Source: US State of Minnesota
On Tuesday, February 18, 2025, Governor Tim Walz issued Executive Order 25-02 authorizing the National Guard to provide temporary shelter for residents displaced by an apartment fire in Wadena County. One person was found deceased and nine residents have been displaced.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
Huffman, a U.S. Navy veteran, was illegally terminated by the Trump Administration from her role at the United States Forest Service
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper announced that Amelia Huffman will join him as his guest at President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress tonight, Tuesday, March 4th.
“Amelia has dedicated her life to serving our country, both as a naval officer and a public servant,” said Hickenlooper. “The administration illegally fired her and other hardworking Forest Service employees without any plan and put Colorado at risk right as we head into peak wildfire season.”
“Transitioning from military service to civilian life can be challenging. These jobs in the public lands sector provide an opportunity for veterans to stay connected to their sense of purpose and duty. We’re able to continue serving, not just in an abstract way, but in a tangible, real-world manner by conserving the land we once fought to protect,” said Huffman.
Huffman began her military service as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy in May 2020. She subsequently served as the Combat Gunnery Division Officer aboard the USS Mason and transitioned to Beachmaster Unit Two, later acting as a Weapons Officer.
In 2024, Huffman and her wife moved to Fort Collins, where she took a role with the United States Forest Service (USFS) at the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland. Her job was on the front lines, directly connecting the public to Colorado public lands. Whether it was answering phone calls about camping reservations, providing information about trail conditions, or offering guidance during wildfire events, she played a key role in ensuring the public received the support and information they needed.
Last month, the Trump administration abruptly fired Huffman and over 3,400 USFS employees who were responsible for wildfire mitigation, range and timber management, habitat conservation, and outdoor recreation management. Hickenlooper, along with members of the Colorado Democratic delegation, sent a letter to the Trump administration to demand answers and call for reinstatement of the fired USFS employees.
Hickenlooper also highlighted the threats that USFS firings will have on Colorado on Twitter/X: “USFS staff in Colorado work around the clock to manage our forests and help prevent wildfires. They know our landscapes and rural communities inside and out. The USFS was already stretched thin before this. Firing 3,400 public servants without providing justification or a plan to Congress is misguided. It will cost us more money in the long run and leave Colorado at a higher risk.”
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Grover D. Jordan, 57, of Charmco, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 18, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jordan in Fayetteville. Jordan admitted that he possessed three firearms discovered during the traffic stop: a Taurus model PT1911 .45-caliber pistol, an Armi Galesi model 9 6.35mm pistol, and a Beretta model 3032 Tom Cat .32-caliber pistol with a removed, altered or obliterated serial number.
Jordan also admitted that he possessed a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver discovered during an August 20, 2023 traffic stop by law enforcement of a motorcycle he was operating in Charmco. Jordan further admitted that he possessed a Dupont electric generator, which is explosive material under federal law, discovered during the traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jordan knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for two counts of wanton endangerment in Raleigh County Circuit Court on March 15, 2019.
Jordan has a long criminal history that also includes numerous other convictions for such offenses as grand larceny, domestic battery, DUI, and possession of controlled substances.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Fayetteville Police Department, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Justin Marlowe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-29.
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Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – A dramatic kidnapping of a priest and a seminarian took place in Nigeria. Father Philip Ekeli and seminarian Peter Andrew were captured by armed men who entered the Catholic Church of St. Peter in the parish of Iviukwa, Etsako East district, Edo State (southern Nigeria) late on Sunday evening, March 2, around 11.30 p.m.During the attack, one of the kidnappers was killed by the security guards of the Catholic church after a firefight with the perpetrators. Despite the intervention of the security guards, the priest and the seminarian were captured and taken to the bush.Today, March 4, the local police confirmed the news and said that a joint search and rescue operation involving members of the 195th Battalion of the Nigerian Army, police officers, vigilante groups and local hunters is underway to rescue the victims and capture the kidnappers.Meanwhile, Father Matthew David Dutsemi of the Diocese of Yola and Father Abraham Saummam of the Diocese of Jalingo, kidnapped on February 22, are still in the hands of their kidnappers (see Fides, 24/2/2025). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 4/3/2025)
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Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Greenbelt, Maryland – On Friday, February 28, Newton Ofioritse Jemide, 47, a Nigerian national, pled guilty to a federal charge for wire fraud conspiracy. Jemide, who was recently extradited from France, was involved in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits.
Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Acting Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General – Philadelphia Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool, U.S. Secret Service – Washington Field Office.
“Mr. Jemide and his co-conspirators’ greed and utter disregard for the suffering of those who need national emergency assistance, by stealing from the government, will not be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Hayes. “The District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners will continue to hold those accountable who try to defraud our government through fraud, waste, and abuse during times of crisis.”
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that individuals who defraud the federal government for their own personal gain will be identified and held accountable,” said U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, PhD. “DHS-OIG is grateful for our continued partnership with our law enforcement partners as we continue fighting waste, fraud, and abuse.”
During the timeframe covered by the indictment, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided emergency benefits and compensation for damages to victims affected by declared national emergency disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires. Among other benefits, an individual in an area affected was immediately eligible for Critical Needs Assistance (CNA) to purchase life-saving or life-sustaining materials. Victims could decide how to receive assistance payments, which included deposits on prepaid debit cards.
According to the guilty plea, in 2016 and 2017, Jemide and others from Nigeria directed co-conspirators living in the United States to purchase hundreds of Green Dot Debit Cards. Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States. Jemide and his co-conspirators used an encrypted messaging application and other means to communicate.
In 2017, following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the California wildfires, Jemide, and other co-conspirators from Nigeria, used stolen personal information to apply online for FEMA and CNA benefits. FEMA dispersed $500 per claim on the Green Dot Debit Cards that co-conspirators purchased for a total of at least $8 million.
“Bringing these criminals to justice prevents further victimization of American taxpayers and abuse of the programs put in place as safety nets for the most vulnerable in our country,” said SAC McCool. “This investigation underscores the Secret Service’s global reach and steadfast commitment, in collaboration with our partner agencies, to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes and relentlessly pursue those committing them.”
In addition to filing false disaster-assistance claims with FEMA, Jemide and co-conspirators also submitted false online claims for Social Security benefits, IRS tax refunds, and other government benefits using stolen identities of multiple individuals, including names, addresses, social security numbers, and other personal identifiers.
“Newton Ofioritse Jemide and his co-conspirators misused Social Security numbers to steal government funds via SSA’s online services. The misuse of SSA’s e-Services to defraud SSA and rightful beneficiaries and recipients will not be tolerated at any level,” said Acting SAC Lawlor. “Our office will continue to investigate those who abuse SSA programs and operations, including its e-Services, for their own selfish gain. I thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this complex case.”
As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and the other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot Debit Cards. The funds were deposited on the debit cards using multiple stolen identities, including identities different from the identities used to register the cards. Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission. Additionally, the co-conspirators took steps to conceal their identities by enlisting others to make purchases and withdrawals; utilizing multiple store and bank locations and methods of withdrawal; and making money orders payable to other individuals and/or corporate entities.
Jemide faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is currently scheduled for July 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. District Court Judge Deborah K. Chasanow.
United States Attorney Hayes commended DHS-OIG, SSA-OIG, and USSS for their work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the United States Marshals Service for their valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Jemide to the United States. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Darren Gardner who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and 13 of their Democratic colleagues in pressing the Trump Administration for assurances that assistance for economic challenges in 2024 and natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 will be honored for all farmers—including row crop and specialty crop farmers—and distributed as quickly as possible. The Senators emphasized the need for farmers to receive this aid as they make decisions for spring planting season.
In the letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, the Senators wrote: “Farmers are making decisions right now about fertilizer usage and their crop mix and are working with their bankers to figure out if they can secure the financing they need to continue farming this year. Without the timely delivery of economic and disaster assistance, farmers face the prospect of reducing plantings or liquidating assets to remain in business as they head into another potentially difficult growing season.”
In 2023, major weather disasters caused over $21 billion in crop losses, with extreme weather causing $69 million in Vermont’s food and agricultural sector. In Vermont, floods in July 2023 and July 2024 impacted nearly 31,000 acres of farmland across the state and resulted in at least $50 million in agricultural losses and damages. As a result of a growing gap in disaster aid relief funding, many Vermont farmers are increasingly operating in the red or losing their livelihoods altogether. In the absence of immediate federal assistance, damage caused by past natural disasters will continue to impact Vermont farmers’ future growing seasons.
In addition to Senators Welch and Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Sens. Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).
Read the full letter here.
US Senate News:
Source: The White House
Elissa Slotkin will respond to President Donald J. Trump’s Joint Address to Congress tonight. Senator Slotkin stands opposed to President Trump’s agenda to lower costs, bring back manufacturing, and secure our borders.
Slotkin voted against overturning Biden’s tailpipe emissions rule, a rule that would force automakers to sell more electric vehicles, killing auto manufacturing jobs. President Trump stood up for American consumers and autoworkers and repealed this de facto electric vehicle mandate.
Slotkin voted against congressional disapproval of Biden’s EPA rule seeking to limit tailpipe emissions.
The House Budget Committee called the regulation “a de facto ban on the sale of gas-powered and traditional hybrid vehicles.”
Research shows that EV mandates would kill thousands of jobs:
America First Policy Institute: New Report Exposes Biden-Harris’s Proposed EV Mandates to Cost 200,000 American Jobs
“The Midwest will suffer the most, with Michigan (-37,000), Indiana (-24,000), and Ohio (-21,000) facing the highest job losses.”
A UAW study from 2019 projected that EVs would kill 35,000 jobs at its plants.
Slotkin has repeatedly voted for open borders. President Trump has moved swiftly to secure our borders with attempted crossings in February at the lowest number ever recorded.
In May 2023, Slotkin voted against the H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act.
In February 2019, Slotkin voted to terminate President Trump’s declaration of an emergency at the southern border.
In March 2019, Slotkin again voted again to terminate the declaration in an attempt to override President Trump’s veto.
In July 2024, Slotkin voted against a resolution “Strongly condemning the Biden Administration and its Border Czar, Kamala Harris’s, failure to secure the United States border.”
Slotkin said, “I don’t believe that anyone really thinks a wall from sea to shining sea is needed to make us safer.”
Slotkin is just another out-of-touch politician that wants to hollow out American manufacturing and let criminals flood into our communities.
Source: United Nations secretary general
Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Excellencies, all protocols observed.
President El-Sisi, thank you for convening leaders from across the Arab world to unite at this Extraordinary Arab Summit dedicated to Palestine.
Since the horrific attacks by Hamas in Israel on October 7, the ensuing Israeli military operations have unleashed an unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza, generating an immense trauma.
Palestinians in Gaza have suffered beyond measure.
And the risk of even greater devastation looms.
This Summit is an important signal that the world has a collective responsibility to support efforts to end this war, relieve profound human suffering and secure lasting peace.
In the last few weeks, we have witnessed a meaningful improvement with the ceasefire and the hostage deal.
Since the start of the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire, Palestinian civilians in Gaza have experienced reprieve. Hostages were released and humanitarian aid dramatically increased.
I urge the parties to uphold their commitments and implement them in full, and Member States to use all the leverage they have to support this, especially as we start the Holy Month of Ramadan.
We must avoid at all costs the resumption of hostilities that would plunge the millions back into an abyss of suffering and further destabilize the region. And simultaneously, the territorial integrity of Lebanon and Syria must be respected.
Serious negotiations for the ceasefire in all its facets must be resumed without delay.
All hostages must be released — immediately, unconditionally and in a dignified manner.
The release of Palestinian detainees must be carried out per the terms of the deal and also in a dignified way.
The parties must ensure humane treatment for all those held under their power.
And all obstacles to the effective delivery of lifesaving aid must be removed.
Humanitarian aid is not negotiable. It must flow without impediment. The response needs to be adequately funded, and civilians — including humanitarians — must be protected.
The United Nations has proven, together with our partners, namely the Egyptian Red Crescent, with access, the UN-coordinated response can deliver aid that people need.
Your Majesties, Your Highnesses,
Excellencies,
Ending the immediate crisis is not enough.
We need a clear political framework that lays the foundation for Gaza’s recovery, reconstruction and lasting stability.
That framework must be based on principles and respect for international law.
Israel’s legitimate security concerns must be addressed, but that should not be through long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza.
And I want to once again salute the dedication of UN staff and all other humanitarian workers — particularly, Palestinian colleagues — who have suffered so much and are working under near-impossible conditions.
I appeal for the urgent and full support of UNRWA’s work, including financial support.
Excellencies,
Finally, as we widen the lens beyond Gaza, we see an alarming situation unfolding in the West Bank.
