other factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada, including Descartes’ most recently filed Management’s Discussion and Analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues

    We prepare and release quarterly unaudited and annual audited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. We also disclose and discuss certain non-GAAP financial information, used to evaluate our performance, in this and other earnings releases and investor conference calls as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP. We believe that current shareholders and potential investors in our company use non-GAAP financial measures, such as Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues, in making investment decisions about our company and measuring our operational results.

    The term “Adjusted EBITDA” refers to a financial measure that we define as earnings before certain charges that management considers to be non-operating expenses and which consist of interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation (for which we include related fees and taxes) and other charges (for which we include restructuring charges, acquisition-related expenses, and contingent consideration incurred due to better-than-expected performance from acquisitions). Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues divides Adjusted EBITDA for a period by the revenues for the corresponding period and expresses the quotient as a percentage.

    Management considers these non-operating expenses to be outside the scope of Descartes’ ongoing operations and the related expenses are not used by management to measure operations. Accordingly, these expenses are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA, which we reference to both measure our operations and as a basis of comparison of our operations from period-to-period. Management believes that investors and financial analysts measure our business on the same basis, and we are providing the Adjusted EBITDA financial metric to assist in this evaluation and to provide a higher level of transparency into how we measure our own business. However, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues are non-GAAP financial measures and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues should not be construed as a substitute for net income determined in accordance with GAAP or other non-GAAP measures that may be used by other companies, such as EBITDA. The use of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues does have limitations. In particular, we have completed six acquisitions since the beginning of fiscal 2025 and may complete additional acquisitions in the future that will result in acquisition-related expenses and restructuring charges. As these acquisition-related expenses and restructuring charges may continue as we pursue our consolidation strategy, some investors may consider these charges and expenses as a recurring part of operations rather than expenses that are not part of operations.

    The table below reconciles Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues to net income reported in our unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations for Q1FY26, Q4FY25, Q3FY25, Q2FY25, and Q1FY25, which we believe is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

      Q1FY26 Q4FY25 Q3FY25 Q2FY25 Q1FY25
    Net income, as reported on Consolidated Statements of Operations 36.2 37.4 36.6 34.7 34.7
    Adjustments to reconcile to Adjusted EBITDA:          
    Interest expense 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3
    Investment income (1.9) (1.9) (2.9) (2.7) (4.1)
    Income tax expense 11.7 11.4 11.9 13.6 11.5
    Depreciation expense 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4
    Amortization of intangible assets 19.1 19.4 17.5 17.4 15.0
    Stock-based compensation and related taxes 4.9 5.4 5.6 5.8 4.3
    Other charges 3.4 1.6 1.8 0.2 3.9
    Adjusted EBITDA 75.1 75.0 72.1 70.6 67.0
               
    Revenues 168.7 167.5 168.8 163.4 151.3
    Net income as % of revenues 21% 22% 22% 21% 23%
    Adjusted EBITDA as % of revenues 45% 45% 43% 43% 44%
               
    The Descartes Systems Group Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (US dollars in thousands; US GAAP; Unaudited)
         
      April 30, January 31,
      2025 2025
    ASSETS    
    CURRENT ASSETS    
    Cash 176,411 236,138
    Accounts receivable (net)    
    Trade 60,456 53,953
    Other 15,646 16,931
    Prepaid expenses and other 43,100 45,544
      295,613 352,566
    OTHER LONG-TERM ASSETS 27,366 24,887
    PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET 13,944 12,481
    RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS 7,721 7,623
    DEFERRED INCOME TAXES 4,867 3,802
    INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET 368,122 321,270
    GOODWILL 992,257 924,755
      1,709,890 1,647,384
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY    
    CURRENT LIABILITIES    
    Accounts payable 23,154 20,650
    Accrued liabilities 73,151 79,656
    Lease obligations 3,402 3,178
    Income taxes payable 9,535 9,313
    Deferred revenue 109,608 104,230
      218,850 217,027
    LEASE OBLIGATIONS 4,533 4,718
    DEFERRED REVENUE 2,196 978
    INCOME TAXES PAYABLE 6,540 5,531
    DEFERRED INCOME TAXES 25,834 34,127
      257,953 262,381
         
    SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY    
    Common shares – unlimited shares authorized; Shares issued and outstanding totaled 85,782,830 at April 30, 2025 (January 31, 2025 – 85,605,969) 574,816 568,339
    Additional paid-in capital 498,092 503,133
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss (21,243) (50,497)
    Retained earnings 400,272 364,028
      1,451,937 1,385,003
      1,709,890 1,647,384
         
    The Descartes Systems Group Inc.
    Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (US dollars in thousands, except per share and weighted average share amounts; US GAAP; Unaudited)
       
      Three Months Ended
      April 30, April 30,
      2025 2024
         
    REVENUES 168,739 151,348
    COST OF REVENUES (exclusive of amortization presented separately below) 39,747 35,413
    GROSS MARGIN 128,992 115,935
    EXPENSES    
    Sales and marketing 18,850 17,471
    Research and development 25,069 22,191
    General and administrative 16,312 14,948
    Other charges 3,449 3,918
    Amortization of intangible assets 19,114 15,024
      82,794 73,552
    INCOME FROM OPERATIONS 46,198 42,383
    INTEREST EXPENSE (236) (273)
    INVESTMENT INCOME 1,962 4,059
    INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES 47,924 46,169
    INCOME TAX EXPENSE (RECOVERY)    
    Current 12,251 12,318
    Deferred (571) (816)
      11,680 11,502
    NET INCOME 36,244 34,667
    EARNINGS PER SHARE    
    Basic 0.42 0.41
    Diluted 0.41 0.40
    WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING (thousands)    
    Basic 85,677 85,274
    Diluted 87,577 87,116
         
    The Descartes Systems Group Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (US dollars in thousands; US GAAP; Unaudited)
       
      Three Months Ended
      April 30, April 30,
      2025 2024
    OPERATING ACTIVITIES    
    Net income 36,244 34,667
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:    
    Depreciation 1,450 1,358
    Amortization of intangible assets 19,114 15,024
    Stock-based compensation expense 4,366 3,769
    Other non-cash operating activities (34) 96
    Deferred tax recovery (571) (816)
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities (6,966) 9,643
    Cash provided by operating activities 53,603 63,741
    INVESTING ACTIVITIES    
    Additions to property and equipment (1,862) (1,764)
    Acquisition of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired (112,327) (139,973)
    Cash used in investing activities (114,189) (141,737)
    FINANCING ACTIVITIES    
    Payment of debt issuance costs (38) (38)
    Issuance of common shares for cash, net of issuance costs 3,558 4,231
    Payment of withholding taxes on net share settlements (6,487) (6,745)
    Cash used in financing activities (2,967) (2,552)
    Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash 3,826 (1,482)
    Decrease in cash (59,727) (82,030)
    Cash, beginning of period 236,138 320,952
    Cash, end of period 176,411 238,922
         

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: AGF Reports May 2025 Assets Under Management and Fee-Earning Assets

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AGF Management Limited reported total assets under management (AUM) and fee-earning assets1 of $53.5 billion as at May 31, 2025.

    AUM

    ($ billions)
    May 31,
    2025
    April 30,
    2025
    % Change
    Month-Over-Month
    May 31,
    2024
    % Change
    Year-Over-Year
    Total Mutual Fund $31.0 $29.3   $26.9  
    Exchange-traded funds + Separately managed accounts $2.8 $2.8   $1.8  
    Segregated accounts and Sub-advisory $6.4 $6.2   $6.4  
    AGF Private Wealth $8.6 $8.3   $8.0  
    Subtotal
    (before AGF Capital Partners AUM and fee-earning assets1)
    $48.8 $46.6   $43.1  
    AGF Capital Partners $2.6 $2.6   $2.6  
    Total AUM $51.4 $49.2 4.5 % $45.7 12.5 %
    AGF Capital Partners fee-earning assets1 $2.1 $2.1   $2.1  
    Total AUM and fee-earning assets1 $53.5 $51.3 4.3 % $47.8 11.9 %
               
    Average Daily Mutual Fund AUM $30.6 $28.6   $26.9  

    1 Fee-earning assets represent assets in which AGF has carried interest ownership and earns recurring fees but does not have ownership interest in the managers.

