Category: Natural Disasters

MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Finds Minneapolis Felon Guilty of Illegal Firearms and Machinegun Possession

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury convicted Clenest Demon Wells, Jr. of illegal possession of a firearm as a felon and unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Clenest Demon Wells, 28, was repeatedly caught illegally carrying firearms. Because Wells has multiple prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

On April 6, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to reports in Minneapolis of a passenger wearing a black vest and greyish winter hat on a Metro Transit bus threatening another passenger with a firearm. Law enforcement officers located and boarded the Metro Transit bus at the intersection of Penn and Lowry Avenue North, identified a passenger who closely fit the description, and conducted a pat-down search. The passenger was later identified as Wells, who was found in possession of a black HiPoint 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.

On May 23, 2022, Minneapolis Police Department officers on patrol observed a Pontiac G6 speeding through a residential area and conducted a traffic stop. Wells was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. Officers smelled and observed marijuana in the car, initiated a search, and found Wells in possession of a black Springfield Model XD9 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.

On July 30, 2023, law enforcement responded to calls reporting a fight and an individual with a gun in a parking lot at Hennepin Avenue and 5th Street in downtown Minneapolis. Upon arrival, bystanders reported that one of the involved individuals—later identified as Wells—had a gun. As officers approached, Wells turned to walk away, ignoring orders to stop. Wells was subsequently found to be in possession of a Glock model 17 9-millimeter handgun equipped with an auto-sear, commonly called a “switch,” which enabled the Glock pistol to operate as a fully automatic machinegun. Test firing conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed that the Glock pistol equipped with a switch possessed by Wells could fire ten rounds in less than one second.

“Today’s conviction holds Wells accountable for the fear and violence he has inflicted on the community for far too long,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains steadfast in its commitment to prevent violent crime.”

“Possession of a firearm modified to function as a machine gun in a public space could have had tragic consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis. “Protecting our communities from violence is a top priority, and we are committed to working with our partners to stop those who put innocent lives at risk.”

After a three-day trial before Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court, Wells was convicted on three counts of illegal possession of firearms as a felon and one count of unlawful possession of a machinegun. A sentencing hearing will take place at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Metro Transit Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Green and Syngen Kanassatega tried the case.

Federal Jury Finds Minneapolis Felon Guilty of Illegal Firearms and Machinegun Possession

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Sues to Block Trump Administration’s Dangerous Dismantling of Health and Human Services Department

Source: US State of New York

EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 19 other attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s unconstitutional dismantling of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since taking office, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Trump administration have fired thousands of federal health workers, shuttered life-saving programs, and abandoned states to face mounting health crises without federal support. Last month, the administration escalated its attack on the department, launching a reckless, irrational, and dangerous restructuring that, in a single day, erased decades of public health progress and left HHS unable to execute many of its most vital functions. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration have robbed HHS of the resources necessary to effectively serve the American people and will be asking the court to halt the dismantling before even more lives are put at risk.

“This administration is not streamlining the federal government; they are sabotaging it and all of us,” said Attorney General James. “When you fire the scientists who research infectious diseases, silence the doctors who care for pregnant patients, and shut down the programs that help firefighters and miners breathe or children thrive, you are not making America healthy – you are putting countless lives at risk.”

On March 27, Secretary Kennedy revealed a dramatic restructuring of HHS as part of the president’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) initiative. The secretary announced that the department’s 28 agencies would be collapsed into 15, with many surviving offices shuffled or split apart. He also announced mass firings, slashing the department’s headcount from 85,000 to 65,000. On April 1, 10,000 employees were locked out of their work email, laptops, and offices without warning. Many only learned they had been terminated when they arrived at work to find their badges deactivated. In a matter of hours, critical HHS operations ground to a halt. Experiments were abandoned, trainings canceled, site visits postponed, and labs shuttered.

Attorney General James and the coalition assert the impacts of this restructuring have been immediate and disastrous. Programs serving children and low-income families have been particularly devastated. With HHS regional offices shut down and grant funding frozen, Head Start centers are at risk of closing, depriving children of early education and foster families of critical support. Programs aiding children with disabilities, youth experiencing homelessness, and preschool development have been left in limbo. The administration also fired staff responsible for maintaining the federal poverty guidelines, which states rely on to determine eligibility for food assistance like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), housing support, Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The entire team running the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was terminated, a reckless decision amid extreme weather and rising energy costs.

Mental health and substance use services have been completely gutted as a result of the administration’s restructuring. The administration fired hundreds of employees working on mental health and addiction treatment, including half of the entire workforce at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and closed all ten SAMHSA regional offices. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline team was slashed, and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health was halted, blinding policymakers to trends amid an escalating overdose crisis. Even the nation’s tobacco prevention agency was dismantled, despite tobacco-related deaths remaining the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.

The damage extends to reproductive health, disability services, and the fight against HIV and AIDS. Pregnant people and newborns have been put at risk after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) entire maternal health team was fired, collapsing the nation’s maternal mortality monitoring efforts. The federal fertility tracking program was shut down, stripping families of crucial information on access to IVF and family planning services. Sexual assault and domestic violence prevention efforts have been impacted, with much of the CDC Division of Violence Prevention reportedly fired or placed on leave. Sweeping layoffs at the Administration for Community Living (ACL) stand to devastate services for individuals with disabilities. The nation’s HIV/AIDS response has been undermined with expert scientists fired, prevention initiatives eliminated, and decades of hard-won progress undone in a matter of days.

The World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), which provides life-saving care to more than 137,000 9/11 first responders and survivors, faces the loss of the physicians needed to certify new cancer diagnoses. Workers across the country, from nurses to construction crews, risk losing reliable access to N95 masks following the closure of the nation’s only federal mask approval laboratory. Several CDC labs tracking infectious diseases – including measles – were shuttered, paralyzing federal disease surveillance. In the absence of federal leadership, New York’s state lab is now scrambling to fill the void, as it is one of the only remaining labs in the nation with the ability to test for many rare diseases and complex sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Attorney General James and the coalition argue that this chaos and devastation are not just collateral damage, but the administration’s intended result. They allege the Trump administration has violated hundreds of laws, bypassed congressional authority, and trampled the constitutional separation of powers, ignoring laws that Congress enacted to protect public health and taking reckless action without regard for the consequences. Secretary Kennedy even publicly acknowledged he rejected a case-by-case review of terminations, saying he feared it would cost “political momentum.” As Attorney General James and the coalition write in the lawsuit, “the terminations and reorganizations happened quickly, but the consequences are severe, complicated, drawn-out, and potentially irreversible.”

“The disastrous cuts to the WTC Health Program are placing in peril the lives of every first responder and survivor that relies on this health care program to stay alive,” said Gary Smiley, 9/11 First Responder and WTC Liaison for FDNY EMS Local 2507. “Every day there is doubt in these responders’ and survivors’ lives as to what will come next in their health battle. The Trump administration, by slashing research grants and proposals for new and emerging conditions to the bone, leaves them hopeless and Forgotten. The psychological impacts on these members are reprehensible. This is exactly the opposite of what this nation promised to each and every one of them: To Never Forget.”

“Last month, the federal government suddenly closed five regional Head Start offices, including the one that serves New York. Providers were left scrambling, unable to contact anyone, and worried for the families who rely on them. Recertification applications are unresolved, and uncertainty about payments and the future of Head Start have caused a sense of panic among child care providers,” said Susan Stamler, Executive Director of United Neighborhood Houses. “The shrinking of HHS is clearly having devastating impacts on our neighborhoods and families. Jeopardizing child care is no way to help working parents. We stand proudly with Attorney General James as she fights to protect our communities and ensure every child has the care they deserve.”

“The dismantling of Medicaid and the erasure of maternal health infrastructure reveal a devastating truth—mothers and babies are not a priority in this nation,” said Chanel Porchia-Albert, Founder and CEO of Ancient Song Doula Services. “In one of the wealthiest, most industrialized countries, we rank among the worst for maternal outcomes. If we do not invest now in data, programs, and policies rooted in equity and upliftment, we will bear the generational cost of this neglect. Maternal health must be a bipartisan priority—because the future of our communities depends on it.”

“In 2024 alone, Housing Works has provided primary care to nearly 10,000 patients—70% covered by Medicaid or Duals,” said Anthony Feliciano, VP of Community Mobilization at Housing Works. “The Trump administration’s reckless dismantling of HHS directly threatens our ability to serve these communities. From HIV services to substance use support, this attack on public health infrastructure abandons the most vulnerable people in our state. These devastating cuts jeopardize decades of progress toward ending the HIV epidemic—an effort that is not only about public health, but about justice and dignity for our communities. Ending the epidemic is how we serve our people, and we refuse to allow this administration to turn its back on them.”

Attorney General James and the coalition are urging the court to immediately halt the Trump administration’s unlawful dismantling of HHS and to require the restoration of critical health programs to protect the health and well-being of people nationwide.

Joining Attorney General James in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: SDTX Continues Efforts to Protect the Border with 259 More Charged in Immigration-Related Crimes

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

HOUSTON – A total of 256 cases have been filed from April 25-May 1 in matters aimed at securing the southern border, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

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.

Those charged by criminal complaint include three Mexican nationals found in the McAllen area who are alleged to be here illegally. The charges allege Luciano Ojeda had been sentenced to two years for robbery before his removal, while Sergio Salazar-Gonzalez and Maria Del Carmen Gutierrez-Perez have convictions for driving while intoxicated (3rd offense) and injury to child/elderly/disabled persons with intent of causing bodily injury, respectively, before they were removed from the United States.

In addition to the new cases filed, two adult Guatemalan citizens were indicted for making false statements about their age in their juvenile immigration cases. Tadeo Pedro Torres and Marvin Ixcoy-Ajqui claimed they were unaccompanied minors after they entered the United States illegally. As a result, they were allegedly transferred to juvenile shelters contracted to provide care for children in the United States for whom there is no parent or legal guardian with the ability to provide custody. However, the charges allege they were adults and had provided a false date of birth and age.

A Houston federal jury also convicted a conspirator involved in transporting aliens shot en route. Mailon Almendares-Martinez recruited conspirators who picked up the aliens near the border. On the way to Houston, individuals believed to be a part of a rival alien smuggling organization had shot at them, resulting in gunshot wounds to the arm and leg. After the shooting, Almendares-Martinez told the co-conspirators to return to Houston and not seek medical attention for the two wounded aliens. He now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

“This case demonstrates—like so many cases before it—that human smuggling is an inhumane, dangerous, and sometimes fatal business,” said Ganjei. “Those that smuggle human beings for profit deserve prosecution, and those that would willingly place themselves in a situation to be smuggled need to think twice. Stay home, stay safe.”

In Corpus Christi, Louis Dante Anthony received a 30-month sentence for smuggling three dozen illegal aliens in an 8 by 4.25-foot false compartment. The illegal aliens had no access to air, could not be heard from the outside and were unable to get themselves out of the compartment. All were from the countries of Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.

In Laredo federal court, an illegal alien pleaded guilty to assault of an officer, admitting he struck the agent’s body and face repeatedly while attempting to flee. A Border Patrol (BP) agent had transported Marco Cupil-Hernandez to a local hospital for emergency care after he had waded across the Rio Grande River. Once cleared, the agent attempted to assist him into the vehicle. Cupil-Hernandez then forcefully pushed him away and attempted to flee, resulting in a struggle on the concrete during which Cupil-Hernandez elbowed the agent’s face. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Also announced this week was the sentencing of two felons in McAllen for illegally reentering the United States. Porfirio Martinez-Santos, Mexico, was ordered to serve 42 months, while Juan Esteban Zelaya-Hernandez, Honduras, received 21 months. The investigation revealed Zelaya-Hernandez had been ordered removed in August 2024 after serving a federal prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a felon and illegal reentry. Martinez-Santos was removed in 2023 and had previously served a 37-month sentence for illegal reentry.

