NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI China: Sino-EU ties seen as key to global growth

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Strengthening China-European Union economic cooperation has become crucial for worldwide economic growth, as the United States’ tariff hikes against its key trading partners have cast a shadow over the global economy, said senior trade experts and EU business executives.

    They emphasized that amid growing global trade protectionism, the Chinese and EU economies’ structural complementarity and the two sides’ upholding of free trade provide a solid basis for deeper bilateral economic and trade collaboration. They also said the US tariff increases are likely to backfire.

    Zhang Yansheng, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research, said the EU economy has advantages in high-end manufacturing, green technology and services trade, while China excels in digital infrastructure, smart manufacturing, application scenarios and a vast market.

    “China and the EU could consider establishing an industrial chain security dialogue mechanism to form a ‘cooperation list’ in key areas such as semiconductors and pharmaceuticals,” Zhang said.

    By creating platforms like industrial cooperation parks and joint innovation funds, the two sides’ strategic consensus can be transformed into concrete projects, in order to shape a practical and feasible road map for them to build a new, future-oriented type of economic and trade partnership, he said.

    “With the transformation and upgrading of China’s manufacturing industry, the competition between China and the EU in economic and trade development has intensified a bit,” Zhang said.

    “However, as they both face external challenges like rising protectionism and geopolitical uncertainties, the two economies are expected to forge closer economic ties based on complementary competition, thereby achieving a win-win situation,” Zhang added.

    Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the potential for collaboration between China and the EU is enhanced by their market complementarity and need for resource optimization.

    He said he expects more cooperation mechanisms between the two sides to boost collaboration by enterprises, drive innovation and improve the allocation of market resources.

    “By doing such things, China and the EU could generate significant economic and social benefits, boost employment and enhance supply chain security for both,” said Zhou, whose academy is affiliated with China’s Ministry of Commerce.

    China remains the EU’s largest import source and third-largest export destination, according to European statistics. Moreover, China’s outbound direct investment inflows to the EU grew from 6.27 billion euros ($6.43 billion) in 2020 to 8.06 billion euros in 2023, with greenfield investment reaching 5.3 billion euros in 2023 — an increase of 48 percent compared with 2022.

    Zhang, from the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research, said that cooperation potential between China and the EU spans three key areas: green transformation, digital cooperation and third-party market development.

    The two economies could build a joint carbon-neutral laboratory focusing on clean technology collaboration, recognize each other’s cross-border e-commerce standards, and build dialogue mechanisms for cooperation in frontier areas like data flow and artificial intelligence ethics, he said.

    According to Zhou, from the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, China and the EU should focus in the short term on reviewing and strengthening existing supply chain cooperation, whether market-driven or government-promoted, by reducing trade barriers and increasing investment opportunities and the mobility of personnel.

    Long-term strategies should aim for more effective market integration through reduced tariffs, increased consultation mechanisms and enhanced collaboration on innovation, he added.

    Zhou also said that Sino-EU cooperation could extend beyond bilateral relations to include third-party market opportunities in Latin America, Africa and elsewhere.

    “This expanded cooperation could help address global challenges while strengthening both parties’ economic independence and meeting consumer demand in emerging technological sectors,” he added.

    Experts also said the US tariff hikes will not be good for anyone and will fail to achieve the so-called purpose of making America great again.

    Ju Jiandong, chair professor at Tsinghua University’s PBC School of Finance, said that if the US truly wants to maximize its own interests, it should not damage ties with its manufacturing suppliers.

    “Don’t go against the customers and don’t go against the suppliers – these are the ABCs of economics,” Ju said.

    Business leaders also said they have an optimistic outlook on China-EU economic and trade cooperation.

    Thomas Roemer, global head of the coatings and adhesives business entity of Covestro AG, a German polymer manufacturer, expressed strong support for fair, open and rule-based global trade.

    “We will continue to invest in China to provide our customers with innovative and sustainable solutions and products,” Roemer said.

    Denis Depoux, global managing director at German management consultancy Roland Berger, said the interdependence between the Chinese and EU economies remains significant.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Yes, energy prices are hurting the food sector. But burning more fossil fuels is not the answer

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vivienne Reiner, PhD Candidate, Integrated Sustainability Analysis group, University of Sydney

    Months out from a federal election, the industry lobby is gearing up in opposition to the Albanese government’s renewable energy targets. In a salvo on Monday, food distributors urged the government to increase fossil fuel production, as a way to purportedly tackle high energy prices.

    It was followed by comments on Tuesday by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which also called for fast-tracking of gas expansion to avoid price spikes and blackouts.

    Unfortunately, however, these approaches miss the point. They are a short-sighted response to what is, in large part, a climate-induced problem.

    In fact, evidence suggests burning more coal and gas will only make things worse for many industries, including the food sector.

    More fossil fuels = more industry disruption

    The industry group Independent Food Distributors Australia claims Labor’s energy policies are driving up costs for businesses and, in turn, consumers.

    In comments published in The Australian, the group’s chief executive Richard Forbes said the phase-out of coal-fired energy was too fast and the government’s renewable energy target was too ambitious. The newspaper claimed business owners instead want Labor to support new gas plants and support upgrades to existing coal plants.

    The group represents food manufacturers, suppliers and distributors supporting the food service industry. Its members largely comprise food distribution warehouses operating large refrigerators and freezers.

    First, it’s important to ask whether a focus on renewable energy can be blamed for Australia’s high energy prices. The answer is largely no.

    That aside, would expanding fossil fuel production ultimately be a boon to food distributors? Evidence suggests it would not.

    A study published in 2022, led by my colleagues at the University of Sydney, found that almost one-fifth of total emissions from global food systems were produced by transport and supporting services, such as distribution warehouses. This was equivalent to about 6% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

    Of course, greenhouse gas emissions are warming the climate and leading to worse and more frequent natural disasters. And, as another University of Sydney study showed, these disasters have extensive repercussions for the food industry.

    It found the disruptions would be hardest felt by the fruit, vegetable and livestock sectors, however effects flowed to other sectors such as transport services. Overall, people in rural areas and those from a low-socioeconomic background were most vulnerable, both to food and nutrition impacts, as well as losses in employment and income.

    What’s more, research I led into the economic impact of Australia’s 2019–20 bushfires also reveals the vulnerability of the food ecosystem. The 2024 study, which focused on tourism, found employment and income losses were greatest in the hospitality and transport sectors respectively. Restaurants, cafes and accommodation providers were disproportionately hit by job losses resulting from reduced consumption, including less food being consumed out of home.

    So what does all this mean? Clearly, expanding polluting energy generation to reduce food distribution costs in the short term will not, ultimately, secure the sector’s future.

    Making food distribution more sustainable

    Having said all this, Australia’s high energy prices are undoubtedly a stress point for many Australian businesses. So how can the food sector tackle the problem?

    Energy requirements (and therefore costs and emissions) differ according to the type of food. Fruits and vegetables, for example, are likely to require a temperature-controlled environment. This generates about double the emissions produced by growing the crops themselves.

    Growing and distributing crops that can be transported at ambient temperatures would reduce energy use. This is particularly important given refrigeration needs are likely to increase as the planet warms.

    In terms of broader food movements, 94% of domestic transport happens by road. So, there is a strong case for investing in electric trucks to help guard against energy price hikes.

    The weight of food freight has also been correlated with energy use. Cereals – along with fruit and vegetables, flour and sugar beet/cane – are among the food types transported at high tonnages.

    As my colleagues have noted, there are huge energy savings to be gained if the global population ate more locally produced food, and if food businesses used cleaner production and distribution methods, such as natural refrigerants.

    Energy requirements differ according to the type of food.
    BK Awangga/Shutterstock

    Looking ahead

    Global food systems are crucial to human wellbeing. It’s in everyone’s interests to keep them functioning well and protected from climate-fuelled hazards.

    The choices now facing the food-distribution sector represent one of many tradeoffs Australia must make during its transition to a low-carbon future.

    Will we continue the polluting, business-as-usual approach or will we embrace Australia’s natural advantages in renewable energy, and protect the planet that supports us?

    When it comes to food distribution, will Australia expand gas and coal production as a purported answer to lower energy costs in the short term – or will we move swiftly to decarbonise the sector and buy more local, sustainable food?

    Vivienne Reiner 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. Yes, energy prices are hurting the food sector. But burning more fossil fuels is not the answer – https://theconversation.com/yes-energy-prices-are-hurting-the-food-sector-but-burning-more-fossil-fuels-is-not-the-answer-248996

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: (WIP) Growing ESG complexity in the year ahead: what companies can expect

    Source: Allens Insights

    ESG continues to evolve 10 min read

    As stakeholder expectations on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) issues continue to evolve, we are seeing a movement build from voluntary standards to domestic regulation. Concurrently, the opposition to ESG-related action is adding to uncertainty and complexity when it comes to legal compliance and alignment with global high watermarks.

    In this Insight, we take stock of the ESG journey and reflect on the trends to look out for in 2025 and beyond.

    Key takeaways

    • Growing uncertainty around upcoming ESG legislation is expected to raise complexity and costs for companies in achieving regulatory compliance. The shift from a more global consensus on climate and environmental commitments, ESG due diligence and reporting requirements may result in deeper fragmentation of laws across jurisdictions, presenting new challenges for companies navigating competing pro- and anti-ESG regulatory trends.
    • Companies that are revisiting their sustainability and ESG-related claims and commitments amid heightened reputational and legal exposures over ‘greenwashing’ risk will need to continue to balance accuracy and appropriateness of public commitments with the risk of being perceived as laggards by their stakeholders, including scrutiny of perceived ‘greenhushing’ or ‘greywashing’.
    • Litigation risk remains a key challenge for businesses navigating ESG obligations and evolving stakeholder expectations. Potential claims are expanding to include directors’ duties and emerging intersectional ESG issues, including nature and biodiversity, human rights and plastics. Non-judicial forums such as complaints to OECD National Contact Points are likely to remain attractive for stakeholders seeking behavioural change.
    • Regardless of whether companies and their directors elect to recalibrate their ESG policies, companies should ensure they are satisfied that their chosen course of action is in the best interests of the company, and retain evidence to support that view and regarding the reasonable grounds for key decisions.

