HOUSTON, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Epsilon Energy Ltd. (“Epsilon” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: EPSN) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a dividend of $0.0625 per share of common stock (annualized $0.25/sh) to the stock holders of record at the close of business on June 13, 2025, payable on June 30, 2025. All dividends paid by the Company are “eligible dividends” as defined in subsection 89(1) of the Income Tax Act (Canada), unless indicated otherwise.
About Epsilon
Epsilon Energy Ltd. is a North American onshore natural gas and oil production and gathering company with assets in Pennsylvania, Texas, Alberta CA, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
The Commission wants to preserve and expand the EU- United States (US) trade partnership for the benefit of the respective people and businesses.
The Commission regrets US announcements on the possible imposition of tariffs on goods imported from the EU. As the EU and US economies are so closely intertwined, it should also be in the US’ interest to avoid tariff hikes.
The Commission’s priority is to avoid disruptions to EU-US trade and to seek negotiated solutions. Therefore, the Commission decided to delay the imposition of EU countermeasures to allow for negotiations.
At the same time, the Commission is ready to ensure that the EU will react firmly, swiftly and proportionately to any unjustified tariffs or trade measures if no mutually beneficial solution is otherwise attainable.
The Commission recognises the challenges EU industries and agriculture face in terms of competitiveness. To address those, the recently presented Competitiveness Compass[1] and Clean Industrial Deal[2] provide a strategic framework to enhance industrial resilience while ensuring that decarbonisation drives growth.
The aim is to lower energy prices with the measures proposed in the Affordable Energy Action Plan[3], to secure critical raw materials, increase access to capital markets, and to introduce regulatory simplification, which is being done through the Omnibus Simplification Package[4].
The Commission remains committed to evaluating further measures to mitigate competitive imbalances while reinforcing Europe’s economic and industrial leadership.
Conversely, the new Vision for Agriculture and Food[5] identifies a fairer global level playing field as a key element of the EU’s agri-food economic diplomacy while keeping in line with World Trade Organisation rules.
An Engineer Looks Back on High School Science Fairs, African Drone Flights, and Marine Energy Innovations That Shape the Future
Bri Friedman is looking forward to learning from failure.
This National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) engineer is working with the laboratory’s marine energy team to develop a device called the small underwater research flap wave energy converter—or SURF-WEC, for short.
SURF-WEC takes the form of a submerged flap that swings back and forth to capture energy from ocean waves to power an electric generator. In the coming months, SURF-WEC will undergo a design review, in which a team of experts and stakeholders will evaluate the device to determine whether it is ready for deployment. If the design review goes well, Friedman and her team, in partnership with the University of Hawaii, will send SURF-WEC on an experimental deployment off the Hawaiian coast for up to one year.
“‘Up to’ are the key words—we expect the system to fail within the year,” Friedman quipped, “but we are eager to learn from those failures and share our lessons with our colleagues in marine energy.”
Of course, Friedman and her team also want to understand what works well during the SURF-WEC deployment. However, as Friedman went on to explain, the success of the SURF-WEC deployment is not tied to the amount of energy the device can capture or the length of time the system can operate without issue. Instead, the goal is to collect data and learn which decisions contributed to setbacks and which led to success—and to share those lessons with the marine energy community to help reduce the risks and costs of future deployments. To that end, the team will make the deployment data, along with data collected during SURF-WEC’s laboratory testing and simulation stages, publicly available on the Marine and Hydrokinetic Data Repository.
As any marine energy researcher or technology developer knows, harnessing energy from ocean waves is a big challenge. Many WECs fail in the harsh ocean environment due to the corrosive effects of briny seawater, constant wear and tear from crashing waves, impacts from floating debris, or even the accumulation of barnacles, algae, and other marine life. Designing WECs to withstand these challenges requires strong materials, backup systems for important parts, and regular maintenance. For Friedman, tackling these challenges feels surmountable—thanks to the NREL marine energy research team’s collaborative spirit.
“I feel like we each have a pickax, or maybe a ladle, since we’re talking about the ocean,” Friedman said. “We’re each ladling out a little bit, doing our part to make marine energy a viable, usable resource.”
From Science Fairs to Drone Flights
Friedman can trace her career path back to middle school, when she first decided she wanted to be an engineer when she grew up. The youngest of four children—two of whom went on to become mechanical engineers—Friedman grew up immersed in science, with a strong desire for discovery.
“It wasn’t always a popular sentiment when I was young, but I genuinely enjoyed participating in science fairs,” Friedman said. “They gave me a chance to experiment, make predictions, and learn by doing, which would further spark my curiosity.”
Friedman, center, poses with her sister and two brothers in front of the Boulder Flatirons in Colorado. Photo from Bri Friedman, NREL
That love for hands-on learning led Friedman to get involved in robotics in high school, which became her main after-school activity and solidified her desire to pursue a career in engineering. At the same time, she felt a strong pull toward next-generation technologies and types of work that could protect people’s health and well-being.
“I wanted to find a job that both scratched my scientist itch and aligned with my values,” Friedman said.
Friedman followed her passion for scientific experimentation to Virginia Tech, where she pursued mechanical engineering for both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. As an undergrad, she interned at NREL through the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program, working with a research team to create a photoluminescence system for testing silicon solar cell processing methods. This was not only a valuable learning experience; it also supported Friedman’s commitment to making a positive impact on the world.
“It was so exciting to learn how to harness energy from nearly boundless sources like the sun, wind, and water,” Friedman recalled. “Plus, everyone I encountered during my internship seemed happy to be at NREL, which made me even more excited about the work. The SULI program showed me a career path that I was really excited about.”
As an undergrad, Friedman participated in the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship program at NREL, which gave her the chance to work on a photoluminescence system for testing silicon solar cell processing methods. Photo from Joanne Wu, BAE Systems
During her master’s program, Friedman worked as a graduate research assistant with the African Drone and Data Academy, a program that trains recent college graduates to design, build, and pilot drones for agriculture, medical equipment delivery, and other humanitarian efforts in Africa. Friedman taught the program’s first cohort, delivering lectures, supervising lab work, and providing one-on-one drone flight instruction. Near the end of the academy’s first course, Friedman visited a refugee camp and had an experience that would become the foundation for her master’s thesis.
“My graduate research focused on using drone imagery to develop a flood model for a low-resource area,” Friedman recalled. “In developed countries, flood models are built using years of historical data, but in low-resource areas, that kind of data is rarely available. Our challenge was to generate a useful flood model without waiting for years of data collection.”
To fill this data gap, Friedman’s team used drones to capture high-resolution aerial images of the camp. Friedman then used this imagery to create a flood model, validating its accuracy by comparing the model’s prediction to locations where homes had collapsed due to flooding.
“The refugee camp was overpopulated, and many of the homes were built from clay wherever there was available space, so they collapsed easily due to heavy rains and few drainage paths,” Friedman explained. “The collapsed structures showed where flooding had actually occurred, which helped us confirm that the model had accurately predicted those high-risk areas.”
From Drone Flights to Wave Power
Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic cut short Friedman’s time in Malawi. She returned home in March 2020 after the first group of students graduated but continued to support her students through online instruction. In addition, her experience with drones set her up for her next move: After finishing her master’s program in 2021, Friedman landed a position as a postgraduate researcher with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL’s) water power engineering team, which was exploring ways to integrate drones into their projects.
Shortly after joining PNNL, Friedman began working on a project to support the development of a triboelectric nanogenerator—a small device that converted the motion of ocean waves into electricity using static charge buildup. Intended for deployment in the Arctic Ocean, the device would provide a low-maintenance power source for ocean monitoring equipment. Friedman also studied ways to use the temperature differences between surface water and deep water to generate energy for an underwater glider, a type of autonomous underwater vehicle that navigates the ocean by changing its buoyancy to move up and down through the water.
After two years in Richland, Washington, where PNNL is located, Bri was ready for a change of scenery. She kept an eye out for opportunities at NREL and, in 2023, moved to Colorado to work as a full-time researcher on NREL’s marine energy team. The move brought Friedman full circle—in more ways than one.
Back in 2017, when Friedman was working on the application for her internship at NREL, she read up on NREL’s work and learned about different types of WECs, including those that flap back and forth, similar to SURF-WEC.
“Reading about these types of WECs, I thought, ‘Wow, it would be amazing to work in that field,’” Friedman recalled. “Eight years later, I do work in that field—on a project very similar to the ones I read about.”
In addition to SURF-WEC, Friedman contributes to several other marine energy projects at NREL. Her work involves testing, characterization, and outreach, helping researchers and industry partners better understand and utilize emerging wave energy technologies. She has worked with the large-amplitude motion platform, or LAMP, a simulation tool that replicates a WEC’s response to different ocean wave conditions in a controlled environment. She also supports the Power at Sea Prize, which encourages innovative marine energy concepts by lowering barriers to entry for new developers.
“We have a mix of participants—some from universities and some independent teams,” Friedman said. “It’s been great to see such a broad range of people engaging with marine energy innovation.”
Time To Root Down
Friedman lives in Boulder, Colorado, a short drive from her work at NREL’s Flatirons Campus. She misses her family, who still live on the East Coast, but relishes the time she gets to spend with her four young nieces.
“I definitely aspire to be the fun aunt,” Friedman said.
With a population of about 105,000, Boulder is the biggest city Friedman has lived in during her adult life, but it feels like the right fit.
“Boulder is a bigger city than what I’m used to, but there’s plenty to do, which I appreciate,” Friedman said. “I especially enjoy the rock climbing and general outdoor adventuring shenanigans.”
When she is not testing wave energy conversion devices, Friedman enjoys climbing rock walls like this granite multipitch in Colorado’s Platte Canyon. Photo from Kathryn Howe, Antech Diagnostics
The move to Colorado has also given Friedman a chance to create a more long-term community for herself.
“Before moving to Colorado, I spent over two months living in my car, climbing and exploring the outdoors,” Friedman recalled. “It was an amazing experience, but the communities I encountered during that time always felt temporary. Since moving here, I’ve been working on putting down stronger roots.”
Friedman’s work at NREL feeds her desire for community as well. She appreciates the collaborative spirit on her team, in which everyone is working toward a common goal, even if they are focused on different projects. In addition, being on campus every day has helped Friedman build connections through casual conversations, strengthening her sense of belonging.
“We share successes and failures, and I really value that sense of teamwork and collective learning,” Friedman said. “It’s a great feeling to know we’re all working together toward a shared purpose.”
Learn more about how NREL’s experts arehelping advance marine energy. And subscribe to theNREL water power newsletter, The Current, for the latest news on NREL’s water power research.
Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is partnering with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to lead a bipartisan effort that would bolster access to propane – an essential agricultural input – for farmers.
The Growing Rural Agricultural Infrastructure Needs to Deliver Rising Yields (GRAIN DRY) Act would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Storage Facility Loan Program to be used for constructing and upgrading agricultural propane storage infrastructure.
“Propane is a critical input that producers depend on to complete essential daily farm operations like drying and storing grain, keeping livestock warm, and powering farm equipment,” said Senator Ernst. “My GRAIN DRY Act gives farmers access to tools for on-farm propane storage to provide greater certainty and flexibility during harvest and throughout the winter months.”
“We greatly appreciate Senators Ernst and Klobuchar for introducing the GRAIN DRY Act and for championing legislation that strengthens farmers’ access to reliable and cost-effective propane storage,” said Stephen Kaminski, President and CEO of the National Propane Gas Association. “Propane continues to be an essential energy source on America’s farms—from heating homes and livestock buildings to drying grain and crops after harvest. This important bill will empower farmers to invest in additional storage through low-interest loans, helping ensure they have the fuel they need when they need it most.”
Read the full bill here.
Background:
As Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, Ernst is an advocate for farmers who rely on propane to heat livestock facilities and maintain the quality of stored grain. She has pointed out that rising costs and supply chain issues have made consistent access to this critical input less reliable in recent years, elevating the importance of on-farm propane storage.
The Farm Storage Facility Loan program supports agriculture producers in building or upgrading commodity storage facilities, but propane doesn’t currently qualify, even though over 80% of grain dryers run on the energy source.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By J.B. Ruhl, Professor of Law, Director, Program on Law and Innovation, and Co-director, Energy, Environment and Land Use Program, Vanderbilt University
In one fell swoop, the U.S. Supreme Court has changed a big part of the game.
Whether the effects are good or bad depends on the viewer’s perspective. Either way, there is a new interpretation in place for the law that is the centerpiece of the debate about permitting – the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, known as NEPA.
Only after completing that work can the agency make a final decision to approve or deny the project. These reports must evaluate direct effects, such as the destruction of habitat to make way for a new highway, and indirect effects, such as the air pollution from cars using the highway after it is built.
Decades of litigation about the scope of indirect effects have widened the required evaluation. As I explain it to my students, that logical and legal progression is reminiscent of the popular children’s book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” in which granting a request for a cookie triggers a seemingly endless series of further requests – for a glass of milk, a napkin and so on. For the highway example, the arguments went, even if the agency properly assessed the pollution from the cars, it also had to consider the new subdivisions, malls and jobs the new highway foreseeably could induce.
The challenge for federal agencies was knowing how much of that potentially limitless series of indirect effects courts would require them to evaluate. In recent litigation, the question in particular has been how broad a range of effects on and from climate change could be linked to any one specific project and therefore require evaluation.
With the court’s ruling, federal agencies’ days of uncertainty are over.
The cover image of the 637-page environmental impact assessment shows a view of the region where a railway is proposed to be built. U.S. Surface Transportation Board
At issue was an 85-mile rail line a group of developers proposed to build in Utah to connect oil wells to the interstate rail network and from there transport waxy crude oil to refineries in Louisiana, Texas and elsewhere. The federal Surface Transportation Board reviewed the environmental effects and approved the required license in 2021.
The report was 637 pages long, with more than 3,000 pages of appendices containing additional information. It acknowledged but did not give a detailed assessment of the indirect “upstream” effects of constructing the rail line – such as spurring new oil drilling – and the indirect “downstream” effects of the ultimate use of the waxy oil in places as far flung as Louisiana.
In February 2022, Eagle County, Colorado, through which trains coming from the new railway would pass, along with the Center for Biological Diversity appealed that decision in federal court, arguing that the board had failed to properly explain why it did not assess those effects. Therefore, the county argued, the report was incomplete and the board license should be vacated.
In August 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed and held that the agency had failed to adequately explain why it could not employ “some degree of forecasting” to identify those impacts and that the board could prevent those effects by exercising its authority to deny the license.
The railway developers appealed to the Supreme Court, asking whether NEPA requires a federal agency to look beyond the action being proposed to evalutate indirect effects outside its own jurisdiction.
Petroleum-drilling equipment stands in the Uinta Basin in eastern Utah. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
A resounding declaration
Writing for a five-justice majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered a ringing, table-pounding lecture about courts run amok.