Another Mexican citizen with a felony criminal history was sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after eight previous removals. Julio Cesar Corona-Corona will now serve 37 months in federal prison. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that despite prior court warnings not to do so, Corona-Corona was determined to unlawfully reenter the United States, as evidenced by his repeated encounters with immigration authorities. He was first removed from the United States in January 2014 and returned illegally eight times between 2014 and April 2020. In fact, authorities had removed him six times alone between 2017-2018.

In Brownsville, a 42-year-old man from Aldamas, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was also sentenced for illegal reentry into the United States. Alfredo Balderas-Rivera was first removed in 2016 with a subsequent removal in 2018 and 2023. However, authorities found Balderas-Rivera in Cameron County March 30, 2024. He had been in custody for allegedly committing fraud and assault and bodily injury. He received a 50-month sentence in Brownsville federal court.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.

The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.

An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Chester Man Sentenced for Tax Evasion, False Statements, and Illegal Gun Possession in Multimillion-Dollar Business Scheme

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Lawrencium Germaine Martin, a/k/a Germaine Martin, 47, of Chester, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to federal tax evasion, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and making false statements to federal investigators.

According to evidence presented in court, from 2019 through 2021, Martin operated a business known as Lancaster Tactical Supply (LTS) through the website LTacticalSupply.com. Martin presented LTS as if it were a legitimate business that sold firearm accessories and parts, including 80% build kits, firearm slides, imitation suppressors, optics, and body armor. He also modified and customized firearms. Build kits are products that include the component parts of an operable firearm with some parts disassembled. When the parts are combined, the product is converted into a fully functioning firearm, often without a manufacturer or serial number, making the firearm more difficult to trace.

At least 380 customers from 43 states complained that they were defrauded by LTS, generally reporting that LTS took their money and failed to ship the products they purchased. Martin generated substantial revenue through LTS, including more than $2 million in 2020 alone. Although Martin personally operated LTS and deposited its proceeds into his personal bank accounts, Martin failed to pay state or federal income tax any year from 2015 through 2022.

Martin also evaded federal income tax by using the identity of a former employee without authorization to set LTS payment systems up in a way that caused the IRS to identify the former employee as the person who owed income tax for the business, rather than Martin.

When agents searched Martin’s residence and business in Chester, pursuant to a federal search warrant, he was found in possession of numerous firearms – including a 5.56 x 45 mm “80%” rifle; a 9 x 19 mm “80%” pistol, with a stabilizer brace and muzzle attachment; a 9mm pistol; and another 9mm pistol loaded with 16 rounds. Only one of the firearms had a serial number. Martin had 15 prior criminal convictions at the time, many of which are felonies, which made firearm possession illegal for Martin under federal law.

As for false statements, when agents searched his house and business, Martin told FBI agents that he had never heard of LTS, that he had never received money from LTS, and that he did not know how his name became associated with the businesses, all of which Martin knew were untrue.

United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Martin to 57 months in federal prison, the high end of the advisory guidelines, with 3 years supervision by U.S. Probation to follow. Martin was also ordered to pay $215,374.00 in restitution to the IRS.

The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation, with critical assistance from the Chester County Sheriff’s Department and the Rock Hill Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case.

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MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Gang Member Sentenced for Obstructing Justice

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

JAMES GRAHAM, also known as “Little Cuz,” 25, formerly of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for an offense stemming from his participation in the 960 gang, a violent Waterbury street gang.

Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang. On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Graham and 15 other 960 gang members with various offenses, including racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder and assault, and obstruction of justice offenses.

On November 22, 2017, 960 members Zaekwon McDaniel, Tahjay Love, and Malik Bayon shot at Clarence Lewis and Antonio Santos who were in a car at a restaurant in Waterbury. Lewis sped from the scene at a high-rate of speed and crashed into a house at the intersection of Wolcott Street and Dallas Avenue in Waterbury. Lewis, 22, and Santos, 20, were pronounced dead at the scene. On October 19, 2019, Graham and Love, who were incarcerated in state custody, assaulted another inmate who they believed had reported to law enforcement Love’s role in the shooting.

On February 14, 2024, a jury found Graham guilty of obstruction of justice, and Love, McDaniel, Bayon guilty of offenses related to their participation in 960 and the deaths of Lewis and Santos.

Graham is currently serving a 52-year state sentence for murder, robbery, and firearm offenses related to his role in the murder of an 18-year-old victim in Hamden on November 13, 2017. Judge Dooley ordered Graham’s federal sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence.

Love, McDaniel, and Bayon await sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Waterbury Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Southington Police Department, Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the DEA Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo, who were cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Career Criminal Sentenced to 17 Years After Federal Adoption from Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office

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

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man with nine prior felony convictions was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison after robbing a local Whataburger at gunpoint and firing a shot inside the restaurant to effectuate the robbery.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on June 10, 2023, Jonas Brandon Sanchez, 40, entered the Whataburger in the South Valley, brandished a 9mm “ghost gun” equipped with a high-capacity magazine, and stole approximately $60. During the robbery, Sanchez fired a round into a wall when an employee walked away, endangering everyone present. The incident was captured on multiple high-resolution surveillance cameras.

Sanchez firing gun inside restaurant

Sanchez removing cash from drawer

Sanchez pointing gun at employee

On July 7, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sanchez’s residence, recovering the firearm used in the robbery and the clothing he wore during the crime. Ballistics analysis from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) matched the shell casing found at the scene to Sanchez’s pistol. At the time of the offense, Sanchez was a nine-time convicted felon.

Upon his release from prison, Sanchez will be subject to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman made the announcement today.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Haynes is prosecuting this case as part of an agreement with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Through the agreement, Assistant District Attorneys are designated Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) in the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA from the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office screens felony criminal complaints filed in Bernalillo County for federal criminal offenses, prioritizing federal charges against those who drive violence in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Since 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office has reviewed almost 3,000 cases and has charged more than 300 criminal cases pursuant to this program.

The United States Attorney’s Office has similar agreements with the New Mexico Department of Justice and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office and plans to expand the program throughout the state.

MIL Security OSI –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Global CEO pay increased by 50 percent since 2019, 56 times more than worker wages
Source: Oxfam –
- Average CEO pay surged by 50 percent in real terms since 2019, while average worker wages increased by just 0.9 percent.
- Every hour, billionaires pocket more wealth than the average worker earns in an entire year.
- The average gender pay gap in 11,366 corporations worldwide narrowed slightly from 27 percent to 22 percent between 2022 and 2023 ―yet their average female employee still effectively works for free on Fridays, while their average male employee is paid through the week.
- Oxfam and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) are calling for higher taxes on the super-rich to invest in people and planet.
Average global CEO pay hit $4.3 million in 2024, reveals new analysis from Oxfam ahead of International Workers’ Day (1 May). This is a 50 percent real-term increase from $2.9 million in 2019 (adjusted for inflation) —a rise that far outpaces the real wage growth of the average worker, who saw a 0.9 percent increase over the same five-year period in the countries where CEO pay data is available.

The figures are median averages, based on full executive pay packages, including bonuses and stock options, from nearly 2,000 corporations across 35 countries where CEOs were paid more than $1 million in 2024. The data, analyzed by Oxfam, was sourced from the S&P Capital IQ database, which uses publicly reported company financials.
- Ireland and Germany have some of the highest-paid CEOs, earning an average of $6.7 million and $4.7 million a year in 2024 respectively.
- Average CEO pay in South Africa was $1.6 million in 2024, while in India, it reached $2 million.
“Year after year, we see the same grotesque spectacle: CEO pay explodes while workers’ wages barely budge. This isn’t a glitch in the system —it’s the system working exactly as designed, funnelling wealth ever upwards while millions of working people struggle to afford rent, food, and healthcare,” said Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar.

Boosts to global CEO pay come as warnings grow that wages are failing to keep pace with the cost of living. While the International Labor Organization (ILO) global reports real wages grew by 2.7 percent in 2024, many workers have seen their wages stagnate. In France, South Africa and Spain for example, real wage growth was just 0.6 percent last year. While wage inequality had decreased globally, it remains very high, particularly in low-income countries, where the share of income of the richest 10 percent is 3.4 times higher than the poorest 40 percent.

Billionaires —who often fully, or in part, own large corporations— pocketed on average $206 billion in new wealth over the last year. This is equivalent to $23,500 an hour, more than the global average income in 2023 ($21,000).
Beyond runaway CEO pay, the global working class is now facing a new threat: sweeping US tariffs. These policies pose significant risks for workers worldwide, including job losses and rising costs for basic goods that would stoke extreme inequality everywhere.

“For so many workers worldwide, President Trump’s reckless use of tariffs means a push from one cruel order to another: from the frying pan of destructive neoliberal trade policy to the fire of weaponized tariffs. These policies will not only hurt working families in the US, but especially harm workers trying to escape poverty in some of the world’s poorest countries,” said Behar.

Increasingly, corporations are being required by law to report their gender pay gaps ―the average difference in earnings between women and men. Oxfam’s analysis of the S&P Capital IQ database found that among 11,366 corporations across 82 countries that reported gender pay gap data, the average gap narrowed slightly from 27 percent to 22 percent between 2022 and 2023. Yet, on average, women in these corporations still effectively work without pay on Fridays, while their male counterparts are paid for the full week.

Corporations in Japan and South Korea reported some of the highest average gender pay gaps in 2023 (around 40 percent). The average gap in Latin America was 36 percent in 2023, up from 34 percent the previous year. Corporations in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK reported average pay gaps of 16 percent.

Oxfam’s analysis also found that out of 45,501 corporations across 168 countries where the CEO is paid more than $10 million and their gender is reported, fewer than 7 percent have a female CEO.

“The outrageous pay inequality between CEOs and workers confirms that we lack democracy where it is needed most: at work. Around the world, workers are being denied the basics of life while corporations pocket record profits, dodge taxes and lobby to evade responsibility,” said Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

“Workers are demanding a New Social Contract that works for them —not the billionaires undermining democracy. Fair taxation, strong public services, living wages and a just transition are not radical demands —they are the foundation of a just society. It’s time to end the billionaire coup against democracy and put people and planet first.”

Oxfam and the ITUC are calling on governments to sustain and accelerate momentum on taxing the super-rich, both nationally and globally. This includes introducing top marginal rates of tax of at least 75 percent on all personal income for the highest earners to discourage sky-high executive pay. Governments must also ensure minimum wages keep up with inflation, and that everyone has the right to unionize, strike and bargain collectively.
MIL OSI NGO –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: MEDIA ADVISORY: EMERGENCY PRESS BRIEFING FROM HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATIONS IN GAZA AS ISRAEL’S TOTAL SIEGE ON GAZA MARKS TWO MONTHS
Source: Oxfam –
What

Today marks two months since Israel imposed a total siege on Gaza. Representatives from leading humanitarian organisations, including those who are in or just left the Gaza Strip, will brief the press on the devastating humanitarian impacts, as Palestinians facing starvation struggle to survive against the backdrop of a total siege which has blocked the entry of all aid – food, water, medicine, vital equipment – and commercial goods into Gaza.

Panellists will share testimonies on the unimaginable suffering people are experiencing as aid stocks run out and malnutrition rates rise, and will renew their urgent call for a full and permanent ceasefire and the unfettered entry of aid.

The situation in Gaza has become increasingly dire since Israel broke the ceasefire on 18 March and renewed bombings and ground operations. People are risking their lives as they search for food, water and shelter under bombardment.

Areas of focus

Depletion of essential supplies and food stocks from markets and aid agencies, causing food prices to skyrocket.

The resulting acute hunger and malnutrition, especially among children.

The militarization of aid.

Targeting of medical facilities and the dire state of medical care.

The severe constraints of humanitarian aid delivery under Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

When

Friday, May 2, 2025 – 13:00 BST; 14:00 CET; 15:00 Gaza; 08:00 ET

Where

Please register in advance for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_81_sW6z3Tbqb_pPvEijgKg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Who

Moderated by Jacqui Corcoran, Media & Comms Lead, Oxfam Jerusalem, Occupied Palestinian Territory

Gavin Kelleher, Humanitarian Access Manager, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). He has been working from Gaza for the past year, advising on navigating the deteriorating humanitarian access environment, and focusing on getting aid to the hardest-to-reach populations.

