Category: KB

MIL-OSI Security: Springfield Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking, Illegal Firearms

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in Greene County, Mo., and possessing firearms.

Russell Lee Deck, Jr., 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian C. Wimes to a total sentence of 25 years in federal prison without parole, followed by three years of supervised release.

On Nov. 8, 2024, Deck pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Deck admitted he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County from June 1 to Aug. 25, 2022, and to possessing firearms.

The drug trafficking conspiracy ended when a Springfield police officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Deck on Aug. 18, 2022. When the officer pulled behind Deck’s vehicle in a hotel parking lot and activated his lights, Deck put the car in reverse and rammed the officer’s vehicle. The officer got out of his vehicle, pulled his duty weapon, and ordered the vehicle’s occupants to stop. Instead, Deck drove forward, then put his vehicle in reverse and rammed the officer’s vehicle again before fleeing the parking lot.

A police pursuit ensued, with Deck driving at a high rate of speed in a residential neighborhood, while Deck’s passenger shot at the officer’s vehicle. The pursuit ended when Deck crashed into a Jeep SUV at an intersection. While the Jeep suffered significant damage, the innocent driver appeared to be unharmed. Deck’s passenger fled the crash on foot and was arrested after Greene County deputies found the passenger hiding under a car. Shell casings and damage from gunfire were located throughout the neighborhood.

Officers removed Deck from the wrecked vehicle and found two bags containing a total of 46.2 grams of methamphetamine in Deck’s pockets. Inside Deck’s vehicle, officers found two handguns on the front passenger side floorboard.

Deck’s passenger who fired the shots during the pursuit, Blake Basten, was sentenced in federal court to a total sentence of 10 years for two counts of felon in possession of a firearm on Feb. 27, 2024.

Deck’s co-defendant in the drug trafficking conspiracy, Justin Hollingsworth, was sentenced to a total sentence of 18 years for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on June 24, 2024.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

MIL Security OSI –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Springfield Man Indicted for Assaulting Postal Worker

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for assaulting a postal worker.

Courtney J. Ellis, 45, was charged today in a one count indictment with assaulting an employee of the U.S. Postal Service while they were performing their official duties. Today’s indictment replaces a felony criminal complaint filed June 23, 2025.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original complaint, on June 18, 2025, Ellis struck the victim on the head with a wooden board while he was delivering mail to Ellis’s address. The victim, who was delivering mail along that route for the first time, was wearing a USPS uniform and driving a marked USPS delivery vehicle. After striking the victim, Ellis yelled that he didn’t belong in the neighborhood and followed him back to his vehicle where he continued to yell at and threaten the victim until he drove away.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

MIL Security OSI –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearm Offenses

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC HERMAN, 32, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, following two fatal overdoses involving fentanyl in 2021, both of which are believed to be connected to Herman, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stratford Police Department began investigating Herman’s drug trafficking activities. In May and June 2022, investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine from Herman.

Herman was arrested on September 15, 2022. At the time of his arrest, he possessed a distribution quantity of cocaine, a loaded 9mm “ghost gun” with a laser sight attached, and additional rounds of ammunition.

Herman’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug and firearm offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Herman has been detained since his arrest. On March 24, 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base (“crack”), fentanyl, and heroin; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.

Herman pleaded guilty in state court to narcotics and manslaughter charges stemming from an overdose death investigation and was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment, suspended after eight years, and five years of probation. Judge Bolden ordered Herman’s federal sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence.

The DEA’s HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.

MIL Security OSI –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Special Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Violating an Arrestee’s Rights

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Brigette O. Robertson of Washington, D.C. pled guilty today to violating the constitutional rights of a detained citizen by stomping on her face in June 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Joining in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office.

U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich took Robertson’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for Oct. 21, 2025. For the offense to which she pled guilty – a misdemeanor count of violating constitutional rights – the defendant faces a potential penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

According to court documents, on June 24, 2023, Robertson was employed by Specific Protection Services, LLC., as a Special Police Officer (SPO). She was licensed in the District of Columbia to act and to carry out law enforcement actions as a SPO. That day, while in full uniform and vested with police powers, Robertson was assigned to and providing security services at a McDonald’s restaurant on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE.

At about 3:30 p.m., Robertson got into a verbal altercation with a patron at the restaurant. The altercation escalated into a physical confrontation. Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the scene. After the patron was under the control of an MPD officer, the patron remained prone on the ground. Robertson stepped over the patron and, while doing so, stomped on the patron’s face. The stomp to the face caused the patron to experience pain and bleeding. The stomp was without legal justification and in violation of the individual’s constitutional rights.

Use-of-force investigations generally

The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews police-involved use of force to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. To prove civil rights violations, prosecutors must typically be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary. Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden. Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely.

The FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division investigated the case. Prosecuting the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.

25cr167

MIL Security OSI –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Joplin Man Indicted for Felon in Possession of Firearm

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with his possession of a firearm recovered following a shooting in Joplin, Mo.

Andrew M. Reed, 22, was charged in a single count indictment with being a felon possession of a firearm. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint filed on July 2, 2025.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original complaint, police officers responded to the area of 5^th and Joplin Avenue in Joplin, Mo., on Feb. 15, 2025, in reference to gunshots, and recovered several spent cartridge casings in the area. Officers recovered a firearm with a thirty-round extended magazine loaded with ammunition consistent with the spent shell casings. Surveillance footage from a nearby business showed a male, later identified as Reed, hiding the firearm.

Reed has prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony M. Brown It was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is 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).

MIL Security OSI –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Zuni Man Charged in Unprovoked Stabbing That Left Victim Seriously Injured

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man has been charged in federal court for allegedly stabbing another man without provocation, causing serious injuries.

According to court documents, on the night of June 16, 2025, Adrian Cheama, 36, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, allegedly approached the victim while he was walking with a friend along a residential street in Zuni, New Mexico. Without provocation, Cheama stabbed the victim in the abdomen with a weapon described as either a circular metal pole or a knife, then walked away laughing. The victim sustained serious injuries as a result.

Multiple witnesses placed Cheama at the scene and described him carrying a backpack and a baton-like object before and during the attack. The investigation revealed that Cheama had previously made statements suggesting he was looking for the victim.

Cheama is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Cheama faces up to 10 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jordan is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL Security OSI –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: ‘We knocked her out with some gummies:’ trafficker sent to prison for conspiring to smuggle toddler from Mexico

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LAREDO, Texas – A 23-year-old Laredo woman has been ordered to prison for her role in an unaccompanied minor smuggling ring, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Vanessa Valadez pleaded guilty Sept. 20, 2024, admitting she smuggled a child into the United States for financial gain.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered her to serve 18 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

“Those that choose to engage in the human trafficking business are not good people. They aren’t motivated by altruism or sympathy. They are paid to traffic in human beings, and they treat people they smuggle as nothing more than cargo,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas will not rest until all such smuggling rings—particularly those that deal in children—are completely eradicated.”

“The sentencing of this individual underscores the serious consequences for those who exploit and endanger vulnerable populations, especially children,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig S. Larrabee. “Drugging children to facilitate human smuggling is not only criminal it’s inhumane. HSI is committed to identifying and dismantling the criminal networks behind these horrific acts and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.”

From August to September 2023, Valadez and other family members operated a child smuggling ring working to bring young illegal minors from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, into the United States. All the children were under the age of five.

On the night of Sept. 19, 2023, members of the smuggling ring retrieved a young girl from a stash house which the organization members operated. The co-conspirators smuggled the girl across the border and delivered her to Valadez in downtown Laredo. Co-conspirators then took the child further into the United States and delivered her to unknown people.

Two days later, the ring attempted to transport another young girl. However, law enforcement intercepted them following a routine border inspection at the Juarez Lincoln Bridge in Laredo. To carry out their scheme, co-conspirators had sedated the girl with melatonin gummies and used an unlawfully obtained birth certificate to deceive authorities into believing the girl was a family member.

The investigation revealed the smuggling ring had attempted to similarly transport at least four girls into the United States, three of whom remain unidentified and their whereabouts are unknown. Members of the smuggling ring obtained birth certificates of U.S. citizen children to pose as a family unit at ports of entry to the United States. At times, organization members used melatonin gummies to sedate at least one child to ensure a successful smuggling attempt.

One text message uncovered in the investigation showed an image depicting an unconscious child and a caption, “La noquiamos con unas gomitas,” translated in English as “we knocked her out with some gummies.”

Co-conspirators Ana Laura Bryand, 47, Dallas; her niece Kayla Marie Bryand, 20, Jose Eduardo Bryand, 43, and Nancy Guadalupe Bryand, 44, all of Laredo; and Lizeth Esmeralda Bryand Arredondo, 32, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty and have all already been sentenced to federal prison.

ICE-HSI conducted the investigation with Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations and assistance from Border Patrol, Laredo Police Department, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence A. Check Jr. prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Arrest in Northwest D.C.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendant Charged as Part of Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Initiative

           WASHINGTON – David Oday Smith, 39, of the District of Columbia, has been charged in an indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative.

           The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           Smith is charged federally with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

           According to court documents, on July 14, 2025, members of the MPD’s Fourth District Crime Suppression Team were on patrol on the 5700 block of Georgia Avenue Northwest, when they noticed Smith hiding behind a bus stop with a black satchel.

           As officers approached, Smith immediately fled and eventually discarded his black satchel. Officers searched the satchel and discovered a Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol, containing one .40 caliber round loaded in the chamber and 14 additional rounds in the magazine.

           Smith is prohibited from possession of a firearm and ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including a 2009 second degree murder conviction in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

           This case is being prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe Again is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump’s Executive Order to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful. Make D.C. Safe Again aims to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

           The case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Liss is prosecuting the case.

           An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

25cr207

MIL Security OSI –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Local man gets over 10 years after picking up and delivering “aparatos”

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old Laredo resident has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Fernando Tadeo Cerda, 25, pleaded guilty July 19, 2023.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Cerda to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release for the drug trafficking conviction. At the hearing, the court considered Cerda was subject to a mandatory 10 years in prison due to being previously convicted of smuggling aliens.

Cerda had also admitted he violated his term of supervised release and received another nine months to be served consecutively for a total 129-month-term of imprisonment.

The investigation revealed Cerda had conspired with his uncle, Jesus Garza, to coordinate delivery of large amounts of cocaine.

On Nov. 27, 2020, Cerda met with Garza and provided him a duffle bag containing the drugs. As Garza departed the location in Laredo, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and discovered the bag with five bricks which contained over 5,000 grams of cocaine.

Cerda later admitted Garza had instructed him to pick up and deliver “aparatos” (kilograms of cocaine). He further stated he made a total of four deliveries and was paid $1,000.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Garza, 63, Laredo, had also pleaded guilty and later sentenced to 48 months in prison.

Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: 11 Venezuelan Nationals and One Columbian National Indicted for Financial Fraud in the District of Utah

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An indictment was unsealed today charging a dozen foreign nationals of bank fraud and engaging in transactions involving criminally derived property. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025 at the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. Eleven Venezuelan nationals and one Colombian national are accused of committing financial fraud crimes after they allegedly participated in a scheme to defraud banks in Utah and elsewhere.

According to court documents, between January 2023 and June 2023, the defendants were involved in a scheme to defraud financial institutions by opening accounts and presenting fraudulent cashier’s checks to be deposited to those accounts. In some instances, defendants deposited multiple counterfeit checks at different branches on the same day. Defendants then laundered the funds by check, cashier’s check, and cash withdrawal.

Defendants are residents of Salt Lake County:

1.    Gilberto Emiro Andrade-Romero, 36, of Venezuela
2.    Felipe Enrique Linares-Lobo aka Carlos M. Hidalgo Noguera, 32, of Venezuela
3.    Alexis Jose Calixto-Bracho, 25, of Venezuela
4.    Daniel Jose Fuenmayor-leal, aka Enais Inciarte-Urdaneta, 34, of Venezuela
5.    Yeritza Astrid Cuello-Plata, 40, of Venezuela
6.    Federico Javier Gutierrez-Pirela, 36, of Venezuela
7.    Hendry Ricardo Martinez-Concho, 42, of Venezuela
8.    Cristina Paola Nava-Yoris, 24, of Venezuela
9.    Patricia Del Carmen Orozco-Cuello, 37, of Colombia
10.    Ismael Norberto Rodriguez-Moreno, 47, of Venezuela
11.    Jorge Luis Urribarri-Vento, 32, of Venezuela
12.    Rayner Jose Delgado-Quiroz, 24, of Venezuela

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and a HSI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brent L. Andrus and Carl D. Lesueur of the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

This is 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL Security OSI –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Rate and Chicago White Sox to Host Tribute Honoring Military Families at Rate Field on July 25
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHICAGO, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rate, a leading fintech company, will proudly honor America’s military families during its second annual Military Appreciation Game with the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Held on Friday, July 25, the event will be a powerful tribute to service, sacrifice, and the enduring spirit of the armed forces.

A pregame “Take the Field” recognition will spotlight all seven Military Spouses of the Year, each representing a different branch of the U.S. military. They will be honored on the field as they meet with White Sox players at each defensive position in a moving pregame moment of appreciation and respect.

The evening’s Hero of the Game will be Marine Corps Captain Riley Tejcek, an active-duty officer, Olympic bobsled hopeful, author, and rising digital voice, who embodies the strength and versatility of today’s military leaders.

A highlight of the night will be a parachute jump into Rate Field, delivering the game ball into the hands of a military child who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Justin Holmes, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Nashville recording artist, will perform the National Anthem, bringing added meaning to this celebration of country and community.

“This night, honoring the military is our way of saying thank you,” said Victor Ciardelli, CEO of Rate. “Military families are the backbone of this country, and we’re proud to celebrate and serve them.”

Earlier in the day, Rate will host a brunch and service project at its Chicago headquarters to welcome the honorees and connect them with company employees and leadership. The gathering will include a hands-on volunteer initiative supporting military causes.

On game day, attendees will also be able to connect with key organizations at Rate Field, including:
- Marine Corps Recruiting Command
- Hiring Our Heroes
- United Through Reading
- Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
The evening coincides with a crosstown matchup between the White Sox and the Cubs, adding even more excitement to what is expected to be a deeply memorable occasion.

This celebration is part of Rate’s unwavering commitment to military families nationwide. Through its leading VA loan program, the company has waived more than $65 million in lender fees and actively supports military-focused nonprofits and educational initiatives throughout the year.

About Rate
Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate has over 850 branches across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Rate has helped more than 2 million homeowners with home purchase loans, refinances, and home equity loans. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates, and delivering unparalleled customer service. Recent honors and awards include: a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 by Fortune; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for First-Time Homebuyers by Forbes; a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for FHA Loans, Home Equity Loans, and Lower Credit Scores by NerdWallet; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for Digital Experience and Down Payment Assistance by Motley Fool; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.

Media Contact:
press@rate.com

The MIL Network –
July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Rate and Chicago White Sox to Host Tribute Honoring Military Families at Rate Field on July 25
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHICAGO, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rate, a leading fintech company, will proudly honor America’s military families during its second annual Military Appreciation Game with the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Held on Friday, July 25, the event will be a powerful tribute to service, sacrifice, and the enduring spirit of the armed forces.

