Westminster City Council’s Cabinet has agreed to appoint Altius Real Estate (‘Altius’), and its contractor partner Erith, as a delivery partner for Huguenot House – a building which is located between Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus.
Subject to a five-day call-in period, Altius will begin the design development before undertaking public consultation and then submitting a planning application.
Huguenot House is an early 1960s design with flats, offices, cinema and a car park. Options for the future of Huguenot House have been under consideration since 2017, and in March 2021, the decision was taken that the preferred option was to redevelop the building. Future plans will deliver significant improvements to residents and the wider community, providing a better environment for people to live, work and visit the area.
The principle of appointing a delivery partner was considered and agreed by Cabinet on 18 September 2023. Since November 2023, Westminster City Council has been looking for a partner that met various requirements including:
Significant experience of delivering well designed buildings with high-quality homes and facilities
Reprovision of affordable homes, the cinema and office space
Delivering wide ranging community benefits aligned to the needs of the community
Maximising local employment, training and skills
Commitments to involving the local community in the development of the design
Altius was selected as the preferred bidder as it met and exceeded all these criteria, with a project team that includes architecture studio Foster+Partners. Its proposals for Huguenot House involve new homes including a greater number of affordable homes, community assets including a garden, plus a cinema, hotel and offices.
Cllr David Boothroyd, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Finance and Council Reform, said:
“The redevelopment of Huguenot House represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform a key site in the heart of the West End.
“Altius has demonstrated a clear commitment to delivering high-quality homes, including much-needed affordable housing in our city, alongside vibrant community spaces and a reimagined public realm. This is about creating a place that works for residents, businesses, and visitors alike and we will ensure local people and existing residents remain at the heart of the process through continued engagement and consultation.”
On-site businesses, residents and leaseholders have been kept updated on plans as they have progressed and Westminster City Council is committed to continuing this engagement going forward. The Cabinet heard directly from a residents’ representative at the meeting and answered their questions.
Secure tenants and resident leaseholders have a right to return to the new development should they choose, and will be supported throughout whilst they temporarily live away from the site. The council is committed to working closely with residents and to discussing all options and entitlements, including support for costs associated with moving. Residents also have access to advice from an independent advisor.
WILMINGTON, Del., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brand Engagement Network Inc. (BEN) (NASDAQ: BNAI), a global provider of AI-powered customer engagement solutions, today announced that Janine Grasso has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer, replacing Paul Chang in this role effective immediately. She will continue serving on the Board of Directors, where she has contributed since February 2024, most recently as Chair of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Chang will remain on the Board of Directors and continue to contribute his vision and strategic guidance as BEN advances its innovation agenda and long-term growth plans.
Ms. Grasso brings over two decades of experience leading high-growth, technology-driven organizations. She served as the Head of the Global Partner Ecosystem at DocuSign through early 2025. Previously, Ms. Grasso served as Vice President of Business Development at Verizon from 2019 to 2023, where she led a newly established business development organization. Before joining Verizon, Ms. Grasso spent 20 years at IBM, most recently as Vice President of Blockchain Ecosystem, leading the IBM Blockchain Strategy and Ecosystem Organization. Ms. Grasso received her B.B.A from the Pace University Lubin School of Business.
She has deep expertise in business development, operations, as well as in mergers and acquisitions, with a strong track record of scaling emerging technologies and go-to-market platforms. Ms. Grasso is also accomplished in building high-performing teams and fostering a culture of innovation and accountability. Her leadership in enterprise AI strategy and digital transformation makes her uniquely positioned to guide BEN’s next phase of growth.
“BEN is operating from a position of strength, with world-class talent and a deep foundation in AI innovation,” said Janine Grasso. “I’m honored to help lead the company forward as we bring to market the Agentic AI platform we’ve been building over the past several years—unlocking new value for both our customers and shareholders.”
“Janine’s leadership has earned her the trust of the Board, and she has a proven ability to scale innovation and guide complex organizations,” said Walid Khiari, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of BEN. “We are pleased to have her step into this role at a time of momentum and opportunity for BEN.”
In addition to the leadership transition, BEN announced that it reduced its total liabilities by $4.25 million in the second quarter, a milestone that reflects the company’s ongoing focus on operational discipline and long-term value creation.
The company also continues to advance its pending acquisition of Cataneo, a strategic milestone expected to enhance BEN’s platform capabilities and international presence. The transaction remains on track for completion later this summer, subject to customary approvals.
About Brand Engagement Network (BEN) Brand Engagement Network Inc. (NASDAQ: BNAI) innovates in AI-powered customer engagement, delivering safe, intelligent, and scalable solutions. Its proprietary Engagement Language Model (ELM™) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture enable highly personalized interactions supported by customers’ curated data in closed-loop environments. BEN develops AI-driven engagement solutions for the life sciences, automotive, and retail industries, featuring AI-powered avatars for outbound campaigns, inbound customer service, and real-time recommendations. With a global AI research and development team, BEN provides secure cloud-based or on-premises deployments, granting complete control of the technology stack and ensuring compliance with GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and SOC 2 Type 1 standards. The company holds 21 patents, with 28 pending, demonstrating its commitment to advancing AI-driven consumer engagement. For more information, visit www.beninc.ai.
Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this communication are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws. They are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect, among other things, BEN’s current expectations, assumptions, plans, strategies, and anticipated results. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements, which are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. There are a number of risks, uncertainties and conditions that may cause BEN’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the risk factors described in Part I, Item 1A of Risk Factors in BEN’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the other risk factors identified from time to time in the BEN’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Filings with the SEC are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Many of these circumstances are beyond BEN’s ability to control or predict. These forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions on BEN’s part. These forward-looking statements may include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “could,” “would,” or similar expressions. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on BEN’s behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements that appear throughout this communication. Furthermore, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which are based on the information currently available to the Company and speak only as of the date they are made. BEN disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements.
Media Contact Amy Rouyer P: 503-367-7596 E: amy@beninc.ai
Investor Relations Susan Xu P: 778-323-0959 E: sxu@allianceadvisors.com
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
July 15, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), secured several important provisions to support our state’s residents, Servicemembers, Veterans and economy in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that SASC recently approved last week and the full Senate will now consider. Some of the priorities Duckworth secured to help Illinoisans include protecting Rock Island Arsenal from any restructuring until the Army provides more information about their proposed plans, expanding access to vital health care services for our state’s servicemembers, Veterans as well as military families and supporting research and development at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in Chicago.
“The brave Illinoisans who serve our nation in uniform at home and abroad deserve to know that our country fully supports them as they and their families sacrifice to defend our country,”?said Senator Duckworth.?“While I do not support every provision in this bipartisan compromise, I’m proud I was able to secure several important provisions to benefit our state by protecting operations at Rock Island Arsenal, protecting health care access for our military and Veteran families and supporting groundbreaking quantum computing research in Chicago. I’m glad the Armed Services Committee included these important provisions in this year’s NDAA and I hope the full Senate approves it as soon possible.”
Key Duckworth provisions secured in this year’s Committee-passed NDAA that would support Illinoisans include:
Supporting and Protecting Rock Island Arsenal Operations:
By Protecting Jobs: This provision would restrict the Secretary of the Army from using any funds allocated for restructuring until the Army provides more information about their proposed plan to integrate Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command, helping ensure operations at Rock Island Arsenal are not affected unnecessarily.
By Sustaining Workload and Industrial Base: This provision would establish a 5-year pilot program requiring DoD to give preference to public-private partnerships in arsenals, especially those non-public partners that ensure equitable workshare to DoD employees to protect critical skills. This provision would help ensure arsenals and factories, like Rock Island Arsenal, remain active and viable while preserving the skilled workforce, equipment and production capacity critical to the nation’s defense industrial base.
By Constructing a Child Development Center at Rock Island Arsenal: The bill authorizes $50 million in Major Construction funds for a new addition to the Child Development Center at Rock Island Arsenal and to consolidate the existing facilities and make upgrades to meet DoD guidelines and safety requirements, ensuring that eligible families at Rock Island Arsenal have a safe, modern facility for childcare.
By Improving Predictive Manufacturing Analytics at Army Arsenals: Language urging the continued implementation of industrial control networks across our Army’s arsenals to enable the collection, aggregation, and analysis of data associated with the manufacture and repair of equipment and supplies. This work completed by MxD, the nation’s digital manufacturing and cybersecurity institute, located in Chicago, helps ensure the efficiency and security of the critical manufacturing completed at Rock Island Arsenal and the Army’s other arsenals.?
By Expanding Robotic Enhancements for Armaments Manufacturing: Language authorizing an additional $5 million for the Secretary of the Army to expand prototyping and production capacity by integrating robotics, automation and digital manufacturing into the munitions industrial base, further modernizing production at Rock Island Arsenal with technology pioneered by innovators in Chicago.?
By Improving the Governance of the Organic Industrial Base: Language directing the Army to analyze the effectiveness of their current governance and resourcing model for the Army’s arsenals, depots as well as ammunition plants and identify opportunities for changes to ensure the enterprise and its workforce can support the military’s munitions and sustainment requirements now and in the future. The Senator helped secure this provision alongside Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK). ?
