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Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Fox News Highlights McCaul’s Fight to Reimburse Texas for Border Security Efforts Under Biden

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus and current vice chair of the House Homeland Security Committee — was featured in a Fox News article highlighting his successful push to secure $12 billion in federal funding to reimburse states for costs incurred to secure the border under the Biden administration. Texas, which has spent over $11 billion under Operation Lone Star to combat the border crisis, is expected to receive the majority of these funds.

    McCaul touts money in Trump tax bill to pay Texas back for fighting Biden border policies

    Fox News

    Elizabeth Elkind 

    May 24, 2025 

    There’s a provision tucked into President Donald Trump’s broadly ranging “big, beautiful bill” that could see Texas get billions of dollars in funds that it spent on the state’s border security under the Biden administration.

    The legislation earmarked $12 billion for a grant program allowing states to be reimbursed for costs they incurred trying to stem the flow of illegal immigration during the Democratic administration.

    The measure was added to the bill hours before the final vote – but Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the former chairman of the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees, told Fox News Digital it was a product of months of negotiation.

    “Early on, [Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., and I were discussing reconciliation going through the Homeland Security Committee. And, you know, there was about $70 billion for the border,” McCaul said. “Texas bore the brunt of the federal mission the last four years and deserves to be reimbursed. And so he agreed, had a conversation with Governor Abbott, and he agreed.”

    […]

    The state of Texas, Fox News Digital was told, had incurred just over $11 billion in costs from Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts to keep the border in his state secure.

    “The fact of the matter is, when you look at the costs that were borne, Texas had the lion’s share of [the burden] carrying out the federal mission when the Biden administration completely failed to deliver on border security,” McCaul said. “My state built the border wall and built detention facilities. We bore a lot of costs.”

    […]

    Rather than add it to the initial text of the bill, McCaul said, leaders opted to include it in a “managers amendment” that was added on Wednesday night along with several other issues that lawmakers needed more time to negotiate.

    “The legislative process, it’s something I’ve gotten to know over my 20 years and how to get things done up here. And I thought, you know, the way we worked it was strategically very smart,” McCaul said. “It’s going to the Senate now. And Senator Cornyn is going to take it up, be the champion in the Senate.”

    The Texas Republican first met with Abbott and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on the matter in early February, Fox News Digital was told.

    McCaul said he also worked closely on the push with Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, who told Fox News Digital that “no state” carried more financial burden from the border crisis than Texas.”

    […]

    Johnson, for his part, thanked McCaul for his efforts in a public written statement.

    “Thanks to Rep. McCaul, states that stepped up to protect Americans in the face of Biden’s border catastrophe will be reimbursed for doing the work the Biden Administration refused to do,” the speaker said. “Had those patriotic governors not taken action and used the resources of their state, the devastation from Biden’s wide-open border would have been significantly worse.”

    […]

    McCaul told Fox News Digital that he was confident the measure would stay in the Senate bill after conversations with the Trump administration on the matter.

    “I anticipate it will go forward,” McCaul said. “I’m, just proud that we were able to get this done. I’m very proud of what my state did to stop the flow of illegals and dangerous actors coming into the country.”

    When reached for comment, Abbott told Fox News Digital, “This is a national issue that Texas was proud to address, and we are grateful for the allocation that reduces the financial burden that Texas incurred.”

    Click here to read the full article on Fox News

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Markey, Sen. Warren, Reps. Neal and McGovern Condemn Shuttering of Springfield SBA Office, Demand Accountability for Harms to Western Mass. Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Letter Text (PDF)

    Boston (May 28, 2025) – Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today led his colleagues Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representatives Richard Neal (MA-01) and Jim McGovern (MA-02) in writing to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler, slamming the closure of the Springfield, Massachusetts, SBA district office, which would leave Western Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley without access to vital SBA services and support.

    The Trump administration is continuing its nonsensical war against small businesses, dismantling the infrastructure that supports them, and undermining the foundation of American entrepreneurship. The lawmakers urge Administrator Loeffler to stand up to DOGE, insist it reverse course, and work to keep the Springfield district office fully staffed, open, and operational.

    In the letter, the lawmakers write, “The SBA’s Springfield district office is not just a convenience for Western Massachusetts and Pioneer Valley small businesses, it is a lifeline. The district office helps build small business ecosystems by connecting rural, underserved, and emerging markets to federal resources that support local economies. The Springfield district office has served for years as an essential partner for Massachusetts entrepreneurs, offering small businesses critical guidance and expertise on applying for SBA loans and disaster relief programs, among other services. Closing this office will place a tremendous burden on small business owners, forcing them to take time away from their work and drive hours—in some cases a six-hour round trip—to the nearest SBA district office in Boston.”

    According to DOGE’s website, it has terminated 10 commercial leases in Massachusetts that house federal offices. Among the terminated leases, effective June 1, is 894 square feet of office space located at 1 Federal Street in Springfield, home to the SBA’s district office.

    There are no longer any employees working at the Springfield district office, with the last remaining staff member having left in recent weeks—and no plans exist to relocate the office and hire new employees.

    The lawmakers request responses by May 30, 2025, to questions including:

    • Who specifically authorized or approved the decision to terminate the lease for the SBA district office located at 1 Federal Street, Springfield, Massachusetts?
    • Did DOGE, SBA, or another federal agency or office initiate this decision? Did SBA object to or oppose the lease termination at any point? If so, please provide any documentation or summary of its position.
    • How does SBA plan to ensure that small business owners in Western Massachusetts, including rural and underserved areas, retain access to the in-person services previously provided by the Springfield office?
    • What accommodations, if any, will be made for small business owners who now face significant travel burdens to access SBA services in Boston or elsewhere? Has SBA considered the economic and logistical hardship the closure imposes on these small business owners?
    • Was there any public notice, stakeholder consultation, or opportunity for comment provided prior to the decision to close the Springfield office? If so, when and in what form did the notice or consultation occur? What feedback, if any, did local businesses, elected officials, or community leaders provide?

    On March 20, Senators Markey and Warren sent a letter to General Services Administration (GSA) Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian, asking what factors went into GSA’s decision to cancel or not renew 17 leases in Massachusetts, including the Springfield District Office.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact

    Source: US FBI

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on May 12, 2025.

    Bryant Heideman, age 25, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Heideman will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

    Heideman was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025.

    The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in November 2023 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Heideman had sexual contact with the victim, who was 12 years old, after allowing her to stay in his home between November 13 and November 14, 2024.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on May 6, 2025.

    Mason Benoist, age 24, was sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Benoist was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025.

    The conviction stems from Benoist receiving and possessing child pornography using his mobile phone in April 2022. Law enforcement subsequently began investigating Benoist based on CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In May 2023, law enforcement made contact with Benoist at his residence in Eagle Butte. Benoist admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography, and a search of his electronic devices revealed child pornography. Benoist will forfeit ownership of these electronic devices to the United States.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

    Benoist was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography and Making a Hoax Bomb Threat in Connection with Retaliation Against a Minor

    Source: US FBI

    HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nathaniel Sean DeLeon, age 20, of Tulare, California, was sentenced on May 20, 2025, to 78 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for distribution of child pornography and making a bomb threat hoax in connection with a campaign of retaliation against a Cumberland County minor in 2023. 

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, DeLeon met the then-16-year-old minor victim on the Roblox gaming platform and began an online relationship. The relationship ended. Thereafter, between June 2023 and November 2023, DeLeon caused law enforcement in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, to respond to 23 related “swatting” incidents at addresses in Cumberland County, the majority of which belonged to the minor victim. The calls generally related information that someone had a gun and had killed, or was about to kill, another person.

    On November 30, 2023, DeLeon, identifying himself as the minor victim, informed a suicide prevention worker via an internet messaging application that the minor victim had placed pipe bombs in the classrooms and bathrooms of Big Spring High School, located in Cumberland County, and was in a car outside of the school with a shotgun. As a result, approximately 650 students and staff from Big Spring High School were evacuated. No bombs went off and it was determined that there were no explosive devices inside the school.

    DeLeon also distributed a sexually explicit video of a minor victim on two occasions in November 2023.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China will not allow any force to turn Taiwan into “hell” – official representative

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) — State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua said Wednesday that Taiwan is China’s Taiwan and the country will not allow any force to turn the island into a “hell.”

    He made the statement in response to a media request to comment on a recent statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he proposed strengthening Taiwan’s “self-defense capabilities” to intimidate mainland China, as well as a statement by the US military about a plan to create a “hellish picture” on the island.

    The Taiwan issue is China’s internal affair and does not allow outside interference, Chen Binhua stressed, noting that some people in the United States are inflating tensions in the Taiwan Strait as a pretext for interfering in Taiwan affairs to help the U.S. military-industrial complex make profits. Their actions will sow chaos in Taiwan and the island’s people will be used as “cannon fodder,” Chen Binhua warned.

    He called on the US to strictly abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, stop sending wrong signals to separatist forces advocating “Taiwan independence”, so as to avoid escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

    He also criticized the Democratic Progressive Party administration in Taiwan for putting the people of Taiwan in a dangerous situation by closely following the US agenda for its own selfish political interests. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Orders from US buyers rise significantly after China-US trade talks: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) — Since China and the United States held economic and trade talks in Geneva earlier this month, trade tensions between the two countries have eased, orders from U.S. buyers have increased significantly and shipping services are operating at full capacity, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Wednesday.

    “This fully reflects the major mutual needs of each side,” Mao Ning said at a regular departmental press conference.

    Mao Ning’s statement followed comments made by Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, at the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit in Beijing last week, in which Hart noted that China is both an important market for American goods and an important supplier of goods to the United States.

    The essence of China-US trade and economic relations is mutual benefit and win-win, Mao Ning said, adding that trade and economic cooperation between the world’s two largest economies has brought tangible benefits to enterprises and consumers in both countries.

    Protectionism leads nowhere, Mao Ning continued, saying that China welcomes foreign enterprises, including American ones, to develop their businesses in China, deepen mutual cooperation, and jointly create favorable opportunities for a bright future. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Rapsodo Elevates Its Golf Performance Tracking with Introduction of Two New Club Data Metrics on the MLM2PRO

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ST. LOUIS, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rapsodo, a leading sports data and performance technology company, has added two new key club data metrics, club path and angle of attack, to its award-winning mobile launch monitor, the Rapsodo MLM2PRO. The additions bring the total number of key golf metrics available through the Rapsodo MLM2PRO to 15 for users with an MLM2PRO premium membership. The additions complement Club Head Speed and Smash Factor to round out the best performance indicators to help any golfer understand and improve their swing for shot accuracy, consistency and distance.

    Club path measures the direction the club head moves at the moment of impact relative to the target line. Having a positive club path indicates that the club head is moving from the inside to the outside of the target line. Conversely, a negative value indicates movement to the left, outside to inside. Avoiding the extremes and maintaining a more neutral club path is optimal for improved accuracy and increased distance.