A pregame “Take the Field” recognition will spotlight all seven Military Spouses of the Year, each representing a different branch of the U.S. military. They will be honored on the field as they meet with White Sox players at each defensive position in a moving pregame moment of appreciation and respect.

The evening’s Hero of the Game will be Marine Corps Captain Riley Tejcek, an active-duty officer, Olympic bobsled hopeful, author, and rising digital voice, who embodies the strength and versatility of today’s military leaders.

A highlight of the night will be a parachute jump into Rate Field, delivering the game ball into the hands of a military child who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Justin Holmes, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Nashville recording artist, will perform the National Anthem, bringing added meaning to this celebration of country and community.

“This night, honoring the military is our way of saying thank you,” said Victor Ciardelli, CEO of Rate. “Military families are the backbone of this country, and we’re proud to celebrate and serve them.”

Earlier in the day, Rate will host a brunch and service project at its Chicago headquarters to welcome the honorees and connect them with company employees and leadership. The gathering will include a hands-on volunteer initiative supporting military causes.

On game day, attendees will also be able to connect with key organizations at Rate Field, including:
- Marine Corps Recruiting Command
- Hiring Our Heroes
- United Through Reading
- Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
The evening coincides with a crosstown matchup between the White Sox and the Cubs, adding even more excitement to what is expected to be a deeply memorable occasion.

This celebration is part of Rate’s unwavering commitment to military families nationwide. Through its leading VA loan program, the company has waived more than $65 million in lender fees and actively supports military-focused nonprofits and educational initiatives throughout the year.

About Rate
Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate has over 850 branches across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Rate has helped more than 2 million homeowners with home purchase loans, refinances, and home equity loans. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates, and delivering unparalleled customer service. Recent honors and awards include: a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 by Fortune; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for First-Time Homebuyers by Forbes; a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for FHA Loans, Home Equity Loans, and Lower Credit Scores by NerdWallet; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for Digital Experience and Down Payment Assistance by Motley Fool; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.

Media Contact:
press@rate.com

The MIL Network –
July 23, 2025

MIL-OSI: Pulse Seismic Inc. Reports Strong Q2 2025 Financial Results and Declares Special and Regular Quarterly Dividends

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CALGARY, Alberta, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pulse Seismic Inc. (TSX:PSD) (OTCQX:PLSDF) (“Pulse” or the “Company”) is pleased to report its financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025. The unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, accompanying notes and MD&A are being filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and will be available on Pulse’s website at www.pulseseismic.com.

Today, Pulse’s Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.0175 per common share and also declared a special dividend of $0.20 per common share. The total dividend declared will be approximately $11.0 million based on Pulse’s 50,755,057 common shares outstanding as of July 22, 2025, to be paid on August 20, 2025, to shareholders of record on August 13, 2025. This dividend is designated as an eligible dividend for Canadian income tax purposes. For non-resident shareholders, Pulse’s dividends are subject to Canadian withholding tax.

“In the first half of 2025 the Company has benefited from increases in traditional data sales as well as energy sector M&A, generating revenue of $41.1 million, an EBITDA margin of 86% and $27.2 million of shareholder free cashflow,” stated Neal Coleman, Pulse’s President and CEO. “Pulse’s industry leading seismic data library contains vital subsurface information used by E&P companies for risk mitigation and maximization of drilling results,” he continued. “The Company continues to rely on shareholder free cashflow as the basis for its capital allocation strategy and remains focused on returns to shareholders, as evidenced by distributing 84% of 2025 free cash flow in the form of dividends. Pulse’s Board of Directors today declared the second special dividend of 2025,” Coleman continued. “In the last 24 months, special dividends of $0.80 have been declared, in addition to the regular dividend which has increased annually and is currently set at $0.07 per year,” he concluded.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE THREE AND SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2025

The regular quarterly dividend of $0.0175 per common share declared and paid in the second quarter of 2025 was a 17% increase over the regular quarterly dividend of $0.015 per common share declared and paid in the first quarter of 2025. A special dividend of $0.20 per common share totaling $10.2 million was also declared and paid in the first quarter of 2025;

The Company renewed its Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB) on February 24, 2025. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company purchased and cancelled 80,600 shares under the NCIB at an average price of $2.43 per share, for total cost of approximately $197,000;
Total revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2025, was $18.3 million, compared to $6.3 million for the same period in 2024. Total revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2025, was $41.1 million, compared to $15.1 million for the same period in 2024. Revenue generated in the first half of 2025 reflects an increase of 71% compared to the last three years average of annual revenue;

Shareholder free cash flow^(a) was $11.7 million ($0.23 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $3.9 million ($0.07 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024. Shareholder free cash flow was $27.2 million ($0.53 per share basic and diluted) for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $8.9 million ($0.17 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024;

EBITDA^(a) was $15.2 million ($0.30 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $4.4 million ($0.0.09 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024. For the six months ended June 30, 2025, EBITDA was $35.3 million ($0.69 per share basic and diluted) compared to $10.6 million ($0.21 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024;

Net earnings for the three months ended June 30, 2025, was $9.6 million ($0.19 per share basic and diluted) compared to net earnings of $1.3 million ($0.03 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024. Net earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2025, was $22.9 million ($0.45 per share basic and diluted) compared to net earnings of $4.0 million ($0.08 per share basic and diluted) for the same period in 2024; and

At June 30, 2025, the Company had a cash balance of $25.9 million as well as $5.0 million of available liquidity on its revolving demand credit facility.

SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING INFORMATION


(Thousands of dollars except per share data,	Three months ended June 30,			Six months ended June 30,		Year ended,
numbers of shares and kilometres of seismic data)	2025	2024		2025	2024	December 31,
	(Unaudited)			(Unaudited)		2024
Revenue	18,316	6,300		41,075	15,077	23,379

Amortization of seismic data library	2,224	2,279		4,449	4,549	9,090
Net earnings	9,565	1,341		22,940	4,022	3,391
Per share basic and diluted	0.19	0.03		0.45	0.08	0.07
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	12,543	(1,269	)	29,158	9,195	14,195
Per share basic and diluted	0.25	(0.02	)	0.57	0.18	0.28
EBITDA ^(a)	15,238	4,418		35,286	10,647	15,496
Per share basic and diluted ^(a)	0.30	0.09		0.69	0.21	0.30
Shareholder free cash flow ^(a)	11,733	3,869		27,152	8,907	12,408
Per share basic and diluted ^(a)	0.23	0.07		0.53	0.17	0.24

Capital expenditures
Seismic data	–	–		–	225	225
Property and equipment	–	–		–	–	45
Total capital expenditures	–	–		–	225	270

Dividends
Regular dividends declared	885	775		1,648	1,490	3,018
Special dividends declared	–	–		10,167	–	2,548
Total dividends declared	885	775		11,815	1,490	5,566

Normal course issuer bid
Number of shares purchased and cancelled	37,300	539,500		80,600	1,166,800	1,784,000
Cost of shares purchased and cancelled	91	1,222		197	2,407	3,880

Weighted average shares outstanding
Basic and diluted	50,761,321	51,734,590		50,795,174	51,928,298	51,448,985
Shares outstanding at period-end				50,755,057	51,455,063	50,837,863

Seismic library
2D in kilometres				829,207	829,207	829,207
3D in square kilometres				65,310	65,310	65,310

FINANCIAL POSITION AND RATIO
	June 30,	June 30,	December 31,
(Thousands of dollars except ratio)	2025	2024	2024
Working capital	24,202	10,996	9,222
Working capital ratio	4.8:1	4.0:1	5.1:1
Cash and cash equivalents	25,876	9,392	8,722
Total assets	36,479	29,184	21,516
Trailing 12 -month (TTM) EBITDA^(b)	40,135	27,528	15,496
Shareholders’ equity	29,177	25,177	18,295

^(a)The Company’s continuous disclosure documents provide discussion and analysis of “EBITDA”, “EBITDA per share”, “shareholder free cash flow” and “shareholder free cash flow per share”. These financial measures do not have standard definitions prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies. The Company has included these non-GAAP financial measures because management, investors, analysts and others use them as measures of the Company’s financial performance. The Company’s definition of EBITDA is cash available for interest payments, cash taxes, repayment of debt, purchase of its shares, discretionary capital expenditures and the payment of dividends, and is calculated as earnings (loss) from operations before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The Company believes EBITDA assists investors in comparing Pulse’s results on a consistent basis without regard to non-cash items, such as depreciation and amortization, which can vary significantly depending on accounting methods or non-operating factors such as historical cost. EBITDA per share is defined as EBITDA divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period. Shareholder free cash flow further refines the calculation of capital available to invest in growing the Company’s 2D and 3D seismic data library, to repay debt, to purchase its common shares and to pay dividends by deducting non-discretionary expenditures from EBITDA. Non-discretionary expenditures are defined as non-cash expenses, debt financing costs (net of deferred financing expenses amortized in the current period), net restructuring costs and current tax provisions. Shareholder free cash flow per share is defined as shareholder free cash flow divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period.
These non-GAAP financial measures are defined, calculated and reconciled to the nearest GAAP financial measures in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis.
^(b) TTM EBITDA is defined as the sum of EBITDA generated over the previous 12 months and is used to provide a comparable annualized measure.
These non-GAAP financial measures are defined, calculated and reconciled to the nearest GAAP financial measures in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

OUTLOOK
Pulse had a very strong first half year, generating revenue of $41.1 million and ending the quarter with $24.2 million of working capital including $25.9 million in cash. These financial results have provided capital returns to shareholders, strengthened the balance sheet, and positioned the Company for solid financial performance in 2025.

Pulse’s ability to forecast future revenue continues to be challenging, as significant annual fluctuations are the norm in the seismic data library business. Industry trends that we consider relevant as we look forward include land sales in Western Canada, drilling forecasts for the year, commodity price levels, M&A forecasts and the status of industry infrastructure improvements. It is difficult to predict in the midst of the current market dynamics how this will unfold through the remainder of 2025. M&A activity for the year so far, has surpassed many analysts’ earlier expectations and is expected to remain strong for the remainder of 2025. Lower oil prices have contributed to decreased corporate valuations which often lead to acquisition opportunities. Alberta land sales through 2024 were strong, but at midpoint in 2025 have generated just over half the amount for the same period in 2024. In British Columbia land sales were resumed in Q3 2024 after a pause of over three years. New infrastructure, such as the TMX pipeline expansion, a driver of increased drilling activity, which was completed in 2024 has provided increased export capacity. The Canadian Association of Energy Contractors, in November 2024 forecast an increase to 6,604 wells to be drilled in 2025, an approximate 7% increase over 2024. There has been no update published to this forecast, and drilling activity is reported to be relatively stable. LNG Canada’s liquified natural gas export facility is now operational and is expected to contribute to increased drilling and may lead to an improvement in Canadian natural gas prices.

Of course, there continues to be a high level of uncertainty on political and economic fronts. Uncertainty around energy tariffs and trade policy between Canada and the United States, are contributing to the lack of clarity for the future. It is clear that Canada needs to continue to build pipelines and increase natural gas egress, to support the country’s energy security, as well as to secure new buyers of Canadian energy.

Pulse, as previously stated, has low visibility regarding future seismic data library sales levels, regardless of industry conditions. The Company remains focused on business practices that have served throughout the full range of conditions. The Company maintains a strong balance sheet and carries no debt. Led by an experienced and capable management team, Pulse operates with a low-cost structure and focuses on maintaining excellent client relations and providing exceptional customer service. Pulse’s strong financial position, high leverage to increased revenue in its EBITDA margin and careful management of its cash resources continue to translate to the return of capital to shareholders through regular and special dividends.

CORPORATE PROFILE

Pulse is a market leader in the acquisition, marketing and licensing of 2D and 3D seismic data to the western Canadian energy sector. Pulse owns the largest licensable seismic data library in Canada, currently consisting of approximately 65,310 square kilometres of 3D seismic and 829,207 kilometres of 2D seismic. The library extensively covers the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, where most of Canada’s oil and natural gas exploration and development occur.

For further information, please contact:
Neal Coleman, President and CEO
Or
Pamela Wicks, Vice President Finance and CFO
Tel.: 403-237-5559
Toll-free: 1-877-460-5559
E-mail: info@pulseseismic.com.
Please visit our website at www.pulseseismic.com

This document contains information that constitutes “forward-looking information” or “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “forecast”, “target”, “project”, “guidance”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “estimate”, “predict” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or language suggesting an outlook.

The Outlook section herein contain forward-looking information which includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding:

> The outlook of the Company for the year ahead, including future operating costs and expected revenues;

> Recent events on the political, economic, regulatory, and legal fronts affecting the industry’s medium- to longer-term prospects, including progression and completion of contemplated infrastructure projects;

> The Company’s capital resources and sufficiency thereof to finance future operations, meet its obligations associated with financial liabilities and carry out the necessary capital expenditures through 2025;

> Pulse’s capital allocation strategy;

> Pulse’s dividend policy;

> Oil and natural gas prices and forecast trends;

> Oil and natural gas drilling activity and land sales activity;

> Oil and natural gas company capital budgets;

> Future demand for seismic data;

> Future seismic data sales;

> Pulse’s business and growth strategy; and

> Other expectations, beliefs, plans, goals, objectives, assumptions, information and statements about possible future events, conditions, results and performance, as they relate to the Company or to the oil and natural gas industry as a whole.

By its very nature, forward-looking information involves inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Pulse does not publish specific financial goals or otherwise provide guidance, due to the inherently poor visibility of seismic revenue. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations and anticipations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking information.

These factors include, but are not limited to:

> Uncertainty of the timing and volume of data sales;

> Volatility of oil and natural gas prices;

> Risks associated with the oil and natural gas industry in general;

> The Company’s ability to access external sources of debt and equity capital;

> Credit, liquidity and commodity price risks;

> The demand for seismic data;

> The pricing of data library licence sales;

> Cybersecurity;

> Relicensing (change-of-control) fees and partner copy sales;

> Environmental, health and safety risks;

> Federal and provincial government laws and regulations, including those pertaining to taxation, royalty rates, environmental protection, public health and safety;

> Competition;

> Dependence on key management, operations and marketing personnel;

> The loss of seismic data;

> Protection of intellectual property rights;

> The introduction of new products; and

> Climate change.

Pulse cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. Additional information on these risks and other factors which could affect the Company’s operations and financial results is included under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent annual information form, and in the Company’s most recent audited annual financial statements, most recent MD&A, management information circular, quarterly reports, material change reports and news releases. Copies of the Company’s public filings are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

When relying on forward-looking information to make decisions with respect to Pulse, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Furthermore, the forward-looking information contained in this document is provided as of the date of this document and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking information, except as required by law. The forward-looking information in this document is provided for the limited purpose of enabling current and potential investors to evaluate an investment in Pulse. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information may not be appropriate, and should not be used, for other purposes.

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/8df92694-2a01-45f3-b5b4-ecc0f5bd6edb

The MIL Network –

July 23, 2025

MIL-Evening Report: The incredible impact of Ozzy Osbourne, from Black Sabbath to Ozzfest to 30 years of retirement tours

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lachlan Goold, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Music, University of the Sunshine Coast

Ozzy Osbourne photographed in London in 1991. Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images

Ozzy Osbourne, the “prince of darkness” and godfather of heavy metal, has died aged 76, just weeks after he reunited with Black Sabbath bandmates for a farewell concert in his hometown of Birmingham in England.

