NewzIntel.com

Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI USA: Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Purpose.  The continued use of paper-based payments by the Federal Government, including checks and money orders, flowing into and out of the United States General Fund, which might be thought of as America’s bank account, imposes unnecessary costs; delays; and risks of fraud, lost payments, theft, and inefficiencies.  Mail theft complaints have increased substantially since the COVID-19 pandemic.  Historically, Department of the Treasury checks are 16 times more likely to be reported lost or stolen, returned undeliverable, or altered than an electronic funds transfer (EFT).  Maintaining the physical infrastructure and specialized technology for digitizing paper records cost the American taxpayer over $657 million in Fiscal Year 2024 alone.
    This order promotes operational efficiency by mandating the transition to electronic payments for all Federal disbursements and receipts by digitizing payments to the extent permissible under applicable law (but not, for avoidance of doubt, to establish a Central Bank Digital Currency).  
    Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to defend against financial fraud and improper payments, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the security of Federal payments.
    Sec. 3.  Phase Out of Paper Check Disbursements and Receipts.  (a)  Effective September 30, 2025, and to the extent permitted by law, the Secretary of the Treasury shall cease issuing paper checks for all Federal disbursements inclusive of intragovernmental payments, benefits payments, vendor payments, and tax refunds, except as specified in section 4 of this order.
    (b)  All executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall comply with this directive by transitioning to EFT methods, including direct deposit, prepaid card accounts, and other digital payment options, and take all steps necessary to enroll recipients in EFT payments, except as specified in section 4 of this order.
    (c)  As soon as practicable, and to the extent permitted by law, all payments made to the Federal Government shall be processed electronically, except as specified in section 4 of this order.
    (d)  The Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take appropriate action to eliminate the need for the Department of the Treasury’s physical lockbox services and expedite requirements to receive the payment of Federal receipts, including fees, fines, loans, and taxes, through electronic means except as specified in section 4 of this order.
    (e)  The Secretary of the Treasury shall support agencies’ transition to digital payment methods, including by providing access through the Department of the Treasury’s centralized payment systems to:
    (i)    direct deposits;
    (ii)   debit and credit card payments;
    (iii)  digital wallets and real-time payment systems; and
    (iv)   other modern electronic payment options.
    Sec. 4.  Exceptions and Accommodations for the Phase Out of Paper Check Disbursements and Receipts.  (a)  The Secretary of the Treasury, shall review and, as appropriate, revise procedures for granting limited exceptions where electronic payment and collection methods are not feasible, including exceptions for:
    (i)    individuals who do not have access to banking services or electronic payment systems;
    (ii)   certain emergency payments where electronic disbursement would cause undue hardship, as contemplated in 31 C.F.R. Part 208;
    (iii)  national security- or law enforcement-related activities where non-EFT transactions are necessary or desirable; and
    (iv)   other circumstances as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, as reflected in regulations or other guidance.
    (b)  Individuals or entities qualifying for an exception under this section or other applicable law shall be provided alternative payment options.
    Sec. 5.  Implementation and Compliance of Electronic Transactions.  (a)  The Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the heads of agencies, shall develop and implement a comprehensive public awareness campaign to inform Federal payment recipients of the transition to electronic payments, including guidance on accessing and setting up digital payment options.
    (b)  Agencies shall coordinate with the Department of the Treasury to facilitate a smooth transition to digital payments, ensuring that affected individuals and entities receive adequate support.
    (c)  The Secretary of the Treasury shall work with financial institutions, consumer groups, and other stakeholders to address financial access for unbanked and underbanked populations.
    (d)  The Secretary of the Treasury and the heads of agencies shall take all necessary steps to protect classified information and systems, as well as personally identifiable information and tax return information, through the implementation of this order.
    Sec. 6.  Reporting Requirements.  (a)  The heads of agencies shall submit a compliance plan to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget within 90 days of the date of this order detailing their strategy for eliminating paper-based transactions.
    (b)  The Secretary of the Treasury shall submit an implementation report to the President through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy within 180 days of the date of this order detailing progress on the matters set forth in this order.
    Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    March 25, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Protecting America’s Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-left”> By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1. Purpose.  Promoting financial integrity and operational efficiency are critical responsibilities of the Federal Government.  The Federal Government processes trillions of dollars annually in disbursements to individuals, businesses, and organizations, and in receipts from taxes, fees, and other payments to finance daily and long-term Government operations.  These transactions flow into and out of the United States General Fund (General Fund), which might be thought of as America’s bank account.  In Fiscal Year 2024, $33.9 trillion flowed into the General Fund and $33.6 trillion flowed out of the account, including $5.87 trillion (less net interest) in benefits, grants, loans, vendor payments, and other disbursements. 
    The Department of the Treasury is the largest financial payment manager of the Federal Government and is responsible for safeguarding the General Fund, but lacks sufficient controls to track transactions flowing through the General Fund to determine if they were proper.  To enforce sufficient controls and ensure accountability to American taxpayers, the Department of the Treasury requires financial information from executive departments and agencies (agencies) beyond what they currently provide.
    Financial fraud threatens the integrity of Federal programs and undermines trust in Government.  Agencies’ past underinvestment in technology and longstanding challenges with access to accurate data has prevented them from more fully safeguarding taxpayer dollars against fraud and improper payments.  The Government Accountability Office estimates that the Federal Government loses between $233 and $521 billion annually to fraud.
    In addition to being an efficient steward of taxpayer funds, the Federal Government, on behalf of the American public, must seek to ensure that financial information is accurate and that there is transparency with respect to how taxpayer dollars are being used.  Today, Federal funds are disbursed both by the Department of the Treasury and various Federal Government entities that are authorized to issue their own disbursements known as Non-Treasury Disbursing Offices (NTDOs).  In Fiscal Year 2024, NTDOs were estimated to be responsible for 181 million payments totaling over $1.5 trillion (approximately 22 percent of all Federal Government dollars disbursed). This fragmentation of disbursing authority, together with the proliferation of non-standard financial management systems across the Federal Government, leads to expensive, disjointed, and duplicative financial reporting, lack of financial traceability, complicated financial management, opacity, increased operational risks, and decreased ability of the Department of the Treasury to provide centralized oversight.
    This order promotes financial integrity by enabling the Department of the Treasury to more easily conduct improper payment and fraud prevention screening prior to disbursing funds on behalf of agencies.  This order increases transparency and accountability by requiring agencies to provide the Department of the Treasury with the information needed to track transactions through the General Fund in greater detail.  This order also promotes operational efficiency by returning disbursing functions to the Department of the Treasury when possible and consolidating and standardizing core Federal financial systems.
    Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to defend against financial fraud and improper payments, increase transparency and accountability around the Federal Government’s operations and financial condition, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the security of Federal payments.
    Sec. 3.  Treasury Verification of Agency Payments Information.  (a)  The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Director), shall update guidance and enhance systems to ensure that all payments made by the Department of the Treasury on behalf of agencies pursuant to the Secretary of the Treasury’s disbursing authority, including 31 U.S.C. 3321, are subject to pre-certification verification processes established by the Secretary of the Treasury and conducted by agencies and the Department of the Treasury for the purposes of defending against financial fraud and improper payments, to the greatest extent permitted by law.  Such guidance shall set forth guidelines for compliance with the Do Not Pay Working System as described in 31 U.S.C. 3351 et seq., and such other payment, account, and payee validation programs and services that the Secretary of the Treasury and the OMB Director determine to be beneficial for reducing financial fraud and improper payments.
    (b)  In accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3354, the heads of all agencies shall cooperate with the Secretary of the Treasury to fulfill their obligations to determine payment or award eligibility through pre-certification and pre-award procedures, as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, including pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and section 4 of this order to prevent fraud and improper payments.
    (c)  The Secretary of the Treasury is directed to minimize administrative barriers to accessing and using data to prevent fraud and improper payments by exercising the authority in 31 U.S.C. 3351 et seq. to waive the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 552a(o), in consultation with the OMB Director, in any case or class of cases for computer matching activities, to the extent permissible by law.
    (d)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, agency heads shall review and modify, as applicable, their relevant system of records notices under the Privacy Act of 1974 to include a “routine use” that allows for the disclosure of records to the Department of the Treasury for the purposes of identifying, preventing, or recouping fraud and improper payments, to the extent permissible by law. 
    (e)  The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the OMB Director, shall issue guidance to agency heads on the circumstances in which agency heads, to the extent permissible by law, may provide the Secretary of the Treasury with access to data necessary for the purposes of detecting and preventing fraud and improper payments, as well as data for payment information verification (and not, for example, data such as health records).
    Sec. 4.  Implementation and Compliance of Payment Verification.  (a)  Agency heads, through designated agency officials (Certifying Officers or COs), who are responsible for verifying that disbursements made by the Federal Government are legal, proper, and correct, and for performing the duties in 31 U.S.C. 3528, shall comply with the disbursement requirements and instructions, including pre-certification requirements, published by the Secretary of the Treasury.
    (b)  The Secretary of the Treasury shall consider, as appropriate, issuing instructions to agencies to enforce the following pre-certification criteria for disbursement requests submitted by COs (Vouchers) before they are certified for payment by the CO:
    (i)     Funds are available at the time the obligation is incurred.  If an obligation is incurred when funds are not available, then the CO shall not certify the payment.
    (ii)    The amount of the payment and the name of the payee on the Voucher are correct, in conformance with the Department of the Treasury’s prescribed standard format.
    (iii)   A proper Social Security Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, Employer Identification Number, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or Payee ID Number is provided for each payee on the Voucher, as applicable.
    (iv)    The appropriation or fund from which the payment will be made is available for the purpose set forth in the Voucher and indicated with the appropriate Treasury Account Symbol/Business Event Type Code.
    (v)     Payees are not deceased individuals, to the greatest extent permitted by law.
    (vi)    The account number provided on the Voucher is held at a financial institution and is open, valid, and belongs to the payee or valid designee of payee.
    (vii)   Contracts or agreements are referenced on the Voucher by providing the contract number, referred to as the Procurement Instrument Identifier, where applicable.
    (viii)  Financial assistance awards (non-aggregate) are referenced on the Voucher by providing the award number, referred to as the Federal Award Identification Number, where applicable.
    (ix)    For summary schedules, the payments on the Voucher are submitted in conformance with the Department of the Treasury prescribed standard formats for such schedules.
    (c)  Agency heads shall submit payment files other than with respect to same-day payments to the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary’s designee with sufficient lead time prior to the date of disbursement as determined by the Department of the Treasury and provided in the requirements and instructions issued pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section, to allow for fraud and improper payment screening, to the extent permissible by law.  With respect to same-day payments, agency heads shall submit payment files to the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary’s designee as much in advance as reasonably practicable.
    (d)  In issuing requirements and instructions pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of the Treasury shall consider whether it would be appropriate to provide that the Department of the Treasury’s Chief Disbursing Officer return to the relevant agency for reconciliation any payments that do not pass the pre-certification verification processes established pursuant to section 3(a) of this order and notify the designated CO.  
    (e)  The Secretary of the Treasury shall include in the guidance issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, or in other regulations or guidance, a transparent process for agencies to request exemptions from some or all of the payment verification requirements for specific payments or categories of payments.
    Sec. 5.  Core Financial System Consolidation.  (a)  Within 180 days of the date of this order, the OMB Director shall issue guidance that directs agencies described in 31 U.S.C. 901(b) (CFO Act agencies) to consolidate their core financial systems.
    (b)  As soon as practicable, but not later than 180 days of the date of this order, the OMB Director, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall issue guidance directing all non-CFO Act agencies to consolidate transactional financial management services under a single provider approved by the Department of the Treasury.
    (c)  As soon as practicable, all heads of CFO Act agencies shall use standard financial management solutions available through the Financial Management Marketplace, administered by the Financial Management Quality Service Management Office.
    (d)  Agency heads shall ensure that core financial systems comply with Federal accounting and financial reporting standards and relevant regulations, orders, guidance documents, policy statements, and other agency actions published by the Department of the Treasury from time to time.
    Sec. 6.  Reduction of NTDOs.  (a)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury shall assess whether to maintain disbursing authority that it has delegated to agencies pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3321(b) and issue notices to revoke such delegations, as appropriate, in accordance with applicable law.  
    (b)  The heads of agencies with disbursing authority under 31 U.S.C. 3321(c), including the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Attorney General (but excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, the Supreme Court and other entities of the Federal Government outside the Executive Branch) will work with the Secretary of the Treasury to delegate the performance of their disbursing activities, other than with respect to classified payments, to the Department of the Treasury’s Chief Disbursing Officer in accordance with applicable law. 
    (c)  Notwithstanding subsections (a) or (b) of this section, the Secretary of the Treasury may continue to delegate disbursing authority to NTDOs at other agencies when doing so would align with significant Government priorities.  Any remaining NTDOs are required to report daily to the Department of the Treasury’s centralized accounting and reporting system in accordance with then-current Department of the Treasury guidance and applicable law.
    (d)  The Secretary of the Treasury shall develop a plan to centralize and manage all payments previously disbursed by NTDOs, ensuring seamless continuity of Government payments.
    (e)  The Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with agency heads, shall establish a transition plan for agencies currently operating as NTDOs, including staffing adjustments, system integrations, and legal or regulatory modifications necessary for full consolidation.
    (f)  The heads of agencies with disbursing authority delegated to the agency under 33 U.S.C. 3321(b) shall decommission all internal payment systems and use the Department of the Treasury’s disbursement systems, except and to the extent authorized by the Department of the Treasury or otherwise required by applicable law.
    Sec. 7.  Reporting and Implementation Requirements.  (a)  The heads of all agencies shall submit a compliance plan to the OMB Director within 90 days of the date of this order detailing their strategy for:
    (i)    transitioning disbursing authority to the Department of the Treasury, as applicable and as contemplated by this order;
    (ii)   updating and integrating systems with Department of the Treasury platforms;
    (iii)  procedures to verify payment information as contemplated by this order; and
    (iv)   transmitting information associated with improper payments to the Department of the Treasury in accordance with standards and reporting specifications established by the OMB Director in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury as contemplated by this order.
    (b)  The Secretary of the Treasury shall submit an implementation report to the President through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy within 180 days of the date of this order detailing progress on the matters set forth in this order.
    (c)  The Secretary of the Treasury and agency heads shall take all necessary steps to protect classified information and systems, as well as personally identifiable information and tax return information, through the implementation of this order.
    Sec. 8.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
    DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        March 25, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Klobuchar, Colleagues Press USDA to Not Take Food Away from Food Banks and Hungry Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, joined U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and 24 of their colleagues in pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture for more information about the cancellation of previously-approved funding through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for food banks and other emergency food providers. This would take food away from hungry Americans already facing high grocery prices and hurt American farmers who are being squeezed by tariffs and other cuts to domestic markets.
    “We write regarding the reported cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in previously approved funding for food banks and other emergency food providers through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP),” wrote the Senators. “A cancellation of these funds could result in $500 million in lost food provisions to feed millions of Americans at a time when the need for food shelves is extremely high due to costly groceries and an uncertain economy.” 
    “If true, this major shift in a program utilized by emergency food providers in every state in the nation will have a significant and damaging impact upon millions of people who depend upon this program for critical food assistance,” the Senators continued. “In addition, this program consists of purchases of U.S. commodities at a time when America’s growers and producers are struggling due to tariffs, proposed tariffs, animal disease and many other challenges.”
    In addition to Senators Luján and Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Wyden (D-Oreg.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Oreg.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Angus King (I-Maine), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).
    This letter comes following a roundtable discussion Senator Luján convened last week at Roadrunner Food Bank in Albuquerque where he discussed the specific needs of New Mexico food banks with stakeholders.
    The full letter is available here and below. 
    Dear Secretary Rollins: 
    We write regarding the reported cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in previously approved funding for food banks and other emergency food providers through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). A cancellation of these funds could result in $500 million in lost food provisions to feed millions of Americans at a time when the need for food shelves is extremely high due to costly groceries and an uncertain economy. If true, this major shift in a program utilized by emergency food providers in every state in the nation will have a significant and damaging impact upon millions of people who depend upon this program for critical food assistance. 
    In addition, this program consists of purchases of U.S. commodities at a time when America’s growers and producers are struggling due to tariffs, proposed tariffs, animal disease and many other challenges. 
    According to recent statistics, nearly one in every seven Americans have faced food insecurity. Many of these households turn to community and emergency relief organizations such as food banks and food pantries to help them obtain sufficient nutrition. In 2023 alone, 50 million Americans turned to emergency food providers, according to a report from Feeding America, America’s largest network of food banks. While food banks rely on a variety of sources (including private) to obtain food for distribution through their networks, federally purchased commodities are a key part of how they provide nutritious meals to Americans.  
    Due to this reported change, a number of us have heard that trucks delivering American-grown foods may not arrive. These trucks represent hundreds of thousands of nutritious meals containing poultry, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. If confirmed, the cancellation of this previously announced funding also comes on top of the cancellation of Local Food for School Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program funding, which also helps farmers deliver nutritious foods to schools and food banks. These cuts will deprive Americans of food assistance, emergency food providers of necessary support to carry out their work, and American farmers of vital domestic markets. 
    To help us understand USDA’s actions and their impact on communities around the country, we ask that you answer the following questions. 
    Has USDA cancelled previously approved purchases of food provided through TEFAP? If so, what level of funding has been cancelled thus far and when will state agencies be notified of any cancelled TEFAP purchases? 
    Does USDA plan to cancel additional purchases of food provided through TEFAP? 
    Has USDA paused any TEFAP food orders or purchases? If so, what is the current status of those orders or purchases? Does USDA intend to un-pause these funds?  
    Please provide information on what types of funding, by commodity, have been cancelled and the financial impact of those cancellations on producers such as pork, chicken, turkey and dairy farmers. 
    Is the funding announced on October 1, 2024 and detailed in the implementation memo that the Food and Nutrition Service sent to state agencies on December 2 rescinded? 
    Does USDA intend to use Commodity Credit Corporation funds in Fiscal Year 2025 for future purchases that will be distributed through TEFAP?  
    We ask for a prompt response to these questions by the end of the week. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Employment Trends – New Zealand Employers Face a Brave New World with Optimism, Says Beyond Recruitment Report