    Angle of Attack refers to the vertical direction the club head moves at impact. The angle can be positive or negative and is key to optimizing distance and trajectory. For example, a driver performs best in an upward motion, or positive angle of attack, because it optimizes ball launch, reduces spin and increases the total carry, allowing for a higher, more controlled ball flight for distance. Irons are typically optimized with a downward strike, or negative angle of attack. The downward strike with an iron is key for controlling spin and trajectory, helping the ball land solidly on the green instead of bouncing off to the sand.

    The addition of the new metrics continues to prove Rapsodo’s commitment to innovating its products and delivering unparalleled performance. Golfers of all skill levels can enjoy top-tier, instant, detailed feedback at their fingertips to help lower their scores. The all-in-one device also offers access to 30,000 simulated courses, providing professional-grade, multi-dimensional views of golf courses worldwide, to practice anywhere, anytime.

    “These new key golf metrics not only expand the performance of club data available to our users, but they also reinforce our promise to continually innovate and deliver more value through the MLM2PRO Premium Membership platform,” said Pete Gibbons, director of golf at Rapsodo. “Using the MLM2PRO to perfect one’s swing can help even the most novice of golfers shave off three to four bad shots a round, which could be the difference between breaking 100 for the first time. For experienced golfers, perfecting these metrics could take their game into the upper 4% of all golfers, breaking 80.”

    All MLM2PRO ($699.99) devices include a free 45-day trial of the MLM2PRO Premium Membership. The annual membership is $199, and a lifetime membership is $499. The new metrics will be delivered to existing users through a firmware and app update.

    For more information, visit rapsodo.com and see the media kit here.

    About Rapsodo
    Rapsodo defies limits with affordable, professional-grade technology to enhance the way athletes play across the world. Used by MLB teams, NCAA Division I Champions, and elite PGA coaches, Rapsodo technology has earned multiple MyGolfSpy’s Best of Golf Awards and the Official Player Development Partner of USA Baseball, affirming Rapsodo’s leadership in golf, baseball, and softball tech. Do what you didn’t think was possible. Play Without Limits. Play with Rapsodo. Discover more at Rapsodo.com.

    Media Contact:
    Tara Evans
    Uproar by Moburst for Rapsodo
    tara.evans@moburst.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Release: FDIC-Insured Institutions Reported Return on Assets of 1.16 Percent and Net Income of $70.6 Billion in the First Quarter

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    Net Income Increased From the Prior Quarter, Led by Higher Noninterest Income: For the 4,462 FDIC-insured commercial banks and savings institutions quarterly net income totaled $70.6 billion, up $3.8 billion (5.8 percent) from the prior quarter. The banking industry reported an aggregate ROA of 1.16 percent in first quarter 2025, up from 1.11 percent in fourth quarter 2024 and 1.09 percent in the year-ago quarter. The quarterly increase in net income was led by higher noninterest income (up $5.4 billion, or 7 percent). Gains in noninterest income were due to market movements and volatility as several large firms reported mark-to-market gains on certain financial instruments in the quarter. Lower losses on the sale of securities also contributed to an increase in net income.

    Community Bank Net Income Increased From Last Quarter: Quarterly net income for the 4,022 community banks insured by the FDIC totaled $6.8 billion in the first quarter, an increase of $621.0 million (10 percent) from fourth quarter 2024. The community bank pretax ROA increased 11 basis points from last quarter to 1.18 percent. Higher net interest income (up $315.7 million, or 1.4 percent) and lower losses on the sale of securities (up $313.7 million, 54.8 percent) along with lower provision expenses (down $249.7 million, or 19 percent) and noninterest expenses (down $423.2 million, or 2.3 percent) more than offset lower noninterest income (down $476.6 million, or 9.1 percent).

    Quarterly Net Interest Margin Ticked Down From the Prior Quarter: The industry reported a modest quarterly decline in net interest income (down $278.3 million, or 0.2 percent), as interest income decelerated slightly more than interest expense. The net interest margin (NIM) fell by two basis points to 3.25 percent, equal to the pre-pandemic average. [1] The community bank NIM of 3.46 percent increased two basis points quarter over quarter, increasing for the fourth consecutive quarter, but is still below the pre-pandemic average of 3.63 percent.  

    Asset Quality Metrics Remained Generally Favorable, Though Weakness in Certain Portfolios Persisted: Past-due and nonaccrual (PDNA) loans, or loans that are 30 or more days past due or in nonaccrual status, fell one basis point from the prior quarter to 1.59 percent of total loans. The industry’s PDNA ratio is still below the pre-pandemic average of 1.94 percent.  While banks reported quarterly decreases in PDNA of credit card loans (down $2.7 billion, or 9 basis points to 3.22 percent), and auto loans (down $2.6 billion, or 48 basis points to 2.84 percent), weaknesses persisted in certain portfolios. The PDNA rate for commercial real estate (CRE) portfolios is the highest it has been since the fourth quarter of 2014 at 1.49 percent. Multifamily CRE PDNAs have grown the most in the past year, up 88 basis points to 1.47 percent.

    The industry’s net charge-off ratio decreased three basis points to 0.67 percent from the prior quarter and is one basis point higher than the year-ago quarter. This ratio is 19 basis points above the pre-pandemic average. Most portfolios had net charge-off rates above their pre-pandemic averages including credit card loans, 123 basis points above the pre-pandemic average at 4.71 percent.  

    Loan Growth Remains Modest: Total loan and lease balances increased $62 billion (0.5 percent) from the previous quarter. The largest portfolio increases were reported in loans to non-depository financial institutions, in part due to continued reclassifications following the finalization of changes to how certain loan products should be reported. In addition to these reclassifications, commercial and industrial, and multifamily CRE contributed to the industry’s quarterly loan growth. The industry’s annual rate of loan growth in the first quarter was 3.0 percent, below the pre-pandemic average of 4.9 percent.

    Total loans at community banks increased 0.8 percent from the prior quarter and 4.9 percent from the prior year, led by increases in nonfarm nonresidential CRE loans and 1-4 family residential mortgage portfolios.

    Domestic Deposits Increased for the Third Consecutive Quarter: Domestic deposits increased $180.9 billion (1 percent) from fourth quarter 2024, rising for a third consecutive quarter. Savings deposits increased, with declines in small time deposits partially offsetting the increases. Brokered deposits decreased $14.9 billion (1.2 percent) from the prior quarter, declining for the fifth consecutive quarter. Estimated insured deposits increased this quarter (up $110.5 billion, or 1 percent).

    The Deposit Insurance Fund Reserve Ratio Increased Three Basis Points to 1.31 Percent: In the first quarter, the Deposit Insurance Fund balance increased $3.8 billion to $140.9 billion. The reserve ratio increased three basis points during the quarter to 1.31 percent.

    Change in Number of Insured Institutions: The total number of FDIC-insured institutions declined by 25 during the first quarter to 4,462. During the quarter, one bank opened, one bank failed and did not file a Call Report in the prior quarter, one bank was sold to an uninsured institution, and 25 institutions merged with other banks. 

    ATTACHMENTS:
    Quarterly Banking Profile Home Page
    Charts & Data
    FDIC Statement

    # # #

    MEDIA CONTACT: 
    Julianne Breitbeil
    202-340-2043
    JBreitbeil@FDIC.gov

    [1] The “pre-pandemic average” refers to the period of first quarter 2015 through fourth quarter 2019 and is used consistently throughout this press release.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Estacada Man Faces Federal Charges for Trafficking 270 Pounds of Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Ore.— An Estacada, Oregon, man is facing federal charges today after he was caught transporting 270 pounds of methamphetamine from Southern California to Oregon.

    Anthony Barrera, 29, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing methamphetamine and cocaine with the intent to distribute.

    According to court documents, during an investigation of an alleged drug trafficker, later identified as Barrera, investigators learned Barrera rented a vehicle and traveled to California to pick up large quantities of drugs to distribute and sell in Oregon.

    On May 24, 2025, officers located Barrera driving the rental vehicle northbound on Interstate 5 and followed him to a rest area near Roseburg, Oregon, where Barrera was arrested without incident. Agents executed a federal search warrant on the rental vehicle and seized 270 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of cocaine, which were concealed in the backseat and cargo area of the vehicle. Later the same day, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Barrera’s residence where they seized two firearms hidden under the floor of a closet.

    Barrera made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Multnomah County Dangerous Drug Team (DDT). It is being prosecuted by Charlotte Kelley, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. 

    The Multnomah County DDT is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County Parole and Probation, Gresham Police Department, the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). 

    The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.

    A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: SFO charges global aircraft parts supplier with fraud offence

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    SFO charges global aircraft parts supplier with fraud offence

    Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala is charged with fraudulent trading as part of an SFO investigation into a company that sold parts for aircraft engines.

    The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has today charged Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala with fraudulent trading as part of its investigation into a company that sold airline parts for the passenger and cargo aircraft engines, the CF56 and CF6. 

    Zamora Yrala, the company director, is accused of operating UK-based AOG Technics for a fraudulent purpose. The company’s customers included airlines, maintenance providers and parts suppliers. 

    From 2019 to 2023 the company allegedly defrauded customers by falsifying documentation that related to the origin, status or condition of aircraft parts. 

    Planes in the UK and elsewhere around the world were grounded in 2023 after the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued safety alerts to airlines that may have bought or installed AOG’s parts. 

    Soon after, the SFO launched an investigation, later agreeing to conduct a joint investigation with Portuguese authorities into the supply of suspected fraudulent safety certification and parts. The Portuguese investigation is ongoing and last week authorities searched ten locations across Portugal and made three arrests with SFO officers in attendance.  

    Zamora Yrala will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday 2 June 2025. 

    Nick Ephgrave QPM, Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), said: 

    Planes were grounded, and significant disruption was caused, today’s charges are the outcome of a focussed and fast paced investigation.

    I’m proud that we’ve acted swiftly, together with our Europeans partners, to bring this important case to charge in just 19 months.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Signs Griffith Resolution to Strike Down Biden Job-Killing Regulation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

    U.S. President Donald J. Trump recently signed into law H.J. Res. 61, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing.”

    This Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution overturns the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Rubber Tire Manufacturing National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rule. Finalized November 29, 2024, at the conclusion of the Biden Administration, EPA could not even quantify whether public health would be protected and unreasonably requires rubber tire manufacturers to install regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs), which will cost American manufacturers millions and potentially lead to layoffs.

    U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), who was the chief House sponsor of the CRA resolution, released the following statement:

    “I am pleased President Trump signed my Congressional Review Act resolution into law!

    “Americans are now officially protected from a last-minute Biden-Harris rule that would have needlessly harmed the tire manufacturing industry and raised prices for American consumers.”

    BACKGROUND

    Rep. Griffith introduced H.J. Res. 61 in the last week of February. Rep. Griffith introduced the CRA alongside U.S. Senators Tim Scott and Roger Wicker.

    On March 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Res. 61. Rep. Griffith spoke on the House floor defending the CRA.

    Following House passage, Rep. Griffith celebrated House passage with several House GOP leaders.

    On May 6, the U.S. Senate passed the measure.

    On March 12, the Trump EPA announced reconsideration of air rules regulating American energy, manufacturing and chemical sectors.

    The Biden EPA rule would negatively impact the Goodyear facility in Danville, Virginia. 

