Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI: Check Point Recognized for #1 AI-Powered Cyber Security Platform by Miercom

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a pioneer and global leader of cyber security solutions, today announced that its Infinity Platform has been named the top-ranked AI-powered cyber security platform in the 2025 Miercom Assessment. The report validates Check Point’s leadership across critical security categories, with the Infinity Platform outperforming all competitors in security efficacy, Zero Trust implementation, and ease of use — setting a new industry benchmark for AI-powered cyber defense across hybrid networks, endpoints, and the cloud.

    “We are thrilled to be recognized by Miercom as the #1 AI-powered cyber security platform,” said Nataly Kremer, Chief Product Officer at Check Point Software. “As Enterprises deal with complexity, having a tightly integrated, AI-powered platform with unified management serves as the easy button. We believe the hybrid mesh architecture with the Infinity platform, will help organizations globally stay ahead of the most sophisticated threats.”

    As cyber threats evolve in speed and sophistication, organizations must defend an ever-expanding attack surface — spanning cloud, endpoints, data centers, and everywhere in between. The 2025 Check Point Security Report revealed a 45% surge in cyber-attacks, underscoring the urgency of modernizing cyber defenses. Today, effective security requires more than point solutions — it demands a unified, AI-driven platform built for hybrid mesh environments, capable of delivering real-time protection, Zero Trust enforcement, and seamless visibility across distributed networks.

    Miercom’s comprehensive assessment evaluated leading cyber security platforms across ten critical domains — including AI-powered threat analysis, Zero Trust enforcement, SASE capabilities, email security, and mobile threat defense.

    “The Check Point Infinity platform demonstrated superior security efficacy, consistently outperforming its peers in the test category of comprehensive threat prevention and response, as well as excelling in the AI-powered testing scenarios,” said Rob Smithers, CEO at Miercom. Its AI-driven architecture, hybrid mesh deployment model, and unified security operations prove that Check Point is setting the pace for next-generation cyber security.”

    Key Findings from the Miercom 2025 Assessment:

    • Security Efficacy: Check Point Infinity demonstrated superior security efficacy, outperforming competitors in comprehensive threat prevention and response, excelling in the AI-driven testing scenarios.
    • Admin and User Experience: The platform’s straightforward user interface provides effortless management and precise decision-making for administrators, enhancing the overall ease of use.
    • Zero Trust Implementation: Check Point surpassed competitors in executing common Zero Trust implementation tasks, making it well suited for securing modern IT environments against persistent and evolving threats.

    This recognition follows Check Point’s success in Miercom’s 2025 Enterprise and Hybrid Mesh Firewall Security Report which found that Check Point offers the best protection against the latest generation of cyberattacks, with a block rate of 99.9% on new malware.

    Learn more or read the full report here.

    Follow Check Point via:
    X (Formerly known as Twitter): https://www.twitter.com/checkpointsw
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/checkpointsoftware
    Blog: https://blog.checkpoint.com
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CPGlobal
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/check-point-software-technologies

    About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. 
    Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com) is a leading AI-powered, cloud-delivered cyber security platform provider protecting over 100,000 organizations worldwide. Check Point leverages the power of AI everywhere to enhance cyber security efficiency and accuracy through its Infinity Platform, with industry-leading catch rates enabling proactive threat anticipation and smarter, faster response times. The comprehensive platform includes cloud-delivered technologies consisting of Check Point Harmony to secure the workspace, Check Point CloudGuard to secure the cloud, Check Point Quantum to secure the network, and Check Point Infinity Platform Services for collaborative security operations and services.

    Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements related to our expectations regarding future growth, the expansion of Check Point’s industry leadership, the enhancement of shareholder value and the delivery of an industry-leading cyber security platform to customers worldwide. Our expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results or events in the future are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 2, 2024. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Check Point as of the date hereof, and Check Point disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: ASUS “Design You Can Feel” Exhibition Opens at Milan Design Week 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ASUS today announced the opening of its all-new “Design You Can Feel” exhibition at Milan Design Week. The show explores the themes of materiality, craftsmanship, and artificial intelligence (AI) to explain the design thinking behind ASUS products, including the latest ASUS Zenbook laptops.

    The event also features playful interactive exhibits that explore the latest ASUS products and the design stories behind them as well as a spectacular immersive installation by Studio INI, the experimental design and research studio founded by Nassia Inglessis.

    Taking place at Galleria Meravigli, a historic 1920s gallery in the heart of Milan, the exhibition will run from April 8 to 13. It is open to the public from 10:00AM to 6:00PM each day and is free to attend.

    An interactive sensory experience: “Willful Wonder”, a bespoke installation by Studio INI

    The themes of the Design You Can Feel exhibition will be encapsulated by a specially commissioned installation by Studio INI. Housed beneath the curved glass ceiling of Galleria Meravigli, the installation dynamically responds as visitors walk through it, their presence activating wing-like, semi-transparent panels that open and close behind them.

    The wings, composed of an aluminum honeycomb with elements made from the ASUS proprietary material Ceraluminum™, engage the senses by reflecting and absorbing light, inviting visitors to interact with the structure as they pass through it. The entire installation mirrors Zenbook’s slim silhouette by sculpting lightness and mimicking nature’s sensitive triggering mechanisms, creating a playful interplay of revealing and concealing movements.

    “At Studio INI, we seek to create what we call an embodied intelligence in our designs – we create a seamless connection between built architecture and the human element,” said Studio INI founder Nassia Inglessis.

    “As people walk through the installation and touch the Ceraluminum™, each touch will be recorded by the changes in its conductivity. So, people will be able to see a spatial representation of their behavior in the installation.”

    Building on Studio INI’s expertise in creating experiential public artworks, the installation draws inspiration from the ASUS Zenbook laptop, known for its innovative, lightweight design and Ceraluminum™ material, to create a kinetic, biomimetic sculpture. The installation measures changes in conductivity caused by visitors’ touch to create an AI-generated model representing their real-world interactions with the piece.

    In “Willful Wonder,” humans and technology unite in an interactive journey. This fusion of technology and aesthetics mirrors the ASUS commitment to innovation, cutting-edge engineering, nature-inspired materials, and meticulous design, resulting in high-performing, practical, dynamic, lightweight, and beautiful devices.

    ASUS Design Thinking: The Inside Story

    The Design You Can Feel exhibition will showcase the latest ASUS products and the design stories behind them through playful interactive exhibits. It will encourage users to feel the lightness, duality, slimness, and sleekness of the ASUS Zenbook, the fragrance of the Adol, the outdoor functionality of ProArt, and the unique style of ROG.

    This includes the “Design Thinking: The Inside Story” exhibit, which delves into the heart of ASUS design philosophy and allows visitors to experience the company’s latest innovations firsthand. At ASUS, design thinking is more than just a process; it’s ingrained in the company’s DNA. ASUS embraces a human-centered approach that prioritizes user needs and experiences. The designs are not only aesthetically pleasing but also address real challenges, ensuring that innovation is intuitive, practical, and meaningful. By focusing on user-driven design, ASUS creates solutions that are both impactful and practical.

    Through hands-on demonstrations, visitors will discover how ASUS seamlessly blends aesthetics with functionality, focusing on enhancing everyday life. From ultra-lightweight designs crafted with revolutionary materials to versatile devices that adapt to various workflows, and even explorations into new sensory experiences, this event will showcase how the ASUS commitment to excellence and user-driven innovation shapes the future of technology.

    Next, visitors can step into the world of “Ceraluminum™: A Tribute to Nature’s Wonder” and explore the revolutionary material that’s redefining laptop design. This showcases the unique qualities of Ceraluminum™, a patented ASUS material born from modern alchemy, blending exceptional durability with exquisite craftsmanship. Visitors can discover how plasma discharges transform aluminum into a ceramic-like layer, offering unparalleled wear, scratch, and shock resistance, all while maintaining a smudge-free elegance.

    An additional attraction will be the debut of the Ceraluminum™ Signature Edition, a collection of Zenbook laptops that pay homage to Earth’s breathtaking landscapes. Each of the four distinctive finishes—Obsidian Black, Pamukkale White, Terra Mocha, and Luminous Blue—tells a story of nature’s splendor, from volcanic terrains and cascading terraces to desert dunes and bioluminescent shores. Inspired by nature and designed for a sustainable future, Ceraluminum™ eliminates traditional chemical manufacturing processes, making it 100% recyclable and environmentally responsible. This is a celebration of innovation, sustainability, and the enduring beauty of our planet.

    “At our core, we believe in the power of sensory experiences to forge meaningful connections with design. It’s all about crafting products that allow each user to feel and make good use of our innovations,” said H.W. Wei, Associate VP of ASUS Design Center.

    ASUS Zenbook Ceraluminum™ Signature Edition

    ASUS will unveil a stunning limited-edition series, a tribute to the iconic Zenbook line and the revolutionary Ceraluminum™ material, a patented technology that merges the lightness of metal with the resilience of ceramics.

    The innovative Ceraluminum™, created via ceramization of aluminum, boasts a fracture toughness three times higher than anodized aluminum while remaining remarkably lightweight. This material revolution, showcased in the Zenbook Signature Editions, underscores the dedication ASUS has to both innovation and environmental responsibility. It elevates the celebrated Zenbook line’s legacy of cutting-edge engineering and sleek design into a tangible celebration of Ceraluminum and nature’s splendor.

    Each Signature Edition Zenbook showcases the artistry of Ceraluminum, featuring a unique finish inspired by the dynamic landscapes that shape our world. This collection transforms the Zenbook into a celebration of both premium technology and the organic beauty of nature, highlighting the sensory-rich experience that Ceraluminum enables. The laptops will be displayed alongside corresponding sleeves and packaging, providing a complete visual and tactile journey.

    The ASUS Zenbook Ceraluminum Signature Edition collection is a celebration of the Zenbook and the unique beauty of Ceraluminum, inspired by Earth’s most breathtaking landscapes, each representing the raw power and beauty that shape our world. Each finish is a reminder of the ASUS commitment – not just to design, but to a philosophy – to create tools that are as enduring as the landscapes that inspire them.

    Ceraluminum™ Signature Edition release date: To be announced. Please see here to learn more about ASUS Ceraluminum™: The making of Ceraluminum™

    Design You Can Feel

    Galleria Meravigli
    Via Gaetano Negri 6
    20123 Milano
    Italy
    April 8 to 13, 2025
    10:00AM to 6:00PM daily
    https://asus.click/mdw25_pr

    NOTES TO EDITORS

    More on ASUS at Milan Design Week: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/content/zenbook/
    About ASUS Zenbook Ceraluminum™ Signature Edition: https://youtu.be/OoOHFiBDu9g
    About the Making of Ceraluminum™: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1T3HgeX8qU
    ASUS Zenbook Design Why and How: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cypFEe7-Fg
    ASUS Zenbook: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-home/zenbook/
    ASUS ProArt: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/proart/
    ASUS Vivobook: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-home/vivobook/
    ASUS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asus/posts/
    ASUS Pressroom: http://press.asus.com
    ASUS Canada Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asuscanada/
    ASUS Canada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asus_ca
    ASUS Canada YouTube: https://ca.asus.click/youtube
    ASUS Global X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/asus

    About ASUS

    ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world’s most innovative and intuitive devices, components, and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, the company is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today’s technologies. Consistently ranked as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, ASUS is also committed to sustaining an incredible future. The goal is to create a net zero enterprise that helps drive the shift towards a circular economy, with a responsible supply chain creating shared value for every one of us.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b4da4f22-6ab8-47b5-8d8d-4818e6665a45

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: ASUS Unveils Signature Edition Zenbook Series at “Design You Can Feel” Exhibition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ASUS today announced the global unveiling of a signature edition series of its iconic Zenbook at the “Design You Can Feel” exhibition in Milan. This exclusive release transforms the celebrated Zenbook into a narrative of nature’s splendor through four distinct, nature-inspired finishes, each a tribute to Earth’s dynamic landscapes. At the same time, it reinforces the Zenbook series’ legacy of combining high-performance technology with refined, functional aesthetics.

    Signature Edition Series: A tribute to nature’s elements

    In this unique series, each Zenbook is transformed into a narrative piece that echoes the beauty and complexity of nature. Crafted using the revolutionary ASUS Ceraluminum™ technology—a breakthrough material that merges the strength of aluminum with the durability of ceramic—each signature edition finish is created with a sustainable, one-of-a-kind manufacturing process:

    • Geldingadalir, Iceland – Obsidian Black: Inspired by Iceland’s volcanic landscapes, this finish masterfully balances matte and glossy textures. Precision laser sintering recreates the natural flow of cooling lava, evoking both the raw energy and the serene balance of fire-forged terrain.
    • Pamukkale, Turkey – Pamukkale White: Drawing on the tranquil beauty of cascading terraces and mineral-rich waters, this variant features dual golden sheens. Advanced CNC diamond cut precision milling refines every curve and shimmer, capturing the interplay between flowing water and solid stone.
    • Wadi Rum, Jordan – Terra Mocha: Reflecting the rugged elegance of sandstone cliffs and shifting dunes, this edition incorporates an intricate, rosette-like pattern achieved solely through the ASUS proprietary ceramization technology. The tactile finish celebrates the organic dialogue between nature’s unpredictability and the precision of modern engineering.
    • Vaadhoo Island, Maldives – Luminous Blue: Capturing the mesmerizing glow of bioluminescent ocean shores, this finish uses calibrated laser-induced oxidation to create a dynamic interplay of light and texture. Its soft, natural luminescence evokes the enchanting magic of starlit waves.

    Each signature edition device is more than just a color variation—it is a testament to the commitment ASUS has to sustainability and innovative design, with every piece bearing a unique pattern that mirrors nature’s singular beauty. From the laptops to the sleeves and packaging, every part is created with eco-friendliness in mind. The sleeve bag, crafted from Kvadrat Febrik’s knitted upholstery textile Arda, embodies this philosophy by drawing inspiration from the intricate forms and textures of the natural world. Made primarily from wool and produced using an innovative technique that significantly reduces water consumption, Arda reflects a dedication to minimizing its impact on the natural environments that it mimics. Each finish is a reminder of the ASUS commitment—not just to design, but to a philosophy—to create tools that are as enduring as the landscapes that inspire them. 

    The release date of the ASUS Zenbook Ceraluminum™ Signature Edition will be announced at a later time.

    Ceraluminum™: Inspired by nature, engineered for a sustainable future

    At the heart of these signature editions lies the patented ASUS Ceraluminum technology—a material revolution that redefines durability and sustainability. This innovative material is used to build the Zenbook series laptops including the latest Zenbook A14. Ceraluminum is an innovative material that combines the lightness of aluminum with the resilience of ceramic. The process involves ceramizing aluminum, which results in a material that is lighter and has a fracture toughness 10 times higher than traditional ceramic. This process results in:

    • Unrivaled Durability: The ceramic-like finish delivers exceptional scratch resistance and long-lasting resilience.
    • Unique Aesthetics: Every device features its own distinctive pattern, celebrating nature’s inherent diversity.
    • Sustainable Manufacturing: By eliminating traditional chemical processes, Ceraluminum is 100% recyclable and environmentally responsible.

    This breakthrough not only enhances the Zenbook series’ premium look but also reinforces the commitment ASUS has to eco-friendly innovation.

    Zenbook: Where art meets advanced engineering

    Engineered to empower modern professionals, the Zenbook epitomizes the perfect blend of form and function. Built with the robust internals of the Zenbook S14 Copilot+ PC, it delivers tangible benefits designed to enhance everyday productivity:

    • Ultra-Thin, High-Performance Design: Crafted with state-of-the-art CNC milling, its ultra-slim chassis not only captivates with its aesthetic appeal but also provides exceptional portability. The integrated vapor chamber cooling system ensures peak performance, even during demanding tasks.
    • Intuitive, User-Centric Experience: Featuring a dedicated Windows Copilot key and an expansive 16:10 seamless touchpad with smart gesture support, the Zenbook streamlines user interaction and multitasking. The vibrant 3K 120Hz ASUS Lumina OLED display offers lifelike visuals, while the Harman Kardon-certified audio system delivers immersive, cinematic sound.
    • Next-Generation Power: Powered by the latest AI-enabled Intel® Core™ Ultra processor (Series 2) paired with Intel Arc™ graphics, along with up to 32GB of fast memory and a 1TB PCIe® 4.0 SSD, the Zenbook ensures swift performance, reliable multitasking, and enhanced efficiency—all in an ultra-quiet, cool operating environment.

    The result is a laptop that not only elevates productivity but also transforms everyday computing into an engaging, sensory-rich experience.

    An immersive journey into design and innovation

    The Design You Can Feel exhibition in Milan invites visitors to embark on an immersive journey where technology, craftsmanship, and nature converge. Alongside interactive installations by Studio INI, attendees can experience firsthand the tactile beauty of Ceraluminum and the refined elegance of the signature edition Zenbook series. This dynamic showcase reinforces the commitment ASUS has to crafting products that resonate emotionally, perform flawlessly, and set new standards for sustainable innovation.