    Source: Beyond Recruitment

    AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND. March 26th, 2025 – The 2025/26 Beyond Recruitment Economic & Labour Report reveals cautious optimism and resilience among New Zealand employers, despite ongoing economic uncertainty and an accelerating evolution of jobs across multiple sectors.

    Beyond Recruitment’s annual Economic & Labour Report provides insights into employer sentiment about the economy, hiring and the state of New Zealand’s workforce.

    The latest report highlights a stabilisation in employer confidence since the post-pandemic recovery, with fewer organisations (58%) describing the past year as challenging, down from 71% in 2023. Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and large organisations reported the highest levels of confidence, contrasting with slightly lower optimism among very large organisations (1,001+ employees).

    The economic slowdown emerged as the leading concern (31%) for employers, alongside rising operational costs and regulatory changes (both at 25%). Balancing cost management and growth is a central challenge, with 37% of organisations aiming to keep headcount stable, while 28% are planning headcount expansion. SMEs show the strongest appetite for workforce growth.

    Usage of artificial intelligence has surged, with 83% of organisations either exploring or implementing AI tools, up significantly from previous years. Despite initial fears, employers view AI as predominantly complementary to human roles, with 43% upskilling their employees to meet the demands of an AI enhanced workplace.

    CE of Beyond Recruitment, Liza Viz, said: “While organisations are prudent in their hiring strategies, their resilience is clear. Employers are strategically positioning themselves to capitalise on anticipated market improvements, particularly through workforce development and increased adoption of technology like artificial intelligence (AI).

    “Now is the time for employers to invest in their people and focus on future-proofing their workforce. The competition for talent will heighten once again, making skills development and building future talent pools a key priority for Aotearoa organisations.”

    Hybrid work models are now standard, adopted by 77% of organisations, with flexible work hours and remote options firmly established as key employee benefits. Office spaces continue to evolve, reflecting new norms rather than temporary adjustments.

    Other key insights from the report include:

    Pay rises are levelling at around 3%, with 38% of organisations planning this range of increase.
    Employer satisfaction with local talent is growing, with reliance on international recruitment easing.
    Organisations have increased their focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion within executive teams, which is considerably influencing executive search and recruitment strategies.

    The Beyond Recruitment Economic & Labour Report 2025/26 gathered responses from over 500 employment leaders nationwide, representing various sectors including government, healthcare, manufacturing, technology, and professional services.

    About Beyond Recruitment:

    Beyond Recruitment is one of New Zealand’s largest 100% Kiwi owned recruitment agencies. Established in 2003, Beyond Recruitment’s specialist recruiters support sectors including technology, finance, HR, customer experience, marketing, engineering, and construction nationwide from offices in Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga, and Christchurch.

    For more information, visit www.beyondrecruitment.co.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Is This Any Way to Run a Budget?

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    Unlike the federal government, families and private-sector businesses have to keep spending in line with earnings. To do so, they budget, estimating what their income will be and making sure their planned expenditures don’t exceed it.

    The federal government is the largest financial entity in the world. You would think its budgeting would take the most time and effort and involve more detail than any other organization. You would be wrong. 

    I come from the private sector, and I know the time, effort and detail businesses put into preparing budgets. If the numbers are good, a budget review meeting can be a breeze. If not, managers have a lot of explaining to do. When it comes to spending American taxpayer dollars and the money we borrow to cover massive deficit spending, the analysis and oversight by lawmakers is woefully inadequate.

    The 535 members of Congress could be considered the board of directors, and the news media as the watchdog auditor, of a financial entity that spends more than $7 trillion a year. Yet when I asked my colleagues and the media a few years ago during an omnibus spending debate how much the federal government spent in total, no one offered an answer. My guess is most simply didn’t know because we never talk about it and there is no formal process to review total spending. We appropriate less than 25% of total federal outlays in any given year, and the rest, mandatory spending and entitlements, is on autopilot. 

    This lack of attention has allowed spending to soar 63%, from $4,447 billion in fiscal 2019 to a projected $7,266 billion in fiscal 2025. In January on these pages I proposed three options for returning to a more reasonable pre-pandemic level of spending. All used projected 2025 spending for Social Security, Medicare and interest. Other spending in these baseline options was adjusted to account for population growth and inflation. Adjusting Bill Clinton’s 1998, Barack Obama’s 2014 and Donald Trump’s 2019 total outlays results in baseline budgets of $5,496 billion, $6,199 billion and $6,496 billion, respectively. The Senate budget resolution used Mr. Trump’s 2021 budget projection for 2025, yielding a baseline amount of $6,061 billion.

    Since we’ve already accounted for population growth and inflation in all these options, why are we spending $770 billion to $1.77 trillion above these previous years’ population- and inflation-adjusted outlays? In the private sector, that is exactly what business managers would have to explain to upper management in a line-by-line budget review. We should apply the same rigorous examination to federal spending.

    A group of senators representing various factions of the Republican conference and a similar group of House Republicans should join a budget review panel with members of the administration to listen to representatives of the departments explain each line-item expenditure. Spending that didn’t exist before the pandemic or that exceeds previous years should be considered for elimination or reduced. Spending that can’t be defended or has been identified by the Department of Government Efficiency as waste, fraud or abuse should be cut. 

    No one can predict what level of spending would survive this scrutiny, but it would be significantly lower than current levels. Democrats have no interest in reducing spending levels, so Republicans will have to use the rescission process for discretionary spending reductions and budget reconciliation for mandatory spending. 

    This review can be done expeditiously. The 2025 budget has 2,481 individual expenditure line items, which could be reviewed in time to provide congressional committees the information they need to draft legislation for rescission packages and fulfillment of budget reconciliation instructions. Returning to a pre-pandemic spending level combined with enacting pro-growth tax polices and repealing the economy-crushing tax increase scheduled for 2026 could make balancing the federal budget achievable. 

    The election of President Trump and Republican majorities in the House and Senate have given America a historic chance to reduce the size, scope and cost of the federal government. With federal debt totaling $36.4 trillion and interest expense exceeding defense spending, it’s vital that the U.S. seize this opportunity. 

    Mr. Johnson, a Republican, is a U.S. senator from Wisconsin.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Support for La Réunion sugarcane industry as sugarcane smut spreads – E-000137/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Agricultural Funds may support sugarcane growers in La Réunion.

    Agriculture in the outermost regions is supported by the Programme of Specific Options on Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI), and exceptional changes to the programme are possible to deal with natural disasters.

    Under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), under certain conditions, support can be provided to restore agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters (including pest diseases).

    Support is also available for cooperation measures such as pilot projects and developing new products, practices, processes and techniques.

    In addition, a new exceptional EAFRD measure under the Rural Development Programme allows Member States to provide liquidity support to farmers affected by natural disasters.

    The Commission’s proposal on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques[1] contributes to sustainability and resilience of the agri-food system, in particular to foster the development of improved plant varieties that are climate resilient and pest resistant.

    Plant health research and innovation are prioritised through Horizon Europe[2], particularly under cluster 6: ‘Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment’[3], and will remain a key focus in future Horizon Europe Work Programmes[4].

    Numerous EU-funded projects address emerging plant pest threats[5] by developing advanced tools for early detection, prevention, monitoring and management. They also focus on breeding resistant or tolerant varieties adapted to climate change[6].

    • [1]  COM(2023) 411 final.
    • [2] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en
    • [3] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/cluster-6-food-bioeconomy-natural-resources-agriculture-and-environment_en
    • [4]  Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/strategic-plan_en
    • [5] Agri Factsheet Plant Health https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/e8a5772e-9fca-4583-a81b-649729068f1e_en
    • [6] Agri Factsheet Breeding and Genetic Resources https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/document/download/158ab06d-46a7-4803-bef8-ae6582bfcfe1_en

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The Commission’s response in the Slimane Bouhafs case – E-001098/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001098/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mathilde Androuët (PfE)

    Slimane Bouhafs, a Berber who has converted to Christianity and is an activist for freedom of expression, democracy and minority rights, was granted refugee status by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2020[1]. He was imprisoned several times by the regime between 2010 and 2020, including on false accusations of ‘terrorism’. While he was a refugee in Tunisia, he was abducted and returned to Algeria in 2021, where he suffered physical abuse. He was released together with another activist, Kamira Nait Sid, in 2024, after three years in prison[2], but is now deprived of all his rights and identity papers. His life is now in danger[3].

    Nevertheless, the Commission supports the Algerian state through technical, financial and humanitarian cooperation[4], while the former Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has repeatedly recalled the EU’s commitment to freedom of religion or belief[5].

    • 1.Has the Commission looked into the Slimane Bouhafs case?
    • 2.What action does it intend to take in practice and what means does it have at its disposal to pressure the Algerian regime to comply with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which it has ratified?

    Submitted: 14.3.2025

    • [1] ‘Algeria: Activist sentenced following refoulement: Slimane Bouhafs’, Amnesty International, 29 August 2023, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde28/7149/2023/en/.
    • [2] ‘Human rights defenders Kamira Nait Sid and Slimane Bouhafs released from prison’, Front Line Defenders, 3 September 2024.
    • [3] https://www.facebook.com/Tagduda.info/videos/appel-de-d%C3%A9tresse-de-slimane-bouhafs/218730642069359/.
    • [4] ‘The European Union and Algeria’, Delegation of the European Union to Algeria, 5 August 2021, https://www.eeas.europa.eu/algeria/european-union-and-algeria_en?s=82.
    • [5] ‘Standing up for Freedom of Religion or Belief’, European External Action Service, 21 August 2020, https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/standing-freedom-religion-or-belief_en.
    Last updated: 25 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – EU disinformation on the murders of Christians and Alawites in Syria – E-001094/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001094/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Virginie Joron (PfE)

    ‘Streets piled with bodies: Syrians report massacres of Alawite and Christian civilians’.[1] The facts are devastating: reports point to a wave of killings in Syria targeting Alawites and Christians, including ten women and five children. On 10 March 2025, BFMTV reported that 745 civilians, mainly Alawites, had been massacred in the Latakia region between 6 and 8 March 2025 by Syrian regime forces and their allies.