Kavanaugh did not stop to provide specific support for each admonition, describing NEPA as a “legislative acorn” that has “grown over the years into a judicial oak that has hindered infrastructure development.” He bemoaned the “delay upon delay” NEPA imposes on projects as so complicated that it bordered “on the Kafkaesque.”
In his view, “NEPA has transformed from a modest procedural requirement into a blunt and haphazard tool employed by project opponents.” He called for “a course correction … to bring judicial review under NEPA back in line with the statutory text and common sense.” His opinion reset the course in three ways.
First, despite the Supreme Court having recently reduced the deference courts must give to federal agency decisions in other contexts, Kavanaugh wrote that courts should give agencies strong deference when reviewing an agency’s NEPA effects analyses. Because these assessments are “fact-dependent, context-specific, and policy-laden choices about the depth and breadth of its inquiry … (c)ourts should afford substantial deference and should not micromanage those agency choices so long as they fall within a broad zone of reasonableness.”
Second, Kavanaugh crafted a new rule saying that the review of one project did not need to consider the potential indirect effects of other related projects it could foreseeably induce, such as the rail line encouraging more drilling for oil. This limitation is especially relevant, Kavanaugh emphasized, when the effects are from projects over which the reviewing agency does not have jurisdiction. That applied in this case, because the board does not regulate oil wells or oil drilling.
And third, Kavanaugh created something like a “no harm – no foul” rule, under which “even if an (environmental impact statement) falls short in some respects, that deficiency may not necessarily require a court to vacate the agency’s ultimate approval of a project.” The strong implication is that courts should not overturn an agency decision unless its NEPA assessment has a serious flaw.
The upshot for the project at hand was that the Supreme Court deferred to the board’s decision that it could not reliably predict the rail line’s effects on oil drilling or use of the oil transported. And the fact that the agency had no regulatory power over those separate issues reinforced the idea that those concerns were outside the scope of the board’s required review.
A train rolls along a stretch of track in Utah that could be connected with a proposed railway to carry oil to market. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
A split court
Although Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, wrote that she would have reached the same end result and upheld the agency permit, her proposed test is far narrower.
By her reading, the federal law creating the Surface Transportation Board restricted it from considering the broader indirect effects of the rail line. But her finding would be relevant only for any federal agencies whose governing statutes were similarly restrictive. By contrast, Kavanaugh’s “course correction” applies to judicial review of NEPA findings for all federal agencies.
Though the full effects remain to be seen, this decision significantly changes the legal landscape of environmental reviews of major projects. Agencies will have more latitude to shorten the causal chain of indirect effects they consider – and to exclude them entirely if they flow from separate projects beyond the agency’s regulatory control.
Now, for example, if a federal agency is considering an application to build a new natural gas power plant, the review must still include its direct greenhouse gas emissions and their effects on the climate. But emissions that could result from additional gas extraction and transportation projects to fuel the power plant, and any climate effects from whatever the produced electricity is used for, are now clearly outside the agency’s required review. And if the agency voluntarily decided to consider any of those effects, courts would have to defer to its analysis, and any minor deficiencies would be inconsequential.
That is a far cry from how the legal structure around the National Environmental Policy Act has worked for decades. For lawyers, industry, advocacy groups and the courts, environmental review after the Eagle County decision is not just a new ballgame; it is a new sport.
J.B. Ruhl does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
ACCRA, Ghana, June 3, 2025/APO Group/ —
African mining ministers from Ghana, Liberia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) emphasized the need to review and reform Africa’s mining codes during the Mining in Motion 2025 summit in Accra. Highlighting the role strengthened policies play in enhancing responsible governance, local value creation and the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), ministers outlined how evolving legal and policy frameworks are positioning the mining sector as a driver of equitable, sustainable development.
Ghana is leading several ambitious initiatives to modernize its mining code. Among proposed reforms is the creation of a medium-scale mining category, bridging the gap between artisanal and large-scale operations. Ghana’s Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, stressed the importance of enabling local ownership and ensuring miners have access to sustainable technology, financing models and responsible markets.
“We’re proposing a legal regime that allows indigenous people to own part of the business. We want miners to start small, adopt sustainable practices, and gradually move up to larger operations. It’s about creating an ecosystem of growth and accountability,” stated Deputy Minister Silemana.
Liberia echoed Ghana’s inclusive approach, with Wilmot J.M. Paye, the country’s Minister of Mines and Energy, emphasizing that formalizing ASM is a national priority under the country’s national development plan.
“Small-scale mining is where hundreds of thousands of our people gets their livelihoods. To make the sector productive, we must simplify regulations and ensure intergovernmental coordination. We’re bringing miners to the table,” Minister Paye stated.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma, Minister of Mining, Malawi, underscored the role of long-term planning. He stated that under Malawi’s Minerals and Mining Policy, the country facilitates investment in human capital, infrastructure and modern technologies.
“We are building capacity and linking ASM miners to banks so they can grow their formal enterprises,” Minister Ng’oma stated.
Adding to the continent-wide call for stronger mining governance, Godard Motemona Gibolum, Deputy Minister of Mines, DRC, emphasized his country’s commitment to reforming ASM practices to better serve local communities and the national economy. He highlighted environmental protection as a top priority in ASM-operated areas, noting that government oversight now includes stricter contract terms and closer monitoring.
“We have a new vision – one in which we are adding more value to minerals and providing jobs for the people of our country,” Deputy Minister Gibolum stated.
During the panel session, Ghana’s recent policy reforms were highlighted as a model for mining code reforms across the continent. These include the Local Content and Policy Regulation, which mandates the use of Ghanian expertise, goods and services in mining operations. The Equipment Tracking Regulations and Blue Water Initiative were also noted as templates for how other countries can improve environmental standards, traceability and value addition.
The panelists agreed that Africa’s mineral wealth can only benefit its people through transparent, inclusive and environmentally conscious governance. They indicated that reforms must go beyond legislation and be backed by capacity building, access to finance and collaboration with communities.
Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
Trump Released Executive Order For U.S. Forest Service To Develop Plan To Increase Timber Production By 25% Across National Forests, Like Finger Lakes National Forest, Prompting Major Concern From Local Communities & Environmentalists, Which Treasure Open Space And Wilderness, Depend On Outdoors As Driver For Tourism Economy
Schumer Has Long History Of Pushing To Preserve & Protect Finger Lakes National Forest – NY’s Only National Forest; Senator Previously Sponsored Legislation To Protect Forest From Gas Drilling And Pushed To Stop Logging
Schumer, Gillibrand: We Must Protect Finger Lakes National Forest – A Crown Jewel of The Finger Lakes Region – From Unwarranted & Unwanted Logging
After the Trump administration released an executive order for the U.S. Forest Service to achieve a 25% increase in timber production in national forests, like the Finger Lakes National Forest, prompting outcry from local activists, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today called on the U.S. Forest Service to protect Finger Lakes National Forest (FLNF) from increased timber logging and to restore FLNF to its full staffing level to protect this Upstate treasure. The Finger Lakes National Forest is New York’s only national forest, and the senators said protecting trees is vital to protecting the surrounding Finger Lakes, precious open space, biodiversity, and the vibrant recreation and tourism economy.
“We must protect the Finger Lakes from Trump’s attempts to turn our National Forests into timber. The Finger Lakes National Forest is a crown jewel of the region, and a magnet for families and tourists alike to experience the vast nature and beauty of Upstate NY. But Trump’s recent executive order could callously cut down huge chunks of this forest, threatening the Finger Lakes. This unwanted and unwarranted policy would endanger the Finger Lakes National Forest and our thriving outdoor recreation economy,” said Senator Schumer. “Trump’s ill-conceived executive order to cut down large swathes of our nation’s forest could be devastating, even the Once-ler in the Lorax would scoff at it. We cannot let our forest be ripped away from our kids, and the tens of thousands who visit the Finger Lakes every year. That’s why I’m standing up to Trump’s plans and demanding the U.S. Forest Service not increase logging in the Finger Lakes National Forest. I’ve long been a proud supporter of the Finger Lakes National Forest, protecting it from gas drilling and high-volume logging for years. Now, we need to protect Upstate New York’s forest health to preserve the area’s natural beauty so the community and visitors can enjoy this space for generations to come.”
“The Finger Lakes National Forest is an Upstate treasure, and the Trump administration’s plan to increase logging in the area would be catastrophic for the environment and devastating for the thousands of New Yorkers who flock to the area to hike, hunt, and fish,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am urging the Trump administration to listen to the concerns of the local community and pause any plans for additional commercial logging.”
In a letter to the U.S. Forest Service chief, Schumer and Gillibrand explained that Trump’s executive order could hurt the Finger Lakes National Forest habitat and lead to water-quality issues due to increased runoff into Seneca and Cayuga lakes and increased wildfire risks. The Senators also urged the administration to reverse recent cuts of the dedicated staff and rangers who are vital for the forest’s stewardship, visitor services, and forest health. The reduced number of staff jeopardizes regular maintenance of the forest, including replanting native trees in the section of forest lost to invasive Emerald Ash Borer infestations. Citing a report from the U.S. Forest Service on FLNF and Green Mountain, the senators described how the Finger Lakes National Forest supports over $174 million in annual revenue from recreational activities which would be threatened with increased logging. The senators said preventing logging is vital to protecting the surrounding lakes, biodiversity, and the vibrant recreation economy, from hikers to sportsmen, to fishermen, and more. They also emphasized that is necessary to ensure New Yorkers and all Americans can access the forest today and for generations to come.
Yvonne Taylor, Co-Founder and Vice President, Seneca Lake Guardian said, “Senators Schumer and Gillibrands’ leadership to protect the Finger Lakes National Forest affirms what so many of us in the region know in our hearts: that this forest is not a timber commodity that can be bought. It is a sacred public treasure that fuels our economy, safeguards our environment, and belongs to future generations. We urge the Forest Service to heed their call, retain the dedicated staff that defend the forest, and protect this irreplaceable landscape.”
Schumer has a long history of pushing for the preservation and protection of the Finger Lakes National Forest, dating back to 2001 when he co-sponsored legislation to protect the Finger Lakes National Forest from gas drilling and exploration. In subsequent years, Schumer has pushed for moratoriums on logging within the forest.
Schumer and Gillibrand’s letter to Chief of the Forest Service Tom Schultz can be found HERE or below:
Dear Forest Service Chief Schultz:
We write to strongly oppose increased logging and staff reductions at the Finger Lakes National Forest (FLNF) following recent executive actions and budget decisions. It is imperative to the ecological health of this ecosystem and the Finger Lakes vital tourism industry you ensure that additional FLNF trees will not be unnecessarily cut down, subject to commercial logging, and you immediately reverse recent staff cuts that threaten the ongoing health of the Forest. The Administration must respect the unique ecological, economic, and recreational value of this treasured public resource and the Upstate NY communities it sustains.
The Finger Lakes National Forest is more than a beautiful landscape – it is a living asset for the region, supporting tourism, recreation, and a healthy environment, while also serving as a source of pride for generations of Upstate New Yorkers. According to a report from the U.S. Forest Service, the Finger Lakes National Forest supports over $174 million in annual revenue from recreational activities. The natural beauty and economic benefits this landscape provides far outweighs any potential profits from future timber sales and the Forest Service must take every step to ensure the sustainable management of the Forest. Because the Forest Service already supports logging on up to 800 acres of FLNF land specifically for forest health, it is unclear why additional logging in the FLNF is necessary or productive, and local communities are justifiably concerned this could threaten the economic and environmental health of the region.
We are alarmed by new reports of significant staff reductions at the FLNF, leaving just a handful of rangers to oversee more than 16,000 acres. The cuts of the dedicated staff and rangers who are vital for the forest’s stewardship, visitor services, and forest health are wrong and seriously undermine the FLNF’s ecological integrity and it’s enjoyment by the public. The reduced number of staff will jeopardize regular maintenance of the forest, including replanting native trees in the section of forest lost to invasive Emerald Ash Borer infestations. Without full staffing, the Forest health could be compromised, jeopardizing the countless jobs and economic benefits it supports in the surrounding communities.
Many in the Finger Lakes region – residents, environmental groups, small businesses, and local governments – have raised their voices out of concern for the future of the Forest. The community deserves immediate answers on what the U.S. Forest Service’s future plans are for the Finger Lakes and we urge the U.S. Forest Service and USDA to immediately:
Restore Fiscal Year 2024 staffing levels across Finger Lakes National Forest operations and invest in the jobs needed for forest stewardship, restoration, and public safety.
Remove the Finger Lakes National Forest from any consideration for increased logging.
Engage directly with local communities, conservation organizations, and forestry professionals before taking any action affecting the FLNF.
Ensure that any prior commitments to replanting and habitat restoration, especially following previous clear-cutting for ash borer mitigation, are fully funded and completed.
Publish a justification detailing the increased acreage that would be logged beyond current activities supporting forest health, describing whether the administration intends to clear cut or sustainably thin areas of the Forest, which areas are too sensitive for logging activities, which areas would be avoided due to recreational activities, how threatened and endangered species would be protected or avoided when logging, and the necessary staff increases to complete these actions.
Publish the Forest Service’s plan for public engagement, including input from New York forestry experts regarding any potential plans to log the FLNF.
The Finger Lakes National Forest is a unique ecological and economic asset. Any changes to its management or staffing should strengthen – not weaken – its role as a model for conservation, recreation, and sustainable rural development.
We look forward to your prompt response on this timely concern and stand ready to work with you and the community to protect the Finger Lakes National Forest.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
May 15, 2025
Senate Finance Committee Democrats say donors to IRS commissioner pick Billy Long’s hibernating campaign fund could have been illegally influencing the former House lawmaker.
“This brazen attempt to curry favor with Mr. Long is not only unethical—it may also be illegal,” the lawmakers led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote in one of the letters seen by Bloomberg Tax that were sent Thursday. The letters suggest that the circumstances of the donations raise questions over whether they constitute a violation of federal anti-bribery laws.
Also at issue is the timing and size of the donations that were made to Long, who could soon lead the tax collection agency. Democrats asked donors why they gave, whether their donations were solicited, and whether they had matters currently pending in front of the IRS.
Long, a former Republican House member from Missouri who has a confirmation hearing with the panel May 20, hasn’t been on any ballot for several years but saw nearly $137,000 flow into his dormant campaign committee for a Senate seat in the first quarter of this year. He also used the funds to repay a $130,000 personal loan. Donors to his campaign included people associated with firms that promoted so-called sovereign tribal tax credits that the Treasury Department and IRS say don’t exist.
Warren signed the letters along with Finance ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). The Democrats’ letter is the latest in a string of demands from Democrats pressing Long about his dealings with White River Energy Corp., which has been selling the credits to wealthy investors through a network of promoters.
The acceleration of federal approvals for “nation-building projects” was the major theme of this week’s first ministers meeting in Saskatoon. A rush to streamline approvals for resource development and infrastructure projects has been central to the Canadian response to United States President Donald Trump’s profound disruptions to longstanding trade and security relationships.
