NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Global: Conclave: the chemistry behind the black and white smoke

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Lorch, Professor of Science Communication and Chemistry, University of Hull

    White smoke from the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel (Vatican City) indicates that the Pope has been elected. MartiBstock/Shutterstock

    This week, 133 cardinals have gathered in the Vatican to elect a new leader of the Catholic church. During their deliberations, the only indications of their progress are the regular plumes of smoke wafting from a freshly installed chimney perched on the roof of the Sistine Chapel.

    Tradition holds that black smoke indicates the cardinals have not yet agreed on a new leader, while white smoke signals that a new Pope has been elected. But what kind of smoke is it exactly? Let’s take a look at the science.

    The tradition of cardinals burning their ballot papers to maintain secrecy dates back to at least the 15th century. However, it wasn’t until the 18th century — when a chimney was installed in the Sistine Chapel to protect Michelangelo’s frescoes from soot — that the resulting smoke became visible to anyone outside the chapel.

    At the time, the smoke was not intended as a public signal, but once it was visible, onlookers began interpreting it as an indicator of the voting outcome.

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    By the 19th century, it had become customary to use smoke deliberately: if smoke was seen, it meant no Pope had been elected, whereas no smoke indicated a successful election. This of course lacked clarity and often caused confusion.

    The Vatican eventually sought to clarify matters by formalising the practice of fumata nera (black smoke) and fumata bianca (white smoke). Initially, damp straw and tar were added to the burning ballots. As anyone who has tried to light a damp bonfire knows, wet oily fuel can be difficult to ignite, but once it gets going, it produces plenty of dark smoke.

    This is the result of incomplete combustion: the energy from the flames is initially used to evaporate the water, which keeps the fire’s temperature low. As a result, many of the larger molecules in the tar do not fully combust, leading to the production of soot and dark smoke.

    However, once the moisture is driven off, the fire burns more efficiently, producing mainly steam and carbon dioxide. At that stage, the smoke diminishes and becomes much lighter.

    This fluctuating fumata — combined with the subjective interpretation of its colour — caused considerable confusion, particularly during the 1939 and 1958 conclaves. It wasn’t clear whether grey smoke was closer to black or white, for example. By the 1970s, the straw method had been abandoned in favour of more controllable chemical mixtures. This has since evolved into an unambiguous method for generating the required smoke signals.

    Current recipe

    In 2013, the Vatican confirmed that their fumata recipes now consist of a clear black smoke recipe: potassium perchlorate (KClO₄), an “oxidising substance” that provides oxygen to the reaction; anthracene, a hydrocarbon derived from coal tar that serves as a heavy smoke-producing fuel; and sulphur, added to adjust the burn rate and temperature.

    The result is a deliberately inefficient combustion reaction, producing a high volume of unburnt carbon particles. This abundance of carbon (soot) makes the smoke thick and black — akin to the smoke you might see from burning oil or rubber, which is rich in carbon-based particles.

    Black smoke from the Sistine Chapel, indicating that there was not a two-thirds majority in the papal election at the Conclave.
    wikipedia

    Meanwhile, white smoke is produced using a much cleaner fuel mix and a more powerful oxidiser. Potassium chlorate (KClO₃) — even more reactive than perchlorate — ensures a hot, vigorous burn. Lactose acts as the fuel, burning quickly and cleanly into water vapour and carbon dioxide.

    The rapid combustion of sugar yields large amounts of gaseous output (steam and CO₂), generating a voluminous white cloud. The final ingredient, pine rosin, produces thick white smoke when heated – releasing tiny droplets and light-coloured ash that appear whitish. It also contains terpenes that burn to yield a pale, visible smoke.

    When combined, the oxidising power of potassium chlorate allows the lactose and rosin to burn hot and fast, yielding mostly clean combustion products along with a cloud of vapour and resin particles.

    Rather than soot, the smoke contains microscopic droplets and fine solids that are transparent or white. The result is a mixture of steam and white or light gray smoke that contrasts sharply with the dark, carbon-rich black smoke.

    Over the years, the papal conclave smoke signal has evolved from an incidental byproduct of burning ballots into a carefully engineered communication tool.

    Today, thanks to modern chemistry, the smoke is unmistakable — thick black billows for inconclusive votes, or a bright white plume when a new pope is elected.

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

    – ref. Conclave: the chemistry behind the black and white smoke – https://theconversation.com/conclave-the-chemistry-behind-the-black-and-white-smoke-255980

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Structured dialogue with Commissioner Magnus Brunner, Internal Affairs and Migration – Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

    Source: European Parliament

    On 13 May, Commissioner Brunner will appear before the LIBE Committee for the Structured Dialogue regarding the work and initiatives within his portfolio.

    The matters that will be discussed will be around his area of responsibility: the new European internal security strategy, the fight against serious and organised crime and the new action plan against drug trafficking, firearms and the fight against cybercrime.

    The discussion may also cover the protection of children against sexual abuse, the new counter-terrorism agenda and the future revision of the mandates of Europol and Frontex.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Firearm seizure – Moil

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has seized a homemade firearm and other firearm equipment following an incident in Moil on Sunday.

    About 4:10am, the Joint Emergency Services Communications Centre (JESCC) received multiple calls in relation to the discharge of a firearm at a residence. As part of these calls, a 43-year-old male called to self-report that he had unintentionally shot himself in the foot.

    Police deployed and applied first aid to the male at the residence before he was conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital by St John Ambulance in a serious but stable condition. Police seized a privately manufactured firearm following the incident.

    Yesterday, members from the Firearms Audit and Enforcement Unit conducted a lawful search at the residence and subsequently seized a partially manufactured firearm, an electronic firing device for explosives and other equipment used in the manufacturing of firearms.

    Investigations remain ongoing and the male is expected to be charged at a later date.

    Police urge the public to be aware of the serious risks posed by illegal and privately manufactured firearms. These weapons are often unreliable and can cause severe injury or death. The illegal manufacturing of firearms is an offence against the Northern Territory Firearms Act 1997 and carries penalties up to 10 years imprisonment.

    Anyone with information regarding illegal firearms, their misuse, or individuals involved in manufacturing firearms is strongly encouraged to report it to the police on 131 444. Reports can also be made anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via Crime Stoppers NT.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: B.C. tests emergency alerts to cellphones, TV, radio

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    To improve public safety in the event of an emergency, a test of the B.C. Emergency Alert system will occur at 1:55 p.m. (Pacific time) on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, as part of Emergency Preparedness Week.

    The test alert will be sent to all compatible cellphones, and will interrupt radio and television broadcasts. The test message to cellphones will read: “This is a TEST of the B.C. Emergency Alert system. This is ONLY a TEST. In an emergency, this message would tell you what to do to stay safe. This information could save your life. Click for more info: www.emergencyinfobc.ca/test. This is ONLY a TEST. No action is required.”

    This test, by the National Public Alerting System, will assess the system’s readiness for an actual emergency and identify any required adjustments.

    The National Public Alerting System is a collaboration among federal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as industry partners. It provides a standard alerting capability to rapidly warn the public of imminent or unfolding hazards and threats to life and safety.

    The B.C. Emergency Alert system was launched on April 6, 2018, and is tested twice a year, in spring and fall. Recognizing the importance of this tool, the Province expanded the use of B.C. Emergency Alerts in 2022 beyond tsunami warnings to also include imminent threats from floods, wildfires and extreme-heat emergencies.

    Last year, the federal government launched the earthquake early-warning system in British Columbia. If the threshold is met, this system will automatically issue an intrusive alert message to cellphones in areas expected to be affected, before strong shaking is felt. This alert message provides precious seconds of warning for people to better protect themselves and others.

    Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is responsible for sending intrusive alerts to cellphones for tornados, hurricanes, severe thunderstorms and storms surges. Police are responsible for alerts for civil emergencies and Amber Alerts.

    During the 2023 and 2024 wildfire seasons, tens of thousands of people were asked to evacuate on short notice due to the threat of wildfires. B.C. Emergency Alerts were an important tool to provide people with timely, life-saving information.

    People in British Columbia can participate in a short online survey after the test to help determine the reach of the test message. This survey is administered by Public Emergency Alerting Services:

    Quick Facts:

    • To receive alerts, cellphones must be connected to an LTE cellular network.
    • Cellphones must be turned on and not set to “do not disturb” or airplane mode, be wireless public alerting (WPA) compatible, be within the alert area and have up-to-date cellular software.
    • Alerts will be broadcast automatically, at no cost to the user.
    • Following a 2014 Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) decision, all radio and television broadcasters in Canada are mandated to broadcast intrusive public alerts.

    Learn More:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Interdepartmental pre-typhoon tabletop exercise concludes successfully

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Security Bureau held an interdepartmental pre-typhoon tabletop exercise today (May 7) at the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) in the Central Government Offices to enhance the emergency response and collaboration of bureaux, departments and other parties concerned in handling possible emergency situations if Hong Kong is struck by a super typhoon.
     
         According to the Hong Kong Observatory’s forecast, five to eight tropical cyclones are expected to hit Hong Kong this year. The tropical cyclone season will begin in June or earlier, and end in October or later. To ensure comprehensive preparedness, representatives from around 40 bureaux, departments and other parties concerned participated in this year’s exercise. 
     
         The exercise simulated a scenario in which a super typhoon and heavy rainstorm battered Hong Kong, causing widespread destruction, property damage and serious blockage of main thoroughfares. Participants were required to outline their response measures under different scenarios. The exercise served as an interdisciplinary platform for the participants to share their experience and expertise, and allowed the participating parties to gain a deeper understanding of the operation of the EMSC as well as their respective roles and responsibilities, with a view to enhancing the preparedness and interdepartmental collaboration in responding to threats posed by super typhoons. 
     
         The Government will continue to strengthen the overall preparedness and response capabilities to address the challenges posed by extreme weather, protecting Hong Kong people’s lives and properties.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ11: Measures to revitalise industrial buildings

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Jimmy Ng and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):

    Question:

    The 2024 Policy Address proposed to extend an array of measures to revitalise industrial buildings (IBs) until the end of 2027, including continuing to allow an increase in plot ratio of up to 20 per cent for IB redevelopment projects and exempting the restriction that 10 per cent of the gross floor area of IBs constructed before 1987 (pre-1987 IBs) be used for purposes designated by the Government after conversion. Moreover, at the end of 2023, the Government has extended the arrangement for charging land premium at standard rates for lease modifications to IBs for special industrial use. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the number of applications under the various IB revitalisation measures received, approved and rejected by the Government in the past three years, with a breakdown by individual measure; the average time required to vet and approve applications under the various IB revitalisation measures;

    (2) given that the authorities currently allow an increase in plot ratio of up to 20 per cent for redevelopment projects of pre-1987 IBs, whether it will consider extending the scope of the relevant arrangement to include IBs constructed after 1987 (post-1987 IBs); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (3) of the number of applications received, approved and rejected by the Government to date under the arrangement for charging land premium at standard rates in respect of lease modifications involving IBs for special industrial use; whether it will study extending the scope of the arrangement to include post-1987 IBs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (4) as the Government indicated last year that it would consider approving individual units on the lower floors of IBs to be used as eating places, whether any such cases have been approved to date; if so, of the details of such cases; whether it will consider allowing lower floor units in IBs that meet the relevant safety standards to be used for more purposes, e.g. retail and exhibition use; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (5) given that the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 proposes to encourage the trade to develop tourism products featuring the elements of Made in Hong Kong industries, whether the Government will introduce further IB revitalisation measures to support the aforesaid work, e.g. whether it will consider relaxing the policy on waivers of land lease restrictions to allow enterprises in the industrial tourism sector to operate in individual units within existing IBs without having to separately apply for waivers of land lease restrictions or pay the waiver fee; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (6) whether it will study extending the scope of the Youth Hostel Scheme and the student hostel pilot scheme to include IBs after wholesale conversion; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (7) whether it will regularise all existing measures to revitalise IBs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:

    President,

    The Government reactivated the Revitalisation Scheme for Industrial Buildings (Revitalisation Scheme) in 2018 which encourages redevelopment or wholesale conversion of aged industrial buildings (IB), mainly to make more effective use of the sites on which IBs are situated or the existing IBs per se to optimise the use of precious land resources, and to address fire safety and unauthorised use issues of aged IBs more effectively.

    ​My reply to various parts of the question is as follows:

    (1) On the redevelopment of IBs, the prevailing policy allows relaxation of the maximum permitted non-domestic plot ratio up to 20 per cent to provide incentives to private owners to redevelop IBs constructed before 1987 (pre-1987 IBs). In the past three years (viz. April 2022 to end-March 2025), excluding applications withdrawn by applicants, the Town Planning Board (TPB) received a total of 11 applications for relaxation of plot ratio for redevelopment of IBs, among which nine cases (involving eight sites) were approved, and the remaining two cases are being processed. Planning applications submitted in accordance with section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinance are to be considered by the TPB within two months upon receipt. Among the nine approved planning applications, six of them have applications made to the Lands Department (LandsD) for lease modification which shall be subject to payment of premium, among which two cases have been withdrawn by the applicants and four cases have been approved and are currently under land premium assessment. The owners of these four applications opted for conventional premium assessment (viz. not opting for standard rates arrangement for charging land premium). As for the remaining three cases among the aforesaid nine approved planning applications, the LandsD has yet to receive relevant application for lease modification.

    For wholesale conversion of IBs, the prevailing policy exempts waiver fees so as to encourage private owners to convert IBs aged 15 years or above in “Commercial”, “Other Specified Uses” annotated “Business” and “Industrial” zones for uses permitted under the relevant Outline Zoning Plans. The condition is that for IBs constructed in or after 1987, not less than 10 per cent of the converted floor space must be used for purposes designated by the Government (such as arts and cultural studios, incubators for innovation and technology start-ups). Such requirement on 10 per cent floor space does not apply to pre-1987 IBs. In the past three years (viz. April 2022 to end-March 2025), excluding applications withdrawn by applicants, the LandsD received a total of two applications for wholesale conversion of IBs, with one case approved and the other one being processed. The processing time for the approved case was around 20 months. The relatively long time taken was mainly due to the negotiations regarding the specified use and the related arrangement for the 10 per cent designated floor space when the owner submitted the waiver application to the LandsD. It is worth noting that, under the first round of Revitalisation Scheme launched by the Government from 2010 to 2016, around 110 applications for wholesale conversion were received. We do not rule out the possibility that a significant portion of the IBs suitable for wholesale conversion in the market may have already undergone conversion works. After the Revitalisation Scheme was reactivated in 2018, the number of applications received and cases approved for redevelopment of IBs have been significantly higher than that of the first round, reflecting greater market interest in the redevelopment measure in the current round.

    (2) The measure for encouraging redevelopment of IBs as mentioned in part (1) above targets pre-1987 IBs situated outside “Residential” zones in main urban areas and new towns. We have designated 1987 as the dividing line because the fire safety installations and equipment of pre-1987 IBs may not comply with the Code of Practice for Minimum Fire Service Installations and Equipment as revised by the Fire Services Department (FSD) in 1987, including the requirement of installing automatic sprinkler systems. From the perspective of public safety, there is a need to provide policy incentives to encourage foremost the redevelopment of pre-1987 IBs so as to meet modern standards of fire safety installation. As for post-1987 IBs, the Government currently has no plan to extend the measure concerning redevelopment to these IBs. Nevertheless, if owners wish to redevelop these IBs for non-industrial uses, they may still submit a planning application to the TPB for increasing the plot ratio. The TPB will consider the applications from a planning perspective based on the actual circumstances of each case.