    However, in a statement of 8 March 2025, ‘diplomats’ from the European External Action Service (EEAS) completely ignored these ongoing massacres, attributing the attacks to ‘pro-Assad elements’[2]. This is blatant disinformation that damages the EU’s reputation.

    • 1.Can the Commission verify the EEAS statement that the recent attacks on civilians, including Christians and Alawites, are being carried out by ‘pro-Assad elements’ alone, or does it acknowledge that the new regime is involved in the massacres of civilians?
    • 2.Has the Commission urged the interim Syrian Government to put an end to the massacres by government forces or Islamist factions of children, women, civilians and prisoners from the Alawite and Christian communities?
    • 3.How much financial assistance has the new Syrian Government received from the EU since December 2024?

    Submitted: 13.3.2025

    • [1] https://www.bfmtv.com/international/moyen-orient/syrie/les-rues-pleines-de-cadavres-des-syriens-temoignent-des-massacres-de-civils-alaouites-et-chretiens_AV-202503100384.html, https://www.newsweek.com/hundreds-minorities-including-christians-killed-syria-reports-2041764, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/09/north-west-syria-un-latakia-assad-regime-loyalists-killings
    • [2] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/spokesperson-statement-latest-developments-syria_en
    Last updated: 25 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Use by Danish Fishers PO of EMFAF funding intended to promote sustainable fisheries – P-000770/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. The Commission has not been made aware of any allegations concerning the improper use of EU funds by the Danish Fishers Producer Organisation.

    2. In accordance with the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR)[1] for the 2021-2027 period, the financial assistance under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is managed under shared management with the Member States in accordance with Article 63 of the Financial Regulation[2]. Chapter 2 of Title VI of the CPR requires the managing authority for the fund in the Member State to establish a management and control system (MCS) that ensures compliance with the applicable EU and national legislation and administrative rules. The audit authority of the Member State is responsible for carrying out system audits, audits on operations and audits of accounts to provide independent assurance to the Commission regarding the effective functioning of MCS and the legality and regularity of the expenditure included in the accounts submitted to the Commission. Based on the available reporting by the Danish authorities and its own monitoring and audits, the Commission has no information suggesting that the Danish MCS would be insufficient to ensure that the funds are being used in accordance with the aims of the Danish EMFAF programme or not complying with the EMFAF Regulation[3].

    3. Considering the above, the Commission invites the Honourable Member to raise any specific concerns or a complaint regarding the use of EMFAF funds directly with the Danish authorities. Should this not be sufficient to address the issues of concern, any stakeholder may submit a formal complaint to the Commission services or report any presumed irregularity or fraud to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1060/oj/eng
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R2509
    • [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1139/oj/eng
    Last updated: 25 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – EU cohesion policies driving central and eastern Europe-western Europe convergence: seeking impacts and funding data, and plans regarding the Three Seas Initiative – E-003063/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    EU macro-regional strategies were not set up with a specific focus on fostering economic convergence between Member States that joined the EU before and after 2004.

    Rather, the strategies address shared regional challenges within a single macro-region, such as environmental issues, transport and energy security, that cannot be effectively addressed by individual countries alone.

    The 4 macro-regional strategies have been operating for over a decade and have added value in guiding cross-border cooperation, enhancing policy alignment between countries, mobilising funding, and engaging stakeholders. These are complemented by 4 sea-basin strategies, with a maritime and blue economy dimension.

    Although the impact of these strategies on macroeconomic parameters is difficult to quantify, they contribute to policy development, indirectly promoting the socioeconomic development of the EU and its regions. Macro-regional cooperation has been instrumental in improving the navigability of the Danube River and in cutting red tape for inland navigation operators.

    The objectives of macro-regional and sea-basin strategies are complementary to those of the Three Seas Initiative, which is a country-led initiative that aims to promote economic growth, energy security, and infrastructure development in the wider region.

    Together, these initiatives can facilitate regional dialogue and close infrastructure gaps through coordinated transnational actions, for example by advancing key corridors in the framework of the trans-European transport network.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Systemic discrimination against Romanian students in the Netherlands and violations of EU law – P-001191/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-001191/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Dan-Ştefan Motreanu (PPE)

    As the Guardian of the Treaties, the Commission has the duty to ensure the enforcement of EU law, including the principles of non-discrimination and free movement. However, newly declassified documents from the Dutch ministry of education reveal serious and systemic discrimination and administrative abuse against Romanian students in the Netherlands, perpetrated by DUO (the Dutch student finance agency) and overlooked by the Dutch ombudsman.

    Since 2019, Romanian students legally studying and working in the Netherlands have been arbitrarily denied financial aid, in violation of EU regulations. Official Dutch institutions confirmed that these students met all legal requirements, yet DUO continued to exclude them on the basis of nationality. The declassified documents, officially acknowledged by the Dutch Parliament, expose an institutional effort to justify these illegal practices rather than protect the affected students.

    Given the gravity of these findings:

    • 1.What measures will the Commission take to ensure that the Dutch authorities are held accountable for these violations?
    • 2.Will the Commission initiate an official investigation into this case and demand corrective actions from the Netherlands?
    • 3.How will the Commission prevent such systemic discrimination against EU citizens in the future?

    Submitted: 20.3.2025

    Last updated: 25 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Have your say on Upper Smoky land use

    Located in west-central Alberta, the Upper Smoky covers more than 13,000 square kilometres south of Grande Prairie. It contains rolling hills, mountains, forests and glacial valleys, with a wide range of wildlife calling it home. Every day, the area is used for many activities, including energy, forestry, recreation and traditional Indigenous land use. Land-use planning will help direct what activities take place in the future across this unique area.

    Alberta’s government has developed a draft sub-regional plan, along with associated regulatory details, based on discussions with residents, Indigenous communities, local governments, industry and others. Starting on March 27, all Albertans are invited to have their say and help determine how land in the Upper Smoky should be used.

    “The Upper Smoky is a diverse and breathtaking part of our province. It’s also the heart of many of our key industries and Alberta’s economy. We want to hear from anyone living in the area who is passionate about creating jobs, growing rural communities and supporting sustainable conservation in the area, so we can create the best plans possible to meet these demands.”

    Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

    Sub-regional plans help provide opportunities for Albertans to work and play, improve the overall landscape and enable Indigenous traditional land uses. Part of the Upper Smoky plan includes work to restore caribou habitat, which is a specialized activity that helps create local jobs. The draft plan also identifies conservation areas and potential direction for forestry, grazing, recreation, energy development, tourism and many other activities.

    The plan is not final, and the content proposed in the draft materials is designed to help generate input and detailed feedback from those most impacted. Public engagement opens on March 27 and runs until June 25 and can be completed online.

    The input from Albertans will be used to finalize the plan and ultimately, support economic growth, environmental stewardship and strong communities in the Upper Smoky sub-region.

    Alberta’s government will continue working with Indigenous communities and organizations, local governments, industry and others as the Upper Smoky sub-regional plan is finalized and then implemented.

    Quick facts

    • The Upper Smoky sub-region is located south of Grande Prairie and encompasses Grande Cache, Kakwa Wildland Park and about half of Willmore Wilderness Park. It is adjacent to Jasper National Park and covers 13,216 square kilometres.
    • The draft sub-regional plan and associated regulatory details are not final, and they are designed to help generate input from across the province.
    • The Upper Smoky sub-regional plan is the third of 11 plans covering 15 caribou ranges being developed in Alberta.
    • Significant progress has been made toward caribou habitat restoration in west-central Alberta, particularly in the Little Smoky and A La Peche caribou ranges, where more than 2,600 kilometres of seismic lines have been treated and assessed since 2020, and 1.8 million trees have been planted.
    • The sub-region contains natural resources including timber, petroleum and natural gas, coal, metallic and industrial minerals, sand and gravel, and livestock grazing forages.
    • Approximately $21.2 billion of Alberta’s gross domestic product (GDP) was derived from this sub-region in 2020, which is about 6 per cent of the province’s GDP.

    Related information

    • Upper Smoky Sub-Regional Plan engagement
    • Sub-regional planning engagements
    • South Saskatchewan regional planning

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: FINNOVATE ACQUISITION CORP. ANNOUNCES POSTPONEMENT OF SHAREHOLDER MEETING TO 10:00 AM EASTERN TIME MARCH 28, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Boston, MA, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Finnovate Acquisition Corp. (“Finnovate”) (OTC: “FNVUF”, “FNVTF”, “FNVWF”) announced today that its upcoming extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) to approve its proposed initial business combination which was initially scheduled for January 30, 2025 and had been postponed to March 27, 2025, will be further postponed to 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time on Friday, March 28, 2025. At the Special Meeting, shareholders of Finnovate will be asked to vote on proposals to approve, among other things, its proposed initial business combination (the “Business Combination”) with Scage International Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“Scage International” or the “Company”), Scage Future, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“Pubco”), Hero 1, a Cayman Islands exempted company and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Merger Sub I”), and Hero 2, a Cayman Islands exempted company and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Merger Sub II”) pursuant to a Business Combination Agreement (as amended, the “Business Combination Agreement”). There is no change to the location, the record date, the purpose or any of the proposals to be acted upon at the Special Meeting.

    On March 13, 2025, Scage International received approval for listing from the China Securities Regulatory Commission. CSRC approval is one of the conditions for consuming the Business Combination. Now the CSRC approval has been received, Finnovate has decided to postpone the Special Meeting to allow more time for the parties to proceed to satisfy the remaining closing conditions under the Business Combination Agreement, including obtaining approval for the listing of Pubco’s securities on Nasdaq.

    As a result of this change, the Special Meeting will now be held at 10:00 a.m., Eastern time, on Friday, March 28, 2025, at the office of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105 and via a live webcast at https://www.cstproxy.com/finnovateacquisition/2025. Also, as a result of this change, the deadline for holders of Finnovate’s Class A ordinary shares issued in its initial public offering to submit their shares for redemption in connection with the Business Combination is being further extended to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on Wednesday March 26, 2025.

    The proposed resolutions to be considered at the Special Meeting remains the same as that set out in the definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents that was been mailed to shareholders of Finnovate as of the record date of January 6, 2025. SHAREHOLDERS OF FINNOVATE AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ, THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, AND AMENDMENTS THERETO IN CONNECTION WITH FINNOVATE’S SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF ITS SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD TO APPROVE THE BUSINESS COMBINATION, a copy of which can be accessed via the following link: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1857855/000121390025001247/ea0226944-01.htm.

    Finnovate plans to continue to solicit proxies from shareholders during the period prior to the Special Meeting. Only the holders of Finnovate’s ordinary shares as of the close of business on January 6, 2025, the record date for the Special Meeting, are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting.

    About Finnovate Acquisition Corp.

    Finnovate Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with the purpose of acquiring one and more businesses and assets, via a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, and reorganization.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The information in this Press Release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “expect,” “continue,” “should,” “would,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “future,” “outlook” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of financial and performance metrics and projections of market opportunity and market share; references with respect to the anticipated benefits of the proposed transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement (the “Business Combination”) and the projected future financial performance of Finnovate and the Company’s operating companies following the proposed Business Combination; changes in the market for the Company’s products and services and expansion plans and opportunities; the Company’s ability to successfully execute its expansion plans and business initiatives; ability for the Company to raise funds to support its business; the sources and uses of cash of the proposed Business Combination; the anticipated capitalization and enterprise value of the combined company following the consummation of the proposed Business Combination; the projected technological developments of the Company and its competitors; ability of the Company to control costs associated with operations; the ability to manufacture efficiently at scale; anticipated investments in research and development and the effect of these investments and timing related to commercial product launches; and expectations related to the terms, approvals and timing of the proposed Business Combination. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of the Company’s and Finnovate’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of the Company and Finnovate. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement; the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the transactions described herein; the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination; the ability to obtain or maintain the listing of the Pubco’s securities on The Nasdaq Stock Market, following the Business Combination, including having the requisite number of shareholders; costs related to the Business Combination; changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; risks relating to the uncertainty of certain projected financial information with respect to the Company; the Company’s ability to successfully and timely develop, manufacture, sell and expand its technology and products, including implement its growth strategy; the Company’s ability to adequately manage any supply chain risks, including the purchase of a sufficient supply of critical components incorporated into its product offerings; risks relating to the Company’s operations and business, including information technology and cybersecurity risks, failure to adequately forecast supply and demand, loss of key customers and deterioration in relationships between the Company and its employees; the Company’s ability to successfully collaborate with business partners; demand for the Company’s current and future offerings; risks that orders that have been placed for the Company’s products are cancelled or modified; risks related to increased competition; risks relating to potential disruption in the transportation and shipping infrastructure, including trade policies and export controls; risks that the Company is unable to secure or protect its intellectual property; risks of product liability or regulatory lawsuits relating to the Company products and services; risks that the post-combination company experiences difficulties managing its growth and expanding operations; the uncertain effects of certain geopolitical developments; the inability of the parties to successfully or timely consummate the proposed Business Combination, including the risk that any required shareholder or regulatory approvals are not obtained, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed Business Combination; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company, Finnovate, Pubco or others following announcement of the proposed Business Combination and transactions contemplated thereby; the ability of the Company to execute its business model, including market acceptance of its planned products and services and achieving sufficient production volumes at acceptable quality levels and prices; technological improvements by the Company’s peers and competitors; and those risk factors discussed in documents of Pubco and Finnovate filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither Finnovate nor the Company presently know or that Finnovate and the Company currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect Finnovate’s, Pubco’s and the Company’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. Finnovate, Pubco and the Company anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause Finnovate’s, Pubco’s and the Company’s assessments to change. However, while Finnovate, Pubco and the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Finnovate, Pubco and the Company specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. Readers are referred to the most recent reports filed with the SEC by Finnovate. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 

    Additional Information

    Pubco and the Company filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form F-4, which has been declared effective by SEC (the “Registration Statement”). The Registration Statement includes a definitive proxy statement of Finnovate and a prospectus in connection with the proposed Business Combination involving Finnovate, Pubco, Hero 1, Hero 2 and the Company pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement. The definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents has been mailed to shareholders of Finnovate as of the record date of January 6, 2025. SHAREHOLDERS OF FINNOVATE AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ, THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, AND AMENDMENTS THERETO IN CONNECTION WITH FINNOVATE’S SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF ITS SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD TO APPROVE THE BUSINESS COMBINATION BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT FINNOVATE, THE COMPANY, PUBCO AND THE BUSINESS COMBINATION.