    Mutual Fund AUM by Category

    ($ billions)

    May 31,
    2025
    April 30,
    2025
    May 31,
    2024
    Domestic Equity Funds $4.5 $4.3 $4.2
    U.S. and International Equity Funds $19.5 $18.0 $15.9
    Domestic Balanced Funds $0.1 $0.1 $0.1
    U.S. and International Balanced Funds $1.4 $1.4 $1.5
    Domestic Fixed Income Funds $2.0 $2.0 $1.7
    U.S. and International Fixed Income Funds $3.2 $3.2 $3.2
    Domestic Money Market $0.3 $0.3 $0.3
    Total Mutual Fund AUM $31.0 $29.3 $26.9
    AGF Capital Partners AUM and fee-earning assets

    ($ billions)

    May 31,
    2025
    April 30,
    2025
    May 31,
    2024
    AGF Capital Partners AUM $2.6 $2.6 $2.6
    AGF Capital Partners fee-earning assets $2.1 $2.1 $2.1
    Total AGF Capital Partners AUM and fee-earning assets $4.7 $4.7 $4.7

    About AGF Management Limited

    Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.

    AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.

    Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. With over $53 billion in total assets under management and fee-earning assets, AGF serves more than 815,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.

    AGF Management Limited shareholders, analysts and media, please contact:

    Nick Smerek
    VP, Financial Planning & Analysis
    416-865-4337, InvestorRelations@agf.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: AGF Management Limited to Release Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results on June 25, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AGF Management Limited (TSX: AGF.B) will release its financial results for Q2 2025 on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at approximately 7:00 a.m. ET. AGF will hold a conference call and webcast to discuss these results at 11:00 a.m. ET.

    The discussion will feature remarks by Kevin McCreadie, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, and Ken Tsang, Chief Financial Officer. Judy G. Goldring, President and Head of Global Distribution, and Ash Lawrence, Head of AGF Capital Partners, will also be available for the question-and-answer period with investment analysts following the presentation.

    The live audio webcast with supporting materials will be available in the Investor Relations section of AGF’s website at www.agf.com or at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/m4th2gij. Alternatively, the call can be accessed over the phone by registering here or in the Investor Relations section of AGF’s website at www.agf.com, to receive the dial-in numbers and unique PIN.

    A complete archive of this discussion along with supporting materials will be available at the same webcast address within 24 hours of the end of the conference call.

    About AGF Management Limited

    Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.

    AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.

    Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. With over $53 billion in total assets under management and fee-earning assets, AGF serves more than 815,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.

    AGF MANAGEMENT LIMITED SHAREHOLDERS, ANALYSTS AND MEDIA, PLEASE CONTACT:

    Nick Smerek
    VP, Financial Planning & Analysis
    (416) 865-4337, InvestorRelations@agf.com  

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Monroe Capital Corporation Announces Second Quarter Distribution of $0.25 Per Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monroe Capital Corporation (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: MRCC) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a distribution of $0.25 per share for the second quarter of 2025, payable on June 30, 2025 to stockholders of record as of June 16, 2025. In October 2012, the Company adopted a dividend reinvestment plan that provides for reinvestment of distributions on behalf of its stockholders, unless a stockholder elects to receive cash prior to the record date. When the Company declares a cash distribution, stockholders who have not opted out of the dividend reinvestment plan prior to the record date will have their distribution automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Company’s capital stock. The specific tax characteristics of the distribution will be reported to stockholders on Form 1099 after the end of the calendar year and in the Company’s periodic report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    About Monroe Capital Corporation

    Monroe Capital Corporation is a publicly-traded specialty finance company that principally invests in senior, unitranche and junior secured debt and, to a lesser extent, unsecured debt and equity investments in middle-market companies. The Company’s investment objective is to maximize the total return to its stockholders in the form of current income and capital appreciation. The Company’s investment activities are managed by its investment adviser, Monroe Capital BDC Advisors, LLC, which is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and an affiliate of Monroe Capital LLC. To learn more about Monroe Capital Corporation, visit www.monroebdc.com.