Safeguarding Veteran Medical Care in North Chicago: This provision, led with Senator Durbin, would secure a one-year extension of the Joint Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, which supports the operations of the North Chicago-based Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC). This provision will help safeguard continued access to vital services for military families and Veterans in the area.
Protecting Cities Like Chicago from the Trump Administration’s Overreach with the Military: A modified version of a provision of Senator Duckworth’s Military In Law Enforcement Accountability Act (MiLEAA) requires servicemembers identify themselves as part of the military when assisting federal law enforcement when operating in the United States. As the Trump Administration continues to send federal agents and our nation’s military into our communities to intimidate their fellow Americans, this provision ensures that servicemembers identify themselves properly—to avoid public misunderstanding about who is providing logistical support versus conducting arrests or law enforcement duties.
In light of the Trump administration’s increasing use of troops to support law enforcement within the United States, another provision will help ensure troops know how to responsibly operate within the bounds of domestic laws and protect American civil rights. This provision requires DoD to provide legal training to all servicemembers, including a refresher within 90 days of any mobilization or deployment, on their responsibilities under the law of armed conflict, rules of engagement, defense support for civil authorities and standing rules for the use of force within the United States.
Strengthening Domestic Suppliers of Critical Uniform Components: Language prohibiting the Department of Defense from sourcing clothing, fabrics or components from countries of concern—such as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia—when using domestic sourcing waivers under the Berry Amendment, to prevent further weakening of the U.S. clothing and textile industrial base and bolstering Chicago’s top-quality garment industry.
Investing in Quantum Technology in Chicago: Language recognizing the importance of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) program, which aims to build a commercially useful FTQC by 2033, and encouraging the Department to concurrently prepare algorithms to operate those machines, while the hardware is being built. This provision recognizes the importance of the development of the first FTQC, which is being built at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in Chicago, Illinois.
Championing Domestic Manufacturing in Belleville: Language requesting DoD provide data and analysis on the necessary war reserves for footwear and textiles, and the accompanying surge needs in the event of crisis or conflict. This report language is a modified version of the Senator’s Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act, which recognizes that our defense industrial base for combat boots needs investment in order for it to support our troops and help ensure they have the sturdiest and most protective boots in a possible war, like those manufactured in Illinois at Belleville’s Belleville Boot Manufacturing Co.
Advancing U.S. Bioindustrial Manufacturing Innovation in Champaign: This provision would support the innovative work being done at advanced facilities like the University of Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub (iFAB) by requiring more information on how DoD is investing in this technology critical for national security.
Encouraging Investment in Nuclear Energy and Domestic Printed Circuit Boards: Language allowing the Office of Strategic Capital to enter into investments in nuclear fusion and fission energy and directing OSC to explore printed circuit boards (PCBs) and PCB assemblies, to ensure these critical technologies—which Illinois plays a central role in manufacturing and advancing—has sufficient capital investments to scale for warfighting.
Protecting Servicemembers from Dangerous PFAS in their Protective Garments: Language requiring the DoD to articulate its plan for acquiring chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat protective garments free from toxic PFAS chemicals as soon as possible.?Innovative Illinois research and development and manufacturing is leading the way on alternatives that protect servicemembers without relying on toxic chemicals.
Designing a New Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Scott Air Force Base: The bill authorizes $6 million in Planning and Design funds for the construction of a new aircraft maintenance hangar to support the training and operational mission of the 126th Aerial Refueling Wing at Scott Air Force Base. The current hangar was constructed in 1956, remains in disrepair and no longer meets Department of Defense standards or mission requirements, making a new hangar critical to the Wing’s mission.
Renovating General Jones Readiness Center: The bill authorizes $5 million in Planning and Design funds for major alternations to the General Richard L. Jones National Guard Readiness Center in Chicago. This facility was built in 1931 and remains one of the largest readiness centers in the country. Renovating it to meet mission requirements is a top priority for the Illinois National Guard.
In addition to these provisions, Senator Duckworth also successfully worked to protect Universities like Northwestern University and University of Illinois from having their DoD funding for critical technological research cut unnecessarily.
Other key funding for Illinois projects contained in the committee-passed bill include:
$5 million authorized in Planning and Design funds to support forging annex at Rock Island Arsenal.
$3.05 million authorized in Planning and Design funds to support range control at Marseilles Training Center.
$8 million authorized in Planning and Design funds to support the Peoria Armory Readiness Center.
$36 million authorized to boost Fort Sheridan area maintenance support activity.
A full list of Duckworth’s priorities included in the FY26 NDAA can be found here.
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The President of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Dr George Agyekum Donkor, has paid a courtesy visit on His Excellency, President Dr Julius Maada Bio at his state house office, where he noted that “Your Excellency, all macroeconomic indicators have been doing well. A sign that your government is doing well. Congratulations.”
The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development is the leading regional investment and development bank, owned by the fifteen-member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Introducing the delegation to the President, the Chief Minister, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, revealed that the team is in the country based on an initial engagement the bank president had with President Bio, where an open invitation was extended for his visit to Sierra Leone.
In his address, the Bank President congratulated President Bio on his recent appointment as chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority. “Your Excellency, I want to thank you for the warm hospitality my team and I received in Sierra Leone. I also want to formally congratulate you on your position in the high office at ECOWAS.” He said.
“Your appointment is an endorsement of your leadership to deliver and the quality you have to lead the region at a time like this, when it is volatile. But we are sure that you are going to deliver,” he assured. He confirmed the Bank’s commitment and full support towards ensuring that President Bio succeeds during his tenure at ECOWAS.
Dr Donkor revealed that since they arrived in the country, they have met with key ministers of government and have already started conversations on key areas, including roads, tourism, infrastructure, and education, among others, noting that during their stay in the country, they will also be engaging key sector ministers for tangible investment areas.
The bank president pleaded with President Bio in his capacity as Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Governance to assist the bank in ensuring it maintains its status as a non-political entity in the sub-region. This, according to the Bank, will help it develop and expand its reach, hence position itself to undertake more development projects in the sub-region.
While welcoming the Bank President and team to Freetown, President Julius Maada Bio thanked the Bank President for fulfilling his promise made during their engagement on the margins the ECOWAS Summit, where he personally requested the visit in order for the bank to deepen its ties with Sierra Leone.
The President expressed hope that during their visit, the bank will be able to engage several sectors, so it will identify outstanding issues that are within its scope. The President expressed his concern about regional economic integration for Sierra Leone and other countries in a wide range of areas because, according to him, “West Africa has great potential, which we want to not only develop but also tap into for our future.”
The President reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to deepening its relationship with the bank, revealing that the University of Kono is one of the top priorities on his agenda, and needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. In terms of roads, President Bio said his government doesn’t want to lead on mere physical infrastructure but rather, “We want to look at both physical and digital infrastructure, as well as that of our ecotourism,” he disclosed.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Sierra Leone.
Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
**Shaheen secured more than $14.7 million for critical projects across New Hampshire**
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies (Ag-FDA) Subcommittee and a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, participated in a full committee markup of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Ag-FDA Appropriations bill. In a unanimous vote, the Committee approved the bipartisan legislation, which would provide $27.1 billion in discretionary funding, including more than $14.7 million for critical projects across the Granite State, helping invest in a wide range of programs benefitting New Hampshire and the country.
“As Ranking Member of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I’m proud to deliver this bipartisan bill that will help address the high costs that so many Americans are facing and invest in rural communities across the nation,” said Ranking Member Senator Shaheen. “The resources we secured will help support our efforts to tackle housing, food and energy costs, ensure New Hampshire’s farmers have the support they need, invest in the outdoor recreation economy, protect public health and more. I’m proud to have shaped this legislation in a way that benefits the Granite State and all of America.”
Summary of Shaheen priorities included in the Agriculture Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026:
Defending Access to Food Assistance
Senator Shaheen has long fought to protect access to food assistance programs that help families put food on the table. In the FY26 Ag-FDA bill, Shaheen helped secure $8.2 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to help low-income families receive healthy, nutritious food products like milk, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and more. Shaheen also helped fund the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) which provides food boxes for low-income older adults across the country.
Shaheen, who is also the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, successfully fought for the inclusion of funding to fulfill America’s commitment to international food aid programs. Specifically, the bill provides $1.5 billion for Food for Peace and $240 million for McGovern-Dole Food for Education—a bipartisan defense of these programs that address world hunger, save lives and create additional markets for American farmers.
Investing in America’s Rural Communities
In the FY26 Ag-FDA bill, Senator Shaheen built on her work to support rural communities across the nation, including to address the affordable housing crisis. The bill fully funds the Rental Assistance program so that participating families can remain housed, provides funding to preserve the existing affordable housing portfolio and makes $1 billion in financing available for very low-income homebuyers, many of whom are first-time homeowners.
Shaheen has continually fought for federal funding to help ensure Granite State communities have the resources needed to tackle the housing affordability crisis. In the FY24 Ag-FDA bill, Shaheen worked to include key provisions from her Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act. Those provisions were continued in the FY26 Ag-FDA bill. Shaheen’s standalone legislation would ensure that hundreds of thousands of low-income tenants in rural areas are able to maintain access to safe and affordable housing.