    Participants in The Solicitation

    Pubco, Finnovate, the Company, and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Finnovate in connection with the Business Combination. Information regarding the officers and directors of Finnovate is set forth in the Registration Statement. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants are also included in the Registration Statement and other relevant documents to be filed or has been filed with the SEC.

    No Offer Or Solicitation

    This Press Release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

    INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT

    Finnovate Acquisition Corp.
    Calvin Kung
    265 Franklin Street
    Suite 1702
    Boston, MA 02110
    +1 (424) 253-0908 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sudan’s civil war: What military advances mean, and where the country could be heading next

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Christopher Tounsel, Associate Professor of History, University of Washington

    A Sudanese man celebrates as the military enters the central city of Wad Madani, pushing out the Rapid Support Forces in January 2025. AP Photo/Marwan Ali

    A series of advances by the Sudanese military has led some observers to posit that the African nation’s yearslong civil war could be at a crucial turning point.

    Even if it were to end tomorrow, the bloody conflict would have left the Sudanese people scarred by violence that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions of people. But the recent victories by the military do not spell the end of its adversary, a rebel paramilitary group that still holds large areas in Sudan.

    The Conversation turned to Christopher Tounsel, a historian of modern Sudan at the University of Washington, to explain what the war has cost and where it could turn now.

    Can you give a summary of the civil war to date?

    On April 15, 2023, fighting broke out in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF – led by de facto head of state Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan – and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known colloquially as “Hemedti.” The RSF emerged out of the feared Janjaweed militia that had terrorized the Darfur region of Sudan.

    While the SAF and RSF previously worked together to forcibly remove longtime President Omar al-Bashir from power in 2019, they later split amid a power struggle that turned deadly.

    The major point of contention was the disputed timeline for RSF integration into the national military, with the RSF preferring a 10-year process to the SAF’s preferred two-year plan.

    By early April 2023, the government deployed SAF troops along the streets of the capital, Khartoum, while RSF forces took up locations throughout the country. Matters came to a head when explosions and gunfire rocked Khartoum on April 15 of that year. The two forces have been in conflict ever since.

    To human toll of the civil war has been staggering. As of February 2025, estimates of those killed from the conflict and its related causes, including lack of sufficient medical facilities and hunger, have ranged from 20,000 to 150,000 – a wide gulf that, according to Humanitarian Research Lab executive director Nathaniel Raymond, is partially due to the fact that the dead or displaced are still being counted.

    The conflict has displaced more than 14 million people, a number that demographically makes the Sudan situation the world’s worst displacement crisis. Nearly half of Sudan’s population is “acutely food insecure,” according to the U.N.’s World Food Programme. Another 638,000 face “catastrophic levels of hunger” – the world’s highest number.

    How have recent developments changed the war?

    The SAF has recently scored a slew of victories. At time of writing, the Sudanese military controls much of the country’s southeastern border with Ethiopia, the Red Sea coast – and, with it, Sudan’s strategically important Port Sudan – and parts of the country’s metropolitan center located at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers.

    Further, the SAF has reclaimed much of the White Nile and Gezira provinces and broken an RSF siege of North Kordofan’s provincial capital of el-Obeid. In perhaps the most important development, the army in late March recaptured the RSF’s last major stronghold in Khartoum, the Presidential Palace.

    A fighter loyal to the Sudanese army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025.
    AFP via Getty Images

    Each of these actions indicates that the SAF is taking an increasingly proactive approach in the war. Such positive momentum could not only serve to reassure the Sudanese populace that the SAF is the country’s strongest force but also signal to foreign powers that it is, and will continue to be, the country’s legitimate authority moving forward.

    And yet, there are other indications that the RSF is in no rush to concede defeat. Despite the SAF’s advances, the RSF has strengthened its control over nearly all of Darfur, Sudan’s massive western region that shares a lengthy border with neighboring Chad.

    It is here that the RSF has been accused of committing genocide against non-Arab communities, and only the besieged capital of North Darfur, El Fasher, stands in the way of total RSF hegemony in the region. The RSF also controls territory to the south, along Sudan’s borders with the Central African Republic and South Sudan.

    The fact that the SAF and RSF are entrenched in their respective regional strongholds casts doubt on the significance of the military’s recent victories.

    Could Sudan be heading to partition?

    As a historian who spent years writing about South Sudanese separatism, I find it somewhat unfathomable to imagine that Sudan would further splinter into different countries. Given the current state of affairs, however, partition is not outside the realm of possibility. In February, during a summit in Kenya, the RSF and its allies officially commenced plans to create a rival government.

    The African Union’s 55 member states are said to be split on the issue of Sudanese partition and the question of whether any entity linked with the RSF should be accepted. In January, during the waning days of U.S. President Joe Biden’s presidency, Washington determined that the RSF and its allies had committed genocide and sanctioned Hemedti, the RSF leader, prohibiting him and his family from traveling to the U.S. and freezing any American assets he may hold.

    Any attempt to entertain partition could be read as an acknowledgment of the legitimacy of the RSF and would also create a dangerous precedent for other leaders who have been accused of human rights violations.

    In addition to the RSF’s perceived lack of moral legitimacy, there is also the recent precedent of South Sudan’s secession. South Sudan, since seceding from Sudan in 2011, has experienced enormous difficulties. Roughly 2½ years into independence, the nation erupted into a civil war waged largely along ethnic lines. Since the conclusion of that war in 2018, the world’s youngest nation continues to struggle with intergroup violence, food insecurity and sanctions resulting from human rights violations.

    Simply put, recent Sudanese history has shown that partition is not a risk-free solution to civil war.

    How has shifting geopolitics affected the conflict?

    It is important to understand that the conflict’s ripples extend far beyond Sudan’s borders. Similarly, the actions of countries such as the U.S., Russia and China have an impact on the war.

    Sudanese people line up to collect a charity ‘iftar’ fast-breaking meal in Omdourman on March 19, 2025.
    Ebrahim Hamid/AFP via Getty Images

    President Donald Trump’s executive order freezing contributions from the U.S. government’s development organization, USAID, has shuttered approximately 80% of the emergency food kitchens established to help those impacted by the conflict. An estimated 2 million people have been affected by this development.

    Russian financial and military contributions have been credited with helping the SAF achieve its gains in recent months. Russia has long desired a Red Sea naval base near Port Sudan, and the expulsion of Russia’s fleet from Syria following the fall of President Bashar Assad increased the importance of such a base.

    And then there is China. A major importer of Sudanese crude oil, China engaged in conversations to renegotiate oil cooperation agreements with Sudan in October 2024 with the hopes of increasing oil production amid the war. An end to the war – and, with it, protecting the flow of oil through pipelines vulnerable to attack – would benefit both members of this bilateral relationship.

    As the war enters its third year, the outlook remains frustratingly difficult to discern.

    Christopher Tounsel has previously received funding from the Council of American Overseas Research Centers.

    – ref. Sudan’s civil war: What military advances mean, and where the country could be heading next – https://theconversation.com/sudans-civil-war-what-military-advances-mean-and-where-the-country-could-be-heading-next-253007

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Warner Speaks at Senate Intelligence Committee Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO OF SEN. WARNER’S OPENING REMARKS IS AVAILABLE HERE

    WASHINGTON – Today, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) delivered opening remarks at the Intelligence Committee’s annual Worldwide Threats Assessment hearing.

    Sen. Warner’s opening remarks as delivered are below:

    Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good morning, everybody, and I want to thank all the witnesses for being here.

    I got to say, I’ve been on the committee now for 14 years, and this year’s assessment is clearly one of the most complicated and challenging in my tenure on the committee.

    And I want to get into that in a moment, but I want to, first of all, address the recent story that broke in the news.

    Yesterday, we stunningly learned that senior members of this administration and according to reports, two of our witnesses here today, were members of a group chat that discussed highly sensitive and likely classified information that supposedly even included ‘weapons packages, targets and timing,’ and included the name of an active CIA agent.

    Putting aside for a moment that classified information should never be discussed over an unclassified system, it’s also just mind boggling to me that all these senior folks were on this line and nobody bothered to even check, security hygiene 101…

    Who are all the names? Who are they?

    Well, it apparently includes a journalist.

    And no matter how much the Secretary of Defense or others want to disparage him, this journalist had at least the ethics to not report everything he heard.

    The question I raise is: everybody on this committee gets briefed on security protocols. They’re told you don’t make calls outside of SCIFs of this kind of classified nature.

    Director Gabbard is the executive in charge of all keeping our secrets safe. Were these government devices? Or were they personal devices? Have the devices been collected to make sure there’s no malware?

    There’s plenty of declassified information that shows that our adversaries, China and Russia, are trying to break in to encrypted systems like Signal.

    I can just say this. If this was the case of a military officer, or an intelligence officer, and they had this kind of behavior, they would be fired. I think this is one more example of the kind of sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior, particularly towards classified information, that this is not a one off or a first time error.

    Let me take a couple of minutes and review some of the other reckless choices that this administration has made regarding our national security. We all recall it seems like it wasn’t that long ago, but less than two months ago, in the first two weeks, the administration canceled all U.S. foreign assistance.

    Now, some may say, how can that how bad can that be, its foreign assistance?

    Well, U.S. foreign assistance paid for the units in Ukraine to provide air defense to civilian cities being attacked by Russia.

    Foreign assistance paid for guarding camps in Syria, where ISIS fighters are to be detained.

    Foreign assistance paid for programs abroad that ensure that diseases like Ebola don’t come home.

    And until recently, it paid for the construction of a railway in Africa that would have help given the United States much needed access to critical minerals in Congo.

    Now that project… China is going to try to finance it as well.

    In the first two weeks, the administration fired several of our most experienced FBI agents, including the head of the criminal Investigative submission, the head of the intelligence division, the head of the Counterterrorism division, the heads of the New York, Washington and Miami field office, all individuals who were distinctly and directly responsible for helping to keep America safe.

    The irony a little bit, was the recently dismissed head of the counterterrorism division was involved in disrupting the ISIS attacks planned for Oklahoma City and Philadelphia and helped lead the effort to bring to justice the key planner of the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan, who killed 13 U.S. servicemen and 150 civilians.

    That very Abbey Gate effort was actually praised by the president in his state of the Union address.

    The administration’s response to these agents’ good works and years of service was to force these folks out.

    It’s hard to imagine how that makes our country safer.

    Nor can I understand how Americans are made more secure by firing more than 300 staff at the National Nuclear Security Administration, including those responsible for overseeing the security and safety of the nuclear stockpile, or by ousting 130 employees at CSA.

    The agency directly responsible for trying to take on China’s salt typhoon attack again. After Salt Typhoon, I would have thought folks on that group chat might have thought twice.

    Or how are we made safer by sacking a thousand employees at the CDC and NIH. We’re actually directly working on trying to keep our country safe from disease by pushing out hundreds of intelligence officers.

    The amazing thing is our intelligence officers, they’re not interchangeable like a Twitter coder. Our country makes $20,000 to $40,000 of an investment just in getting a security clearance.

    It literally goes into six figures when you take the training involved. Can anyone tell how firing probationary individuals without any consideration for merit or expertise is an efficient use of taxpayer dollars?

    And just to make clear that yesterday’s story in the Atlantic was not this rookie one-off, it’s a pattern.

    I want to acknowledge Director Ratcliffe was not here in his position with this took place.

    But again, earlier in the administration, when a new unclassified network was used, thereby exposing literally hundreds of CIA officers’ identities.

    Those folks can’t go into the field now.

    How does that make our government more efficient?

    You know, again, this pattern of an amazing, cavalier attitude towards classified information is reckless and sloppy.

    And perhaps what troubles me most is the way the administration has decided that we can take on all of our problems by ourselves without any need for friends or allies.

    I agree that we’ve got to put America’s priorities first, but American first cannot mean America alone.

    The intelligence we gather to keep Americans safe depends on a lot of allies around the world who have access to sources that we don’t have.

    That’s sharing of information saves lives. And it’s not hypothetical.

    We all remember (because it was declassified) last year when Austria worked with our community to make sure to expose a plot against Taylor Swift in Vienna that could have killed literally hundreds of individuals.

    However, these relationships are not built in stone. They’re not dictated by law. Things like the Five Eyes are based on trust built on decades, but so often that trust is now breaking literally overnight.

    Yet suddenly, for no reason that I can understand, the United States is starting to act like our adversaries are our friends. Voting in the UN with Russia, Belarus and North Korea. It’s a rogues gallery if ever heard one.

    Treating our allies like adversaries, whether it’s threats to take over Greenland or over the Panama Canal, a destructive trade war with Canada, or literally threatening to kick Canada out of the Five Eyes, I feel our credibility is being enormously undermined with our allies, who I believe, and I think most of us on this committee, regardless of party believes, makes our country safer and stronger.

    But how can our allies ever trust us as the kind of partner we used to be when we, without consultation or notice, for example, stop sharing information to Ukraine in its war for survival against Russia. Or how can our allies not only not trust our government, but potentially not our businesses with such arbitrary political decision?

