NewzIntel.com

Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI: Creatd Subsidiary Flyte Launches AI-Powered Travel Booking Platform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Creatd’s (OTC: CRTD) wholly-owned subsidiary Flyte, formerly known as Flewber, today announced the official launch of its AI-powered platform for private travel—bringing together technology, operational efficiency, and customer-focused design across two live offerings, Flyte Luxe and Flyte Hops, with a third vertical, Flyte Escapes, coming soon. The new platform is live at https://www.flyte.travel.

    The launch marks a key milestone in Creatd’s broader strategy to acquire high-potential businesses and scale them through centralized infrastructure across finance, compliance, logistics, and technology. With Flyte, that strategy is being applied to the air mobility space—creating a modern, AI-enabled platform built to serve both travelers and providers in a more efficient, scalable way.

    Flyte integrates:

    • Flyte Luxe, the company’s global charter offering, designed for discerning travelers seeking white-glove service and premium aircraft access;
    • Flyte Hops, a regional air taxi service operating across the Northeast aboard the Cirrus Vision Jet, delivering short-haul efficiency through modern, eco-conscious aircraft;
    • and Flyte Escapes (coming soon), a curated luxury travel experience that pairs private flights with premium resorts, villas, and exclusive lifestyle experiences, all tailored for high-net-worth travelers.

    On the front end, Flyte uses AI to enhance the booking experience—offering real-time pricing, personalized recommendations, and seamless trip planning. On the back end, AI-driven operational workflows have been implemented to automate and streamline booking, coordination, and support—solving for a traditionally labor-intensive process in private air travel.

    “Flyte is purpose-built for today’s traveler—intuitive, intelligent, and designed for ease,” said Marc Sellouk, CEO of Flyte. “We’ve eliminated the friction that’s long defined this space, while building a platform that can scale with sophistication behind the scenes.”

    Flyte is now one of a few companies in the air mobility space operating with this level of technical and operational integration—and is actively expanding its footprint through strategic acquisitions. By equipping its platform with centralized systems and shared services, Flyte is positioned as a destination for both travelers and boutique private brokerages seeking infrastructure and scale.

    “What we’re building is more than a front-end experience. It’s a full-stack operational engine,” said Justin Maury, COO of Creatd. “Flyte is not only transforming how travelers book private flights but transforming how this entire industry operates.”

    Flyte is now live as a progressive web app (PWA) on iOS and Android, with native mobile apps launching next quarter. The platform is currently accepting bookings across Flyte Luxe and Flyte Hops, with Flyte Escapes expected to launch later this year.

    About Creatd, Inc.
    Creatd, Inc. is a publicly traded holding company that focuses on investments and operations across technology, media, advertising, and consumer sectors. By leveraging its expertise in structured finance and acquisitions, Creatd identifies and nurtures opportunities within small-cap companies, driving growth and innovation across its diverse portfolio. For more information, join Creatd’s public investor Slack channel or visit https://www.creatd.com/–

    About Flyte
    Flyte is an air mobility company redefining private air travel through AI-powered infrastructure and user-centered design. Flyte operates Flyte Hops, a regional air taxi service, as well as Flyte Luxe, a premium global charter service. Flyte will soon launch Flyte Escapes, a luxury travel experience. Learn more at https://www.flyte.travel/–

    Contact:

    ir@creatd.com

    Forward-Looking Statements: This statement includes forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations, beliefs, and assumptions about future events and are subject to uncertainties and risks that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements often contain terms like “expected,” “anticipated,” and “estimated.” Factors influencing future outcomes are unpredictable and may emerge over time. We do not commit to updating any forward-looking statement post its publication date. Our SEC filings provide further details and risk disclosures.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ROTH Conference Celebrates 25 Years in Dana Point with Unforgettable Community Partnerships and Recognition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via IBN — The 37th Annual ROTH Conference welcomed thousands of participants from around the globe to Dana Point, California, where the event has been proudly hosted for the past 25 years. This year marked more than just another successful gathering of institutional investors, company executives, and industry visionaries. It was also a milestone in Roth Capital Partners, LLC’s (ROTH) enduring commitment to the local community that has helped shape the event’s identity over the last quarter-century.

    One of the most meaningful moments of the conference took place on March 17, when the City of Dana Point formally recognized Bryon Roth, Ted Roth, and Gordon Roth for their 25-year contribution to the city’s cultural, economic, and philanthropic landscape. The recognition ceremony, coordinated by the Eco Yacht Group in collaboration with Dana Point officials, brought together mayors, community leaders, nonprofit founders, and ROTH team members to celebrate the positive local impact made possible by this long-standing partnership. Mayor Matthew Pagano and Mayor Pro Tem John Gabbard presented official certificates of recognition, applauding the Roth family’s dedication to fostering opportunity, economic development, and charitable contributions since the conference began its residency in Dana Point.

    The honorees received custom gift baskets curated with premium items from local and sponsor partners including El Septimo cigars and cognac, Kindred Wines, Hook Hand Rum, Perduret Champagne, Once Upon A Coconut premium beverages, and several other thoughtful tokens of appreciation that reflect both the spirit of Dana Point and the caliber of the “ROTH Experience”.

    Throughout the weekend, the conference’s connection to the Dana Point community was woven into a number of thoughtfully planned experiences. In partnership with the City of Dana Point, Visit Dana Point, the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce, and local businesses such as the Dana Cliffs Marriott, attendees were welcomed not just as guests, but as contributors to a shared community story. ROTH worked with a local artist to create a custom welcome card that was placed in each hotel room, offering a heartfelt introduction to Dana Point’s coastal heritage and creative spirit. A Dana Point Heritage Walk, held in conjunction with the Challenged Athletes Foundation charity event, gave guests the chance to explore the town’s cultural and historical landmarks while engaging directly with local partners.

    The spirit of giving was further highlighted through support of the California Love Drop initiative, which provides meals and supplies to first responders and communities affected by California wildfires. ROTH’s support of this initiative was represented by longtime partner Wing Lam, founder of Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, and exemplifies the company’s ongoing dedication to social impact initiatives that extend far beyond the financial sector.

    Two signature gatherings helped deepen the sense of connection between conference attendees and community leaders. The Eco Yacht Group’s VIP “Tide to Table” Dinner at Glasspar Seafood & Steakhouse and the Tide to Table Yacht Luncheon in Dana Point Harbor brought together a diverse group of innovators, creatives, ocean conservationists, and executives. These experiences were supported by local sponsors including Once Upon A Coconut, Luxicon, and Stillwater Spirits & Sounds. Guests enjoyed meaningful conversations around sustainability, entrepreneurship, and shared responsibility in a setting that was both elegant and grounded in community values.

    Among the many distinguished guests in attendance were ROTH CEO Sagar Sheth, CMO Isabel Mattson-Pain, ROTH Sustainability Banking Senior Advisor John Cavalier, Meta World Peace, Roma Stibravy, President of NGO Sustainability and UN Advisor to ROTH, Herbert (Beto) Bedolfe III, Founder of OCEANA, Executive Director of the Marisla Foundation, and Board Member of SIMA, Scott Kitcher, CEO of Sustain SoCal, Grammy-winning producer Jimmy Thomas, and leadership from organizations including Hollo.ai, Cox Communications, the Plastic Pollution Coalition, and the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association. Their presence spoke volumes about the type of environment ROTH continues to foster—one that blends innovation and investment with purpose and connection.

    “The Dana Point community has been an incredible partner to us over the last 25 years,” said ROTH CFO Gordon Roth. “We are honored and deeply grateful for the recognition from the city. But more importantly, we are proud of the meaningful relationships we’ve built and the positive impact we’ve been able to make together. From local nonprofits and small businesses to civic leaders and artists, this conference is a success because of the people who come together to make it so.”

    The ROTH Conference continues to be one of the premier investor events in the country, yet its strength lies in the relationships it cultivates—both in boardrooms and in the heart of Dana Point. As ROTH looks ahead to the next chapter, it remains committed to growing those relationships and deepening its impact as a partner, neighbor, and responsible corporate citizen.

    About ROTH
    ROTH is a relationship-driven investment bank focused on serving growth companies and their investors. Our full-service platform provides capital raising, high-impact equity research, macroeconomics, sales and trading, technical insights, derivatives strategies, M&A advisory, and corporate access. Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, ROTH is a privately held, employee-owned organization and maintains offices throughout the U.S. For more information on ROTH, please visit www.roth.com.

    Investor Contact:
    Roth Capital Partners
    Isabel Mattson-Pain
    Managing Director, Chief Marketing Officer
    949.720.7117, imattson-pain@roth.com
    ROTH – Member FINRA/SIPC – www.roth.com

    Media Contact:
    IBN
    Austin, Texas
    www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com
    512.354.7000 Office
    Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: OvationCXM New Research: Business Banking Customers Face Onboarding Hurdles

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TIBURON, Calif., April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OvationCXM, a global leader in customer experience management (CXM), today announces the findings of the 2025 Business Banking Customer Experience Report, an in-depth look at the experiences and expectations of business banking customers across the U.S.

    Business banking customers are clearly voicing their frustrations, and this comprehensive study of over 800 business owners underscores the severity. A staggering 41% report significant pain from interacting with multiple people and organizations to resolve a single issue, while another 45% are plagued by long wait times and delayed responses. The report pinpoints a primary driver of this dissatisfaction: fragmented customer journeys stemming from siloed technology and disjointed functional teams. Addressing this underlying issue presents significant opportunities to drive more revenue, enhance customer satisfaction, reduce churn, and improve crucial onboarding and activation journeys.

    More Survey Highlights:

    • Just 31% of businesses said onboarding was seamless.
    • 25% abandoned onboarding and never used the banking product they signed up for.
    • 56% have to interact with 2–3 teams to resolve a single issue.
    • 91% are asked to repeat information to different people in the bank constantly.
    • 41% of businesses expect their bank or credit union to resolve issues within 24 hours; 82% will move on if their problem isn’t resolved in three days.
    • 38% want proactive product recommendations, but only 44% feel their financial provider strongly understands their needs.
    • 60% of businesses are comfortable using AI chat and voice bots for banking, but a significant minority remain reluctant.

    “Our 2025 Business Banking CX Report confirms what banking clients tell us — decade-old legacy systems and data silos make it nearly impossible to provide seamless experiences to customers,” said Alfred Kahn IV, CEO and founder of OvationCXM. “They’re telling us loud and clear that the fragmented experiences caused by internal and external partner silos are no longer acceptable. As the report shows, personalization isn’t a luxury; it’s an expectation. Operational chaos must be resolved through the strategic implementation of journey orchestration. This report isn’t just data; it’s a mandate for banks to break down walls and truly deliver on the promise of a customer-centric experience.”

    Journey Orchestration as a Competitive Advantage

    The research underscores the critical need to thread valuable customer interaction data points across the bank’s ecosystem (internal systems, departments, and third-party partners) into one enterprise view using journey orchestration technology. Institutions can then act on the insights using AI-led journey-building tools to reduce customer frustration and delays. The business outcomes are reduced attrition, increased revenue, stronger customer loyalty and improved insights into how best to meet customer needs.

    To access the full 2025 Business Banking Customer Experience Report, visit here.

    About OvationCXM

    OvationCXM is the premier customer journey orchestration platform that is purpose-built to help banks, credit unions, payment providers and others in the banking industry simplify and optimize customer experiences. OvationCXM enables banking providers and their ecosystem partners to create seamless onboarding and support journeys by aggregating uncoordinated data stored in a variety of systems in real time and leveraging AI to extract insights that optimize operations. By bridging gaps between systems, teams, and external partners, OvationCXM empowers financial providers to deliver personalized and proactive customer service at speed and scale. To learn more, visit www.ovationcxm.com.

    Media Contact:

    Sherri Schwartz        
    OvationCXM
    Head of Marketing
    sherri.schwartz@ovationcxm.com
    (757) 650-9854

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SUNation Energy Issues Letter to Shareholders in Conjunction With Filing of Form 10-K

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RONKONKOMA, N.Y., April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SUNation Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNE) (“SUNation” or the “Company”), a leading provider of sustainable solar energy and backup power to households, businesses, municipalities, and for servicing existing systems, today issued a Letter to Shareholders from CEO Scott Maskin in connection with the filing of the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 (“FY 2024”) on April 15, 2025. A copy of the Company’s Form 10-K is available at www.sec.gov.

    Dear Fellow Shareholder:

    I am writing to you with a renewed sense of optimism for SUNation’s future, tremendous pride in the dedication and hard work of our team, and appreciation for the continuing faith of our residential and commercial customers in our ability to provide an outstanding end-to-end solar experience. Over the last several quarters, we have made it a priority to address a variety of legacy financial, operational, and governance issues that impeded our growth potential, which included recruiting a new leadership team and a refreshed Board of Directors with relevant industry, capital markets, and public company experience.

    This journey has not been easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. Many of these decisions were among the most difficult of my career, with a significant impact to our people and our investors; they were, however, necessary. While we still have work to do, we believe that we have positioned the Company to resume growth and thrive in the years ahead.

    Our results for 2024 reflect both the encouraging and unpredictable aspects of our industry, as well as the specific issues that affected our operations. The last two years have been some of the most challenging in our space, and some companies – many larger than us – have not survived. While being a smaller company can make us more vulnerable to the effects of macro conditions, it also provides us with a significant advantage – specifically, the ability to act quickly and with resolve.

    As we look ahead to 2025, we see a significant opportunity to pursue a myriad of commercial and residential opportunities in our core markets and surrounding regions, consider strategic acquisition opportunities, and fortify our operations to support a pivot to sustainable growth and profitability. For full year 2024 results, and other recent developments, please review our annual report on Form 10-K, which we filed on April 15, 2025, and can be found at www.sec.gov, free of charge.

    2024 Performance Overview and Recent Events

    Full Year 2024

    • Total sales of $56.9 million declined as expected from last year’s sales of $79.6 million driven by a decrease in residential and commercial solar projects, as well as lower service revenue. However, sales increased on a consecutive basis for each quarter of 2024 with Q4 2024 sales of $15.4 million up 9.3% from Q1 2024 sales of $13.2 million.  
    • Over 50% of our installed jobs in 2023 and 2024 came from referrals or repeat customers, a rate that ranks among the best in our industry. This also helped drive down year-over-year customer acquisition costs by approximately 8%.
    • Gross margin for 2024 improved to 35.9% from 34.8%, reflecting tighter controls over direct costs.
    • Total operating expenses declined by nearly 7% to $32.7 million from $35.2 million.
    • The decline in total operating expenses in 2024 was offset by a $3.1 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge associated with Hawaii Energy Connection (“HEC”) and a $750,000 intangible asset impairment loss related to technology related intangible assets within the HEC segment; there were no such charges realized in 2023.
    • A series of cost optimization and efficiency measures implemented in 2024 are expected to produce annual selling, general and administrative expense cost savings in 2025 of over $2.0 million.
    • Operating loss from continuing operations was $12.3 million compared to $7.5 million in 2023

    Recent Developments

    • We secured $20 million in aggregate gross proceeds via a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investors (“the Offering”).
    • This fresh capital allowed us to eliminate $12.6 million of secured debt and other long-term contractual obligations. This included the repayment in full of $9.4 million of senior and junior secured debt that removed an average annual cash drain of approximately $3.4 million through 2027, and the payment in full of a $2.5 million earn out consideration.
    • This reduction in debt has produced material benefits, including lowering our annual interest expense for 2025 by an estimated $1.4 million, while enhancing cash flows that provide the flexibility necessary to invest appropriately in our long-term expansion and/or other strategic options.

    Q1 2025 Outlook

    We expect that our financial position for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025 will reflect the positive effects of this deleveraging and the cost containment initiatives that began in 2024, including:

    • cash and cash equivalents of approximately $1.4 million, up from cash and cash equivalents of $0.8 million at December 31, 2024; cash at March 31, 2025 did not include $5 million in gross proceeds raised as part of the Offering that closed in early April 2025.
    • total debt of approximately $9.3 million, a $9.8 million reduction from $19.1 million at December 31, 2024; this reduction does not include the impact of the above-mentioned $2.5 million earn out payment.    

    The Path Forward

    Our strategy is designed to provide customers with sustainable energy security by leveraging our people, technology, and processes to deliver solutions that improve the performance, increase the reliability, and reduce the cost of energy.

    Our industry is highly fragmented, consisting primarily of small, regional companies that control the majority of installations. We believe that this creates a great opportunity for a company like SUNation. With our corporate transformation substantially complete, an injection of fresh capital, and our outlook for the solar industry positive, we believe that the best pathway for long-term growth is a combination of organic expansion initiatives, while pursuing net profitable accretive strategic acquisition opportunities.

    With respect to organic growth, we will continue to focus on lowering customer acquisition costs by capitalizing on our premier referral rates, achieve economies of scale that support a lower cost of goods sold, and explore opportunities that widen the scope of solar services to become a one-stop shop for solar and storage-related needs. By leveraging our two-decade reputation for high quality and dependable solar installation, we are investing heavily in the operations of our roofing division, a natural extension of our solar offerings, as well as strengthening our outreach to non-SUNation clients in need of service for their existing PV and battery systems. We also believe that we can increase our service revenue by addressing service gaps created by solar providers that are no longer in business.

    Our approach to any potential acquisitions will be deliberate and thoughtful, with a focus on well-run residential and commercial solar companies in a select group of states that contain markets with the factors that are necessary for fruitful expansion. We believe that regional companies with robust corporate support are best suited to navigate their respective state and regulatory operating environments. Our acquisition criteria includes exposure to battery storage and value-added energy services, opportunities that can deliver meaningful cost and revenue synergies, and compatible business cultures, with a focus on the customer. Our goal is to achieve scale while maintaining the regional identity and connection to the community that these companies have developed over the years.