At the provincial level, Ontario’s Bill 5 and British Columbia’s Bill 15 also propose to move aggressively to fast-track mining and infrastructure projects.
These fast-tracking efforts are fuelling debate, particularly in terms of the implications for Indigenous rights and the implicit trade-offs pertaining to the environment and climate change.
Project review and approval processes in Canada have already been aggressively streamlined over the past decade. The 2019 Federal Impact Assessment Act, also known as Bill C-69, was largely modelled on Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s 2012 Bill C-38 rewrite of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.
It’s important to determine why projects are delayed in the first place. Most move through assessment processes with little delay or controversy. Problems emerge when proposals are poorly designed, face serious technical or economic doubts, raise major environmental, climate or safety concerns, and spark significant social, political or legal conflicts over their costs, benefits and impacts.
A recent study on mining approvals in B.C., for example, found that far more mines were approved than ever actually developed. The main cause of delays was changing economic conditions. Regulation was found to be only a minor factor.
While there are always potential ways to improve review processes, the results of previous streamlining efforts suggest the need for caution about the potential for these initiatives to backfire.
Impact assessment and similar processes emerged as more than a way to accurately assess projects and their risks and benefits. They also provided a framework for managing intense social and political conflicts those projects may generate.
If these processes are streamlined too much, the conclusions of these assessments may seem illegitimate. There could be a trade-off between clear, certain outcomes and ensuring the approval process is fair and trustworthy.
Exacerbating conflict
The Harper government’s Bill C-38 reforms were intended to facilitate the construction of more oil pipelines. In the end, they only escalated the spiralling political and legal conflicts around projects like the Northern Gateway and Energy East pipelines.
The accompanying Alberta-to-B.C. Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline was only approved after a tortuous process. That culminated in the federal purchase and completion of the pipeline at a cost to taxpayers of $34 billion.
The political consequences of these efforts at streamlining are noteworthy. The Bill C-38 episode was seen as playing a role in the Harper government’s defeat in 2015. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s loss of his majority government in 2011 was also partly attributed to the rural response to the Green Energy Act.
Checks and balances
Aside from the political aspects, it’s important to recognize the value of thorough reviews for projects that are likely to be high-risk, high-cost and high-impact.
When past reviews have been rushed or cut short, they’ve undermine confidence in the decisions made — especially when even faster processes could increase the risks and costs passed on to taxpayers.
The Muskrat Falls and Site C hydro projects in Labrador and B.C., respectively, stand as testament to those risks. Both projects ran years behind schedule and billions over budget and continue to face major technical, environmental and economic challenges. Review processes can be important checks on poorly conceived, politically motivated projects.
It’s also important to think carefully about the long-term economic rationales being presented for projects. Canada is a relatively high-costfossil fuel producer, making it unlikely to be among the last standing in a decarbonizing world.
That should raise serious questions about major investments in new fossil fuel export infrastructure. The irony of developing such projects as major wildfires, widely attributed to the impacts of climate change, burn in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba cannot be overlooked.
Global markets for commodities like critical minerals are also uncertain and in deep flux.
Ontario’s Bill 5 represents the most aggressive streamlining proposal seen so far. The legislation would exempt designated “special economic zones” and even trusted proponents — such as mining companies assigned to lead projects — from all applicable provincial and municipal laws and regulations.
The province’s approach has raised fundamental questions about the rule of law, democratic governance and Indigenous rights, and jurisdictional boundaries.
Others have accused Ontario of racing to the bottom in terms of health, safety and environmental standards, respect for the rule of law, Indigenous rights and basic democratic values.
All of this suggests a need for caution in further streamlining review and approval processes for major projects. These are undertakings with risks and costs that could stretch far into the future and must be properly understood before they proceed.
Mark Winfield receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University
The drone attacks by Ukrainian Operation Spider’s Web forces on Russian airfields have called into question Russia’s supposed military strength.
Russian authorities have acknowledged damage from the June 1 attacks — an unusual admission that suggests the strikes were probably effective, given Russia’s usual pattern of downplaying or denying the success of Ukrainian operations.
The operation’s most significant target was the Belaya air base, north of Mongolia. Belaya, like the other bases targeted, is a critical component in the Russian Air Force’s strategic strike capabilities because it houses planes capable of long-range nuclear and conventional strikes.
It’s also in Irkutsk, approximately 4,500 kilometres from the front lines in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s ability to successfully strike Belaya — an attempted strike at the even more distant Ukrainka air base failed — probably won’t have much of a military impact on the war. But along with successful attacks on other Russian airfields and the strike at the Kerch Bridge in Crimea, Operation Spider Web’s successes could play a strategic role in the conflict.
These attacks could shift what has become increasingly negative media coverage and public perception about Ukraine’s chances in the war over the last year. In a war of attrition, which the conflict in Ukraine has become, establishing a belief in victory is a pre-condition for success.
Explosions hit the Kerch Bridge in Russia on June 3, 2025. (The Independent)
Increased pessimism
Policymakers and pundits, instead of recognizing their expectations of a Ukrainian victory in 2023 were unrealistic, have often declared that the war is unwinnable for Ukraine.
This perspective was even more prevalent following United States President Donald Trump’s resumption of power in January 2025. In the Oval Office spat Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in late February, he declared Ukraine did not “have the cards” to defeat Russia.
This turned out to be false. Ukraine’s army may possess significantly less military hardware and fewer soldiers than Russia’s, but war is often a continuation of politics. Politically, Russia faces several issues that could derail its war efforts.
Russian vulnerabilities
Russia’s military capabilities are important to Russian nationalists, who make up Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s core constituency. Russian military forces have advanced along nearly all fronts in Ukraine over the last year.
These advances, however, have largely been insignificant. Furthermore, they have emphasized Russia’s military weakness, which is an ongoing affront to Russian nationalists.
Not only have Russian military advances over the last year not changed the war in a strictly military sense, but the pace of advance has been incredibly slow. Over the last year, Russian forces have captured 5,107 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory. This territory represents less than one per cent of Ukraine’s pre-war territory.
In exchange for what amounts to negligible gains, Russian armed forces have suffered significant casualties.
Both Russia and Ukraine carefully guard the number of casualties their forces have suffered in the war. The British Ministry of Defence, however, estimates that Russia will have suffered more than a million casualties in the war by the end of this month. The Russian casualty rate is also accelerating, with an estimated 160,000 casualties in the first four months of 2025.
Russia attempts to compensate for this battlefield devastation in two ways.
First, it’s isolated Ukraine by manipulating Trump’s desire for political wins and business deals. Russia, in appearing to seek an end to the conflict while offering no concessions, has stoked tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump, where there was little love lost between the two to begin with.
Second, Russia has increased its attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Large-scale bombing does little to help Russia on the battlefield. The attacks, in fact, put its forces at a disadvantage by redirecting munitions from military targets.
Attacks on civilians
The attacks on civilian infrastructure, however, are more about instilling fear in the Ukrainian population and demonstrating American impotence to a Russian audience.
Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities also highlight Russia’s trump card: nuclear weapons. Russia, and specifically former Russian president Dimitry Medvedev, has repeatedlythreatened nuclear war in an attempt to dissuade Ukraine’s supporters.
By bombing Ukrainian cities, albeit with conventional munitions, Russia seeks to demonstrate its ability to deploy even more destructive weapons should the situation call for it.
These Russian military missteps, combined with a Russian economy that is structurally unsound, means that Russia’s war effort is increasingly fragile.
Weakening Asian alliances
Ukraine’s attack on Belaya also signals Russian weakness to its nominal allies in Asia.
Since the start of hostilities, Russia has relied on the tacit consent of China. This support has taken the form of China purchasing Russian crude oil to maintain the Russian economy and Chinese citizens unofficially fighting for Russia.
Belaya has been a vital element of Russia’s deterrence strategy in Asia, which has come to rely more heavily on the Russian strategic nuclear threat. The inability of Russia to protect one of its key strategic assets from a Ukrainian drone attack, combined with the weakness of Russian conventional forces in Ukraine, erodes its ability to position itself as a key ally to China.
In fact, some Russian authorities continue to view China as a major threat.
At the same time, Operation Spider’s Web gives hope to the Ukrainian people. It may also cause Trump — who prefers to back winners — to ponder whether it’s Putin, not Zelenskyy, who lacks the cards to win the war.
James Horncastle 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.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)
22.6% reduction in critical programs threatens millions of American lives, including critical programs for schools, healthcare, the opioid epidemic, clean water, and tribal programs
WASHINGTON D.C. —Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)released the following statement after President Trump delivered a “skinny” version of his Fiscal Year 2026 President’s Budget request to Congress on Friday:
“Today, Donald Trump delivered his first President’s Budget request to Congress, and it should tell you everything you need to know about his priorities: that they are all about gutting vital programs over meeting the needs of the American people,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). “This is the President’s Great Betrayal once again, following on his massive tax package gutting social programs and ongoing tariffs that are driving economic instability and increased costs for the American people. Trump’s budget would gut vital programs by over 22% across all major federal programs—including those crucial to funding our schools, mental and behavioral health programs, clean water and air, and tribal programs. This is America under DOGE. And, I will continue to fight it every step of the way.”
Today, President Donald Trump transmitted a FY 2026 “Skinny” Budget to Congress, proposing over $163 billion in cuts, totaling more than a 22% reduction in funding for non-defense discretionary spending, representing cuts across vital federal agencies, including, among many others:
$33.3 billion in cuts (a 26.2% decrease) to the Department of Health and Human Services
$33.6 billion in cuts (a 43.6% decrease) to the Department of Housing and Urban Development
$5.1 billion in cuts (a 30.5% decrease) for the Department of the Interior, including hundreds of millions in cuts to the Bureau of Indian Affairs
$4.535 billion in cuts to the Department of Education’s K-12 Programs and billions more to early childhood education and other programs
$1.065 billion in cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
$2.460 billion in cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds
Among additional cuts that could significantly impact New Mexico and New Mexico’s First Congressional District include:
$617 million in funding cuts to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) serving Tribal and Pueblo Nations (including $107 million in cuts for BIA Public Safety & Justice programs and 187 million in cuts to the Bureau of Indian Education)
The elimination of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). which helps low-income families with heating and utility costs
$900 million in cuts to the National Park System
Billions in cuts to infrastructure, clean energy, and Department of Energy programs vital to New Mexico’s economy.
This FY 2026 Proposal for agency funding cuts follows on the special tax and spending package Trump and the GOP are trying to pass separately through a Budget Reconciliation package this spring. This disastrous package would havecatastrophic impacts for the country and NM-01. This tax package includes $7 trillion in giveaways to billionaires and big corporations, including a $314,266 average annual tax cut for the richest 0.1 percent, funded through almost $5 trillion in deficit spending and cuts to vital programs like Medicaid and food assistance.
Among its impacts for New Mexico’s First Congressional District include:
Healthcare insurance premiums could increase by 60% – 169%
207,936 people on Medicaid could be at risk of losing health care access and benefits, including 85,960 children under the age of 19 and 22,000 seniors over 65
153,000 people on SNAP could be impacted in their ability to access benefits that help put food on the table.
216,669 children who rely on free school lunches could be impacted
15,721 students in NM-01 on Pell grants could be impacted
For a table with more information on these cuts, clickhere.
SOUTH AFRICA, 3 June 2025 – A new report released today by Greenpeace Africa and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reveals a devastating and avoidable public health crisis. In 2023 alone, 42,000 South Africans lost their lives due to exposure to fine particle pollution (PM2.5), including over 1,300 children under the age of five.
Behind these deaths lies a simple truth: polluters are poisoning our air and putting profits above people. Industrial giants, especially in the coal and energy sectors, continue to emit dangerous levels of toxic pollutants into the air we breathe, fully aware of the devastating health consequences.
The report shows that fine particle pollution (PM2.5 — a dangerous pollutant formed by burning coal and fuel and so small that it can enter the bloodstream through the lungs) cost South Africa over R960 billion in 2023, the equivalent of 14% of the GDP. These costs come in the form of premature deaths, respiratory illness, lost workplace productivity, and overburdened health systems.
Communities in the Highveld region and Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces, which are home to the country’s largest coal-fired power plants and industrial zones, are hardest hit. The data makes it clear: coal is killing us.
‘Science is unequivocal. The air South Africans breathe is toxic, and the corporations driving this crisis must no longer be protected by silence or inaction,’ said Cynthia Moyo, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa.
Despite mounting evidence and repeated warnings from health experts, polluting industries continue to operate without accountability. Eskom’s coal fleet, for example, remains one of the world’s largest contributors to deadly air pollution, with some facilities continuing to apply for exemptions from pollution limits meant to protect public health.
The report also shows that aligning South Africa’s air quality standards with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines could prevent up to 33,000 deaths per year. Even meeting existing national standards could save more than 9,000 lives annually.
“South Africa’s Constitution guarantees the right to a healthy environment but that right is being violated every day by polluters. Communities deserve clean air, not corporate impunity,” added Dr Jamie Kelly, Health Impact Assessment Team Lead at CREA.
Greenpeace Africa calls for:
an immediate end to exemptions from air pollution limits for major emitters;
the full enforcement of national air quality standards;
a bold, just transition away from coal to renewable energy that centers communities;
stronger transparency and access to real-time pollution data for the public.
This report, Unmasking the Toll of Fine Particle Pollution in South Africa, is not just a call to awareness, it’s a call to action. South Africans deserve clean air and a livable future. The time to hold polluters accountable is now.
Greenpeace Africa media assets are available here.
About Greenpeace Africa
Greenpeace Africa is a growing movement of people acting in protection of the environment. Our campaigns use peaceful, creative confrontation to expose environmental injustices around the world and develop solutions for a green and peaceful future.
About CREA
The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) is an independent research organisation focused on revealing the trends, causes, and health impacts, as well as the solutions, to air pollution. The organisation’s work is funded through philanthropic grants and revenue from commissioned research.
About the methodology
PM2.5 exposure
Human exposure to PM2.5 is estimated using the dataset of van Donkelaar et al. (2021) and Hammer et al. (2023), version V5.GL.05.02. The dataset provides estimates of annual ground-level PM2.5 by combining Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) retrievals, the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model (http://geos-chem.org), and global ground-based observations.
Health impact assessment
Based on the spatial distributions of the PM2.5 simulated exposure map, we then calculated the corresponding public health impacts between 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023. CREA’s health impact assessment (HIA) framework builds on earlier work (Myllyvirta, 2020) but incorporates important methodological updates. Compared to the original approach, we now use integrated exposure response (IER) functions from the upcoming GBD 2023 study (IHME, 2025) instead of the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM), and we have added dementia as a new health endpoint. The framework continues to include a comprehensive set of health outcomes, selected to avoid overlap and to enable robust economic valuation.