    For more information about the Design You Can Feel exhibition during Milan Design Week 2025, please see: https://asus.click/mdw25_pr   

    For more information on the signature edition Zenbook series and to stay updated on future availability, please follow ASUS on social media and visit https://www.asus.com/

    NOTES TO EDITORS

    More on ASUS at Milan Design Week: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/content/zenbook/
    About ASUS Zenbook Ceraluminum™ Signature Edition: https://youtu.be/OoOHFiBDu9g
    About the Making of Ceraluminum™: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1T3HgeX8qU
    ASUS Zenbook Design Why and How: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cypFEe7-Fg
    ASUS Zenbook: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-home/zenbook/
    ASUS ProArt: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/proart/
    ASUS Vivobook: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-home/vivobook/
    ASUS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asus/posts/
    ASUS Zenbook A14: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-home/zenbook/asus-zenbook-a14-ux3407/
    ASUS Pressroom: http://press.asus.com
    ASUS Canada Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asuscanada/
    ASUS Canada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asus_ca
    ASUS Canada YouTube: https://ca.asus.click/youtube
    ASUS Global X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/asus

    About ASUS

    ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world’s most innovative and intuitive devices, components, and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, the company is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today’s technologies. Consistently ranked as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, ASUS is also committed to sustaining an incredible future. The goal is to create a net zero enterprise that helps drive the shift towards a circular economy, with a responsible supply chain creating shared value for every one of us.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a2193bea-9d44-4772-81f5-b7f739717190

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: SuRo Capital Corp. First Quarter 2025 Preliminary Investment Portfolio Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SuRo Capital Portfolio Investment CoreWeave Completes Largest Tech IPO Since 2021

    SuRo Capital Portfolio Investment OpenAI Closes Largest Venture Raise with $300 Billion Valuation

    Net Asset Value Anticipated to be $6.50 to $7.00 Per Share

    NEW YORK, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SuRo Capital Corp. (“SuRo Capital”, the “Company”, “we”, “us”, and “our”) (Nasdaq: SSSS) today provided the following preliminary update on its investment portfolio for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    “The past few months have been marked by some of the most volatile market conditions since the onset of COVID-19, culminating in the Nasdaq’s worst quarter since 2022, and its worst week since 2020. This turbulence has persisted and intensified into the second quarter. Despite these headwinds, we saw significant positive momentum across our portfolio: CoreWeave’s IPO was the largest technology IPO since 2021 and OpenAI closed a $40.0 billion financing at a $300.0 billion post-money valuation, establishing a new record for the largest private capital raise by a technology company,” said Mark Klein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SuRo Capital.

    “Beyond these high-profile capital raises, we remain committed to backing some of the world’s most innovative and sought-after private companies before they become publicly traded. We completed a new $5.0 million investment in Plaid (through a wholly owned SPV), a market-leading fintech platform that enables secure, seamless connectivity between financial applications and consumers—estimated to reach 1 in every 2 adults in the U.S. We also made a $1.0 million follow-on investment in WHOOP, a wearables technology company that tracks sleep, strain, recovery, stress, and health biometrics. Finally, Colombier Acquisition Corp. II announced a proposed merger with GrabAGun, further building on SuRo Capital’s SPAC sponsor strategy successes. While market conditions remain challenging, we are encouraged by the strong progress across our portfolio,” Mr. Klein concluded.

    As previously reported, SuRo Capital’s net assets totaled approximately $157.6 million, or $6.68 per share, at December 31, 2024, and approximately $181.7 million, or $7.17 per share at March 31, 2024. As of March 31, 2025, SuRo Capital’s net asset value is estimated to be between $6.50 to $7.00 per share.

    Investment Portfolio Update

    As of March 31, 2025, SuRo Capital held positions in 37 portfolio companies – 32 privately held and 5 publicly held, some of which may be subject to certain restrictions and/or lock-up provisions.

    During the three months ended March 31, 2025, SuRo Capital made the following follow-on investments:

    Portfolio Company Investment Transaction Date Amount(1)
    Orchard Technologies, Inc. Series 1 Senior Preferred 1/31/2025 $0.2 million
    Orchard Technologies, Inc. Simple Agreement for Future Equity 1/31/2025 $0.1 million
    Whoop, Inc. Simple Agreement for Future Equity 2/6/2025 $1.0 million

    ___________________
    (1)   Amount invested does not include any capitalized costs, if applicable.

    Subsequent to quarter-end through April 7, 2025, SuRo Capital made the following investments:

    Portfolio Company Investment Transaction Date Amount(1)
    Plaid Inc.(2) Class A Common Shares 4/4/2025 $5.0 million

    ___________________
    (1)   Amount invested does not include any capitalized costs, origination fees, or prepaid expenses, if applicable.
    (2)   SuRo Capital’s investment in the common shares of Plaid Inc. was made through 1789 Capital Nirvana II LP, an SPV in which SuRo Capital Corp. is the Sole Limited Partner. SuRo Capital paid a 7% origination fee at the time of investment.

    SuRo Capital’s liquid assets were approximately $18.1 million as of March 31, 2025, consisting of cash and securities of publicly traded portfolio companies not subject to certain restrictions at quarter-end.

    As of March 31, 2025, there were 23,551,859 shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding.

    Convertible Note Purchase Agreement

    On August 6, 2024, SuRo Capital entered into a Note Purchase Agreement (the “Note Purchase Agreement”), by and between the Company and the purchaser identified therein (the “Purchaser”), pursuant to which we may issue up to a maximum of $75.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 6.50% Convertible Notes due 2029 (the “Convertible Notes”). Pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, on August 14, 2024 we issued and sold, and the Purchaser purchased, $25.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Notes (the “Initial Notes”). Under the Note Purchase Agreement, upon mutual agreement between the Company and the Purchaser, we may issue additional Convertible Notes for sale in subsequent offerings to the Purchaser (the “Additional Notes”), or issue additional notes with modified pricing terms (the “New Notes”), in the aggregate for both the Additional Notes and the New Notes, up to a maximum of $50.0 million in one or more private offerings.

    Interest on the Convertible Notes will be paid quarterly in arrears on March 30, June 30, September 30, and December 30, at a rate of 6.50% per year. The Convertible Notes will mature on August 14, 2029, and may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at our option on or after August 6, 2027 upon the fulfillment of certain conditions. The Convertible Notes will be convertible into shares of our common stock at the Purchaser’s sole discretion at an initial conversion rate of 129.0323 shares of our common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes, subject to adjustments and limitations as provided in the Note Purchase Agreement. The net proceeds from the offering of the Convertible Notes will be used to repay outstanding indebtedness, make investments in accordance with our investment objective and investment strategy, and for other general corporate purposes. The Note Purchase Agreement includes customary representations, warranties, and covenants by the Company.

    On October 9, 2024, pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, we issued and sold, and the Purchaser purchased, $5.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Additional Notes. Additionally, pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, on January 16, 2025 we issued and sold, and the Purchaser purchased, $5.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Additional Notes. The Additional Notes are treated as a single series with the Initial Notes and have the same terms as the Initial Notes. The Additional Notes are fungible and rank equally with the Initial Notes. Upon issuance of the Additional Notes on January 16, 2025 and as of March 31, 2025, the outstanding aggregate principal amount of our Convertible Notes became $35.0 million.

    Note Repurchase Program

    On August 6, 2024, SuRo Capital’s Board of Directors approved a discretionary note repurchase program (the “Note Repurchase Program”) which allows the Company to repurchase up to $35.0 million of our 6.00% Notes due 2026, exclusive of any applicable fees, through open market purchases, including block purchases, in such manner as will comply with the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

    During the quarter ended March 31, 2025, we repurchased an additional 199,990 of the 6.00% Notes due 2026 under the Note Repurchase Program. As of March 31, 2025, we had repurchased 1,413,294 of the 6.00% Notes due 2026 under the Note Repurchase Program. As of March 31, 2025, $35.3 million in aggregate principal dollar amount of the 6.00% Notes due 2026 have been repurchased, resulting in the total use of the authorized available funds.

    Share Repurchase Program

    Under the Share Repurchase Program, the Company may repurchase its outstanding common stock in the open market, provided it complies with the prohibitions under its insider trading policies and procedures and the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the Exchange Act.

    Since inception of the Share Repurchase Program in August 2017, SuRo Capital has repurchased over 6.0 million shares of its common stock for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $39.3 million. This does not include repurchases under various tender offers during this time period. As of March 31, 2025, the dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased by the Company under the Share Repurchase Program is approximately $25.0 million. The Share Repurchase Program is authorized through October 31, 2025.

    Preliminary Estimates and Guidance

    The preliminary financial estimates provided herein are unaudited and have been prepared by, and are the responsibility of, the management of SuRo Capital. Neither our independent registered public accounting firm, nor any other independent accountants, have audited, reviewed, compiled, or performed any procedures with respect to the preliminary financial data included herein. Actual results may differ materially.

    The Company expects to announce its first quarter ended March 31, 2025 results in May 2025.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements included herein, including statements regarding SuRo Capital’s beliefs, expectations, intentions, or strategies for the future, may constitute “forward-looking statements”. SuRo Capital cautions you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these statements. All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the impact of any market volatility that may be detrimental to our business, our portfolio companies, our industry, and the global economy, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, intentions, and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Risk factors, cautionary statements, and other conditions which could cause SuRo Capital’s actual results to differ from management’s current expectations are contained in SuRo Capital’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. SuRo Capital undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this press release.

    About SuRo Capital Corp.

    SuRo Capital Corp. (Nasdaq: SSSS) is a publicly traded investment fund that seeks to invest in high-growth, venture-backed private companies. The fund seeks to create a portfolio of high-growth emerging private companies via a repeatable and disciplined investment approach, as well as to provide investors with access to such companies through its publicly traded common stock. Since inception, SuRo Capital has served as the public’s gateway to venture capital, offering unique access to some of the world’s most innovative and sought-after private companies before they become publicly traded. SuRo Capital’s diverse portfolio encompasses high-growth sectors including AI infrastructure, emerging consumer brands, and cutting-edge software solutions for both consumer and enterprise markets, among others. SuRo Capital is headquartered in New York, NY and has offices in San Francisco, CA. Connect with the company on X, LinkedIn, and at www.surocap.com.

    Contact
    SuRo Capital Corp.
    (212) 931-6331
    IR@surocap.com

    Media Contact
    Deborah Kostroun
    Zito Partners
    SuRoCapitalPR@zitopartners.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: XRP News: XploraDEX $XPL Presale Selling Fast as XRP’s First AI-Powered DEX Fuels Investor Interest – Join $XPL Presale

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ZURICH, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XRP Ledger, A seismic shift is underway on the XRP Ledger as XploraDEX, the first AI-powered decentralized exchange (DEX) built natively on XRPL, ignites a wave of investor enthusiasm. In what’s being described as one of the most anticipated presales of 2025, the platform’s native token $XPL Presale is selling out rapidly, capturing the attention of retail investors and whales alike.

    XploraDEX is not just another decentralized exchange, it represents a complete evolution in how trading can function on-chain. By merging advanced artificial intelligence with XRPL’s lightning-fast and cost-effective infrastructure, XploraDEXolatform is introducing a smarter, more predictive trading experience to the DeFi space. And now, with the $XPL token presale in full swing, early backers are racing to claim their allocation before the next price tier is activated.

    PARTICIPATE IN $XPL PRESALE

    The appeal of XploraDEX lies in its cutting-edge AI engine that allows users to automate trading strategies, receive real-time market predictions, and manage risk dynamically based on live market conditions. From intelligent portfolio rebalancing to smart liquidity routing, XploraDEX gives users the ability to operate with a level of precision previously only accessible to hedge funds.

    As the XRP ecosystem evolves, it has long needed a DEX that delivers more than just basic token swaps. XploraDEX answers that call with AI-native features and a roadmap that includes auto-trade execution, sentiment-based signal alerts, and personalized strategy modeling—all powered by $XPL.

    The utility of $XPL goes far beyond standard DeFi tokens. It provides access to AI trading tools, unlocks staking and yield farming modules, grants platform-wide fee discounts, and confers voting rights within the platform’s decentralized governance model. This positions $XPL not just as a transactional token, but as the lifeblood of an intelligent financial ecosystem.

    JOIN $XPL PRESALE

    The $XPL Presale has already crossed major allocation milestones, with over half of the soft cap sold in record time. The XploraDEX community is growing rapidly, with Telegram and Twitter buzzing with activity. Whale wallets are also joining in, with several high-value purchases confirming that sophisticated investors are backing the platform early.

    $XPL PreSale Information

    Token Name: XploraDEX

    Total Supply: 500,000,000

    Presale Allocation: First Come, First Serve!

    DEX Listing: 25% Higher

    Liquidity Pools: Launching immediately after TGE!

    The XPL Token Presale is already attracting major interest, early investors will gain first-mover advantages!

    Buy $XPL Tokens Now: https://sale.xploradex.io

    The $XPL presale is more than a presale—it’s the beginning of a smarter trading era on XRPL. With institutional-level technology now available to individual traders, XploraDEX is poised to become one of the most important DeFi pillars in the XRP ecosystem.

    Investors looking to front-run the future of AI-integrated DeFi on XRPL should act now. The $XPL presale is open—but not for long.

    Join the $XPL Presale Today: https://xploradex.io

    Stay connected and Join the XploraDEX AI Revolution

    Website | $XPL Token Presale | X | Telegram

    Contact:
    Oliver Muller
    oliver@xploradex.io
    contact@xploradex.io

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by the XploraDEX. 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/9d5ad8c5-dd3b-47ff-a87e-bb5feb5a95a0

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Redwood Services Announces 18th Partnership with Wisconsin-Based Cardinal Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, & Electric

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Redwood Services (“Redwood”), an established home services firm focused on investing in leading HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services companies in growing U.S. markets, announced that it has partnered with Cardinal Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, & Electric (“Cardinal”). This partnership marks Redwood’s eighteenth platform investment, highlighting the company’s ongoing growth and commitment to expansion.

    Cardinal, a second-generation business based in the Madison, Wisconsin market, has been serving the community since 1984, when it was founded by Rick and Sharon Ouimette. Their sons, Craig and Keith Ouimette, joined the company after graduating high school, helping to carry on the family legacy. Since 2015, Cardinal has experienced rapid growth, shifting its focus from construction to specializing in residential HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical services. This transition has driven the company’s continued success, which is evident in its growth from 27 employees in 2015 to 175 today.

    “Redwood and Cardinal share a commitment to putting people first — both customers and employees,” said Richard Lewis, CEO of Redwood Services. “We look forward to collaborating with Cardinal as they continue their impressive growth. With a strong reputation for offering a comprehensive range of services, they are dedicated to delivering exceptional customer experiences. We are eager to support and contribute to their ongoing success in the greater Madison market.”

    Owners Rick, Sharon, Craig, and Keith will retain a significant minority ownership stake as part of the investment. The Cardinal team will continue to operate and manage the business under its banner and name, while Redwood will offer operational, strategic, and financial support to enhance the company’s growth.

    “Cardinal is deeply committed to advancing the HVAC industry through our educational programs, which provide essential professional development opportunities while maintaining the high level of service our customers expect,” said Rick Ouimette, founder of Cardinal. “Partnering with Redwood will strengthen our ability to train and equip the next generation of skilled technicians, further driving innovation and the continued growth of ‘the trades’ workforce.”

    About Redwood Services
    Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Memphis, Redwood Services is a nationwide people-focused platform dedicated to empowering elite contractors in the essential home services industry. Redwood provides world-class resources, coaching, and strategic partnerships to 18 leading companies across the United States, enabling its Partners to deliver exceptional HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services to residential customers. Redwood’s mission is to unleash the full potential of its Partners, supporting them in providing high-quality service and building lasting relationships with customers. For more information, visit www.redwoodservices.com.

    From left to right: Raj Midha, David Katz, Richard Lewis, Keith Ouimette, Sharon Ouimette, Rick Ouimette, Craig Ouimette, John Conway, Shaun Hardick, Sandra Koblas, Jay Dearborn

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0a59a8b4-97fe-4079-919e-bc3afb27e301

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Old National Renames Wealth Advisory Division

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVANSVILLE, Ind., April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Old National Bancorp (“Old National”) has announced its wealth advisory division, Old National Investments, will now be known as Old National Wealth Advisors (“ONWA”) to better reflect the breadth of services its financial professionals provide.

    ONWA boasts around 125 team members, including more than 70 wealth advisors that are primarily located in Old National’s banking center footprint throughout the Midwest and Southeast. The professionals at Old National Wealth Advisors are backed by LPL Financial, a leading independent broker/dealer and registered investment advisor.

    ONWA’s slate of services includes:

    • Investment strategies and management
    • Estate planning and advice
    • Financial and retirement planning
    • College saving options and advice
    • Insurance options and guidance
    • Tax planning and strategies

    “When Old National Investments first debuted in the early 1990s, the intent was to complement our traditional banking services with a resource that provides investment advice and strategies,” said Chady AlAhmar1, CEO, Old National Wealth Management. “However, they have outgrown the Investments name as these advisors provide robust financial services that stretch far beyond stocks and bonds. This name change is simple but effective in illustrating that the professionals at Old National Wealth Advisors provide integrated services and holistic advice that help clients manage their wealth at each stage of life.”

    Old National delivers its wealth management services and advice through one of three service models based on the client’s needs. Two of those service models are backed by ONWA.

    1. The Investment Strategies Team of ONWA: Designed for clients focused on short- and/or long-term investing, saving, and planning for their financial future; or for clients who desire a self-service approach to online investing.
    2. Private Wealth Management through ONWA: Designed for clients who are planning for retirement, growing assets and/or planning for other major life events. Within Private Wealth Management, the client has two dedicated resources: a Wealth Advisor from Old National Wealth Advisors,2 and a Private Banker from Old National Private Banking.3
    3. 1834, a division of Old National Bank: Designed for higher-net-worth clients with diverse and complex financial priorities; those with a need for robust asset management who are focused on preserving and building wealth. 1834 also provides institutional services for businesses and nonprofit organizations, including investment management, philanthropy and endowment services, corporate trust services and retirement plan services.

    For additional information on Old National’s wealth management service models, visit oldnational.com/wealth.

    ABOUT OLD NATIONAL
    Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ: ONB) is the holding company of Old National Bank. As the sixth largest commercial bank headquartered in the Midwest, Old National proudly serves clients primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. With approximately $54 billion of assets and $30 billion of assets under management, Old National ranks among the top 30 banking companies headquartered in the United States. Tracing our roots to 1834, Old National focuses on building long-term, highly valued partnerships with clients while also strengthening and supporting the communities we serve. In addition to providing extensive services in consumer and commercial banking, Old National offers comprehensive wealth management and capital markets services. For more information and financial data, please visit Investor Relations at oldnational.com. In 2024, Points of Light named Old National one of “The Civic 50” — an honor reserved for the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.