    Rep. Griffith recently defended several CRAs on the House floor seeking to overturn Biden EPA measures that facilitated unfair electric vehicle mandates and imposed stricter car emissions standards on the American people.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is Vladimir Putin’s indiscriminate bombing of Ukrainian civilians ‘crazy’? It’s more a sign of impatience

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Mark Edele, Hansen Professor in History and Deputy Dean, The University of Melbourne

    United States President Donald Trump was “not happy” with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, this week.

    For three consecutive nights, from Friday to Sunday, Russia launched about 900 drones and scores of missiles at Ukraine. At least 18 people were killed, including three children.

    “We’re in the middle of talking and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities,” Trump told reporters on Sunday, after Putin ordered the largest air assault on Ukraine’s civilians in its three-year war.

    Following up on his remarks, Trump posted on social media that Putin had “gone absolutely CRAZY!”

    Putin is not crazy. He is a tactician with a long-term goal: to make Russia a great power again and secure his place in the history books as the re-builder of Russia’s imperial might.

    Trump announced after a phone call with Putin on May 19 that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately start negotiations” towards a ceasefire.

    With his latest air campaign on Ukraine, however, Putin is threatening to destroy the goodwill he’s built up in Washington, where Trump has been consistently soft on Russia and tough on his allies.

    So, what is Putin’s strategy? Why is he launching these massive air bombardments on Ukrainian civilians now?

    Putin sees weakness in the West

    One theory is these attacks are somehow preparations for a major offensive. That makes little sense.

    Attacking military facilities, weapons depots or even frontline troops are useful preparations for an impending attack. Indiscriminate bombing of civilians, meanwhile, is a sign of either desperation or impatience.

    Britain and the US bombed German cities during the second world war because they had no alternatives until they built up enough capacity to transport land forces across the sea to invade the continent.

    The US also sent bombers to Japan in the final stages of the war because the American public became tired of seeing their sons, husbands, brothers and fathers die on Pacific islands they had never heard of. The war had dragged on forever by this point, and there seemed no end in sight.

    Is Putin desperate or impatient? Likely the latter.

    From the perspective of the Kremlin, Russia’s strategic situation is as good as it has been for years.

    The US is trying to destroy itself through trade wars and boorish diplomacy. Trump clearly dislikes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and hopes the war will somehow end if he just demands it.

    Europe is continuing to back Ukraine. However, for the time being, it still needs US support because its entire security structure is built around NATO and US strength, both economic and military.

    What Putin sees when he surveys the international scene is weakness. In his thinking, such weakness needs to be exploited – now is the time to hurt Ukraine as much as possible, and hope it will crack. Analysts call this a “cognitive warfare effort”.

    Indiscriminate air war on civilians is the only means Putin currently has to pressure Ukraine. His army has been advancing, but painfully slowly. There is no breakthrough in sight, even once the spring muds dry and the summer fighting season starts in earnest.

    Russia has gradually advanced in Ukraine throughout 2024, but with no perceivable change in the overall situation. Putin does not command precision weapons or super spies, which he could use to take out Ukraine’s leadership.

    All he can do is rain death on women, children and the elderly from relatively cheap, unsophisticated weapons, such as drones. He now has these in large supply, thanks to ramping up military production at home.

    Bombing campaigns do not end wars

    A strategic air war on civilians seldom works, however.

    Japan’s surrender in 1945 is an exception, but it is misleading in many ways. The Americans had flattened Japan’s cities for a while already, just not using their new atomic weapons. Japan had already lost the war and the real question was if there would be a bloody US invasion or surrender.

    And as the US dropped its two nuclear bombs in August of that year, the Red Army joined the fight, racing across Manchuria to help occupy Japanese territories.

    In Germany, the British-American bombings from 1942 onwards certainly had an effect on war production, as they killed workers and destroyed factories. But they did not incapacitate the German army and certainly did not break morale.

    Instead, the bombings led to embitterment and a closing of ranks around the regime. German society fought to the last moment. It did so not just despite, but because of the air war. The German army was eventually defeated by the ground troops of the Red Army, who took Berlin in an incredibly bloody fight.

    Other historical failures are even more spectacular. The US air force dropped 864,000 tons of bombs on North Vietnam during an air campaign of more than 300,000 sorties lasting from 1965 to late 1968. The North Vietnamese lost maybe 29,000 people (dead and wounded), more than half of them civilians. The Americans and their South Vietnamese allies still lost the war.

    Putin’s air war will likely follow the historical pattern: it has further embittered the Ukrainians, who know very well that what comes from the east is not liberation.

    Another summer of fighting lies ahead. Ukraine’s friends in the democratic world need to urgently redouble their efforts to support Ukraine. The misguided hopes that Putin would somehow “make a deal” lie under the rubble his drones leave behind in Ukraine’s cities.

    Mark Edele receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Is Vladimir Putin’s indiscriminate bombing of Ukrainian civilians ‘crazy’? It’s more a sign of impatience – https://theconversation.com/is-vladimir-putins-indiscriminate-bombing-of-ukrainian-civilians-crazy-its-more-a-sign-of-impatience-257630

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Tackling human trafficking

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Gone are the days when human trafficking felt like an obscure crime that occurs under the cover of night in far off places we have never heard of. 

    Every so often we hear of suspected human trafficking cases, and it is likely that you and I could have already interacted with a trafficked person(s) without even knowing it.

    This as police rescued 44 illegal immigrants who were found locked in a house in Gauteng’s Parkmore suburb recently.

    It was also reported in March that over 30 Ethiopian nationals were able to escape from a house in Johannesburg’s Lombardy East. In that case, it is suspected that the 30 were victims of a human trafficking syndicate.

    In January, over 20 Ethiopians were rescued from a house in Johannesburg. The rescue followed a similar one in August 2024 where 82 Ethiopians were also found at a house in Johannesburg.

    Additionally, human trafficking does not only take place on home soil. In March, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed that 23 South Africans who were part of a group of 7000 people from various countries, were rescued from Myanmar.

    Before leaving South African shores in 2024, the men and women were lured by an employment agency to Thailand under the pretences of lucrative jobs that were advertised on various social media platforms.
    According to DIRCO, the adverts promised the victims good salaries, free accommodation, comprehensive travel expenses, and other lucrative benefits. However, once in Thailand, they were transported to Myanmar against their will.

    They were held captive for more than four months in a cybercrime compound in Myanmar, which borders Thailand. 

    “The crime of human trafficking is a hidden one. It is a very different one in the sense that you are given promises of a better life through whatever means elsewhere. You wilfully participate in those engagements without knowing that as soon as you arrive at your destination, what you have been promised is no longer there,” said Deputy Director-General (DDG) Lucky Mohalaba.

    Mohalaba is the DDG for Court Administration at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD).

    “The courts are currently dealing with those matters [of human trafficking] and it ranges from sexual exploitation to forced labour,” he said in an interview with SAnews.

    Legislation

    He added that there are other forms of crimes in relation to the “Trafficking in Persons Act which may include harbouring, transporting [and] assisting in whatever form that those who have been trafficked are able to be moved around within our borders.”

    This as the objects of South Africa’s Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 2013, among others, are to give effect to the country’s obligations concerning the trafficking of persons in terms of international agreements and to provide for the prevention of trafficking in persons and for the protection of and assistance to victims of trafficking, among others.

    According to the legislation, any person who delivers, recruits, transports, transfers, harbours, sells, exchanges, leases or receives another person within or across the borders of the Republic, by means of the threat of harm, abduction and kidnapping among others, for the purpose of any form or manner of exploitation, is guilty of the offence of trafficking in persons.

    It also states that any person who adopts a child, facilitated or secured through legal or illegal means; or concludes a forced marriage with another person, within or across the borders of the Republic, for exploitation purposes of that child or other person in any form, is guilty of an offence.

    A person convicted of an offence of trafficking (by delivering, recruiting, transporting transferring harbouring and selling among others another person by means of a threat of harm, fraud and kidnapping among others, is liable to a fine not exceeding R100 million or imprisonment, including imprisonment for life, or such imprisonment without the option of a fine or both.

    According to the National Prosecuting Agency, the passing of the trafficking legislation is a result of South Africa’s ratification of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children.

    Additionally, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the protocol -which was adopted by the United Nations in November 2000 – is the world’s primary legal instrument to combat human trafficking.

    Mohalaba stressed that government is tackling human trafficking.

    “What we can say to the public is that government is doing quite a lot of work in relation to this matter. But working together with civil society as well as communities, as a department we are of the view that we can do a lot to further curb instances and the incidence of trafficking in persons in South Africa,” he said from his office at the DOJ&CD.

    Increased effort 

    There is tangible evidence that the work government is doing in this area is paying off with the county having moved to a better spot on the United States of America’s (USA) annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

    In 2024, South Africa moved from Tier 2 Watch List of the report to Tier 2. 

    Released in June last year, the report, which is available on the US Department of State website among others, notes that while South Africa does not “fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking… [it] is making significant efforts to do so.”

    “The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period; therefore South Africa was upgraded to Tier 2. These efforts included increasing prosecutions of traffickers; identifying and referring more trafficking victims to protection services; and increasing the number of shelters available to assist trafficking victims,” the report stated.

    It also took note of government’s National Inter-Ministerial Committee for Trafficking in Persons (NICTIP) to strengthen anti-trafficking efforts which included the Border Management Authority, the Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Team and the Financial Intelligence Center.

    He said that work done includes ensuring that there is domestic legislation in place that deals with trafficking in persons and that the country has in place mechanisms to identify, assess victims or suspected victims of trafficking and ensuring that there are shelters to accommodate victims while court processes continue.

    “As a result of our responses, we moved to Tier 2 as these are some of the issues the country has addressed. Of course, our aim is to ensure that we move a level higher up which will include putting more effort into ensuring that there’s appropriate training for officials that are dealing with these matters.  We are working on this,” he explained.

    According to the TIP, the placement of countries into various tiers is not based on the size of a country’s problem “but on the extent of government efforts to meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking.”

    These standards include the prohibition of severe forms of trafficking in person and punishing acts of such trafficking.
    Tier 2 Watch List countries are those whose governments don’t fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making moves to “bring themselves into compliance” with the standards.

    Tier 2 countries are those whose governments do not fully meet the minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance. Additionally, Tier 1 countries are those in which governments fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

    The TIP also has Tier 3 countries whereby governments do not fully meet the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.

    Mohalaba added that the NICTIP which the department and the NPA are co-chairing, is “seized with coordinating a lot of efforts around the trafficking in persons across the country.”

    “It also includes NGOs [non-government organisations] who take part in the discussions so that all of us working together are able to move our country forward and prevent this scourge in trafficking of persons.”

    The report however flagged several issues including that law enforcement did not have the capacity and training to refer victims of trafficking to care and that victim services remained insufficient among others.

    The report states that over “180 countries have ratified or acceded to the United Nations (UN) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (the UN TIP Protocol), which defines trafficking in persons and contains obligations to prevent and combat the crime.”

    Collaboration 

    South Africa’s Parliament passed the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons, 2013 Act which came into operation in August 2015.