Egypt is endeavoring to augment the proportion of renewable energy within its electricity mix to 42% by the year 2035. The nation is actively expanding its capacity through the implementation of large-scale solar and wind energy initiatives. Against this backdrop, renewable power capacity in the country is expected to reach 31.6GW in 2035, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.4% during 2024-35, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
With its advantageous conditions to harness solar and wind power, Egypt recognizes renewable energy as a pivotal factor for its economic growth. The country possesses considerable wind energy potential, particularly in the Gulf of Suez area, where stable wind speeds average 8-10 meters per second at a height of 100 meters. Furthermore, Egypt enjoys between 2,800 and 3,200 hours of sunshine annually, with daily sunshine ranging from 9-11 hours from north to south.
Attaurrahman Ojindaram Saibasan, Power Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Egypt’s primary opportunity resides in the exponential growth of electricity consumption, which correlates directly with the increasing population size. This trend presents a significant investment opportunity for companies specializing in power generation equipment.”
The adoption of renewable energy could enhance Egypt’s energy security while preserving foreign exchange income through continued gas exports. Additionally, it has the potential to reduce GHG emissions and mitigate environmental impacts.
Saibasan concludes: “Electricity consumption is increasing across all sectors, including residential, industrial, and commercial, in Egypt. Growing demand is driving the need for new power generation projects and grid upgrades. Egypt has one of the fastest-growing populations in the region, with over 107.8 million people as of 2024. Urbanization is increasing, with new housing developments and smart cities like the New Administrative Capital requiring large-scale electricity infrastructure. The country is focusing on renewables to meet increasing demand.”
overnor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams today announced the completion of YP Senior Residence, a 117-unit affordable housing development in the Morris Heights neighborhood of The Bronx that is reserved for older New Yorkers. The $81 million project includes 37 supportive apartments where eligible tenants will receive on-site support services. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has financed almost 6,200 affordable homes in The Bronx. YP Senior Residence continues this effort and complements Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year housing plan, which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.
“New York is committed to supporting our more vulnerable communities, including seniors who help build and shape neighborhoods throughout the state,” Governor Hochul said. “As an affordable housing development for older New Yorkers, YP Senior Residence is making the cost of living more affordable for over 100 households in The Bronx. Thank you to our partners for bringing this important project to fruition.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “From creating record amounts of senior housing for older New Yorkers to building historic amounts of supportive housing for people who need a little extra help, we have the most pro-housing mayoral administration in New York City history. Through our partnership with Governor Hochul and projects like this one in the Bronx, we have doubled down on those efforts, delivering the housing that New Yorkers need at prices they can afford. Whether it’s individual developments like this or generational initiatives like our ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ plan to revitalize New York City’s zoning code, we are showing what is possible when government at all levels comes together to make a real difference in building a more affordable city for New Yorkers.”
Apartments at YP Senior Residence are available to households earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income. There are 37 units reserved for New Yorkers age 55 and older experiencing chronic homelessness eligible for on-site support services. The remaining 80 units are available to New Yorkers age 62 and older.
YP Senior Residence includes sustainable features such as rooftop solar panels and a Variant Refrigerant Flow heating and cooling system that captures and repurposes heat already in the environment. There are Energy Star® appliances, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation for improved indoor air quality, water-conserving plumbing, and a green roof.
The building is designed to promote a supportive environment and socialization while combatting isolation. It is full of indoor and outdoor gathering spaces including communal lounges on each floor, a rooftop terrace, and a landscaped courtyard.
The project’s developer and support services provider is the Volunteers of America — Greater New York. Robert Sanborn Development is the co-developer.
YP Senior Residence is supported by HCR’s Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program which generated nearly $35 million in equity, a $20 million first mortgage bond from its Housing Finance Agency, $4.4 million from its Office of Resilient Homes and Communities’ Affordable Housing Fund Program, and $1.7 million from its Senior Housing Program.
The project also received $6.5 million from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) Senior Affordable Rental Apartments program, $6.1 million from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, $1 million in Reso A capital discretionary funding from the Bronx Borough President and the Bronx delegation of the City Council, and $135,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Operating funding for the supportive units is being provided by the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, administered by the New York State Department of Health. All apartments will benefit from Project-Based Section 8 vouchers administered by NYC HPD.
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Older New Yorkers deserve the opportunity to remain in the communities they love, and that means creating affordable apartments that provide the resources and amenities they need to live independently. This $81 million investment will allow more than 100 senior households to stay in The Bronx and offers support to those individuals who need it most. We thank Governor Hochul and each of our partners for their continued commitment to addressing the housing crisis.”
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “The Homeless Housing and Assistance Program’s investment in YP Senior Residence will provide chronically homeless seniors in the Bronx with safe, affordable, apartments they can call home, along with easy access to vital support services that will help them remain housed and age in place with dignity and independence. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for continuing to make permanent supportive housing a priority in New York State, and to all the state and local partners who supported the development of this important project.”
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Access to affordable housing and adequate support is critical for older adults who may otherwise experience isolation, preventable illness, homelessness or even death. Under the leadership of Governor Hochul, the Department is committed to the wellbeing of all New Yorkers, and affordable and supportive housing like the YP Senior Residence will help some of our most vulnerable residents achieve basic needs for health and safety.”
New York State Office for the Aging Director Greg Olsen said, “Housing that is affordable, accessible, and supportive ranks among the highest priorities for older adults across New York State. Thanks to Governor Hochul, New York State is addressing this need with a comprehensive plan that brings forth innovative housing models to address health and social needs at the heart of age-friendly community development.”
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Doreen M. Harris, President & CEO said, “The completion of today’s project welcomes more than 100 clean, comfortable living spaces to the Bronx and helps ensure New York residents benefit from the latest modern building solutions. Through the use of energy efficient appliances, ventilation, and plumbing, these affordable housing units and community spaces will improve the quality of life for many senior citizens within the community.”
New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said, “Older New Yorkers are often the anchors of our communities and the stewards of our shared history. That’s why, at HPD, we are deeply committed to ensuring that those who helped build and sustain their neighborhoods can age with dignity in safe, affordable homes. Today’s event is a testament to the incredible work that can happen when we work together — guided by our values and commitment to take care of our neighbors, including those who need a bit of additional support — and deliver real, tangible results.”
New York City Department of Homeless Services Administrator Joslyn Carter said, “I commend Volunteers of America-Greater New York for recognizing that older adults face unique challenges in remaining stably housed and for building affordable, supportive housing that will allow senior residents to continue to be vibrant, important members of their community. VOA-GNY has long been a vital collaborator with DHS in addressing homelessness. Here, they are stepping up once again to serve a need and ensure that older adults age with dignity and respect, maintain or establish social connections as they leave transitional housing to a permanent home.”
New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park said, “One of my biggest priorities as commissioner has been to build bridges between the affordable housing side and the homeless services lane to create a pipeline of housing options for vulnerable New Yorkers. This project and the work of Volunteers of America-Greater New York will facilitate shelter exits and confront the issue of senior homelessness. The benefits of this residence couldn’t be clearer. We are thrilled for the tenants, who will have access to services they deserve, and we applaud VOA-GNY for being a valued partner in the effort to combat homelessness.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “Seniors are a crucial pillar of communities across New York, and we must ensure that they have a safe and supportive place to call home. The YP Senior Residence will address the growing threats of homelessness and isolation among older adults by creating 117 affordable and supportive apartments— Including units housing seniors who have experienced homelessness and building a safe, supportive environment for its occupants. I look forward to the positive change this project will bring to the Bronx and beyond, and I will continue to fight for the right of all Americans to age with dignity and security.”
State Senator Robert Jackson said, “A society is judged by how it treats its elders — and today, we take a proud step forward. The YP Senior Residence is more than brick and mortar — it is policy made personal. It is what happens when we invest in care, not neglect; in permanence, not patches. This building says to our seniors—especially those who have known homelessness — that your journey matters, your dignity matters, and their golden years will not be lived in the shadows. Let this ribbon cutting also be a ribbon of commitment — to build not just housing, but justice, equity, and community. Congratulations to Volunteers of America and everyone who helped turn vision into refuge. Let’s keep building”
Assemblymember Yudelka Tapiasaid, “Ensuring our seniors have access to safe, affordable housing is a top priority. I am proud to celebrate this housing development for the Bronx, a place where our seniors can age with dignity and independence. This is exactly the kind of investment we need to ensure every New Yorker has a safe and supportive place to call home.”
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said, “Ensuring our older adults have safe, stable, and affordable housing is not just a promise, but a priority. With the completion of YP Senior Residence, we are taking a significant step forward in allowing our most seasoned residents to age in place with dignity, stability, and the support they deserve. I am grateful to Governor Hochul, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the Bronx delegation of the City Council, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for their continued partnership in uplifting our older New Yorkers and investing in a future where every generation is cared for and valued.”
VOA-GNY President and CEO Jeffrey R. Ginsburg said, “It is an honor to help reverse the growing crisis of senior homelessness, and address the serious risks social isolation and loneliness can have on the health of older adults. We thank our partners for their generosity and collaboration, without whom the development of YP Senior Residence would not have been possible. Older New Yorkers deserve to age with dignity and independence, and we are proud to help make this possible.”
Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY 2025 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives, capital funding, and new protections for renters and homeowners. Building on this commitment, the FY 2026 Enacted Budget includes more than $1.5 billion in new State funding for housing, a Housing Access Voucher pilot program, and new policies to improve affordability for tenants and homebuyers. These measures complement the Governor’s five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan, included in the FY 2023 Budget, to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 60,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.
The FY 2025 and 2026 Enacted Budgets also strengthened the Governor’s Pro-Housing Community Program – which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. Currently, more than 300 communities have received Pro Housing certification, including New York City.
GAINESVILLE, Fla., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 2026 Design and Verification Conference and Exhibition United States (DVCon U.S.), sponsored by Accellera Systems Initiative, is pleased to announce its Call for Extended Abstract, Workshop, and Tutorial Proposals. The 38th annual DVCon U.S. will be held March 2-5 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Santa Clara, CA.
“DVCon U.S. continues to be the premier venue for exploring the latest trends, technologies, and standards in design and verification,” stated Xiaolin Chen, DVCon U.S. 2026 General Chair. “We invite proposals that share real-world experiences, innovative methodologies, and forward-looking insights. Our goal is to deliver an exceptional technical program while preserving the personal connections and collaborative spirit that have long defined the DVCon experience.”
Extended Abstract Information
DVCon U.S. 2026 invites engineers, researchers, and practitioners to submit extended abstracts that provide deep technical insights, practical case studies, and innovative approaches across the design and verification landscape. Submissions should focus on real-world experiences and address emerging trends that are shaping the future of electronic system development.
Suggested topic areas include, but are not limited to:
Functional verification and validation
Safety-critical design and verification
Low-power design techniques
Machine learning and big data applications
Design and verification reuse and automation
Mixed-signal design and verification
Authors may also incorporate topics such as EDA tool usage, FPGA-based design, specialized verification languages (e.g., SVA or PSL), scripting, Portable Stimulus applications, AMS techniques, and IoT-related methodologies.
Extended abstracts should be between 600 and 1,200 words and demonstrate technical depth, innovation, and relevance.
DVCon U.S. 2026 welcomes proposals for technical tutorials and short workshops that offer high-impact educational content for design and verification professionals. These sessions provide an excellent opportunity for industry experts to share knowledge, demonstrate tools and methodologies, and engage directly with attendees.
Short workshops are 90-minute sponsored sessions open to all attendees registered for the full conference. Scheduled for both Monday and Thursday, these workshops may be formatted as hands-on demonstrations or lecture-style presentations, allowing flexibility in delivery and engagement.
DVCon U.S. technical tutorials are three-hour sessions included with full conference registration. The Technical Program Committee seeks proposals that are timely, highly relevant, and rich in continuing education value. Topics should address current challenges and trends in design and verification.
Suggested topics for both workshops and tutorials include:
SystemVerilog for design and verification
SystemC, C, and C++ in system-level design
Software-driven and SoC verification
Assertion-based verification (SystemVerilog, PSL)
Coverage-driven verification and debug techniques
Low-power design strategies and high-level synthesis
Mixed-signal modeling and AMS verification
Secure IP-based SoC design and encryption
Transaction-level modeling, ESL design, and IP integration (IP-XACT)
Portable Stimulus and standards adoption
Formal methods, emulation, FPGA prototyping, and post-silicon debug
Embedded software co-verification and productivity methods
Functional safety, security, and open-source methodologies
Machine learning applications in design and verification
Submission Deadline The submission site for all proposals opens July 15. The deadline to submit extended abstracts, tutorial and workshop proposals is September 7, 2025.
About DVCon DVCon is the premier conference for discussion of the functional design and verification of electronic systems. DVCon is sponsored by Accellera Systems Initiative, an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating design and verification standards required by systems, semiconductor, intellectual property (IP) and electronic design automation (EDA) companies. For more information about Accellera, please visit www.accellera.org. For more information about DVCon U.S., please visit here. Follow DVCon on Facebook, LinkedIn or @dvcon_us on X or to comment, please use #dvcon_us.
Headline: Governor Josh Stein Announces Western North Carolinians to Join Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina
Governor Josh Stein Announces Western North Carolinians to Join Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina lsaito
Raleigh, NC
(RALEIGH) Governor Josh Stein today announced two western North Carolinians who will join the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) and play a key role in Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
“I am committed to bringing leaders to the GROW NC team who will prioritize urgency, focus, transparency, and accountability to help rebuild western North Carolina,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I welcome to the team Sharon Decker, a former Secretary of Commerce, to serve as a Senior Advisor, and Forrest Gilliam, a former Madison County manager and legislative liaison, as Legislative Director. I am grateful for their continued service to the people of western North Carolina.”
“My team and I are determined to help western North Carolina rebuild and recover as quickly as possible,” said Matt Calabria, GROW NC Director. “I am excited to continue building our team with these highly qualified professionals who have deep roots in western North Carolina.”
“The devastation has been horrific, but the fortitude and perseverance of western North Carolinians is extraordinary,” said Sharon Decker. “We will come back, and better than before. A strong plan, with actionable steps built on improved health care, more available and affordable housing, a strong education network across the region, planned economic development, strengthened infrastructure, and collaborative community engagement is essential for ensuring our recovery leads us on a sure path for the future.”
Sharon Decker, Senior Advisor for Long-Term Recovery
Sharon Decker and her nonprofit Tapestry Collaborative will contract with GROW NC to lead a collaborative effort that produces a framework and plan for long-term economic recovery as the region rebuilds. She will serve as an advisor to the Governor, GROW NC, and the Department of Commerce on long-term economic recovery, and will liaise with public, private, and social sector institutions to identify opportunities for cross-sector partnerships that advance recovery efforts. GROW NC and the Governor’s Office appreciate the support of philanthropies partnering with the state to engage Decker and her team, whose expertise and experience will help foster economic growth and help pursue opportunities to accelerate recovery.