Israeli security forces have launched large-scale operations, including airstrikes and also the deployment of tanks for the first time in over two decades.
Over 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the last month — the largest displacement in the West Bank in decades.
Meanwhile, demolitions, evictions and settlement expansions continue, with settler violence is on the rise.
All of this is further weakening the Palestinian Authority at a time when its role is more crucial than ever.
I call for urgent de-escalation.
Unilateral actions, including settlement expansion and threats of annexation, must stop.
The attacks and mounting violence must end.
Israel, as the occupying power, must comply with all its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law.
And the Palestinian Authority must be supported to govern effectively, and to do so in compliance with its own obligations under international law.
Excellencies,
The true foundation of recovery in Gaza will be more than concrete and steel.
It will be dignity, self-determination and security.
This means staying true to the bedrock of international law.
It means rejecting any form of ethnic cleansing.
And it means forging a political solution.
There is no sustainable future for Gaza that is not part of a viable Palestinian State.
There can be no recovery without an end to the occupation.
No justice without accountability for violations of international law.
And no sustainable reconstruction without a clear and principled political horizon.
The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, to chart their own future, and to live on their land in freedom and security.
There must be irreversible steps now toward the realization of the two-State solution — before it’s too late.
The only path to lasting peace is one where two states — Israel and Palestine — live side-by-side in peace and security, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.
The United Nations stands with you in this essential effort.
Thank you.
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فمنذ الهجمات المروعة التي شنتها حماس في إسرائيل في 7 تشرين الأول/أكتوبر، أحدثت العمليات العسكرية الإسرائيلية التي أعقبت ذلك مستوى غير مسبوق من الموت والدمار في غزة.
ولقد عانى الفلسطينيون في غزة معاناةً تفوق الوصف.
وهم مهددون الآن بالتعرض لمستوى أفدح من الدمار.
إن انعقاد هذه القمة يمثل دلالة هامة على أن على العالم تقع مسؤولية جماعية لدعم الجهود الرامية إلى إنهاء هذه الحرب وتخفيف المعاناة الإنسانية الهائلة والتوصل إلى سلام دائم.
لقد شهدنا في الأسابيع القليلة الماضية تحسناً ملموساً مع وقف إطلاق النار وصفقة الرهائن.
فمنذ بدء تنفيذ المرحلة الأولى من وقف إطلاق النار، شهد المدنيون الفلسطينيون في غزة انفراجاً في الأوضاع. وتم الإفراج عن رهائن وزادت المساعدات الإنسانية بشكل كبير.
وأحث الأطراف على التمسك بالتزاماتها وتنفيذها بالكامل، كما أحث الدول الأعضاء على استخدام كل ما لديها من نفوذ لدعم ذلك، خاصةً ونحن نستهل شهر رمضان المبارك.
ويجب علينا أن نتجنب بأي ثمن استئناف الأعمال العدائية التي من شأنها أن تغرق الملايين مرة أخرى في هاوية المعاناة وتزيد من زعزعة الاستقرار في المنطقة. وفي الوقت نفسه، يجب احترام وحدة أراضي لبنان وسوريا.
ويجب استئناف المفاوضات الجادة لوقف إطلاق النار بجميع جوانبه دون تأخير.
ويجب إطلاق سراح جميع الرهائن – فورا ودون شروط وبطريقة كريمة.
يجب أن يتم الإفراج عن المعتقلين الفلسطينيين وفقا لشروط الصفقة وبطريقة كريمة أيضا.
ويجب على الأطراف ضمان المعاملة الإنسانية لجميع المحتجزين الخاضعين لسلطتهم.
ويجب إزالة جميع العقبات التي تحول دون إيصال المساعدات المنقذة للحياة بشكل فعال.
المساعدات الإنسانية غير قابلة للتفاوض. يجب أن تتدفق دون عوائق. ويجب تمويل الاستجابة بشكل كافٍ، ويجب حماية المدنيين – بمن فيهم العاملون في المجال الإنساني.
ولقد أثبتت الأمم المتحدة، بالتعاون مع شركائها وعلى وجه الخصوص الهلال الأحمر الفلسطيني، أن الاستجابة التي تتم بتنسيق منها يمكنها، إذا أتيح لها الوصول، أن توفر المساعدة التي يحتاجها الناس.
أصحاب الجلالة والسمو والفخامة والمعالي،
إن إنهاء الأزمة الحالية لا يكفي.
فنحن بحاجة إلى إطار سياسي واضح يرسي الأساس لتعافي غزة وإعادة إعمارها واستقرارها الدائم.
ويجب أن يستند هذا الإطار إلى مبادئ القانون الدولي واحترامه.
يجب معالجة مخاوف إسرائيل الأمنية المشروعة، لكن لا ينبغي أن يكون ذلك عبر وجود عسكري إسرائيلي طويل الأمد في غزة.
ويجب أن تظل غزة جزءاً لا يتجزأ من دولة فلسطينية مستقلة وديمقراطية وذات سيادة – دون أي تقليص لأراضيها أو ترحيل قسري لسكانها.
ويجب أن تكون غزة والضفة الغربية – بما فيها القدس الشرقية – موحدة سياسياً واقتصادياً وإدارياً من قبل السلطة الفلسطينية التي تحظى بقبول الشعب الفلسطيني ودعمه.
ويجب أن تكون أي ترتيبات انتقالية مصممة لتحقيق حكم فلسطيني موحد ضمن إطار زمني محدود ومتفق عليه.
أصحاب الجلالة والسمو والفخامة والمعالي،
إني أرحب بالجهود التي يقودها العرب لحشد الدعم لإعادة إعمار غزة وأؤيد تلك الجهود بقوة، والتي تم التعبير عنها بوضوح في هذه القمة.
وتقف الأمم المتحدة على أهبة الاستعداد للتعاون الكامل في هذا المسعى.
ونحن ندرك أن إعادة الإعمار تتطلب حوكمة وترتيبات أمنية يمكن أن تساعد في ضمان مستقبل أكثر إشراقاً واستقراراً للفلسطينيين والإسرائيليين على حد سواء.
وندرك أيضا الدور الحاسم الذي تقوم به الأونروا التي تواصل تقديم خدماتها في أحلك الظروف.
وأود مرة أخرى أن أحيي تفاني موظفي الأمم المتحدة وجميع العاملين في المجال الإنساني – وخاصة الزملاء الفلسطينيين – الذين عانوا كثيرا ويعملون في ظروف شبه مستحيلة.
إنني أدعو إلى تقديم الدعم العاجل والكامل لعمل الأونروا، بما في ذلك الدعم المالي.
أصحاب الجلالة والسمو والفخامة والمعالي،
وأخيراً، فإننا إذا ما وسعنا نطاق البصر إلى ما هو أبعد من غزة، نرى وضعاً مثيرا للجزع يتكشف في الضفة الغربية.
فقد شنت قوات الأمن الإسرائيلية عمليات واسعة النطاق، بما في ذلك الغارات الجوية فضلا عن نشر الدبابات لأول مرة منذ أكثر من عقدين من الزمن.
وتم تهجير أكثر من 40،000 فلسطيني قسراً خلال الشهر الماضي – وهي أكبر عملية تهجير تتم في الضفة الغربية منذ عقود.
وفي الوقت نفسه، تتواصل عمليات الهدم والإخلاء والتوسع الاستيطاني، بينما عنف المستوطنين في تزايد.
كل هذا يزيد من إضعاف السلطة الفلسطينية في وقت أصبح فيه دورها أكثر أهمية منه في أي وقت مضى.
إنني أدعو إلى التعجيل بخفض التصعيد.
ويجب أن تتوقف الأعمال أحادية الجانب، بما في ذلك التوسع الاستيطاني والتهديدات بضم الأراضي.
ويجب أن تنتهي الهجمات والعنف المتصاعد.
ويجب على إسرائيل، بصفتها سلطة قائمة بالاحتلال، أن تتقيد على نحو صارم بجميع التزاماتها بموجب القانون الدولي، بما في ذلك القانون الدولي الإنساني.
ويجب دعم السلطة الفلسطينية لكي تباشر مهام الحكم بفعالية، ولكي تقوم بذلك وفقاً لالتزاماتها بموجب القانون الدولي.
أصحاب الجلالة والسمو والفخامة والمعالي،
إن الأساس الحقيقي للتعافي في غزة أكبر من الخرسانة والفولاذ.
إنه الكرامة وتقرير المصير والأمن.
وهذا يعني الالتزام بأساس القانون الدولي.
ويعني رفض أي شكل من أشكال التطهير العرقي.
ويعني بلورة حل سياسي.
فلن يكون هناك مستقبل مستدام لغزة إلا كجزء من دولة فلسطينية قابلة للحياة.
ولن يكون هناك تعافٍ إلا إذا انتهى الاحتلال.
ولن تكون هناك عدالة إلا إذا جرت المساءلة عن انتهاكات القانون الدولي.
ولن تكون هناك إعادة إعمار مستدامة إلا مع أفق سياسي واضح ومحكوم بمبادئ.
يجب أن يكون للشعب الفلسطيني الحق في أن يحكم نفسه بنفسه، وأن يرسم مستقبله بنفسه، وأن يعيش على أرضه في حرية وأمان.
ويجب القيام الآن بخطوات لا رجعة فيها نحو تحقيق حل الدولتين – قبل فوات الأوان.
إن الطريق الوحيد للسلام الدائم هو ذلك الذي فيه تعيش دولتان – إسرائيل وفلسطين – جنباً إلى جنب في سلام وأمن، بما يتماشى مع القانون الدولي وقرارات الأمم المتحدة ذات الصلة، وتكون فيه القدس عاصمةً للدولتين كلتيهما.
وأُعلن وقوف الأمم المتحدة إلى جانبكم في هذا الجهد الأساسي.
شكراً لكم.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics, Clinton Institute, University College Dublin
When Israel signed a ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza on January 15, the agreement was structured in three phases. Phase one, a six-week period in which Hamas would release hostages in return for Israel releasing Palestinians detained in its jails, ended on March 1.
The shaky deal has held for the full six weeks – just. At one point Hamas threatened to halt the exchange of hostages when it said Israel was breaching the terms of the deal. The Netanyahu government responded – with US backing – by threatening to end the ceasefire in mid-February, saying that Hamas was not living up to its side of the deal.
The hostage releases have continued, although Israelis have been shocked and angered at the condition of some of the hostages after 17 months in captivity. Hamas has also taken advantage of the world’s gaze during hostage releases to stage large parades of its fully armed fighters.
On March 1, as stage one of the deal was due to end, Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a full blockade of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. Middle East expert, Scott Lucas, answered our questions as to what is happening and how this situation may play out.
The Netanyahu government’s blocking of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s population is part of a scheme to avoid a phase two of the ceasefire, while putting pressure on Hamas to extend phase one.
That would allow the Israeli government to pursue the return of the remaining 59 hostages, alive or dead, held by Hamas while avoiding the requirements of phase two – notably the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza and the restoration of a Palestinian government in Gaza.
Of course, those who will pay the cost are more than 2.2 million Gazans, around 90% of whom have been displaced amid 17 months of mass killing. But Israel’s leaders are counting on that causing little concern, or at least significant action, by the international community.
Phase one of the agreement only stipulated that discussions for a phase two to begin within 14 days of implementation, which would have been about the start of February.
But the Netanyahu government reportedly sent mediators to Qatar without the authority to discuss phase two, only to ensure that hostage releases continued. The limit of its cooperation has been sending representatives to Egypt and conferring with Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, with current discussions suggesting little prospect of agreeing phase two.
Netanyahu’s vow has been “absolute victory over Hamas”. But as there is no sign that Hamas is going to disband – or even that its leaders will leave the Gaza – there is zero chance of that happening in phase two.
That assessment is compounded by pressure on Netanyahu from hard-right ministers and supporters, such as finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and former national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Their powerful hard-right factions only accepted phase one if there was no follow-up and certainly no return to the aim of allowing Palestinian self-determination in Gaza.
On the other side, Netanyahu faces families of hostages and their supporters, who say the priority must be the return of those held by Hamas. Thus the “solution”, proposed by the US and backed by the Israeli government is for a six-week extension until the end of Ramadan and Passover, or until April 20. Half the hostages would be released on day one of the extension and the remainder once a permanent ceasefire is agreed.
Hamas is unlikely to agree to that provision, as the hostages are their only leverage in discussions for a lasting ceasefire and their continued place in Gaza. But Netanyahu can frame their refusal in such as way as to blame Hamas for not wanting a peaceful solution and as an excuse for resuming military operations.
For now Netanyahu can count on US backing for the pressure on Hamas and the extension of phase one.