    “Again, we must appreciate the collaboration amongst the law enforcement agencies and particularly communities and civil society to ensure that these serious matters are addressed.

    The act requires the DOJ&CD to develop the draft National and Policy Framework (NPF) which also requires the Minister of Justice to table the approved NPF in Parliament within one year after the commencement of the Act.

    Added to that, the NFP is to be reviewed within three years after its publication in the government gazette and at least once every five years thereafter. The first NPF was approved by the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster in 2019 with the revised one having been approved by Cabinet in August 2023. It was tabled in Parliament in February 2024.

    The framework comprises four pillars – namely: prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships.

    “Trafficking is an international crime, and States have been encouraged to put in laws that deal with this. We are using the NFP to compliment the legislation working together with civil society to make sure that we combat and deal with issues of trafficking in persons,” said the DDG.

    The NPF states that trafficking in persons is a “serious crime and a grave violation of human rights posing a serious challenge to communities and to society at large.”

    In the document, government states that it is committed to preventing trafficking, as well as to assist and protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators.

    “People go to great lengths to ensure that when people are trafficked, that it falls within the ambit of organised crime. We really want to appeal to the public that we should be vigilant when we see instances of people being trafficked in our villages, townships, in towns or any other areas we see the potential of people being trafficked,” said the DDG.

    He added that the review of the policy framework will be made in 2027.

    “As a country, we remain resolute in working with whichever country across the globe to ensure that the issues of trafficking in persons are actually made a priority across the world.” –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Understanding Wildfire Behavior Across Alaska Using Remote Sensing of Fire Intensity

    Source: US Geological Survey

    After a wildfire, land managers need timely information about its impact to develop treatment strategies. USGS scientists investigated the utility of instantaneous satellite-derived estimates of fire intensity in Alaska, where the remoteness and inaccessibility of many wildfire sites make ground-based investigations difficult.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Armstrong pays tribute to nation’s military heroes on Memorial Day

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Gov. Kelly Armstrong released the following statement today in observance of Memorial Day. Armstrong paid tribute to the nation’s military heroes at the Memorial Day ceremony at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery near Mandan.

    “Because of these selfless men and women, we live in the greatest country on Earth. And we must never take for granted the freedoms we enjoy – or forget those who died to protect them,” Armstrong said. “While today is a day for remembrance, it’s also a day for commitment. We can live our lives in a way that honors the memories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. To be a worthy nation, we must be worthy of their service – to continue to support and care for those who have served, making sure that they and their families have the resources they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Armstrong directs flags at half-staff Thursday in honor of state Rep. Cynthia Schreiber-Beck

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Gov. Kelly Armstrong has directed all U.S. and North Dakota flags to be flown at half-staff on Thursday, May 29, and encourages North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses, as a mark of respect as state Rep. Cynthia “Cindy” Schreiber-Beck of Wahpeton is laid to rest.

    Schreiber-Beck died May 18 at age 70. She had served in the state House of Representatives since 2015 and also served as executive director of the North Dakota Agricultural Aviation Association for nearly four decades and as a commissioner on the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission from 1997 to 2022.

    Armstrong directed flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of Schreiber-Beck’s burial, which will take place during a private ceremony Thursday in Wahpeton. Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Fargo Air Museum, 1609 19th Ave. N., with visitation starting at 2 p.m.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Scrum Alliance and Miro Forge Strategic Partnership to Empower Agile Teams and Drive Innovation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DENVER, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Scrum Alliance®, the global leader in agile certification and professional membership, is thrilled to unveil a groundbreaking new partnership with Miro, the innovation workspace. This exciting collaboration, part of the recently launched Scrum Alliance Mission Sponsorship Program, represents a powerful alliance dedicated to empowering agile teams and individuals. Together, Scrum Alliance and Miro are committed to helping professionals navigate complexity, adapt to rapid change and excel in today’s fast-paced world.

    As a partner, Miro will join Scrum Alliance’s calling to deliver new resources, educational content, exclusive member benefits and high-impact initiatives aligned with the Scrum Alliance mission: to advance real-world agility.

    “At Scrum Alliance, we see agility as a catalyst for real business performance—accelerating delivery, sharpening collaboration, and strengthening leadership,” said Scrum Alliance CEO Tristan Boutros. “In an environment defined by constant and often unprecedented change, agility empowers organizations to respond with speed and confidence. Our partnership with Miro brings powerful alignment around those outcomes. As a Mission Sponsor, Miro will support our members with new, high-impact benefits and collaborate with us to advance key initiatives that fuel agility where it matters most—in the results.”

    Through this partnership, Scrum Alliance members will gain access to a range of benefits, including educational content developed in collaboration with Miro and members-only webinars designed to strengthen agile practice and collaboration.

    “Miro is deeply committed to the agile community. Its members are some of our greatest fans and champions, so it’s essential we seek out new and innovative ways to contribute meaningfully back to the community,” said Dave Ross, Chief Agile Evangelist at Miro. “We are pleased to strengthen our partnership through this sponsorship, supporting the educational journeys of agile practitioners as this community expands and evolves. We’re hugely grateful to the Scrum Alliance for making this opportunity possible.”

    Miro provides a visual workspace that enables distributed teams of any size to collaborate seamlessly across strategy, design, product development and process management. Trusted by more than 90 million users across 250,000 organizations—including leading brands such as Nike, IKEA, Deloitte and Cisco—Miro helps accelerate innovation and deliver solutions that meet customer needs.

    “The Mission Sponsorship Program represents a bold new way for Scrum Alliance to advance our mission in collaboration with values-aligned organizations, and we’re thrilled to welcome Miro as our first-ever Mission Sponsor,” said Tracee Aliotti, Chief Marketing Officer. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to empowering agile teams and driving innovation. I’m excited about the opportunity to build lasting, purpose-driven collaborations that elevate both our organizations and the global agile community.”

    Scrum Alliance and Miro will also collaborate on a new “Agility in Practice” educational series, co-branded blog articles and resource development for Scrum Alliance User Groups worldwide. These initiatives aim to provide agile practitioners with practical tools and insights for innovation in distributed and hybrid team environments.

    The Mission Sponsorship Program was created by Scrum Alliance to build long-term, symbiotic partnerships that go beyond traditional sponsorship models. By partnering with organizations that share its values and vision, Scrum Alliance seeks to expand its impact and better support its global community of agile practitioners.

    About Scrum Alliance
    As the first not-for-profit focused on agile education and professional credentialing, Scrum Alliance continues to advance its position of Agile for Anyone™ by equipping professionals and their organizations with the education, skills, and community needed to succeed in today’s ever-evolving workplaces.

    Learn more at www.scrumalliance.org.

    About Miro

    Miro is the Innovation Workspace that enables teams of any size to build the next big thing. The platform’s infinite canvas enables teams to quickly move from idea to outcome. Miro is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Amsterdam, and serves more than 90M users worldwide. Miro was founded in 2011 and currently has more than 1,600 employees in 13 hubs around the world. To learn more, please visit https://miro.com. 

    Miro and the Miro logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of RealtimeBoard, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

    Contact: press@miro.com

    Learn more at www.miro.com.

    Media Contact
    Bethany Rhodes
    Uproar by Moburst for Scrum Alliance
    bethany@moburst.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Gevo to Sell Luverne, Minnesota Ethanol Facility to A.E. Innovation; Will Retain Isobutanol Assets for Future Innovation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ENGLEWOOD, Colo., May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Agri-Energy, LLC (“Agri”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Gevo, to A.E. Innovation, LLC (“A.E.”) for $7 million. The transaction includes Agri’s 18-million-gallon-per-year ethanol-production facility located in Luverne, Minnesota. Gevo will retain ownership of certain isobutanol-production-related assets and a portion of the vacant land at the site for future use. With these retained assets, Gevo could potentially produce up to 1 million gallons per year of isobutanol, which can be sold as a specialty chemical, or converted into isooctane and jet fuel.

    A.E., an agriculture-oriented buyer group located in Minnesota, will acquire the ethanol plant and a portion of the land with the intent to restart ethanol production, which has been idled since 2022. A.E. also intends to make the site available for other companies to scale up new technologies and ideas as an innovation hub.

    “We’re seeing rapid innovation in the direction of bio-based fuels and chemicals and Agri-Energy has the demonstrated history that it can work on the cutting edge,” says Dave Kolsrud, principal of A.E. Innovation, LLC. “We see Gevo and others making strides and we know we’ll be a part of that. We are excited to host the next generation of biofuel innovations that need a friendly, practical place where they can scale them up. That’s Luverne, with its history of innovation, its low-carbon corn supply, wind power, and great people.”

    Over the last several years, the Luverne plant, in conjunction with local farmers, has been used as a demonstration site for educating Gevo’s stakeholders about regenerative agriculture and the versatility of corn and its co-products, as well as biofuel production, including synthetic aviation fuel (“SAF”), isobutanol, and ethanol. Gevo and A.E. look forward to continuing and expanding upon this valuable stakeholder outreach.

    “We see tremendous potential for future growth and new partnerships with A.E. Innovation,” says Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo. “Minnesota’s farming communities, especially in places like Luverne, are leading the way with smart, sustainable agricultural practices. We believe it’s the perfect foundation for building innovative solutions in carbohydrate-based energy and chemicals that the world urgently needs.”

    Gevo notes that the sale of Agri-Energy to A.E. Innovation provides $2 million of cash upon closing and an additional $5 million of future cash under the purchase agreement, along with an estimated annual savings of approximately $3 million per year of current facility idling costs. Gevo also anticipates potential future benefits from isobutanol fermentation through a side-by-side operational model with the ethanol assets. Restarting ethanol production is expected to bring positive impacts to the City of Luverne, including support for local farmers and strengthening the regional economy.

    The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2025, subject to the procurement of financing by A.E. and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

    About Gevo
    Gevo is a next-generation diversified energy company committed to fueling America’s future with cost-effective, drop-in fuels that contribute to energy security, abate carbon, and strengthen rural communities to drive economic growth. Gevo’s innovative technology can be used to make a variety of renewable products, including SAF, motor fuels, chemicals, and other materials that provide U.S.-made solutions. By investing in the backbone of rural America, Gevo’s business model includes developing, financing, and operating production facilities that create jobs and revitalize communities. Gevo owns and operates one of the largest dairy-based renewable natural gas (“RNG”) facilities in the United States, turning by-products into clean, reliable energy. Gevo also operates an ethanol plant with an adjacent carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”) facility, further solidifying America’s leadership in energy innovation. Additionally, Gevo owns the world’s first production facility for specialty alcohol-to-jet (“ATJ”) fuels and chemicals. Gevo’s market-driven “pay for performance” approach regarding carbon and other sustainability attributes, helps ensure value is delivered to our local economy. Through its Verity subsidiary, Gevo provides transparency, accountability, and efficiency in tracking, measuring and verifying various attributes throughout the supply chain. By strengthening rural economies, Gevo is working to secure a self-sufficient future and to make sure value is brought to the market.

    For more information, see www.gevo.com.