    We believe that SUNation’s value proposition of energy independence, our sterling reputation, customer-centric approach, and diversified service portfolio will help us navigate the macroeconomic environment, including tariffs, government subsidies, and interest rates.

    In Closing

    I founded SUNation in 2003 and built it into one of the largest and most respected solar installers on Long Island. This was accomplished through hard work, a respect for the customer, and surrounding myself with the best possible team. In 2022 we acquired HEC and E-GEAR, both Hawaii-based sustainable energy solution providers, as a reflection of our commitment to capitalize on the growing demand for solutions that provide home energy security.  

    After more than two decades, we are just beginning.

    I am optimistic about the future of the solar and storage industry and SUNation. Our industry creates good paying jobs and generates substantial revenue at the regional level, positioning us as a significant contributor to the national energy mix alongside oil, coal, gas, and wind. Importantly, our distributed energy solutions fortify local energy infrastructures, making us a vital part of energy security. Our industry is resilient and has always aligned with economic expansion – a stronger economy equals strong energy demand.

    I remain committed to capitalizing on the significant opportunities inherent in our industry and delivering long-term value to our shareholders.

    Respectfully submitted,

    Scott Maskin
    Chief Executive Officer

    Corporate Update Call / Submit Question in Advance

    Management will host a Corporate Update call on Wednesday, April 23 at 10:00 am ET. Interested parties may participate in the call by dialing:

    • Domestic: (800) 715-9871
    • International: (646) 307-1963
    • Passcode: 5681681

    The conference call will also be accessible via the Investor Relations section of the Company’s web site at https://ir.sunation.com/news-events or via this link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/2sjxvf6u.

    Questions may be submitted in advance to ir@sunation.com with the subject line “Corporate Update Questions.” The deadline for submitting questions is April 22 at 5:00 PM ET.

    About SUNation Energy, Inc.

    SUNation Energy, Inc. is focused on growing leading local and regional solar, storage, and energy services companies nationwide. Our vision is to power the energy transition through grass-roots growth of solar electricity paired with battery storage. Our portfolio of brands (SUNation, Hawaii Energy Connection, E-Gear) provide homeowners and businesses of all sizes with an end-to-end product offering spanning solar, battery storage, and grid services. SUNation Energy, Inc.’s largest markets include New York, Florida, and Hawaii, and the company operates in three (3) states.

    Forward Looking Statements 

    Our prospects here at SUNation Energy Inc. are subject to uncertainties and risks. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbor provided by the foregoing Sections. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations or forecasts of future events, can be affected by inaccurate assumptions, and are subject to various business risks and known and unknown uncertainties, a number of which are beyond the control of management. Therefore, actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this presentation. The Company cannot predict or determine after the fact what factors would cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements or other statements. The reader should consider statements that include the words “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “estimates”, “plans”, “projects”, “should”, or other expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events or trends, to be uncertain and forward-looking. We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional information respecting factors that could materially affect the Company and its operations are contained in the Company’s filings with the SEC which can be found on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. Achieves B Corp™ Certification, Demonstrating Leadership in Purpose-Driven Business

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. (SR Inc) proudly announces that it is now a Certified B CorporationTM (B Corp™), joining a global community of businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental impact, performance, accountability, and transparency. This prestigious certification, granted by B Lab™, affirms SR Inc’s commitment to using business as a force for goodTM.

    B Corp™ certification is awarded to businesses that meet rigorous criteria in areas such as environmental impact, employee well-being, community engagement, and positive contributions to customers’ lives. SR Inc particularly excelled in governance standards, reflecting its strong dedication to stakeholders, recently affirmed by its Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) status. With this certification, SR Inc showcases its commitment to driving economic change and its unwavering focus on meeting rising social and environmental standards.

    “Building on the support we received from our shareholders that enabled SR Inc to become a Public Benefit Corporation earlier this year, becoming a certified B Corp™ further demonstrates SR Inc’s deep commitment to leading with purpose. Doing both in 2025 brings home how we are growing our roots deeply into the purpose we share with our world-leading clients,” said Jim Boyle, CEO and founder of SR Inc. “At SR Inc, we’re energized by our mission to accelerate the growth and implementation of best practices in more sustainable business to help align business with life. By exceeding stringent B Lab™ standards, we demonstrate to all our stakeholders that we’re not just advocates for change – we are change.”

    SR Inc’s Sustainable Business & Enterprise Roundtable (SBER) played a key role in its B Corp™ achievement as it was recognized as an Environmental Education Impact Business Model (IBM). SR Inc’s strategic advisory and support services arm, SBER helps executives set goals, drive progress, and report results in more sustainable leadership. SBER’s IBM status underscores SR Inc’s high operational performance standards, its capacity to drive business-critical corporate sustainability education, and its ability to drive positive Member-Client outcomes.

    SR Inc recently achieved its goal of helping clients cause one gigawatt (GW) of new renewable energy by 2025 – made possible through its Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB), an invitation-only, confidential renewable energy buyers’ community that opens utility-scale aggregated procurements to enterprises that cannot access them alone. SR Inc’s clients have made the NZCB the leading platform servicing businesses in North America and Europe. Now, backed by the globally recognized B Corp™ certification, SR Inc is further poised to achieve its goal of helping clients cause 10 GW of new clean energy at home and abroad through 2030.

    The B Impact Assessment™ is designed to evaluate a company’s impact on all stakeholders – workers, customers, communities, and the environment – not just shareholders. Companies must score at least 80 points to attain certification, and those scores are made publicly available to ensure transparency. To maintain certification, companies must complete the assessment and verification process every three years, proving continued alignment with B Lab™ standards, which are continually refined with input from industry experts.

    For more information about SR Inc and its commitment to positive social and environmental change, visit www.sustainround.com.

    About SR Inc

    SR Inc is a for-profit Public Benefit Corporation and certified B Corp™ missioned to accelerate the growth and adoption of best practices in more sustainable business to help align business with life. SR Inc’s Sustainable Business & Enterprise Roundtable (SBER) provides strategic advisory and support in enterprise decarbonization. SR Inc’s Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB) is a confidential buyers’ community committed to creating corporate buyer-favorable renewable energy transactions, which SR Inc clients have made the leading platform for aggregated procurements of utility-scale clean energy. In doing so, SR Inc clients are helping the NZCB democratize the financial, environmental, and human health benefits of utility-scale clean energy.

    About the B Corp™ Movement

    The B Corp™ movement is a global ok movement of People Using Business as a Force for Good®. Together, they are shifting the economic system from profiting only the few to benefitting all, from concentrating wealth and power to ensuring equity, from extraction to regeneration, and from prioritizing individualism to embracing independence.

    Media Contact
    FischTank PR
    srinc@fischtankpr.com

    Other Inquiries
    Sarah Lehan
    sarahlehan@sustainround.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Tenable Wins AI Security Category in the 2025 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBIA, Md., April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tenable®, the exposure management company, today announced that Tenable Vulnerability Management was named the AI-Powered Vulnerability Management category winner for the 2025 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards.

    Tenable Vulnerability Management is an industry-leading AI-powered solution designed to help organizations proactively identify, assess and remediate vulnerabilities across an expanding attack surface. Leveraging machine learning, advanced analytics and the power of Nessus technology, it provides unmatched visibility into security risks, helping customers identify emerging threats.

    “At Tenable, we’re innovating our use of AI to empower our customers to improve efficiencies and focus more resources on preventing successful attacks,” said Steve Vintz, co-chief executive officer and chief financial officer, Tenable. “Winning the AI-Powered Vulnerability Management award reinforces our commitment to helping customers identify and remediate risk wherever it exists with greater speed, accuracy and efficiency.”

    Tenable has introduced several standout AI security capabilities in its suite of exposure management solutions, including:

    • Tenable Vulnerability Priority Rating (VPR) – patented machine learning drives dynamic risk scoring that helps organizations prioritize and take action on the vulnerabilities that pose the greatest risk specific to their business. VPR analyzes Tenable proprietary vulnerability data, third-party vulnerability data and threat data to effectively and efficiently measure risk.
    • Tenable ExposureAI – generative AI capabilities and services within its Tenable One Exposure Management Platform enable faster analysis, decision-making and guidance, cutting through the complexity to stay ahead of attackers. Tenable’s exposure data lake is the world’s largest repository of contextual exposure data, fueling the capabilities of Tenable ExposureAI.
    • Tenable AI Aware – advanced AI and large language model (LLM) detection capabilities are designed to rapidly surface shadow AI, AI/LLM development, and any associated vulnerabilities with remediation guidelines. AI Aware provides exposure insight into AI applications, libraries and plugins so organizations can confidently expose and close AI risk, without inhibiting business operations.

    Stop by the Tenable booth (N-6155) at RSA Conference 2025 or book a meeting with Tenable executives to learn more about Tenable’s AI-powered exposure management solutions.

    At RSA Conference, Tenable’s co-chief executive officer and chief operating officer, Mark Thurmond, will give a keynote address on Wednesday, April 30 at 3:35 pm PT. His keynote will outline the future of risk reduction through exposure management to proactively identify and stop vulnerabilities before they become data breaches.

    About Tenable
    Tenable® is the exposure management company, exposing and closing the cybersecurity gaps that erode business value, reputation and trust. The company’s AI-powered exposure management platform radically unifies security visibility, insight and action across the attack surface, equipping modern organizations to protect against attacks from IT infrastructure to cloud environments to critical infrastructure and everywhere in between. By protecting enterprises from security exposure, Tenable reduces business risk for approximately 44,000 customers around the globe. Learn more at tenable.com.

    Media Contact:
    Tenable
    tenablepr@tenable.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HTX DAO Burns 11.3T $HTX in Q1, Sustaining Deflationary Momentum Through Stable Burn Mechanism

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HTX DAO, the decentralized autonomous organization behind the $HTX token, has officially announced the completion of its Q1 2025 token burn. According to the announcement, a total of 11,338,023,612,750.992 $HTX tokens were permanently removed from circulation, representing a market value of approximately $19.2 million USD. Since its inception, HTX DAO has cumulatively burned over 60.97 trillion $HTX, with an estimated total value exceeding $114 million, demonstrating strong execution of its deflationary model and long-term value alignment.

    In accordance with its governance protocol, HTX DAO allocated 50% of revenue generated by the HTX exchange in Q1 2025 toward this burn. Executions were carried out transparently via Sun.io, with complete on-chain verification available through transaction hashes. Community members can review the full burn transaction here: Burn Hash on Tronscan

    Burn Mechanism: Not a Gimmick, but a Governance-Backed Commitment

    Unlike short-term, price-focused burns used by many projects as speculative marketing tactics, HTX DAO’s burn strategy is rooted in its “Verified Revenue – Automatic Buyback – On-chain Burn” model, introduced in late 2023. This system ensures consistent and verifiable token reductions aligned with real revenue, not artificially inflated figures.

    Key elements of the HTX DAO burn mechanism include:

    • Revenue-Linked Buybacks: A fixed percentage of exchange income is used to repurchase and burn $HTX;
    • Full Transparency: All burn addresses and transactions are recorded and publicly accessible on-chain;
    • Scheduled Execution: Quarterly announcements and hash verifications published for community audit;
    • Governance Supervision: DAO governance oversees adjustments to burn ratios and policies.

    This model makes HTX DAO’s deflationary action a structural economic feature, rather than a temporary performance signal—positioning $HTX for long-term compounding value growth.

    Market Volatility Validates Mechanism Robustness

    In Q1 2025, despite Bitcoin falling from nearly $110,000 to $70,000—a drop of over 30%—and global crypto trading volumes dropping 27% from $200.7B to $146B (source: Coingecko), HTX DAO’s token burn decreased by only 15% compared to Q4 2024 ($22M to $19.2M).

    This measured reduction highlights two important truths:

    • Burn funding is derived from actual revenue, not reserves or pre-allocated marketing budgets;
    • Burn volumes follow a systematic, non-manipulative model, unaffected by short-term market panic.

    Rather than artificial inflation of value, HTX DAO reflects a rational, data-driven growth model, balancing deflation and ecosystem expansion with real income performance.

    Scarcity Effect: Circulating Supply Falls, Value Logic Strengthens

    The cumulative impact of HTX DAO’s deflationary system is becoming more pronounced:

    • Over 60.97 trillion $HTX burned, reducing overall token supply;
    • Increased scarcity for long-term holders;
    • Sustainable tokenomics, with low inflation and high burn rates—making $HTX one of the few net-deflationary exchange ecosystem tokens on the market.

    Following the footsteps of proven models like Ethereum’s EIP-1559 and BNB’s quarterly burns, HTX DAO is establishing a durable path toward value consolidation. Its staking, governance, and node programs are all structurally tied to the burn cycle—creating a positive feedback loop where ecosystem growth triggers further deflation, and vice versa.

    Leading by Example: Real DAO Execution in a Sea of Paper DAOs

    While many projects claim to be DAOs in name, few consistently execute governance-backed decisions with on-chain transparency. HTX DAO sets itself apart by delivering measurable, auditable outcomes—burns, votes, and revenue allocation—visible to all stakeholders.

    In contrast with projects known for inconsistent execution or vague treasury use, HTX DAO demonstrates:

    • High operational reliability
    • Transparent financial data
    • Clear deflationary logic

    This makes HTX DAO a standout among modern DAO ecosystems—not merely in philosophy, but in real-world delivery.

    More Than a Buzzword: DAO as a Mechanism for Value Fulfillment

    This Q1 burn underscores HTX DAO’s continued adherence to its roadmap. Despite macro challenges, it has executed a $19M burn, retained full on-chain traceability, and continued reducing its circulating supply. These attributes collectively validate the DAO’s ability to deliver on promises—not just through whitepapers, but through chain-verified results.

    With renewed user growth, ecosystem expansion, and market recovery expected later in 2025, future burn events are poised to become milestones in HTX DAO’s deflationary growth story. For a sector still grappling with the legitimacy of decentralized governance, HTX DAO offers a compelling answer to the question:

    Can DAOs truly deliver value?

    HTX DAO’s response is already written—on-chain.

    About HTX DAO

    As a multi-chain deployed decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), HTX DAO demonstrates an innovative governance approach. Unlike traditional corporate structures, it adopts a decentralized governance structure composed of a diversified group, jointly committed to the success of this organization. This unique ecosystem advocates openness and encourages all DAO participants to propose ideas that can promote the development of HTX DAO.

    Contact Information

    Website: www.htxdao.com

    Email Address: media@htxdao.com

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

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

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a8ef565-4f84-43ec-bab3-1fee7aebab6c

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Micron Announces Business Unit Reorganization to Capitalize on AI Growth Across All Market Segments

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOISE, Idaho, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), a leader in innovative memory and storage solutions, today announced a market segment-based reorganization of its business units to capitalize on the transformative growth driven by AI, from data centers to edge devices.

    Micron has maintained multiple generations of industry leadership in DRAM and NAND technology and has the strongest competitive positioning in its history. Micron’s industry-leading product portfolio, combined with world-class manufacturing execution enables the development of differentiated solutions for its customers across end markets. As high-performance memory and storage become increasingly vital to drive the growth of AI, this Business Unit reorganization will allow Micron to stay at the forefront of innovation in each market segment through deeper customer engagement to address the dynamic needs of the industry.

    Micron will begin transitioning to this new business structure immediately. The transition will be complete early in the company’s fiscal fourth quarter, which begins on May 30, 2025. Micron will report financial results under the new business structure starting with the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025. The four business units will be:

    • Cloud Memory Business Unit (CMBU): Focused on memory solutions for large hyperscale cloud customers, and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for all data center customers. Raj Narasimhan, Senior Vice President and General Manager, who has led the Compute and Networking Business Unit (CNBU), will lead CMBU.
    • Core Data Center Business Unit (CDBU): Focused on memory solutions for OEM data center customers and storage solutions for all data center customers. Jeremy Werner, Senior Vice President and General Manager, who has led the Storage Business Unit (SBU), will lead CDBU.
    • Mobile and Client Business Unit (MCBU): Focused on memory and storage solutions for mobile and client segments. Mark Montierth, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, who has led the Mobile Business Unit (MBU), will lead MCBU.
    • Automotive and Embedded Business Unit (AEBU): Focused on memory and storage solutions for the automotive, industrial and consumer segments. Kris Baxter, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, who has led the Embedded Business Unit (EBU), will lead AEBU.

    All four business units will continue to report to Sumit Sadana, Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer.

    “This reorganization completes our evolution to a market segment-focused business unit structure, with exciting AI-led growth opportunities in every business unit,” said Sumit Sadana, EVP and Chief Business Officer at Micron Technology. “This structure sharpens our ability to partner deeply with customers and build on our tremendous portfolio momentum with differentiated solutions for all end markets.”

    About Micron Technology, Inc. 
    Micron Technology, Inc. is an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions, transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership, and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND, and NOR memory and storage products through our Micron® and Crucial® brands. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and compute-intensive applications that unleash opportunities — from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit micron.com. 

    © 2025 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information, products, and/or specifications are subject to change without notice. Micron, the Micron logo, and all other Micron trademarks are the property of Micron Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 

    Micron Media Relations Contact 
    Mark Plungy
    +1 (408) 203-2910
    mplungy@micron.com

    Micron Investor Relations Contact
    Satya Kumar
    +1 (408) 450-6199
    satyakumar@micron.com   

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: International students infuse tens of millions of dollars into local economies across the US. What happens if they stay home?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Barnet Sherman, Professor, Multinational Finance and Trade, Boston University

    The Trump administration has recently revoked the visas of more than 1,300 foreign college students – detaining some – and launched immigration enforcement actions on college campuses across the country. This has raised concerns among the more than 1.1 million international students studying at U.S. universities.

