Category: Energy

MIL-OSI: Gran Tierra Energy Inc. Announces New US$75 Million Credit Facility
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CALGARY, Alberta, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (“Gran Tierra” or the “Company”) (NYSE American:GTE)(TSX:GTE)(LSE:GTE) today announced that it has, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Gran Tierra Energy Colombia GmbH, a Swiss limited liability company, entered into a reserve-based lending facility with commitments of up to US$75 million as of the date hereof (the “closing date”). The new facility has a final maturity date in 36 months from the closing date.

Ryan Ellson, Chief Financial Officer of Gran Tierra, commented today:

“We are very pleased to have successfully closed a new credit facility which enhances our liquidity and underscores the strength and resilience of our business. Securing this facility during a period of market volatility is a testament to the quality of our assets, the consistency of our cash flow generation, and the confidence our partners have in Gran Tierra’s strategy. This facility supports our continued commitment to strengthening our balance sheet, enhancing operational flexibility, and delivering long-term value to all stakeholders.”

Highlights of the new facility include:
- A commitment of US$75 million, redetermined annually (beginning May 1, 2026)
- Interest payable on the facility is based on a Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus a margin of 4.50% per annum
- Final maturity date of 36 months from the closing date
- All outstanding principal, interest, and other payment obligations are due on the maturity date with option to prepay without prepayment penalty
- The loan is secured by, among other things, the economic rights over certain contracts together with Gran Tierra’s Colombian commercial establishment
Contact Information

For investor and media inquiries please contact:

Gary Guidry
President & Chief Executive Officer

Ryan Ellson
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

+1-403-265-3221

info@grantierra.com

About Gran Tierra Energy Inc.

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

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

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release, and those statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “target,” “goal,” “guidance,” “budget,” “plan,” “objective,” “potential,” or similar expressions or variations on these expressions are forward-looking statements. The Company can give no assurances that the assumptions upon which the forward-looking statements are based will prove to be correct or that, even if correct, intervening circumstances will not occur to cause actual results to be different than expected. Because forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. There are a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact and benefits of the new credit facility and the crude oil sales contracts; the nature of the Company’s relationship with Trafigura; the Company’s cash flows and liquidity; and those factors set out in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Investors should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The information included herein is given as of the date of this press release and, except as otherwise required by the securities laws, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publicly release any updates or revisions to, or to withdraw, any forward-looking statement contained in this press release to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based.

The MIL Network –
April 17, 2025

MIL-OSI: Bigstack Opportunities I Inc. Enters Into Definitive Agreement For Qualifying Transaction

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bigstack Opportunities I Inc. (“Bigstack”) (TSXV: STAK.P), a capital pool company as defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “TSXV” or the “Exchange”), is pleased to announce that, further to the non-binding letter of intent dated November 3, 2024 between Bigstack and Reeflex Coil Solutions Inc. (“Reeflex”) and its press releases dated November 4, 2024 and January 17, 2025, it has entered into a business combination agreement dated April 14, 2025 (the “Business Combination Agreement”) with Reeflex and 2704122 Alberta Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bigstack (“Subco”). Reeflex and all of the shareholders (the “Coil Shareholders”) of Coil Solutions Inc. (“Coil”) have entered into a share purchase agreement dated April 14, 2025 (the “Share Purchase Agreement”).

Terms of the Transaction

The Business Combination Agreement provides for a three-cornered amalgamation (the “Business Combination”), whereby (i) Reeflex will amalgamate with Subco under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta), (ii) all of the issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of Reeflex (the “Reeflex Shares”) immediately prior to the Business Combination will be cancelled and, in consideration therefor, the holders thereof (the “Reeflex Shareholders”) will receive one common share in the capital of Bigstack (“Bigstack Share”) on the basis of one Reeflex Share for one Bigstack Share at a deemed price of $0.10 per Bigstack Share and (iii) the amalgamated corporation (the “Amalco”) will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bigstack, all on the terms and conditions of the Business Combination Agreement.

Prior to the completion of the Business Combination, pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, it is intended that Reeflex will purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Coil (the “Acquisition” and, together with the Business Combination, the “Transaction”) from the Coil Shareholders for aggregate consideration of $5.8 million, subject to a post-closing working capital adjustment, which is expected to be paid and satisfied by way of (i) Reeflex issuing secured non-interest bearing promissory notes to each Coil Shareholder with an aggregate principal amount equal to $1,700,000 that are to be fully paid within 5 business days of the closing of the Acquisition, (ii) Reeflex issuing secured promissory notes to each Coil Shareholder with an aggregate principal amount equal to $2,300,000 that bear interest at the prime rate published by the Bank of Canada from time to time and are paid down monthly and to be fully paid on the fifth anniversary of the closing of the Acquisition and (iii) Reeflex issuing an aggregate of 18,000,000 Reeflex Shares to the Coil Shareholders at a deemed price of $0.10 per Reeflex Share, all upon the terms and conditions of the Share Purchase Agreement.

After giving effect to the Transaction, the Reeflex Shareholders will collectively exercise control over Bigstack, Bigstack will wholly-own Amalco and Amalco will wholly-own Coil. Bigstack, as it exists upon completion of the Transaction (the “Resulting Issuer”), is expected to continue the business of Coil.

It is anticipated that all convertible securities of Bigstack will be exercised prior to completion of the Transaction; however, if any warrants to purchase common shares of Bigstack remain outstanding following the completion of the Transaction, they shall continue to be exercisable for common shares of the Resulting Issuer in accordance with their terms. It is anticipated that Bigstack will change its name to “Reeflex Solutions Inc.” on or immediately prior to the completion of the Transaction.

Immediately prior to the closing of the Transaction, it is anticipated that (i) assuming completion of the anticipated exercise of all convertible securities of Bigstack, there will be 10,662,000 Bigstack Shares issued and outstanding and (ii) holders of Reeflex Shares will hold 36,239,500 Reeflex Shares. Therefore, immediately following the closing of the Transaction, it is anticipated that there will be 46,901,500 common shares of the Resulting Issuer issued and outstanding.

Bigstack anticipates that the Transaction will constitute its Qualifying Transaction pursuant to Policy 2.4 – Capital Pool Companies of the Exchange (the “CPC Policy”), as such term is defined in the policies of the Exchange, and it is expected that Bigstack will be a Tier 2 Industrial Issuer on the Exchange upon completion of the Transaction.

The proposed Transaction is not a “Non-Arm’s Length Qualifying Transaction” as such term is defined in the CPC Policy. No Non-Arm’s Length Party to Bigstack (as such term is defined in the CPC Policy) (a) has any direct or indirect beneficial interest in Reeflex or Coil, or (b) is an insider of Reeflex or Coil. There is no relationship between or among a Non-Arm’s Length Party to Bigstack and a Non-Arm’s Length Party to the Qualifying Transaction (as such terms are defined in the CPC Policy). It is not expected that the Transaction will be subject to approval by the shareholders of Bigstack.

Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, the satisfaction of all conditions provided for in the Business Combination Agreement, which will include representations, warranties, covenants and conditions customary for a transaction of this nature, and the receipt of all necessary regulatory, corporate and third party approvals, including TSXV acceptance and, if applicable pursuant to TSXV requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative. The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

Business and History of Reeflex

Reeflex is a privately-held corporation incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) on June 14, 2024. Its head and registered offices are located in Calgary. Reeflex currently has no business operations or assets other than cash and a management team that has been working on the Transaction and the proposed going public structure for the past year.

Business and History of Coil

Founded in 2007 in Redcliff, Alberta, Coil specializes in innovative drilling products and services for the global oil and gas industry. In 2010, Coil expanded its operations, opening a second facility in Calgary, Alberta, introducing a line of downhole fracking tools and venturing into custom tool design. In 2012, Coil launched its coil tubing injector line. In 2013, Coil opened a third facility in Red Deer, Alberta. In 2014, Coil developed two distinct models of, and manufactured, its first full coil tubing units. In 2016, Coil expanded sales to Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America and Europe. In 2017, Coil designed and built the largest free-standing mast unit in the world. In 2022, Coil established a dedicated manufacturing division in Calgary, Alberta, operating under its tradename, Ranglar, for injectors and mobile equipment. In 2024, Coil completed a reorganization with its shareholders, which resulted in the conversion of preferred shares and debt into common shares. Today, Coil continues to focus on coiled tubing solutions and downhole tools, offering a comprehensive range of services including rentals, sales, training, testing and consulting. With 41 employees, Coil has developed patented products that are distributed worldwide, including a key distributor in Germany and more than 60 active clients.

The following tables set out selected financial information of Coil for the periods indicated therein:

	Financial Year ended 2024 (audited) ($)	Financial Year ended 2023 (audited) ($)
Total revenues	14,265,524	14,069,331
Income from continuing operations	1,750,495	2,193,603
Net income or loss, in total	1,089,024	1,554,716
Total assets	9,969,946	11,752,788
Total long term financial liabilities	735,009	1,006,362
Cash dividends	NIL	111,736

Concurrent Financing

In advance of the Transaction, Reeflex completed a non-brokered private placement of 4,139,500 subscription receipts (each, a “Subscription Receipt”) at a price of $0.20 per Subscription Receipt, for aggregate gross proceeds of $827,900 (the “Concurrent Financing”).

The gross proceeds resulting from the Concurrent Financing are (and will continue to be) held by Marrelli Trust Company Limited as subscription receipt and escrow agent until certain escrow release conditions are satisfied, including the completion of the Acquisition and the receipt of written confirmation from the TSX Venture Exchange that all conditions precedent to the Transaction have been satisfied (collectively, the “Escrow Release Conditions”). Upon satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions, and prior to the completion of the Transaction, the gross proceeds from the Concurrent Financing will be released from escrow and each Subscription Receipt will automatically convert into one Reeflex Share. In connection with the Concurrent Financing, Reeflex has paid to registered dealers and such other persons permitted under applicable securities laws who act as finders for the Concurrent Offering a finder’s fee an aggregate of $21,336, representing 7% of the gross proceeds resulting from subscriptions that were introduced to Reeflex by the finder. Except for the foregoing, it is not expected that any finder’s fee or commission will be payable in connection with the Transaction.

Reeflex intends to use the proceeds of the Concurrent Financing for general corporate and working capital purposes.

Resulting Issuer

The Parties expect that the Resulting Issuer following from the Transaction will carry on the existing business of Coil and be an industrial issuer focused on providing coiled tubing and downhole tool solutions to the oil and gas industry. See “Terms of the Transaction” above for details concerning the expected corporate structure of the Resulting Issuer upon completion of the Transaction.

Upon completion of the Transaction, the Parties expect that the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer will consist of the following four (4) directors, of whom three (3) will be independent. John Babic will not be independent as he will be the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Resulting Issuer.

John Babic – Proposed President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Resulting Issuer

John Babic is an accomplished executive with nearly 40 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, covering upstream, downstream, and manufacturing operations. He currently serves as the President and CEO of 1175317 Alberta Ltd., an investment and real estate holding company.

Throughout his career, Mr. Babic has held several senior executive positions, including CEO of Reeflex Coil Solutions Inc. and CEO and Director of various public companies such as Dalmac Energy Inc., an oilfield transportation and services company; Raydan Manufacturing Inc., a manufacturer specializing in heavy-duty transportation suspension systems; Hyduke Energy Services Inc., a manufacturer of oilfield equipment, including drilling and service rigs; and Sawtooth Resources Inc., an oil and gas exploration and production company.

In addition, Mr. Babic has served for 7 years as a Director of Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, contributing to the city’s economic growth and development initiatives.

Mr. Babic holds both a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta.

Shawn Szydlowski – Proposed Director of Resulting Issuer

Shawn Szydlowski is a seasoned business leader with over 30 years of experience in corporate management, entrepreneurship, and financial oversight. As the founder of Care For A Ride, established in 2009, Mr. Szydlowski built a successful business focused on providing safe, reliable transportation for seniors, enabling them to maintain independence and quality of life.

His career also includes 15 years with Dalmac Energy, where he held key roles such as Interim CFO and Chairman of the Audit Committee. Mr. Szydlowski played a crucial role in navigating the company through complex financial challenges, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering sustainable growth. Additionally, he brings 20 years of experience in corporate sales and account management, where he consistently drove strategic results, earning the President’s Club Award for three consecutive years.

Eric Szustak – Proposed Director of Resulting Issuer

Mr. Szustak is currently the President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary and a director of Bigstack. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Accountant with over 35 years’ experience in financial services, business development, marketing, accounting, and as Chief Financial Officer of various reporting issuers. Mr. Szustak is currently Chairman and Corporate Secretary of Quinsam Capital Corporation, which is a public merchant bank listed on the CSE, a director of Copper Road Resources Inc., a mining company listed on the TSXV, and a director of Nevada Organic Phosphate Inc., a fertilizer company listed on the CSE. Mr. Szustak’s previous experience also includes 14 years with three national brokerage firms: Midland Walwyn, Merril Lynch and BMO Nesbitt Burns, in various positions, including private client wealth groups, management and securities compliance. Mr. Szustak will be Chair of the Audit Committee of the Resulting Issuer in addition to his general duties as a director of the Resulting Issuer. Mr. Szustak will devote such percentage of his working time to the affairs of the Resulting Issuer as is required to fulfill his duties to the same.

Derrek Dobko – Proposed Director of Resulting Issuer

Derrek Dobko is a seasoned financial officer with over 20 years of experience in the oilfield service, manufacturing, and transportation industries. He has held senior finance positions in both public and private companies, showcasing his expertise in financial management and reporting.

As controller of Raydan Manufacturing, Mr. Dobko was responsible for the company’s financial reporting in accordance with IFRS and the preparation of all financial information required under TSXV reporting standards. His career also includes senior accounting roles at Peak Energy Services, Alta-Fab Structures, and his current position with NTS Amega Canada.

Additionally, Mr. Dobko has gained valuable operational experience in the transportation sector, particularly in managing financial operations for Liquids in Motion, a mid-sized trucking company. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta and is a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA), with a designation from CPA Alberta.

Upon completion of the Transaction, the following persons are also expected to constitute insiders of the Resulting Issuer:

Trevor Conway – Proposed Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Resulting Issuer

Trevor Conway is an accomplished mid-market investment banking professional with extensive transaction experience across various industry sectors, including energy. He previously served as CFO of Reconciliation Energy Transition Inc., a Calgary-based energy transition project development company and as Special Advisor to BluMaple Capital Partners, a Calgary-based private equity firm focused on low-carbon energy innovators.

Prior to these roles, Mr. Conway was the Managing Director and Head of Energy Investment Banking at iA Capital Markets, a division of iA Private Wealth and part of iA Financial Group, a leading Canadian financial institution.

Mr. Conway holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University, a BA (Special) in Economics from the University of Alberta, and a Sustainable Investment Professional Certificate (SIPC) from the John Molson Executive Centre at Concordia University. He is also a former Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI).

In addition to his professional work, Mr. Conway has contributed to several industry and community initiatives. He has served on the National & Local Advisory Committee of the TSX Venture Exchange and was Past Director and Governor of the Canadian Energy Executive Association.