    About Monroe Capital LLC

    Monroe Capital LLC (including its subsidiaries and affiliates, together “Monroe”) is a premier asset management firm specializing in private credit markets across various strategies, including direct lending, technology finance, venture debt, alternative credit solutions, structured credit, real estate and equity. Since 2004, the firm has been successfully providing capital solutions to clients in the U.S. and Canada. Monroe prides itself on being a value-added and user-friendly partner to business owners, management, and both private equity and independent sponsors. Monroe’s platform offers a wide variety of investment products for both institutional and high net worth investors with a focus on generating high quality “alpha” returns irrespective of business or economic cycles. The firm is headquartered in Chicago and has 11 locations throughout the United States, Asia and Australia.

    Monroe has been recognized by both its peers and investors with various awards including Private Debt Investor as the 2024 Lower Mid-Market Lender of the Year, Americas and 2023 Lower Mid-Market Lender of the Decade; Inc.’s 2024 Founder-Friendly Investors List; Global M&A Network as the 2023 Lower Mid-Markets Lender of the Year, U.S.A.; DealCatalyst as the 2022 Best CLO Manager of the Year; Korean Economic Daily as the 2022 Best Performance in Private Debt – Mid Cap; Creditflux as the 2021 Best U.S. Direct Lending Fund; and Pension Bridge as the 2020 Private Credit Strategy of the Year. For more information and important disclaimers, please visit www.monroecap.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements. Any such statements, other than statements of historical fact, are likely to be affected by other unknowable future events and conditions, including elements of the future that are or are not under the Company’s control, and that the Company may or may not have considered; accordingly, such statements cannot be guarantees or assurances of any aspect of future performance. Actual developments and results are highly likely to vary materially from these estimates and projections of the future. Such statements speak only as of the time when made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any such statement now or in the future.

    SOURCE: Monroe Capital Corporation

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: RadarFirst’s 2025 Privacy Benchmarking Report Reveals Industry-Specific Risks and Response Gaps in Regulatory Preparedness

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PORTLAND, Ore., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RadarFirst, the leader in Regulatory Risk Management technology announces the release of the 2025 Privacy Incident Management Benchmarking Report, revealing how healthcare, finance, retail, and public sector organizations are navigating rising breach complexity and regulatory pressure.

    As global privacy laws tighten and timelines compress, the report emphasizes that regulatory resilience depends on operational precision. The findings indicate a widening performance gap between organizations that utilize structured, automated incident response workflows and those that still rely on manual or reactive methods.

    “Privacy incidents are no longer rare or isolated—they’re operational events,” said Lauren Wallace, General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at RadarFirst.

    “This year’s data shows that teams investing in automation and defensible risk assessment are achieving faster, more consistent, and more trusted outcomes.”

    Key Industry Insights from the 2025 Report:

    Healthcare

    • 19.4% of external incidents in healthcare resulted in notifiable breaches—nearly double the rate of internal incidents.
    • HIPAA’s 60-day window is creating pressure for accurate triage and documentation, especially when third-party vendors are involved.

    Financial Services

    • High volumes of electronic incidents and shorter breach notification windows are driving the urgency for automation.
    • Radar Privacy users in finance achieved an 83.7% on-time notification rate, compared to manual processes that default to over-reporting.

    Government & Public Sector

    • Agencies are grappling with multi-jurisdictional compliance and limited internal resources.
    • Smaller-scale but high-risk verbal and paper-based disclosures remain a significant compliance vulnerability.

    Retail & Consumer Services

    • Single-person, human-error incidents accounted for 81.7% of reported events across industries, heavily impacting customer-facing roles.
    • Retail organizations are under increased pressure to ensure brand trust and avoid over-disclosure.

    Cross-Industry Trends

    • 91.3% of all incidents stemmed from non-malicious human error.
    • Organizations leveraging Radar Privacy cut breach resolution time by 40%, from 24.3 to 14.6 days since 2018.
    • Structured privacy teams using automated tools saved an average of 9.7 days between discovery and risk assessment.

    Building upon the findings from the 2024 report, the latest data indicates a continued trend toward faster breach resolution among organizations utilizing RadarFirst’s solutions. In 2024, the median time to data breach resolution for RadarFirst customers was 21.5 days, down from previous years.