His family posted a brief message overnight: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.”

John Michael Osbourne changed the sound of rock music and leaves behind a stellar career spanning six decades, numerous Grammy awards, multiple hall of fame inductions – and a wave of controversy.

An agent of change

In 1969, from the ashes of various bands, Geezer Butler (bass), Tony Iommi (guitar), Bill Ward (drums) and Osbourne formed the band Earth.

Realising the name was taken, they quickly changed their name to Black Sabbath, an homage to the 1963 Italian horror anthology film.

With the Summer of Love a recent memory, Black Sabbath were part of a heavy music revolution, providing an antidote to the free loving hippies of the late 60s period.

Despite making their first two albums cheaply, Black Sabbath, released in February 1970, and Paranoid, released September that same year, they were a global success.

Their approach was laden with sarcasm and irony. American audiences mistook this for satanic worship, positioning them as outsiders (albeit popular ones).

Black Sabbath pose for a group portrait with gold discs, London, 1973, L-R Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler.
Michael Putland/Getty Images

After Black Sabbath’s early successes, they were managed by the notorious Don Arden, whose daughter Sharon Levy was the receptionist. More than any musical bond Osbourne had in his life, Sharon would be the most influential character throughout his life.

Osbourne recorded eight albums with Black Sabbath (some to critical acclaim) and was then kicked out (by Sharon) due to his troubles with drugs and alcohol.

Ozzy solo

Osbourne’s solo career has always been managed by Sharon. While recording his second solo album, Diary of a Madman, guitarist Rhodes died in a tragic light plane crash. Osbourne was close to Rhodes and fell into a deep depression, after never having lost someone so close.

Sharon and Osbourne married only months after this incident. His struggle with drug use did not stop him from making further solo records alongside various guitar players, continuing with moderate success throughout his career.

On the road, Osbourne put the John Farnham’s last tour trope to shame.

He held his last ever gig more times than one can count with names like No More Tours (1992–93), Retirement Sucks (1995–96) and No More Tours 2 (2018–19).

Osbourne ‘retired’ many times over 30 years. Here he performs in California in 2022.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

This lament for touring led to the most successful era of Osbourne’s career. After being rejected for the 1995 Lollapaloza festival bill, Sharon (and their son Jack) started Ozzfest; initially an annual two-day multiband festival headlined by Osbourne, held in Phoenix, Arizona, and Devore, California.

Subsequently becoming a national – and then international – tour, Ozzfest led to a successful partnership with MTV, which led to the reality TV show The Osbournes premiering in 2002. Here, his previous and ongoing battle with drugs was obvious, proudly on display – and ridiculed – to huge global audiences.

The spectacle of a rich rockstar and his family, featuring a constant barrage of swearing, battles with lavish TV remotes, canine therapy, never-ending chaos, and Osbourne constantly yelling “Sharrrooon” like a twisted maniacal loop of A Street Car Named Desire.

Struggles and controversies

Osbourne suffered multiple health conditions over the years, rarely concealing the state of his physical or mental wellbeing.

Notably he’s struggled with drug and alcohol abuse his whole career with drug recovery centres using Osbourne as an exemplar. In 2007 he disclosed he suffered from the Parkinson’s adjacent condition Parkinsonian syndrome. In 2019 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Black Sabbath photographed in the 1970s. Left to right: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne.
Chris Walter/WireImage

This resulted in him being unable to walk for his final Back to the Beginning show in Birmingham on July 5 2025.

And Osbourne’s career had more than its fair share of controversy. He bit the head off a dove and a bat (celebrated with a commemorative toy), and urinated on the Alamo cenotaph. He was taken to court multiple times, but was never convicted.

Ozzy and me

As a white middle-class boy growing up in the Brisbane suburbs in the 80s, heavy metal music appealed to my testosterone and pimple filled body.

Exploring the secondhand record shops of Brisbane, I would’ve bought my first copy of Black Sabbath around 1985. The sound of thunder and a distant church bell before the first drop-D riff enters seemed like the antithesis to sunny Queensland and 80s pop.

As my life became obsessed with the recording studio and the vociferous music scene in Brisbane in the post-Joh era, and those drop-D riffs influenced a new style that swept the world in the early 90s.

Osbourne’s influence was huge and through grunge, his sound was reborn. Grunge was a marriage of the Sabbath-like drop-D riffs with the energy of punk and the melody of the Beatles.

Listening to Black Sabbath and Ozzy records, equipped me with a sonic palette ready to capture the wave of alternative music emmerging from the Brisbane scene.

While Ozzy’s death is no surprise (except for those who never thought he’d last this long), we should take pause and remember an icon with an endless energy for entertaining, a passion for music, and changing the expectations of popular culture for more than 50 years.

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

– ref. The incredible impact of Ozzy Osbourne, from Black Sabbath to Ozzfest to 30 years of retirement tours – https://theconversation.com/the-incredible-impact-of-ozzy-osbourne-from-black-sabbath-to-ozzfest-to-30-years-of-retirement-tours-258820

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: 50 years lost: kiwi pukupuku found in the wild

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Ranger Project Lead Iain Graham describes the moments leading to the monumental rediscovery of kiwi pukupuku in the West Coast wilderness.

Iain Graham, kiwi conservation dog Brew, and the first wild kiwi pukupuku found on the mainland in nearly 50 years | Lucy Holyoake, DOC

Kiwi pukupuku found only in predator free sanctuaries?

Up until now, we believed kiwi pukupuku/little spotted kiwi had gone extinct from mainland New Zealand. Our smallest kiwi is particularly vulnerable to introduced predators, and the last known sighting of a kiwi pukupuku on the mainland was in 1978. In the years since, despite targeted searching, we haven’t found any others.

We also thought all remaining kiwi pukupuku descended from five transferred to Kapiti Island from South Westland in 1912. The descendants of these birds now spread across several predator-free islands and sanctuaries.

Then, back in April, I received an email from a hunter we contracted for tahr control in the Adams Wilderness Area on the West Coast. The email included a short, blurry video of a kiwi looking for its next meal in a bed of fallen Dracophyllum leaves.

That video changed everything.

Finding a kiwi

A weather window opened for us in early May, and kiwi conservation dog Brew and I packed our bags for a week in the scrub to see if we could track down this mystery bird. Brew isn’t great at packing though, so I helped her out.

Air New Zealand conservation dog Brew ready to find a kiwi | Iain Graham, DOC

Brew is kiwi certified under DOC’s Air New Zealand-supported Conservation Dogs Programme, so she has a highly qualified nose for sniffing out our national bird. It’s rough country, and my job was trying to keep up with Brew through all the thick alpine scrub we were contending with. While Brew located kiwi scat (poo!), I was listening out. In the early hours, I heard a pair of kiwi duetting.

Oh, I thought, there’s two of them!

A rugged landscape for searching | Iain Graham, DOC

What followed was two days of increasing frustration as Brew and I followed the calls, only to find our progress constantly blocked by geographic features. On day three, Brew dragged me up a spur near where we had marked the calls, and locked on a small hole in the side of a bank. This was the sign I had been waiting for.

Brew looked on expectantly as I attempted to retrieve the kiwi, only to discover it must have snuck out another entrance. After Brew stared judgingly into my soul, radiating ‘I did my part’ energy, she huffed, put her nose down, and took off down the hill again.

Brew locked hopefully onto a kiwi burrow | Iain Graham, DOC

Plan B, stakeout.

It was time for a kiwi stakeout. This sounds more fun than it is; we patiently sit outside a burrow entrance and wait for the bird to exit (in this case after blocking the other exit). There’s no noise and no movement, so it becomes a true battle of patience. These stakeouts can end in minutes or hours, and with either success or failure.

I found a comfortable position in front of the burrow, wearing every layer of clothes I had with me, and sat there for 6 hours. Then, hearing a male calling not far down the hill, I realised he had somehow beat me at the patience game. Alright, I thought. No luck tonight, but tomorrow is another day.

Tomorrow was also the last chance to find these birds before we flew out. Unfortunately, with the day came the rain. Brew and I were cooped up in our tent while the rain passed – as heavy rain prevents handling kiwi.

The final chance

The rain stopped at about 4pm. This would be our last chance to get hands on a bird not seen in the area in half a century, so luckily there was no pressure. That night we headed to the same area, this time deciding not to rely on a kiwi being in the burrow.

Suddenly, a call came from above me, less than 10 metres away. This time it was the female and, instinct kicking in, my light came on and I darted up the hill towards her. She was still calling as I pushed through some flax and caught her in my torch beam. She clearly wasn’t expecting my kind of company; she stopped calling and hesitated, just long enough for me to dive towards her and get a hand around her ankles. Facedown on the damp forest floor, I finally exhaled.

Gotcha!

Success! Kiwi captured | Iain Graham, DOC

After all that, she sat quietly in my lap as I put a transmitter onto her, collected some pin feathers for DNA analysis, took some morphometric measurements, and snapped a couple of photos. She looked to be an old battler; right eye missing, left eye clouded by a cataract, and missing the nail from her middle toe. Otherwise, she seemed to be in good condition and, as I released her, she sauntered away into the darkness, seemingly unfazed by her close encounter with me.

It’s a kiwi pukupuku!

We know kiwi pukupuku can interbreed with other species, but mixed genetics wouldn’t preserve the unique species history and adaptation. So we were really hoping this girl was a real, purebred kiwi pukupuku. It took a little while for the genetic analysis to come through, and felt like much longer. But when the results came in, the team was euphoric. Clean match. For the first time in nearly 50 years, we’d located a wild, pure kiwi pukupuku on the New Zealand mainland.

[embedded content]

Questions and the future

The find is just the beginning, and now the real work begins. We’re still gathering information, and the questions keep mounting. How many are there? How have they survived? What does this mean for the future of kiwi pukupuku?

Regardless, we’re thrilled to be working with Kāti Māhaki on future protection and management of these precious birds.

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MIL OSI New Zealand News –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: iDox.ai Announces Launch of iDox.ai Privacy Scout: AI-Powered Solution That Goes Beyond DLP to Protect Sensitive Data in Real Time
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Fremont, California , July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iDox.ai, a U.S.-based provider of AI-powered document compliance tools, announces the launch of iDox.ai Privacy Scout, an advanced Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution engineered to detect and protect sensitive information in real time, particularly in environments deploying Generative AI.

iDox.ai

As organizations adopt artificial intelligence across industries, new challenges emerge in safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and other confidential data. Privacy Scout responds to these challenges by offering an automated solution that monitors and intercepts sensitive information before it can be exposed or misused.

Importantly, iDox.ai Privacy Scout promotes the secure sharing of documents with AI tools while protecting the PII within them. Unlike traditional DLP tools, iDox.ai Privacy Scout doesn’t treat next-generation AI as a threat—it enables its safe use. This is a key differentiator that empowers organizations to embrace AI innovation without compromising on privacy.

Key capabilities of iDox.ai Privacy Scout include:
- Real-Time Detection and Redaction: The system applies intelligent AI models to scan documents and files for sensitive content. It instantly redacts or restricts access to flagged data, preventing unauthorized disclosure.
- Industry-Wide Compatibility: Built for seamless deployment across healthcare, finance, legal, corporate IT, and government sectors, iDox.ai Privacy Scout integrates effortlessly into existing workflows while strengthening your organization’s data protection framework. The application installs directly on employees’ devices, ensuring immediate protection at the endpoint. For enterprise environments, it includes a centralized management console for streamlined oversight, policy enforcement, and user activity monitoring.
- Compliance Support: iDox.ai Privacy Scout helps organizations meet global data protection regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR, making it a strategic asset for businesses aiming to maintain data security and regulatory compliance.
“With the rise of Generative AI, businesses face new risks related to data privacy and unintentional information leaks,” said Jeremy Wei, CEO of iDox.ai. “iDox.ai Privacy Scout offers a reliable DLP solution that allows organizations to stay compliant while leveraging the advantages of AI.”

iDox.ai Privacy Scout joins iDox.ai’s suite of AI-driven compliance products, which includes tools for redaction, document comparison, and regulatory reporting. Together, these solutions help clients maintain secure information practices and implement effective Data Loss Prevention strategies.

The launch of iDox.ai Privacy Scout reinforces iDox.ai’s mission to develop technology that addresses evolving compliance challenges and strengthens trust in digital operations.

Organizations seeking early access or additional product details can visit: https://www.idox.ai/products/privacy-scout

About iDox.ai

Headquartered in Fremont, California, iDox.ai specializes in artificial intelligence tools for document management, redaction, and regulatory compliance. The company supports public and private sector organizations in securing data, reducing manual risk, and maintaining compliance in dynamic digital environments.

The MIL Network –
July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Frost and Cherfilus-McCormick Reintroduce Bill to Prevent Radioactive Materials from Being Used to Build Roads – the “No Radioactive Roads Act”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Maxwell Frost Florida (10th District)

July 22, 2025

Frost’s Bill Would Prevent Cancer-Causing Fertilizer Byproduct from Being Used in Road Construction

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) and Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) reintroduced the No Radioactive Roads Act, legislation to ensure the current Trump Administration or any future administration cannot allow for deadly, cancer-causing radioactive material, phosphogypsum (PG), to be used in road construction. Florida is the world’s largest PG producing area with 1 billion tons of PG stored in stacks, mainly in the Central Florida region.

The Biden-Harris Administration quickly reversed the first Trump Administration’s unscientific decision to allow PG in road construction in 2021. However, with Trump’s return to office, PG’s threat to people’s health is once again imminent.

In 2021, a tear at a PG stack facility allowed for millions of gallons of untreated wastewater to be released into Tampa Bay, devastating the clean waters of the bay and causing a red tide outbreak, killing millions of fish. Despite the environmental fallout, in 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law to allow the cancer-causing material to be used in road construction. Most recently, ahead of the Trump Administration taking office, the Environmental Protection Agency authorized Mosaic’s pilot road project to use 1,200 tons of the hazardous material in Polk County, Florida.

Frost and Cherfilus-McCormick first introduced the bill in 2024.

“As Florida allows for PG to be used in our roads, endangering our workers, drivers, and entire communities, we need immediate federal action that puts public health over corporate profits,” said Congressman Maxwell Frost. “The science is abundantly clear—PG is a deadly, cancer-causing substance that harms our environment and puts lives at risk, and no administration should be able to permit its use without the highest safety standards. It’s unacceptable that the fertilizer industry is looking to offload toxic waste into our roads in order to boost their profits while leaders like DeSantis and Donald Trump enable it. The No Radioactive Roads Act puts our people, our planet, and our future over the profits of corporate polluters.”

“Protecting the health and safety of our communities must be our top priority. Using radioactive materials like phosphogypsum in road construction endangers our families, harms our environment, and puts our future at risk,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. “The No Radioactive Roads Act is a crucial step in preventing communities from facing the long-term dangers of toxic exposure. I am proud to partner with Congressman Maxwell Frost on this legislation to protect the well-being of every Floridian.”