Ghada Alhaddad, Gaza Media & Communications Officer, Oxfam International. She holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs, which she earned through a Fulbright Scholarship. Ghada has worked in multimedia production since 2017, with various NGOs in Gaza and USA including Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children, Anera, and the IU Center of Excellence for Women & Technology. She is based in Gaza.

Rachael Cummings, Gaza-based Humanitarian Director, Save the Children. She has been working in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since October 2023, initially based in Ramallah before relocating to Gaza in February. Rachael brings extensive experience in humanitarian public health. Prior to her current role, she served as the Director of Humanitarian Public Health at Save the Children in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where she led the Emergency Health Unit’s COVID-19 response.

Amjad Shawa, Director, Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO) and the deputy of the General Commissioner of the Independent Commission of Human Rights (ICHR). He worked as a teacher of the deaf from 1992 until 1999. He is a member of The Palestinian Resource Group on Conflict Transformation and is also co-founder and board member of a number of NGOs, and has written and spoken extensively on human rights and civil society issues. He is based in Gaza.

Dr. Fady Abed, Gaza-based dentist, Communications and Reporting Officer, MedGlobal. He supports nutrition and health programs by working closely with frontline teams to coordinate and document the response to rising malnutrition, providing firsthand insight into its impact on affected communities. He is based in Gaza.
For more information and for interviews, please contact:

Oxfam Media office | Media.OPTI@oxfam.org

Jacqui Crocoran | Oxfam Media Lead in Jerusalem, Occupied Palestinian TerritoryOxfam | jacqui.corcoran@oxfam.org

For real-time updates, follow us on X and Bluesky, and join our WhatsApp channel.
MIL OSI NGO –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Red Deer — Red Deer RCMP respond to report of firearm – Update 1
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Yesterday, at approximately 11:49 a.m., Red Deer RCMP responded to an individual seen with an imitation firearm. In connection to this incident Red Deer RCMP has charged an 18-year-old individual, a resident of Red Deer, with the following offences:
- Carrying concealed weapon
- Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose
- Uttering threats
- Using imitation firearm in the commission of an offence
- Fail to comply with release order condition x3
- Fail to comply x3
The individual was taken before a justice of the peace and was remanded into custody. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 16, 2025, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.

As charges against the two youths have not yet been sworn, no additional information is available.

Background:

Red Deer RCMP respond to report of firearm

Today, at approximately 11:49 a.m., Red Deer RCMP received a report of an individual seen with a firearm located in a field within the neighbourhood of Lancaster.

Officers responded and arrested an 18-year-old male and two youths, one male and one female. They were taken into custody without incident. The firearm was recovered and was confirmed to be a replica firearm.

As charges are currently pending no additional information can be released at this time.

MIL Security OSI –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Foothills County — High River RCMP and Southern Alberta Crime Reduction Unit make arrests for stolen property
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

On April 21, 2025, High River RCMP and the Southern Alberta Crime Reduction Unit, with the assistance of Okotoks RCMP, and the Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant at an acreage located in Foothills County. The search warrant resulted in the recovery of numerous stolen property including: 2 vehicles, 4 trailers, 1 ATV, 3 dirt bikes, and firearms. Two males were arrested on scene, and a third male fled the scene in a stolen truck. He was located and arrested after attempting to evade police.

The three males have been charged with the following offences:
- Possession of property obtained by crime under $5000
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000
- Possession of weapon obtained by crime
- Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose
- Possession of break in tools
- Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
- Criminal Flight
- Mischief over $5000
- Obstruct Police Officer
- Fail to comply with release order
- Careless storage of firearm
- Firearm in motor vehicle
They remain in custody awaiting court proceedings. An update is anticipated at a later time.

This search warrant and arrests were a direct result of the work of the Southern Alberta Crime Reduction Unit, in conjunction with several Southern Alberta RCMP detachments.

MIL Security OSI –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI: ESO Releases 2025 EMS Index: Reveals Decrease in Opioid Overdose Calls and Data Informed By New Pre-Hospital Obstetric Emergency Guidelines
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

AUSTIN, Texas, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ESO’s 2025 ESO EMS Index, which analyzes data from more than 3,000 EMS agencies with 12.5 million 911 records in calendar year 2024, evaluated patient care and outcomes across seven key measures. The leading data services and software provider distributes the annual index to help agencies benchmark and compare performance against aggregate data in the U.S.

“These data points aren’t just numbers—they represent real patients whose outcomes could be transformed through data-driven protocols and care practices,” said Dr. Brent Myers M.D., MPH, chief medical officer at ESO. “That’s why we’ve included five new metrics to paint a full picture of the current EMS landscape and spark innovation that could save lives, ensure balanced application of evidence-based measures, and maximize resources according to patient demands. When we measure patient encounters and treatments consistently and accurately, we understand precisely how to improve them.”

Findings include:
- Calls for suspected opioid overdose continue to drop: EMS agencies responded to 136,300 calls for patients with suspected opioid overdoses, accounting for 1% of all EMS calls, a decrease from 2% in the 2024 ESO EMS Index. This is in line with the CDC’s findings showing a significant reduction in overdose-related deaths across the U.S.
- Maternal care findings: Among patients with postpartum hemorrhage, 20% of white patients received tranexamic acid (TXA) or oxytocin treatments compared with only 3% of Black patients and 8.5% of Hispanic patients. According to the CDC, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among industrialized countries. In April 2025, the National Association of EMS Physicians released new EMS model guidelines and protocols designed to support the care of obstetric emergencies, including postpartum hemorrhage, in the prehospital setting.
- Airway safety gaps: 64% of invasive airway procedures in adult patients and 62% of pediatric patients included documentation confirming waveform capnography, according to the National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA)—the gold standard for confirming invasive airway placement due to its accuracy, reliability and continuous monitoring capabilities. While this measure focuses on the discrete documentation of waveform ETCO2, it is understood that other methods of documenting the use of this important tool are being utilized; we look forward to enhancing this measure in future indices to ensure current practice is being most accurately captured.
- Pediatric behavioral health surge: The rise in pediatric behavioral health diagnoses is mirrored in 911 calls—about one in eight pediatric encounters (13%) involved behavioral health or substance use emergencies. Most EMS-transported children with behavioral health emergencies were discharged from the Emergency Department (ED), highlighting an opportunity to evaluate optimal alternative care settings.
- Whole blood adoption increasing: Whole blood has become the most commonly administered blood product in ground EMS. EMS professionals administering whole blood to critically ill and injured patients is practical, feasible and associated with a low risk of adverse events.
The 2025 EMS Index is the first index to use ESO’s longitudinal patient record ID—which makes it easier to track patients who frequently use EMS services. The new data revealed that 20% of patients (1.1 million) used EMS services twice or more in the calendar year, representing a significant opportunity to improve health outcomes by shifting nonemergent and chronic disease management to primary care settings.

Access the 2025 ESO EMS Index here. For more information on ESO, visit www.eso.com.

Methodology and Limitations
The dataset for the 2025 ESO EMS Index report is real-world data, compiled and aggregated from 12,527,211 911 records that occurred in calendar year 2024 across the United States. This index is retrospective and looks at aggregate data from 2024. There are no universal rules
designed around these measures. The purpose of the ESO EMS Index is to be informative and
directional. This document is intended to serve as a body of literature that adds to the discussion about EMS best practices and quality improvement efforts to enhance patient outcomes. It is not meant as a scientific study nor comprehensive in nature.

About ESO
ESO (ESO Solutions, Inc.) is dedicated to improving community health and safety through the power of data. Since its founding in 2004, the company continues to pioneer innovative, user-friendly software to meet the changing needs of today’s dispatch centers, EMS agencies, fire departments, hospitals, and state and federal offices. ESO currently serves thousands of customers across the globe with a broad software portfolio, including the state-of-the-art Logis IDS CAD solution, industry-leading ESO Electronic Health Record (EHR), the next-generation ePCR; ESO Health Data Exchange (HDE), the first-of-its-kind health care interoperability platform; ESO Fire RMS, the modern fire Record Management System; ESO Patient Registry (trauma, burn and stroke registry software); and ESO State Repository. ESO is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.eso.com.

Media Contact:
For ESO,
Hope Sander
Red Fan Communications
eso@redfancommunications.com
737-280-8783

The MIL Network –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Congolese refugees face humanitarian emergency in Burundi

Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

Thousands of Congolese refugees who fled violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are now living in extremely precarious conditions in the designated Musenyi site in Burundi. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has launched an emergency response to reduce the risk of measles and malaria, but more support is needed as people’s humanitarian needs remain largely unmet.

Since the beginning of the year, thousands of people have fled fighting and insecurity in the provinces of North and South Kivu in the DRC. Crossing the Rusizi river into Burundi, they have hastily set up camp in schools, sheds, churches and stadiums in the province of Cibitoke on the border with South Kivu.

In March, the Burundian authorities and the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) relocated the refugees to the Musenyi site, an official site inaugurated in 2024 in the south-east to provide basic facilities and services for up to 10,000 refugees.

Megaphone in hand, an MSF community mobiliser walks around the Musenyi refugee site to encourage parents to vaccinate their children against measles. Burundi, April 2025.
Dorine Niyungeko/MSF

Unfortunately, the site’s capacity was quickly exceeded: according to UNHCR, by the end of April, some 18,000 refugees were living at the Musenyi site. Unsurprisingly, their living conditions quickly became unbearable and created health risks for adults and children alike.

“I’ve been living in a shed since I arrived because there aren’t enough shelters for everyone,” says Nathalie*, a refugee who arrived in February. “Tarpaulins are given to large families to make shelters. But I live here, and we sleep in this shed, without mattresses, with toads, and moisture everywhere. We feel abandoned.”

Built on poorly drained clay soil, the Musenyi site is particularly prone to flooding during the rainy season. Now, since the end of April, the rainy season has begun and, although drainage channels have been dug, water is stagnating in many parts of the site. People are trying to protect their shelters and the communal latrines as best they can to prevent the dirty water from spilling into the alleyways.

“There is an urgent need to improve the living conditions on this site, as all the elements for serious health problems are present,” says Barbara Turchet, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Burundi. “Given the hygiene conditions, we have started to set up isolation units as a preventive measure in case of a cholera outbreak. And to reduce the risk of malaria, which is exacerbated by the amount of stagnant water everywhere, we have distributed more than 8,000 mosquito nets and are planning long-term mosquito spraying at the site.”

8,500

8,5

measles vaccinations for children

8,000

8,

mosquito nets

Given the concentration of children at the site, MSF has also helped the health authorities organise a measles vaccination campaign, as several cases of this highly infectious but preventable disease have already been confirmed among the refugees.

“We set up four vaccination points,” says Turchet. “We were able to vaccinate 8,500 children against measles and treat those who were infected. That’s something, but we have to do more to improve the refugees’ situation and protect their health.”

Essential services overwhelmed as aid funding contracts

A few organisations other than MSF are also present to offer healthcare to the refugees, but many people are unhappy with the insufficient access to care.

“Here, refugees living with HIV have no access to treatment,” says Henri*, a refugee from South Kivu who was moved to Musenyi site from another in Burundi. “When we were in Rugombo, [also] in the province of Cibitoke, there was medical follow-up and treatment. But here, the health facilities don’t offer this kind of care.”

In Musenyi, as in many other places today, humanitarian organisations are struggling to provide sufficient support because funding has decreased. Several humanitarian agencies are unable to provide sufficient medical follow-up for patients in the clinics they support. Food distributions are also clearly inadequate, further increasing the vulnerability of families. The UN estimates that US$76 million are required to meet the humanitarian needs of Congolese refugees in Burundi.