    The full 2025 Privacy Incident Management Benchmarking Report is available now at https://www.radarfirst.com/resources/2025-privacy-incident-management-benchmarking-report

    About RadarFirst

    RadarFirst is the intelligent incident response platform that helps organizations simplify and automate breach decision-making. With patented workflows, real-time risk assessments, and industry-leading compliance intelligence, RadarFirst empowers organizations to reduce risk, improve defensibility, and protect trust.

    Media Contact:

    Alexis Kramer-Ainza
    Marketing Manager
    alexis.kramer@radarfirst.com
    480-938-7358

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Canoe EIT Income Fund Announces June 2025 Monthly Distribution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canoe EIT Income Fund (the “Fund”) (TSX – EIT.UN) announces the June 2025 monthly distribution of $0.10 per unit. Unitholders of record on June 20, 2025, will receive distributions payable on July 15, 2025.

    About Canoe EIT Income Fund
    Canoe EIT Income Fund is one of Canada’s largest closed-end investment funds, designed to maximize monthly distributions and capital appreciation by investing in a broadly diversified portfolio of high quality securities. The Fund is listed on the TSX under the symbol EIT.UN, and is actively managed by Robert Taylor, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Canoe Financial.

    About Canoe Financial
    Canoe Financial is one of Canada’s fastest growing independent mutual fund companies managing approximately $20.0 billion in assets across a diversified range of award-winning investment solutions. Founded in 2008, Canoe Financial is an employee-owned investment management firm focused on building financial wealth for Canadians. Canoe Financial has a significant presence across Canada, including offices in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

    For further information, please contact:
    Investor Relations
    1–877–434–2796
    www.canoefinancial.com
    info@canoefinancial.com

    Not for Distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for Dissemination in the United States of America.

    The Fund makes monthly distributions of an amount comprised in whole or in part of Return of Capital (ROC) of the net asset value per unit. A ROC reduces the amount of your original investment and may result in the return to you of the entire amount of your original investment. ROC that is not reinvested will reduce the net asset value of the fund, which could reduce the fund’s ability to generate future income. You should not draw any conclusions about the fund’s investment performance from the amount of this distribution.

    Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment funds. Please read the information filed about the fund on www.sedar.com before investing. Investment funds are not guaranteed and past performance may not be repeated.

    This communication is not to be construed as a public offering to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Such an offer can only be made by way of a prospectus or other applicable offering document and should be read carefully before making any investment. This release is for information purposes only. Investors should consult their Investment Advisor for details and risk factors regarding specific strategies and various investment products.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-Evening Report: Taylor Swift now owns all the music she has ever made: a copyright expert breaks it down

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wellett Potter, Lecturer in Law, University of New England

    On Friday, Taylor Swift announced she now owns all the music she has ever made. This reported US$360 million acquisition includes all the master recordings to her first six albums, music videos, concert films, album art, photos and unreleased material.

    The purchase of this catalogue from private equity firm Shamrock Capital is a profoundly happy event for Swift. She has expressed how personal and difficult it was not to own these works.

    In her announcement, Swift acknowledged that it was due to her fans purchasing her rerecorded music (known as “Taylor’s Version”) and the financial success of the record-breaking Eras Tour which enabled this purchase.

    The story behind “Taylor’s Version” and why she didn’t own the catalogue to her original six albums is due to copyright, music industry practices and contractual terms. Let’s break it down.

    What’s in a music catalogue?

    When it comes to valuing a music catalogue, it largely comes down to two types of rights: master rights and publishing rights.

    Master rights are rights pertaining to the ownership of the actual sound recordings – the final recorded version. These are called “masters” because they’re the original source from which all copies are made.

    Under traditional music industry contracts, record labels usually hold ownership of masters and associated materials. This can be music videos, tour videos, unreleased works, photographs and album covers.

    Through licensing, the label controls the use of this material and retains the majority of the royalties. In return, the label provides the artist with financial backing, recording resources and marketing.

    Publishing rights, on the other hand, relate to the underlying composition – the music and lyrics. The rights to music publishing usually belong to the songwriter, regardless of who performs the song.