    1Old National Wealth Management and Chady AlAhmar are not affiliated with LPL Financial.

    2Old National Wealth Advisors: Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC.). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Old National Bank and Old National Wealth Advisors are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using Old National Wealth Advisors, and may also be employees of Old National Bank. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Old National Bank, Old National Private Banking or Old National Wealth Advisors. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are:

    Not Insured by FDIC or Any Other Government Agency Not Bank Guaranteed Not Bank Deposits or Obligations May Lose Value

    Old National Bank provides referrals to financial professionals of LPL Financial LLC pursuant to an agreement that allows LPL to pay the Financial Institution for these referrals. This creates an incentive for the Financial Institution to make these referrals, resulting in a conflict of interest. Old National Bank is not a current client of LPL for advisory services. Please visit https://www.lpl.com/disclosures/is-lpl-relationship-disclosure.html for more detailed information.

    3Old National Private Banking: Credit products offered by Old National Bank and subject to normal credit approval. Deposit products are offered by Old National Bank. Equal Housing Lender. Member FDIC. Old National Bank is not responsible for and does not guarantee the products, services, or performance of Old National Wealth Advisors nor 1834.

    Investor Relations:
    Lynell Durchholz
    (812) 464-1366
    lynell.durchholz@oldnational.com

    Media Relations:
    Rick Vach
    (904) 535-9489
    rick.vach@oldnational.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: How the struggles of the UK hospitality sector could hit the rest of the economy

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Zoe Adjey, Senior Lecturer in Hospitality and Events, University of East London

    Across the UK, Mother’s Day represented a vital revenue opportunity for the hospitality sector. Bars, restaurants, cafés and pubs would have anticipated a boost courtesy of family groups – and some spring-like weather. Sadly though, due to some harsh financial realities including higher tax and wage bills coming into force now, many of these establishments may not survive to serve customers next Mother’s Day.

    The budget has introduced measures that are projected to directly increase the average hospitality wage bill by up to 8.5% thanks to increases in the minimum wage and employer national insurance contributions.

    The UK’s most recent GDP figures showed the country’s economy shrank by 0.1% in January. But behind this small decline there was a more concerning trend. Trade in the hospitality industry fell by 2.4% – the biggest economic contraction among the figures – after it had shown promising growth of 0.9% in December.

    It’s likely that customers saw so-called “awful April” on the horizon – bringing rises in a range of utility and consumer costs – and were beginning to curb their spending. But costs are rising for venues too. Many of those bars, cafés, restaurants and hotels that remain open will have to increase prices and cut opening hours to make the numbers add up.

    Behind each closed pub or empty restaurant lies a story that goes far beyond its four walls. I’ve worked in the sector since my teenage years – from family-run establishments on the Northern Irish coast to venues in London and overseas – and I’ve seen firsthand how business closures affect people. Now, as a lecturer in hospitality, I can see what support this unique sector needs to weather the storm.

    I have seen small seaside cafes where owners knew every customer by name, providing essential social connections for elderly visitors who may not have had another social interaction that day. When these cafes closed, the community bonds were severed overnight.

    Every shuttered hotel or bar means people losing their livelihoods, perhaps mothers working part-time to balance employment and childcare or students funding their education. The impact of these closures is immediate and profound, and extends throughout the supply chain.

    They affect the dairy farmer who supplied the milk, the baker who made fresh pastries each morning, and the technician who serviced the coffee machines. This interconnected web generated £121 billion in economic activity in 2022 across the UK.

    Weddings and wakes

    Pubs and cafes are more than just businesses. Often, they’re the beating hearts of communities. These are the spaces where neighbours stop to chat, where chance encounters bloom into lifelong friendships and romances, and where people come together for weddings and wakes. When the shutters come down, it represents a tear in the community fabric and threatens the cohesion of neighbourhoods.

    As the gathering places where communities come together, pubs and cafes simultaneously create livelihoods that support those same communities. Hospitality in the UK employs an extraordinary 3.5 million people directly (and another three million indirectly through supply chains and support industries). This makes it the UK’s third largest employer, behind only retail and healthcare.

    This dual role, as both social hub and major employer, makes these establishments uniquely valuable.

    The stark GDP figures for hospitality at the start of 2025 expose a concerning shift in consumer habits, with fewer people choosing to book a table in a restaurant, instead making do with buying in groceries for a meal at home. This harks back to the times of COVID lockdowns. Even people who still visit hospitality venues are spending less per visit, compounding the revenue challenges.

    When a family chooses to eat at home rather than visit their local restaurant, the impact extends far beyond that empty table. Farmers, delivery drivers, kitchen manufacturers and cleaning services (to name just some) all feel the pinch.

    For the small businesses in the hospitality supply chain – many of which derive more than 80% of their income from the sector – this spending shift is an existential threat. Historically, such changes in consumer behaviour have been early indicators of broader economic downturns, making this pattern particularly worrying.

    A VAT reduction offers a compelling solution for UK hospitality business. European countries like Italy and France charge 10% on “food for immediate consumption”, while in Greece it’s 13%. These are far below the UK’s 20%. A change along these lines could protect customers against price rises, improve business cash flow, and offset the wage and NI contribution increases.

    And there is precedent for this. During the 2008 recession, Chancellor Alistair Darling cut VAT from 17.5% to 15% for 13 months as part of a stimulus. The following year’s budget reported “positive early signs” of lower prices supporting consumer spending.

    But right now, this combination of rising costs and reduced consumer spending creates a perfect storm for an industry that has traditionally underpinned economic recoveries. With millions of people relying on hospitality for their livelihoods, this trajectory of decline must be corrected – or there will be profound implications for the wider pattern of economic growth across the UK.

    Zoe Adjey 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. How the struggles of the UK hospitality sector could hit the rest of the economy – https://theconversation.com/how-the-struggles-of-the-uk-hospitality-sector-could-hit-the-rest-of-the-economy-253507

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: The trade deficit isn’t an emergency – it’s a sign of America’s strength

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Tarek Alexander Hassan, Professor of Economics, Boston University

    When U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on imported goods on April 2, 2025 – upending global trade and sending markets into a tailspin – he presented the move as a response to a crisis. In an executive order released the same day, the White House said the move was necessary to address “the national emergency posed by the large and persistent trade deficit.”

    A trade deficit – when a country imports more than it exports – is often viewed as a problem. And yes, the U.S. trade deficit is both large and persistent. Yet, as an economist who has taught international finance at Boston University, the University of Chicago and Harvard, I maintain that far from a national emergency, this persistent deficit is actually a sign of America’s financial and technological dominance.

    The trade deficit is the flip side of an investment magnet

    A trade deficit sounds bad, but it is neither good nor bad.

    It doesn’t mean the U.S. is losing money. It simply means foreigners are sending the U.S. more goods than the U.S. is sending them. America is getting more cheap goods, and in return it is giving foreigners financial assets: dollars issued by the Federal Reserve, bonds from the U.S. government and American corporations, and stocks in newly created firms.

    That is, a trade deficit can only arise if foreigners invest more in the U.S. than Americans invest abroad. In other words, a country can only have a trade deficit if it also has an equally sized investment surplus. The U.S. is able to sustain a large trade deficit because so many foreigners are eager to invest here.

    Why? One major reason is the safety of the U.S. dollar. Around the world, from large corporations to ordinary households, the dollar is used for saving, trading and settling debts. As the world economy grows, so does foreigners’ demand for dollars and dollar-denominated assets, from cash to Treasury bills and corporate bonds.

    Because the dollar is so attractive, the Federal Reserve gets to mint extra cash for use abroad, and the U.S. government and American employers and families can borrow money at lower interest rates. Foreigners eagerly buy these U.S. financial assets, which enables Americans to consume and invest more than they ordinarily could. In return for our financial assets, we buy more German machines, Scotch whiskey, Chinese smartphones, Mexican steel and so on.

    Blaming foreigners for the trade deficit, therefore, is like blaming the bank for charging a low interest rate. We have a trade deficit because foreigners willingly charge us low interest rates – and we choose to spend that credit.

    US entrepreneurship attracts global capital – and fuels the deficit

    Another reason for foreigners’ steady demand for U.S. assets is American technological dominance: When aspiring entrepreneurs from around the world start new companies, they often decide to do so in Silicon Valley. Foreigners want to buy stocks and bonds in these new companies, again adding to the U.S. investment surplus.

    This strong demand for U.S. assets also explains why Trump’s last trade war in 2018 did little to close the trade deficit: Tariffs, by themselves, do nothing to reduce foreigners’ demand for U.S. dollars, stocks and bonds. If the investment surplus doesn’t change, the trade deficit cannot change. Instead, the U.S. dollar just appreciates, so that imports get cheaper, undoing the effect of the tariff on the size of the trade deficit. This is basic economics: You can’t have an investment surplus and a trade surplus at the same time, which is why it’s silly to call for both.

    It’s worth noting that no other country in the world enjoys a similarly sized investment surplus. If a normal country with a normal currency tries to print more money or issues more debt, its currency depreciates until its investment account – and its trade balance – goes back to something close to zero. America’s financial and technological dominance allows it to escape this dynamic.

    That doesn’t mean all tariffs are bad or all trade is automatically good. But it does mean that the U.S. trade deficit, poorly named though it is, does not signify failure. It is, instead, the consequence – and the privilege – of outsized American global influence.

    The president’s frenzied attacks on the nation’s trade deficit show he’s misreading a sign of American economic strength as a weakness. If the president really wants to eliminate the trade deficit, his best option is to rein in the federal budget deficit, which would naturally reduce capital inflows by raising domestic savings.

    Rather than reviving U.S. manufacturing, Trump’s extreme tariffs and erratic foreign policy are likely to instead scare off foreign investors altogether and undercut the dollar’s global role. That would indeed shrink the trade deficit – but only by eroding the very pillars of the country’s economic dominance, at a steep cost to American firms and families.

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

    ref. The trade deficit isn’t an emergency – it’s a sign of America’s strength – https://theconversation.com/the-trade-deficit-isnt-an-emergency-its-a-sign-of-americas-strength-252466

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Housing instability complicates end-of-life care for aging unhoused populations

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Pilar Ingle, Postdoctoral Researcher in Social Work, University of Denver

    People who are unhoused use emergency rooms for medical care. Halfpoint Images/GettyImages

    Research estimates that one-third or more of the unhoused population in the U.S. is age 50 or older.

    Unhoused people of all ages face high rates of chronic and serious illness. They also die at younger ages compared with people who are not unhoused.

    Yet, there are few options for palliative and end-of-life care for unhoused people.

    Palliative care is a type of medical care that addresses pain, symptom management and the social and emotional needs for people with a serious illness, such as cancer.

    End-of-life care, such as hospice, is a type of palliative care for someone in the terminal stage of an illness and nearing the end of their life.

    As a health care and aging researcher, I focus on social and policy issues that impact how people experience illness and who has access to the care they need. In my recent study, I interviewed 17 health care and social service providers in Colorado to understand how they try to address palliative and end-of-life needs for their unhoused clients.

    Homelessness and end-of-life care

    In 2024, Colorado saw a 30% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness from the year before. Nationally, 771,480 people — the highest number ever recorded — experienced homelessness last year.

    As the number of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. grows, so too does the need for palliative and end-of-life care for these individuals.

    Palliative care is more available to people who have access to stable housing, good social support and health insurance. But people who are unhoused often lack social support and face discrimination within the health care system. In fact, it is common for people experiencing homelessness to die outside, in homeless shelters or in hospitals.

    Lack of resources

    “We’re dealing with an inhumane lack of resources,” said one provider I interviewed.

    Providers like this one described few good options for hospice placement for unhoused patients. They cited a lack of collaboration between health care and homeless services to coordinate care, and staffing shortages across health care and homelessness service providers, all of which made it difficult to provide care to unhoused people with serious illnesses.

    Other studies have also found an overall lack of palliative resources for unhoused individuals across the U.S. and in other countries. Those include financial barriers for health care institutions to provide care to those without insurance coverage, a lack of palliative care knowledge among health care and homeless providers alike, and homeless shelters that are not equipped to support end-of-life care for residents.

    “Shelters are not designed to take care of people like this. Hospices are also not designed to do this,” one provider said. “It’s a gap of care between the two organizations, and they really struggle with it.”

    Many people experiencing homelessness are eligible for long-term care Medicaid benefits that will help pay for hospice in a nursing facility. However, long-term care and nursing facilities often have a limited number of beds available for Medicaid recipients and may even refuse unhoused patients.

    A humanizing approach

    Despite the lack of resources in Colorado and across the U.S., the providers I interviewed said they try to care for unhoused patients with humanizing approaches.

    “Everyone is deserving of care,” said a medical social worker during one of the interviews. “Health care, housing – those are human rights, in my opinion.”

    The providers prioritized building rapport and trust between homeless service providers and unhoused clients, and honoring the dignity and autonomy of these individuals.

    “The approach we take is patient-centered …” one provider said. “It’s about showing someone respect no matter what’s going on socially in their life, and proving to them that you care, and showing up.”

    One way that providers showed respect was by advocating for their unhoused clients when they noticed that colleagues or other agencies involved in their care were neglecting their needs or using stigmatizing language to talk about their clients.

    “We try really hard to humanize these people because usually they’ve done some amazing stuff. … ‘Did you know that this person did this?’” one provider said. “So that it changes people’s automatic ‘She’s just a bipolar, homeless frequent flyer’ and trying to take away those labels. We love to find the gems and share them, because it stops people in their tracks.”

    Another provider said, “We do a really good job of meeting people where they’re at, give them the choice of how much or how little support they want.”

    Several providers described ways their agencies were trying to make positive change – for example, providers working within a hospital created a new service dedicated to providing case management to unhoused patients.

    In Denver, several health systems have launched initiatives to try to fill the gaps in health care for their unhoused patients. For example, UCHealth and Denver Health have processes dedicated to improving discharge planning, connection to housing services and care continuity for unhoused patients with health needs.

    Solutions

    To better meet the palliative needs of unhoused Coloradans, several providers suggested more specialized palliative care services that exclusively serve unhoused patients. This could include mobile palliative care services that meet people at a shelter or on the streets.

    Unhoused people are more likely to die on the streets or in hospitals than people who are housed.
    Ruben Earth/GettyImages

    Research has found that specialized health care in general is more effective and affirming for unhoused individuals than traditional health services. Examples of such specialized palliative programs in the U.S. and internationally include the Rocky Mountain Refuge, the INN Between and the Harborview Homeless Palliative Care Team in the U.S., and Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless in Canada.

    My study suggests that a deeper compassion for patients experiencing homelessness, palliative or not, is an important approach for health care organizations and their providers to take, even when resources are sparse. This approach can lead to better patient satisfaction and improve health outcomes for unhoused people.

    Another solution — and one that starts before unhoused people need palliative care — is better housing solutions. Providers said many of the gaps in care for unhoused people would be solved if housing were more affordable and accessible.

    Read more of our stories about Colorado.

    Pilar Ingle is affiliated with Senior Support Services, a Denver-based day shelter for low-income or unhoused older adults.

    ref. Housing instability complicates end-of-life care for aging unhoused populations – https://theconversation.com/housing-instability-complicates-end-of-life-care-for-aging-unhoused-populations-251780

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz: Donald Trump Is Ruining The Economy On Purpose, Everyone Will Pay More For Everything

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke out on the Senate floor today after President Donald Trump announced a new tariff plan that will levy the largest tax hike on middle-class families in a generation and force families to pay an average of $5,000 more each year.

    “Donald Trump is ruining the economy on purpose,” said Senator Schatz. “Starting tomorrow, we’ll be paying more for everything – groceries, food, cars, homes, toys, electronics, everything that you buy. This is about the ability for people to pay for college. This is about the ability for people to retire with dignity and comfort. Trillions of dollars of wealth are being demolished. These are everyday people panicked about how much more expensive their next trip to Walmart or Costco will be, or when they’ll lose their job.”

    The full text of Senator Schatz’s remarks can be found below. Video is available here.

    Donald Trump is ruining the economy on purpose. He is ruining the economy on purpose. I’m not sure if there’s ever been an American president, let alone a chief executive of any country that has ruined the economy on purpose. The stock market had its worst day in five years yesterday, and I just checked before I delivered these remarks. Just five minutes ago, 1600 down on the Dow Jones, the S&P down 5 percent, Nasdaq 4 percent, the Russell 5 percent. What does that mean as a practical matter? It means if you spent all your life working and saving and investing, and you are on the edge of retirement, and let’s say you’ve got $312,000 plus your Social Security income, you just lost 30 grand in two days because of Donald Trump. You lost 10 percent of what you earned over a lifetime. Now, for Howard Lutnick and Elon Musk and Donald Trump and everybody that surrounds him at Mar-a-Lago, they can ride this out. They can short it, they can buy crypto. They can do all kinds of wonderful things to make sure that they can ride this out. Regular people cannot ride this out.

    The dollar hit a six-month low. Layoffs have already started. Consumers are cutting back on spending. And by the way, the data is there. But also just talk to anybody. Just talk to anybody about how they feel about spending right now. And the likelihood of a recession went up 20 percent in a day. JPMorgan now says it’s more than 60 percent likely.

    So what is this even for? Why are people so freaked out? Why is the entire world, from friends and partners to adversaries and enemies, scrambling to retaliate against the United States, the indispensable nation? It’s so that Donald Trump can raise trillions of dollars in revenue to pay for the biggest tax cuts for billionaires in the history of the planet.

    Starting tomorrow, we’ll be paying more for everything – groceries, food, cars, homes, toys, electronics, everything that you buy. Estimates have home prices ballooning by almost $20,000 per unit. Cars will cost $6,000 more. An iPhone, 250 bucks more. Clothing prices will go up by roughly 20 percent. Also, what we’re going to be a textile manufacturer? That’s our goal as a country is to make t-shirts and socks?