A native of North Carolina, Sharon Decker has held leadership roles in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors across the state. She spent 17 years at Duke Power (now Duke Energy), becoming its first female Vice President. Her career also includes leadership at The Lynnwood Foundation, The Tapestry Group, and western North Carolina companies, including Doncaster and Tryon International.
In 2013, she was appointed Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce by Governor Pat McCrory, where she led the creation of The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC). Since 2019, Sharon has served as President of Tryon International. She and her husband, Bob, live in Polk County and remain based in Western North Carolina.
Forrest Gilliam, Legislative Director for GROW NC
Forrest Gilliam will join GROW NC as Legislative Director. With nearly two decades of experience across all levels of government, Forrest Gilliam’s career includes work on Capitol Hill for Congressman Heath Shuler, as a legislative and committee assistant at the North Carolina General Assembly for Representative Ray Rapp, as a member of Governor Bev Perdue’s legislative affairs team, and as director of the Governor’s Western Regional Office. In local government, Forrest served five years as county manager for Madison County. Since 2020, Forrest has contracted with the Town of Marshall as a town administrator, where he has focused on efforts to successfully secure funding for water and sewer infrastructure, with a recent focus on Hurricane Helene response and recovery. Raised in Madison County, Forrest’s involvement in civic affairs began in middle school when he helped secure state funding for a new public library. Forrest holds a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Public Management from Appalachian State University.
Decker and Gilliam join colleagues from across western North Carolina and Raleigh who serve to facilitate collaboration, streamline communication, and accelerate recovery from Hurricane Helene. The work of this team is guided by Governor Stein with an emphasis on urgency, focus, transparency, and accountability.
Headline: Governor Stein Announces a $11 Million Expansion for BSH Home Appliances in Craven County, Adding Nearly 200 Jobs
Governor Stein Announces a $11 Million Expansion for BSH Home Appliances in Craven County, Adding Nearly 200 Jobs lsaito
Raleigh, NC
(RALEIGH) Today Governor Josh Stein announced BSH Home Appliances Corporation (BSH), the home appliances division of the Bosch Group, will add 199 new jobs in Craven County. The company will invest more than $11 million to expand its New Bern facility into a hub for all U.S. innovation and manufacturing.
“When globally known companies like BSH choose North Carolina for an expansion, it confirms the strength of our workforce,” said Governor Stein. “North Carolina has the largest manufacturing workforce in the southeast, and we look forward to BSH’s pioneering production that will create more good jobs and growth opportunities for Craven County.”
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, with its North American headquarters in California, BSH develops and manufactures appliances offered under the Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau brands in North America. From cooking, cooling, small appliances, dish care, laundry and more, BSH products are celebrated globally for precision engineering, world-class innovation and superior quality. This development reflects the expansion of U.S. production and development operations at its New Bern site, creating a central hub for cooking and dishwashing research, innovation and manufacturing, along with distribution and customer support for the United States.
“BSH’s manufacturing operation has called North Carolina home for many years, and this expansion is reflective of a valued relationship that’s deepening as we move forward,” said Darcy Clarkson, Chief Executive Officer of BSH Region North America. “New Bern’s importance to BSH is growing, and this investment is one of several new developments that will increase our footprint, create jobs and drive innovation for the company as we look to the future, with North America designated as a growth region for BSH.”
“We’ve been proud members of the New Bern community for over 25 years, and we look forward to further strengthening our contributions to the city and region with this important expansion,” added Andy MacLaren, Chief Technology Officer of BSH Region North America.
“BSH’s decision validates North Carolina’s reputation for manufacturing excellence,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “This latest investment mirrors our commitment to developing our world-class workforce and training systems that help attract companies to every corner of the state.”
This announcement builds on the meetings that BSH, Secretary Lilley, and state leaders previously held in Germany, which set the foundation for this expansion.
While wages for the engineering, manufacturing, and logistics associates vary, the annual average salary for the new positions will be $60,779, exceeding Craven County’s average of $48,770. These new jobs could potentially create an annual payroll impact of more than $12 million for the region.
A performance-based grant of $500,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help the company’s expansion in North Carolina. The OneNC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All OneNC grants require matching participation from local governments, and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.
“This expansion is a welcomed addition to Craven County and the entire state,” said Senator Bob Brinson. “The people of eastern North Carolina are well-equipped for these new, good-paying jobs, and we’re ready to support the company’s next phase of growth.”
“BSH has been a great corporate citizen and contributor to our economy,” said Representative Steve Tyson. “We are grateful to the partnerships here on the local and state level that helped bring this investment and expansion to fruition.”
In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Craven Community College, North Carolina State University, North Carolina’s Southeast, Craven County, Craven 100 Alliance, City of New Bern, Duke Energy, and Piedmont Natural Gas.
TALLINN, Estonia, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The future of personal finance just got a major upgrade. Bitcoin Solaris has officially launched Solaris Nova App Beta Testing for a selected group of users, a mobile-first crypto mining platform that enables anyone with a smartphone to start earning BTC-S tokens with just a tap.
The app rollout comes at a time when accessibility and energy efficiency in crypto are more important than ever. By eliminating the need for expensive hardware or technical expertise, Solaris Nova is redefining what mining looks like in the decentralized era.
A Phone-Based Wealth Engine
The Solaris Nova App delivers a seamless mining experience across Android, iOS, Windows, and browser platforms. Users can begin mining BTC-S immediately through a simple interface—no ASICs, no rigs, just a smartphone and a desire to participate.
Key features include:
One-click mining with adaptive performance controls
Integrated BTC-S wallet
Energy-efficiency mode for prolonged battery life
Cross-platform support (Android, iOS, Windows, Web)
Interactive tutorials for first-time users
“Solaris Nova makes financial empowerment as easy as opening an app,” said a Bitcoin Solaris spokesperson. “We’re giving users the tools to participate in a decentralized economy—no barriers, no gatekeepers.”
Mining for Everyone
The BTC-S Universal Mining model is built for inclusivity. Whether using a low-budget phone or a high-performance PC, Solaris’s optimization engine ensures equitable mining access. The system is designed to foster:
Broader decentralization
Expanded global reach, including underserved regions
Enhanced network security
A sustainable mining footprint with 99.95% less energy consumption than traditional models
And because Bitcoin Solaris uses a hybrid PoW + DPoS consensus, it achieves lightning-fast speeds of up to 100,000 TPS with 2-second finality, while keeping the network both secure and scalable.
Engineered for Speed and Scale
Bitcoin Solaris uses a hybrid PoW + DPoS consensus mechanism to deliver lightning-fast transaction speeds—up to 100,000 TPS with 2-second finality—while remaining scalable, secure, and environmentally conscious.
Core architecture highlights:
SHA-256 PoW base for security and miner compatibility
DPoS governance layer for rapid confirmation and energy efficiency
Daily rotating validators with performance-based slashing
Optional zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) for privacy
Support for smart contracts, tokenization, and DAOs
This structure allows Bitcoin Solaris tosupport smart contracts, tokenized assets, DAOs, and more, all running with virtually no friction.
Reward Model That Works for Everyone
Bitcoin Solaris’s reward system ensures fair distribution across all participants:
40% to miners
25% to validators
20% to stakers
10% to developers
5% to community initiatives
Earnings are further optimized through a Contribution Score, which accounts for session time, device type, task complexity, and real-time network demand.
Why the Presale Is Exploding
With only around 8 weeks left, the Bitcoin Solaris presale is gaining massive momentum. The current price is $6, set to jump to $7 in the next phase, and then to a $20 launch price. Backed by over 11,000 users and more than $1.8 million raised, it’s being called one of the shortest and most explosive presales in the market.
It’s no surprise influencers are taking notice. A detailed review by Crypto Legends breaks down why this project is drawing hype from every corner of the Web3 space.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Watch History—Mine It
Bitcoin Solaris isn’t just keeping up with the shift toward decentralized finance—it’s leading the charge. With a mobile-first approach, elite performance metrics, and a structure aligned with upcoming regulation and global adoption, it’s more than a coin. It’s a movement.
President Trump’s executive order is about control and positioning. But your response doesn’t have to be passive. Bitcoin Solaris gives you a way to act—to mine, earn, and build your future—without needing permission.
Disclaimer:This is a paid post and is provided byBitcoin Solaris. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article.This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital.It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
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overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of Mt. Olive Senior Manor, an affordable housing development for seniors that builds on the State’s historic $50 million investment in Buffalo’s East Side. Developed in partnership between Mt. Olive Development Corporation and People Inc., the new building creates 65 apartments for adults aged 55 and older, including 20 apartments with supportive services for individuals struggling with homelessness, on an underutilized parcel adjacent to the Mt. Olive Baptist Church. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has financed more than 11,000 affordable homes in Erie County. Mt. Olive Senior Manor continues this effort and complements Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year housing plan, which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.
“Through strong partnerships with faith-based organizations like Mt. Olive Baptist Church, we are transforming underutilized spaces into vibrant, affordable homes for New York’s seniors,” Governor Hochul said. “Mt. Olive Senior Manor reflects our commitment to delivering safe, supportive housing that meets the unique needs of the East Side’s residents, advancing our bold vision to create and preserve 100,000 affordable homes across New York.”
The three-story development is constructed on land next door to the Mt. Olive Baptist Church that has undergone brownfield remediation. All apartments are affordable to households earning up to 50 percent of the Area Median Income.
Twenty apartments are set aside for seniors in need of supportive services to live independently. Services and rental subsidies are funded by the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative and administered by the New York State Department of Health. The service provider is People Inc.
Residential amenities include a community room with kitchen, laundry facilities, bicycle storage area, management office, support service offices, multipurpose room, a lounge area, and an enclosed courtyard with walkable space and a patio. To support residents as they age, the building’s design includes features such as grab bars, low-reach shelving and cabinets, lever-style door handles, under cabinet lighting, and zero transition showers.
The development was designed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Multifamily New Construction – Energy Rating Index compliance path. The highly energy efficient, all-electric development features include electric vehicle charging stations, Energy Star appliances and lighting, low flow plumbing fixtures, and high efficiency mechanical equipment.
State financing for Mt. Olive Senior Manor includes support from HCR’s Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program that generated more than $13 million in equity, as well as $3.6 million in subsidy. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is providing $4 million through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program. Additionally, the site participated in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s successful Brownfield Cleanup Program and became eligible for $3.6 million in tax credits administered by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency awarded $2 million in HOME funds. NYSERDA’s New Construction – Housing Program contributed $260,000 in incentives.
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Mt. Olive Senior Manor exemplifies New York State’s commitment to creating affordable, supportive housing, including in partnership with faith-based organizations, that uplifts residents and strengthens communities like East Buffalo. This $27 million investment not only provides safe, modern homes and vital services that seniors deserve, but allows 65 households to stay and thrive in the community they love. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we will continue to create more housing opportunities for New Yorkers of every age and income level.”
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “The 20 supportive housing units created as part of this development will help older adults in Erie County who have experienced homelessness by providing a safe, stable home and access to support services that will enable them to age in place. Congratulations to Mt. Olive Baptist Church, People Inc., and all of our state and local partners on the successful completion of Mt. Olive Senior Manor.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Everyone should have access to environmentally safe and affordable housing. For more than two decades, the State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program has played a critical role in cleaning up formerly contaminated sites, returning them to productive use, and supporting local revitalization efforts. DEC is proud to oversee this critical program and its contribution to achieving Governor Hochul’s affordable housing goals in communities like Buffalo, including the Mt. Olive Senior Housing Development, while supporting DEC’s mission to protect public health and the environment for all.”
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Projects like Mt. Olive Senior Manor are helping shape a cleaner, more modern future for every New Yorker. Integrating the latest clean energy technology into affordable housing not only provides access to healthier, more comfortable living spaces for Western New York’s older adults, but helps improve the quality of life for many living in a historically underserved community.”
State Senator April N. M. Baskin said, “This type of collaboration is meaningful on many levels: it’s a successful partnership between Mt. Olive and the leading human services agency in our region, People Inc.. This project also reimagines an underutilized parcel, turning it into a beautiful space benefiting our older East Side residents. Mt. Olive Baptist Manor is a safe and affordable place to call home, enabling our elders to live their best life in a way they surely deserve.”
Erie County Legislator St. Jean Tard said, “It is an honor to celebrate the opening of Mt. Olive Senior Manor, a development that brings both hope and stability to our community. This project represents more than new construction—it’s a commitment to the well-being of our seniors, especially those who have faced the hardships of homelessness. Transforming a long-vacant site into a place of safety, care, and opportunity is a powerful reflection of what can be achieved through meaningful collaboration. I extend my sincere thanks to Mt. Olive Development Corp., People Inc., and all the partners who brought this vision to life.”
Buffalo Common Council Member Zeneta Everhart said, “The newly constructed Mt. Olive Senior Manor located in the Masten District is an essential facility to meet the needs of our seniors and people struggling with homelessness. Thanks to major investments from the state and the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency, what was once a vacant brownfield is now a great and affordable home for dozens of our older neighbors. I am grateful to Governor Hochul and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal for investing in our community and prioritizing the needs of vulnerable residents.”
People Inc. President and CEO Anne McCaffrey said, “We are extremely proud to join Mt. Olive Development Corp., federal, state and local government officials in unveiling this impactful housing complex,” said Anne McCaffrey, People Inc. president and CEO. “We are providing more than just new housing. We are creating life-changing opportunities for living that are invigorating communities and meeting a critical regional need. Mt. Olive Senor Manor will help people live their best lives, which is central to People Inc.’s mission and vision for the communities we serve.”
Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda
Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives, capital funding, and new protections for renters and homeowners. Building on this commitment, the FY26 Enacted Budget includes more than $1.5 billion in new State funding for housing, a Housing Access Voucher pilot program, and new policies to improve affordability for tenants and homebuyers. These measures complement the Governor’s five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan, included in the FY23 Enacted Budget, to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 60,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.
The FY25 and FY26 Enacted Budgets also strengthened the Governor’s Pro-Housing Community Program — which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. Currently, more than 300 communities have received Pro Housing certification, including Buffalo.
Building on the success of last year’s program, the second round aims to find the next cohort of trailblazers who can deliver innovation in the sustainable pet food space.
Startups from around the world are invited to apply, with selected participants to showcase their solutions at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit.
The program continues to unite leading food and pet care experts to accelerate sustainable pet food innovation.
New York, NY , June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Following the success of last year’s program, Big Idea Ventures and Mars Petcare will launch the second round of the Next Generation Pet Food Program, in collaboration with AAK, Bühler, and Givaudan.
This initiative aims to accelerate sustainable innovation in the pet food sector by supporting startups with novel ingredients, sustainable fats and proteins, and advanced processing technologies.
Mars is exploring alternative ingredients in its pet food products to create more sustainable, future-ready nutrition. As consumer preference evolves Mars is working to give pet parents the opportunity to make more environmentally conscious choices, while taking steps to reduce its own carbon footprint.