    Publishing rights govern how a song can be used and who earns royalties from that use. For example, a song may be played on a streaming platform, covered in a live performance or licensed for a commercial or film.

    Swift’s contracts

    Swift was 15-years-old when she was signed to Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine record label.

    The agreed contractual terms were typical of the music industry. In exchange for the financial support to make, record and promote her subsequent albums and tours, Big Machine held the rights to Swift’s master recordings and associated materials in her first six albums. Her relationship with the label lasted 13 years.

    As a songwriter, Swift retained separate publishing rights to her songs (the music and lyrics) from her first six albums, which she licensed through Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

    In 2018, Swift was reportedly offered to re-sign with Big Machine, in a deal which would involve her “earning” the rights to one original album for each new one she produced.

    Swift did not renew her contract and moved to Republic Records (Universal Music Group), who allow her to own her masters. She also moved to Universal Music Publishing Group for her music publishing.

    Subsequent sales

    In June 2019, Big Machine’s catalogue was sold to Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, for a reported US$330 million, with US$140 million representing Swift’s catalogue.

    Swift described this as her “worst case scenario”, as she had a tumultuous history of alleged bullying from Braun. She also alleged she found out about the acquisition at the time it was announced to the world, without being given the opportunity to purchase her catalogue.

    Throughout 2019 and 2020 it was reported she attempted to regain ownership, but negotiations fell through.

    In October 2020, Swift’s catalogue was sold to Shamrock Capital, a private equity firm, for an estimated US$300+ million. In recent years, private equity firms have been purchasing music catalogues as profitable long-term financial assets, rather than for artistic or cultural reasons.

    These events led Swift to rerecord her first six albums, branding them “Taylor’s Version”. Four have been released.

    Swift rerecorded her albums, branding them ‘Taylor’s Version’.
    melissamn/Shutterstock

    She was able to create new versions of her songs, with their own intellectual property rights attached.

    As owner of these new masters, she has control over where these songs are used, and she receives a greater portion of the income from the streams, downloads and licensing.

    The decision was enormously successful. Mobilising her fans’ support via social media, they prioritised purchasing “Taylor’s Version” over the original masters, diluting the value of the originals.

    Successful futures

    Swift has repeatedly emphasised the need for artists to retain control over their work and to receive fair compensation. In a 2020 interview she said she believes artists should always own their master records and licence them back to the label for a limited period.

    This would mean the label could monetise, control and manage the recordings for a certain time, but the artist retains the ownership. They eventually gain back full control, rather than handing over permanent rights to the label.

    Swift’s experience has sparked conversations within the industry, prompting emerging artists to approach record labels with caution and advocate for fairer deals and ownership rights. Olivia Rodrigo negotiated her contract with Swift’s saga as a cautionary tale.

    Purchasing her catalogue and masters gives Swift autonomy about how the rights to all of her music is used. Her fans are likely to continue to support her and purchase both the originals and “Taylor’s Version”, so the value of her original albums may rise.

    And, in the long-run, her new acquisition will likely make her much wealthier.

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

    ref. Taylor Swift now owns all the music she has ever made: a copyright expert breaks it down – https://theconversation.com/taylor-swift-now-owns-all-the-music-she-has-ever-made-a-copyright-expert-breaks-it-down-257965

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Agrees with Senator Warren: Scrap the Debt Limit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    June 04, 2025
    “If Republicans in Congress were serious about preventing that economic disaster, they would scrap the debt limit entirely like President Trump has called for – not increase it by $4 trillion dollars to finance tax cuts for billionaires and billionaire corporations.”
    Washington, D.C. – In response to President Donald Trump’s post, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, released the following statement:
    “The independent non-partisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed today that Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill will rip away health care from millions of people and increase the debt by $2.4 trillion to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. That’s a disgusting abomination, as Elon Musk made clear.
    “I’ve argued for years that a default on the national debt would be an economic catastrophe that must be avoided by getting rid of the debt limit permanently. If Republicans in Congress were serious about preventing that economic disaster, they would scrap the debt limit entirely like President Trump has called for – not increase it by $4 trillion dollars to finance tax cuts for billionaires and billionaire corporations.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Slams Lutnick for Decimation of NOAA, Illegal Cancellation of Digital Equity Act Funding, More