Donald Trump’s ego trip was to claim credit for the phase one ceasefire. Since then, he and his officials have shown little interest in supporting a phase two. Instead, the US president has proposed what would amount to an ethnic cleansing of Gazans – removing and relocating them to other Arab countries to make way for his dream of a “Middle East Riviera” on the coast.
He shared a bizarre AI-generated video with a vision of “Trump Gaza”, complete with a gilded, giant statue of him as he and Netanyahu sit topless and sip drinks on the beach amid bearded belly-dancers.
Perhaps widespread Israeli military operations, and the consequent mass killing of civilians, would dent Trump’s “peacemaker” image. But it is likely that Israel could get US officials to back the “Blame Hamas” rationale. And, meanwhile, the administration is fine with the Israelis expanding their military presence and settlements in the West Bank.
After more than a year of negotiations, the phase one settlement brought some relief to Egypt and Qatar, the chief sites of discussions. Jordan, always at risk of being unsettled by assaults on Palestinians, encouraged further talks. Gulf States, their plans for “normalisation” with Israel in tatters, could envisage a gradual return to the process.
But all of this has foundered on the lack of possibility for phase two. Most Arab leaderships have no affection for Hamas, but with no clear Palestinian alternative, they have no appetite for contributing to the necessity security arrangements.
So the easy option for now is to condemn the excesses of others, such as Trump’s ethnic cleansing whim or Netanyahu’s threat of renewed attacks. The tougher option is to envisage any untangling of the knot around Israeli occupation and Gaza governance.
That may mean that, without giving an endorsement, most Arab States will be happy with the kicking of the can down the road in a phase one extension.
Scott Lucas 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. Gaza ceasefire deal looks doomed as Israel blockades Strip and bars entry of humanitarian aid – https://theconversation.com/gaza-ceasefire-deal-looks-doomed-as-israel-blockades-strip-and-bars-entry-of-humanitarian-aid-251280
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Pinar Dinc, Associate Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science & Researcher, Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University
Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), has called on the group to disarm and dissolve itself. In a letter read out by his political allies in Istanbul, Turkey, on February 27, he wrote: “I take on the historical responsibility for this call … All groups must lay down their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.”
Two days later, the PKK’s executive committee declared a ceasefire to its armed struggle against the Turkish state. The conflict, which began in 1984 with the aim of establishing an independent Kurdish state in response to state oppression, has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
Öcalan has been imprisoned on an island south of Istanbul since 1999, when he was captured by Turkish security forces in Kenya. But he has remained the leader of the PKK throughout and has kept his strong personality cult among the Kurdish freedom movement.
He was the force behind the PKK’s shift away from its separatist goals in the 2000s. He argued that the solution to the Kurdish question in the Middle East was for greater autonomy and Kurdish rights through the idea of “democratic confederalism”, built on the pillars of direct democracy rather than a nation-state model.
In his letter, Öcalan repeated this argument. He blamed the past 200 years of capitalist modernity for the break up of the alliance between the Kurds and the Turks. And he highlighted the importance of a truly democratic society and political space for a lasting solution to the Kurdish struggle.
Öcalan’s letter mainly addressed the Turkish public and international community, and is likely to have been “approved” by the Turkish state. As such, it was rather short, at times vague, and did not propose a detailed framework about the peace process between Turkey and the PKK.
But after Öcalan’s letter was read out, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy party (DEM), shared with journalists an additional remark Öcalan had made.
Öcalan had apparently said: “Undoubtedly, in practice, the laying down of arms and the dissolution of the PKK require the recognition of democratic politics and a legal framework”. This point suggests that Öcalan’s call to disarm is merely the beginning of a long process to bring the conflict to a close.
The PKK has announced that, in order for disarmament and dissolution to be put into practice, Öcalan needs to lead this congress personally. This indicates an expectation for Öcalan to gain some sort of freedom to communicate and direct the process.
Leading figures from several pro-Kurdish groups have welcomed the order for the PKK to disarm. This has included Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Salih Muslim, the former co-chairperson of the Democratic Union party (PYD) in Syria.
Öcalan’s call has also received support from the international community. This includes the US and UK, which alongside many other nations, recognise the PKK as a terrorist organisation. On February 27, US National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes told CNN that the announcement was “a significant development” that “we believe will help bring peace to this troubled region”.
Perhaps most importantly, Öcalan’s announcement has been welcomed almost unanimously by political parties in Turkey. Only the ultra-nationalist Good and Victory parties oppose the call to dissolve the PKK, seeing any negotiations with the group as compromising national integrity.
But, despite this important step towards peace, it remains difficult to see an imminent end to the Kurdish struggle in Turkey. The Justice and Development party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement party, which have ruled Turkey together since 2023, have been continuing their oppression of the democratic sphere.
They have replaced elected Kurdish mayors with government officials, while also imprisoning democratically elected Kurdish politicians. And people in the media, civil society and other democratic movements, such as the People’s Democratic Congress, have been criminalised and detained.
At the same time, Turkey considers the SDF and other Kurdish organisations like the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the PYD as offshoots of the PKK. It has supported its militia force in Syria, the Syrian National Army, to stop the Kurdish autonomous region on its border from achieving political status, seeing it as a direct threat to national security.
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has warned the PKK of further action if the process of disarmament is stalled. In a post on X on March 1, Erdoğan wrote: “If the promises are not kept … such as delaying, deceiving, changing names … we will continue our operations, if necessary, until we eliminate the last terrorist”.
This signals an expectation from the Turkish state that they want all of the groups they associate with the PKK, armed and non-armed, to also disband. However, Abdi has asserted that Öcalan’s call for the PKK to dissolve does not apply to the group he leads. “If there is peace in Turkey, that means there is no excuse to keep attacking us here in Syria”, Abdi said.
The Syrian National Army has been launching attacks in northern Syria to capture territory from the SDF, with fighting particularly intense around the Tishreen Dam.
So far, the only positive approach from the Turkish government has been signalling a possible change in the constitutional definition of citizenship to go beyond ethnic criteria. This would be a first step towards a more pluralist and inclusive description of citizenship in Turkey, where people from several ethnic groups have lived for centuries.
There are various concerns over the ways in which the dissolution process will be carried out. But the possibility of peace is valuable as it opens up democratic avenues for struggle. Resolving the Kurdish question, one of Turkey’s most pressing unresolved issues, will pave the way for progress in other areas such as democratisation and freedom of expression.
Pinar Dinc is the principal investigator of the ECO-Syria project, which receives funding from the Strategic Research Area: The Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW) at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Sweden.
– ref. PKK leader’s call to disarm fuels hope for end to Kurdish conflict – but peace is not imminent – https://theconversation.com/pkk-leaders-call-to-disarm-fuels-hope-for-end-to-kurdish-conflict-but-peace-is-not-imminent-251281
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
SAN ANTONIO – A Mexican national was arrested in San Antonio on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of a firearm as an illegal alien.
According to court documents, during a Feb. 25 traffic stop, Rene Garibay-Robledo presented FBI agents and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers a Mexico ID and allegedly stated he lacked legal status to be in the United States. Additionally, the criminal complaint alleges Garibay-Robledo stated that he had one firearm—a pistol—at his house. During the execution of federal search warrant at Garibay-Robledo’s home, three handguns, a semi-automatic CZ Scorpion EVO 3, approximately 450 rounds of mixed caliber ammunition, and 6.8 grams of a substance that tested positive for cocaine were seized.
A review of Department of Homeland Security records revealed Garibay-Robledo entered the U.S. illegally on or about Jan. 1, 1994 near Laredo. Law enforcement databases also confirm a prior theft conviction from December 2000 in California.
Garibay-Robledo is charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Parsons is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
MIAMI – A Venezuelan national and suspected member of the violent transnational Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang who used the now-disabled Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One Application to enter the United States in 2023, has been charged with possessing a firearm as an illegal alien – a federal crime.
Luis Ernesto Veliz Riera, 23, made his initial appearance yesterday before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Florida. According to the unsealed criminal complaint affidavit, Veliz Riera was allowed to enter the United States at the Mexico-El Paso, Texas border in February 2023, after appearing for an appointment he booked online through the (now inactive) CBP One Application system. Prior to being shut down on January 20, 2025, the online system allowed undocumented aliens to submit information and schedule appointments at eight southwest United States border ports of entry.
On the day he entered, CBP presented Veliz Riera with a Notice to Appear for a hearing before an immigration judge in Las Vegas, Nevada – where he told officials he was headed. According to the affidavit, Veliz-Ruiz skipped his immigration hearing and stayed in El Paso, waiting for his girlfriend (also a Venezuelan national) to illegally cross from Mexico into the United States in April-May 2023. The couple traveled together from El Paso to Chicago – to New York City – and finally to Homestead, Florida. On April 30, 2024, an immigration judge entered an order to remove Veliz Riera from the United States after he failed to appear in immigration court or otherwise report to immigration authorities.
On October 17, 2024, in connection with an investigation into potential TdA illegal activity, local law enforcement stopped a car that Veliz Riera was driving. Records and other checks showed that Veliz Riera was wanted on an open state crime warrant and that he was in the country illegally. Further investigation showed that, despite his illegal status, Veliz Ruiz kept a Taurus, PT609 Pro 9mm, semi-automatic handgun with a 30-round magazine inside the Homestead hotel room he shared with his girlfriend and that he had loaded the gun earlier that day, says the affidavit.
On October, 17, 2024, Veliz Ruiz was arrested on state charges.
On November 16, 2024, based on his illegal status, Veliz Riera went into immigration detention where he was released into the community on electronic monitoring.
On February 3, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) administratively arrested Veliz Riera to reexamine the decision to release him from immigration detention.
On February 14, 2025, Miami federal prosecutors charged Veliz Riera with one count of possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A). During his initial appearance in federal court today, Veliz Riera agreed to remain in Bureau of Prisons custody pending trial.
United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI-Miami’s Fort Lauderdale office is investigating the case. HSI federal task force officers from Homestead Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, Sweetwater Police Department, and Broward Sheriff’s Office assisted, as did United States Border Patrol-Dania Beach Station, ATF Miami, ICE-ERO Miami, and FBI Miami.
Assistant United States Attorney Kseniya Smychkouskaya is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-mj-02303.
###
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Gerald Roche, Lecturer in Linguistics, La Trobe University
Three days after he was released from prison in December, a Tibetan village leader named Gonpo Namgyal died. As his body was being prepared for traditional Tibetan funeral rites, marks were found indicating he had been brutally tortured in jail.
His crime? Gonpo Namgyal had been part of a campaign to protect the Tibetan language in China.
Gonpo Namgyal is the victim of a slow-moving conflict that has dragged on for nearly 75 years, since China invaded Tibet in the mid-20th century. Language has been central to that conflict.
Tibetans have worked to protect the Tibetan language and resisted efforts to enforce Mandarin Chinese. Yet, Tibetan children are losing their language through enrolment in state boarding schools where they are being educated nearly exclusively in Mandarin Chinese. Tibetan is typically only taught a few times a week – not enough to sustain the language.
My research, published in a new book in 2024, provides unique insights into the struggle of other minority languages in Tibet that receive far less attention.
My research shows that language politics in Tibet are surprisingly complex and driven by subtle violence, perpetuated not only by Chinese authorities but also other Tibetans. I’ve also found that outsiders’ efforts to help are failing the minority languages at the highest risk of extinction.
I lived in Ziling, the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau, from 2005 to 2013, teaching in a university, studying Tibetan and supporting local non-government organisations.
Most of my research since then has focused on language politics in the Rebgong valley on the northeast Tibetan Plateau. From 2014 to 2018, I interviewed dozens of people, spoke informally with many others, and conducted hundreds of household surveys about language use.
I also collected and analysed Tibetan language texts, including government policies, online essays, social media posts and even pop song lyrics.
When I was in Ziling, Tibetans launched a massive protest movement against Chinese rule just before the Beijing Olympics in 2008. These protests led to harsh government crackdowns, including mass arrests, increased surveillance, and restrictions on freedom of movement and expressions of Tibetan identity. This was largely focused on language and religion.
Years of unrest ensued, marked by more demonstrations and individual acts of sacrifice. Since 2009, more than 150 Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule.
Tibet is a linguistically diverse place. In addition to Tibetan, about 60 other languages are spoken in the region. About 4% of Tibetans (around 250,000 people) speak a minority language.
Government policy forces all Tibetans to learn and use Mandarin Chinese. Those who speak only Tibetan have a harder time finding work and are faced with discrimination and even violence from the dominant Han ethnic group.
Meanwhile, support for Tibetan language education has slowly been whittled away: the government even recently banned students from having private Tibetan lessons or tutors on their school holidays.
Linguistic minorities in Tibet all need to learn and use Mandarin. But many also need to learn Tibetan to communicate with other Tibetans: classmates, teachers, doctors, bureaucrats or bosses.