George Wu – Proposed Director of Amalco

George Wu is a distinguished financial executive with a proven track record in leading complex financial strategies and driving portfolio success. With extensive expertise in bank debt, structured finance, fixed income, and equity analysis, he excels in portfolio management and strategic financial planning. His leadership has successfully optimized portfolios, resulting in a 20% increase in returns over the past three years.

Known for his exceptional relationship-building skills, Mr. Wu has effectively engaged as a financial strategist with c-suite executives and diverse stakeholders. He holds a CFA, MBA, and B.Sc. (Honours Program) and currently serves as Portfolio Manager and Chief Compliance Officer at a leading independent portfolio management firm in Edmonton, ensuring top-tier financial stewardship and compliance.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Wu mentors commerce undergraduates through the University of Alberta’s PRIME Program, contributing to the development of future leaders in investment management. Mr. Wu and his family have called Edmonton home since 2000, where they enjoy a multilingual household speaking English, French, and Mandarin Chinese.

Cecil Hassard – Proposed Director of Amalco

Mr. Cecil Hassard is an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader with a proven track record of driving innovation and operational excellence in the oil and gas industry. In 2007, he co-founded Coil which has grown to become a global provider of high-quality products and innovative solutions for the energy sector. He further diversified the company’s offerings by introducing the “Ranglar” division, based in Calgary, Alberta, which manufactures custom mobile equipment for industries such as oil and gas, mining, and more.

Under his leadership, Coil has established a strong presence in Canada and the United States, and in serving clients worldwide. He broadened Coil’s capabilities with the “Ranglar” division, enabling tailored solutions to a broader range of industries with specialized equipment. He has driven advancements in operational efficiency and provided cutting-edge solutions for the energy sector. Mr. Cecil Hassard’s entrepreneurial vision has established Coil as a dynamic and influential leader in the global oil and gas industry.

Bryan Hassard – Proposed Chief Operating Officer of Coil

Mr. Bryan Hassard is an accomplished business leader and co-founder of Coil, established in 2007. He serves as the Vice President of Manufacturing and a director of Coil, playing a critical role in the company’s operations and strategic direction.

Mr. Bryan Hassard’s leadership has been instrumental in expanding Coil’s sales from Canada to the United States and globally, enhancing the company’s ability to serve the oil and gas industry on a broader scale utilizing distributors in different areas. As Vice President of Manufacturing, he oversees production processes, ensuring high-quality standards and operational efficiency. Mr. Bryan Hassard’s dedication to innovation and excellence has significantly contributed to the growth and success of Coil.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship of a qualifying transaction of a capital pool company is required by the TSXV unless an exemption from the sponsorship requirement is available. Bigstack has applied for a waiver from the sponsorship requirements. There is no assurance that the Bigstack will be able to obtain such a waiver.

Trading Halt

Trading in the Bigstack Shares was halted, as previously disclosed in Bigstack’s press release dated November 4, 2024, and is not expected to resume until the Transaction is completed or until the Exchange receives the requisite documentation to resume trading.

Further updates with respect to the Transaction may be provided as the Transaction proceeds.

Overview of Bigstack

Bigstack is a “capital pool company” under the policies of the Exchange and it is intended that the Transaction will constitute the “Qualifying Transaction” of Bigstack, as such term is defined in CPC Policy. The Bigstack Shares are currently listed on the Exchange and Bigstack is a reporting issuer in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. Bigstack was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) on November 25, 2020.

Additional Information

All information contained in this press release with respect to Reeflex and Coil was provided by Reeflex and Coil, respectively, to Bigstack for inclusion herein. Bigstack and its directors and officers have not independently verified such information and have relied exclusively on Reeflex and Coil for any information concerning Reeflex and Coil.

Forward Looking Information

This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking information” (“forward-looking information”) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this press release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information.

More particularly and without limitation, this press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the Transaction and its constituents steps, including the Acquisition and the Business Combination (including the completion, structure, terms and timing thereof), the binding definitive agreements relating to the Transaction, including in respect of the Acquisition, the expected capital structure and expected shareholders of, and the expected size of their shareholdings in, the Resulting Issuer, the expected corporate structure of the Resulting Issuer and its subsidiaries, if any, the future financial performance of the Resulting Issuer or any of the parties, the Concurrent Financing, including the amount expected to be raised thereunder, any finder’s fees or commissions payable in relation to the same, and expected use of proceeds therefrom, the Subscription Receipts and Escrow Release Conditions, the expected composition of the board of directors and management of the Resulting Issuer and its subsidiaries, if any, TSXV sponsorship requirements and any exemptions therefrom, the issuance of additional press releases describing the Transaction, the trading of the Bigstack Shares on the TSXV and the holding of shareholder meetings in connection with the Transaction. Although Bigstack believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; inability to complete the Concurrent Financing on the terms described herein or at all; and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. There can be no certainty that the Transaction and related transactions will be completed on the terms set out in the Letter of Intent and other agreements among the Parties or at all. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Bigstack disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

Bigstack Opportunities I Inc.

For further information, please contact Eric Szustak, the President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary and a director of Bigstack.

Eric Szustak
President, CEO, CFO, Corporate Secretary and Director
Email: eszustak@jbrlimited.com
Telephone: (905) 330-7948

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

The MIL Network –

April 17, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins, Bipartisan Group Introduce Bill to Boost Weatherization Aid

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

Washington, D.C. – In an effort to make more homes energy efficient and help residents save on their utility bills, U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act. This bipartisan bill seeks to improve public health and lower household energy costs by expanding the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which covers home weatherization, window replacement, sealing air leaks, ventilation improvements, and other key energy-saving measures.

“The Weatherization Assistance Program is a proven, cost-effective way to permanently decrease energy usage while reducing low-income Americans’ energy bills,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would help build on the significant investments we have secured for the Weatherization Assistance Program so that more Americans are able to make improvements that will allow them to affordably heat their homes.”

Since 1976, the Weatherization Assistance Program has helped more than 7.4 million low-income families reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. The U.S Department of Energy estimates that these upgrades help each household save $372 in energy bills annually.

The bill would authorize a Weatherization Readiness Fund to help those in need repair structural issues and prepare homes for weatherization assistance, increasing the number of homes the program is able to serve. It also seeks to raise the amount of funding allowed to be spent on each home to keep up with current labor and material costs, and will raise the cap on the amount of funding allowed to be spent on renewable energy upgrades in each home. These provisions are essential updates to a program that has helped so many families over the past few decades.

“We applaud Senators Reed, Collins, Coons and Shaheen for introducing this important bipartisan piece of legislation, which will help low-income and elderly Americans. The sponsoring senators are continuing their long-time support of energy efficiency programs that reduce costs for the public,” said David Terry, the President of the National Association of State Energy Officials.

“The Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act keeps hundreds of community teams hard at work with streamlined processes and up to date technology. It will help make older homes safer and sturdier, so retirees and working families can stay in their communities; energy bills will be lower; residents will be healthier and even make fewer emergency hospital visits. Thousands of contractors and crew members will be trained in valuable specialty skills of measuring and improving building performance. The unwavering leadership of Senators Jack Reed, Susan Collins, Chris Coons and Jeanne Shaheen keeps the Weatherization Assistance Program robust and relevant through changing times,” said David Bradley, CEO of the National Community Action Foundation.

“NASCSP is thrilled to support the Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act, introduced by Senators Reed, Collins, Coons, and Shaheen, long time champions of weatherization. This legislation paves the way toward decreasing energy burdens and improving the health and safety of low-income households, while supporting more than 8,500 highly skilled jobs across the country,” said Cheryl Williams, Executive Director of the National Association for State Community Services Programs.

Senators Collins and Reed spearheaded the bipartisan effort to include $3.5 billion in WAP funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Click here to read the full bill text.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: ACP Statement on Offshore Wind Energy Stop Work Order

Source: American Clean Power Association (ACP)

Headline: ACP Statement on Offshore Wind Energy Stop Work Order

WASHINGTON D.C., April 16, 2025 — The American Clean Power Association (ACP) issued the following statement from ACP CEO Jason Grumet after the Department of the Interior issued a stop work order for offshore wind project construction activity impacting the Empire Wind 1 project (15-30 miles south of Long Island):
“Halting construction of fully permitted energy projects is the literal opposite of an energy abundance agenda. With skyrocketing energy demand and increasing consumer prices, we need streamlined permitting for all domestic energy resources. Doubling back to reconsider permits after projects are under construction sends a chilling signal to all energy investment.
“These political reversals are bad policy, whether applied to pipelines or wind farms. We encourage the Administration to quickly address perceived inadequacies in the prior permit approvals so that this project can complete construction and bring much needed power to the grid. At the end of the day, reliable energy systems depend on reliable political systems.”

MIL OSI Economics –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur, Murray Call on Energy Department to Reverse New Indirect Cost Cap That Will Gut Funding for Cutting-Edge Research
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

Toledo, Ohio — Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, sent a letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright expressing deep concern about how the Department’s recently announced cap on indirect costs for DOE research will jeopardize critical research and innovation—and calling on him to immediately reverse the policy.

“We write to express our deep concern regarding the Department of Energy’s (DOE) recent decision to impose a cap on indirect cost rates for DOE-funded research. This change threatens to destabilize America’s scientific research infrastructure, delay critical energy innovation, and result in widespread economic harm,” write Kaptur and Murray. “At a time when China is investing billions to catch up to the scientific advancements driven by decades of DOE investments, the US should be accelerating its technological leadership, but this policy does the opposite.”

The lawmakers note the cap will cut funding essential to conducing cutting-edge DOE research: “This cap represents a sweeping, indiscriminate funding cut that will jeopardize not just projects at universities but also university partners at the national laboratories and in industry. Scientists could be forced to scale back or shutter vital studies; collaboration across sectors may be frozen; and the next generation of clean energy technologies could be delayed or lost entirely.”

Kaptur and Murray also underscore the implications of DOE’s new policy for the economy, stating: “Beyond its scientific implications, this policy change has serious economic consequences. DOE-funded research supports tens of thousands of jobs—from researchers and engineers to technical staff and support personnel—across all 50 states. In fiscal year 2024 alone, federal energy research investments generated billions in economic activity and helped anchor American competitiveness in global innovation markets. Weakening that support will reverberate through entire regions and industries, putting livelihoods at risk.”

The lawmakers press Secretary Wright to explain the abrupt new policy change and call on him to reverse it, concluding: “[W]e also ask that you to immediately reverse this shortsighted and harmful new cap, which amounts to nothing short of a disastrous funding cut. DOE’s mission is too important to allow political interference to undercut America’s progress in energy research, climate resilience, and economic development. Let our scientists, engineers, and institutions continue their lifesaving, world-shaping work—uninterrupted.”

The full letter is available by clicking here or reading below:

April 16, 2025

The Honorable Christopher Wright
US Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20585

Dear Secretary Wright:

We write to express our deep concern regarding the Department of Energy’s (DOE) recent decision to impose a cap on indirect cost rates for DOE-funded research. This change threatens to destabilize America’s scientific research infrastructure, delay critical energy innovation, and result in widespread economic harm. At a time when China is investing billions to catch up to the scientific advancements driven by decades of DOE investments, the US should be accelerating its technological leadership, but this policy does the opposite.

DOE has long played a crucial role in supporting cutting-edge research in energy, climate science, advanced manufacturing, and national security. By capping indirect cost rates at 15 percent, this new policy undermines the essential support systems that make this research possible—such as the operation and maintenance of research facilities, labs, and technical infrastructure. Research institutions depend on these funds to conduct safe, innovative, and effective science.

This cap represents a sweeping, indiscriminate funding cut that will jeopardize not just projects at universities but also university partners at the national laboratories and in industry. Scientists could be forced to scale back or shutter vital studies; collaboration across sectors may be frozen; and the next generation of clean energy technologies could be delayed or lost entirely. Even more worrying is the impact on our future science workforce, particularly in energy and critical and emerging technologies, where our nation has long struggled to recruit and train the best talent into roles at the intersection of technology and national security.

Beyond its scientific implications, this policy change has serious economic consequences. DOE-funded research supports tens of thousands of jobs—from researchers and engineers to technical staff and support personnel—across all 50 states. In fiscal year 2024 alone, federal energy research investments generated billions in economic activity and helped anchor American competitiveness in global innovation markets. Weakening that support will reverberate through entire regions and industries, putting livelihoods at risk.

The policy’s abrupt implementation—absent consultation with the research community or Congress—has also introduced confusion and uncertainty into the energy research ecosystem. Programs will be paused, partnerships disrupted, and project leaders left with no clarity about how to proceed. In a moment that demands bold, collaborative leadership to meet America’s energy needs, these actions cause paralysis instead. In regards to this new policy cap, please provide answers to the following questions:
1. What will happen to existing awards at universities if they do not meet the new terms and conditions in this policy?
2. What specific data or analysis did DOE use to determine that a 15% cap on indirect costs is appropriate and sustainable for research institutions?
3. How does DOE justify this cap given that many universities currently operate with indirect cost rates significantly higher than 15% to cover essential research infrastructure and compliance?
4. Was there any consultation with academic stakeholders, such as university administrators or research organizations, prior to implementing this policy change?
5. What impact assessments has DOE conducted to understand how this cap will affect the financial viability of ongoing and future research projects at universities?
6. Has DOE evaluated how this cap could influence the United States’ position in global research and innovation competitiveness?
7. What are the long-term implications of this policy on the pipeline of future scientists and researchers trained through university programs?
Particularly in light of the lack of information justifying this policy we also ask that you to immediately reverse this shortsighted and harmful new cap, which amounts to nothing short of a disastrous funding cut. DOE’s mission is too important to allow political interference to undercut America’s progress in energy research, climate resilience, and economic development. Let our scientists, engineers, and institutions continue their lifesaving, world-shaping work—uninterrupted.

Sincerely,

# # #

MIL OSI USA News –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI: Expand Energy Provides 2025 First Quarter Earnings Conference Call Information

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

OKLAHOMA CITY, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: EXE) announced today that it will release its 2025 first quarter operational and financial results after market close on April 29, 2025. A conference call to discuss the results has been scheduled for April 30, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. EST. Participants can view the live webcast here. Participants who would like to ask a question, can register here, and will receive the dial-in info and a unique PIN to join the call. Links to the conference call will be provided on Expand Energy’s website. A replay will be available on the website following the call.

About Expand Energy
Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: EXE) is the largest natural gas producer in the United States, powered by dedicated and innovative employees focused on disrupting the industry’s traditional cost and market delivery model to responsibly develop assets in the nation’s most prolific natural gas basins. Expand Energy’s returns-driven strategy strives to create sustainable value for its stakeholders by leveraging its scale, financial strength and operational execution. Expand Energy is committed to expanding America’s energy reach to fuel a more affordable, reliable, lower carbon future.

INVESTOR CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT:

Chris Ayres
(405) 935-8870
ir@expandenergy.com Brooke Coe
(405) 935-8878
media@expandenergy.com

The MIL Network –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI: Viper Energy, Inc. Provides Financial and Operating Update for the First Quarter of 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIDLAND, Texas, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Viper Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNOM) (“Viper” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) (“Diamondback”), today provided a financial and operating update for the first quarter of 2025. The Company is releasing this information to provide flexibility to opportunistically continue its stock repurchase program given the current market volatility.