    (3) The Government provides a regularised standard rates arrangement for charging land premium for the redevelopment of pre-1987 IBs as an alternative to the conventional premium assessment mechanism. The policy objective is to continuously incentivise the redevelopment of aged IBs, giving IB owners greater certainty in planning redevelopment. This encourages the redevelopment of aged IBs for optimising land utilisation, expediting urban renewal and revitalisation of IBs to meet the current needs of the society.

    The Government announced in December 2023 to expand the coverage of the standard rates arrangement for charging land premium to cover redevelopment of pre-1987 IBs for special industrial uses (e.g. leather tanning, garment manufacturing and food production). Regarding IBs for special industrial uses, in the past three years (viz. April 2022 to end-March 2025), the LandsD has received a total of four applications for lease modification for redevelopment of such pre-1987 IBs, among which one case is currently under land premium assessment with the applicant having opted for conventional premium assessment. The remaining three cases are being processed.

    The policy objective as mentioned in part (2) above, viz. to encourage redevelopment of pre-1987 IBs, also applies to the lease modification of IBs for special industrial uses. Therefore, we currently have no plan to extend the standard rates arrangement for charging premium to post-1987 IBs for special industrial uses.

    The Government will continue to closely monitor the implementation of standard rates arrangement for charging premium for redevelopment of IBs and make adjustments as and when necessary. The latest enhancement measure was rolled out last month, which separated the standard rates for the two uses under the previous “commercial/modern industrial” use after lease modification, into “modern industrial” and “commercial” uses respectively. Such separation can better reflect the land value of redeveloped IBs intended for modern industrial use and cope with the increasing demand for modern industrial sites.

    (4) Having balanced the need for public safety and optimisation of IB floor space, the Government would also exercise discretion in allowing the co-existence of industrial and non-industrial uses. Under the Revitalisation Scheme, apart from the measures mentioned in part (1) above, the Government has since 2018 relaxed the waiver application policy for IBs with fragmented ownership and yet to undergo wholesale conversion, so as to allow individual units of existing IBs to be used for specified non-industrial uses other than those permitted under the relevant land leases. Specifically, owner of individual IB units may use the units, without having to apply for a short-term waiver from the LandsD and pay waiver fees, for five specified non-industrial uses, which include “Art Studio”, “Office (Design and Media Production)”, “Office (Audio-visual Recording Studio)”, “Office (used by “specific creative industries” including design and media production companies, printing and publishing, film companies and industry organisations related to the film industry), as well as “Research, Design and Development Centre”.

    As IBs are supposed to be used for industrial purposes, and the risk of fire and other accidents involved in these industrial purposes is relatively higher, in view of public safety, the uses covered by the above relaxation measure do not include any uses or activities that directly provide services or goods to attract public visits. If IB owners intend to convert some units for industrial tourism uses (e.g. opening up production line for the public and tourists to visit), we will consult the FSD and relevant departments when we receive the waiver applications.

    If there is a buffer floor within an IB which completely separates the lower floors from the upper portion with industrial uses, an owner may convert the premises on the lowest three floors of the IB to other non-industrial uses, including shops and services, restaurants, or arts and cultural activities, subject to payment of waiver fees and compliance with planning and other relevant requirements. Earlier, we have also broadened the permissible uses of buffer floors to cover “telecommunications exchange centres” and “computer/data processing centres”. In the past three years (viz. April 2022 to end-March 2025), the LandsD has not received any waiver application for partial conversion of the lowest three floors of IBs (including for eating place use). 

    (5) The Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 promulgated by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau in December 2024 puts forward four major development strategies covering product development, visitor source expansion, technological innovation and service enhancement, as well as 133 measures to be implemented between 2025 and 2029 to promote development, including promoting the development of tourism products related to “Made in Hong Kong” industrial elements. The Development Bureau (DEVB) will provide facilitation as and when necessary. 

    (6) As announced in the 2024 Policy Address, in order to strengthen the position of Hong Kong as an international hub for post-secondary education, the Education Bureau and the DEVB will launch a scheme in the first half of 2025 to streamline the processing of approvals in respect of planning, land administration and approval of building plans, so as to encourage the market to convert hotels and other commercial buildings into student hostels on a self-financing and privately-funded basis, thereby increasing the supply of student hostels. This scheme will apply to commercial buildings which are wholesale-converted from aged IBs.

    On the other hand, in response to young people’s aspirations of having their own living space, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) will, as announced in the 2022 Policy Address and the Youth Development Blueprint, expand the Youth Hostel Scheme (YHS) and continue fully funding non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to construct youth hostels on under-utilised sites, and subsidise NGOs to rent suitable hotels and guesthouses for converting into youth hostels. The HYAB will also explore with the DEVB the launching of a site under the Land Sale Programme whereby developers will be required to reserve a certain number of flats to support the YHS on a pilot basis. So far, seven youth hostels have been launched for operation under the YHS, and the number of hostel places has increased substantially from 80 at the commencement of the current-term Government to about 3 000 at present. 

    (7) To continue encouraging redevelopment and wholesale conversion of aged IBs, the Government announced in the 2024 Policy Address the extension of the time-limited revitalisation measures for IBs up to December 2027, with enhancement of the measure on wholesale conversion. We will review the effectiveness of the Revitalisation Scheme in transforming industrial areas, and make reference to the results of a territory-wide Area Assessment on industrial land to be carried out by the Planning Department, with a view to announcing the way forward for the revitalisation measures before expiry in end-2027.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deluzio, Dozens of Veterans Stand Strong Against Trump Effort to Privatize VA and Cut Veterans Care

    Source: US Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Navy and Iraq War veteran Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17) joined dozens of veterans united in opposition to the Trump Administration’s efforts to gut the VA and disrupt its work delivering earned care and benefits to America’s veterans. Along with veteran leaders from the group Common Defense, Congressman Deluzio was joined at the event by fellow veterans and veteran supporters in Congress, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), House Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-39), Senator Mike Kelly (D-AZ), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY-18).

    “It’s not complicated what Trump and DOGE are doing: they are trying to dismantle and weaken the VA so much that they have an excuse to sell it off to the highest bidder,” said Congressman Deluzio. “My fellow veterans who wore the uniform were willing to lay it on the line for our country. VA care and benefits are hard-earned, and we will not sit quietly by as Trump and Musk try to rip away our earned care and benefits. This is a fight we intend to win—and the American people are with us.” 

    The Trump Administration is planning to fire around 83,000 employees from the VA—about one out of every five staff who work for the Department of Veterans Affairs across the country. The Trump VA is also pausing VA medical research and some clinical trials—although the specific ones remain unannounced. 

    Congressman Deluzio is a leading voice in the fight against privatization of the VA. He has published several op-eds, gone on national television, and given speeches on the subject. Since the start of 2025, the Congressman has been communicating regularly with the Pittsburgh VA about the impacts that the Trump Administration’s cuts are having on veterans’ care and services in Western Pennsylvania. He sent multiple letters to VA Pittsburgh Director Koenig and met with him in March. He is also soliciting comments from VA employees and patients through an online form where people can share their experiences. 

    Photos of the press conference are available here. A full recording of the event is available here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Bright mother opens the doors of opportunity to next generation

    Source:

    Bright mother, Leah Chalwell, has a passion for inspiring the next generation of women firefighters and is encouraging other mums to join CFA.

    Leah’s decision to join CFA in 2018 came as a result of waiting at Bright Fire Station for her husband to come back from call outs.

    Both of Leah’s children are now volunteers, including her 19-year-old daughter Grace and 17-year-old son Riley, who she wants to set a strong example for. 

    “I want to show my kids that mum is just as capable as anyone to be a firefighter and if I can do it, they can too.” Leah said. 

    “I know my limits as a woman, but I am always looking to push myself and that is the example I want to set for my daughter. 

    “Having a woman who can stand alongside her male counterparts sends a really strong message, especially in firefighting where it has traditionally been a man’s world.” 

    Leah says her experience as a volunteer has  been a growth opportunity for her own skills. 

    “I have obtained my Medium Rigid Truck Licence and completed Respond to Urban qualifications so I can be a more versatile member of our brigade,” Leah said.  

    “It can be challenging at times having both the kids as volunteers too.”

    “I have had to learn that when the pager goes off, I am not their mum, instead we are fellow firefighters.” 

    Grace, Leah’s daughter is proudly following in her mother’s footsteps. 

    “I have taken a gap year and throughout this time mum and dad have pushed me to continue to upskill, so I have taken CFA courses while having the year off,” Grace said.  

    “It is so cool that mum is a firefighter. She is such an inspiration to me.” 

    Leah said CFA can move with the seasons of life for those who are eager to join. 

    “I was lucky for a period of time to have my mother in-law live with us, so to have her alongside our neighbours really helped with the kids so my husband and I could respond to calls,” Leah said. 

    “No matter where you are at, you can jump in and join and do the training. You may not be able to respond now but perhaps as time goes on you will.  

    “There are so many other roles you can do in CFA too.”

    Submitted by CFA media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis Felon Who Fatally Shot Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis man who shot an acquaintance in 2023 to nine years in prison.

    Clayton Pierce Davis, 39, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

    On July 4, 2023, Davis was celebrating with others in St. Louis. After a Fourth of July event, the group went to a shop on the corner of Gravois Avenue and Chippewa Street in south St. Louis. An argument started and Davis fired 12 shots from a handgun, fatally shooting a man and wounding his girlfriend. At least one of the victims was armed and the woman fired one shot.

    Davis is a felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms. He has prior convictions for robbery, riot in a penal institution, dog fighting, stealing and assault.

    The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie Schneider prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Porcupine Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter and False Statement

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter and two counts of False Statement. The sentencing took place on April 25, 2025.

    Clayton Fire Thunder, age 40, was sentenced to a total of eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $300 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    A federal grand jury indicted Fire Thunder in May 2024. He was found guilty following a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota, in January of 2025.

    On the early morning of September 15, 2022, a male drove his partially clothed girlfriend to Indian Health Services (IHS) hospital on the Pine Ridge Reservation and dropped her off at the Emergency Department. The male did not provide his identity nor the female’s identity. The male told medical personnel that a firearm went off while they were engaged in intimate relations and that she had been shot accidentally.

    Law enforcement identified and located the male at his residence several hours later. The male was cleaning the crime scene and sent text messages to the female’s relative’s claiming the shooting was an accident. A search of the residence was conducted. Law enforcement was unable to locate the handgun that the male claimed was used in the shooting. The male was arrested and eventually charged with second degree murder, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. A digital surveillance system that recorded traffic to the male’s house was seized by law enforcement.

    After reviewing the footage, law enforcement identified a vehicle that appeared at the male’s residence shortly after midnight and just before the female was brought to IHS. After several months, law enforcement was able to identify the driver of the vehicle as Marino Waters and the passenger as Clayton Fire Thunder. The investigation revealed that Waters drove Fire Thunder to the male’s residence just east of Pine Ridge two times on the morning of September 15, 2022. Fire Thunder intended on selling a firearm to the male in exchange for cash and/or methamphetamine. The male did not answer the door when Fire Thunder knocked, and unexpectedly, Fire Thunder discharged one round from the firearm into the residence. The round ended up penetrating the siding, backboard, and drywall of the residence and struck and killed the male’s girlfriend, a 27-year-old female.

    When Fire Thunder was interviewed by the FBI in March of 2023, he gave a false statement and said that he did not have a firearm when the shooting occurred. Fire Thunder admitted to being at the residence and told law enforcement that he was inquiring with the male homeowner about a junked car at 4:00 o’clock in the morning. Fire Thunder was reinterviewed again in October 2023. Fire Thunder continued to deny that he possessed a firearm during the shooting death of the female and this time said that he was inquiring about a flatbed at 4:00 o’clock.

    Seventeen witnesses and over 200 exhibits were introduced at Fire Thunder trial establishing that Fire Thunder possessed and discharged a firearm on the morning of September 15, 2022, that resulted in the death of a 27-year-old female. The jury found Fire Thunder guilty of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of false statement.

    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 investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Popes have been European for hundreds of years. Is it time for one from Africa or Asia?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University

    Catholicism did not begin as a “white” faith. Born on the eastern rim of the Mediterranean, it spread through the trading routes and legions of the Roman Empire into Africa, Asia and, only later, what we now call Europe.

    Three early bishops of Rome: Victor I (c. 189–199), Miltiades (311–314) and Gelasius I (492–496), were Africans whose teaching shaped the church’s developing doctrine.

    They are venerated as saints, a reminder the papal office has never been racially defined.

    However, that history sits uneasily with the unbroken run of European popes that stretches from the early Middle Ages to the death of Francis last month. Francis, an Argentine, was the first pope from Latin America, but he was the son of an Italian immigrant family.

    Why, in a global communion of 1.4 billion faithful, has the modern conclave not looked beyond Europeans for a new pope? And what would need to change for it to do so?

    Change has been gradual

    The explanation lies less in colour than in logistics and culture.

    Europe was the political and demographic centre of Catholicism for centuries. Until the 19th century, travel to Rome from beyond Europe was protracted, dangerous and expensive. An elector who missed the start of a conclave was simply excluded.

    Papal politics, therefore, became tightly entwined with Italian city factions and, after 1870, the diplomatic rivalries of European powers.

    Even after steamships and railways made travel easier, longstanding practice and patronage ensured most future cardinals were trained at Roman universities, served in the Curia (the bureaucracy of the Vatican), and moved within a Euro-centric network of friendships. The College of Cardinals became overwhelmingly European in composition and culture.

    The 20th-century popes began to chip away at this European dominance in internal church governance:

    • Pius X abolished the secular veto in 1903 (used by Catholic monarchs to veto papal candidates)
    • Pius XI named the first modern Chinese cardinal in 1946
    • Paul VI limited papal electors to those under the age of 80 and started appointing non-European bishops in greater numbers.

    John Paul II and Benedict XVI continued this trend, while Francis made a point of elevating pastors from places as varied as Tonga, Lesotho and Myanmar.

    While Europe still claims the single largest bloc of votes in the conclave, there has been a decline in its cardinal representation from almost 70% in 1963 to 39% in 2025. The representatives from Africa and Asia have steadily increased.

    Of the 135 electors who are eligible to enter the Sistine Chapel to cast ballots for the new pope on May 7, 53 are European. Africa has 18 electors, Asia 23, Latin America 21, North America 16, and Oceania four. (Two, however, are sick and will not attend – one from Europe and one from Africa).

    This representation is disproportionately European, reflecting the gradual nature of shifts in the church’s structures.

    Shifting demographics

    The demographics of the Catholic church, meanwhile, are changing rapidly.

    Between 1980 and 2023, the Catholic population of Europe fell from 286 million to just under 250 million. Weekly mass attendance declined even more steeply.

    Over the same period, the number of Catholics in Africa almost tripled to 255 million. Asia climbed to about 160 million. And Latin America, though no longer expanding, remains home to roughly 40% of all Catholics, at 425 million.