    Workers will be laid off, but I guess it’ll all be worth it in the end because this is paid for. What does that mean? It means that in their big budget plan, they need to cut taxes for billionaires, but they don’t have enough money to finance that. And so they’re using tariff revenue to balance out the money that they’re going to shovel to a bunch of billionaires.

    Trump is very famous for having few firm, fixed political beliefs. He’s changed his mind about just about everything, but not on tariffs. He’s a self-proclaimed “tariff man.” He’s repeatedly said that the word tariff is the most beautiful word in the English language. And for years, he’s lavished praise on the 20th century tariffs, which, by the way, helped to deepen the Great Depression. So he’s very happy about all of this. Like there should be no mistaking this is what he intends to do. And this is one of the differences between Trump 1.0 and Trump 2.0. He’s doing all the things. He’s actually going through with it. This is not mean tweets and like normal behavior. This is all of the crazy stuff he’s saying is now being effectuated as public policy, as economic policy, as fiscal policy. He’s going through with it. You can no longer be dismissive of these resistance types, these Democrats, these shrill, these partisans, these people who can’t keep their head on straight. These people who just want to punish Donald Trump for saying: “man, that guy is kind of crazy. He’s going to crash the economy.” He’s literally crashing the economy on purpose.

    The idea that other countries will just graciously pay the tariffs is a fantasy. Much like Trump’s claim that Mexico would pay for the wall. In reality, it’s American importers who pay the tariffs, and then they pass it on to consumers, which is exactly what happened the last time Trump tried to do this. Economists who studied the tariffs that Trump imposed during the first term on certain goods from China found that it was consumers. It was you that paid the price. So here’s roughly how it worked this time around. There’s going to be math involved here. If these tariffs are expected to raise $6 trillion, as Trump says, that would mean collecting something like $600 billion every year over the next ten years. Broken out by household people are looking at $5,000 a year in added costs.

    I bet you Donald Trump doesn’t know anyone personally. Maybe he’s met people, but like in terms of the people he hangs out with that he spends time with, that he likes that he works with, he probably doesn’t know anyone for whom $5,000 is an unmanageable, increased cost. But I know a lot of people like that. In fact, a lot of people in my home state are like that.

    They cannot absorb a $5,000 increase in the cost of everything. And that is before you consider the hundreds of thousands of lost jobs and the devastation of small businesses and farmers and others. One small business owner in Iowa put it this way, “Trump’s calling it Liberation Day. Maybe something like Liberation Day liberated from reality.” Farmer in Kansas agreed.

    “These tariffs are just absolutely bad news that caused the prices for everything that we buy to go up and the prices for everything that we sell to go down.” Everything that we buy is more expensive. Everything that we sell is cheaper. Does that sound like a smart economic plan?

    It’s bad news any way you cut it. But even worse, more confusing, more idiotic, more infuriating is when you look at how they arrived at these rates. These are not actually reciprocal tariffs. Reciprocal tariffs being like essentially country X assesses tariffs in the amount of 15 percent so we reciprocate. We do 15 percent back. This is how they did it.

    They used a one size fits all formula to remake the global trading system. They took our trade surplus with any given country. So the way you do it to do reciprocal tariffs is country X says 10 percent, we go back at 10 percent. What they did is say let’s take our trade surplus, which means what we export minus what we import divided by total exports. And then cut it in half. Why they didn’t cut it in a third? Why they didn’t, you know, do some coefficient other than 50 percent?  I don’t know, but it’s purely arbitrary. So we have an $18 billion trade deficit with Indonesia. We import $28 billion worth of goods from them. 17.9 divided by 28 is 64. Divide that by two and you get 34, which is surprise, surprise, exactly the rate that Trump set for Indonesia. Half of the differential between export exports and imports literally makes no sense. Like you’ve got a bunch of economists right, left and center going WTF? I cannot believe this is bad policy. But also it’s like childish, childish math.

    The White House formula is so bonkers at the same economist that pointed that it pointed to as the basis for the rationale immediately were critical: “they pulled two numbers out of thin air that perfectly cancel each other out. This type of reductionist analysis is very troubling and scares me,” said economics professor Anson Soderbery, whose paper the White House cited even their sources are saying, don’t use my name to justify this nonsense.

    Another economist said that the White House had misunderstood his research, which specifically cautioned against excessively high tariff rates like Trump’s. “Making rates higher is a bad idea for the United States. We use supercomputers to find the optimal tariffs. The Trump administration seems to have taken a bit of a shortcut here. Also, our results suggest that the EU should not be tariffs and yet they set high tariffs against them. Finally, our range of optimal tariffs are substantially lower than the ones the administration just announced.” So if you can believe it, we’re in a situation where economists are using supercomputers to find optimal tariff rates. While the president of the United States is using a formula. And I’m not exaggerating that a fifth grader could solve. Now, whether it’s the Signal chat or this formula, this administration’s incompetence is on display every day.

    It’s why we now have tariffs in places like Herd Island and McDonald Island, where there are no living human beings, only penguins. Or, as the New York Times noted, “Trump’s decision to put a 32 percent tariff on Switzerland stunned politicians and business leaders in the alpine country. Switzerland has an open trade policy and recently abolished all industrial tariffs.” It’s not reciprocal. If they’re not tariffing us. For countries like Brazil, where we have a trade surplus, they still slap 10 percent. Israel reduced their tariffs to zero, still got the 10 percent. This is not a case of a bunch of Democrats crying wolf just to warn the Republicans. The markets are speaking. They are terrified. And this isn’t about a bunch of billionaire corporations and their profitability.

    This is about the ability for people to pay for college. This is about the ability for people to retire with dignity and comfort. Trillions of dollars of wealth are being demolished. These are everyday people panicked about how much more expensive their next trip to Walmart or Costco will be, or when they’ll lose their job. People are already stockpiling supplies. Shortly after Trump’s announcement, JPMorgan described the impact of the tariffs over the next few months like this. “On a static basis, today’s announcement would raise just under 400 billion in revenue, or about 1.3 percent of GDP, which would be the largest tax increase since 1968. The resulting hit to purchasing power could take real disposable personal income growth in the second and third quarters into negative territory, and with it, the risk that real consumer spending could also contract in these quarters. This impact alone could take the economy perilously close to slipping into a recession.”

    Now countries are already responding. So it’s not like this is a static situation which can’t get worse because the retaliations are going on. And this idea that all this is just a leverage play, look, there’s 200 countries that we have some sort of trading arrangement with and Donald Trump is very unpopular so asking a leader of a country or a parliament of a country to waive their tariffs at the end, at the end of a economic gun because Trump is bullying them. It’s like not good domestic politics for them. The best domestic politics for them is to stand up to Donald Trump’s bullying. And that’s bad for all of us. We’re not going to wave our way through 194 trading partners.

    China just imposed a 34 percent reciprocal tariff for our 54 percent tariff on Chinese goods. And in a truly bizarre turn of events, we forced our allies and adversaries to try to find ways to work together. Earlier this week, for the first time in years, China, Japan and South Korea discuss possible of working together on free trade as a response to Donald John Trump.

    This is the most shocking image. This red line continuing to go down precipitously, but among the other most shocking images, there’s a picture of high leaders from Korea… first of all, Korea and Japan are in a better place now. But they are, you know, there have been some diplomatic challenges over the decades and the generations, but they’re in a reasonably good place.

    So just to see them shaking hands is a big deal. But to see them shaking hands, literally holding hands with a high official from China to indicate they’re in this together against us. So it is true that Donald Trump is uniting the world. The problem is he’s uniting the world against us.

    Look, there is a. Real objective here that we’ve been working on for the last four, eight years. And whether it’s chips or it’s cars or it’s clean energy, we’ve actually increased the amount of domestic manufacturing in the United States of America with good industrial policy and targeted trade policy. But this is mayhem. This is mayhem. John Kennedy, the current senator from Louisiana, said it exactly right. He said tariffs are like whiskey. A little bit can be refreshing, can be useful too much – I’m paraphrasing – very bad things happen. Very bad things are happening.

    In the time I took to deliver these remarks, probably some number of tens of billions of dollars of additional wealth from working people was just wiped out. And I want to make one final point, and this is the most important point Republicans can and should stop this, with an exception of maybe 3 or 4 members, almost every Republican senator hates tariffs.

    The question is whether they will stand up to Donald Trump, who has taken this decidedly protectionist, anti-market, super harmful direction. But all we need Republicans are in charge of the Senate is for them to exert their constitutionally given authority over the assessing of tariffs. There is bipartisan momentum in that space. But we are not there because what I’m reading and what I’m hearing is they’re willing to give this a couple of months and let me give you a bunch of free advice to my Republican friends.

    If you’re going to stand up to him in two months, do it now.

    Your people are suffering. People are being laid off. People are about, by the way, most of people, most of what is happening in terms of Trump’s plummeting popularity is what they are seeing on their screens. But in the next week or so, it’s not what they’re seeing in their screens. It’s what they’re seeing when they try to buy something.

    It’s what they’re seeing amongst their friends who are being laid off. This is about to get very real, and I advise you against my own political interests, but in the country’s interests, if you’re going to stand up to him in June, my God, do it now. I yield the floor.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Statement On Voting Against Senate Budget Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after voting against the Republican Senate budget resolution.

    “Tonight, Senate Republicans voted to give even more money to billionaires while slashing programs that help regular people get by—things like Medicaid, food assistance, and education. Working families are struggling with rising costs, but instead of offering real solutions, Republicans are trying to take away the support people count on—just to fund more tax cuts for the ultrawealthy.

    “And to make matters worse, Donald Trump’s new tariffs are already sending shockwaves through the economy. The stock market is tumbling, prices are going up, and working families are the ones who’ll get hit hardest. It’s chaos, and Republicans are doubling down with a budget that makes things even worse.

    “We will continue to fight for an economy where everyone—not just the wealthiest few—has a fair shot. The American people deserve better than this billionaire-first budget.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New guide to research and innovation challenges for climate adaptation released

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    New guide to research and innovation challenges for climate adaptation released

    A new report identifying the research and innovation needed to support the UK to adapt effectively to climate change has been released.

    Image of a bumblebee collecting pollen from a bluebell.

    A new report identifying the research and innovation needed to support the UK to adapt effectively to climate change has been released today.  

    Developed by the Government Office for Science and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Climate Adaptation Research and Innovation Framework (CARIF) outlines the research and innovation needed around climate adaptation. 

    CARIF is designed to make it easier for government, industry, and research communities to work together to tackle the challenges we face around adapting to climate change. The new framework is the first time the UK research needs across government and across sectors have been brought together in one place.   

    Environment Minister Emma Hardy said:

    We are already seeing the impact of climate change and extreme weather on people’s lives, from transport disruption to flooding in people’s homes.  

    This is why, alongside our research into climate adaptation, we are exploring how we can set out stronger objectives to drive action to increase our preparedness for the impacts of climate change up to and beyond the next National Adaptation Programme in 2028.

    Government Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Dame Angela McLean said:

    We need new research to make the UK more resilient to climate change, and innovation to improve how effectively and affordably we ready systems for change. The UK has world-leading science capabilities which we can harness to ensure we are ready for future climate impacts.  

    We have spoken with academia, industry, UK government and the financial sector to produce this first Climate Adaptation Research and Innovation Framework. It aims to drive use of our science capabilities to address the climate adaptation challenge.

    CARIF covers 11 sectors including nature, working land and seas, food security, water supply, energy, telecommunications and ICT, transport, town and cities and community preparedness/response, buildings, health, and business and finance.  

    Read the Climate Adaptation Research and Innovation Framework here.

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government and industry to train up ‘clean power army’

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Government and industry to train up ‘clean power army’

    Government and industry to train up ‘clean power army’ of apprentice engineers, welders, and technicians.

    • Clean energy sector to create thousands of new apprenticeships as part of Plan for Change
    • Energy Secretary tells industry forum that a clean power army of engineers, welders and technicians will be required to deliver clean power by 2030, and that government will work with industry to build it, with Regional Skills Pilots in Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire, and Pembrokeshire
    • Work and Pensions Secretary says the government will “give this generation the tools they need to seize the opportunity that is the clean energy transition”

    Young people will be trained to fill thousands of clean energy jobs and apprenticeships needed to deliver clean power by 2030 as part of the government’s Plan for Change to get Britain working and unlock growth.  

    The Energy Secretary has told industry, unions and trade bodies that the government will work with them to build a clean power army to hit ambitious targets for clean power by 2030 at a forum convened with the Work and Pensions Secretary today (Monday 7 April 2025).  

    The transition to clean power will create thousands of opportunities across the sector, from renewables to upgrading the UK’s grid infrastructure.  

    National Grid alone plans to support around 55,000 more jobs by the end of the decade and SSE Transmission plans are supporting a further 37,000 jobs, 17,500 of which would be in Scotland. Scottish Power’s SP Energy Networks plans to double its transmission workforce to create around 1,400 jobs and support a further 11,000 jobs across the UK – with all 3 plans subject to approvals by the regulator.    

    The government is driving forward with Regional Skills Pilot in the clean energy sector. Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire have all been identified as key growth regions for clean energy. Local partners will receive funding to identify the skills support that is needed in their area to deliver clean power by 2030, which will protect households and businesses from unstable fossil fuel markets for good. 

    Funding could go towards new training centres, courses or career advisers – supporting local people into opportunities in industries such as welding, electrical engineering, and construction.    

    The government is wasting no time in investing in good jobs for British industries, including thousands of new, skilled jobs being supported in the North East of England as contracts for the first carbon capture, usage and storage were signed in December, following a £21.7 billion commitment from the government to ensure the UK’s vision for CCUS becomes a reality. The government has also invested £55 million for port of Cromarty, to transform it into a major hub for the UK’s world-leading floating offshore wind industry, creating hundreds of skilled jobs and generating growth.  

    The latest CBI Economics figures show jobs supported by net zero sectors increased by 10% last year, with the average annual wage across the sector at £43,000 – £5,600 higher than the national average.  

    The push to support more clean energy jobs comes as the government delivers the most ambitious reforms of the UK’s energy system in a generation and record investment into homegrown clean energy projects. 

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:  

    The energy sector has always been a source of good, skilled, and unionised jobs for young people across the UK, providing secure, well-paid employment for life.   

    To meet our target to reach clean power by 2030, we need a clean power army of engineers, welders and technicians – giving thousands of young people the opportunity to play a vital role in tackling the climate crisis, increasing our energy security and boosting the economy to deliver our Plan for Change.

    Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:    

    With almost a million young people neither earning nor learning it is vital that we give this generation the tools they need to seize the opportunity that is the clean energy transition.  

    Our plan to Get Britian Working will overhaul employment support, giving everyone the tools and skills they need to and build a stronger, more prosperous future for them and their families.

    The government launched its Get Britain Working white paper late last year, outlining the biggest employment reforms in a generation and boost employment including reforming Jobcentres to create a genuinely public employment service so everyone can get personalised skills and employment support, as well as a Youth Guarantee ensuring every young person has the chance to earn or learn. Alongside government work to drive up employment and opportunities, the renewable sector will also continue to turbocharge the economy.  

    The government is working closely with employers to train up Britain’s young people to seize clean energy opportunities. Trade unions will also have an essential role in building the UK’s skilled energy workforce, with the government determined to drive world-class pay, terms, and conditions in the clean energy sector. The government is already driving better access and conditions for unions in the energy sector- since July EDF Renewables UK and Ireland have signed one of the first renewables industry recognition agreements with Prospect, Unite, GMB and UNISON.   

    The government has also launched Skills England and the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions.    

    Opportunities are already being created through a number of schemes and initiatives to deliver training and skills for apprentices and workers transitioning from the fossil fuel sector, including innovative schemes such as the:  

    • Skills Passport: This supports oil and gas workers to identify routes into several roles in offshore wind including construction and maintenance
    • Your Apprenticeship app: A new app designed by the government with extensive input from apprentices to provide easier access to essential tools, resources, and support to help apprentices to thrive in their qualification

    Whilst driving up employment and opportunities, the renewable sector will also continue to turbocharge the economy.  

    CBI Economics analysis commissioned by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit shows that the net zero sector already contributes £83 billion annually to the UK economy, with further investment into projects predicted to grow this even further.  

    Government research has also revealed the extent in which apprenticeships can help drive this growth, with apprentices in England across the economy estimated to create £25 billion of economic growth over their lifetime.  

    Through investment and initiatives, the government will help build the pipeline of skilled workers needed to deliver clean power by 2030, which will unlock £40 billion of investment a year and reindustrialise Britain with thousands of good jobs across the country. This underscores the government’s commitment to deliver a jobs-rich clean energy transition, putting communities and trade unions at the heart of the UK’s clean energy future.    

    Notes to editors

    Skills is a devolved policy area, and therefore the remit of Skills England and the Your Apprenticeship App will only cover England. However, Skills England will assess skills needs across the whole of the UK and DESNZ is working closely with the devolved governments on ensuring we have the skilled workforce for the clean energy transition, including through the Regional Skills Pilots.   

    The RIIO T3 business plans for the UK’s 3 electricity transmission companies are all subject to approval by the energy regulator Ofgem.

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo: Republicans are United in Delivering Trump’s Pro-Growth Agenda

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–Today on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) discussed the Senate’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget Resolution that lays the groundwork to make permanent and build on the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts, ensuring American families can keep more of their hard-earned money and stop financing Washington’s spending problem.
    As Chairman of the Finance Committee, Crapo explained that the resolution’s instructions would unlock the ability for Congress to prevent a more-than $4 trillion tax hike on American families and businesses, provide certainty and predictability by making the Trump Tax Cuts permanent, and deliver additional middle-class tax relief. 
    Crapo also emphasized Republicans’ commitment to restoring fiscal sanity by achieving deficit reduction, noting that spending reforms are the best way to achieve that goal, not imposing the largest tax hike in our country’s history. 