FIRST QUARTER 2025 HIGHLIGHTS
- Average production of 31,311 bo/d (57,367 boe/d)
- Average unhedged realized prices of $71.33 per barrel of oil, $24.52 per barrel of natural gas liquids and $2.08 per Mcf of natural gas
- Average hedged realized prices of $70.26 per barrel of oil, $24.52 per barrel of natural gas liquids and $3.74 per Mcf of natural gas
- Realized commodity hedging gains of $9.1 million
SECOND QUARTER 2025 HIGHLIGHTS
- As of April 15, 2025, repurchased 176,771 shares of common stock to date in Q2 2025 for $6.6 million, excluding excise tax (at a weighted average price of $37.27 per share); $427.6 million remaining on Viper’s current share buyback authorization
Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “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, which involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding Viper’s: future performance; business strategy; future operations; estimates and projections of operating income, losses, costs and expenses, returns, cash flow, and financial position; production levels on properties in which Viper has mineral and royalty interests, developmental activity by other operators; reserve estimates and Viper’s ability to replace or increase reserves; anticipated benefits or other effects of strategic transactions; and plans and objectives (including Diamondback’s plans for developing Viper’s acreage and Viper’s cash dividend policy and common stock repurchase program) are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “model,” “outlook,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions (including the negative of such terms) as they relate to Viper are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Although Viper believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, they involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, in many cases, beyond its control. Accordingly, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of Viper’s future performance and the actual outcomes could differ materially from what Viper expressed in its forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause the outcomes to differ materially include (but are not limited to) the following: changes in supply and demand levels for oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, and the resulting impact on the price for those commodities; the impact of public health crises, including epidemic or pandemic diseases, and any related company or government policies or actions; actions taken by the members of OPEC and Russia affecting the production and pricing of oil, as well as other domestic and global political, economic, or diplomatic developments, including any impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war on the global energy markets and geopolitical stability; instability in the financial sector; higher interest rates and their impact on the cost of capital; regional supply and demand factors, including delays, curtailment delays or interruptions of production on Viper’s mineral and royalty acreage, or governmental orders, rules or regulations that impose production limits on such acreage; federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing, including the effect of existing and future laws and governmental regulations; physical and transition risks relating to climate change and the risks and other factors disclosed in Viper’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, which can be obtained free of charge on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s web site at http://www.sec.gov.

In light of these factors, the events anticipated by Viper’s forward-looking statements may not occur at the time anticipated or at all. Moreover, the new risks emerge from time to time. Viper cannot predict all risks, nor can it assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by any forward-looking statements it may make. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements made in this news release. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release or, if earlier, as of the date they were made. Viper does not intend to, and disclaims any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements unless required by applicable law.

Investor Contact:
Chip Seale
+1 432.247.6218
cseale@viperenergy.com

The MIL Network –
April 17, 2025

MIL-OSI: Diamondback Energy, Inc. Provides Operational Update for the First Quarter of 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIDLAND, Texas, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) (“Diamondback” or the “Company”) provided an operational update for the first quarter of 2025.

The Company is releasing this information to provide flexibility to opportunistically continue its stock repurchase program given the current market volatility.

FIRST QUARTER 2025 HIGHLIGHTS

Average production of 475.9 MBO/d (850.7 MBOE/d)
Average unhedged realized prices of $70.95 per barrel of oil, $23.94 per barrel of natural gas liquids and $2.11 per Mcf of natural gas
Average hedged realized prices of $70.06 per barrel of oil, $23.94 per barrel of natural gas liquids and $3.34 per Mcf of natural gas
Realized hedge gain of $85 million, with unrealized hedge gain of $141 million, resulting in total gain on derivatives of $226 million
Cash capital expenditures of $942 million
Repurchased 3,656,044 shares of common stock in Q1 2025 for $575 million, excluding excise tax (at a weighted average price of $157.15 per share); repurchased 1,560,200 shares of common stock to date in Q2 2025 for $200 million, excluding excise tax (at a weighted average price of $128.19 per share)
Q1 2025 weighted average basic and diluted shares outstanding (in thousands) of 289,612
Giving effect to the closing of the Double Eagle acquisition and share repurchases to date in the second quarter, Diamondback currently has approximately 293 million shares outstanding

2025 OPERATING PLAN UPDATE

Given recent market volatility, Diamondback is closely monitoring the macro environment and is actively reviewing its operating plan for the remainder of 2025. Should low commodity prices persist or worsen, Diamondback has the flexibility to reduce activity to maximize free cash flow generation. Additionally, Diamondback believes it can further lower its breakeven oil price through capital and operating cost reductions.

The following table sets forth selected operating data for the three months ended March 31, 2025:

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2025

Production Data:
Oil (MBbls)		42,835
Natural gas (MMcf)		100,578
Natural gas liquids (MBbls)		16,961
Combined volumes (MBOE)⁽¹⁾		76,559

Daily oil volumes (BO/d)		475,944
Daily combined volumes (BOE/d)		850,656

Average Prices:
Oil ($ per Bbl)	$	70.95
Natural gas ($ per Mcf)	$	2.11
Natural gas liquids ($ per Bbl)	$	23.94
Combined ($ per BOE)	$	47.77

Oil, hedged ($ per Bbl)⁽²⁾	$	70.06
Natural gas, hedged ($ per Mcf)⁽²⁾	$	3.34
Natural gas liquids, hedged ($ per Bbl)⁽²⁾	$	23.94
Average price, hedged ($ per BOE)⁽²⁾	$	48.89

(1)	Bbl equivalents are calculated using a conversion rate of six Mcf per Bbl.
(2)	Hedged prices reflect the effect of our commodity derivative transactions on our average sales prices and include gains and losses on cash settlements for matured commodity derivatives, which we do not designate for hedge accounting. Hedged prices exclude gains or losses resulting from the early settlement of commodity derivative contracts.

Derivative Activity

For the first quarter of 2025, Diamondback anticipates a net gain on cash settlements for derivative instruments of $85 million and a net non-cash gain on derivative instruments of $141 million as detailed in the table below (in millions):

Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net:
Commodity contracts	$	214
Interest rate swaps		11
2026 WTI Contingent Liability		2
Treasury locks⁽¹⁾		(1	)
Total	$	226

Net cash received (paid) on settlements:
Commodity contracts	$	86
Treasury locks⁽¹⁾		(1	)
Total	$	85

(1)	Loss on 10 year treasury locks executed prior to, and fully settled upon, pricing of the senior notes issued in March 2025.

Weighted Average Basic and Diluted Shares Outstanding

For the first quarter of 2025, basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding are as follows (in thousands):

Basic weighted average shares outstanding	289,612
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	289,612

About Diamondback Energy, Inc.

Diamondback is an independent oil and natural gas company headquartered in Midland, Texas focused on the acquisition, development, exploration and exploitation of unconventional, onshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, which involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding Diamondback’s: future performance; business strategy; future operations (including drilling plans and capital plans); estimates and projections of revenues, losses, costs, expenses, returns, cash flow, and financial position; reserve estimates and its ability to replace or increase reserves; anticipated benefits or other effects of strategic transactions (including the recently completed Endeavor merger, the recently completed Double Eagle acquisition and other acquisitions or divestitures); and plans and objectives of management (including plans for future cash flow from operations and for executing environmental strategies) are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “model,” “outlook,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions (including the negative of such terms) as they relate to Diamondback are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Although Diamondback believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, they involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, in many cases, beyond Diamondback’s control. Accordingly, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and Diamondback’s actual outcomes could differ materially from what Diamondback has expressed in its forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause the outcomes to differ materially include (but are not limited to) the following: changes in supply and demand levels for oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, and the resulting impact on the price for those commodities; the impact of public health crises, including epidemic or pandemic diseases and any related company or government policies or actions; actions taken by the members of OPEC and Russia affecting the production and pricing of oil, as well as other domestic and global political, economic, or diplomatic developments, including any impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war on the global energy markets and geopolitical stability; instability in the financial markets; inflationary pressures; higher interest rates and their impact on the cost of capital; regional supply and demand factors, including delays, curtailment delays or interruptions of production, or governmental orders, rules or regulations that impose production limits; federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing, including the effect of existing and future laws and governmental regulations; physical and transition risks relating to climate change; those risks described in Item 1A of Diamondback’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2025, and those risks disclosed in its subsequent filings on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, which can be obtained free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and Diamondback’s website at www.diamondbackenergy.com/investors.

In light of these factors, the events anticipated by Diamondback’s forward-looking statements may not occur at the time anticipated or at all. Moreover, Diamondback operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment and new risks emerge from time to time. Diamondback cannot predict all risks, nor can it assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by any forward-looking statements it may make. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this letter or, if earlier, as of the date they were made. Diamondback does not intend to, and disclaims any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements unless required by applicable law.

Investor Contact:
Adam Lawlis
+1 432.221.7467
alawlis@diamondbackenergy.com

The MIL Network –

April 17, 2025

MIL-Evening Report: With the end of Flybuys NZ, what happens to the personal data of nearly 3 million Kiwis?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Katerina Asher, Doctoral Candidate, Business School, University of Sydney

JuSun/Getty Images

After almost three decades in New Zealand, loyalty programme Flybuys announced it would be closing in 2024. The company behind the scheme, Loyalty New Zealand, has since entered liquidation, leaving the future of one of Flybuys’ key assets uncertain.

That asset is a customer database containing sensitive personal information about millions of New Zealanders. So what happens to it matters.

Founded in 1996, some 2.9 million New Zealanders representing 74% of the nation’s households eventually signed up to Flybuys. Members collected points at affiliated retailers which they could then redeem through the Flybuys website.

But over the past decade, partners such as Air New Zealand, Mitre 10 and New World pulled out of the scheme to either join other loyalty programmes or start their own.

In May last year, Loyalty New Zealand announced it was closing Flybuys New Zealand and liquidators were called in to manage the company’s end. Flybuys Australia continues to operate, jointly owned by Coles Group and Wesfarmers (which owns retailers K-mart and Bunnings).

According to the first liquidator’s report from early April, Loyalty New Zealand is solvent. This means it is not bankrupt and can pay all debts in full.

Once creditors are paid, the remaining funds will go to shareholders – Z Energy, BNZ, IAG and Foodstuffs Ventures (NZ), a joint subsidiary of Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island.

However, the report is silent on Flybuys’ customer database. That data likely includes years of shopping histories, behavioural profiles and potentially sensitive demographic or inferred financial information.

When the end of Flybuys was announced, Loyalty New Zealand assured customers and retailers it would manage private data according to the New Zealand Privacy Act. But with the liquidation of the company, it is unclear what will now happen to this information.

While no one has publicly said the information will be sold, there is no assurance it will be deleted either. And the database is arguably Loyalty New Zealand’s most valuable, albeit intangible, asset. Unless liquidators explicitly commit to deletion, the data could potentially be transferred or sold.

Loyalty schemes such as Flybuys can gather a great deal of information on those who sign-up. That information can become a valuable – and potentially tradable – asset.
Zamrznuti tonovi/Shutterstock

Data ownership, privacy and sovereignty

The risks are far from theoretical. In March this year, DNA ancestry company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy. The genetic data held by the company was put up for sale as an asset, exposing users and their relatives to substantial privacy risks.

While privacy laws vary by country, the 23andMe case showed how personal data can make customers vulnerable. Flybuys’ data may not be genetic, but it is similarly rich, detailed and easily re-identifiable when combined with other datasets.

If sold or reused without proper controls or oversight, it might potentially expose former members to discriminatory insurance profiling, targeted scams, manipulative political advertising and algorithmic credit scoring.

In extreme cases, such data can be used to infer sensitive customer characteristics such as financial stress or health-related behaviours. This could lead to political profiling or surveillance captialism – the collection and commodification of personal data.

New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 is designed to protect personal information. If data is reused for purposes beyond its original intent, or transferred without proper consent, it may breach the law. But the act does not clearly prohibit the sale of data during a liquidation. Nor is it clear on how the rules could be enforced.

Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 offers even less protection. It allows companies to send personal data overseas if they take “reasonable steps” to ensure recipients follow similar privacy rules. This means Australian Flybuys’ data could be sent to countries such as the United States.

That is especially worrying given the power of US tech giants, which routinely collect, profile and monetise data with little oversight. In the wrong hands, Flybuys’ trove of shopping habits, preferences and behavioural patterns could be repurposed to build invasive consumer profiles without people’s knowledge or control.

Setting a global standard

If Flybuys New Zealand’s data is treated as an asset during the liquidation process, could set a precedent and shape future regulatory standards internationally.

We have seen this before. In November 2022, Deliveroo Australia entered voluntary administration, raising concerns about how it would handle its extensive customer data. Users were told they had six months to download their own information, but there was no clarity on whether the data would then be deleted, retained or sold.

This lack of transparency revealed a gap in Australia’s data protection laws during liquidation. While the ultimate fate of the data remains publicly unknown, experts have suggested it was transferred to Deliveroo’s UK-based parent company.

While Australia’s 1988 Privacy Act requires organisations to handle personal information responsibly, it does not clearly regulate the sale or transfer of data during insolvencies or liquidations. There is a legal grey area which leaves customers and consumers vulnerable, as their data could be treated as a tradable asset without their consent.

The need for ethical stewardship

Customer data accumulation is the product of a relationship built on trust that should end when the company and relationship does. Ethical stewardship demands deletion, not redistribution.

This aligns with global norms such as the “right to be forgotten” under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.

When a company winds down, users should be clearly informed of their options: to retrieve their data, delete it or consent to its transfer. That decision should rest with the member or customer, not be made behind closed doors for potential financial gain.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. With the end of Flybuys NZ, what happens to the personal data of nearly 3 million Kiwis? – https://theconversation.com/with-the-end-of-flybuys-nz-what-happens-to-the-personal-data-of-nearly-3-million-kiwis-254568

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Lawler Calls For Action to Protect LIHEAP Amid Staff Layoffs Threatening New York Families

Source: US Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17)

Washington, D.C. – 4/15/2025… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressing concern about the reported layoffs of staff responsible for administering the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is a service that plays a vital role in assisting Hudson Valley families with their energy costs, particularly during the winter and summer months.

The letter primarily sought to address concerns about any potential disruption of funding distribution to states, territories, and tribal organizations, with an emphasis on the impact any disruptions could have on New York’s most vulnerable populations.

“Although the approximately 20 to 24 LIHEAP staff members represent only a small portion of the broader HHS layoffs, their departure raises serious concerns about the program’s capacity to operate effectively,” wrote Congressman Lawler (NY-17).

“In FY2023, LIHEAP staff within the Office of Community Services helped to administer $600 Million in vital funds to New Yorkers — providing energy assistance to approximately 1.1 million households, including 492,572 households with seniors, 391,776 households with individuals with disabilities, and 182,696 households that included a young child,” continued Lawler.

“I respectfully urge you to ensure that the necessary personnel and resources remain in place to support LIHEAP’s continued success,” the lawmaker concluded.