    Vocations follow the same curve: seminaries in France and Germany are closing for lack of students, while Nigeria, India and the Philippines are sending their priests abroad to ease shortages in Europe.

    Africa and Asia have also significantly increased their representation among Cardinals at the highest level of the Church, from less than 10% in 1963 to more than 30% in 2025.

    Ultimately, these numbers will expand even further, catching up with baptismal registers in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

    What matters most during the conclave

    Observers often describe papal candidates as “progressive” or “conservative”, or speculate about a “Global South bloc” ready to storm the papal throne. Such language obscures what the electors actually consider when casting a ballot.

    Five practical questions tend to be important:

    1. Is the candidate known and trusted, and a man of faith and wisdom?

    Personal acquaintance still matters. Cardinals who have worked in Rome are well-placed because most electors have met them repeatedly.

    2. Can he govern the Curia?

    Leading the world’s oldest bureaucracy demands stamina, political tact, leadership acumen, relational skills and fluency in Italian, the everyday language of Vatican administration.

    There is also the ongoing issue of reform, particularly around the church’s sexual abuse crisis and financial matters.

    3. Will he be heard beyond Rome?

    A pope must travel, address parliaments and give press conferences. Because communication and symbolism are important, a command of English and comfort in front of the global media matter greatly.

    4. Is he a pastor?

    The ability to preach the Gospel compellingly, comfort the afflicted and speak credibly about the poor has been vital since John Paul II.

    5. Does he know and inhabit the tradition of the church?

    As part of this, a pope should also be able to represent and deepen the church’s teachings.

    Non-European papal candidates

    These criteria help explain why previous non-European hopefuls have fallen short.

    In 1978, for instance, Cardinal Aloísio Lorscheider of Brazil was judged too youthful and untested.

    In 2005, Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria, though admired, was seen as a transition figure at the age of 72. He also lacked experience in the Curia.

    In 2013, Cardinal Odilo Scherer of Brazil was persuasive on pastoral questions but hampered by his limited English and Italian, and by concerns the Vatican Bank needed a strong financial reformer.

    Could it change this year? There are several non-European candidates in the current conclave:

    • Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines): the former archbishop of Manila, he is a gifted communicator in Italian and English. Some voters may fear he is not administratively capable and too closely identified with Francis, yet others see that continuity as an advantage.

    • Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (Democratic Republic of the Congo): a leading African voice on ecology and conflict mediation, he is admired for his courage and leadership in strife-torn Congo. Sceptics point to his limited network outside Africa and France. He may also be too conservative for some cardinals.

    • Peter Turkson (Ghana): a long-time curial prefect and articulate champion of economic justice. Age counts against him (he is 76), yet he could emerge as a compromise if the conclave stalls, as he seen to be doctrinally solid, open and charismatic.

    Any one of them would break the post-medieval pattern. None, however, would (or should) campaign as a flag-bearer for his continent.

    The church neither keeps a scorecard by hemisphere nor anoints popes to gratify civil notions of representation.

    The most important thing is whether a candidate can carry forward the mission of the church and speak in an effective way in an era marked by war, the climate crisis and rapid secularisation.

    Would a non-European pope be seismic?

    Symbolically, yes.

    A Filipino or Congolese pope would signal that Catholicism’s demographic heart now beats in Manila and Kinshasa, rather than Milan and Cologne.

    Practically, though, the change might be less dramatic.

    Whoever is elected inherits the same threefold task:

    • to guard church unity while being a place for all nations and peoples
    • to preach convincingly in a sceptical age and serve the poor and marginalised
    • to lead the a very diverse institution and reform the Curia so it serves rather than stifles evangelisation.

    Those challenges transcend region and skin tone.

    If the next pope happens to be African, Asian or Latin American, history will have turned a page. The universal body will have recognised, in the face of its evolving demographics, the gifts of a shepherd able to speak to followers in Kinshasa, Manila, Sao Paulo and Munich with equal conviction.

    The mystery of the conclave is that when the doors close, regional and political calculations fade. What remains is prayerful discernment about who can carry Saint Peter’s keys into an uncertain future.

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

    – ref. Popes have been European for hundreds of years. Is it time for one from Africa or Asia? – https://theconversation.com/popes-have-been-european-for-hundreds-of-years-is-it-time-for-one-from-africa-or-asia-255506

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The election of a new pope is announced with smoke: what do the colours mean, and how are they made?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Clare Johnson, Professor of Liturgical Studies and Sacramental Theology and Director of the ACU Centre for Liturgy, Australian Catholic University

    For nearly 800 years the Catholic Church has utilised the process of the conclave to elect a new pope. “Conclave” means “with a key”, indicating the cardinal-electors are locked up with a key to conduct their deliberations.

    With no direct communication to the outside world, a key feature of the papal election process is the use of smoke to signal the result of ballots and to announce the election of a new pope.

    Black smoke means a new pope has not been elected. White smoke means there is a new pope.

    So where does this tradition come from – and how do they achieve the different coloured smoke?

    Sending messages with smoke

    Smoke signals are one of the oldest forms of long-distance communication between humans. For millennia, smoke signals have been used to indicate danger, to call for a gathering of tribes/nations, to transmit news and to warn of enemy invasions

    Many indigenous peoples (such as those of North America, South America, China and Australia) are known for their sophisticated use of smoke signalling techniques to indicate specific messages to those at a distance.

    These techniques can include changing the location of the fire (such as halfway up or at the top of a hill), adjusting the colour of smoke (using different types of foliage or damp/dry foliage) and the interruption or diversion of the smoke column at different intervals to produce particular patterns of smoke.

    Catholic incense

    Catholics utilise smoke in many rituals in the form of incense.

    Incense (from the Latin incendere, meaning “to burn”) signifies prayer, sacrifice and reverence for people and objects. This fragrant smoke symbolises the prayer of the assembly rising up to God. Psalm 141:2 asks “may prayer be set before you like incense”. In Revelations 8:3–5, an angel is “given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people”.

    Catholics use incense during entrance processions, as with these altar boys swinging the thurible.
    Bilderstoeckchen/Shutterstock

    Catholics inherited their use of incense from its use in Jewish temple rituals and Greek imperial court rituals.

    The smoke from the incense is used to show reverence toward the Gospel book, the presiding celebrant, the gifts of bread and wine offered at Mass, the altar, cross, the Easter Candle and the body of the deceased at a funeral.

    This holy smoke is a visual and olfactory signal of the congregation’s offerings of supplication and praise rising up to God.

    Crafting the smoke

    Once the conclave begins, the only form of communication between the cardinal-electors and the outside world will be smoke signals sent through the chimney of a stove specially installed in the Sistine Chapel for the duration of the conclave.

    The 1878 conclave was held at the Sistine Chapel. Smoke, depicted here, indicated there was no new pope.
    Wikimedia Commons

    The tradition of burning the ballots goes back to at least 1417, though it wasn’t until the 18th century that the first chimney was installed in the Sistine Chapel. At this time, the appearance of smoke at set times indicated no new pope had been elected; while the absence of smoke indicated there was a new pope.

    Prior to this it is likely that a new pope was simply announced from the loggia (central balcony) of St Peter’s Basilica and a written announcement was posted outside for people to read.

    Since 1914, white smoke has indicated the election of a new pope. A stereotypical association of the colour of the smoke – white (positive) and black (negative) – lies behind the use of the two contrasting smoke colours.

    In 1904, Pius X (who was pope from 1903–14) mandated that all notes taken by cardinals during the election were to be burned along with the ballots themselves. This burning of notes also increased the volume of smoke, making it clearly visible to the public outside when his successor Pope Benedict XV was elected in 1914.

    The use of chemicals to ensure either black or white smoke was introduced after the 1958 conclave when damp straw added to papers from an unsuccessful ballot did not ignite at first. White smoke appeared before eventually turning black, causing confusion among the crowd gathered outside.

    A crowd watches as black smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel at the 1922 conclave.
    Wikimedia Commons/Bibliothèque nationale de France

    In 2013, the Vatican Press Office released the chemical formulae used to create black and white smoke.

    To generate black smoke, potassium perchlorate and anthracene (a component of coal tar) fuelled with sulfur are electrically ignited. To generate white smoke, potassium chlorate, milk sugar and pine rosin are ignited.

    Using these smoke signals, the cardinals can communicate from within the conclave immediately and directly to the faithful awaiting the announcement of the Church’s 267th Pope.

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

    – ref. The election of a new pope is announced with smoke: what do the colours mean, and how are they made? – https://theconversation.com/the-election-of-a-new-pope-is-announced-with-smoke-what-do-the-colours-mean-and-how-are-they-made-255595

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force Arrests Violent Federal Fugitive in Juana Díaz

    Source: US Marshals Service

    San Juan, PR – The U.S. Marshals District of Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force arrested today a Puerto Rico man who became a federal fugitive in April after violating the conditions of his bail.

    Roric H. Núñez-García, 25, who was one of several people arrested during a police raid in February at the Enudio Negrón Residential Complex in Villalba, was released on bail in April following an order from a federal magistrate and immediately cut off his electronic bracelet.

    He is suspected of being involved in a shooting that occurred later that night in the municipality of Villalba.

    Deputy U.S. Marshals, in coordination with agents from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau’s Strike Force, Arrest and Search Units, and with the assistance of Public Housing Administration security agents, arrested Núñez-García without incident at an apartment located in the Leonardo Santiago Public Housing Complex in the municipality of Juana Díaz.

    During the operation, authorities seized a modified firearm capable of fully automatic fire, multiple magazines, and ammunition.

    “Our citizens should know that the United States Marshals Service in Puerto Rico continues to pursue those who believe they can evade the law and escape accountability for their actions,” said Wilmer Ocasio-Ibarra, U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico. 

    “Núñez-García not only attempted to flee justice but is also suspected of involvement in multiple homicides in Juana Díaz, Villalba, Santa Isabel, and Ponce. He represents a serious threat to our communities. I want to express my sincere gratitude and recognize the outstanding efforts of the members of the Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force for swiftly capturing this dangerous fugitive and protecting our citizens from further harm. They may try to hide, but they should know that the U.S. Marshals Service will not rest until they are found and brought to justice.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: District Man Pleas Guilty to Fatal October Southeast Shooting

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – Andre Clark, 34, of the District, pleaded guilty yesterday to second-degree murder while armed for the October 2024 shooting of Leonard Taylor, Jr., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

    Clark’s guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, calls for a range of 15-to-20 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release. Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2025. 

    According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the morning of Oct. 20, 2024, the defendant walked out of a building on the 1500 block of 19th St., SE and towards the victim, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of a gray sedan parked on that street. Clark walked up to the driver’s side of the car, leaned down towards the driver’s side window, and used his right hand to point a firearm at the victim. As the victim started to drive away, the defendant fired his gun at him, striking the victim in the back and killing him. 

    The defendant was located and arrested in Baltimore, Maryland, Dec. 19, 2024, and has been in custody since his arrest.   

    This case was investigated by officers, detectives, and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bromwich.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 1300 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the First week in May as part of Operation Take Back America

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 1300 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.  

    The Southern District of Texas filed 256 cases in matters aimed at securing the southern border. As part of the cases, 83 face allegations of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, firearms, sexual or violent offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 160 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while 13 cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration-related crimes.  

    The Western District of Texas filed 352 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases. Among the new cases, David Ysturiz-Villalobos and Yilber Gabriel Caldera-Espinoza were arrested by the San Antonio Police Department during an April 22 traffic stop. Both were identified as Venezuelan nationals unlawfully present in the United States. Ysturiz-Villalobos was in possession of a .40 caliber pistol with a loaded magazine and one chambered round. Caldera-Espinoza admitted the pistol was his. Ysturiz-Villalobos and Caldera-Espinoza are each charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and, if convicted, face up to 10 years in federal prison.

    The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 287 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 107 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 156 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 21 cases against 24 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.

    The Southern District of California filed 124 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. A sample of border-related arrests this week: On April 27, Emma Alejandra Medina, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Medina was captain of a boat that was transporting eight undocumented immigrants on San Diego Bay. On April 26, Jorge Alexandro Tellez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with attempting to cross the border in a vehicle with 286 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in all four doors, the seats, the spare tire, the tailgate, and in multiple tool bags located inside the vehicle.

    The Central District of California this week criminally charged 45 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States following removal, bringing the total number of defendants charged with this crime since Jan. 20 of this year to 347, a year-over-year increase of 3,755%, the Justice Department announced today. The defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include attempted burglary and forgery. Since the change in administration this year, federal prosecutors in the seven-county Central District, which includes Los Angeles, have aggressively pursued criminal illegal aliens. In comparison, federal prosecutors in 2024 charged a total of nine defendants with Title 8 United States Code § 1326 – illegal re-entry following removal. In 2023, the office charged eight such defendants.

    The District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. The United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 79 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 11 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), 12 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), and 130 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) and 50 U.S.C. 797, violation of a military security regulation, arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

    We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 1300 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the First week in May as part of Operation Take Back America

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 1300 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.  

    The Southern District of Texas filed 256 cases in matters aimed at securing the southern border. As part of the cases, 83 face allegations of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, firearms, sexual or violent offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 160 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while 13 cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration-related crimes.  

    The Western District of Texas filed 352 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases. Among the new cases, David Ysturiz-Villalobos and Yilber Gabriel Caldera-Espinoza were arrested by the San Antonio Police Department during an April 22 traffic stop. Both were identified as Venezuelan nationals unlawfully present in the United States. Ysturiz-Villalobos was in possession of a .40 caliber pistol with a loaded magazine and one chambered round. Caldera-Espinoza admitted the pistol was his. Ysturiz-Villalobos and Caldera-Espinoza are each charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and, if convicted, face up to 10 years in federal prison.

    The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 287 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 107 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 156 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 21 cases against 24 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.

    The Southern District of California filed 124 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. A sample of border-related arrests this week: On April 27, Emma Alejandra Medina, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Medina was captain of a boat that was transporting eight undocumented immigrants on San Diego Bay. On April 26, Jorge Alexandro Tellez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with attempting to cross the border in a vehicle with 286 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in all four doors, the seats, the spare tire, the tailgate, and in multiple tool bags located inside the vehicle.

    The Central District of California this week criminally charged 45 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States following removal, bringing the total number of defendants charged with this crime since Jan. 20 of this year to 347, a year-over-year increase of 3,755%, the Justice Department announced today. The defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include attempted burglary and forgery. Since the change in administration this year, federal prosecutors in the seven-county Central District, which includes Los Angeles, have aggressively pursued criminal illegal aliens. In comparison, federal prosecutors in 2024 charged a total of nine defendants with Title 8 United States Code § 1326 – illegal re-entry following removal. In 2023, the office charged eight such defendants.