In Rebgong, where I did my research, the locals speak a language they call Manegacha. Increasingly, this language is being replaced by Tibetan: about a third of all families that speak Manegacha are now teaching Tibetan to their children (who also must learn Mandarin).
The government refuses to provide any opportunities to use and learn minority languages like Manegacha. It also tolerates constant discrimination and violence against Manegacha speakers by other Tibetans.
These assimilationist state policies are causing linguistic diversity across Tibet to collapse. As these minority languages are lost, people’s mental and physical health suffers and their social connections and communal identities are destroyed.
Tibetan resistance to Chinese rule dates back to the People’s Liberation Army invasion in the early 1950s.
When the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, that resistance movement went global. Governments around the world have continued to support Tibetan self-determination and combat Chinese misinformation about Tibet, such as the US Congress passage of the Resolve Tibet Act in 2024.
Outside efforts to support the Tibetan struggle, however, are failing some of the most vulnerable people: those who speak minority languages.
Manegacha speakers want to maintain their language. They resist the pressure to assimilate whenever they speak Manegacha to each other, post memes online in Manegacha or push back against the discrimination they face from other Tibetans.
However, if Tibetans stop speaking Manegacha and other minority languages, this will contribute to the Chinese government’s efforts to erase Tibetan identity and culture.
Even if the Tibetan language somehow survives in China, the loss of even one of Tibet’s minority languages would be a victory for the Communist Party in the conflict it started 75 years ago.
Gerald Roche has received funding for this research from the Australian Research Council. He is also affiliated with the Linguistic Justice Foundation.
– ref. Tibet is one of the most linguistically diverse places in the world. This is in danger of extinction – https://theconversation.com/tibet-is-one-of-the-most-linguistically-diverse-places-in-the-world-this-is-in-danger-of-extinction-246316
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
March 04, 2025
Lawmakers demand Trump reinstate fired Senate-confirmed officials and address Musk’s conflicts of interest, cite officials’ investigations and prosecutions of Musk’s companies
“Nearly all of your decisions you made about who to fire appear to benefit Mr. Musk”
“We urge you to immediately reinstate the illegally fired individuals and remove Mr. Musk from his government role unless he addresses his massive and glaring conflicts of interest”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), led 38 Members of Congress in a letter to President Donald Trump, raising concerns about his unlawful firings of dozens of independent agency heads and inspectors general (IGs), and calling attention to how many of these firings appear to benefit Elon Musk. The Members also asked that President Trump remove Musk from his government role unless he addresses his conflicts of interest, and immediately reinstate the illegally fired individuals.
“Nearly all of your decisions you made about who to fire appear to benefit Mr. Musk, and many target individuals and agencies that are currently investigating or prosecuting Mr. Musk or his companies for unlawful behavior,” wrote the lawmakers. “Many of these individuals have legal protections dictating why and how they can be removed from office.”
Many of the firings appear to benefit Musk. Musk and his companies have been the subject of at least 20 recent government investigations or prosecutions, including for possible violations of federal safety and labor laws. The lawmakers’ letter lists several agency heads and watchdogs who were improperly fired while involved in oversight surrounding Musk, including but not limited to: NLRB Chair Gwynne Wilcox, FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub, EEOC Commissioners Jocelyn Samuels and Charlotte Burrow, and USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong.
“Altogether, these firings either directly benefit Mr. Musk and his companies or remove guardrails that would hold them accountable to the rule of law,” continued the lawmakers.
Several of Trump’s orders contradict legal protections for the relevant officials. For example, federal law requires the president to notify Congress before removing an inspector general, but Trump did not do so before firing over a dozen IGs. He also failed to set forth the justification required to remove a member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
“The impacts are vast: in total, your removals of agency heads and career civil servants have affected at least eleven federal agencies with more than thirty-two ongoing investigations, complaints, or enforcement actions on Mr. Musk’s companies,” wrote the lawmakers.
The lawmakers warned that failing to hold Musk accountable hurts American citizens and threatens the democratic system of checks and balances.
“These firings have removed the exact individuals in our government who would hold Mr. Musk and his companies accountable for following the law and protect everyday Americans from threats to their health, welfare, safety, and economic well-being,” wrote the lawmakers.
“We urge you to immediately reinstate the illegally fired individuals and remove Mr. Musk from his government role unless he addresses his massive and glaring conflicts of interest as required by law,” concluded the lawmakers.
In addition to lead Senator Warren and co-lead Cory Booker (D-N.J.), the following Senators signed on: Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Heinrich (D-N.M.), Markey (D-Mass.), Padilla (D-Calif.), Sanders (I-Vt.), Schiff (D-Calif.), Van Hollen (D-Md.)
In addition to co-leads House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the following Representatives signed on: Balint (D-Vt.), Beyer (D-Va.), Brownley (D-Calif.), Clarke (D-N.Y.), Cleaver (D-Mo.), Cohen (D-Tenn.), Davis (D-Ill.), DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), García (D-Ill.), Garcia (D-Calif.), Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Johnson (D-Ga.), Kelly (D-Ill.), Khanna (D-Calif.), Lee (D-Pa.), Levin (D-Calif.), Matsui (D-Calif.), McIver (D-N.J.), Moulton (D-Mass.), Norton (D-D.C.), Olszewski (D-Md.), Ramirez (D-Ill.), Scanlon (D-Pa.), Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Stansbury (D-N.M.), Subramanyam (D-Va.), Titus (D-Nev.), Tlaib (D-Mich.), Tokuda (D-Hawai’i), Tonko (D-N.Y.), and Waters (D-Calif.).
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
AMSTERDAM, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vector database developer Weaviate just added a crucial piece to its AI development stack. Today it launched Weaviate Agents, a new set of services for building the next generation of AI and agentic applications.
Weaviate Agents join Weaviate’s industry-leading vector database and vector embedding service to provide a unified solution for developers building applications powered by GenAI.
“Weaviate’s development tools come with batteries included,” said Weaviate VP of Product Alvin Richards. “By unifying data management, agentic workflows and vector storage and search on our enterprise-class infrastructure, we empower development teams to quickly create applications that bring intelligent AI to the masses.”
Weaviate Agents
Weaviate Agents are modular agentic workflows that use LLMs and prompts to interact dynamically with data in Weaviate. They are pretrained on Weaviate’s APIs, making them experts in performing Weaviate-specific data tasks based on natural language commands. Agents can be easily swapped, rearranged or used together, speeding up development with their simple APIs and powerful functionality.
The first three Weaviate Agents, launching in Public Preview this month, enable developers to query, improve and augment their data with less operational overhead.
Query Agent: Simplify complex query workflows and supercharge RAG pipelines by querying data in Weaviate using natural language. Developers configure Query Agent with their desired collections in Weaviate and submit search parameters and aggregations for each query in plain text prompts. Query Agent decides which data is relevant, formulates the necessary searches, retrieves the data, correlates and ranks the answers and returns the results. It can even chain commands together, taking the results of a previous query and extending it with a new prompt.
Transformation Agent: Organize, enrich or augment datasets at scale with a single prompt. Based on the natural language instructions passed into it, Transformation Agent can automatically update data, create new properties, add new data and more. Use cases include cleaning and organizing raw data for AI, generating and enriching metadata, automatically categorizing, labeling and preprocessing data or even translating your entire dataset.
Personalization Agent: Dynamically personalize experiences based on user behavior. With Weaviate Personalization Agent, developers can go beyond static, rules-based recommendations and deliver smart, LLM-based personalization on the fly. Personalization Agent makes it easy to curate search results tailored to each user’s preferences and interactions. It can be used in conjunction with Weaviate Query and Transformation Agents to deliver hyper-personalized user experiences in real-time.
As they are released, Weaviate Agents will become available in Weaviate Cloud, including its free developer sandbox. Query Agent is available now, and Transformation and Personalization Agents are coming later this month.
“The emergence of vector databases, vector embedding services and agentic architectures represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of data management and transformation,” said Bob van Luijt, CEO of Weaviate.
“Vector embeddings have been at the core of AI’s development—from early deep learning models to transformers and today’s large language models. What started as a linear process—data to vector, to database, to model, to results—evolved into dynamic feedback loops, giving rise to agentic architectures. This milestone is a natural next step in a journey we saw beginning a decade ago. And that’s why I’m incredibly excited to see a new stack emerging for developers. For those using Weaviate, it’s made up of the Weaviate vector database, Agents and Vector Embeddings. And what’s most exciting is that this is just the beginning.”
For more on Weaviate Agents, visit Weaviate’s website.
About Weaviate
Weaviate is an open-source AI-native vector database that makes it easier for developers to build and scale AI applications. With powerful hybrid search out of the box, seamless connection to machine learning models and a purpose-built architecture that scales to billions of vectors and millions of tenants, Weaviate is a foundation for modern, AI-native software development. Customers and open-source users, including Instabase, NetApp and Morningstar power search and generative AI applications with Weaviate while maintaining control over their own data. Weaviate was founded in 2019 and is funded by Battery Ventures, Cortical Ventures, Index Ventures, ING Ventures, NEA and Zetta Venture Partners. For more information, visit Weaviate.io.
Media Contact
Chris Ulbrich
weaviate@firebrand.marketing
415 848 9175
Source: Aisle of Wight
The Isle of Wight Council has received vital funding to help communities affected by landslides and coastal erosion.
This money will be used to recruit a landslide and coastal loss community coordinator for two years.
The coordinator will work on the southern and southwestern coasts of the Island, which are facing serious erosion and landslide problems.
These areas are being hit hard by strong waves and heavy rain, causing damage to homes, road closures, and a drop in business activity.
The funding was secured following a successful bid by council officers to the Southern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (SRFCC) via the Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCERM) 7 funding route.
Councillor Paul Fuller, Cabinet member for planning, coastal protection and flooding, said: “Our coast is always changing, and the threat to human life is very real.
“This new role is crucial to help our communities understand the risks and take steps to protect themselves and their properties.
“We are committed to building a resilient future for the Isle of Wight, and this specialist will play a key part in that mission. Their work will ensure that our coastal communities are better prepared and more resilient in the face of these ongoing threats.”
The new coordinator will be part of the council’s climate, coast, and environment team.
Their role will be to support residents affected by frequent geological events on the Island and provide advice and support to council departments, councillors, outside agencies, developers, and the public on coastal erosion and landslide issues.
They will also research and develop opportunities to minimise the impact of erosion and landslides and design future strategies for managing these problems.
Natasha Dix, service director for waste, environment and planning, added: “Decaying defences and outdated policies are causing significant problems, worsened by climate change.
“This funding is crucial for providing the necessary resources to support homeowners and businesses. The new coordinator will research and share findings with the SRFCC, focusing on benefits like regeneration, poverty reduction, mental health support, and emergency services.
“They will also collaborate with other councils facing similar issues to find the best solutions. This teamwork is essential for helping coastal communities adapt to the challenges of erosion and landslides, ensuring a more resilient future for the Isle of Wight.”
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
STMicroelectronics reveals STM32U3 microcontrollers extending ultra-low power innovation for remote, smart and sustainable applications
Geneva, Switzerland, March 4, 2025 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has introduced new STM32U3 microcontrollers (MCUs) with cutting-edge power-saving innovations that ease deployment of smart connected tech, especially in remote locations.
The latest MCUs are aimed at IoT devices, which must typically operate for extended periods without maintenance and with limited energy from a coin cell or ambient solar or thermoelectric source. Typical applications that depend on the lowest possible power consumption include utility meters, healthcare devices such as glucose meters and insulin pumps, animal care monitors, forest-fire sensors, and industrial sensors including thermostats and smoke detectors. STM32U3 MCUs are also used in consumer products such as smart watches, wearables, and hearables.
“The STM32U3 series builds on the heritage of ST-established ultra-low-power general-purpose microcontroller class as it is known today, which opened the door to widespread diffusion of smart technology in diverse environments,” commented Patrick Aidoune, General-Purpose MCU Division General Manager, STMicroelectronics. “Leveraging innovative techniques such as recent advancements in near-threshold design, the new devices cut dynamic power consumption to the bone, boosting efficiency by a factor of two compared to our previous generation, hence contributing to companies’ sustainability goals.”
In addition to its extreme energy efficiency, the STM32U3 series meets the needs of IoT devices by providing robust cyber protection using the latest hardware security techniques. The MCUs are designed to confine secret keys permanently in secure memory, eliminating vulnerable CPU fetches. In addition, attestation credentials for each device are provisioned by ST at manufacture before leaving the factory, which strengthens security and simplifies provisioning. All those security mechanisms, in addition to the SESIP3 and PSA Level3 certifiable security assets, such as cryptographic accelerators, TrustZone® isolation, random generator, and product lifecycle will contribute and enable ST customers to reach compliancy towards the upcoming RED and CRA regulations.