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

###

The full letter can be found HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Luján Addresses Industry Leaders and Innovators at Energy, Technology & Environmental Business Association’s Forum

US Senate News:

Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

Santa Fe, N.M. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) delivered remarks at the Energy, Technology & Environmental Business Association’s New Mexico Federal Business Opportunities Forum to highlight federal investments in energy, innovation, and sustainability, as well as the success of New Mexico businesses in energy, technology, and environmental issues. Senator Luján specifically highlighted investments he helped secure for the National Labs located in New Mexico through the Inflation Reduction Act and efforts he championed in the CHIPS and Science Act to drive scientific innovation in underserved areas in rural New Mexico.

“New Mexico’s business owners, engineers, scientists, and advocates are helping drive innovation and economic growth right here at home and across the country,” said Senator Luján. “It was a privilege to join industry leaders today at the Energy, Technology & Environmental Business Association’s New Mexico Federal Business Opportunities Forum and recognize all the work that is happening to build a sustainable, competitive, and secure future. I have long fought to make sure New Mexico is front and center in every conversation about energy, innovation, and sustainability, and will continue to do so. I look forward to working together with these industry leaders, small businesses, and entrepreneurs to shape the future of innovation in New Mexico.”

The Energy, Technology & Environmental Business Association’s New Mexico Federal Business Forum connects industry leaders, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and federal partners to forge new partnerships, share knowledge, and shape the future of innovation in New Mexico.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Trump Executive Order Targets Multiple Markey Energy and Climate Protections, Calls for Sunsetting of Critical Regulations
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

Boston (April 16, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and co-Chair of the Senate Climate Change Task Force, released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and more to sunset environmental regulations. Several of these regulations were championed by Senator Markey to make America’s appliances more efficient, save families money at the pump, and curb dangerous climate pollution.

“Donald Trump doesn’t just want to roll back the environmental and climate gains we’ve made over the past four years, he wants to erase the progress we’ve made over 150 years —all to boost the bottom lines of Big Oil and Big Gas,” said Senator Markey. “We cannot sacrifice public health for industry wealth.

“I’ve fought for years, even decades, to put laws on the books to keep the people of Massachusetts and the entire country safe, healthy, and prosperous. I will not let Trump and his Big Oil boosters undo these hard-earned gains. I will continue fighting to stop this Administration from putting polluters over people and our planet.”

The order affects multiple pieces of keystone energy and environment legislation led by Senator Markey, including:
- the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, which established mandatory nationwide appliance efficiency standards;
- the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which created the fuel economy standards that save families money;
- the Energy Policy Act of 1992, in which Senator Markey successfully included an open-access transmission requirement that created the modern grid; and
- the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, which regulates the safe and responsible storage of nuclear waste and in which Senator Markey authored the provision that gives states the power to deny the siting of nuclear waste within their borders.
MIL OSI USA News –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Update 286 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Frequent air raid alarms, the regular sound of explosions nearby and the presence of drones are continuing to highlight the dangers facing Ukraine’s main nuclear sites during the military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

“The nuclear safety and security situation in Ukraine remains precarious. This is very clear from the daily reports of our teams on the ground. Military activities are still taking place in the vicinity of nuclear sites, putting their safety at constant risk. Our work to help prevent a nuclear accident is far from over,” Director General Grossi said.

The IAEA continues to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security at Ukraine’s five main nuclear facilities and deliver essential equipment and other technical assistance, including medical support.

At the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) over the past week, the IAEA team based at the site has heard explosions at varying distances almost every day, as well as occasional bursts of gunfire.

As part of regular walkdowns across the site, the team visited the turbine halls of two reactor units, where they were again denied access to the western parts of the halls. The team also visited the site’s water treatment facility where they confirmed the arrangements for the treatment of wastewater and observed the testing of an emergency diesel generator.

At the South Ukraine NPP, the IAEA team was informed that five drones were detected 2 km west of the site during the night of 11-12 April. From their residence, the team observed the drones and heard gunfire apparently aimed at repelling them.

At the Chornobyl site, the IAEA team visited the New Safe Confinement and received an update on its status following the mid-February drone attack that punched a hole in the structure. Radiation levels remained normal for the area and there had been no release of radioactive substances beyond the established limits.

Air raid alarms were heard on most days over the past week at these two sites, the IAEA teams reported.

Over the past week, the IAEA has organised five additional deliveries of equipment as part of its efforts to help ensure nuclear safety and security, bringing the total to 130 since the start of the conflict.

The Rivne NPP received two static test benches that had been refurbished and modernized in Germany, with funding from Norway. Plant staff also received training on the newly automated system. The benches are used to test the plant’s hydraulic shock absorbers, which reduce vibrations in coolant pumps, steam generators and other equipment essential for nuclear safety.

Other types of equipment were delivered to Chornobyl, the Centralized Dry Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility and State Specialized Enterprise “Radon Association”, which manages radioactive waste. These deliveries were funded by the European Union, Denmark and Sweden. The Khmelnytskyy NPP received medical equipment supported with funding from Norway.

MIL Security OSI –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: News release on CRB treatments in Kona

Source: US State of Hawaii

News release on CRB treatments in Kona

Posted on Apr 16, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom





STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

ʻOIHANA MAHIʻAI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

SHARON HURD
CHAIRPERSON

HAWAIʻI BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

DEAN M. MATSUKAWA
DEPUTY TO THE CHAIRPERSON

HAWAIʻI BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

HDOA CONTINUES COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLE TREATMENTS
IN KONA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NR25-08

April 15, 2025

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA), with the assistance of the County of Hawai‘i Public Works Department, have been working collaboratively since January 2025 to combat the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) after detections in the Kona area. The HDOA and Hawai‘i County crews completed the latest round of treatments on palm trees last week at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in the continuing effort to protect the island from CRB infestations.

“The staff of the Department of Agriculture remains dedicated to stopping the further spread of the coconut rhinoceros beetle, with emphasis in areas that are not known to be infested,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture. “We truly appreciate the concern and assistance of Mayor Kimo Alameda and the county’s public works crew in providing the resources to prevent CRB from taking hold on Hawai‘i Island. We also appreciate all the various agencies and organizations that work tirelessly in the fight against invasive species.”

Mayor Alameda emphasized the importance of the state and county working collaboratively to protect the island from the invasive species. “The introduction of the coconut rhinoceros beetle is a major concern, and we are committed to doing everything we can—alongside HDOA and our other partners—to stop its spread,” he said.

In September 2024, HDOA Plant Pest Control (PPC) personnel found a single CRB in a trap during routine monitoring in Waikoloa. This was the first detection of CRB on the island since October 2023 when a Waikoloa resident found six grubs (larvae) in a decaying palm tree stump. Increased surveillance continued throughout the island and more intensely on the Kona side.

In January 2025, Mayor Alameda and the County of Hawai‘i offered their resources and assistance to HDOA, including the use of their 75-foot boom truck to treat the crowns of palm trees. On January 14, the team treated a total of 38 trees in the Waikoloa area via crown treatments and 24 trees were treated via an injection system which provides systemic protection against CRB. HDOA’s Pesticides Branch was also at the site to assist. So far, there have been no further detections of CRB in Waikoloa.

On March 3, 2025, the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) reported one adult CRB in a detection trap along the boundary of the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. A day later, two more adult CRBs were found in traps at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i (NELHA).

After the detections, HDOA, county crews and airport staff targeted treatments at the airport over a period of three days in March. The county provided the use of two boom trucks and the team treated 128 trees on the airport grounds and injected 12 more trees that were inaccessible to the boom trucks. So far, there have been no further detections at the airport.

Last week, on April 7 and 8, crews began work at NELHA and treated 58 trees via crown treatments with about 14 trees treated via injections due to their close proximity to water.

All palms that were treated were tagged and surrounded with yellow tape to indicate treatment. Coconuts from treated trees should not be consumed. Questions regarding pesticide use may be addressed to HDOA’s Pesticides Branch at 808-973-9402.

Surveillance for CRB continues around Hawai‘i Island by HDOA, BIISC, University of Hawai‘i, the County of Hawai‘i and the state Department of Health Vector Control Branch.

Residents on all islands are asked to be vigilant when purchasing mulch, compost and soil products, and to inspect bags for evidence of entry holes. CRB grubs breed in decomposing plant and animal waste. An adult beetle is about 2-inches long, all black and has a single horn on its head.

Residents may go to the CRB Response website at:  https://www.crbhawaii.org/ to learn more about how to detect the signs of CRB damage and how to identify CRB life stages. Reports of possible CRB infestation may also be made to the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).

# # #

Attachments: Photos:
Waikoloa treatment – boom truck
Waikoloa injection
Waikoloa treatment ground (treated trees marked with yellow tape and tagged)
CRB crown treatment – Kona Airport (Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport)
CRB crown treatment Kona Airport2 (Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport)
CRB injection – Kona Airport (Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport)
Treated trees

Media Contact:
Janelle Saneishi
Public Information Officer
Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture
Phone: 808-973-9560
Cell: 808-341-5528
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://hdoa.hawaii.govAloha,

Janelle Saneishi

Public Information Officer

Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture
ph: (808) 973-9560
email: [email protected]

Website: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/

Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any review, use, disclosure, or distribution by unintended recipients is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient(s), please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – DLNR Clarifies Ocean Commercial Use Permiting Status, April 15, 2025

Source: US State of Hawaii

DLNR News Release – DLNR Clarifies Ocean Commercial Use Permiting Status, April 15, 2025

Posted on Apr 15, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

DAWN CHANG
CHAIRPERSON

DLNR CLARIFIES OCEAN COMMERCIAL USE PERMITTING STATUS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 15, 2025

HONOLULU – After being made aware of misinformation circulated by commercial boating interests, the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) is clarifying the status of Commercial Use Permits (CUPs) following a series of judicial actions.

At this time, no new CUPs will be issued, pursuant to the court’s order in Nā Papaʻi Wawae ʻUlaʻula, et al. v. DLNR, Case No. 2CC-17-1-000483. Existing permits in good standing will continue to be renewed and at this time, permittees will only be allowed to maintain current activity and/or passenger capacity levels, or reduce existing levels. DOBOR will continue to allow vessel substitutions, but will not authorize increases in passenger capacity levels, regardless of vessel size.

Permittees planning to upgrade their vessels are advised to ensure that Certificates of Inspection show a passenger carrying capacity that is the same as, or lower than, what is permitted as of December 4, 2024, the date that the court issued its order. The department’s stance on maintaining current activity and/or passenger capacity levels is to ensure that the department does not take any actions that can be construed as contrary to the court’s order.

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2017, and after a series of legal proceedings, culminated in the December ruling by the Second Circuit Court prohibiting DOBOR from issuing or renewing CUPs for activities in Kāʻanapali ocean waters off West Maui until what’s known as a Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 343 environmental review is completed, or until a determination is made that the activities are exempt from environmental review.

Following the court’s ruling last December, DLNR filed a motion for reconsideration of the decision, informing the court that some commercial operators would be immediately and unfairly impacted if unable to renew their CUPs.

As a result, the court stayed its prohibition on renewing CUPs until a reconsideration hearing takes place. The court also maintained its prohibition on new CUPs. The reconsideration hearing, initially scheduled for February, has been rescheduled a number of times at the request of the plaintiffs, and DLNR did not object. Most recently, a continuation was approved until September of this year.

In a March 27 letter from DLNR Chair Dawn Chang to the Chairs of the House Water & Land and Energy & Environmental Protection Committees, she explained, “The initial scope of the litigation targeted six CUPs issued by DOBOR, but the court’s immediate decision also affects the renewal of over 30 active DOBOR CUPs for Kāʻanapali ocean waters. The department believes that the court’s ruling has broad implications beyond commercial activities in Kāʻanapali ocean waters and could have statewide implications to other commercial activities permitted or authorized by the department as a whole.”

DLNR is aware that some people accused the department of delaying settlement talks. In her letter, Chang wrote, “This is not true.” DLNR received a settlement offer in early March and rejected it before the end of the month because it was determined that the settlement terms were outside of the state’s jurisdiction.

DLNR intends to fully comply with HRS Chapter 343 requirements and will continue working toward properly managing commercial activities while remaining in compliance with the law. Depending on which environmental review may be required, or which activities may be exempted, an Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), or a programmatic environmental review, could take six months for an exemption, to as long as six years for an EIS.

Chang added, “We realize the potential impacts of the court’s decision could have significant economic impacts on many permittees and businesses, however the DLNR needs to comply with the law.”

# # #

Media Contact:

Dan Dennison

Communications Director

Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

808-587-0396

[email protected]

MIL OSI USA News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Negative impact of wind farms on the environment – E-001434/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001434/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Kosma Złotowski (ECR)

The problem of birds and bats being killed by wind turbines is nothing new. Protected species are also among the birds that die in wind turbine collisions.

On 7 April 2025, a French court in Montpellier ruled that a wind farm in Aumelas in Hérault would have to suspend operations for four months for this very reason, and the company that owns the farm was fined. Last year, furthermore, a court in Nîmes ruled that a wind farm in Bernagues in the Grands Causses in Hérault had to be dismantled due to the damage it causes to the environment.

In this context, the EU Wind Power Action Plan may have a number of negative effects on the natural environment and lead to additional costs for wind farm operators.

1.Is the Commission monitoring cases involving onshore wind farms having an adverse impact on the environment and protected species, and if so, how large is the scale of this phenomenon, and have any EU-funded wind energy investments been suspended because of this?

2.Does the Commission have any estimates of how possible fines for environmental damage imposed by European courts could affect the prices of electricity from wind farms?

3.In the Commission’s view, what is the safe distance from valuable nature sites, nature reserves, parks, forests (especially Natura 2000 sites), but also buildings or houses, at which wind farms can be built without adverse consequences for the environment and human health?

Submitted: 9.4.2025
Last updated: 16 April 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study of vegan protein consumption and amino acid intake

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

April 16, 2025

A study published in PLOS One looks at protein consumption and amino acid intake in vegan.

Prof Tom Sanders, Professor emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics, King’s College London, said:

“Protein consists of mixtures of 20 amino acids and 8 of these are regarded as dietary essential because they cannot be synthesised from other amino acids in adults. This cross-sectional study has calculated the intakes of essential amino acids in adult vegans from food tables and compared them with reference intakes. The authors report that intakes of lysine and leucine are lower than reference amounts in vegans.

“Limitations include:

1) There is no omnivore control group for comparison.

2) The amino acid compositional data on foods were limited particularly on the amounts that may be digestible.

3) No account was made of contribution by gut microbiota to dietary intake of lysine.

4) Was the comparator reference intake appropriate? While vegans probably do have lower intakes of lysine and leucine it does not been the intakes suggest deficiency especially as the reference intakes are based mainly on American studies where intakes of protein were high and based mainly on animal products.

“Interpretation of the results:

“Human leucine deficiency has not been described. However, higher intakes have been promoted for body building in the form of whey protein. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that the growth promoting effects of high intakes of leucine and other branch chain amino acids may be linked to increased risk of cancer (especially prostate cancer).

“In practice, protein requirements are estimated for the amounts required to maintain nitrogen balance and support growth. Although plant proteins when tested alone have a lower biological value than milk, eggs, meat and fish (measured by how they support growth in rats) when mixtures of plant proteins (e.g. cereals and pulses) are tested they have high biological value. In most human diets lysine is regarded as the amino acids most likely to limit protein quality. Physiological adaptations do occur on low protein intakes and lysine may be salvaged from lysine synthesised by gut microbiota in the large bowel. This concept was supported by a recent study comparing vegans and omnivores (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02790-y). That study measured plasma lysine concentrations did find levels to be 25% lower in vegans compared with omnivores but concluded the difference was unlikely to be of any significance.”