    Let me give you a few examples. You know, as a result of a lot of work from this committee and others in Congress, we made sure America’s commercial space industry is second to none from space to launch to commercial sensing and communications.

    The United States has taken a lead. Yet overnight, this administration called into question the reliability of American commercial tech industry.

    When maps are and other commercial space companies were directed to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine.

    I’m going to tell you… I’m a business guy. Can’t say longer than being an elected official, but pretty close. That shockwave across all of commercial space and frankly, not just commercial space. I’ve heard it from some of our hyperscalers, in the tech community, has sent an enormous chill.

    Who’s going to hire an American commercial space company, government or foreign business with the ability to have that taken down so arbitrarily?

    It’s not just in the case of commercial space.

    We’ve seen that Canada, Germany, Portugal have all been saying they’re rethinking buying F-35s.

    I’ve heard from Microsoft and Google directly, and Amazon that they’re having questions about whether they can still sell their services.

    We’ve also seen foreign adversaries and friends take advantage of this RIF in our national security areas, and our scientists.

    Germany has already put out ads trying to attract some of our best scientists who’ve been RIFed and the Chinese intelligence agencies are posting on social media sites in the hopes of luring individuals with that national security clearance who’ve been pushed out, perhaps arbitrarily, to come into their service.

    So, no, the signal fiasco is not a one off. It is, unfortunately, a pattern we’re seeing too often repeated.

    I fear that we feel the erosion of trust from our workplace, from our companies, and from our allies and partners can’t be put back in the bottle overnight. Make no mistake, these actions make America less safe.

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Quadravest Preferred Split Share ETF Financial Results to December 31, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quadravest Preferred Split Share ETF (“Preferred ETF”) announces that its annual financial statements and management report of fund performance for the period ended December 31, 2024 are now available at www.sedarplus.com and Preferred ETF’s website at www.quadravest.com.

    For further information, please contact Investor Relations at 416-304-4443, toll free at 1-877-4-Quadra (1-877-478-2372), or visit www.quadravest.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Principals of Fire Alarm Repair Company Plead Guilty to Decade-Long Scheme to Defraud New York City Agencies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendants Overbilled City Agencies Using Fabricated Invoices with Fraudulently Inflated Prices and Shell Companies

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Walter Stanzione and William Neogra, the principals of a fire alarm maintenance company, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.  Both defendants were charged with a decade-long scheme to defraud the City of New York by seeking payment on millions of dollars of grossly inflated fraudulent bills.  The proceedings were held before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo.  When sentenced, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York) announced the charges.

    “For over a decade, the City of New York relied on the defendants to ensure that the fire safety systems in hundreds of city buildings were in safe, working order,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “The defendants abused this position of trust so that they could scheme and steal, defrauding New York City out of millions of dollars.  The guilty pleas announced today make clear that reprehensible conduct like this will be uncovered and prosecuted.”

    “Millions of dollars went up in smoke as Walter Stanzione and William Neogra fraudulently inflated the cost of their company’s products to finance personal luxurious purchases,” stated Acting FBI Assistant Director in Charge Backschies.  “For more than ten years, the defendants charged various New York City clients exaggerated pricing for fire alarm systems and obfuscated this misconduct through doctored invoices.  The FBI remains determined to protect our city’s citizens and infrastructure from criminals seeking to unlawfully profit with little concern for safety.”

    “Stanzione and Neogra orchestrated a scheme to defraud the City of New York.  They created shell companies to pass-through supplies sold to NYC agencies at inflated prices with false invoices.  Millions of dollars were billed over a decade, and the excessive profit left these fraudsters living large.  Today’s plea means the defendants’ lifestyle will go from extravagant in size to a reduction in square feet,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.

    “These defendants systematically inflated costs billed to multiple City agencies—including the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Sanitation, for more than a decade,” stated DOI Commissioner Strauber.  “When vendors exploit their contractual relationship with the City by overbilling, they steal public funds from City taxpayers.  I thank our federal law enforcement partners for their commitment to protect the City’s resources and to ensure vendors who commit fraud are held responsible.”

    As set forth in various public court filings and in today’s proceedings, the defendants exercised control over Fire Alarm Electrical Corp., a company that held numerous contracts with New York City agencies to repair and maintain fire alarm systems.  For more than a decade, the defendants overbilled those agencies by submitting fraudulent invoices with dramatically inflated prices.  They accomplished this scheme in several ways:

    • The defendants created numerous shell companies that were secretly owned by defendant Stanzione.  After purchasing supplies from legitimate retailers, the defendants would re-invoice the parts through the shell companies for roughly three to five times the real purchase price, ultimately passing along those “costs” to the City.
    • The defendants took advantage of pre-existing shell companies that were being used in other ongoing frauds.  For example, the defendants used shell companies created by convicted EDNY defendant David Motovich, which Motovich had used in an entirely separate fraud scheme that was also investigated and prosecuted by EDNY, FBI, DOI and IRS (21-CR-497).
    • When city auditors became suspicious of the shell companies, the defendants fraudulently modified the documents of legitimate retailers, passing off the altered invoices from these companies as if they were genuine.

    These methods enabled the defendants to submit millions of dollars of fictitious payment requests to four separate city agencies over an eleven-year period.  Defendant Stanzione, the leader of the fraud, then siphoned off much of the ill-gotten gains and used the stolen money to fund his family’s lavish spending habits.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Erik Paulsen, Michael Gibaldi and Eric Silverberg are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kavya Kannan.

    The Defendants:

    WALTER STANZIONE
    Age: 66
    East Meadow, Long Island

    WILLIAM NEOGRA
    Age: 65
    Millsboro, Delaware

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-482 (RPK)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Eric Peter Weschke of AdvancedFolio Capital Management Rings NYSE Closing Bell

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SETAUKET, N.Y., March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eric Peter Weschke, president and CEO of AdvancedFolio Capital Management, joined an elite group of financial leaders by ringing the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Closing Bell. The event, broadcast live on CNBC, marked a significant achievement for Weschke, a 29-year veteran of the financial services industry and a prominent New York financial educator.

    Image by AdvancedFolio Capital Management

    For Weschke, this milestone represents a full-circle moment, as his journey in finance began decades ago, inspired by his mother, a pioneer who worked on the NYSE floor in the late 1960s.   “Being on the NYSE trading floor and ringing the closing bell was truly surreal,” Weschke says. “As a child, I remember visiting the exchange with my mother, who was among the first women to work there. To now be here, participating in a historic tradition, is an incredible honor both personally and professionally.”

    Eric Peter Weschke Celebrates Financial Leadership at NYSE

    The NYSE Closing Bell Ceremony is a symbolic tradition that marks the end of the trading day, often reserved for industry leaders, top executives, and companies making significant contributions to the financial world. Weschke’s participation reflects his longstanding influence in financial education, asset management, and wealth preservation strategies.

    The invitation to ring the closing bell places Weschke among distinguished financial figures who have shaped the industry. This honor acknowledges his contributions to advancing investor education and developing innovative wealth management approaches throughout his career. The ceremony, witnessed by traders, executives, and millions of viewers, showcases AdvancedFolio’s growing influence in the financial services sector.

    “This isn’t just a personal achievement; it’s a reflection of the trust our clients place in us and the strength of the brand we’ve built at AdvancedFolio Capital Management,” Weschke says.

    AdvancedFolio Capital Management Showcases Success on National Stage

    Founded by Eric Peter Weschke, AdvancedFolio Capital Management has established itself as a premier financial firm, offering personalized investment strategies and financial planning solutions. The firm prioritizes a client-first approach, crafting customized solutions while balancing asset protection with effective risk management.

    “At AdvancedFolio, our mission is simple: to provide our clients with strategic, tax-efficient investment plans that ensure long-term financial security,” Weschke says. “We’re not just managing wealth—we’re building financial confidence.”

    This commitment extends to education, with hundreds of free seminars and workshops offered to boost financial literacy among clients and the broader community. The firm’s expertise has earned national recognition, from appearances on CNBC to features in financial publications and high-profile industry events.

    “The success of AdvancedFolio Capital Management isn’t just about numbers; it’s about helping people build sustainable financial futures,” Weschke says. “The recognition we’ve received, from Nasdaq’s National Board in Times Square in 2021 to the NYSE Closing Bell in 2025, reflects our dedication to excellence.”

    Reflecting on the NYSE Immersion Moment

    “The excitement inside the exchange was electric,” he says. “The anticipation of ringing the bell, knowing it was being broadcast nationwide, was an unforgettable experience. It’s moments like these that remind me why I chose this career: to be part of something bigger than myself and contribute to the financial well-being of others.”

    During his visit, Weschke engaged in discussions with NYSE executives, traders, and financial analysts, gaining valuable insights into the current state of the markets and future trends.

    “It was fascinating to hear firsthand perspectives from professionals who operate at the heart of the financial world,” Weschke says. “From market analysts to on-air CNBC personalities, the exchange is a hub of financial expertise.”

    Beyond the ceremony, Weschke took a behind-the-scenes tour of the NYSE, where he gained a new appreciation for the technology and operations driving global financial markets.

    “Seeing the trading floor up close, rather than just on TV, gave me a whole new perspective,” Weschke says. “The floor is smaller than it appears on screen, but the energy, the technology, and the precision with which everything runs is remarkable.”

    A Career of Achievement

    Throughout his career, Eric Peter Weschke has been recognized for his expertise in institutional investment theory, risk management, and tax-efficient retirement income strategies. As a nationally published financial expert and speaker, he has guided countless individuals, families, and businesses toward achieving their financial goals.

    Among his professional accomplishments:

    • Former National Speaker on financial strategies for corporations across the U.S.
    • Chief Technical Analyst for the Swing-Trader Market Newsletter.
    • Senior Executive Syndicate Underwriting Team Member for a $20M Initial Public Bond Offering.
    • Senior VP and Northeast Regional Planner for First National Bank of Arizona.
    • Advisor of the Year (2003) for outstanding financial planning performance.
    • #1 Nationally Ranked Representative for Northwestern Mutual (1993) based on volume.

    Weschke is also a licensed investment advisor and 1031 Exchange Specialist, ensuring that his clients receive comprehensive, well-informed financial guidance.

    “Success in finance isn’t just about numbers; it’s about trust, relationships, and delivering long-term results,” Weschke says. “At  AdvancedFolio Capital Management, we’re committed to making a real impact in people’s lives.”

    Eric Peter Weschke’s Message to Clients and the Industry

    As Weschke reflects on his participation in the NYSE Closing Bell Ceremony, he hopes the event sends a powerful message to his clients and professional network.

    “This moment reinforces our firm’s relevance and credibility in today’s financial world,” Weschke says. “It’s proof that  AdvancedFolio Capital Management is being recognized at the highest levels for the work we do. Our exposure through CNBC, the NYSE, and Nasdaq has only strengthened our brand and mission.”

    With the future in focus, Weschke remains committed to expanding AdvancedFolio Capital Management, enhancing client services, and continuing to shape the financial landscape through education, innovation, and trust.

    “This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it’s just the beginning,” Weschke says. “We’re building something that will last, something that will help generations achieve financial stability and success.”

    About AdvancedFolio Capital Management

    AdvancedFolio Capital Management is a Setauket-based financial advisory firm committed to delivering personalized investment strategies and proactive wealth management solutions. By focusing on client education and disciplined financial planning, the firm helps individuals and families achieve their financial goals with confidence and clarity.

    Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Investors are advised to consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Investment advisory services are offered through Coppell Advisory Solutions, LLC dba Fusion Capital Management, an SEC registered investment advisor. The firm only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. SEC registration is not an endorsement of the firm by the commission and does not mean that the advisor has attained a specific level of skill or ability. See full disclosures on FusionCM.com/compliance. Insurance and annuity products are not sold through Fusion Capital Management. Fusion does not endorse any annuity or insurance product, nor does it guarantee any insurance or annuity performance. Annuity and life insurance guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. If you withdraw money from or surrender your contract within a certain time after investing, the insurance company may assess a surrender charge. Withdrawals may be subject to tax penalties and income taxes. Persons selling annuities and other insurance products receive compensation for these transactions. These commissions are separate and distinct from Fusion’s investment advisory fees.

    Media Contact:

    Eric Peter Weschke
    AdvancedFolio Capital Management
    Phone: 631-675-1885
    Email: eric@advancedfolio.com
    Website: https://www.advancedfolio.com/

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/687a81d7-e1d7-4935-99ab-6e5f9f487014

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Crimes of the transatlantic slave trade ‘unacknowledged, unspoken and unaddressed’

    Source: United Nations 2

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Human Rights

    The transatlantic slave trade may have ended centuries ago but its legacy is ever present, the UN Secretary-General said on Tuesday, marking the International Day of Remembrance for its victims.

    Addressing the General Assembly, Secretary-General António Guterres warned that systemic racism, economic exclusion and racial violence continue to deny people of African descent the opportunity to thrive.

    He called on governments to acknowledge the truth and finally honour the trade’s legacy by taking action.  

    “For too long, the crimes of the transatlantic slave trade – and their ongoing impact – have remained unacknowledged, unspoken and unaddressed,” he said, denouncing erasure of history, rewriting of narratives and dismissal of slavery’s intrinsic harm.

    “The obscene profits derived from chattel slavery and the racist ideologies that underpinned the trade are still with us,” he added.

    Four centuries of abuse

    For over four centuries, an estimated 25 to 30 million Africans – nearly a third of the continent’s population at the time – were forcibly taken from their homelands. Many did not survive the brutal journey across the Atlantic.

    The exploitation and suffering – families torn apart, entire communities decimated and generations condemned to bondage – was driven by greed and sustained by racist ideologies, which remain today.

    Honouring and remembering those who suffered, the UN in 2007 designated March 25 as the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

    The date marks the passage of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in the United Kingdom in 1807, three years after the Haitian Revolution. The revolution led to the establishment of the Republic of Haiti – the first country to gain independence based on the actions of enslaved men and women.