    Headlines are filled with perspectives from immigration and civil rights experts, but one aspect of the story often goes overlooked: the tremendous economic impact international students have on local communities.

    Although the actual impact on enrollment won’t be known until the next academic year, interest from foreign students in pursuing graduate-level education in the U.S. fell sharply in the early days of the Trump administration, one analysis showed.

    If these global scholars stay home, that’s bad economic news for cities and towns across the United States.

    A $44 billion economic impact

    Higher education is America’s 10th-largest export, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (Yes, even though students are coming into the U.S. for their education, economists consider it an export.)

    Last year, U.S. colleges and universities attracted international students from 217 nations and territories, including one student from the island nation of Niue in the South Pacific. Their economic contributions added up to more than the value of U.S. telecommunications, computer and information services exports combined.

    While the national impact is impressive, the effects at the local level are even more important. After all, nearly every city across the U.S. has at least one institution of higher learning.

    The average international student brings a wallet stuffed with about $29,000 to spend on everything from tuition to pizza. As these students rent apartments, buy books and order DoorDash delivery to fuel all-nighters, they’re pumping money into the local community.

    This money translates into American jobs. On average, a new job is created for every four international students enrolled in a U.S. college or university. In the 2023-24 academic year, about 378,175 jobs were created. And that’s just counting jobs that are directly supported by international students, such as local business hiring to staff retail shops and restaurants. If you count those jobs indirectly supported by international students, such as employees at a distribution center, the number is even higher.

    A boon to local economies

    In any of the 50 largest American cities, you’ll find at least one college or university with international students on campus. For these communities, global learners bring a most welcome financial aid package.

    Consider Boston. Greater Boston hosts more than 50 colleges and universities, including Boston University, where I teach multinational finance and trade. The city’s economic gains from the more than 63,000 international students attending these schools are huge: about $3 billion.

    Prestigious private schools are a draw, but hands down the biggest pull for international students are state universities and colleges. Of the nation’s top schools enrolling these students last year, 29 were state colleges and universities, attracting over 251,300 students.

    In the top three of those public institutions alone − Arizona State University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of California, Berkeley − international students contributed nearly $1.7 billion, supporting over 16,800 jobs. Expand that to the top 10 − the University of California system takes four of those spots − and the numbers pop up to $4.68 billion and 47,136 jobs.

    Bringing the world to Mankato

    Yet international students aren’t just boosting the economies of major university towns. Consider Mankato, a small city of 45,000 about 80 miles from Minneapolis that hosts a Minnesota State University campus. In the 2023-24 academic year, about 1,716 international students called Mankato their home away from home.

    Those students brought an infusion of $45.9 million into that community, supporting around 190 jobs. There are dozens of similar campuses in cities and towns like Mankato across the country. It adds up quickly.

    In addition to private and public universities, community colleges attract thousands of global scholars. Although their international enrollment declined during Covid-19, community colleges are resurgent, attracting some 59,315 international students in 2024, with China, Vietnam and Nepal leading the countries-of-origin list.

    Generating about $2 billion and supporting 8,472 jobs, they have a major economic impact − particularly in Texas, California and Florida, where the majority of these students come to learn.

    Texas leads the nation with the three community colleges with the largest international enrollment: Houston Community College, Lone Star College and Dallas College. Of the $256.7 million and 1,096 jobs international students brought into those institutions, Lone Star led the pack with $102.3 million and 438 jobs, nearly one job created for every two international students − double the national average.

    Due to changing demographics, American colleges enroll 2.3 million fewer domestic students than they did a decade ago − a decline of 10.7%. Colleges and universities are increasingly looking to international students to fill the gap. What’s more, universities tend to see international students as subsidizing domestic students, particularly since international students are generally ineligible for need-blind admissions.

    Moreover, the vast majority of international students are funded by family or foreign sponsors. Few require student aid packages. In fact, less than 20% of all international students receive grant funding from a federal source, and most of that goes to postgraduates doing advanced research. If you look at undergraduate exchange students alone, just 0.1% receive any sort of public funding.

    One thing’s for sure: Whether they’re attending small-town community colleges or the Ivies in big cities, international students bring a “high degree” of economic impact with them.

    This is an updated version of a story originally published Aug. 13, 2024.

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

    – ref. International students infuse tens of millions of dollars into local economies across the US. What happens if they stay home? – https://theconversation.com/international-students-infuse-tens-of-millions-of-dollars-into-local-economies-across-the-us-what-happens-if-they-stay-home-254539

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Everything Blockchain Inc. Set to Join Forces with Global Investment Leader BLG Group to Drive Digital Asset Innovation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Jacsonville, FL, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Everything Blockchain Inc. (OTC Markets: EBZT), a leader in bridging traditional finance with digital assets, today announced it is in advanced discussions for a strategic merger with BLG Group, a globally recognized investment and advisory firm managing multi-billion-dollar assets. This potential merger would combine Everything Blockchain’s expertise in digital assets with BLG Group’s proven strength in structured finance and capital markets, with plans to launch a new trading desk in Hong Kong, addressing the growing demand for institutional digital asset solutions.

    Under the proposed terms, BLG Group would acquire a controlling interest in Everything Blockchain Inc. (EBZT) through a transformative transaction that could position EBZT at the forefront of the digital asset industry. This strategic partnership would unlock significant opportunities, providing EBZT with the resources to rapidly expand into Hong Kong and the broader Asian market. It would also accelerate EBZT’s operational growth, particularly in scaling its digital asset reserves. With this partnership, EBZT would enter a new chapter of market leadership and accelerated expansion.

    Arthur Rozenberg, CEO of Everything Blockchain Inc., stated:
    “This potential partnership marks a bold step forward for EBZT. BLG recognized our potential early on, and together, we’re poised to reshape the future. With BLG’s global resources and our blockchain expertise, we are uniquely positioned to drive the convergence of traditional finance and decentralized innovation. This partnership would represent a transformative moment for EBZT, unlocking exciting growth opportunities and positioning us to lead in the rapidly evolving digital asset market.”

    As part of the proposed merger, EBZT and BLG Group will launch a cutting-edge cryptocurrency trading desk in Hong Kong, offering advanced institutional crypto-trading services across Asia and globally. By combining BLG’s expertise in investment advisory, venture capital, and custody with EBZT’s digital asset capabilities, the partnership will provide tailored crypto-backed financing and liquidity solutions. Led by crypto expert HK Lee, this desk will unlock new opportunities in digital assets, including private placements and block trade programs for high-net-worth and institutional clients.

    Ajay Dubey, Founder & CMD of BLG Group, remarked:
    “This isn’t just about merging two companies; it’s about merging two worlds. EBZT’s forward-thinking blockchain expertise and BLG’s global finance prowess will redefine what’s possible in digital assets. This partnership is about challenging the status quo — taking bold, innovative steps where others see obstacles. We’re not just joining forces; we’re setting the stage for a new era in finance, where the future is built on disruption, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.”

    Once finalized, the anticipated capital infusion from BLG Group will fuel EBZT’s strategic initiatives, including:

    • Developing New Digital Asset Investment Products
    • Scaling the Digital Asset Treasury Program
    • Expanding Blockchain Consulting Services

    Both parties are committed to finalizing the transaction terms and securing the necessary regulatory approvals. EBZT and BLG Group will provide further updates as the transaction progresses.

    About Everything Blockchain Inc.

     Everything Blockchain Inc. (OTC Markets: EBZT) bridges the gap between traditional financial markets and blockchain innovation. EBZT provides accessible blockchain consulting services and develops transformative financial products designed to modernize financial processes for institutional clients.

    About BLG Group
    BLG Group is a globally recognized investment and advisory firm specializing in structured finance, trade finance, and capital management for institutions. Renowned for successfully executing billions in sophisticated transactions, BLG Group advises family offices, funds, and high-net-worth individuals across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. https://www.blggroup.co.in/aboutus

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” which are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities and words such as “anticipate,” “seek,” intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “plan” or similar phrases may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company’s reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of blockchain-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations, and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions will prove to be accurate. 

    Contact:

    Arthur Rozenberg
    CEO, Everything Blockchain, Inc.
    arthur.rozenberg@everythingblockchain.io

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Thailand’s fragile democracy takes another hit with arrest of US academic

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia

    Despite the challenges faced by local democratic activists, Thailand has often been an oasis of relative liberalism compared with neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

    Westerners, in particular, have been largely welcomed and provided with a measure of protection from harassment by the authorities. Thailand’s economy is extremely dependent on foreign tourism. Many Westerners also work in a variety of industries, including as academics at public and private universities.

    That arrangement now seems under pressure. Earlier this month, Paul Chambers, an American political science lecturer at Naresuan University, was arrested on charges of violating the Computer Crimes Act and the lèse-majesté law under Section 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code for allegedly insulting the monarchy.

    Chambers’ visa has been revoked and he now faces a potential punishment of 15 years in jail.

    The lèse-majesté law has become a common tool for silencing Thai activists. At least 272 people have been charged under the law since pro-democracy protests broke out in 2020, according to rights groups.

    Its use against foreigners has, until now, been limited. No foreign academic has ever been charged with it. Because of the law, however, most academics in Thailand usually tread carefully in their critiques of the monarchy.

    The decision to charge a foreign academic, therefore, suggests a hardening of views on dissent by conservative forces in the country. It represents a further deterioration in Thailand’s democratic credentials and provides little optimism for reform under the present government.

    Thailand’s democratic deficit

    Several other recent actions have also sparked concerns about democratic backsliding.

    Following a visit by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to China in February, the government violated domestic and international law by forcibly returning 40 Uyghurs to China.

    The Uyghurs had fled China a decade earlier to escape repression in the western Xinjiang region and had been held in detention in Thailand ever since. They now potentially face worse treatment by the Chinese authorities.

    Then, in early April, Thailand welcomed the head of the Myanmar junta to a regional summit in Bangkok after a devastating earthquake struck his war-ravaged country.

    Min Aung Hlaing has been shunned internationally since the junta launched a coup against the democratically elected government in Myanmar in 2021, sparking a devastating civil war. He has only visited Russia and China since then.

    In addition, the military continues to dominate politics in Thailand. After a progressive party, Move Forward, won the 2023 parliamentary elections by committing to amend the lèse-majesté law, the military, the unelected Senate and other conservative forces in the country ignored the will of the people and denied its charismatic leader the prime ministership.

    The party was then forcibly dissolved by the Constitutional Court and its leader banned from politics for ten years.

    In February, Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission criminally indicted 44 politicians from Move Forward for sponsoring a bill in parliament to reform the lèse-majesté law. They face lifetime bans from politics if they are found guilty of breaching “ethical standards”.

    Even the powerful former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, whose daughter is also the current prime minister, is not immune from the lèse-majesté law.

    He was indicted last year for allegedly insulting the monarchy almost two decades ago. His case is due to be heard in July.

    This continued undermining of democratic norms is chipping away at Thailand’s international reputation. The country is now classified as a “flawed democracy” in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, with its ranking falling two years in a row.



    Read more:
    Thailand’s democracy has taken another hit, but the country’s progressive forces won’t be stopped

    Academic freedom at risk

    The lèse-majesté law has always represented something of a challenge to academic freedom in Thailand, as well as freedom of speech more generally. Campaigners against the law have paid a heavy price.

    The US State Department has provided a statement of support for Chambers, urging the Thai government to “ensure that laws are not used to stifle permitted expression”. However, given the Trump administration’s attacks on US universities at the moment, this demand rings somewhat hollow.

    Academic freedom is a hallmark of democracies compared with authoritarian regimes. With the US no longer so concerned with protecting academic freedom at home, there is little stopping flawed democracies around the world from stepping up pressure on academics to toe the line.

    The undermining of democracy in the US is already having palpable impacts on democratic regression around the world.

    With little international pressure to adhere to democratic norms, the current Thai government has taken a significant and deleterious step in arresting a foreign academic.

    In the future, universities in Thailand, as in the US, will find it harder to attract international talent. Universities – and the broader society – in both countries will be worse off for it.

    Adam Simpson 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. Thailand’s fragile democracy takes another hit with arrest of US academic – https://theconversation.com/thailands-fragile-democracy-takes-another-hit-with-arrest-of-us-academic-254706

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Reckoning and resistance: The future of Black hiring commitments on campus

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Cornel Grey, Assistant Professor in Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, Western University

    In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, a global reckoning on anti-Black racism ignited protests, conversations and demand for action. Across North America, universities scrambled to make public commitments to racial justice. They pledged to make changes and address systemic inequalities.

    One of the most significant commitments was what’s known as cluster hiring. Recruiting multiple Black scholars at the same time can foster a thriving intellectual community. Research shows cluster hires improve Black faculty representation and retention.

    This strategy can also help combat the isolation, hostility and lack of support that Black faculty often face in predominantly white institutions.

    Many universities pledged lofty and hopeful equity initiatives at the time. These included similar commitments to hiring Indigenous faculty in clusters, developing or expanding Black Studies programs and implementing campus-wide anti-racism strategies.

    But these pledges now face a challenging landscape.

    The United States is witnessing a growing backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and higher education in general. And Canada is not immune.

    In Canada, hiring freezes are now gripping several Canadian post-secondary institutions.

    As austerity measures as well as political shifts impact students, faculty and administrators, a big question looms. What programs will institutions cut in these times of fiscal restraint and shifting cultural values?



    Read more:
    The world is in crisis – what role should our universities play?

    The true test to racial justice committment

    In 2020, McGill made a powerful pledge: to hire 40 Black tenure-track or tenured professors by 2025 and 85 by 2032.

    According to McGill University, it has increased the number of Black tenure-track or tenured professors from 14 in 2021 to 50 in 2025. This marks a significant step toward addressing longstanding gaps in representation.

    But as public support for DEI initiatives wanes and universities face growing financial pressures, will these efforts to build a more equitable faculty be sustained?

    Several Canadian universities also pledged to create or expand Black Studies programs.

    New programs were launched at Toronto Metropolitan University, Western University, the University of Guelph and the University of Waterloo. Existing initiatives at Queen’s University, Dalhousie University and York were expanded.

    Yet the development and funding of Black Studies in Canada largely remains fragile. Administrative support is often lacking and dependent on broader institutional priorities.

    Black studies programs are fragile

    Disciplines like Black Studies, Indigenous Studies and Gender Studies are not just academic pursuits. They provide students with essential analytical tools to understand our most pressing issues, including economic precarity, the erosion of civil freedoms and land sovereignty.

    These university programs are at the forefront of equity education. They are crucial to foster the ability of students and scholars to critically engage with the key challenges we face today.



    Read more:
    Afua Cooper: My 30-year effort to bring Black studies to Canadian universities is still an upward battle

    The U.S. is a warning

    Recent developments in the U.S. serve as a cautionary tale. Canadian politicians and agencies often take cues from American trends.

    Republican lawmakers have aggressively targeted DEI initiatives on campuses in several states. And new legislation bans race-conscious hiring and rewrites curricula.

    Canadian researchers receiving funding from U.S. federal agencies are being pressured to conform their scholarship to the ideological agendas of the White House.

    At the University of Alberta, the move away from DEI discourses to more neutral language like “access, community, and belonging” has marked a fundamental shift.

    In Alberta, the Provincial Priorities Act (Bill 18) now requires federal research funds to align with provincial government priorities. And in Nova Scotia, Bill 12 threatens to link university funding decisions to the government’s social and economic priorities.

    In this climate, ideas of curtailing DEI in research are no longer speculative.

    Within these changes are urgent questions about how research and funding agencies like the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) will respond.

    Research shows that including DEI frameworks in funding applications has had some positive impacts for researchers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, but its focus on personal responsibility and metrics can obscure the deeper forces behind inequality.

    Retaining its political edge

    Universities often frame their commitments to Black faculty hiring and Black Studies programs as part of broader DEI agendas.

    However, as scholars have long pointed out, DEI policies prioritize representation over structural transformation, reducing the presence of Black faculty to a matter of optics rather than a meaningful shift in institutional power.

    When Black Studies is treated as an administrative deliverable rather than a radical intellectual tradition grounded in resistance to oppression, it is stripped of its political edge.

    Institutional integrity

    As Canadian universities face financial pressures and shifting political tides, the commitments will now be put to the test.

    Anti-Black racism and equity cannot be a temporary trend that universities go through during times of public scrutiny. It must remain at the core of academic values, regardless of political or financial pressure.

    The fight for Black and Indigenous hiring initiatives continues and the 2020-21 promises made by universities need to be held to the highest standard. This is about sustained commitment to structural change in our institutions. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

    Cornel Grey receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

    Muna-Udbi Abdulkadir Ali receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

    Stephanie Latty receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

    – ref. Reckoning and resistance: The future of Black hiring commitments on campus – https://theconversation.com/reckoning-and-resistance-the-future-of-black-hiring-commitments-on-campus-253676

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why deregulating online platforms is actually bad for free speech

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michael Gregory, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Clemson University

    Free speech requires freedom from fear and intimidation. AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam

    One of the first executive orders that President Trump signed after his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, was titled Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship. The order accused the previous administration of having “trampled free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms.”

    What Trump was referring to as censorship was the government’s attempt to work with social media and broadcasting platforms to regulate misinformation, disinformation and misleading information by removing content, limiting its dissemination or labeling it, sometimes with fact-checking included. Similar accusations had been brought before the Supreme Court in 2024, where the justices sided with the federal government, preserving its ability to interact and coordinate with social media platforms.