    Who in your organisation needs to know about this?

    Boards; general counsel and legal; sustainability; regulatory and compliance; cultural heritage and communities teams; external affairs.

    A recap of 2024

    New ESG legislation, an uptick in regulatory enforcement and the rising expectations of investors and other stakeholders are elevating ESG issues to the top of boardroom agendas.

    In 2024, we saw the multi-jurisdictional trend of new ESG due diligence and reporting laws continue in places like the EU and California, adding to recent regulatory developments in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada and elsewhere. Australian companies have been responding, even if not directly in scope, as these new legal requirements flow through from customers and clients.

    Combating alleged ‘greenwashing’ and ‘bluewashing’—being claims that environmental and social disclosures are false, misleading or have no reasonable basis—has become an enforcement priority for Australia’s corporate regulators. In November 2024, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) confirmed greenwashing and misleading conduct involving ESG claims would remain an enforcement priority in 2025.

    Activists and strategic litigants have deployed strategies in and out of the courtroom seeking to influence corporate behaviour. While the majority of cases have commenced in the US, Australia consistently comes a close second, with cases increasingly focusing on the intersection between the environment and human rights, including the rights of First Nations peoples.

    Alongside these developments, the backlash against ESG action increased in 2024 and was a key issue during elections in the US and across the EU. In the US, laws have been passed restricting ESG-related investment decisions, which have impacted investment flows, while legal challenges have delayed the implementation of the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate-related financial disclosure rules. Some financial institutions and asset managers are moving away from membership of voluntary ESG commitments, such as the Net Zero Asset Managers and Net Zero Banking Alliance initiatives.1 

    Looking ahead to 2025

    Deregulation may increase uncertainty and complexity for companies

    The conversation around deregulation is already becoming more pronounced in 2025, in light of recent political developments and as ESG regulatory changes take effect.

    Upon commencing his second term in office on 20 January 2025, President Trump’s executive orders have so far included:

    • withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement (for a second time); and
    • revoking the country’s financial commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the US International Climate Finance Plan.

    His nominations to environmental protection and corporate regulatory agencies may foreshadow a further rollback of measures on:

    • anti-pollution;
    • emissions reduction; and
    • climate-related financial disclosures.

    The wave of new executive orders has already sought to wind back the Biden Administration’s ESG policies (including those encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles).

    In the EU, the outcome of a new omnibus proposal aiming to streamline various Green Deal sustainability regulations is due to be released by 26 February 2025. It is possible the proposal will include delays in implementation, while a recently leaked European Commission strategy paper for streamlining the Commission’s regulatory processes suggests there may be a greater focus on reducing the regulatory burden for small and medium-sized companies.

    This uncertainty around upcoming ESG legislation is likely to mean increased complexity and costs for companies associated with achieving regulatory compliance. A move away from a more global consensus on ESG due diligence and reporting requirements may result in deeper fragmentation of laws across jurisdictions. Companies will continue to face challenges in navigating these pro- and anti-ESG regulations across different jurisdictions.

    At the same time, disasters such as the Los Angeles fires will keep ESG issues in the public consciousness, and deregulation is unlikely to be aligned with the evolving high watermark to which stakeholders are holding companies to account. We anticipate an increase in ESG litigation as activists continue to pursue behavioural change by governments and companies in the courts.

    ESG as a ‘dirty word’: greenhushing and greywashing

    While many companies continue to take voluntary action on ESG issues, some are revisiting their ESG commitments in light of the increasingly contested and politicised environment, as well as the heightened reputational and legal exposures associated with sustainability and ESG-related public claims and commitments.

    The paring back of existing commitments will continue to be scrutinised by regulators and civil society, and we anticipate that allegations of ‘greenhushing’ or ‘greywashing’ may develop.

    ‘Greenhushing’ refers to deliberately withholding information about sustainability goals and achievements.

    ‘Greywashing’ refers to setting strategies and policies that are too watered down, unambitious, qualified or ambiguous to result in meaningful change. 

    ASIC Chair Joe Longo has described greenhushing as ‘just another form of greenwashing’, which ‘risks misleading by omission’, referring to the annual Net Zero Report issued by South Pole which highlighted a substantial decrease in climate communications across a number of sectors.

    Companies will need to continue to balance accuracy and appropriateness of commitments while maintaining flexibility in the changing political environment, with the risk of being perceived as laggards by their stakeholders.

    The ESG litigation field expands

    Despite the mixed successes of recent ESG claims, we expect activists will continue to pursue strategic litigation to extract concessions from governments and companies and effect behavioural change.

    ESG claims have expanded beyond the traditional higher-emitting sectors. Stakeholders are looking more widely at targets and potential claims with the objective of disrupting capital flows, including scrutinising companies’ exposure through their financing activities and broader value chains. We expect that financial institutions will remain a target of stakeholder scrutiny, and that claims and complaints will continue to explore the intersection between climate change and issues such as nature and biodiversity, human rights and plastics. The use of new technologies such as AI and carbon capture and storage (or CCS) is also attracting activist scrutiny.

    In 2025, decisions from the International Court of Justice and Australian courts may clarify legal obligations related to climate change, particularly in tort law, potentially impacting future corporate liability for alleged climate change impacts.

    Non-curial avenues such as the OECD National Contact Points and UN Special Procedures are already a well-tested forum on ESG issues. Complainants are likely to be interested in exploring the recent updates to the OECD Guidelines on matters such as climate change and biodiversity. The Australian National Contact point may also be utilised by stakeholders in response to the three-year modified liability regime under the new mandatory climate-related financial reporting regime introduced from 1 January 2025, which prevents private litigation in respect of certain ‘protected statements’ for a period of time.

    International discussions will continue to influence private actors

    Despite failures by state parties to reach agreement at 2024’s UN biodiversity and plastic forums, discourse surrounding the negotiations appears to be sharpening corporate and civil society focus, including through an uptick in plastics-related litigation and campaigns. The next UN biodiversity COP taking place in Rome in February this year, and international negotiations will continue on a treaty to address the full lifecycle of plastic—from production to design and disposal.

    Another emerging focus area for companies is Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), particularly in the life sciences and mining sectors. A new treaty on genetic resources and traditional knowledge was concluded at the international level in 2024 under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which will require inventors to disclose the source of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in patent applications. After many years of diplomatic efforts by countries including Australia, this is the first multilateral treaty specifically relating to traditional knowledge, and efforts continue to protect traditional cultural expressions at the international level. It remains to be seen how this significant step at the international level will affect the discourse concerning the need for sui generis ICIP legislation in Australia.

    Subject matter trends 

    Implications of US exit from international climate change commitments and shift in domestic energy policy

    The United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement introduces a new element of uncertainty for global efforts to address climate change. It remains to be seen whether the Trump Administration’s decision will leave the US as an outlier in international climate and energy policy, or if it may have a broader chilling effect on global cooperation on climate change and other emerging environmental issues.

    President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, has already reaffirmed that ‘Europe will stay the course’ and reaffirmed the EU’s commitments to the Paris Agreement. A net zero-focused bipartisan alliance of 24 State Governors has also vowed to sustain and advance climate action in the US.  

    The new US administration has also embarked on a significant gear change in US domestic energy policy.

    • Executive orders have been effected to declare a ‘national energy emergency’.
    • This expedites the permitting of oil and gas projects (specifically in Alaska) and temporarily suspends new federal offshore wind leasing pending an environmental and economic review.
    • The US Federal Reserve has also withdrawn from the Network for Greening the Financial System—an international group of central banks, including the Reserve Bank of Australia, that analyses the economic fallout from climate change.
    • The Office of Management and Budget also ordered a temporary pause on grant funding by federal agencies for activities implicated by the new executive orders, including renewable energy and climate and atmospheric research programs. The order was subsequently rescinded after an urgent legal challenge by non-profits successfully sought an injunction.

    These changes are likely to lead to legal challenges, further adding to the uncertainties faced by businesses navigating the new energy policy environment. As the Trump Administration seeks to encourage investment in the oil and gas sectors, we also expect stakeholders to intensify their scrutiny of companies’ exposure to higher-emitting projects.

    Methane emissions

    International initiatives to reduce methane emissions have been gaining industry and national support:

    • the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership is now active in over a dozen countries and has been endorsed by 57 companies.
    • the Global Methane Pledge launched at COP26 in 2021 by the EU and US has received 159 country endorsements as of 2024, including Australia’s.

    Several countries have moved to impose stricter regulations on methane emissions. In May 2024, the EU introduced its Methane Regulation requiring increased monitoring, detection and reduction of methane emissions. Additional import restrictions will extend to gas imported into the Eurozone from 2027. In November 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced new regulations on the emission of methane from crude-oil and natural gas facilities.

    New and expanded gas projects (and related infrastructure and supply chains) remain a focus of campaigning and shareholder activism on fugitive methane emissions by organisations such as Market Forces.

    Biodiversity and nature

    Countries are moving to implement their national commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

    • Australia’s Nature Repair Market is set to open for business in 2025, operating in a similar fashion to the existing carbon market, to incentivise projects to protect and restore the environment through biodiversity credits.
    • The EU’s Regulation on Nature Restoration entered into force in August 2024, and the Canadian Government has moved to legislate a Nature Accountability Bill as part of its 2030 Nature Strategy released in June 2024.
    • However, the future of the Canadian bill is now uncertain due to the suspension of all parliamentary business after Parliament was prorogued on 6 January 2025 following the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. While Canada’s next general election is scheduled for 20 October 2025, opposition parties have foreshadowed a no-confidence motion when the next parliamentary session resumes on 24 March which, if successful, may trigger an early vote.

    Several jurisdictions are also moving to address deforestation in supply chains, with measures including import restrictions and due diligence requirements.

    • The EU’s Regulation on Deforestation-free Products will enter into effect from 30 December 2025 and require certain commodities and derived products to be ‘deforestation-free’ if placed, made available on or exported through the EU common market.

    The UK is also developing its own Forest Risk Commodity Regulation,2 which would also impose commodity-based restrictions and due diligence requirements.

    Plastics pollution and the circular economy

    A growing number of jurisdictions are introducing restrictions on plastic products, including single-use and microplastics.