    The District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. The United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 79 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 11 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), 12 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), and 130 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) and 50 U.S.C. 797, violation of a military security regulation, arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

    We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Sudan, Chad, South Sudan & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    ———————————

    Highlights:

    Sudan
    Chad
    South Sudan
    Yemen
    Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Democratic Republic of the Congo / Humanitarian
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Libya
    Ukraine
    Security Council
    Human Development Report
    Science, Technology and Innovation

    SUDAN
    Our humanitarian colleagues said they’re deeply concerned by the intensifying drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in Port Sudan, in the east of the country. Early this morning, drone attacks reportedly struck the airport area, a fuel storage facility and a power transformer.
    While no UN personnel or facilities were directly affected by the strikes, OCHA said that the latest violence poses a growing risk to the safety of humanitarian staff and operations with flights of the UN Humanitarian Air Service both to and from Port Sudan still on hold.
    Elsewhere in the country, prolonged power outages due to drone attacks targeting power stations and facilities continue to disrupt civilian life. This is the case in Northern State, where a one-month power blackout prevented farmers from running electrical water pumps, leading to the destruction of more than 84 square kilometres of crops. And in River Nile State, the targeted destruction of power infrastructure has led to severe water supply shortages.
    Despite hostilities, we continue to provide assistance to the most vulnerable people. In East Darfur, humanitarian organizations are mobilizing aid for 35,000 people in the town of Ed Daein who fled there from Khartoum and Aj Jazirah States. And in Kassala State, we are scaling up water, sanitation and hygiene efforts and public health outreach to curb the spread of hepatitis E.

    CHAD
    And staying in the region, the UN Refugee Agency is gravely concerned by the rapidly increasing number of Sudanese refugees crossing into eastern Chad. Nearly 20,000 people – mostly women and children – have arrived there in the past two weeks alone.
    This sudden influx reflects the escalating violence in Sudan’s North Darfur region, particularly in and around El Fasher, which is triggering mass displacement. Refugees arriving in Chad report that over 10,000 people are still en route, trying to reach the border to escape the violence.
    A rapid protection assessment by UNHCR and its partners indicates that 76 per cent of the newly arrived refugees were subjected to serious protection incidents, including extortion, theft and sexual violence.
    Chad already hosts 1.3 million refugees, including 794,000 arrivals from Sudan since the conflict started more than two years ago. While the country continues to show remarkable solidarity in hosting refugees, it cannot bear this burden alone.
    UNHCR urges the international community to urgently step up support for the response. Only 20 per cent of the $409 million required to respond to the refugee crisis in Chad has been funded.

    SOUTH SUDAN
    Our peacekeeping colleagues in South Sudan tell us of continued air strikes in Fangak, a remote county in Jonglei state. According to reports received by the Mission last night, further aerial bombardments have allegedly taken place in and around New Fangak town, residential areas near the Phow river, and other locations.
    The Mission is working with all partners to verify civilian displacement figures, facilitate assistance for communities who have been affected by these events, and reduce tensions. Guang Cong, the Mission’s Deputy Special Representative, said that such attacks contravene the Revitalized Peace Agreement and severely undermine efforts to build lasting peace in the country. He called on involved parties to prioritize civilian protection by pursuing an immediate ceasefire.

    YEMEN
    Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, said that the aerial attack carried out by Ansar Allah on Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, followed by strikes in response by Israel on Sana’a Airport and Hudaydah port in Yemen, mark a grave escalation in an already fragile and volatile regional context.
    Mr. Grundberg once again urges all stakeholders to exercise the utmost restraint and refrain from escalatory actions that risk inflicting further suffering on civilians. It is imperative that all actors uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
    A return to dialogue is the only sustainable path towards ensuring lasting safety and security for Yemen and the broader region, the Special Envoy said.

    Full Highlights:
    https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=06%20May%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXOEa0YwZEM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: ProLogium Collaborates with Kyushu Electric on Next-Gen Batteries for Heavy Machinery

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TAIPEI, Taiwan, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ProLogium Technology, the global leader in LCB-based next-generation battery innovation, today announced a strategic partnership with Japan’s Kyushu Electric Power. Together, the two companies will co-develop a 24V LCB (Lithium Ceramic Battery) module tailored for construction machinery applications, with plans to jointly unveil the technology at CES 2026.

    This collaboration marks another significant milestone in ProLogium’s global new energy strategy, showcasing its technological prowess and growing market influence. Looking ahead, the two parties will continue deepening their cooperation—expanding the deployment of clean energy solutions not only in construction but also across broader energy sectors, paving the way for a more sustainable industrial future.

    Synergy-Driven Innovation for Heavy Machinery

    This partnership combines ProLogium’s cutting-edge battery technology with Kyushu Electric Power’s expertise in module design and end-user integration. The result: a high-performance, durable, and versatile energy solution tailored to the demanding operational needs of construction machinery. ProLogium will supply its industry-leading lithium ceramic batteries, while Kyushu Electric Power will take the lead in developing the 24V modules and integrating them into heavy equipment for end users.

    Compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, ProLogium’s LCB modules offer several compelling advantages:

    • Enhanced Safety: ProLogium’s next-generation battery utilizes a fully inorganic electrolyte and highly stable cathode and anode materials, effectively minimizing risks of thermal runaway and fire. It is equipped with an Active Safety Mechanism (ASM) that automatically activates under high-temperature conditions, significantly improving safety performance in demanding operational environments.
    • High Energy Density: Without compromising safety, ProLogium employs high-activity materials such as a 100% silicon composite anode to substantially boost energy density. This allows for a more compact and lightweight battery pack while delivering outstanding range and power performance—ideal for heavy machinery where both performance and space efficiency are critical.
    • Outstanding Low-Temperature Performance: Engineered to operate reliably in extreme cold, the battery ensures stable operation and sustained power output, supporting heavy machinery in prolonged, high-intensity tasks under low-temperature conditions.
    • Fast Charging × Durability for Optimized Operational Efficiency: With outstanding fast-charging capability, ProLogium batteries significantly reduce charging time, lowering equipment downtime and replacement frequency. This not only eases the burden of procuring backup vehicles but also enhances operational continuity. Coupled with long service life and high performance, the solution offers greater stability, reduced maintenance costs, and improved overall operational efficiency.

    The collaboration will make its first public appearance at CES 2026, where the companies will jointly showcase their technical achievements and engage with potential partners.

    Advancing Low-Carbon Transformation in the Heavy Industry Sector

    Beyond improving operational efficiency, the partnership aims to promote greener, more resource-efficient industrial practices. By cutting carbon emissions, reducing pollution, and increasing energy utilization, ProLogium and Kyushu Electric Power aspire to offer sustainable battery solutions for the future. ProLogium’s next-gen LCBs maintain stable performance under harsh environmental conditions—maximizing energy efficiency.

    The collaboration aligns with global trends toward carbon neutrality and green technology, leading the construction machinery industry toward a cleaner, low-carbon future. With its high safety standards, energy density, fast-charging capability, and excellent low-temperature discharge performance, ProLogium’s lithium ceramic battery is not only ideal for electric vehicles but also well-suited for heavy-duty applications and beyond.

    Vincent Yang, founder and chairman of ProLogium stated:

    “As the world accelerates its shift toward sustainability, electrification in construction and heavy industries is both urgent and inevitable. We are honored to partner with Kyushu Electric Power to bring our next-generation LCB technology into the heavy machinery sector, elevating energy efficiency, safety, and endurance.

    Together, we are committed to advancing green energy transformation and building a low-carbon, sustainable future. This partnership enables us to deliver longer-range energy solutions for heavy-duty operations, enhance productivity with fast-charging capabilities, and ensure stable battery performance in extreme cold—all contributing to the electrification of heavy industry and a cleaner future for global infrastructure.”

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Netflix Nation: Brits devote 60 days a year to watching streaming services

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Over one in ten Brits (13%) now spend the equivalent of 60 full days a year watching content on streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, clocking up more than 1,460 hours of watchtime per year. That’s the same as spending 182 work days watching streaming services.

    The data, released by subscription bundling platform Bango (AIM:BGO), is based on insights from 40,000 UK consumers, and shows just how embedded streaming services have become in everyday life.

    More than a third (34%) of Brits now watch two or more hours of streaming content per day, the equivalent of 730 hours a year, putting the UK ahead of its European neighbours. In Spain, 29% stream at least two hours daily, compared to 21% in Italy and France, and 18% in Greece.

    Streaming also tops the chart for time spent on digital media. UK adults are now more likely to stream content for two or more hours a day (34%) than browse social media (21%), stream music (18%), or scroll TikTok and Reels (13%).

    Gen Z watches the most, but Gen X pays the bill

    Gen Z leads the way in streaming consumption, with 40% watching at least two hours daily. But it’s Gen X who are footing the bill with 62% covering the cost of streaming services, compared to 51% of Gen Z.

    Instead, Gen Z are using those savings on other subscriptions. They’re the most likely to pay for music subscriptions (40%) and are also more likely to shell out for premium social media features (9%), such as Snapchat+ or X Premium.

    But Americans still spend the most time streaming

    While the UK is ahead of some of its European neighbours, the US remains firmly in first place. 40% of Americans watch at least two hours of streaming content daily, and nearly one in five (18%) watch over four hours every single day.

    And it’s not just streaming. In the US, Gen Z is beginning to pay more for other digital experiences too. According to Bango’s Subscriptions Assemble report, almost a quarter (23%) of Gen Z Americans now pay to access premium social media platforms, highlighting a global trend in how younger consumers engage with content.

    Many are also accessing these services indirectly through bundles, like those offered by mobile or broadband providers. In fact, the average American now pays for 5.4 subscriptions, with two of those typically paid for as part of a bundle package.

    Paul Larbey, CEO of Bango said, “We’re seeing a shift in how younger people are engaging with subscriptions. Gen Z are streaming more than anyone, but they’re selective about where their money goes. They’re investing in experiences that offer personal value — like music and premium social media — rather than footing the bill for standard streaming services.

    “Consumers are also turning to bundles, accessing subscriptions through mobile or broadband deals for better value and convenience. This is increasingly common in the US, and we can expect to see a similar trend in the UK. The rise of services like Snapchat+ in telco bundles shows how packaging and flexibility are now just as important as content itself.

    “At Bango, we’re driving this change, helping telcos and other service providers deliver the kind of smart, seamless subscription experiences today’s users expect.”

    Methodology

    Research created by Bango using the GWI consumer insights platform

    60 days calculation — 13% of Brits spend 4+ hours per day watching streaming services. 4 x 365 = 1,460 hours / 24 = 60.8 Days

    About Bango
    Bango enables content providers to reach more paying customers through global partnerships. Bango revolutionized the monetization of digital content and services, by opening-up online payments to mobile phone users worldwide. Today, the Digital Vending Machine® is driving the rapid growth of the subscriptions economy, powering choice and control for subscribers.

    The world’s largest content providers, including Amazon, Google and Microsoft trust Bango technology to reach subscribers everywhere.

    Bango, where people subscribe. For more information, visit www.bango.com

    Media contacts
    Henry Soundy / Imogen Nichols
    Wildfire
    bango@wildfirepr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: W&T Offshore Announces First Quarter 2025 Results and Declares Dividend for Second Quarter of 2025

    Source: W & T Offshore Inc

    Headline: W&T Offshore Announces First Quarter 2025 Results and Declares Dividend for Second Quarter of 2025

    HOUSTON, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (“W&T,” the “Company,” “we” or “us”) today reported operational and financial results for the first quarter of 2025 and declared a second quarter 2025 dividend of $0.01 per share.

    This press release includes non-GAAP financial measures, including Adjusted Net Loss, Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow and Net Debt, which are described and reconciled to the most comparable GAAP measures in the accompanying tables to this press release under “Non-GAAP Information.”

    Key highlights for the first quarter of 2025 and through the date of this press release include:

    • Produced 30.5 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (“MBoe/d”) (52% liquids), towards the high end of guidance;
      • Announced that the West Delta 73 and Main Pass 108/98 fields were placed into production towards the end of March/early April with production expected to ramp up over the course of the second quarter of 2025;
    • Incurred lease operating expenses (“LOE”) of $71.0 million, below the low end of guidance;
    • Reported net loss of $30.6 million, or $(0.21) per diluted share;
      • Adjusted Net Loss totaled $19.1 million, or $(0.13) per diluted share, which primarily excludes the loss on extinguishment of debt and net unrealized gain on outstanding derivative contracts and the related tax effects;
    • Generated Adjusted EBITDA of $32.2 million, an increase of 2% over the fourth quarter of 2024;
    • Produced Free Cash Flow of $10.5 million;
    • Successfully refinanced, in January 2025, the Company’s $275.0 million 11.75% Senior Second Lien Notes due 2026 (the “11.75% Notes”) and $114.2 million outstanding amount under the term loan provided by Munich Re Risk Financing, Inc., as lender (the “MRE Term Loan”) with proceeds from the issuance of $350.0 million of 10.75% Senior Second Lien Notes due 2029 (the “10.75% Notes”) and available cash on hand;
      • Paid down and effectively reduced gross debt by approximately $39.0 million;
      • Enhanced liquidity by eliminating principal payments under the MRE Term Loan of $27.6 million in 2025, $25.4 million in 2026, $22.9 million in 2027 and $38.3 million in 2028;
      • Lowered interest rate on the Senior Second Lien Notes by 100 basis points;
    • Entered into a new $50.0 million revolving credit facility which matures in July 2028, and is undrawn, and the previous credit facility provided by Calculus Lending, LLC was concurrently terminated, with all outstanding obligations paid in full in connection with the termination;
    • Sold a non-core interest in Garden Banks Blocks 385 and 386 in January 2025, which included latest net production of approximately 195 barrels of oil equivalent per day (“Boe/d”) (72% oil) for $11.9 million, or over $60,000 per flowing barrel, after customary closing adjustments;
    • Received $58.5 million in cash for an insurance settlement related to the Mobile Bay 78-1 well, which further bolstered W&T’s balance sheet;
    • Reported unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $105.9 million and Net Debt of $244.1 million at March 31, 2025;
    • Added natural gas costless collar hedges for 2025 including:
      • 50,000 million British Thermal Units per day (“MMBtu/d”) for March 2025, with a floor price of $3.88 per MMBtu and ceiling price of $5.13 per MMBtu;
      • 70,000 MMBtu/d for April to December 2025, with a volume-weighted average floor price and ceiling price of $4.02 per MMBtu and $5.32 per MMBtu, respectively;
    • Paid sixth consecutive quarterly dividend of $0.01 per common share in March 2025; and
      • Declared second quarter 2025 dividend of $0.01 per share, which will be payable on May 27, 2025 to stockholders of record on May 20, 2025.

    Tracy W. Krohn, W&T’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We continue to successfully execute our strategic vision and have delivered another quarter of strong results in line with or above our guidance. We reported production at the high end of our guidance range and, more importantly, we have brought online the remaining two fields from the Cox acquisition, which we expect will meaningfully increase production for the remainder of 2025, as you can see from our second quarter and full year guidance. Acquisitions remain a key component of our success, and it is our ability to integrate and enhance the assets that we acquire that has allowed us to successfully operate for over 40 years. We generated solid Free Cash Flow and Adjusted EBITDA and we recorded lease operating expenses below the low end of our guidance. We will continue to focus on increasing our production, particularly our oil production, and managing our operating costs.”