    However, the decision came during a trend toward deregulation of online platforms as Elon Musk removed guardrails after acquiring X, and Meta and YouTube removed policies meant to combat hate and misinformation. With Trump’s commitment to free speech protections through deregulation, online platforms are likely to remove more guardrails.

    As a scholar of legal and political philosophy, I know that deregulation and free speech are often linked. Recently there has been a significant increase in broad court rulings on the First Amendment that support deregulation in all sorts of market sectors, from contributions to political campaigns to graphic labels on cigarettes.

    This is not surprising considering that free speech has long been associated with the metaphor of free trade in ideas, closely tied to the value of a deregulated market economy. The presumption has been that the way to protect freedom of speech is through a deregulated marketplace, and speech on social media platforms is no exception. However, research on online speech shows the opposite to be the case: Regulating online speech protects free speech.

    What is content moderation?

    Free speech and its exceptions

    Free speech in the U.S. has always been accompanied by a series of exceptions, laid out clearly by the courts, that constrain speech based on a competing concern for the prevention of harm. For example, speech that threatens, incites or directly causes harm is not protected speech.

    Yet, when it comes to content-based regulation dealing with ideas or ideological expression, the courts have been clear that the government should not place burdens on speech that is objectionable. The government cannot censor speech that is false but does not lead to a specific, identifiable harm.

    Despite these legal constraints, researchers have suggested that upholding the value of free speech requires some content-based regulation. To understand this seemingly paradoxical conclusion, it’s important to understand why free speech is valuable in the first place. Free speech enables you to be an autonomous member of society by allowing you to express yourself and hear other people express themselves.

    People consider it wrong when a government bans discussion of a viewpoint or piece of content because that violates their right as speakers and listeners to engage with the viewpoint or content. In other words, having free speech is essential because citizens need to be able to choose freely what they say and listen to.

    In addition, democracy is served by having a citizenry that is able to engage freely and meaningfully in the content of their choosing. Democratic dissent, after all, was the original inspiration for free speech protections and serves as the backbone of their protections today.

    Regulating for free speech

    The need for citizens in a democratic state to be autonomous speakers and thinkers underscores the importance of content-based regulation in upholding free speech. Research has shown that hate speech online in particular and the proliferation of extremism online in general have a chilling effect on online speech through intimidation and fear. So, restrictions on hate speech can support free speech rather than undermining it.

    Hate speech is a form of speech that can diminish free speech.
    Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images

    In addition, the spread of online misinformation and the challenges of detecting it can similarly undermine the people’s ability to exchange ideas and evaluate viewpoints as autonomous speakers or listeners. In fact, research shows that users are bad at distinguishing between true and false claims online. This fundamental weakness undermines your ability to operate as an autonomous speaker or listener.

    Finally, increased polarization online, caused by the dissemination of falsehoods, undermines the democratic point of free speech protections. People cannot meaningfully engage in the marketplace of ideas on a platform where falsehoods are amplified. Importantly, this insight aligns with users’ preference that platforms remove disinformation rather than protect it.

    All of this is evidence that deregulating social media platforms is a net loss for free speech. In economic markets, maintaining a consumer’s freedom of choice requires regulations against coercion and deceit. In the marketplace of ideas, the principle is the same: The free trade of ideas requires regulation.

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

    – ref. Why deregulating online platforms is actually bad for free speech – https://theconversation.com/why-deregulating-online-platforms-is-actually-bad-for-free-speech-253015

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Care leavers to be considered in council policy as it becomes a ‘locally protected characteristic’

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Thursday, 17th April 2025

    Stoke-on-Trent City Council will give new lifelong rights and protections to young people who spend time in care.

    The council’s ruling cabinet have decided to make experience of care a “locally protected characteristic” within the city.

    That means that whenever the council designs a new programme or policy, it will now consider the impact of changes to services and policy on those who have been in care.

    This would allow policies to be more effective in meeting the needs of care leavers and could lead to greater access to apprenticeships and housing, or support in times of financial hardship.

    The move goes beyond the council’s statutory responsibilities – reflecting its commitment to continuing to nurture and protect care leavers throughout their adult lives.

    Evidence shows people who have spent time in residential and foster placements are more likely to face lifelong barriers in a range of areas including education, mental health and employment opportunities.

    They also often face discrimination and stigma associated with being a care leaver.

    This comes as the council continues its wider work to support care leavers through the Care Leavers Local Offer and the Next Steps duty team, who support those who leave care up to the age of 25.

    The Next Steps team provide those leaving care with a personal adviser. They support care leavers with a range of things, from finding education or employment, to accommodation and how to cope living independently, as well as being there to offer advice and support.

    Councillor Sarah Hill, cabinet member for children’s services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “I welcome this decision to make experience of care a locally protected characteristic, as it will help address the lifelong inequalities that care leavers face.

    “Care leavers face significant barriers towards work and education, as well as being more likely to experience a mental health condition, but this step will allow policies to be more effective in meeting care leavers’ needs, whilst strengthening inclusion.

    “We will better understand and respond to the structural disadvantage care leavers face as we continue towards creating a healthier, fairer city where all of our residents can thrive.”

    To find out more the Care Leavers Local Offer and the work that the Next Steps team do, visit: https://www.stoke.gov.uk/careleaverslocaloffer

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: American Rebel (NASDAQ:AREB) Congratulates Tony Stewart on History-Making Victory in NHRA Top Fuel Event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    First Driver to Win NASCAR Cup Race, IndyCar Race, USAC Triple Crown Championship and NHRA Pro Event

    American Rebel Light Beer Sponsorship of Tony Stewart Racing Drivers Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan Celebrate Stewart Win and Head to Charlotte for American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals April 25 – 27 at zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway

    Nashville, TN, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) (“American Rebel” or the “Company”), creator of American Rebel Beer (americanrebelbeer.com) and a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of branded safes, personal security and self-defense products and apparel (americanrebel.com), would like to congratulate Tony Stewart on his history-making victory in the NHRA Top Fuel Dragster (nhra.com) this past weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Tony is the first driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race, an IndyCar race, a USAC Triple Crown Championship and an NHRA Pro Event. The American Rebel Light Beer sponsorship of Tony Stewart Racing (tsrnitro.com) drivers Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan proudly celebrate the Stewart win as this history-making victory draws tremendous attention to the American Rebel Light sponsorship. The Stewart victory is also very emotional for the American Rebel team as we know how much this victory means to Tony and Leah personally.

    “I haven’t been around the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series very long, but I realized it takes a lot to win one of these Top Fuel races,” said Tony Stewart. “In my career, I’ve never had to wait over a year to win a race. We always figured it out pretty quickly and we won. We needed this win. It’s been so stressful for everyone since Leah (Pruett – Stewart’s wife) nearly won the World Top Fuel Championship in 2023 when it came down to the final round of the whole season.”

    Tony Stewart replaced Leah Pruett as the driver of the Tony Stewart Racing NHRA Top Fuel Dragster at the beginning of the 2024 season. Tony and Leah were married in 2021 and Leah asked Tony to drive her car in the Top Fuel series as the couple set out to start a family. Tony drove in the Top Alcohol series, a tier below Top Fuel, in 2023.

    “When your wife wants to try to start a family and wants you to driver her car, what are you going to say?” continued Stewart. “We had a lot of changes for the team because my body weight is different. Car tubing is different, and it just takes time. It was frustrating as we just couldn’t get on a path to make consistent gains last year. Two years ago, I won my first NHRA national event in the Top Alcohol Dragster here at Las Vegas with McPhillips Racing, and now I win my first Top Fuel national event at the Strip. It’s pretty damn cool. I’ve been a motorsports fan my whole life, and I think we made racing history with the Top Fuel win. I’m not sure if there has ever been a driver to win a NASCAR Cup race, an IndyCar race, the USAC Triple Crown championship and an NHRA Pro event (Top Fuel). To do it with our team and our family was very emotional. When Leah brought Dom (their newborn son) up on stage in victory lane, my heart stopped. I got so emotional there. That is a feeling I have never had in my life before. The Four Wide setup is the equalizer for me. I’m used to racing with many cars around me. It’s tough for the guys who are not used to four cars racing at once. We can’t get to Charlotte fast enough with the next four-wide setup. I love the format.”

    The next event on the NHRA Misson Foods Drag Racing Series schedule is the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals April 25 – 27 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    “I couldn’t be happier for Tony and Leah as I know how much the victory in Las Vegas means to them both,” said American Rebel CEO Andy Ross. “Our relationship started out as a sponsorship, turned into a friendship and now it’s family. Tony, Matt and Leah have been a big part of our incredible success opening up distributors for American Rebel Light Beer across the country. Various consultants told me opening up distributors was next to impossible, but American Rebel has proven them wrong because we have a real 12-year organic story of how we got here, and Tony, Matt and Leah’s support have poured patriotic fuel all over the fire we had already started. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done.”

    American Rebel is an associate sponsor on the Tony Stewart driven Top Fuel Dragster and the Matt Hagan driven Funny Car for all 20 races of the NHRA Mission Foods 2025 season as well as the primary sponsor of the Matt Hagan Funny Car for five races, including the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the primary sponsor of the Tony Stewart Top Fuel Dragster for one race during the 2025 season. Being a sponsor provides opportunities for vast exposure during the race broadcasts on Fox Sports, Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and Fox Sports 2 (FS2). Ratings for NHRA telecasts are very strong and visibility continues to expand through additional streaming options through NHRA.tv.

    In addition to the strong television viewership of NHRA racing, NHRA has unveiled exciting opportunities for digital media and content creators for the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Aiming to change the way influencers, content creators and digital media members experience drag racing, NHRA is working to expand its reach across social media platforms with its Cornwell Tools Burnout Box Content Creator Zone. This expansion and emphasis in the digital media space will significantly benefit American Rebel.

    American Rebel has also benefitted from the relationship with Tony Stewart Racing through the social media reach of Tony Stewart, Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett. Tony Stewart has nearly 750,000 followers on X (@TonyStewart) and over 250,000 followers on Instagram (@tsrsmoke). Matt Hagan has nearly 150,000 followers on Instagram (@matthagan_fc) and Leah Pruett has nearly 400,000 followers on Instagram (@leah.pruett).

    “Tony, Matt and Leah are such an important part of our story,” said Andy Ross. “Tony is a legendary NASCAR driver who may be the most versatile race car driver in history, having also driven in NASCAR, IndyCar, USAC, NHRA and just about anything with wheels. And Matt has 52 NHRA national event wins and is one of only four legendary Funny Car drivers to win four championships (John Force, Don Prudhomme and Kenny Bernstein are the others) and Leah has kicked in doors as a Top Fuel driver and she continues to provide unparalleled support for American Rebel at the track and on social media. Our distributors love our connection with Tony Stewart Racing as American Rebel Light Beer connects with our customers through this sponsorship.”

    It’s been said that Andy Ross wrote the most on-brand drag racing song ever with his “Nitro Lightning” that he wrote for Matt Hagan. The song gets played at the track nearly every race weekend and even has been referenced on the Fox broadcasts. Andy has performed concerts at the Texas Motorplex and the Bradenton Motorsports Park after race events and is scheduled to perform this year at the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Concord, NC.

    “What’s more American Rebel than rock ‘n’ roll and drag racing? I love victory lane and bringing the party,” said Andy Ross. “Drag racing fans are the perfect demo for American Rebel Beer and we’re looking forward to continuing this relationship a long time.”

    Primary sponsorship dates for American Rebel Beer on the Matt Hagan Funny Car are April 25 – 27 at the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Concord, NC; June 20 – 22 at the Virginia NHRA Nationals at North Dinwiddle, VA; August 14 – 17 at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, MN; September 26 – 28 at the NHRA Midwest Nationals near St. Louis, MO; and October 30 – November 2 at the NHRA Nevada Nationals in Las Vegas, NV. American Rebel Beer will also be a primary sponsor for the Tony Stewart Top Fuel Dragster on September 26 – 28 at the NHRA Midwest Nationals near St. Louis, MO.

    About American Rebel Light Beer

    Produced in partnership with AlcSource, American Rebel Light Beer (americanrebelbeer.com) is a domestic premium light lager celebrated for its exceptional quality and patriotic values. It stands out as America’s Patriotic, God-Fearing, Constitution-Loving, National Anthem-Singing, Stand Your Ground Beer.

    American Rebel Light is a Premium Domestic Light Lager Beer – All Natural, Crisp, Clean and Bold Taste with a Lighter Feel. With approximately 100 calories, 3.2 carbohydrates, and 4.3% alcoholic content per 12 oz serving, American Rebel Light Beer delivers a lighter option for those who love great beer but prefer a more balanced lifestyle. It’s all natural with no added supplements and importantly does not use corn, rice, or other sweeteners typically found in mass produced beers.

    About Tony Stewart Racing

    Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Nitro fields two entries in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. After more than four decades of racing around in circles, Tony Stewart embarked on a straight and narrow path, albeit more than 300 mph. The championship-winning racecar driver who has successfully transitioned to being a championship-winner team owner, formed the TSR nitro team in 2021, with 2022 marking the team’s first season in competition. Matt Hagan pilots the Funny Car and Tony Stewart took over driving duties in 2024 for wife Leah Pruett in the Top Fuel dragster as they started a family. Hagan is a four-time Funny Car champion (2011, 2014, 2020 and 2023) from Christiansburg, Virginia. Stewart hails from Columbus, Indiana and earned his first Top Fuel victory at the 2025 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas. He also won the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year title. Stewart finished second in the 2023 Top Alcohol Dragster championship standings.

    About American Rebel Holdings, Inc.

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) has operated primarily as a designer, manufacturer and marketer of branded safes and personal security and self-defense products and has recently transitioned into the beverage industry through the introduction of American Rebel Beer. The Company also designs and produces branded apparel and accessories. To learn more, visit americanrebelbeer.com or americanrebel.com. For investor information, visit americanrebelbeer.com/investor-relations.

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc.
    info@americanrebel.com

    American Rebel Beverages, LLC
    Todd Porter, President
    tporter@americanrebelbeer.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. American Rebel Holdings, Inc., (NASDAQ: AREB; AREBW) (the “Company,” “American Rebel,” “we,” “our” or “us”) desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “forecasts” “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include benefits of a launch party, actual launch timing and availability of American Rebel Beer, success and availability of the promotional activities, our ability to effectively execute our business plan, and the Risk Factors contained within our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Company Contact:
    tporter@americanrebelbeer.com
     info@americanrebel.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Enovix Appoints Ryan Benton as Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FREMONT, Calif., April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enovix Corporation (Nasdaq: ENVX), a global high-performance battery company, announced the appointment of Ryan Benton as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Benton brings over three decades of financial leadership experience. He previously held key roles at ASM International and served as CFO for multiple public companies including Silvaco and Exar Corporation.

    Enovix CEO Dr. Raj Talluri added, “Ryan’s experience and transparent communication style make him an ideal leader for our finance organization and a strong voice in conveying our strategy to investors. As we get closer to achieving our top objective of commencing smartphone battery mass production, customer demand is solidifying, and we expect to see an important consumer product launch by the end of the year.”

    Chairman T.J. Rodgers said, “Ryan Benton is the best CFO candidate I’ve interviewed in a couple of years. He understands that investor candor is the best course, even if you have some disappointment to report. For example, he would have said about our recent Korean acquisition: We bought the second half of a well-run Korean company (Routejade) for a great price, and they will make our anode and cathode electrode sheets much cheaper and with higher quality than our current suppliers. With the turmoil in tariffs right now, we have a very competent Korean supplier that is capable of adding millions in profitable revenue — an unexpected bonus.”

    “I am thrilled to join Enovix,” said CFO Ryan Benton. “AI is transforming the consumer electronics industry and putting immense pressure on battery suppliers. Enovix is poised to rise to this challenge with its breakthrough architecture for silicon-anode batteries, semiconductor manufacturing culture and deep customer relationships.”

    Ryan’s first public appearance as Enovix CFO will be during the company’s first quarter 2025 earnings call on Wednesday, April 30, after the close of the market. To join the call, participants must use the following link to register: https://enovix-q1-2025.open-exchange.net/. This link will also be available via the Investor Relations section of Enovix’s website at https://ir.enovix.com. Investors may also submit questions on the registration page that they would like addressed on the call by Enovix management. Mr. Benton will also represent Enovix at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference in Boston on May 14 and the William Blair Growth Stock Conference in Chicago on June 4.

    About Enovix
    Enovix is on a mission to deliver high-performance batteries that unlock the full potential of technology products. Everything from IoT, mobile, and computing devices, to vehicles and headsets, needs a better battery. The company has developed an innovative, materials-agnostic approach to building a higher performing battery without compromising safety, and it partners with OEMs worldwide to usher in a new era of user experiences.

    Enovix is headquartered in Silicon Valley with facilities in India, Korea and Malaysia. For more information visit www.enovix.com and follow the Company on LinkedIn.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including but not limited to statements regarding the Company’s future performance, market opportunities driven by artificial intelligence, growth strategy, anticipated product launches and customer product commercialization plans, cost and quality improvements from supply chain initiatives, and the impact of executive leadership. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences include, among others, those described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent annual and quarterly reports. Enovix undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

    Investor Contact:
    Enovix Corporation
    Robert Lahey
    Email: ir@enovix.com   

    Media Contact:
    Bateman Agency for Enovix
    Kaelyn Attridge
    Email: enovix@bateman.agency

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: MAGFAST Raises More Than $10 Million Across Multiple Offerings on Netcapital

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Second Largest Total Amount Raised under Reg CF in Consumer Packaged Goods Industry per KingsCrowd

    BOSTON, MA, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Netcapital Inc. (Nasdaq: NCPL, NCPLW) (the “Company”), a digital private capital markets ecosystem, today announced that MAGFAST, a charging device company, has raised more than $10 million through multiple offerings on the Netcapital funding portal platform.