“The EPA’s decision to weaken standards for phosphogypsum is both reckless and unfounded. We cannot allow the health and safety of our communities to be sacrificed for the financial interests of the fertilizer industry, which seeks to profit from incorporating this radioactive byproduct into our roads. The science is clear: exposure to phosphogypsum is directly linked to significantly increased cancer risk. We will not tolerate policies that endanger our residents and workers,” said Orange County Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad. “In Orange County, I am also introducing an accompanying resolution to prohibit the use of phosphogypsum in local roadway projects. Our stance is firm, and our message is clear: I fully support Congressman Frost’s bill on behalf of the people of our district, the state of Florida, and communities across the country.”

The No Radioactive Roads Act has been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters, Center for Biological Diversity, Food & Water Watch, Surfrider Foundation, and the Save Split Oak Campaign.

“Representative Frost’s No Radioactive Roads Act will help protect the health and safety of communities as the Trump administration continues to roll back protections from toxic pollutants. Constructing roads with radioactive, cancer-causing phosphogypsum can harm workers, drivers, and nearby families who are already most impacted by environmental injustice and the climate crisis. We will continue to fight alongside our climate champions in Congress like Representative Frost to pass legislation to protect the health of our communities, our air and water, and our future generations,” said Madeleine Foote, Healthy Communities Program Director for League of Conservation Voters.

“The EPA made it clear decades ago that radioactive phosphogypsum has no place in our roads,” said J.W. Glass, EPA policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “While Rep. Frost shouldn’t have to introduce legislation just to get the EPA to follow its own rules, this bill provides clear direction the agency needs to keep our water, workers and wildlife safe from radiation and other pollutants tied to this toxic waste.”

“We sincerely thank Representative Frost for championing the No Radioactive Roads Act, which takes decisive action to safeguard our communities from the significant risks posed by phosphogypsum. Florida has experienced firsthand the devastating consequences of mismanaging this hazardous material, including the Piney Point disaster, where over 200 million gallons of contaminated wastewater spilled into Tampa Bay. Using phosphogypsum in road construction would endanger workers, drivers, drinking water supplies, and fragile ecosystems, not just in Florida but across the country. This legislation is a crucial step toward protecting public health and preserving the safety of our water resources. We are committed to working with Congress and communities to ensure this vital bill becomes law and helps prevent future disasters,” said Jim Walsh, Policy Director, Food & Water Watch.

“Clean water and resilient watersheds are the foundation of healthy coastal communities and strong economies. The use of radioactive waste in roads presents a serious risk that puts public health and the environment in jeopardy for generations to come. The ‘No Radioactive Roads Act’ introduces common-sense safeguards for protecting human health, requiring water quality monitoring, and ensuring transparency,” said Katie Bauman, Florida Policy Manager for Surfrider Foundation.

“On behalf of the Save Split Oak Forest campaign, we strongly support Congressman Frost’s No Radioactive Roads Act. This legislation is crucial for safeguarding Florida’s ecosystems from the dangers of radioactive road runoff, which can harm our waterways, soil, and wildlife. Protecting conservation lands like Split Oak Forest is essential for preserving biodiversity and ensuring smart, sustainable growth. We urge all members of Congress to back this act to prevent harmful pollution and promote a future where Florida’s natural environment and communities can thrive together,” said Lee Perry, Lead Volunteer of the Save Split Oak Campaign.

Additional Background:

For over 30 years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has prohibited the use of phosphogypsum (PG) for road construction because this fertilizer waste product emits deadly, cancer-causing radon gas and contains toxic heavy metals like arsenic, lead, mercury, and sulfur.

These toxins can become airborne or seep into the soil and groundwater. One of these elements, radium-226, has a 1,600-year half-life and will poison generations of people working on, living near, or traveling over any future radioactive roads.

Scientific research makes clear that phosphogypsum (PG) is not safe to use as a road building material, but just months before leaving office, the first Trump Administration green-lit PG to be used in road construction.

The Biden-Harris Administration quickly reversed the Trump Administration’s decision to allow PG in road construction but this means that PG’s threat to people’s health and safety can reemerge under the new Trump Administration.

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MIL OSI USA News –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick Introduces African Diaspora Investment and Development Act (AIDA)
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Florida 20th district))

Unlocking the development potential of diaspora communities and helping reduce reliance on foreign aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) and Rep. Jonathan J. Jackson (D-IL) introduced the African Diaspora Investment and Development Act (AIDA), groundbreaking legislation that harnesses the economic power of African and Caribbean diaspora communities to advance sustainable development, reduce remittance costs, and align U.S. foreign policy with grassroots investment.

Millions of Americans with heritage in Africa and the Caribbean send billions of dollars annually to support loved ones and communities in their countries of origin. Yet, they often face high transaction fees, limited investment tools, and few incentives to grow their impact. AIDA addresses these barriers head-on.

As highlighted in Realizing Africa’s Potential: A Journey to Prosperity by Professor Landry Signé, published by the Brookings Institution, the diaspora can be a powerful driver of development in their home countries—not just through remittances, but by fostering trade, investment, research, innovation, and the transfer of knowledge and technology. This dynamic strengthens U.S. interests by empowering African and Caribbean diaspora communities, who are an integral part of the American fabric, to spur economic growth and innovation both abroad and at home, reinforcing U.S. global partnerships and domestic prosperity.

The African Diaspora Investment and Development Act:
- Reduces the cost of remittances by promoting transparency, competition, and innovation in money transfers.
- Creates tax incentives for diaspora investments that drive sustainable economic development in African and Caribbean countries.
- Encourages financial inclusion through fintech and diaspora-owned money transfer platforms.
- Supports diaspora-led investments with U.S. financial backing.
- Advances U.S. development goals by strengthening diaspora engagement in entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and community development projects abroad.
“The African and Caribbean diasporas are economic engines that deserve recognition and support,” said Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). “This bill creates smart incentives that empower families, foster sustainable development, and reflect our values in U.S. foreign policy. AIDA is about unlocking diaspora investment potential. By empowering these communities, we can reduce reliance on foreign aid and embrace a model based on investment, dignity, and shared prosperity.”

“This bill is timely and vital, especially at a time when US policy towards Africa and the Diaspora is shifting from aid to trade,” said Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL). “Remittances ($90 billion inflow to Africa in 2023) have surpassed both foreign assistance and direct investment in many countries in Africa and the Caribbean; a source for development and economic growth. AIDA strengthens the Diaspora contributions in GPD growth through investments and family support – food, housing, education, health care, etc.”

“Reducing remittance costs and eliminating taxes on remittances are critical measures that ensure every dollar sent goes further, directly benefiting health, education, small businesses, and local infrastructure,” said President of the Nigerian Physicians Advocacy Group, Susan Edionwe. “These changes will empower organizations like ours, whose work relies heavily on diaspora contributions, to expand our impact and better serve the people of Nigeria and beyond.”

“The proposed AIDA bill is a fundamental recognition that as a nation of immigrants the USA holds the ultimate power of transformation in the contributions of its diaspora to the rest of the world,” said Founder and CEO of Hamstrings, Inc., Eric V. Guichard. “AIDA is about leveraging these diaspora resources for good. It is a paradigm shift in development finance whose time has come.”

“Remittances from family and friends in the U.S. to these regions primarily address basic necessities for recipients including housing, food, education, services, small business support and humanitarian assistance,” said Haiti Renewal Alliance. “A framework for partnerships with the U.S. DFC and diasporas via the AIDA Act to channel remittances for coordinated and robust investments with people on the ground in African and Caribbean countries, ushers the U.S. leading the next generation of successful global development for inclusive growth, peace, stability and opportunity, appreciating diaspora from Africa and Caribbean as key contributors.”

During a time when development assistance from the United States in Africa and in the Caribbean, is being drastically curtailed or even eliminated, African and Caribbean countries will need to increasingly rely on remittances coming from the Diaspora to meet basic needs and to get by,” said President of Constituency for Africa (CFA), Melvin Foote. “The proposed AIDA legislation if passed, would certainly be a huge step in the right direction.”

The legislation has received early praise from diaspora organizations, development experts, and financial inclusion advocates.

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MIL OSI USA News –
July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Statement by Rep. Dan Goldman on DOJ’s Announcement That It Would Meet With Ghislaine Maxwell

Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

“In a further effort to conceal the Epstein Files to protect President Trump, the Department of Justice is yet again using the criminal justice system for political purposes by belatedly and improperly seeking cooperation from Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence on convictions for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse minors.

“As Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche well knows from his lengthy tenure as a prosecutor and supervisor in the Southern District of New York, this is almost certainly not the first time the DOJ has inquired about cooperation from Ghislaine Maxwell, who, as a matter of course, would have been offered the opportunity to reduce her sentence in return for truthful and forthright information about Epstein and all others involved in the scheme.

“DAG Blanche is now doing an end-run around the SDNY and its institutional policies by acting as a political agent of President Trump to forestall the release of the full Epstein files by tacitly floating a pardon for Maxwell in return for information that politically benefits President Trump.

“Maxwell’s information is only as credible as any corroboration found in the Epstein files, including recordings, witness interviews, electronic communications, and photographs and videos. Neither the grand jury testimony nor Maxwell’s compromised information will expose the full extent of the conspiracy, including all those who may be included in the files.

“Do not be fooled: this latest delay tactic is yet another effort to conceal the Epstein files. Full transparency will only occur when DOJ releases the full and complete Epstein files, as they promised.”

MIL OSI USA News –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Andrea Salinas Introduces Legislation to Level the Playing Field for the Cider Industry

Source: US Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06), introduced the Bubble Tax Modernization Act, which would lower the tax rate for lower-alcohol wine, cider, and mead made with fruit.

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06), introduced the Bubble Tax Modernization Act, which would lower the tax rate for lower-alcohol wine, cider, and mead made with fruit.

Despite the popularity of bubbly beverages, the carbonation tax–colloquially called the ‘bubble tax’ on fruit wine, fruit cider, and fruit mead makes carbonating these agricultural products at sparkling levels cost prohibitive. Most craft beverage entrepreneurs can’t afford to carbonate these products at the level the market wants. The result is that an important American agricultural sector is falling flat.

“Oregon has some of the highest quality fruit in the country, but red tape in our tax code makes it nearly impossible to use these products to make the fruited wines, ciders, and meads that people want,” said Rep. Salinas. “My bill levels the playing field for the cider industry and makes it more affordable to produce the sparkling, fruited drinks consumers want.”

“Cidermakers should not be limited to just pears and apples in order to avoid a massive, unnecessary tax hike on their products,” said Rep. Van Orden. “This bill works for everyone – farmers, cidermakers, and consumers – by allowing any type of fruit to be added to cider and taxed at the standard rate.”

Currently, the tax code dictates that if a sparkling cider, wine, or mead is made with fruits other than apples and pears, then it can only be minimally carbonated, often to the point that it tastes flat to most consumers. If cidermakers want to carbonate their fruited drinks to the same level as other, non-fruited ciders, taxes on these fruited ciders triple. Rep. Salinas’ legislation allows cidermakers to create and carbonate fruited beverages without this higher tax burden, granting them more freedom to produce drinks to match public demand.

“The Bubble Tax Modernization Act is a critical, overdue fix that will finally bring fairness to how cider is taxed in the U.S.,” said Monica Cohen, CEO of the American Cider Association. “It eliminates outdated penalties on carbonated, fruit-forward ciders and gives small cidermakers the freedom to innovate without being punished. This bill supports American agriculture, strengthens rural economies, and helps keep cider accessible to consumers. It’s common-sense legislation and we applaud Representatives Salinas and Van Orden for moving this forward.”

“The Pacific Northwest is home to some of the most innovative and orchard-driven cider producers in the country. Yet outdated federal tax rules have unfairly penalized craft cideries and restricted innovation and expansion into the fruited cider category,” said Emily Ritchie, Executive Director of the Northwest Cider Association. “The Bubble Tax Modernization Act is a common-sense update that will allow our producers to grow, hire more local workers, and invest back into our rural communities and vibrant apple and pear orchards. This is a crucial step toward fairness and opportunity for the Northwest cider industry.”

“New York’s cider industry has become a national leader—thanks to the innovation, resilience, and agricultural roots of our cider producers. But outdated carbonation tax thresholds are holding us back,” said Scott Ramsey, Executive Director of the New York Cider Association. “The Bubble Tax Modernization Act represents a long-overdue step toward fairness for cider makers in New York and across the country. By leveling the playing field, this bill will empower our producers to expand their offerings, hire more local workers, and reinvest in the rural communities and orchards that fuel our economy. We’re proud to support this effort to strengthen one of New York’s most dynamic and agricultural industries.”

The Bubble Tax Modernization Act is endorsed by the American Cider Association, Northwest Cider Association, North Carolina Cider Association, New York Cider Association, and Pennsylvania Cider Guild.

To read the full text of this legislation, click here.

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MIL OSI USA News –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senate Intelligence Authorization Bill Advances with Key Provisions Authored by Senator Collins
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

Published: July 22, 2025
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, announced that the Committee advanced the Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 by a 15-2 vote. The bill authorizes funding, provides legal authorities, and enhances congressional oversight for the U.S. Intelligence Community, and includes multiple provisions authored by Senator Collins. The bill now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

“The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 is critical for the Intelligence Community to defend U.S. interests and to arm policy and decision makers with critical information,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would also build upon the effectiveness of the security clearance process, strengthen cybersecurity, and increase congressional oversight of the Intelligence Community.”

The provisions co-authored by Senator Collins address the following issues:

Requiring improvement to the security of our voting and election systems through cybersecurity penetration testing and accreditation, by amending the Help America Vote Act of 2002. This provision was co-authored with Chairman Warner, and was originally introduced as the SECURE IT Act (“Strengthening and Enhancing Cybersecurity by Using Research, Education, Information, and Technology” Act) in the FY24 and FY25 IAA.

Ensuring continued support for victims of Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) by mandating that the Intelligence Community support Department of Defense AHI medical research, along with a requirement for the ODNI to issue standard AHI reporting guidelines. This provision was co-sponsored with Senators Cotton, Warner and Gillibrand.

Extension of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015, to 2035. This provision was co-sponsored with Senators Warner, King, and Rounds.

Additional subjects of critical importance to Senator Collins which were included in this IAA were: AHI budget increase to military intelligence centers and health agencies for medical and mechanical research; new policy requirements to support biomedical and biotechnological research to defend against various threats; and multiple security clearance reform initiatives.
MIL OSI USA News –
July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New operational partnership with delivery giants to combat illegal working
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

New operational partnership with delivery giants to combat illegal working

New agreement between Home Office and top food delivery firms will help stop illegal working in the delivery sector
More delivery riders caught sharing their accounts with migrants who have no right to work in the UK will be suspended, as part of the government’s UK-wide crackdown on illegal working under the Plan for Change.

A new agreement between the Home Office and Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats will ensure delivery firms receive new information concerning the locations of asylum hotels to help tackle illegal working.

Under existing security measures, any delivery riders caught sharing their accounts with migrants who have no right to work in the UK will be suspended. This new agreement goes further to ensure more people who are breaking the rules can be caught.

Efforts by the companies to crack down on illegal account sharing through real-time identity and Right to Work checks have been successful and have led to thousands being offboarded from platforms. Despite this, there continues to be abuse in the system. Under the new agreement, the firms will be empowered to go further in detecting patterns of misuse, identify unauthorised account sharing and quickly suspend accounts.