This year, Givaudan, a global leader in taste and wellbeing, joins AAK and Bühler as a collaborator, offering expertise in ingredient innovation and product development for humans and pets.
Andrew D. Ive, Founder and Managing General Partner of Big Idea Ventures, stated: “Working with Mars last year was fantastic! We want to take the learnings and implement them on a big scale as we continue to search for and develop sustainable solutions for the pet food ecosystem. Last year, the teams from Mars Petcare, Bühler, and AAK offered invaluable insights to our startups. Now, by integrating Givaudan into the mix, we will further enhance the resources available to the startups we choose.”
Paul Gardner, Commercial VP, Mars Pet Nutrition added: “We must invest in innovation to help us source the best ingredients and build a future where the planet stays healthy, and where people and their pets are thriving. We’re excited to be launching the second round of this program harnessing the creativity of startups, alongside partners that share our vision”
“We were thrilled at the enthusiastic response we got from last’s program. It is a testament that innovative startups are the driving force behind the future of sustainable pet nutrition. The program offers a unique opportunity for visionary entrepreneurs to collaborate with leading industry experts, access state-of-the-art technology, and accelerate their impact on the global petfood market. I encourage all startups with bold ideas and a passion for transformation to apply and help us shape a healthier, more sustainable future for pets and planet alike,” said Dr. Ian Roberts, CTO at Bühler Group.
Niall Sands, President Commercial Innovation and Development, AAK, shared that the company is excited to support pet food innovators to bring nutrition and health-promoting functionality to our beloved pets. They look forward to exploring how innovation in this space is helping pet parents support and care for our 4-legged family members.
Fabio Campanile, Global Head of Science & Technology, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing, noted, “Givaudan is excited to be part of this program as it presents a unique opportunity to collaborate with innovative startups and partners, paving the way for a more sustainable and enriching world for pets. We look forward to building on our current capabilities in the pet food space as well as exploring new technologies.”
Companies selected for the program will benefit from expert guidance, potential commercial partnerships, and the opportunity to showcase their solutions on a global stage at Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit in Singapore from November 4–6, 2025.
Winners of the 2024 Global Pet Food Innovation Program include BiomeMega, Anomaly Bio, KIDEMIS, String Bio Private Limited, MiAlgae, who have been under the mentorship of Big Venture Idea, Mars, AAK and Bühler. The startups have gained insights from top pet food experts and collaborated with leading CPG, ingredient, and technology companies to further develop their concepts with the potential to develop future long-term collaborations.
The program is open to startups from around the world, with a strong preference for scalable solutions that can demonstrate real-world impact and sustainability. While APAC-based startups are preferred, companies from all geographies are encouraged to apply.
For more information, visit bigideaventures.com/petfoodprogram. Interested startups are encouraged to apply here as early as possible and will be able to do so until July 16.
Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communication
IR, Communications and Brand
Malmo, Sweden
+46706810734
carl.ahlgren@aak.com
Mars:
Alex Lloyd, Global R&D Communications Senior Manager
Email: alex.lloyd@effem.com
Big Idea Ventures:
259 Nassau St Ste 2, #1292 Princeton, NJ 08542
Shruti Salkar
Email: news@bigideaventures.com
About the Partners
Big Idea Ventures
Big Idea Ventures is the leading investor in food and agri technology globally. As one of the most active investors in the food-tech, agri-tech, and materials science sectors, we focus on identifying and investing in the most innovative and sustainable technology companies around the world. We collaborate with universities for tech transfer and by combining capital, knowledge, and partnerships, we drive economic growth and help to create food ecosystems. Our collaborations with leading corporations and governments aim to support entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers in solving some of the world’s biggest challenges. Big Idea Ventures has teams in New York, Paris and Asia and has invested in more than 120 companies across 30 countries.
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $50bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’S®, SNICKERS® and BEN’S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet.
Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™. We specialize in plant-based oils and fats, the value-adding ingredients in many products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what Making Better Happen™ means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and deep knowledge of products and industries, including Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice, and Personal Care. Our 4,100 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 16 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and with the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen™ for more than 150 years.
Bühler is driven by its purpose of creating innovations for a better world, balancing the needs of economy, humanity, and nature in all its decision-making processes. Billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies as they cover their basic needs for food and mobility every day. Two billion people each day enjoy foods produced on Bühler equipment; and one billion people travel in vehicles manufactured using parts produced with Bühler solutions. Countless people wear eyeglasses, use smartphones, and read newspapers and magazines – all of which depend on Bühler process technologies and solutions. Having this global relevance, Bühler is in a unique position to turn today’s global challenges into sustainable business. As a technology partner for the food, feed, and mobility industries, Bühler has committed to having solutions ready to multiply by 2025 that reduce energy, waste, and water by 50% in the value chains of its customers. It also proactively collaborates with suppliers to reduce climate impacts throughout the value chain. In its own operations, Bühler has developed a pathway to achieve a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scopes 1 & 2, against a 2019 baseline). Bühler spends up to 5% of turnover on research and development annually to improve both the commercial and sustainability performance of its solutions, products, and services. In 2023, some 12,500 employees generated a turnover of CHF 3.0 billion. As a Swiss family-owned company with a history spanning 164 years, Bühler is active in 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 105 service stations, 30 manufacturing sites, and Application & Training Centers in 25 locations.
Givaudan is a global leader in Fragrance & Beauty and Taste & Wellbeing. We celebrate the beauty of human experience by creating happier, healthier lives with love for nature. Together with our customers, we deliver food experiences, craft inspired fragrances, and develop beauty and wellbeing solutions that make people look and feel good. From your favourite drink to your daily meal, from prestige perfumes to laundry care, our products help people live happier and healthier lives, and we create them in a way that respects natural resources and the environment.
DALIAN, China, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CBAK Energy Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAT) (“CBAK Energy,” or the “Company”), a leading lithium-ion battery manufacturer and electric energy solution provider in China, today announced the receipt of a significant follow-up order from Livguard, a prominent Indian energy storage solutions provider. Valued at approximately USD 3 million, this order brings the cumulative value of orders from Livguard to USD 7.9 million since the inception of the partnership.
Founded in India, Livguard is backed by the 37-year legacy of the esteemed SAR Group and has emerged as a leader in the Indian energy solutions landscape. With a broad portfolio including inverters, batteries, solar energy systems, and automotive power solutions, Livguard is supported by a robust nationwide sales and service network, catering to millions of customers and accelerating India’s transition to sustainable energy.
Livguard has been sourcing Model 32140 cylindrical lithium-ion batteries from CBAK Energy, leveraging their high performance and reliability across a range of energy applications.
Zhiguang Hu, Chief Executive Officer of CBAK Energy, commented: “In January, we announced our collaboration with Ather, one of India’s top five two- and three-wheeler manufacturers. Now, with this substantial order from Livguard, we are further strengthening our presence in India’s fast-growing energy market. This order is a strong validation of the quality and dependability of our battery technology. We look forward to deepening our strategic collaboration with Livguard and continuing to provide innovative energy solutions that meet the evolving demands of the global market.”
About CBAK Energy
CBAK Energy Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAT) is a leading high-tech enterprise in China engaged in the development, manufacturing, and sales of new energy high power lithium batteries and raw materials for use in manufacturing high power lithium batteries. The applications of the Company’s products and solutions include electric vehicles, light electric vehicles, electric tools, energy storage, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and other high-power applications. In January 2006, CBAK Energy became the first lithium battery manufacturer in China listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. CBAK Energy has multiple operating subsidiaries in Dalian, Nanjing and Shaoxing, as well as a large-scale R&D and production base in Dalian.
For more information, please visit ir.cbak.com.cn.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, strategy and plans, and our expectations for future operations, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “should,” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Our actual results may differ materially or perhaps significantly from those discussed herein, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.
For further inquiries, please contact:
In China: CBAK Energy Technology, Inc. Investor Relations Department Mr. Thierry Jiewei Li Phone: 86-18675423231 Email: ir@cbak.com.cn
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 3 — China is making continuous efforts to enhance electricity access in order to meet the growing demand for high-quality power services and support the country’s economic and social development.
A guideline issued by the National Development and Reform Commission as well as the National Energy Administration called on energy authorities and grid operators nationwide to take concrete steps to further enhance electricity connectivity services, with the goal of establishing a modern, efficient business environment for electricity services across the country by 2029.
According to the guideline, the goal includes providing easy and convenient electricity connection services, ensuring a high-quality power supply, promoting green energy, offering inclusive services, and conducting coordinated inspections to enhance overall service quality.
Emphasizing that electricity services are a crucial component of China’s drive to create a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized, the guideline aims to further boost public satisfaction with electricity services.
The guideline outlines measures across 14 key areas to improve electricity services, including the expansion of “zero-investment” low-voltage electricity connection services for private enterprises and the introduction of strict time frames for completing connection procedures.
The guideline also calls for innovative electricity services, such as establishing new access points to meet temporary power demand during spring irrigation and autumn harvest seasons, as well as supporting the needs of night market vendors. These efforts aim to boost rural revitalization and stimulate consumption.
A new Gaelic primary school is set to open in Glasgow next year after a £2 million investment from the Scottish Government.
The funding will complete the refurbishment and extension of the former St James’ Primary School building to establish Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a’ Challtainn (Calton Gaelic Primary School) which will become the city’s fourth Gaelic language primary.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic Kate Forbes announced the investment as part of a £2.4 million package to support Gaelic schools and cultural initiatives across Scotland.
The funding will also support:
the construction of a second classroom at West Primary School in Paisley
the expansion of two Gaelic cultural centres in the Highlands
cultural events through An Comunn Gàidhealach who will host this year’s Royal National Mòd in Lochaber
On a visit to the site of the new school, Ms Forbes said:
“This school will build on the encouraging surge we have seen in the number of Gaelic speakers and learners in Glasgow and support the language’s growth into the future.
“Gaelic medium education enriches communities and offers good value for money by providing better grade averages across all qualification levels despite costs being no greater than average.
“To support Gaelic’s growth across Scotland, we are providing an additional £5.7 million for Gaelic initiatives this year. We are also progressing the Scottish Languages Bill which, if passed by MSPs, will introduce measures to strengthen the provision of Gaelic education.”
The new school, with space for 416 pupils, will be managed by Glasgow City Council. It meets a growing demand for Gaelic primary education in the city. Census figures published last year show a 45% increase in the number of people with some Gaelic skills in Glasgow compared to 2011.
Alison Richardson, headteacher of Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a’ Challtainn, said:
“With Gaelic medium education continuing to flourish in Glasgow, our pupils and parents are excited and proud to be moving Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a’ Challtainn into its very own repurposed school located in the East End.
“We look forward to supporting Gaelic’s growth in the Calton area, where many spoke it in the past, and for the school to become a real focal point and asset to the local community.”
Background
Projects benefiting from Scottish Government Gaelic Capital Fund allocations for 2024-25 are listed below.
Project
Capital allocated
Summary
Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a’ Challtainn (Calton Gaelic Primary School)
£2,000,000.00
Refurbishment and extension of the former St James’ Primary School building.
West Primary School, Paisley
£43,000.00
Construction of a second classroom.
Broadford Primary School, Skye
£60,630.00
Upgrade to Games Hall.
Calder Glen High School, East Kilbride
£51,935.00
Construction of a bothy with computing, cooking and gardening space and provision of laptops, speakers, desks and other equipment.
Greenfaulds High School, Cumbernauld
£38,772.50
Equipment to allow more children from across North Lanarkshire to attend classes virtually.
Whitehills Primary School, Forfar
£5,748.36
Chromebooks, tablet cases and a replacement smartboard.
Inverclyde Academy, Greenock
£2907.00
Installation of bilingual signage throughout the school.
Feasibility study on establishing a Gaelic secondary school in Stornoway
£30,800.00
Study to explore the feasibility of establishing Gaelic secondary provision.
An Comunn Gàidhealach
£65,600.00
Delivery of this year’s Royal National Mòd.
The University of Edinburgh’s Opening the Well Crowdsourcing Gaelic Transcription project
£17,305.00
Transcription of Gaelic audio recordings, which will be added to a free online archive of Gaelic folklore and historical materials.
Ionad Thròndairnis (The Trotternish Centre)
£75,000.00
Extension of a Gaelic cultural centre in Skye.
Co-Chomann Dualchas Shrath Naruinn (Strathnairn Heritage Association
£40,000.00
Establishment of a Gaelic heritage centre in the former Dunlichity Church building.
Fèis Ghasaigh
£36,469.00
Delivery of a two-day Gaelic music event in South Uist.
Glasgow is home to the third largest number of children and young people in Gaelic Medium Education in Scotland with 740 primary pupils in 2023. Census statistics show that 17,380 people in Glasgow had some Gaelic skills 2022, an increase of 7,911 people from 2011.
Glasgow City Council has provided £17.6 million towards works at Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a’ Challtainn, within an overall project budget of £23.8 million. The works are supported by the Scottish Government’s £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme which is delivered in partnership with local authorities. Nine school projects included in the programme will open in 2025-26.
A’ cumail taic ri fàs na Gàidhlig
Maoineachadh do sgoiltean agus pròiseactan cultarail.
Tha bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig ùr gu bhith a’ fosgladh ann an Glaschu an ath-bhliadhna às dèidh tasgadh-airgid luach £2 millean bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba.
Leis a’ mhaoineachadh, thèid crìoch a chur air ath-uidheamachadh agus leudachadh an t-seann togalaich air làrach Bun-sgoil Naoimh Sheumais airson Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a’ Challtainn a stèidheachadh, ’s i gu bhith na ceathramh bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig sa bhaile.
Dh’fhoillsich an Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear agus Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson na h-Eaconamaidh agus na Gàidhlig, Ceit Fhoirbeis, an tasgadh-airgid mar phàirt de phacaid luach £2.4 millean a chumas taic ri sgoiltean agus iomairtean cultarail Gàidhlig air feadh Alba.
Cumaidh am maoineachadh cuideachd taic ri:
togail dàrna seòmar-teagaisg aig Bun-sgoil an Iar ann am Pàislig
leudachadh air dà ionad cultair Gàidhlig air a’ Ghàidhealtachd
tachartasan cultarail tron Chomunn Ghàidhealach a chumas am Mòd Rìoghail Nàiseanta ann an Loch Abar am-bliadhna
Air turas do làrach na sgoile ùr, thuirt a’ Bh-uas. Fhoirbeis:
“Togaidh an sgoil seo air an àrdachadh bhrosnachail a chunnacas ann an àireamh luchd-labhairt agus luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig ann an Glaschu, ’s i a’ cur taic ri fàs a’ chànain san àm ri teachd.