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s Q&A with Sec. Lutnick***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department. Senator Murray slammed what’s happening at the Department and President Trump’s thoughtless tariffs, and grilled Secretary Lutnick on the Department’s decision to completely eliminate the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund in the budget request, the Department’s failure to submit required budget justifications to the Committee, and the Trump administration’s decision to cancel billions of dollars of funding from Senator Murray’s Digital Equity Act which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

    In opening comments, Vice Chair Murray said:

    “You know, over the law few months, I am deeply concerned because we have seen: mass firings at NOAA that are really, seriously jeopardizing the weather forecasting that we all count on; funds have been frozen; grants and contracts have been abruptly cancelled; and agencies that were created by Congress in a bipartisan way have been shuttered unilaterally—really ignoring the law—and sweeping, thoughtless tariffs that are crunching small businesses and raising costs for families.

    “And we have even seen President Trump illegally block some emergency funding House Republicans included in their yearlong CR which has cut off funding your Department counts on for trade fairness, export controls, NOAA satellites, and more.

    “So, needless to say: I don’t think any of this helps advance the Department’s mission to spur economic growth and strengthen America’s competitiveness, and it does leaves me very seriously concerned about whether the Department is going to be able to carry out its job.

    “Now, before I turn to my questions, I do want to quickly raise your decision to cancel $48 million in Tech Hub funding for the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center in Eastern Washington and Idaho—alongside several other hubs. We had a chance to talk about this yesterday, but I want you to know I have a lot more questions than I think you answered.

    “This hub is really a partnership of industry, academia, the military, and governments at all levels. Cancelling that funding and further delaying progress at the tech hub really damages our defense industrial base and limits our ability to compete with China, as I told you yesterday. So, that is unacceptable, and I look forward to you resolving that as soon as possible.”

    [TRUMP REQUESTS TO ELIMINATE SALMON RECOVERY PROGRAM]

    Senator Murray began by explaining how important NOAA is to our nation’s fisheries and how important salmon are to Washington state’s way of life, calling out President Trump’s request to zero out funding for a key salmon program: “Now, I do want to ask you while you’re here, one of the agencies you oversee is NOAA. It is absolutely essential to supporting sustainable fisheries, protecting our natural resources, and making sure that we have accurate weather forecasts. Cutting away at NOAA—as you have been doing and as your budget proposes to do further—is going to do serious harm. Among other cuts, your budget would completely eliminate the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. That would be a catastrophic failure—it would abandon our communities, our Tribes, and our industries who rely on salmon. And across the Pacific Northwest, salmon are not just fish—they are a way of life, and they are foundational to our economy and our culture. So, I would like you to explain quickly why you proposed that cut, and I want to ask you, did you consult with our Tribes or fishing communities who count on it before making that decision?”

    Secretary Lutnick replied, “The issues are that we do the same thing in multiple ways in NOAA. We have not cut any hydrologists, which are the people who study the water.”

    “You eliminated the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. That is what I’m precisely asking you about. Did you talk to our tribes or fishermen before you did that?” Senator Murray pressed.

    “Of course,” responded Secretary Lutnick.

    Senator Murray said, “Well, I have spoken to the tribes, I’ve talked to the scientists, I’ve talked to the fishermen. No one—no one—in the Pacific Northwest supports those cuts. And I want everyone to know I will not vote for an appropriations bill that eliminates that funding.”

    [LACK OF TRANSPARENCY]

    Senator Murray then asked about the Department failure to present full budget justifications to Congress, “Now, staying on NOAA facilities like the Northwest Fishery Science Center, which is in Seattle, are really in dire need of investment. For this reason, this CJS Appropriations Subcommittee has long included language requiring the Secretary of Commerce to include the cost estimates for NOAA construction projects of more than $5 million, in the congressional budget justification materials, as well as the 5-year cost estimates for those projects. Are you aware of that requirement?”

    “My understanding is we filed our budget according to the CR with exact precision,” Secretary Lutnick replied.