    “Our balance sheet was strengthened in the first quarter of 2025 due to several key accomplishments. We successfully closed the issuance of new 10.75% Notes, entered into a new revolving credit facility and added material cash through a non-core disposition and an insurance settlement. The new 10.75% Notes have an interest rate 100 basis points lower than our 11.75% Notes and received improved credit ratings from S&P and Moody’s. We also received a $58.5 million cash insurance settlement payment related to a well impairment event. Finally, we sold a non-core interest in Garden Banks 385 and 386 for $11.9 million, after customary closing adjustments, at a value of over $60,000 per flowing barrel, which is highly accretive to W&T. We have over $100 million in cash on our balance sheet and remain prepared to take advantage of potential acquisitions. With the change in administration and the White House’s directives to Unleash American Energy, we also see promising developments in the regulatory environment for oil and gas companies. We are well positioned to continue to enhance our portfolio through additional accretive acquisition opportunities and are committed to enhancing shareholder value while returning value to our shareholders through the quarterly dividend program.”

    Production, Prices and Revenue: Production for the first quarter of 2025 was 30.5 MBoe/d, towards the high end of the Company’s first quarter guidance but down compared with 32.1 MBoe/d for the fourth quarter of 2024 and 35.1 MBoe/d for the corresponding period in 2024. The first quarter 2025 production decrease was due to freezing conditions that caused shut-ins during January 2025; however production has since recovered. First quarter 2025 production was comprised of 13.7 thousand barrels per day (“MBbl/d”) of oil (45%), 2.2 MBbl/d of natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) (7%), and 87.6 million cubic feet per day (“MMcf/d”) of natural gas (48%).

    W&T’s average realized price per Boe before realized derivative settlements was $46.50 per Boe in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 17% from $39.86 per Boe in the fourth quarter of 2024 and an increase of 9% from $42.55 per Boe in the first quarter of 2024. First quarter 2025 oil, NGL and natural gas prices before realized derivative settlements were $71.31 per barrel of oil, $23.86 per barrel of NGL and $4.45 per Mcf of natural gas.

    Revenues for the first quarter of 2025 were $129.9 million, which was 8% higher than fourth quarter of 2024 revenues of $120.3 million due to higher realized prices, which was partially offset by lower production volumes. First quarter 2025 revenues were lower by 8% compared to $140.8 million of revenues in the first quarter of 2024 due to lower production volumes, partially offset by higher realized natural gas and NGL prices.

    Lease Operating Expenses: LOE, which includes base lease operating expenses, insurance premiums, workovers and facilities maintenance expenses, was $71.0 million in the first quarter of 2025, which was below the low end of the guidance range of $72.5 to $80.5 million. LOE came in lower than expected due to a combination of lower repair and maintenance costs, lower facility expenses and lower workover expense. LOE for the first quarter of 2025 was approximately 11% higher compared to $64.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. Lower LOE in the fourth quarter of 2024 was primarily driven by favorable audit adjustments and lower maintenance and repair work performed. LOE for the first quarter of 2025 was slightly higher than the $70.8 million for the corresponding period in 2024. On a component basis for the first quarter of 2025, base LOE and insurance premiums were $57.6 million, workovers were $2.0 million, and facilities maintenance and other expenses were $11.4 million. On a unit of production basis, LOE was $25.88 per Boe in the first quarter of 2025. This compares to $21.76 per Boe for the fourth quarter of 2024 and $22.14 per Boe for the corresponding period in 2024, reflecting a decrease in production in the period due to freezing conditions in January 2025.

    Gathering, Transportation Costs and Production Taxes: Gathering, transportation costs and production taxes totaled $5.7 million ($2.06 per Boe) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to $5.9 million ($2.00 per Boe) in the fourth quarter of 2024 and $7.5 million ($2.36 per Boe) in the first quarter of 2024. Gathering, transportation costs and production taxes decreased in the first quarter of 2025 from the prior quarters due to lower production volumes.

    Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization (“DD&A”): DD&A was $11.99 per Boe in the first quarter of 2025. This compares to $12.94 per Boe and $10.61 per Boe for the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2024, respectively.

    Asset Retirement Obligations Accretion: Asset retirement obligations accretion was $3.06 per Boe in the first quarter of 2025. This compares to $2.76 per Boe and $2.49 per Boe for the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2024, respectively.

    General & Administrative Expenses (“G&A”): G&A was $20.2 million for the first quarter of 2025, which decreased from $20.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and $20.5 million in the first quarter of 2024 primarily due to decreases of share-based compensation and employee benefit costs partially offset by an increase in legal fees due to ongoing sureties litigation. On a unit of production basis, G&A was $7.35 per Boe in the first quarter of 2025 compared to $7.04 per Boe in the fourth quarter of 2024 and $6.41 per Boe in the corresponding period of 2024. These increases, on a per Boe basis, are related to lower production, as the absolute G&A costs were lower.

    Derivative Loss (Gain), net: In the first quarter of 2025, W&T recorded a net loss of $2.7 million with commodity derivative contracts comprised of $3.6 million of realized losses and $0.9 million of unrealized gains related to the increase in fair value of open contracts. W&T recognized a net loss of $2.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and a net gain of $4.9 million in the first quarter of 2024 related to commodity derivative activities.

    To take advantage of the recent uptick in natural gas prices, W&T added costless collar hedges for March 2025 of 50,000 MMBtu/d with a floor price of $3.88 per MMBtu and ceiling price of $5.13 per MMBtu. For April to December 2025, the Company added similar costless collar hedges of 70,000 MMBtu/d with a volume-weighted average floor price and ceiling price of $4.02 per MMBtu and $5.32 per MMBtu, respectively.

    A summary of the Company’s outstanding derivative positions is provided in the investor presentation posted on W&T’s website.

    Interest Expense: Net interest expense in the first quarter of 2025 was $9.5 million compared to $10.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and $10.1 million in the first quarter of 2024. These decreases reflect the impact of the Company’s debt refinancing in January 2025, which lowered overall debt by around $39 million and reduced the Senior Second Lien Notes’ coupon rate by 100 basis points.

    Income Tax (Benefit) Expense: W&T recognized an income tax benefit of $4.6 million in the first quarter of 2025. This compares to the recognition of an income tax benefit of $1.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and an income tax expense of $1.0 million in the first quarter of 2024.

    Capital Expenditures and Asset Retirement Settlements: Capital expenditures on an accrual basis in the first quarter of 2025 were $8.5 million, and asset retirement settlement costs totaled $3.8 million. The Company continues to expect its full year capital expenditure budget to be between $34 million and $42 million, which excludes potential acquisition opportunities.

    Balance Sheet and Liquidity: As of March 31, 2025, W&T had available liquidity of $155.9 million comprised of $105.9 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $50.0 million of borrowing availability under W&T’s new revolving credit facility. As of March 31, 2025, the Company had total debt of $350.0 million and Net Debt of $244.1 million. As of March 31, 2025, Net Debt to trailing twelve months (“TTM”) Adjusted EBITDA was 1.8x.

    Debt Refinance: On January 28, 2025 W&T closed an offering of the 10.75% Notes at par in a private offering that was exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company used a portion of the proceeds from the 10.75% Notes offering, along with cash on hand to (i) purchase for cash pursuant to a tender offer, such of the Company’s outstanding 11.75% Notes that were validly tendered pursuant to the terms thereof; (ii) repay $114.2 million outstanding under the MRE Term Loan; (iii) fund the full redemption amount for an August 1, 2025 redemption of the remaining 11.75% Notes not validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the tender offer; and (iv) pay premiums, fees and expenses related to these transactions. On the closing date of the offering of the 10.75% Notes, the Company completed all actions necessary to satisfy and discharge the indenture governing the 11.75% Notes.

    In conjunction with the issuance of the 10.75% Notes, the Company entered into a new credit agreement which provides the Company with a revolving credit and letter of credit facility, with initial lending commitments of $50 million and with a letter of credit sublimit of $10 million. The credit facility matures on July 28, 2028.

    Concurrently with the debt refinance, W&T recorded a $15.0 million loss on the extinguishment of debt in the first quarter of 2025.

    Non-Core Asset Disposition

    In early 2025, W&T closed the sale of a non-core interest in Garden Banks Blocks 385 and 386, which included net production of approximately 195 Boe/d, for $11.9 million after normal purchase price adjustments. The effective date of the sale was December 1, 2024, and the transaction closed in January 2025. The impact to W&T’s reserves for year-end 2024 were minimal at about 0.12 MMBoe.

    Regulatory Update

    The change of Presidential administration in the early part of 2025 saw promising developments in the oil and natural gas regulatory environment. On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy. Section 3 of that Order directed heads of agencies to review existing regulations to identify agency actions that impose an undue burden on the identification, development, or use of domestic energy resources. The Trump administration also issued Executive Order 14156, Declaring a National Energy Emergency, stating that the United States’ insufficient energy production, transportation, refining, and generation constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the nation’s economy, national security, and foreign policy. Furthermore, on February 3, 2025, Secretary Burgum issued Secretarial Order 3418, Unleashing American Energy. Section 4(b) of that Order directed agency officials to prepare an action plan that will include steps to suspend, revise, or rescind certain regulations.

    As it pertains to W&T, on April 8, 2025, pursuant to the above directives from the Trump administration, the Department of Interior, through a joint filing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (Case no. 2:24-cv-00820), indicated that it will not seek supplemental financial assurance in the Gulf of America except in the case of (a) sole liability properties and (b) certain non-sole liability properties that do not have a financially strong co-owner or predecessor in title and meet other conditions.

    In addition, the Trump administration has issued a number of executive orders aimed at streamlining regulations and reducing the regulatory burden on oil and natural gas companies, increasing federal oil and natural gas leasing, including in the Gulf of America, and expediting U.S. natural resource development.

    Cash Dividend Policy

    The Company paid its first quarter 2025 dividend of $0.01 per share on March 24, 2025 to stockholders of record on March 17, 2025.

    The Board of Directors declared a second quarter 2025 dividend of $0.01 per share which is to be paid on May 27, 2025 to stockholders of record on May 20, 2025.

    OPERATIONS UPDATE

    Well Recompletions and Workovers

    During the first quarter of 2025, the Company performed five workovers that positively impacted production for the quarter. W&T plans to continue performing these low cost and low risk short payout operations that impact both production and revenue.

    Second Quarter and Full Year 2025 Production and Expense Guidance

    The guidance for the second quarter and full year 2025 in the table below represents the Company’s current expectations. Please refer to the section entitled “Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements” below for risk factors that could impact guidance.

         
    Production Second Quarter 2025 Full Year 2025
    Oil (MBbl) 1,295 – 1,435 5,150 – 5,690
    NGLs (MBbl) 210 – 235 1,020 – 1,140
    Natural gas (MMcf) 8,830 – 9,750 34,880 – 38,560
    Total equivalents (MBoe) 2,977 – 3,295 11,983 – 13,257
    Average daily equivalents (MBoe/d) 32.7 – 36.2 32.8 – 36.3
    Expenses Second Quarter 2025 Full Year 2025
    Lease operating expense ($MM) 71.3 – 78.9 280.0 – 310.0
    Gathering, transportation & production taxes ($MM) 6.6 – 7.4 27.1 – 30.1
    General & administrative – cash ($MM) 14.5 – 16.1 62.0 – 69.0
    General & administrative – non-cash ($MM) 2.4 – 2.8 10.1 – 11.3
    DD&A ($ per Boe)   13.40 – 14.90

    W&T expects substantially all income taxes in 2025 to be deferred. 

    Conference Call Information: W&T will hold a conference call to discuss its financial and operational results on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time (12:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Interested parties may dial 1-844-739-3797. International parties may dial 1-412-317-5713. Participants should request to connect to the “W&T Offshore Conference Call.” This call will also be webcast and available on W&T’s website at www.wtoffshore.com under “Investors.” An audio replay will be available on the Company’s website following the call.

    About W&T Offshore

    W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of America and has grown through acquisitions, exploration and development. As of March 31, 2025, the Company had working interests in 52 fields in federal and state waters (which include 45 fields in federal waters and seven in state waters). The Company has under lease approximately 634,700 gross acres (496,900 net acres) spanning across the outer continental shelf off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, with approximately 487,200 gross acres on the conventional shelf, approximately 141,900 gross acres in the deepwater and 5,600 gross acres in Alabama state waters. A majority of the Company’s daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T, please visit the Company’s website at www.wtoffshore.com.

    Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this release, including those regarding the Company’s financial position, operating and financial performance, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations, projected costs, industry conditions, potential acquisitions, sustainability initiatives, the impact of and integration of acquired assets, and indebtedness are forward-looking statements. When used in this release, forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “target,” “could,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “goal,” “will,” “should,” “may” or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Items contemplating or making assumptions about actual or potential future production and sales, prices, market size, and trends or operating results also constitute such forward-looking statements.

    These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions about future events and speak only as of the date of this release. While management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as results actually achieved may differ materially from expected results described in these statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of such statements, unless required by law.

    Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ including, among other things, the regulatory environment, including availability or timing of, and conditions imposed on, obtaining and/or maintaining permits and approvals, including those necessary for drilling and/or development projects; the impact of current, pending and/or future laws and regulations, and of legislative and regulatory changes and other government activities, including those related to permitting, drilling, completion, well stimulation, operation, maintenance or abandonment of wells or facilities, managing energy, water, land, greenhouse gases or other emissions, protection of health, safety and the environment, or transportation, marketing and sale of the Company’s products; inflation levels; global economic trends, geopolitical risks and general economic and industry conditions, such as the global supply chain disruptions and the government interventions into the financial markets and economy in response to inflation levels and world health events; volatility of oil, NGL and natural gas prices; the global energy future, including the factors and trends that are expected to shape it, such as concerns about climate change and other air quality issues, the transition to a low-emission economy and the expected role of different energy sources; supply of and demand for oil, NGLs and natural gas, including due to the actions of foreign producers, importantly including OPEC and other major oil producing companies (“OPEC+”) and change in OPEC+’s production levels; disruptions to, capacity constraints in, or other limitations on the pipeline systems that deliver the Company’s oil and natural gas and other processing and transportation considerations; inability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or to obtain adequate financing to fund capital expenditures, meet the Company’s working capital requirements or fund planned investments; price fluctuations and availability of natural gas and electricity; the Company’s ability to use derivative instruments to manage commodity price risk; the Company’s ability to meet the Company’s planned drilling schedule, including due to the Company’s ability to obtain permits on a timely basis or at all, and to successfully drill wells that produce oil and natural gas in commercially viable quantities; uncertainties associated with estimating proved reserves and related future cash flows; the Company’s ability to replace the Company’s reserves through exploration and development activities; drilling and production results, lower–than–expected production, reserves or resources from development projects or higher–than–expected decline rates; the Company’s ability to obtain timely and available drilling and completion equipment and crew availability and access to necessary resources for drilling, completing and operating wells; changes in tax laws; effects of competition; uncertainties and liabilities associated with acquired and divested assets; the Company’s ability to make acquisitions and successfully integrate any acquired businesses; asset impairments from commodity price declines; large or multiple customer defaults on contractual obligations, including defaults resulting from actual or potential insolvencies; geographical concentration of the Company’s operations; the creditworthiness and performance of the Company’s counterparties with respect to its hedges; impact of derivatives legislation affecting the Company’s ability to hedge; failure of risk management and ineffectiveness of internal controls; catastrophic events, including tropical storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, pandemics and other world health events; environmental risks and liabilities under U.S. federal, state, tribal and local laws and regulations (including remedial actions); potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation; the Company’s ability to recruit and/or retain key members of the Company’s senior management and key technical employees; information technology failures or cyberattacks; and governmental actions and political conditions, as well as the actions by other third parties that are beyond the Company’s control, and other factors discussed in W&T Offshore’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q found at www.sec.gov or at the Company’s website at www.wtoffshore.com under the Investor Relations section.