    • The EU’s Single Use Plastic Directive came into force in 2024, and the European Commission has proposed additional measures to prevent the unintentional release of plastic pellets.
    • In the US, the State of California has commenced proceedings against Exxon Mobil and PepsiCo Inc in relation to allegedly misleading the public regarding plastics pollution.
    • In Australia, the ACCC commenced enforcement proceedings against Clorox Australia Pty Ltd in April 2024 for alleged greenwashing over claims relating to its ‘GLAD’ plastic bag products.
    The right to water

    From the Murray-Darling Basin to the Great Barrier Reef and beyond, we expect to see preservation of, and access to, water resources increase in priority for stakeholders as an issue that crosses geographical and jurisdictional boundaries.

    Access to water and sanitation is recognised as a fundamental human right by the UN General Assembly, and stakeholders are raising issues around water security, water quality, contamination by microplastics and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) chemicals, access to water resources for agriculture, and ensuring First Nations peoples’ interests and connection to water are taken into account.

    Modern slavery reporting reforms

    In December 2024, the federal Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) published the Government’s response to the 2023 statutory review of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) (MSA). The response follows the appointment of Australia’s first national Anti-Slavery Commissioner, who is expected to lead in the implementation of modern slavery reporting reforms.

    The Government has agreed (in full, in part, or in principle) to 25 of the 30 recommendations from the review, including the need to strengthen the compliance and enforcement framework under the MSA. The Government agreed in principle to the introduction of a penalty regime—details are not yet available, but the Government is expected to consult with stakeholders in 2025.

    One issue that remains unresolved is the status of proposals for mandatory human rights due diligence (HRDD) by reporting entities under the MSA. The Government has ‘noted’ the recommendation to introduce HRDD; however, it has indicated that the AGD will engage with stakeholders on HRDD as part of the next stage of implementation.

    The introduction of mandatory HRDD would align Australia with a number of jurisdictions that have introduced supply chain due diligence requirements, most notably the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive adopted by the European Parliament in 2024. The Canadian Government has proposed new supply chain due diligence legislation, while a parliamentary review of the UK’s modern slavery legislation has recommended the introduction of due diligence obligations.

    The timeline for legislative amendments to the MSA may be complicated by the federal election, which is due to occur before 17 May 2025.

    Navigating AI in the employment context

    As AI technologies advance, companies will need to navigate the social issues raised due to the use of AI in the workplace.

    Already, we are seeing increasing use of AI in hiring practices such as the screening of job applications. Based on how the algorithm was trained, AI can perpetuate biases, potentially leading to harmful or discriminatory outputs for individuals, groups or communities and arguably resulting in adverse human rights impacts.

    In the US, we are seeing court cases alleging unlawful discrimination where AI tools have been used for hiring, insurance claims and rental applications.3 We anticipate Australian businesses may face similar claims if AI is used without accounting for the risk of inherent bias.

    The rate of change brought by advancements in AI technology is not only front of mind for employers, but also for employees concerned about its implications. In October 2024, it was reported that Cbus and its employees had agreed to a first-of-its-kind enterprise agreement dealing with protections for employees if or when the super fund introduces AI technologies. The agreement contains an agreed definition of AI, and provides that Cbus must consult with staff on any changes that impact them in relation to AI.

    Rights of First Nations peoples

    In 2025, the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs is set to continue its inquiry into the Truth and Justice Commission Bill 2024. The Bill seeks to establish a Commission to make recommendations to Parliament on historic and ongoing injustices against First Nations Australians. The Australian Law Reform Commission is also taking submissions as part of its review of the ‘future acts’ regime in the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), with a final report to be delivered by December 2025. For more, see our Insight.

    There are increasing demands on industry to consult First Nations stakeholders in their decision-making and operations, and to engage in benefit-sharing with Traditional Owners, with an emerging focus on the clean energy sector. The First Nations Clean Energy Network has published Best Practices Principles to help First Nations communities in Australia to share in the benefits of renewable energy projects, including calling for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) standards to apply throughout the lifecycle of projects.

    We expect that international, ‘soft law’ standards will continue to evolve. For example, the International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM) recently updated its Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement to emphasise the responsibility of mining companies to achieve FPIC through meaningful engagement and good faith negotiation with Traditional Owners. Although the new standard goes beyond the current position in the Native Title Act and many cultural heritage laws in Australia, it is possible it will become a benchmark for mining companies in Australia—see our Insight.

    Addressing misconduct impacting First Nations peoples also remains an enforcement priority for ASIC.

    Diversity and inclusion

    Diversity, equity and inclusion policies and initiatives have also become the subject of backlash in the United States through three executive orders signed by President Trump, with one executive order foreshadowing regulatory action to ‘encourage’ private sector employers to dismantle diversity programs that have been based on federal anti-discrimination law.

    This backlash has already placed diversity on the political agenda in Australia, and the discussion around diversity policies and initiatives is likely to increase in the lead-up to the federal election this year.

    Company culture and governance issues in the spotlight

    Corporate culture is an ongoing boardroom issue and recent examples underscore the importance of accountability, transparency and strong and ethical corporate governance.

    • Cultural concerns: in the wake of federal Respect@Work reforms, a number of prominent Australian brands have been in the spotlight regarding whistleblower complaints on cultural issues. Widespread media reporting has led some companies to launch internal investigations to respond to shareholder concern and address reputational damage in the community.
    • Regulatory scrutiny: in addition to reputational damage, there is also now a real prospect of scrutiny from regulators in relation to corporate cultural issues. In its updated enforcement priorities announced on 14 November 2024, ASIC reaffirmed its commitment to addressing governance and directors’ duties failures as an enduring enforcement priority for 2025. As an example, ASIC commenced proceedings against Regional Express Holdings Limited and several of its directors for engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct and for contraventions of continuous disclosure obligations in relation to ASX announcements about the company’s financial position prior to entering into voluntary administration in July 2024.
    Navigating complexities in AI and ESG reporting

    As ESG reporting obligations expand in Australia and overseas, AI will become an increasingly attractive tool for companies seeking to reduce the time needed for data gathering and drafting.

    However, the use of AI may also present legal, regulatory and reputational risk:

    • Environmental impacts associated with the training and use of AI models. This includes increased demand for electricity consumption; the water footprint associated with training and maintaining AI models; and electronic waste generation.
    • Susceptibility to bias, which may result in errors that could lead to misleading statements or discriminatory outputs.
    • Privacy concerns from the use of sensitive or personal information without consent. Privacy law reforms introduced in late 2024 require companies to disclose when they will be using AI automated decision-making (see our Insight).
    • Human rights implications such as discrimination or potential harm to vulnerable groups such as children or workers in the AI supply chain.
    • Regulatory scrutiny on the use of AI, as indicated by the increased regulatory guidance available to companies, including Australia’s new Voluntary AI Safety Standard, the European Parliament’s AI regulations, and ASIC’s report on ‘Governance arrangements in the face of AI innovation’.

    Actions you can take now

    • Regardless of whether ESG policies are recalibrated in light of growing uncertainty around legislative frameworks and the anti-ESG backlash, companies and directors should ensure they are satisfied that their chosen course of action is in the best interests of the company, and gather evidence to support that view.
    • The influence of new legislation is being felt on companies even where not directly in scope. Consider adopting a higher water mark approach appropriate to the company’s risk profile and appetite to future proof against evolving stakeholder expectations and regulatory requirements.
    • Understand the scope of the company’s voluntary commitments and what these entail, including in international law.
    • When refreshing policies and procedures, look at these through the lens of emerging areas of focus. Consider if your policies fit for purpose and reflect emerging risk areas.
    • Consider the role of legal—privilege can be a useful tool where appropriate, given the regulatory and risk environment.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Overnight shift of SH1 southbound traffic

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

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    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advises the two southbound lanes on State Highway 1 between the BP motorway service centre and Drury Interchange will be shifted eastward overnight on Monday 10 February.

    Full closures from 9pm to 5am of the Southern Motorway in both directions between Papakura and Drury interchanges are required from Sunday 9 February to Thursday 13 February to roll out this traffic switch. During these closures, traffic will be detoured between these interchanges along Great South Road.

    This temporary realignment will see the two southbound lanes shift to the east. The two northbound lanes between the Drury Interchange and the BP motorway service centre will then be shifted westward in the coming weeks. These lane realignments will provide additional workspace in the central median for motorway widening and stormwater improvements.

    There will be further lane shifts in both directions across the life of Stage 1B of this project, similar to traffic layouts during Stage 1A of this project.

    For more information on the project and to sign up to updates, please visit the Papakura to Bombay project page:

    Papakura ki Pukekura – Papakura to Bombay project page

    Tags

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 13 Alleged Meth, Cocaine Traffickers Charged In 15-Count Indictment

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

    Thirteen alleged drug traffickers operation out of the Texas Panhandle were federally charged in DEA-led Operation Put It In Reverse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Those charged in a 15-count indictment filed include:

    • Juan Gabriel Castro, aka “Big Boy,” charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine

    • Luis Gilberto Garcia, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine,  possession with intent to distribute cocaine

    • Terry Deon Noble, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of methamphetamine

    • David Dewayne Keelin, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine

    • Charlotte Ann Villanueva, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Kody Ryan Patterson, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Melissa Lynn Nelson, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Joshua James Tarver, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine,

    • Danny James Wise, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Christopher Steven Conley, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Reba Lynn McLaughlin, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Mario Socorro Martinez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Alfredo Olivares Jimenez, aka “Freddie,” charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    The defendants were arrested last week.

    Over th course of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 70 kilograms of methamphetamine, four kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, $70,000 in assets, and eight firearms.

    “These arrests demonstrate the continued resolve of DEA Amarillo Resident Office to investigate this organization to the fullest extent possible,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez.  “Local street dealers, transporters, bulk suppliers, and anyone in between should know DEA is committed to holding everyone in this organization, and others like it, accountable for selling deadly drugs to our communities.”