Shaheen has also led legislative action in the Senate to support energy efficiency projects and initiatives. Shaheen secured $4 million for a new Energy Circuit Rider Pilot program in the FY26 Ag-FDA bill to help ensure communities in rural America can take advantage of cost savings from energy efficiency and clean energy projects. The provision is based on legislation Shaheen recently reintroduced, the Energy Circuit Riders Act, to establish a new grant program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to help eligible entities hire local, on-the-ground experts that travel to rural communities and provide technical assistance on projects that help spur economic development and reduce energy costs that help ease rural property tax rates. This pilot is modeled after a successful program in New Hampshire through Clean Energy NH.
Protecting Public Health
The FY26 Ag-FDA Appropriations bill also provides vital funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stay ahead of the curve on approving medical products, regulating the food supply and more. Shaheen worked in a bipartisan way to defend the FDA’s budget, providing more than $7 billion in funding for the agency. Shaheen secured the following funding to protect the public health of Americans:
$5 million and report language at the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research to develop and validate new surrogate endpoints, including C-peptide, that could help improve health outcomes and reduce disease burden for patients with Type 1 diabetes.
Gives the FDA the authority to seize and destroy illegal tobacco products at ports of entry, requires the Center for Tobacco Products to spend $200 million of their $712 million on enforcement activities and provides $2 million for the Coordination of the Interagency Tobacco Task Force.
Report language encouraging the FDA to prioritize the approval of biosimilar products.
Report language directing the FDA to provide a report on the challenges it faces preventing counterfeit drugs from reaching the market, including recommendations for how to address the problem.
Supporting Farmers with Vital Tools and Groundbreaking Research
Shaheen built on her longstanding work to support New Hampshire’s small and diversified farmers by defending the conservation tools used by the state’s agricultural producers to help protect and sustain their land’s natural resources. The FY26 Ag-FDA bill defends the Conservation Technical Assistance program, funding conservation activities at $949 million. The bill also maintains critical funding for Farm Service Agency staffing in county offices in the Granite State and makes $10.5 billion in farm loans available to help producers access capital across the country.
Shaheen was also able to successfully include $2 million for New England Protected Agriculture research at the Agricultural Research Service. The University of New Hampshire is well-positioned to help lead this effort. This research will help improve cultivation practices and help farmers extend the growing season for fruit and vegetable crops.
Supporting New Hampshire’s Outdoor Economy
Shaheen also secured continued funding for the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program (SNOTEL), including an additional $2 million to continue the ongoing study regarding potential Northeast expansion of this program. Senator Shaheen secured the initial $1 million for this study in FY23 government funding legislation. Shaheen recently introduced the bipartisan Snow Survey Northeast Expansion Act with Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) to establish a SNOTEL network across the Northeast to track mountain snow accumulation and precipitation rates.
Senator Shaheen also included the following Congressionally Directed Spending projects for New Hampshire, totaling more than $14.7 million.
Recipient
Project
Account
Funding ($)
University System of New Hampshire
Center for Excellence in Education and Discovery for Plant Science (CEED Plant Science)
Research Facilities Act Program
$1,925,000
Belmont Police Department
Drive to Safety
Rural Community Facilities Program
$73,000
Chesley Memorial Library
Chesley Memorial Library Energy Efficiency and Emergency Power Project
Rural Community Facilities Program
$95,000
Cottage Hospital
Cottage Hospital Asbestos Abatement
Rural Community Facilities Program
$1,725,000
Croydon School District
Croydon Schoolhouse Renovation and Expansion
Rural Community Facilities Program
$1,176,000
Families Flourish Northeast Inc
Interrupting Intergenerational Addiction
Rural Community Facilities Program
$1,000,000
Franklin Pierce University
Renovation and Upgrade to Health Sciences Facilities at Franklin Pierce University, Rindge Campus
Rural Community Facilities Program
$1,000,000
Maplewood Station
Maplewood Station Community Center
Rural Community Facilities Program
$750,000
The Walpole Foundation
Walpole Village School
Rural Community Facilities Program
$830,000
Town of Bethlehem
Bethlehem’s Transfer Station Project
Rural Community Facilities Program
$750,000
Town of Deerfield
George B. White Solar Project
Rural Community Facilities Program
$248,000
Town of Gorham
Replacement of Rescue Truck
Rural Community Facilities Program
$301,000
Town of Hampton
Hampton Public Safety Pier
Rural Community Facilities Program
$125,000
Town of Hancock
Hancock Fire Station Renovation Project
Rural Community Facilities Program
$600,000
Town of Unity
Unity Fire Station and Emergency Community Shelter
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak met with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of Nigeria Olawale Edun.
“Russia values the friendly nature of Russian-Nigerian relations, which are based on the principles of mutual respect and similar approaches to current issues on the international and regional agenda. We see Abuja as a promising partner on the African continent,” said Alexander Novak, opening the negotiations.
The parties discussed full-cycle cooperation in the oil and gas industry: from geological exploration to field development, interaction in the energy sector, industrial equipment supplies, and in the financial and banking sector.
Particular attention was paid to issues of interaction and coordination of efforts within the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) and OPEC. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized Russia’s commitment to promoting the legitimate interests of gas exporters in global energy markets.
“Our joint work within OPEC makes a decisive contribution to ensuring stability and predictability of the global oil market. The decisions taken are based on real market indicators and trends and are aimed at balancing it in the face of economic challenges. We believe that our collective actions within OPEC and OPEC meet long-term national interests and contribute to strengthening the economies of our countries,” added Alexander Novak.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
NEW YORK, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. (“Carlyle Secured Lending”) (NASDAQ: CGBD) will host a conference call at 11:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 to announce its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025. The Company will report its quarterly financial results on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
The conference call will be available via public webcast via a link on Carlyle Secured Lending’s website at carlylesecuredlending.com and will also be available on the website soon after the call’s completion.
About Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc.
Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. is a publicly traded (NASDAQ: CGBD) business development company (“BDC”) which began investing in 2013. The Company focuses on providing directly originated, financing solutions across the capital structure, with a focus on senior secured lending to middle-market companies primarily located in the United States. Carlyle Secured Lending is externally managed by Carlyle Global Credit Investment Management L.L.C., an SEC-registered investment adviser and wholly owned subsidiary of Carlyle.
Carlyle (“Carlyle,” or the “Adviser”) (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Carlyle AlpInvest. With $453 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2025, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,300 people in 29 offices across four continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on X @OneCarlyle and LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group.
NEW YORK, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Portman Ridge Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: PTMN) (“Portman Ridge” or “PTMN”) today announced the closing of the previously announced merger of Logan Ridge Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: LRFC) (“Logan Ridge” or “LRFC”) with and into PTMN, with PTMN remaining as the surviving company. Based on July 11, 2025 financial data, the combined company had total assets in excess of $600 million.
Ted Goldthorpe, President and Chief Executive Officer of PTMN and Head of the BC Partners Credit Platform, stated, “We would like to thank the shareholders and independent directors of both companies for their strong support throughout the merger process. With the merger now complete, we look forward to rebranding PTMN as BCP Investment Corporation later this summer, which will better reflect our affiliation with the broader BC Partners Credit Platform.
Looking forward, we are excited about the opportunities ahead. We will seek to leverage the combined company’s enhanced scale, further diversified portfolio, cost savings due to lower overall operating expenses, and improved stock trading liquidity to deliver compelling risk-adjusted returns for our shareholders.”
In connection with the closing of the merger, LRFC shareholders are entitled to receive approximately 4.0 million shares of PTMN common stock in the aggregate, or 1.5 shares of PTMN common stock for each common share of LRFC, based on the applicable exchange ratio and payment of cash in lieu of fractional shares.
Prior to the closing of the merger, LRFC’s investment adviser announced a cash payment of $0.47 per share to LRFC shareholders of record as of May 6, 2025, which is expected to be paid to the applicable legacy LRFC shareholders on or about July 25, 2025. Additionally, on July 14, 2025, LRFC’s Board of Directors declared a tax distribution of $0.38 per share to LRFC shareholders of record as of July 14, 2025, which is expected to be paid to the applicable legacy LRFC shareholders on or about July 22, 2025.
Additional Merger Related Initiatives
In the coming weeks: Portman Ridge will rebrand and begin operating under the name BCP Investment Corporation (the “Company” or “BCIC”). In connection with the rebranding, the Company will continue to trade on the Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol “BCIC”.
Beginning in 2026: The Company will transition to paying its currently quarterly base distribution on a monthly basis, while retaining the potential for quarterly supplemental distributions. The quarterly supplemental distributions will continue to approximate 50% of the incremental net investment income earned in excess of the base monthly distributions.
Over the next 24 months: To further align the Company’s interests with shareholders and drive additional value creation, the Company, along with its management, its adviser and their affiliates intend to purchase up to 20% of the Company’s outstanding common stock to the extent the Company’s shares continue to trade below 80% of net asset value (“NAV”), which implies a share price of $15.08 based on Portman Ridge’s March 31, 2025 NAV per share, or approximately a 20% premium to PTMN’s June 26, 2025 closing market price. These purchases will begin no earlier than 60 calendar days following the date of the closing of the LRFC merger and may occur through various methods, including open market purchases and privately negotiated transactions, and may be conducted pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 and Rule 10b-18 trading plans. In this regard and as previously announced, PTMN’s Board of Directors has authorized an open market stock repurchase program of up to $10 million for the period from March 12, 2025, to March 31, 2026. The Company, its management and its adviser also reserve the right to conduct tender offers as part of the Company’s broader value creation initiatives.