                       
    W&T OFFSHORE, INC.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (In thousands, except per share data)
    (Unaudited)
                       
        Three Months Ended
        March 31,    December 31,    March 31, 
           2025        2024        2024  
    Revenues:                  
    Oil   $ 87,716     $ 86,778     $ 107,015  
    NGLs     4,772       6,713       7,469  
    Natural gas     35,109       24,203       21,616  
    Other     2,270       2,651       4,687  
    Total revenues     129,867       120,345       140,787  
                       
    Operating expenses:                  
    Lease operating expenses     71,012       64,259       70,830  
    Gathering, transportation and production taxes     5,659       5,912       7,540  
    Depreciation, depletion, and amortization     32,891       38,208       33,937  
    Asset retirement obligations accretion     8,392       8,157       7,969  
    General and administrative expenses     20,157       20,799       20,515  
    Total operating expenses     138,111       137,335       140,791  
                       
    Operating loss     (8,244 )     (16,990 )     (4 )
                       
    Interest expense, net     9,492       10,226       10,072  
    Loss on extinguishment of debt     15,015       —       —  
    Derivative loss (gain), net     2,757       2,113       (4,877 )
    Other (income) expense, net     (316 )     (4,118 )     5,230  
    Loss before income taxes     (35,192 )     (25,211 )     (10,429 )
    Income tax (benefit) expense     (4,615 )     (1,849 )     1,045  
    Net loss   $ (30,577 )   $ (23,362 )   $ (11,474 )
                       
    Net loss per common share (basic and diluted)   $ (0.21 )   $ (0.16 )   $ (0.08 )
                       
    Weighted average common shares outstanding (basic and diluted)     147,598       147,365       146,857  
                             
    W&T OFFSHORE, INC.
    Condensed Operating Data
    (Unaudited)
                             
        Three Months Ended
        March 31,    December 31,    March 31, 
        2025   2024   2024
    Net sales volumes:                        
    Oil (MBbls)     1,230       1,263       1,400  
    NGLs (MBbls)     200       273       343  
    Natural gas (MMcf)     7,884       8,505       8,733  
    Total oil and natural gas (MBoe) (1)     2,744       2,953       3,199  
                             
    Average daily equivalent sales (MBoe/d)     30.5       32.1       35.1  
                             
    Average realized sales prices (before the impact of derivative settlements):                        
    Oil ($/Bbl)   $ 71.31     $ 68.71     $ 76.44  
    NGLs ($/Bbl)     23.86       24.59       21.78  
    Natural gas ($/Mcf)     4.45       2.85       2.48  
    Barrel of oil equivalent ($/Boe)     46.50       39.86       42.55  
                             
    Average operating expenses per Boe ($/Boe):                        
    Lease operating expenses   $ 25.88     $ 21.76     $ 22.14  
    Gathering, transportation and production taxes     2.06       2.00       2.36  
    Depreciation, depletion, and amortization     11.99       12.94       10.61  
    Asset retirement obligations accretion     3.06       2.76       2.49  
    General and administrative expenses     7.35       7.04       6.41  
    (1) MBoe is determined using the ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one Bbl of crude oil, condensate or NGLs (totals may not compute due to rounding). The conversion ratio does not assume price equivalency and the price on an equivalent basis for oil, NGLs and natural gas may differ significantly. The realized prices presented above are volume-weighted for production in the respective period.
                 
    W&T OFFSHORE, INC.
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)
                 
           March 31,    December 31, 
        2025     2024  
    Assets            
    Current assets:            
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 105,933     $ 109,003  
    Restricted cash     1,552       1,552  
    Receivables:            
    Oil and natural gas sales     64,991       63,558  
    Joint interest, net     26,884       25,841  
    Prepaid expenses and other assets     22,570       18,504  
    Total current assets     221,930       218,458  
                 
    Oil and natural gas properties and other, net     691,788       777,741  
    Restricted deposits for asset retirement obligations     22,892       22,730  
    Deferred income taxes     54,332       48,808  
    Other assets     34,004       31,193  
    Total assets   $ 1,024,946     $ 1,098,930  
                 
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Deficit            
    Current liabilities:            
    Accounts payable   $ 77,978     $ 83,625  
    Accrued liabilities     19,210       33,271  
    Undistributed oil and natural gas proceeds     58,647       53,131  
    Advances from joint interest partners     2,432       2,443  
    Current portion of asset retirement obligations     29,098       46,326  
    Current portion of long-term debt, net     566       27,288  
    Total current liabilities     187,931       246,084  
                 
    Asset retirement obligations     532,753       502,506  
    Long-term debt, net     349,481       365,935  
    Other liabilities     17,381       16,182  
                 
    Commitments and contingencies     20,196       20,800  
                 
    Shareholders’ deficit:            
    Preferred stock     —       —  
    Common stock     2       2  
    Additional paid-in capital     597,271       595,407  
    Retained deficit     (655,902 )     (623,819 )
    Treasury stock     (24,167 )     (24,167 )
    Total shareholders’ deficit     (82,796 )     (52,577 )
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ deficit   $ 1,024,946     $ 1,098,930  
                       
    W&T OFFSHORE, INC.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)
                       
        Three Months Ended
        March 31,    December 31,    March 31, 
        2025     2024     2024  
    Operating activities:                  
    Net loss   $ (30,577 )   $ (23,362 )   $ (11,474 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:                  
    Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion     41,283       46,365       41,906  
    Share-based compensation     2,087       3,818       3,032  
    Amortization and write off of debt issuance costs     1,099       1,117       1,292  
    Loss on extinguishment of debt     15,015       —       —  
    Derivative loss (gain), net     2,757       2,113       (4,877 )
    Derivative cash (settlements) receipts, net     (5,326 )     (1,638 )     2,599  
    Deferred income (benefit) taxes     (5,517 )     (1,941 )     733  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                  
    Accounts receivable     (1,935 )     (17,064 )     (17,362 )
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     547       1,792       433  
    Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other     (18,858 )     3,831       (852 )
    Asset retirement obligation settlements     (3,771 )     (19,348 )     (3,788 )
    Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities     (3,196 )     (4,317 )     11,642  
                       
    Investing activities:                  
    Investment in oil and natural gas properties and equipment     (6,665 )     (14,124 )     (7,080 )
    Acquisition of property interests     (400 )     —       (80,515 )
    Proceeds from sale of oil and natural gas properties     11,935       —       —  
    Insurance proceeds     58,500       —       —  
    Purchases of furniture, fixtures and other     (103 )     (19 )     (24 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     63,267       (14,143 )     (87,619 )
                       
    Financing activities:                  
    Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt     350,000       —       —  
    Repayments of long-term debt     (384,264 )     (275 )     (275 )
    Purchase of government securities in connection with legal defeasance of 11.75% Senior Second Lien Notes     (5,889 )     —       —  
    Premium and debt extinguishment costs     (10,230 )     —       —  
    Debt issuance costs     (11,042 )     (183 )     (312 )
    Payment of dividends     (1,493 )     (1,475 )     (1,469 )
    Other     (223 )     (13 )     (483 )
    Net cash used in financing activities     (63,141 )     (1,946 )     (2,539 )
    Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash     (3,070 )     (20,406 )     (78,516 )
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period     110,555       130,961       177,755  
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period   $ 107,485     $ 110,555     $ 99,239  

    W&T OFFSHORE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Non-GAAP Information

    Certain financial information included in W&T’s financial results are not measures of financial performance recognized by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures are “Net Debt,” “Adjusted Net Loss,” “Adjusted EBITDA” and “Free Cash Flow” or are derivable from a combination of these measures. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in its analysis of performance. These disclosures may not be viewed as a substitute for results determined in accordance with GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures which may be reported by other companies. Prior period amounts have been conformed to the methodology and presentation of the current period.

    We calculate Net Debt as total debt (current and long-term portions), less cash and cash equivalents. Management uses Net Debt to evaluate the Company’s financial position, including its ability to service its debt obligations.

    Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted Net Loss

    Adjusted Net Loss adjusts for certain items that the Company believes affect comparability of operating results, including items that are generally non-recurring in nature or whose timing and/or amount cannot be reasonably estimated. These items include loss on extinguishment of debt, unrealized commodity derivative gain, net, allowance for credit losses, non-recurring legal and IT-related costs, non-ARO P&A costs, and other which are then tax effected using the Federal Statutory Rate. Company management believes that this presentation is relevant and useful because it helps investors to understand the net loss of the Company without the effects of certain non-recurring or unusual expenses and certain income or loss that is not realized by the Company.

                       
        Three Months Ended
        March 31,    December 31,    March 31, 
        2025     2024     2024  
          (in thousands)
          (Unaudited)
    Net loss   $ (30,577 )   $ (23,362 )   $ (11,474 )
    Loss on extinguishment of debt     15,015       —       —  
    Unrealized commodity derivative gain, net     (882 )     (497 )     (1,122 )
    Allowance for credit losses     155       118       84  
    Non-recurring legal and IT-related costs     528       860       758  
    Non-ARO P&A costs     (197 )     (2,763 )     5,352  
    Other     (71 )     (1,302 )     (214 )
    Tax effect of selected items (1)     (3,055 )     753       (1,020 )
    Adjusted net loss   $ (19,084 )   $ (26,193 )   $ (7,636 )
                       
    Adjusted net loss per common share (basic and diluted)   $ (0.13 )   $ (0.18 )   $ (0.05 )
                       
    Weighted average shares outstanding (basic and diluted)     147,598       147,365       146,857  

    (1)   Selected items were tax effected with the Federal Statutory Rate of 21% for each respective period.

    W&T OFFSHORE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Non-GAAP Information

    Adjusted EBITDA/ Free Cash Flow Reconciliations

    The Company also presents non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net loss plus net interest expense, loss on extinguishment of debt, income tax (benefit) expense, depreciation, depletion and amortization, ARO accretion, excluding the unrealized commodity derivative gain, allowance for credit losses, non-cash incentive compensation, non-recurring legal and IT-related costs, non-ARO P&A costs, and other. Company management believes this presentation is relevant and useful because it helps investors understand W&T’s operating performance and makes it easier to compare its results with those of other companies that have different financing, capital and tax structures. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for net income, as an indication of operating performance or cash flows from operating activities or as a measure of liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA, as W&T calculates it, may not be comparable to Adjusted EBITDA measures reported by other companies. In addition, Adjusted EBITDA does not represent funds available for discretionary use.

    The Company defines Free Cash Flow as Adjusted EBITDA (defined above), less capital expenditures, P&A costs and net interest expense (all on an accrual basis). For this purpose, the Company’s definition of capital expenditures includes costs incurred related to oil and natural gas properties (such as drilling and infrastructure costs and the lease maintenance costs) and equipment but excludes acquisition costs of oil and gas properties from third parties that are not included in the Company’s capital expenditures guidance provided to investors. Company management believes that Free Cash Flow is an important financial performance measure for use in evaluating the performance and efficiency of its current operating activities after the impact of accrued capital expenditures, P&A costs and net interest expense and without being impacted by items such as changes associated with working capital, which can vary substantially from one period to another. There is no commonly accepted definition of Free Cash Flow within the industry. Accordingly, Free Cash Flow, as defined and calculated by the Company, may not be comparable to Free Cash Flow or other similarly named non-GAAP measures reported by other companies. While the Company includes net interest expense in the calculation of Free Cash Flow, other mandatory debt service requirements of future payments of principal at maturity (if such debt is not refinanced) are excluded from the calculation of Free Cash Flow. These and other non-discretionary expenditures that are not deducted from Free Cash Flow would reduce cash available for other uses.

    The following table presents a reconciliation of the Company’s net loss income, a GAAP measure, to Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow, as such terms are defined by the Company:

                       
        Three Months Ended
        March 31,    December 31,    March 31, 
        2025     2024     2024  
        (in thousands)
        (Unaudited)
    Net loss   $ (30,577 )   $ (23,362 )   $ (11,474 )
    Interest expense, net     9,492       10,226       10,072  
    Loss on extinguishment of debt     15,015       —       —  
    Income tax (benefit) expense     (4,615 )     (1,849 )     1,045  
    Depreciation, depletion and amortization     32,891       38,208       33,937  
    Asset retirement obligations accretion     8,392       8,157       7,969  
    Unrealized commodity derivative gain, net     (882 )     (497 )     (1,122 )
    Allowance for credit losses     155       118       84  
    Non-cash incentive compensation     2,087       3,818       3,032  
    Non-recurring legal and IT-related costs     528       860       758  
    Non-ARO P&A costs     (197 )     (2,763 )     5,352  
    Other     (71 )     (1,302 )     (214 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 32,218     $ 31,614     $ 49,439  
                       
    Capital expenditures, accrual basis (1)   $ (8,472 )   $ (12,228 )   $ (3,156 )
    Asset retirement obligation settlements     (3,771 )     (19,348 )     (3,788 )
    Interest expense, net     (9,492 )     (10,226 )     (10,072 )
    Free Cash Flow   $ 10,483     $ (10,188 )   $ 32,423  


    (1)     A reconciliation of the adjustment used to calculate Free Cash Flow to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements is included below:

                       
    Capital expenditures, accrual basis reconciliation                  
    Investment in oil and natural gas properties and equipment   $ (6,665 )   $ (14,124 )   $ (7,080 )
    Less: change in accrual for capital expenditures     1,807       (1,896 )     (3,924 )
    Capital expenditures, accrual basis   $ (8,472 )   $ (12,228 )   $ (3,156 )

    The following table presents a reconciliation of cash flow from operating activities, a GAAP measure, to Free Cash Flow, as defined by the Company:

                       
        Three Months Ended
        March 31,    December 31,    March 31,
        2025     2024     2024  
        (in thousands)
        (Unaudited)
    Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities   $ (3,196 )   $ (4,317 )   $ 11,642  
    Allowance for credit losses     155       118       84  
    Amortization of debt items     (1,099 )     (1,117 )     (1,292 )
    Non-recurring legal and IT-related costs     528       860       758  
    Current tax (benefit) expense (1)     902       92       312  
    Change in derivatives receivable (payable) (1)     1,687       (972 )     1,156  
    Non-ARO P&A costs     (197 )     (2,763 )     5,352  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities, excluding asset retirement obligation settlements     20,246       11,441       17,781  
    Capital expenditures, accrual basis     (8,472 )     (12,228 )     (3,156 )
    Other     (71 )     (1,302 )     (214 )
    Free Cash Flow   $ 10,483     $ (10,188 )   $ 32,423  


    (1)     A reconciliation of the adjustments used to calculate Free Cash Flow to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements is included below:

                       
    Current tax (benefit) expense:                  
    Income tax (benefit) expense   $ (4,615 )   $ (1,849 )   $ 1,045  
    Less: Deferred income (benefit) taxes     (5,517 )     (1,941 )     733  
    Current tax expense   $ 902     $ 92     $ 312  
                       
    Changes in derivatives receivable (payable)                  
    Derivatives receivable (payable), end of period   $ 310     $ (1,377 )   $ 1,427  
    Derivatives payable (receivable), beginning of period     1,377       405       (271 )
    Change in derivatives receivable (payable)   $ 1,687     $ (972 )   $ 1,156  
         
    CONTACT: Al Petrie Sameer Parasnis
      Investor Relations Coordinator Executive VP and CFO
      investorrelations@wtoffshore.com sparasnis@wtoffshore.com
      713-297-8024 713-513-8654

    Source: W&T Offshore, Inc.