    About A.E. Innovation, LLC
    A.E. Innovation, LLC, is an agriculture-oriented buyer group located in Minnesota founded to purchase the ethanol-production assets of Agri-Energy, LLC, with the intent of operating the plant as an innovation facility providing companies with the opportunity to certify that new technologies can transition from laboratory or bench-top status to full production-level performance using locally sourced, regeneratively grown corn as a feedstock. For more information regarding innovation opportunities at the Luverne, MN facility, contact David Kolsrud (507-920-5348) email: david@dakrenewableenergy.com or Dan Heard (605-929-2047) email: dan@dakrenewableenergy.com.

    Forward Looking Statements
    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements related to the expected closing of the acquisition or the timing thereof, and future plans for the assets. These statements relate to analyses and other information, which are based on forecasts of future results or events and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. We claim the protection of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for all forward-looking statements in this release.

    These forward-looking statements are identified by the use of terms and phrases such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target” and similar terms and phrases or future or conditional verbs such as “could,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and “would.” However, these words are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and other expectations reflected in or suggested by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve those plans, intentions or expectations. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those that we expected.

    Important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from our expectations, or cautionary statements, include among others, failure to satisfy any conditions to the closing of the transaction in a timely manner or at all; the occurrence of any event that could give rise to termination of the definitive agreement, including the inability to obtain financing; changes in legislation or government regulations affecting the proposed transaction or the parties; and other risk factors or uncertainties identified from time to time in Gevo’s filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements identified above and in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 as well as other cautionary statements that are made from time to time in our other SEC filings and public communications. You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made in this release in the context of these risks and uncertainties.

    We caution you that the important factors referenced above may not reflect all of the factors that could cause actual results or events to differ from our expectations. In addition, we cannot assure you that we will realize the results or developments we expect or anticipate or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the consequences or affect us or our operations in the way we expect. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

    Media Contact
    Heather L. Manuel
    VP, Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
    PR@gevo.com

    IR Contact
    Eric Frey
    VP, Finance & Strategy
    IR@Gevo.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Atomic Canyon Raises $7M led by Energy Impact Partners to bring AI-Powered Innovation to Nuclear Energy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Atomic Canyon, the developer of the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered search and generative AI tools for the nuclear power industry, today announced it has raised $7 million to accelerate deployments across the country. 

    The seed round was led by the Elevate Future Fund from Energy Impact Partners (EIP), with participation from Commonweal Ventures, Plug and Play Ventures, Wischoff Ventures, Tower Research Ventures, and previous angel investors. As part of the investment, Jenny Gao, a Vice President of Energy Impact Partners, will join the Atomic Canyon board of directors.

    Atomic Canyon’s flagship product, Neutron Enterprise, addresses a challenge in the nuclear industry. By securely connecting to internal data sources at nuclear power plants and external authoritative technical and regulatory data sources, it provides AI-powered search and generative AI capabilities across vast repositories of technical documentation. 

    The platform is being rolled out at PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant in Avila Beach, California, where it is transforming how staff access and use the plant’s estimated two billion pages of documents. Initial work shows that Neutron Enterprise reduces document search time from hours to seconds, enabling more strategic use of expert resources while improving regulatory compliance and operational efficiency.

    “Our Neutron Enterprise installation at Diablo Canyon demonstrates the transformative power of AI in nuclear operations,” said Trey Lauderdale, CEO of Atomic Canyon. “Nuclear plants deal with enormous volumes of documentation required for regulatory compliance and safe operations. Where plant staff previously spent up to eight hours gathering documentation before starting critical work, our technology allows them to find the exact documents they need in seconds, dramatically increasing productivity while maintaining the highest standards of safety and compliance. For a typical nuclear facility, this translates to thousands of engineering hours redirected to higher-value activities monthly, enhancing overall operational excellence and allowing skilled professionals to focus on the most critical aspects of plant reliability.”

    Neutron Enterprise leverages FERMI, Atomic Canyon’s family of AI models, which are specifically trained on nuclear terminology. These models were developed in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, using their Frontier supercomputer, the world’s first to achieve exascale computing. The platform integrates with multiple data sources at nuclear facilities, including record management and work management systems, while maintaining strict role-based access controls to ensure data security.

    “Energy Impact Partners is committed to investing in technologies that can help solve our global energy challenges, and nuclear power is an essential part of that solution,” said Jenny Gao, Vice President at Energy Impact Partners. “Atomic Canyon’s innovative use of AI represents an advancement in information access and analysis in the nuclear sector. As the global demand for nuclear energy grows, innovative technologies like Neutron Enterprise at Diablo Canyon create a compelling opportunity to enhance productivity, yield substantial cost savings and make nuclear power more competitive in our energy mix.”

    The new funding will be used to expand Atomic Canyon’s team, enhance the Neutron platform, and develop additional integrations with third-party data sources and AI tools for next-generation nuclear technologies. These partnerships will further strengthen Neutron’s ability to help nuclear power professionals find and generate relevant information across internal and external sources.

    “This investment presents an exciting opportunity to have AI solve the very energy challenges that AI is creating,” added Lauderdale. “The computational demands of artificial intelligence are driving unprecedented electricity consumption, with estimates suggesting data centers could consume 20% of global electricity by 2030. By streamlining information access and knowledge management, we’re making nuclear power more attractive and accessible as a reliable energy source capable of meeting this growing demand for true, clean, energy independence.”

    With the funding, Atomic Canyon also announced its board of advisors including: Juliann Edwards, the Chief Development Officer of The Nuclear Company and the chair of U.S. Women in Nuclear; Bud Albright, the former Chair and CEO of the United States Nuclear Industry Council; David Nelson, former CIO of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Jon Guidroz, SVP of the small modular reactor technology developer Aalo Atomics and former Senior Strategy Officer and Senior Director of Energy and Resources at Microsoft.

    For more information about Atomic Canyon and the Neutron platform, visit www.atomic-canyon.com.

    About Atomic Canyon:
    Atomic Canyon is transforming the nuclear energy sector with AI-powered solutions that streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and support regulatory compliance. Neutron Enterprise, which leverages FERMI AI models that are specifically trained on nuclear terminology, is currently in use at PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant as the only dedicated AI platform for document search, retrieval, augmented generation, and knowledge management, establishing a new standard for precision, efficiency, and data management. These models were developed in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, utilizing Frontier, the world’s fastest supercomputer, along with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) ADAMS database.

    About Energy Impact Partners

    Energy Impact Partners LP (EIP) is a global energy technology investor with a proprietary model designed to drive innovation. EIP brings together entrepreneurs and some of the world’s most forward-thinking energy and industrial companies to advance innovation for a better energy future. Investing in venture, growth/private equity and credit, EIP seeks attractive risk-adjusted returns for its investors by leveraging its differentiated strategy and industrial ecosystem. With over 80 corporate partners and over $4.5 billion in assets under management, EIP invests globally with over 100 professionals based in its offices in New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Palm Beach, London, Cologne and Oslo. For more information on EIP, please visit www.energyimpactpartners.com

    Press Contact: atomiccanyon@launchsquad.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Upexi, Inc. Buys Additional Locked SOL at a Discount for $11.8 million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Purchases 77,879 locked SOL for $11.8 million

    Upexi now has 679,677 SOL, valued at $121.2 million at the current price of $178.261

    TAMPA, Fla., May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Upexi, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPXI), a brand owner specializing in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of consumer products with diversification into the cryptocurrency space, today announced it purchased 77,879 locked SOL at $151.50 each for a total of $11.8 million. At the current $178.26 price of SOL, this represents a $2.1 million, or 17.7%, built-in gain for investors.

    Upexi now holds 679,677 SOL, acquired for $96.5 million and valued at $121.2 million, for a gain of $24.5 million inclusive of both SOL appreciation and the discount. 58% of Upexi’s SOL is locked and was purchased at a discount.

    Allan Marshall, CEO of Upexi, commented, “Our recent purchase both provides investors access to discounted locked Solana that they may not otherwise have, while also effectively doubling the staking yield in a safe and prudent manner. We remain laser-focused on acquiring and HODLing as much SOL as possible for the benefit of our shareholders.”

    1Spot price of $178.26 at 5:00 pm EST on May 27, 2025.

    About Upexi, Inc.
    Upexi is a brand owner specializing in the development, manufacturing and distribution of consumer products. The Company has entered the Cryptocurrency industry and cash management of assets through a Cryptocurrency Portfolio. For more information on Upexi’s treasury strategy and future developments, visit www.upexi.com.

    Follow CEO, Allan Marshall, on X – https://x.com/marshall_a22015
    Follow CSO, Brian Rudick, on X – https://x.com/thetinyant

    Forward Looking Statements
    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. For example, the Company is using forward looking statements when it discusses the anticipated use of proceeds. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with business strategy, potential acquisitions, revenue guidance, product development, integration, and synergies of acquiring companies and personnel. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward- looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations, and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Company Contact
    Brian Rudick, Chief Strategy Officer
    Email:brian.rudick@upexi.com
    Phone: (216) 347-0473

    Investor Relations Contact
    KCSA Strategic Communications
    Valter Pinto, Managing Director
    Email: Upexi@KCSA.com
    Phone: (212) 896-1254

    The MIL Network –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Yellow Network Backs Builders at ETHGlobal Prague with $10K Bounty and Launch of New Grant Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • $10K bounty at ETHGlobal Prague for top projects using ERC-7824 and Nitrolite
    • New builder grants up to $50K launched to support long-term Web3 development
    • Global hackathon tour begins, with upcoming stops at ETHKyiv and ETHGlobal New Delhi

    San Fransisco, USA, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — – Yellow Network, a Layer 3 protocol pioneering decentralized trading through state channel technology, is deepening its commitment to Web3 development at the upcoming ETHGlobal Prague Hackathon. The company is awarding a $10,000 bounty for innovative applications built using its Nitrolite SDK and the ERC-7824 state channel standard. It is also launching a new builder grant program offering up to $50,000 in funding per project.

    The bounty will spotlight teams pushing the boundaries of off-chain computation and peer-to-peer infrastructure. The $4,000 top prize will recognize the best real-world use case built on Yellow’s stack, followed by $3,000 and $2,000 awards for technical excellence and meaningful contributions to Nitrolite or Clearnode. An additional $1,000 will be split between developers who fix open issues on Yellow’s GitHub and submit high-quality pull requests during the hackathon.

    Complementing the bounty is the official debut of the Yellow Grant Program, aimed at supporting long-term builders beyond hackathon weekends. The program offers funding, mentorship, technical support, and ecosystem exposure for projects contributing to Yellow’s mission of decentralized, chain-agnostic infrastructure. Grant applications are now open, with the first builder cohort to be selected in June.

    The newly launched grant program will prioritize projects across several categories:

    • vApps for micropayments, DeFi, social tools, and gaming
    • Developer tooling, including SDKs, dashboards, and middleware
    • UX and wallet enhancements, such as onboarding flows, plugins, and social integrations
    • Infrastructure solutions like analytics, monitoring, and cross-chain bridges

    “We’re not just supporting innovation, we’re actively co-building it with our community,” said Alexis Sirkia, Chairman of Yellow Network. “The grant program and our expanded hackathon presence reflect our belief that developers are the foundation of the decentralized web.”