Transaction Advisors
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company, served as financial advisor to the Special Committee of PTMN in connection with the transaction. Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP acted as the legal counsel to the Special Committee of PTMN.
Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to the Special Committee of LRFC in connection with the transaction. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as the legal counsel to the Special Committee of LRFC.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Dechert LLP served as legal counsel to PTMN and LRFC with respect to the transaction.
About Portman Ridge Finance Corporation
PTMN is a publicly traded, externally managed closed-end investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. PTMN’s middle market investment business originates, structures, finances and manages a portfolio of term loans, mezzanine investments and selected equity securities in middle market companies. PTMN’s investment activities are managed by its investment adviser, Sierra Crest Investment Management LLC, an affiliate of BC Partners Advisors L.P. (“BC Partners”).
PTMN’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), earnings releases, press releases and other financial, operational and governance information are available on Portman Ridge’s website at www.portmanridge.com.
About BC Partners Advisors L.P. and BC Partners Credit
BC Partners is a leading international investment firm in private equity, private credit and real estate strategies. Established in 1986, BC Partners has played an active role in developing the European buyout market for three decades.
Today, BC Partners executives operate across markets as an integrated team through the firm’s offices in North America and Europe. For more information, please visit https://www.bcpartners.com/.
BC Partners Credit was launched in February 2017 and has pursued a strategy focused on identifying attractive credit opportunities in any market environment and across sectors, leveraging the deal sourcing and infrastructure made available from BC Partners.
Some of the statements in this communication constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events, future performance or financial condition. The forward-looking statements may include statements as to future operating results and distribution projections of the Company; business prospects of the Company, and the prospects of its portfolio companies; and the impact of the investments that the Company expects to make. In addition, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “seek,” “plan,” “should,” “estimate,” “project” and “intend” indicate forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements include these words. The forward-looking statements contained in this communication involve risks and uncertainties. More information on the risks and other potential factors that could affect these forward-looking statements is included in the Registration Statement (Registration No. 333-285230) filed with the SEC (the “Registration Statement)” that contains a joint proxy statement and prospectus for PTMN and LRFC (the “Joint Proxy Statement”).
Although the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that they may make directly to you or through reports that the Company in the future may file with the SEC, including the Registration Statement and Joint Proxy Statement, annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.
Contacts: Portman Ridge Finance Corporation 650 Madison Avenue, 3rd floor New York, NY 10022
MILWAUKEE, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (NYSE: APAM) will report its second quarter 2025 financial results and information relating to its quarterly dividend on July 29, 2025 at approximately 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). Artisan Partners Asset Management’s earnings release and supplemental materials will be available on the investor relations section of artisanpartners.com at that time. Chief Executive Officer and President Jason Gottlieb , Executive Chair Eric Colson, and Chief Financial Officer C.J. Daley will host a conference call on July 30, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss the results.
A live webcast of the conference call will be available via the investor relations section of artisanpartners.com. Those interested in participating in the conference call should dial:
United States/Toll Free:
1-877-328-5507
International:
1-412-317-5423
Conference ID:
10199994
An audio replay of the conference call will be available one hour after the end of the conference until August 6, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) by dialing the following:
United States/Toll Free:
1-877-344-7529
International:
1-412-317-0088
Replay Conference ID:
4893273
An audio replay will also be available via the investor relations section of artisanpartners.com within 24 hours after the end of the conference.
About Artisan Partners
Artisan Partners is a global investment management firm that provides a broad range of high value-added investment strategies in growing asset classes to sophisticated clients around the world. Since 1994, the firm has been committed to attracting experienced, disciplined investment professionals to manage client assets. Artisan Partners’ autonomous investment teams oversee a diverse range of investment strategies across multiple asset classes. Strategies are offered through various investment vehicles to accommodate a broad range of client mandates.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak held a meeting on the implementation of the national project “Efficient and Competitive Economy”.
It was attended by representatives of federal and regional authorities, the Federal Assembly, the Bank of Russia, public business associations, the state corporation VEB.RF and the Moscow Exchange.
Representatives of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development reported on the current status of the implementation of the federal projects “Development of the financial market” and “Increasing investment activity”, respectively, which are part of the national project.
The Ministry of Finance is conducting an information campaign to raise awareness among citizens about the possibilities of investing in long-term instruments. This will increase the number of users of long-term savings programs with state support.
The agency also continues to work to reduce administrative barriers to attract foreign investors willing to invest in the Russian economy.
The President set a goal to increase the volume of investment in fixed assets by 60% by 2030 compared to 2020 parameters, as well as to improve the investment climate. A representative of the Ministry of Economic Development reported that dozens of projects in the field of private-public partnership and in the field of technological sovereignty are already being implemented with the support of the state and the active participation of businesses. 40 major investment projects are being implemented within the framework of the project financing factory. The process of concluding new agreements on the promotion and protection of capital continues, investors are actively using the federal tax deduction.
The Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance, together with industry business associations and investment banks, to continue working to achieve the key indicators of the national project “Efficient and Competitive Economy” and the federal projects included in it in a timely manner.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —Graphjet Technology (“Graphjet” or “the Company”) (Nasdaq:GTI), a leading developer of patented technologies to produce graphite and graphene directly from agricultural waste, has today filed its Form 10-K filing.
During the current year, the Company has seen changes to its shareholders whereby the new controlling shareholder, Mr. Aiden, Lee has made numerous contributions to the Company, including providing funds to fund the transformation of the Company. With the funds received from Mr. Aiden Lee, the Company was able to complete its audit for the fiscal year September 30, 2024, albeit later than anticipated due to unforeseen circumstances.
The Company has made plans to address the current non-compliances with the Nasdaq listing requirements. The Company has and will continue to engage an experienced accounting services firm, to advise the Company and ensure speedy completion of the Form 10Qs for the December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2025. The completion of the Form 10Qs will allow the Company to take necessary measures to raise funds to further expand the capacity and capabilities of the Company.
A hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC has been scheduled for July 17, 2025, during which the Company will appeal the delisting determination due to the non-compliances with the Nasdaq listing requirements. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will get a favorable outcome.
The Company will also be holding a shareholders’ meeting on July 30, 2025 for a reverse split exercise. The Company is confident to secure the shareholders’ approval for the reverse split exercise, which is aimed at ensuring that we meet the minimum price bids.
With the minimum price bids met and Form 10Qs filed, the Company will be able to attract new investors which will allow our Company to move towards compliance with the minimum market value of listed securities (MVLS). The Company is currently in discussion with a few parties who has indicated their interest in funding the Company.
“We are confident that our plan to be address the non-compliances with the Nasdaq listing requirements can be implemented. In addition, the Company will make the necessary announcement when the efforts made for the Company’s transformation bears fruit” said Chris Lai, the CEO of the Company.
About Graphjet Technology Sdn. Bhd. Graphjet Technology Sdn. Bhd. (Nasdaq: GTI) was founded in 2019 in Malaysia as an innovative graphene and graphite producer. Graphjet Technology has the world’s first patented technology to recycle palm kernel shells generated in the production of palm seed oil to produce single layer graphene and artificial graphite. Graphjet’s sustainable production methods utilizing palm kernel shells, a waste agricultural product that is common in Malaysia, will set a new shift in graphite and graphene supply chain of the world. For more information, please visit https://www.graphjettech.com/.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The information in this press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “aim,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result” and similar expressions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) changes in the markets in which Graphjet competes, including with respect to its competitive landscape, technology evolution or regulatory changes; (ii) the risk that Graphjet will need to raise additional capital to execute its business plans, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; (iii) Graphjet is beginning the commercialization of its technology and it may not have an accurate estimate of future capital expenditures and future revenue; (iv) statements regarding Graphjet’s industry and market size; (v) financial condition and performance of Graphjet, including the anticipated benefits, the implied enterprise value, the financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, the products, the expected future performance and market opportunities of Graphjet; (vi) Graphjet’s ability to develop and manufacture its graphene and graphite products; and (vii) those factors discussed in our filings with the SEC. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that will be described in the “Risk Factors” section of the documents to be filed by Graphjet from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward- looking statements, and while Graphjet may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, they assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law. Graphjet does not give any assurance that Graphjet will achieve its expectations.
DALLAS, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Capital Southwest Corporation (“Capital Southwest”) (Nasdaq: CSWC), an internally managed business development company focused on providing flexible financing solutions to support the acquisition and growth of middle market businesses, is pleased to announce its preliminary operating results for the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year (quarter ended June 30, 2025) and its first quarter 2026 earnings release and conference call schedule.
Capital Southwest’s preliminary estimate of its first quarter 2026 pre-tax net investment income is in the range of $0.60 to $0.61 per share. The preliminary estimate of Capital Southwest’s net investment income for the same period is in the range of $0.58 to $0.59 per share.
Additionally, Capital Southwest’s preliminary estimate of its net asset value per share as of June 30, 2025 is in the range of $16.55 to $16.65. Capital Southwest’s preliminary estimate of its non-accruals as a percentage of the total investment portfolio at cost and fair value is 2.6% and 0.8%, respectively.