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    If convicted, the defendants face as much as twenty years to life in federal prison.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division – Amarillo Resident Office conducted the investigation with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation and Highway Patrol Divisions, the Amarillo Police Department, the Randall County Sheriff’s Department, the Potter County Sheriff’s Department, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Agents of the Texas Attorney General’s Office (OIG),  Texas Game Warden Officers, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the United States Marshal’s Service, and Texas State Probation – Amarillo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hamas says ready to negotiate for 2nd phase of ceasefire

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A source from the political bureau of Hamas said on Monday that the movement is ready to engage in indirect negotiations with Israel to implement the second phase of the ceasefire and a potential prisoner-for-hostage exchange.

    The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Hamas has fulfilled all the terms of the agreement and is ready to start indirect negotiations with Israel to finalize the second phase, which aims to ease the suffering of our people.”

    Under the three-phase ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas last month, negotiations on implementing the second phase were to begin before the 16th day of phase one, which falls on Monday.

    However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Washington on Sunday to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. Media reports indicated that Netanyahu decided to delay sending a negotiation team to Qatar for talks on the second phase until after his meeting with Trump.

    Since the truce took effect on Jan. 19, Hamas has released 18 hostages in exchange for Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 6.1-magnitude quake jolts off Indonesia’s North Maluku, no tsunami alert issued

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A 6.1-magnitude earthquake rocked off Indonesia’s North Maluku province early Tuesday without prompting large waves, the country’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said.

    The agency had first issued the quake’s magnitude at 6.2 before revising it.

    The earthquake struck at 04:35 a.m. Jakarta time Tuesday (2135 GMT Monday), with its epicenter situated 86 km northeast of Doi Island in North Halmahera regency at a depth of 105 km under the seabed.

    No tsunami alert was issued as the tremors were not expected to trigger giant waves.

    Having situated on a vulnerable hit zone called the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia, an archipelagic nation, has frequently been stricken by earthquakes. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Continues Push to Reauthorize Program Supporting Rural Idaho Counties

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and 17 other Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation, S. 356, to reauthorize the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through Fiscal Year 2026.  The legislation has strong bipartisan backing.
    “The SRS program is a vital lifeline for rural counties where federal lands generate insufficient revenue for important local services,” said Crapo.  “Failure to reauthorize the program puts most of Idaho’s counties in a precarious position with a lack of fudning for schools, road maintenance, public safety, and search and rescue operations.  I urege botht the Senate and House to take up this measure expeditiously, and remain committed to finding a viable long-term solution that provides more certainty to rural county governments in the future.”
    “Idaho’s counties rely on SRS funding for schools and road maintenance,” said Risch. “The federal government made a promise to rural communities, and until we can bring historic timber revenue back to these areas, Congress has an obligation to fulfill that promise. Congress must immediately reauthorize SRS.”
    “This is urgent business for the Oregonians living and working in counties that have long depended on millions of dollars from these federal funds for local schools, roads, law enforcement and more,” said Wyden, who co-authored the SRS legislation in 2000.  “I’m glad this bill is being reintroduced right at the start of this new Congress in this bipartisan spirit, and I strongly urge our House colleagues to act with the same urgency and bipartisan ethic to reconnect this proven lifeline ASAP for rural communities in Oregon and nationwide.”
    “Our bipartisan bill provides reliable funding that is crucial to keeping schools and libraries open, maintaining roads, restoring watersheds, and ensuring there are police officers and firefighters to keep rural?communities safe,”?said Merkley.  “Congress must swiftly pass this bill to extend the SRS program so Oregon communities can maintain access to these important lifelines and resources.” 
    “Reauthorizing Secure Rural Schools for three years will help counties with large tracts of federal forests meet the needs of residents and visitors,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase.  “Without SRS, counties would face, on average, an 80 percent drop in resources for infrastructure improvement, education programs and forest health projects.  Many rural counties and school districts are already making difficult decisions due to a lack of funds. Counties applaud the leadership of Senators Crapo and Wyden and look forward to prompt passage of this vital legislation.”
    Additional co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), John Curtis (R-Utah), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada).
    Crapo, Wyden, Risch and Merkley introduced the legislation in the 118th Congress and the Senate unanimously passed it in November 2024.  It did not receive a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives before the end of the Congress.  The program needs to be reauthorized as soon as possible to avoid a gap in funding for rural counties that rely on the program for much-needed services.
    Congress enacted SRS in 2000 to financially assist counties with public, tax-exempt forestlands.  The U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management administer the funds.  The totals are based on a formula including economic activity, timber harvest levels and other considerations that vary from county to county.  SRS payments are critical to maintain education programs for many rural counties that contain federal lands exempt from property taxes.
    Text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Member of Puyallup Tribe sentenced to 13 years in prison for shooting death of his friend

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tacoma – A member of the Puyallup Tribe was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 13 years in prison for the fatal shooting of someone he considered a friend, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Dennis Jacobsen, 32, was arrested shortly after the shooting on October 21, 2021. Jacobsen was originally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm because of convictions for robbery and unlawful firearms possession in Pierce County Superior Court. In June 2024, Jacobsen pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime of violence.

    At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, “This is a tragic story of illicit drug use and a firearm. The lives of the loved ones of the victim will carry this loss for years.”

    According to records filed in the case, both Jacobsen and the victim had been drinking and using drugs the morning of the shooting. The two were seen together outside the victim’s home within the confines of the Puyallup reservation. The two men walked behind the home and witnesses heard three gunshots. The victim was shot once in the arm and twice in the head, at least once at close range. Witnesses then saw Jacobsen run from behind the house, get in a vehicle and drive away.

    When police went to Jacobsen’s residence, they found the handgun with one bullet still in the chamber. The ammunition matched the type of ammunition used in the shooting.

    In asking for the 15-year sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg wrote to the court, “The impact of (the victim’s) killing has been felt deeply in the community. His girlfriend was pregnant with his son at the time of the killing. She can now only show her son the photographs of his father. (The victim’s) parents are now without a son and the greater Puyallup community has lost another tribal member to a violent tragedy.”

    Jacobsen will be on five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

    The case was investigated by the Puyallup Tribal Police and the FBI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Firearm incident – Coconut Grove

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested three offenders after a serious assault with a firearm occurred in Coconut Grove overnight.

    Around 7:05pm, police received reports that a 23-year-old man had been seriously injured by offenders who had arrived in a black Mazda 3 at a residence on Litchfield Court, Coconut Grove.

    On Police and St John Ambulance arrival it was confirmed that the man had been shot in the legs. The victim was conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital in a stable condition while detectives identified the alleged offenders were known to the victim.  

    Shortly after the incident, police confirmed that the vehicle involved was not stolen and was allegedly being borrowed by someone who was not the registered owner.

    Multiple units, including detectives from the Crime Command, the Territory Response Group, Katherine general duties and the Northern Investigations Section deployed and began tracking the vehicle.

    Shortly before 4am, a tyre deflation device was successfully deployed outside Katherine and two men, aged 19 and 22, and a 22-year-old woman were arrested without incident.

    Multiple edged weapons were found within the vehicle but the firearm allegedly used has yet to be located.

    Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said, “Major Crime and Northern Investigations teams are continuing to investigate this targeted attack and we are urging anyone with information to come forward.

    “I would like to commend every officer involved in the safe apprehension of these alleged offenders.

    “Anyone with information, particularly on the whereabouts of the firearm, can make contact with police on 131 444 and quote reference P25034096.” 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: White Supremacist Leader Found Guilty of Conspiring to Destroy Regional Power Grid

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – After a six-day trial, a federal jury found Brandon Russell, 29, a resident of Orlando, Florida, guilty of conspiracy to damage an energy facility.

    Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office announced the jury’s verdict.

    “Hate-fueled violence has no place in a civilized society. Brandon Russell went well beyond his First Amendment rights, orchestrating a terrorist plot that would have harmed thousands of innocent people,” Barron said.  “It won’t always be popular, but this office will do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason.”  

    “Brandon Russell, a self-proclaimed National Socialist, conspired to ‘lay waste to the city of Baltimore’ through violence and destruction of critical infrastructure. Today’s verdict reinforces there is no tolerance for those who seek to harm our communities and use violence to further hate-filled beliefs,” DelBagno said. “I am proud of the tremendous work by FBI Baltimore’s Joint Terrorism Task Force which led this investigation. The FBI remains diligent in protecting Marylanders from national security and public safety threats every single day in conjunction with our dedicated law enforcement and private sector partners.”

    According to evidence presented at trial, from at least November 2022 to February 3, 2023, Russell conspired to carry out attacks against critical infrastructure, specifically transformers located within electrical substations, in furtherance of Russell’s racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist beliefs. Russell posted links to open-source maps of infrastructure, which included the locations of electrical substations, and he described how a small number of attacks on substations could cause a “cascading failure.” Russell also discussed maximizing the impact of the planned attack by hitting multiple substations at one time.

    Russell recruited a Maryland-based woman, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, to carry out the attacks in Baltimore and elsewhere. They planned to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid. The intended monetary loss associated with the planned attacks would have exceeded $75 million. Clendaniel identified five substations to target, and Russell attempted to secure a weapon for Clendaniel. Clendaniel stated that if they hit a number of substations all in the same day, they “would completely destroy this whole city,” and that a “good four or five shots through the center of them . . . should make that happen.” She further added, “[i]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully.”

    Russell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to damage an energy facility. Senior United States District Judge James K. Bredar will determine the sentence after accounting for the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. On September 25, 2024, U.S. District Judge Bredar sentenced Clendaniel, to 18 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for conspiring with Russell to damage or destroy an energy facility in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1366(a), and a concurrent sentence of 15 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and 3 years of supervised release, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).

    U.S. Attorney Barron commended the Baltimore FBI Field Office for its outstanding work in the investigation and praised the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore County Police Department and the Tampa, Washington, and New York Field Offices of the FBI for their valuable assistance. Mr. Barron also thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked the prosecution team for their hard work and diligence in the 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. To report a Maryland-based hate crime, contact the FBI Baltimore field office at (410) 265-8080 or www.tips.fbi.gov.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: GigaCloud Technology Inc Donates More than $1 Million in Furniture to Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles to Aid Wildfire Victims

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EL MONTE, Calif., Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GigaCloud Technology Inc (Nasdaq: GCT) (“GigaCloud” or the “Company”), a pioneer of global end-to-end B2B ecommerce technology solutions for large parcel merchandise, today announced it is donating more than $1 million in home furnishings to Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles to support the ReBUILD LA™ Wildfire Recovery campaign. The donation will directly benefit families who have lost their homes, helping them rebuild their lives with dignity and comfort.