    “Well, have you submitted the Department’s FY26 congressional budget justification? It did not include the list of projects, which it’s required to do,” asked Senator Murray.

    Secretary Lutnick continued to dodge, “My understanding is the CR had certain obligations for us, and we followed them with precision. That’s my understanding.”

    Senator Murray pushed back, “Well, the fact is that you are required by law to submit the NOAA PAC [Procurement, Acquisition and Construction] construction list to Congress with the budget. That wasn’t done. Can we get that list by Friday?”

    “I’ll happily take a look at it. And if it’s required, of course, I will send it,” said Secretary Lutnick.

    Senator Murray responded, “Okay. It is required.”

    [ATTACKS ON DIGITAL EQUITY ACT]

    Senator Murray turned her questions about President Trump’s recent announcement he is illegally planning to cancel Digital Equity Act grants, “Mr. Secretary, I wrote a law, it was called the Digital Equity Act, to help close the digital divide—and it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. Now, the Administration has arbitrarily cancelled billions of dollars for the Digital Equity Act, claiming it’s unconstitutional. This is a program that every state, Democrat and Republican, has applied for—every single state in the country. It distributes laptops in Iowa. It helped people get back online after Hurricane Helene washed away computers and phones in western North Carolina. It’s a program in rural Alabama where they taught seniors—including some who have never used a computer—how to use the internet. I want to ask you, has the Supreme Court declared this bipartisan law unconstitutional? Has any judge?”

    Secretary Lutnick sidestepped the question, “It will go through the courts and the courts will decide.”

    “No one has declared this unconstitutional—no one. Your job, Mr. Secretary, is to carry out the law that Congress has passed. You don’t get to keep laptops from our kids, because the President doesn’t care about kids in rural communities. My advice to you here—it is a law, it is not unconstitutional, and I would urge you to get those digital equity dollars out the door and save everyone the legal fees, because the law is very clear,” emphasized Senator Murray.

    [TRUMP’S THOUGHTLESS TRADE WAR]

    Senator Murray concluded by saying, “I just have a few seconds left, and I before I finish, I do want to underscore my state, Washington state, is one of the most trade dependent states in the nation. 40% of our jobs are connected to international trade and President Trump and your Department continue to pursue this chaotic tariff policy that businesses in my state stand to lose billions of dollars. I have heard from businesses across my state, from manufacturers, from small retailers. They are struggling to absorb the cost increases on everything from napkins to car parts. And this uncertainty has really left them scrambling which has delayed investments and caused serious supply chain disruptions, especially at our ports. These actions, in addition, have really harmed our relationships with our key allies like Canada. I heard Senator Collins here earlier talking about Maine being their neighbor—it is our neighbor in Washington state. They are one of our biggest trading partners. And let me be clear, this is causing chaos, disruption, anger. And we have got to get this resolved because farmers, our people and our small businesses and our communities, are really hurting.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Ruiz and Imperial Valley Leaders Discuss the Future of Lithium Valley in Washington

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

    Washington, D.C. –Today, CongressmanRaul Ruiz (CA-25) attended Benchmarks Giga + USA. The two-day event explored the rise of USA’s lithium-ion battery gigafactory economy and the need to build secure, sustainable supply chains for lithium, nickel, graphite, cobalt, manganese, rare earths, and other critical raw materials.

    Congressman Ruiz’s panel was titled, “Building a Vertically Integrated Lithium Ecosystem,” and he was joined by Jesus Eduardo Escobar, Supervisor, County of Imperial, Ryan Kelley, Supervisor, County of Imperial, and moderated by Bari Bean, Deputy CEO of Natural Resources and Lithium Ombudsman, County of Imperial.

    “Today’s event is yet another indicator that we have an incredible opportunity with Lithium Valley. The area holds one of the largest known lithium reserves in the U.S., and we have the chance to extract it in a way that’s cleaner and more sustainable, using a closed-loop system that pulls lithium from geothermal brine with minimal environmental impact,” said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25). “The Department of Energy has found that this region could produce enough lithium to power millions of electric vehicles, which would help drive our transition to a clean energy economy and create good-paying jobs in the Imperial Valley.”

    MIL OSI USA News