“The gravity of the situation is real and calls for more attention and support,” warns Turchet. “At our level, we are doing our utmost and have extended our support to provide medical care for victims of sexual violence and psychosocial support for refugees suffering from mental health problems. But there are needs everywhere…”

*Names have been changed for confidentiality

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MIL OSI NGO –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 231

Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
SEL1

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Tornado Watch Number 231
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
815 AM CDT Tue May 6 2025

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Tornado Watch for portions of
Central and East/Southeast Texas

* Effective this Tuesday morning and afternoon from 815 AM until
400 PM CDT.

* Primary threats include…
A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible
Scattered large hail likely with isolated very large hail events
to 3 inches in diameter possible
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely

SUMMARY…Supercell thunderstorms are expected to develop near a
warm front across the region with other storms related to an
eastward-moving cluster of storms across central Texas early today.
Tornado potential is apparent, including the possibility of strong
tornadoes. Damaging winds and large hail are also expected.

The tornado watch area is approximately along and 65 statute miles
north and south of a line from 65 miles north northwest of San
Antonio TX to 35 miles southeast of Huntsville TX. For a complete
depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
and possible warnings.

&&

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 230…

AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
surface and aloft to 3 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean
storm motion vector 24025.

…Guyer

SEL1

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Tornado Watch Number 231
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
815 AM CDT Tue May 6 2025

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Tornado Watch for portions of
Central and East/Southeast Texas

* Effective this Tuesday morning and afternoon from 815 AM until
400 PM CDT.

* Primary threats include…
A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible
Scattered large hail likely with isolated very large hail events
to 3 inches in diameter possible
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely

SUMMARY…Supercell thunderstorms are expected to develop near a
warm front across the region with other storms related to an
eastward-moving cluster of storms across central Texas early today.
Tornado potential is apparent, including the possibility of strong
tornadoes. Damaging winds and large hail are also expected.

The tornado watch area is approximately along and 65 statute miles
north and south of a line from 65 miles north northwest of San
Antonio TX to 35 miles southeast of Huntsville TX. For a complete
depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
and possible warnings.

&&

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 230…

AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
surface and aloft to 3 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean
storm motion vector 24025.

…Guyer

Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
SAW1
WW 231 TORNADO TX 061315Z – 062100Z
AXIS..65 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
65NNW SAT/SAN ANTONIO TX/ – 35SE UTS/HUNTSVILLE TX/
..AVIATION COORDS.. 55NM N/S /50ESE JCT – 29NNE IAH/
HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..3 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
MAX TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24025.

LAT…LON 31349889 31319505 29439505 29469889

THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
FOR WOU1.

Watch 231 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

High (70%)

Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

Mod (50%)

Wind

Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

Mod (60%)

Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

Low (20%)

Hail

Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

Mod (60%)

Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

Mod (50%)

Combined Severe Hail/Wind

Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

High (>95%)

For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Ancient Mars may have had a carbon cycle − a new study suggests the red planet may have once been warmer, wetter and more favorable for life

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Elisabeth M. Hausrath, Professor of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

A panorama created from images taken by the rover Curiosity while it was working at a site called ‘Rocknest’ in 2012. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

Mars, one of our closest planetary neighbors, has fascinated people for hundreds of years, partly because it is so similar to Earth. It is about the same size, contains similar rocks and minerals, and is not too much farther out from the Sun.

Because Mars and Earth share so many features, scientists have long wondered whether Mars could have once harbored life. Today, Mars is very cold and dry, with little atmosphere and no liquid water on the surface − traits that make it a hostile environment for life. But some observations suggest that ancient Mars may have been warmer, wetter and more favorable for life.

Even though scientists observing the surface of Mars conclude that it was once warmer than it is today, they haven’t been able to find much concrete evidence for what caused it to be warmer. But a study my colleagues and I published in April 2025 indicates the presence of carbonate minerals on the planet, which could help solve this puzzle.

Carbonate minerals contain carbon dioxide, which, when present in the atmosphere, warms a planet. These minerals suggest that carbon dioxide could have previously existed in the atmosphere in larger quantities and provide exciting new clues about ancient Mars’ environment.

As a geochemist and astrobiologist who has studied Mars for more than 15 years, I am fascinated by Mars’ past and the idea that it could have been habitable.

Ancient carbon cycle on past Mars

Observations of Mars from orbiting satellites and rovers show river channels and dry lakes that suggest the Martian surface once had liquid water. And these instruments have spotted minerals on its surface that scientists can analyze to get an idea of what Mars may have been like in the past.

Today, Mars is very cold, with a thin atmosphere and dry climate. But in the ancient past, it may have been warmer and wetter, with a thicker heat-trapping atmosphere.
NASA/J. Bell – Cornell U./M. Wolff – SSI via AP, File

If ancient Mars had liquid water, it would have needed a much warmer climate than it has today. Warmer planets usually have thick atmospheres that trap heat. So, perhaps the Martian atmosphere used to be thicker and composed of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. If Mars did once have a thicker carbon dioxide-containing atmosphere, scientists predict that they’d be able to see traces of that atmospheric carbon dioxide on the surface of Mars today.

Gaseous carbon dioxide dissolves in water, a chemical process that can ultimately contribute to formation of solid minerals at and below the surface of a planet − essentially removing the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Lots of scientists have previously tried to find carbonate minerals on the surface of Mars, and part of the excitement about a warmer, wetter early Mars is that it could have been a suitable environment for ancient microbial life.

Finding carbonates on Mars

Previous searches for carbonates on Mars have turned up observations of carbonates in meteorites and at two craters on Mars: Gusev crater and Jezero crater. But there wasn’t enough to explain a warmer past climate on Mars.

For the past few years, the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover has been traversing a region called Gale crater. Here, the rover’s chemistry and mineralogy instrument has discovered lots of the iron-rich carbonate mineral siderite.

The Curiosity rover has detected carbonates on Mars’ surface.
NASA

As my colleagues and I detail in our new study about these results, this carbonate mineral could contain some of the missing atmospheric carbon dioxide needed for a warmer, wetter early Mars.

The rover also found iron oxyhydroxide minerals that suggest some of these rocks later dissolved when they encountered water, releasing a portion of their carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Although it is very thin, the modern Martian atmosphere is still composed mainly of carbon dioxide.

In other words, these new results provide evidence for an ancient carbon cycle on Mars. Carbon cycles are the processes that transfer carbon dioxide between different reservoirs − such as rocks on the surface and gas in the atmosphere.

Potential habitats for past microbial life on Mars

Scientists generally consider an environment habitable for microbial life if it contains liquid water; nutrients such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur and necessary trace elements; an energy source; and conditions that were not too harsh − not too acidic, too salty or too hot, for example.

Since observations from Gale crater and other locations on Mars show that Mars likely had habitable conditions, could Mars then have hosted life? And if it did, how would researchers be able to tell?

Although microorganisms are too small for the human eye to detect, they can leave evidence of themselves preserved in rocks, sediments and soils. Organic molecules from within these microorganisms are sometimes preserved in rocks and sediments. And some microbes can form minerals or have cells that can form certain shapes. This type of evidence for past life is called a biosignature.

Collecting Mars samples

If Mars has biosignatures on or near the surface, researchers want to know that they have the right tools to detect them.

So far, the rovers on Mars have found some organic molecules and chemical signatures that could have come from either abiotic − nonliving − sources or past life.

The Curiosity rover travels across Mars searching for signs that the planet could have once been habitable.

However, determining whether the planet used to host life isn’t easy. Analyses run in Earth’s laboratories could provide more clarity around where these signatures came from.

To that end, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover has been collecting and sealing samples on Mars, with one cache placed on the surface of Mars and another cache remaining on the rover.

These caches include samples of rock, soil and atmosphere. Their contents can tell researchers about many aspects of the history of Mars, including past volcanic activity, meteorite impacts, streams and lakes, wind and dust storms, and potential past Martian life. If these samples are brought to Earth, scientists could examine them here for signs of ancient life on another planet.

Elisabeth M. Hausrath receives funding from NASA, including from the MSL Curiosity rover Participating Scientist Program and the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.

– ref. Ancient Mars may have had a carbon cycle − a new study suggests the red planet may have once been warmer, wetter and more favorable for life – https://theconversation.com/ancient-mars-may-have-had-a-carbon-cycle-a-new-study-suggests-the-red-planet-may-have-once-been-warmer-wetter-and-more-favorable-for-life-255207

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Being honest about using AI at work makes people trust you less, research finds

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Oliver Schilke, Director of the Center for Trust Studies, Professor of Management and Organizations, University of Arizona

Whether you’re using AI to write cover letters, grade papers or draft ad campaigns, you might want to think twice about telling others. That simple act of disclosure can make people trust you less, our new peer-reviewed article found.

As researchers who study trust, we see this as a paradox. After all, being honest and transparent usually makes people trust you more. But across 13 experiments involving more than 5,000 participants, we found a consistent pattern: Revealing that you relied on AI undermines how trustworthy you seem.

Participants in our study included students, legal analysts, hiring managers and investors, among others. Interestingly, we found that even evaluators who were tech-savvy were less trusting of people who said they used AI. While having a positive view of technology reduced the effect slightly, it didn’t erase it.

Why would being open and transparent about using AI make people trust you less? One reason is that people still expect human effort in writing, thinking and innovating. When AI steps into that role and you highlight it, your work looks less legitimate.

But there’s a caveat: If you’re using AI on the job, the cover-up may be worse than the crime. We found that quietly using AI can trigger the steepest decline in trust if others uncover it later. So being upfront may ultimately be a better policy.

Being caught using AI by a third party has consequences, as one New York attorney can attest.

Why it matters

A global survey of 13,000 people found that about half had used AI at work, often for tasks such as writing emails or analyzing data. People typically assume that being open about using these tools is the right choice.

Yet our research suggests doing so may backfire. This creates a dilemma for those who value honesty but also need to rely on trust to maintain strong relationships with clients and colleagues. In fields where credibility is essential – such as finance, health care and higher education – even a small loss of trust can damage a career or brand.

The consequences go beyond individual reputations. Trust is often called the social “glue” that holds society together. It drives collaboration, boosts morale and keeps customers loyal. When that trust is shaken, entire organizations can feel the effects through lower productivity, reduced motivation and weakened team cohesion.

If disclosing AI use sparks suspicion, users face a difficult choice: embrace transparency and risk a backlash, or stay silent and risk being exposed later – an outcome our findings suggest erodes trust even more.

That’s why understanding the AI transparency dilemma is so important. Whether you’re a manager rolling out new technology or an artist deciding whether to credit AI in your portfolio, the stakes are rising.

What still isn’t known

It’s unclear whether this transparency penalty will fade over time. As AI becomes more widespread – and potentially more reliable – disclosing its use may eventually seem less suspect.

There’s also no consensus on how organizations should handle AI disclosure. One option is to make transparency completely voluntary, which leaves the decision to disclose to the individual. Another is a mandatory disclosure policy across the board. Our research suggests that the threat of being exposed by a third party can motivate compliance if the policy is stringently enforced through tools such as AI detectors.

A third approach is cultural: building a workplace where AI use is seen as normal, accepted and legitimate. We think this kind of environment could soften the trust penalty and support both transparency and credibility.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

Oliver Schilke received funding from the National Science Foundation (Award #1943688).

Martin Reimann receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts research grant (#1925643–38-24) and a National Security Systems (TRIF NSS) research grant.

– ref. Being honest about using AI at work makes people trust you less, research finds – https://theconversation.com/being-honest-about-using-ai-at-work-makes-people-trust-you-less-research-finds-253590

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Specialized sponge recycles minerals from stormwater for reuse in agriculture and other industries

Source: US Government research organizations

The nanocomposite design can absorb valuable heavy metals and phosphate that would otherwise be pollutants in water

Funded by multiple grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation, researchers created a functional sponge that can soak up certain pollutants from water and then release them on demand, presenting a reusable and low-cost solution for cleaning storm runoff while simultaneously recovering valuable metals like zinc and copper, as well as phosphate.

Using surface iron oxide nanoparticles specialized for capturing specific contaminants, the sponge collects the minerals and then discharges them only when triggered by changes in pH, and it can be used multiple times. The findings were achieved by researchers at Northwestern University and published in the American Chemical Society’s journal Environmental Science and Technology Water.