Capital Southwest will release its finalized first quarter 2026 results on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 after the market closes. In conjunction with the release, Capital Southwest has scheduled a live webcast on Thursday, August 7, 2025 at 1:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Investors may participate in the webcast.(1)
By Webcast: Connect to the webcast using the Investor Relations section of Capital Southwest’s website at www.capitalsouthwest.com, or by going to the following website: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/z383xthy. Please log in at least 10 minutes in advance to register and download any necessary software. A replay of the webcast will be available on Capital Southwest’s website shortly after the call.
Live Call Participation: Participants who want to join the call and ask a question must register using the following URL: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI5d3ffcafd99c4efbb0d0d03439433727. Once registered, participants will receive the dial-in numbers and a unique PIN number. When participants dial in, they will input their PIN and be placed into the call. Registration is still possible even after the event has started.
About Capital Southwest
Capital Southwest Corporation (Nasdaq: CSWC) is a Dallas, Texas-based, internally managed business development company with approximately $1.8 billion in investments at fair value as of March 31, 2025. Capital Southwest is a middle market lending firm focused on supporting the acquisition and growth of middle market businesses with $5 million to $50 million investments across the capital structure, including first lien, second lien and non-control equity co-investments. As a public company with a permanent capital base, Capital Southwest has the flexibility to be creative in its financing solutions and to invest to support the growth of its portfolio companies over long periods of time.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and provides historical information with respect to the business and investments of Capital Southwest, including, but not limited to, the preliminary estimates of its first quarter 2026 fiscal year financial information and results, which are based on current information available to Capital Southwest as of the date hereof. The preliminary estimates of the first quarter 2026 fiscal year financial information and estimated results furnished above are based on Capital Southwest management’s preliminary determinations and current expectations, and such information is inherently uncertain. The preliminary estimates may not align with Capital Southwest’s actual results of operations for the period, which will not be known until Capital Southwest completes its customary quarter-end closing and review procedures, including the determination of the fair value of Capital Southwest’s portfolio investments. As a result, actual results could differ materially from the current preliminary estimates based on adjustments made during Capital Southwest’s quarter-end closing and review procedures, and Capital Southwest’s reported information in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 may differ from this information, and any such differences may be material. In addition, the information furnished above does not include all of the information regarding Capital Southwest’s financial condition and results of operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 that may be important to readers. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the information furnished in this press release and should view this information in the context of Capital Southwest’s full first quarter 2026 results when such results are disclosed by Capital Southwest in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The information furnished in this press release is based on current expectations of Capital Southwest’s management that involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in, or implied by, such information.
Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical statements and can often be identified by words such as “will,” “believe,” “expect” and similar expressions and variations or negatives of these words. These statements are based on management’s current expectations, assumptions and beliefs. They are not guarantees of future results and are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. These risks include risks related to: changes in the markets in which Capital Southwest invests; changes in the financial, capital, and lending markets; changes in the interest rate environment and its impact on Capital Southwest’s business and its portfolio companies; regulatory changes; tax treatment; Capital Southwest’s ability to operate each of its wholly owned subsidiaries, Capital Southwest SBIC I, LP and Capital Southwest SBIC II, LP, as a small business investment company; the uncertainty associated with the imposition of tariffs and trade barriers and changes in trade policy and its impact on our portfolio companies and our financial condition; an economic downturn or recession and its impact on the ability of Capital Southwest’s portfolio companies to operate and the investment opportunities available to it; the impact of supply chain constraints on Capital Southwest’s portfolio companies; and the elevated levels of inflation and its impact on Capital Southwest’s portfolio companies and the industries in which it invests.
Readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements and are encouraged to review Capital Southwest’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2025 and any subsequent filings, including the “Risk Factors” sections therein, with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of the risks and other factors that could affect any forward-looking statements. Except as required by the federal securities laws, Capital Southwest does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changing circumstances or any other reason after the date of this press release.
Investor Relations Contact: Michael S. Sarner, President and Chief Executive Officer 214-884-3829
(1) No information contained on our website or disclosed on the August 7, 2025 conference call, including the webcast, is incorporated by reference into this press release or any of our filings with the SEC, and you should not consider that information to be part of this press release or any other such filing.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
July 15, 2025
Senate Democrats Call on SSA Commissioner Bisignano to Retract False Claims About Social Security Taxes That Could Confuse, Hurt Seniors
“Rather than focusing on improving customer service, you are using your position as Commissioner to stroke Donald Trump’s ego and peddle lies on his behalf.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) led eight Senate Democrats in demanding that the Social Security Administration (SSA) stop peddling lies about the Republican budget bill using the agency’s email platform, which reaches tens of millions of Americans.
“We are appalled that the agency distributed misleading and blatantly inaccurate information regarding tax changes affecting older Americans, transforming the agency into a partisan megaphone for Donald Trump while sowing confusion and distrust in Social Security among Americans,” wrote the senators.
On July 3, SSA issued a press release and sent a mass email to all “mySocial Security” account users falsely announcing that the Republican budget bill would cut taxes on Social Security benefits for 90% of beneficiaries — in addition to providing older Americans with a tax deduction. But the Republican bill does not amend, reduce, or eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits. While the bill provides a temporary deduction for some older Americans, fewer than half of Americans will benefit from this deduction — very much shy of the 90% of Americans that SSA claims. The bill also does not include any provisions to change the tax filing requirements for Social Security recipients.
Days later, the SSA quietly updated its press release to correct the false claim, but it did not send a follow-up email to the millions of users who received the initial email.
Commissioner Bisignano’s lies on behalf of Trump could mislead millions of American seniors who depend on Social Security benefits. The initial email may leave recipients expecting both a deduction and a tax break and could result in millions of Americans’ falsely believing they don’t have to file taxes on Social Security. Inaccurate information could lead to Americans making benefit claims against their best interests or even missing payments on taxes they owe.
Commissioner Bisignano has abandoned his promise to the Finance Committee and to the American people that, under his leadership, SSA would not become a partisan agency subject to the whims of Trump.
“We urge you to retract SSA’s July 3 statement and issue a correction — on SSA’s website and via email for ‘my Social Security’ account users — clarifying the federal tax treatment of Social Security benefits,” concluded the senators.
Other senators signing on to the letter include Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).
Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room is a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.
UConn School of Nursing faculty Mallory Perry-Eaddy, Ph.D., RN, CCRN, Tiffany Kelley, Ph.D., MBA, RN, NI-BC, FNAP, and Gee Su Yang, Ph.D., RN, will be inducted as 2025 Fellows into the American Academy of Nursing this fall.
“The induction of Mallory, Tiffany, Gee Su, and our distinguished UConn Nursing alumni into the American Academy of Nursing represents a profound acknowledgment of their scholarly excellence and transformative impact on the nursing profession,” says Victoria Vaughan Dickson, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Dean of the School of Nursing. “Their exemplary contributions to advancing health equity, shaping clinical practice, and informing health policy resonate on both national and global levels, embodying the highest ideals of academic and professional nursing leadership.”
The newest Fellows represent 42 states, the District of Columbia, and 12 countries. Their extensive expertise will enrich the thought leadership of the over 3,200 Academy Fellows who together advance the Academy’s mission of improving health and achieving health equity by impacting policy through nursing leadership, innovation, and science.
The inductees will be recognized at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, taking place on October 16-18, 2025, in Washington, DC. This year’s conference theme is “Impact Through Integrity and Trust: Our Role as Navigators and Translators” which will focus on shaping the future of healthcare and fulfilling the Academy’s vision of “Healthy Lives for All People.”
“I cannot emphasize enough at this pivotal time in history the vital importance of recognizing this extraordinary and sizeable group of nurse leaders. With rich and varied backgrounds from practice, policy, research, entrepreneurship, and academia, they have been instrumental in using nursing’s holistic approach to improve the health of patients and communities throughout the world,” said Academy President Linda D. Scott, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, FADLN, FNAP, FAAN. “Induction into the Academy represents the highest honor in nursing. Earning the FAAN (Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing) credential is a prestigious recognition of one’s accomplishments and signifies the power of nursing to transform health and enact positive outcomes.”
Perry-Eaddy is an assistant professor whose research focuses on pediatric critical care outcomes as they relate to inflammation and social determinants of health.
Perry-Eaddy has been with the school for many years, receiving her BSN, Certificate in Pain Management, MS, and Ph.D. from the UConn School of Nursing. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania.
In 2022, she was named a National Institute of Health (NIH) PRIDE Functional and Translational Genomics Scholar, and in 2021, she was named a NIH K99/R00 MOSAIC Scholar where she is currently completing her R00.
She is an active member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators, American Thoracic Society and the Society of Critical Care Medicine where she is an editorial board member for Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. She is also an invited advisory board member to the Sepsis Alliance.
“I am deeply honored and grateful to be inducted as a Fellow into the American Academy of Nursing. This recognition affirms my commitment to advancing the science of pediatric critical care, with a focus on improving long-term outcomes for children after sepsis and critical illness,” said Perry-Eaddy. “Through my research, and as a Fellow, I aim to elevate survivor-centered care, address health disparities, and inform policy that supports recovery beyond the intensive care unit (ICU). I am excited to join this esteemed community of nurse leaders and to contribute to shaping the future of nursing and child health.”