“Tha foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a’ cur beairteas ri coimhearsnachdan agus tha deagh luach an airgid na lùib, ’s comharran cuibheasach nas fheàrr gan toirt do sgoilearan thar gach ìre teisteanais gun cosgaisean a bhith nas àirde na tha iad sa chumantas.
“Gus taic a chumail ri fàs na Gàidhlig air feadh Alba, tha sinn a’ toirt £5.7 millean a bharrachd do dh’iomairtean Gàidhlig am-bliadhna. Tha sinn cuideachd a’ toirt air adhart Bile nan Cànan Albannach, agus ma ghabhas na BPA rithe, bheir i a-steach ceumannan gus solarachadh foghlam Gàidhlig a neartachadh.”
Thèid an sgoil ùr, far am bi àite do 416 sgoilear, a stiùireadh le Comhairle Baile Ghlaschu. Tha i a’ coileanadh iarrtas a tha a’ sìor-fhàs air foghlam Gàidhlig bun-sgoile anns a’ bhaile. Tha figearan a’ chunntais-shluaigh a chaidh fhoillseachadh an-uiridh a’ sealltainn àrdachadh de 45% ann an àireamh nan daoine le beagan sgilean Gàidhlig ann an Glaschu an taca ri 2011.
Thuirt Alison Richardson, ceannard Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a’ Challtainn:
“Le foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a’ sìor-shoirbheachadh ann an Glaschu, tha na sgoilearan agus pàrantan againn air bhioran agus moiteil gum bi Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a’ Challtainn a’ gluasad a-steach dhan sgoil ath-leasaichte aice fhèin, ’s i suidhichte ann an Ceann an Ear a’ bhaile.
“Tha sinn a’ dèanamh fiughair ri taic a chumail ri fàs na Gàidhlig ann an sgìre a’ Challtainn, far an robh mòran ga bruidhinn san àm a dh’fhalbh, agus ri an sgoil a bhith aig fìor theas-meadhan na coimhearsnachd ionadail agus na buannachd dhi.”
Cùl-fhiosrachadh
Tha pròiseactan a gheibh buannachd bho chuibhreannan Maoin Chalpa na Gàidhlig le Riaghaltas na h-Alba ann an 2024-25 air an liostadh gu h-ìosal.
Pròiseact
Calpa air a shònrachadh
Geàrr-chunntas
Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a’ Challtainn
£2,000,000.00
Ath-uidheamachadh agus leudachadh an t-seann togalaich air làrach Bun-sgoil Naoimh Sheumais.
Bun-sgoil an Iar, Pàislig
£43,000.00
Togail dàrna seòmar-teagaisg.
Bun-sgoil an Àth Leathainn, an t-Eilean Sgitheanach
£60,630.00
Ath-nuadhachadh air Talla nan Geamaichean.
Àrd-sgoil Ghlinn Challdair, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear
£51,935.00
Togail bothain le àite airson coimpiutaireachd, còcaireachd agus gàirnealaireachd, agus solarachadh laptopaichean, labhradairean, deasgan agus uidheamachd eile.
Àrd-sgoil Greenfaulds, Comar nan Allt
£38,772.50
Uidheamachd a leigeas le tuilleadh cloinne bho air feadh Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath clasaichean a fhrithealadh air astar.
Bun-sgoil Whitehills, Farfar
£5,748.36
Laptopaichean Chromebook, còmhdaichean tablaid agus bòrd-glic ùr.
Acadamaidh Inbhir Chluaidh, Grianaig
£2907.00
Cur suas shoidhnichean dà-chànanach air feadh na sgoile.
Sgrùdadh iomchaidheachd air stèidheachadh àrd-sgoil Ghàidhlig ann an Steòrnabhagh
£30,800.00
Sgrùdadh a rannsaicheas iomchaidheachd an lùib foghlam Gàidhlig àrd-sgoile a stèidheachadh.
An Comunn Gàidhealach
£65,600.00
Lìbhrigeadh Mòd Rìoghail Nàiseanta na bliadhna seo.
Pròiseact Opening the Well: Crowdsourcing Gaelic Transcription le Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann
£17,305.00
Tar-sgrìobhadh de chlàraidhean claisneachd Gàidhlig a thèid a chur ri tasglann an-asgaidh, air-loidhne de bheul-aithris na Gàidhlig agus stuth eachdraidheil.
Ionad Thròndairnis
£75,000.00
Leudachadh air ionad cultar na Gàidhlig san Eilean Sgitheanach.
Co-Chomann Dualchas Shrath Naruinn
£40,000.00
Stèidheachadh ionad dualchas na Gàidhlig ann an seann togalach Eaglais Dhùn Fhlichididh.
Fèis Ghasaigh
£36,469.00
Lìbhrigeadh de thachartas-ciùil Gàidhlig thairis air dà latha ann an Uibhist a Deas.
Tha baile Ghlaschu na dhachaigh dhan treas àireamh as motha de chloinn agus daoine òga a th’ ann am Foghlam tro Mheadhan na Gàidhlig ann an Alba, ’s 740 sgoilear ann am bun-sgoiltean ann an 2023. Tha staitistigean a’ chunntais-shluaigh a’ sealltainn gun robh beagan sgilean Gàidhlig aig 17,380 duine ann an Glaschu ann an 2022, àrdachadh de 7,911 duine bho 2011.
Tha Comhairle Baile Ghlaschu air £17.6 millean a thoirt do dh’obraichean aig Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a’ Challtainn, taobh a-staigh buidseat-pròiseict iomlan de £23.8 millean. Tha na h-obraichean a’ faighinn taic bho Phrògram Tasgaidh na h-Oighreachd Ionnsachaidh (luach £2 billean) le Riaghaltas na h-Alba a thèid a lìbhrigeadh ann an com-pàirteachas ri ùghdarrasan ionadail. Fosglaidh naoi pròiseactan-sgoile a tha nam pàirt dhen phrògram ann an 2025-26.
CEO David Pidduck has Stated Desire to Cash Out at Current Levels
Pidduck and Current Board Do Not Have Conviction in MediPharm or its Long-Term Value Creation Strategy
Apollo Capital has a Plan to Increase MediPharm Share Price from $0.07 to Over $1.00 in Three Years, Restoring Medipharm’s Position as a Leading Global Medical Cannabis Company.
SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO VOTE THEGOLDCARD “FOR” APOLLO CAPITAL’S SIX DIRECTOR NOMINEES AND NOT VOTE MEDIPHARM’s GREEN CARD
TORONTO, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Technology Capital Corporation (“Apollo Capital”), one of MediPharm Lab’s largest investors, today warns all Medipharm shareholders that CEO David Pidduck is looking to sell the Company to cash out his shares based on credible information available to the investor. If shareholders support MediPharm’s current slate of directors, shareholders can expect to be heavily diluted while top executives take up to $5M in change in control payments.
In 2025, a current Board member told Apollo Capital directly that CEO Pidduck was looking to sell the company to trigger his change in control awards. That Board member expressed their concern that the transaction was excessively dilutive and undervalued for shareholders. Since that time, multiple sources have come forward to confirm Pidduck and the current Board’s plans to pursue a transaction which would fire sell Medipharm’s assets at a discount. A sale of MediPharm would only benefit Pidduck and the current Board, not its shareholders.
Between October 2024 and April 2025, Apollo Capital & Pidduck had multiple negotiations about Apollo Capital’s desire to make an investment in Medipharm in order to bolster its ability to pursue an aggressive growth strategy. In these negotiations, Pidduck was clear that he wants to cash out his shares, which were not bought, but instead granted to him by MediPharm.
In 2025, a written offer to invest $3.4M in a private placement at the then-current market price with no discount or warrant coverage and to invest an additional nearly $3.5M to acquire shares from CEO Pidduck and President Stachan. As part of the significant cash investment, Apollo Capital would acquire 2 board seats to help guide a strategic growth strategy that the Company still lacks. Apollo Capital’s offer was rejected.
“Our offer represented a way for MediPharm to capitalize the Company without selling key assets. Our goal was to preserve value for all shareholders. We saw our investment as a critical step towards rebuilding value at MediPharm. If our offer was accepted, we would have avoided a proxy contest and the cash balance would be millions higher than it is today. We would already be well on our way toward achieving our goal of a 10x increase in the stock price,” said Regan McGee, CEO of Apollo Capital.
Apollo Capital asks:
If Management’s plan is working, why would they want to sell the Company at the current valuation?
Why would the CEO want to sell his shares in Medipharm if he believed in its long-term strategy?
Where would the share price be today if management had accepted Apollo Capital’s offer, choosing to work with rather than against its largest shareholder in the interest of all shareholders?
Why We Have Invested:
Apollo Capital has invested in MediPharm and nominated director candidates to order to drive the urgent change needed to put the Company back on the right path. We see a clear opportunity to revitalize the business, reposition MediPharm as a market leader, and unlock value over the long term, with the potential to increase the share price to over $1.00.
Apollo Capital’s goal is to build a Company for the long term that creates lasting value for all shareholders. It is NOT to acquire the Company, as MediPharm’s current management has falsely claimed. Since the start of the proxy contest, which management forced at great expense to MediPharm, Apollo Capital has not purchased, sold, shorted, or been involved in any transactions involving the Company’s stock. We are here to be long-term investors and to rebuild MediPharm into a leading medical cannabis company.
Apollo Capital’s strategic five-pillar plan for MediPharm has been made available in detail at www.curemedipharm.com. With shareholder support, we can turn MediPharm around and transform it into the world’s leading medical cannabis company.
Apollo Capital urges shareholders to vote for change by voting the GOLD CARD by June 13, 2025. Shareholders are urged NOT to sign or return the green proxy cards sent by the Company.
Contacts
For Shareholders: Carson Proxy North American Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-530-5189 Local or Text Message: 416-751-2066 (collect calls accepted) E: info@carsonproxy.com
Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption under Canadian Law
The information contained in this press release does not and is not intended to constitute a solicitation of a proxy within the meaning of applicable corporate and securities laws. Shareholders of the Company are not being asked at this time to execute a proxy in favour of Apollo Capital’s director nominees or in respect of any other matter to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting. In connection with the Annual Meeting, Apollo Capital has filed a dissident information circular (the “Circular”) in compliance with applicable corporate and securities laws. Apollo Capital has provided in, or incorporated by reference into, this press release the disclosure required under section 9.2(4) of NI 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”) and the corresponding exemption under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), and has filed the preliminary Circular, available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The Circular contains disclosure prescribed by applicable corporate law and disclosure required under section 9.2(6) of NI 51-102 in respect of Apollo Capital’s director nominees, in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. The Circular is hereby incorporated by reference into this press release and is available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The registered office of the Company is 151 John Street, Barrie, Ontario, Canada L4N 2L1.
SHAREHOLDERS OF MEDIPHARM ARE URGED TO READ THE CIRCULAR CAREFULLY BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and shareholders are able to obtain free copies of the Circular and any amendments or supplements thereto and further proxy circulars at no charge under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, shareholders are also be able to obtain free copies of the Circular and other relevant documents by contacting Apollo Capital’s proxy solicitor, Carson Proxy Advisors Ltd. (“Carson Proxy”) at 1-800-530-5189, local (collect outside North America): 416-751-2066 or by email at info@carsonproxy.com.
None of Apollo Capital, any other “dissidents” within the meaning of the Ont. Reg. 62 of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), or any partner, officer, director and control person of such “dissident”, is requesting that Company shareholders submit a proxy at this time as the Company has yet to issue formal notice of the Annual Meeting and its management information circular. Once formal solicitation of proxies in connection with the Annual Meeting has commenced, proxies may be revoked in accordance with subsection 110(4) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) by a registered shareholder of Company shares: (a) by completing and signing a valid proxy bearing a later date and returning it in accordance with the instructions contained in the accompanying form of proxy; (b) by depositing an instrument in writing executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder’s attorney authorized in writing; (c) by transmitting by telephonic or electronic means a revocation that is signed by electronic signature in accordance with applicable law, as the case may be: (i) at the registered office of the Company at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting is to be held, or (ii) with the chair of the Annual Meeting on the day of the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting; or (d) in any other manner permitted by law. In addition, proxies may be revoked by a non-registered holder of Company shares at any time by written notice to the intermediary in accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered holder by its intermediary. It should be noted that revocation of proxies or voting instructions by a non-registered holder can take several days or even longer to complete and, accordingly, any such revocation should be completed well in advance of the deadline prescribed in the form of proxy or voting instruction form to ensure it is given effect in respect of the Annual Meeting.
The costs incurred in the preparation and mailing of any circular or proxy solicitation by Apollo Capital and any other participants named herein will be borne directly and indirectly by Apollo Capital. However, to the extent permitted under applicable law, Apollo Capital intends to seek reimbursement from the Company of all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of its director nominees at the Annual Meeting.
This press release and any solicitation made by Apollo Capital is, or will be, as applicable, made by such parties, and not by or on behalf of the management of the Company. Proxies may be solicited by proxy circular, mail, telephone, email or other electronic means, as well as by newspaper or other media advertising and in person by managers, directors, officers and employees of Apollo Capital who will not be specifically remunerated therefor. In addition, Apollo Capital may solicit proxies by way of public broadcast, including press release, speech or publication and any other manner permitted under applicable Canadian laws, and may engage the services of one or more agents and authorize other persons to assist it in soliciting proxies on their behalf.
Apollo Capital has entered into an agreement with Carson Proxy Advisors (“Carson Proxy”) for solicitation and advisory services in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Meeting, for which Carson Proxy will receive a fee not to exceed $250,000, together with reimbursement for reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses. Apollo Capital has also engaged Gasthalter & Co. LP (“G&Co”) to act as communications consultant to provide Apollo Capital with certain communications, public relations and related services, for which G&Co will receive a minimum fee of US$75,000 in addition to a performance fee of US$250,000 in the event that Apollo’s nominees make up a majority of the Board following the Annual Meeting, plus excess fees, related costs and expenses.
No member of Apollo Capital nor any of their associates or affiliates has or has had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the beginning of the Company’s last completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has materially affected or will or would materially affect the Company or any of the Company’s affiliates. No member of Apollo nor any of their associates or affiliates has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting, other than the election of directors.
This press release contains forward‐looking statements. All statements contained in this filing that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are forward‐looking, and the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan,” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward‐looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of Apollo and currently available information. They are not guarantees of future performance, involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. All forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date hereof and Apollo disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur, or of which Apollo Capital hereafter becomes aware, except as required by applicable law.
PLEASANTON, Calif., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ciroos, a pioneer in AI-powered operations, today announced it has raised $21 million, led by Energy Impact Partners LP (EIP), to deliver the industry’s first extensible, multi-domain AI SRE Teammate for modern enterprise operations. The company’s SRE Teammate enables site reliability engineers, DevOps and operations teams to automate, augment and drive autonomous operations to slash incident response time by 90%.