“The technology can be used as a universal sorbent or ‘catch-all,’ or it can be tailored to certain groups of contaminants like metals, plastics or nutrients,” says Vinayak Dravid, a research author and Northwestern professor of materials science and engineering. In previous iterations, the sponge material has successfully pulled lead, microplastics and oil from water.

Industrial manufacturing and agriculture, in particular, experience mineral and fertilizer loss due to runoff, leaving valuable nonrenewable resources as pollutants in bodies of water. Those resources include heavy metals like zinc and copper and also phosphate.

Credit: Kelly Matuszewski, Northwestern University

Illustration showing how the sponge nanocomposite material recovers phosphate and metals from water.

Kelly Matuszewski, doctoral student and first author on the paper, found that lowering water pH flushed out the captured copper and zinc from the sponge. Inversely, raising water pH loosened the phosphates. After five uses of recycling these nutrients, the sponge still worked functionally while yielding water with untraceable levels of those pollutants.

“We can’t just keep flushing these minerals down the toilet,” says Matuszewski. “We need to understand how they interact and find ways to actually utilize them.”

Co-author Dravid has co-founded a startup to commercialize the sponge-based technology with additional NSF support through the Small Business Innovation Research program, which will further develop the material for real-life scenarios.

The team has yet to account for biofilms, clogging or water flow dynamics on the sponge’s performance. They plan to explore those in future research while testing the maximum mineral levels the sponge can absorb.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI: Atsign Supercharges File Sharing with Invisible SMB/CIFS Connections
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Atsign, the leader in invisible zero trust connectivity solutions, today announced that its NoPorts technology now supports invisible SMB/CIFS connections. This breakthrough enables users to access file servers remotely with unparalleled security and ease, regardless of network configurations, including those with Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT). By eliminating open ports, NoPorts makes SMB/CIFS endpoints completely invisible to attackers scanning the internet for vulnerabilities, completely eliminating the attack surface.

SMB/CIFS (Server Message Block/Common Internet File System) is a widely used protocol for sharing files across networks. However, traditional SMB/CIFS implementations require open ports, making them vulnerable to attack. NoPorts eliminates this vulnerability by creating secure, encrypted tunnels that do not require any open ports. This innovative approach ensures that SMB/CIFS communication is not exposed to the internet, enhancing security.

Overcoming CGNAT Challenges

NoPorts, built on Atsign’s atPlatform, uses an unique addressing system—one that works independently of IP addresses— which is particularly beneficial in environments where CGNAT is present, such as those using Starlink, cellular networks, and other services that rely on shared IP addresses. While CGNAT places multiple users behind a single public IP address, making direct inbound connections impossible, NoPorts address system enables zero trust connections as illustrated in a recent case study involving a rural estate management company in Scotland:
- Challenge – The company’s transition to Starlink introduced CGNAT, breaking their existing DDNS-based remote access to a Windows 11 file server and Synology NAS devices.
- Solution – By implementing NoPorts, the company established secure, encrypted connections for SMB/CIFS access, Synology Drive Client synchronization, and RDP access – all without requiring open ports.
- Benefits
  - Restored reliable remote access to essential file server resources.
  - Enhanced security through NoPorts’ encrypted connections.
  - Improved connection resiliency, even during Starlink handoffs.
Key Features and Benefits of NoPorts for SMB/CIFS:
- Invisible Connections – No open ports are required, making SMB/CIFS connections invisible to potential attackers.
- End-to-End Encryption – All data transmitted through NoPorts is securely encrypted.
- CGNAT Compatibility – NoPorts bypasses the limitations of CGNAT, enabling remote access in challenging network environments.
- IP Address Agnostic – NoPorts works independently of IP addresses, ensuring connectivity even with dynamic IPs.
- Simplified Network Management – Eliminates the complexity and security risks associated with firewalls, NAT, and port forwarding.
- Cryptographic Authentication – Ensures that only authorized devices can connect, adding an additional layer of security before any data is transmitted.
Atsign’s Commitment to Invisible Connectivity

This latest innovation builds upon Atsign’s ongoing commitment to providing zero trust connections across the Internet. Atsign’s NoPorts technology already supports invisible connections for a wide range of protocols and applications, including:

“We are excited to extend the benefits of NoPorts to SMB/CIFS users,” said Barbara Tallent, CEO at Atsign. “By eliminating the need for open ports, we are providing a more secure and reliable way to share files remotely, regardless of network complexities.”

About NoPorts

NoPorts eliminates network & security vulnerabilities by securing connections between people, entities, and things making them invisible to would-be attackers by eliminating attack network surfaces. Built on Atsign’s atPlatform, NoPorts provides a zero trust architecture, end-to-end encryption, and no reliance on cumbersome security layers, enabling seamless and secure communication across virtually any environment. Organizations gain scalability, operational efficiency, and stronger security—all while reducing costs and complexity. For more information, visit NoPorts.com.

About Atsign

At Atsign, we believe that people, entities, and things—including AI—should connect securely and directly, while always being invisible to bad actors. By eliminating the need for open ports and centralized servers, the atPlatform empowers developers and organizations to build applications with “invisible” security built in, placing data and device control back into the hands of their owners. Atsign is the creator of the atPlatform, the most robust infrastructure available for “invisible networking” and secure, private, peer-to-peer connectivity. Learn more at Atsign.com.

For More Information Contact

Scott Hetherington
Atsign
Scott@Atsign.com
844-827-0985

The MIL Network –
May 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Indonesian postcard image ‘dangerous’ but Fiji a rising star in RSF press freedom index

Pacific Media Watch

To mark the release of the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) partnered with the agency The Good Company to launch a new awareness campaign that puts an ironic twist on the glossy advertising of the tourism industry.

Three out of six countries featured in the exposé are from the Asia Pacific region — but none from the Pacific Islands.

The campaign shines a stark light on the press freedom violations in countries that seem perfect on postcards but are highly dangerous for journalists, says RSF.

It is a striking campaign raising awareness about repression.

Fiji (44th out of 180 ranked nations) is lucky perhaps as three years ago when its draconian media law was still in place, it might have bracketed up there with the featured “chilling” tourism countries such as Indonesia (127) — which is rapped over its treatment of West Papua resistance and journalists.

Disguised as attractive travel guides, the campaign’s visuals use a cynical, impactful rhetoric to highlight the harsh realities journalists face in destinations renowned for their tourist appeal.

Along with Indonesia, Greece (89th), Cambodia (115), Egypt (170), Mexico (124) and the Philippines (116) are all visited by millions of tourists, yet they rank poorly in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, reports RSF.

‘Chilling narrative’
“The attention-grabbing visuals juxtapose polished, enticing aesthetics with a chilling narrative of intimidation, censorship, violence, and even death.

“This deliberately unsettling approach by RSF aims to shift the viewer’s perspective, showing what the dreamlike imagery conceals: journalists imprisoned, attacked, or murdered behind idyllic landscapes.”

[embedded content]
The RSF Index 2025 teaser. Video: RSF

Indonesia is in the Pacific spotlight because of its Melanesian Papuan provinces bordering Pacific Islands Forum member country Papua New Guinea.

Despite outgoing President Joko Widodo’s 10 years in office and a reformist programme, his era has been marked by a series of broken promises, reports RSF.

“The media oligarchy linked to political interests has grown stronger, leading to increased control over critical media and manipulation of information through online trolls, paid influencers, and partisan outlets,” says the Index report.

“This climate has intensified self-censorship within media organisations and among journalists.

“Since October 2024, Indonesia has been led by a new president, former general Prabowo Subianto — implicated in several human rights violation allegations — and by Joko Widodo’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as vice-president.

“Under this new administration, whose track record on press freedom offers little reassurance, concerns are mounting over the future of independent journalism.”

Fiji leads in Pacific
In the Pacific, Fiji has led the pack among island states by rising four places to 40th overall, making it the leading country in Oceania in 2025 in terms of press freedom.

A quick summary of Oceania rankings in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index. Image: RSF/PMW

Both Timor-Leste, which dropped 19 places to 39th after heading the region last year, and Samoa, which plunged 22 places to 44th, lost their impressive track record.

Of the only other two countries in Oceania surveyed by RSF, Tonga rose one place to 46th and Papua New Guinea jumped 13 places to 78th, a surprising result given the controversy over its plans to regulate the media.

RSF reports that the Fiji Media Association (FMA), which was often critical of the harassment of the media by the previous FijiFirst government, has since the repeal of the Media Act in 2023 “worked hard to restore independent journalism and public trust in the media”.

In March 2024, research published in Journalism Practice journal found that sexual harassment of women journalists was widespread and needed to be addressed to protect media freedom and quality journalism.

In Timor-Leste, “politicians regard the media with some mistrust, which has been evidenced in several proposed laws hostile to press freedom, including one in 2020 under which defaming representatives of the state or Catholic Church would have been punishable by up to three years in prison.

“Journalists’ associations and the Press Council often criticise politicisation of the public broadcaster and news agency.”

On the night of September 4, 2024, Timorese police arrested Antonieta Kartono Martins, a reporter for the news site Diligente Online, while covering a police operation to remove street vendors from a market in Dili, the capital. She was detained for several hours before being released.

Samoan harassment
Previously enjoying a good media freedom reputation, journalists and their families in Samoa were the target of online death threats, prompting the Samoan Alliance of Media Professionals for Development (SAMPOD) to condemn the harassment as “attacks on the fourth estate and democracy”.

In Tonga, RSF reports that journalists are not worried about being in any physical danger when on the job, and they are relatively unaffected by the possibility of prosecution.

“Nevertheless, self-censorship continues beneath the surface in a tight national community.”

In Papua New Guinea, RSF reports journalists are faced with intimidation, direct threats, censorship, lawsuits and bribery attempts, “making it a dangerous profession”.

“And direct interference often threatens the editorial freedom at leading media outlets. This was seen yet again at EMTV in February 2022, when the entire newsroom was fired after walking out” in protest over a management staffing decison.

“There has been ongoing controversy since February 2023 concerning a draft law on media development backed by Communications Minister Timothy Masiu. In January 2024, a 14-day state of emergency was declared in the capital, Port Moresby, following unprecedented protests by police forces and prison wardens.”

This impacted on government and media relations.

Australia and New Zealand
In Australia (29), the media market’s heavy concentration limits the diversity of voices represented in the news, while independent outlets struggle to find a sustainable economic model.

While New Zealand (16) leads in the Asia Pacific region, it is also facing a similar situation to Australia with a narrowing of media plurality, closure or merging of many newspaper titles, and a major retrenchment of journalists in the country raising concerns about democracy.

Pacific Media Watch collaborates with Reporters Without Borders.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Pakistan tanker blast death toll rises to 20

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

ISLAMABAD, May 6 (Xinhua) — The death toll in a tanker blast in southwestern Pakistan’s Noshki district last week has risen to 20 after several people died from burns, local police said on Tuesday.

Police said 17 of the seriously injured had died in the past four days while undergoing treatment at Liaquat National Hospital in Karachi, a southern port city.

The blast occurred on April 28 in Noshki, a district of Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan, after a petrol tanker caught fire during welding work.

According to initial reports, the explosion killed the driver of the tanker truck and injured more than 60 people, many of whom suffered serious burns.

Due to a shortage of medical facilities in the area, the provincial government airlifted 24 critically injured patients to Karachi for specialized treatment.

In an attempt to prevent a major tragedy, the driver drove the tanker away from the cargo terminal. However, shortly before it exploded, a crowd gathered around the vehicle. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI: Liquidia Corporation to Present at BofA Securities 2025 Health Care Conference

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MORRISVILLE, N.C., May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Liquidia Corporation (NASDAQ: LQDA), a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for patients with rare cardiopulmonary disease, today announced that the company’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Michael Kaseta, and Chief Medical Officer, Rajeev Saggar, will provide a business update during a fireside chat at the BofA Securities 2025 Health Care Conference on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, beginning at 1:40 p.m. PT / 4:40 p.m. ET in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Access to a webcast will be available to investors and other interested parties by accessing Liquidia’s website at https://liquidia.com/investors/events-and-presentations.