    “Los Angeles is our home, and when people in our community lose their homes in disasters like wildfires, it impacts all of us,” said Larry Wu, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to help families rebuild their lives with dignity and comfort. Through our donation of over $1 million worth of furniture to Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles, we aim to provide essential home furnishings and restore a sense of normalcy for those who have lost so much. GigaCloud stands with our community—as neighbors and as a company that cares.”

    GigaCloud’s donation includes nearly 90 SKUs totaling over 5,000 items, featuring a diverse range of indoor living furniture such as beds, mattresses, sofas, and chairs. The contribution also includes a significant number of ottomans and dressers, ensuring a wide variety of pieces to enhance functionality.

    Recognizing that mattresses were among the most urgently needed items and that they were not in stock at the time, the Company took action by reaching out to Restonic—a leading mattress supplier and recently onboarded GigaCloud B2B Marketplace seller—to purchase $150,000 worth of mattresses specifically for donation.

    “When GigaCloud reached out to us about the urgent need for mattresses among those impacted by the wildfire, their dedication to truly helping the community was evident,” said Laurie Tokarz, President of Restonic. “Instead of simply donating what was available, they made it a priority to source exactly what families needed most. At Restonic, providing comfort and support is at the heart of what we do, and we are honored to partner with GigaCloud and Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles to help families rebuild their homes and lives.”

    GigaCloud’s deep ties to the Los Angeles community extend beyond this initiative. Under the leadership of Wu, who was recognized as an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Greater Los Angeles Award winner by Ernst & Young LLP in 2024, the Company has consistently supported local causes, including ongoing donations to City of Hope and other community initiatives.

    The ReBUILD LA™ Wildfire Recovery campaign was created to support uninsured, underinsured, and low-income families impacted by wildfires. The campaign focuses on providing assistance with rebuilding and relocation to ensure families have safe and stable housing. Additionally, it offers essential home furnishings and supplies to help create new living spaces, as well as temporary rental and mortgage assistance for families whose homes are uninhabitable.

    “We are incredibly grateful to GigaCloud Technology for their generosity and shared commitment to rebuilding lives and restoring hope,” said Erin Rank, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles. “Their donation will provide families with essential home furnishings as they begin anew after the devastation of wildfires.”

    About GigaCloud Technology Inc

    GigaCloud Technology Inc is a pioneer of global end-to-end B2B ecommerce technology solutions for large parcel merchandise. The Company’s B2B ecommerce platform, the “GigaCloud Marketplace,” integrates everything from discovery, payments and logistics tools into one easy-to-use platform. The Company’s global marketplace seamlessly connects manufacturers, primarily in Asia, with resellers, primarily in the U.S., Asia and Europe, to execute cross-border transactions with confidence, speed and efficiency. GigaCloud offers a comprehensive solution that transports products from the manufacturer’s warehouse to the end customer’s doorstep, all at one fixed price. The Company first launched its marketplace in January 2019 by focusing on the global furniture market and has since expanded into additional categories, including home appliances and fitness equipment. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: https://www.gigacloudtech.com/.

    About Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles

    Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) transforms neighborhoods throughout greater Los Angeles by bringing the community together to build affordable homes, provide critical home repairs and help families rebuild after natural disasters. Habitat LA strengthens families through helping them access affordable loans, housing counseling and down-payment assistance. For more information about Habitat LA visit https://www.habitatla.org/.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements reflect our current view about future events. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “propose,” “potential,” “continue” or similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    GigaCloud Technology Inc
    Investor Relations
    ir@gigacloudtech.com

    PondelWilkinson, Inc.
    Laurie Berman (Investors) – lberman@pondel.com
    George Medici (Media) – gmedici@pondel.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Votes to Confirm Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    02.03.25

    Senator Worked to Advance Wright through ENR Committee, Secure Support for Confirmation

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy. As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, Hoeven helped introduce Wright during his nomination hearing and worked to advance his nomination through the committee and full Senate. The senator secured commitments from Wright during his confirmation process to advance key priorities for North Dakota. Among other efforts, Hoeven stressed the need to support the development of new technologies like carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), including Project Tundra. Such innovations will empower the U.S. to produce more energy from all of its abundant resources, including its vast coal, oil and gas reserves, while improving environmental stewardship.

              “Chris Wright is another great addition to the Trump administration, bringing a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience to the job of Energy Secretary,” said Hoeven. “He knows what it takes to develop new technologies and make them commercially-viable. In North Dakota, we’ve seen firsthand his success in the private sector with the growth in the Bakken. We look forward to working with him in his new role to build upon that record of innovation and unleash America’s energy potential, including through North Dakota’s leadership in CCUS technologies.”

    Securing North Dakota’s Leadership in CCUS

    Hoeven has worked over the past 15 years to advance North Dakota’s leadership in cracking the code on CCUS technologies to enable the next generation of clean, coal-fired electric power and ensure continued access to this reliable, affordable and abundant energy source. Among other priorities, his efforts have included:

    • Putting in place the legal, tax and regulatory requirements to advance CCUS.
    • Making North Dakota the first state to be granted regulatory primacy for Class VI wells, to ensure CO2 is safely and securely stored below the surface.
    • Securing a demonstration grant from the Department of Energy to advance Project Tundra, enabling the coal-fired Milton R. Young power plant to capture and store 4 million metric tons of CO2 per year.
    • Advancing Basin’s Dakota Gasification synfuels plant, the largest coal-based carbon capture project in the world, which is currently in operation and captures up to 2.25 million metric tons of CO2 per year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven: Brooke Rollins Unanimously Approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee, Advances to Full Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    02.03.25

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after Brooke Rollins, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as Secretary of Agriculture, was approved unanimously by the Senate Agriculture Committee.

    “Brooke Rollins is an excellent choice to lead the Department of Agriculture. She received unanimous support from the Senate Agriculture Committee, and now the next stop is the Senate floor,” said Hoeven. “With her background growing up on a ranch and her commitment to support our producers, Brooke will be a great partner on behalf of our farmers and ranchers.”

    During Rollins’ hearing before the Agriculture Committee, Hoeven outlined a broad range of efforts to strengthen U.S. agriculture and secured commitments from Rollins to work with him on:

    • Passing a strong farm bill that makes needed investments in the farm safety net, among other producer priorities.
    • Implementing and quickly delivering the $33.5 billion in disaster assistance that he worked to secure for producers in the year-end funding legislation.
      • The assistance package addresses losses from both natural disasters and challenging markets and has funding specifically set aside for livestock losses due to wildfire.
    • Ensuring access for agriculture producers to U.S. Forest Service lands in North Dakota, including for grazing on the national grasslands.
    • Improving access to foreign markets for U.S. farmers and ranchers.
    • Visiting North Dakota to learn firsthand about precision agriculture efforts in the state, including the partnership between Grand Farm, North Dakota State University and the Agricultural Research Service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Releases Statement on President Trump’s New Sovereign Wealth Fund

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) issued the following statement after President Trump signed a new executive order creating a sovereign wealth fund.
    “Let’s use it to save Social Security!” said Dr. Cassidy. “I have been advocating for years to create a new fund—separate from the Social Security Trust Fund—that invests in the growth of the American economy. President Trump’s new sovereign wealth fund is an excellent step in that direction. We must keep the trust of the American people. Americans don’t want this being used on just anything. Social Security is a dedicated process that can free money for other priorities and preserve seniors’ benefits.”
    Background
    Cassidy led a bipartisan working group to preserve and protect Social Security. In 2023, he released the inaugural Bill on the Hill video where he asked Capitol Hill visitors from across the country their thoughts on the looming benefit cuts to Social Security and presented his “Big Idea.”
    In December, Cassidy successfully demanded a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act, leading to the bill being signed into law. In July and again in December, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor urging Congress to repeal WEP and GPO as part of his “Big Idea.”
    Last March, Cassidy grilled U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on President Biden’s plan to address Social Security, to which Secretary Yellen admitted “the president doesn’t have a plan,” to save Social Security.
    Cassidy has discussed the “Big Idea” at a public forum with AARP on the future of Social Security, outlined his Social Security plan in a fireside chat with the Bipartisan Policy Committee, and authored op-eds in the Washington Examiner in July, the Wall Street Journal in March, and State Affairs and Washington Post in May. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RI Delegation Calls on Trump Administration to Swiftly Implement New Law Increasing Social Security Benefits for Public Service Employees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    CRANSTON, RI – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse along with Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today joined with union officials to call on the Trump administration to swiftly implement a new law that increases Social Security benefits for public service employees.  The event took place at National Education Association Rhode Island’s headquarters.

    “Thousands of hardworking Rhode Islanders who have dedicated their lives to serving our communities deserve the reassurance that they won’t be short-changed on their Social Security benefits. That’s why I worked for years with my colleagues to pass this legislation and ensure that millions of teachers, postal workers, firefighters, police officers, and other dedicated civil servants get the benefits they have earned,” said Reed.  “I’m glad we were able to finally deliver this correction and it is imperative that the Trump Administration acts urgently to implement this law.  We will be watching closely.  I’m committed to protecting and strengthening Social Security to ensure all Americans are able to retire with the dignity and financial security they have earned.”

    “We worked for years to pass this law to finally increase Social Security benefits for retired teachers, police officers, and firefighters across Rhode Island,” said Whitehouse, a founding member of the Expand Social Security Caucus and a longtime cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act.  “This change will strengthen the middle class, and we are going to keep after the Trump administration to swiftly implement it.  I will continue doing everything in my power to protect and expand the benefits seniors have earned over a lifetime of hard work.”

    “For too long, public servants—teachers, firefighters, and police officers—have been unfairly shortchanged on the Social Security benefits they have rightfully earned,” said Magaziner. “With the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, we’ve corrected this injustice and delivered long-overdue relief to thousands of Rhode Islanders.”