Today’s enterprise applications are increasingly dynamic and span multiple domains. Consequently, many operations teams struggle to identify the root cause of incidents and anomalies, even when engaging hundreds of expert responders. This difficulty is largely due to an overreliance on static runbooks, dashboard-based “click operations” and siloed tooling. Furthermore, as teams incorporate AI into their applications, operational practices require modernization. Compounding these issues, while new AI tooling causes developer productivity to skyrocket, the resulting increased operational load often overwhelms already stretched SRE teams.
With these challenges in mind, Ciroos has reimagined observability operations with an AI SRE Teammate that empowers companies to initiate investigations into anomalies proactively, often before any expert is paged. The SRE Teammate uses a multi-agent system incorporating human expert-like reasoning to understand and correlate vast amounts of cross-domain interactions to identify what is — and what isn’t — a problem. Built on the recently announced Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent 2 Agent (A2A) architectures, the SRE Teammate is extensible by allowing easy integration with third-party AI agents deployed in the enterprise. By seamlessly integrating with existing observability tools, ticketing systems, collaboration software, code repositories and incident response tools, the SRE Teammate becomes an integral part of the operations team. At all times, humans are in control, choosing their desired level of augmentation and autonomous operations on their AI journeys.
“SREs carry a heavy burden — from middle-of-the-night incidents to hours of repetitive analysis and postmortems,” said Ronak Desai, co-founder and CEO of Ciroos. “We built our AI SRE Teammate to end that toil, fully embracing our mission to provide an AI SRE Teammate that empowers SREs to be superheroes. It achieves this by accelerating root cause identification, automating or augmenting actions, and ultimately giving them back the time, clarity and control so they can do what they do best: build, safeguard and evolve reliable systems at scale.”
Built by Industry Experts
Founded in February 2025 by Ronak Desai, Amit Patel and Ananda Rajagopal, Ciroos brings together executives with proven track records of scaling businesses from zero to more than $5 billion. With leadership experience in roles at Cisco, AWS and Gigamon, the founding team holds 84 patents across AI, observability, distributed systems, cloud, cybersecurity and networking. The investment will build go-to-market operations and accelerate the rollout of SRE Teammate across enterprises. The company is currently hiring AI engineers, full-stack engineers and go-to-market experts.
“Ciroos represents a transformative approach that delivers immediate and measurable impact,” said Shawn Cherian, partner at EIP. “The team’s deep domain expertise — both on the ground working with the SREs and in leadership at global enterprises — and their vision to automate, augment and drive autonomous operations make them uniquely qualified to address challenges in this emerging space.”
Visit ciroos.ai to schedule a demo or become part of the early access program.
About Ciroos
Ciroos offers an AI SRE Teammate that empowers SREs, DevOps and operations teams to be superheroes. Built from the ground up with the power of multi-agentic AI, Ciroos enables operations teams to reduce toil, investigate incidents, explain anomalies and drive autonomous operations, across complex multi-domain environments, all while leaving humans in control. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Ciroos is funded by Energy Impact Partners and prominent angel investors, and serves enterprises across the globe. Learn more at ciroos.ai and follow on LinkedIn and X.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canada Energy Partners Inc. (NEX: CE.H) (the “Company”) announces that the TSX-Venture Exchange has approved an extension of its non-brokered private placement until June 26/2025.
Please see the original news release announcing the private placement issued on April 11/2025 for more information.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Canada Energy Partners Inc.:
Grant Hall President
For more information, please contact:
CANADA ENERGY PARTNERS INC. Attention: Grant Hall, President Email: ghall9612@gmail.com Direct Phone: (520) 668 4101
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate” and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur, including, without limitation, estimated revenues. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements about the anticipated filing deadline for the Annual Filings. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation, the failure to file the Annual Filings by the anticipated date. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by law.
NEW AND NOVEL LOW TEMPERATURE IP-PROTECTED METHOD FOR PRODUCING LITHIUM SULFIDE DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN STANDARD LITHIUM AND TELESCOPE INNOVATIONS
LITHIUM PRODUCTS FROM STANDARD LITIHIUM’S ARKANSAS DEMONSTRATION PLANT USED TO MAKE NEXT GENERATION LITHIUM SULFIDE PRODUCT FOR USE IN SOLID STATE BATTERIES
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE American:SLI), a leading near-commercial lithium company, is pleased to announce the successful production of battery quality lithium sulfide as part of a collaboration with Telescope Innovations.
As previously mentioned (see Aug 28th 2024 news release), Standard Lithium has been working with its research and development partner, Telescope Innovations, to develop new and novel conversion technologies to make next generation battery materials. This new conversion process has now been successfully used to convert lithium hydroxide produced by Standard Lithium at its southern Arkansas Demonstration Plant, into battery quality lithium sulfide (Li2S – see news release dated May 7th 2025). Samples of the lithium sulfide have been shipped to solid-state battery companies in Asia and North America for ongoing testing and validation purposes.
Standard Lithium’s President and COO, Dr. Andy Robinson commented “this development of new IP and technology with our research partner, Telescope Innovations, exemplifies our approach to becoming the leading new lithium company in North America. Whilst our principle area of focus, and capital allocation, is building the first DLE project in North America at our South West Arkansas Project Phase 1 with our joint venture partner Equinor, we understand that constant technological evolution is integral to staying at the forefront of this rapidly evolving industry. This recent work led by Telescope demonstrates that we are able to take lithium chemicals produced from the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas, and then transform them into the feedstocks required by the next generation of batteries. Our partnership with Telescope Innovations continues to be a “win-win” for our shareholders and their’s.”
Lithium sulfide is a key raw material required for many next-generation solid-state battery chemistries (see news release: Toyota works with partners to develop Li2S based batteries), but despite the importance of lithium sulfide in the next generation of battery technology, it is only produced commercially in very small quantities and at very high cost. The technical collaboration between the two teams has resulted in a novel low-temperature patented process that has the following advantages:
Feedstock flexibility – both lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate are viable inputs;
Impurity tolerance – allows the use of technical-grade feedstocks;
Enhanced safety in manufacturing – avoids high-temperature conditions and associated thermal risks.
About Standard Lithium Ltd.
Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on the sustainable development of a portfolio of large, high-grade lithium-brine properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes projects characterized by high-grade resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. Standard Lithium aims to achieve sustainable, commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully integrated Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) and purification process. The Company’s flagship projects are located in the Smackover Formation, a world-class lithium brine asset, focused in Arkansas and Texas. In partnership with global energy leader Equinor, Standard Lithium is advancing the South West Arkansas project, a greenfield project located in southern Arkansas, and actively exploring promising lithium brine prospects in East Texas.
Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the symbol “SLI”. Please visit the Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to intended development timelines, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
HOUSTON, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.TM (Nasdaq: SKWD) (“Skyward Specialty” or “the Company”) a leader in the specialty property and casualty (P&C) market, announced its entry into the specialized aviation market with the launch of a new Aviation underwriting unit. The expansion follows the Company’s acquisition of the assets of Acceleration Aviation Underwriters (“Acceleration”) and builds on a strategic partnership between the two companies initiated last year.
This move marks a bold step forward in the Company’s ongoing growth strategy, leveraging technology and data-driven underwriting to expand into highly specialized and underserved markets.
“For the Acceleration team, this is the culmination of our decades long career, and I am very proud to join Skyward Specialty to see our legacy continue,” said Chris Jones, founder of Acceleration Aviation Underwriters. “With Skyward Specialty’s growth-driven strategy and our deep underwriting knowledge, we have the backing and scale to realize the full potential of our business. I am very excited to be part of this next phase in Acceleration’s future and establish Skyward Specialty’s place in the aviation market.”
With the acquisition, Skyward Specialty gains a seasoned team of aviation experts with a proven track record of success in niche, underserved segments, which is an ideal complement to the Company’s focus on complex and hard-to-place risks.
“Over the past couple of years, we have built a terrific relationship with the Acceleration team including as a program manager writing on behalf of Skyward Specialty. They’ve carved out a smart, sustainable niche, particularly in smaller, overlooked risks within the aviation market and we find this is fits well within our strategy,” said Andrew Robinson, Chairman & CEO of Skyward Specialty. “By combining their deep expertise with our advanced analytics and tech-enabled underwriting capabilities, we are well positioned to scale this business and strengthen our position in the aviation market. This integration further reflects our commitment to our strategy to invest in specialty markets where insights, precision and innovation drive lasting value.”
About Skyward Specialty Skyward Specialty (Nasdaq: SKWD) is a rapidly growing and innovative specialty insurance company, delivering commercial property and casualty products and solutions on a non-admitted and admitted basis. The Company operates through nine underwriting divisions — Accident & Health, Agriculture and Credit (Re)insurance, Captives, Construction & Energy Solutions, Global Property, Professional Lines, Specialty Programs, Surety and Transactional E&S.
Skyward Specialty’s subsidiary insurance companies consist of Great Midwest Insurance Company, Houston Specialty Insurance Company, Imperium Insurance Company, and Oklahoma Specialty Insurance Company. These insurance companies are rated A (Excellent) with a stable outlook by A.M. Best Company. For more information about Skyward Specialty, its people, and its products, please visit skywardinsurance.com.
MIAMI, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — International Money Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMXI) (“Intermex” or the “Company”, a leading money remittance provider to Latin America and the Caribbean, today announced a new official partnership with Houston Dynamo FC, one of Major League Soccer’s most community-driven teams. This collaboration unites two organizations deeply committed to uplifting and celebrating Latino culture through the unifying passion of soccer.
Soccer is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, with more than 85 million fans nationwide. In Houston, a city where over 45% of the population identifies as Latino, the connection runs even deeper. Latino fans make up nearly 70% of the MLS audience, making the city a natural home for this partnership. Together, Intermex and Houston Dynamo FC aim to champion cultural pride, family connection, and community empowerment.
“Intermex is the only remittance company built by Latinos for Latinos. Partnering with Houston Dynamo FC allows us to celebrate that shared heritage and connect with our customers beyond financial services, through a sport that speaks to identity, passion, and tradition,” said Marcelo Theodoro, Chief Product, Marketing & Digital Officer at Intermex.
“We are thrilled to welcome Intermex to the club, they are a cutting-edge organization that shares our commitment to elevating our community and fostering civic pride,” Dynamo Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Ben Carruthers said. “Intermex’s dedication to serving diverse communities aligns perfectly with our mission both on and off the pitch. Together, we look forward to delivering exciting experiences to our fans and supporting the vibrant, diverse culture synonymous with our city.” Through this partnership, Intermex and Houston Dynamo FC will collaborate on in-stadium experiences, community events, and cultural celebrations that highlight and honor the vibrancy of the Latino community.
About Intermex Founded in 1994, Intermex applies proprietary technology to enable consumers to send money from the United States, Canada, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany to more than 60 countries. The company facilitates digital money movement through its website and mobile app, as well as through a vast network of retail agents and company-operated stores. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Intermex also operates international offices in Puebla, Mexico; Guatemala City, Guatemala; London, England; and Madrid, Spain. Learn more at www.intermexonline.com.
About Houston Dynamo FC Houston Dynamo FC is a Major League Soccer team and part of the Houston Dynamo Football Club, a multi-faceted organization that includes the Dynamo, the Houston Dash and the Houston Dynamo Academy, and Dynamo and Dash Charities. Ted Segal acquired a majority ownership interest in HDFC in June 2021 and serves as the chairman of the Club. Under his leadership the organization completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of Shell Energy Stadium in March 2023 and the Club moved into a 27,000 square foot headquarters in East Downtown in July 2023. Houston Dynamo FC has won two MLS Cup championships, two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups and four conference championships in its first 19 seasons and has qualified to represent the United States in international competition eight times. The team trains at the Champions Field at Houston Sports Park (HSP), the premier training facility in Southeast Texas, and plays its home matches at Shell Energy Stadium in downtown Houston. For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamoFC.com or call (713) 276-7500.
Investor Relations Contact: Alex Sadowski Investor Relations Coordinator ir@intermexusa.com 305-671-8000
Delivering Enhanced Workflows for a Connected Customer Experience
CALGARY, Alberta, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Computer Modelling Group Ltd. (“CMG” or the “Company”) (TSX: CMG) is pleased to announce an agreement with Baker Hughes to further the integration of its simulation and seismic technologies with Baker Hughes’ digital offerings, delivering comprehensive software and consulting solutions for upstream energy development.
As asset complexity increases, the accuracy and integrity of modelling and simulation are essential for building better understanding, mitigating operational risk, and optimizing recovery. Baker Hughes’ field proven JewelSuite™ subsurface and geomechanical modelling, combined with CMG’s powerful seismic interpretation and reservoir and production simulation tools, deliver a comprehensive workflow well-suited to maximize asset value in a full range of recovery processes.
Under the agreement, CMG and Baker Hughes will enhance integration across both companies’ solution sets, improving user experience and ease of use. This collaboration expands market reach and enables both companies to offer end-to-end workflows including seismic to geology, geology to reservoir, reservoir to production, and production to surveillance. In addition to JewelSuiteTM, the two companies will explore further opportunities to integrate CMG’s advanced technologies with Baker Hughes’ industry-leading LeucipaTM automated field production solution and CarbonEdgeTM end-to-end digital solution for CCUS operations. While many industry software applications are connected, this agreement aims to take the next step in truly connecting the workflows.
In addition, experts from CMG and Baker Hughes’ GaffneyCline energy advisory group will collaborate to deliver superior expertise and insights to the industry for consulting projects in subsurface and surface oil and gas, geothermal, and CCUS systems. This team approach to consulting delivers true industry expertise in each unique discipline required on a project.
Commenting on the agreement, Pramod Jain, CEO of CMG said, “At CMG, we are dedicated to building an open ecosystem where leading-edge technologies can thrive. We are committed to ensuring that our customers are free to select best-in-class solutions that integrate effortlessly, empowering them to work with the technologies that best serve their needs. Collaborating with Baker Hughes to assure seamless integration of our respective solutions is a meaningful way for us to deliver on our mission to continue to help our clients solve their most complex problems.”
James P. Brady, Chief Digital Officer – Oilfield Services & Equipment, Baker Hughes added “Collaboration is at the heart of our digital strategy. By working closely with CMG, we can leverage our collective reservoir and software expertise to deliver a better, truly integrated customer experience — from exploration and resource development to sustainable production optimization.”
About CMG
CMG (TSX:CMG) is a global software and consulting company that combines science and technology with deep industry expertise to solve complex subsurface and surface challenges for the new energy industry around the world. CMG is headquartered in Calgary, AB, with offices in Houston, Oxford, Dubai, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Bengaluru, Kuala Lumpur, Oslo, Stavanger, and Kaiserslautern. For more information, please visit www.cmgl.ca.
This press release contains “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “aims”, “intend”, “can”, “goal”, “seek”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “strategy”, “future”, “likely”, “may”, “should”, “will”, and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our ability to integrate digital solutions with Baker Hughes.
Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. They are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are detailed in the companies’ public filings.
Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