An archived, recorded version of the presentation will be available on Liquidia’s website for at least 30 days following the event.

About Liquidia Corporation
Liquidia Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for patients with rare cardiopulmonary disease. The company’s current focus spans the development and commercialization of products in pulmonary hypertension and other applications of its proprietary PRINT^® Technology. PRINT enabled the creation of Liquidia’s lead candidate, YUTREPIA™ (treprostinil) inhalation powder, an investigational drug for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). The company is also developing L606, an investigational sustained-release formulation of treprostinil administered twice-daily with a next-generation nebulizer, and currently markets generic Treprostinil Injection for the treatment of PAH. To learn more about Liquidia, please visit www.liquidia.com.

Contact Information

Investors:
Jason Adair
Chief Business Officer
919.328.4350
jason.adair@liquidia.com

Media:
Patrick Wallace
Director, Corporate Communications
919.328.4383
patrick.wallace@liquidia.com

The MIL Network –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: As Warren Buffett prepares to retire, does his investing philosophy have a future?
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Angel Zhong, Professor of Finance, RMIT University

Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old investing legend and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, has announced plans to step down at the end of this year.

His departure will mark the end of an era for value investing, an investment approach built on buying quality companies at reasonable prices and holding them for the long term.

Buffett’s approach transformed Berkshire Hathaway from a small textile business in the 1960s into a giant conglomerate now worth more than US$1.1 trillion (A$1.7 trillion).

He built his fortune backing US industry in energy and insurance and American brands, including big stakes in household names such as Coca-Cola, American Express and Apple.

At Berkshire’s annual meeting at the weekend, held in an arena with thousands of devoted investors, Buffett named Greg Abel as his successor.

Abel, 62, is currently chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, as well as vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway’s vast non-insurance operations.

He’s known for his disciplined, no-nonsense management style. The company’s board has now voted unanimously to approve the move.

This changing of the guard comes at a pivotal moment. Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency has already delivered significant economic policy shifts.

Meanwhile, questions about US economic dominance grow louder against China’s continued rise.

The ‘Oracle of Omaha’

Few names command as much respect in the world of finance as Warren Buffett. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1930, Buffett displayed an early genius for numbers and investing. He bought his first stock at age 11.

His investment philosophy – buying undervalued companies with strong fundamentals – would later earn him the nickname the “Oracle of Omaha” for his uncanny ability to predict market trends and identify winning investments years before others did.

Value investing

Buffett drew his investment approach from the value investment principles of British-born US economist Benjamin Graham.

He preferred businesses with lasting advantages and a clear value proposition. Some of his key investments included insurance company GEICO, railroad company BNSF, and more recently Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD.

He avoided speculative bubbles (such as the dotcom bubble of the late 1990s and, more recently, cryptocurrencies) and preached long-term patience to investors. As he famously wrote in a 1988 letter to shareholders:

In fact, when we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever.

Buffett’s guidance helped Berkshire navigate many economic booms and recessions. Over his six decades at the helm, the company delivered impressive compounded annual returns of almost 20% – virtually double those of the S&P 500 index.

Beyond financial success, Buffett championed ethical business practices and pledged to donate more than 99% of his wealth through the Giving Pledge, which he cofounded with Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates.

Read more:
How Warren Buffett’s enormous charitable gifts reflect the ‘inner scorecard’ that has guided him up to the billionaire’s planned retirement

Challenges to Buffett’s strategy in today’s world

In an op-ed for the New York Times in 2008, Buffett famously shared the maxim that guides his investment decisions:

Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.

But his strategy thrived in an era of increasing globalisation, free trade, and US economic supremacy. The world has shifted since Buffett’s heyday.

There are concerns about the recent underperformance of value investing. Technology companies now dominate older industries.

This raises questions about whether those who succeed Buffett can spot the next major industry disruptors.

America first?

Trump’s return as US president heralds major changes in economic policy. Trade restrictions might hurt some of Berkshire’s international investments. However, these same policies might benefit Buffett’s US-focused investments.

The idea of US economic superiority also faces new questions. China may overtake the US economy in the 2030s. The US share of global economic output has fallen from about 22% in 1980 to about 15% today.

Buffett’s “never bet against America” mantra faces new scrutiny.

Warren Buffett discusses trade deficits and protectionism on May 3.

The challenges for Buffett’s successor

Abel inherits a company with about US$348 billion (A$539 billion) in cash. That’s a serious amount of capital to deploy wisely amid global economic uncertainty and Trump’s trade war.

Abel will likely maintain Berkshire’s core values while updating its approach. His challenges include:
1. Maintaining the “Buffett premium”: Abel lacks Buffett’s cult-like following among investors, which may gradually erode the additional value the market assigns to Berkshire due to Buffett’s leadership.
  
  Without Buffett’s reputation, Abel may face increased pressure to effectively deploy Berkshire’s massive cash pile in a still-expensive stock market, where valuations are high and finding bargains is harder than ever.
2. Technological adaptation: while Berkshire has increased its technology investments over the years (including positions in Apple and Amazon), balancing its legacy holdings (such as Coca-Cola and railroads) with growth sectors (AI, renewables) remains challenging.
3. Environmental concerns: Berkshire Hathaway’s heavy reliance on coal and gas-fired utilities has drawn growing criticism as investors and regulators demand cleaner energy solutions.
4. Replicating the “golden touch”: Buffett’s genius wasn’t just in picking stocks. It was also in capital allocation, deal-making, and crisis management (for example, buying into Goldman Sachs during the global financial crisis). Can Abel replicate that?
After Buffett

Buffett’s principles – patience, intrinsic value and betting on America – are timeless. But the world has moved on. His successor must navigate geopolitical risks, technological disruption, and the rise of passive investing while preserving Berkshire’s unique culture.

The post-Buffett era represents more than just a leadership change. It’s a test of whether Buffett’s principles can survive in an increasingly short-term, technology-dominated, and geopolitically complex world.

Abel’s leadership will reveal the enduring power – or limitations – of Buffett’s philosophy.

Angel Zhong 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. As Warren Buffett prepares to retire, does his investing philosophy have a future? – https://theconversation.com/as-warren-buffett-prepares-to-retire-does-his-investing-philosophy-have-a-future-255867
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Encounter Festival Secures Major Arts Council Funding
Source: City of Preston

06 May 2025

Preston’s flagship cultural celebration, Encounter Festival, is set to return on Saturday, 20 September 2025 following confirmation of significant funding of £90,000 from Arts Council England (ACE).

This support marks a major milestone for the festival’s tenth edition and will enable an ambitious one day programme packed with nationally renowned performances, new artist commissions and deepened community engagement across the city centre.

Arts Council England’s backing will help develop Encounter Festival’s artistic vision while investing in local talent and placing Preston firmly on the cultural map.

The funding will also support a series of artist development opportunities and community workshops in the run-up to the festival, ensuring meaningful involvement from local residents and creatives.

Esther Ferry Kennington, Executive Producer of Encounter Festival said:

“I’m so pleased to see Encounter Festival continue to be delivered annually and this year we celebrate 10 years since the first event. The world has changed a lot in those 10 years, as has our approach, but we’re as excited as ever to deliver our iconic torchlight procession and this year we’ll be developing the festival village on the Flag Market with great shows and music, food and drink”

The funding will enable the 2025 festival host a standout curated programme, including:
- Inspirate’s Ancient Giants, bringing large-scale storytelling to the streets.
- Local favourites Magical Story Jars and Let’s Grow Preston, offering family-friendly creative activities.
- A brand-new piece from Raggle Taggle Arts titled Rhythm of the Vardo, combining music, storytelling and performance.
The ACE funding will also enable an ambitious expansion of the Torchlight Procession, the festival’s iconic finale that lights up the city centre with movement, music and fire.

This year’s procession will feature new commissions from Preston artists, creating original firelight-inspired processional works to lead the parade.

A central highlight will be a giant puppet of Arthur Wharton, the world’s first Black professional footballer and former Preston North End player, developed in partnership with Preston North End FC.

The procession will also showcase the ongoing involvement of local community groups, dance troupes, bands and organisations, creating a lively, moving experience. With investment from ACE, the festival will also develop a ‘Festival Village’ across the Harris Quarter, creating a central hub where visitors can gather, explore performances, enjoy local food and drink, and take part in workshops.

This new format is designed to encourage audiences to stay in the city throughout the day and into the evening, boosting footfall for local businesses and hospitality.

Encounter Festival 2025 marks ten years since the original pilot, and this new investment is an endorsement of its role in Preston’s cultural calendar.

The event continues to champion the voices, talent and energy of the North West, while inviting nationally and internationally recognised performers to connect with local audiences.

Further programming announcements will follow in the coming months. To stay informed, please visit the Encounter Festival website or follow on social media.

About Encounter Festival

Encounter Festival is an authentic voice for Preston, celebrating the breadth of the County’s cultural offer with high quality and high profile arts. Taking place on Saturday, 20 September, Encounter Festival sees the city of Preston buzzing with life and alight with creativity.

The past Encounters have seen an array of spectacular performances, inspiring arts and impressive music, bringing spectators to their feet.

About Arts Council England

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture.

We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences.

We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Charges – Firearm offences – Gunn Point
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 51-year-old male for firearm offences in Gunn Point on Sunday.

About 4:20pm, police received reports of a male allegedly pointing a rifle towards persons and threatening harm within a camping area in Gunn Point. It is alleged there was an altercation between a group of people and the man prior to the incident.

Humpty Doo members and specialist command coordinated an arrest plan and the 51-year-old male was taken into custody without incident. Police seized a rifle and ammunition from the camping area.

Police later conducted a search warrant at the male’s residence in Marlow Lagoon and seized 7 registered firearms and 1 unregistered firearm. The man’s NT firearms licence was revoked and he has since been charged with:
- Threats to Kill
- Aggravated assault
- Fail to meet storage requirements
- Possess unregistered firearm
- Possess firearm while intoxicated
He was remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court on 6 May 2025.

MIL OSI News –
May 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCSD launches first Hong Kong ICH Month in June (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

â€‹In the 2024 Policy Address, the Chief Executive proposed organising Hong Kong ICH Month to promote the safeguarding and passing on of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). In support of the annual Cultural and Natural Heritage Day on the second Saturday of June designated by the country, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office (ICHO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will launch the first Hong Kong ICH Month in June with the theme of ICH Around Town, presenting a series of rich and diversified activities involving over 80 ICH performances, 60 interactive experiential booths and 20 ICH Highlight Tours to give the public and tourists greater insight into the ICH of Hong Kong and the Mainland, and enable them to experience the cultural richness of ICH and the pleasure it brings.

â€‹Activities throughout the month will cover over 100 ICH items and bring together over 50 ICH practitioners, including representative bearers of national ICH. This annual ICH month is expected to attract over 100 000 participants.

â€‹Among the fascinating activities to be held during Hong Kong ICH Month 2025, the free ICH Highlight Tours will bring the public and tourists to six selected districts, namely Yau Tsim Mong, Tsuen Wan, Tai Po, Sha Tin, Eastern and the Islands, and explore special ICH of the communities. Registration will open on May 16 and details will be announced later. Information maps and guides of the ICH Highlight Tours as well as videos will be rolled out at the end of May to help the public and tourists learn more about the relevant ICH items in these districts.

â€‹Carnivals or fun days will be held in various districts across Hong Kong on several weekends and Sundays in June, which will be suitable for all ages. Under the theme of ICH festive events across Hong Kong, the Hong Kong ICH Month 2025 Opening Ceremony cum ICH Carnival to be held on May 31 and June 1 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, and will have performances including Hakka unicorn dance in Hang Hau in Sai Kung, floating colours parade in Cheung Chau, Engor, Cantonese opera excerpts and dragon/lion dance. There will also be interactive booths showcasing Yip Man Wing Chun; rowing of dragon boat on land, which is a part of Hoi Luk Fung/Hoklo traditional wedding ceremonies (dragon boat dance); and unicorn dance, etc.