    Forced to pay for their freedom

    Even after slavery was abolished, the UN chief noted, its victims were not compensated and, in many cases, formerly enslaved people were forced to pay for their freedom.

    Haiti, for instance, had to make massive payouts to those who profited from its suffering, a financial burden that set the young nation on a path of enduring economic hardship.

    “Today is not only a day of remembrance. It is also a day to reflect on the enduring legacies of slavery and colonialism and to strengthen our resolve to combat those evils today,” Mr. Guterres said.

    UN Photo/Manuel Elías

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the General Assembly meeting to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance.

    Move forward with resolve

    Mr. Guterres urged governments, businesses and civil society to take decisive action against racism and discrimination, urging nations to fully implement the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and to comply with their human rights obligations.

    “Acknowledging this truth is not only necessary – it is vital for addressing past wrongs, healing the present and building a future of dignity and justice for all,” he stressed.

    Stains not easily erased

    The President of the General Assembly, Philémon Yang, echoed the Secretary-General’s concerns, stating that while slavery was formally abolished, its legacy persists in racial inequalities that span generations.

    “The stains of injustice are not easily erased,” he said, pointing to ongoing disparities in housing, employment, healthcare, education and criminal justice systems.

    He stressed that addressing these injustices requires not only acknowledgment but concrete policy changes that ensure equity and inclusion.

    Mr. Yang also underscored the importance of education in confronting these painful legacies. He called for a global effort to integrate comprehensive histories of slavery and its aftermath into school curricula, emphasising that an informed society is better equipped to challenge prejudice and foster empathy.

    The Ark of Return

    This year’s commemoration also marked the tenth anniversary of the Ark of Return, the permanent memorial at the UN Headquarters in New York to honour the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, located at UN Headquarters in New York.  

    Standing solemnly against the backdrop of the East River, the Ark of Return greets world leaders, government officials and the public as they enter UN Headquarters – a white-marble monument to the resilience and resistance of those who endured the horrors of slavery.

    Designed by Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon, it also educates future generations about the ongoing dangers of racism and exclusion.

    Ark of Return: The Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

    Click here to read UN News’ interview with Mr. Leon

    A living monument to memory and justice

    Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka (Literature, 1986) also address the commemoration in New York, having paid his respects at the Ark of Return.

    Acknowledging the significance of the monument and its prominence at UN Headquarters, Mr. Soyinka urged world leaders to go further by transforming static monuments into living, evolving spaces that not only honour the past but propel humanity toward justice.

    “It is impossible to quantify reparations for such a global atrocity,” he said, emphasising the power of symbolism.

    He proposed another expression of remembrance dubbed the “Heritage Voyage of Return”, which would trace the paths of the transatlantic ships, stopping at historic ports of enslavement along the West African coast and beyond.

    This Voyage, he suggested, could serve as a living exposition – housing repatriated African artifacts, hosting cultural exhibitions and creating spaces for education, dialogue and artistic expression.

    UN Photo/Manuel Elías

    Wole Soyinka, playwright, poet and Nobel Laureate, delivers a keynote address to the commemorative meeting of the General Assembly to mark the International Day of Remembrance.

    Turn the tide, flip the phrase

    Salome Agbaroji, a young poet from the United States also spoke at the Commemoration, urging people of African descent to tell their “full and true” stories.

    “Turn the tide, flip the phrase to reclaim our personhood and our narratives…your value goes far beyond the human labour you provide but lies in the vibrancy of your culture and innovations,” she said.

    Echoing Secretary-General António Guterres’ emphasis on the need to acknowledge the horrors or slavery and dispel false narratives, she called for greater support for educational programmes to inform and empower young people.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Building A More Equitable Future for New York Workers

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today recognized Equal Pay Day, marking the ongoing struggle against the gender wage gap and pledging to continue the fight for equal pay for all workers in New York State. Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year, highlighting that women are often paid less than their male colleagues. This disparity remains one of the foremost challenges facing the labor market across the State and nation. The New York State Department of Labor recently analyzed newly available data from 2023 and found that women working full-time, year-round in New York State were paid 87.3 cents for every dollar that men were paid. While there is still much more progress to be made to bridge the gap, New York’s gender wage gap is narrow compared to the national average of 81.1 cents per dollar. In fact, New York had the third smallest wage gap among states in the nation, behind Vermont and Rhode Island.

    “Women are too often the first to care for a child or an aging parent, sacrificing their own financial security in the process and in New York we refuse to accept this as the status quo,” Governor Hochul said. “We are doing the hard work. We’ve enshrined abortion rights in our constitution, guaranteed women 20 hours of paid prenatal leave, expanded access to childcare, developed workforce development programs to expand opportunities for women and bolster our Minority and Women Owned Business Programs — because when women have the freedom and support to succeed, our entire economy grows. Equal pay isn’t just about fairness; it’s about building a stronger, more equitable future for all and as New York’s first woman Governor, this is a fight I look forward to winning.”

    The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) analysis also found that women of color continue to face even higher disparities, with Hispanic women and Black women earning 60.6 cents and 67.7 cents respectively for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men. To put these numbers another way, a woman earning the median income in New York State ($62,111) earned $9,057 less than her male counterpart in 2023. If this wage gap were to remain unchanged, she would earn $362,280 less than a man earning the median wage over the course of a 40-year career.

    New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “Equal Pay Day reminds us that more must be done to close the Gender Wage Gap. Although we have made significant progress, economic inequalities persist. The work of women continues to be undervalued and underpaid. That must change. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we will continue to advance efforts to eliminate all barriers preventing New Yorkers from reaching their full earning potential, regardless of gender.”

    Since taking office, Governor Hochul has remained focused on taking nation-leading steps to close the Gender Wage Gap. Child care obligations remain a persistent contributing factor to the Gender Wage Gap. In her 2025 State of the State Address and Fiscal Year 2026 State Executive Budget Proposal, the Governor prioritized a number of family-focused initiatives designed to create a more equitable labor market. The establishment of the New York Coalition for Child Care, the creation of a child care substitute pool, and a $100 million child care construction fund to build new and renovate existing childcare facilities are all part of the Governor’s multi-year effort to move New York State closer to achieving universal child care, an essential step to ensure the full and equal participation of women in the workforce. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State has invested more than $7 billion to expand child care accessibility. Governor Hochul is also proposing a historic expansion of New York’s Child Tax Credit, impacting more than 1.5 million families and representing the single largest boost to the state’s child tax credit in history.

    These proposals build on Governor Hochul’s prior actions to create a more equitable labor market. New York is now the first state in the nation to mandate 20 hours of Paid Prenatal Leave, ensuring that no pregnant worker needs to choose between a paycheck and a checkup. In 2024, New York expanded workplace rights by mandating paid time off for breast milk expression. Critically, both benefits are available for full and part-time workers, as studies show women are more likely than men to work part-time.

    State Senator Jessica Ramos said, “I am proud of the work we have done in partnership with Governor Hochul to close the race and gender-based wage gap. New York has been a leader in improving salary transparency, equipping employers with the ability to attract top talent and qualified candidates, with the ability to negotiate for the wages and benefits they deserve. This is how we fight the feminization of poverty.”

    Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson said, “As Chair of the Labor Committee, I fight hard every day for an equitable, inclusive economy, and we cannot have a fair economy without equitable pay for everyone. It’s time we put an end to the wage gap where women are paid less than their male counterparts for the same job. And for Black Women, Native American Women and Latina women – the pay gap is even more extreme. I will continue working with the Governor, NYSDOL, my legislative partners and the hardworking women of New York, to promote equity of opportunity to permanently end the wage disparity.”

    The minimum wage in New York also continues to rise as part of Governor Hochul’s historic, multi-year agreement with the State Legislature. NYSDOL’s Gender Wage Gap Report found that the majority of minimum wage workers are women of color. By raising the minimum wage, New York continues to put money in the pockets of women across the state. At the same time, New York’s Pay Transparency law requires employers to include pay ranges on all job postings, empowering women to make better informed career decisions and ensure they are being paid fairly.

    NYSDOL also continues to empower women via its Career Centers throughout the state. These centers offer career counseling, skills development, resume assistance, interview tips, and referrals to high-earning jobs at no cost to all New Yorkers. The Department also offers a salary negotiation guide to help New Yorkers maximize their earning potential.

    As part of its effort to highlight and address the gender wage gap, NYSDOL continues to monitor and provide yearly updates on the state of pay equity in New York. This commitment ensures transparency and informs data-driven strategies to support a labor market that values and compensates all workers fairly.

    For more information about the New York State Department of Labor’s initiatives to combat the gender wage gap and to support workforce equality, visit the Gender Wage Gap Hub.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: BitMart Celebrates 7th Anniversary with AI3 Hackathon Afterparty, Co-Hosted with Solana Superteam and NFT SOHO

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mahe, Seychelles, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — To commemorate BitMart’s 7th anniversary, we proudly co-hosted the AI3 Hackathon Afterparty, bringing together builders, creatives, and Web3 pioneers for an evening of connection and celebration.

    Organized by Solana Superteam, with key support from NFT SOHO, the post-hackathon gathering served as the closing highlight of the AI3 Hackathon — a multi-day Web3 & AI experience powered by community energy, innovation, and decentralized collaboration.

    BitMart sponsored and co-hosted the networking session, where developers, investors, artists, and founders came together for drinks, product chats, and idea exchanges in a relaxed and vibrant setting.

    “Celebrating our 7th anniversary alongside some of the brightest minds in Web3 was more than a milestone — it was a reminder of why we build,” said Fan, BitMart’s Europe expert. “We’re proud to support events that champion innovation and community-first culture.”

    From exclusive BitMart merch to immersive brand showcases, the event also marked a renewed commitment to empowering the Web3 builder ecosystem through partnership, product, and presence.

    This is just the beginning — here’s to many more years of unlocking the future of digital assets, together.

    About BitMart
    BitMart is the premier global digital asset trading platform. With millions of users worldwide and ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, it currently offers 1,700+ trading pairs with competitive trading fees. Constantly evolving and growing, BitMart is interested in crypto’s potential to drive innovation and promote financial inclusion. New users can register here to unlock an $8,000+ welcome bonus.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s job cuts are causing Republican angst as all parties face backlash

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thomas Gift, Associate Professor and Director of the Centre on US Politics, UCL

    A spate of town hall meetings held across the US has revealed palpable anger among both Democratic and Republican voters. At some events, voters have spoken to “empty chairs” in lieu of Congress members who refused to show their faces. At others, lawmakers have been booed, heckled and faced raucous audiences.

    What’s striking isn’t just the outrage, but where it’s coming from. Much of the backlash is from parties’ own voters.

    Things have become particularly bad for Republicans. So much so that party leaders have urged lawmakers to host live-streamed or call-in events rather than in-person town halls. President Donald Trump has baselessly blamed “paid agitators” for the fallout. But some backlash doubtlessly comes from Trump supporters.

    Republican angst might suggest a discrepancy between their abstract support for federal spending cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) and their actual response to its practical consequences.

    Republicans doubtlessly like the optics of Musk taking out his chainsaw to slice government. A March 2025 CNN poll, for example, revealed that 75% of Republicans approve of Musk, compared to just 6% of Democrats. Additionally, 73% of Republicans even think Doge cuts won’t go far enough in rooting out “waste, fraud, and abuse” in government.

    However, that enthusiasm seems to fade when specific programmes are on the chopping block. As Republican strategist Brian Seitchik puts it: “There is certainly a disconnect right now between the theory of Doge, the cutting of fat in government … and what is seemingly a blowtorch as opposed to a scalpel approach to solving these problems.”

    Cuts to the federal workforce are emerging as perhaps the most contentious issue. These jobs are disproportionately concentrated in Washington DC. But in terms of total numbers, most are scattered across the country. That includes Republican states that Trump carried in last November’s election.

    Eliminating these jobs is having an impact that many Trump voters didn’t anticipate. Some may soon be showing buyer’s remorse with Trump. It is worth noting that around 81% of Republicans rated jobs and the economy as a very important issue, compared to 73% of Democrats, in a March poll from the Economist/YouGov.

    The political downside of job cuts has been made worse by an administration that can often seem numb to their impact. Recently, new video footage was unearthed of current Office of Management and Budget head Russ Vought saying in 2023 that he wanted civil servants to be “traumatically affected”.

    Despite all of Doge’s relentless efforts, US federal spending still hit a new high last month – US$603 billion (£467 billion). Without touching health service and senior citizen entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, it will be hard for the White House to significantly reduce national debt.

    High prices also continue to anger Trumpland. Trump vowed in the campaign: “You just watch – they’ll come down, and they’ll come down fast.” With inflation, Trump can scapegoat former president Joe Biden for a period. But that only lasts so long.

    Job cuts don’t just affect Democratic states.

    The problem for the White House is that it’s hard to imagine two more inflationary policies than those offered by Trump: tariffs, which pass higher prices onto consumers; and mass deportations, which constrict the labour supply and drive up the price of goods.

    Trump’s base is notoriously loyal. But swing voters who backed Trump could be in for a rude awakening if they expected Trump to revitalise American manufacturing and slash the price of eggs and Big Macs. If Trump’s approval ratings start to slide, some Republicans in Congress may also give him less than their full-throated support.

    Discontented Democrats

    Republicans aren’t the only ones with a problem from their own flank. According to polling by CNN, the Democratic party’s approval rating is just 29%, an all-time low. Among Democrats, some frustration stems from the direction in which Trump is taking the country, but much of it is about the Democratic party’s inability to counter him.

    Consider Trump’s speech before a joint session of Congress a couple weeks ago, where Democrats looked clumsy (and shrill) in their response. Representative Al Green was even censured for disrupting Trump’s address, including by 10 of his Democratic colleagues.

    Consider also the recent spending bill, when Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer broke with his party to keep the federal government open. Fellow Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the move a “huge slap in the face,” while even Schumer’s longtime political partner and former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called him out for caving.

    Many Democratic voters view Democratic party leadership as feckless, as weak, and, in short, as losing. That’s hard to dispute that when Republicans have control of the White House, Congress, and for all intents and purposes, the Supreme Court.