    Full remarks as delivered:
    “The problem that we have in America is not that our taxes are too low, but that our spending is too high.
    “Republicans are unified in delivering—as President Trump calls it—one big, beautiful bill for the American people. 
    “But what does this bill include?
    “The FY 2025 Budget Resolution fulfills promises to secure America’s borders, increase our national defense, unleash our energy potential and finally start to get our fiscal house in order. 
    “I agree completely with my colleague – we have got to reduce our spending and this bill contains a target with a minimum floor of $2 trillion in spending reduction in our federal budget. 
    “Importantly, it also lays the groundwork to make permanent and build on the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts so that American families can keep more of their hard-earned money and stop financing Washington’s spending problem.
    “Our conference is united in preventing an over-$4 trillion tax hike on American families and businesses and delivering additional tax relief to those who have suffered under four years of inflation.
    “We are united in making this proven tax policy permanent to provide the certainty that businesses need to make the long-term investments that drive growth, and the stability that families need as they save and plan for the future.
    “We are also unified in our resolve to restore fiscal sanity and know that the best way to do so isn’t to tax hardworking Americans more—it’s to spend less.
    “While many tend to focus on the policy disagreements that occur—as they should—in these halls, the reality is Republicans are completely unified in delivering on President Trump’s agenda, a major portion of which is to restore the economic prosperity experienced under his previous presidency.
    “Let’s just look back for a minute at the bill we’re trying to extend and make permanent now.
    “Most Americans don’t pay attention to the minutia of tax policy.  But if you ask them, the majority will tell you they’d rather keep more of their money than let the government spend it, and that’s exactly what the 2017 tax cuts did.
    “Those Trump Tax Cuts lowered tax rates for the overwhelming majority of Americans, simplified the tax code, and encouraged companies to do business in the United States instead of abroad.
    “In addition to lowering rates across the board, it provided targeted tax relief to middle-class working families by doubling the standard deduction and the child tax credit, and to small businesses by providing a new 20 percent deduction, enabling America’s entrepreneurs to create new jobs, increase workers’ wages and reinvest in their business.
    “The majority of benefits from the Trump Tax Cuts, contrary from what you’ve heard today from the other side, flowed to working middle-class families—the bottom 50 percent of earners received the largest reduction in average tax rates at 17.3 percent. 
    “Contrary to claims that the benefits were only for ‘billionaires and corporations,’ the Trump Tax Cuts actually made the tax code even more progressive.  Meaning that the highest income earners now pay a greater share of all income taxes than they did before, and if we can extend this tax cut, that will continue to be the case.
    “The generational reforms we made in 2017 were designed to strengthen investment, boost economic growth, increase take-home pay and reduce poverty, and it worked.
    “Not only did taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money, but a growing economy powered median household income to an all-time high.
    “The labor market improved, workers saw record wage growth and the unemployment rate fell dramatically to 3.5 percent—the lowest in 50 years. 
    “And the lowest-income workers experienced the largest wage growth.
    “There was a capital formation explosion in the United States, and corporate inversions—corporations leaving America—became a thing of the past as companies came back home and America became the place to do business again.
    “All Americans reaped the benefits of a booming economy. 
    “Extending this current, proven tax policy—and building on it—is the best way to restore economic prosperity and opportunity for working families, many of whom are still struggling to recover from the historic inflation of the last four years.
    “Tonight, I expect we’ll hear once again the ‘politics of fear’ at work as my Democrat colleagues claim all sorts of dire things will happen so that Republicans can cut taxes for the wealthy. 
    “This attack has been used for nearly a decade, and it’s just as false now as it has been in the past.
    “Americans should not be scared by these falsehoods. 
    “What they should be alarmed by is what my colleagues and I are committed to preventing: the largest tax hike in history that will occur if we do not extend the current Trump’s Tax Cuts.
    “Middle-class Americans and small businesses will pay the highest price. 
    “If the tax cuts expire:
    There will be a $4+ trillion tax hike on all Americans.
    More than $2.6 trillion of that tax increase will hit people who earn less than $400,000 per year.
    The average American household will see a more-than $1,700 increase in their tax bill.
    An over $600 billion tax increase on more than 20 million small business owners, who could face rates as high as 43.4 percent. 
    Families would have their child tax credit slashed in half from $2,000 to $1,000.
    The standard deduction, claimed by over 90 percent of taxpayers, would be cut in half.
    The economic cost has been estimated to be 6 million jobs; $540 billion in employee compensation, and $1.1 trillion of GDP.
    “Republicans are united in our efforts to prevent these damaging consequences.
    “Not only are we focused on extending these proven tax policies, but we are committed to making this growth in our economy permanent so that we don’t have to face these dire consequences in the future. 
    “Permanent tax policies promote stability and lead to more pronounced economic effects than temporary ones. 
    “Making the Trump Tax Cuts permanent will provide businesses the certainty and stability they need to make the long-term investments that drive growth, accelerate productivity and increase prosperity across all segments of the economy.
    “Studies find that a permanent extension of TCJA would increase long-run GDP by 1.1 percent and increase after-tax income for Americans of all income levels. 
    “Making the small-business deduction alone permanent is estimated to create 1.2 million jobs annually over the first ten years, increasing to 2.4 million in the long run.
    “The President’s Council of Economic Advisers just released an analysis that says extending the Trump Tax Cuts, combined with other pro-growth economic policies that we are pursuing, would:
    Boost the level of short-run real GDP by 3.3 to 3.8 percent and long-run real GDP by 2.6 to 3.2 percent;
    Raise annual real wages by $2,100 to $3,300 per worker;
    Increase real annual take-home pay for a median-income household with two children by roughly $4,000 to $5,000;
    Save over 4 million full-time equivalent jobs from being destroyed; and
    Facilitate $100 billion of investment in distressed communities.
    “That analysis also projects that extending these tax cuts, ’together with the full suite of Trump Administration policies—such as deregulation, which the CEA previously estimated would add 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points to real GDP growth rates over a decade—is expected to result in 3.0 percent annual real GDP growth rates over the next 10 years.’ 
    “Now what does that mean?
    “According to CEA, that 3.0 percent annual real GDP growth will result in $4.1 trillion in additional revenue to the Treasury to help us deal with our national debt.
    “$4.1 trillion dollars.
    “To unleash that growth, the best way to make these tax cuts permanent is by using a current policy baseline: this is the scoring method that more accurately reflects reality. 
    “The average American easily understands there is a difference between a tax increase and a spending cut. 
    “However, there’s an inherent bias in Congress’s scoring process where tax policy is treated differently than spending policy. 
    “If tax rates are scheduled to increase, like they are right now if we don’t act, preventing that tax hike is counted as a ‘cost’ in uncollected future revenue. 
    “But many spending programs are assumed to be extended beyond their expiration, so the spending just continues and continues, unabated, which the budget rules say do not have any cost.  That’s what we’re trying to fix today in this bill.
    “In fact, there is $2.5 trillion in spending that is automatically extended by our budget rules over the next ten years under a current policy baseline.
    “Even the Obama White House has used a current policy baseline for tax policy. They recognized there’s a difference between increasing taxes and cutting spending.
    “In 2013, they argued that a ‘current policy baseline to be the appropriate reference point, since it measures changes relative to the status quo, rather than the mix of expiring provisions and policy changes that would likely never be implemented.’
    “Interpreted, what they said is exactly what I’ve been saying.  You can’t say that just keeping the tax rates where they are and not raising them is the same as spending more money.
    “We need to level the playing field and sever the connection that creates a tax-and-spend budgeting process in Congress.
    “And that’s another thing that we’re going to do today.
    “Critics—who have been strangely silent over the years as trillions of dollars in spending has been automatically extended under a current policy baseline—now take offense to correcting the bias toward forcing federal spending. 
    “As applied only to tax policy, those critics assert that we’ll be increasing the deficit by using a current policy baseline, or we’re using this baseline to ‘hide the cost.’
    “Let me be very clear: we are not hiding the score that JCT or CBO would assign the bill under a current law baseline.  In fact, I like to see that score – it shows the amount of the tax increase that my colleagues on the other side are trying to push onto the American people.
    “But let’s be fully transparent—both an estimate based on current policy and one based on current law will be released when we consider this bill on the Senate floor, and then Americans can see what kind of savings have been given to them by not raising their taxes.
    “Under our existing tax regime, the tax revenue to GDP ratio this year will be 17.1 percent, meaning we will raise taxes for the federal Treasury—under our current tax policy—at about 17.1 percent of GDP.  It will also be about the same next year if we don’t let the taxes go up, meaning that the revenue will not appreciably change.
    “Yet my colleagues on the other side say it’s going to spike a hole in the deficit—why? Because they won’t get their hands on that $4 trillion of new tax revenue out of the American people.
    “This would not increase the debt relative to GDP; it would simply prevent a tax increase. 
    “And we need to be honest about what those tax increases would and would not do. 
    “Those who say we should let taxes go back up say, ‘Wow, then we could use it to pay down the national debt some more.’
    “Every tax increase that Congress has adopted for as long as I can remember was not used to pay down the national debt; it was used by Congress to spend more money.
    “Congress does not have a revenue problem—it has a spending problem.
    “Senate Republicans are united in our desire to take concrete steps to address our deficit and get our fiscal house in order.
    “Because the bill we’re debating today is within the confines of reconciliation, the scores and numbers that we’ll be discussing don’t reflect the full fiscal picture.
    “In order to have an honest discussion, there needs to be an acknowledgment that there are other factors at play that can generate economic growth and reductions in spending.
    “What am I talking about?  Economic growth.  As I indicated in one of the charts that we had up, the estimates from the CEA are that if we make the tax policy permanent, the confidence that will give our economy and the boost it will give our economy through proper tax incentive policy will grow the economy by as much as $4 trillion to the federal treasury.
    “The President is also directly impacting government spending through his efforts with the Department of Government Efficiency, aggressively cutting waste, fraud and abuse from our government programs.
    “Spending on federal government programs has ballooned in recent years.  We have a responsibility to evaluate these spending increases to ensure these programs work efficiently and effectively for everyone.  
    “The President has also undertaken, and will likely pursue more, deregulation efforts, which have as big of an impact on revenues and economic growth as tax policy does, and we should recognize that.
    “The bottom line is, in addition to the actions that Congress can take, there are activities that the President is currently engaged in that will impact our fiscal policy by either reducing spending or increasing revenue, and we should take those into consideration.
    “Congress must begin the process of restoring fiscal sanity by achieving deficit reduction, and spending reforms are the best way to achieve that goal. 
    “In contrast, imposing the largest tax hike in our country’s history would be counterproductive by easing the glide path for even more spending.
    “We will be having a very robust debate in the weeks ahead about the best way to deliver on President Trump’s agenda, and I look forward to those discussions.
    “This budget resolution unlocks the process to allow us to strengthen our national security, secure our borders, permanently extend the Trump Tax Cuts and provide additional middle-class tax relief.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Notice of Annual General Meeting in Karolinska Development AB (publ)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The shareholders of Karolinska Development AB (publ), reg. no. 556707-5048, (“Karolinska Development” or the “Company”) are invited to the Annual General Meeting, on Thursday May 15, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. (CEST), at Nanna Svartz väg 2, 171 65 Solna, Sweden.

    The Board of Directors has resolved that shareholders shall have the right to exercise their voting rights in advance through postal voting pursuant to item 13 in the articles of association. Therefore, shareholders may choose to exercise their voting rights at the AGM by attending in person, by postal voting or through a proxy.

    Participation in person

    A shareholder who would like to participate at the AGM in person must:

    both be entered in the register of the shareholders maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB by Wednesday May 7, 2025,

    and give notice of his or her intention to participate to the Company no later than Friday May 9, 2025, at the address Karolinska Development, “AGM”, Nanna Svartz väg 6A, 171 65, Solna, Sweden, or through email eva.montgomerie@karolinskadevelopment.com. When giving notice to participate, please provide name, personal identity number or company registration number, telephone number and number of represented shares.

    Participation by postal voting

    Shareholders who wish to participate in the AGM by postal voting must:

    both be registered in the register of shareholders maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB as per Wednesday May 7, 2025,

    and notify their intention to participate by submitting their postal vote in accordance with the instructions below, so that the postal vote is received by Karolinska Development no later than Friday May 9, 2025.

    Shareholders may exercise their voting rights at the AGM by voting in advance through postal voting pursuant to item 13 in the articles of association, referring to Chapter 7, Section 4 a of the Swedish Companies Act.

    For advance voting, a special form must be used. Forms in Swedish and English are available for download on the Company’s website, www.karolinskadevelopment.com.The advance voting form is valid as notification of participation at the AGM.

    The completed advance voting form must be received by the Company no later than Friday May 9, 2025. The completed form shall be sent to Karolinska Development by e-mail to eva.montgomerie@karolinskadevelopment.com or by regular mail to Karolinska Development, “AGM”, Nanna Svartz väg 6A, 171 65, Solna, Sweden. The shareholder may not provide special instructions or conditions in the advance voting form. If so, the vote (i.e. the advance vote in its entirety) is invalid. Further instructions and conditions are provided in the form for advance voting.

    Those who wish to withdraw a submitted postal vote and instead exercise their voting rights by participating in the AGM in person or through a proxy must give notice thereof to the AGM’s secretariat prior to the opening of the AGM.

    Participation by proxy

    If the shareholders are represented by proxy, a written proxy must be issued and submitted to the Company at the above address well in advance of the AGM. The proxy is valid during the period set forth in the proxy, however, at most five years from the issuance. If a proxy is issued by a legal entity, a copy of the legal entity’s registration certificate or similar document evidencing signatory powers must be enclosed. Proxy forms in Swedish and English are available for download on the Company’s website, www.karolinskadevelopment.com.

    Nominee registered shares

    For shareholders who have their shares nominee-registered through a bank or other nominee, the following applies in order to be entitled to participate in the meeting. In addition to giving notice of participation, such shareholder must re-register its shares in its own name so that the shareholder is registered in the share register kept by Euroclear Sweden AB as of the record date Wednesday May 7, 2025. Such re-registration may be temporary (so-called voting rights registration). Shareholders who wish to register their shares in their own names must, in accordance with the respective nominee’s routines, request that the nominee make such registration. Voting rights registration that have been requested by the shareholder at such time that the registration has been completed by the nominee no later than Friday May 9, 2025, will be taken into account in the preparation of the share register.

    Proposal for agenda

    1.    Election of chairman of the meeting
    2.    Preparation and approval of the voting list
    3.    Approval of the agenda
    4.    Election of one or two persons to verify the minutes
    5.    Determination of whether the meeting was duly convened
    6.    Presentation of the annual report and the auditor’s report and the group annual report and the auditor’s group report
    7.    Resolutions regarding
    a)   adoption of the profit and loss statement and the balance sheet, and consolidated profit and loss statement and consolidated balance sheet
    b)   appropriation of the Company’s result according to the adopted balance sheet
    c)   discharge from liability for the directors and the CEO
    8.    Resolution regarding the number of directors and auditors and deputy auditors to be appointed
    9.    Resolution in respect of the fees for the Board of Directors and for the auditors
    10.    Election of chairman of the Board of Directors, directors and auditors and deputy auditors
    11.    Principles for appointing members and instruction for the Nomination Committee
    12.    Resolution on approval of the Board of Directors’ Remuneration Report 2024
    13.    The Board of Directors’ proposal regarding authorization for the Board of Directors to resolve on transfer of own shares
    14.    The Board of Directors’ proposal regarding authorization for the Board of Directors to resolve on new issues of shares
    15.    Closing of the meeting

    Items 1 and 8–11: The Nomination Committee’s proposal regarding chairman at the meeting; number of directors, auditors and deputy auditors to be appointed; fees for the Board of Directors and auditors; election of chairman of the Board of Directors, directors, auditors and deputy auditors and principles for appointing members and instruction for the Nomination Committee

    The Nomination Committee has consisted of Yan Cheng (chairman), appointed by Worldwide International Investments Ltd; Jack Li, appointed by invoX Pharma Ltd; Jan Dworsky, appointed by Swedbank Robur Microcap fond; Hans Wigzell, appointed by Insamlingsstiftelsen för främjande och utveckling av medicinsk forskning vid KI; Peter Markborn, appointed by Styviken Invest AS.

    The Nomination Committee proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves as follows:

    Lawyer Annika Andersson (Cirio Law Firm) is appointed to chair the Annual General Meeting.

    The number of directors will be five and no deputies will be appointed.

    The number of auditors will be one and no deputy auditor will be appointed.

    The chairman will be paid a fixed amount of SEK 400,000 to be paid out in proportion to board meetings attended. All other directors will be paid a fixed amount of SEK 200,000 to be paid out in proportion to board meetings attended. The fees to the directors remain unchanged compared to previous year.

    The auditors will be paid as per invoice.  

    Re-election of the directors Ben Toogood, Anna Lefevre Skjöldebrand, Philip Duong and Will Zeng, and election of Anders Härfstrand as director for the time until the end of the 2026 Annual General Meeting.

    Re-election of Ben Toogood as new Chairman of the Board of Directors.

    Anders Härfstrand was born 1956. He holds a M.D and Ph.D from the Karolinska Institute. His other appointments include work as founder of Härfstrand Consulting AG, Switzerland, co- founder of P4BIOS, USA and consultant to CIS Biopharma, Switzerland. Anders Härfstrand has many years of experience from the pharmaceutical industry with a global track record of success in building commercial operations, marketing and sales management, and product development. His previous assignments include member of the executive management of Pharmacia, Pfizer-Japan and Serono, CEO for various European biotech companies as well as chairman of the board and board member of public and private companies in the USA and Europe. He has also been a former board member of Karolinska Development. Anders Härfstrand holds no shares in Karolinska Development. He is independent in relation to the Company, its executive management and the Company’s major shareholders.