â€‹The ICH Infinity∞ Fun Day at the Hong Kong ICH Centre in Sam Tung Uk Museum in Tsuen Wan, scheduled for June 14 and 15, will present an ICH fashion show and Nanyin performances with a fusion of tradition and innovation. Interactive booths featuring blown sugar and face threading techniques will also be available.

â€‹The Vibrant ICH will be held at the New Town Plaza and Sha Tin Town Hall on June 22. Under the theme of “ICH Encounter: Hong Kong X Jiangxi”, in addition to performances and booths featuring Hong Kong ICH items including the Pok Fu Lam fire dragon dance, puppetry and the Chinese brush making technique, there will also be performances of the representative items of the national ICH such as Gannan traditional tea plucking opera and Xingguo mountain song.

â€‹The ICH Flavours Carnival to be held at Oil Street Art Space on June 28 and 29 will feature the food culture of ICH. Participants can experience the making techniques of Jiangxi Gannan Hakka pounded tea, shrimp paste blocks and shrimp paste, sweet potato cake and rice dumpling with lye at the workshops and booths.

â€‹Another highlight is the “Genesis and Spirit – Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition on Jiangxi’s Ganzhou Hakka Culture” (tentative title) at the Hong Kong Central Library, which runs from June 14 to July 1. The exhibition will introduce representative Hakka-related ICH items of Ganzhou in Jiangxi, together with around 40 other representative ICH items from the province. During the exhibition period, there will be over 40 performances, demonstrations, interactive experiential activities, talks, etc.

â€‹The LCSD will collaborate with the cultural promotion organisation ICH June to hold a seminar on the theme of “Safeguarding and Developing ICH at the Same Time” at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum on June 14. Scholars and ICH bearers from the Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) will be invited to participate and explore the transmission and development of ICH in the GBA from an academic perspective. A “public unconference” will also take place on the same day to engage secondary school students, tertiary students, youth culture groups, and members of the public in discussions on ICH-related issues.

â€‹Hong Kong ICH Month 2025 is presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the ICHO of the LCSD, with ICH June as a strategic partner. For details, please visit the website www.icho.hk/en/web/icho/hk_ich_month_2025.html.

â€‹For programme details of strategic and other partners, please visit the following websites and social media:

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: A relatively dry and bright April

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

With drier northeast monsoon affecting Hong Kong for most of the time and less moisture supply to the coast of southern China in the month, April 2025 was drier than usual in Hong Kong. The monthly mean relative humidity was 74 per cent, the second lowest on record for April since 1947. Moreover, the total rainfall in the month was 57.1 millimetres, only about 37 per cent of the normal of 153.0 millimetres. The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first four months of the year was 125.5 millimetres, about 42 per cent of the normal of 300.4 millimetres for the same period. The month was also sunnier than usual. The monthly total sunshine duration was 155.6 hours, about 37 per cent above the normal of 113.2 hours. April 2025 was warmer than usual with a mean temperature of 23.7 degrees, 0.7 degrees above the normal of 23.0 degrees.

     Under the influence of the northeast monsoon and a broad band of clouds covering southern China, the weather was mainly cloudy and cold with one or two light rain patches on the morning of the first day of the month. The temperatures at the Observatory fell to a minimum of 12.9 degrees that morning, the lowest of the month. With the band of clouds thinning out, there were sunny periods during the day. The weather became fine and dry the next day. Under the influence of a dry easterly airstream, it remained fine and very dry on the afternoon of April 3. While it was generally fine at first on April 4, a band of clouds gradually covered the coast of Guangdong, leading to cloudier weather that afternoon and the following two days. There were occasional showers on April 5, with around 10 millimetres of rainfall recorded over many places. With the band of clouds thinning out, the weather became mainly fine on April 7. It was dry and rather warm during the day. Winds were weak over the coast of Guangdong on April 8 and 9. The weather in Hong Kong was rather warm with sunny periods.

     A southerly airstream brought humid weather in the following three days. Locally, there were fog patches on the morning of April 11, with the visibility in the harbour once falling below 1 000 metres. Moreover, a trough of low pressure over northern Guangdong developed into a cold front on the morning of April 12. As the cold front edged closer to the coastal region, local showers increased with a few squally thunderstorms that afternoon. More than 10 millimetres of rainfall was recorded over many places, and rainfall even exceeded 20 millimetres over Tai Po District. The cold front moved across the coastal areas around that evening. Under the influence of the associated intense and dry northeast monsoon, showers eased off with temperatures falling gradually that night. Strong northerly winds also affected many parts of Hong Kong that night and at first the next day, with winds occasionally reaching gale force offshore and on high ground. The intense monsoon also transported sand and dust southwards from Mongolia and brought widespread sandstorms to many inland areas in China. Under the influence of the very dry continental airstream and the sand and dust weather, the weather was very dry with visibility slightly dropping to around 5 to 6 kilometres over parts of the territory from April 13 to 15. The relative humidity over many places on these three days fell below 40 per cent. The relative humidity recorded at the Observatory on April 13 once fell to 21 per cent, the lowest record in April since the establishment of the automatic weather station at the Observatory’s Headquarters in 1984. With plenty of sunshine and weaker winds on April 15, the temperatures at the Observatory soared to a maximum of 33.0 degrees that afternoon, the highest of the month. It also marked the earliest occurrence of very hot weather in a year and the second highest maximum temperature for April on record.

     An easterly airstream affected the coast of Guangdong on April 16 and 17. While the local weather was mainly fine and dry during the day on April 16, it became mainly cloudy the next day with coastal fog in the morning and at night. The visibility at Waglan Island once fell below 1 000 metres. With a humid southerly airstream replacing the easterly airstream that afternoon, the weather was cloudy with a few showers in the following two days. There was coastal fog from April 18 to 21. The southerly airstream continued to affect the coast of Guangdong and brought hot weather to Hong Kong from April 20 to 24. The maximum temperature recorded at the Observatory was 30.6 degrees on April 20, making it one of the warmest day of Easter on record.

     A trough of low pressure affected inland Guangdong on April 24 and edged closer to the coastal areas in the evening, bringing showers and a few squally thunderstorms that night and the next day. Showers were heavy on the morning of April 25. More than 30 millimetres of rainfall was recorded over many places, and rainfall even exceeded 50 millimetres over the eastern part of Hong Kong Island, Kwun Tong and Tseung Kwan O. With a fresh to strong easterly airstream setting in that night, the weather was cloudy with a few showers and became cooler in the following two days. There were also fog patches on April 27. The visibility at Waglan Island once fell below 1 000 metres. Another trough of low pressure over inland Guangdong edged closer to the coastal areas gradually that night. Apart from coastal fog on the morning of April 28, there were showers and one or two thunderstorms that day with rainfall exceeding 10 millimetres over many places, and around 30 millimetres of rainfall was even recorded over the northern part of the New Territories. Affected by a relatively dry easterly airstream, the weather was generally fine on the last two days of the month.

     There was no tropical cyclone over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in April 2025.

     Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for April are tabulated in Table 2.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – EMPL public hearing on Challenges for volunteer cross-border firefighters – Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source: European Parliament

On 13 May, 14:30- 17:00, the EMPL committee will hold a public hearing on “Volunteers in emergency services and their legal challenges: Cases of cross-border Firefighters”. While playing a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of communities, volunteer firefighters like many other volunteers face challenges which negatively affect the attractiveness of volunteering.

This hearing will look into obstacles for cross-border workers stemming from differences between countries on social security systems in general, and into challenges faced by volunteer firefighters in particular.

EMPL members will hear testimonies and discuss with representatives of cross-border firefighters, experts and stakeholders about working conditions, challenges and potential solutions.

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Artificial Intelligence (AI) – ECOSOC Special Meeting | United Nations

Source: United Nations (Video News)

The meeting will include an opening, two interactive sessions – one in the format of a fireside chat and the other as a panel discussion, and a closing.

– Fireside Chat: Emerging Trends of AI Innovations and the SDGs
– Panel Discussion: Building Foundations for AI in the Global South

The Special Meeting of the Economic and Social Council on Artificial Intelligence (AI) will bring together Member States, UN system experts, private sector leaders, innovators, and civil society stakeholders to follow up on the outcomes of the Summit of the Future, including the Global Digital Compact.

It will showcase the potential for AI to accelerate sustainable development in the Global South, paying special attention to the role of strategic investments, partnerships, and international cooperation in addressing foundational needs and capacity development.

To watch in all UN official languages (AR/ES/FR/RU/ZH), visit: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k15/k15yy7mllx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW8evnPa9So

MIL OSI Video –

May 6, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Boost for woodlands as research to tackle plant pests & diseases
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Boost for woodlands as research to tackle plant pests & diseases

Key research to combat ongoing pest and disease outbreaks and emerging threats to protect our trees
British woodlands and trees will benefit from new research aimed at boosting protection against pests and diseases, announced today (Tuesday 6 May).

Our plants and trees are estimated to contribute £4.1 billion per year to the UK’s economy – their vast canopies are teeming with birds and insects, they help mitigate the impact of flooding for communities across the country, trees outside woodland in towns as well as rural areas are cherished by the British people. But our trees are vulnerable, with plant pests and diseases posing a significant threat to nature and the economy.

The threat from pests and diseases is growing due to factors like climate change, and it is increasingly important to plant resilient trees that can withstand warmer temperatures so people and nature can enjoy the widespread benefits they bring.

17 new research projects will improve tree health and resilience through the Centre for Forest Protection – a collaboration between Forest Research and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

These will help plant and protect treescapes that are resilient to stresses including climate change and pests and diseases such as ash dieback, which has been estimated to kill over 100 million trees in the UK and cost the economy up to £15 billion to Great Britain over the coming decades.

The £4 million of funding will include projects to facilitate future tree breeding for resilience to ash dieback and a fungal disease affecting Scots pine, and new technologies so trees can flower at a younger age to accelerate breeding programmes.

Professor Nicola Spence, Defra’s Chief Plant Health Officer, said:

“Tackling the growing threat from plant pests and diseases due to climate change is critical to protect the long-term health and resilience of our trees.

“Expanding our research efforts and work to restore native ash trees are an important step in the fight against diseases which devastate our nations woodlands, protecting trees for the benefits they bring to our climate and for people’s enjoyment.”

Dr Louise Gathercole, Centre for Forest Protection Coordinator, said:

“At Forest Research and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we are delighted to continue our collaboration under the Centre for Forest Protection.

“Funding this virtual centre gives us the opportunity to leverage the expertise and resources of both organisations, along with a wide range of other collaborators, to carry out innovative science and produce the evidence needed for future woodland resilience.”

Projects for 2025/26 include:

Dodging the double whammy, looking into whether trees resilient to ash dieback can also help avoid damage from Emerald Ash Borer, an exotic emerald coloured beetle from Asia which has caused significant damage to ash trees in North America.

Infusing resilience into the Scots pine genetic resource, breeding pine trees resilience to Dothistroma needle blight, a fungal disease which can reduce timber yields and even cause tree death.

Developing novel methods to understand and mitigate grey squirrel bark stripping behaviour, on the impact of invasive grey squirrels on woodlands – with an estimated economic cost of £37 million annually – and how to combat bark stripping behaviour, which disincentivises tree planting and leaves trees susceptible to increased risk of disease.

As part of £700,000 of Defra-funded research, a second UK ash tree archive in Scotland has now been planted aimed at increasing resilience and further developing efforts for a breeding programme of tolerant UK ash. This is a key step towards restoring native ash back to our landscape.

2500 young trees have now been planted over the 1-hectare site. These trees have been specially selected as showing signs of potential resistance to the disease. Over the coming years, the less healthy individuals will be weeded out, allowing for the best trees to form a potential seed orchard for resistant ash seed production in future.