The move comes after a commitment made by the firms during a roundtable last month, chaired by Ministers, to implement new security measures. This includes increased facial verification checks and fraud detection tools meaning only verified users can access their platforms. The Home Office will continue to collaborate closely with the three companies, with meetings taking place in the coming weeks to update on progress and delivery.

Today’s announcement is part of the government’s work to step up enforcement across the UK targeting illegal working hotspots, with a focus on the gig economy and migrants working illegally as delivery riders. It forms a key part of a whole system approach to tackle illegal migration from every angle, by ending the false promise of jobs used by smuggling gangs to sell spaces on small boats.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, said:

Illegal working undermines honest business, exploits vulnerable individuals and fuels organised immigration crime.

By enhancing our data sharing with delivery companies, we are taking decisive action to close loopholes and increase enforcement.

The changes come alongside a 50% increase in raids and arrests for illegal working under the Plan for Change, greater security measures and tough new legislation.

Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office, said:

This next step of co-ordinated working with delivery firms will help us target those who seek to work illegally in the gig economy and exploit their status in the UK.

My teams will continue to carry out increased enforcement activity across the UK and I welcome this additional tool to disrupt and stop the abuse of our immigration system.

A Deliveroo spokesperson said:

Deliveroo has led the sector in introducing security measures to prevent the abuse of our platform and tackle the sophisticated criminals seeking new ways to exploit all delivery platforms’ systems. We are fully committed to working with the government as we continue to collectively combat illegal working.

A Just Eat spokesperson said:

Just Eat is committed to tackling any illegal working via our platform. We continue to invest significant resources to strengthen our systems against abuse by individuals and organised criminal groups seeking to evade right to work rules. We are working closely with the Home Office and our industry partners to address any loopholes in the industry’s checks, as well as collaborating on data sharing and enforcement.

An Uber Eats spokesperson said:

Uber Eats is fully committed to tackling illegal work and will continue to work with the Home Office and industry. We have introduced a range of state of the art detection tools to find and remove fraudulent accounts. We are constantly reviewing our tools and finding new ways to detect and take action on people who are trying to work illegally.

Since the government came into power one year ago, there have been more than 10,000 illegal working visits across multiple sectors, leading to 7,130 arrests, up around 50% compared to the year before. This marks the first time in a 12-month period where more than 10,000 visits have taken place.

Almost 750 illegal working civil penalty notices were also handed to businesses caught violating immigration rules in the first quarter of the year, marking the highest level since 2016 – and an 80% increase compared to the same time last year.

The government is tightening the law by making it a legal requirement for all companies, including the gig economy, to check that anyone working for them has the legal right to do so. This will end the abuse of flexible working arrangements. The new measures will be introduced through the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

The fight against illegal working forms just one part of government’s work to bolster border security across the system.

Since coming into power one year ago, the government has returned 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK including failed asylum seekers, immigration and foreign national offenders. There are now fewer asylum hotels open than since the election, saving millions of taxpayers’ money.

This is on top of a new groundbreaking deal with the French which will mean that, for the very first time, illegal migrants will be sent back to France. This targets the heart of the criminal smuggling gangs’ business model and sends a clear message that these life-threatening journeys are pointless and a waste of thousands of pounds. 

The deal seeks to detain and return migrants who arrive via small boat, and an equal number of migrants will be able to come to the UK from France through a new legal route – fully documented and subject to strict security checks.

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Published 22 July 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Mount Benson North transferred from B.C. to Snuneymuxw First Nation

Source: Government of Canada regional news

Snuneymuxw First Nation and the Province have completed a transfer of over 700 hectares of land on te’tuxwtun, also known as Mount Benson North, to the Nation, advancing its reconciliation journey.

This marks the latest step in the implementation of the Snuneymuxw First Nation and British Columbia Land Transfer Agreement (2020). Under this agreement, over 3000 hectares of land is being returned to Snuneymuxw.

“This third transfer marks another meaningful step forward in restoring our responsibility over our lands,” said Chief Mike Wyse, Snuneymuxw First Nation. “Each parcel returned strengthens our Nation’s economic independence and renews our deep connection to te’tuxwtun North. More than 2,000 hectares of our village lands have yet to be returned under the agreement, and we remain firmly committed to continuing this vital work until every piece is restored, for our people and future generations.”

The land will be held in fee simple by the Nation’s Petroglyph Development Group (PDG) and will join the Nation’s forestry business, Mount Benson Forestry.

“PDG, through a Mount Benson Forestry Limited Partnership, will continue working with the land to build an economic engine that drives prosperity and strengthens self-determination,” said Ian Simpson, CEO, Petroglyph Development Group. “We are reclaiming our vital role within our territory and continuing a legacy of sustainable growth.”

Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, said: “Working in partnership with Snuneymuxw First Nation on the next steps of our reconciliation agreement is helping to create more jobs in Nanaimo and the mid-Island, and build strong, healthier communities. Working together on the path of reconciliation makes life better for us all.”

Since 2020, Snuneymuxw and B.C. have partnered on numerous agreements and collaborative work. This work was made possible with strong local and regional government support in the Nanaimo Regional District.

Quotes:

Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship —

“This return of land supports economic opportunity and responsible stewardship, recognizing Snuneymuxw’s deep cultural and environmental connection to these lands since time immemorial. It creates opportunities for sustainable forestry, protects important wildlife habitat and brings lasting benefits to Snuneymuxw members and the wider mid-Island community. This is a meaningful step forward on the path of reconciliation, respecting Indigenous rights, supporting local economies and honouring the land.”

Ravi Parmer, Minister of Forests —

“This agreement puts the Snuneymuxw First Nation in the driver’s seat, bringing economic prosperity, protection of cultural values and greater certainty to the land base.”

Sheila Malcolmson, MLA for Nanaimo-Gabriola Island —

“Working together, we’ve moved forward. Today’s return of 700 hectares of land is part of the late premier John Horgan and my commitment to the Snuneymuxw First Nation to help resolve a long-standing desire for a greater stake in the economic development of Crown lands in their territory.”

Learn More:

Snuneymuxw First Nation: https://www.snuneymuxw.ca

Petroglyph Development Group: https://petroglyphdg.com

2020 Land Transfer Agreement: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/download/0583431F80F9413B8CB15E0038583FC9

2021 Snuneymuxw, Canada and British Columbia Memorandum of Understanding: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/consulting-with-first-nations/agreements/snuneymuxw_tripartite_mou_final_-_signed_by_all_july_28_2021.pdf

212 hectares of land returned on Te’tuxwtun, known as Mount Benson East (2024):
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024IRR0001-000020

B.C. returning downtown Nanaimo village site to Snuneymuxw (2024): https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024IRR0040-001110

A backgrounder follows.

MIL OSI Canada News –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kelly highlights need for Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization reform during Ways & Means hearing
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, during a joint hearing of the Ways & Means Subcommittees on Health & Oversight, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), a member of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health, renewed calls for Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization reform and highlighted his highly popular legislation, the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act.

“More than 33 million Americans, including more than 1.5 million Pennsylvanians, rely on Medicare Advantage as a part of their coverage. Patients, practitioners, and policymakers all agree — modernization of the prior authorization process is long overdue, and my legislation does just that,” said Rep. Kelly. “I am proud to reintroduce the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025, which would move the health care sector into the 21st century by giving doctors and Medicare Advantage plans the tools to make health coverage decisions in a timely manner.”

During Tuesday’s hearing, which focused on Medicare Advantage, Kelly highlighted how the legislation would improve both patient costs and patient outcomes. Kelly’s legislation has 145 co-sponsors in the U.S. House during the 119th Congress.

You can watch his remarks from Tuesday’s hearing here.

BACKGROUND

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act would:
- Establish an electronic prior authorization process for MA plans including a standardization for transactions and clinical attachments.
- Increase transparency around MA prior authorization requirements and its use.
- Clarify HHS’ authority to establish timeframes for e-prior authorization requests including expedited determinations, real-time decisions for routinely approved items and services, and other prior authorization requests.
- Expand beneficiary protections to improve enrollee experiences and outcomes.
- Require HHS and other agencies to report to Congress on program integrity efforts and other ways to further improve the e-PA process.
- Previously, Rep. Kelly led similar legislation in the 118th Congress. The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act unanimously passed the House in the 117th Congress and was cosponsored by a majority of members in the Senate and House of Representatives.
You can read the full bill text here and a section-by-section here.

MIL OSI USA News –
July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Moore and Zinke Introduce Legislation to Codify Executive Order on National Parks

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Riley M. Moore (WV-02) and Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT-01) introduced the PATRIOT Parks Act — which codifies President Trump’s Executive Order “Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks.”

Currently, the National Parks System faces more than $23 billion in deferred maintenance, including more than $200 million on parklands in West Virginia. This legislation implements increased entrance fees for foreign visitors at National Parks, with the additional funds being reinvested back into parks for maintenance and other basic operating costs. Senator Jim Banks of Indiana and Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

The bill is supported by the American Conservation Coalition Action (ACC Action) and the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC). Both organizations were instrumental in helping craft the President’s executive order. The Bull Moose Project and American Prairie are also supportive of the legislation.

Congressman Moore issued the following statement:

“From the New River Gorge in my home state to Shenandoah, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Everglades, and the Grand Canyon – God blessed our nation with a tremendous natural heritage. We owe it to future generations to ensure these natural marvels are protected.

“Unfortunately, the National Park System currently faces a backlog of more than $23 billion in deferred maintenance, including more than $200 million on properties across the Mountain State. Our commonsense legislation keeps entry fees static for Americans while charging more for foreigners visiting our National Parks. This will allow us to finally start tackling this extensive maintenance backlog.”

Here’s what others are saying:

“National Parks are America’s best idea and maintaining that legacy for future generations means making smart investments in the management of the parks,” said Congressman Zinke. “Americans already pay for parks in our tax dollars as well as at the gates. It’s unfair to American taxpayers to foot the bill for millions of foreign visitors. Almost every other country charges foreign visitors more, it’s common sense. President Trump and Secretary Burgum did the right thing directing the National Park Service implement a foreign visitor fee. This legislation will codify the policy and ensure Americans are put First in our own parks.”

“Americans already pay for our parks through federal taxes on top of standard admission fees, so it’s fair to ask foreign visitors to chip in more,” said Senator Banks. “This bill codifies President Trump’s executive order and helps protect our national treasures for future generations.”

“Our national parks drive Montana’s tourism economy by bringing in visitors from all over the world and define our way life by offering an experience you can only find in America,” said Senator Sheehy. “Implementing a foreign visitor fee is an America First, commonsense way to secure affordable access for American families, improve our national parks for all visitors, and better manage our treasured public lands. It’s not too much for Americans to ask that their government puts them first, and that’s why I’m proud to support the PATRIOT Parks Act so more American families can enjoy our national parks for generations to come.”

“Our national parks are America’s best idea and a crucial part of our natural heritage, but in recent decades, they have fallen into disrepair with a multibillion-dollar maintenance backlog,” said ACC Action President Chris Barnard. “An increased entry fee for international visitors would raise needed revenue to steward our national treasures and ensure that everyone who enjoys them contributes to protecting them. The American Conservation Coalition Action and our thousands of members are proud to support this effort to bolster the National Park Service.”

“Visitors from across the globe come to see the wonder of America’s national parks, and this proposal offers them a way to give back,” said PERC CEO Brian Yablonski. “Charging a modest fee to international tourists—something many countries already do—provides a steady source of funding to improve park infrastructure, enhance visitor experiences, and invest in long-overdue restoration. Drawing on years of PERC research, we’re grateful to Sen. Banks and Rep. Moore for championing efforts to conserve these iconic places for future generations.”

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MIL OSI USA News –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Moore’s Amendment Addressing Water Crisis in Southern Coalfields Passes House Appropriations Committee

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Riley M. Moore’s amendment to address the the drinking water crisis in the Southern Coalfields of West Virginia passed the House Appropriations Committee. Congressman Moore worked in conjunction with Congresswoman Carol Miller on this important amendment.

Specifically, the amendment directs the EPA to brief Congress on the federal resources available to communities, including Wyoming and McDowell Counties, that have high prevalence of violations of drinking water regulations.

Rep. Moore and Rep. Miller issued the following statement:

“Clean drinking water is a necessity, but tragically, some communities in West Virginia struggle to access this basic need. Our amendment that passed the House Appropriations Committee today will help us identify and deliver real solutions to this water crisis in the Southern Coalfields. No parent should ever have to wonder how they’re going to ensure their kids have water to drink or bathe in. We are committed to doing everything in our power to help these communities dealing with this terrible situation.”

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MIL OSI USA News –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ‘Why are we here?’ | Ranking Member Pingree Slams Sham Appropriations Process as Republicans Allow Trump to Usurp Power of the Purse

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Ranking Member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, spoke out against Republicans’ funding bill for the 2026 fiscal year during the Appropriations Committee’s markup today. In her opening remarks, Pingree called the entire appropriations process into question as the Trump Administration continues to undermine previous funding bills with cuts and rescissions.

“Now, as we Democrats are in the minority, we don’t expect to have a lot of power. But for all of us on this Appropriations Committee, why are we here and what is our role now as appropriators? Last week, the majority passed the Rescissions …and that bill eliminated spending that we had negotiated over the prior years,” Pingree said. “The hard work that we do every day in this committee, the hard work you’re doing right now—that is all gone when we pass the Rescissions bill. And how will it be any different once we pass this bill, or the other bills we intend to pass this week?”

[embedded content]
Watch Pingree’s full remarks here; Watch the Appropriations Committee markup here.

Pingree also called out the reckless cuts this bill makes to the EPA, National Parks, and the arts and humanities, as well as 72 riders that undermine climate policies and add to the deficit.

A transcript of Pingree’s opening remarks is copied below.

+++

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for yielding me the time.

First, I want to thank the Chair, Mr. Simpson, for the great working relationship we have on this committee. And thank you to Chairman Cole as well. Also, Rosa DeLauro, the Ranking Member of the full committee, for her amazing hard work on this committee, and to the staff on both sides of the aisle who work so hard to put together this legislation, and in particular the minority staff of this committee, Rita Culp, Jocelyn Hunn, and Michael Schmeltz. Thank you so much for all the work to get us here today.

But I guess the first question I’d have to ask of the appropriators on this committee is, why are we actually here today? What is our role now as appropriators? In the last six months, we’ve seen President Trump propose a dramatic diminishment in the power of this committee and of the Congress.

Now, as we Democrats are in the minority, we don’t expect to have a lot of power. But for all of us on this Appropriations Committee, why are we here and what is our role now as appropriators? You know, everyone is so fond of saying they’re Republicans and Democrats and appropriators, but really, are there appropriators anymore? Do we actually have a role in this Congress? Do we have any more power? Last week, the majority passed the Rescissions package to the House, the Senate, back to the House again.

And that bill eliminated spending that we had negotiated over the prior years. The hard work that we do every day in this committee, the hard work you’re doing right now—the snacks that you eat, the candy that’s going into your mouth, the amount of time that we take—that is all gone when we pass the Rescissions bill. And how will it be any different once we pass this bill, or the other bills we intend to pass this week?