    The composition of the Board of Directors meets the independence requirement of the Swedish Corporate Governance Code.

    The Nomination Committee proposes that voting shall take place individually.

    Re-election of Ernst & Young Aktiebolag as auditor in accordance with the audit committee’s recommendation, currently with Oskar Wall as auditor in charge, for the time until the end of the 2026 Annual General Meeting. The audit committee has prior to the 2025 Annual General Meeting carried out a procurement process as procurement of audit in accordance with applicable legislation shall take place after the same accounting firm has been auditor for a ten-year period.  

    The Nomination Committee shall have five members. Every year, the five largest owners (voting power, as set forth in the share register kept by Euroclear Sweden AB as of the last banking day in August) shall appoint one member each. The chairman of the Board of Directors shall convene the first meeting. If a shareholder does not exercise its right to appoint a member, the shareholder next in order of voting power, who has not already appointed a member or has a right to appoint a member, shall have the right to appoint a member to the Nominating Committee. The members of the Nomination Committee shall be made public as soon as the members have been appointed, and in no case later than six months prior to the Annual General Meeting. The members shall among themselves appoint the chairman of the committee. If a member resigns or is prevented from pursuing his/her assignment, the shareholder that has appointed such member shall appoint a new member. In the event that the shareholding in the Company is materially changed, before the Nomination Committee has completed its assignment, the Nomination Committee may decide to change the composition of the Nomination Committee, as determined by the Nomination Committee (considering the principles applicable for the appointment of the Nomination Committee). Any change in the composition of the Nomination Committee shall be announced as soon as possible. No fees shall be paid to the members of the Nomination Committee. Out of pocket expenses shall be reimbursed by the Company. The mandate of the committee shall be until the members of the succeeding committee have been announced.

    The Nomination Committee is to make proposals to the Annual General Meeting regarding the election of Chair of the Annual General Meeting, number of board members, Chair of the Board and other board members and remuneration to the board members. The Nomination Committee is also to make proposals regarding the Company’s auditor, remuneration to the Company’s auditor and election of members of the Nomination Committee or principles for the selection of a Nomination Committee. The Nomination Committee shall conduct an annual evaluation of this instruction and when necessary propose to amend it to the Annual General Meeting. The Nomination Committee shall otherwise carry out the tasks that, according to the Swedish Corporate Governance Code, are the responsibility of the Nomination Committee.

    Item 7 b: Appropriation of the Company’s result according to the adopted balance sheet

    The Board of Directors and the CEO propose that the amount at disposal of the Annual General Meeting, in total SEK 1,235,972,877, shall be carried forward.

    Item 12: Resolution on approval of the Board of Directors’ Remuneration Report 2024

    The Board of Directors proposes that the AGM approve the Board of Directors’ remuneration report for 2024 in accordance with Chapter 8, Section 53 a of the Swedish Companies Act.

    Item 13: The Board of Directors’ proposal regarding authorization for the Board of Directors to resolve on transfer of own shares

    The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to authorize the Board of Directors, for the period until the next Annual General Meeting, on one or more occasions, with or without deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights, to resolve on transfer of all shares of series B held by the Company at any given time. The Company holds 244,285 shares of series B at the time of the publication of this notice. Transfer may take place on Nasdaq Stockholm or otherwise. Transfer on Nasdaq Stockholm shall be made at a price per share within the registered price interval at any given time, being the interval between the highest bid and lowest ask price. Otherwise, transfer shall be made on market terms. Payment for shares shall be made in cash, in kind or by set-off.

    The purpose of the authorization for transferring own shares and the reasons for potential deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights, is to give the Board of Directors the possibility to adjust the Company’s capital structure, to use repurchased shares as payment for, or financing of, acquisitions or investments in order to create increased value for the shareholders.

    A resolution in accordance with the Board of Directors’ proposal requires support from shareholders with not less than 2/3 of votes cast as well as shares represented at the meeting.

    Item 14: The Board of Directors’ proposal regarding authorization for the Board of Directors to resolve on new issues of shares

    The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to authorize the Board of Directors, for the period until the next Annual General Meeting to resolve, on one or more occasions, with or without deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights, and for payment in cash, by set-off or in kind, to issue new shares of series B up to a number that, at the time of the first resolution under this authorization, corresponds to twenty (20) per cent of the total share capital; provided however that any such issue must not result in the Company’s share capital exceeding the Company’s maximum allowed share capital as set out in the articles of association.

    A resolution in accordance with the Board of Directors’ proposal requires support from shareholders with not less than 2/3 of votes cast as well as shares represented at the meeting.

    Miscellaneous

    The annual report, auditor’s report, remuneration report and other documents that are to be made available in accordance with the Swedish Companies Act, are available at the Company on Nanna Svartz väg 2, 171 65, Solna, Sweden and at the Company’s website, www.karolinskadevelopment.com, no later than three weeks before the AGM, and will be sent to shareholders who so request and provide their postal address.

    The Board of Directors and the CEO shall, if requested by any shareholder and if the Board of Directors is of the opinion that it can be done without causing material harm to the Company, provide disclosures about conditions that may impact assessment of an item of business on the agenda, about conditions that may impact assessment of the Company’s or a subsidiary’s financial situation, and about the Company’s relationship with another group company.

    As per the date of this notice, there are 270,077,594 shares, representing a total of 293,074,943 votes outstanding in the Company, distributed among 2,555,261 shares of series A (with 25,552,610 votes) and 267,522,333 shares of series B (with 267,522,333 votes). As per the date of this notice, the Company holds 244,285 treasury shares of series B.

    Processing of personal data

    For information on how your personal data is processed in connection to the Annual General Meeting see the privacy policy available on Euroclear Sweden AB’s website: https://www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Privacy-notice-bolagsstammor-engelska.pdf

    Solna in April 2025
    Karolinska Development AB (publ)
    The Board of Directors

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Carronade Capital Files Preliminary Proxy Statement for Cannae Holdings 2025 Annual Meeting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Underscores Critical Need to Establish Accountability and Independence on the Board

    Outlines Attributes of Carronade’s Four Independent and Highly Qualified Director Nominees and Why They Are Best-Suited to Create Value

    DARIEN, Conn., April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Carronade Capital Master, LP (together with its affiliates, “Carronade Capital”, “our” or “we”), which beneficially owns approximately 3.1 million shares of Common Stock of Cannae Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNNE) (“Cannae” or the “Company”) and is one of the Company’s top five shareholders, today filed a preliminary proxy statement in connection with its nomination of four independent and highly qualified candidates for election to the Cannae Board of Directors (the “Board”) at the upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2025 Annual Meeting”).

    Carronade also commented on Cannae’s recent announcements:

    “Cannae’s recent actions following our engagement are too little, too late, and do not go nearly far enough to rectify chronic underperformance, egregious corporate governance, and in our view, unfair benefits and severance payouts granted to Bill Foley with the blessing of his handpicked and intertwined Board. Promising to return a portion of shareholder funds to their rightful owners over an undetermined period of time and transitioning to annual director elections over a multi-year period are woefully insufficient to rectify the serious issues that we believe are plaguing Cannae under the oversight (or lack thereof) of such an entrenched, crony Board. Notably, the Board outrageously bettered Foley’s already offensive exit package amidst settlement discussions, guaranteeing him a cash buyout for half his shares at a premium to market if he resigns for “good reason”, including if any director not supported by Foley is elected to the Board. Cannae shareholders deserve better.

    “We believe Cannae’s recent statements about its future plans are insufficient to unlock the value of the portfolio and eliminate the ongoing, significant discount to NAV. Cannae’s previous attempts to close the discount to NAV have failed because we believe the market lacks confidence that this beholden Board will safeguard shareholder assets instead of further enriching management and themselves. The Board’s continuing conduct is clear evidence that new, truly independent directors such as Carronade’s nominees are needed to address the many deficiencies on display and re-direct Cannae toward meaningful change, enabling value creation for all shareholders.”

    Carronade has nominated four highly qualified candidates – Mona Aboelnaga, Benjamin Duster, Dennis Prieto and Cherie Schaible – each of whom possess the specific expertise and knowhow to pursue achievable value creative initiatives, which we believe will facilitate Cannae’s strategic transformation, turn around Cannae’s chronic underperformance, and drive shareholder value. Importantly, all of Carronade’s nominees are truly independent and will bring a renewed sense of shareholder accountability to Cannae’s board, working not for Mr. Foley, but instead for the true owners of Cannae – the shareholders.

    If elected, we believe Carronade’s nominees will be instrumental in unlocking substantial value for shareholders and restoring shareholder confidence through several value creation initiatives, including:

    • Committing to a certain and timely return of meaningfully more capital to shareholders through spin outs or substantial buybacks and providing a clear investment narrative to shareholders;
    • Refreshing the leadership of the Affiliate Transaction Committee and the Nomination and Governance Committee with the four new nominees, and creating a Value Maximization committee tasked with the formulation and oversight of successful execution of a plan designed to improve shareholder returns; and
    • Implementing a corporate overhead cost reduction program and converting the Trasimene Capital Management termination fee into performance-based, vesting stock compensation.

    Carronade looks forward to engaging with shareholders and expects the 2025 Annual Meeting to occur around mid-June 2025 consistent with prior meetings. Shareholders do not need to take any action at this time.

    About Carronade Capital
    Carronade Capital is a multi-strategy investment firm based in Connecticut with over $2.2 billion in assets under management that focuses on process driven investments in catalyst-rich situations. Carronade Capital was founded in 2019 by industry veteran Dan Gropper and is based in Darien, Connecticut. The Funds managed by Carronade Capital were launched on July 1, 2020, and the firm employs 15 team members. Dan Gropper brings with him nearly three decades of special situations credit experience serving in senior roles at distinguished investment firms, including Elliott Management Corporation, Fortress Investment Group and Aurelius Capital Management, LP.

    Media Contact:
    Paul Caminiti / Jacqueline Zuhse
    Reevemark
    (212) 433-4600
    Carronade@reevemark.com

    Investor Contact:
    Andy Taylor / Win Rollins
    Carronade Capital Management, LP
    (203) 485-0880
    ir@carronade.com

    Pat McHugh
    Okapi Partners LLC
    (212) 297-0720
    info@okapipartners.com

    Disclaimers

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein in any state to any person. This press release does not recommend the purchase or sale of a security. There is no assurance or guarantee with respect to the prices at which any securities of Cannae Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) will trade, and such securities may not trade at prices that may be implied herein. In addition, this press release and the discussions and opinions herein are for general information only, and are not intended to provide financial, legal or investment advice. Each shareholder of the Company should independently evaluate the proxy materials and make a decision that aligns with their own financial interests, consulting with their own advisers, as necessary.

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may include projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to future financial results, events, operations, services, product development and potential, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “plans”, “will be” and similar expressions. Although Carronade Capital and its affiliates believe that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties—many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the control of Carronade or the Company—that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. In addition, the foregoing considerations and any other publicly stated risks and uncertainties should be read in conjunction with the risks and cautionary statements discussed or identified in the Company’s public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including those listed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q . The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and, other than as required by applicable law, Carronade does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements. Certain information included in this press release is based on data obtained from sources considered to be reliable. Any analyses provided herein is intended to assist the reader in evaluating the matters described herein and may be based on subjective assessments and assumptions and may use one among alternative methodologies that produce different results. Accordingly, any analyses should not be viewed as factual and should not be relied upon as an accurate prediction of future results. All figures are estimates and, unless required by law, are subject to revision without notice.

    Certain of the funds(s) and/or account(s) (“Accounts”) managed by Carronade Capital Management, LP (“Carronade Capital Management”) currently beneficially own shares of the Company. Carronade Capital Management in the business of trading (i.e., buying and selling) securities and intends to continue trading in the securities of the Company. You should assume the Accounts will from time to time sell all or a portion of its holdings of the Company in open market transactions or otherwise, buy additional shares (in open market or privately negotiated transactions or otherwise), or trade in options, puts, calls, swaps or other derivative instruments relating to such shares. Consequently, Carronade Capital Management’s beneficial ownership of shares of, and/or economic interest in, the Company may vary over time depending on various factors, with or without regard to Carronade Capital Management’s views of the Company’s business, prospects, or valuation (including the market price of the Company’s shares), including, without limitation, other investment opportunities available to Carronade Capital Management, concentration of positions in the portfolios managed by Carronade Capital Management, conditions in the securities markets, and general economic and industry conditions. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event of a change in the Company’s share price on or following the date hereof, Carronade Capital Management may buy additional shares or sell all or a portion of its Account’s holdings of the Company (including, in each case, by trading in options, puts, calls, swaps, or other derivative instruments relating to the Company’s shares). Carronade Capital Management also reserves the right to change the opinions expressed herein and its intentions with respect to its investment in the Company, and to take any actions with respect to its investment in the Company as it may deem appropriate, and disclaims any obligation to notify the market or any other party of any such changes or actions, except as required by law.

    Certain Information Concerning the Participants

    Carronade Capital Master, LP, together with the other participants named herein (collectively, “Carronade Capital”), has filed a preliminary proxy statement and accompanying GOLD proxy card with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to be used to solicit votes for the election of Carronade Capital’s highly-qualified director nominees at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders of the Company.

    CARRONADE CAPITAL STRONGLY ADVISES ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER PROXY MATERIALS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH PROXY MATERIALS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC’S WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. IN ADDITION, THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROXY SOLICITATION WILL PROVIDE COPIES OF THE PROXY STATEMENT WITHOUT CHARGE, WHEN AVAILABLE, UPON REQUEST. REQUESTS FOR COPIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE PARTICIPANTS’ PROXY SOLICITOR.

    The participants in the proxy solicitation are anticipated to be Carronade Capital Master, LP (“Carronade”), Carronade Capital GP, LLC (“Carronade GP”), Carronade Capital Management, Carronade Capital Management GP, LLC (“Carronade Management GP”), Dan Gropper, Mona Aboelnaga, Benjamin C. Duster, IV, Dennis A. Prieto and Chérie L. Schaible.

    As of the date hereof, Carronade beneficially owns directly 2,874,116 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”). Carronade GP, as the general partner of Carronade, may be deemed the beneficial owner of the 2,874,116 shares of Common Stock owned by Carronade. As of the date hereof, 176,809 shares of Common Stock were held in a certain account managed by Carronade Capital Management (the “Managed Account”). Carronade Capital Management, as the investment manager of Carronade, may be deemed the beneficial owner of an aggregate of 3,050,925 shares of Common Stock directly owned by Carronade and held in the Managed Account. Carronade Management GP, as the general partner of Carronade Capital Management, may be deemed the beneficial owner of an aggregate of 3,050,925 shares of Common Stock directly owned by Carronade and held in the Managed Account. As the Managing Member of Carronade Management GP, Mr. Gropper may be deemed the beneficial owner of an aggregate of 3,050,925 shares of Common Stock directly owned by Carronade and held in the Managed Account. As of the date hereof, Ms. Aboelnaga directly beneficially owns 1,400 shares of Common Stock. As of the date hereof, Mr. Duster directly beneficially owns 1,338.329 shares of Common Stock. As of the date hereof, Mr. Prieto directly beneficially owns 820 shares of Common Stock. As of the date hereof, Ms. Schaible directly beneficially owns 1,360 shares of Common Stock.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: LPL Financial Announces Strategic Relationship with First Horizon Bank

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) today announced an agreement with First Horizon Bank, the banking subsidiary of First Horizon Corporation (NYSE: FHN), to expand their wealth management capabilities and solutions by transitioning support of the broker-dealer and investment advisory services of First Horizon Advisors, Inc., to LPL and its Institution Services platform.

    First Horizon Advisors, Inc., is a subsidiary of First Horizon Bank and consists of approximately 110 financial advisors who collectively serve approximately $16 billion* of client assets across the company’s 12-state footprint. The financial advisors with First Horizon Advisors, Inc., will continue to work one-on-one with their clients to implement investment strategies that help them pursue their financial goals.

    “LPL’s industry-leading capabilities and operational support will allow us to expand our offering and concentrate our talent, resources and capital on driving continued growth and outstanding client experiences,” said Martin de Laureal, president at First Horizon Advisors, Inc. “This relationship will further empower our advisors to provide exceptional advice and distinguish themselves in the marketplace.”

    “Through their community-minded commitment to excellence, First Horizon Advisors delivers well-respected and comprehensive financial advice to their clients,” said Christopher Cassidy, SVP, head of Institution Business Development at LPL Financial. “LPL will further enhance the competitive advantage of First Horizon Advisors by delivering seamless experiences and customized support while powering the future of advice through one unified vision.”

    The transition is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025, subject to receipt of regulatory approval and other conditions. 

    About First Horizon
    First Horizon Corporation (NYSE: FHN), with $82.2 billion in assets as of December 31, 2024, is a leading regional financial services company, dedicated to helping our clients, communities and associates unlock their full potential with capital and counsel. Headquartered in Memphis, TN, the banking subsidiary First Horizon Bank operates in 12 states across the southern U.S. The Company and its subsidiaries offer commercial, private banking, consumer, small business, wealth and trust management, retail brokerage, capital markets, fixed income, and mortgage banking services. First Horizon has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by Fortune and Forbes magazines and a Top 10 Most Reputable U.S. Bank. More information is available at www.FirstHorizon.com. 

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

    Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial LLC (“LPL Financial”), a registered investment advisor and broker dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. First Horizon Bank, First Horizon Corp., First Horizon Advisors, Inc., and LPL Financial are separate entities.