Customer testimonials:
“STM32U3 enables us [smaXtec] to bring our hardware for animal health monitors to the next level. The consumption in active mode is extremely low, only a few µA/MHz, which enables us to reduce the energy needed for current data processing algorithms while at the same time adding new features to our products. In addition, its advanced range of low-power modes lets us put the device into deep sleep if no data is processed. The newly implemented STOP3 mode, including its wakeup capabilities, is a neat way to keep power consumption low,” said Manuel Frech, Product Development Engineer, smaXtec.
Technical Notes for Editors
ST has set the pace in ultra-low-power (ULP) MCUs with previous STM32 variants and is now taking ULP performance to a new level with the new STM32U3 series. Leveraging advanced power-saving chip design, fine-tuned with AI-enhanced tools, and the latest Arm® Cortex®-M33 core running at up to 96MHz, the new MCUs achieve the market-leading Coremark-per-milliwatt score of 117. This is almost twice the efficiency of ST’s preceding STM32U5 series, and five times that of the STM32L4 series.
The STM32U3 series is in production now and available from $1.93 for orders of 10,000 pieces. For more information, please go to www.st.com/stm32u3
STM32 is a registered and/or unregistered trademark of STMicroelectronics International NV or its affiliates in the EU and/or elsewhere. In particular, STM32 is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.
About STMicroelectronics
At ST, we are 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are on track to be carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027.
Further information can be found at www.st.com.
INVESTOR RELATIONS
Jérôme Ramel
EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication
Tel: +41.22.929.59.20
jerome.ramel@st.com
MEDIA RELATIONS
Alexis Breton
Corporate External Communications
Tel: +33.6.59.16.79.08
alexis.breton@st.com
Attachments
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cedrick Dion Tyron Griffin, age 26, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Fairmont Police Department was investigating a shooting that led them to Griffin. A search of his Morgantown apartment, his vehicle, and a hotel room in his name resulted in the seizure of $28,000, 144 grams of fentanyl, more than 1,100 grams of methamphetamine, and a firearm. Griffin has a criminal history that includes obstructing/assault on a police officer, attempted murder, wanton endangerment, malicious wounding, drug trafficking and witness intimidation.
Griffin will also serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Three Rivers Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
BALTIMORE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI apprehended an illegal Salvadoran alien charged in his home country with possession of firearm, extorsion and terrorist affiliation when officers arrested David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman, 27, in Hyattsville, Maryland, Feb. 27.
“The apprehension of David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman strikes a significant blow to the leadership and organization of the MS-13 terrorist organization,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations acting Field Office Director Matthew Elliston. “This arrest speaks volumes about the cooperation enjoyed between ICE and the FBI. We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from our communities.”
Orellana is a high-ranking leader in the MS-13 transnational terrorist organization and controlled the operation of MS-13 cliques in the United States, Mexico, and Europe.
“Maryland is immediately safer because of this arrest. Working together, we took custody of one of the highest-ranking gang members in the United States,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno. “David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman is no longer in his alleged position of power directing violence. His arrest demonstrates the success we can have when we collectively investigate and disrupt violent criminals seeking to exploit our communities.”
Authorities in El Salvador arrested Orellana Dec. 1, 2016, and charged him for possession of a firearm, extorsion and terrorist affiliation as a documented member of MS-13.
Orellana illegally entered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location, and without being inspected, admitted, or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.
The Prince George’s County Police Department arrested Orellana Dec. 9, 2024, and charged him for driving without a license.
Orellana remains in ICE custody following his arrest.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our Maryland communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBaltimore.
US Senate News:
Source: The White House
Meet the special people who will join the First Lady and President Trump at the U.S. Capitol when President Trump delivers his address to a joint session of Congress.
These men, women, and families come from all different walks of life with incredible stories about the disaster wrought by the previous administration, and the historic achievements President Trump has already enacted to usher in the Golden Age of America.
Elliston Berry from Aledo, TX: Elliston is a 15-year-old who was the victim of computer-generated deepfakes created by a bully at her school intended to humiliate and degrade Elliston and her friends.
The Comperatore Family from Sarver, PA: Helen, Allyson, and Kaylee are the widow and daughters of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who was killed by the gunman who also shot President Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024.
Jeff Denard from Decatur, AL: Jeff has spent nearly three decades working at a steel plant owned by Nucor Steel. His good paying, middle class job at the steel plant has allowed Jeff to serve as volunteer firefighter, provide a loving home to dozens of foster children, and organize his fellow steelworkers to respond to natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene.
Stephanie Diller from Long Island, NY: Stephanie is the widow of Jonathan Diller, an NYPD officer who was murdered at a traffic stop in Queens in March 2024 by a repeat criminal who was allowed to roam the streets.
Haley Ferguson from Spring Hill, TN: Haley is a former foster child, a senior at Middle Tennessee State University majoring in Elementary Education, and a Fostering the Future scholarship recipient, which was launched by the First Lady’s organization, Be Best.
Marc and Malphine Fogel from Butler, PA: Marc is an American history teacher who was held hostage by the Russian government and wrongfully sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison. On February 12th, President Trump fulfilled his promise to Malphine, Marc’s 95-year-old mother, that he would bring Marc home.
January Littlejohn from Tallahassee, FL: January is a mother and parents’ rights advocate who sued the School Board of Leon County after school officials at her daughter’s middle school socially transitioned her daughter to a different sexual identity without January and her husband’s knowledge or permission. The school drove a wedge between January’s daughter and her parents, and deceived January about their covert plan to transition her daughter.
Payton McNabb from Murphy, NC: Payton is a former high school athlete who had her dreams of competing in college sports crushed in a September 2022 volleyball match when a biological man playing on the opposing women’s team spiked the volleyball at Payton’s face, leaving her with a traumatic brain injury. Payton joined with the Independent Women’s Forum and has made it her mission to put an end to this brutal unfairness.
Allyson and Lauren Phillips from Woodstock, GA: Allyson and Lauren are the mother and sister of Laken Riley, a young female nursing student who was murdered by an illegal alien during a morning jog. The Biden administration apprehended and released Laken’s murderer into the country under its reckless open border policies. The very first bill President Trump signed into law this year was named in Laken’s honor.
Alexis Nungaray from Houston, TX: Alexis is an angel mom and the mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was murdered by two illegal aliens during a walk to a corner store. The Biden administration apprehended and released these vicious illegal aliens into the country just weeks before Jocelyn’s murder.
Roberto Ortiz from Weslaco, TX: Roberto has served with U.S. Border Patrol for nearly a decade, and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and California State Guard. He has been shot at repeatedly by cartel members while performing his duties near the Rio Grande River in Texas.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Strategic Benefits of the Acquisition:
HOUSTON, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Evolution Petroleum Corporation (NYSE American: EPM) (“Evolution” or the “Company”) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire non-operated oil and natural gas assets in New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana (the “Acquisition”). The total purchase price for the Acquisition is $9.0 million, subject to customary closing adjustments. The Acquisition is expected to close by the end of Evolution’s third quarter of fiscal 2025 with an effective date of February 1, 2025. The Company intends to finance the Acquisition through a combination of cash on hand and borrowings under its existing credit facility.
Kelly Loyd, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “This Acquisition marks our 7th such transaction in the last 6 years and is another step forward in strengthening our production base – aligns with our disciplined growth strategy by adding high-quality, low-decline production at an attractive valuation, estimated at ~2.8x NTM2 Adjusted EBITDA1 which doesn’t include any incremental cash flows for upside opportunities. These assets complement our existing portfolio and enhance our ability to generate stable free cash flow, which supports our long-standing commitment to returning capital to shareholders. We see additional upside through reactivations of existing waterfloods and through operational efficiencies, which will further enhance long-term value.”
The Acquisition expands Evolution’s diverse asset portfolio with approximately 440 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOEPD) of net production, consisting of a balanced commodity mix of 60% oil and 40% natural gas. The acquired assets are primarily low-decline, Proved Developed Producing (PDP) properties, characterized by a sub-7% annual base decline, ensuring stable cash flows and long-term value creation. The transaction is immediately accretive to all key metrics, reinforcing Evolution’s ability to sustain and grow its shareholder returns. The portfolio consists of approximately 254 gross producing wells across all regions. The assets will be managed by a top-tier private operator, ensuring operational efficiency and the ability to maximize value.
“We remain committed to executing our strategy of acquiring high-quality, long-life assets that enhance our production base while maintaining financial discipline,” added Mr. Loyd. “This transaction further reinforces our strong balance sheet and ability to deliver consistent shareholder value through sustainable production and cash flow generation.”
Non-GAAP Disclosure
Certain financial information utilized by the Company are not measures of financial performance recognized by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”).
Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure used as a supplemental financial measure by management and external users of the Company’s financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, and others, to assess our operating performance as compared to that of other companies in our industry. We use these measures to assess our ability to incur and service debt and fund capital expenditures. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for net income, as an indication of operating performance or cash flows from operating activities or as a measure of liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. The Company defines “Adjusted EBITDA” as net income (loss) plus interest expense, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation, depletion, and accretion (DD&A), stock-based compensation, ceiling test impairment, and other impairments, unrealized loss (gain) on change in fair value of derivatives, and other non-recurring or non-cash expense (income) items. The Company cannot provide a reconciliation of NTM Adjusted EBITDA without unreasonable efforts because it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the ultimate outcome of certain significant items required for reconciliation. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors and could have a material impact on GAAP reported results.
PV-10 is a non-GAAP financial measure that differs from a financial measure under GAAP known as “standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows” in that PV-10 is calculated without including future income taxes. The Company believes the presentation of PV-10 provides useful information because it is widely used by investors in evaluating oil and natural gas companies without regard to specific income tax characteristics of such entities. The Company also uses PV-10 when assessing the potential return on investment related to oil and natural gas properties and in evaluating acquisition opportunities. PV-10 is not intended to represent the current market value of the Company’s estimated proved reserves. PV-10 should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the standardized measure as defined under GAAP. The Company also presents PV-10 at strip pricing, which is PV-10 adjusted for price sensitivities. Since GAAP does not prescribe a comparable GAAP measure for PV-10 of reserves adjusted for pricing sensitivities, it is not practicable for the Company to reconcile PV-10 at strip pricing to a standardized measure or any other GAAP measure.
About Evolution Petroleum
Evolution Petroleum Corporation is an independent energy company focused on maximizing total shareholder returns through the ownership of and investment in onshore oil and natural gas properties in the U.S. The Company aims to build and maintain a diversified portfolio of long-life oil and natural gas properties through acquisitions, selective development opportunities, production enhancements, and other exploitation efforts. Properties include non-operated interests in the following areas: the SCOOP/STACK plays of the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma; the Chaveroo Oilfield located in Chaves and Roosevelt Counties, New Mexico; the Jonah Field in Sublette County, Wyoming; the Williston Basin in North Dakota; the Barnett Shale located in North Texas; the Hamilton Dome Field located in Hot Springs County, Wyoming; the Delhi Holt-Bryant Unit in the Delhi Field in Northeast Louisiana; as well as small overriding royalty interests in four onshore Texas wells. Visit www.evolutionpetroleum.com for more information.
Cautionary Statement
All forward-looking statements contained in this press release regarding the Company’s current and future expectations, potential results, and plans and objectives involve a wide range of risks and uncertainties. Statements herein using words such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “plans,” “outlook,” “should,” “will,” and words of similar meaning are forward-looking statements. Although the Company’s expectations are based on business, engineering, geological, financial, and operating assumptions that it believes to be reasonable, many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from its expectations. The Company gives no assurance that its goals will be achieved. These factors and others are detailed under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.
Contact
Investor Relations
(713) 935-0122
ir@evolutionpetroleum.com
| 1) | Adjusted EBITDA is Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization and is a non-GAAP financial measure; see disclosures at the end of this release for more information. | ||
| 2) | Based on current NYMEX strip prices as of 3/3/25; NTM represents 12-month period of 4/1/25-4/1/26. | ||
| 3) | PV-10 is based on proved reserves determined by internal management estimates using current NYMEX strip prices as of 3/3/25 and is a non-GAAP financial measure; see disclosures at the end of this release for more information. |
This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
TORONTO, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NowVertical Group Inc. (TSXV: NOW) (“NowVertical” or the “Company”), a leading data and AI solutions provider, today announced they will be attending the invite-only 37th Annual ROTH Conference.
The 37th Annual ROTH Conference will take place on March 16-18, 2025, in Dana Point, CA, bringing together leading institutional investors and high-growth companies across multiple sectors. As a prestigious, invite-only event, the conference provides a valuable platform for innovative companies like NowVertical to engage directly with investors, industry leaders, and analysts. NowVertical’s inclusion in this exclusive event reflects its strong market position and continued growth in AI and data-driven solutions and services.