Kelley is an in-residence professor and co-director of the Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center at UConn School of Nursing. She earned her Ph.D. from Duke University, MS and MBA from Northeastern University, and BSN from Georgetown University.
Kelley joined UConn in 2018 where she was appointed to serve as the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation Visiting Associate Professor for Innovations and New Knowledge, a first-of-its-kind role. Her goal was to develop and execute a strategic plan to integrate innovation into the core education across all degree programs. Outcomes of her pioneering initiatives have enabled her to co-direct the creation of a Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center and assist in the design of a unique Makerspace for the new School of Nursing building, further solidifying nursing’s innovation leadership at UConn.
Kelley’s impact in nursing spans across the nation and globe through her collective academic, intrapreneurial, inventive, and entrepreneurial roles in innovation, informatics, and associated leadership in nursing. Over the last 20 years, she has relentlessly worked to advance the nursing profession by expanding the boundaries of what is possible in nursing through her own journey in creating a novel pathway that straddles academia and industry while also educating and mentoring nurses and nursing students on how to create and develop their own intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial innovative solutions.
Her national and international recognition of impact is shown through her receipt of American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award, induction into the National Academies of Practice in Nursing as a Distinguished Fellow, and an invitation from Singapore’s Ministry of Health in 2024 to serve as a Health Manpower Development Visiting Expert on Innovation, Informatics, and Digital Health.
“Our future needs nurses who reimagine nursing and healthcare to create positive changes that address human health problems in this rapidly evolving digital age. We have not yet fully realized the benefits of digital health innovative tools on advancing nursing practice, workforce operations, and global health,” said Kelley. “As a Fellow, I aim to further my reach and serve as an exemplar for amplifying nurse-led innovation and digital health while leading others to do the same.”
Gee Su Yang, Ph.D., RN (Contributed Photo)
Gee Su Yang, Ph.D., RN
Yang is an assistant professor at UConn and is recognized for her work in cancer survivorship, particularly in addressing cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, pain, fatigue, and depressive symptoms, as well as symptom management strategies using multi-omics approaches. She has garnered numerous grants from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, Oncology Nursing Foundation, Rockefeller University, American Nurses Foundation, American Society for Pain Management Nursing, Connecticut Breast Health Initiative, and the UConn Clinical Research and Innovation Seed Program.
She has played a central role in planning and conducting clinical cancer research focused on the adverse toxicities and symptoms of cancer treatment to optimize benefits from treatment. She actively engages with cancer survivors, oncologists, and community partners to enhance research participation, raise awareness, and promote education on cancer survivorship.
Her work pioneered investigations into the adverse effects and symptoms of emerging treatments, such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy, as well as their behavioral and gut mechanisms in the precision health symptom science field.
In acknowledgment of the impact of her work, she was recognized as a prestigious Heilbrunn Nurse Scholar by the Rockefeller University Heilbrunn Family Center for Research Nursing for her immunotherapy-associated symptom research and its potential to advance the field. In addition, she was selected as a Butler-Williams Scholar by the National Institute on Aging to support her immunotherapy study in older adults.
Yang has also been tapped to serve as a review panelist for NIH study sections, the Oncology Nursing Foundation, UConn Research Excellence Program, and many more. Her work contributes to the growth of nurses and advocacy for scientific and professional development by influencing policy changes in research, supporting recognition of nurses’ achievements, and reviewing numerous conference abstracts, manuscripts, and scholarship applications in several professional societies.
“Being inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing is a great honor and recognition that motivates me to strengthen my program of research in precision health symptom science to advance scientific discoveries and benefit cancer survivors,” said Yang.
Congratulating our Fellows
Alumni Judith Hahn Ph.D. ‘14, Barbara Jacobs Ph.D. ‘02, Wendy Lord BS ’94, Lisa Sundean Ph.D. ’17, and Amy D’Agata MS ’04, Ph.D. ’15, were also selected as 2025 fellows, following a competitive, rigorous application process.
The School of Nursing would like to congratulate these newest Fellows as influential nursing leaders who are advancing health equity for all.
On June 10 we completed flowback operations at our Megiddo Jezreel #1 well in Israel and have since temporarily shut it in and demobilized our crew. We did this, and the last of our out-of-country crew left, just hours before the 12-day war with Iran began.
Over the past several weeks we have been analyzing the initial gas composition data. These results confirm that our targeted perforation and stimulation were successful: Gas reached the surface and showed characteristics consistent with a productive reservoir.
At this point we are considering two ways of moving forward. The first is to sidetrack the well laterally using our rig. The second is to deploy coil tubing. Both approaches are being evaluated in terms of technical feasibility and overall cost. We expect to begin equipment procurement and scheduling by the end of July.
I ask for your continued patience and prayers for both our operations and the people of Israel. Our team remains confident in our progress and focused on the vision ahead.
For a fuller understanding where we are operationally, I invite you to listen to a full 20minute audio conversation with our COO, Monty Kness, and VP of Investor Relations and Marketing, Andrew Summey – CLICK HERE.
Thank you for your support for Israel and Zion. We continue to ask for your prayers since we know they make a difference for Israel and our work.
Warm regards,
Rob Dunn
CEO
Zion Oil & Gas, Inc.
The LORD bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life.”
Psalm 128:5
KIRKLAND, Wash., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (MPS) (Nasdaq: MPWR), a fabless global company that provides high-performance, semiconductor-based power electronics solutions, today announced plans to report its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.
MPS will report its results after the market closes on Thursday, July 31st. Along with the earnings announcement, MPS will provide written commentary on its results of operations for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.
MPS will host a question-and-answer conference call at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET. The live event will be held via a Zoom webcast, which can be accessed at https://mpsic.zoom.us/j/98147401910. The Zoom webcast can also be accessed live over the phone by dialing (669) 444-9171; the webcast ID is 98147401910.
A replay of the event will be available for one year under the Investor Relations website at www.monolithicpower.com two hours after the live event has concluded.
About Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (“MPS”) is a fabless global company that provides high-performance, semiconductor-based power electronics solutions. MPS’s mission is to reduce energy and material consumption to improve all aspects of quality of life and create a sustainable future. Founded in 1997 by our CEO Michael Hsing, MPS has three core strengths: deep system-level knowledge, strong semiconductor design expertise, and innovative proprietary technologies in the areas of semiconductor processes, system integration, and packaging. These combined advantages enable MPS to deliver reliable, compact, and monolithic solutions that are highly energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible while providing a consistent return on investment to our stockholders. MPS can be contacted through its website at www.monolithicpower.com or its support offices around the world.
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Monolithic Power Systems, MPS, and the MPS logo are registered trademarks of Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and trademarked in certain other countries.
KIRKLAND, Wash., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (MPS) (Nasdaq: MPWR), a fabless global company that provides high-performance, semiconductor-based power electronics solutions, today announced plans to report its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.
MPS will report its results after the market closes on Thursday, July 31st. Along with the earnings announcement, MPS will provide written commentary on its results of operations for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.
MPS will host a question-and-answer conference call at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET. The live event will be held via a Zoom webcast, which can be accessed at https://mpsic.zoom.us/j/98147401910. The Zoom webcast can also be accessed live over the phone by dialing (669) 444-9171; the webcast ID is 98147401910.
A replay of the event will be available for one year under the Investor Relations website at www.monolithicpower.com two hours after the live event has concluded.
About Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (“MPS”) is a fabless global company that provides high-performance, semiconductor-based power electronics solutions. MPS’s mission is to reduce energy and material consumption to improve all aspects of quality of life and create a sustainable future. Founded in 1997 by our CEO Michael Hsing, MPS has three core strengths: deep system-level knowledge, strong semiconductor design expertise, and innovative proprietary technologies in the areas of semiconductor processes, system integration, and packaging. These combined advantages enable MPS to deliver reliable, compact, and monolithic solutions that are highly energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible while providing a consistent return on investment to our stockholders. MPS can be contacted through its website at www.monolithicpower.com or its support offices around the world.
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Monolithic Power Systems, MPS, and the MPS logo are registered trademarks of Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and trademarked in certain other countries.
GREENSBORO, N.C., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Qorvo® (Nasdaq: QRVO), a leading global provider of connectivity and power solutions, will host a conference call to review fiscal 2026 first quarter financial results on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. (ET). The conference call will be webcast live on the Company’s Investor Relations website at the following URL: https://ir.qorvo.com (under “Events & Presentations”).
A telephone playback of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the call’s completion and can be accessed by dialing 1-412-317-0088 and using the passcode 7832615. The playback will be available through the close of business on August 5, 2025.
Qorvo will distribute fiscal 2026 first quarter financial results at approximately 4:00 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
About Qorvo Qorvo (Nasdaq:QRVO) supplies innovative semiconductor solutions that make a better world possible. We combine product and technology leadership, systems-level expertise and global manufacturing scale to quickly solve our customers’ most complex technical challenges. Qorvo serves diverse high-growth segments of large global markets, including automotive, consumer, defense & aerospace, industrial & enterprise, infrastructure and mobile. Visit www.qorvo.com to learn how our diverse and innovative team is helping connect, protect and power our planet.