I truly appreciate Chairman Cole’s efforts to have this committee work through these bills and pass these bills. But the question is, what are we doing? And do we have any power left anymore? Now, this bill, like so many others, will continue the damage and the cuts that this President has done over the first six months of his presidency.

I believe what he has done is illegal. These funding freezes and rescissions—and the compound damage he has done to our agencies and our states and communities—is something we will be dealing with for years. This bill—in particular at the EPA—cuts the funding to the states for water infrastructure by 62%. Cuts grant programs that fund our state environmental programs, and slashes the EPA by 23%.

Nobody benefits when we make those levels of cuts. Our states still have to do the work—on water infrastructure, on permitting. But the cuts in this bill, coupled with the rescissions in the Big Ugly bill, will debilitate America’s ability to address the climate crisis or to address our infrastructure needs, or to make sure our vital needs in our states of permitting will be enacted.

This presidency, this administration, is no longer just in denial. It is actively dismissing the government’s climate work and our vital environmental work. And this is work that needs to be done if we want to make sure we have a planet to hand over to our children and grandchildren.

Now, at the National Park Service, this bill cuts $213 million. And this is in addition to what happened in the Big Ugly bill, where nearly half a billion was rescinded from our national parks and our public lands. This is money that’s meant to go to conservation projects and habitat restoration, habitat restoration and critical staffing at our national parks. This is our vital season for national parks. And Americans want to be there.

And it is all compounded because we have not reauthorized the Great American Outdoors Act, which is another $1.3 billion that should be going for the maintenance backlog. This bill also funds the arts, but what a mess this administration has made of that. It was appalling to watch this administration illegally terminate thousands of grants at the NEA and the NEH.

They fired nearly 80% of the NEH staff, and they revoked funding for our State Humanities Council. This is money that’s meant to go to our communities, to our artists and workers, to kids in rural schools, to local economies that rely on cultural institutions and a don’t have a lot of other sources for funding. They’ve cut the Smithsonian by 12%, the National Gallery by 11%.

[They’re] gutting these funds, by cutting these funds and sidelining anything that they deem artistically and culturally offensive. They are gutting our arts and cultural institutions. I am relieved—and I’m grateful to the chair of the subcommittee and the full committee—that funding for tribal programs didn’t suffer the same cuts. And I appreciate that bipartisan cooperation and understanding of our treaty and trust obligation.

This bill also has 72 poison pill riders going after environmental protection, undermining our climate policies, and adding to our deficit. And overall, these cuts will only contribute to our struggling agencies. At the same time, this administration is redirecting funds to tax cuts and increasing our deficit by $3.4 trillion.

So I just want to go back to ending as I started this opening, OMB Director Vought has promised to send us more rescission packages. Each time we pass a rescission package, we undo—we wipe out—all the hard work we do negotiating in this committee. He said he’s looking to change the paradigm in appropriations, and that appropriations has to be less bipartisan.

When’s the last time one of your constituents came up to you and said, you people should be less bipartisan. You people should fight more, bicker more, and do less of what we ask you to do. How often do you hear that?

Now we’re appropriators, and we’re all proud to get to this moment when we actually get to serve on this committee. So let’s do our job. Let’s be appropriators, and let’s fight back for the power that goes to this committee and to our Congress. I encourage you to oppose this bill, unfortunately, and I yield back my time.

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MIL OSI USA News –

July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Democrats Fight Against Republican Funding Bill that Raises Utility Bills and Energy Prices, Slashes Resources for the Arts and National Parks
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

During today’s House Appropriations Committee markup of the 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill, Democrats shined a light on how Republicans drafted yet another funding bill that makes the cost-of-living crisis worse. Their bill raises energy utility bills while slashing funds for National Parks and the arts.

House Republicans’ Interior funding bill takes an aggressive anti-environment, pro-pollution stance with crippling cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and policy provisions that endanger public health.

The bill:
- Raises utility bills by shifting costs onto state and local governments and making utilities more expensive through funding cuts and extreme policies that would cripple renewable energy development.
- Exposes more Americans to contaminated and polluted water by cutting funds for state and local governments to help communities across the country access clean, safe drinking water.
- Worsens the climate crisis by defunding all Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) climate work.
- Slashes funding for national parks, threatening Americans’ ability to enjoy public lands.
- Guts resources for museums, arts, and culture, suppressing American’s engagement with the arts and art education.
- Favors polluters over public health through dozens of harmful policies that undermine EPA’s ability to regulate pollution.
- Promotes environmental discrimination against rural and poor communities by defunding environmental justice initiatives, making it more difficult for hardworking people to deal with the rising costs associated with climate change.
- Exploits public lands and accelerates ecosystem decline by allowing harmful and dirty mining activities and by removing Endangered Species Act protections for numerous species.
“Since President Trump took office, his Administration has undertaken a concerted and alarming assault on Congress’s power of the purse, with Republicans willingly ceding their authority to the Executive Branch,” Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) said.“Coupled with the Administration’s illegal funding freezes, reckless cuts and rescissions, and the Republican Majority’s inability to pass full-year funding bills, it’s clear that the FY2026 Interior and Environment funding bill Republicans on the Committee passed today is nothing more than a hollow attempt at governance. This funding bill perpetuates a dangerous pattern of cuts and policy decisions that harm public health, weaken environmental protections, and threaten our treasured national parks. It undermines bipartisan agreements, deepens existing crises, and puts critical programs at risk, including drastic cuts to water infrastructure, EPA programs, and the arts and humanities. Congress must reclaim its constitutional authority and stop enabling this destructive agenda.”

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s full remarks are here.

“We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. President Trump promised to lower costs on day one, but instead, he and House Republicans are making the cost-of-living crisis even worse,” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “House Republicans 2026 Interior, Environment funding bill would raise utility bills and energy prices, worsen the climate crisis, put polluters over public health, and abandon stewardship of our National Parks, all to benefit billionaires and big corporations. It doubles-down on President Trump’s pro-pollution, anti-environment, anti-Arts agenda. Instead of working with Democrats to make investments that can help lower their costs, protect our environment, and preserve our public lands and institutions, Republicans have put forward a bill that favors billionaires’ and corporations’ right to pollute and destroy the environment over the health and safety of the American people.”

Congresswoman DeLauro’s full remarks are here.

During today’s markup, Democrats fought to:
- Increase funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to overcome House Republicans more than 60 percent cut to these critical funds that help ensure people in every state have access to clean water.
- Restore funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
- Prevent Republicans’ elimination of environmental justice resources.
House Republicans rejected these efforts.

A summary of the bill is here. A fact sheet is here.

The text of the bill, before the adoption of amendments in full committee, is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. Information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.

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MIL OSI USA News –
July 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Pillen Thanks, Welcomes Home Nebraska Task Force One

Source: US State of Nebraska

. The 45-member group — Nebraska’s Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Team — spent the last two weeks helping aid flood recovery efforts in Texas.

“As Nebraskans always do, Nebraska Task Force One stepped up to help our neighbors in need. We can’t thank these heroes enough,” said Gov. Pillen. “Our hearts continue to break as we think about the families and communities that have forever been changed. The State of Nebraska stands with our sister state Texas and will continue to coordinate with Governor Greg Abbott and do what we can to help Texans.”

Nebraska Task Force One is one of 28 US&R groups in the national disaster response system. Normally, those groups are deployed and managed under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This situation was unique in that the deployment was directed under the authority of Gov. Pillen through the Nebraska Emergency Management Act.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 23, 2025

MIL-OSI: Timberland Bancorp Third Fiscal Quarter Net Income Increases to $7.10 Million

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Quarterly EPS Increases 22% to $0.90 from $0.74 One Year Ago
Quarterly Net Interest Margin Increases to 3.80%
Quarterly Return on Average Assets Increases to 1.47%
Quarterly Return on Average Equity Increases to 11.23%
Announces New Stock Repurchase Program

HOQUIAM, Wash., July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Timberland Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSBK) (“Timberland” or “the Company”), the holding company for Timberland Bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $7.10 million, or $0.90 per diluted common share for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. This compares to net income of $6.76 million, or $0.85 per diluted common share for the preceding quarter and $5.92 million, or $0.74 per diluted common share, for the comparable quarter one year ago.

For the first nine months of fiscal 2025, Timberland’s net income increased 16% to $20.72 million, or $2.60 per diluted common share, from $17.93 million, or $2.21 per diluted common share for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.

“Timberland delivered solid third fiscal quarter results, driven by continued net interest margin expansion and steady balance sheet growth,” stated Dean Brydon, Chief Executive Officer. “Net income and earnings per share increased 20% and 22%, respectively, compared to the third fiscal quarter a year ago. Compared to the prior quarter, net income and earnings per share increased 5% and 6%, respectively, primarily due to higher net interest income and non-interest income. We also posted year-over-year improvements across all key profitability metrics, and our tangible book value per share (non-GAAP) continued its upward trend. Looking ahead we believe our strong capital position, solid earnings, and continued focus on disciplined growth position us well to navigate the current environment and drive long-term shareholder value.”

“As a result of Timberland’s strong earnings and sound capital position, our Board of Directors announced a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of $0.26 per share, payable on August 22, 2025, to shareholders of record on August 8, 2025,” stated Jonathan Fischer, President and Chief Operating Officer. “This represents the 51st consecutive quarter Timberland will have paid a cash dividend. In addition, the Company also announced the adoption of a new stock repurchase program. We believe Timberland stock presents a strong investment opportunity, and buying back shares is a strategy to enhance long-term value for shareholders. Under the new repurchase program, the Company may repurchase up to 5% of the outstanding shares, or 393,842 shares. The new stock repurchase program replaces our existing stock repurchase program, which had 31,762 shares available to be repurchased.”

“Our net interest margin continued to show positive momentum in the third fiscal quarter, expanding to 3.80%,” said Marci Basich, Chief Financial Officer. “This represents a one basis point increase from the prior quarter and a 27 basis point improvement compared to the same period last year, reflecting our disciplined asset-liability management and favorable shift in earning asset yields. Total deposits grew by $19 million, or 1%, during the quarter, driven primarily by higher balances in certificates of deposit. This growth highlights the continued strength of our customer relationships and the effectiveness of our deposit-gathering strategies. We remain focused on maintaining a well-balanced funding mix while sustaining stable margin performance going forward.”

“The loan portfolio continues to expand at a steady pace, with growth of 2% over the prior quarter and 3% year-over year,” Brydon continued. “Credit quality remains an area we are monitoring closely, as we are seeing a mix of stable-to-positive trends alongside a few metrics that have shown modest deterioration. Net charge-offs continue to be minimal, with net recoveries of $1,000 during the third quarter. Our non-performing assets (“NPA”) ratio increased to 0.21% at June 30, 2025, compared to 0.13% at the end of the prior quarter. However, it remains a slight improvement from the 0.22% reported a year ago. Although non-accrual loans increased this quarter primarily due to a single matured loan, total non-accrual balances remain modestly below year-ago levels.”

Earnings and Balance Sheet Highlights (at or for the periods ended June 30, 2025, compared to June 30, 2024, or March 31, 2025):

Earnings Highlights:

Earnings per diluted common share (“EPS”) increased 6% to $0.90 for the current quarter from $0.85 for the preceding quarter and increased 22% from $0.74 for the comparable quarter one year ago; EPS increased 18% to $2.60 for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 from $2.21 for the first nine months of fiscal 2024;
Net income increased 5% to $7.10 million for the current quarter from $6.76 million for the preceding quarter and increased 20% from $5.92 million for the comparable quarter one year ago; Net income increased 16% to $20.72 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 from $17.93 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024;
Return on average equity (“ROE”) and return on average assets (“ROA”) for the current quarter were 11.23% and 1.47%, respectively;
Net interest margin (“NIM”) for the current quarter expanded to 3.80% from 3.79% for the preceding quarter and 3.53% for the comparable quarter one year ago; and
The efficiency ratio for the current quarter improved to 54.48% from 56.25% for the preceding quarter and 58.97% for the comparable quarter one year ago.

Balance Sheet Highlights:

Total assets increased 1% from the prior quarter and increased 3% year-over-year;
Net loans receivable increased 2% from the prior quarter and increased 3% year-over-year;
Total deposits increased 1% from the prior quarter and increased 3% year-over-year;
Total shareholders’ equity increased 2% from the prior quarter and increased 6% year-over-year; 34,236 shares of common stock were repurchased during the current quarter for $1.02 million;
Non-performing assets to total assets ratio was 0.21% at June 30, 2025 compared to 0.13% at March 31, 2025 and 0.22% at June 30, 2024;
Book and tangible book (non-GAAP) values per common share increased to $32.58 and $30.62 respectively, at June 30, 2025; and
Liquidity (both on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet) remained strong at June 30, 2025 with only $20 million in borrowings and additional secured borrowing line capacity of $674 million available through the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) and the Federal Reserve.

Operating Results

Operating revenue (net interest income before the provision for credit losses plus non-interest income) for the current quarter increased 3% to $20.50 million from $19.90 million for the preceding quarter and increased 9% from $18.77 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. The increase in operating revenue compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to increases in total interest and dividend income and non-interest income, which were partially offset by an increase in total funding costs. Operating revenue increased 8% to $60.06 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 from $55.82 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024, primarily due to an increase in total interest and dividend income, which was partially offset by an increase in funding costs.

Net interest income increased $409,000, or 2%, to $17.62 million for the current quarter from $17.21 million for the preceding quarter and increased $1.64 million, or 10%, from $15.98 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. The increase in net interest income compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to a $20.80 million increase in the average balance of total interest-earning assets and, to a lesser extent, a two-basis point increase in the weighted average yield on total interest-earning assets to 5.50% from 5.48%. These increases were partially offset by a $20.21 million increase in the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities and a two-basis point increase in the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities. Timberland’s NIM for the current quarter expanded to 3.80% from 3.79% for the preceding quarter and 3.53% for the comparable quarter one year ago. The NIM for the current quarter was increased by approximately four basis points due to the collection of $102,000 in pre-payment penalties, non-accrual interest, and late fees, and the accretion of $68,000 of the fair value discount on acquired loans. The NIM for the preceding quarter was increased by approximately five basis points due to the collection of $201,000 in pre-payment penalties, non-accrual interest, and late fees, and the accretion of $17,000 of the fair value discount on acquired loans. The NIM for the comparable quarter one year ago was increased by approximately three basis points due to the collection of $124,000 in pre-payment penalties, non-accrual interest, and late fees, and the accretion of $9,000 of the fair value discount on acquired loans. Net interest income for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 increased $4.19 million, or 9%, to $51.81 million from $47.62 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024, primarily due to a 32 basis point increase in the weighted average yield of total interest-earning assets to 5.49% from 5.17% and a $49.96 million increase in the average balance of total interest-earning assets. These increases to net interest income were partially offset by a seven basis point increase in the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities to 2.53% from 2.46% and a $58.86 million increase in the average balance of total interest-bearing liabilities. Timberland’s NIM expanded to 3.74% for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 from 3.53% for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.

A $351,000 provision for credit losses on loans was recorded for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The provision was primarily due to loan portfolio growth and changes in the composition of the loan portfolio. This compares to a $237,000 provision for credit losses on loans for the preceding quarter and a $264,000 provision for credit losses on loans for the comparable quarter one year ago. In addition, a $93,000 provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments and a $4,000 recapture of credit losses on investment securities were recorded for the current quarter.