    As part of its ETHGlobal Prague activation, Yellow is hosting two side events to support and engage local and global developers. On May 21, Yellow led a live online workshop, “Build to Win with Yellow at ETHGlobal Prague,” introducing the Nitrolite SDK and ERC-7824. On May 28, the team will co-host “Pre-Hack & Chill” in Prague, an informal mixer in partnership with Rootstock.

    ETHGlobal Prague kicks off a global tour for Yellow’s developer engagement strategy. The team will next appear at ETHKyiv (June 13–15), followed by ETHGlobal New Delhi (September 26–28), showcasing a growing wave of builders embracing ERC-7824 and the Nitrolite stack.

    About Yellow Network
    Yellow Network is building the first decentralized clearing network for digital assets, addressing the inefficiencies of traditional crypto trading systems. By leveraging state channel technology and chain abstraction, the protocol drastically reduces latency, enables horizontal scalability, and improves capital efficiency, providing a secure, non-custodial solution to the modern trading ecosystem.

    Yellow Network is a project under the Layer-3 Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the adoption of chain-agnostic technologies that accelerate the mass adoption of blockchain. To learn more, visit www.yellow.org. 

    For media inquiries, please contact:
    LJ@lunapr.io

    The MIL Network –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: U.S. Soccer Legend Jozy Altidore Named WFP High-Level Supporter

    Source: World Food Programme

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 27, 2025) — On the heels of World Football Day, the World Food Programme (WFP) has named Jozy Altidore, renowned Haitian-American professional soccer player and philanthropist, as its newest High-Level Supporter. In this role, Altidore will work to raise awareness and funds for WFP’s emergency food assistance and nutrition programs around the world, including Haiti, his parents’ homeland.

    “Being named a High-Level Supporter of WFP is more than a title, it’s a personal mission. With deep roots in Haiti, I’ve seen how hunger can devastate entire communities,” said Altidore. “I’m committed to using my voice and platform to help WFP bring hope and lasting change where it’s needed most.” 

    Altidore—known as a powerhouse striker for both the U.S. Men’s National Team and Major League Soccer (MLS)’s Toronto FC— is also part-owner of the Buffalo Bills. A steadfast supporter of WFP, Altidore has brought attention to WFP’s life-saving programs in Haiti and recently donated the equivalent of 100,000 school meals as part of World Food Program USA’s ERASE HUNGER® campaign. To learn more about Altidore’s work with us, visit wfpusa.org/jozy-altidore.  

    “We are thrilled to welcome Jozy to our esteemed team of High-Level Supporters,” said Barron Segar, World Food Program USA President and CEO. “Jozy brings tremendous passion and an infectious energy and enthusiasm to our mission that we hope will inspire younger Americans, athletes, and sports fans alike to join us in fighting global hunger.” 

    Beyond WFP, Altidore’s philanthropic work has focused on providing children across the globe with access to education, healthcare, and the nutrition necessary to thrive. He partnered with the Saint Luke Foundation for Haiti and served as an ambassador for Hope for Haiti. Altidore supported Haitian development programs and helped fundraise for pediatric medical research and treatments. He is also a founding member of LeBron James’ More Than a Vote campaign. 

    Altidore joins a respected roster of High-Level Supporters, including American celebrity chef Eitan Bernath, Bolivian mountain climbers Cholitas Escaladoras Maya, Congolese soccer player Distel Zola, Brazilian celebrity chef Rita Lobo and Congolese artist Innoss’B. 

    About the United Nations World Food Programme  

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.  

      

    About World Food Program USA   
    World Food Program USA, a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, D.C., proudly supports the mission of the United Nations World Food Programme by mobilizing American policymakers, businesses and individuals to advance the global movement to end hunger. To support or learn more about World Food Program USA’s mission, please visit www.wfpusa.org.   

      

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Joins Ossoff, Kelly in Reigniting Push to Ban Congressional Stock Trading

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    May 27, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators John Ossoff (D-GA) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in reintroducing legislation to ban stock trading by Members of Congress. The Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act would require all members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children to place their stocks into a qualified blind trust or divest the holding—ensuring they cannot use inside information to influence their stock trades and make a profit.
    “As Donald Trump continues to corruptly enrich himself and his billionaire friends through luxury jets from foreign powers, suspicious market manipulation and shady cryptocurrency scams, Congress must lead by example to help restore trust and integrity in government,” said Duckworth. “That is why I’m proud to help reintroduce the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act to ensure every Member of Congress complies with this commonsense, ethical best practice.”
    The American people overwhelmingly support this policy, with 86% saying they back the measure, including 88% of Democrats, 87% of Republicans and 81% of Independents.
    In addition to Duckworth, Ossoff and Kelly, this bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO).
    Duckworth has pushed to prevent Members of Congress from being able to trade stocks for years. She first helped introduce the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act in 2023, the same year she helped introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks (ETHICS) Act to prohibit members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from abusing their positions for personal financial gain by owning or trading securities, commodities or futures.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, federal partners conduct immigration enforcement operations on Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    CAPE COD, Mass. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Coast Guard conducted immigration enforcement operations on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard May 27. The operation yielded around 40 apprehensions including a documented gang member and at least one child sex offender.

    “Operations like this highlight the strong alliances that ICE shares with our fellow law enforcement partners,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “ICE officers and FBI, DEA and ATF agents worked together to arrest a significant number of illegal alien offenders which included at least one child predator. Our partners in the U.S. Coast Guard facilitated a safe and efficient transport of the alien offenders off Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, ensuring the safety of the residents of those communities. ICE and our federal partners made a strong stand for prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing illegal aliens from our New England neighborhoods.”

    Officers with ICE Boston and agents with FBI Boston, DEA New England and ATF Boston arrested around 40 alien offenders on the two islands, many of whom had U.S. criminality including a documented member of the notorious MS-13 street gang and at least one child sex offender.

    “This operation highlights FBI Boston’s ongoing commitment to supporting our partners at the Department of Homeland Security with identifying and apprehending those who are breaking the law by violating our immigration laws and, in some cases, committing crimes that endanger public safety,” said Kimberly Milka, acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division.

    USCG Sector Southeastern New England assisted the immigration enforcement operation by safely transporting aliens from Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. USCG provided small boats and a cutter to support ICE operations on the islands.

    Members of the public with information about suspected immigration violations or related criminal activity are encouraged to contact the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or submit information online via the ICE Tip Form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X at @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Video: WATCH: ICE Tip Sparks EPIC Takedown of 5 Illegal Aliens Outside Home Improvement Store

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    One ICE Tip. Five aliens down.

    Got a tip? Call ICE now—866-DHS-2-ICE. That’s 866-347-2423.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itSW_UWoZdk

    MIL OSI Video –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: H.R. 980, Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement Act of 2025

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    Bill Summary

    H.R. 980 would expand the types of flight training available to veterans under the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program and extend the reduction of pension payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans and survivors who reside in Medicaid nursing homes. The bill also would establish new outreach requirements for VA related to the VR&E program.

    Estimated Federal Cost

    The estimated budgetary effects of H.R. 980 are shown in Table 1. Over the 2025‑2035 period, the bill would change net direct spending by less than $500,000 and increase spending subject to appropriation by $137 million. The costs of the legislation fall within budget functions 550 (health) and 700 (veterans benefits and services).

    Table 1.

    Estimated Budgetary Effects of H.R. 980
     

    By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars

    		    
     

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    2030

    2031

    2032

    2033

    2034

    2035

    2025-2030

    2025-2035
     

    Increases or Decreases (-) in Direct Spending

    		    

    Estimated Budget Authority

    *

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    -21

    3

    3

    3

    10

    *

    Estimated Outlays

    *

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    -21

    3

    3

    3

    10

    *
     

    Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation

    		    

    Estimated Authorization

    2

    12

    12

    13

    13

    13

    14

    14

    15

    15

    15

    65

    138

    Estimated Outlays

    2

    11

    12

    13

    13

    13

    14

    14

    15

    15

    15

    64

    137

    * = between -$500,000 and $500,000.

    Basis of Estimate

    For this estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 980 will be enacted in fiscal year 2025 and that provisions will take effect upon enactment. CBO also estimates that outlays will follow historical spending patterns for affected programs.

    Direct Spending

    H.R. 980 would expand the types of flight training available to veterans under the VR&E program. The bill also would extend the reduction of pension payments for veterans and survivors who reside in a Medicaid nursing home. The costs of both of those programs are paid from mandatory appropriations. In total, the bill would change net direct spending by less than $500,000 over the 2025‑2035 period (see Table 2).

    Table 2.

    Estimated Changes in Direct Spending Under H.R. 980
     

    By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars

    		    
     

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    2030

    2031

    2032

    2033

    2034

    2035

    2025-2030

    2025-2035

    Flight Training

    		                      

    Estimated Budget Authority

    *

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    3

    3

    3

    3

    10

    24

    Estimated Outlays

    *

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    3

    3

    3

    3

    10

    24

    Pensions

    		                      

    Estimated Budget Authority

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    -24

    0

    0

    0

    0

    -24

    Estimated Outlays

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    -24

    0

    0

    0

    0

    -24

    Total Changes

    		                        

    Estimated Budget Authority

    *

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    -21

    3

    3

    3

    10

    *

    Estimated Outlays

    *

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    2

    -21

    3

    3

    3

    10

    *

    Flight Training.Veterans with service-connected disabilities that negatively affect their ability to work can receive vocational rehabilitation services such as educational assistance, job training, skills counseling, and independent-living services. For veterans pursuing education or training programs, VA pays their tuition, fees, and related costs as well as housing allowances. Under current law, the benefit can be used for flight training that leads to a college degree; section 3 would allow veterans to use the benefit for flight training programs that do not lead to a degree. (Non-degree flight training programs are often provided by vocational pilot schools rather than colleges or universities; they issue licenses or certifications upon successful completion.)

    Using information from VA on the number of students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill for non‑degree flight training, CBO expects that roughly 120 veterans who would not otherwise receive vocational rehabilitation would pursue such training under the bill each year, at an average annual cost of $18,300 per person. As a result, CBO estimates that enacting section 3 would increase direct spending by $24 million over the 2025-2035 period.

    Pensions. Under current law, VA reduces pension payments to veterans and survivors who reside in Medicaid nursing homes to $90 per month. That required reduction expires November 30, 2031. Section 5 would extend that reduction for six months through May 31, 2032. CBO estimates that extending that requirement would reduce VA benefits by $10 million per month. (Those benefits are paid from mandatory appropriations and are therefore considered direct spending.) As a result of that reduction in beneficiaries’ income, Medicaid would pay more of the cost of their care, increasing spending for that program by $6 million per month. Thus, enacting section 5 would reduce net direct spending by $24 million over the 2025-2035 period.

    Spending Subject to Appropriation

    Section 4 would require VA to hold monthly informational sessions with school officials to answer questions concerning the VR&E program and to offer in-person or virtual briefings for veterans regarding VR&E services. CBO estimates that VA would need two trained outreach specialists at each of its 56 regional offices to provide those activities. Using information on VA personnel expenses, CBO estimates that implementing section 4 would increase spending subject to appropriation by $137 million over the 2025‑2035 period (see Table 3).