    MAGFAST’s offering is available for a limited time on Netcapital.com. Investors can review offering details, risks, and disclosures by visiting https://netcapital.com/companies/magfast?utm_source=press-release&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=magfast+press+release+4-25

    About MAGFAST

    MAGFAST designs and markets a suite of charging products for phones, tablets, and other personal electronics. The company’s modular system of wireless and wired chargers is aimed at improving convenience for everyday use at home and on the go. To date, MAGFAST has raised over $10 million through equity offerings and continues to expand its product offerings with an innovative system of charging products.

    About Netcapital Inc.

    Netcapital Inc. is a fintech company with a scalable technology platform that allows private companies to raise capital online and provides private equity investment opportunities to investors. The Company’s consulting group, Netcapital Advisors, provides marketing and strategic advice and takes equity positions in select companies. The Company’s funding portal, Netcapital Funding Portal, Inc. is registered with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a registered national securities association. The Company’s broker-dealer, Netcapital Securities Inc., is also registered with the SEC and is a member of FINRA.

    Forward Looking Statements

    The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

    Investor Contact

    800-460-0815 
    ir@netcapital.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Medallion Financial Corp. to Report 2025 First Quarter Results on Wednesday, April 30, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Medallion Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: MFIN, the “Company”), a specialty finance company that originates and services loans in various consumer and commercial industries, as well as loan products and services offered through fintech strategic partners, announced today that it will report its results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, after the market closes on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

    CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST INFORMATION

    A conference call to discuss the financial results will be held the next morning, May 1, 2025.

    How to Participate

    • Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
    • Time: 9:00 a.m. Eastern time
    • U.S. dial-in number: (833) 816-1412
    • International dial-in number: (412) 317-0504
    • Live webcast: Link to Webcast of 1Q25 Earnings Call

    A link to the live audio webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company’s IR website.

    Replay Information

    The webcast replay will be available at the Company’s IR website until the next quarter’s results are announced.

    The conference call replay will be available following the end of the call through Thursday, May 8.

    • U.S. dial-in number: (844) 512-2921
    • International dial-in number: (412) 317-6671
    • Passcode: 1019 8552

    INDIVIDUAL MEETING INFORMATION

    To increase relations with institutional investors, management has dedicated time to hosting individual meetings with portfolio managers and analysts after its earnings conference call. If you are interested in scheduling a meeting with management, please contact investorrelations@medallion.com or (212) 328-2176.

    About Medallion Financial Corp.

    Medallion Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:MFIN) and its subsidiaries originate and service a growing portfolio of consumer loans and mezzanine loans in various industries, and loan products and services offered through fintech strategic partners. Key industries served include recreation (towable RVs and marine) and home improvement (replacement roofs, swimming pools, and windows). Medallion Financial Corp. is headquartered in New York City, NY, and its largest subsidiary, Medallion Bank, is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, please visit www.medallion.com.

    Company Contact:

    Investor Relations
    212-328-2176
    InvestorRelations@medallion.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Global Drone Market Projected to Reach $57.8 Billion By 2030 as Usage and Demands Soars

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Industry experts are predicting a bright spot of good news about the drone industry value in 2025. New estimates project that the global drone market will be worth $57.8 billion by 2030. That’s a huge increase from previous forecasts, which had the drone industry worth $40.6 billion in 2025. That’s according to a fresh report, dubbed the Drone Market Report 2025-2030. It’s put out by Drone Industry Insights, which is a German consulting group. DII has been putting out similar reports for years now — and this latest report starts by looking at the drone industry value in 2025. From there, it looks at where the commercial drone space is headed over the next five years. As it turns out, the numbers are bigger than experts previously expected. The report said: “So why is the forecast different (and better) than usual? After all, the consumer drone market has not been doing well. But as is the case with many industries, the money is in the business side — not the consumer side. And for the former, drones have become essential tools in industries like construction, agriculture, and energy. Plus, they are increasingly finding their way into fields like logistics (as evidenced by growing drone deliveries, and public safety. As it turns out, most people are making money in drones not by building them, but by actually operating them. The commercial services segment is by far the largest within the drone industry. That’s people who fly for everything from wedding photography to making advanced maps. There’s also increasing military use of small, portable drones. That’s evidenced by groups like Dignitas fighting the war in Ukraine with drones. “Drones as a service” is a broad, widely-encompassing segment, but nonetheless it’s expected to reach $29.4 billion by 2025.  Behind that is the drone hardware industry. In 2025, drone hardware is worth $6.7 billion — but it’s also the fastest-growing segment. That’s likely fueled by recent innovations in BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) technology. It also has to do with growing trends like the proliferation of automated drone docking stations.” Active Companies in the drone industry today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO), Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT), Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI), EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH).

    The report continued: “Around the world, the number of global drone flights jumped 25% in 2024. Yes, takeoffs rose from an estimated 15.5 million to 19.5 million. Asia saw the most flights at 6.3 million, followed by North America (3.9 million) and Europe (3.8 million). We’ve seen this trend of Asian dominance in all sorts of facets of the industry… it’s impossible to ignore to China’s dominance in drone manufacturing. Of course, recent U.S. economic news around tariffs and free trade could upend this at any time. Just this month, China sanctioned a handful of companies, including some American drone companies. The retaliatory move is China’s way of hurting the U.S. drone industry — but it could also upend who really is the leader. Drone pilots around the world even wonder what the news — which on the surface only impacts the U.S. — could mean for prices and availability of drones for sale in their own countries (even if there isn’t a formal ban on DJI drones imposed on those countries). And with that, pay attention to the emerging role of Latin America and Africa. As drone accessibility improves and local ecosystems flourish, these regions could be the next big thing.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) to Showcase Drone as a Service (DaaS) and AI Drone Innovation for Commercial and Defense Markets at Two Premier Investor Conferences — D. Boral Capital Conference and Ladenburg Technology Innovation Expo25 – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that the company was invited and will participate at two prominent investor conferences next month: the D. Boral Capital Conference and the Ladenburg Thalmann Technology Innovation Expo.

    These high-profile investor events bring together a variety of institutional investors to explore cutting-edge technologies and investment opportunities. ZenaTech’s leadership team will present an overview of the company and engage in one-on-one meetings on the latest developments regarding its AI drone solutions for commercial and defense markets and the expansion of its Drones as a Service (DaaS) business model.

    Conference Details:

    D. Boral Capital Inaugural Global Conference: One of the most prestigious events for emerging growth issuers and institutional investors in the world, it showcases dynamic public and private companies across multiple sectors in an intimate setting. Approximately 75 presenting companies and hundreds of institutional investors are expected to attend. Date and Venue: May 14, 2025, The Plaza Hotel — 5th Avenue at Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

    Ladenburg Thalmann Technology Innovation Expo25: The Expo is a full-day event showcasing approximately 50 AI-driven technology companies through presentations, live demos, and one-on-one meetings. Designed to foster meaningful investor engagement, the conference brings together public company executives, institutional investors, and industry professionals. Date and Venue: May 21, 2025, Convene — 101 Park Avenue, New York, NY

    To book a one-on-one meeting with ZenaTech at one of these events, please refer to the conference website links. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    Other recent developments in the markets include:

    Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT), a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations, has recently said that it has successfully closed the previously announced registered direct offering with certain institutional investors for the purchase and sale of 4,724,412 shares of common stock resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $30 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses. The offering closed on April 11, 2025.

    “We believe this financing positions Red Cat for significant growth in the drone industry focused on aerospace and defense technologies, establishing Red Cat as one of the fastest growing drone companies based in the United States,” said Jeff Thompson, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Red Cat.

    EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), the world’s leading urban air mobility (“UAM”) technology platform company, recently announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 15, 2025. The annual report can be accessed on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.ehang.com/ and on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov/.

    The Company will provide a hard copy of its annual report containing the audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests should be directed to the Company’s Investor Relations Department at ir@ehang.com.

    Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO), an industry-leading developer of drone solutions and systems, recently announced that it has been selected by SafeLane Global Ltd. (“SafeLane”) as its preferred unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and aerial survey provider.

    SafeLane, a world-renowned specialist in explosive threat mitigation, is one of only two private organizations licensed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense to conduct landmine and explosive ordnance clearance operations in Ukraine. With over 30 years of experience across more than 60 countries, SafeLane supports governments, humanitarian organizations, and commercial clients in the clearance and disposal of landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and explosive remnants of war (ERW), both on land and underwater.

    Under the agreement, Draganfly will provide advanced drone solutions, including UAVs, specialized sensors, and data analysis services, to support SafeLane’s global mine action initiatives. The collaboration aims to enhance the speed, accuracy, and safety of explosive threat detection and removal operations in high-risk environments.

    Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI), a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven security solutions, recently announced that its white paper, “Drone-Based AI for Landmine and UXO Detection and Mapping” has been accepted for presentation at the Annual Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems (SAGEEP) 2025 event hosted by The Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society (EEGS). The paper showcases the Company’s patented, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered, drone-based imagery analysis technology’s application in the rapidly growing defense and humanitarian sectors.

    SAGEEP is a premier international conference focusing on the near surface, where practitioners, academics, researchers, consultants, students, and government representatives gather to hear presentations or view posters representing the latest in new approaches and methods in environmental and engineering geophysics. The technical program will also incorporate special sessions planned in Future of Geophysics- Innovative Geophysics and Engineering (FOG), Unmanned Vehicles and Drones, Geophysics for Archaeology and Forensics, GPR Platforms and case studies, HVSR, and Underwater Munitions Response Operations.

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

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Climb Global Solutions Sets First Quarter 2025 Conference Call for May 1, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. ET

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EATONTOWN, N.J., April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Climb Global Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLMB) (“Climb” or the “Company”), a value-added global IT channel company providing unique sales and distribution solutions for innovative technology vendors, will host a conference call on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time to discuss its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. The Company’s results will be reported in a press release prior to the call.

    Climb’s management will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer period. Interested parties may submit questions to the Company prior to the call by emailing CLMB@elevate-ir.com.

    Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
    Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern time
    Toll-free dial-in number: (800) 267-6316
    International dial-in number: (203) 518-9783
    Conference ID: CLIMB
    Webcast: Climb’s Q1 2025 Conference Call

    If you have any difficulty registering or connecting with the conference call, please contact Elevate IR at (720) 330-2829.

    The conference call will also be available for replay on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at www.climbglobalsolutions.com.

    About Climb Global Solutions

    Climb Global Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLMB) is a value-added global IT distribution and solutions company specializing in emerging and innovative technologies. Climb operates across the US, Canada and Europe through multiple business units, including Climb Channel Solutions, Grey Matter and Climb Global Services. The Company provides IT distribution and solutions for companies in the Security, Data Management, Connectivity, Storage & HCI, Virtualization & Cloud, and Software & ALM industries.

    Additional information can be found by visiting www.climbglobalsolutions.com.

    Company Contact

    Matthew Sullivan
    Chief Financial Officer
    (732) 847-2451
    MatthewS@ClimbCS.com

    Investor Relations Contact

    Sean Mansouri, CFA or Aaron D’Souza
    Elevate IR
    (720) 330-2829
    CLMB@elevate-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Runway Growth Finance Corp. Provides First Quarter 2025 Portfolio Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MENLO PARK, Calif., April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Runway Growth Finance Corp. (Nasdaq: RWAY) (“Runway Growth” or the “Company”), a leading provider of flexible capital solutions to late- and growth-stage companies seeking an alternative to raising equity, today provided an operational and portfolio update for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    “In the first quarter of 2025, Runway Growth originated high quality financing solutions to several of our existing portfolio companies within the resilient sectors of technology, healthcare and consumer services,” said David Spreng, Founder and CEO of Runway Growth. “As we navigate the current market environment, we are focused on underwriting discipline in our continued effort to preserve credit quality. With the close of the acquisition of Runway Growth’s investment adviser by affiliates of BC Partners Advisors L.P. in the first quarter of 2025, we are leveraging our shared expertise and resources to act thoughtfully on attractive opportunities that we believe will drive growth and deliver value for our shareholders.”

    Originations
    In the first quarter of 2025, Runway Growth funded three investments in existing portfolio companies. These include:

    • Completion of a new $55 million investment to existing portfolio company, Route 92 Medical Inc. (“Route 92”), funding $35 million at close, which refinanced Route 92’s existing senior term loan;
    • Completion of a $13 million follow-on investment to existing portfolio company, Elevate Services, Inc.; and
    • Completion of a new $2.7 million investment to existing portfolio company, Marley Spoon SE.

    Liquidity Events
    During the first quarter ended March 31, 2025, Runway Growth experienced the following liquidity events in its investment portfolio:

    • Full principal repayment of the Company’s senior secured term loan to Gynesonics, Inc. of $25.6 million, combined with liquidation of the Company’s holdings in Gynesonics, Inc. preferred stock, for total proceeds of $37.4 million;
    • Partial principal repayment of the Company’s senior secured term loan to FiscalNote Holdings, Inc. of $11.3 million;
    • Liquidation of the Company’s holdings of Quantum Corporation’s common stock for total proceeds of $0.7 million; and
    • Other scheduled loan principal amortization payments of $3.7 million.

    Portfolio Construction and Management
    Runway Growth is a credit-first organization, carefully structured to focus on what it believes to be the highest quality, late-stage companies in the venture debt market. The Company seeks to uphold industry-leading investment standards as well as disciplined underwriting and monitoring of its portfolio. Runway Growth is positioned as a preferred lender in the venture debt space, supporting and working closely with companies to help them reach their full growth potential. Since inception, the Company has focused on the fastest growing sectors of the economy, including healthcare, technology and select consumer services and products industries.

    As of March 31, 2025, the Runway Growth portfolio included 46 debt investments to 31 portfolio companies and 84 equity investments in 47 portfolio companies, including 26 portfolio companies where Runway Growth holds both a debt and equity investment. Investments were comprised of late and growth-stage businesses in the technology, healthcare and select consumer services and products industries. Runway Growth’s normal business operations include frequent communication with portfolio companies.

    About Runway Growth Finance Corp.
    Runway Growth is a growing specialty finance company focused on providing flexible capital solutions to late- and growth-stage companies seeking an alternative to raising equity. Runway Growth is a closed-end investment fund that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Runway Growth is externally managed by Runway Growth Capital LLC, an established registered investment adviser that was formed in 2015 and led by industry veteran David Spreng. For more information, please visit www.runwaygrowth.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Statements included herein may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance, condition or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in Runway Growth’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Runway Growth undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release.

    Important Disclosures
    Strategies described involve special risks that should be evaluated carefully before a decision is made to invest. Not all of the risks and other significant aspects of these strategies are discussed herein. Please see a more detailed discussion of these risk factors and other related risks in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K in the section entitled “Risk Factors”, which may be obtained on the Company’s website, www.runwaygrowth.com, or the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

    IR Contacts:
    Taylor Donahue, Prosek Partners, rway@prosek.com
    Thomas B. Raterman, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, tr@runwaygrowth.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: One Stop Systems CEO and Chairman Issue Letter to Shareholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ESCONDIDO, Calif., April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One Stop Systems, Inc. (“We”, “OSS” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: OSS), a leader in rugged Enterprise Class compute for artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and sensor processing at the edge, today issued a shareholder letter, which reviews the progress it made in 2024 and the Company’s expectations for 2025.

    Dear Fellow Shareholders

    We are excited to share the progress we made in 2024 and the opportunities ahead to profitably grow our business and create significant value for our shareholders. 2024 was a transformative year for OSS. We successfully executed a strategic transition that not only reshaped our business, but we also believe positioned us at the forefront of one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing markets—high-performance edge compute (HPeC) for AI, machine learning (ML), autonomy, and sensor fusion at the edge.

    Our ability to adapt and innovate fueled sequential revenue growth for every quarter of 2024, expanded our order volumes, and strengthened our sales pipeline. As demand for intelligent, real-time processing continues to grow across industries—from defense to aerospace to industrial and commercial applications—OSS is well positioned to capitalize on these powerful market trends.

    Since joining in June 2023, I have talked about a multi-year strategy aimed at producing significant growth within our OSS segment. Our efforts have been focused on three phases. During 2023 we successfully executed our first phase and strengthened our foundation by adding new management and board talent, and pivoting our strategy to pursue higher-margin, higher-growth opportunities across defense and commercial markets. These efforts developed a comprehensive go-to-market strategy, rebuilt our sales pipeline to over $1 billion, and reduced our exposure to legacy low margin, non-core markets.

    With a proper foundation in place to support a larger business, throughout 2024 we executed against our second phase of transformation aimed at converting our pipeline to orders and increasing our competitive position more broadly across defense markets.

    Looking at the progress of our second phase, during 2024 we created a new customer funded development revenue stream to provide more integrated solutions to our customers and establish OSS as a platform incumbent on large, multi-year programs. We believe these efforts will provide meaningful benefits to our business over the long term by contributing a higher mix of predictable recurring revenue and multi-year backlogs.  

    Customer funded development revenue grew by 118% in 2024 to $3.7 million. While still small numbers, this growth highlights our initial efforts to pursue programs that establish OSS in an incumbent position on key military and commercial applications. Development relationships are expected to take one to two years before leading to production orders. As a result, we expect certain development programs that we worked on during 2024 to transition to orders and sales in 2025. This includes commercial applications in datacenter, healthcare, and aerospace markets, combined with multiple opportunities across the U.S. Department of Defense.