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

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

    *Estimated as of April 4, 2025

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain of the statements included in this release, such as those regarding the completion of the strategic relationship agreement; the expected transition of assets associated therewith; and the benefits anticipated therefrom, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “assumes,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “should,” “will,” “shall” or variations of such words are generally part of forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects upon First Horizon, LPL or both. In particular, no assurance can be provided that the assets reported as serviced by financial advisors affiliated with First Horizon will translate into assets serviced by LPL, that advisors affiliated with First Horizon will transition registration to LPL or that the benefits that are expected to accrue to First Horizon, LPL and First Horizon-affiliated advisors as a result of the strategic relationship agreement will materialize. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, including economic, legislative, regulatory, competitive and other factors, and there are certain important factors that could cause actual results or the timing of events to differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include: the failure of the parties to satisfy the closing conditions applicable to the strategic relationship agreement, including receiving regulatory approval, in a timely manner or at all; difficulties or delays in transitioning advisors affiliated with First Horizon, or in onboarding First Horizon’s clients and businesses or transitioning their assets from First Horizon’s current third-party custodian, to LPL; the inability of LPL to sustain revenue and earnings growth or to fully realize revenue or expense synergies or the other expected benefits of the transaction, which depend in part on LPL’s success in onboarding assets currently served by First Horizon’s advisors; disruptions to First Horizon’s or LPL’s businesses due to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors making it more difficult to maintain relationships with financial advisors and clients, employees, other business partners or governmental entities; the inability of LPL or First Horizon to implement onboarding plans; the choice by clients of First Horizon-affiliated advisors not to open brokerage and/or advisory accounts at LPL; changes in general economic and financial market conditions, including retail investor sentiment; fluctuations in the value of assets under custody; and the effects of competition in the financial services industry, including competitors’ success in recruiting First Horizon-affiliated advisors. Certain additional important factors that could cause actual results or the timing of events to differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements can be found in the “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section included in LPL’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. Except as required by law, LPL does not undertake to update any particular forward-looking statement included in this document as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release. 

    Contacts

    LPL Media Relations
    media.relations@lplfinancial.com

    LPL Investor Relations
    investor.relations@lplfinancial.com

    Tracking #716697

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Zero Hash Further Enhances its Leading Position as the Crypto-as-a-service provider for Brokerage Firms

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zero Hash, the leading infrastructure for stablecoins and crypto, today announced that it is one of the first in the industry to complete an independent assessment of its infrastructure against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Regulation Systems Compliance and Integrity (“Reg SCI”) requirements. While not subject to Reg SCI, Zero Hash has taken the effort to voluntarily confirm that its systems exceed the most stringent capacity, integrity, security, resiliency, and infrastructure standards in financial markets.

    This milestone reinforces Zero Hash’s unrivaled position as the go-to infrastructure provider for the explosion of digital assets adoption among broker-dealers, asset managers, and financial institutions globally. Zero Hash powers many of the leading brokerage and neo-banks including Interactive Brokers, tastytrade, Current and MoneyLion. The rigorous third-party assessment was conducted by Schellman Compliance LLC, which verified that Zero Hash exceeds Reg SCI’s high standards and maintains industry-leading, robust, secure, and resilient systems.

    “Although Zero Hash does not deal in securities, many of our customers are overseen by the SEC. This assessment further demonstrates what sets us apart – our unwavering commitment to providing the most comprehensive, scalable, and secure solutions for our customers and end users,” said Scott Minneman, Chief Information Security Officer at Zero Hash. “We are powering the future of finance. Having Reg SCI verification further secures our position as the partner of choice for the world’s largest financial institutions embracing digital assets.”

    About Zero Hash
    Zero Hash is the leading crypto and stablecoin infrastructure provider that seamlessly connects fiat, crypto, and stablecoins in one platform, enabling a better way to move and transfer money and value globally.

    Through its embeddable infrastructure, start-ups, enterprises, and Fortune 500 companies build a diverse range of use cases, including cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization, wallets, and on/off-ramps.

    Zero Hash Holdings is backed by investors, including Point72 Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and NYCA.

    Zero Hash Trust Company LLC will be established in North Carolina and hold a non-depository trust charter issued by the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks.

    Zero Hash LLC is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business and a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in 51 U.S. jurisdictions. Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC are licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. In Canada, Zero Hash LLC is registered as a Money Service Business with FINTRAC.

    Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is registered with AUSTRAC as a Digital Currency Exchange Provider, with DCE registered provider number DCE100804170-001. Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is registered on the New Zealand register of financial service providers, with Financial Service Provider (FSP) number FSP1004503. Zero Hash Europe B.V. is registered as a Virtual Asset Services Provider (VASP) by the Dutch Central Bank (Relation number: R193684). Zero Hash Europe Sp. Zoo is registered as a VASP by the Tax Administration Chamber of Poland in Katowice (Registration number RDWW – 1212).

    Media Contacts
    Zero Hash
    Shaun O’Keeffe
    (855) 744-7333
    media@zerohash.com 

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: SUNDAY SHOWS: President Trump’s Bold Vision for Economic Prosperity

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    This morning, officials from the Trump Administration took to the networks to outline President Donald J. Trump’s reciprocal trade plan as he ends the globalist policies of economic destruction that have shipped American jobs and industries overseas at the expense of American workers.
    Here’s what you missed:
    Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent on Meet the Press
    On tariffs during President Trump’s first term: “A 20% tariff on China led to a 0.7% price level increase over four years. I think that’s pretty good — if we can take in 20% in tariffs and it’s a 0.7% increase … Households saw real net wages go up, so if wages go up faster than prices — which is not what happened over the past four years.”
    On making goods in America: “We saw during COVID that [our] supply chains are not resilient … President Trump has decided that we cannot be at risk like that for our crucial medicines, for our semiconductors, for shipping.”
    Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Face the Nation
    On trade as an issue of national security: “We don’t make medicine in this country anymore. We don’t make ships. We don’t have enough steel and aluminum to fight a battle … We got to stop having all the countries of the world ripping us off.”
    On trade imbalances: “In 1980, we were a net investor, meaning we owned more of the rest of the world than they owned of us — and now, they own $18 trillion of us, net … Eventually, we’re not going to own America and we are going to be owned by the rest of the world.”
    National Economic Director Kevin Hassett on This Week
    On so-called free trade: “China entered the WTO in 2000. In the 15 years that followed, real incomes declined about $1,200 cumulatively over that time … We got the cheap goods at the grocery store, but then we had fewer jobs.”
    Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on State of the Union
    On using tariffs to level the playing field: “This whole concept is about rebuilding an American economy around American goods, around American industry … Mexico won’t take our corn. Australia won’t take our beef … It is time for a change.”
    On the EU’s refusal to take American ag exports: “They are using fake science and unsubstantiated claims to not take our products … We produce the safest, the most secure, the best food in the world.”
    On the agricultural trade deficit: “In the last four years, the cost of inputs for our farmers went up 30%. In the last four years, we had an agricultural export deficit that increased from zero when President Trump left to $49 billion.”
    Attorney General Pam Bondi on Fox News Sunday
    On lawfare: “Just since January 20th, we’ve had over 170 lawsuits filed against us. That should be the constitutional crisis right there — 50 injunctions … trying to control his executive power.”
    Senior Counselor Peter Navarro on Sunday Morning Futures
    On the need for tariffs: “It’s all these things that these foreign countries do that are designed, explicitly, to cheat us, and are sanctioned by the WTO. So, President Trump says, ‘No more’ … We’re headed towards a strong America that makes things again.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 2025 National Multicultural Festival dates announced

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The three-day event is one of the most loved community events on the ACT calendar.

    Mark your calendars – the 2025 National Multicultural Festival will be held from 7 to 9 February 2025.

    Australia’s largest celebration of cultural diversity, the three-day event is one of the most loved community events on the ACT calendar.

    As with previous years, the festival will bring together numerous multicultural communities who share culture, history and heritage through food, art, song and dance.

    The dates were locked in by Minister for Multicultural Affairs Mick Gentleman this morning.

    You can expect a host of talented performers across the weekend, workshops and mouthwatering food stalls. And for those who wish to take part, applications for performers and stallholders will open soon.

    A favourite among locals and visitors alike, the festival provides a significant boost to the Territory’s economy.

    The attendance for the 2024 festival was the highest ever, with a total attendance of 417,359 people across the weekend, up from 380,563 in 2023.

    It also brings many people to Canberra. This year, 19,181 people visited the ACT, equating to 33,940 visitor nights and a total economic benefit of $21.2 million.

    The full program and timetable will be released closer to the date.

    Applications for showcase performance leaders for next year’s festival will open soon.


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    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: More funding for ACT community organisations

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Additional funding will help community organisations to continue assisting Canberrans.

    A new ACT Government funding package will give a one-off financial boost to non-government health sector organisations.

    This will help community organisations that face financial pressures. These may be because of increased costs or service demand.

    The extra funding will support these organisations to deliver vital services over the next year.

    Organisations receiving funding include:

    • Arthritis ACT
    • Asthma ACT
    • Australian Breastfeeding organisation
    • Capital Region Cancer Relief
    • Companion House
    • Diabetes Australia
    • Directions Health Care
    • Epilepsy ACT
    • Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation
    • Haemophilia Foundation
    • Interchange Health Co-op
    • KidSafe ACT
    • MSI Australia
    • Palliative Care ACT
    • RSI Overuse Foundation
    • Women’s Health Matters.

    Community Assistance and Temporary Supports program

    This package also includes more funding for the Community Assistance and Temporary Supports (CATS) program.

    The program provides support for people experiencing difficulties with daily living. These could be due to a short-term health issue, illness or injury.

    Organisations included in funding for CATS include:

    • ADACAS
    • Anglicare
    • Capital Region Community Services
    • Carers ACT
    • Community Services #1
    • Life without Barriers
    • Northside Community Services.

    Chifley Health and Wellbeing Centre

    More funding will help ensure gym services to continue at the Chifley Health and Wellbeing Centre.

    The gym closed in April 2024. Since then, the government has worked to find a new service provider to ensure this valued service can continue.

    The government is speaking with the preferred providers and expects to announce a new service provider soon.

    With this funding, the new provider will be able to re-establish the service as quickly as possible.

    The ACT Government will continue to engage with the wider sector on the findings of previous reports and recommendations.

    It continues to seek better understanding of community needs, the costs involved in delivering services to the community, and the cost pressures non-government organisations face in the ACT.


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    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EBA publishes its Peer Review on the performance of stress tests by Deposit Guarantee Schemes

    Source: European Banking Authority

    The European Banking Authority (EBA) today released the findings of its latest Peer Review on the performance of stress tests by deposit guarantee schemes (DGSs) across the European Union. This comprehensive review assessed how seven national DGSs performed stress tests against benchmarks developed for the purposes of this Peer Review. The benchmarks derive from the Deposit Guarantee Schemes Directive (DGSD) and the Revised EBA Guidelines on stress tests of deposit guarantee schemes. Stress tests of DGSs are essential for maintaining financial stability and protecting EU citizens. By rigorously assessing the performance of DGS stress tests, the EBA aims to continuously enhance the preparedness of DGS to handle bank failures and safeguard depositors’ funds. 

    The review found that all seven DGSs have effectively developed their stress testing programmes in line with the guidelines, with only minor shortcomings. All seven DGSs have also demonstrated effective cooperation with relevant authorities, with robust stress testing of these arrangements.  

    However, only five of the seven DGS could fully or largely demonstrate that they have: 

    • performed all the mandatory core stress tests, using realistic assumptions and conducting objective evaluations; 

    • increased severity and complexity of their testing scenarios to adequately stress test their ability to intervene; and 

    The Report outlines follow-up measures addressed to all EU DGSs in areas such as the prompt development of stress tests, performance of stress tests, cooperation, severity and complexity of stress tests, and identification of areas for improvement. 

    In addition to the detailed review of the seven DGSs, the Report presents an overview of the 194 stress tests conducted by all DGSs in the EU, Norway, and Liechtenstein during the 2021-2024 period.  

    ​Legal basis and next steps 

    In accordance with Article 4 of the Deposit Guarantee Schemes Directive1, based on the results of the stress tests, the EBA shall, at least every five years, conduct peer reviews pursuant to Article 30 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 in order to examine the resilience of DGSs. Article 30 of the EBA Regulation requires the EBA to periodically conduct peer reviews of some or all of the activities of competent authorities within its remit, to further strengthen consistency and effectiveness in supervisory outcomes. 

    The EBA will conduct a follow-up peer review of the implementation of the measures included in the Report in two years, ensuring that the findings and recommendations are effectively addressed. 

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Karin Keller-Sutter to attend meeting of EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Finance

    On 11 April 2025, Karin Keller-Sutter, President of the Swiss Confederation, will attend the informal meeting of the EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) in Warsaw. The purpose of the meeting is to promote European exchanges on international financial and tax issues.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI: LIS Technologies Inc. to Attend the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle 2025 Conference with Co-Founder and CEO Christo Liebenberg Scheduled to Present

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oak Ridge, Tennessee, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LIS Technologies Inc. (“LIST” or “the Company”), a proprietary developer of advanced laser technology and the only USA-origin and patented laser uranium enrichment company, today announced that its Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Christo Liebenberg will be in attendance and is scheduled to participate in a Panel Discussion at the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle (WNFC) 2025 conference, held in Montreal, Canada on April 8-10th, 2025

    The panel titled, “Enriching the future: opportunities and challenges” will be held on Wednesday, April 9th from 14:00-15:15. Other panelist include representatives from Constellation Energy, Orano USA, Centrus Energy Corp. and Urenco.

    Jointly organized by the World Nuclear Association and the Nuclear Energy Institute, World Nuclear Fuel Cycle (WNFC) is a top-level international forum co-organized by the Nuclear Energy Institute and World Nuclear Association. The conference offers a timely opportunity for attendees to gain insights into critical developments affecting the commercial nuclear fuel cycle and the evolving dynamics of the fuel marketplace.

    Figure 1 – LIS Technologies Inc. Co-Founder and CEO Christo Liebenberg to Participate in Panel Discussion at the Upcoming World Nuclear Fuel Cycle 2025 Conference.

    “This international forum will feature leading companies and executives with real-world understanding of the intricacies of the fuel cycle,” said Christo Liebenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of LIS Technologies Inc. “I expect the panel to prove to be a fundamental occasion to share key insights into the industry and the delve into the opportunities, both current and upcoming, present in the United States and abroad. I look forward to an exciting and informative event that will help shape the future of this industry in the years to come.”

    “The fuel cycle is vital to the nuclear energy sector, and this event is undoubtedly one of the year’s key milestones,” said Jay Yu, Executive Chairman and President of LIS Technologies Inc. “We are proud to be the only U.S. origin, patented and independently verified Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 laser uranium enrichment technology company to be represented at WNFC 2025. Our cutting-edge approach represents a significant advancement in enrichment capabilities and holds the potential to reshape the global industry and guide the future of nuclear energy.”

    About LIS Technologies Inc.

    LIS Technologies Inc. (LIST) is a USA based, proprietary developer of a patented advanced laser technology, making use of infrared lasers to selectively excite the molecules of desired isotopes to separate them from other isotopes. The Laser Isotope Separation Technology (L.I.S.T) has a huge range of applications, including being the only USA-origin (and patented) laser uranium enrichment company, and several major advantages over traditional methods such as gas diffusion, centrifuges, and prior art laser enrichment. The LIST proprietary laser-based process is more energy-efficient and has the potential to be deployed with highly competitive capital and operational costs. L.I.S.T is optimized for LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) for existing civilian nuclear power plants, High-Assay LEU (HALEU) for the next generation of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Microreactors, the production of stable isotopes for medical and scientific research, and applications in quantum computing manufacturing for semiconductor technologies. The Company employs a world class nuclear technical team working alongside leading nuclear entrepreneurs and industry professionals, possessing strong relationships with government and private nuclear industries.

    In 2024, LIS Technologies Inc. was selected as one of six domestic companies to participate in the Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Enrichment Acquisition Program. This initiative allocates up to $3.4 billion overall, with contracts lasting for up to 10 years. Each awardee is slated to receive a minimum contract of $2 million.

    For more information please visit: LaserIsTech.com

    For further information, please contact:
    Email: info@laseristech.com
    Telephone: 800-388-5492
    Follow us on X Platform
    Follow us on LinkedIn

    Forward Looking Statements

    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For LIS Technologies Inc., particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following which are, and will be, exacerbated by any worsening of global business and economic environment: (i) risks related to the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, development of competitive technology, loss of key individuals and uncertainty of success of patent filing, (ii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations and (iii) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to commercially deploy a competitive laser enrichment technology, (iv) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in this and our other filings with the SEC. Only after successful completion of our Phase 2 Pilot Plant demonstration will LIS Technologies be able to make realistic economic predictions for a Commercial Facility. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Banzai Announces $20.3 Million Debt Repayment Ahead of Schedule

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Fully Satisfies Outstanding Debt Obligations to Key Vendors and Delivers Material Benefit to Net Income and Shareholders’ Equity

    SEATTLE, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Banzai International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BNZI) (“Banzai” or the “Company”), a leading marketing technology company that provides essential marketing and sales solutions, today announced that it has paid off approximately $20.3 million of outstanding debt obligations in total through the first quarter of 2025.

    The Company completed the debt repayment pursuant to the $24.8 million debt payoff and restructuring agreements announced on September 24, 2024. This includes the complete satisfaction of debts owed to Sidley Austin LLP, Cooley LLP, GEM Global Yield LLC SCS, Alco Investment Company, Cantor Fitzgerald, Roth Capital Partners, LLC, and J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC, as well as repayments to Perkins Coie LLP and CP BF Lending, LLC.

    “We have executed on our previously announced debt reduction initiatives ahead of schedule to fully satisfy our outstanding obligations to several key vendors and creditors,” said Joe Davy, Founder and CEO of Banzai. “These debt repayments will deliver a material benefit to both net income and shareholders’ equity, reflecting our focus on shoring up the financial strength of the company. The improvement to our balance sheet, in tandem with our acquisition strategy and organic growth initiatives, positions Banzai for substantial fundamental growth in 2025.”