Qorvo is a registered trademark of Qorvo, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, representations and contentions, and are not historical facts and typically are identified by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. You should be aware that the forward-looking statements included herein represent management’s current judgment and expectations as of the date the statement is first made, but our actual results, events and performance could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. We do not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements or publicly announce the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements, other than as is required under U.S. federal securities laws. Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those relating to fluctuations in our operating results on a quarterly and annual basis; our substantial dependence on developing new products and achieving design wins; our dependence on several large customers for a substantial portion of our revenue; a loss of revenue if defense and aerospace contracts are canceled or delayed; our dependence on third parties; risks related to sales through distributors; risks associated with the operation of our manufacturing facilities; business disruptions; poor manufacturing yields; increased inventory risks and costs, due to timing of customers’ forecasts; our inability to effectively manage or maintain relationships with chipset suppliers; our ability to continue to innovate in a very competitive industry; underutilization of manufacturing facilities; unfavorable changes in interest rates, pricing of certain precious metals, utility rates and foreign currency exchange rates; our acquisitions, divestitures and other strategic investments failing to achieve financial or strategic objectives; our ability to effectively execute on restructuring initiatives; our ability to attract, retain and motivate key employees; warranty claims, product recalls and product liability; changes in our effective tax rate; enactment of international or domestic tax legislation, or changes in regulatory guidance; changes in the favorable tax status of certain of our subsidiaries; risks associated with social, environmental, health and safety regulations, and climate change; risks from international sales and operations; economic regulation in China; changes in government trade policies, including imposition of tariffs and export restrictions; we may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our debt; restrictions imposed by the agreements governing our debt; our reliance on our intellectual property portfolio; claims of infringement of third-party intellectual property rights; security breaches, failed system upgrades or regular maintenance and other similar disruptions to our IT systems; theft, loss or misuse of personal data by or about our employees, customers or third parties; provisions in our governing documents and Delaware law may discourage takeovers and business combinations that our stockholders might consider to be in their best interests; negative impacts from activist stockholders; and volatility in the price of our common stock. These and other risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 29, 2025, and Qorvo’s subsequent reports and statements that we file with the SEC, could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any of these forward-looking statements.
At Qorvo® Doug DeLieto VP, Investor Relations 1-336-678-7968
NEW YORK, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ: CIFR) (“Cipher” or the “Company”) today announced it will provide a business update and release its second quarter 2025 financial results before U.S. markets open on Thursday, August 7th, 2025. Cipher will host a conference call and webcast that day at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
The live webcast and a webcast replay of the conference call can be accessed from the investor relations section of Cipher’s website at https://investors.ciphermining.com. To access this conference call by telephone, register here to receive dial-in numbers and a unique PIN to join the call.
About Cipher Cipher is focused on the development and operation of industrial-scale data centers for bitcoin mining and HPC hosting. Cipher aims to be a market leader in innovation, including in bitcoin mining growth, data center construction and as a hosting partner to the world’s largest HPC companies. To learn more about Cipher, please visit https://www.ciphermining.com/.
NO-HEADQUARTERS/REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PubMatic, Inc. (Nasdaq: PUBM), an independent technology company delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future, today announced that it will release its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025 after market close on Monday, August 11, 2025. On that day, PubMatic will host a webcast at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss the company’s financial results.
Webcast Details
What: PubMatic’s Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Webcast
When: Monday, August 11, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time)
Webcast: A live and archived webcast can be accessed from the News & Events section of PubMatic’s Investor Relations website: https://investors.pubmatic.com
About PubMatic
PubMatic is an independent technology company maximizing customer value by delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future. PubMatic’s sell-side platform empowers the world’s leading digital content creators across the open internet to control access to their inventory and increase monetization by enabling marketers to drive return on investment and reach addressable audiences across ad formats and devices. Since 2006, PubMatic’s infrastructure-driven approach has allowed for the efficient processing and utilization of data in real time. By delivering scalable and flexible programmatic innovation, PubMatic improves outcomes for its customers while championing a vibrant and transparent digital advertising supply chain.
HARRISBURG, Pa., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORRF), the holding company of Orrstown Bank, announced today that it will report second quarter 2025 earnings at the close of business on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Management will host a conference call and webcast to review the Company’s quarterly results on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 9:00 am ET. The conference call and webcast details are below:
Earnings Release: Tuesday, July 22, 2025, After Market Close
Conference Call and Webcast: Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 9:00 am ET
Webcast:
Interested parties may listen to the call and view a copy of the Company’s earnings presentation by joining via webcast at:
To listen to the call without access to the slides, interested parties may participate by telephone by dialing:
USA / International Toll: +1 (646) 307-1963 USA – Toll-Free: (800) 715-9871 Canada – Toronto: (647) 932-3411 Canada – Toll-Free: (800) 715-9871 Conference ID: 5555102
Recorded Playback:
An audio recording of the conference call will be available by telephone until July 30, 2025 by dialing one of the numbers listed below:
US & Canada Toll-Free: (800) 770-2030 US Toll: (609) 800-9909 Canada Toll: (647) 362-9199 Playback ID: 5555102#
The audio recording of the conference call will also be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at investors.orrstown.com.
About Orrstown
With $5.4 billion in assets, Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. (the “Company”) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Orrstown Bank, provide a wide range of consumer and business financial services in Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Perry, and York Counties, Pennsylvania and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, and Washington Counties, Maryland, as well as Baltimore City, Maryland. The Company’s lending area also includes counties in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia within a 75-mile radius of the Company’s executive and administrative offices as well as the District of Columbia. Orrstown Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and its deposits are insured up to the legal maximum by the FDIC. Orrstown Financial Services, Inc.’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ORRF.” For more information about Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. and Orrstown Bank, visit www.orrstown.com.
For additional information, please contact:
Neil Kalani EVP, Chief Financial Officer 717-510-7097 nkalani@orrstown.com
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Jul 15, 2025 1730 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook
Updated: Tue Jul 15 17:32:51 UTC 2025 (Print Version | | )
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Forecast Discussion
SPC AC 151732
Day 2 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1232 PM CDT Tue Jul 15 2025
Valid 161200Z – 171200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE AND THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION…
…SUMMARY… Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon and evening from parts of the central High Plains to the Great Lakes.
…Front Range and High Plains… A shortwave trough over the northern Rockies will intensify as it moves eastward across the central US Wednesday. A cold front across the Front Range and High Plains will continue to sag slowly southward as surface moisture deepens behind it. Within the broad up slope flow regime, scattered storm development is expected across the higher terrain of the central Rockies and High Plains by early afternoon Wednesday. Enhanced mid-level flow will support initial supercells capable of hail and isolated damaging gusts. Local terrain effects and enhanced low-level shear near the front may also allow for a tornado or two. Scattered severe storms expand in coverage across the I-25 corridor through the afternoon before moving eastward into the plains through the evening.
How far east the severe threat will extend remains uncertain as cooler temperatures and lingering inhibition are likely to be in place behind the front. Should sufficient upscale growth take place, an MCS may develop and merge with additional convection farther east before continuing south/southeastward across the central Plains overnight. This would support a continued risk for at least isolated damaging gusts.
…Central Plains… As the cold front continues to move southward across the central Plains, lingering inhibition and forcing for ascent displaced to the north should limit convective development along the front through much of the day However, warm surface temperatures and 60s-70s F surface dewpoints will support large buoyancy along the front. As a 30-40 kt low-level jet increases into the evening, storm development is expected with increasing low-level warm air advection. Isolated damaging gust are possible.
…Great Lakes… A convectively augmented shortwave trough over the central Plains will quickly move eastward along the sagging cold front. Ascent from this feature will aid in developing a wave cyclone along the front, enhancing the low-level flow field across parts of WI and northern IL. An ongoing arc of storms near the surface low should gradually re-intensify through the morning and into the early afternoon. Moderate MLCAPE and strengthening flow aloft will support a mix of cells and clusters. The primary risk is expected to be damaging gusts, though enlarged low-level hodographs and 100-200 J/kg of MLCAPE below 3km AGL may support some tornado risk with the more cellular elements. With time gradual upscale growth into a more linear structure is expected near the western shores of Lake Michigan with a continued risk for damaging gusts.
To the east, strong heating of a very humid air mass is expected across Lower Michigan through the afternoon. Scattered to widespread storms are likely along the typical lake breeze fronts. Vertical shear will be weaker through the afternoon, though at least some enhancement of the flow field could support isolated damaging gusts with scattered to numerous storms expected.
There is some potential for a more organized line/cluster of storms on the western side of the lake to move eastward across Lake Michigan late in the evening and through the overnight hours. Stronger flow aloft near the shortwave trough could support damaging gust and brief tornado potential across parts of northern Lower Michigan overnight. Higher severe probabilities could be needed if confidence in this convective scenario increases in future outlooks.
…Upper OH valley… Widespread thunderstorms are expected across the region in response to a shortwave impulse. Modest instability is forecast amid a very moist airmass. While vertical shear will remain fairly limited, some slight enhancement near the upper trough could support a few longer-lived storm clusters. Isolated strong gusts/wet microbursts could occur, with the more intense storms.
…Northern Gulf Coast… Scattered to numerous thunderstorms associated with Invest 93L will occasionally move onshore across the northern/central Gulf Coast Wednesday and Wednesday night. Enhancement of low and mid-level easterly shear north of the weak surface circulation may support a few longer-lived cells near the coast. Sporadic damaging gusts and perhaps a brief tornado are possible, though confidence in this convective scenario is very low.