    Released May 6, 2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Taskforce Raven lays 482 charges in three months

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Taskforce Raven lays 482 charges in three months

    Wednesday, 7 May 2025 – 2:45 pm.

    Taskforce Raven members arrested 61 offenders, and charged them with 482 individual offences during their first three months of operation.
    The taskforce has cleared 142 offence reports through its work focusing on recidivist offenders and youth crime.
    Members have recovered $48,000 worth of stolen property including power tools, jewellery and groceries and seized 8 illegal firearms.
    Northern District Commander Marco Ghedini said since the taskforce was established on 3 February this year, the district had observed a downward trend in crime.  
    “Tasmania remains a safe place to live, and we know that a small number of people are responsible for the majority of crime in Tasmania,” he said.
    “Taskforce Raven will continue to focus on recidivist offenders, and in just three months, members have delivered strong results, with a significant number of arrests and prosecutions. We have concurrently observed general reduction in crime across the district”.
    “While the taskforce is just one of a range of strategies, we have certainly seen positive indications since its inception.”
    Taskforce Raven will continue indefinitely, working in conjunction with Northern CIB, Launceston Uniform and the Northern Drugs and Firearms Unit.
    “Through a combination of high visibility foot patrols and proactive investigations, members of the community can expect to continue to see taskforce members out on the streets,” Commander Ghedini said.
    “We know concerns about youth crime, and anti-social and unlawful behaviour, particularly within the CBD remain. I can re-assure the communities of Northern Tasmania that our strong focus will continue and ask for your ongoing support.   
    “We continue to encourage anyone with information that may assist Taskforce Raven to contact police.”
    Anyone with information can contact the taskforce on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Under no illusions’ about France, says author of new Rainbow Warrior book

    Pacific Media Watch

    The author of the book Eyes of Fire, one of the countless publications on the Rainbow Warrior bombing almost 40 years ago but the only one by somebody actually on board the bombed ship, says he was under no illusions that France was behind the attack.

    Journalist David Robie was speaking last month at a Greenpeace Aotearoa workship at Mātauri Bay for environmental activists and revealed that he has a forthcoming new book to mark the anniversary of the bombing.

    “I don’t think I had any illusions at the time. For me, I knew it was the French immediately the bombing happened,” he said.

    Eyes of Fire . . . the earlier 30th anniversary edition in 2015. Image: Little Island Press/DR

    “You know with the horrible things they were doing at the time with their colonial policies in Kanaky New Caledonia, assassinating independence leaders and so on, and they had a heavy military presence.

    “A sort of clamp down in New Caledonia, so it just fitted in with the pattern — an absolute disregard for the Pacific.”

    He said it was ironic that four decades on, France had trashed the goodwill that had been evolving with the 1988 Matignon and 1998 Nouméa accords towards independence with harsh new policies that led to the riots in May last year.

    Dr Robie’s series of books on the Rainbow Warrior focus on the impact of nuclear testing by both the Americans and the French, in particular, on Pacific peoples and especially the humanitarian voyages to relocate the Rongelap Islanders in the Marshall Islands barely two months before the bombing at Marsden wharf in Auckland on 10 July 1985.

    Detained by French military
    He was detained by the French military while on assignment in New Caledonia a year after Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior was first published in New Zealand.

    His reporting won the NZ Media Peace Prize in 1985.


    David Robie’s 2025 talk on the Rainbow Warrior.     Video: Greenpeace Aotearoa

    Dr Robie confirmed that Little island Press was publishing a new book this year with a focus on the legacy of the Rainbow Warrior.

    Plantu’s cartoon on the Rainbow Warrior bombers from the slideshow. Image: David Robie/Plantu

    “This edition is the most comprehensive work on the sinking of the first Rainbow Warrior, but also speaks to the first humanitarian mission undertaken by Greenpeace,” said publisher Tony Murrow.

    “It’s an important work that shows us how we can act in the world and how we must continue to support all life on this unusual planet that is our only home.”

    Little Island Press produced an educational microsite as a resource to accompany Eyes of Fire with print, image and video resources.

    The book will be launched in association with a nuclear-free Pacific exhibition at Ellen Melville Centre in mid-July.

    Find out more at the microsite: eyes-of-fire.littleisland.co.nz

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tampa Man Sentenced To Over 17 Years In Prison For Possessing A Firearm And Committing Armed Robbery While On Federal Supervised Release

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Jutaurio Preshae Clemons (39, Tampa) to 17 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for violating supervised release. The court also ordered Clemons to forfeit a Glock model 30, 45 Auto semi-automatic pistol and assorted ammunition. Clemons pleaded guilty to the felon in possession charge on October 15, 2024, and, following a hearing on April 29, 2025, the court found Clemons in violation of his supervised release. 

    According to court documents and evidence presented at the violation hearing, Clemons was sentenced to federal prison in 2009 for conspiracy to possess five kilograms or more of cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. After he served his prison sentence, and while he was on federal supervised release, the State of Florida issued an arrest warrant for Clemons for an attempted murder and robbery alleged to have occurred on August 14, 2022. When a United States Marshals Service fugitive task force found Clemons to arrest him on August 29, 2022, he was carrying a firearm inside a holster. The firearm, a Glock semi-automatic pistol, was loaded with four rounds of ammunition.

    Evidence presented during the violation of supervised release hearing proved that on August 14, 2022, Clemons, while brandishing a firearm, sneaked up on a man as he was about to enter the front door of his residence and shot him eight times. Clemons then dragged the victim from the front of his residence, took his cellphone, and fled the scene. The victim, who had gunshot wounds to his left hand, left arm, right clavicle, right ear, chest, and upper torso, survived but required several surgeries to repair the gunshot wounds and a broken arm. The shooting was captured on home security cameras, and the victim identified Clemons as the shooter.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Temple Terrace Police Department, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Michael Sinacore. 

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pamela Bondi, DEA, & USAO New Mexico Announce Results of Historic Drug Bust

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, announced the outcome of a weeklong, multi-agency enforcement operation targeting one of the largest drug trafficking organizations responsible for flooding communities with fentanyl and other illicit narcotics.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rex, Georgia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm Offenses

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

                Montgomery, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Rex, Georgia man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. On May 6, 2025, a federal judge sentenced 40-year-old Johnques Wyndell Lupoe to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

                According to court records, in late 2022, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) received information about a suspicious individual near the grounds of one of their facilities in Barbour County during the early morning hours. When officers arrived to investigate, they discovered a duffle bag containing multiple items classified as prison contraband, including a substance later confirmed to be methamphetamine. No individuals were located in the immediate vicinity at the time.

                Later that morning, law enforcement officers encountered a man matching the suspect’s description at a nearby location. The individual, identified as Johnques Lupoe, admitted to being on the prison property earlier. Officers also discovered a handgun in his possession. Due to a prior felony conviction, Lupoe is legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

                On January 30, 2025, Lupoe pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

                The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Alabama Department of Corrections (ALDOC) Law Enforcement Services Division, and the Barbour County, Alabama Sheriff’s Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dixmont Woman Sentenced for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking Ring

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    BANGOR, Maine: A Dixmont woman was sentenced on Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for her role in a northern Maine drug trafficking ring.

    U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Sarah McBreairty, 36, to 60 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. On March 24, 2023, McBreairty pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiring to make false statements to a federal firearms licensee.

    According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, McBreairty and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. McBreairty regularly arranged to obtain quantities of the two drugs from an out-of-state supplier  through phone calls and texts using coded language and then distributed those drugs through a network of dealers she supplied in Penobscot and Aroostook Counties. McBreairty used the proceeds of her distribution to purchase more drugs from her supplier. In addition, during the conspiracy, McBreairty and a co-defendant made false statements to an area federal firearms licensee in an attempt to obtain several firearms. 

    Twenty-two defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in a widespread northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 19 of the defendants have been sentenced while three await sentencing:

    Sentenced:

    • Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
    • Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
    • Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
    • Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou) – 48 months
    • Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
    • Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
    • Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served (approx. 5 months)
    • Carol Gordon (53, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 31 months) plus 6 months of community confinement
    • Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months
    • Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington) – Time served (approx. 36 months)
    • James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months
    • Shelby Loring (29, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 32 months)
    • Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years
    • John Miller (24, Caribou) – 54 months
    • Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 33 months)
    • Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
    • Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle) – Time served (approx. 2 months) plus 24 months home detention
    • Tamara Davis (29, Fall River, MA) – Time Served (approx. 14 months)
    • Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont) – 60 months

    Awaiting sentencing:

    • Daquan Corbett (30, Brockton, Mass.) – sentencing to be scheduled
    • Daviston Jackson (28, Boston, Mass.) – sentencing to be scheduled
    • James Valiante (42, Linneus) – sentencing scheduled for May 27, 2025

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.

    Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jeremiah Clinton Gray, 42, of Blue Ridge, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 22, 2024, law enforcement responded to reports of a man inside a Jackson County, Ohio, business with a firearm, body armor and a badge. The individual, later identified as Gray, left the business in a vehicle without a license plate and fled from an attempted traffic stop by law enforcement. The resulting pursuit led law enforcement into West Virginia, where the vehicle was stopped in Charleston with the assistance of spike strips. Gray was arrested and officers found a loaded Taurus model 1911 Officer 9mm pistol on his person and a loaded Mossberg model 590 Shockwave .410-gauge shotgun in the vehicle.

    Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Gray knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of cocaine in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on October 20, 2023.

    Gray is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office

    Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-35.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rocky’s Road to Recovery

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Rocky, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, works as a Tactical K-9 for the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). On January 15, 2025, just a few months after finishing training, Rocky was tasked with finding a dangerous suspect in Houston, TX—who had shot and killed Brazoria County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesus Vargas earlier that day. Rocky is trained to locate suspects by tracking and other means. A small tactical team decided to conduct searches near the original shooting. Rocky found the suspect hiding in a dumpster and jumped in to apprehend him.

    That is when the suspect fired his weapon, hitting Rocky twice. Rocky caught the suspect, but in doing so, he took one bullet to the neck and another in his nose. While law enforcement officers neutralized the suspect, Rocky was carried to a spot where he was airlifted to Westbury Animal Hospital.

    The hospital had pre-established protocols for K-9 teams, ensuring the vets were prepared to triage and treat Rocky. He went into surgery, and it was determined that the bullets did not hit any of his vital organs, and one had narrowly missed his spine. After surgery, Rocky remained at the hospital to ensure his recovery went well. Two days later Rocky was released from the hospital and went home with his handler—who stayed at his side during all this—to rest and recover.

    Outside of the hospital, the narrative was clear: Rocky is a hero. He was able to find the suspect, alert the Deputy US Marshals with him, and be the first line of attack in apprehending a violent, armed suspect.

    “Rocky saved lives, he saved lives of deputies,” said T. Michael O’Connor, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Texas. “While that day was a tragedy for all of us in law enforcement with the loss of Deputy Vargas, it likely could have gone worse had Rocky not been there. He is a hero.”

    This was echoed by the city on April 16, 2025, when Rocky was recognized at the Crime Stoppers Houston’s Heroes Awards Luncheon. He was awarded the Johnny Klevenhagen Award recognizing heroism in law enforcement. This represents just how valuable an asset Rocky, and other K-9 teams, are in fighting violent crime as they go out to work and save lives. Rocky is the first K-9 to ever receive this award.  

    Everyone—from the city of Houston to his coworkers—is proud and grateful for Rocky, but he was merely doing his job, what he’s trained to do. The USMS Canine (K-9) Operations program provides dedicated protective, investigative, and enforcement K-9 support to US Marshals Service missions. Rocky went into that dumpster to do his job, to protect people.

    After leaving the hospital, Rocky went home with his family to rest and spend time playing with his family and just being a dog while healing. Once healed physically, Rocky still had to be cleared mentally. He had to pass testing after one week of training which created high stress scenarios to see if he was fit to go back to work. Rocky passed all these scenarios easily and was given a clean bill of both physical and mental health. The team he works with, the K-9 trainers, and his handler all agreed that just one month after the shooting, Rocky was ready to get back to work.

    For the past few months, Rocky has been back on the job as usual. He has worked on multiple searches and apprehensions with both the USMS Special Operations Group and the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force. He is back to his normal day to day life and living it to the fullest.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Western Senators Applaud Progress, Senate Hearing on Their Bipartisan Wildfire Resilience Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
    Hickenlooper’s Fix Our Forests Act will help reduce wildfire risk for Colorado communities and speed up mitigation projects while maintaining environmental safeguards and encouraging local involvement
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, John Curtis, Alex Padilla, and Tim Sheehy applauded the continued progress of their bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, which received a hearing this afternoon in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. The bipartisan legislation works to combat the increase of catastrophic wildfires across Colorado and the United States by improving forest management, supporting fire-safe communities, and streamlining approvals for projects that protect communities and ecosystems from extreme wildfires.
    A one-pager can be found here, and a section-by-section can be found here.
    “The wildfire crisis is here – and climate change is making it worse,” Hickenlooper said. “Our bipartisan bill matches the urgency to protect our communities and the environment. We’re glad the committee is moving fast – this crisis won’t wait.”
    “Utah and the American West are on the front lines of raging wildfires—and the longer we wait, the more acres will burn, and the more families will be impacted,” said Curtis. “I’m encouraged to see our Fix Our Forests Act receive a hearing in the Senate Agriculture Committee today. Our legislation reflects months of consensus-building, and I’m confident that spirit will continue as the bill is considered by the Committee and, later, by the full Senate.”
    “The status quo around wildfires isn’t working. To protect our communities from these disasters, we have to work together across the aisle to reassess how we prevent and mitigate wildfires,” said Padilla. “Our Fix Our Forests Act represents important bipartisan progress, not just in reducing wildfire risk in and around our national forests, but in protecting urban areas and our efforts to slash climate emissions. I am glad to see the bill continue to move through the Senate and will keep fighting to advance forward-thinking, practical solutions to the wildfire crisis because if we can help prevent even one more community from the devastation California has experienced, it’ll be worth it.”
    “As we work to create more good-paying jobs and support those on the frontlines protecting communities from catastrophic wildfire, better stewarding our forests is something we can all agree on, regardless of party. The Fix Our Forests Act is a bipartisan, commonsense solution that helps secure a stronger economy, more resilient, healthy forests, and safer communities,” said Sheehy.
    The comprehensive bill reflects months of bipartisan negotiations to find consensus on how to accelerate forest management projects, promote safe and responsible prescribed fire treatments, expand public input in assessments of wildfire resilience needs, and enhance collaboration between federal agencies, states, tribes, and stakeholders.
    Earlier this month, the senators announced growing support from state and local government officials, community leaders, and industry stakeholders for the Senate version of the Fix Our Forests Act.
    The West has long been prone to wildfires, but climate change, prolonged drought, and the buildup of dry fuels have increasingly intensified these fires and extended fire seasons. Wildfires today are more catastrophic – growing larger, spreading faster, and burning more land than ever before.
    Colorado has seen four of the five largest fires in our state history since 2018. The 2021 Marshall fire was Colorado’s most destructive on record, burning over 1,000 homes. The Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires in 2020 together burned over 400,000 acres, the two largest fires in the state’s history. Nationwide, total acres burned rose from 2.7 million in 2023 to nearly 9 million in 2024, a 231% increase.
    Forest health challenges are also increasing in frequency and severity due to climate stressors like drought and fire, and biological threats like invasive species – all of which the West is particularly vulnerable to. From 2001 to 2019, total forest area declined by 2.3%, while interior forest area decreased by up to 9.5%. The Intermountain region had the largest area losses, and the Pacific Southwest had the highest annual loss rates.
    More information on today’s hearing is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: First quarter 2025 results: EUR 200 million net income in Q1 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press release
    07 May 2025 – N° 10

    First quarter 2025 results

     EUR 200 million net income in Q1 2025

    • Group net income of EUR 200 million in Q1 2025 driven by all business activities (EUR 195 million adjusted1)
      • P&C combined ratio of 85.0%, despite LA wildfires and buffer building
      • L&H insurance service result2 of EUR 118 million
      • Investments regular income yield of 3.5%
    • IFRS 17 Group Economic Value3 of EUR 9.0 billion as of 31 March 2025, up +6.8% at constant economics3,4 . The Economic Value per share stands at EUR 51 (vs. EUR 48 as of 31 December 2024)
    • Estimated Group solvency ratio of 212%5 as of 31 March 2025, up 2 points from FY 2024
    • Annualized Return on Equity of 18.7% (18.3% adjusted1) in Q1 2025

    SCOR SE’s Board of Directors met on 6 May 2025, under the chair of Fabrice Brégier, to approve the Group’s Q1 2025 financial statements.