    Calls for “fighting harder” ring hollow unless they’re backed with concrete action. Some pushback can come from states and localities. But what Democratic voters may be looking for is a common message. Half the party wants full-on resistance to Trump. Half doesn’t.

    What Democrats do next

    Coming out of November’s election, the autopsy reports haven’t moved the party in a consistent, constructive direction. For example, Democratic strategist James Carville says that his party should simply “roll over and play dead,” letting Republicans self-combust and making the American people long for Democratic governance. Others, like Ocasio-Cortez, are spoiling for a fight with Trump.

    Past patterns in election cycles would suggest that Democrats will take back at least one chamber of Congress in the 2026 midterms. But before they can, Democrats must heal splits between moderates and progressives, and address the backlash against “wokeism”, which is fading even faster than it emerged.

    Things look dire for Democrats now. Still, some historical context is instructive. 2004 was also a devastating loss for Democrats, when presidential candidate John Kerry lost to incumbent George W. Bush. Yet in 2008, Barack Obama ushered in a new era of Democratic governance. Politics has a way of self-correcting when the party in power over-interprets its mandate.

    Thomas Gift 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. Trump’s job cuts are causing Republican angst as all parties face backlash – https://theconversation.com/trumps-job-cuts-are-causing-republican-angst-as-all-parties-face-backlash-252940

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The TGL golf league might signal that indoor sport is the future, for better or worse

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Brad Millington, Associate Professor, Sport Management, Brock University

    The inaugural season of the TGL golf league closes this week with a final championship-deciding series. The upstart, team-based, men’s league has made headlines for its celebrity backers, including star golfers Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

    Even more noteworthy is TGL’s unique format. Events are played inside SoFi Center, a custom-built venue in Florida with an audience capacity of 1,500.

    At one end lies the “ScreenZone,” where a golf simulator is used for longer shots such as drives and iron play. At the other end, players chip and putt along the physical surface of the “GreenZone” to record a final score on each hole.

    TGL is the latest commercial venture to shake up the golf world in recent years. The league is no doubt novel in some ways, yet it can also be explained as the convergence of two longstanding trends: the “mediatization” and “indoorization” of sport.



    Read more:
    PGA Tour-LIV merger: What this new partnership means for the future of golf and elite sport

    A ‘mediatized’ sports landscape

    Mediatization is a concept that speaks to relationships of interdependence between media and other institutions, such as sport. More than simply conveying sport content, communication technologies have helped change sport over the years — consider “television timeouts” or the use of instant replay.

    In return, sport is a source of live, unpredictable and exciting media content, something that is highly valuable in a competitive attention economy.

    In this context, TGL stands out as an especially tech-infused venture.

    First, there is the golf simulator. The ScreenZone is so named because players hit into a massive screen measuring 64 by 53 feet. Tracking technology is used to map and represent the flight of the ball on screen. This allows for a thoroughly datafied sport experience as an array of performance metrics are available to both players and fans.

    Also relevant are TGL’s seemingly made-for-TV conventions, some of which might be anathema to golf traditionalists. Among them, a 40-second shot clock keeps a brisk pace of play. Players are also mic’d up, making strategy conversations and reactions accessible to the audience.

    In all, TGL is a media spectacle. It is not uncommon for sports leagues to adopt new rules and formats, seemingly in a bid to capture consumer attention. But, through TGL’s video game-like components, media representation — golf on a simulated volcano, among other places — becomes part of the sport competition itself.

    Sport moves indoors

    TGL is also an indoor spectacle. In this sense, it contributes to the indoorization of outdoor sports.

    Outdoor sports from surfing to skiing, rock climbing and many more have moved indoors in recent years (while remaining outdoor sports too). A potential trade-off is that, while outdoor sports often foreground adventure, uncertainty and danger, their indoor analogues often trade this for control, predictability and calculability. The authenticity of indoor sport might therefore be debated, especially in historically counter-cultural sports such as surfing.

    Yet indoorization can also lead to expansion. From the late 1800s onwards, artificial ice in North American arenas allowed for reliable skating conditions and helped hockey move to new locations, growing the game as a commercial endeavour and cultural institution.

    There was also the benefit of escaping the elements. As architectural historian Howard Shubert writes:

    “Covered rinks allowed patrons to escape winter’s cold temperatures, harsh winds, and blowing snow and eliminated the immediate danger of falling through thin ice on ponds and streams.”

    Indoorization is not new, even for golf: golf simulators can be found in converted garages; Topgolf facilities offer high-tech, all-weather golf experiences. But TGL is a high-profile entrant in a history of moving sport indoors.

    Indoorization as adaption?

    Researchers assessing the prospects for outdoor skating against recent climate projections have concluded the future looks bleak for outdoor rinks, and that indoor arenas and synthetic surfaces will grow more important in the years ahead.

    Put another way, indoorization may increasingly be a requirement, and not just a luxury, in the context of a worsening climate crisis.

    Likewise, sport mega-events have implemented various climate adaptation measures over time, from snow-making on ski slopes to refrigeration of sliding tracks and far beyond. The future is likely to see host cities become climate unreliable to an even greater extent.

    It’s not just winter sports. From air-conditioned stadiums to relocated events in search of cooler conditions to indoor recess for students escaping poor-quality outdoor air, the changing climate is a point of vulnerability year-round — and for sport and physical activity participation at various levels.

    Our point here is not that TGL was conceived with the climate crisis in mind. Nor do we expect outdoor golf to disappear. Rather, the climate crisis will demand adaptation in sport in the years ahead.

    In a time of technological innovation — augmented reality, artificial intelligence and more — the mediatization of sport will provide new commercial and recreational opportunities that offer escape from, and perhaps distraction from, worsening outdoor conditions.

    TGL’s blend of real and artificial elements can be seen as foreshadowing “solutions” to much greater problems that are beginning to seem inevitable.

    Brad Millington receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Brian Wilson receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Michael L. Naraine receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Sport Canada.

    Parissa Safai has received funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

    – ref. The TGL golf league might signal that indoor sport is the future, for better or worse – https://theconversation.com/the-tgl-golf-league-might-signal-that-indoor-sport-is-the-future-for-better-or-worse-252608

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why the Tesla backlash could help electric cars finally go mainstream

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Hannah Budnitz, Research Associate in Urban Mobility, Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford

    Elon Musk’s controversial political views and actions have sparked an exodus from X (formerly Twitter), his social media platform, and mass protests against his car company, Tesla. Dealerships in the US and beyond have experienced peaceful protests and occasional vandalism, while sales are down almost everywhere and the company has lost almost half its value in two months.

    Ironically, these political controversies may broaden the mass market appeal of electric vehicles. This is an industry that needs to go beyond the early-adopter tech bros – and now might be the moment.

    In 2010, when Tesla became the first American carmaker to go public since Ford in 1956, fully electric cars were still a niche technology. The Nissan Leaf was launched that same year, but it was still limited to shorter trips in cities. Other big carmakers weren’t yet taking electric seriously, and the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) industry was just starting to gear up.

    In 2013, when the International Energy Agency (IEA) produced its first Global EV Outlook report, there were less than 60,000 on the road worldwide. A decade later, almost the same number of EVs are sold every day.

    Tesla’s competition was initially just little urban runarounds like this 2010 Nissan Leaf.
    Dong liu / Shutterstock

    So, there is plenty of evidence that Tesla had a leading role in making EVs a “winning technology” – something the traditional major carmakers felt compelled to compete with. Governments around the world also got on board.

    Not made for the mainstream

    In fact, Tesla’s approach to making electric cars mainstream was to not make them for the mainstream. Its marketing strategy was to sell direct to customers who not only bought into the environmental credentials but the hi-tech glamour – and didn’t mind the price tag.

    In other words, Tesla targeted “early adopters” which, in the case of electric cars, meant wealthy men. Study after study shows these early adopters in North America and Europe were skewed towards men and those with higher incomes.

    Although these studies often measured income and gender separately, research I published with colleagues indicated it was having both characteristics – being both a man and wealthy – that made someone more likely to be an EV owner, or more likely to say their next car would probably be electric.

    Out of our representative sample of nearly 2,000 UK drivers, wealthy men were also more likely to agree that their social circle expected them to switch.

    We did not find the same results among women, no matter their income level, nor low-income men. This despite the fact that women were significantly more likely to value protecting the environment and to feel an obligation to drive an electric car (if they were first convinced it would reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality).

    This points to another key implication of our research. To support mass adoption, drivers need to be confident that EVs can deliver the environmental benefits they promise, as well as being more comfortable and cheaper to run than conventional cars.

    To gain this confidence, drivers – no matter who they are – want to hear consistent messaging from a trusted source that highlights the benefits, not just the costs.

    However, as we found in our project Inclusive Transition to Electric Mobility, drivers and policymakers alike perceive EVs as unaffordable. Some research participants even mentioned Tesla by name when giving an example of how making the switch is beyond the means of people like them.

    Cheaper EVs need new messaging

    Although Tesla sells mass-produced models and slashed its prices around the world last year, its cars are still expensive (in the UK, they start at about £40,000). The company’s reputation and brand is linked not only to the tech-bro image of Silicon Valley, but with elitism and inequity.

    However, the reputation of EVs in general need not be. Unlike ten years ago, this is a technology with momentum among many manufacturers, and consumers have plenty of new, cheaper models to choose from, as well as a growing second-hand market. The IEA’s latest report suggests EVs are finally becoming a mass-market product.

    Tesla is facing stiff competition from cheaper rivals such as Chinese firm BYD.
    i viewfinder / Shutterstock

    As electric cars become more affordable in real terms, the messaging needs to be about environmental benefit rather than futuristic technology. It needs to emphasise long-term affordability of use as well as purchase. EVs need to be seen as practical and safe – and drivers need to hear these messages from trusted sources.

    My research highlighted how family, friends, colleagues and neighbours could be this source of trusted information. Early adopters I interviewed described the many personal, social interactions involved in the practicalities of parking and charging their cars – such as coordinating workplace charging so no one is caught short, and sharing tips on the best tariff for home charging. Some have effectively become local ambassadors for EVs.

    I’m also investigating how communities coming together around EVs might lead to more car sharing. This could maximise the environmental benefits of the transition, since reducing the number of cars on the road is as important as ensuring cars switch from petrol to electric.

    There is little doubt about the damage Musk’s political approach has done to Tesla’s image, although it is not the sole cause of the company’s current troubles.

    Meanwhile, the transition to electric personal mobility is well underway around the world. Tesla’s troubles won’t stop this – but they can give the car industry an opportunity to make the messaging around electric vehicles more diverse, equitable and inclusive for the mass market.

    Hannah Budnitz 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. Why the Tesla backlash could help electric cars finally go mainstream – https://theconversation.com/why-the-tesla-backlash-could-help-electric-cars-finally-go-mainstream-252963

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Three graphs that show what’s happening with Donald Trump’s popularity

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Whiteley, Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex

    Donald Trump started out with more Americans approving than disapproving of his performance just after inauguration day on January 20 , and this continued into February. By early March, his ratings had turned a little bit negative, but not by much, and it has stayed that way. As of March 20, 48% of Americans approved of his job performance so far, while 49% disapproved.

    The daily average of polls measuring approval/disapproval ratings for the job Trump is doing appears in the chart below. They cover the period from February 20 to March 20.

    Approval and disapproval ratings for Trump’s performance:

    These aggregate ratings are interesting, but they disguise the political divide which is revealed when we drill down into the details. This can be done using an Economist/YouGov poll completed on March 18, for instance.

    This reveals how polarised American public opinion has become when it comes to judging the president. Around 6% of respondents who identified themselves as Democrats approved of his performance, while 93% of them disapproved. Those who identified as Republican were almost the exact opposite, with 90% approving and 7% disapproving.

    One problem in analysing these statistics is that only 29% of the sample interviewed were Republicans, compared with 34% Democrats. The pollsters do their best to get a representative sample of the US electorate and it’s worth noting that there are currently more registered Democrats in the US than there are Republicans.

    Interestingly, the American National Election Study survey conducted just before the presidential election last year showed that only 11.6% of Americans were supporters of the Maga movement. This highly respected study, which has been carried out over the past 75 years as a national resource, would suggest that Maga supporters are noisy, but fewer in number than some people might realise.

    What do independents think?

    Around 37% of those interviewed for the Economist poll described themselves as independents. In their case 37% of them approved of his performance and 54% disapproved. Trump may have a very strong following among Republicans, but they are less than one-third of the electorate.

    A quick calculation looking at support among Democrats, Republicans and independents in proportion to their size in the electorate suggests that 42% of Americans have a favourable view of his performance, while 54% have an unfavourable view.

    If we look at the social backgrounds of respondents in the survey there is not much difference between the young and the old, or different income groups in their attitudes to the president’s performance. But there is a large gender gap with 53% of men, but only 39% of women, approving. Similarly, while 53% of whites approved, only 24% of blacks and 31% of Hispanics did so. Finally, 7% of ideological liberals approved of Trump’s job performance, compared with 81% of conservatives and 44% of moderates. Overall, partisanship and ideology completely dominate the picture when it comes to judging Trump’s record.

    How important is the economy?

    US politics is in turmoil with large federal jobs losses and significant changes, such as tariffs on Canadian goods, being announced by the new administration, so there are a lot of factors at work which can explain attitudes to Trump. In the 2024 presidential election the economy played a key role in explaining how people voted, and it is always an important issue in elections.

    Given that, it is interesting to look at one of the key measures of the voter’s attitudes to the economy, namely consumer confidence. This has been measured by researchers at the University of Michigan for many decades using a series of surveys conducted every month.

    US consumer sentiment scale March 2024 to March 2025:

    The chart shows scores on the Index of Consumer Sentiment from March of last year until March this year. A high score means Americans are confident about the state of their economy and a low score the opposite. Confidence has plunged from a rating of 79.4 a year ago to 57.9 now. It is notable that, as recently as December 2024, it stood at 74.0, but after the inauguration of Trump it started to rapidly decline. Americans are getting increasingly worried about the state of their economy, along with the rest of the world.