    Throughout 2024, we also experienced greater adoption within our OSS segment from both defense and commercial end markets. We continue to experience high levels of interest in our solutions and increasing requests for information, proposals and white papers, as customers look for technology partners like OSS to support their expanding and highly specialized needs. These trends helped grow our customer base and broaden our customer concentration during the year.

    OSS segment growth in our defense market was from new and existing programs. We experienced demand from several programs within the U.S. Army, a renewal for the U.S. Navy P-8 program, a new HPeC solution for a U.S. intelligence agency and a new design win with a leading defense contractor in Asia for an autonomous maritime application.

    Within the defense market, we continue to work on a rugged 360-degree Situational Awareness system for the U.S. Army. If the Army chooses to fund and field this system across one or multiple combat vehicles, we estimate the value of such an opportunity could exceed $200 million in production orders over a three-to-five-year period with additional opportunities for follow on logistics, support and tech refresh options

    In our commercial end market, we experienced customer demand for our solutions from several sectors, including motorsport, autonomous trucking, commercial aerospace, and, importantly, the datacenter markets. We are pursuing a potential $200 million multi-year pipeline opportunity to provide our solutions within the composable infrastructure/datacenter market. In 2024, we announced an initial contract for 100 units with a datacenter customer. We expect our best-in-class solution will expand to multiple customers in 2025, leading to increased revenue potential for 2025 and beyond.

    While the U.S. Army Situational Awareness or composable infrastructure/datacenter opportunities remain subject to fielding and funding decisions, they represent transformative opportunities that we are pursuing to significantly transform our OSS segment

    Finally, after a weaker economy in Europe in 2024, our Bressner segment is off to a good start in 2025 with anticipated rising demand throughout the year. Our embedded position remains strong with our customers, and the programs we have pursued are aligned with our customers’ priorities. As a result, we currently expect the 2025 annual book-to-bill ratio for our OSS segment to be on the order of 1.2x. We believe a higher expected book-to-bill for 2025, on a base of higher annual revenue, showcases accelerating momentum underway for our HPeC and enterprise class compute solutions.

    We anticipate consolidated revenue of $59 to $61 million for the full year of 2025. This includes expected OSS segment revenue of approximately $30 million, representing over 20% year-over-year growth in the OSS segment. In addition, the Company expects to be EBITDA break-even for the full year of 2025. It is important to note that we expect revenue and profitability to improve at a higher rate in the second half of 2025 based on current trends and our expanding sales pipeline.

    Our solutions remain in demand and our opportunities across our commercial and defense markets are only increasing, despite recent economic and trade policies that have increased the level of global economic uncertainty over the near term. We are monitoring the potential impact tariffs may have on our supply chain. In addition, we are beginning to see opportunities emerge as certain of our product lines, specifically in our commercial markets, have the potential to be more competitive against foreign competition.

    As we enter the third year of our transformation, we are proud of our team and what we have accomplished so far and are excited to enter this next phase of accelerating growth and improving profitability.

    We believe the investments we made in 2023 and 2024 have established a solid foundation for scaling our business and capturing transformative revenue opportunities. We believe we have the right products, the right team, and the right strategy to meet the increasing demand for rugged, enterprise-class computing solutions across defense and commercial markets.

    On behalf of the OSS team and Board of Directors, we extend my sincere appreciation to our employees for their dedication, our customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their continued support. Our commitment remains steadfast: to deliver innovative solutions, drive sustainable growth, and enhance shareholder value.

    Respectfully,

    Mike Knowles
    President and CEO

    Ken Potashner
    Chairman

    About One Stop Systems
    One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS) is a leader in AI enabled solutions for the demanding ‘edge’. OSS designs and manufactures Enterprise Class compute and storage products that enable rugged AI, sensor fusion and autonomous capabilities without compromise. These hardware and software platforms bring the latest data center performance to harsh and challenging applications, whether they are on land, sea or in the air.

    OSS products include ruggedized servers, compute accelerators, flash storage arrays, and storage acceleration software. These specialized compact products are used across multiple industries and applications, including autonomous trucking and farming, as well as aircraft, drones, ships and vehicles within the defense industry.

    OSS solutions address the entire AI workflow, from high-speed data acquisition to deep learning, training and large-scale inference, and have delivered many industry firsts for industrial OEM and government customers.

    As the fastest growing segment of the multi-billion-dollar edge computing market, AI enabled solutions require-and OSS delivers-the highest level of performance in the most challenging environments without compromise.

    OSS products are available directly or through global distributors. For more information, go to www.onestopsystems.com. You can also follow OSS on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    OSS cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding OSS’ expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, and can be identified by forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will” and “would” or similar words. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding future financial and operating results, OSS’ plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on OSS’ current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by OSS or its partners that any of our plans or expectations will be achieved, including but not limited to, our ability to expand our product offerings and further penetrate our target markets, future demand for AI/ML integrations, and our business strategies. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in our business, including risks described in our prior press releases and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    Media Contacts:
    Robert Kalebaugh
    One Stop Systems, Inc.
    Tel (858) 518-6154
    Email contact

    Investor Relations:
    Andrew Berger
    Managing Director
    SM Berger & Company, Inc.
    Tel (216) 464-6400
    Email contact

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Western Financial Group Champions Earth Day with Community Cleanup Initiatives

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HIGH RIVER, Alberta, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Western Communities Foundation, the non-profit arm of Western Financial Group, is proud to participate in multi-location community clean-up and tree planting initiatives celebrating Earth Day (April 22). Thanks to an unwavering commitment to sustainability and care for our staff, customers, and the communities in which we live and work, Canada’s Insurance Broker works to create safe places across the country.

    As Western’s CEO Grant Ostir recently announced, our bold 2025 strategy and growth plans require company-wide dedication to providing a sense of security and care for our customers and local communities.

    “Ambitious goals and growth only happen when we’re taking care of each other, our customers and our environments in which we live, play and work,” said Nancy Green-Bolton, Western Communities Foundation Board Chair and Western Financial Group Chief Operating Officer. “As a proudly Canadian company, these Earth Day activities reflect our dedication to creating safe places and thriving communities across the country.”

    Our local teams will participate in various cleanup activities across the regions we serve, including British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

    Cleanup Event Details – PHOTO OPP:

    British Columbia

    • Oak Bay (Victoria), BC
      • Event: Earth Day Power Hour Community Clean-Up
      • Date & Time: April 22, 12pm-1pm
      • Location: Oak Bay Brach, 2067 Cadboro Bay Rd
    • Kelowna, BC
      • Event: City of Kelowna Adopt a Stream Clean-up
      • Date & Time: April 22, 9am-11:30am and 2:30-5pm
      • Location: Kelowna Harvey Branch, 2025 Harvey Ave
    • Cranbrook, BC
      • Event: Wildsight Co-Community Clean-Up
      • Date & Time: April 26, 10am-1pm
      • Location: Western Financial Place, 1777 2 St N

    Alberta

    • Okotoks, AB
      • Event: Town of Okotoks Community Clean-Up and Tree Planting
      • Date & Time: May 10, 9am-12pm
      • Location: Sheep River Shelter (Lions Campground), 99 Woodhaven Dr
    • Spruce Grove, AB
      • Event: Spruce Up Spruce Grove Community Clean-Up and Tree Planting
      • Date & Time: May 24, 1-4pm
      • Location: 455 King Street, adjacent to the Community Gardens

    Ontario

    • King City, ON
      • Event: King City Community Tree Planting
      • Date & Time: May 10, 1am-3pm
      • Location: Dean Plummer Park, Nobleton

    “Sustainability and social impact play a big role in our everyday operations at Western,” said Michelle Mak, Director, Western Communities Foundation. “We actively support a variety of inclusive and environmental initiatives throughout the year that positively impact local communities, and we encourage team members, regardless of role or location, to get involved. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate care and kindness in action.”

    For more information about our Earth Day initiatives and Western Communities Foundation, visit westerngives.ca. To learn more about Western Financial Group and our commitment to social impact and sustainability, visit westernfinancialgroup.ca.

    Western Financial Group Communities Foundation

    Founded in 2001, the Western Financial Group Communities Foundation serves to give back to the communities where Western employees live and work and play, and foster employee pride and engagement. The Foundation’s core donation programs include Community Infrastructure Grants, the Western Inspirational Awards for graduating high school students, and The Western Community Care Program where our teams actively raise funds for local causes. Since its inception, the Western Communities Foundation has granted more than $9 million to support local communities.

    About Western Financial Group Inc.

    Headquartered in High River, Alberta, Western Financial Group is a diversified insurance services company that has provided over one million Canadians with protection for over 100 years. Western, a proudly Canadian company, is committed to community service, customer service, innovation, growth, and people while providing personal and business insurance through our engaged team of over 2,000 people in over 200 communities, affiliates, and various connected channels.

    Since the very beginning, supporting our local communities has guided everything we do—it’s who we are. In 2001, the Western Financial Group Communities Foundation (our non-profit charity) was created as a way for our team members to give back and positively impact the people and pride in the places where we live, work, and play. To date, we have granted over $9 million back into our communities.

    Western Financial Group is a subsidiary of Trimont Financial Ltd., a subsidiary of The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company. Visit https://westernfinancialgroup.ca for more.

    For more information, contact Nichola Petts, PR Manager, Nichola.petts@westernfg.ca

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2c860a30-3681-4c06-b64f-6bc459ec68f5

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Wall Street caught between a rock and a hard place as tensions between US and China rise

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Johannes Petry, CSGR Research Fellow, University of Warwick

    American investment bank JP Morgan’s logo on its Hong Kong office. Tada Images / Shutterstock

    The trade war between China and the US has spiralled into unchartered territory. On April 10, the Trump administration imposed a tariff of 125% on all Chinese imports. China called the actions unfair and responded with similar measures.

    Within the broader debate around unravelling economic ties between the US and China, where economic interdependence has increasingly been viewed as a threat to US national security, this escalation raises questions about whether global finance is also reducing its presence in China.

    After all, the risks of financial connectivity with China have been discussed prominently by US policymakers in recent years. And many financial analysts have spent much of the past year discussing whether China has become “uninvestable” due to rising geopolitical tensions.

    However, as I show in a recently published study, most global financial firms have continued to expand their presence in Chinese markets over the last decade, even as tensions have intensified.

    Crucially, they have done so on China’s terms, operating within a system that prioritises government oversight and policy goals over liberal market norms. This pragmatic accommodation is quietly reshaping the global financial order.

    China’s capital markets, which have historically been sealed off from the rest of the world, have been opening up in recent decades. This has prompted global financial firms to expand their footprint in China.

    Investment banks such as Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan have taken full ownership of local joint ventures. And asset managers like BlackRock or Invesco have established fund management operations on the Chinese mainland.

    Yet China has not liberalised in the way many in the west expected. Rather than conforming to global norms of open, lightly regulated markets, China’s financial system remains largely guided by the state.

    Markets there operate within a framework shaped by the policy priorities of the central government, capital controls remain in place, and foreign firms are expected to play by a different set of rules than they would in New York or London.

    Foreign investors have been allowed to buy into mainland markets, but through infrastructure that limits capital outflows and preserves regulatory oversight.

    Rather than adapting China to the global financial order, Wall Street has accommodated China’s distinct model. The motivation behind this is clear: China is simply too big to ignore.

    Take China’s pension system as an example. Whereas pension assets in the US amount to 136.2% of GDP in 2019, in China these only amounted to 1.6%. The growth potential in this market is enormous, representing a trillion-dollar opportunity for global firms.

    Consequently, index providers such as MSCI, FTSE Russell, and S&P Dow Jones – key gatekeepers of global investment – have included Chinese stocks and bonds in major benchmark indices.

    These decisions, taken between 2017 and 2020, effectively declared Chinese markets “investment grade” for institutional investors around the world. This has helped legitimise China’s market model within the architecture of global finance.

    America strikes back

    In recent years, Washington has sought to curtail US financial exposure to China through a growing set of measures. These include investment restrictions, entity blacklists, and forced delisting for Chinese firms on US stock exchanges. Such actions signal a broader effort to use finance as a tool of strategic leverage.

    The moves have had some effect. Some US institutional investors and pension funds have declared China “uninvestable”, and are reducing their exposure. American investments in China have roughly halved since their US$1.4 trillion (£1.1 trillion) peak in 2020.

    But attributing this solely to geopolitical pressure overlooks another key factor: China’s underwhelming market performance. A protracted property crisis, a government crackdown on tech companies, and a weak post-pandemic economic recovery have made Chinese markets less attractive to investors in purely financial terms.

    More strategically oriented investors from Asia, Europe and the Middle East have invested more into Chinese markets, filling gaps left by US investors. Sovereign wealth funds from the Middle East, especially, have engaged in more long-term investments as part of broader efforts to strengthen economic cooperation with China.

    And at the same time, many western financial firms have doubled down on their presence in China, expanding their onshore footprint. Since 2020, institutions like JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and BlackRock have opened new offices, increased their staff, acquired new licences and bought out their joint venture partners to operate independently as investment banks, asset managers or futures brokers.

    It has become more difficult to invest foreign capital in China. But western financial firms are positioning themselves to tap into China’s huge domestic capital pools and capture its long-term growth opportunities – even as they tread carefully around geopolitical sensitivities.

    Fragmenting financial order

    It is too early to predict the long-term effects of the current geopolitical tensions. But Wall Street is trying to placate both sides. On the one hand, it is adapting to capital markets with Chinese characteristics. And on the other, it is trying not to antagonise an increasingly interventionist America.

    However, while holding its breath amid further escalation and having scaled back some of its activities, Wall Street has not left China. It is instead learning how to work within the constraints of a system shaped by a different set of priorities.

    This does not necessarily signal a new global consensus. But it does suggest that the liberal financial order, once defined by Anglo-American norms, is becoming more pluralistic. China’s rise is showing that alternative models – where the state retains a strong hand in markets – can coexist with, and even shape, global finance.

    As tensions between the US and China continue to rise, financial firms are learning to navigate a world in which existing relationships between states and markets are being reconfigured. This process may well define the future of global finance.

    Johannes Petry receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the German Research Foundation (DFG).

    – ref. Wall Street caught between a rock and a hard place as tensions between US and China rise – https://theconversation.com/wall-street-caught-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place-as-tensions-between-us-and-china-rise-254490

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How petrostates succeeded in watering down the world’s plan to cut shipping emissions

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christiaan De Beukelaer, Senior Lecturer in Culture & Climate, The University of Melbourne

    The UN’s International Maritime Organization has just agreed to start charging ships for the greenhouse gases they emit. After decades of ineffective incremental tweaks to shipping emissions, the breakthrough came on April 11 at a summit in London. It makes shipping the first industry subject to a worldwide – and legally binding – emissions price.

    The positive spin is that getting any sort of deal is a major win for multilateral climate action, especially considering two strong headwinds.

    From within the meeting, there was sustained opposition to ambitious action from Saudi Arabia and other petrostates, as well as from China and Brazil. Second, the US had already disengaged from negotiations. Even so, from outside the meeting, the US administration’s tariff war and explicit threat to retaliate against states supporting a shipping pricing regime could have affected talks far more than they did.

    But we’re not sure that this agreement can be considered a success. While there is little traditional climate change denial at the IMO, “mitigation denial” is alive and kicking. Mitigation denial means making lofty promises, often in line with scientific evidence, but not adopting concrete measures able to deliver on these targets. This is exactly what petrostates pushed the IMO to do last week.

    Ultimately, the IMO has well and truly failed the most climate vulnerable, by favouring a more gradual and less certain transition to low-carbon shipping. It’s even effectively making these countries pay the price.

    What are the measures?

    The IMO agreement introduces a global fuel standard for shipping, with financial penalties for ships that don’t meet emissions targets. This is effectively a carbon-trading scheme.

    It sets two targets, both of which get tougher every year: a “base” level and a stricter “direct compliance” level. Ships that miss the direct target have to buy “remedial units”, and more expensive ones if they also fail the base level. Ships that go beyond their targets earn “surplus units”, which they can trade or save for up to two years.

    In practice, this means that the companies and countries that can invest in new technologies will earn a double dividend: they won’t pay for emissions and they will receive rewards for using low-emission fuels.

    At the same time, countries and shipping companies lacking the means to invest will effectively subsidise those early movers by paying penalties that reward them. Hardly any revenues will be available for the promised “just and equitable” transition that would ensure no country is left behind. No wonder nearly all delegates from vulnerable Pacific nations abstained from the vote at the IMO.

    For a typical ship burning heavy fuel oil in 2028, it works out at around US$25 (£19) per tonne of greenhouse gas. That’s far lower than needed to drive a rapid transition to cleaner fuels. We also still don’t know exactly how the money raised will be used.

    Delegates also agreed to update the IMO’s “carbon intensity” policy, which now requires ships to be 21.5% more fuel efficient by 2030 compared to 2019. This is a modest 2.5% improvement per year.

    Pacific island states and the UK were among those arguing for bigger cuts (up to 47%). China pushed for 15% and the EU proposed the surprisingly low 23%. The final result of 21.5% is a bad compromise that does not reflect scientific recommendations on meeting the IMO’s goals or what is possible with available technology.

    Climate action at the IMO

    This geopolitical struggle goes back decades. Following the adoption of the Kyoto protocol (a precursor of the Paris agreement) in 1997, the UN tasked the IMO with reducing shipping emissions. After two decades of little progress, in 2018 the IMO eventually set a weak target to cut emissions by 50% from 2008 levels. In 2023, that goal was strengthened to net-zero emissions “by or around 2050”, with interim targets of 20-30% cuts by 2030 and 70-80% by 2040.



    Read more:
    Why the shipping industry’s increased climate ambition spells the end for its fossil fuel use

    Most importantly, the 2023 strategy also committed to adopting legally binding measures in April 2025 to deliver on these targets. This has now happened.