    “The Social Security Fairness Act is a critical new law that expands earned benefits for Rhode Islanders for the first time in over 20 years,” said Amo. “It fixes an oversight where public employees — including teachers, firefighters, and police officers — paid into Social Security but received far less than what they planned for in retirement. I promised to work to get it across the finish line upon arriving in the House. I proudly signed a discharge petition that forced House Republicans to bring the Social Security Fairness Act to the floor — and I was thrilled to vote yes when it passed the House in November last year.”

    All four members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation cosponsored the Social Security Fairness Act, which President Biden signed into law in January. 

    The Social Security Fairness Act eliminated the Windfall Elimination Provision, which reduced Social Security benefits for retired or disabled workers if they also receive pensions from public sector jobs that are not covered by Social Security.

    The bill also eliminated the Government Pension Offset, which reduced Social Security spousal benefits for retired public servants who receive pensions from employment that was not covered by Social Security.

    More than 8,600 Rhode Islanders who receive government pensions but also contributed to Social Security through private-sector employment stand to benefit from the legislation.

    “This hard-fought, long-awaited legislation exemplifies government working for the people by correcting a provision that unfairly penalized workers for their public service,” said National Education Association Rhode Island President Val Lawson. “The Social Security Fairness Act will significantly improve the lives of our educators and education support professionals.”

    “The labor movement has been organizing for this victory for decades.  It shows that we will never give up, no matter how long it takes,” said Patrick Crowley, President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. “Thank you to the entire Congressional Delegation for their support for Rhode Island public services workers.”

    Today, we stand united in this victory, honoring the countless hours of advocacy, resilience, and unwavering determination it took to repeal the WEP/GPO legislation. This journey has been long, but together, we’ve fought for fairness and justice for every worker who dedicated their life to public service. Our success is a testament to the strength of solidarity and the belief that when we stand together, we can change the course of history,” said Maribeth Calabro, President of the RI Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals. “We are grateful for the support of our Congressional delegation, to ensuring that members have these benefits.”

    “On behalf of the national Repeal WEP/GPO Task Force committee, and as one of the three founding committee members along with John Pernorio, RI ARA and Roger Boudreau, RIAFT-R, I extend our sincerest thanks and appreciation to our RI federal House of Representatives members and Senators for their sponsorships and continued support to achieve passage of the Social Security Fairness Act,” said Rose Marie Cipriano, President of the RI Association of Retired Principals. “After forty-two years penalizing public service workers, predominantly educators, fairness was achieved January 5, 2025, when former President Biden signed HR 82 into law.  Over three million retirees will no longer have to endure a sixty percent reduction to their owed Social Security benefits.  Our RI Congressional delegation’s commitment and respect for all public service workers will forever be acknowledged.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Native Village of Kipnuk Private Nonprofits Affected by the August Storm

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in the Native Village of Kipnuk of the March 3, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset physical damage caused by the severe storm and flooding that occurred Aug. 16-18, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the Lower Kuskokwim Regional Educational Attendance Area.

    Under this disaster declaration, PNPs that provide services of a governmental nature are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans. Eligible PNPs may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. 

    Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements might include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by any disaster.

    Interest rates can be as low 3.25%, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    PNPs are also eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the PNP suffered any physical property damage.

    The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.

    For more information and to apply online visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return applications for physical property damage is March 3. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Oct. 1.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Combustor Facilities

    Source: NASA

    Combustion studies are conducted in this two-test position facility specifically in support of the NOx-reduction research for the High Speed Research program and the Advanced Subsonic Technology program. CE-5B-1 is large enough to test sector arrangements of injector elements to include interactions of the elements and single larger elements. The facility receives filtered combustion air from the 450-psig system. The air is heated in a 1,100°F non-vitiated heater at flows up to 20 lb/s, which can be valved to either test stand. The airflow passes through the test section, is water spray quenched, and is then discharged to the altitude exhaust system or the atmospheric exhaust system. The facility preheater consists of a heat exchanger fired by four J-47 burner cans using natural gas for a fuel and the 40-psig combustion air. The research hardware uses ASTM Jet-A, JP-5, or JP-8 as a fuel. 
    CE-5B-1 Special Features
    In addition to inlet and exit rakes and standard instrumentation, water-cooled gas sampling rakes are in the downstream section. Particulate measurements are taken at the exit of the combustion section. Optical accessibility of the combustor section allows never-before-possible nonintrusive laser-based diagnostics of the reacting and non-reacting flowfield. These include such techniques as planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging, Planar Mie scattering, Phase/Doppler particle analysis (PDPA), focused Schlieren imaging, and light sheet photography. Both rigs share the gas analysis, particulate analysis, and diagnostics equipment. 
    CE-5B Facility Capabilities (typical of both rigs)

    Parameter
    Operating Value

    Inlet Air Supply Pressure
    450 psig

    Inlet Air Temperature
    100°F, preheated to 350-1,350°F

    Inlet Airflow Stand 1 Stand 2 
    20 lb/s (available) 0.5 to 12.0 pps 0.5 to 5.0 pps

    Exhaust
    Atm or 20-26 in. Hg

    Rig Pressure Without Windows Stand 1 Stand 2
    275 psig 400 psig

    Rig Pressure With Windows Stand 1 Stand 2
    250 psig 275 psig

    Rig Fuel (JP-8) Flow
    7 gpm @ 400-900 psig (three legs per stand)

    Window Cooling GN2 (4 legs)
    0.125 to 0.5 pps (each leg) 

    Cooling Water
    150 gpm @ 460 psig 250 gpm @ 395 psig 50 gpm @ 350 psig 15 gpm @ 55 psig

    CE-5B-1 System Instrumentation

    System
    Number and Type

    ESP
    96 Ports of + 500 PSID Barometric Ref

    Escort
    240 Channels 154 Available to the Customer

    Thermocouples
    156 Type K 24 Type B 12 Type W 524 Type R

    Gas Analyzers
    HC – 1,000 ppm 1% & 5% CO – 2,000 ppm 5% CO2 – 5%, 10%, 20% O2 – 25% NO – 100 ppm, 1,000 ppm 1% NOx –

    Laser
    PLIF, Raman

    CE-5B-2 is one of the two test stands in the CE-5B facility. It can be configured to study lean-premixed-prevaporized (LPP) and lean-direct-injection (LDI) concepts for developing a low-NOx combustor for high-speed research and advanced subsonic applications. The non-windowed combustion flame tube can use a 3-inch square cross section or a 3-inch-diameter round section and has six ports available for gas sampling probes. The windowed combustion flame tube takes advantage of the flat walls on a 3-inch square cross section to install optical windows for non-intrusive measurements. Tests are conducted with combustion air inlet pressure ranging from 10 to 15 atmospheres with preheater and exhaust conditions described for CE-5B-1. 
    CE-5B-2 Special Features 
    The same laser-based non-intrusive diagnostics of reacting and non-reacting flowfields described for test position CE-5B-1 are available to this test section. A typical data acquisition system is used for both test positions in CE-5B. In addition, most of the optical diagnostic instruments have their own data acquisition systems.
    CE-5B Facility Capabilities (typical of both rigs)

    Parameter
    Operating Value

    Inlet Air Supply Pressure
    450 psig

    Inlet Air Temperature
    100°F, preheated to 350-1,350°F

    Inlet Airflow Stand 1 Stand 2 
    20 lb/s (available) 0.5 to 12.0 pps 0.5 to 5.0 pps

    Exhaust
    Atm or 20-26 in. Hg

    Rig Pressure Without Windows Stand 1 Stand 2
    275 psig 400 psig

    Rig Pressure With Windows Stand 1 Stand 2
    250 psig 275 psig

    Rig Fuel (JP-8) Flow
    7 gpm @ 400-900 psig (three legs per stand)

    Window Cooling GN2 (4 legs)
    0.125 to 0.5 pps (each leg) 

    Cooling Water
    150 gpm @ 460 psig 250 gpm @ 395 psig 50 gpm @ 350 psig 15 gpm @ 55 psig

    CE-5B-2 System Instrumentation

    System
    Number and Type

    ESP
    96 Ports of + 500 PSID Barometric Ref

    Escort
    240 Channels 154 Available to the Customer

    Thermocouples
    148 Type K 24 Type B 48 Type R

    Gas Analyzers
    HC – 1,000 ppm 1% & 5% CO – 2,000 ppm 5% CO2 – 5%, 10%, 20% O2 – 25% NO – 100 ppm, 1,000 ppm 1% NOx –

    Laser
    PLIF, Raman

    Test Cell CE-13 Combustion and Dynamics Facility (CDF) is used to investigate ways to reduce NOx and particulate emissions from air-breathing aircraft engines. This low-pressure (1-5 atm) facility is used to study fuel-air injection schemes and how they affect fluid mixing, emissions, dynamics, and flame stability. Jet-A fuel is the primary fuel, but candidate alternate jet fuels and their effects are also studied. Standard measurements consist of major species and dynamic pressures. Some optical measurements available are high-speed video, standard and time-resolved 2D PIV, planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF), and chemiluminescence imaging.