Non-interest income increased $188,000, or 7%, to $2.88 million for the current quarter from $2.69 million for the preceding quarter and increased $84,000, or 3%, from $2.79 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. The increase in non-interest income compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to an increase in ATM and debit card interchange transaction fees and smaller changes in several other categories. Fiscal year-to-date non-interest income increased by 1%, to $8.26 million from $8.20 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.

Total operating (non-interest) expenses for the current quarter decreased $27,000 (less than 1%), to $11.17 million from $11.19 million for the preceding quarter and increased $98,000, or 1%, from $11.07 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. The decrease in operating expenses compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to decreases in salaries and employee benefits, premises and equipment, technology and communications, professional fees, and smaller decreases in several other expense categories. These decreases were partially offset by increases in state and local taxes and smaller increases in several other expense categories. The efficiency ratio for the current quarter improved to 54.48% from 56.25% for the preceding quarter and 58.97% for the comparable quarter one year ago. Fiscal year-to-date operating expenses increased 2% to $33.43 million from $32.68 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024. The efficiency ratio for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 improved to 55.65% from 58.55% for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.

The provision for income taxes for the current quarter increased $85,000, or 5%, to $1.79 million from $1.71 million for the preceding quarter, primarily due to higher taxable income. Timberland’s effective income tax rate was 20.1% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to 20.2% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 and 20.6% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. Timberland’s effective income tax rate was 20.1% for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 compared to 20.2% for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.

Balance Sheet Management

Total assets increased $24.46 million, or 1%, during the quarter to $1.96 billion at June 30, 2025 from $1.93 billion at March 31, 2025 and increased $56.56 million, or 3%, from $1.90 billion one year ago. The increase during the current quarter was primarily due to a $21.42 million increase in net loans receivable and smaller increases in several other categories.

Liquidity

Timberland has continued to maintain a strong liquidity position, both on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet. Liquidity, as measured by the sum of cash and cash equivalents, CDs held for investment, and available for sale investment securities, was 17.0% of total liabilities at June 30, 2025, compared to 16.9% at March 31, 2025, and 14.7% one year ago. Timberland also had secured borrowing line capacity of $674 million available through the FHLB and the Federal Reserve at June 30, 2025. With a strong and diversified deposit base, only 17% of Timberland’s deposits were uninsured or uncollateralized at June 30, 2025. (Note: This calculation excludes public deposits that are fully collateralized.)

Loans

Net loans receivable increased $21.42 million, or 2%, during the quarter to $1.44 billion at June 30, 2025 from $1.42 billion at March 31, 2025. This increase was primarily due to a $21.83 million increase in multi-family loans, a $5.67 million increase in commercial real estate loans, a $3.89 million increase in land loans and smaller increases in several other loan categories. These increases were partially offset by a $5.50 million decrease in construction loans, a $4.80 million decrease in commercial business loans, and smaller decreases in several other loan categories. The increase in multi-family loans was, in large part, due to several multi-family construction projects being completed and converting to permanent financing during the quarter.

Loan Portfolio ($ in thousands)

	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025				June 30, 2024
	Amount		Percent	Amount		Percent		Amount		Percent
Mortgage loans:
One- to four-family (a)	$317,574		21%	$315,421		21%		$288,611		19%
Multi-family		200,418	13		178,590	12			177,950	12
Commercial		607,924	40		602,248	40			597,865	40
Construction – custom and
owner/builder		128,900	8		114,401		7		128,222	9
Construction – speculative one-to four-family		9,595	1		9,791	1			11,441	1
Construction – commercial		15,992	1		22,352	1			32,130	2
Construction – multi-family		32,731	2		46,602	3			35,631	2
Construction – land
development		15,461	1		15,032	1			19,104	1
Land		36,193	2		32,301	2			32,384	2
Total mortgage loans		1,364,788	89		1,336,738	88			1,323,338	88

Consumer loans:
Home equity and second
mortgage		47,511	3		47,458	3			43,679	3
Other		2,176	—		2,375	—			3,121	—
Total consumer loans		49,687	3		49,833	3			46,800	3

Commercial loans:
Commercial business loans		126,497	8		131,243	9			136,213	9
SBA PPP loans		101	—		156	—			314	—
Total commercial loans		126,598	8		131,399	9			136,527	9
Total loans		1,541,073	100%		1,517,970	100%			1,506,665	100%
Less:
Undisbursed portion of
construction loans in
process		(76,272)			(75,042)				(87,196)
Deferred loan origination
fees		(5,427)			(5,329)				(5,404)
Allowance for credit losses		(17,878)			(17,525)				(17,046)
Total loans receivable, net	$1,441,496			$1,420,074				$1,397,019

_______________________
(a) Does not include one- to four-family loans held for sale totaling $1,763, $1,151, and $1,795 at June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, and June 30, 2024, respectively.

The following table provides a breakdown of commercial real estate (“CRE”) mortgage loans by collateral type as of June 30, 2025:

CRE Loan Portfolio Breakdown by Collateral ($ in thousands)
Collateral Type	Balance		Percent of CRE Portfolio	Percent of Total Loan Portfolio	Average Balance Per Loan		Non- Accrual
Industrial warehouses	$128 822		21%	8%	$1 301		$161
Medical/dental offices		81 238	13	5		1 269		—
Office buildings		68 916	11	5		801		—
Other retail buildings		54 472	9	3		567		—
Mini-storage		38 483	6	2		1 539		—
Hotel/motel		31 656	5	2		2 638		—
Restaurants		27 485	5	2		585		—
Gas stations/conv. stores		24 359	4	2		1 015		—
Churches		14 690	3	1		918		—
Nursing homes		13 532	2	1		2 255		—
Shopping centers		10 507	2	1		1 751		—
Mobile home parks		8 882	2	1		444		—
Additional CRE		104 882	17	7		760		—
Total CRE	$607 924		100%	40%	$951		$161

Timberland originated $81.99 million in loans during the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to $56.76 million for the preceding quarter and $74.32 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. Timberland continues to originate fixed-rate one- to four-family mortgage loans, a portion of which are sold into the secondary market for asset-liability management purposes and to generate non-interest income. During the current quarter, fixed-rate one- to four-family mortgage loans totaling $5.11 million were sold compared to $5.17 million for the preceding quarter and $3.05 million for the comparable quarter one year ago.

Investment Securities

Timberland’s investment securities and CDs held for investment increased $2.04 million, or 1%, to $237.36 million at June 30, 2025, from $235.33 million at March 31, 2025. The increase was primarily due to the purchase of additional U.S. government agency mortgage-backed investment securities and U.S. Treasury investment securities. Partially offsetting these increases was the sale of $13.49 million available for sale investment securities, which resulted in a net gain of $24,000.

Deposits

Total deposits increased $18.65 million, or 1%, during the quarter to $1.67 billion at June 30, 2025, from $1.65 billion at March 31, 2025. The quarter’s increase consisted of a $16.01 million increase in certificates of deposit account balances, a $4.66 million increase in money market account balances, and a $1.60 million increase in NOW checking account balances. These decreases were partially offset by a $2.03 million decrease in savings account balances and a $1.59 million decrease in non-interest-bearing checking account balances.

Deposit Breakdown ($ in thousands)

	June 30, 2025		March 31, 2025		June 30, 2024
	Amount	Percent	Amount	Percent	Amount	Percent
Non-interest-bearing demand	$406,222	24%	$407,811	25%	$407,125	25%
NOW checking	334,922	20	333,325	20	324,795	20
Savings	205,829	12	207,857	13	207,921	13
Money market	305,207	18	300,552	18	327,162	20
Certificates of deposit under $250	244,063	15	227,137	14	195,022	12
Certificates of deposit $250 and over	126,254	8	124,009	7	117,788	7
Certificates of deposit – brokered	46,980	3	50,139	3	48,731	3
Total deposits	$1,669,477	100%	$1,650,830	100%	$1,628,544	100%

Borrowings

Total borrowings were $20.00 million at both June 30, 2025 and March 31, 2025. At June 30, 2025, the weighted average rate on the borrowings was 3.97%.

Shareholders’ Equity and Capital Ratios

Total shareholders’ equity increased $4.14 million, or 2%, to $256.66 million at June 30, 2025, from $252.52 million at March 31, 2025, and increased $15.44 million, or 6%, from $241.22 million at June 30, 2024. The increase in shareholders’ equity during the quarter was primarily due to net income of $7.10 million, which was partially offset by the payment of $2.05 million in dividends to shareholders and the repurchase of 34,236 shares of common stock for $1.02 million (an average price of $29.74 per share).

Timberland remains well capitalized with a total risk-based capital ratio of 20.54%, a Tier 1 leverage capital ratio of 12.63%, a tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio (non-GAAP) of 12.42%, and a shareholders’ equity to total assets ratio of 13.11% at June 30, 2025. Timberland’s held to maturity investment securities were $141.57 million at June 30, 2025, with a net unrealized loss of $5.99 million (pre-tax). Although not permitted by U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), including these unrealized losses in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”) would result in a ratio of shareholders’ equity to total assets of 12.90%, compared to 13.11%, as reported.

New Stock Repurchase Program

The Company announced a new stock repurchase program today. Under the repurchase program, the Company may repurchase up to 5% of the Company’s outstanding shares, or 393,842 shares. The new stock repurchase program replaces the existing stock repurchase program which had 31,762 shares available to be repurchased.

The repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in open market or private transactions, through block trades, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Repurchases will be made at management’s discretion at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interest of both the Company and its shareholders, subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company’s financial performance. Open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b-18 of the SEC and other applicable legal requirements. The repurchase program may be suspended, terminated, or modified at any time for any reason, including market conditions, the cost of repurchasing the shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, liquidity, and other factors deemed appropriate. These factors may also affect the timing and amount of share repurchases. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular number of shares.

Asset Quality
Timberland’s non-performing assets to total assets ratio was 0.21% at June 30, 2025, compared to 0.13% at March 31, 2025 and 0.22% at June 30, 2024. Net recoveries totaled $1,000 for the current quarter compared to net charge-offs of less than $1,000 for the preceding quarter and net charge-offs of $36,000 for the comparable quarter one year ago. During the current quarter, provisions for credit losses of $351,000 on loans and $93,000 unfunded commitments were made, which was partially offset by a $4,000 recapture of credit losses on investment securities. The allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) for loans as a percentage of loans receivable was 1.23% at June 30, 2025, compared to 1.22% at March 31, 2025 and 1.21% one year ago.

Total delinquent loans (past due 30 days or more) and non-accrual loans increased $2.86 million or 86%, to $6.18 million at June 30, 2025, from $3.32 million at March 31, 2025 and increased $1.95 million, or 46%, from $4.23 million at June 30, 2024. Non-accrual loans increased $1.52 million, or 65%, to $3.84 million at June 30, 2025 from $2.33 million at March 31, 2025 and decreased $277,000, or 7%, from $4.12 million at March 31, 2024. The quarterly increase in non-accrual loans was primarily due to one loan (secured by several single family homes) being past maturity. The loan is well collateralized (based on recent appraisals) and the Bank is working with the borrower to renew the loan. Loans graded “Substandard” totaled $32.37 million (or 2% of total loans receivable) at June 30, 2025.

Non-Accrual Loans ($ in thousands)

	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			June 30, 2024
	Amount		Quantity	Amount		Quantity	Amount		Quantity
Mortgage loans:
One- to four-family	$1,781		1	$47		1	$135		2
Commercial		161	2		324	3		1,310	4
Construction – custom and
owner/builder		—	—		—	—		152	1
Total mortgage loans		1,942	3		371	4		1,597	7

Consumer loans:
Home equity and second
mortgage		575	3		575	3		615	3
Other		—	—		—	—		—	—
Total consumer loans		575	3		575	3		615	3

Commercial business loans		1,326	9		1,381	11		1,908	8
Total loans	$3,843		15	$2,327		18	$4,120		18

Timberland had two properties classified as other real estate owned (“OREO”) at June 30, 2025:

	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			June 30, 2024
	Amount		Quantity	Amount		Quantity	Amount		Quantity
Other real estate owned:
Commercial	$221		1	$221		1	$	—	—
Land		—	1		—	1		—	1
Total mortgage loans	$221		2	$221		2	$	—	1

About Timberland Bancorp, Inc.
Timberland Bancorp, Inc., a Washington corporation, is the holding company for Timberland Bank. The Bank opened for business in 1915 and primarily serves consumers and businesses across Grays Harbor, Thurston, Pierce, King, Kitsap and Lewis counties, Washington with a full range of lending and deposit services through its 23 branches (including its main office in Hoquiam).

Disclaimer
Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance or business. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, are based on certain assumptions and often include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “targets,” “potentially,” “probably,” “projects,” “outlook” or similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would” and “could.” Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, assumptions and statements about future economic performance. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated or implied by our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: potential adverse impacts to economic conditions in our local market areas, other markets where the Company has lending relationships, or other aspects of the Company’s business operations or financial markets, including, without limitation, as a result of employment levels, labor shortages and the effects of inflation, a potential recession or slowed economic growth; continuing elevated levels of inflation and the impact of current and future monetary policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Federal Reserve”) in response thereto; the effects of any federal government shutdown; credit risks of lending activities, including any deterioration in the housing and commercial real estate markets which may lead to increased losses and non-performing loans in our loan portfolio resulting in our ACL not being adequate to cover actual losses and thus requiring us to materially increase our ACL through the provision for credit losses; changes in general economic conditions, either nationally or in our market areas; changes in the levels of general interest rates, and the relative differences between short and long-term interest rates, deposit interest rates, our net interest margin and funding sources; fluctuations in the demand for loans, the number of unsold homes, land and other properties and fluctuations in real estate values in our market areas; secondary market conditions for loans and our ability to sell loans in the secondary market; results of examinations of us by the Federal Reserve and of our bank subsidiary by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Banks or other regulatory authorities, including the possibility that any such regulatory authority may, among other things, institute a formal or informal enforcement action against us or our bank subsidiary which could require us to increase our ACL, write-down assets, change our regulatory capital position or affect our ability to borrow funds or maintain or increase deposits or impose additional requirements or restrictions on us, any of which could adversely affect our liquidity and earnings; the impact of bank failures or adverse developments at other banks and related negative press about the banking industry in general on investor and depositor sentiment; legislative or regulatory changes that adversely affect our business including changes in banking, securities and tax law, in regulatory policies and principles, or the interpretation of regulatory capital or other rules; our ability to attract and retain deposits; our ability to control operating costs and expenses; the use of estimates in determining fair value of certain of our assets, which estimates may prove to be incorrect and result in significant declines in valuation; difficulties in reducing risks associated with the loans in our consolidated balance sheet; staffing fluctuations in response to product demand or the implementation of corporate strategies that affect our work force and potential associated charges; disruptions, security breaches, or other adverse events, failures or interruptions in, or attacks on, our information technology systems or on the third-party vendors who perform several of our critical processing functions; our ability to retain key members of our senior management team; costs and effects of litigation, including settlements and judgments; our ability to implement our business strategies; our ability to manage loan delinquency rates; increased competitive pressures among financial services companies; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; the availability of resources to address changes in laws, rules, or regulations or to respond to regulatory actions; our ability to pay dividends on our common stock; the quality and composition of our securities portfolio and the impact if any adverse changes in the securities markets, including on market liquidity; inability of key third-party providers to perform their obligations to us; changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the financial institution regulatory agencies or the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), including additional guidance and interpretation on accounting issues and details of the implementation of new accounting methods; the economic impact of climate change, severe weather events, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics and other public health crises, acts of war or terrorism, civil unrest and other external events on our business; other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory, and technological factors affecting our operations, pricing, products and services; and other risks described elsewhere in this press release and in the Company’s other reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Any of the forward-looking statements that we make in this press release and in the other public statements we make are based upon management’s beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made. We do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking statements discussed in this document might not occur and we caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These risks could cause our actual results for fiscal 2025 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements by, or on behalf of, us, and could negatively affect the Company’s consolidated financial condition and results of operations as well as its stock price performance.