‘Evaluation of protein intake and protein quality in New Zealand vegans’ by Bi Xue Patricia Soh et al. was published in PLOS One at 19:00 UK time on Wednesday 16^th April.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314889

Declared interests

Prof Tom Sanders: I have received grant funding for research on vegans in the past. I have been retired for 10 years but during my career at King’s College London, I formerly acted as consultant for companies that made artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes.

I am a member of the Programme Advisory Committee of the Malaysia Palm Oil Board which involves the review of research projects proposed by the Malaysia government.

I also used to be a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Global Dairy Platform up until 2015.

I did do some consultancy work on GRAS affirmation of high oleic palm oil for Archer Daniel Midland more than ten years ago.

My research group received oils and fats free of charge from Unilever and Archer Daniel Midland for our Food Standards Agency Research.

Tom was a member of the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee that recommended that trans fatty acids be removed from the human food chain.

Member of the Science Committee British Nutrition Foundation. Honorary Nutritional Director HEART UK.

Before my retirement from King’s College London in 2014, I acted as a consultant to many companies and organisations involved in the manufacture of what are now designated ultraprocessed foods.

I used to be a consultant to the Breakfast Cereals Advisory Board of the Food and Drink Federation.

I used to be a consultant for aspartame more than a decade ago.

When I was doing research at King’ College London, the following applied: Tom does not hold any grants or have any consultancies with companies involved in the production or marketing of sugar-sweetened drinks. In reference to previous funding to Tom’s institution: £4.5 million was donated to King’s College London by Tate & Lyle in 2006; this funding finished in 2011. This money was given to the College and was in recognition of the discovery of the artificial sweetener sucralose by Prof Hough at the Queen Elizabeth College (QEC), which merged with King’s College London. The Tate & Lyle grant paid for the Clinical Research Centre at St Thomas’ that is run by the Guy’s & St Thomas’ Trust, it was not used to fund research on sugar. Tate & Lyle sold their sugar interests to American Sugar so the brand Tate & Lyle still exists but it is no longer linked to the company Tate & Lyle PLC, which gave the money to King’s College London in 2006.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Comer, Burlison Investigate Biden-Era Abuses of Endangered Species Act and Impact on Energy Costs

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Burlison (R-Missouri 7th District)

WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) are examining the Biden Administration’s abuse of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and its impact on energy costs. In a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) Acting Assistant Administrator Emily Menashes, the lawmakers request a briefing on the agency’s compliance with President Trump’s National Energy Emergency declaration as part of the Committee’s larger investigation into the Biden Administration’s detrimental energy policies.

“The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires NOAA Fisheries to consult the Secretary of Commerce on whether a species should be listed as endangered or otherwise. Environmentalist groups abused the ESA and regulations promulgated under its authority by filing a litany of lawsuits to create regulatory delays on infrastructure projects they oppose and to influence NOAA Fisheries’ decisions,” wrote the lawmakers. “Under the Biden Administration, NOAA Fisheries tailored ESA policies to conform with these groups’ demands.”

The Biden Administration raised the bar for delisting a species from endangered status and sought to designate more habitats as critical habitats, even when endangered species living in those habitats are no longer found in those locations. By doing so, the Biden Administration prioritized the interests of environmental groups over the needs of local communities. The environmental groups exploited the ESA to stifle development and delay necessary energy infrastructure projects. In some cases, the actions of a few radical environmentalists have resulted in tens of millions of dollars in costs that must be borne by local communities. In other cases, environmental groups have used the ESA to delay oil leases in the Gulf of America, drastically curtail the amount of water available to farmers in Agriculture, and trample on the rights of ranchers across the west. To end this abuse, President Trump is prioritizing American energy independence and demanding reform of the ESA.

“President Trump’s National Energy Emergency declaration mandates the ESA Committee convene and identify ‘obstacles to domestic energy infrastructure specifically when deriving from implementation of the ESA’ or other relevant laws. ESA Committee members will propose regulatory reforms, consider species listings, and improve the interagency consultation process,” continued the lawmakers. “Importantly, this process is intended to give impacted states and local communities a voice in deciding whether a federal action is in the interest of the public and its national or regional significance. To help inform the Committee’s understanding of NOAA Fisheries role in addressing energy costs, we request a staff-level briefing regarding efforts to comply with President Trump’s declaration of a National Energy Emergency as soon as possible.”

Read the letter to NOAA Fisheries here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: LaLota to House GOP Leadership: Be Responsible and Compassionate When Reforming Medicaid

Source: US Representative Nick LaLota (NY-01)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), joined fellow House Republicans in sending a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie, reaffirming their strong support for Medicaid, urging Republican leadership to protect coverage for vulnerable Americans and reiterating a vote of opposition to any GOP bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.

The letter, signed by Republican lawmakers from districts with high Medicaid reliance, underscores the importance of maintaining care for children, seniors, pregnant women, and individuals with disabilities while calling for responsible reforms that improve transparency and efficiency and warning that any cuts to Medicaid could have devastating impacts on hospitals and safety-net providers, particularly in rural and underserved areas where many facilities rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements.

“Medicaid is a vital safety net that provides health care to millions of low-income Americans, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. I’m committed to responsible, compassionate reforms that protect the program for those who truly need it,” said LaLota. “That’s why I joined my colleagues in calling on House GOP leadership to protect Medicaid coverage while pursuing common-sense reforms. These include work requirements for able-bodied adults, limiting benefits to legal residents, and increasing eligibility checks from every 12 months to every 6 months to help prevent fraud and abuse.”

To read the full text of the letter, click HERE.

Background:

Rep. LaLota has a strong track record in voting to defend and support Medicaid.

In February 2025, LaLota voted for a budget reconciliation which is a foundational measure laying the groundwork for stronger Medicaid and protection of vital programs.

In August 2024, Lalota led a bipartisan bill to prevent Medicaid cuts to New York Hospitals. The bill was supported by America’s Essential Hospitals, the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), the Suburban Hospital Alliance of NYS, the Alliance of Safety-Net Hospitals, Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, and the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA).

MIL OSI USA News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Pelosi Joins Congressional Democrats in Fighting Back Against Trump’s Attacks on the FTC and Independent Agencies

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

San Francisco — Yesterday, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi joined Senate and House Democrats in filing an amicus brief opposing President Donald Trump’s unlawful attempt to fire members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). FTC Commissioners Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya are duly appointed, Senate-confirmed Commissioners at an independent federal agency created by Congress. Trump’s illegal attempts to terminate them threaten the integrity of independent federal agencies and the FTC’s ability to enforce civil antitrust law and protect the public from fraudsters and monopolists.

The brief was led in the Senate by Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee Ranking Member Cory Booker (NJ), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), Judiciary Ranking Member Dick Durbin (IL), Commerce Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (WA), Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA), and Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN). Co-Chairs of the House Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse (CO-02), in conjunction with Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), and Antitrust Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler (NY-12) are leading the brief in the House of Representatives. 251 Congressional Democrats signed the amicus brief.

In Slaughter v. Trump, a case filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the unlawful attempted firings of FTC Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya, the congressional amicus brief argues:

1. The Supreme Court’s 1935 decision in Humphrey’s Executor makes clear that Congress has the power to create independent multimember agencies like the FTC and provide removal protections for FTC Commissioners;

2. Throughout our nation’s history, Congress has created independent agencies with multimember boards or commissions whose members enjoy removal protections, like the Commissioners of the FTC, and this established practice has been consistently upheld by the Supreme Court; and

3. Constitutional text and history support Congress’ constitutional authority to temper the President’s exercise of removal.

The full brief is available here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Government processes 220 assessments for IPPs applications

Source: South Africa News Agency

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has finalised the processing of 220 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) applications for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the past nine months.

“The expedited processing of EIA applications for IPPs showcases our dedication to fostering sustainable development while supporting the growth of renewable energy infrastructure. These efforts align with Priority 3 of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework, ensuring spatial integration and economic transformation through efficient environmental governance,” Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, said on Wednesday.

These applications were done from June 2024 to March 2025 and include 34 Normal Basic Assessment Reports (BARs), 89 BARs within Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZ) or Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIPs), 88 Normal Scoping and EIA processes, and nine Scoping and EIA processes for SIPs.

“This achievement reflects the department’s commitment to balancing environmental responsibility with the urgent need for energy security and sustainable economic growth.

“Notably, the department achieved a 99% efficiency rate in processing energy-related applications within the committed 57-day timeframe for REDZ and SIP projects, with only one decision falling outside this period but still within the legislated timeframe,” George said.

The Minister highlighted that this efficiency builds on the department’s performance in the prior year (March 2023–March 2024), where an 83% efficiency rate was recorded for the 57-day commitment, and a 100% achievement was registered in April and May 2024.

“These results demonstrate significant improvements in streamlining regulatory processes, particularly for renewable energy projects, which are critical to South Africa’s transition to a low-carbon economy,” he said.

The Minister commended the department’s rigorous adherence to legislated timeframes—107 days for normal applications and 57 days for REDZ and SIP projects—while maintaining robust environmental oversight.

This milestone reinforces South Africa’s commitment to combating climate change, promoting green job creation, and securing a sustainable energy future for all. – SAnews.gov.za

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MIL OSI Africa –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why were people so drawn to phrenology?

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Fenneke Sysling, Assistant Professor in History of Science, Medicine and Colonialism, Leiden University

B.erne/Shutterstock

It’s hard to imagine now, but people once believed that the bumps on your head could reveal your personality. For one thing, it’s so hard to locate the bumps on your head, let alone the thirty or so bumps the phrenologists said could be discerned. So why was phrenology such an attractive idea for such a long time?

Phrenology was the belief that the brain’s activity could be studied by examining the bumps on the skull, in places where the brain pushed outwards. Phrenologists claimed they could read your personality based on how big different bumps were. Initially, after German physiologist Franz Joseph Gall developed the new doctrine around 1800, it was a subject of serious scientific debate. But it was soon labelled quackery by the academic elite.

But that wasn’t the end of phrenology. In fact, it became more popular in the 19th century, thanks to physician Johann Gaspar Spurzheim who wrote books and gave public lectures in Britain and France – focusing less on skulls and brains, and more on reading the living people. It remained a popular pastime for more than a century, mainly in English-speaking parts of the world but also outside it, for example in China.

Front page of the American Phrenological Journal and Science of Health, 1880.
AKaiser/Shutterstock

Part of the appeal of phrenology was that it gave people a vocabulary to understand themselves and others. With urbanisation and a growing middle class, outside rigid class and religious structures, people were curious about new ways to categorise humankind. In the city, you wouldn’t necessarily know everyone nearby or even your neighbours, so your place in society was less determined.

This may have led to more freedom but also to insecurity about what your and everyone else’s place was. Phrenology was a new way of classifying others. But it was not only meant to study others, it was also a way to know yourself, just like diary writing which also gained popularity in this period. With the help of phrenology, people could now see themselves as having an individual self, reflected in the shape of their head.

Those interested could go to a lecture or read a book about phrenology or – if you lived in New York – visit the Phrenological Cabinet, a display of skulls, busts and portraits. If you really wanted to learn something about yourself, you asked a phrenologist for an examination. In the US this would cost you about half a dollar, (US$20 dollars (£15) today). Many popular phrenologists in the UK and the US offered readings. They were often itinerant, setting up shop in hotel rooms or at Brighton Pier in southern England.

After a reading, clients sometimes received a written assessment, but more usually
received a cheaper standardised chart that detailed their characteristics. On it, they received a score for typical phrenological characteristics such as adhesiveness (or friendship), spirituality, benevolence and time (the ability to judge the lapse of time, “essential for musicians”).

The score was based on the phrenologist’s approach. They tended to gauge the size of the bumps in relative size, compared to your other bumps and to other people’s bumps. They claimed that this was a scientific approach, but it gave phrenologists a great deal of freedom in interpretation.

And – surprise surprise – my analysis of about 160 charts between 1840 and 1940 showed that every single person who received a chart scored above average in most if not all traits.

The positive results partly explain the appeal of a visit to the phrenologist. Another explanation, writes history professor Michael Sokal, is the Barnum effect. This is the tendency of people to rate descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored for them as accurate. In fact, they are often so vague and general that they would apply to almost all people.

Many people, for example, would agree with the suggestion that they are of above-average intelligence but also experience anxiety and self-doubt sometimes. And, indeed, in my collections of phrenological charts, the trait that on average gets the lowest score was “self-esteem”. If only you work a bit on your self-esteem, is the implicit message, you can be an even better version of yourself.

Phrenologists were often deterministic when they judged criminals or non-white
people, based on the skulls or busts they had of people from these categories. Their irregular features or skull shapes apparently condemned them to a life in prison or in slavery.

But they took a different approach to the middle-class visitors of their offices. The character trait of “destructiveness”, for example, was seen the trait of a murderer, but for a middle-class individual was usually explained as energy for overcoming difficulties.

According to phrenologists, everyone could play a role in their destiny and people could use their self-knowledge for improvement. Taking time to reflect on the relationship between cause and effect, for example, could slowly increase the size of your “causality” bump, phrenologists said.

According to early 20th-century phrenologist Stephen Tracht, it took three weeks for a child, three years for a young man, and more once you were 45 or 50, to develop a specific part of the brain.

These practices show how in phrenology self-knowledge and self-improvement came to be seen as two sides of the same coin. And while not everyone will have accepted their phrenological assessment as an absolute truth and customers often took only the information from it that they liked, phrenology did become part of people’s vocabulary, and with it the message that with the right tools, they could become a better version of themselves.

Fenneke Sysling received funding from the Dutch Research Council

– ref. Why were people so drawn to phrenology? – https://theconversation.com/why-were-people-so-drawn-to-phrenology-246646

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Alsobrooks Leads Maryland Democratic Delegation in Pushing Sec. Kennedy for Answers on Disastrous Mass Layoffs
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Ivey – Maryland (4th District)

CONTACT

Connor Lounsbury

connor_lounsbury@alsobrooks.senate.gov

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Angela Alsobrooks led the Maryland Democratic Delegation – U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representatives Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, April McClain Delaney, and Johnny Olszewski (all D-Md.) in expressing outrage and demanding answers regarding the mass terminations of civil servants at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Senator Alsobrooks and her colleagues questioned the extent of the devastation and consequential impacts these mass layoffs will have on the state and country.

“This reckless reduction in force and Department reorganization comes at a time when measles is spreading in communities across the country, avian flu is proliferating throughout our livestock populations, families are experiencing a childcare availability and affordability crisis, and cities across the country are still reeling from opioid and fentanyl overdoses. Instead of showing leadership on these concurrent emergencies and fulfilling the Department’s mission, this Administration has crippled the very teams and entire divisions that combat public health challenges, prevent disparities, and ensure that our families and children are safe,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Maryland has already been hard hit by attacks to NIH research…This medical research funds new life-saving cures for Maryland patients – from our newborns to our seniors, from children battling rare cancers to our servicemembers injured in battle. It funds thousands of Maryland jobs, and to arbitrarily cut it threatens Maryland’s health, safety, and economy. Slashing research funding will ultimately harm patients and even cost lives,” continued the lawmakers.