    CE-13C Special Features
    Research hardware is designed to flow vertically downwards. Preheated air is fed to the inlet air stream conditioner and then to the fuel injector. Fuel at room temperature is fed separately to the injector. The mixed hot air and fuel mixture moves to the combustor where combustion can be observed via customized windows. The products of combustion flow through an emission sampling ring and choke nozzle/straight outlet pipe. The fuel system consists of a 25-gallon fuel tank, a pump, and a GN2 purge. A separate laser room operates various class 3B and 4 lasers (UV, Vis, NIR) to characterize fuel injection, combustor flow, and measure combustion species.
    CE-13C Facility Capabilities

    Parameter
    Operating Value

    Inlet Air Pressure
    Ambient to 75-psia

    Inlet Air Temperature
    Ambient to 1,000°F

    Inlet Airflow
    0.0 – 1.0 pps

    Jet Fuel Supply
    CKT 1 6.9-140 pph @ 1,000-psig CKT 2 1 – 13.1 pph @ 1,000-psig 

    Exhaust
    Atmospheric

    Peripheral H2O Cooling
    54-gpm @ 100-pisg

    Quench Cooling
    11-gpm @ 500-psig

    CE-13C System Instrumentation

    System
    Number and Type

    Labview
    64 voltage/current channels 32 temperature channels 10 voltage/current channels available to the customer 30 temperature channels available to customer

    Optical and Laser
    PLIF, Raman, PIV, droplet sizing, chemiluminescence, temperature, time-resolved imaging

    Gas Analyzers
    CO – 1,000 ppm, 5,000 ppm CO2 – 5%, 15% O2 – 25% NO – 100 ppm, 1,000 ppm NOx – 100 ppm, 1,000 ppm HC –  100 ppm, 1,000 ppm 

    The SE-5 High-Pressure Combustion Diagnostics (HPCD) laboratory is a gas- and liquid-fueled high-pressure flame tube facility with single-element fuel injection burners and emission sampling ports for advanced diagnostics development and national standard calibrations. The facility provides large-aperture optical access to the primary reaction zone (flame holding) through four UV-grade fused silica optical windows (44-mm-thick by 85-mm clear apertures located around the periphery) enabling non-intrusive optical diagnostics such as laser Raman spectroscopy or high-speed imaging to measure chemical species and temperature. The HPCD rig can operate at sustained pressures up to 30 atm (or 60 atm with limited flow rate) with a variety of gaseous fuels, liquid jet fuels, and oxidizers, including hydrogen, methane, oxygen-argon, and pure oxygen. The innovative microtube array burner or micro-radial-entry counter-swirl (MRX) burner is mounted inside the air-cooled high-temperature liner casing within the rig. The burner was designed to provide a uniform combustion product zone downstream of the flame for calibrating the laser diagnostic system. The facility is also used for bench-mark tests of emission gas and particulate matters (PM) sampling. The data from the HPCD rig enables the validation of numerical codes such as powered by advanced CFD that simulate gas turbine combustors. All aspects of the facility operation, including startup, shutdown, and automatic safety shutdowns, are controlled and monitored via an icon-based touch-screen software system and a most-updated programmable logic controller (PLC) in conjunction with a precision DEWETRON data acquisition system. The HPCD rig can also provide a pressure vessel for prototype thermal or combustion hardware of a customer’s choice.
    SE-5 Special Features
    The facility is unique because it is the only continuous-flow, hydrogen-capable 60-atm rig in the world with optical access. It will provide researchers with new insights into flame conditions that simulate the environment inside the ultra-high pressure-ratio combustion chambers of tomorrow’s advanced aircraft engines.
    SE-5 Facility Capabilities

    Parameter
    Operating Value

    Cooling Capacity
    4,000,000 BTU/hr

    Equivalence Ratio Variance
    0.2 (fuel very lean) – 4 (fuel rich)

    Fuel Flow Rate
    Limited by cooling capacity, e.g., 2 GPH of n-heptane

    Operating Pressure
    30 atm nominal, 60 atm max

    Cooling Airflow
    0.25 lbm/s max

    Quenching Airflow
    0.20 lbm/s max 

    SE-5 System Instrumentation and Diagnostics

    System
    Number and Type

    Pressure Transducers and Thermocouples
    Custom

    DEWETRON DAQ
    Custom

    Emission Gas Sampling (Exhaust)
    NO, NOx, SOx, O2, CO, CO2

    Particulates Sampling (Exhaust)
    Mass (TSI), counter (TSI), In-line sensor (GRC in-house)

    Laser Raman Spectroscopy (In Flame)
    Custom

    In-situ Soot Detection
    Extinction measurements

    The Particulate Aerosol Laboratory (PAL) studies aerosols at simulated upper atmospheric conditions with altitudes up to 55,000 feet at -135°F. Altitude chamber environment and burner settings are individually controlled, creating a multitude of test parameters and a dynamic testing environment. The PAL facility is designed around a small-scale jet exhaust nozzle and altitude chamber and takes full advantage of its reduced size for screening of various alternative fuels, additives, and other combustion concepts. This makes PAL the ideal facility for validating the advancement of such research to the next phase. 
    Combustion fuel operation capabilities include alternative fuel additive mixing in real-time mode with switching between a baseline fuel and an alternative fuel while maintaining a continuous combustion flame. Heated bypass air is available with optional external burner and associated piping heating up to 1,000°F. Additionally, PAL is enhancing its cloud simulation capability with real-time atmospheric water vapor content readings and on-demand direct liquid injector vaporizers for high purity 100% fluid vaporization.

    SE-11 Special Features 
    Particulate emission sample extraction taking at burner rear section. Chamber equipped with windows and fused silica lenses providing optical access for non-intrusive optical diagnostic Mie scattering and color video imaging. Particulate size and number density measurements are accomplished with absorption measurements and forward, back, and side scattering. Video capability of both burner flame and altitude chamber contrails. Optical measurement plane location relative to the chamber nozzle exit is adjustable.
    SE-11 Facility Capabilities

    Parameter
    Operating Value

    Burner Fuel Flow Rate
    .2 – 9.9 ml/min various liquid fuels

    Burner Air
    -Filtered and dried -Downstream heated or non-heated bypass air available to ≤1,000°F

    Burner EGT
    ≤1,000° F

    Particle Sizing Range
    2.5-1,000 nm

    Particle Size Distribution Concentration Range
    10-107 particles/cm³

    Aerosol Particle Size Range
    .75-10 nm

    Gas Composition Analyzer
    CO – CO₂ – O₂

    Optic Light Source
    300W Xenon Lamp

    Optic Video
    -32-bit Color -16-bit Monochrome, -Frame rate: 15fps

    Optic Detectors
    Selection of Various Spectrometers and Photodiodes

    NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland provides ground test facilities to industry, government, and academia. If you are considering testing in one of our facilities or would like further information about a specific facility or capability, please let us know.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Leads All Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats IN Letters Demanding Answers From FBI, DOJ Nominees, Acting Attorney General, And Acting FBI Director On Trump Administration Forcing Out DOJ And FBI Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 03, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in letters to President Trump’s nominee to be the Attorney General of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Pam Bondi; nominee to be the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel; nominee to be Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche; as well as the Acting Attorney General,  James McHenry; and Acting FBI Director, Brian Driscoll, about the removal or reassignment across DOJ and FBI of career law enforcement officials. Last week, the Trump Administration reportedly purged dozens of DOJ and FBI officials involved in prosecuting Donald Trump and the January 6 rioters and is now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to the attack on the Capitol.

    In addition to Durbin, the letters were signed by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).

    The Senators wrote, “We have grave concerns about the removal or reassignment across the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of senior career civil servants who have served honorably under multiple administrations, regardless of the President’s party. The removals and reassignments from their positions of a significant number of experienced, nonpartisan Department officials with invaluable national security expertise without any comparable replacements one day into the second Trump Administration presents an alarming threat to national security. As many as 20 senior Department officials were reassigned or removed, including the veteran career deputy assistant attorneys general in the Department’s National Security Division.”

    The Senators continued, “Our alarm has only grown in the past two weeks as this purge of experienced career prosecutors and agents has expanded to include the removal or forced retirement of all six Executive Assistant Directors (EADs), including the EADs who oversee the National Security Branch, Intelligence Branch, and the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch; as well as the Assistant Directors and the Special Agents in Charge of at least four major field offices. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered these actions in a January 31, 2025 memo, stating, ‘I do not believe the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.’ Similarly, more than a dozen senior Department prosecutors were fired after receiving memos from Acting Attorney General McHenry stating: ‘Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe that the leadership of the Department can trust you to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.’ Retaliating against these career public servants who were simply doing the work assigned to them is outrageous and unacceptable.”

    Over the weekend, thousands of FBI personnel across the country were asked to complete a questionnaire by today, Monday, February 3, at 3pm. The survey asks for their job title, whether they worked on a case related to the January 6th attack on the Capitol, “if they were involved in the arrest of a Jan. 6 suspect, if they testified at a trial, if they interviewed witnesses, if they conducted surveillance on suspects and more.” It has also been reported that the Acting FBI Director is being advised by an advisory committee comprised of partisan political operators, including an Elon Musk affiliate. This is a stark departure from the longstanding tradition that the FBI Director is the only political appointee in the Bureau.

    “As America faces a heightened threat landscape, these shocking removals and reassignments deprive DOJ and the FBI of experienced, senior leadership and decades of experience fighting violent crime, espionage, and terrorism. As the FBI Agents Association stated in response to reports about the removal of FBI officials: ‘Dismissing potentially hundreds of Agents would severely weaken the Bureau’s ability to protect the country from national security and criminal threats and will ultimately risk setting up the Bureau and its new leadership for failure,’” the Senators wrote. “Moreover, the firing of dozens of federal prosecutors and hundreds of agents will cripple FBI field offices and U.S. Attorney’s offices across the country. We can only assume these decisions are intended to prevent the Department from investigating national security and public corruption, while also serving as political retribution against the President’s perceived enemies and stoking fear among the dedicated and talented workforce in our nation’s premier law enforcement agency.”

    In the letter, the Senators state that the Senate Judiciary Committee has a constitutional obligation to perform oversight over the Department and its components, and to provide advice and consent on the nominations of officers to lead it. To that end, they request various information to be returned to the Committee in response to the removal of FBI and DOJ officials. They also request answers from these individuals about their involvement.

    The full letter to AG nominee Pam Bondi can be found here.

    The full letter to FBI Director nominee Kash Patel can be found here.

    The full letter to Deputy AG nominee Todd Blanche can be found here.

    The full letter to Acting AG McHenry and Acting FBI Director Driscoll can be found here.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fire Safety – Hot, dry conditions prompt fire restrictions in Southland

    Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

    Fire and Emergency New Zealand has placed Southland District into a restricted fire season from 8am, Tuesday 4 February until further notice.
    A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire will need a permit authorised by Fire and Emergency, which they can apply for at checkitsalright.nz .
    Southland District Manager Julian Tohiariki says a combination of above-average temperatures, moderately strong winds and reduced rainfall has contributed to increased fire risk in the area.
    “These conditions make it too easy for fires to get started and get out of control,” he says.
    “The wildfire on Tiwai Peninsula last week showed just how quickly fire can spread through dry vegetation, and the devastating impact it can have on our environment and wildlife.
    “We have a lot of very dry and flammable vegetation out there in the district at the moment, so we need to restrict how and when outdoor fires are lit.
    “If you’re thinking about starting any kind of open-air fire, you must go to checkitsalright.nz first to find out if you can do that in your location, and what restrictions apply.
    “It’s important we take all the steps we can to reduce the fire risk to our safety, property and environment this summer.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan about the situation in the Middle East.