TIMBERLAND BANCORP INC. AND SUBSIDIARY CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME		Three Months Ended
($ in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited)		June 30,		March 31,		June 30,
			2025		2025		2024
	Interest and dividend income
	Loans receivable	$21,411		$20,896		$19,537
	Investment securities		2,064		2,003		2,335
	Dividends from mutual funds, FHLB stock and other investments		83		82		94
	Interest bearing deposits in banks		1,986		1,884		2,173
	Total interest and dividend income		25,544		24,865		24,139

	Interest expense
	Deposits		7,721		7,454		7,938
	Borrowings		201		198		220
	Total interest expense		7,922		7,652		8,158
	Net interest income		17,622		17,213		15,981
	Provision for credit losses – loans		351		237		264
	Recapture of credit losses – investment securities		(4)		(5)		(12)
	Prov. for (recapture of ) credit losses – unfunded commitments		93		14		(8)
	Net int. income after provision for (recapture of) credit losses		17,182		16,967		15,737

	Non-interest income
	Service charges on deposits		966		959		1,014
	ATM and debit card interchange transaction fees		1,262		1,176		1,297
	Gain on sales of investment securities, net		24		—		—
	Gain on sales of loans, net		138		122		68
	Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) net earnings		171		165		158
	Other		314		265		254
	Total non-interest income, net		2,875		2,687		2,791

	Non-interest expense
	Salaries and employee benefits		5,825		5,977		5,928
	Premises and equipment		973		1,075		1,011
	Gain on sale of premises and equipment, net		—		—		(3)
	Advertising		182		189		211
	OREO and other repossessed assets, net		8		9		—
	ATM and debit card processing		658		521		580
	Postage and courier		137		142		130
	State and local taxes		570		335		335
	Professional fees		341		431		335
	FDIC insurance		211		219		208
	Loan administration and foreclosure		99		155		156
	Technology and communications		993		1,121		1,086
	Deposit operations		345		319		450
	Amortization of core deposit intangible (“CDI”)		45		45		56
	Other, net		780		656		586
	Total non-interest expense, net		11,167		11,194		11,069

	Income before income taxes		8,890		8,460		7,459
	Provision for income taxes		1,790		1,705		1,535
	Net income	$7,100		$6,755		$5,924

	Net income per common share:
	Basic	$0.90		$0.85		$0.74
	Diluted		0.90		0.85		0.74

	Weighted average common shares outstanding:
	Basic		7,893,308		7,937,063		8,004,552
	Diluted		7,921,762		7,968,632		8,039,345

TIMBERLAND BANCORP INC. AND SUBSIDIARY CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME		Nine Months Ended
($ in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited)		June 30,		June 30,
			2025		2024
	Interest and dividend income
	Loans receivable	$63,339		$56,841
	Investment securities		6,205		6,892
	Dividends from mutual funds, FHLB stock and other investments		252		266
	Interest bearing deposits in banks		5,870		5,791
	Total interest and dividend income		75,666		69,790

	Interest expense
	Deposits		23,259		21,383
	Borrowings		602		787
	Total interest expense		23,861		22,170
	Net interest income		51,805		47,620
	Provision for credit losses – loans		640		810
	Recapture of credit losses – investment securities		(14)		(20)
	Prov. for (recapture of) credit losses – unfunded commitments		87		(130)
	Net int. income after provision for (recapture of) credit losses		51,092		46,960

	Non-interest income
	Service charges on deposits		2,924		3,024
	ATM and debit card interchange transaction fees		3,706		3,773
	Gain on sales of investment securities, net		24		—
	Gain on sales of loans, net		303		188
	Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) net earnings		503		470
	Other		799		749
	Total non-interest income, net		8,259		8,204

	Non-interest expense
	Salaries and employee benefits		17,893		17,863
	Premises and equipment		2,998		3,065
	Gain on sale of premises and equipment, net		—		(3)
	Advertising		552		556
	OREO and other repossessed assets, net		17		1
	ATM and debit card processing		1,700		1,796
	Postage and courier		401		401
	State and local taxes		1,251		979
	Professional fees		1,118		908
	FDIC insurance		640		624
	Loan administration and foreclosure		383		395
	Technology and communications		3,253		3,101
	Deposit operations		997		1,094
	Amortization of core deposit intangible (“CDI”)		135		169
	Other, net		2,090		1,735
	Total non-interest expense, net		33,428		32,684

	Income before income taxes		25,923		22,480
	Provision for income taxes		5,208		4,552
	Net income	$20,715		$17,928

	Net income per common share:
	Basic	$2.61		$2.22
	Diluted		2.60		2.21

	Weighted average common shares outstanding:
	Basic		7,929,626		8,067,068
	Diluted		7,963,412		8,109,043

TIMBERLAND BANCORP INC. AND SUBSIDIARY CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
($ in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited)		June 30,		March 31,		June 30,
			2025		2025		2024
Assets
Cash and due from financial institutions		$32,532		$26,010		$25,566
Interest-bearing deposits in banks			161,095		165,201		133,347
	Total cash and cash equivalents		193,627		191,211		158,913

Certificates of deposit (“CDs”) held for investment, at cost			8,462		8,711		10,458
Investment securities:
	Held to maturity, at amortized cost (net of ACL – investment securities)		141,570		140,954		176,787
	Available for sale, at fair value		86,475		84,807		74,515
Investments in equity securities, at fair value			855		853		836
FHLB stock			2,045		2,045		2,037
Other investments, at cost			3,000		3,000		3,000
Loans held for sale			1,763		1,151		1,795

Loans receivable			1,459,374		1,437,599		1,414,065
Less: ACL – loans			(17,878)		(17,525)		(17,046)
	Net loans receivable		1,441,496		1,420,074		1,397,019

Premises and equipment, net			21,490		21,436		21,558
OREO and other repossessed assets, net			221		221		—
BOLI			24,113		23,942		23,436
Accrued interest receivable			7,174		7,127		7,045
Goodwill			15,131		15,131		15,131
CDI			316		361		508
Loan servicing rights, net			911		1,051		1,526
Operating lease right-of-use assets			1,248		1,324		1,550
Other assets			7,295		9,331		4,515
	Total assets	$1,957,192		$1,932,730		$1,900,629

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Deposits: Non-interest-bearing demand		$406,222		$407,811		$407,125
Deposits: Interest-bearing			1,263,255		1,243,019		1,221,419
	Total deposits		1,669,477		1,650,830		1,628,544

Operating lease liabilities			1,350		1,426		1,649
FHLB borrowings			20,000		20,000		20,000
Other liabilities and accrued expenses			9,701		7,950		9,213
	Total liabilities		1,700,528		1,680,206		1,659,406

Shareholders’ equity
Common stock, $.01 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 7,876,853 shares issued and outstanding – June 30, 2025 7,903,489 shares issued and outstanding – March 31, 2025 7,953,431 shares issued and outstanding – June 30, 2024			27,226		28,028		30,681
Retained earnings			230,213		225,166		211,087
Accumulated other comprehensive loss			(775)		(670)		(545)
	Total shareholders’ equity		256,664		252,524		241,223
	Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$1,957,192		$1,932,730		$1,900,629

	Three Months Ended
PERFORMANCE RATIOS:		June 30, 2025		March 31, 2025		June 30, 2024
Return on average assets (a)			1.47%		1.43%		1.25%
Return on average equity (a)			11.23%		10.95%		9.95%
Net interest margin (a)			3.80%		3.79%		3.53%
Efficiency ratio			54.48%		56.25%		58.97%

	Nine Months Ended
		June 30, 2025				June 30, 2024
Return on average assets (a)			1.44%				1.27%
Return on average equity (a)			11.07%				10.10%
Net interest margin (a)			3.74%				3.53%
Efficiency ratio			55.65%				58.55%

	Three Months Ended
ASSET QUALITY RATIOS AND DATA: ($ in thousands)		June 30, 2025		March 31, 2025		June 30, 2024
Non-accrual loans		$3,843		$2,327		$4,120
Loans past due 90 days and still accruing			—		—		—
Non-performing investment securities			38		41		72
OREO and other repossessed assets			221		221		—
Total non-performing assets (b)		$4,102		$2,589		$4,192

Non-performing assets to total assets (b)			0.21%		0.13%		0.22%
Net charge-offs (recoveries) during quarter		$(1)		$	—	$36
Allowance for credit losses – loans to non-accrual loans			465%		753%		414%
Allowance for credit losses – loans to loans receivable (c)			1.23%		1.22%		1.21%


CAPITAL RATIOS:
Tier 1 leverage capital			12.63%		12.55%		12.04%
Tier 1 risk-based capital			19.29%		19.04%		17.97%
Common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital			19.29%		19.04%		17.97%
Total risk-based capital			20.54%		20.29%		19.22%
Tangible common equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP)			12.42%		12.36%		11.97%

BOOK VALUES:
Book value per common share		$32.58		$31.95		$30.33
Tangible book value per common share (d)			30.62		29.99		28.36

________________________________________________

(a) Annualized
(b) Non-performing assets include non-accrual loans, loans past due 90 days and still accruing, non-performing investment securities and OREO and other repossessed assets.
(c) Does not include loans held for sale and is before the allowance for credit losses.
(d) Tangible common equity divided by common shares outstanding (non-GAAP).

AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS, AND RATES – QUARTERLY
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)

	For the Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025					March 31, 2025					June 30, 2024
	Amount			Rate		Amount			Rate		Amount			Rate

Assets
Loans receivable and loans held for sale	$	1,450,350		5.92	%	$	1,435,999		5.90	%	$	1,391,582		5.65	%
Investment securities and FHLB stock (1)		232,272		3.71			232,532		3.64			268,954		3.63
Interest-earning deposits in banks and CDs		178,887		4.45			172,175		4.44			161,421		5.41
Total interest-earning assets		1,861,509		5.50			1,840,706		5.48			1,821,957		5.33
Other assets		79,715					77,563					82,008
Total assets	$	1,941,224				$	1,918,269				$	1,903,965

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
NOW checking accounts	$	333,074		1.39	%	$	328,115		1.32	%	$	329,344		1.29	%
Money market accounts		304,526		3.16			306,137		3.18			326,023		3.56
Savings accounts		205,592		0.35			206,054		0.28			208,488		0.27
Certificates of deposit accounts		363,342		3.77			343,945		3.82			311,545		4.21
Brokered CDs		48,028		4.83			50,104		4.85			45,442		5.32
Total interest-bearing deposits		1,254,562		2.47			1,234,355		2.45			1,220,842		2.62
Borrowings		20,002		4.03			20,000		4.04			20,001		4.42
Total interest-bearing liabilities		1,274,564		2.49			1,254,355		2.47			1,240,843		2.64

Non-interest-bearing demand deposits		402,717					403,738					413,494
Other liabilities		10,266					10,064					10,245
Shareholders’ equity		253,677					250,112					239,383
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	1,941,224				$	1,918,269				$	1,903,965

Interest rate spread				3.01	%				3.01	%				2.69	%
Net interest margin (2)				3.80	%				3.79	%				3.53	%
Average interest-earning assets to
average interest-bearing liabilities		146.05	%				146.75	%				146.83	%

           _____________________________________
(1) Includes other investments
(2) Net interest margin = annualized net interest income /
      average interest-earning assets

AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS, AND RATES
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)

	For the Nine Months Ended
	June 30, 2025					June 30, 2024
	Amount			Rate		Amount			Rate

Assets
Loans receivable and loans held for sale	$	1,441,506		5.87	%	$	1,363,213		5.57	%
Investment securities and FHLB stock (1)		237,400		3.81			294,789		3.24
Interest-earning deposits in banks and CDs		172,591		4.55			143,537		5.39
Total interest-earning assets		1,851,497		5.49			1,801,539		5.17
Other assets		77,595					81,650
Total assets	$	1,929,092				$	1,883,189

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
NOW checking accounts	$	329,883		1.36	%	$	358,052		1.48	%
Money market accounts		311,762		3.26			273,683		3.09
Savings accounts		205,764		0.30			214,275		0.24
Certificates of deposit accounts		346,313		3.89			291,707		4.12
Brokered CDs		48,169		4.71			42,856		5.37
Total interest-bearing deposits		1,241,891		2.50			1,180,573		2.42
Borrowings		20,001		4.02			22,457		4.68
Total interest-bearing liabilities		1,261,892		2.53			1,203,030		2.46

Non-interest-bearing demand deposits		406,906					431,849
Other liabilities		10,159					11,273
Shareholders’ equity		250,135					237,037
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	1,929,092				$	1,883,189

Interest rate spread				2.96	%				2.71	%
Net interest margin (2)				3.74	%				3.53	%
Average interest-earning assets to
average interest-bearing liabilities		146.72	%				149.75	%

_____________________________________
(1) Includes other investments
(2) Net interest margin = annualized net interest income /
average interest-earning assets

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to results presented in accordance with GAAP, this press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures. Timberland believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with information useful in understanding the Company’s financial performance; however, readers of this report are urged to review these non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP results as reported.

Financial measures that exclude intangible assets are non-GAAP measures. To provide investors with a broader understanding of capital adequacy, Timberland provides non-GAAP financial measures for tangible common equity, along with the GAAP measure. Tangible common equity is calculated as shareholders’ equity less goodwill and CDI. In addition, tangible assets equal total assets less goodwill and CDI.

The following table provides a reconciliation of ending shareholders’ equity (GAAP) to ending tangible shareholders’ equity (non-GAAP) and ending total assets (GAAP) to ending tangible assets (non-GAAP).

($ in thousands)	June 30, 2025		March 31, 2025		June 30, 2024

Shareholders’ equity	$	256,664	$	252,524	$	241,223
Less goodwill and CDI		(15,447)		(15,492)		(15,639)
Tangible common equity	$	241,217	$	237,032	$	225,584

Total assets	$	1,957,192	$	1,932,730	$	1,900,629
Less goodwill and CDI		(15,447)		(15,492)		(15,639)
Tangible assets	$	1,941,745	$	1,917,238	$	1,884,990

Contact: Dean J. Brydon, CEO
Jonathan A. Fischer, President & COO
Marci A. Basich, CFO
(360) 533-4747
www.timberlandbank.com

The MIL Network –

July 23, 2025

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