    The cause is not hard to discern: the imposition of tariffs, a fall in the stock market, the threat of inflation, the administration’s sympathy towards Vladimir Putin and its threats to allies such as Canada and Greenland over their territorial integrity. These issues are all adding up to a self-imposed economic crisis.

    But what are the implication of this for presidential approval ratings? The chart below shows the relationship between consumer confidence and presidential approval over a period of nearly 50 years. There is a moderately strong relationship between the two series (correlation = 0.40). When consumers are optimistic, they approve of the president’s performance, and when they are pessimistic, they disapprove.

    Presidential approval and consumer confidence 1978-2025:

    Overall, the data suggests that Trump should not be confident of his approval ratings across the US, if you look at people across all political affiliations and who vote. Along with a looming economic crisis, this could lead to a rapid loss of support for the president and the Republicans in the near future.

    Paul Whiteley 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. Three graphs that show what’s happening with Donald Trump’s popularity – https://theconversation.com/three-graphs-that-show-whats-happening-with-donald-trumps-popularity-252857

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nelson Mandela Bay gains additional police resources 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, has commended the Eastern Cape MEC for Community Safety, Xolile Nqatha and national government for the swift and decisive intervention in deploying additional police resources to strengthen crime-fighting efforts in the region.

    This follows the arrival of 150 public order police members, including 15 detectives, and crime intelligence officers, who arrived in the metro on Sunday to provide much-needed support to local law enforcement.

    In a statement on Monday, Lobishe said the strategic intervention comes at a critical time when the latest crime statistics position Nelson Mandela Bay as a focal point for criminal activity in South Africa.

    “The deployment of these additional resources will enhance policing visibility, improve intelligence-led operations, and bolster investigations to ensure that criminals are swiftly brought to justice. Public safety remains a top priority, and we are confident that this initiative will contribute significantly to restoring law and order in our city,” Lobishe said.

    She said the newly deployed officers will be strategically stationed in key crime hotspots throughout Nelson Mandela Bay, including KwaZakhele, New Brighton, Helenvale, Gelvandale, Central and North End, Motherwell, Uitenhage, and Despatch.

    On 12 March 2025, MEC Nqatha released the Eastern Cape’s crime statistics, which indicated an increase in criminal activity within Nelson Mandela Bay.

    Despite a 7.1% decrease in serious crime for the second quarter of the financial year, the region accounted for 23.4% of the province’s total serious crime cases.

    Crime trends showed an increase in incidents, including attempted murder (+9.0%), assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (+3.5%), and the trio crimes of carjacking, house robbery, and business robbery (+2.4%), as well as a notable rise in house robberies (+14.9%).

    However, the city also witnessed a decrease in certain crimes, including aggravating robberies (-3.4%), common robberies (-2.4%), sexual offences (-6.4%), and business robberies (-9.1%).

    For the third quarter of 2024/2025, Nelson Mandela Bay also showed a reduction in serious crimes, contributing to a 13.5% decrease in reported cases, while still representing 22.5% of the region’s total serious crime reports.

    Lobishe stressed that the district remained a focal point for crime, with significant decreases in common assault and aggravating robberies.

    “The most problematic police stations for serious crimes and rape cases in the region remain consistent with the second quarter, underscoring ongoing challenges with law enforcement in specific areas of the metro.

    “Additionally, the province has seen a rise in incidents of gang violence and extortion, particularly in areas such as the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. Community members are living in fear, as criminals are determined to disturb the peace of our people,” the Mayor said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Motsoaledi to open second G20 Health Working Group meeting in KZN

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi will deliver the keynote address at the opening of the second meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20) Health Working Group on Wednesday.

    The meeting will take place at the Capital Zimbali Resort in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, and will last for three days. 

    The theme of the meeting will be “Accelerating Health Equity, Solidarity, and Universal Coverage”.

    Motsoaledi will be joined by Deputy Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, and KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane.

    The event will also include several side events that provide a platform for delegates to engage in bilateral and multilateral discussions on various critical issues, including strengthening health systems and promoting equitable access to health services. 

    Key issues for discussion during the meeting and side events include financial protection for universal health coverage (UHC) and maintaining health financing amid a challenging global economy. 

    The meeting will also zoom into strengthening investments and advancing UHC, bridging the equity gap to accelerate action to address the burden of non-communicable diseases, and responding to the global health financing emergency. 

    The Department of Health has announced that a co-sponsored event focused on the elimination of cervical cancer will take place alongside this meeting. 

    Delegates from G20 countries, invited nations, representatives, and international organisations will be in attendance. 

    South Africa holds the G20 Presidency from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025, only five years before the deadline of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda. South Africa has embraced the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability” for its G20 Presidency. 

    The G20 comprises 19 countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and the United States and two regional bodies, namely the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). 

    The first virtual G20 Health Working Group meeting was held in January as part of the country’s G20 Presidency activities planned for this year. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Rodgers announces strategic initiatives to drive KZN economic growth, job creation

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC, Francois Rodgers, has announced a number of strategic initiatives aimed at boosting the province’s economic growth, creating jobs, and stabilising the cost of living.

    Rodgers highlighted some of the initiatives, when he was tabling the province’s R158.478 billion budget for the 2025/2026 financial year, on Tuesday.

    In his address, Rodgers highlighted the positive signs of economic recovery, pointing to key indicators, including an increase in the province’s equitable share and additional allocations in conditional grants.

    He also noted the progress being made through the Provincial Financial Recovery Plan.

    “What is required now is discipline with a sharp focus on the end objective, growth in our economy, job creation, and stabilising and reducing the cost of living,” Rodgers said.

    Initiatives to strengthen financial discipline

    The MEC said the provincial Treasury is committed to perform financial oversight and monitor provincial expenditure, with a view to prevent non-essential government activities.

    He added that efforts are underway to identify new streams of revenue for the provincial fiscus.

    Another key initiative is the adoption of a cost-containment instruction by the Executive Council, which aims to sustain KZN’s ability to meet its needs, “while protecting its future.”

    “Cutting the nice to haves to protect the must haves. One such example is [council] agreement to do away with rental vehicles, with procurement for vehicles, in line with National Treasury guidelines.

    “When the GPU (Government of Provincial Unity) took office, the province was projecting to over-spend in the region of R10 billion, [but] with strict control measures and compliance, we have now reduced this to R4.9 billion,” Rodgers highlighted.

    E-procurement tool

    To further improve financial efficiency, Rodgers announced that Treasury is awaiting approval for the acquisition and implementation of an e-procurement tool, a system designed to eliminate overcharging of goods and services during the Supply Chain Management (SCM) and tender processes.

    “This system will yield enormous savings for the province and reduce irregularities in the procurement process,” Rodgers said.

    The MEC said the provincial government is making great strides in achieving a balanced budget, noting that “it’s a painful process, but a process that needs to be sustained and supported.”

    Rodgers further announced that starting in April 2025, the provincial government will introduce departmental financial dashboards, which will reflect departments financial metrics, such as creditors, debtors, cash balances, and projected expenditure.

    He said these dashboards will assist members of the Executive Council and oversight committees with a clearer picture of the province’s financial health.

    Additionally, the provincial Treasury is exploring the establishment of an information centre, which will focus on “Operation Pay on Time” and assist with tender processes and supplying information on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).

    “Going forward, I will continue, in my capacity as MEC, to regularly engage the Premier and the provincial executive on good financial practices. We will be consistent in our advocacy for efficient expenditure and the prioritisation of programmes aimed at alleviating poverty, inequality, unemployment, effective service delivery and building a sustainable economy,” the MEC said.

    Provincial budget highlights

    A large portion of the 2025/2026 provincial budged (79.9%), has been allocated to the three key social services departments, including Education, Health, and Social Development.

    The Education Department received the largest share of the budget, with R66 690 206 allocated, followed by Health with R56 211 801.

    Other allocations include:
    •    Transport allocated R13 827 066.
    •    Office of the Premier R817 875. 
    •    Provincial Legislature R850 796. 
    •    Agriculture and Rural Development R2 757 443. 
    •    Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs R3 606 998.
    •    Provincial Treasury R710 190. 
    •    Human Settlements R3 549 877.
    •    Community Safety and Liaison R275 716.
    •    Sport, Arts and Culture R1 598 141.
    •    Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs R1 931 153.
    •    Social Development R3 613 297. 
    •    Public Works and Infrastructure R2 037 490. – SAnews.gov.za
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Upholds Idahoans’ Second Amendment Rights

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–In keeping with his longstanding support of the Second Amendment, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) announced his efforts so far in the 119th Congress to protect Idahoans’ access to the constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
    “Those seeking to strip away Second Amendment rights have sought every creative way possible to advance their agenda through legislation, regulation and litigation,” said Crapo.  “The majority of Americans are law-abiding citizens who own, possess, carry and use firearms in a lawful and peaceful fashion.  Their right to do so is enshrined in our Constitution. That right must not be abridged while we seek to prevent violence perpetrated by criminals.”
    Senator Crapo’s efforts to protect the Second Amendment in the 119th Congress so far include:
    Leading reintroduction of the Hearing Protection Act, which would reclassify suppressors to regulate them like a regular firearm;
    Co-sponsoring the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would allow any person legally authorized to carry a concealed firearm in their home state to exercise that right in any other state that allows the practice;
    Co-sponsoring Senator Jim Risch’s (R-Idaho) Sporting Firearms Access Act, which would limit the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives’ (ATF) ability to restrict firearm models from importation into the United States;
    Backing the Fair Access to Banking Act, which would prevent discrimination by banks and financial services providers against constitutionally-protected industries and law-abiding businesses, such as firearms manufacturers;
    Co-sponsoring the Financial Integrity and Regulation Management (FIRM) Act, which would remove “reputational risk” as a component of federal supervision, which has become a way to weaponize power against politically disfavored groups;
    Joining legislation to prohibit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service from banning the use of lead ammunition or tackle on public lands unless such action is supported by the best available science;
    Co-sponsoring Senator Risch’s No REGISTRY Act, which would require the ATF to delete all existing records of firearms transactions and allow federal firearms licensees to destroy firearm transaction records when they go out of business.
    Backing the ATF Transparency Act, which would require a transparent and speedy National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) process and create an appeals process for erroneous NICS denials;
    Co-sponsoring the FIND Act, which would prohibit companies with policies that discriminate against the firearm and ammunition industries from receiving federal contracts;
    Supporting the Traveler’s Gun Rights Act to allow military spouses and those without a fixed address (such as those who live full time in a recreational vehicle) to purchase handguns in the state where they are permanently stationed for duty or consistent with the P.O. Box listed on their driver’s license;
    Sending a letter to the ATF demanding it comply with President Trump’s Executive Order, Protecting Second Amendment Rights, in order to align the ATF’s rules and polities with the President’s strong support for the Second Amendment; and
    Signing a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce highlighting concerns with the Department’s Interim Final Rule finalized under the previous Administration that restricted firearms exports to certain countries.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement at SSA Commissioner Nomination Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) delivered the following remarks at a hearing to consider the nomination of Frank Bisignano to be Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA).
    As prepared for delivery:
    “Today, we will consider the nomination of Frank Bisignano to be the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. 
    “Mr. Bisignano, congratulations on your nomination, and welcome to you and your family.  Thank you for your willingness to serve and for your cooperation with this Committee throughout our rigorous vetting process. 
    “Both sides have generally agreed the Social Security Administration needs a confirmed Commissioner to address the ongoing challenges at the agency.  I commend President Trump for putting forward a Commissioner nominee so early in his Administration. 
    “Mr. Bisignano has more than 30 years of executive leadership experience at leading financial institutions.  He has brought a focus on innovation and operational excellence to his current role as Chief Executive Officer of Fiserv, a leader in payments and financial technology that is responsible for processing more than $2.5 trillion in payments daily. 
    “Mr. Bisignano, if confirmed, you will be responsible for leading an agency with a critical mission, and numerous operational and customer service challenges, as you will hear this morning.  Based on your background, I am confident you are up to the task. 
    “It is hard to overstate the importance of Social Security, which provides monthly benefits to millions of seniors, individuals with disabilities and their families.  The Social Security Administration has the responsibility of overseeing this important program, as well as the Supplemental Security Income program, assigning Social Security numbers and issuing Social Security cards, among other workloads. 
    “In carrying out these significant responsibilities, the Social Security Administration interacts with millions of customers each year, whether in-person, by phone or online.  The public expects the agency to provide responsive service and timely decisions on their claims.  However, the SSA faces many challenges in meeting these expectations. 
    “After years of implementation delays and the ultimate failure of its Next Generation Telephony Project, SSA has made some progress with its National 800 Number, including introducing a call back option.  However, much more is needed.  Callers to the National 800 Number who want to wait for a representative are still spending too long on hold and many still struggle to actually get through to a representative when they call. 
    “Americans also continue to wait too long for an initial disability decision, particularly in certain parts of the country.  SSA’s shift to an appointment-focused approach for field office visits underscores the need for SSA to make it easier for customers to schedule appointments online. 
    “The Trump Administration has been clear that it is focused on addressing waste, fraud and abuse across government agencies, and I applaud its efforts to maximize government productivity.  A Senate-confirmed Commissioner should be leading these efficiency efforts. 
    “Mr. Bisignano, if confirmed to serve as the next Commissioner of Social Security, this responsibility will fall to you.  I urge you take a thoughtful, measured and data-driven approach to evaluating policy and operational changes aimed at improving SSA’s efficiency and productivity.  If you need additional tools that require statutory changes, I urge you to bring those changes to this Committee and our House counterparts. 
    “Today’s hearing will provide an opportunity to hear more about your vision for the Social Security Administration and how we can work together to help ensure the SSA fulfills its critical mission. 
    “Thank you for your willingness to serve and congratulations again on your nomination, which I intend to support.”

    MIL OSI USA News –