The lawmakers are requesting Secretary Kennedy meet with them to answer these questions by May 1, 2025.

You can read the full letter to Secretary Kennedy here or below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

We write with shared concerns regarding the plan you announced on March 27, 2025, to begin yet another extensive round of mass terminations of civil servants at the Department of Health and Human Services (Department or HHS), along with an irrational and dangerous reorganization of the staff and operating divisions of the Department. In the weeks since that announcement, thousands of HHS employees have been summarily fired, wreaking havoc and chaos on our public health system. These actions are having a devastating and disproportionate impact on our state of Maryland. We demand a full and comprehensive analysis on what these cuts will mean for access to care, critical services, and lifesaving research in the state. We also demand an in-person meeting with you to discuss these concerns and the impact of the Department’s actions on our constituents. According to the announcement, cuts would include at least 3,500 full-time employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2,400 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,200 employees at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and 300 employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

According to the Maryland Department of Labor, preliminary data shows at least 2,755 jobs were cut in 11 federal offices located across the state, with an impact rippling across multiple counties.

This reckless reduction in force and Department reorganization comes at a time when measles is spreading in communities across the country, avian flu is proliferating throughout our livestock populations, families are experiencing a childcare availability and affordability crisis, and cities across the country are still reeling from opioid and fentanyl overdoses. Instead of showing leadership on these concurrent emergencies and fulfilling the Department’s mission, this Administration has crippled the very teams and entire divisions that combat public health challenges, prevent disparities, and ensure that our families and children are safe.

The latest reductions are part of a multipronged attack on our state, as the Department has abruptly terminated billions in critical public health grants, including $200 million to Maryland that would go towards vaccination programs, disease surveillance, and alleviating health disparities. The critical services the Department is responsible for were already threatened from the Administration’s initial haphazard firings of probationary employees by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk’s Fork in the Road policy, which forced thousands of Department staff to resign or retire early. Now, the Administration is further decimating the teams of civil servants that work to make Americans healthy and safe every day.

As you well know, the FDA, NIH, CMS, and multiple other HHS agencies are headquartered in Maryland, and these cuts pose a direct threat to our constituents, Maryland’s economy, and all Americans.

At the FDA, headquartered in White Oak, the Administration has annihilated the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research – which the Maryland medical device and pharmaceutical industries rely on for the safe and timely approval of their products or therapeutics for patients. The Administration has also attacked the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products – which plays a critical role in prevention and harm reduction for Maryland youth. The FDA communications team that writes alerts about contaminated drugs and warnings to emergency room doctors about emerging threats was also terminated — which will have dire consequences for patient care. Across the FDA, thousands of Maryland based staffers that help to keep our food and health systems safe have been summarily dismissed, by an Administration only purporting to want to “Make America Healthy Again.”

At the NIH, based in Bethesda, this Administration has compounded its efforts to undermine the excellence of our crown jewel of scientific and medical research, with yet another round of terminations. This Administration has decimated NIH Institutes by firing leadership and critical staff to the point of non-functionality, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Maryland has already been hard hit by attacks to NIH research. In February, the NIH unveiled a new indirect cost rate guidance that would cap indirect cost rates that Maryland researchers rely on to sustain their groundbreaking, life-saving research, studies, and patient clinical trials. It also arbitrarily froze or terminated research grants in the state and has delayed the review of NIH grant applications. This medical research funds new life-saving cures for Maryland patients – from our newborns to our seniors, from children battling rare cancers to our servicemembers injured in battle. It funds thousands of Maryland jobs, and to arbitrarily cut it threatens Maryland’s health, safety, and economy. Slashing research funding will ultimately harm patients and even cost lives.

Attacks to the NIH are only the beginning of cuts to our health research infrastructure. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), based in Rockville, is critical for tracking data on healthcare outcomes and conducting research to improve the safety of patient care has been taken apart by DOGE. The Administration plans to merge AHRQ with another operating division at the Department and gut its budget, all while firing half of its employees.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), based in Rockville, has already faced hundreds of layoffs. The Department dismissed 10 percent of SAMHSA’s workforce during the first rounds of firings, and the Administration plans to further reduce the agency by up to 50 percent. While Maryland has made significant progress in preventing and reducing opioid overdose-related deaths, Baltimore City still has a death rate nearly double that of any other large city in the country. Now, the Administration is pulling the rug from underneath our state and the dozens of community-based organizations on the ground that rely on SAMHSA for training, resources, and technical assistance that helps with opioid use disorder prevention and treatment services.

CMS, based in Woodlawn, faced hundreds of cuts to staff, including the elimination of the Office for Minority Health and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, which respectively helps address health disparities across the country and resolves discrimination complaints. Employees at CMS’ Innovation Center (CMMI) were fired and a third of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination office, which helps serve the over 160,000 Marylanders that are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid were let go. CMS is responsible for overseeing coverage for over 160 million Americans through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace. This includes 1.6 million Marylanders who rely on Medicaid and CHIP for lifesaving health coverage. Any attack on CMS represents a threat to Marylanders’ and the nation’s access to care.

At the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), headquartered in Rockville, 500- 600 civil servants were fired, compromising HRSA’s mission to improve care for vulnerable and low-income communities. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau was wiped out by staffing cuts, crippling efforts to combat the maternal mortality crisis. Maryland women’s health disparities, including maternal morbidity, remain higher than national averages, and will only be exacerbated by this action. DOGE has also reportedly fired 40 percent of the Bureau of Primary Health Care, which oversees the Health Center Program that provides high quality, accessible primary and preventive medical, behavioral and dental services to all people, regardless of income or insurance status. Maryland’s sixteen Federally Qualified Health Centers deliver comprehensive primary healthcare to more than 360,000 patients across Maryland. That access to care in our state are at risk without civil servants to effectively run the program.

The Indian Health Service (IHS), which is also headquartered in Rockville, was not mentioned in initial reporting regarding the HHS reorganization or reduction in force. In fact, longtime civil servants in the Senior Executive Service (SES) have reported that their duty stations have been reassigned to remote IHS locations ranging from Alaska to South Dakota. While these locations suffer from high vacancy rates, the Department is pushing staff that do not have the qualifications or background for available IHS roles into an ultimatum: relocate your family across the country for a job that does not actually exist, or leave the Department.

Additionally, the Department fired approximately 500 staffers at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the April 1 wave of terminations, paralyzing the Department’s ability to effectively operate its human services programs. As you know, most program and support staff were eliminated in five regional offices around the country. While ACF’s Region 3 Office – which serves Maryland – remains open for now, staff in Region 3 will likely have to absorb the work and caseload of now shuttered Regions 1, 2,5, 9 and 10. This will put an untenable strain on their ability to support states like Maryland in operating child support, family assistance and child welfare programs, and providers operating Head Start and child care programs.

This is in addition to the nearly two hundred probationary ACF employees who have been on administrative leave since mid-February, and because of this Administration, are still unable to 3 provide states like Maryland with the technical assistance needed to operate critical programs, increasing the financial burden on already-struggling households. Head Start serves seven thousand children in Maryland. Thousands more families rely on the availability of affordable, quality childcare in the state – availability which is endangered when the civil servants that help providers adapt to workforce challenges or monitor for abuse and neglect in our state’s facilities are shamefully fired or prevented from doing their jobs.

Also at ACF, the Department terminated the entire Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) staff, threatening the timely disbursement of millions of dollars to states like Maryland, to help thousands of our constituents stay safe in the coming summer months. More than 18% of Maryland households are energy burdened; the Maryland Office of Home Energy Programs received a record number of energy assistance applications last year. Likewise, the Department eliminated the Office of Family Assistance – undermining the ability for the nearly 28,000 Maryland families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to receive critical support without interruption.

Both the dismantling of the Administration for Community Living and the slashing of reportedly half of the staff that work on federal aging and disability programs at the Department will cause real harm to programs in Maryland that support some of our state’s most vulnerable communities – seniors and individuals with disabilities. This includes programs that prevent elder abuse, connect seniors with nutritious meals, and provide supports to caregivers – like the Maryland Caregiver Navigation Grant.

Perhaps most galling, is that you have admitted that many of these firings at the Department are in error, telling reporters “We’re going to do 80% cuts, but 20% of those are going to have to be reinstated, because we’ll make mistakes.” Further reporting found that HHS has no intention of actually reinstating a significant number of the staffers that have been fired or rectifying the mistakes it has made – calling into question your control of the situation and understanding of the Department’s reorganization. As the Secretary, you are ultimately responsible for answering for both these “mistakes” and any harm that comes from your destruction of our public health workforce and infrastructure.

As such, we request an in-person meeting with you no later than May 1, 2025, to discuss these concerns. We also request comprehensive answers to the following questions, including details on the reductions at the Department to date, and your plans for additional workforce reductions and reorganization.

1. For each of the below agencies, please specify since January 20, how many Maryland residents: received a RIF notice or were terminated on the basis of their probationary status? Please also specify how many more Maryland residents the agency intends to respectively terminate:
- SAMHSA
- FDA
- NIH
- CDC
- CMS
- IHS
- HRSA ‘
- ACF
- ACL
- AHRQ
2. For each of the below agencies, please specify since January 20, how many Maryland residents are currently on administrative leave pending termination:
- SAMHSA
- FDA
- NIH
- CDC
- CMS
- IHS
- HRSA
- ACF
- ACL
- AHRQ
3. For each of the below agencies, please specify the number of Maryland residents who participated in the Deferred Resignation Program:
- SAMHSA
- FDA
- NIH
- CDC
- CMS
- IHS
- HRSA
- ACF
- ACL
- AHRQ
4. Please describe the reduction in force plans at the IHS headquarters and at IHS locations across the country.

5. Please provide a detailed description of impact analysis performed to determine the impact on cancer research as a result of NIH Reductions in Force.

6. Please provide a detailed description of impact analysis performed to determine the impact on vaccine development and research as a result of FDA Reductions in Force.

7. Please provide a detailed description of the impact analysis performed regarding reductions in staffing to ACF services and programs, including technical assistance to states and childcare providers, childcare costs and child safety, supports for survivors of violence, and the effectiveness of the TANF and LIHEAP programs.

a. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how LIHEAP staffing reductions will not lead to higher energy costs for Marylanders.

b. Please provide a detailed plan for how the Department plans to ensure that there is no delay due to case backlogs experienced by the state of Maryland or Maryland human services providers due to staff reductions at ACF?

8. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how the staffing reductions to HRSA will not impact Maryland FQHCs, or access to affordable care in Maryland communities.

9. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how the staffing reductions to CMS will not impede Marylander’s access to Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and the ACA Marketplace.

###

MIL OSI USA News –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Oilfield Company, Its Executive, and a Support Services Company Plead Guilty and Are Sentenced for Worker Safety, Clean Air Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act Violations Resulting in the Death of an Employee and His Spouse

Source: US State of North Dakota

Aghorn Operating and Kodiak Roustabout to Pay $1.4M in Criminal Fines; Aghorn VP to Serve Five Months in Prison

Aghorn Operating Inc., an oilfield company, Trent Day, an executive of Aghorn, and Kodiak Roustabout Inc., entered guilty pleas and were sentenced yesterday in relation to criminal worker safety and federal clean air and safe drinking water violations. According to court documents, Aghorn owns and operates oil wells in and near Odessa, Texas. Odessa is in the Permian basin where oil reserves are “sour,” meaning they have high hydrogen sulfide content. Hydrogen sulfide gas can be deadly at high concentrations.

The case leading to these pleas is the result of an investigation of the Oct. 26, 2019, death of Aghorn employee Jacob Dean and his wife Natalee Dean. Both were overcome by hydrogen sulfide at an Aghorn facility in Odessa.

Day agreed to plead guilty to a Clean Air Act (CAA) negligent endangerment charge and serve five months in prison. Aghorn pleaded guilty to CAA negligent endangerment and an Occupational Safety and Health Act willful violation count for the death of Jacob Dean. Kodiak pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act for falsifying oil well integrity tests. Aghorn will pay a $1 million criminal fine and Kodiak will pay a $400,000 criminal fine. These pleas were made under agreements the defendants entered into with the United States. Under the agreements, other pending charges will be dismissed. Yesterday, the court accepted the defendants’ guilty pleas and sentenced them in accordance with their plea agreements.

“Through these guilty pleas, the defendants accept responsibility for allowing hazards that should have been prevented,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “If they had done what the law requires, Jacob and Natalee might still be with us today. The Justice Department can’t stand by when employers put workers at such risk.”

“Energy production is vital, but it must be done competently and lawfully,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Operators who gravely endanger and kill others and those who lie to the government will be held accountable for their criminal conduct. EPA’s criminal investigation of these tragic deaths led to today’s plea deal.”

According to a factual statement accepted by Day and Aghorn, Jacob Dean responded to a call to check a pump at an Aghorn facility. There, he encountered deadly hydrogen sulfide gas, was overcome, and died. His wife, Natalee Dean, knew where Jacob had gone and started calling him when he did not return in a timely manner. When those calls went unanswered, Natalee drove to the facility. When Natalee arrived at the facility, she was also overcome while looking for Jacob and died.

Trent Day admitted that he should have controlled hydrogen sulfide emissions as part of his duties and that because he did not, he placed others in imminent danger of death. Aghorn admitted the same criminal negligence and to a separate charge that it willfully violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations requiring companies to implement respiratory protection programs to address hazards like those at the facility. In addition to paying a $1 million fine, the company will maintain a set of improvements it made after the tragedy during its period of probation.

The investigation also uncovered false statements by Kodiak about injection well testing related to Aghorn’s oil operations. The mechanical integrity of an injection well must be evaluated by conducting pressure tests. These tests are part of programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act to prevent leaks from those wells. Such leaks could, under some circumstances, contaminate groundwater. In its plea agreement, Kodiak admitted that it sent forms and charts to the Texas Railroad Commission, claiming they were tests for specific wells when Kodiak knew they were not actual records of tests of those wells. Kodiak, in addition to its $400,000 fine, will guarantee that at least 33 tests conducted for Aghorn wells during its year of probation are witnessed or conducted by a third party.

The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. The Justice Department and EPA would like to thank the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Railroad Commission, Ector County Environmental, and the Odessa Fire Department for their support of the investigation.

Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Costantini, Trial Attorney Mark Romley, and Assistant Section Chief Thomas T. Ballantine of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Oilfield Company, Its Executive, and a Support Services Company Plead Guilty and Are Sentenced for Worker Safety, Clean Air Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act Violations Resulting in the Death of an Employee and His Spouse

Source: United States Attorneys General 1

Aghorn Operating and Kodiak Roustabout to Pay $1.4M in Criminal Fines; Aghorn VP to Serve Five Months in Prison

Aghorn Operating Inc., an oilfield company, Trent Day, an executive of Aghorn, and Kodiak Roustabout Inc., entered guilty pleas and were sentenced yesterday in relation to criminal worker safety and federal clean air and safe drinking water violations. According to court documents, Aghorn owns and operates oil wells in and near Odessa, Texas. Odessa is in the Permian basin where oil reserves are “sour,” meaning they have high hydrogen sulfide content. Hydrogen sulfide gas can be deadly at high concentrations.