This follows over 3000 trees of tolerant ash being planted at the first ash archive site in southern England in 2019. Screening for tolerant trees in a different climate away from other threats will significantly boost research efforts. Identifying ash with a high tolerance to the disease will enable the development of orchards producing commercially available seed and prove transformative to our future landscapes.

The announcement marks the launch of this year’s National Plant Health Week (5-12 May 2025), an annual designated week of action to raise public awareness and engagement on how to keep our plants healthy, led by Defra in partnership with 32 organisations, including the Royal Horticultural Society, the Woodland Trust and the Horticultural Trades Association

Additional information:

The second ash archive is funded by Defra on an estate owned by Forestry Land Scotland in Clackmannanshire.

The Centre for Forest Protection is a collaborative, virtual hub which aims to protect our trees from environmental and socioeconomic threats, through innovative science, interdisciplinary research, expert advice and training. The CFP is led by Forest Research – Great Britain’s principal organisation for forestry and tree-related research – and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, whose mission is to understand and protect plants and fungi, for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth.

The 17 new research projects are:

Dodging the Double Whammy: Does Resistance to Ash Dieback Help European Ash Avoid Damage by Emerald Ash Borer?

Knowledge synthesis: How trees evolve under novel conditions

SUPPoRT: Sustainable Plant Provenancing for Resilient Trees

Genomic basis of ash health after five and thirteen years’ exposure to ash dieback

Complex Yew Decline Research

ADGROW: Applied Dendrochronology for the Genomic Resilience Of Woodlands

EXPLORATION: Assessing the robustness of mixed species planting as a drought adaptation measure during early stage establishment – an experimental approach

Enhancing forest resilience through stand structural complexity

Infusing resilience into the Scots pine genetic resource

Phenology, Genomics, and Non-Destructive Testing: A Comprehensive Approach to Detecting, Understanding, and Reducing Oak Shake (PhenoGenDT)

Speed breeding technologies for UK broadleaved trees

Forest Sector Modelling of the Impact of Biotic and Abiotic Risks on Forest Resilience

Developing novel methods to understand and mitigate grey squirrel bark stripping behaviour

Supporting farmers’ on-farm integration of tree resilience actions

REWARD, Remote Early Warning and Advanced Response for Diseases.

The wind within the trees: understanding cultural, silvicultural, and timber quality dimensions to windstorm risks and impacts

Resilience to compound abiotic and biotic stress in native Scots Pine

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Published 6 May 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 6, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Preston to Mark VE Day and VJ Day with Special Events in 2025

Source: City of Preston

Preston City Council will proudly mark both VE Day and VJ Day in 2025 with a series of commemorative events in the city centre, following requests from local veterans and community members.

This year, in recognition of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the city’s focus will shift from the usual Armed Forces Day to these two historically significant dates.

VE Day, celebrated on Thursday, 8 May, commemorates the end of the war in Europe. Starting at 8:45pm at The Flag Market with speeches, performances from vintage singer Hattie Bee, music from Brindle Brass Band and a commemorative beacon lighting at 9:30pm directly followed by the National Anthem.

VJ Day marks the surrender of Japan and the true end of WWII. will be observed this year on Saturday, 16 August, slightly later than its official anniversary of 15 August, to allow for wider public participation over the weekend.

This year on Friday the 15 August, Victory over Japan or VJ Day which was the day all hostilities ceased, the traditional commemoration ceremony will be held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial in Preston Cemetery to remember those “who gave their tomorrows so we could have our todays.” This ceremony has been held without fail every year since 1947, including socially-distanced events during Covid, and in keeping with previous years will be led by The Right Worshipful Mayor of Preston, Councillor Phil Crowe.

Join in an unforgettable Victory Over Japan Day (VJ Day) in Preston, where history comes to life through a range of events and performances, beginning with a military parade. Expect performances and workshops, and vintage music transporting you back in time with songs from the wartime period.

Don’t miss this opportunity to pay tribute to the heroes of World War Two and celebrate 80 years of courage, sacrifice, and resilience.

Councillor Close, Armed Forces Champion at Preston City Council, said:

“It’s important that we remember both VE Day and especially VJ Day, which marked the end of WWII, and the immense sacrifices made by our armed forces and their families.

By commemorating these events in Preston, especially on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, we honour those who gave so much. The VJ Day event on 16 August allows us to welcome more people to reflect, remember, and show their support.”

Colonel David Waters, President Lancashire Armed Forces Association said:

“It would be easier to generalise and talk about freedom and democracy, but in this last week, we’ve had the anniversary of the liberation of Belsen Concentration Camp, and if that was to concentrate

your mind on something, it’s about what people did lose in Europe through the occupation of the Germans, and so that in itself is a reason to celebrate VE Day.”

These events aim to bring together veterans, families, and the wider community in remembrance and gratitude. Full details of the programme will be released in the coming months.

Find out more about VE Day and VJ Day events in Preston at Visit Preston – Preston City Centre Events 2025.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 6, 2025

MIL-OSI: Marquette National Corporation Reports First Quarter 2025 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHICAGO, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Marquette National Corporation (OTCQX: MNAT) today reported net loss of $2.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to net income of $8.5 million for the first three months of 2024. The loss per share for the first three months of 2025 was $(0.67), as compared to income of $1.93 per share for the comparable period in 2024.

At March 31, 2025, total assets were $2.217 billion, an increase of $9.6 million, compared to $2.208 billion at December 31, 2024. Total loans increased by $4.6 million, to $1.410 billion compared to $1.405 billion at the end of 2024. Total deposits increased by $10.3 million, or 1%, to $1.750 billion compared to $1.740 billion at the end of 2024.

Paul M. McCarthy, Chairman & CEO, said, “the primary reason for the decrease in consolidated earnings was a lower level of unrealized gains on the Company’s equity portfolio in the first quarter of 2025. The decrease in unrealized gains on the Company’s equity portfolio was partially offset by an increase in net interest income. Other comprehensive income was positive for the first quarter and helped deliver an increase to tangible book value per share for the first quarter.”

Marquette National Corporation is a diversified financial holding company and the parent of Marquette Bank, a full-service, community bank that serves the financial needs of communities in Chicagoland. The Bank has branches located in: Chicago, Bolingbrook, Bridgeview, Evergreen Park, Hickory Hills, Lemont, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Summit and Tinley Park, Illinois.

For further information on financial results, visit: https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/MNAT/disclosure.

Special Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements.
This document contains, and future oral and written statements of the Company and its management may contain, forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of the Company. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the Company’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “bode”, “predict,” “suggest,” “project”, “appear,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” ”annualize,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “likely,” “might,” “potential,” “continue,” “annualized,” “target,” “outlook,” as well as the negative forms of those words, or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.

A number of factors, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in its forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: (i) the strength of the local, state, national and international economies and financial markets (including effects of inflationary pressures and supply chain constraints); (ii) effects on the U.S. economy resulting from the implementation of policies proposed by the new presidential administration, including tariffs, mass deportations and tax regulations; (iii) the economic impact of any future terrorist threats and attacks, widespread disease or pandemics, acts of war or threats thereof (including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East), or other adverse events that could cause economic deterioration or instability in credit markets, and the response of the local, state and national governments to any such adverse external events; (iv) new or revised accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by state and federal regulatory agencies, the Financial Accounting Standards Board or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; (v) changes in local, state and federal laws, regulations and governmental policies concerning the Company’s general business and any changes in response to the bank failures in 2023; (vi) the imposition of tariffs or other governmental policies impacting the value of products produced by the Company’s commercial borrowers; (vii) increased competition in the financial services sector, including from non-bank competitors such as credit unions and fintech companies, and the inability to attract new customers; (viii) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (ix) unexpected results of acquisitions which may include failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisitions and the possibility that transaction costs may be greater than anticipated; (x) the loss of key executives and employees, talent shortages and employee turnover; (xi) changes in consumer spending; (xii) unexpected outcomes and costs of existing or new litigation or other legal proceedings and regulatory actions involving the Company; (xiii) the economic impact on the Company and its customers of climate change, natural disasters and exceptional weather occurrences such as tornadoes, floods and blizzards; (xiv) fluctuations in the value of securities held in our securities portfolio, including as a result of changes in interest rates; (xv) credit risk and risks from concentrations (by type of borrower, geographic area, collateral and industry) within our loan portfolio and large loans to certain borrowers (including CRE loans); (xvi) the overall health of the local and national real estate market; (xvii) the ability to maintain an adequate level of allowance for credit losses on loans; (xviii) the concentration of large deposits from certain clients who have balances above current FDIC insurance limits and who may withdraw deposits to diversify their exposure; (xix) the ability to successfully manage liquidity risk, which may increase dependence on non-core funding sources such as brokered deposits, and may negatively impact the Company’s cost of funds; (xx) the level of non-performing assets on our balance sheets; (xxi) interruptions involving our information technology and communications systems or third-party servicers; (xxii) the occurrence of fraudulent activity, breaches or failures of our third-party vendors’ information security controls or cybersecurity-related incidents, including as a result of sophisticated attacks using artificial intelligence and similar tools or as a result of insider fraud; (xxiii) changes in the interest rates and repayment rates of the Company’s assets; (xxiv) the effectiveness of the Company’s risk management framework, and (xxv) the ability of the Company to manage the risks associated with the foregoing as well as anticipated. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.

Marquette National Corporation and Subsidiaries
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Balance Sheet
	03/31/25		12/31/24	Percent Change

Total assets	$2,217,293		$2,207,663	0	%
Total loans, net	1,395,105		1,390,799	0	%
Total deposits	1,750,071		1,739,799	1	%
Total stockholders’ equity	174,216		173,579	0	%

Shares outstanding	4,367,449		4,367,477	0	%
Book value per share	$39.89		$39.74	0	%
Tangible book value per share	$31.80		$31.65	0	%

Operating Results
	Three Months Ended March 31,			Percent Change
	2025		2024
Net Interest income	$12,098		$11,025	10	%
Provision for credit losses	328		200	64	%
Realized securities gains, net	6,316		215		*
Unrealized holding gains (losses) on equity securities and exchange traded funds	(11,963	)	9,860		*
Other income	3,658		4,331	-16	%
Other expense	14,086		13,835	2	%
Income tax expense (benefit)	(1,357	)	2,930		*

Net income (loss)	(2,948	)	8,466		*

Basic and fully diluted earnings (loss) per share	$(0.67	)	$1.93		*
Weighted average shares outstanding	4,367,473		4,381,148	0	%

Cash dividends declared per share	$0.31		$0.28	11	%

Comprehensive income	$1,992		$7,404	-73	%

* Not meaningful

For more information:
Patrick Hunt
EVP & CFO
708-364-9019
phunt@emarquettebank.com

The MIL Network –

May 6, 2025

Category: Natural Disasters

What

Areas of focus

When

Where

Who

8,500

8,5

8,000

8,

Essential services overwhelmed as aid funding contracts

One month since devastating earthquake in Myanmar

South Sudan: MSF strongly condemns the deliberate bombing of our hospital in Old Fangak, Jonglei state

Action must be taken now to avert worsening malnutrition crisis in South Darfur

Ancient carbon cycle on past Mars

Finding carbonates on Mars

Potential habitats for past microbial life on Mars

Collecting Mars samples

Why it matters

What still isn’t known

The ‘Oracle of Omaha’

Value investing

Challenges to Buffett’s strategy in today’s world

America first?

The challenges for Buffett’s successor

After Buffett

Preston’s flagship cultural celebration, Encounter Festival, is set to return on Saturday, 20 September 2025 following confirmation of significant funding of £90,000 from Arts Council England (ACE).

Esther Ferry Kennington, Executive Producer of Encounter Festival said:

About Encounter Festival

About Arts Council England

Boost for woodlands as research to tackle plant pests & diseases

Professor Nicola Spence, Defra’s Chief Plant Health Officer, said:

Dr Louise Gathercole, Centre for Forest Protection Coordinator, said:

Additional information:

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Updates to this page

Preston City Council will proudly mark both VE Day and VJ Day in 2025 with a series of commemorative events in the city centre, following requests from local veterans and community members.