    Thierry Léger, Chief Executive Officer of SCOR, comments: “I am satisfied with the first quarter results. All business activities contribute to a strong consolidated Group net income. The P&C performance continues to be excellent with a combined ratio of 85%, after absorbing elevated Nat Cat events during the quarter and allowing for an additional level of prudence building. L&H improves its insurance service results with a neutral experience variance. In Investments, SCOR benefits from an elevated return on invested assets. Overall, we are starting the year with a high ROE of 18.7% and an improved solvency ratio of 212%, supported by positive net operating capital generation.”

    Group performance and context

    SCOR records EUR 200 million net income (EUR 195 million adjusted1) in Q1 2025, supported by all business activities:

    • In P&C, the combined ratio of 85.0% in Q1 2025 is primarily driven by a low attritional loss and commission ratio of 74.7% reflecting an excellent underlying performance and allowing for buffer building. The natural catastrophe claims ratio stands at 12.5% mainly driven by losses related to the LA wildfires.
    • In L&H, the insurance service result2 stands at EUR 118 million in Q1 2025, driven by a level of CSM amortization and risk adjustment release in line with expectations, and a neutral experience variance.
    • In Investments, SCOR benefits from an elevated regular income yield of 3.5% in Q1 2025 along with continued attractive reinvestment rates.
    • The effective tax rate stands at 29.7% for Q1 2025.

    The annualized Return on Equity stands at 18.7% (18.3% adjusted1) in Q1 2025 and the Group Economic Value increases by 6.8% at constant economics3,4.

    SCOR’s Solvency ratio is estimated at 212% at the end of Q1 2025, up 2 points versus FY 2024, from positive net operating capital generation.

    April P&C reinsurance treaty renewals

    During the April 2025 renewals, SCOR continues to grow strategically in its preferred lines, maintaining its underwriting discipline in a softening market context.

    EGPI increases by +1.5% on the business up for renewal in April, with significant growth of the Alternative Solutions book (EGPI +33.0%) while Specialty Lines increase by +3.8%, driven by Marine. Exposure to US Casualty is further reduced. As a reminder, premiums renewed in April represent
    c. 12% of total P&C reinsurance premiums.

    In a more competitive environment for the April renewals, net technical profitability on the renewed business is expected to deteriorate by 1 point. On a year-to-date basis, the net technical profitability is expected to deteriorate by less than 0.5 point. SCOR is successfully weathering a softening market thanks to its strategy of growing in a profitable and diversified way.

    For the upcoming renewals in 2025, SCOR expects pricing to be competitive on loss-free programs. Nevertheless, the overall profitability of SCOR’s business mix should remain very attractive.

    On-going excellent P&C underlying performance

    In Q1 2025, P&C insurance revenue stands at EUR 1,858 million, down -0.7% at constant exchange rates (up +1.2% at current exchange rates) compared to Q1 2024. Strong growth in the Reinsurance segment from preferred lines is mostly offset by reduced business in US Casualty reinsurance and in SCOR Business Solutions.

    New business CSM in Q1 2025 stands at EUR 710 million, up +9.0% at current exchange rates, supported by growth stemming from business renewed in January.

    P&C (re)insurance key figures:

    In EUR million

    (at current exchange rates)

    		 Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Variation
    P&C insurance revenue 1,858 1,837 1.2%
    P&C insurance service result 205 181 13.3%
    Combined ratio 85.0% 87.1% -2.1pts
    P&C new business CSM 710 651 9.0%

    The P&C combined ratio stands at 85.0% in Q1 2025, compared to 87.1% in Q1 2024. It includes:

    • A Nat Cat ratio of 12.5%, mainly impacted by the losses related to the LA wildfires (10.8 pts).
    • An attritional loss and commission ratio of 74.7%, reflecting a very satisfactory underlying performance and continued buffer building.
    • A discount effect of -9.3%, reflecting the higher locked-in rates relating to a large share of US claims including the LA wildfire losses.
    • An attributable expense ratio of 7.8%.

    The P&C insurance service result of EUR 205 million is driven by a CSM amortization of
    EUR 255 million, a risk adjustment release of EUR 40 million, a negative experience variance of
    EUR -95 million, and an onerous contract impact of EUR 6 million. The negative experience variance reflects mainly higher-than-expected Nat Cat experience, lower-than-expected insurance revenue and buffer building.

    Delivering a L&H insurance service result of EUR 118 million

    In Q1 2025, L&H insurance revenue stands at EUR 2,205 million, down -5.8% at constant exchange rates (-3.1% at current exchange rates) compared to Q1 2024. L&H New Business CSM6 generation of EUR 76 million in Q1 reflects the updated L&H new business strategy and the implementation of higher return thresholds.

    The L&H insurance service result2 amounts to EUR 118 million in Q1 2025. It includes:

    • A CSM amortization of EUR 86 million.
    • A Risk Adjustment release of EUR 32 million.
    • An experience variance of EUR 2 million, including a neutral experience variance in the US.
    • A negative impact of onerous contracts of EUR -6 million.

    L&H reinsurance key figures:

    In EUR million

    (at current exchange rates)

    		 Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Variation
    L&H insurance revenue 2,205 2,276 -3.1%
    L&H insurance service result2 118 72 64.9%
    L&H new business CSM7 76 112 -32.5%

    Investments delivering a return on invested assets of 3.8% 

    As of 31 March 2025, total invested assets amount to EUR 24.3 billion. SCOR’s asset mix is optimized, with 79% of the portfolio invested in fixed income. SCOR has a high-quality fixed income portfolio with an average rating of A+, and a duration of 3.9 years.

    Investments key figures:

    In EUR million

    (at current exchange rates)

    		 Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Variation
    Total invested assets 24,330 22,962 6.0%
    Regular income yield(*) 3.5% 3.5% 0.0pt
    Return on invested assets(*),(**) 3.8% 3.4% 0.4pts

    (*) Annualized;
    (**) Fair value through income on invested assets excludes EUR 7 million in Q1 2025 related to the pre-tax mark to market impact of the fair value of the option on own shares granted to SCOR.

    Total investment income on invested assets stands at EUR 2267 million in Q1 2025. The return on invested assets stands at 3.8%7 (vs. 3.3% in Q4 2024) and the regular income yield at 3.5% (vs. 3.6% in Q4 2024).

    The reinvestment rate stands at 4.3%8 as of 31 March 2025, compared to 4.5% as of 31 December 2024. The invested assets portfolio remains highly liquid and financial cash flows of EUR 9.0 billion are expected over the next 24 months9, enabling SCOR to benefit from elevated reinvestment rates.

    *

    *        *

    APPENDIX

    1 – SCOR Group Q1 2025 key financial details

    In EUR million

    (at current exchange rates)

    		 Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Variation
    Insurance revenue 4,063 4,113 -1.2%
    Gross written premiums1 4,908 4,953 -0.9%
    Insurance Service Result2 324 253 +27.9%
    Management expenses -301 -294 -2.4%
    Annualized ROE3 18.7% 17.3% +1.4pts
    Annualized ROE excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares 18.3% 15.5% +2.8pts
    Net income3,4 200 196 +1.7%
    Net income4 excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares 195 176 +10.5%
    Economic value5,6 9,035 9,639 -6.3%
    Shareholders’ equity 4,582 4,958 -7.6%
    Contractual Service Margin (CSM)6 4,453 4,681 -4.9%

    1: GWP is not a metric defined under the IFRS 17 accounting framework (non-GAAP metric);
    2: Including revenues on financial contracts reported under IFRS 9;
    3: Taking into account the mark to market impact of the option on own shares. Q1 2025 impact of EUR 7 million before tax;
    4: Consolidated net income, Group share;
    5. Defined as the sum of the shareholders’ equity and the Contractual Service Margin (CSM);
    6: Net of tax. A notional tax rate of 25% is applied to the CSM.

    2 – P&L key figures Q1 2025

    In EUR million

    (at current exchange rates)

    		 Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Variation
    Insurance revenue 4,063 4,113 -1.2%
    • P&C insurance revenue
    		 1,858 1,837 +1.2%
    • L&H insurance revenue
    		 2,205 2,276 -3.1%
    Gross written premiums1 4,908 4,953 -0.9%
    • P&C gross written premiums
    		 2,509 2,427 +3.4%
    • L&H gross written premiums
    		 2,399 2,526 -5.0%
    Investment income on invested assets 226 193 +17.3%
    Operating results 317 287 +10.6%
    Net income2,3 200 196 +1.7%
    Net income2excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares 195 176 +10.5%
    Earnings per share3(EUR) 1.12 1.10 +1.8%
    Earnings per share (EUR) excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares 1.09 0.98 +10.7%
    Operating cash flow 150 151 -0.7%

    1: GWP is not a metric defined under the IFRS 17 accounting framework (non-GAAP metric);
    2: Consolidated net income, Group share;
    3: Taking into account the mark to market impact of the option on own shares. Q1 2025 impact of EUR 7 million before tax.

    3 – P&L key ratios Q1 2025

      Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Variation
    Return on invested assets1,2 3.8% 3.4% +0.4pts
    P&C combined ratio3 85.0% 87.1% -2.1pts
    Annualized ROE4 18.7% 17.3% +1.4pts
    Annualized ROE excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares 18.3% 15.5% +2.8pts
    Economic Value growth5 6.8% 4.1% +2.7pts

    1: Annualized;
    2: In Q1 2025, fair value through income on invested assets excludes EUR 7 million pre-tax mark to market impact of the fair value of the option on own shares granted to SCOR;
    3: The combined ratio is the sum of the total claims, the total variables commissions, and the P&C attributable management expenses, divided by the net insurance revenue for P&C business;
    4: Taking into account the mark to market impact of the option on own shares. Q1 2025 impact of EUR 7 million before tax;
    5: Not annualized. Growth at constant economic assumptions and excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares. The starting point is adjusted for the dividend of EUR 1.8 per share (EUR 322 million in total) for the fiscal year 2024, paid on 6 May 2025. Economic Value defined as the sum of the shareholders’ equity and the Contractual Service Margin (CSM), net of tax. A notional tax rate of 25% is applied to the CSM.

    4 – Balance sheet key figures as of 31 March 2025

    In EUR million
    (at current exchange rates)    		 As of
    31 March 2025    		 As of
    31 December 2024    		 Variation
    Total invested assets1 24,330 24,155 +0.7%
    Shareholders’ equity 4,582 4,524 +1.3%
    Book value per share (EUR) 25.63 25.22 +1.6%
    Economic Value2 9,035 8,615 +4.9%
    Economic Value per share (EUR)3 50.53 48.03 +5.2%
    Financial leverage ratio4 23.6% 24.5% -0.9pts
    Total liquidity5 2,210 2,466 -10.4%

    1: Excluding third-party net insurance business investments;
    2: The Economic Value (defined as the sum of the shareholders’ equity and the Contractual Service Margin (CSM), net of tax) includes minority interests;
    3: The Economic Value per share excludes minority interests;
    4: The leverage ratio is calculated as the percentage of subordinated debt compared to the sum of Economic Value and subordinated debt in IFRS 17;
    5: Including cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments.

    *

    *       *

    SCOR, a leading global reinsurer

    As a leading global reinsurer, SCOR offers its clients a diversified and innovative range of reinsurance and insurance solutions and services to control and manage risk. Applying “The Art & Science of Risk”, SCOR uses its industry-recognized expertise and cutting-edge financial solutions to serve its clients and contribute to the welfare and resilience of society.

    The Group generated premiums of EUR 20.1 billion in 2024 and serves clients in more than 150 countries from its 37 offices worldwide.

    For more information, visit: www.scor.com

    		 Media Relations
    Alexandre Garcia
    media@scor.com

    Investor Relations
    Thomas Fossard
    InvestorRelations@scor.com

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    General

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    Forward-looking statements

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    Financial information

    The Group’s financial information contained in this press release is prepared on the basis of IFRS and interpretations issued and approved by the European Union.

    Unless otherwise specified, prior-year balance sheet, income statement items and ratios have not been reclassified.

    The calculation of financial ratios (such as return on invested assets, regular income yield, return on equity and combined ratio) is detailed in the Appendices of the presentation related to the financial results of Q1 2025. The financial results for the first quarter 2025 included in this press release have not been audited by SCOR’s statutory auditors. Unless otherwise specified, all figures are presented in Euros.

    Any figures or financial results for a period subsequent to March 31, 2025 should not be taken as a forecast of the expected financials for these periods

    1 Adjusted by excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares.
    2 Includes revenues on financial contracts reported under IFRS 9.

    3 Defined as the sum of the shareholders’ equity and the Contractual Service Margin (CSM), net of tax. 25% notional tax rate applied on CSM.
    4 Growth at constant economic assumptions as of 31 December 2024, excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares.

    5 Solvency ratio estimated after taking into account the accrual for the first three months based on the dividend paid for the fiscal year 2024 (EUR 1.8 per share).
    6 Includes the CSM on new treaties and change in CSM on existing treaties due to new business (i.e. new business on existing contracts).
    7 Excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares. Q1 2025 impact of EUR 7 million before tax.

    8 Reinvestment rate is based on Q1 2025 asset allocation of yielding asset classes (i.e. fixed income, loans and real estate), according to current reinvestment duration assumptions. Yield curves & spreads as of 31/03/2025.
    9 As of 31 March 2025. Including current cash balances and future coupons and redemptions.

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