The case leading to these pleas is the result of an investigation of the Oct. 26, 2019, death of Aghorn employee Jacob Dean and his wife Natalee Dean. Both were overcome by hydrogen sulfide at an Aghorn facility in Odessa.

Day agreed to plead guilty to a Clean Air Act (CAA) negligent endangerment charge and serve five months in prison. Aghorn pleaded guilty to CAA negligent endangerment and an Occupational Safety and Health Act willful violation count for the death of Jacob Dean. Kodiak pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act for falsifying oil well integrity tests. Aghorn will pay a $1 million criminal fine and Kodiak will pay a $400,000 criminal fine. These pleas were made under agreements the defendants entered into with the United States. Under the agreements, other pending charges will be dismissed. Yesterday, the court accepted the defendants’ guilty pleas and sentenced them in accordance with their plea agreements.

“Through these guilty pleas, the defendants accept responsibility for allowing hazards that should have been prevented,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “If they had done what the law requires, Jacob and Natalee might still be with us today. The Justice Department can’t stand by when employers put workers at such risk.”

“Energy production is vital, but it must be done competently and lawfully,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Operators who gravely endanger and kill others and those who lie to the government will be held accountable for their criminal conduct. EPA’s criminal investigation of these tragic deaths led to today’s plea deal.”

According to a factual statement accepted by Day and Aghorn, Jacob Dean responded to a call to check a pump at an Aghorn facility. There, he encountered deadly hydrogen sulfide gas, was overcome, and died. His wife, Natalee Dean, knew where Jacob had gone and started calling him when he did not return in a timely manner. When those calls went unanswered, Natalee drove to the facility. When Natalee arrived at the facility, she was also overcome while looking for Jacob and died.

Trent Day admitted that he should have controlled hydrogen sulfide emissions as part of his duties and that because he did not, he placed others in imminent danger of death. Aghorn admitted the same criminal negligence and to a separate charge that it willfully violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations requiring companies to implement respiratory protection programs to address hazards like those at the facility. In addition to paying a $1 million fine, the company will maintain a set of improvements it made after the tragedy during its period of probation.

The investigation also uncovered false statements by Kodiak about injection well testing related to Aghorn’s oil operations. The mechanical integrity of an injection well must be evaluated by conducting pressure tests. These tests are part of programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act to prevent leaks from those wells. Such leaks could, under some circumstances, contaminate groundwater. In its plea agreement, Kodiak admitted that it sent forms and charts to the Texas Railroad Commission, claiming they were tests for specific wells when Kodiak knew they were not actual records of tests of those wells. Kodiak, in addition to its $400,000 fine, will guarantee that at least 33 tests conducted for Aghorn wells during its year of probation are witnessed or conducted by a third party.

The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. The Justice Department and EPA would like to thank the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Railroad Commission, Ector County Environmental, and the Odessa Fire Department for their support of the investigation.

Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Costantini, Trial Attorney Mark Romley, and Assistant Section Chief Thomas T. Ballantine of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Supporting Innovative Electric Grid Technologies
Source: US State of New York

overnor Kathy Hochul today announced $12 million is now available to support innovative technologies in New York that help to improve the efficiency of delivering clean energy to the state’s electric grid. Today’s announcement will accelerate the development of new and emerging electric grid solutions that enhance grid performance, improve grid reliability and make it easier to integrate renewable sources of energy like wind and solar into the grid.

“New York is making grid modernization a priority, and continues to advance the latest technologies that can help to meet the growing energy needs of the state,” Governor Hochul said. “This investment will bring forward new solutions that strengthen the resiliency and reliability of our energy system while helping ensure New Yorkers continue to have clean electricity when they need it most.”

The Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), seeks eligible proposers for product development projects, demonstration projects or research studies that will help to enable a high-performing electric grid and have the potential to transform the delivery of clean, renewable energy resources. The maximum funding amount is $3 million per product development or demonstration project and $400,000 per study. Proposals submitted must demonstrate a clear action plan to drive adoption readiness toward commercial deployment and proactively address market risks and uncertainties. Proposals must also reflect cost share requirements outlined in the solicitation, including 50 percent for product development and demonstrations and 25 percent for studies.

NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Ensuring New Yorkers can increasingly rely on renewable energy as part of an expanding electric grid requires us to develop new, innovative ways to transfer electricity to homes and businesses. With this funding, we will continue to foster public-private partnerships that drive toward the adoption of cutting-edge products and solutions that are essential to building a smarter, higher-performing electric grid.”

Proposals should address one or more of the following areas:
- Transmission Utilization Improvements
  - Advanced Conductors
  - Modern Infrastructure
- Inverter Based Resource Integration
  - Stability
  - Protection Systems
  - Planning
- Operational Situational Awareness
  - Tools for Operator Decision Making
  - Assessing Reliability
  - Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning for Data Analytics
  - Improved Maintenance methods
Proposals are due on July 15, 2025, by 3:00 p.m. ET. For more information on this funding opportunity please visit NYSERDA’s website.

Department of Public Service CEO Rory M. Christian said, “Kudos to Governor Hochul and the NYSERDA team for funding public-private partnerships that spur the creation and adoption of cutting-edge technology that is needed to create a more efficient electric grid.”

This program has been developed in partnership with the Joint Utilities of New York members Con Edison, Central Hudson Gas & Electric, National Grid, New York State Electric and Gas, Rochester Gas & Electric, and Orange & Rockland and the Advanced Technology Working Group to accommodate the State’s integration of renewable energy sources and understand their impact on the transmission and distribution systems which serve over 13 million households, businesses, and government facilities across the state.

Today’s announcement builds on the success of previous rounds issued under the program, formerly known as Future Grid Challenge, which is part of NYSERDA’s successful Grid Modernization program. Since 2016, NYSERDA has awarded approximately $65 million to over 110 grid technology companies and research organizations through the program for projects that improve low-cost high-accuracy grid sensors, modeling and simulation tools, and advanced engineering solutions.

New York State’s investments in research, development, and commercialization support innovators accelerating the clean energy transition. NYSERDA’s Innovation and Research program is deploying approximately $1.2 billion over 15 years as direct research investments and commercialization support. To date, more than $800 million in investments have supported more than 700 companies and made nearly 300 products commercially available to individuals, businesses, and utilities.

Funding for this initiative is through the Clean Energy Fund (CEF).

New York State’s Climate Agenda
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

MIL OSI USA News –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Mfume Joins Maryland Democratic Delegation in Pushing Sec. Kennedy for Answers on Disastrous Mass Layoffs
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Kweisi Mfume joined the Maryland Democratic Delegation – U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Angela Alsobrooks and Representatives Steny Hoyer, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, April McClain Delaney, and Johnny Olszewski (all D-Md.) – in expressing outrage and demanding answers regarding the mass terminations of civil servants at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Senator Alsobrooks led this letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., where the lawmakers questioned the extent of the devastation and consequential impacts these mass layoffs will have on the state and country.

“This reckless reduction in force and Department reorganization comes at a time when measles is spreading in communities across the country, avian flu is proliferating throughout our livestock populations, families are experiencing a childcare availability and affordability crisis, and cities across the country are still reeling from opioid and fentanyl overdoses. Instead of showing leadership on these concurrent emergencies and fulfilling the Department’s mission, this Administration has crippled the very teams and entire divisions that combat public health challenges, prevent disparities, and ensure that our families and children are safe,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Maryland has already been hard hit by attacks to NIH research…This medical research funds new life-saving cures for Maryland patients – from our newborns to our seniors, from children battling rare cancers to our servicemembers injured in battle. It funds thousands of Maryland jobs, and to arbitrarily cut it threatens Maryland’s health, safety, and economy. Slashing research funding will ultimately harm patients and even cost lives,” continued the lawmakers.

The lawmakers are requesting Secretary Kennedy meet with them to answer these questions by May 1, 2025.

You can read the full letter to Secretary Kennedy here or below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

We write with shared concerns regarding the plan you announced on March 27, 2025, to begin yet another extensive round of mass terminations of civil servants at the Department of Health and Human Services (Department or HHS), along with an irrational and dangerous reorganization of the staff and operating divisions of the Department. In the weeks since that announcement, thousands of HHS employees have been summarily fired, wreaking havoc and chaos on our public health system. These actions are having a devastating and disproportionate impact on our state of Maryland. We demand a full and comprehensive analysis on what these cuts will mean for access to care, critical services, and lifesaving research in the state. We also demand an in-person meeting with you to discuss these concerns and the impact of the Department’s actions on our constituents. According to the announcement, cuts would include at least 3,500 full-time employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2,400 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,200 employees at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and 300 employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

According to the Maryland Department of Labor, preliminary data shows at least 2,755 jobs were cut in 11 federal offices located across the state, with an impact rippling across multiple counties.

This reckless reduction in force and Department reorganization comes at a time when measles is spreading in communities across the country, avian flu is proliferating throughout our livestock populations, families are experiencing a childcare availability and affordability crisis, and cities across the country are still reeling from opioid and fentanyl overdoses. Instead of showing leadership on these concurrent emergencies and fulfilling the Department’s mission, this Administration has crippled the very teams and entire divisions that combat public health challenges, prevent disparities, and ensure that our families and children are safe.

The latest reductions are part of a multipronged attack on our state, as the Department has abruptly terminated billions in critical public health grants, including $200 million to Maryland that would go towards vaccination programs, disease surveillance, and alleviating health disparities. The critical services the Department is responsible for were already threatened from the Administration’s initial haphazard firings of probationary employees by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk’s Fork in the Road policy, which forced thousands of Department staff to resign or retire early. Now, the Administration is further decimating the teams of civil servants that work to make Americans healthy and safe every day.

As you well know, the FDA, NIH, CMS, and multiple other HHS agencies are headquartered in Maryland, and these cuts pose a direct threat to our constituents, Maryland’s economy, and all Americans.

At the FDA, headquartered in White Oak, the Administration has annihilated the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research – which the Maryland medical device and pharmaceutical industries rely on for the safe and timely approval of their products or therapeutics for patients. The Administration has also attacked the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products – which plays a critical role in prevention and harm reduction for Maryland youth. The FDA communications team that writes alerts about contaminated drugs and warnings to emergency room doctors about emerging threats was also terminated — which will have dire consequences for patient care. Across the FDA, thousands of Maryland based staffers that help to keep our food and health systems safe have been summarily dismissed, by an Administration only purporting to want to “Make America Healthy Again.”

At the NIH, based in Bethesda, this Administration has compounded its efforts to undermine the excellence of our crown jewel of scientific and medical research, with yet another round of terminations. This Administration has decimated NIH Institutes by firing leadership and critical staff to the point of non-functionality, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Maryland has already been hard hit by attacks to NIH research. In February, the NIH unveiled a new indirect cost rate guidance that would cap indirect cost rates that Maryland researchers rely on to sustain their groundbreaking, life-saving research, studies, and patient clinical trials. It also arbitrarily froze or terminated research grants in the state and has delayed the review of NIH grant applications. This medical research funds new life-saving cures for Maryland patients – from our newborns to our seniors, from children battling rare cancers to our servicemembers injured in battle. It funds thousands of Maryland jobs, and to arbitrarily cut it threatens Maryland’s health, safety, and economy. Slashing research funding will ultimately harm patients and even cost lives.

Attacks to the NIH are only the beginning of cuts to our health research infrastructure. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), based in Rockville, is critical for tracking data on healthcare outcomes and conducting research to improve the safety of patient care has been taken apart by DOGE. The Administration plans to merge AHRQ with another operating division at the Department and gut its budget, all while firing half of its employees.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), based in Rockville, has already faced hundreds of layoffs. The Department dismissed 10 percent of SAMHSA’s workforce during the first rounds of firings, and the Administration plans to further reduce the agency by up to 50 percent. While Maryland has made significant progress in preventing and reducing opioid overdose-related deaths, Baltimore City still has a death rate nearly double that of any other large city in the country. Now, the Administration is pulling the rug from underneath our state and the dozens of community-based organizations on the ground that rely on SAMHSA for training, resources, and technical assistance that helps with opioid use disorder prevention and treatment services.

CMS, based in Woodlawn, faced hundreds of cuts to staff, including the elimination of the Office for Minority Health and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, which respectively helps address health disparities across the country and resolves discrimination complaints. Employees at CMS’ Innovation Center (CMMI) were fired and a third of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination office, which helps serve the over 160,000 Marylanders that are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid were let go. CMS is responsible for overseeing coverage for over 160 million Americans through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace. This includes 1.6 million Marylanders who rely on Medicaid and CHIP for lifesaving health coverage. Any attack on CMS represents a threat to Marylanders’ and the nation’s access to care.

At the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), headquartered in Rockville, 500- 600 civil servants were fired, compromising HRSA’s mission to improve care for vulnerable and low-income communities. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau was wiped out by staffing cuts, crippling efforts to combat the maternal mortality crisis. Maryland women’s health disparities, including maternal morbidity, remain higher than national averages, and will only be exacerbated by this action. DOGE has also reportedly fired 40 percent of the Bureau of Primary Health Care, which oversees the Health Center Program that provides high quality, accessible primary and preventive medical, behavioral and dental services to all people, regardless of income or insurance status. Maryland’s sixteen Federally Qualified Health Centers deliver comprehensive primary healthcare to more than 360,000 patients across Maryland. That access to care in our state are at risk without civil servants to effectively run the program.

The Indian Health Service (IHS), which is also headquartered in Rockville, was not mentioned in initial reporting regarding the HHS reorganization or reduction in force. In fact, longtime civil servants in the Senior Executive Service (SES) have reported that their duty stations have been reassigned to remote IHS locations ranging from Alaska to South Dakota. While these locations suffer from high vacancy rates, the Department is pushing staff that do not have the qualifications or background for available IHS roles into an ultimatum: relocate your family across the country for a job that does not actually exist, or leave the Department.

Additionally, the Department fired approximately 500 staffers at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the April 1 wave of terminations, paralyzing the Department’s ability to effectively operate its human services programs. As you know, most program and support staff were eliminated in five regional offices around the country. While ACF’s Region 3 Office – which serves Maryland – remains open for now, staff in Region 3 will likely have to absorb the work and caseload of now shuttered Regions 1, 2,5, 9 and 10. This will put an untenable strain on their ability to support states like Maryland in operating child support, family assistance and child welfare programs, and providers operating Head Start and child care programs.

This is in addition to the nearly two hundred probationary ACF employees who have been on administrative leave since mid-February, and because of this Administration, are still unable to 3 provide states like Maryland with the technical assistance needed to operate critical programs, increasing the financial burden on already-struggling households. Head Start serves seven thousand children in Maryland. Thousands more families rely on the availability of affordable, quality childcare in the state – availability which is endangered when the civil servants that help providers adapt to workforce challenges or monitor for abuse and neglect in our state’s facilities are shamefully fired or prevented from doing their jobs.