    In light of that history, the new measures do constitute progress. However, their success has to be judged on whether they can actually meet the IMO’s targets.

    The 2030 goal is especially important as climate damage is proportional to cumulative emissions over time, so it’s important to cut emissions as soon as possible. If the shipping sector misses its 2030 target, it may have emitted too much carbon to still make a fair contribution to the Paris agreement.

    Academics at UCL have analysed the new IMO agreement. Unfortunately, they calculated the new policies will only deliver a 10% reduction by 2030 – that’s not even close to the 20% goal the IMO set, let alone the “strive” target of 30%.

    Mitigation denial?

    At the IMO’s closing meeting, Harry Conway, chair of its Marine Environment Protection Committee, held up a glass of water and remarked that at the start of the week, the glass was empty, now the glass is half full.

    As political spin, that image might work. But when it comes to setting a clear and ambitious path forward, the measures fall well short.

    The 2023 strategy committed nations to “strive” to deliver 30% emissions cuts by 2030. Last week’s meeting might yield 10%. Another reason why Pacific delegates abstained from voting. There is a lot more striving – and delivering – to be done.

    A credible pathway to reach net-zero by 2050 is now at risk. Strong pushback by the US, Saudi Arabia, China and Brazil, and weak leadership from the EU all played a role. Even adopting these modest measures – which requires a vote in October – and specifying operational “guidelines” afterwards will be an uphill battle.

    Christiaan De Beukelaer receives funding from the ClimateWorks Foundation.

    Simon Bullock is a member of the Institute for Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST)

    – ref. How petrostates succeeded in watering down the world’s plan to cut shipping emissions – https://theconversation.com/how-petrostates-succeeded-in-watering-down-the-worlds-plan-to-cut-shipping-emissions-254638

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Television wasn’t the death knell for cinema – and that holds lessons for the creative industries and AI

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Fryers, Lecturer in film and media, The Open University

    KitohodkA/Shutterstock

    As television grew rapidly in popularity in the second half of the 20th century, many people assumed it would cause a knock-on crisis for the film industry. After all, it meant that viewers no longer had to leave their sofas to enjoy onscreen entertainment.

    But the reality was far more nuanced. The “death of cinema” has been habitually touted ever since the introduction of the TV, but never really came to pass. Instead, cinema found ways to work with new competition through technological innovation, aesthetic invention and engaging with challenging subject matters.

    Today, lessons from the introduction of TV demonstrate how the creative industries have navigated the introduction of new technology. And could offer some comfort to those who fear that artificial intelligence (AI) technology could be a death knell for the creative industries.

    This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

    As far back as 1938, long before its widespread popularity, film production company Paramount Studios sought to break into television. It made significant investment in DuMont Laboratories, which evolved into a pioneering commercial TV network.

    Other studios followed suit and experimented with “live cinema”. This was a form of entertainment in which broadcast images, including sporting events, were converted into 35mm film and projected onto cinema screens, and it was made throughout the 1940s.

    The “Paramount decrees” antitrust case issued by the US Supreme Court in 1948 ended the monopolistic practices of the studios, which precluded them from owning broadcast companies in favour of the radio networks. They were also ordered to sell their cinema chains, which meant that their films no longer had guaranteed screenings to the public.

    Nevertheless, they continued to form television production companies, with Columbia establishing Screen Gems in 1951 and Paramount reinvesting in the ABC network in 1952. By the 1960s, the majority of prime-time television programming was provided by Hollywood studio companies. These close ties fostered a mutually beneficial relationship.

    Cross-pollination

    After the break-up of the studios, many studio personnel found work in the television industry. It provided a training ground for future cinema stars, including as Steven Spielberg, George Clooney and John Travolta. Studios could also rent out their studios and facilities to television production companies.

    The “star system” (in which the popularity of film stars had always driven the commercial potential of cinema) was now complimented by the exposure of these stars on television programmes.

    Jaws was advertised across TV channels.
    Wiki Commons, CC BY-SA

    Many studios began using TV to advertise their films. For example, Disneyland TV programmes helped to advertise the Disney studio and its cinematic products as distinct from television. And film trailers became another important conduit for cinema advertising. The summer blockbuster era was ushered in by Jaws in 1975 with blanket advertising on every prime-time TV show.

    When early television schedules lacked enough new content to fill the airwaves, British cinema and cheap films and serials (a series of short films with cliffhanger endings; an early progenitor of television series) from the smaller Hollywood studios filled the early schedules.

    Other studio executives took note that their back catalogues of film, which mainly sat untouched in vaults, were a financial goldmine that could be ploughed back into film production and technological development. MGM, which owned titles including perennial favourite The Wizard of Oz, which CBS reserved exclusive rights to screen for 20 years, from August 1956 US$34 million (£12 million) for its titles, while Paramount held out for US$50 million (£17.8 million). Screening rights were sold to the television networks.

    As a result, television became the primary conduit for film viewing. Subsequently, more films were seen on television than on the big screen. There were 3.4 billion film viewings on UK TV in 2013 compared with 165 million cinema admissions – these are now shared with streaming and on demand services. Something had to be done to keep people going to the cinema.

    Technical and aesthetic innovation

    In attempting to preserve the experience of the big screen, widescreen, 3D and multi-track sound systems were introduced to cinemas. The move to standardised colour film accelerated, while extended film length attempted to link the cinematic experience with “high culture” such as the theatre and opera, with overtures and intermissions.

    While many were seen as gimmicky (such as “smell-O-vision” in Scent of Mystery, 1960), widescreen filming became the aesthetic choice of filmmakers, producing epic canvasses and an alternative viewing experience to the small television screen.

    A trailer for A Scent of Mystery and its ‘smell-o-vision’ marketing.

    Although many of these technologies dated back to the 1920s, small-screen competition drove technological and aesthetic innovation, and was partly financed by the tele-visual licensing of their films. Alongside these innovations, the content of the films themselves offered a demonstrable alternative to the small screen.

    By the late 1960s, Hollywood had essentially broken free from the self-imposed censorial strictures of the Hay’s production code, which regulated everything from language to interracial relationships. Instead, film-makers had absorbed the influences of documentary, avant-garde and the French New Wave, among others, as well as the rock n’ roll and counterculture movements to make bold and controversial films, such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Easy Rider (1969).

    The topics and levels of sex and violence portrayed in these films were unthinkable within the heavily regulated family and advertiser-friendly television industry.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Director Alfred Hitchcock made the most of this distinction between mediums. He utilised the agile tele-visual working crew of his TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) for the taboo-bothering horror film Psycho in 1960, suggesting that the two mediums could be related but also divided by content. This, along with the aesthetic innovations helped to elevate cinema artistically in relation to the small screen.

    And so the AI era dawns. The writers and actors strike of 2023 showed that the creative industries are ready to fight for their survival. Adaptability, as Hollywood has demonstrated throughout its history, can also be the key to continued success.

    Dr Mark Fryers received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (MA & PhD funding, 2011-2015).

    – ref. Television wasn’t the death knell for cinema – and that holds lessons for the creative industries and AI – https://theconversation.com/television-wasnt-the-death-knell-for-cinema-and-that-holds-lessons-for-the-creative-industries-and-ai-250227

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to work with EU to safeguard rules-based multilateral trading system: Commerce ministry

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The 100,000th China-Europe freight train, coded X8083, waits for departing at the Tuanjiecun Station in Chongqing, southwest China, Nov. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China is ready to work with the European Union (EU) to strengthen dialogue and communication, expand mutual opening-up, deepen practical cooperation, and jointly safeguard the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said on Thursday.

    Spokesperson He Yongqian noted that the year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, and both sides are advocates of economic globalization and trade liberalization, and firm defenders and supporters of the WTO.

    He added that China is willing to work with the EU to maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and inject more certainty and positive energy into the world economy through the independence and stability of China-EU economic and trade relations.

    The spokesperson made the remarks when responding to a question at a regular press conference.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke T.D. secures Government approval to publish the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill General Scheme Minister James Browne to publish new planning guidance

    Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

    17th April 2025

    When:  17th April – 17th April 2028

    Minister Peter Burke has secured Cabinet approval to publish the General Scheme of the new Short Term Letting and Tourism (STLT) Bill.  The legislation will introduce a register for all Short Term Lets (STLs) in Ireland, which will be implemented and managed by Fáilte Ireland from 20 May 2026, ensuring compliance with the new EU Short Term Rental Regulation which was adopted by the EU on 11 April 2024.

    Minister for Housing James Browne has also secured approval from Government to publish a National Planning Statement on Short Term Letting, in order to give greater clarity to the sector with regards planning in advance of the commencement of the new legislation.

    Minister Burke said

    “This is a very important piece of legislation that will enable the introduction of new regulatory controls for the Short-Term Letting sector. The self-catering and wider short-term letting sector is an important element of the Irish tourism ecosystem and for the first time, we will have up to date and accurate data on the numbers and spread of this accommodation. Tourism is of critical importance to the Irish economy, providing 228,000 jobs and €6 billion income to our economy in 2024.   The long-term development of the tourism sector requires that an appropriate balance is achieved between the short-term letting sector and long-term housing market, and the wider needs of local communities, both economically and socially.”

    Minister went on to say

    “I am aware of the genuine concerns regarding the impacts on rural tourism and local economies of removing a significant cohort of STL properties from the tourism and other short-term letting market and I continue to engage with the sector in this regard. However, meeting local housing need across Ireland is a critically important consideration and Government must use every lever available to assist in providing homes for our people”.

    The new STL register will be available online and will provide a full picture of the stock of registered tourist accommodation across the state. Hosts offering STL accommodation for periods up to and including 21 nights will be obliged to register with Fáilte Ireland and hold a valid registration number that must be displayed when advertising their STL property.

    The EU STR Regulation and Ireland’s new registration requirements for STLs will both come into full force on 20 May 2026. Fáilte Ireland will apply the enforcement mechanisms provided for in the legislation in respect of non-compliant STL hosts by means of Fixed Payment Notices and/or summary proceedings in the District Court.

    The STLT Bill also provides for the introduction of an administrative sanction procedure (ASP) for infringements by online short-term rental platforms of their obligations under the STR Regulation. This will enable the State to impose large financial penalties (a maximum of 2% of turnover) to enforce compliance where necessary.

    Minister Burke will appoint an independent panel to determine the level of financial sanction to be imposed.

    The Cabinet also approved, for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne T.D., the drafting of new planning guidance and any necessary legislative changes to implement the new Planning Guidelines in the form of a National Planning Statement on short-term letting. That Planning Statement is an important input in balancing local housing, tourism and economic needs and will provide the necessary clarity to the STL sector on the planning requirements around STL properties. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage will publish these guidelines in advance of the final enactment of the STLT Bill.

    Minister Browne said:

    “In advance of commencement of the legislation, I will be publishing new planning guidance to give greater clarity to the short term letting sector and to allow those in tourism to plan accordingly. This guidance will seek to recognise the needs of tourism and those who visit Ireland, while also acting on the urgent aim of this Government to increase domestic rental supply. This new Housing policy is to generally preclude new planning permissions for Short term lets in cities and towns with a Census population in excess of 10,000 persons, or as may be set by Regulations, and to enable local authorities have discretion to develop policies for other locations having regard to relevant local criteria to be set out in the guidance. At present, all STL properties based in rent pressure zones are required to have appropriate planning permission in instances where a secondary property is being rented out for more than 90 days per year.  If you rent out a room in your principal private residence, planning permission is generally not required.”

    Minister Burke and his Department will consider the full implications for the Tourism sector as we await the planning clarification from the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Norwood Financial Corp announces First Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Quarterly Highlights:

    • Fully diluted EPS of $0.63, a 14.5% increase over the same period in 2024
    • Return on assets rises to over 1.00%.
    • Net interest margin increased 30 basis points vs. the prior quarter and 11 basis points over the prior year.
    • Loans grew at a 13.5% annualized rate during the first quarter.
    • Capital continues to improve on increased earnings and lower AOCI adjustment.

    HONESDALE, Pa., April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Norwood Financial Corp (Nasdaq Global Market-NWFL) and its subsidiary, Wayne Bank, announced results for the three months March 31, 2025.

    Jim Donnelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwood Financial Corp and Wayne Bank, stated, “The actions that we took in December 2024 to improve our capital and earnings have given us a great start to 2025. The portfolio repositioning has improved our net interest margin. That, coupled with strong annualized growth in loans and deposits, put us on a positive trajectory for 2025. We continue to benefit from lower deposit costs together with higher assets yields and our deposit growth has allowed us to lower our use of wholesale borrowings.”

    Mr. Donnelly continued, “The capital that we raised in December 2024, has strengthened our balance sheet and will allow our Company to better weather any headwinds that come with global uncertainty. Although we do not have any international business per se, we do have customers who may have exposure to developing trade conditions. Because we are a community bank we are contacting our customers to determine how we can best assist them, if necessary. Additionally, we are being prudent regarding the opportunities in front of us, taking the time to assess the effects of changing economic circumstances.”

    Selected Financial Highlights

    (dollars in thousands, except
    per share data)    		 Year-Over Year Linked Quarter Adjusted Linked Quarter1  
      3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended  
      Mar-25 Mar-24 Change Dec-24 Change Dec-24 Change  
    Net interest income 17,857   14,710   3,147 16,625   1,232 16,625   1,232  
    Net interest spread (fte) 2.61%   2.08%   53 bps 2.31%   30 bps 2.31%   30 bps  
    Net interest margin (fte) 3.30%   2.80%   50 bps 3.04%   26 bps 3.04%   26 bps  
    Net income (loss) 5,773   4,433   1,340 (12,651)   18,424 3,119   2,654  
    Diluted earnings per share 0.63   0.55   0.08 -1.54   -2.09 0.38   0.25  
    Return on average assets 1.01%   0.80%   21 bps -2.19%   320 bps 0.54%   47 bps  
    Return on tangible equity 12.40%   11.65%   75 bps -30.77%   (4,317 bps) 7.59%   481 bps  
           

    1 – The above table includes non-GAAP financial measures excluding the one-time $20.0 million net realized loss incurred in the fourth quarter as a result of the repositioning of our investment portfolio. Please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for a reconciliation of all non-GAAP financial measures.

    Discussion of financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025:

    • The Company had net income of $5.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, an increase $1.3 million over the same period last year.
    • Net interest income increased during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024 due to increases in asset yields which outpaced increases in yields on liabilities.
    • Correspondingly, the net interest margin in the first quarter of 2025 was 3.30% compared to 2.80% in the first quarter of 2024.
    • The efficiency ratio for the first quarter of 2025 was 59.7% compared to 70.6% in the first quarter of 2024.
    • As of March 31, 2025, total assets were $2.376 billion, compared to $2.260 billion at March 31, 2024, an increase of 5.07%.
    • Loans receivable were $1.771 billion at March 31 2025, compared to $1.621 billion at March 31, 2024, an increase of 9.24%.
    • Total deposits were $2.004 billion at March 31 2025, compared to $1.839 billion at March 31, 2024, an increase of 9.00%.
    • Tangible Common Equity was 8.16% as of March 31, 2025, versus 6.80% at March 31, 2024.
    • Tangible Book Value per share increased $0.81 from $19.85 at December 31, 2024 to $20.66 at March 31, 2025.

    Norwood Financial Corp is the parent company of Wayne Bank, which operates from sixteen offices throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania and fourteen offices in Delaware, Sullivan, Ontario, Otsego and Yates Counties, New York. The Company’s stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “NWFL”.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This release references adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted return on average assets and adjusted return on tangible equity, all of which are non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) financial measures. Adjusted values were derived by reversing the effect of loss on sale of securities in December 2024 along with the attendant tax effect. We believe the presentation of adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted return on average assets and adjusted return on tangible equity ensures comparability of these measures as the portfolio restructuring is not something the Company expects to be a recurring event.