The event will consist of 1-on-1 / small group meetings, analyst-selected fireside chats, industry keynotes and panels with executive management attending from approximately 450 private and public companies in a variety of growth sectors including: Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial Growth, Insurance, Resources, Sustainability and Technology, Media & Entertainment.
To learn more and submit a registration request, visit https://ibn.fm/Roth2025Registration
About NowVertical Group Inc.
The Company is a global data and analytics company which helps clients transform data into tangible business value with AI, fast. Offering a comprehensive suite of solutions and services the Company enables clients to quickly harness the full potential of their data, driving measurable outcomes and accelerating potential return on investment. Enterprises optimize decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and unlock long-term value from their data using the Company’s AI-Infused first party and third-party technologies. NowVertical is growing organically and through strategic acquisitions. For further details about NowVertical, please visit www.nowvertical.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information, visit www.nowvertical.com.
For further information, please contact:
Andre Garber, CDO
IR@nowvertical.com
T: +1(647)947-0223
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (together “forward-looking statements“), including, the alignment of the Company’s leadership and shareholders, and the associated results of the transactions contemplated in this press release on NowVertical’s business, finances and operations. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies, certain of which are unknown. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “should”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, “estimate”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by inherent risks and uncertainties, including: adverse market conditions; risks inherent in the data analytics and artificial intelligence sectors in general; regulatory and legislative changes; that future results may vary from historical results; inability to obtain any requisite future financing on suitable terms; any inability to realize the expected benefits and synergies of acquisitions or dispositions; that market competition may affect the business, results and financial condition of the Company and other risk factors identified in documents filed by the Company under its profile at www.sedarplus.com, including the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2023. Further, these forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as expressly required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The government has announced £1.5 billion funding for 75 selected communities through the Plan for Neighbourhoods.
Local people to see their high streets revived, community hubs saved and public services transformed and strengthened through the Plan for Neighbourhoods, announced today.
£1.5 billion to be handed to towns across the UK to tackle deprivation and turbocharge growth as every area joins the decade of national renewal committed to in our Plan for Change.
A total of 75 areas will each receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade through the plan, with ministers vowing it will help transform “left behind” areas by unleashing their full potential by investing in delivering improved vital community services from education, health and employment, to tackling local issues like crime. Transformation will be holistic, long-term, and sustainable to deliver meaningful change in the day-to-day lives of local people.
Communities across the four nations from Scunthorpe in England, Irvine in Scotland, Wrexham in Wales, and Coleraine and Derry~Londonderry in Northern Ireland are among the areas set to benefit.
This is the latest step in the government’s ambitious Plan for Change missions to grow the UK economy, deliver safer streets and create opportunities for everyone.
The Plan for Neighbourhoods doubles the scope of the types of projects that can benefit and is now fully aligned with the government’s long-term Plan for Change missions: breaking down barriers to opportunity and kickstarting economic growth.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner said:
“For years, too many neighbourhoods have been starved of investment, despite their potential to thrive and grow. Communities across the UK have so much to offer – rich cultural capital, unique heritage but most of all, an understanding of their own neighbourhood.
“We will do things differently, our fully funded Plan for Neighbourhoods puts local people in the driving seat of their potential, having control of where the Whitehall cash goes – what issues they want to tackle, where they want to regenerate and what growth they want turbocharge.”
Minister for Local Growth and Building Safety, Alex Norris said:
“When our local neighbourhoods thrive, the rest of the country thrives too. That’s why we are empowering communities to take control of their futures and create the regeneration and growth they want to see.
“Our Plan for Neighbourhoods we will deliver long-term funding that will bolster that inner community spirit in us all and relight the fires in corners of the UK that have for too long been left fighting for survival.
“This, along with our ambitious reforms to streamline the planning system, devolve powers and strengthen workers’ rights, will help get places and people thriving once again.”
In each area, the government will help set up a new ‘Neighbourhood Board’, bringing together residents, local businesses, and grassroots campaigners to draw up and implement a new vision for their neighbourhood. Mayors will have a formal role in town boards allowing local people to take advantage of the powers devolved from Westminster.
Each board will decide how to spend up to £20 million – they can choose from options ranging from repairs to pavements and high streets, to setting up community grocers providing low-cost alternatives when shopping for essentials, as well as co-operatives or even neighbourhood watches.
By creating thriving places, strengthening communities, and empowering people to take back control, areas can now drive forward their own priorities.
Through our ambitious devolution plans already underway, creating the greatest shift in power from Whitehall to local areas across England – change and growth for every corner of the country is already being seen. Leaders with skin in the game are finally able to take the lead on decision making, tackling the issues that matter to voters, breaking down barriers to opportunity and boosting economic growth.
Further information
The Plan for Neighbourhoods delivers on the commitments made to these deprived communities from the previous administration’s Long-Term Plan for Towns, which it was confirmed at the 2024 Autumn Budget would be retained and reformed.
Ministers have also published a list of regeneration powers that communities will be encouraged to use, like the power to save pubs by listing them as community assets, and the use of respect orders to tackle repeat offenders.
Funding will be released from April 2025 with delivery investment commencing in 2026, and areas included in the Plan for Neighbourhoods were chosen after considering key factors including rates of deprivation and healthy life expectancy.
All 75 areas receiving funding are as follows:
Scotland:
Wales:
Northern Ireland:
North East:
North West:
Yorkshire and the Humber:
East Midlands:
West Midlands:
East of England:
South East:
South West:
Published 4 March 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
TORONTO, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Churchill Resources Inc. (“Churchill” or the “Company”) (TSXV: CRI) is pleased to provide an update on its Taylor Brook nickel project where 2024 drilling and prospecting have returned anomalous Vanadium-Titanium-Magnetite (“VTM”) results at the TB-01 to TB-04 chargeability targets. These targets only cover a small area explored thus far on the margin of the large South Lobe of the Taylor Brook Gabbro Complex (“TBGC”), but suggest it to be a layered intrusion with critical minerals potential, in addition to the property’s high-grade magmatic Ni-Cu-Co mineralization seen at Layden (See news releases February 13, 2023, October 26, 2023).
Mineralized magnetite-layered units sampled thus far at the South Lobe are generally several metres thick and gently dipping northeasterly, from which numerous 2024 samples returned anomalous values of 540ppm-955ppm V, 3.1%-7.29% Ti and >20% Fe with Ni, Cu and Co enrichment at several sites at the TB-01 Target (Fig. 1 and Table 1). Winter Borehole Induced Polarization (“BHIP”) surveys at TB-01 have generated high chargeability off-hole targets in this same area, which will be drill tested along with a systematic trenching program.
Highlights:
Paul Sobie, CEO, commented:
“The anomalous VTM results we’re starting to see at TB-01 to 04, along with the associated shallow Ni-Cu-Co trends, are compelling, and systematic follow-up work will commence as soon as the snow cover melts. We prioritized this area based on anomalous Ni-Cu-Co in soils, and have drilled and prospected on surface the probable source layer within the TBGC, which is also anomalous in VTM’s, a good indication of layered intrusion-type mineral deposits. We’ve really only begun to evaluate a small portion of the overall approximately 10km2 magnetic / vanadium soil anomaly VTM target on the South Lobe and its margins, so our 2024 results are encouraging.
VTM’s are important strategic metals for the steel, aerospace and battery industries for vanadium, and the pigment, steel and medical industries for titanium. North America has no vanadium production, with China, Russia, South Africa and Brazil the major producers, world-wide, from large layered intrusions such as the Bushveld Complex (South Africa). Layered intrusive mineral deposits typically exhibit layered VTM mineralization in the upper portions, with PGE and chromite deposits somewhat deeper, and Ni-Cu-Co-PGE deposits lowest, in the more ultramafic portion of the intrusion. The VTM mineralization intersected and prospected at surface at the TBGC therefore would appear to be at its upper levels, with exploration just getting started on the South Lobe.
Figure 1 – Vanadium in rocks, soils and drill cores over South Lobe TMI with VTEM anomalies
Systematic prospecting, mapping and trenching at the South Lobe, as well as more drilling at TB-01 are being planned. New exploration permit applications are being prepared for submittal. We’re quite excited by the BHIP method and results, which has located the highest chargeability targets within the TB-01 anomaly, off-hole but not distal from our 2024 drillholes. We’ll drill test these in 2025.”
The South Lobe has been of particular interest to CRI since staking it in 2021 based on its intense magnetic signature and coincident gravity anomaly, more particularly now as it is returning anomalous vanadium and titanium soil survey and prospecting results per Figure 1. The South Lobe magnetic feature is predominantly a topographic high with good exposures of layering along its margins, where the VTM horizons are commonly resistive, outcropping or forming scarps. Presently less that 10% of the South Lobe has been prospected, therefore the Company is planning a comprehensive prospecting, mapping, and trenching/stripping program for the Spring. The TB-01 horizon(s) are laterally extensive based on airborne geophysics and soil sampling and will be followed up along strike in Spring 2025. As well, the Company’s exploration team will comprehensively sample holes TB-24-41, -42B and -43 for VTM mineralization and PGEs in order to test for potential deeper horizons of mineralization.
Petrographic, lithogeochemical, and mineral liberation studies on mineralized samples are pending, which will assist in assessing the economic potential of these VTM units.
Table 1 – Selected 2024 Assay and Lithogeochemical Samples Metal Analytical Results
BHIP surveys at the TB-01 target were successful and have confirmed that off-hole chargeability anomalies correlate well with layers of VTM mineralization including a near-surface horizon also enriched in Ni-Cu-Co (see inset map on Figure 1). Hole TB-24-41 was blocked at 100m depth so the entire hole could not be surveyed, but the BHIP did detect the near-surface Ni-Cu-Co-VTM horizon (the Ni-Cu-Co trend on the figures) observed in the core as well as in numerous nearby angular boulders.
The technical and scientific information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Derek H.C Wilton, P.Geo., FGC, who is a “qualified person” as defined under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). Mr. Wilton is an honourary research professor of Economic Geology at Memorial University in St. John’s and is independent of the Company for the purposes of NI 43-101.
The lithogeochemical samples reported here were whole rock pieces, collected from outcrop and historical drill core by Dr. Wilton during fieldwork in September/October 2024. These samples were sealed in labelled plastic bags in the field. All sample bags were photographed and transported to Thunder Bay, ON, by secure courier. The samples were analysed by ALS Geochemistry Ltd. in Thunder Bay using ME-ICP06 whole rock and ME-MS61L analytical protocols. Samples with over limit Ni contents were re-assayed using OG-46 Aqua-Regia overlimit method. Quality control results, including the laboratory’s own control samples, were evaluated immediately.
The assay drill core and rock samples were placed in labelled, sealed plastic bags and delivered to Eastern Analytical of Springdale, NL, an ISO/IEC 17025 certified facility. The samples were analysed using ICP 34 (inductively coupled plasma) analytical protocols. Samples with over limit Ni and Fe contents were re-assayed using Eastern’s Ore Grade Assay (multi acid digestion) overlimit method. Quality control results, including the laboratory’s control samples, were evaluated immediately. 1
1The Company reminds investors that surface rock samples are select samples and may not be representative of all mineralization on the Taylor Brook property.
About Churchill Resources Inc.
Churchill Resources Inc. is a Canadian exploration company focused on high grade, magmatic nickel sulphides in Canada, principally at its prospective Taylor Brook and Florence Lake properties in Newfoundland & Labrador. The Churchill management team, board and its advisors have decades of combined management experience in mineral exploration and in the establishment of successful publicly listed mining companies, both in Canada and around the world. Churchill’s Taylor Brook and Florence Lake projects have the potential to benefit from the province’s large and diversified minerals industry, which includes world class nickel mines and processing facilities, and a well-developed mineral exploration sector with locally based drilling and geological expertise.
Further Information
For further information regarding Churchill, please contact:
| Churchill Resources Inc. | ||
| Paul Sobie, Chief Executive Officer | ||
| Tel. | +1 416.365.0930 (o) | |
| +1 647.988.0930 (m) | ||
| psobie@churchillresources.com | ||
| Alec Rowlands, Corporate Consultant | ||
| Tel. | +1 416.721.4732 (m) | |
| arowlands@churchillresources.com | ||
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information
This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “proposed”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “believes” or “intends” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, , the Company’s objectives, goals and exploration activities conducted and proposed to be conducted at the Company’s properties; interpretation of recent exploration results; future growth potential of the Company, including whether any proposed exploration programs at any of the Company’s properties will be successful; exploration results; and future exploration plans and costs and financing availability.