..Lyons.. 07/15/2025
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A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.
Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.
Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.
Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.
Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.
Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.
Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alyson Stobo-Wilson, Research Adjunct in Conservation Ecology, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University
Alyson Stobo-Wilson
In remote central Arnhem Land, finding a northern brushtail possum is encouraging for the local Indigenous rangers. Though once common, such small native mammals are now rare. Many are threatened with extinction.
Over the past 30 years, small mammals have been disappearing from Australia’s tropical savannas. This landscape is among the nation’s most remote and seemingly untouched. But it is no longer safe from feral animals, overgrazing livestock, poor fire management and other threats.
Despite growing awareness of the problem, a lack of consensus on the most effective management actions has hindered efforts to reverse these losses. Our new research sought to overcome this hurdle and finally reach consensus on the best way forward.
We achieved this by working with experts from various land management groups and research institutes, including Traditional Owners and Indigenous rangers within the region.
This prompted a major review of the causes, and more research.
Advances in technology played a crucial role in efforts to gather further evidence. Motion-activated cameras known as camera traps enabled monitoring over vast areas.
Extensive surveys using camera traps provided data on the distribution and abundance of small mammals and feral cats. Meanwhile, collar-mounted GPS units and video cameras provided new information about feral cat behaviour.
Feral cat caught on a camera-trap in Arnhem Land. Alyson Stobo-Wilson
What we did and what we found
Our new research concerns the higher-rainfall tropical savannas of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. This area covers 950,000 square kilometres from the Kimberley in the west to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the east.
First we reviewed the literature on the topic of small mammal declines in the region. We found more than 100 relevant studies had been published since 2010.
From these research papers, we identified 11 plausible threats to small mammals. Then we asked 19 experts to score and rank each threat according to severity and scale, and whether the threat could be effectively mitigated.
We found the most severe and widespread threat to small mammals was feral cats. But broad-scale cat control is not very effective.
Ranked second was the habitat destruction caused by livestock (buffalo, horses, donkeys and cattle) and by inappropriate patterns of fire.
Actions aimed at reducing feral livestock numbers and improving fire regimes would increase vital resources such as food and shelter. Such actions can also make it harder for cats to prey on small mammals.
Feral cattle graze in the savanna woodland of the northern Kimberley. Ian Radford
Future threats and research priorities
Habitat loss from land clearing for urban, agricultural or industrial development currently affects only a small proportion of northwestern Australia. But proposed expansions — particularly for cotton and other intensive agriculture — are concerning. These developments overlap with high-rainfall areas in the Top End, where small mammal communities are still relatively intact.
Our expert group also expressed deep concern and uncertainty about the future as the climate changes. Rising temperatures and more intense rainfall events are expected to increase the frequency, extent and severity of fires. However, managing feral livestock and improving fire regimes can make the ecosystem more resilient to change.
Developing more effective tools to directly control feral cats remains a top research priority. It’s estimated cats kill around 452 million native mammals a year in Australia. About a third of these deaths occur in the tropical savannas. So while improved land management will alleviate some pressure, certain species will remain highly vulnerable unless cats can be better managed.
Water buffalo were introduced to northern Australia in the early-1800s, becoming widespread by the mid-1800s. Alyson Stobo-Wilson
In Australia, the historic disruption of Indigenous customary responsibilities — especially fire management — has contributed to the loss of small mammals.
Fortunately, Indigenous ranger programs and Indigenous Protected Areas have expanded in recent years. Increasingly widespread recognition and application of Indigenous knowledge has deepened and broadened our understanding of mammal declines.
In northern Australia, Indigenous ranger groups are global leaders in fire management. They monitor and manage some of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the continent. The land management actions needed to conserve our small mammals rely in large part on the continued support and funding of these groups.
While the federal government has committed funding to expand ranger programs nationally, ranger groups say the investment falls short of what’s needed. Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation chief executive officer Dominic Nicholls told us:
Given the scale at which Indigenous ranger groups operate – and the critical role they play in protecting Australia’s biodiversity and leading innovation in the carbon industry – the level of allocated funding is insufficient to meet the basic delivery costs of these programs.
A clear path forward
Our research shows reducing feral livestock numbers and improving fire regimes in northern Australia currently offers the greatest benefit to small mammal populations — especially in the absence of effective cat controls.
But success will depend on sustained, long-term support for Indigenous rangers, who carry out much of this work. Investing in these programs is not just essential for conserving biodiversity — it also supports cultural connection, community wellbeing and climate resilience.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Traditional Knowledge offered by participants from Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation and Warddeken Land Management Limited as part of this research.
This research was funded by CSIRO. The research benefited from the involvement of researchers and land managers from CSIRO, Charles Darwin University, Warddeken Land Management Limited, Australian National University, Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, the WA and NT governments, Kangaroo Island Landscape Board, Ground Up: Planning and Ecology Support, Dunkeld Pastoral Co Pty Ltd and Desert Support Services.
John Woinarski has previously received funding from the Australian government’s National Environment Science Program. He is affiliated with Charles Darwin University, a member of the Biodiversity Council and a director of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging fourteen Polk County residents with narcotics trafficking and firearms-related charges. If convicted, Curtis Charles Tinsley (47, Lakeland), Tyler Anthony Devaney (32, Winter Haven), Alvin Antonio Barnes III (47, Lakeland), Tonyo Cortez Evans (39, Lakeland), Lamar Anthony Hamilton (43, Lakeland), Albert Lewis III (48, Lakeland), Tyrese Leon Pratt (39, Lakeland), Antonio Groover (32, Dundee), Kenji Antwana Miller (38, Lakeland), Melvin Sharon Murray (48, Lakeland), Robert James Johnson IV (32, Lakeland), Steven Wayne Gay (55, Lakeland), Tiffany Elaine Creach (43, Lakeland), and Sabrina Marie Taylor (40, Dover) each face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, the charged individuals conspired to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy. Devaney, Barnes, Hamilton, Pratt, and Groover are also charged for possessing firearms or ammunition as convicted felons. Devaney, Pratt, and Hamilton are each charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense. The indictment also alleges that Tinsley, Devaney, Barnes, Evans, Hamilton, Groover, Miller, Murray, and Gay committed the alleged offenses after convictions for either serious drug or violent felonies.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lakeland Police Department, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Pardo.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Seattle –A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 19, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least ten victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.
Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 6, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang of the Western District of Washington and Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.
CLEVELAND – James P. Jackson, age 39, of Niles, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to using his role as an employee at a state prison to smuggle illicit substances and other prohibited items to an inmate at the facility.
According to court documents, Jackson was employed by the Trumbull Correctional Institution (TCI) in Leavittsburg, from 2022 through 2024. He served as a corrections officer and later, as a general maintenance worker, where he regularly came into contact with inmates. His work duties and responsibilities allowed him full access to non-public areas including prison cells.
Allegations in court documents show that Jackson was in communication with the wife of a TCI inmate. After some time spent exchanging text messages and keeping in touch by phone, the two agreed to meet. On Feb. 1, 2024, they met and she handed him two large, wrapped packages for him to deliver to her husband who was serving a sentence inside the facility. In return, Jackson accepted an initial bribe of $1,000 from her and was promised an additional $1,000 after the contraband was successfully delivered to the intended recipient. The next day, Jackson attempted to take the packages into TCI but was intercepted by law enforcement before entering.
The investigation revealed that the packages Jackson received−and attempted to smuggle into the prison−contained 97.67 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 207.63 grams of synthetic cannabinoid, 32.85 grams of phencyclidine (aka PCP or angel dust), various other drugs, a cellphone, and SIM cards.
On July 15, 2025, Jackson pleaded guilty after being charged by information for Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right for accepting money to smuggle two packages into TCI using his capacity as an employee of the facility. He faces a maximum of up to 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is yet to be scheduled.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Trumbull Correctional Institutions-Office of Investigations, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol-Office of Criminal Investigations Prison Drug Unit and Investigative Services for the Warren District.
Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea S. Rice and Rebecca C. Lutzko prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury in Miami has found Keenan Johnson (36, Tamarac) guilty of three counts of perjury for false testimony he gave under oath during an evidentiary hearing in a criminal case before Chief Judge Cecilia Altonaga of the United States District Court in Miami on April 4, 2022. Johnson faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is set for October 3, 2025, in Miami. Johnson was indicted on July 31, 2024.
According to testimony and evidence presented during the five-day trial, Johnson, who was a homicide detective with the Miami-Dade Police Department, lied under oath on several occasions during a hearing on a motion to suppress evidence. When confronted by a witness regarding a telephone number he had given to the witness, Johnson denied the number was his, denied that he had spoken to the witness over the telephone, denied he had received text messages from the witness, and denied he had used the number on police flyers.
At the conclusion of the suppression hearing, the judge asked the prosecutor to get to the bottom of the discrepancies regarding the use of the telephone number. Records obtained by investigators after the hearing ultimately showed that Johnson had the phone number for more than four years, had contact with the suppression hearing witness, had used the phone number the night before the suppression hearing for a more than 10-minute call, and had deleted the number after the suppression hearing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Miami and the Miami-Dade County Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs Jr. of the Middle District of Florida. Boggs was appointed as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida for this case.