    Adjusted Return on Average Assets      
    (Dollars in thousands)      
      Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2024
    Net (loss) income $ (12,651)  
    Average assets   2,299,732  
    Return on average assets (annualized)   -2.19 %
    Net (loss) income   (12,651)  
    Net realized losses on sale of securities   19,962  
    Tax effect at 21%   (4,192)  
    Adjusted Net Income (Non-GAAP)   3,119  
    Average assets   2,299,732  
    Adjusted return on average assets (annualized)      
    (Non-GAAP)   0.54 %
           
           
    Adjusted Return on Average Tangible Shareholders’ Equity      
    (Dollars in thousands)      
           
      Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2024
    Net (loss) income $ (12,651)  
    Average shareholders’ equity   192,981  
    Average intangible assets   29,424  
    Average tangible shareholders’ equity   163,557  
    Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity (annualized)   -30.77 %
    Net (loss) income   (12,651)  
    Net realized losses on sale of securities   19,962  
    Tax effect at 21%   (4,192)  
    Adjusted Net Income (Non-GAAP)   3,119  
    Average tangible shareholders’ equity   163,557  
    Adjusted return on average shareholders’ equity (annualized)      
    (Non-GAAP)   7.59 %
           
           
    Adjusted Earnings Per Share      
    (Dollars in thousands)      
           
      Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2024
    GAAP-Based Earnings Per Share, Basic $ (1.54)  
    GAAP-Based Earnings Per Share, Diluted $ (1.54)  
    Net (Loss) Income   (12,651)  
    Net realized losses on sale of securities   19,962  
    Tax effect at 21%   (4,192)  
    Adjusted Net Income (Non-GAAP)   3,119  
    Adjusted Earnings per Share, Basic (Non-GAAP) $ 0.38  
    Adjusted Earnings per Share, Diluted (Non-GAAP) $ 0.38  

    The following table reconciles average equity to average tangible equity:

        For the Period Ended
    (dollars in thousands)   March 31
          2025       2024  
                 
    Average equity   $ 218,194     $ 182,088  
    Average goodwill and other intangibles     (29,409 )     (29,476 )
    Average tangible equity   $ 188,785     $ 152,612  
                 

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 contains safe harbor provisions regarding forward-looking statements. When used in this discussion, the words “believes”, “anticipates”, “contemplates”, “expects”, “bode”, “future performance” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, changes in federal and state laws, changes in interest rates, our ability to maintain strong credit quality metrics, our ability to have future performance, our ability to control core operating expenses and costs, demand for real estate, government fiscal and trade policies, cybersecurity and general economic conditions. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to those forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

    Contact: John M. McCaffery
    Executive Vice President &
    Chief Financial Officer
    NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP
    272-304-3003
    www.waynebank.com 

             
    NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP        
    Consolidated Balance Sheets        
    (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)        
     (unaudited)        
        March 31
        2025     2024  
    ASSETS        
       Cash and due from banks $ 31,729   $ 19,519  
       Interest-bearing deposits with banks   43,678     92,444  
              Cash and cash equivalents   75,407     111,963  
             
      Securities available for sale   408,742     398,374  
      Loans receivable   1,771,269     1,621,448  
      Less: Allowance for credit losses   20,442     18,020  
         Net loans receivable   1,750,827     1,603,428  
      Regulatory stock, at cost   7,616     6,545  
      Bank premises and equipment, net   20,273     18,057  
      Bank owned life insurance   46,914     45,869  
      Foreclosed real estate owned   –     97  
      Accrued interest receivable   8,587     8,135  
      Deferred tax assets, net   17,859     21,642  
      Goodwill   29,266     29,266  
      Other intangible assets   136     202  
      Other assets   10,417     16,845  
              TOTAL ASSETS $ 2,376,044   $ 2,260,423  
             
    LIABILITIES        
       Deposits:        
         Non-interest bearing demand $ 391,377   $ 383,362  
         Interest-bearing   1,613,071     1,455,636  
              Total deposits   2,004,448     1,838,998  
      Short-term borrowings   –     60,055  
      Other borrowings   118,590     151,179  
      Accrued interest payable   13,864     11,737  
      Other liabilities   18,435     17,241  
                TOTAL LIABILITIES   2,155,337     2,079,210  
             
    STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
      Preferred Stock, no par value per share, authorized 5,000,000 shares   –     –  
      Common Stock, $.10 par value per share,        
             authorized: 20,000,000 shares,        
             issued: 2025: 9,489,398 shares, 2024: 8,310,847 shares   949     831  
      Surplus   126,785     97,893  
      Retained earnings   127,865     137,285  
      Treasury stock, at cost: 2025: 229,979 shares, 2024: 200,690 shares   (6,208 )   (5,397 )
      Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (28,684 )   (49,399 )
               TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   220,707     181,213  
             
              TOTAL LIABILITIES AND        
                     STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY $ 2,376,044   $ 2,260,423  
             
             
    NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP        
    Consolidated Statements of Income        
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)        
      (unaudited)        
        Three Months Ended March 31,
        2025     2024  
    INTEREST INCOME        
        Loans receivable, including fees $ 25,988   $ 23,681  
        Securities   3,870     2,526  
        Other   226     731  
             Total Interest income   30,084     26,938  
             
    INTEREST EXPENSE        
       Deposits   10,748     10,110  
       Short-term borrowings   458     336  
       Other borrowings   1,021     1,782  
            Total Interest expense   12,227     12,228  
    NET INTEREST INCOME   17,857     14,710  
    PROVISION FOR (RELEASE OF) CREDIT LOSSES $ 857   $ (624 )
    NET INTEREST INCOME AFTER PROVISION FOR (RELEASE OF) CREDIT LOSSES   17,000     15,334  
             
             
    OTHER INCOME        
        Service charges and fees   1,513     1,343  
        Income from fiduciary activities   325     238  
        Gains on sales of loans, net   47     6  
        Earnings and proceeds on life insurance policies   286     268  
        Other   180     151  
               Total other income   2,351     2,006  
             
    OTHER EXPENSES        
          Salaries and employee benefits   6,472     6,135  
          Occupancy, furniture and equipment   1,378     1,261  
          Data processing and related operations   1,085     1,022  
          Taxes, other than income   192     93  
          Professional fees   659     585  
          FDIC Insurance assessment   406     361  
          Foreclosed real estate   4     21  
          Amortization of intangibles   15     19  
          Other   1,853     2,235  
                 Total other expenses   12,064     11,732  
             
    INCOME BEFORE TAX EXPENSE   7,287     5,608  
    INCOME TAX EXPENSE   1,514     1,175  
    NET INCOME $ 5,773   $ 4,433  
             
    Basic earnings per share $ 0.63   $ 0.55  
             
    Diluted earnings per share $ 0.63   $ 0.55  
                 
    NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP                                    
    NET INTEREST MARGIN ANALYSIS                                    
    (dollars in thousands)                                    
                                         
      For the Quarter Ended
      March 31, 2025 December 31, 2024 March 31, 2024
      Average   Average   Average   Average   Average   Average  
      Balance Interest    Rate   Balance Interest     Rate   Balance Interest     Rate  
      (2) (1) (3)   (2) (1) (3)   (2) (1) (3)  
    Assets                                    
    Interest-earning assets:                                    
      Interest-bearing deposits with banks $ 20,802   $ 226   4.41   % $ 46,629   $ 574   4.90   % $ 53,930   $ 730   5.44   %
       Securities available for sale:                                    
         Taxable   408,427     3,623   3.60       404,777     2,434   2.39       402,275     2,147   2.15    
         Tax-exempt (1)   44,242     312   2.86       65,628     449   2.72       69,880     481   2.77    
            Total securities available for sale (1)   452,669     3,935   3.53       470,405     2,883   2.44       472,155     2,628   2.24    
         Loans receivable (1) (4) (5)   1,743,572     26,120   6.08       1,690,650     26,246   6.18       1,612,106     23,775   5.93    
            Total interest-earning assets   2,217,043     30,281   5.54       2,207,684     29,703   5.35       2,138,191     27,133   5.10    
    Non-interest earning assets:                                    
       Cash and due from banks   28,705             27,283             24,593          
       Allowance for credit losses   (20,154 )           (18,741 )           (19,096 )        
       Other assets   93,131             83,506             73,692          
            Total non-interest earning assets   101,682             92,048             79,189          
    Total Assets $ 2,318,725           $ 2,299,732           $ 2,217,380          
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                                    
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                    
       Interest-bearing demand and money market $ 546,884   $ 2,801   2.08     $ 528,330   $ 3,017   2.27     $ 449,825   $ 2,311   2.07    
       Savings   211,905     142   0.27       209,362     162   0.31       235,545     250   0.43    
       Time   793,803     7,805   3.99       764,819     7,805   4.06       725,199     7,549   4.19    
          Total interest-bearing deposits   1,552,592     10,748   2.81       1,502,511     10,984   2.91       1,410,569     10,110   2.88    
    Short-term borrowings   44,297     458   4.19       46,267     348   2.99       57,997     336   2.33    
    Other borrowings   93,549     1,021   4.43       133,620     1,528   4.55       155,498     1,782   4.61    
       Total interest-bearing liabilities   1,690,438     12,227   2.93       1,682,398     12,860   3.04       1,624,064     12,228   3.03    
    Non-interest bearing liabilities:                                    
       Demand deposits   380,544             394,001             386,066          
       Other liabilities   29,549             30,352             25,162          
          Total non-interest bearing liabilities   410,093             424,353             411,228          
       Stockholders’ equity   218,194             192,981             182,088          
    Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity $ 2,318,725           $ 2,299,732           $ 2,217,380          
    Net interest income/spread (tax equivalent basis)       18,054   2.61   %       16,843   2.31   %       14,905   2.08   %
    Tax-equivalent basis adjustment       (197 )           (218 )           (195 )    
    Net interest income     $ 17,857           $ 16,625           $ 14,710      
    Net interest margin (tax equivalent basis)         3.30   %         3.04   %         2.80   %
                                         
                                         
    (1) Interest and yields are presented on a tax-equivalent basis using a marginal tax rate of 21%.                           
    (2) Average balances have been calculated based on daily balances.                              
    (3) Annualized                                    
    (4) Loan balances include non-accrual loans and are net of unearned income.                            
    (5) Loan yields include the effect of amortization of deferred fees, net of costs.                            
    NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP        
    Financial Highlights (Unaudited)        
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)        
             
    For the Three Months Ended March 31   2025     2024  
             
    Net interest income $ 17,857   $ 14,710  
    Net income   5,773     4,433  
             
    Net interest spread (fully taxable equivalent)   2.61 %   2.08 %
    Net interest margin (fully taxable equivalent)   3.30 %   2.80 %
    Return on average assets   1.01 %   0.80 %
    Return on average equity   10.73 %   9.79 %
    Return on average tangible equity   12.40 %   11.68 %
    Basic earnings per share $ 0.63   $ 0.55  
    Diluted earnings per share $ 0.63   $ 0.55  
             
    As of March 31   2025     2024  
             
    Total assets $ 2,376,044   $ 2,260,423  
    Total loans receivable   1,771,269     1,621,448  
    Allowance for credit losses   20,442     18,020  
    Total deposits   2,004,448     1,838,998  
    Stockholders’ equity   220,707     181,213  
    Trust assets under management   198,761     202,020  
             
    Book value per share $ 23.84   $ 22.34  
    Tangible book value per share $ 20.66   $ 18.71  
    Equity to total assets   9.29 %   8.02 %
    Allowance to total loans receivable   1.15 %   1.11 %
    Nonperforming loans to total loans   0.45 %   0.23 %
    Nonperforming assets to total assets   0.33 %   0.17 %
             
    NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP                    
    Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)                    
    (dollars in thousands)                    
        March 31   December 31   September 30   June 30   March 31
        2025   2024   2024   2024   2024
    ASSETS                    
    Cash and due from banks $ 31,729 $ 27,562 $ 47,072 $ 29,903 $ 19,519
    Interest-bearing deposits with banks   43,678   44,777   35,808   39,492   92,444
    Cash and cash equivalents   75,407   72,339   82,880   69,395   111,963
                         
    Securities available for sale   408,742   397,846   396,891   397,578   398,374
    Loans receivable   1,771,269   1,713,638   1,675,139   1,641,356   1,621,448
    Less: Allowance for credit losses   20,442   19,843   18,699   17,807   18,020
    Net loans receivable   1,750,827   1,693,795   1,656,440   1,623,549   1,603,428
    Regulatory stock, at cost   7,616   13,366   6,329   6,443   6,545
    Bank owned life insurance   46,914   46,657   46,382   46,121   45,869
    Bank premises and equipment, net   20,273   19,657   18,503   18,264   18,057
    Foreclosed real estate owned   –   –   –   –   97
    Goodwill and other intangibles   29,402   29,418   29,433   29,449   29,468
    Other assets   36,863   44,384   42,893   44,517   46,622
    TOTAL ASSETS $ 2,376,044 $ 2,317,462 $ 2,279,751 $ 2,235,316 $ 2,260,423
                         
    LIABILITIES                    
    Deposits:                    
    Non-interest bearing demand $ 391,377 $ 381,479 $ 420,967 $ 391,849 $ 383,362
    Interest-bearing deposits   1,613,071   1,477,684   1,434,284   1,419,323   1,455,636
    Total deposits   2,004,448   1,859,163   1,855,251   1,811,172   1,838,998
    Borrowings   118,590   214,862   197,412   210,422   211,234
    Other liabilities   32,299   29,929   31,434   31,534   28,978
    TOTAL LIABILITIES   2,155,337   2,103,954   2,084,097   2,053,128   2,079,210
                         
    STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   220,707   213,508   195,654   182,188   181,213
                         
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND                    
    STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY $ 2,376,044 $ 2,317,462 $ 2,279,751 $ 2,235,316 $ 2,260,423
                         
    NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP                    
    Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited)                    
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)                    
        March 31   December 31   September 30   June 30   March 31
    Three months ended   2025    2024    2024    2024    2024 
    INTEREST INCOME                    
    Loans receivable, including fees $ 25,988   $ 26,122   $ 25,464   $ 24,121   $ 23,681  
    Securities   3,870     2,789     2,526     2,584     2,526  
    Other   226     574     497     966     731  
    Total interest income   30,084     29,485     28,487     27,671     26,938  
                         
    INTEREST EXPENSE                    
    Deposits   10,748     10,984     10,553     10,687     10,110  
    Borrowings   1,479     1,876     2,003     2,059     2,118  
    Total interest expense   12,227     12,860     12,556     12,746     12,228  
    NET INTEREST INCOME   17,857     16,625     15,931     14,925     14,710  
    PROVISION FOR (RELEASE OF) CREDIT LOSSES   857     1,604     1,345     347     (624 )
    NET INTEREST INCOME AFTER (RELEASE OF) PROVISION                    
    FOR CREDIT LOSSES   17,000     15,021     14,586     14,578     15,334  
                         
    OTHER INCOME                    
    Service charges and fees   1,513     1,595     1,517     1,504     1,343  
    Income from fiduciary activities   325     224     256     225     238  
    Net realized (losses) gains on sales of securities   –     (19,962 )   –     –     –  
    Gains on sales of loans, net   47     50     103     36     6  
    Gains on sales of foreclosed real estate owned   –     –     –     32     –  
    Earnings and proceeds on life insurance policies   286     275     261     253     268  
    Other   180     159     158     157     151  
    Total other income   2,351     (17,659 )   2,295     2,207     2,006  
                         
    OTHER EXPENSES                    
    Salaries and employee benefits   6,472     6,690     6,239     5,954     6,135  
    Occupancy, furniture and equipment, net   1,378     1,291     1,269     1,229     1,261  
    Foreclosed real estate   4     9     9     15     21  
    FDIC insurance assessment   406     335     339     309     361  
    Other   3,804     5,094     4,175     3,937     3,954  
    Total other expenses   12,064     13,419     12,031     11,444     11,732  
                         
    INCOME BEFORE TAX (BENEFIT) EXPENSE   7,287     (16,057 )   4,850     5,341     5,608  
    INCOME TAX (BENEFIT) EXPENSE   1,514     (3,406 )   1,006     1,128     1,175  
    NET (LOSS) INCOME $ 5,773   $ (12,651 ) $ 3,844   $ 4,213   $ 4,433  
                         
    Basic (loss) earnings per share $ 0.63   $ (1.54 ) $ 0.48   $ 0.52   $ 0.55  
                         
    Diluted (loss) earnings per share $ 0.63   $ (1.54 ) $ 0.48   $ 0.52   $ 0.55  
                         
    Book Value per share $ 23.84   $ 23.02   $ 24.18   $ 22.52   $ 22.34  
    Tangible Book Value per share   20.66     19.85     20.54     18.88     18.71  
                         
    Return on average assets (annualized)   1.01 %   -2.19 %   0.68 %   0.75 %   0.80 %
    Return on average equity (annualized)   10.73 %   -26.08 %   8.09 %   9.41 %   9.79 %
    Return on average tangible equity (annualized)   12.40 %   -30.77 %   9.58 %   11.26 %   11.68 %
                         
    Net interest spread (fte)   2.61 %   2.31 %   2.23 %   2.06 %   2.08 %
    Net interest margin (fte)   3.30 %   3.04 %   2.99 %   2.80 %   2.80 %
                         
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans   1.15 %   1.16 %   1.12 %   1.08 %   1.11 %
    Net charge-offs to average loans (annualized)   0.07 %   0.12 %   0.08 %   0.13 %   0.08 %
    Nonperforming loans to total loans   0.45 %   0.46 %   0.47 %   0.47 %   0.23 %
    Nonperforming assets to total assets   0.33 %   0.34 %   0.35 %   0.34 %   0.17 %

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Barclays and JP Morgan top M&A financial advisers in technology, media, and telecom sector during Q1 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Barclays and JP Morgan top M&A financial advisers in technology, media, and telecom sector during Q1 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    Barclays and JP Morgan were the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) financial advisers in the technology, media, and telecom sector during the first quarter (Q1) of 2025 by value and volume, respectively, according to the latest financial advisers league table by GlobalData, which ranks financial advisers by the value and volume of M&A deals on which they advised.

    Based on its Deals Database, the leading data and analytics company has revealed that Barclays achieved its leading position in terms of value by advising on $44.1 billion worth of deals. Meanwhile, JP Morgan led in terms of volume by advising on a total of 17 deals.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “JP Morgan registered growth in the total number of deals advised by it during Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024, and consequently its ranking by volume also improved from fourth to the top position. Of the deals advised by JP Morgan during Q1 2025, nine were billion-dollar deals*, which helped it occupy the third position by value as well during Q1 2025.

    “Meanwhile, Barclays, despite involvement in a relatively much lesser number of deals, managed to top the chart by value in Q1 2025. Involvement in the $32 billion Google-Wiz M&A deal played a pivotal role for Barclays in securing the top position.”

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database reveals that Goldman Sachs occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $38.6 billion worth of deals, followed by JP Morgan with $31.7 billion, Morgan Stanley with $21.6 billion, and Bank of America with $16.5 billion.

    Meanwhile, Houlihan Lokey occupied the second position in terms of volume with 16 deals, followed by Goldman Sachs with 14 deals, Canaccord Genuity Group with 11 deals, and Raymond James Financial with 11 deals.

    *Valued more than or equal to $1 billion

    MIL OSI Economics –