    Table 3.

    Estimated Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation Under H.R. 980
     

    By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars

    		    
     

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    2030

    2031

    2032

    2033

    2034

    2035

    2025-2030

    2025-2035

    Outreach

    		                      

    Authorization

    2

    12

    12

    13

    13

    13

    14

    14

    15

    15

    15

    65

    138

    Estimated Outlays

    2

    11

    12

    13

    13

    13

    14

    14

    15

    15

    15

    64

    137

    Pay-As-You-Go Considerations

    The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. The net changes in outlays that are subject to those pay-as-you-go procedures are shown in Table 2.

    Increase in Long-Term Net Direct Spending and Deficits

    CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 980 would not increase net direct spending by more than $2.5 billion in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.

    CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 980 would not increase on‑budget deficits by more than $5 billion in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.

    Mandates

    The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

    Mandates: Grace Watson

    Estimate Reviewed By

    David Newman
    Chief, Defense, International Affairs, and Veterans’ Affairs Cost Estimates Unit

    Kathleen FitzGerald
    Chief, Public and Private Mandates Unit

    Christina Hawley Anthony
    Deputy Director of Budget Analysis

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Volcanic ash is critical to tracking changes in eruption behavior

    Source: US Government research organizations

    An NSF-funded ashfall study links magma composition shifts to volcanic tremors, offering a powerful new tool for monitoring eruptions and protecting communities

    U.S. National Science Foundation-funded researchers discovered that subtle changes in magma composition may drive tremors during volcanic eruptions, offering a new tool for forecasting volcanic activity and guiding hazard assessments.

    Volcano forecasts are critical for protecting lives and property by warning nearby residents to evacuate, take safety precautions and seek emergency services. In addition to offering new clues into the cause of volcanic tremor, a key eruption monitoring parameter, this study shows the benefit of combining petrological data collection, like ashfall, with geophysical data to improve eruption forecasting, hazard assessment and decision-making during volcanic crises.

    After lying dormant for 50 years, the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands erupted in September 2021, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. Over the next 85 days, the eruption destroyed over 3,000 buildings and hundreds of acres of farmland.

    Working with local scientists, a research team led by Queens College of the City University of New York (CUNY), in collaboration with the CUNY Graduate Center and the American Museum of Natural History, set up a system near the volcano that collected samples of falling ash almost daily, capturing 94% of the eruption timeline. This study represents an unprecedented level of detail, revealing critical insights into internal magma properties and eruption dynamics throughout the three-month eruption.

    Analysis revealed that in the first week of the eruption, magma had higher concentrations of silica, a chemical compound that makes magma more viscous and usually more explosive. Silica content then gradually decreased for two months but increased again as a precursory signal to the end of the eruption. The team found a correlation between silica content and the strength of the volcano’s tremor, a seismic “rattling” associated with liquid and gas movement beneath the surface. They suggest that more viscous, silica-rich magma may cause stronger volcanic tremors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: WY Military Department Retiree Council Hosts Outreach Event for National Guard Retirees

    Source: US State of Wyoming

     

    Wyoming National Guard

    CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The Wyoming Military Department Retiree Council is pleased to announce that it will be holding an outreach event for National Guard Retirees on May 27, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the National Guard Armory located at 2101 Washakie Ave., Worland, Wyoming 82401.

    The purpose of this outreach event is to provide National Guard Retirees in the area with an update on the mission and objectives of the Retiree Council. The council aims to support and serve the needs of retired National Guard members, ensuring that they have access to relevant information and resources. This event offers an opportunity for attendees to have their questions answered by knowledgeable representatives.

     Retiree Support Assistant Kenton Franklin from the Wyoming Military Department will be available during the event to address any inquiries or concerns. For further information about the event, please contact Mr. Franklin at (307)-630-4062 or via email at kenton.franklin@wyo.gov.

    The Wyoming Military Department Retiree Council encourages all National Guard Retirees in the area to attend this outreach event. By participating, retired members will gain valuable insights into the resources and support available to them, fostering a strong and interconnected community of military retirees in Wyoming.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: STEALTHGAS INC. Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial and Operating Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATHENS, Greece, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — STEALTHGAS INC. (NASDAQ: GASS), a ship-owning company serving the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector of the international shipping industry, announced today its unaudited financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

    • Strong profitability continued for the first quarter, with Net income of $14.1 million corresponding to a basic EPS of $0.38, similar to the previous quarter’s $14.2 million but reduced compared to the $17.7 million record at the time achieved in the first quarter of 2024.
    • Time Charter equivalent revenues decreased by 4.6% compared to the same period of last year to $36.9 million for the first quarter of 2025 as a result of a more muted market.
    • Preserved the high period coverage. About 70% of fleet days for 2025 are secured on period charters, with total fleet employment days for all subsequent periods generating over $165 million (excl. JV vessels) in contracted revenues.
    • Continued reducing leverage, making $34.4 million in debt repayments during the first quarter of 2025 and a further $19.2 million in the current quarter of 2025. Currently, all the vessels in the fully owned fleet except one are unencumbered.
    • Since the last quarterly announcement the Company has spent $1.8 million in share repurchases. Overall under the current program the Company has spent over $21.2 million in share repurchases since June 2023.
    • Maintaining ample cash and cash equivalents (incl. restricted cash) of $77.1 million as of March 31, 2025 enabling the Company to further reduce debt.

    First Quarter 2025 Results1:

    • Revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2025 amounted to $42.0 million compared to revenues of $41.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, based on an average of 28.0 vessels and 27.0 vessels owned by the Company, respectively, as the vessels remaining in the fleet earned higher revenues due to better market conditions.
    • Voyage expenses and vessels’ operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2025, were $5.1 million and $13.5 million, respectively, compared to $2.9 million and $11.5 million, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The $2.2 million increase in voyage expenses was mainly due to an increase in port expenses and in bunkers costs as a result of the increase in spot market days for the fleet. The $2.0 million increase in vessels’ operating expenses was mainly due to increase in crew costs and maintenance expenses.
    • Drydocking costs for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 were $0.4 million and nil, respectively. Drydocking expenses during the first quarter of 2025 mainly relate to the commenced drydocking of one vessel, compared to no drydocking of vessels in the same period of last year.
    • General and administrative expenses remained stable at $2.2 million for both the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
    • Depreciation for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 was $6.7 million and $6.5 million, respectively, a $0.2 million increase is mainly related to the increase in average number of vessels owned by the Company and to the partial replacement of some of the older vessels with newer and larger ones which have a higher cost.
    • Impairment loss for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 was $0.5 million and nil, respectively. As a result of the agreed sale terms for the vessel Gas Cerberus, with delivery expected in the second quarter of 2025, a non-cash impairment loss of $0.5 million was recognized in the first quarter of 2025.
    • Interest and finance costs for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, were $1.4 million and $3.2 million, respectively. The $1.8 million decrease from the same period of last year is primarily due to continued debt prepayments.
    • Interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, remained unchanged at $0.8 million.
    • Equity earnings in joint ventures for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 was a gain of $2.2 million and $2.6 million, respectively. The $0.4 million decrease was primarily due to decrease in number of vessels in joint ventures.
    • As a result of the above, for the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company reported net income of $14.1 million, compared to net income of $17.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The weighted average number of shares outstanding, basic, for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 was 35.7 million and 35.1 million, respectively.
    • Earnings per share, basic, for the three months ended March 31, 2025 amounted to $0.38 compared to earnings per share, basic, of $0.49 for the same period of last year.
    • Adjusted net income was $16.1 million corresponding to an Adjusted EPS of $0.44 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to Adjusted net income of $19.1 million corresponding to an Adjusted EPS of $0.53 for the same period of last year.
    • EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2025 amounted to $21.4 million. Reconciliations of Adjusted Net Income, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income are set forth below.
    • An average of 28.0 vessels were owned by the Company during the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to 27.04 vessels for the same period of 2024.

    1 EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS are non-GAAP measures. Refer to the reconciliation of these measures to the most directly comparable financial measure in accordance with GAAP set forth later in this release.

    Fleet Update Since Previous Announcement

    The Company announced the conclusion of the following chartering arrangements (of three or more months duration):

    • A twelve months time charter for its 2016 built LPG carrier Eco Dominator, until Mar 2026.
    • A twelve months time charter extension for its 2016 built LPG carrier Eco Nical, until May 2026.
    • A six months time charter extension for the 2012 built LPG carrier Gas Esco, until Sep 2025.

    As of June 2025, the Company has total contracted revenues of approximately $165 million.

    As of June 2025, for the remainder of the year, the Company has circa 70% of fleet days secured under period contracts and contracted revenues of approximately $72 million.

    In April 2025, the Company entered into an agreement to sell the vessel Gas Cerberus to a third party, with delivery expected in the second quarter of 2025. The vessel is debt-free, and the full proceeds from the sale will contribute to the Company’s liquidity position.

    The Company has agreed in principle to purchase back from one of its joint venture partners the remaining share (49.9%) which it does not already own in the two vessels Eco Lucidity and Gas Haralambos. The transaction is subject to entry into definitive documentation and customary conditions and is expected to take place within June 2025. Following this transaction, these two vessels will be consolidated within the fully owned fleet of the Company and only one vessel will remain in a JV.

    Board Chairman Michael Jolliffe Commented

    The results that were announced today point to a strong start to the year and underpin our confidence in sustaining the momentum we have built over the last years, throughout 2025. It is no doubt a period of uncertainty and in such periods, among other things, there is reluctance by charterers to commit longer term. With the latest developments, we expect trade flows to normalize and sentiment to improve as the fundamentals of LPG shipping continue to be positive. In this volatile environment StealthGas remains steadfast in its strategy and has all but eliminated its financial risk, being net debt free after having made over $50 million in debt repayments during this year and having 27 out of 28 vessels unencumbered. At the same time in order to return value to our shareholders, we have begun buying back shares, spending $1.8 million in share repurchases since March. Overall under the current program the Company has spent over $21.2 million in share repurchases since June 2023.

    Conference Call details:

    On May 28, 2025 at 10:00 am ET, the company’s management will host a conference call to discuss the results and the company’s operations and outlook.

    Conference call participants should pre-register using the below link to receive the dial-in numbers and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call.

    https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI2ab472844539410f8650314c8df8fdaf

    Slides and audio webcast:
    There will also be a live and then archived webcast of the conference call, through the STEALTHGAS INC. website (www.stealthgas.com). Participants to the live webcast should register on the website approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the webcast.

    About STEALTHGAS INC.