These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: the expected benefits to the Company relating to the exploration conducted and proposed to be conducted at the Company’s properties; failure to identify any mineral resources or significant mineralization; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on the Company’s properties; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining and mineral exploration; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); the unlikelihood that properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated; soil sampling results being preliminary in nature and are not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit; title to properties; and those factors described in the most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis of the Company. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law.
Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f88f1c38-2fc8-4687-b536-67baa68ec31e
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d18ace1-d149-45eb-b87f-bf7a1d931b09
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Eric Friedman, Researcher, Georgetown University
The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has been a cornerstone of global HIV/Aids prevention, care and treatment for over two decades. Pepfar has enjoyed broad bipartisan support in the US, but its future is now uncertain. Public health scholars Eric A. Friedman, Sarah A. Wetter and Lawrence O. Gostin explain Pepfar’s history and impacts, as well as what may lie ahead.
Many people today have forgotten the sheer devastation that the Aids pandemic wrought on the African continent, first spreading widely in east Africa in the 1980s. By the end of the 20th century, life expectancy in the region had decreased from 64 to 47 years.
Millions of children were infected and many grew up as orphans, with HIV taking the life of one or both of their parents. Children, especially girls, were taken out of school to nurse sick relatives or because school fees were unaffordable.
Underfunded health systems were near collapse, as were the economies of many African countries.
Infection rates in several countries on the continent topped 30% of their adult populations.
These devastating figures persisted despite the discovery of highly effective antiretroviral therapies in the 1990s. These drugs rapidly became widely available in rich countries, beginning in 1996, leading to an 84% decline in death rates over four years.
But cost kept the drugs out of reach for African countries.
Only about 100,000 of the 20 million people infected with HIV in Africa were accessing drug treatment in 2003.
A major breakthrough came when US president George W Bush proposed a bold global initiative, Pepfar, in his 2003 State of the Union Address. Pepfar would dedicate US$15 billion over five years with the goals of preventing 7 million new infections, treating 2 million people, and caring for another 10 million infected with HIV or orphaned by the disease.
By 2005, more than 800,000 people were being treated for HIV in Africa – an eightfold increase from only two years prior. Under Pepfar, the costs of antiretroviral treatment per person per year in low- and middle-income countries fell from US$1,200 in 2003 to just US$58 in 2023.
Pepfar maintained bipartisan support throughout both Democratic and Republican-led administrations and Congresses. Through 2018, it had been reauthorised three times, each for five years.
The programme has lived up to its promise. The investment of over US$110 billion since being launched has been transformative, with sub-Saharan Africa benefiting the most.
Globally, Pepfar has saved 26 million lives and prevented nearly 8 million babies from being born with HIV. In 2024, more than 20 million people were receiving HIV treatment through Pepfar, which was also supporting well over 6 million orphans, vulnerable children and their caregivers, and enabled nearly 84 million people to be tested for HIV that year.
Its importance extends beyond Aids. The programme directly supports more than 340,000 health workers, a tremendous contribution in Africa especially, given severe health worker shortages in much of the continent.
Pepfar-supported health services integrate HIV services with tuberculosis care, treatment and prevention. And since 2019, Pepfar has been part of a partnership for screening and treating women with HIV for cervical cancer, focused on 12 high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
But the past two years have been ones of political discord and major disruption.
The trouble began in May 2023, with Pepfar due for a five-year reauthorisation.
A key member of Congress, along with organisations against abortion, raised concerns that Pepfar was supporting abortions, even though there was no such evidence at the time. In fact, by law Pepfar is prohibited from supporting abortions.
House Republicans sought to include abortion restrictions in the Pepfar reauthorisation. But Congress passed a reauthorisation bill without abortion provisions in March 2024, to last until 25 March 2025.
Ever since then, the threats posed to a five-year Pepfar reauthorisation have grown.
In January, Pepfar reported to Congress that its own investigators had found that four nurses in Mozambique had used Pepfar funding to perform abortions (which are legal in Mozambique), 21 in all. Pepfar officials froze funds to the four nurses and required staff to attest to understanding that they were prohibited from providing abortion as part of US-funded health services.
Days later Pepfar, along with most other US foreign assistance programmes, suffered a severe blow. President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing all further disbursements and new obligations of foreign assistance funds for 90 days, pending a sweeping review.
Four days later, secretary of state Marco Rubio issued a directive that went even further, also requiring organisations to stop work, even those that had already received funds needed to operate.
By 27 January, virtually all US foreign assistance programmes had come to a halt, including Pepfar programmes.
Following an outcry, Rubio issued a waiver for lifesaving humanitarian assistance on 28 January. With confusion over what was covered, including whether the waiver encompassed HIV medicines, he issued another waiver on 1 February, covering Pepfar treatment and care programmes, including prevention of and treatment for TB and other opportunistic infections, as well as prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes.
But organisations receiving US foreign assistance funds needed to get individual approval to resume, and the administration had put much of USAid’s staff on administrative leave. USAid (along with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has a central role in administering Pepfar. Many others, including contractors embedded in USAid operations, have been furloughed or fired.
Very few people existed to process requests to resume work. Furthermore, USAid’s payment system appeared not to be working.
The decisions of the Trump administration are being challenged in court in the US on the grounds that they are illegal and unconstitutional because they are usurping Congress’s power to determine how the US government spends funds, among other violations of the law.
Nonetheless, as of this writing, despite a court order to resume funding, it remains entirely frozen, and most programmes are still shut down. The day after the court ordered the government to pay nearly US$2 billion it owes organisations for work already done, the administration revealed that it had terminated the vast majority of foreign assistance awards, including some for Pepfar. Details have not been made public. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court put a short-term pause on the lower court’s order to immediately pay the money already owed.
The impact has been immediate. People on HIV treatment could not pick up additional medicine, leading to treatment interruption. Pepfar-funded health services had to turn away patients. Health workers supported by Pepfar, among them 40,000 in Kenya, could no longer be paid.
Many organisations that relied on Pepfar funds also had to lay off staff. Community groups have been affected and many have suspended their services entirely.
It remains unclear what the future holds – how severe the cuts will be, and to what programmes. In the near term, much depends on the courts and whether the administration implements court orders, as it has yet to do. In the longer term, Congress could seek to resume Pepfar to its former strength, though this would mean acting against the administration’s wishes. Even then, it is not clear whether the administration would spend the money allocated, and the damage already done to Pepfar programmes and trust in the US government will not be repaired quickly.
Pepfar is currently funded at US$7.5 billion annually. It accounts for over 10% of all US foreign assistance and over half of US global health assistance.
The separate Pepfar waiver suggests the deepest support for Pepfar is for HIV treatment programmes, as well as others meant to be protected under the waiver. Barring vast cuts to foreign assistance and Pepfar, these programmes are most likely to be at least spared, though the administration has terminated even some grants that had been covered by the waiver.
Other Pepfar programmes, particularly with respect to HIV prevention, are most vulnerable.
The vulnerability of different African countries to Pepfar cuts varies widely. Some fund most of their own HIV programmes. South Africa’s HIV programmes are 74% domestically funded, with the balance coming from Pepfar (17%) and the Global Fund (7%).
But Pepfar funding accounts for about 90% of all HIV funding in Tanzania and Côte d’Ivoire, and more than half of HIV medicines purchased for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Zambia are purchased by the US.
If there are significant Pepfar funding cuts, it is doubtful that other wealthy countries will be able to compensate. And because the US, through Pepfar, is the largest contributor to the Global Fund, it is unlikely that the Global Fund could fill the gap either.
Under these circumstances, unless countries increase their domestic HIV spending, the dramatic progress in combating HIV/Aids in Africa could begin to become undone.
The conversation in Africa must focus on ending reliance on foreign assistance and developing resilient financing mechanisms to continue the fight to end Aids.
– Pepfar funding to fight HIV/Aids has saved 26 million lives since 2003: how cutting it will hurt Africa
– https://theconversation.com/pepfar-funding-to-fight-hiv-aids-has-saved-26-million-lives-since-2003-how-cutting-it-will-hurt-africa-250413
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Eric Friedman, Researcher, Georgetown University
The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has been a cornerstone of global HIV/Aids prevention, care and treatment for over two decades. Pepfar has enjoyed broad bipartisan support in the US, but its future is now uncertain. Public health scholars Eric A. Friedman, Sarah A. Wetter and Lawrence O. Gostin explain Pepfar’s history and impacts, as well as what may lie ahead.
Many people today have forgotten the sheer devastation that the Aids pandemic wrought on the African continent, first spreading widely in east Africa in the 1980s. By the end of the 20th century, life expectancy in the region had decreased from 64 to 47 years.
Millions of children were infected and many grew up as orphans, with HIV taking the life of one or both of their parents. Children, especially girls, were taken out of school to nurse sick relatives or because school fees were unaffordable.
Underfunded health systems were near collapse, as were the economies of many African countries.
Infection rates in several countries on the continent topped 30% of their adult populations.
These devastating figures persisted despite the discovery of highly effective antiretroviral therapies in the 1990s. These drugs rapidly became widely available in rich countries, beginning in 1996, leading to an 84% decline in death rates over four years.
But cost kept the drugs out of reach for African countries.
Only about 100,000 of the 20 million people infected with HIV in Africa were accessing drug treatment in 2003.
A major breakthrough came when US president George W Bush proposed a bold global initiative, Pepfar, in his 2003 State of the Union Address. Pepfar would dedicate US$15 billion over five years with the goals of preventing 7 million new infections, treating 2 million people, and caring for another 10 million infected with HIV or orphaned by the disease.
By 2005, more than 800,000 people were being treated for HIV in Africa – an eightfold increase from only two years prior. Under Pepfar, the costs of antiretroviral treatment per person per year in low- and middle-income countries fell from US$1,200 in 2003 to just US$58 in 2023.
Pepfar maintained bipartisan support throughout both Democratic and Republican-led administrations and Congresses. Through 2018, it had been reauthorised three times, each for five years.
The programme has lived up to its promise. The investment of over US$110 billion since being launched has been transformative, with sub-Saharan Africa benefiting the most.
Globally, Pepfar has saved 26 million lives and prevented nearly 8 million babies from being born with HIV. In 2024, more than 20 million people were receiving HIV treatment through Pepfar, which was also supporting well over 6 million orphans, vulnerable children and their caregivers, and enabled nearly 84 million people to be tested for HIV that year.
Its importance extends beyond Aids. The programme directly supports more than 340,000 health workers, a tremendous contribution in Africa especially, given severe health worker shortages in much of the continent.
Pepfar-supported health services integrate HIV services with tuberculosis care, treatment and prevention. And since 2019, Pepfar has been part of a partnership for screening and treating women with HIV for cervical cancer, focused on 12 high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
But the past two years have been ones of political discord and major disruption.
The trouble began in May 2023, with Pepfar due for a five-year reauthorisation.
A key member of Congress, along with organisations against abortion, raised concerns that Pepfar was supporting abortions, even though there was no such evidence at the time. In fact, by law Pepfar is prohibited from supporting abortions.
House Republicans sought to include abortion restrictions in the Pepfar reauthorisation. But Congress passed a reauthorisation bill without abortion provisions in March 2024, to last until 25 March 2025.
Ever since then, the threats posed to a five-year Pepfar reauthorisation have grown.
In January, Pepfar reported to Congress that its own investigators had found that four nurses in Mozambique had used Pepfar funding to perform abortions (which are legal in Mozambique), 21 in all. Pepfar officials froze funds to the four nurses and required staff to attest to understanding that they were prohibited from providing abortion as part of US-funded health services.
Days later Pepfar, along with most other US foreign assistance programmes, suffered a severe blow. President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing all further disbursements and new obligations of foreign assistance funds for 90 days, pending a sweeping review.
Four days later, secretary of state Marco Rubio issued a directive that went even further, also requiring organisations to stop work, even those that had already received funds needed to operate.
By 27 January, virtually all US foreign assistance programmes had come to a halt, including Pepfar programmes.
Following an outcry, Rubio issued a waiver for lifesaving humanitarian assistance on 28 January. With confusion over what was covered, including whether the waiver encompassed HIV medicines, he issued another waiver on 1 February, covering Pepfar treatment and care programmes, including prevention of and treatment for TB and other opportunistic infections, as well as prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes.
But organisations receiving US foreign assistance funds needed to get individual approval to resume, and the administration had put much of USAid’s staff on administrative leave. USAid (along with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has a central role in administering Pepfar. Many others, including contractors embedded in USAid operations, have been furloughed or fired.
Very few people existed to process requests to resume work. Furthermore, USAid’s payment system appeared not to be working.
The decisions of the Trump administration are being challenged in court in the US on the grounds that they are illegal and unconstitutional because they are usurping Congress’s power to determine how the US government spends funds, among other violations of the law.