    About Banzai

    Banzai is a marketing technology company that provides AI-enabled marketing and sales solutions for businesses of all sizes. On a mission to help their customers grow, Banzai enables companies of all sizes to target, engage, and measure both new and existing customers more effectively. Customers who use Banzai’s product suite include Autodesk, Dell Technologies, New York Life, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Thinkific, and ActiveCampaign, among thousands of others. Learn more at www.banzai.io. For investors, please visit https://ir.banzai.io.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often use words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “target,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “propose,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “predict,” “potential,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” and similar variations and expressions. Forward-looking statements are those that do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Examples of forward-looking statements may include, among others, statements regarding Banzai International, Inc.’s (the “Company’s”): future financial, business and operating performance and goals; annualized recurring revenue and customer retention; ongoing, future or ability to maintain or improve its financial position, cash flows, and liquidity and its expected financial needs; potential financing and ability to obtain financing; acquisition strategy and proposed acquisitions and, if completed, their potential success and financial contributions; strategy and strategic goals, including being able to capitalize on opportunities; expectations relating to the Company’s industry, outlook and market trends; total addressable market and serviceable addressable market and related projections; plans, strategies and expectations for retaining existing or acquiring new customers, increasing revenue and executing growth initiatives; and product areas of focus and additional products that may be sold in the future. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity and development of the industry in which the Company operates may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Therefore, investors should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include changes in the markets in which the Company operates, customer demand, the financial markets, economic, business and regulatory and other factors, such as the Company’s ability to execute on its strategy. More detailed information about risk factors can be found in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the heading “Risk Factors,” and in other reports filed by the Company, including reports on Form 8-K. The Company does not undertake any duty to update forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.

    Investor Relations
    Chris Tyson
    Executive Vice President
    MZ Group – MZ North America
    949-491-8235
    BNZI@mzgroup.us
    www.mzgroup.us

    Media
    Rachel Meyrowitz
    Director, Demand Generation, Banzai
    media@banzai.io

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-Evening Report: Election Diary: Jim Chalmers highlights expectations of May interest rate cut – after the election

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Amid the chaos of the tariff crisis and the dark clouds internationally, there is a potential silver lining for Australian mortgage holders.

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Monday pointed out that the markets were expecting several cuts in Australia’s interest rates this year, including one next month. There has been one cut so far, in February.

    “Markets are now expecting around four interest rate cuts in Australia this calendar year”, Chalmers told a news conference. There was even a “more than 50% expectation in the markets that the next Reserve Bank interest rate cut in May might be as big as 50 basis points”.

    While saying he didn’t predict or pre-empt Reserve Bank decisions, Chalmers nevertheless highlighted what the markets are expecting.

    The next meeting of the Reserve Bank is on May 19-20, so a cut would be after the May 3 election.

    Chalmers said the “whole world” was trying to get their heads around the impacts of these “bad decisions” on tariffs.

    Releasing updated Treasury modelling of the impact, Chalmers said it expected big hits to American growth and to Chinese growth, as well as a spike in American inflation.

    “We expect more manageable impacts on the Australian economy but we still do expect Australian GDP to take a hit, and we expect there to be an impact on prices here as well”.

    Chalmers stressed the uncertainty around the modelling and about the economic impacts more generally. “Clearly, a series of decisions are still to be taken around the world when it comes to how countries may or may not retaliate to the decisions taken and announced by President Trump”.

    The Treasury modelling says: “The effects on the Australian economy are expected to be modest, however, some parts of the agriculture, energy, mining and durable manufacturing sectors will be more adversely affected than others”.

    “Australia’s real GDP is estimated to decline by 0.1 per cent and inflation to increase by 0.2 percentage points in 2025 relative to a baseline scenario with no tariffs. Over the medium-term Australia’s GDP is permanently lower; while the effect on inflation is temporary.

    “The direct effects of the United States tariff changes (from bilateral trade) are expected to be small.

    “Most of Australia’s exposure to US tariffs comes from reduced demand for Australian exports from major trading partners including China, Japan, South Korea, and India.

    “The indirect effects of US tariffs on Chinese demand accounts for almost 80 per cent of the total impact on Australian GDP.”

    Government to promise $1 billion for mental health, with emphasis on youth

    Returning to Labor’s core issue of health, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday will promise $1 billion for free mental health services that would fill gaps in the system.

    This includes

    • $225 million for 31 new and upgraded Medicare Mental Health Centres

    • More than $200 million for 58 new, upgraded or expanded headspace services

    • $500 million for 20 Youth Specialist Care Centres for young people with complex needs, and

    • $90 million for more than 1,200 training places for mental health professionals and peer workers.

    The government says the new network of Youth Specialist Care Centres would ensure young people in “the missing middle” received needed specialist help. It would mean those with complex mental health needs such as personality disorders, eating disorders and early psychosis would be able to ongoing and intensive care outside hospital.

    Dog day for Dutton

    Saying you got it wrong is never harder than in an election campaign. Peter Dutton bowed to the inevitable in dropping his plan to force Canberra public servants back into the office, but fronting the media for the mea culpa on Monday was painful.

    “I have apologised for the decision we took in relation to work from home,” he said. He added, with false optimism, “Labor’s run this scare campaign and I think we bring an end to that today.”

    It wasn’t the only pain of the day for the opposition leader, who needs – to borrow his own election slogan – to get his campaign “back on track”. The message from Newspoll, the poll many Liberals take most notice of, was bad. Labor had extended its lead in a week, from 51%-49% in two-party terms to 52%-48%. This is close to the result of the 2022 election, and can only alarm the Liberal campaigners.

    Some Liberals, disappointed with the Coalition campaign so far, are recalling John Howard’s mantra: you can’t fatten the pig on market day. “There’s not much evidence the work has been done,” one says.

    As of late Monday, Dutton had still not produced the modelling for his controversial gas reservation scheme, which has made it more difficult for candidates to explain the policy to voters.

    On another front, the Liberals have also failed to do their work properly in vetting candidates. They’ve had to disendorse their candidate for the Sydney Labor seat of Whitlam, Ben Britton.

    Previously Britton had said women should be removed from combat positions in the defence force. “Their hips are being destroyed because they can’t cope with the carrying of the heavy loads and the heavy impacts that’s required for doing combat-related jobs,” he said, among other comments attacking “diversity and equity quotas” for weakening Australia’s defence.

    In previous elections, parties have had to remove candidates after previous embarrassing comments have turned up. Surely the Liberals would have learned to be scrupulous in vetting. But in the New South Wales Liberal organisation, it seems to take a long time for the messages to get through.

    .

    Michelle Grattan 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. Election Diary: Jim Chalmers highlights expectations of May interest rate cut – after the election – https://theconversation.com/election-diary-jim-chalmers-highlights-expectations-of-may-interest-rate-cut-after-the-election-253733

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government to listen, learn and deliver as consultation on transformational welfare reforms begins

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Government to listen, learn and deliver as consultation on transformational welfare reforms begins

    Welfare reforms must be shaped by and for disabled people, the Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said today [Monday 07 April], as the official consultation on the government’s proposals begins.

    • Publication of all accessible versions set to trigger the start of official consultation into welfare reforms announced by Work and Pensions Secretary.
    • Disabled people and those with health conditions are encouraged to have their say so their views are at the heart of the new system.
    • Reforms will fix the broken welfare system by giving people genuine support to unlock work and boost living standards as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

    Welfare reforms must be shaped by and for disabled people, the Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said today [Monday 07 April], as the official consultation on the Government’s proposals begins.

    It comes as the government commits to the establishment of ‘collaboration committees’ to further develop the reforms, bringing together groups of people for specific work areas to provide discussion, challenge, and make recommendations. 

    Announced on Tuesday 18 March, the proposed reforms will ensure that sick and disabled people have the same opportunities to work as anyone else, and will unlock work, boost living standards, and help grow the economy as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

    They will also seek to overhaul the broken benefits system so it supports those who need it, while helping those who can work into jobs and delivering fairness to the taxpayer. 

    The Minister for Social Security and Disability is urging those likely to be affected by the changes – either individually or through disability charities and organisations – to have their say through the consultation, ensuring their views help shape the proposed changes.

    Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said:

    We inherited a broken welfare system, which incentivises ill-health, locks people out of work and isn’t fit for a future in which so many of us will face long-term health conditions.

    We want a system that genuinely works for disabled people and those with health conditions, as well as the country and the economy, and we want to hear their views and voices at the heart of the new system. 

    I encourage people to engage so they can have their say as we listen, learn and deliver support which will help millions into work, put welfare spending on a more sustainable path, and unlock growth as part of our Plan for Change.

    The 12-week consultation on reforms to health and disability support officially launches today with publication of all accessible versions of the Pathways to Work Green Paper. 

    The proposed reforms aim to support people into work, protect people who can never work and put the welfare system on a sustainable footing so that it can continue to support those in need now and into the future. One in three of us faces a long-term health condition, so we all need a system that can support us to stay in work or get back into work.

    The measures are the latest step in the government’s drive to build a modern welfare system that helps people get jobs rather than creating unnecessary barriers, with ministers’ proposed plans set to:

    • Provide more tailored employment support for those who can work, breaking down barriers to opportunity.
    • Simplify the system and reduce unnecessary assessments, cutting bureaucracy and making it easier to navigate.
    • Improve the way financial support is assessed and delivered, ensuring it reaches those who need it most and that people using the system have a better experience and are treated with dignity and respect.
    • Build a more flexible approach that recognises the diverse needs of disabled people and those with long-term health conditions.

    Without changes, it is forecast that the system could cost as much as £70 billion a year by the end of the decade and risk not being there for people when they need it in future.

    Issues open for consultation include:

    • Supporting people to thrive with the new support offer.
    • Supporting employers and making work more accessible.
    • Reforming the structure of the health and disability benefits system.

    These are part of the wider reforms that also include reintroducing reassessments for people on incapacity benefits who have the capability to work to ensure they have the right support and aren’t indefinitely written off, targeting Personal Independence Payments for those with higher needs, and rebalancing payment levels in Universal Credit.

    Additional Information:

    • For more information and to have your say, please see the Pathways to Work – GOV.UK consultation page.  The consultation closes on Friday 30 June 2025.
    • The Government announced the biggest shake up to welfare for a generation: Biggest shake up to welfare system in a generation to get Britain working – GOV.UK
    • Please see the Health and Disability Green Paper: Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper – GOV.UK
    • DWP intend to run a number of accessible virtual and face-to-face events on the Green Paper to hear from stakeholders, including disabled people and their representative organisations, directly. More information on these events and registration is advertised on the consultation pages on GOV.UK. 
    • We are committing to the establishment of ‘collaboration committees’ to further develop our reforms. This means we will bring together groups of people for specific work areas who will meet to collaborate with civil servants and provide discussion, challenge, and recommendations. Each group will have a different mix of people including both those with lived experience of the policy area and other experts.

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: American Rebel Holdings Issues Corporate Update Highlighting Recent Key Milestones and Strategic Growth Initiatives

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Forged in Freedom, Fueled by Growth, Focused on the Future

    NASHVILLE, TN, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) (“American Rebel” or the “Company”), the creator of American Rebel Beer (americanrebelbeer.com) and a leading provider of safes, personal security, and patriotic lifestyle apparel, today issued a corporate update summarizing several recent developments that have strengthened the Company’s foundation and accelerated its national growth strategy.

    CEO Andy Ross commented:

    “We’ve accomplished several key goals in the past 10 days alone, and we’re just getting started. From launching our national media marketing campaign to completing an equity-based capital raise, announcing $11.4M in 2024 revenue and engaging new investors, the American Rebel brand is gaining momentum on every front. I believe we are America’s next great success story, and we are committed to doing the right type of financings that fuel our growth over the next several years.

    “American Rebel Light Beer, a premium domestic light lager, is seizing a tremendous opportunity in the $110 billion annual beer market. Our rapid growth has exceeded all initial strategic forecasts, driven by patriotic Americans who love the unbeatable combination of great taste and low calories in our beer. With every sip, American beer drinkers enjoy a brew that not only satisfies their palate but also resonates with their core values – values proudly displayed on every can: America’s Patriotic, God Fearing, Constitution Loving, National Anthem Singing, Stand Your Ground Beer.”

    • 1. Successful Private Placement by H.C. Wainwright & Co.

    American Rebel completed a strategic private placement led by H.C. Wainwright & Co. H.C. Wainwright is a full-service investment bank dedicated to providing corporate finance, strategic advisory and related services to public and private companies across multiple sectors and regions. H.C. Wainwright & Co. is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the offering. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

    Read the full release here: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/04/04/3056146/0/en/AMERICAN-REBEL-ANNOUNCES-UP-TO-11-MILLION-PRIVATE-PLACEMENT-PRICED-AT-THE-MARKET-UNDER-NASDAQ-RULES.html

    • 2. Strategic Media and Investor Relations Push in South Florida

    The Company engaged in a series of high-profile investor meetings and media appearances on NBC-TV Channel 5/West Palm Beach and 39 WSFL – Home of the Florida Panthers in South Florida, culminating with a meeting with strategic partners and potential investors at the prestigious Mar-a-Lago Club. These types of media engagements help generate valuable investor interest and media exposure.

    Read the full release here: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/04/02/3054517/0/en/American-Rebel-CEO-Andy-Ross-to-Appear-on-South-Florida-Television-Morning-Shows-on-NBC-TV-Channel-5-West-Palm-Beach-and-39-WSFL-Home-of-the-Florida-Panthers.html

    • 3. FY2024 Revenue Disclosure – $11.4M

    In a recently filed Form 12b-25, American Rebel disclosed it expects to report $11.4 million in revenue for fiscal year 2024, to be detailed in its forthcoming Form 10-K.

    Read the full filing here: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1648087/000164117225001980/formnt10-k.htm

    • 4. Release of “The American Rebel Story” Video Featuring CEO Andy Ross

    American Rebel premiered “The American Rebel Story,” a compelling video featuring CEO Andy Ross narrating the Company’s vision, values, and journey to becoming America’s next great success story.

    Read the full release here: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/04/03/3055126/0/en/American-Rebel-Holdings-Inc-NASDAQ-AREB-Invites-Patriotic-Investors-Fans-and-Beer-Enthusiasts-to-Celebrate-Freedom-with-a-New-Video-Release-Highlighting-the-American-Rebel-Story.html

    • 5. Expansion of Successful Sponsorship with Tony Stewart Racing

    American Rebel continues to benefit from its existing sponsorship with Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) as the racing connection has opened many doors and helped establish relationships with new distributors and key accounts. The expansion of the TSR sponsorship will continue to provide immeasurable value to American Rebel as it accelerates its growth initiatives throughout 2025.

    Read the full release here: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/03/27/3050822/0/en/American-Rebel-Expands-its-Successful-Sponsorship-for-2025-with-Tony-Stewart-Racing-TSR-in-NHRA-Mission-Foods-Drag-Racing-Series.html

    • 6. Launch of National Media Marketing Campaign – TV and Digital

    American Rebel launched a full-scale national media campaign, including a 30-second commercial airing on major television networks and a coordinated digital campaign to strengthen consumer awareness and drive sales.

    Read the full release here: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/03/28/3051571/0/en/American-Rebel-Launches-Nationwide-Ad-Campaign-on-March-31-with-30-Second-TV-Spot-Complemented-by-Digital-Media-Across-Leading-Websites-to-Increase-Exposure-of-the-Company-and-its-.html

    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 Light Beer. Known for its premium quality and bold patriotic spirit, American Rebel Beer exemplifies what it means to celebrate freedom in every sip. The Company also designs and produces branded apparel and accessories. To learn more, visit www.americanrebel.com and www.americanrebelbeer.com. For investor information, visit www.americanrebelbeer.com/investor-relations.

    About American Rebel Light Beer

    Produced in partnership with AlcSource, American Rebel Light Beer (americanrebelbeer.com) is a premium domestic 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 (TSR) Nitro

    As tenacious as Stewart is in the cockpit of a racecar, he’s proven equally adept at providing cars and equipment for racing’s elite. The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion can also list 31 owners’ titles to his resume, from NASCAR to USAC to the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. In 2023 Stewart earned his 31st owner title when Matt Hagan and the TSR Funny Car team earned the championship on November 11. His team, Tony Stewart Racing, fields a powerhouse lineup in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series with Tony in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan in Funny Car. After more than four decades of racing around in circles, Stewart has embarked on a straight and narrow path, albeit at more than 300 mph. For more information on TSR Nitro go to tsrnitro.com.

    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 marketing outreach efforts, actual placement 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, 2023 and our recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 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:
    info@americanrebel.com

    Investor Relations:
    ir@americanrebel.com

    Media Contact:
    Matt Sheldon
    Matt@PrecisionPR.co

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Moonacy Protocol Announces Closed Airdrop

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, UK, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Moonacy Protocol, a well-known cross-chain exchange, has announced the imminent launch of an airdrop of its own token, which will be an important element of the project’s future B2B payment system.

    According to the information released by the team, the development of its payment system is already nearing completion. The Moonacy token will serve as an internal settlement instrument, participate in the prioritization of transactions, and be used to pay commission fees in the ecosystem. 

    The internal token will become an important element of the entire ecosystem and will be used:

    •    to pay commission fees in the B2B payment system;
    •    as a priority resource for routing transactions;
    •    as a means of settlement between corporate clients.

    It is important to note that the token will be more than just a “gas” of the platform. It will be the basis for automating payment flows within Moonacy and external corporate systems through API integrations.

    Moonacy Protocol announced that all Moonacy Prime Package holders will have access to the initial airdrop of the Moonacy token and will get a head start before the listing. Market analysts are already calling Moonacy’s airdrop “one of the most anticipated events of the spring” in the DeFi infrastructure niche.

    An important confirmation of serious intentions was the official launch of Moonacy Protocol in the USA. This gives the project the opportunity to operate in a new jurisdiction, participate in B2B partnerships with US and international players, and bring the token to regulated markets in the future.

    The exact start date of the airdrop will be announced soon on the platform’s official channels.

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.

    The MIL Network