    StealthGas Inc. is a ship-owning company serving the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector of the international shipping industry. StealthGas Inc. has a fleet of 31 LPG carriers, including three Joint Venture vessels in the water. These LPG vessels have a total capacity of 349,170 cubic meters (cbm). StealthGas Inc.’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and trade under the symbol “GASS.”
    Visit our website at www.stealthgas.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Matters discussed in this release may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance and may include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although STEALTHGAS INC. believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, STEALTHGAS INC. cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, geopolitical conditions, including any trade disruptions resulting from tariffs and other protectionist measures imposed by the United States or other countries, general market conditions, including changes in charter hire rates and vessel values, charter counterparty performance, changes in demand that may affect attitudes of time charterers to scheduled and unscheduled drydockings, shipyard performance, changes in STEALTHGAS INC’s operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, ability to obtain financing and comply with covenants in our financing arrangements, actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, domestic and international political conditions, the conflict in Ukraine and related sanctions, the conflict in Israel and Gaza, potential disruption of shipping routes due to ongoing attacks by Houthis in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden or accidents and political events or acts by terrorists.

    Risks and uncertainties are further described in reports filed by STEALTHGAS INC. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Fleet List
    For information on our fleet and further information:
    Visit our website at www.stealthgas.com

    Fleet Data:
    The following key indicators highlight the Company’s operating performance during the periods ended March 31, 2024 and 2025.

    FLEET DATA Q1 2024   Q1 2025  
    Average number of vessels (1) 27.04   28.00  
    Period end number of owned vessels in fleet 27   28  
    Total calendar days for fleet (2) 2,461   2,520  
    Total voyage days for fleet (3) 2,439   2,500  
    Fleet utilization (4) 99.1%   99.2%  
    Total charter days for fleet (5) 2,232   2,118  
    Total spot market days for fleet (6) 207   382  
    Fleet operational utilization (7) 97.7%   94.0%  
             

    1) Average number of vessels is the number of owned vessels that constituted our fleet for the relevant period, as measured by the sum of the number of days each vessel was a part of our fleet during the period divided by the number of calendar days in that period.
    2) Total calendar days for fleet are the total days the vessels we operated were in our possession for the relevant period including off-hire days associated with major repairs, drydockings or special or intermediate surveys.
    3) Total voyage days for fleet reflect the total days the vessels we operated were in our possession for the relevant period net of off-hire days associated with major repairs, drydockings or special or intermediate surveys.
    4) Fleet utilization is the percentage of time that our vessels were available for revenue generating voyage days and is determined by dividing voyage days by fleet calendar days for the relevant period.
    5) Total charter days for fleet are the number of voyage days the vessels operated on time or bareboat charters for the relevant period.
    6) Total spot market charter days for fleet are the number of voyage days the vessels operated on spot market charters for the relevant period.
    7) Fleet operational utilization is the percentage of time that our vessels generated revenue and is determined by dividing voyage days excluding commercially idle days by fleet calendar days for the relevant period.

    Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EPS:

    Adjusted net income represents net income before loss/gain on derivatives excluding swap interest paid/received, impairment loss, net gain/loss on sale of vessels and share based compensation. EBITDA represents net income before interest and finance costs, interest income and depreciation. Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before interest and finance costs, interest income, depreciation, impairment loss, net gain/loss on sale of vessels, share based compensation and loss/gain on derivatives.

    Adjusted EPS represents Adjusted net income divided by the weighted average number of shares.

    EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income and adjusted EPS are included herein because they are a basis, upon which we and our investors assess our financial performance. They allow us to present our performance from period to period on a comparable basis and provide investors with a means of better evaluating and understanding our operating performance.

    EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income and adjusted EPS are not recognized measurements under U.S. GAAP. Our calculation of EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income and adjusted EPS may not be comparable to that reported by other companies in the shipping or other industries. In evaluating Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net income and Adjusted EPS, you should be aware that in the future we may incur expenses that are the same as or similar to some of the adjustments in this presentation.

    (Expressed in United States Dollars,
    except number of shares)    		 Three Months Period Ended March 31st,
      2024  2025 
    Net Income – Adjusted Net Income    
    Net income 17,729,716   14,107,680  
    Less gain on derivatives (99,286 ) —  
    Plus swap interest received 208,127   —  
    Less gain on sale of vessels, net (46,384 ) —  
    Plus impairment loss —   488,400  
    Plus share based compensation 1,345,409   1,540,402  
    Adjusted Net Income 19,137,582   16,136,482  
         
    Net income – EBITDA    
    Net income 17,729,716   14,107,680  
    Plus interest and finance costs 3,169,061   1,415,605  
    Less interest income (753,396 ) (752,471 )
    Plus depreciation 6,492,376   6,653,460  
    EBITDA 26,637,757   21,424,274  
         

    Net income – Adjusted EBITDA

    		    
    Net income 17,729,716   14,107,680  
    Less gain on derivatives (99,286 ) —  
    Less gain on sale of vessels, net (46,384 ) —  
    Plus impairment loss —   488,400  
    Plus share based compensation 1,345,409   1,540,402  
    Plus interest and finance costs 3,169,061   1,415,605  
    Less interest income (753,396 ) (752,471 )
    Plus depreciation 6,492,376   6,653,460  
    Adjusted EBITDA 27,837,496   23,453,076  
         
    EPS – Adjusted EPS    
    Net income 17,729,716   14,107,680  
    Adjusted net income 19,137,582   16,136,482  
    Weighted average number of shares, basic 35,119,500   35,725,720  
    EPS – Basic 0.49   0.38  
    Adjusted EPS – Basic 0.53   0.44  
             

    StealthGas Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
    (Expressed in United States Dollars, except for number of shares)

        Three Months Period Ended March 31,
        2024  2025 
         
    Revenues    
      Revenues 41,563,908     42,025,987  
           
    Expenses    
      Voyage expenses 2,345,200     4,573,956  
      Voyage expenses – related party 513,247     518,440  
      Vessels’ operating expenses 11,235,359     13,282,235  
      Vessels’ operating expenses – related party 241,500     228,200  
      Drydocking costs –     412,620  
      Management fees – related party 1,053,719     1,080,001  
      General and administrative expenses 2,213,853     2,165,709  
      Depreciation 6,492,376     6,653,460  
      Impairment loss –     488,400  
      Net gain on sale of vessels (46,384 )   –  
    Total expenses 24,048,870     29,403,021  
           
    Income from operations 17,515,038     12,622,966  
           
    Other (expenses)/income    
      Interest and finance costs (3,169,061 )   (1,415,605 )
      (Loss)/gain on derivatives 99,286     –  
      Interest income 753,396     752,471  
      Foreign exchange (loss)/gain (49,044 )   (26,484 )
    Other expenses, net (2,365,423 )   (689,618 )
           
    Income before equity in earnings of investees 15,149,615     11,933,348  
    Equity earnings in joint ventures 2,580,101     2,174,332  
    Net Income 17,729,716     14,107,680  
           
    Earnings per share    
    – Basic 0.49     0.38  
    – Diluted 0.49     0.39  
           
    Weighted average number of shares    
    – Basic 35,119,500     35,725,720  
    – Diluted 35,247,529     35,764,990  
               

    StealthGas Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (Expressed in United States Dollars)

        December 31, March 31,
        2024 2025 
           
    Assets    
    Current assets    
      Cash and cash equivalents 80,653,398 74,392,306  
      Trade and other receivables 6,156,300 7,253,738  
      Other current assets 193,265 422,168  
      Claims receivable 55,475 55,475  
      Inventories 3,891,147 3,198,028  
      Advances and prepayments 733,212 549,263  
      Fair value of derivatives 387,608 280,577  
    Total current assets 92,070,405 86,151,555  
           
    Non current assets    
      Operating lease right-of-use assets — 202,362  
      Vessels, net 608,214,416 601,072,556  
      Other receivables 370,053 237,561  
      Restricted cash 3,867,752 2,734,442  
      Investments in joint ventures 27,717,238 27,257,570  
    Total non current assets 640,169,459 631,504,491  
    Total assets 732,239,864 717,656,046  
           
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity    
    Current liabilities    
      Payable to related parties 388,130 3,039,119  
      Trade accounts payable 10,994,434 10,485,931  
      Accrued liabilities 4,922,587 5,119,206  
      Operating lease liabilities — 120,938  
      Deferred income 4,304,667 5,882,276  
      Current portion of long-term debt 23,333,814 20,722,094  
    Total current liabilities 43,943,632 45,369,564  
           
    Non current liabilities    
      Operating lease liabilities — 81,424  
      Deferred income 213,563 586,577  
      Long-term debt 61,555,855 30,251,709  
    Total non current liabilities 61,769,418 30,919,710  
    Total liabilities 105,713,050 76,289,274  
           
    Commitments and contingencies    
           
    Stockholders’ equity    
      Capital stock 370,414 371,664  
      Treasury stock — (1,057,343 )
      Additional paid-in capital 409,912,934 411,808,336  
      Retained earnings 215,855,858 229,963,538  
      Accumulated other comprehensive income 387,608 280,577  
    Total stockholders’ equity 626,526,814 641,366,772  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity 732,239,864 717,656,046  


    StealthGas Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (Expressed in United States Dollars)

        Three Months Period Ended March 31,
        2024   2025  
         
    Cash flows from operating activities    
      Net income for the period 17,729,716   14,107,680  
           
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash    
    provided by operating activities:    
      Depreciation 6,492,376   6,653,460  
      Amortization of deferred finance charges 258,295   508,464  
      Amortization of operating lease right-of-use assets 24,745   29,194  
      Share based compensation 1,345,409   1,540,402  
      Change in fair value of derivatives 108,840   —  
      Proceeds from disposal of interest rate swaps 1,018,000   —  
      Equity earnings in joint ventures (2,580,101 ) (2,174,332 )
      Dividends received from joint ventures –   2,634,000  
      Impairment loss –   488,400  
      Gain on sale of vessels (46,384 ) —  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:    
      (Increase)/decrease in    
      Trade and other receivables (35,143 ) (964,946 )
      Other current assets 129,193   (228,903 )
      Inventories 353,756   693,119  
      Changes in operating lease liabilities (24,745 ) (29,194 )
      Advances and prepayments (159,743 ) 183,949  
      Increase/(decrease) in    
      Balances with related parties (1,390,625 ) 2,650,989  
      Trade accounts payable (475,368 ) (508,503 )
      Accrued liabilities 240,202   196,619  
      Deferred income 688,600   1,950,623  
    Net cash provided by operating activities 23,677,023   27,731,021  
           
    Cash flows from investing activities    
      Proceeds from sale of vessels, net 34,679,584   —  
      Acquisition and improvements of vessels (96,413,470 ) —  
      Advances to joint ventures (1,705 ) —  
    Net cash used in investing activities (61,735,591 ) —  
           
    Cash flows from financing activities    
      Proceeds from exercise of stock options 356,250   356,250  
      Stock repurchase (338,176 ) (1,057,343 )
      Deferred finance charges paid (22,167 ) —  
      Advances to joint ventures (11,848 ) —  
      Loan repayments (32,045,235 ) (34,424,330 )
      Proceeds from long-term debt 70,000,000   —  
    Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities 37,938,824   (35,125,423 )
           
    Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (119,744 ) (7,394,402 )
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 83,755,701   84,521,150  
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period 83,635,957   77,126,748  
    Cash breakdown    
      Cash and cash equivalents 77,085,417   74,392,306  
      Restricted cash, current —   —  
      Restricted cash, non current 6,550,540   2,734,442  
    Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the statements of cash flows 83,635,957   77,126,748  

    The MIL Network –

    May 29, 2025
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