Nonetheless, as of this writing, despite a court order to resume funding, it remains entirely frozen, and most programmes are still shut down. The day after the court ordered the government to pay nearly US$2 billion it owes organisations for work already done, the administration revealed that it had terminated the vast majority of foreign assistance awards, including some for Pepfar. Details have not been made public. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court put a short-term pause on the lower court’s order to immediately pay the money already owed.
The impact has been immediate. People on HIV treatment could not pick up additional medicine, leading to treatment interruption. Pepfar-funded health services had to turn away patients. Health workers supported by Pepfar, among them 40,000 in Kenya, could no longer be paid.
Many organisations that relied on Pepfar funds also had to lay off staff. Community groups have been affected and many have suspended their services entirely.
It remains unclear what the future holds – how severe the cuts will be, and to what programmes. In the near term, much depends on the courts and whether the administration implements court orders, as it has yet to do. In the longer term, Congress could seek to resume Pepfar to its former strength, though this would mean acting against the administration’s wishes. Even then, it is not clear whether the administration would spend the money allocated, and the damage already done to Pepfar programmes and trust in the US government will not be repaired quickly.
Pepfar is currently funded at US$7.5 billion annually. It accounts for over 10% of all US foreign assistance and over half of US global health assistance.
The separate Pepfar waiver suggests the deepest support for Pepfar is for HIV treatment programmes, as well as others meant to be protected under the waiver. Barring vast cuts to foreign assistance and Pepfar, these programmes are most likely to be at least spared, though the administration has terminated even some grants that had been covered by the waiver.
Other Pepfar programmes, particularly with respect to HIV prevention, are most vulnerable.
The vulnerability of different African countries to Pepfar cuts varies widely. Some fund most of their own HIV programmes. South Africa’s HIV programmes are 74% domestically funded, with the balance coming from Pepfar (17%) and the Global Fund (7%).
But Pepfar funding accounts for about 90% of all HIV funding in Tanzania and Côte d’Ivoire, and more than half of HIV medicines purchased for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Zambia are purchased by the US.
If there are significant Pepfar funding cuts, it is doubtful that other wealthy countries will be able to compensate. And because the US, through Pepfar, is the largest contributor to the Global Fund, it is unlikely that the Global Fund could fill the gap either.
Under these circumstances, unless countries increase their domestic HIV spending, the dramatic progress in combating HIV/Aids in Africa could begin to become undone.
The conversation in Africa must focus on ending reliance on foreign assistance and developing resilient financing mechanisms to continue the fight to end Aids.
Lawrence O. Gostin is Director of the WHO Collaborating Center on Global Health Law
Eric Friedman and Sarah Wetter do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Pepfar funding to fight HIV/Aids has saved 26 million lives since 2003: how cutting it will hurt Africa – https://theconversation.com/pepfar-funding-to-fight-hiv-aids-has-saved-26-million-lives-since-2003-how-cutting-it-will-hurt-africa-250413
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Wales to receive a share of £1.5 billion creating local growth and opportunities through new Plan for Neighbourhoods.
£100 million for five Welsh communities through the UK Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods
Local people in Wales to see their high streets revived, community hubs saved and public services transformed with £100 million funding through the government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods to tackle deprivation and turbocharge growth, as every area joins the decade of national renewal committed to in our Plan for Change.
A total of 75 areas will each receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade through the plan, with ministers vowing it will help transform “left behind” areas by unleashing their full potential by investing in delivering improved vital community services from education, health and employment, to tackling local issues like crime. Transformation will be holistic, long-term, and sustainable to deliver meaningful change in the day-to-day lives of local people.
In Wales areas due to receive funding through the plan include:
Each board will decide how to spend up to £20 million of funding and support – they can choose from options ranging from repairs to pavements and high streets, to setting up low-cost community grocers providing low-cost alternatives when shopping for essentials, as well as co-operatives or even neighbourhood watches.
This is the latest step in the government’s ambitious Plan for Change missions to grow the UK economy, deliver safer streets and create opportunities for everyone.
UK Government will work with the Welsh Government to ensure the Plan for Neighbourhoods compliments, supports, and aligns with the Welsh Government’s existing work and policies on regeneration and local economic growth.
Today’s announcement is in contrast to unfunded pledges from the previous government. The Plan for Neighbourhoods doubles the scope of the types of projects that can benefit and is now fully aligned with the Government’s long-term Plan for Change missions: breaking down barriers to opportunity and kickstarting economic growth.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner MP said:
For years, too many neighbourhoods have been starved of investment, despite their potential to thrive and grow. Communities across the UK have so much to offer – rich cultural capital, unique heritage but most of all, an understanding of their own neighbourhood.
We will do things differently, our fully funded Plan for Neighbourhoods puts local people in the driving seat of their potential, having control of where the Whitehall cash goes – what issues they want to tackle, where they want to regenerate and what growth they want turbocharge.”
Minister for Local Growth and Building Safety, Alex Norris MP, said:
When our local neighbourhoods thrive, the rest of the country thrives too. That’s why we are empowering communities to take control of their futures and create the regeneration and growth they want to see.
Our Plan for Neighbourhoods we will deliver long-term funding that will bolster that inner community spirit in us all and relight the fires in corners of the UK that have for too long been left fighting for survival.
“This, along with our ambitious reforms to streamline the planning system, devolve powers and strengthen workers’ rights, will help get places and people thriving once again.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens MP said:
The UK Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods is fantastic news for Wales, providing £100 million to boost growth by investing in high streets, parks, cultural venues, youth clubs and more. We are working with the Welsh Government to help local people from Rhyl to Merthyr Tydfil transform their communities.
Our Plan for Change sets out how we want to the grow the economy, create jobs and put more money in people’s pockets. Targeted local funding is a vital part of our economic growth mission and will support the fantastic work the Welsh Government are already doing to regenerate communities across Wales.”
In each area, the government will support the establishment of a new ‘Neighbourhood Board’, bringing together residents, local businesses, and grassroots campaigners to draw up and implement a new vision for their neighbourhood.
Each board will decide how to spend up to £20 million of funding and support. The government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods’ ultimate aim is to create thriving places, strengthen communities, and empower local people to take back control in towns across the country.
By creating thriving places, strengthening communities, and empowering people to take back control areas can drive forward their priorities and the Government’s long-term Plan for Change missions: breaking down barriers to opportunity and kickstarting economic growth.
We will work with the Welsh Government through the normal intergovernmental structures to make boards’ work stronger and more effective by ensuring greater strategic alignment across the priorities of both governments.
Published 4 March 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
CHICAGO, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Marquette National Corporation (OTCQX: MNAT) today reported net income of $17.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to net income of $16.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company recorded earnings per share of $3.91 for 2024 as compared to earnings of $3.69 per share for the year ended December 31, 2023.
At December 31, 2024, total assets were $2.208 billion, an increase of $66 million, or 3%, compared to $2.142 billion at December 31, 2023. Total loans decreased by $19.3 million, to $1.405 billion compared to $1.425 billion at the end of 2023. Total deposits increased by $30.0 million, or 2%, to $1.740 billion compared to $1.710 billion at the end of 2023.
Paul M. McCarthy, Chairman & CEO, said, “the primary reason for the increase in consolidated earnings was a higher level of realized and unrealized gains on the Company’s equity portfolio in 2024. The increase in realized and unrealized gains on the Company’s equity portfolio was partially offset by a decrease in net interest income and an increase in provision for credit losses.”
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 | |||||||||||||||||
| 12/31/24 | 12/31/23 | Percent Change |
|||||||||||||||
| Total assets | $2,207,663 | $2,142,039 | 3 | % | |||||||||||||
| Total loans, net | 1,390,799 | 1,410,345 | -1 | % | |||||||||||||
| Total deposits | 1,739,799 | 1,709,750 | 2 | % | |||||||||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | 173,579 | 159,053 | 9 | % | |||||||||||||
| Shares outstanding | 4,367,477 | 4,381,162 | 0 | % | |||||||||||||
| Book value per share | $39.74 | $36.30 | 9 | % | |||||||||||||
| Tangible book value per share | $31.65 | $28.24 | 12 | % | |||||||||||||
| Operating Results | |||||||||||||||||
| Year Ended December 31, | Percent Change |
||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
| Net Interest income | $45,032 | $48,654 | -7 | % | |||||||||||||
| Provision for credit losses | 3,700 | 2,619 | 41 | % | |||||||||||||
| Realized securities gains (losses), net | 1,947 | (662 | ) | * | |||||||||||||
| Unrealized holding gains on equity securities and exchange traded funds | 20,416 | 15,476 | 32 | % | |||||||||||||
| Other income | 16,051 | 15,596 | 3 | % | |||||||||||||
| Other expense | 56,769 | 54,913 | 3 | % | |||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 5,848 | 5,411 | 8 | % | |||||||||||||
| Net income | 17,129 | 16,121 | 6 | % | |||||||||||||
| Basic and fully dilluted earnings per share | $3.91 | $3.69 | 6 | % | |||||||||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding | 4,376,610 | 4,372,570 | 0 | % | |||||||||||||
| Cash dividends declared per share | $1.12 | $1.12 | 0 | % | |||||||||||||
| Comprehensive income | $19,858 | $24,132 | -18 | % | |||||||||||||
| * Not meaningful | |||||||||||||||||
For more information:
Patrick Hunt
EVP & CFO
708-364-9019
phunt@emarquettebank.com
Source: NASA
Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Earth planning date: Friday, Feb. 28, 2025
Curiosity continues to climb roughly southward through the layered sulfate strata toward the “boxwork” features. Although the previous plan’s drive successfully advanced the rover roughly 21 meters southward (about 69 feet), the drive had ended with an awkwardly perched wheel. Because of this, unfortunately it was considered too risky to unstow the arm for contact science in this plan.
Nevertheless the team made the most of the imaging and LIBS observations available from the rover’s current location. A large Mastcam mosaic was planned on the nearby Texoli butte to capture its sedimentary structures from the rover’s new perspective. Toward the west, the boxwork strata exposed on “Gould Mesa” were observed using the ChemCam long-distance imaging capability, with Mastcam providing color context.
Several near-field Mastcam mosaics also captured some bedding and diagenetic structure in the nearby blocks as well as some modern aeolian troughs in the finer-grained material around them.
On the nearby blocks, two representative local blocks (“Gabrelino Trail” and “Sespe Creek”) are to be “zapped” with the ChemCam laser to give us LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) compositional measurements. The original Gabrelino Trail on Earth near the JPL campus is currently closed due to damage from the recent wildfires.
Meanwhile, the season on Mars (L_s ~ 50, or a solar longitude of about 50 degrees, heading into southern winter) has brought with it the opportunity to observe some recurring atmospheric phenomena: It’s aphelion cloud belt season, as well as Hadley cell transition season, during which a more southerly air mass crosses over Gale Crater.
This plan includes an APXS atmospheric observation (no arm movement required!) to measure argon and a ChemCam passive-sky observation to measure O2, which is a small (less than 1%) but measurable component in the Martian atmosphere. Dedicated cloud altitude observations, a phase function sky survey, and zenith and suprahorizon movies have also been included in the plan to characterize the clouds. As usual, the rover also continues to monitor the modern environment with measurements of atmospheric opacity via imaging, temperature, and humidity with REMS, and the local neutron environment with DAN.
Source: NASA
The largest wildland fire to burn in Japan in decades spread amid dry, windy conditions in late winter 2025. As of March 3, it had consumed an estimated 2,100 hectares (8.1 square miles) of forested land near Ofunato, a small port city approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Tokyo.
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) said the fire ignited by 1 p.m. local time on February 26. Three days later, on March 1, the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of smoke billowing from the blaze. A thick plume lingers near the coast and appears to cast a shadow over the Ofunato area, while some smoke drifts east over the Pacific Ocean.
By March 1, the day this image was acquired, the fire had burned through an estimated 1,200 hectares (4.6 square miles) of forest, making it the country’s largest blaze in over 30 years. A 1992 fire on the northern island of Hokkaido burned 1,030 hectares, a fire agency spokesperson told The Japan Times.
Wildfires frequently occur in Japan between January and May, when the air is drier, but they tend to be much smaller in size than the one burning in early 2025, according to news reports. However, conditions were unusually dry leading up to this event. Ofunato received only 2.5 millimeters (0.1 inches) of precipitation in February 2025, the lowest monthly total for February in a record going back to 1964. Strong winds that fanned the flames and steep terrain that challenged containment efforts also contributed to this fire’s growth, experts told news outlets.
In addition to burning through forested land, the fire damaged dozens of structures and prompted officials to issue evacuation orders to more than 4,500 people, said FDMA. According to news reports, more than 2,000 firefighters from across the country were deployed to combat the blaze.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.