Also at ACF, the Department terminated the entire Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) staff, threatening the timely disbursement of millions of dollars to states like Maryland, to help thousands of our constituents stay safe in the coming summer months. More than 18% of Maryland households are energy burdened; the Maryland Office of Home Energy Programs received a record number of energy assistance applications last year. Likewise, the Department eliminated the Office of Family Assistance – undermining the ability for the nearly 28,000 Maryland families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to receive critical support without interruption.

Both the dismantling of the Administration for Community Living and the slashing of reportedly half of the staff that work on federal aging and disability programs at the Department will cause real harm to programs in Maryland that support some of our state’s most vulnerable communities – seniors and individuals with disabilities. This includes programs that prevent elder abuse, connect seniors with nutritious meals, and provide supports to caregivers – like the Maryland Caregiver Navigation Grant.

Perhaps most galling, is that you have admitted that many of these firings at the Department are in error, telling reporters “We’re going to do 80% cuts, but 20% of those are going to have to be reinstated, because we’ll make mistakes.” Further reporting found that HHS has no intention of actually reinstating a significant number of the staffers that have been fired or rectifying the mistakes it has made – calling into question your control of the situation and understanding of the Department’s reorganization. As the Secretary, you are ultimately responsible for answering for both these “mistakes” and any harm that comes from your destruction of our public health workforce and infrastructure.

As such, we request an in-person meeting with you no later than May 1, 2025, to discuss these concerns. We also request comprehensive answers to the following questions, including details on the reductions at the Department to date, and your plans for additional workforce reductions and reorganization.

1. For each of the below agencies, please specify since January 20, how many Maryland residents: received a RIF notice or were terminated on the basis of their probationary status? Please also specify how many more Maryland residents the agency intends to respectively terminate:
- SAMHSA
- FDA
- NIH
- CDC
- CMS
- IHS
- HRSA ‘
- ACF
- ACL
- AHRQ
2. For each of the below agencies, please specify since January 20, how many Maryland residents are currently on administrative leave pending termination:
- SAMHSA
- FDA
- NIH
- CDC
- CMS
- IHS
- HRSA
- ACF
- ACL
- AHRQ
3. For each of the below agencies, please specify the number of Maryland residents who participated in the Deferred Resignation Program:
- SAMHSA
- FDA
- NIH
- CDC
- CMS
- IHS
- HRSA
- ACF
- ACL
- AHRQ
4. Please describe the reduction in force plans at the IHS headquarters and at IHS locations across the country.

5. Please provide a detailed description of impact analysis performed to determine the impact on cancer research as a result of NIH Reductions in Force.

6. Please provide a detailed description of impact analysis performed to determine the impact on vaccine development and research as a result of FDA Reductions in Force.

7. Please provide a detailed description of the impact analysis performed regarding reductions in staffing to ACF services and programs, including technical assistance to states and childcare providers, childcare costs and child safety, supports for survivors of violence, and the effectiveness of the TANF and LIHEAP programs.

a. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how LIHEAP staffing reductions will not lead to higher energy costs for Marylanders.

b. Please provide a detailed plan for how the Department plans to ensure that there is no delay due to case backlogs experienced by the state of Maryland or Maryland human services providers due to staff reductions at ACF?

8. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how the staffing reductions to HRSA will not impact Maryland FQHCs, or access to affordable care in Maryland communities.

9. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how the staffing reductions to CMS will not impede Marylander’s access to Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and the ACA Marketplace.

###

MIL OSI USA News –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Apple surpasses 60 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions
Source: Apple

Headline: Apple surpasses 60 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions

April 16, 2025

UPDATE

Apple unveils environmental progress, surpassing 60 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions

Ahead of Earth Day, Apple hits new milestones in emissions reductions, clean energy, and recycled materials

Customers are invited to recycle devices in-store with a special offer through May 16

Apple today announced that the company has surpassed a 60 percent reduction in its global greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2015 levels, as part of its Apple 2030 goal to become carbon neutral across its entire footprint in the next five years. The company achieved several other major environmental milestones, including the use of 99 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 99 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries.¹ Apple shared this and other progress in its annual Environmental Progress Report, published today.

“We’re incredibly proud of the progress we’re making toward Apple 2030, which touches every part of our business,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “Today, we’re using more clean energy and recycled materials to make our products than ever before, we’re preserving water and preventing waste around the world, and we’re investing big in nature. As we get closer to 2030, the work gets even harder — and we’re meeting the challenge with innovation, collaboration, and urgency.”

Apple’s 2030 strategy prioritizes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent compared with its 2015 baseline year, before applying high-quality carbon credits to balance the remaining emissions. Last year, Apple’s comprehensive efforts to reduce its carbon footprint — including the continued transition of its supply chain to renewable electricity and designing products with more recycled materials — avoided an estimated 41 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

As Apple celebrates Earth Day with its teams, partners, and customers around the world, including with a special offer for users who bring in devices for recycling, here’s a look at the progress the company is making across its environmental initiatives.

Accelerating Clean Energy in Apple’s Supply Chain

There are now 17.8 gigawatts of renewable electricity online in Apple’s global supply chain, thanks to the company’s long-standing collaboration with its suppliers to transition to 100 percent renewable energy for their Apple production by 2030. The renewable energy procured by Apple suppliers avoided 21.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, an over 17 percent increase from the previous year. Additionally, suppliers avoided nearly 2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions last year by working with Apple to optimize their energy efficiency.

Driving Cleaner Semiconductor Production

In addition to transitioning suppliers to clean energy, Apple is working across its supply chain to reduce the direct climate impact of industrial processes. This includes the manufacturing of semiconductors and flat-panel displays, both of which emit highly potent fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-GHGs). Today, Apple is announcing that 26 of its direct semiconductor suppliers have committed to abate at least 90 percent of F-GHGs from their facilities with Apple-related production by 2030. Many of these facilities also serve additional customers, helping this progress ripple beyond Apple. Additionally, 100 percent of the company’s direct display suppliers have made the same pledge. In 2024, display and semiconductor suppliers abated 8.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and the new commitments will accelerate that progress in the coming years.

Expanding the Use of Recycled and Renewable Materials

Apple continues to use more recycled and renewable materials across its products, helping drive down their carbon footprint without compromising quality or performance. Earlier this year, Apple surpassed 99 percent on the way toward its 2025 goals to use 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries. Magnets are by far the most significant use of rare earth elements in Apple products overall, and Apple-designed batteries comprise over 97 percent of Apple’s total cobalt use. Apple is committed to sourcing both recycled and primary minerals responsibly, and drives high human rights and environmental standards across its supply chain.

Eliminating Millions of Metric Tons of Waste

In 2024, suppliers participating in Apple’s Zero Waste program redirected approximately 600,000 metric tons of waste from landfills, bringing the total to 3.6 million metric tons since the program’s inception in 2015. That is equivalent to eliminating 4.5 million square meters of landfill space. Apple and its suppliers are innovating to further accelerate progress, from deploying recyclable protective films and reusable trays in manufacturing to recovering valuable metals from waste liquids generated during printed circuit board manufacturing.

Innovating to Reduce Product Emissions

Apple’s environmental progress continues to show up in its products. Earlier this year, the company introduced the new MacBook Air with over 55 percent recycled content overall, the most in any Apple product. Last year, Apple introduced its first-ever carbon neutral Mac with the new Mac mini. And customers can choose a carbon neutral option of any Apple Watch in any material. Apple’s carbon neutral products are the result of innovations to significantly reduce carbon emissions across their three biggest sources — materials, electricity, and transportation — before using high-quality carbon credits from nature-based projects to balance the small amount of remaining emissions.

Saving Billions of Gallons of Water Each Year

Apple and its suppliers have saved over 90 billion gallons of fresh water since launching the Supplier Clean Water Program in 2013, which promotes water reuse, efficiency, and other initiatives at facilities around the world. The average reuse rate by participating suppliers was 42 percent last year, saving 14 billion gallons of fresh water in 2024 alone. Across Apple’s corporate operations, the company has set a target to replenish 100 percent of freshwater withdrawals in high-stress locations by 2030. Apple has now initiated long-term partnerships amounting to over 40 percent of that target. This includes support for new and ongoing replenishment projects in the U.S., India, and Africa, which together are expected to deliver nearly 9 billion gallons in water benefits over the next 20 years.

Celebrating Earth Day with Apple

To celebrate Earth Day, Apple is offering customers and users a series of ways to learn and take action to protect the planet — from helping take part in recycling important materials, to enjoying content that celebrates Earth.

Through Apple Trade In and free recycling programs available at Apple Store locations around the world, customers can bring in the Apple products they no longer use for credit or to be responsibly recycled. From now until May 16, customers can receive 10 percent off an Apple accessory when they recycle an eligible item in-store.²

On April 22, Apple Watch users can earn an Earth Day limited-edition award by completing any workout of 30 minutes or more, encouraging them to get outside and stay active. Apple Fitness+ offers thousands of workouts and meditations that can be done anytime, anywhere, including outside. On April 21, a new Time to Walk episode celebrating Earth Day will feature actress and climate advocate Shailene Woodley, and users can discover a collection of Time to Run episodes with Fitness+ trainers through Lake Tahoe; Zion National Park; Kona, Hawaii; and Yellowstone National Park, or enjoy an ocean breathing meditation with Fitness+ trainer Jessica Skye.

On the Apple TV app, customers can also enjoy movies and shows celebrating Earth in “The Future Is Up to Us,” a room that features family-friendly favorites, portraits of changemakers, and awe-inspiring Apple Originals like The Last of the Sea Women. And this Earth Day, Apple TV+ highlights the wonders of our planet through a slate of award-winning original series, specials, and shorts, including Jane, Stillwater, Earthsounds, Earth at Night in Color, Tiny World, Prehistoric Planet, The Secret Lives of Animals, Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, and many more.

Through a new Earth Day collection in the Tips app, users can learn about planet-friendly actions available on iPhone, including how to identify plants in the Photos app, customize and download Maps for a journey outdoors, save electricity at home, and more.

For additional information about Apple’s environmental efforts, visit apple.com/environment.
1. Recycled materials are certified to standards that conform to ISO 14021, and all cobalt claims use mass balance allocation.
2. Offer available to customers who recycle an eligible device and purchase a new eligible accessory in the same transaction between April 16, 2025, and May 16, 2025. Only at Apple Store locations. Additional restrictions apply. For full terms and conditions of the offer, visit apple.com/trade-in.
The information covered in this release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our goals, targets, commitments, and strategies. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. More information on risks, uncertainties, and other potential factors that could affect our business and performance is included in our filings with the SEC.

Press Contacts

Sean Redding

Apple

s_redding@apple.com

Chloe Sweet

Apple

chloe_sweet@apple.com

Apple Media Helpline

media.help@apple.com
MIL OSI Economics –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI: 2025 Louisiana Energy Conference to Be Held in New Orleans May 27 – 29, 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW ORLEANS, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 2025 Louisiana Energy Conference will be held in New Orleans Tuesday afternoon May 27 through Thursday, May 29, 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel, New Orleans, located at 2 Canal Street, at the foot of Canal Street on the Mississippi River. Conference registration is now open and hotel reservations can be secured through the event’s web site, www.LouisianaEnergyConference.com.

The Conference, hosted by Al Petrie Advisors, has been expanded again this year and will now feature a series of 36 panels and presentations that will address key domestic and international industry developments and topics. In addition to our traditional domestic and international E&P and oil services panels and presentations, we are excited to add a number of new sessions this year that will discuss: 1) the latest drilling technology; 2) how artificial intelligence is being integrated into all aspects of the energy industry; 3) how demand for power and the necessary infrastructure has increased dramatically; and 4) the impact of the new administration on energy policy and tariffs.

Executives from over 80 leading public and private exploration and production and oil field services and transition energy companies, as well as representatives from energy-related private equity firms, industry trade groups, regulatory agencies, investment banks, institutional research groups, and industry advisory and law firms will participate in the discussions.

A detailed agenda with all panels and presentations along with the individual panelists and presenters is now available on the event web site www.LouisianaEnergyConference.com and with this link: 2025 Agenda. The online agenda will be continually updated as additional participants are confirmed.

Attendance at all special events during the Conference may be limited so please register and complete your personal agenda as soon as possible. The Conference includes three networking receptions each evening May 27-29 to provide attendees maximum networking opportunities.

Confirmed investment professional attendees will be offered the opportunity to register for one-on-one meetings with companies participating on the panels.

Attendance at the Conference is directed to investment professionals including buy side and sell side analysts and portfolio managers, as well as private equity and wealth management executives, and trust officers. We also welcome energy industry management and advisors to the industry. There is no cost for investment professionals attending the Conference. The cost for all other attendees is $395 for the three-day event.

Attendees are advised to register to attend the conference and book their hotel rooms soon. While the hotel rate of $285 is guaranteed through May 9, 2025, rooms may not be available based on the current rate of guests reserving rooms.

The Conference web site www.LouisianaEnergyConference.com provides online registration, the ability to reserve hotel rooms, and full details on the event which is being hosted by Al Petrie Advisors. For additional information including sponsorship opportunities, please call (504) 799-1953 or email info@LouisianaEnergyConference.com.

201 Saint Charles Avenue Suite 2413 New Orleans, Louisiana 70170

Contact: Al Petrie (504) 799-1953

The MIL Network –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Temporary duties imposed on engine oils and hydraulic fluids
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

News story

Temporary duties imposed on engine oils and hydraulic fluids

The Government  has accepted the TRA’s recommendation to impose provisional duties on imports of engine oils and hydraulic fluids from Lithuania and the UAE.
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has today (16/04/2025) accepted the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA)’s recommendation to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of engine oils and hydraulic fluids from Lithuania and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following evidence of dumping that has caused injury to UK industry. These measures will be in effect for a period of up to six months.

A Provisional Affirmative Determination (PAD) allows temporary duties to be imposed while a full investigation is completed. 

The investigation, which was initiated in June 2024, found on a preliminary basis that UK producers were being undercut by an average of 37% of UK sales prices, causing material injury to domestic industry. The TRA’s investigation followed an application from UK manufacturer Aztec Oils Ltd. 

The investigation covers certain engine oils and hydraulic fluids, including passenger car motor oils, heavy-duty commercial vehicle oils, and hydraulic oils. 

In its Provisional Affirmative Determination, the TRA has recommended provisional duties ranging from 11.60% to 24.95% for individual participating companies and countrywide rates of 49.59% for Lithuania and 59.40% for the UAE. 

UK producers are expected to benefit from these measures by between £5 million and £55 million, depending on their ability to adjust prices in response to the duties.

The TRA will continue its full investigation while these provisional measures are in place. 

Note to editors: 

The Trade Remedies Authority is the independent UK body that investigates whether new trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices and unforeseen surges of imports.  

The TRA is an arm’s length body of the Department for Business and Trade.  

Anti-dumping duties allow a country or union to act against goods which are being sold at less than their normal value – this is defined as the price for ‘like goods’ sold in the exporter’s home market. 

The period of investigation is from 1 April 2023 to 21 March 2024.

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Published 16 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 17, 2025

INVESTOR CONTACT:	MEDIA CONTACT:
Chris Ayres (405) 935-8870 ir@expandenergy.com	Brooke Coe (405) 935-8878 media@expandenergy.com

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Temporary duties imposed on engine oils and hydraulic fluids

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