    Prime Minister Trudeau and His Majesty King Abdullah II welcomed the recent ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, the continued release of hostages, and the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

    The leaders spoke of the ongoing instability in the West Bank and, in discussing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the Prime Minister thanked the King for his continued leadership in improving Palestinians’ access to aid. He also highlighted Canada’s recent commitment to providing $50 million in funding for humanitarian assistance to address the acute needs of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.

    The two leaders discussed the situation in Syria, following the end of the Assad regime in December. The Prime Minister welcomed Jordan’s role in providing assistance to Syria. He also emphasized Canada’s commitment to supporting the immediate delivery of humanitarian assistance in Syria and the development of a stable and inclusive government for the people of Syria. The leaders expressed their shared support for an inclusive Syrian-led political governance structure for the country.

    Prime Minister Trudeau and His Majesty King Abdullah II reaffirmed the strong partnership between Canada and Jordan and agreed to remain in close contact as the situation continues to evolve.

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, about the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

    Prime Minister Trudeau congratulated President Aoun on his recent election, noting it is a moment of hope and opportunity for Lebanon and its people. The two leaders discussed the importance of respecting the ceasefire along Lebanon’s southern border and of supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces.

    The leaders underscored that the people of Lebanon deserve to live in peace and security. Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated that Canada will always stand with the Lebanese people.

    The Prime Minister and the President highlighted the close co-operation and the strong people-to-people ties between Canada and Lebanon. They agreed that their shared values and priorities will carry forward this relationship in the years to come.

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Zuni Woman Sentenced to 18 Year Prison Sentence for Fatal Kidnapping

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni woman was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for her involvement in a 2019 kidnapping that resulted in the victim’s death. 

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, between July 1 and July 16, 2019, Kendra Panteah, 37, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, participated in confining John Doe in the trunk of his own vehicle. She then brought the vehicle and victim to her co-defendant, Gilbert John Jr., and proceeded to drive around the Navajo Nation for over 24 hours with the victim locked in the trunk. They then stopped near Bass Lake, NM. When John Doe attempted to escape, John Jr. repeatedly stabbed him with a machete, resulting in the victim’s death.

    After the killing, Panteah and John Jr. abandoned the vehicle with the body inside for several days. John Jr. later towed the vehicle to a remote location, doused it with gasoline, and set it on fire to destroy evidence. The victim was only identified through hip replacement devices found in the burned vehicle.

    Gilbert John Jr. pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison in June of 2024.

    Upon her release from prison, Panteah will be subject to five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Alexander F. Flores prosecuted the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Memphis Man Sentenced for Stealing 166 Firearms and for Possession of a “Switch”

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Memphis, TN – Kaderion Stokes, 19, was recently sentenced to federal prison for theft of firearms and possession of a machinegun.  Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

    According to the information presented in court, on September 9, 2023, approximately 166 firearms were stolen from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) business in Atoka, Tennessee.  An Atoka Police officer was patrolling the area when he observed a GMC Sierra pick-up truck in the parking lot of the business.  As the officer approached the truck, the truck fled at a high rate of speed.  Officers discovered that the truck was stolen and had rammed the front of the business crashing into the interior of the store.  Several items were taken from the store, including firearms.  Stokes was later developed as a suspect.  In October 2023, Stokes was arrested by local law enforcement in Memphis on unrelated charges while in possession of two of the stolen firearms from the FFL business.

    After a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Stokes, a federal arrest warrant was issued and the United States Marshals Service arrested Stokes at an apartment in Memphis.  Stokes was found in possession of a firearm with a machinegun conversion device or a “switch.”  Subsequently, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Stokes for possessing the “switch” as well as charges associated with the theft of firearms.

    On October 31, 2024, Stokes pled guilty in federal court and on January 29, 2025, Senior United States District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Stokes to 87 months of federal imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Atoka Police Department.  The United States Marshals Service and the Memphis Police Department assisted.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Marques Young and Eileen Kuo, along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Raven Icaza, who prosecuted this case on behalf of the government, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated it.

    ###

    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: TRUMP’S CHINA IMPORT TARIFFS AND MASSIVE OCEAN FREIGHT RATE INCREASES DUE TO RED SEA CONFLICT IS PERFECT STORM FOR US SHIPPERS

    Source: Xeneta

    Oslo, Norway – 3 February 2025 – A delay in tariffs on Mexico imports does little to ease the pain for US shippers still facing a 10% hike on tariffs from China in addition to massive increases in ocean container freight rates due to conflict in the Red Sea.

    Latest data from Xeneta – the ocean and air freight intelligence platform – shows average spot rates from China stand at USD 4 816 per FEU (40ft container) to the US West Coast and USD 6 264 per FEU in to the US East Coast.

    This is an increase of 196% and 157% respectively since the escalation of conflict in the Red Sea in December 2023 and is in addition to tariffs on all China imports coming into effect on 4 February.

    Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst, said: “US Shippers are being hit by wave after wave of disruption and spiralling costs to import goods.

    “They have already faced massive increases in ocean container freight costs due to conflict in the Red Sea and now they are hit with a 10% hike in tariffs on imports from China.

    “You struggle to see how a business can absorb these costs without increasing prices for the end consumer. Given more than 40% of total containerized imports into the US come direct from China, that is a lot of businesses and a lot of consumers who will be affected.

    “A delay in tariffs on Mexico is welcome news but it does nothing to ease concerns over the re-igniting of the US-China trade war, which represents risk at a different order of magnitude.”

    Sand added that shippers have very few options available to deal with the tariff threat.

    He said: “When Trump announced tariffs on China back in 2018, there was a period of time in which shippers could rush as many imports as possible and build up stock inventories before they came into effect.

    “This time Trump has imposed tariffs almost immediately so if shippers haven’t taken action by now, it’s already too late. Shippers may well look at shifting supply chains out of China into nations such as India or South East Asia, but this takes time, financial investment and deep understanding of market data and intelligence.

    “The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas raised the prospect of a better year for shippers in 2025 if a large scale return of container ships to the Red Sea sees freight rates fall. Trump’s latest move has dented those hopes because any gains a shipper makes through lower freight rates will be more than offset by a 10% increase in tariffs.

    “If China retaliates and we enter another escalating trade war, an already very bad situation will get even worse for US importers.”

    About Xeneta

    Xeneta is the leading ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform transforming the shipping and logistics industry. Xeneta’s powerful reporting and analytics platform provides liner-shipping stakeholders the data they need to understand current and historical market behavior—reporting live on market average and low/high movements for both short and long-term contracts. Xeneta’s data is comprised of +500 million contracted container and air freight rates and covers over 160,000 global ocean trade routes and over 58,000 airport-airport connections. Xeneta is a privately held company with headquarters in Oslo, Norway and regional offices in New Jersey, US and Hamburg. To learn more, please visit www.xeneta.com

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.

    Prime Minister Trudeau welcomed the announcement last month regarding a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas, which Qatar took a leading role in negotiating. He thanked the Amir for Qatar’s leadership in mediating this deal and for its efforts toward facilitating a path toward peace and stability in the region. The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to thank the Amir on behalf of Canada for Qatar’s critical work in negotiating for the safe release of Mr. David Lavery from Afghanistan.

    The leaders discussed areas of common interest and the strong bilateral relations between Canada and Qatar. They underscored the importance of working together to advance dialogue and peace across the Middle East, particularly considering the ongoing developments in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria.

    Prime Minister Trudeau highlighted Canada’s latest efforts in the region, including the recently announced $50 million in humanitarian assistance for Syria. The leaders discussed the Amir’s visit to Syria last week and the urgent humanitarian and development work required, noting their shared support for an inclusive Syrian-led political governance structure.

    The leaders reflected on the excellent bilateral relationship between Canada and Qatar and agreed to remain in contact.

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Missouri Private Nonprofits Affected by November Storms and Tornadoes

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Missouri of the March 3, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset physical damage caused by severe storms, tornadoes, straight‑line winds and flooding that occurred Nov. 3-9, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Carter, Crawford, Dent, Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Phelps, Pulaski, Reynolds, Shannon, Texas, Washington and Wright.

    Under this disaster declaration, PNPs that provide services of a governmental nature are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans. Eligible PNPs may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. 

    Applicants may also be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements might include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by any disaster. 

    Interest rates can be as low 3.625%, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    PNPs are also eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the PNP suffered any physical property damage. 

    The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.

    For more information and to apply online visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return applications for physical property damage is March 3. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Oct. 1.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Oregon Private Nonprofits Affected by Summer Wildfires

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Oregon of the March 3, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset physical damage caused by wildfires that occurred July 10-Aug.23, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Gilliam, Grant, Umatilla, Wasco and Wheeler.

    Under this disaster declaration, PNPs that provide services of a governmental nature are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans. Eligible PNPs may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements might include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by any disaster.  

    Interest rates can be as low 3.25%, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    PNPs are also eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the PNP suffered any physical property damage. 

    The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible. 

    For more information and to apply online visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return applications for physical property damage is March 3. to return economic injury applications is Oct. 1.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Nebraska Private Nonprofits Affected by April Storms

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Nebraska of the March 3, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by severe storms, straight‑line winds and tornadoes that occurred April 25-27, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Boone, Douglas, Greeley, Howard, Sherman and Washington.

    Under this declaration, PNPs that provide services of a governmental nature and suffered financial losses related to the disaster are eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.

    Interest rates can be as low as 3.25% with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.

    For more information and to apply online visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 3.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Arkansas Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by May Storms

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Arkansas of the March 3, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by severe storms, straight‑line winds, tornadoes and flooding that occurred May 24-27, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Craighead, Crawford, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Izard, Johnson, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Newton, Randolph, Searcy, Sharp, Stone and Washington in Arkansas as well as the counties of Barry, Dunklin, Howell, McDonald, Oregon, Ozark, Ripley and Taney in Missouri and Adair and Delaware counties in Oklahoma.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs that suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    For more information and to apply online visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 3.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –