Category: Natural Disasters

MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey and Cruz Reintroduce Bill to Keep AM Radio in New Vehicles

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Bill Text (PDF)
Washington (January 29, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today reintroduced the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. This legislation would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to require automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in their new vehicles at no additional charge.
“As we witness more tragic climate change-induced disasters like the wildfires in Los Angeles, broadcast AM radio continues to be a critical tool for communication. AM radio is a lifeline for people across the country for news, sports, and especially emergency information,” said Senator Markey. “Tens of millions of listeners across the country have made clear that they want AM radio to remain in their vehicles. Our AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act heeds their words and ensures that this essential tool doesn’t get lost on the dial.”
“During weather disasters or power outages, AM radio is consistently the most reliable form of communication and is critical to keep millions of Texans safe. AM radio has long been a haven for people to express differing viewpoints, allowing free speech and our robust democratic process to flourish for decades. I am honored to once again partner with Sen. Markey on this bipartisan legislation on behalf of our constituents who depend on AM radio and public airwaves for access to news, music, talk, and emergency alerts,” said Senator Cruz.
Cosponsors in the Senate include Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wy.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and John Hoeven (R-N.D.).
In May 2023, Senators Markey and Cruz led their colleagues in introducing the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act passed through the Senate Commerce Committee in July 2023 and passed through the House Energy and Commerce Committee in September 2024.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Job done on the Melrose Road Bridge replacement

Source: Australian Ministers 1

The Albanese Government continues to partner with Toowoomba Regional Council to get high priority local infrastructure off the ground, with construction of the Melrose Road bridge now complete and open to traffic.

Officially opened today by Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Anthony Chisholm and Mayor of Toowoomba Regional Council, Geoff McDonald, the new bridge will improve the safety of this key rural route.

The $4.3 million project was made possible thanks to $2.5 million from the Albanese Government’s Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, and $1.8 million from Toowoomba Regional Council.

Works involved the construction of a new two-lane concrete bridge to replace the ageing timber bridge on Melrose Road in Brookstead.

The upgrades will improve access for local agriculture businesses operating in the region, and also enhance the route’s resilience to natural disasters.

The new bridge will also support travel for specialised farming equipment, emergency response vehicles and public transport, including school buses.

Nationally, the Albanese Government is delivering significant funding increases to support local councils deliver their priority projects.

The Roads to Recovery program is progressively increasing from $500 million to $1 billion per year – with Toowoomba Regional Council to receive over $36 million over the next five years, a boost of $11.4 million.

The Road Black Spot Program has also increased from $110 million to $150 million per year, and $200 million per year is available under our Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program.

Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Kristy McBain:

“More people are moving to our regions and this is putting more pressure on the roads we use every day, which is why we’re partnering with local councils to help ensure their local road networks are safe and fit-for-purpose.

“Melrose Bridge provides essential access across the Condamine River to schools, community facilities, and agri business, which is why we’ve upgraded the old structure and invested in this road’s future.”

Quotes attributable to Federal Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Anthony Chisholm:

“This new bridge, which replaced the old timber crossing on Melrose Road, will improve safety, traffic efficiency and allow local farmers to transport greater proportions of grain and other produce from their farms to suppliers.

“Infrastructure projects, such as this one, deliver an immediate economic boost to regional and rural areas by reducing the potential for any of the risks associated with flood-related road closures.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and co-operation during the construction of this project as it was a complex undertaking, with Melrose Road closed for the duration of construction.”

Quotes attributable to Mayor of Toowoomba, Cr Geoff McDonald:

“The aim of the project was to improve, productivity, safety and community access, but it was also recognition of the road as an important connection for primary producers.

“The transport of agricultural produce and farming machinery absolutely depend on a safe and secure crossing over the Condamine River. The upgraded Melrose Road bridge will provide a greater level of certainty for the Brookstead area farmers and associated industries.

“Having the new bridge constructed to current engineering standards means it will have a much longer design life.”

MIL OSI News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, colleagues introduce bipartisan legislation to support firefighters with service-related cancers

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) reintroduced the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act. This bipartisan legislation, which passed unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last year, would expand federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers. The Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program—which provides benefits to first responders injured in the line of duty and to their families—currently extends protection to first responders suffering from a narrow list of injuries and illnesses. This bill would expand PSOB coverage to more first responders and their families.

“Firefighters face many life-threatening health risks. Not all of them move as swiftly as a heart attack, but families are no less deserving of benefits if they lose their loved ones to cancers they were exposed to the line of duty,” said Senator Coons. “We need to close this loophole in the PSOB program so that the families of firefighters and first responders who lost their lives due to service-related cancers or face severe disabilities receive the benefits they deserve.”

“As we are seeing in California and throughout the country, our firefighters put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, often exposing themselves to carcinogens that can have lethal long-term effects. It’s unacceptable that firefighters who succumb to cancer from work-related exposure or become permanently and totally disabled don’t receive the same treatment as others who die in the line of duty,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will honor the memory and sacrifice of St. Paul Fire Department Captain Mike Paidar and so many others who risk their lives in service of their communities.”

“Our first responders epitomize courage and selfless sacrifice, confronting both the immediate perils of their duty and lingering health risks associated with their service,” said Senator Cramer. “The exposure to dangerous carcinogens happens on our behalf. When these heroes make the ultimate sacrifice, their families should not bear these burdens alone.”

The Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and first responders who pass away from cancer caused by carcinogenic exposure during their service. The bill would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.

This legislation was introduced in honor of Michael Paidar, a fire captain who died in 2020 of an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. In 2021, after strong advocacy from the Paidar family, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety awarded line-of-duty benefits to Captain Paidar’s widow, Julie. This was the first time that Minnesota’s state PSOB program provided a firefighter’s family with benefits for cancer incurred in the line of duty. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would ensure that firefighters and other first responders across the country are eligible to receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program.

In addition to Senators Coons, Klobuchar, and Cramer, this bill is also co-sponsored by Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Narcotics Officers’ Associations Coalition (NNOAC), National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), and the Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD.

A full list of endorsement quotes is available here.

Senator Coons has long-advocated for firefighters and first responders’ health, benefits, safety, and well-being. He worked to pass the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act, which was signed into law by President Biden in 2023, and helps local fire departments access funding for training, personnel, and equipment—all of which are especially in demand from small and volunteer fire departments. He also cosponsored the Protecting America’s First Responders Act, which was signed into law in 2021, and improved the PSOB program by allowing benefit amounts to be calculated based on the date of the award and account for cost of living increases. In 2022, he introduced the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act, a bipartisan bill to promote mental health programs for America’s first responders, who often face long-term effects from providing life-saving services in moments of crisis.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI: United Fire Group, Inc. Announces Its 2024 Fourth Quarter Earnings Call

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — United Fire Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: UFCS) (the “Company”, “UFG”, “we”, or “our”) announced today that its 2024 fourth quarter earnings results will be released after the market closes on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. An earnings call will be held on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. central time to allow securities analysts, shareholders and other interested parties the opportunity to hear management discuss the Company’s 2024 fourth quarter results.

Teleconference: Dial-in information for the call is toll-free 1-844-492-3723 (international 1-412-542-4184). Participants should request to join the United Fire Group call. The event will be archived and available for digital replay through February 19, 2025. The replay access information is toll-free 1-877-344-7529 (international 1-412-317-0088); access code no. 4765665.

Webcast: A webcast of the teleconference can be accessed at the Company’s investor relations page at https://ir.ufginsurance.com/event/ or https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=j4u0yn8Q. The archived audio webcast will be available for one year.

Transcript: A transcript of the teleconference will be available on the Company’s website soon after the completion of the teleconference.

About UFG:

Founded in 1946 as United Fire & Casualty Company, UFG, through its insurance company subsidiaries, is engaged in the business of writing property and casualty insurance.

The company is licensed as a property and casualty insurer in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and is represented by approximately 1,000 independent agencies. A.M. Best Company assigns a rating of “A-” (Excellent) for members of the United Fire & Casualty Group.

For more information about UFG visit www.ufginsurance.com.

Contact: Investor Relations at IR@unitedfiregroup.com.

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: National Fuel Reports First Quarter Earnings

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — National Fuel Gas Company (“National Fuel” or the “Company”) (NYSE:NFG) today announced consolidated results for the first quarter of its 2025 fiscal year.

FISCAL 2025 FIRST QUARTER SUMMARY

GAAP net income of $45.0 million (or $0.49 per share), which includes $104.6 million in non-cash, after-tax impairment charges in the Exploration & Production segment, compared to GAAP net income of $133.0 million (or $1.44 per share) in the prior year.
Adjusted operating results of $151.9 million (or $1.66 per share), an increase of 14%, or $16.7 million ($0.20 per share), compared to the prior year. See non-GAAP reconciliation on page 2.
Pipeline & Storage segment net income increased $8.4 million, or 35%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to the settlement of the Supply Corporation rate case, which led to increased rates effective February 1, 2024.
Utility segment net income increased $5.9 million, or 22%, compared to the prior year driven by a three-year settlement of a rate proceeding in the Company’s New York jurisdiction, which led to increased rates starting October 1, 2024.
E&P segment adjusted operating results increased $2.6 million, or 5%, compared to the prior year, supported by hedging-related gains, which more than offset the $0.08 per MMBtu decrease in the weighted average natural gas price compared to the prior year.
The Company repurchased $34 million of common stock during the quarter, which brings the total amount repurchased to $99 million, or 1.7 million shares, under the $200 million share buyback program, authorized in March 2024.
The Company is increasing its guidance for fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings per share to a range of $6.50 to $7.00 as a result of higher forecasted natural gas prices and ongoing improvements in the outlook for each segment.

MANAGEMENT COMMENTS

David P. Bauer, President and CEO of National Fuel Gas Company, stated: “Fiscal 2025 is off to a great start for National Fuel, with each business contributing to our strong consolidated adjusted operating results.

“In our regulated segments, we are delivering on our long-term growth outlook, with adjusted earnings per share in the quarter increasing approximately 30% compared to the prior year. The recent approval of our rate case settlement in our New York utility jurisdiction, which extends through 2027, combined with the ongoing benefits from ratemaking activity in our Pennsylvania utility territory and at Supply Corporation, gives us further confidence in our 7% to 10% earnings growth projections over the next three years. Furthermore, our integrated upstream and gathering operations in the Eastern Development Area (“EDA”) continue to exceed expectations, with the combination of strong operational execution and our highly-prolific assets. This differentiated ability to drive capital efficiency improvements alongside a rising price outlook for natural gas positions these businesses to deliver strong results in the coming years. We expect that these tailwinds will contribute to rising free cash flow across the system and deliver significant value to National Fuel shareholders.”

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED OPERATING RESULTS


	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands except per share amounts)	2024			2023
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	44,986		$	133,020
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets (E&P)		141,802			—
Tax impact of impairment of assets		(37,169	)		—
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset (E&P)		349			4,198
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset		(94	)		(1,151	)
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments (Corporate / All Other)		2,617			(1,049	)
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on other investments		(550	)		220
Adjusted Operating Results	$	151,941		$	135,238

Reported GAAP Earnings Per Share	$	0.49		$	1.44
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets, net of tax (E&P)		1.14			—
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset, net of tax (E&P)		—			0.03
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments, net of tax (Corporate / All Other)		0.02			(0.01	)
Rounding		0.01			—
Adjusted Operating Results Per Share	$	1.66		$	1.46

FISCAL 2025 GUIDANCE UPDATE

National Fuel is increasing its guidance for fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings per share, which are now expected to be within a range of $6.50 to $7.00. This updated range incorporates better than expected results in the first quarter along with the anticipated impact of higher natural gas prices and higher production in the Exploration and Production segment for the remainder of the fiscal year. The Company is now assuming NYMEX natural gas prices will average $3.50 per MMBtu for the remaining nine months of fiscal 2025, an increase of $0.70 from the $2.80 per MMBtu assumed in previous guidance. This updated natural gas price projection approximates the current NYMEX forward curve at this time, however; given the continued volatility in NYMEX natural gas prices, the Company is providing the following sensitivities to its adjusted operating results guidance range:

NYMEX Assumption *Remaining 9 months* ($/MMBtu)		Fiscal 2025 Adjusted Earnings Per Share Sensitivities
$3.00		$6.15 – $6.65
$3.50		$6.50 – $7.00
$4.00		$6.90 – $7.40

The Company’s production guidance for fiscal 2025 is now expected to be in the range of 410 to 425 Bcfe, an increase of 7.5 Bcfe, or 2%, at the midpoint compared to previous guidance. The revised production guidance is principally a result of ongoing improvements in Seneca’s well results and additional operational efficiencies in the highly prolific EDA. This is also expected to result in increased Gathering segment revenue, relative to the Company’s prior projections, and as a result the Company has increased the midpoint of its guidance range by $5 million. While the Company’s guidance does not incorporate any future price-related curtailments, with 87% of its projected fiscal 2025 production linked to firm sales contracts, Seneca has limited exposure to in-basin markets. Further, 71% of expected production for the balance of the fiscal year is either matched by a financial hedge, including a combination of swaps and no-cost collars, or was entered into at a fixed price, both of which provide price certainty for that production.

Additionally, as a result of operational improvements, the Company is revising Seneca’s capital expenditure guidance range downward to $495 million to $515 million, or $505 million at the midpoint, which is a $5 million decrease from the midpoint of the Company’s previous guidance.

The Company’s other fiscal 2025 guidance assumptions remain largely unchanged and are detailed in the table on page 7.

DISCUSSION OF FIRST QUARTER RESULTS BY SEGMENT

The following earnings discussion of each operating segment for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 is summarized in a tabular form on pages 8 and 9 of this report. It may be helpful to refer to those tables while reviewing this discussion.

Note that management defines adjusted operating results as reported GAAP earnings adjusted for items impacting comparability, and adjusted EBITDA as reported GAAP earnings before the following items: interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, other income and deductions, impairments, and other items reflected in operating income that impact comparability.

Upstream Business

Exploration and Production Segment

The Exploration and Production segment operations are carried out by Seneca Resources Company, LLC (“Seneca”). Seneca explores for, develops and produces primarily natural gas reserves in Pennsylvania.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024			2023		Variance
GAAP Earnings	$	(46,777	)	$	52,483	$	(99,260	)
Impairment of assets, net of tax		104,633			—		104,633
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset, net of tax		255			3,047		(2,792	)
Adjusted Operating Results	$	58,111		$	55,530	$	2,581

Adjusted EBITDA	$	156,645		$	159,970	$	(3,325	)

Seneca’s first quarter GAAP earnings decreased $99.3 million versus the prior year. This was driven by non-cash, pre-tax impairment charges of $141.8 million ($104.6 million after-tax), the majority of which is related to a “ceiling test” impairment which required Seneca to write-down the book value of its reserves under the full cost method of accounting. For purposes of the ceiling test, the 12-month average of first day of the month pricing for NYMEX natural gas for the period ended December 31, 2024 was $2.13 per MMBtu.

Excluding impairments, as well as the net impact of unrealized losses related to reductions in the fair value of contingent consideration received in connection with the June 2022 divestiture of Seneca’s California assets (see table above), Seneca’s adjusted operating results increased $2.6 million primarily due to higher realized natural gas prices after the impact of hedging and lower per unit operating expenses, partially offset by lower natural gas production.

During the first quarter, Seneca produced 97.7 Bcf of natural gas, a decrease of 3.0 Bcf, or 3%, from the prior year. Compared to the preceding fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, production in the first quarter is higher by 5.8 Bcf, or 6%. Early in the quarter, Seneca curtailed approximately 1 Bcf of production due to low in-basin pricing. Production in the quarter was lower than the prior year largely due to the timing of turn in line dates for new wells between fiscal years.

Seneca’s average realized natural gas price, after the impact of hedging and transportation costs, was $2.53 per Mcf, an increase of $0.02 per Mcf from the prior year. Seneca recorded hedging gains of $29.7 million, or an uplift of $0.30 per Mcf, during the quarter, which more than offset a $0.08 per Mcf decrease in pre-hedge natural gas price realizations versus the prior year.

On a per unit basis, first quarter Lease Operating Expense (“LOE”) was $0.67 per Mcf, consistent with the prior year. LOE included $55.0 million ($0.56 per Mcf) for gathering and compression services from the Company’s Gathering segment to connect Seneca’s production to sales points along interstate pipelines. General and Administrative Expense (“G&A”) was $0.20 per Mcf, an increase of $0.02 per Mcf compared to the prior year driven by the combination of higher personnel costs and modestly lower production. Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization Expense (“DD&A”) was $0.65 per Mcf, a decrease of $0.06 per Mcf from the prior year largely due to ceiling test impairments recorded in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2024 that lowered Seneca’s full cost pool depletable base.

Midstream Businesses

Pipeline and Storage Segment

The Pipeline and Storage segment’s operations are carried out by National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (“Supply Corporation”) and Empire Pipeline, Inc. (“Empire”). The Pipeline and Storage segment provides natural gas transportation and storage services to affiliated and non-affiliated companies through an integrated system of pipelines and underground natural gas storage fields in western New York and Pennsylvania.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024		2023		Variance
GAAP Earnings	$	32,454	$	24,055	$	8,399

Adjusted EBITDA	$	70,953	$	59,142	$	11,811

The Pipeline and Storage segment’s first quarter GAAP earnings increased $8.4 million versus the prior year primarily due to higher operating revenues, partly offset by higher operation and maintenance (“O&M”) expense.

The increase in operating revenues of $12.2 million, or 13%, was primarily attributable to an increase in Supply Corporation’s transportation and storage rates effective February 1, 2024, in accordance with its rate settlement, which was approved in fiscal 2024. O&M expense increased $1.1 million primarily due to higher pipeline integrity and labor-related costs.

Gathering Segment

The Gathering segment’s operations are carried out by National Fuel Gas Midstream Company, LLC’s limited liability companies. The Gathering segment constructs, owns and operates natural gas gathering pipelines and compression facilities in the Appalachian region, which delivers Seneca and other non-affiliated Appalachian production to the interstate pipeline system.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024		2023		Variance
GAAP Earnings	$	27,145	$	28,825	$	(1,680	)

Adjusted EBITDA	$	51,936	$	53,061	$	(1,125	)

The Gathering segment’s first quarter GAAP earnings decreased $1.7 million versus the prior year due to lower operating revenues and higher DD&A expense.

Operating revenues decreased $1.5 million, or 2%, primarily due to a decrease in throughput from Seneca. DD&A expense increased $1.1 million primarily due to higher average depreciable plant in service compared to the prior year.

Downstream Business

Utility Segment

The Utility segment operations are carried out by National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation (“Distribution Corporation”), which sells or transports natural gas to customers located in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024		2023		Variance
GAAP Earnings	$	32,499	$	26,551	$	5,948

Adjusted EBITDA	$	60,665	$	53,366	$	7,299

The Utility segment’s first quarter GAAP earnings increased $5.9 million, or 22%, primarily as a result of the implementation of the recent rate case order in the Utility’s New York jurisdiction.

For the quarter, customer margin (operating revenues less purchased gas sold) increased $9.1 million, primarily due to the aforementioned rate case in Distribution Corporation’s New York jurisdiction, for which a settlement became effective October 1, 2024. Other income, which was also impacted by the rate settlement, increased $4.0 million. This was in large part due to the recognition of non-service pension and post-retirement benefit income that is offset with a corresponding reduction in new base rates and as a result, has no effect on net income.

O&M expense increased by $1.6 million, primarily driven by higher personnel costs, partially offset by a reduction related to amortizations of certain regulatory assets as a result of the New York rate settlement. DD&A expense increased $0.8 million primarily due to higher average depreciable plant in service compared to the prior year. Interest expense increased $2.3 million primarily due to a higher average amount of net borrowings.

Corporate and All Other

The Company’s operations that are included in Corporate and All Other generated a combined net loss of $0.3 million in the current-year first quarter, which was $1.4 million lower than combined earnings of $1.1 million in the prior-year first quarter. The reduction in earnings during the quarter was primarily driven by unrealized losses recorded on investment securities that fund non-qualified retirement benefit plans.

EARNINGS TELECONFERENCE

A conference call to discuss the results will be held on Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 9 a.m. ET. All participants must pre-register to join this conference using the Participant Registration link. A webcast link to the conference call will be provided under the Events Calendar on the NFG Investor Relations website at investor.nationalfuelgas.com. A replay will be available following the call through the end of the day, Thursday, February 6, 2025. To access the replay, dial 1-866-813-9403 and provide Access Code 245940.

National Fuel is an integrated energy company reporting financial results for four operating segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. Additional information about National Fuel is available at www.nationalfuel.com.

Certain statements contained herein, including statements identified by the use of the words “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “believes,” “seeks,” “will,” “may” and similar expressions, and statements which are other than statements of historical facts, are “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. The Company’s expectations, beliefs and projections contained herein are expressed in good faith and are believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that such expectations, beliefs or projections will result or be achieved or accomplished. In addition to other factors, the following are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements: impairments under the SEC’s full cost ceiling test for natural gas reserves; changes in the price of natural gas; changes in laws, regulations or judicial interpretations to which the Company is subject, including those involving derivatives, taxes, safety, employment, climate change, other environmental matters, real property, and exploration and production activities such as hydraulic fracturing; governmental/regulatory actions, initiatives and proceedings, including those involving rate cases (which address, among other things, target rates of return, rate design, retained natural gas and system modernization), environmental/safety requirements, affiliate relationships, industry structure, and franchise renewal; the Company’s ability to estimate accurately the time and resources necessary to meet emissions targets; governmental/regulatory actions and/or market pressures to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas; changes in economic conditions, including inflationary pressures, supply chain issues, liquidity challenges, and global, national or regional recessions, and their effect on the demand for, and customers’ ability to pay for, the Company’s products and services; the creditworthiness or performance of the Company’s key suppliers, customers and counterparties; financial and economic conditions, including the availability of credit, and occurrences affecting the Company’s ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms for working capital, capital expenditures and other investments, including any downgrades in the Company’s credit ratings and changes in interest rates and other capital market conditions; changes in price differentials between similar quantities of natural gas sold at different geographic locations, and the effect of such changes on commodity production, revenues and demand for pipeline transportation capacity to or from such locations; the impact of information technology disruptions, cybersecurity or data security breaches; factors affecting the Company’s ability to successfully identify, drill for and produce economically viable natural gas reserves, including among others geology, lease availability and costs, title disputes, weather conditions, water availability and disposal or recycling opportunities of used water, shortages, delays or unavailability of equipment and services required in drilling operations, insufficient gathering, processing and transportation capacity, the need to obtain governmental approvals and permits, and compliance with environmental laws and regulations; the Company’s ability to complete strategic transactions; increased costs or delays or changes in plans with respect to Company projects or related projects of other companies, as well as difficulties or delays in obtaining necessary governmental approvals, permits or orders or in obtaining the cooperation of interconnecting facility operators; increasing health care costs and the resulting effect on health insurance premiums and on the obligation to provide other post-retirement benefits; other changes in price differentials between similar quantities of natural gas having different quality, heating value, hydrocarbon mix or delivery date; the cost and effects of legal and administrative claims against the Company or activist shareholder campaigns to effect changes at the Company; negotiations with the collective bargaining units representing the Company’s workforce, including potential work stoppages during negotiations; uncertainty of natural gas reserve estimates; significant differences between the Company’s projected and actual production levels for natural gas; changes in demographic patterns and weather conditions (including those related to climate change); changes in the availability, price or accounting treatment of derivative financial instruments; changes in laws, actuarial assumptions, the interest rate environment and the return on plan/trust assets related to the Company’s pension and other post-retirement benefits, which can affect future funding obligations and costs and plan liabilities; economic disruptions or uninsured losses resulting from major accidents, fires, severe weather, natural disasters, terrorist activities or acts of war, as well as economic and operational disruptions due to third-party outages; significant differences between the Company’s projected and actual capital expenditures and operating expenses; or increasing costs of insurance, changes in coverage and the ability to obtain insurance. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date thereof.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

GUIDANCE SUMMARY

As discussed on page 2, the Company is revising its adjusted earnings per share guidance for fiscal 2025. Additional details on the Company’s forecast assumptions and business segment guidance are outlined in the table below.

The revised adjusted earnings per share guidance range excludes certain items that impacted the comparability of adjusted operating results during the three months ended December 31, 2024, including: (1) the after tax impairment of assets, which reduced earnings by $1.14 per share; (2) after-tax unrealized losses on a derivative asset, which reduced earnings by less than $0.01 per share; and (3) after-tax unrealized losses on other investments, which reduced earnings by $0.02 per share. While the Company expects to record certain adjustments to unrealized gain or loss on a derivative asset and unrealized gain or loss on investments during the nine months ending September 30, 2025, the amounts of these and other potential adjustments and charges, including ceiling test impairments, are not reasonably determinable at this time. As such, the Company is unable to provide earnings guidance other than on a non-GAAP basis.

	Previous FY 2025 Guidance	Updated FY 2025 Guidance

Consolidated Adjusted Earnings per Share	$5.50 to $6.00	$6.50 to $7.00
Consolidated Effective Tax Rate	~ 24.5 – 25%	~ 25%

Capital Expenditures(Millions)
Exploration and Production	$495 – $525	$495 – $515
Pipeline and Storage	$130 – $150	$130 – $150
Gathering	$95 – $110	$95 – $110
Utility	$165 – $185	$165 – $185
Consolidated Capital Expenditures	$885 – $970	$885 – $960

Exploration and Production Segment Guidance

Commodity Price Assumptions*
NYMEX natural gas price	$2.80 /MMBtu	$3.50 /MMBtu
Appalachian basin spot price	$2.00 /MMBtu	$2.90 /MMBtu

Realized natural gas prices, after hedging ($/Mcf)	$2.47 – $2.51	$2.77 – $2.81

Production (Bcf)	400 to 420	410 to 425

E&P Operating Costs($/Mcf)
LOE	$0.68 – $0.70	$0.68 – $0.70
G&A	$0.18 – $0.19	$0.18 – $0.19
DD&A	$0.65 – $0.69	$0.63 – $0.67

Other Business Segment Guidance(Millions)
Gathering Segment Revenues	$245 – $255	$250 – $260
Pipeline and Storage Segment Revenues	$415 – $435	$415 – $435

* Commodity price assumptions are for the remaining nine months of the fiscal year.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
RECONCILIATION OF CURRENT AND PRIOR YEAR GAAP EARNINGS
QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024
(Unaudited)

	Upstream			Midstream						Downstream

	Exploration &			Pipeline &									Corporate /
(Thousands of Dollars)	Production			Storage			Gathering			Utility			All Other			Consolidated*

First quarter 2024 GAAP earnings	$	52,483		$	24,055		$	28,825		$	26,551		$	1,106		$	133,020
Items impacting comparability:
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset		4,198															4,198
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset		(1,151	)														(1,151	)
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments														(1,049	)		(1,049	)
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on other investments														220			220
First quarter 2024 adjusted operating results		55,530			24,055			28,825			26,551			277			135,238
Drivers of adjusted operating results**
Upstream Revenues
Higher (lower) natural gas production		(6,016	)														(6,016	)
Higher (lower) realized natural gas prices, after hedging		1,885															1,885
Midstream Revenues
Higher (lower) operating revenues					9,637			(1,151	)								8,486
Downstream Margins***
Impact of usage and weather											(325	)					(325	)
Impact of new rates in New York											7,865						7,865
Operating Expenses
Lower (higher) lease operating and transportation expenses		1,133															1,133
Lower (higher) operating expenses					(856	)					(1,244	)					(2,100	)
Lower (higher) depreciation / depletion		6,842						(835	)		(624	)					5,383
Other Income (Expense)
Higher (lower) other income		(1,680	)								3,176			1,686			3,182
(Higher) lower interest expense											(1,785	)					(1,785	)
Income Taxes
Lower (higher) income tax expense / effective tax rate		(8	)		(488	)		443			(584	)		205			(432	)
All other / rounding		425			106			(137	)		(531	)		(436	)		(573	)
First quarter 2025 adjusted operating results		58,111			32,454			27,145			32,499			1,732			151,941
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets		(141,802	)														(141,802	)
Tax impact of impairment of assets		37,169															37,169
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivative asset		(349	)														(349	)
Tax impact of unrealized gain (loss) on derivative asset		94															94
Unrealized gain (loss) on other investments														(2,617	)		(2,617	)
Tax impact of unrealized gain (loss) on other investments														550			550
First quarter 2025 GAAP earnings	$	(46,777	)	$	32,454		$	27,145		$	32,499		$	(335	)	$	44,986

* Amounts do not reflect intercompany eliminations.
** Drivers of adjusted operating results have been calculated using the 21% federal statutory rate.
*** Downstream margin defined as operating revenues less purchased gas expense.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
RECONCILIATION OF CURRENT AND PRIOR YEAR GAAP EARNINGS PER SHARE
QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024
(Unaudited)

	Upstream			Midstream						Downstream

	Exploration &			Pipeline &									Corporate /
	Production			Storage			Gathering			Utility			All Other			Consolidated*

First quarter 2024 GAAP earnings per share	$	0.57		$	0.26		$	0.31		$	0.29		$	0.01		$	1.44
Items impacting comparability:
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset, net of tax		0.03															0.03
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments, net of tax														(0.01	)		(0.01	)
First quarter 2024 adjusted operating results per share		0.60			0.26			0.31			0.29			—			1.46
Drivers of adjusted operating results**
Upstream Revenues
Higher (lower) natural gas production		(0.07	)														(0.07	)
Higher (lower) realized natural gas prices, after hedging		0.02															0.02
Midstream Revenues
Higher (lower) operating revenues					0.11			(0.01	)								0.10
Downstream Margins***
Impact of usage and weather											—						—
Impact of new rates in New York											0.09						0.09
Operating Expenses
Lower (higher) lease operating and transportation expenses		0.01															0.01
Lower (higher) operating expenses					(0.01	)					(0.01	)					(0.02	)
Lower (higher) depreciation / depletion		0.08						(0.01	)		(0.01	)					0.06
Other Income (Expense)
Higher (lower) other income		(0.02	)								0.03			0.02			0.03
(Higher) lower interest expense											(0.02	)					(0.02	)
Income Taxes
Lower (higher) income tax expense / effective tax rate		—			(0.01	)		—			(0.01	)		—			(0.02	)
All other / rounding		0.02			—			0.01			—			(0.01	)		0.02
First quarter 2025 adjusted operating results per share		0.64			0.35			0.30			0.36			0.01			1.66
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets, net of tax		(1.14	)														(1.14	)
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivative asset, net of tax		—															—
Unrealized gain (loss) on other investments, net of tax														(0.02	)		(0.02	)
Rounding		(0.01	)														(0.01	)
First quarter 2025 GAAP earnings per share	$	(0.51	)	$	0.35		$	0.30		$	0.36		$	(0.01	)	$	0.49

* Amounts do not reflect intercompany eliminations.
** Drivers of adjusted operating results have been calculated using the 21% federal statutory rate.
*** Downstream margin defined as operating revenues less purchased gas expense.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

(Thousands of Dollars, except per share amounts)
	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
	(Unaudited)
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS	2024			2023
Operating Revenues:
Utility Revenues	$	228,424		$	201,920
Exploration and Production and Other Revenues		248,860			254,019
Pipeline and Storage and Gathering Revenues		72,198			69,422
		549,482			525,361
Operating Expenses:
Purchased Gas		65,337			56,552
Operation and Maintenance:
Utility		55,244			53,705
Exploration and Production and Other		33,541			34,826
Pipeline and Storage and Gathering		35,941			34,962
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		22,056			22,416
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		109,370			115,790
Impairment of Assets		141,802			—
		463,291			318,251

Operating Income		86,191			207,110

Other Income (Expense):
Other Income (Deductions)		7,720			3,732
Interest Expense on Long-Term Debt		(33,362	)		(28,462	)
Other Interest Expense		(4,381	)		(6,273	)

Income Before Income Taxes		56,168			176,107

Income Tax Expense		11,182			43,087

Net Income Available for Common Stock	$	44,986		$	133,020

Earnings Per Common Share
Basic	$	0.50		$	1.45
Diluted	$	0.49		$	1.44

Weighted Average Common Shares:
Used in Basic Calculation		90,777,446			91,910,244
Used in Diluted Calculation		91,434,741			92,442,145

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)

	December 31,			September 30,
(Thousands of Dollars)	2024			2024
ASSETS
Property, Plant and Equipment	$	14,675,281		$	14,524,798
Less – Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		7,393,477			7,185,593
Net Property, Plant and Equipment		7,281,804			7,339,205
Current Assets:
Cash and Temporary Cash Investments		48,694			38,222
Receivables – Net		202,821			127,222
Unbilled Revenue		57,117			15,521
Gas Stored Underground		24,725			35,055
Materials and Supplies – at average cost		47,820			47,670
Other Current Assets		83,435			92,229
Total Current Assets		464,612			355,919
Other Assets:
Recoverable Future Taxes		83,740			80,084
Unamortized Debt Expense		5,206			5,604
Other Regulatory Assets		106,386			108,022
Deferred Charges		68,952			69,662
Other Investments		71,493			81,705
Goodwill		5,476			5,476
Prepaid Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Costs		185,224			180,230
Fair Value of Derivative Financial Instruments		20,695			87,905
Other		7,860			5,958
Total Other Assets		555,032			624,646
Total Assets	$	8,301,448		$	8,319,770
CAPITALIZATION AND LIABILITIES
Capitalization:
Comprehensive Shareholders’ Equity
Common Stock, $1 Par Value Authorized – 200,000,000 Shares; Issued and
Outstanding – 90,612,955 Shares and 91,005,993 Shares, Respectively	$	90,613		$	91,006
Paid in Capital		1,039,705			1,045,487
Earnings Reinvested in the Business		1,698,648			1,727,326
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss		(76,153	)		(15,476	)
Total Comprehensive Shareholders’ Equity		2,752,813			2,848,343
Long-Term Debt, Net of Current Portion and Unamortized Discount and Debt Issuance Costs		2,189,421			2,188,243
Total Capitalization		4,942,234			5,036,586
Current and Accrued Liabilities:
Notes Payable to Banks and Commercial Paper		200,000			90,700
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt		500,000			500,000
Accounts Payable		120,991			165,068
Amounts Payable to Customers		42,587			42,720
Dividends Payable		46,671			46,872
Interest Payable on Long-Term Debt		44,376			27,247
Customer Advances		15,295			19,373
Customer Security Deposits		36,091			36,265
Other Accruals and Current Liabilities		172,409			162,903
Fair Value of Derivative Financial Instruments		20,893			4,744
Total Current and Accrued Liabilities		1,199,313			1,095,892
Other Liabilities:
Deferred Income Taxes		1,089,394			1,111,165
Taxes Refundable to Customers		303,344			305,645
Cost of Removal Regulatory Liability		296,660			292,477
Other Regulatory Liabilities		147,561			151,452
Other Post-Retirement Liabilities		3,476			3,511
Asset Retirement Obligations		199,310			203,006
Other Liabilities		120,156			120,036
Total Other Liabilities		2,159,901			2,187,292
Commitments and Contingencies		—			—
Total Capitalization and Liabilities	$	8,301,448		$	8,319,770

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(Thousands of Dollars)	2024			2023

Operating Activities:
Net Income Available for Common Stock	$	44,986		$	133,020
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:
Impairment of Assets		141,802			—
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		109,370			115,790
Deferred Income Taxes		(5,385	)		38,362
Stock-Based Compensation		4,705			4,660
Other		7,146			8,041
Change in:
Receivables and Unbilled Revenue		(115,165	)		(58,459	)
Gas Stored Underground and Materials and Supplies		10,180			6,915
Other Current Assets		8,814			892
Accounts Payable		9,703			(3,355	)
Amounts Payable to Customers		(133	)		1,013
Customer Advances		(4,078	)		2,083
Customer Security Deposits		(174	)		2,079
Other Accruals and Current Liabilities		21,266			28,612
Other Assets		(3,892	)		(6,306	)
Other Liabilities		(9,057	)		(2,403	)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	$	220,088		$	270,944

Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures	$	(240,427	)	$	(246,938	)
Other		5,878			(920	)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities	$	(234,549	)	$	(247,858	)

Financing Activities:
Changes in Notes Payable to Banks and Commercial Paper		109,300			12,500
Shares Repurchased Under Repurchase Plan		(33,524	)		—
Dividends Paid on Common Stock		(46,872	)		(45,451	)
Net Repurchases of Common Stock Under Stock and Benefit Plans		(3,971	)		(3,897	)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	$	24,933		$	(36,848	)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents		10,472			(13,762	)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period		38,222			55,447
Cash and Cash Equivalents at December 31	$	48,694		$	41,685

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT OPERATING RESULTS AND STATISTICS
(UNAUDITED)

UPSTREAM BUSINESS


	Three Months Ended
(Thousands of Dollars, except per share amounts)	December 31,
EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION SEGMENT	2024			2023			Variance
Total Operating Revenues	$	248,860		$	254,019		$	(5,159	)
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance:
General and Administrative Expense		19,326			17,793			1,533
Lease Operating and Transportation Expense		65,640			67,074			(1,434	)
All Other Operation and Maintenance Expense		3,867			5,544			(1,677	)
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		3,382			3,638			(256	)
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		63,304			71,965			(8,661	)
Impairment of Assets		141,802			—			141,802
		297,321			166,014			131,307

Operating Income (Loss)		(48,461	)		88,005			(136,466	)

Other Income (Expense):
Non-Service Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Credit		37			100			(63	)
Interest and Other Income (Deductions)		272			(1,513	)		1,785
Interest Expense		(15,200	)		(15,268	)		68
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes		(63,352	)		71,324			(134,676	)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(16,575	)		18,841			(35,416	)
Net Income (Loss)	$	(46,777	)	$	52,483		$	(99,260	)
Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Diluted)	$	(0.51	)	$	0.57		$	(1.08	)

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT OPERATING RESULTS AND STATISTICS
(UNAUDITED)

MIDSTREAM BUSINESSES

	Three Months Ended
(Thousands of Dollars, except per share amounts)	December 31,
PIPELINE AND STORAGE SEGMENT	2024			2023			Variance
Revenues from External Customers	$	68,750		$	64,826		$	3,924
Intersegment Revenues		37,862			29,587			8,275
Total Operating Revenues		106,612			94,413			12,199
Operating Expenses:
Purchased Gas		(42	)		601			(643	)
Operation and Maintenance		27,034			25,950			1,084
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		8,667			8,720			(53	)
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		18,585			18,213			372
		54,244			53,484			760

Operating Income		52,368			40,929			11,439

Other Income (Expense):
Non-Service Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Credit		952			1,257			(305	)
Interest and Other Income		2,040			1,931			109
Interest Expense		(11,729	)		(11,725	)		(4	)
Income Before Income Taxes		43,631			32,392			11,239
Income Tax Expense		11,177			8,337			2,840
Net Income	$	32,454		$	24,055		$	8,399
Net Income Per Share (Diluted)	$	0.35		$	0.26		$	0.09


	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
GATHERING SEGMENT	2024			2023			Variance
Revenues from External Customers	$	3,448		$	4,596		$	(1,148	)
Intersegment Revenues		57,683			57,992			(309	)
Total Operating Revenues		61,131			62,588			(1,457	)
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance		9,429			9,504			(75	)
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		(234	)		23			(257	)
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		10,515			9,458			1,057
		19,710			18,985			725

Operating Income		41,421			43,603			(2,182	)

Other Income (Expense):
Non-Service Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Credit		—			9			(9	)
Interest and Other Income		58			73			(15	)
Interest Expense		(4,210	)		(3,729	)		(481	)
Income Before Income Taxes		37,269			39,956			(2,687	)
Income Tax Expense		10,124			11,131			(1,007	)
Net Income	$	27,145		$	28,825		$	(1,680	)
Net Income Per Share (Diluted)	$	0.30		$	0.31		$	(0.01	)

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT OPERATING RESULTS AND STATISTICS
(UNAUDITED)

DOWNSTREAM BUSINESS


	Three Months Ended
(Thousands of Dollars, except per share amounts)	December 31,
UTILITY SEGMENT	2024			2023			Variance
Revenues from External Customers	$	228,424		$	201,920		$	26,504
Intersegment Revenues		85			87			(2	)
Total Operating Revenues		228,509			202,007			26,502
Operating Expenses:
Purchased Gas		101,473			84,051			17,422
Operation and Maintenance		56,260			54,684			1,576
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		10,111			9,906			205
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		16,827			16,037			790
		184,671			164,678			19,993

Operating Income		43,838			37,329			6,509

Other Income (Expense):
Non-Service Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Credit		5,871			470			5,401
Interest and Other Income		528			1,911			(1,383	)
Interest Expense		(10,716	)		(8,457	)		(2,259	)
Income Before Income Taxes		39,521			31,253			8,268
Income Tax Expense		7,022			4,702			2,320
Net Income	$	32,499		$	26,551		$	5,948
Net Income Per Share (Diluted)	$	0.36		$	0.29		$	0.07

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT OPERATING RESULTS AND STATISTICS
(UNAUDITED)

	Three Months Ended
(Thousands of Dollars, except per share amounts)	December 31,
ALL OTHER	2024			2023			Variance
Total Operating Revenues	$	—		$	—		$	—
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance		—			—			—
		—			—			—

Operating Income		—			—			—
Other Income (Expense):
Interest and Other Income (Deductions)		(136	)		(77	)		(59	)
Interest Expense		(116	)		(81	)		(35	)
Loss before Income Taxes		(252	)		(158	)		(94	)
Income Tax Benefit		(59	)		(37	)		(22	)
Net Loss	$	(193	)	$	(121	)	$	(72	)
Net Loss Per Share (Diluted)	$	—		$	—		$	—

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
CORPORATE	2024			2023			Variance
Revenues from External Customers	$	—		$	—		$	—
Intersegment Revenues		1,341			1,285			56
Total Operating Revenues		1,341			1,285			56
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance		4,047			3,795			252
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes		130			129			1
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		139			117			22
		4,316			4,041			275

Operating Loss		(2,975	)		(2,756	)		(219	)
Other Income (Expense):
Non-Service Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Costs		(212	)		(387	)		175
Interest and Other Income		41,061			41,030			31
Interest Expense on Long-Term Debt		(33,362	)		(28,462	)		(4,900	)
Other Interest Expense		(5,161	)		(8,085	)		2,924
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes		(649	)		1,340			(1,989	)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(507	)		113			(620	)
Net Income (Loss)	$	(142	)	$	1,227		$	(1,369	)
Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Diluted)	$	(0.01	)	$	0.01		$	(0.02	)


	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
INTERSEGMENT ELIMINATIONS	2024			2023			Variance
Intersegment Revenues	$	(96,971	)	$	(88,951	)	$	(8,020	)
Operating Expenses:
Purchased Gas		(36,094	)		(28,100	)		(7,994	)
Operation and Maintenance		(60,877	)		(60,851	)		(26	)
		(96,971	)		(88,951	)		(8,020	)
Operating Income		—			—			—
Other Income (Expense):
Interest and Other Deductions		(42,751	)		(41,072	)		(1,679	)
Interest Expense		42,751			41,072			1,679
Net Income	$	—		$	—		$	—
Net Income Per Share (Diluted)	$	—		$	—		$	—

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Continued)
(Thousands of Dollars)

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
	(Unaudited)
							Increase
	2024			2023			(Decrease)

Capital Expenditures:
Exploration and Production	$	122,602	⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	$	160,957	⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾	$	(38,355	)
Pipeline and Storage		19,792	⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾		24,554	⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾		(4,762	)
Gathering		13,027	⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾		19,569	⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾		(6,542	)
Utility		36,430	⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾		30,510	⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾		5,920
Total Reportable Segments		191,851			235,590			(43,739	)
All Other		—			—			—
Corporate		204			61			143
Total Capital Expenditures	$	192,055		$	235,651		$	(43,596	)

(1)	Capital expenditures for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, include accounts payable and accrued liabilities related to capital expenditures of $56.3 million, $4.4 million, $6.0 million, and $4.9 million in the Exploration and Production segment, Pipeline and Storage segment, Gathering segment and Utility segment, respectively. These amounts have been excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at December 31, 2024, since they represent non-cash investing activities at that date.

(2)	Capital expenditures for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, exclude capital expenditures of $63.3 million, $14.4 million, $21.7 million and $20.6 million in the Exploration and Production segment, Pipeline and Storage segment, Gathering segment and Utility segment, respectively. These amounts were in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at September 30, 2024 and paid during the quarter ended December 31, 2024. These amounts were excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at September 30, 2024, since they represented non-cash investing activities at that date. These amounts have been included in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at December 31, 2024.

(3)	Capital expenditures for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, include accounts payable and accrued liabilities related to capital expenditures of $74.9 million, $5.5 million, $11.1 million, and $6.4 million in the Exploration and Production segment, Pipeline and Storage segment, Gathering segment and Utility segment, respectively. These amounts were excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at December 31, 2023, since they represented non-cash investing activities at that date.

(4)	Capital expenditures for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, exclude capital expenditures of $43.2 million, $31.8 million, $20.6 million and $13.6 million in the Exploration and Production segment, Pipeline and Storage segment, Gathering segment and Utility segment, respectively. These amounts were in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at September 30, 2023 and paid during the quarter ended December 31, 2023. These amounts were excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at September 30, 2023, since they represented non-cash investing activities at that date. These amounts have been included in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at December 31, 2023.

DEGREE DAYS
				Percent Colder
				(Warmer) Than:
Three Months Ended December 31,	Normal	2024	2023	Normal ⁽¹⁾	Last Year ⁽¹⁾
Buffalo, NY	2,253	1,884	1,858	(16.4)	1.4
Erie, PA	1,894	1,697	1,664	(10.4)	2.0

⁽¹⁾Percents compare actual 2024 degree days to normal degree days and actual 2024 degree days to actual 2023 degree days.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION INFORMATION


	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
					Increase
	2024		2023		(Decrease)

Gas Production/Prices:
Production (MMcf)
Appalachia		97,717		100,757		(3,040	)

Average Prices (Per Mcf)
Weighted Average	$	2.23	$	2.31	$	(0.08	)
Weighted Average after Hedging		2.53		2.51		0.02

Selected Operating Performance Statistics:
General and Administrative Expense per Mcf ⁽¹⁾	$	0.20	$	0.18	$	0.02
Lease Operating and Transportation Expense per Mcf ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	$	0.67	$	0.67	$	—
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization per Mcf ⁽¹⁾	$	0.65	$	0.71	$	(0.06	)

⁽¹⁾Refer to page 13 for the General and Administrative Expense, Lease Operating and Transportation Expense and Depreciation, Depletion, and Amortization Expense for the Exploration and Production segment.

⁽²⁾Amounts include transportation expense of $0.57 and $0.56 per Mcf for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES



Pipeline and Storage Throughput – (millions of cubic feet – MMcf)

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
			Increase
	2024	2023	(Decrease)
Firm Transportation – Affiliated	31,870	31,495	375
Firm Transportation – Non-Affiliated	171,012	168,606	2,406
Interruptible Transportation	62	118	(56	)
	202,944	200,219	2,725

Gathering Volume – (MMcf)
	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
			Increase
	2024	2023	(Decrease)
Gathered Volume	120,961	124,261	(3,300	)


Utility Throughput – (MMcf)
	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
			Increase
	2024	2023	(Decrease)
Retail Sales:
Residential Sales	18,476	17,982	494
Commercial Sales	2,919	2,800	119
Industrial Sales	199	138	61
	21,594	20,920	674
Transportation	16,942	17,528	(586	)
	38,536	38,448	88

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

In addition to financial measures calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), this press release contains information regarding adjusted operating results, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, which are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they provide an alternative method for assessing the Company’s ongoing operating results or liquidity and for comparing the Company’s financial performance to other companies. The Company’s management uses these non-GAAP financial measures for the same purpose, and for planning and forecasting purposes. The presentation of non-GAAP financial measures is not meant to be a substitute for financial measures in accordance with GAAP.

Management defines adjusted operating results as reported GAAP earnings before items impacting comparability. The following table reconciles National Fuel’s reported GAAP earnings to adjusted operating results for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands except per share amounts)	2024			2023
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	44,986		$	133,020
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets (E&P)		141,802			—
Tax impact of impairment of assets		(37,169	)		—
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset (E&P)		349			4,198
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset		(94	)		(1,151	)
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments (Corporate / All Other)		2,617			(1,049	)
Tax impact of unrealized (gain) loss on other investments		(550	)		220
Adjusted Operating Results	$	151,941		$	135,238

Reported GAAP Earnings Per Share	$	0.49		$	1.44
Items impacting comparability:
Impairment of assets, net of tax (E&P)		1.14			—
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative asset, net of tax (E&P)		—			0.03
Unrealized (gain) loss on other investments, net of tax (Corporate / All Other)		0.02			(0.01	)
Rounding		0.01			—
Adjusted Operating Results Per Share	$	1.66		$	1.46

Management defines adjusted EBITDA as reported GAAP earnings before the following items: interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, other income and deductions, impairments, and other items reflected in operating income that impact comparability. The following tables reconcile National Fuel’s reported GAAP earnings to adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024			2023
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	44,986		$	133,020
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		109,370			115,790
Other (Income) Deductions		(7,720	)		(3,732	)
Interest Expense		37,743			34,735
Income Taxes		11,182			43,087
Impairment of Assets		141,802			—
Adjusted EBITDA	$	337,363		$	322,900

Adjusted EBITDA by Segment
Pipeline and Storage Adjusted EBITDA	$	70,953		$	59,142
Gathering Adjusted EBITDA		51,936			53,061
Total Midstream Businesses Adjusted EBITDA		122,889			112,203
Exploration and Production Adjusted EBITDA		156,645			159,970
Utility Adjusted EBITDA		60,665			53,366
Corporate and All Other Adjusted EBITDA		(2,836	)		(2,639	)
Total Adjusted EBITDA	$	337,363		$	322,900

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
SEGMENT ADJUSTED EBITDA

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024			2023
Exploration and Production Segment
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	(46,777	)	$	52,483
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		63,304			71,965
Other (Income) Deductions		(309	)		1,413
Interest Expense		15,200			15,268
Income Taxes		(16,575	)		18,841
Impairment of Assets		141,802			—
Adjusted EBITDA	$	156,645		$	159,970

Pipeline and Storage Segment
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	32,454		$	24,055
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		18,585			18,213
Other (Income) Deductions		(2,992	)		(3,188	)
Interest Expense		11,729			11,725
Income Taxes		11,177			8,337
Adjusted EBITDA	$	70,953		$	59,142

Gathering Segment
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	27,145		$	28,825
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		10,515			9,458
Other (Income) Deductions		(58	)		(82	)
Interest Expense		4,210			3,729
Income Taxes		10,124			11,131
Adjusted EBITDA	$	51,936		$	53,061

Utility Segment
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	32,499		$	26,551
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		16,827			16,037
Other (Income) Deductions		(6,399	)		(2,381	)
Interest Expense		10,716			8,457
Income Taxes		7,022			4,702
Adjusted EBITDA	$	60,665		$	53,366

Corporate and All Other
Reported GAAP Earnings	$	(335	)	$	1,106
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		139			117
Other (Income) Deductions		2,038			506
Interest Expense		(4,112	)		(4,444	)
Income Taxes		(566	)		76
Adjusted EBITDA	$	(2,836	)	$	(2,639	)

Management defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities, less net cash used in investing activities, adjusted for acquisitions and divestitures. The Company is unable to provide a reconciliation of any projected free cash flow measure to its comparable GAAP financial measure without unreasonable efforts. This is due to an inability to calculate the comparable GAAP projected metrics, including operating income and total production costs, given the unknown effect, timing, and potential significance of certain income statement items.

The MIL Network –

January 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Submissions: DRC – Humanitarian catastrophe unfolds in North and South Kivu as violence escalates: INGOs call for immediate action

Source: Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)

29 Jan 2025 – Press release from the International NGO Forum in the Democratic Republic of Congo

International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) express their grave concern over consequences of ongoing combats in the city of Goma since Sunday, marked by the deployment of M23/AFC supported by Rwanda Defense Forces, and the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in North and South Kivu.

Despite the challenges and forced sheltering in place of their staff, ready to provide urgently needed support, humanitarian NGOs remain committed to staying and delivering aid in North and South Kivu.

Escalating fighting in and around Goma has engulfed densely populated areas, placing tens of thousands of civilians in immediate danger and direct harm. Active hostilities, including heavy artillery and small arms fire, have been reported in and around Goma’s outskirts. Relentless bombing and shelling have been heard in all neighborhoods, heightening fear among the local population and displaced communities alike.

Multiple humanitarian compounds, including NGO offices, health centers, and warehouses, have been directly impacted by the fighting. Several humanitarian organizations have had their compounds shelled and entered by combatants. Military positions have been placed near humanitarian offices, including downtown areas. Several humanitarian facilities storing essential resources to support the population have been looted. Looting and shell impacts have further diminished aid stocks, hampering future service delivery. Essential civilian infrastructures, such as healthcare facilities, schools, and markets, are also attacked or under threat. All must be protected, as well as humanitarian workers, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

In the three weeks leading to ongoing battle in Goma, intensifying conflict between the M23/AFC, the Congolese army and their allies had already displaced 400,000 new people, adding to the 4.6 million people already uprooted by years of violence in eastern DRC. Protection issues, including attacks on civilians, sexual violence, and human rights violations, have reached epidemic levels.

In Goma and surroundings, the situation has reached a breaking point. The city, a vital hub for over 2 million people, including 696,650 internally displaced persons (IDPs), had already seen 30,000 additional displaced people arrive between January 6 and 22, with many more unaccounted for. While the situation in Goma is extremely tense, with INGOs forced to halt operations due to insecurity, organizations are preparing to respond to the growing humanitarian needs, despite already overstretched resources .

Ongoing hostilities are forcing many families to abandon camps due to insecurity and regroup in the city or other overcrowded sites, further worsening their already precarious living conditions, with no safe space to go. Repeated attacks on critical infrastructure, including electrical grids, increasingly paralyze water supply systems, leaving the city without access to safe drinking water.

As a central hub for humanitarian operations in the region, Goma plays a vital role in coordinating and delivering assistance across North and South Kivu and most of Eastern DRC. The ongoing conflict could have catastrophic consequences, overwhelming already strained resources, disrupting aid delivery, and jeopardizing the entire humanitarian response in the province.

“Immediate diplomatic action is urgently needed. All parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians from harm, ensuring their freedom of movements, and protection of humanitarian workers”, says Luc Lamprière, Director of DRC INGO Forum.”Humanitarians are there and ready. Safe and unhindered humanitarian access to deliver life-saving assistance must be an absolute priority to mitigate further deterioration of the crisis”, he adds.

Gunfire near Goma Airport and overall security situation in other areas has led to the suspension of all flights, including humanitarian, further limiting the movement of humanitarian workers and relief supplies. Internet access is also severely impacted and often interrupted. In North and South Kivu, humanitarian access is now severely restricted due to widespread violence and insecurity, which have rendered many key routes impassable. Roads to critical areas such as Lubero are blocked by ongoing clashes and the presence of armed groups, cutting off vital aid supplies and leaving thousands without assistance.

In Minova, South Kivu, since M23 took control of the city on January 21, stocks of essential medicines are rapidly depleting. While healthcare partners do their utmost to continue to provide critical services where possible, despite heavy artillery risks and proximity to frontline clashes, humanitarian access has been completely cut off. The delivery of essential goods such as food and medicines is close to impossible, and civilians are trapped without safe options for evacuation.

Humanitarian organizations urgently call on all parties to the conflict to agree to the establishment of safe access to enable the resupply of critical medical and humanitarian supplies, safe civilian movement, and the rotation of humanitarian staff. Specifically, access in and out of Goma, and between Minova and Bukavu, must be prioritized to ensure life-saving assistance reaches affected populations.

Donors must be prepared to mobilize humanitarian funding to address the immediate needs of affected populations and to support their long-term resilience. This includes providing food, shelter, water, healthcare, and protection services. The international community must act swiftly to prevent further suffering and ensure that the humanitarian response can meet the escalating needs.

For further information on this communication, please contact: representante-goma@forumongirdc.org

The INGO Forum in DRC is an independent body of over 124 international non-governmental organizations (INGOs). Forum members cover all the country’s provinces and work in all humanitarian, development, and peace-building sectors. Most INGOs members of the Forum have an active presence in Eastern DRC, including the provinces of North and South Kivu.

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Remarkable climate solutions nominated for this year’s Earthshot Prize – Vic

Source: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

An ocean remediation project, a predator-free blueprint, cleaner greenhouses, and a clean technology pioneer are the nominees put forward this year by Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington to be considered for one of five £1,000,000 ($1.9m NZD) 2025 Earthshot Prizes.

The Earthshot Prize finds and grows the solutions that will repair our planet, addressing the challenge to regenerate the place we all call home in the next ten years. As a thought leader in sustainability, the University is the only official nominator based in New Zealand.

These remarkable sustainability solutions were selected by a panel for their potential for global impact, ability to be scaled or replicated, various environmental metrics, and solid organisational foundations.

The Earthshot Prize has a network of nominators all over the world who nominate game-changing innovations that will help repair the planet, awarding the best five solutions each year with £1 million to scale their work. The independent charity was founded by Prince William, and former Prime Minister, Dame Jacinda Ardern, is on the Board of Trustees.

The prizes are awarded to projects that highlight human ingenuity, drive change, and inspire collective action. The Earthshot Prize not only makes available the transformative financial resources of £5 million per year, it also has built a global, diverse, and hugely influential network of partnerships and collaborations involved with all levels of how the Prize works. All finalists get access to mentoring and support throughout the process.

In 2023, one of the University’s nominees, Sea Forest Ltd, was one of the fifteen finalists for The Earthshot Prize. (ref. https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/sustainability/about-us/news/methane-busting-seaweed-a-finalist-for-international-earthshot-prize )

The University’s nominees this year are:

Predator Free Wellington

New Zealand is at the top of the global list for threatened or endangered native species resulting from predation by introduced mammals. Predator Free Wellington is creating the world’s first predator-free capital city where native wildlife and communities thrive. They are creating the urban blueprint for the Predator Free Aotearoa New Zealand 2050 goal. The Predator Free Wellington team are developing a scalable, replicable system to permanently eliminate target introduced predators (rats, possums, mustelids) from Wellington city’s 30,000 hectares. This transformational project is a world-first, being delivered in partnership with every single resident and providing a replicable system for urban environments everywhere.

Kaipara Moana Remediation

The Kaipara is the southern hemisphere’s largest harbour and a place of global importance. Once home to ancient forests, the 600,000-hectare catchment is now degraded by land clearance, with around 700,000 tonnes of sediment flowing into the harbour each year, and 90 percent of wetlands lost. Through novel collaborations, investment in people, and ‘end-to-end’ support, Kaipara Moana Remediation mobilises landowners, iwi/hapū, communities, industry, and government to protect 16,200 kilometres of riparian margins, regenerate wetlands, and re-forest eroding hillsides. Using next-generation digital tools to identify ‘hotspots’ in the landscape, Kaipara Moana Remediation supports landowners to offset on-farm emissions, restore ecosystem remnants, and improve resilience to cyclones and floods impacting local communities.

Hot Lime Labs

Seventy percent of commercial greenhouses use natural gas for heat and yield-boosting CO2. The CO2 byproduct from natural gas is critical for greenhouses as it boosts yield by around 20 percent. No other greenhouse heating solution delivers clean CO2, so transitioning from natural gas carries a huge penalty and a major abatement challenge. The Hot Lime Labs vision is to decarbonise half the world’s greenhouses by 2030, reducing fossil emissions by 120 megatons per year. Hot Lime extracts CO2 from forestry and crop waste, replacing fossil-based CO2. Their solution delivers renewable CO2, boosting customer yields and enabling greenhouses to transition to renewable heating and decarbonise their operations.

Mint Innovation

As global mineral reserves deplete and decarbonisation becomes existential, Mint Innovation offers a sustainable solution. Mint is a clean technology pioneer, leveraging the world’s fastest growing waste streams and transforming them into value for a greener future. Their patented low-carbon technologies recover critical metals, such as copper, lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths from waste streams such as e-waste and spent li-ion batteries. Mint brings its world-first technology to these waste streams in city-scale facilities to return low-carbon metals back into local economies. The technology will help reduce our reliance on unsustainable practices like smelting and mining for mineral recovery, while diverting waste from landfills and preventing the export of hazardous waste to developing nations where it is typically disposed of in dangerous and highly pollutive ways.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Jacksonville Man Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Possessing A Firearm As A Convicted Felon

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Christopher O’Neal Houser (44, Jacksonville) to four years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Houser entered a guilty plea on October 15, 2024.

According to court documents, on February 2, 2024, Houser sold a sawed-off shotgun to another felon. At the time that he possessed and sold the shotgun, Houser had prior felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine and grand theft, which prohibited him from legally possessing firearms. He also had convictions for sexually assaulting multiple women in 2002, and for misdemeanor battery in 2019.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.

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

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Multi-Convicted Felon Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison For Distributing Cocaine

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced James Matthew Doyle (38, Fleming Island) to eight years in federal prison for distributing cocaine. Doyle entered a guilty plea on May 31, 2024.

According to court records, in January and February 2023 Doyle sold cocaine on two different occasions to a confidential source working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as to an undercover agent. Doyle has several prior felony convictions, including the sale of marijuana and ecstasy, possession of cocaine and methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, grand theft auto, and forging title information.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Numerous Drug Distribution Charges

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

BOSTON – One of the leaders of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy operating in and around the South Shore area of Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to multiple federal drug offenses in federal court in Boston.

Giovanni Pina, 27, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing with intent to distribute and distributing 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine on a premises where a minor was present and/or resided; and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2025. Pina was charged by complaint in February 2023 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2023.

Beginning in at least January 2021 through at least November 2021, Pina served as one of the leaders of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine in and around the South Shore area – including in the Brockton, Quincy and Weymouth communities. Part of that conspiracy involved a Weymouth “stash house.” During a search of the stash house location in January 2021, two kilo presses; extensive drug paraphernalia, including blenders, digital scales and packaging equipment; more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine; three firearms; ammunition; two high-capacity magazines; and a speed loader were recovered.

Additionally, Pina participated in a number of recorded drug deals with a cooperating witness in January and February 2023. One recorded drug deal occurred on or about Jan. 12, 2023, at a residence in Brockton, during which the deal and in the presence of a minor, Pina provided the witness with a box containing orange pills in exchange for cash. Subsequent lab testing confirmed that the pills consisted of over 2,000 grams of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine. On or about Jan. 25, 2023, Pina participated in another recorded drug deal with the cooperating witness in a vehicle in Taunton. During the deal, Pina provided the witness with a box that contained a large amount of orange pills in exchange for cash. Subsequent lab testing confirmed that the pills consisted of over 2,500 grams of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine.

The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine on premises where a minor was present and/or resided provides for an additional consecutive term of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department; and the Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Randolph, Brockton, East Bridgewater and Bridgewater Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Hot Springs Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Firearms Possession

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HOT SPRINGS – An Arkansas man has been sentenced to 123 months in Federal Prison for Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute and Possession of a Firearm in furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings, which took place in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.

According to court records, on March 7, 2023, Darryl Lavell Williams, age 30, of Hot Springs, was observed by Hot Springs Police Department Officers walking along East Grand Avenue carrying a black backpack. Officers recognized Williams and knew that he had an active warrant from the Arkansas Parole Board. As Officers approached Williams, he ignored their commands and attempted to dispose of the backpack by throwing it off a bridge. Williams was taken into custody and the backpack was located. A search of the backpack revealed a loaded Jimenez 9mm handgun and 47 grams of methamphetamine.

On June 5, 2024, Williams pleaded guilty to Possession of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of a firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.

The Hot Springs Police Departments Special Investigation Division investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case for the United States.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. Announces Departure

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

Tenure Marked by Violent Crime Declines, White Collar Fraud Crackdown, Dismantling Drug Traffickers, and Expansion of Civil Rights

RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., announced today that he is stepping down on Monday, February 3, 2025, after leading the Office since November 2021. President Joseph Biden nominated Easley on September 28, 2021, and the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed him on November 21, 2021. He was officially sworn in on November 26, 2021.

“It has been the highest honor to serve as the top federal law enforcement official for Eastern North Carolina – a place I was born, raised, and am proud to call home,” said Easley. “The men and women of the Eastern District are among the hardest working in the nation – steadfast in the mission to keep America safe. Together, we helped drive down violent crime, turbocharged white-collar prosecutions, protected civil rights, and stemmed the tide of narcotics into our communities. We did it through partnering, shoulder to shoulder, with local law enforcement and community leaders to solve our region’s most challenging problems. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the prosecutors, judges, law enforcement, and staff who give so much to see justice done every day.”

“U.S. Attorney Easley is the kind of partner every sheriff hopes for – sharp, decisive, and committed to results. He didn’t just talk about law enforcement partnerships; he made them real, partnering with sheriffs for solutions and backing them up with action. Under his leadership, we made real progress— violent crime down, overdose deaths falling, and tighter collaboration. Easley set a new gold standard for what it means to lead in federal law enforcement,” said Eddie Caldwell, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the North Carolina Sheriffs Association.

“We are deeply grateful for the years that U.S. Attorney Easley served at the helm of the Eastern District of North Carolina. His leadership, particularly through collaborative efforts, like the VCAP initiative, played a critical role in prosecuting violent offenders. His work has significantly contributed to our goal of making Raleigh one of the safest cities in the nation. He will be greatly missed,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson.

Expansion of Resources to Make Communities Safer

U.S. Attorney Easley fought to significantly expand investigative and prosecutorial resources in the District, including a nearly 17% increase in prosecutors and new legal support staff and investigators. Much of the new personnel were allocated through a competitive national application process, with no district in the nation receiving more new prosecutors than the Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC). The Office’s productivity and strong law enforcement partnerships also led the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to add an additional team of agents to partner on violent crime reduction across the District.

Easley and his Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) team also worked with Department of Justice (DOJ) leadership to have Raleigh named a National Public Safety Partnership Site (PSP). The program aims to lower crime rates and improve quality of life through intensive training and technical assistance (TTA) to enhance gun violence investigations, constitutional policing, community engagement, crime analysis, and the use of technology in crime reduction.

Driving Down Violent Crime and Dismantling Drug Traffickers

Throughout his tenure, Easley and his team have led the charge to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in the District by launching a Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) with formal coordination sites in Raleigh, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Rocky Mount, New Bern, and the Albemarle Region. The VCAP strategy built deeper ties and sustained partnerships with law enforcement, with VCAP sites showing double-digit percentage declines in homicides since 2022, for example, Raleigh (↓37%), Fayetteville (↓39%), Wilmington (↓15%), and Rocky Mount (↓67%).

VCAP is a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local police departments, sheriff’s offices, and district attorney’s offices to identify and prosecute the most significant drivers of violence, specifically targeting shooters and the gunrunners who arm them. Notable cases include the 20-year sentence for a Crabtree Valley Mall robbery and the carjacking, the sentencing of a Crips Gang member for multi-state gun trafficking; the indictment of two Sampson County men allegedly responsible for a quintuple murder, the prosecution of gang members with fully-automatic machine guns; and gun smuggling to Mexico.

VCAP provides a forum for structured inter-agency coordination, intelligence-led policing, and deployment of federal Task Force Officers to bring federal technology to address local gun violence.

In 2022, 2023, and 2024, EDNC prosecuted over 850 individuals for firearms offenses and took over 750 guns off the streets.

In addition to VCAP, Easley revamped the Office’s Organized Crime & Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) by expanding the use of federal wiretaps, embedding federal agents alongside prosecutors, and increasing financial investigations. During Easley’s tenure, the Office achieved a #1 national rank for the number of OCDETF cases and #1 for the number of OCDETF defendants convicted of violence. Easley encouraged partners to prioritize national-scale cases with strong local impact, dismantling the trafficking, distribution, and money laundering pillars of criminal enterprises.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Notable cases include the 75-year sentence of a national leader of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club for narcotics trafficking and violence; the indictment of 16 members of the Hell’s Angels and Red Devils motorcycle gangs as part of an alleged violent criminal enterprise; the 40-year sentence for a narcotics trafficker operating from a daycare; the prosecution of the leader of white supremacist organization for armed drug trafficking; the 35-year sentence of a violent Fayetteville fentanyl trafficker; the conviction of a Raleigh Police officer for drug trafficking; the conviction of two fentanyl traffickers with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel; the conviction of a Rocky Mount Blood Gang leader for drug trafficking and COVID-19 fraud; the 40-year sentence of a drug trafficker linked to the murder, dismemberment and disposal of a confidential informant; the prosecution of a former Wayne County Sheriff’s deputy for drug trafficking and bid-rigging; and the 50-year sentence of a violent Sampson County Blood Gang leader for armed drug trafficking.

Attacking the Fentanyl Epidemic

Easley also prioritized the prosecution of cases involving counterfeit pills and overdose deaths arising from fentanyl poisoning. An Elizabeth City man was sentenced to 20 years for trafficking heroin and fentanyl after causing an overdose death, a Raleigh man received a 15-year sentence after assisting in the distribution of fentanyl that killed a young woman, and a Snapchat fentanyl trafficker whose counterfeit pills led to an overdose death received 13 years in prison.

To help local law enforcement get justice for victims of fentanyl poisoning and their families, Easley launched Overdose Death Investigation Trainings to train more than 200 law enforcement officers and prosecutors across the District on building fentanyl death cases.

Easley also worked to reduce demand for opioids through outreach and education through the Heroin Education Action Team (HEAT), including educational events in local communities and schools. The team launched a powerful new educational video to teach students and communities about the dangers.

Protecting America’s National Security, Sensitive Technology, and Cybersecurity

Under Easley’s leadership, the Office prioritized national security cases involving domestic and international terrorism, international cybercriminals, and protecting sensitive technology from foreign adversaries. The prosecutions included a man accused of attempting to join ISIS and convictions against five members of a white supremacist plot to attack the energy grid, an anti-government bombmaker teaching how to target law enforcement, and a U.S. Army Major convicted of shipping guns to Ghana. The Office also extradited and pursued a groundbreaking case against one of the FBI’s most wanted cybercriminals responsible for tens of millions of dollars in losses from widescale ransomware attacks, including on a hospital.

Easley also built deeper ties with the DOJ’s National Security Division and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry & Security to launch a Disruptive Technology Strike Force (DTSF) cell to protect innovation in the Research Triangle’s high-tech sector. The DTSF partners with law enforcement and industry to protect advanced technology from unlawful acquisition by foreign adversaries. As home to the Research Triangle Park, world-class research institutions, and some of the Department of Defense’s largest installations, the EDNC hosts critical technology that malign foreign actors seek to obtain. The Raleigh DTSF cell is only one of fifteen in the country.

Surge in White Collar Fraud and Corruption Enforcement

Under Easley’s leadership, the Office saw a significant surge in white-collar enforcement, with white-collar caseloads increasing 115% in a year. Cases included the prosecution of a former Morgan Stanley financial advisor who defrauded investors in a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, an ENT doctor sentenced to 25 years for defrauding Medicaid, a man who laundered $40mm in narco-linked crypto, and a plant manager who dumped tens of thousands of gallons of toxic waste into the Cape Fear River. The Office also prosecuted a $15-million-dollar COVID fraud scheme involving more than 20 businesses and individuals.

These cases arose from the launch of dedicated working groups focused on Securities Fraud, Money Laundering, Public Health, Environmental Crimes, and other priority areas. The Office also launched an annual Economic Crimes Summit to build deeper ties with investigators across about 30 different agencies.

Easley also launched an Illicit Finance Task Force with the Treasury Department to combat transnational money laundering by targeting third-party money launders and money-transmitting businesses utilizing cryptocurrency, banking, and brokerages to run dirty money through the American financial system.

Expanding Civil Rights Enforcement

Easley launched the Office’s first dedicated Civil Rights Team to enhance the Office’s civil rights enforcement. The team includes dedicated coordinators in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions and a designated Human Trafficking Coordinator. The Civil Rights Initiative emphasizes community engagement and law enforcement training.

As a part of the effort, the Office trained more than 200 officers in de-escalation, use of force, and community engagement strategies. The Office also hosted multiple outreach events through its United Against Hate Initiative to build stronger relationships between law enforcement and the community and to educate communities on how to identify and report hate crimes.

Easley also launched two human trafficking task forces – one in the Raleigh-Cary area and one in Southeastern North Carolina – to bring together law enforcement and community resources to share intelligence and investigative leads, provide specialized training, and promote greater public-private coordination to rescue and stabilize victims.

Strong Civil Practice

For the past three years, the EDNC’s Civil Division has ranked in the top 10 among large districts in the number of cases filed or responded to per AUSA. The Division has consistently ranked #1 in the Fourth Circuit for Affirmative Civil Rights and Affirmative Fraud cases and has ranked in the top five nationally compared to other large districts. EDNC’s Financial Litigation Program (FLP), responsible for collecting debts owed to the U.S. Government, collected over $58 million in the last three fiscal years.

About U.S. Attorney Easley

Prior to his appointment as the U.S. Attorney, Easley was a partner at a large international law firm focused on internal investigations and trial court work in state and federal courts.

Born in Southport, North Carolina, Easley attended the University of North Carolina, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors and distinction in political science. He later received his law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: New Dog Man PSA Campaign, DreamWorks Animation, the Ad Council and FEMA Partnered to Encourage Kids to Help Prepare for Emergencies

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: New Dog Man PSA Campaign, DreamWorks Animation, the Ad Council and FEMA Partnered to Encourage Kids to Help Prepare for Emergencies

New Dog Man PSA Campaign, DreamWorks Animation, the Ad Council and FEMA Partnered to Encourage Kids to Help Prepare for Emergencies

DreamWorks Animation’s Dog Man, based on the best-selling Dav Pilkey books, arrives in theaters Jan. 31, 2025WASHINGTON — FEMA’s Ready Campaign and the Ad Council have partnered with DreamWorks Animation’s new film, Dog Man, based on the best-selling Dav Pilkey book series, for a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign. The campaign features the beloved canine crime-fighting hero spreading the message to children across the nation about the importance of being ready for the unexpected. In DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming film, in theaters Jan. 31, 2025, Dog Man must lean on his crime-fighting skills and planning abilities to stop the evil plots of Petey, the feline supervillain. His planning skills are being brought to life in the new PSA campaign, launching today, where Dog Man encourages kids to help their families prepare for emergencies. The initiative includes billboards and bus shelter advertising, as well as 30- and 15-second PSAs in both English and Spanish languages that are airing in donated media across the country.”Empowering our children to be active participants in disaster preparedness is vital to creating a more prepared nation,” said Lucas Hitt Acting Associate Administrator for FEMA’s Office of External Affairs. “This collaboration presents a unique opportunity to engage America’s youth in a relatable and impactful way, harnessing the beloved characters of DreamWorks Animation’s Dog Man to give the entire family the tools they need to be ready for anything.”Ready campaign messaging includes a four-step approach to preparedness:Be informed about different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate protective action.Make a family emergency plan including information on how to reconnect and reunite. Build emergency supply kits to ensure preparedness whether at home, at work or in the car. Get involved by finding opportunities to support community preparedness. The new creatives are an extension of FEMA and the Ad Council’s ongoing partnership on the Ready campaign, which has helped generate more than 128 million visitors to Ready.gov and Listo.gov in Spanish language since its launch in 2003. The Ready Campaign is designed to educate and empower all Americans to prepare for and respond to disasters including earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and wildfires. Launched in 2016 by Dav Pilkey—the #1 global bestselling author and award-winning illustrator of the Captain Underpants books—the Dog Man Scholastic series now includes 13 books. The series is one of the bestselling graphic novel series of all time with more than 60 million copies in print and translations in 47 languages. The series’ 2024 releases include Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder, which became the #1 bestselling book in the U.S. and internationally and Dog Man: Big Jim Begins, published Dec. 3, 2024. For more information on what to do before, during or after emergencies, visit Ready.gov and Listo.gov in Spanish language. Television stations can download advertisements from the Ad Council’s website. The PSA video is also available to view on ready.gov/videos. About FEMA and the Ready CampaignFEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters. FEMA’s Ready Campaign, launched in Feb. 2003, is a national public service campaign designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies and disasters. The goal of the campaign is to promote preparedness through public involvement.Ready and its Spanish language version Listo ask individuals to do four key things:• Stay informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses.• Make a family emergency plan.• Build an emergency supply kit.• Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies.Follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA Blog on fema.gov, @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on X, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and via FEMA YouTube channel.Follow Ready on social media at @ReadyGov on X, Ready on Facebook and ReadyGov on Instagram. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications. About the Ad Council The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change. For more than 80 years, the nonprofit organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country’s most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Love Has No Labels, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. With a current focus on mental health, gun violence prevention, combating hate and bias, the overdose crisis and other critical issues, the Ad Council’s national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement, employer programs and other innovative strategies.To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council’s communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X, and view campaign creative on YouTube. About DreamWorks Animation’s Dog ManPart dog, part man, all hero. From DreamWorks Animation—creators of the beloved blockbuster franchises Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and The Boss Baby—comes the canine-crime-fighting film adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s New York Times bestselling literary phenomenon: Dog Man. When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born. Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve—and fetch, sit and roll over. As Dog Man embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief (Lil Rel Howery, Get Out, Free Guy), he must stop the pretty evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson; Saturday Night Live, The King of Staten Island). Petey’s latest plan is to clone himself, creating the kitten Lil Petey, to double his ability to do crime stuff. Things get complicated, though, when Lil Petey forges an unexpected bond with Dog Man. When Lil Petey falls into the clutches of a common enemy, Dog Man and Petey reluctantly join forces in an action-packed race against time to rescue the young kitten. In the process, they discover the power of family (and kittens!) to bring even the most hostile foes together. Dog Man also stars Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers, Rango) as TV reporter Sarah Hatoff, Poppy Liu (Hacks, The Afterparty) as Petey’s assistant, Butler, Emmy nominee Stephen Root (Barry, King of the Hill) as Grampa, Billy Boyd (the Lord of the Rings franchise, Seed of Chucky) as Sarah’s cameraman, Seamus, and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ricky Gervais (The Office, Extras) as Flippy the fish.Dog Man is directed by Emmy winner Peter Hastings (The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), whose credits include the groundbreaking animated series Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain. The film is produced by Karen Foster (Spirit Untamed), who served as co-producer on DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon. About DreamWorks AnimationDreamWorks Animation (DWA), a division of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, within NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, is a global family entertainment company with feature film and television brands. The company’s deep portfolio of intellectual property is supported by a robust, worldwide consumer products practice, which includes licensing and location-based entertainment venues around the world. DWA’s feature film heritage includes many of the world’s most beloved characters and franchises, including Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Spirit, Trolls, The Boss Baby and 2022’s The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish have amassed more than $16 billion in global box office receipts. DreamWorks Animation’s television studio is one of the world’s leading producers of high-quality, animated family programming, reaching consumers in more than 190 countries with a diverse array of award-winning original content through streaming and linear broadcasters.About Universal PicturesUniversal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios. Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
erika.suzuki
Wed, 01/29/2025 – 20:06

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Aid efforts in Gaza escalate as risks from deadly unexploded ordnance grows

Source: United Nations 4

29 January 2025 Humanitarian Aid

As more than 423,000 displaced Palestinians return to their homes in northern Gaza following the opening of key roads, UN agencies are scaling up humanitarian aid and addressing the growing risks posed by unexploded ordnance such as landmines (UXO).

“Hope returns to Gaza, but it’s fragile,” said Corinne Fleischer, World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “With open crossings and sustained efforts, Gaza’s recovery can take root,” she emphasised.

The WFP has doubled its aid deliveries, bringing in 22,000 metric tons of food in the past six days – more than the entire supply that entered Gaza in November.

Scaling up essential services

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric highlighted further relief efforts, noting that six fuel tankers were delivered to northern Gaza on Wednesday.

Aid workers stationed along the Salah ad Din and Al Rashid roads continue to assist people making their way back north to shattered homes, providing food, water, and hygiene kits, with the UN Children’s fund (UNICEF) distributing identification bracelets for children to help families stay connected.

To support vulnerable groups, the World Health Organization (WHO) has supplied fuel, tents and equipment to establish trauma stabilization points along Al Rashid Road in collaboration with the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

Meanwhile, efforts to provide emergency nutrition continue, with high-energy biscuits distributed to 19,000 people south of Wadi Gaza and 10,000 in the north.

Shelter assistance is also being scaled up, with humanitarian partners distributing tents to families – many of whom are returning to homes that have been completely destroyed.

Water remains a critical concern and aid workers are ramping up water trucking operations. In Rafah alone, 300 cubic meters of potable water – enough for 50,000 people – is being distributed daily.

Danger underfoot

Despite the increasing humanitarian response, returning residents face significant risks from UXO contamination.

The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has warned that between 5 to 10 percent of weapons fired into Gaza have failed to detonate, leaving behind deadly hazards.

Since October 2023, at least 92 people have been killed or injured by explosive ordnance. Informal reports suggest 24 victims since the ceasefire began, according to Luke Irving, Chief of the UN Mine Action Programme (UNMAS) in the occupied Palestinian territories, briefing the press on Wednesday from the enclave.

“Humanitarian convoys are finding items more and more, as we reach new areas which we previously could not get to, including large aircraft bombs, mortars, anti-tank weapons, rockets and rifle grenades,” he explained.

© WFP

An area of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip lies in ruins.

Rubble removal

To mitigate risks, UNMAS and its partners are conducting awareness sessions, distributing safety leaflets and escorting humanitarian convoys along high-risk routes.

A newly established UN-led Gaza Debris Management Framework aims to ensure the safe removal of rubble, but progress is being hindered by UXO contamination, exposure to hazardous materials and complex property disputes.

Several UN agencies are collaborating to address both the environmental and housing concerns associated with these issues.

Deteriorating situation in West Bank

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, violence and military operations continue to escalate.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported a drastic deterioration in the humanitarian situation, particularly in the governorates of Jenin and Tulkarm.

“We’ve repeatedly expressed our concern over the use of lethal, war-like tactics in law enforcement operations,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Israeli military operations in these areas have led to significant destruction of civilian infrastructure.

In Tulkarm, access to water and electricity has been disrupted and initial estimates suggest that nearly 1,000 people have been displaced in recent days.

Sustained humanitarian access

With humanitarian efforts scaling up, UN agencies are calling for unhindered access to deliver aid safely and ensure the protection of both civilians and humanitarian workers.

Mr. Dujarric reiterated the urgent need for safe passage for humanitarian workers, the protection of civilians and the acceleration of reconstruction efforts to support those returning home.

Soundcloud

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Raises Alarm About President Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze & Severe Impact on NH Services

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

WASHINGTON – Less than 24 hours after President Trump announced a wide-reaching federal funding freeze, halting nearly all federal grants and loans to support New Hampshire communities, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan today detailed how the President’s illegal and unconstitutional action is already harming Granite Staters during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol.

Click here to see Senator Hassan’s full remarks on President Trump’s dangerous, illegal funding freeze and see an excerpt below:

“This action will hurt people all across the country. President Trump’s order defunds police departments, even as law enforcement officers are trying to keep us safe. It imperils disaster relief as fires rage. It halts cancer research as we strive for cures, and it shuts down shelters for homeless veterans in the cold of winter.

“New Hampshire law enforcement agencies have told my office that the freeze of federal funding may force them to rescind job offers, meaning fewer cops on the streets. A New Hampshire organization that helps domestic violence survivors also told my office that it is now locked out of federal funding systems, which will significantly impact the crisis centers it runs for women.

“Let’s be clear: this money is not the President’s to freeze or take away. It was appropriated by Congress, and it belongs to the American people. To my Republican colleagues, I suggest that you have to decide what bridge it is, is too far… We cannot let America become a place where our leaders hold back the people’s funds by day and purge the people’s watchdogs by night.”

Moments ago, a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze from proceeding until Monday, though the Trump Administration continues to pursue it. This illegal funding freeze has severe and broad-reaching impacts for services across New Hampshire. Programs impacted by this funding freeze include those that help hire police officers, support veterans, operate domestic violence shelters, provide access to health care, and nearly every federal program. Approximately 30% of New Hampshire’s state budget comes from federal funding.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Durbin: If Your Goal Is To Make America Great Again, Why Would You Start By Cutting Basic Services For Families?

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

January 29, 2025

In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin listed the critical programs—VAWA funding, veterans’ support, early education programs—that were thrown into chaos by the OMB memo that put ahold on federal funding

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor last night, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) denounced the Trump Administration’s decision to issue an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of trillions of dollars of Federal financial assistance,” which caused mass confusion about the funding and operations of hundreds of government-funded programs ranging from Medicaid, to Head Start, to Violence Against Women Act grants. Shortly before the federal funding freeze began, U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. Alikhan, who was confirmed under Durbin’s tenure as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, temporarily blocked the move by the Trump Administration.

In his remarks, Durbin emphasized that the Trump Administration does not have the authority to institute a federal funding freeze as Congress holds the constitutional power of the purse.

“He [Acting OMB Director Matthew Vaeth] sent out a letter, or memo, that basically called for a temporary pause in government spending. By what authority did he do that? I don’t know. I’ve been in Congress for a few years. I’ve never quite seen anyone with an ‘Acting’ before their name have this much authority and power, but he had a lot. He has taken to himself the decision-making that affects families all over the United States, including in my State of Illinois,” Durbin said.

“But he [Vaeth] basically paused federal spending… so that these recipients could answer the basic questions as to whether they’re loyal to his point of view. He referred to those who didn’t agree with him as Marxists, as in Karl Marx… Who is this guy? How does he have this much authority? How is he able to say things like that that are so blatantly political?” Durbin said.

The memo caused immediate panic across the country as states’ Medicaid portals shut down and Head Start programs worried that they would not be open the following day to provide critical child care. The Trump Administration failed, when asked repeatedly, to provide clear guidance about what programs would be safe from being defunded.

“This poorly conceptualized, poorly communicated policy has created mass confusion in my state and across the nation. Worst yet, it has endangered [the] health, safety, [and] welfare of Americans across the country. The proposed freeze mandates that the government ‘temporarily pause’ the disbursement of key funds… We’re going to temporarily pause reimbursement to local units of government and charities, for example, while we decide whether they’re living up to the standards of Donald Trump in terms of his political values,” Durbin continued.

Durbin read out some of the programs that were thrown into chaos by the OMB memo, beginning with Head Start and domestic violence survivor programs.

“For many families, Head Start is day care. Head Start is Pre-K. Head Start is a chance for kids in tough family circumstances to have a fighting chance. Of course, the Head Start agencies need to get their federal funds to keep the lights on, to feed the kids, to make sure they can heat the buildings in the winter,” Durbin said.

“The other one is violence against women. The groups are calling us in Illinois. They call me because the Senate Judiciary Committee, which I serve on, authored this bill years ago. A Senator from Delaware at the time, Joe Biden, introduced this legislation. What it boils down to, is if you’re a victim of domestic violence, there are grants available to provide safe and secure places for you to stay, rather than [keeping you] in these horrible, violent situations at home. What are we going to do with Mr. Vaeth’s idea to put this on temporary pause?” Durbin said.

Durbin continued providing examples of threatened federal funding, including natural disaster relief, veterans benefits, and small business loans. Durbin pointed to the double standard of pausing federal aid to small businesses when major corporations, including Elon Musk’s company, Tesla, has received support from the federal government to stave off bankruptcy.

“Natural disaster relief speaks for itself. You think of the poor folks in California trying to recover from their wildfires. Think of the flooding, hurricanes, all the other events that take place. There are people who need a helping hand,” Durbin said.

“So many aspects of business rely on just a helping hand to get started. If you think loans to businesses are for little businesses, keep in mind that in 2009, Elon Musk came to the Obama Administration and asked for a loan so that his Tesla car company wouldn’t go into bankruptcy. There are a lot of smaller businesses just as desperate to get a helping hand,” Durbin said.

Durbin concluded his remarks by criticizing the Trump Administration for claiming to support American families while attempting to tear away the basic services and programming that Americans rely on. Durbin underscored that President Trump’s own team could not answer basic questions about the policy he attempted to institute.

“If your goal is to ‘Make America Great Again,’ why start by cutting these basic services for families and deserving people across this country?” Durbin said. “We’re better than that. I’m proud of a nation that cares for people that need a helping hand. I’m not ashamed to say that.”

“Even the President’s own Press Secretary a few minutes ago was unable to even answer the questions about what was going on with this OMB Director. You know why? Because this move is nothing more than a power grab designed to target the most vulnerable and disguise it as a way ‘to analyze government spending,’” Durbin said. “The President is blatantly violating the law by holding up these vital funds across America.”

“This measure [temporary pause by the federal judge] is only delaying chaos and uncertainty if it’s President Trump’s determined effort to make sure that this happens. We will not stand idly by while the President plays fast and loose with our nation’s laws and the American peoples’ lives and livelihoods. We can have fiscal responsibility, we could have a budget we’re proud of, but this action taken by a fellow last night, somewhere in the bowels of a building here in Washington, is hurting people all across America. You can’t help American families be great if you don’t give them a fighting chance,” Durbin concluded.

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Shooting Incidents With Injury Declined 28 Percent in 2024
Source: US State of New York

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that gun violence in communities participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative declined to its lowest level on record last year. New York State began tracking this data in communities outside of New York City in 2006. Shooting incidents with injury declined 28 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, and the number of individuals injured declined 25 percent, with 238 fewer people harmed by gunfire. The Governor’s Fiscal Year 26 Executive Budget includes $370 million to continue the state’s multifaceted approach to reducing shootings and saving lives. That funding supports local and state law enforcement initiatives, youth employment programs, and nonprofit organizations that serve and support individuals and families and strengthen communities.

“New Yorkers are safer today than they were yesterday – and that’s because of the tireless efforts of our communities, law enforcement, and partners,” Governor Hochul said. “Gun violence has dropped by 28 percent, meaning 238 fewer people wounded by gunfire in our neighborhoods. But we’re not stopping here. My administration is doubling down on its commitment to reducing violence, supporting our youth, and strengthening our communities – ensuring that all New Yorkers can live in safety and peace.”

The 28 percent decline reflects 588 shooting incidents with injury reported last year by the 28 police departments participating in GIVE compared to 817 in 2023, and the number of shooting victims decreased by 25 percent (725 v. 963). When the state first began tracking this data in 2006, 17 police departments received funding to reduce shootings and violent crime: Those agencies reported 896 shooting incidents with injury and 1,007 individuals who sustained gunshot wounds. GIVE jurisdictions account for roughly 90 percent of violent crimes involving firearms and 85 percent of violent crime reported outside New York City.

The following police departments reported particularly significant declines in shooting incidents with injury in 2024 compared to 2023: Niagara, 52 percent; Rochester, 34 percent; Syracuse, 30 percent; and Yonkers, 47 percent. Shooting incidents with injury, shooting victims and shooting homicide data for each of the 28 GIVE agencies are available on the State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) website. In addition to the collective decrease in gun violence in GIVE communities, the New York City Police Department reported a seven percent (903 v. 974) decrease in shooting incidents in 2024 compared to 2023.

DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “Our partnerships with local law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations through the GIVE initiative, SNUG street outreach program, Project RISE and our Crime Analysis Centers are helping to make a real difference in people’s lives and increasing safety in our communities. We applaud Governor Hochul’s leadership on public safety and her unprecedented support of these critical programs.”

Preliminary index crime reported by police agencies outside of New York City showed an eight percent decrease from January through September 2024 vs. 2023, the most current data available. There are seven index crime categories that are used to gauge overall crime trends: four violent (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and three property (burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft). Data reported by the NYPD show a three percent reduction in crime in the five boroughs.

The $370 million investment to reduce and prevent gun violence and strengthen communities disproportionately impacted by crime includes, but is not limited to, the following programs and initiatives administered by DCJS:
- $50 million through the Law Enforcement Technology grant program, which provides funding so police departments and sheriffs’ offices can purchase new equipment and technology to modernize their operations and more effectively solve and prevent crime.
- $36 million for GIVE, which funds the 28 police departments and district attorneys’ offices, probation departments, and sheriffs’ offices in 21 counties outside of New York City.
- $21 million for the SNUG Street Outreach Program, which operates in 14 communities across the state: Albany, the Bronx, Buffalo, Hempstead, Mount Vernon, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Utica, Wyandanch, and Yonkers. The program uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by the violence.
- $18 million in continued support for the state’s unique, nationally recognized Crime Analysis Center Network, and $13 million in new funding to establish the New York State Crime Analysis and Joint Special Operations Command Headquarters, a strategic information, technical assistance and training hub for 11 Centers in the state’s network, and enhance existing partnerships and expand information sharing with the New York State Intelligence Center operated by the State Police, the locally run Nassau County Lead Development Center, and the State’s Joint Security Operations Center, which focuses on protecting the State from cyber threats.
- $20 million for Project RISE (Restore, Invest, Sustain, Empower) in 10 communities to support mentoring, mental health services, restorative practices, trust building, employment and education support and youth development activities, among other programs and services that address trauma resulting from long-term exposure to violence, build resilience and strengthen youth, families and neighborhoods.
The New York State Police, the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, and the state Office of Victim Services also will receive funding through that $370 million allocation.

That funding does not include other public safety initiatives outlined in the FY26 Executive Budget Briefing Book, including $35 million for the next round of the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grants to increase safety and security of organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or mission; or investments that expand support for victims and survivors of crime, including doubling funding for rape crisis centers to $12.8 million.

MIL OSI USA News –
January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two More Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Puerto Rico-to- Western Pennsylvania Cocaine Trafficking Operation

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, and a resident of Florida, Puerto Rico, were sentenced in federal court for their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and related charges, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendants were among 17 individuals from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; and Youngstown, Ohio, indicted in March 2024 for violating federal narcotics, firearms, and racketeering laws by conspiring to distribute cocaine throughout Western Pennsylvania and Youngstown (read the Indictment news release here).

Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentences on Jean Sanchez Tulla, 38, of Puerto Rico, and Glenn Samuels, 33, of New Castle, sentencing Tulla to nine years of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and interstate travel or transmission in aid of racketeering, and Samuels to 37 months of prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.

According to information presented to the Court, Tulla was a leading member of the organized drug trafficking group that shipped kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico, often mailing drug parcels through the U.S. Postal Service to co-conspirators responsible for selling the cocaine in Western Pennsylvania; Youngstown, Ohio; and elsewhere. Specifically, Tulla was responsible for possessing with intent to distribute and distributing between five and 15 kilograms of cocaine on behalf of and during the course of the conspiracy. He also traveled from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania—including at least 15 trips to Pittsburgh from 2023 to 2024—and elsewhere to facilitate and promote the drug trafficking enterprise, including to receive drug proceeds from other members of the organization.

Upon receipt of the shipped cocaine, leaders of the drug trafficking organization in Western Pennsylvania would distribute smaller quantities of the drugs to multiple co-conspirators, including Samuels, in order to maximize profits. Those co-conspirators then distributed the cocaine in New Castle, Ellwood City, and elsewhere in Lawrence County. At least 100 grams of cocaine was attributable to Samuels, who was found during the investigation to frequent the New Castle residence of the drug trafficking organization’s local leader for short durations, often multiple times a day.

Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Drug Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service, as well as the New Castle Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and United States Department of Agriculture for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Tulla and Samuels.

Lawrence County is one of six Western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.

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

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard rescues two mariners from sinking sailboat more than 100 miles off North Carolina coast

Source: United States Coast Guard

01/29/2025 03:11 PM EST

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Coast Guard rescued two men approximately 103 miles east of Wilmington, N.C., Tuesday. The pair called for help when their 32-foot sailboat, Walrus, began sinking and they were unable to keep up with flooding.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Gene pools are getting dangerously shallow for many species. We found 5 ways to help

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Shaw, Research Fellow in Conservation Genomics, University of Canberra

A golden bandicoot (_Isoodon auratus_) Colleen Sims/Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, CC BY-SA

Before species go extinct, their populations often shrink and become isolated. Healthy populations tend to have a large gene pool with many genetic variants circulating. But the path to extinction erodes genetic diversity, because a species’ gene pool shrinks as the population declines. Losing genetic diversity limits the ability of populations to adapt to threats such as disease and climate change.

So, what is the state of genetic diversity in animals, plants, fungi and algae worldwide? And how could focusing on this crucial level of biodiversity help build resilience in the face of global change? We explore these questions in our new study, published today in Nature.

Our team of 57 scientists from 20 countries trawled through more than 80,000 scientific articles across three decades to summarise evidence of genetic change in populations in 141 countries.

Alarmingly, we found genetic diversity is being lost globally across many species, especially birds and mammals. This loss was most severe in studies reporting changes in habitat, new diseases, natural disasters, and human activities such as hunting or logging.

But there’s hope. Our study suggests conservation strategies can help maintain or even increase genetic diversity.

Isolated populations of the endangered Scandinavian arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) have become inbred.
Jonatan Pie, Unsplash

What is genetic diversity and why does it matter?

At the core of every cell lies a copy of the instruction manual for living things. This is the genetic code, made up of DNA molecules. But its sequence varies enormously, separating a moth from a tree from a bacterium. Even within a species, we see distinct genetic differences between individuals. These genetic differences contribute to differences in their traits, which is why we get individuals who are taller or shorter, faster or slower, bolder or more cautious.

This genetic diversity stems from mutations. Often, these mutations are not helpful. But at times, they can enable populations to adapt to change.

For example, golden kelp (Ecklonia radiata) likes colder water. But in a population, some individuals will have mutations suited for warm water. When a devastating marine heatwave hit the West Australian coast in 2011, individuals with warm-water mutations were more likely to survive and reproduce. This genetic diversity enabled the kelp population to adapt to the warmer conditions.

This is why genetic diversity is so important – it gives species more resilience in a rapidly changing world. This priority has been recognised in Australia’s Strategy for Nature, and in goals and targets discussed at the United Nations biodiversity summit COP16.

How can we safeguard or restore genetic diversity for threatened species?

To answer this question, we used a technique called meta-analysis to look for patterns. From more than 80,000 published articles, we identified 882 studies which measured changes in genetic diversity over time. These studies came from right around the globe and across the entire “tree of life”.

They show there are many ways to conserve genetic diversity. Here are five promising strategies to help keep species resilient.

Scientists from 20 countries came together to read thousands of papers and collect data on genetic diversity during in-person and online workshops.
Robyn Shaw

Action 1: Adding individuals

Adding individuals to an existing population is known as supplementation. Our research found supplementation was the only action linked to a significant increase in genetic diversity, especially in birds.

Supplementation can help reduce the harmful effects of inbreeding, which is common in small, isolated populations. For example, conservationists working to safeguard New Zealand’s South Island robins (Petroica australis) moved female birds between isolated islands. The offspring of parents from different islands had stronger immune systems, higher survival rates, and improved reproductive health compared to their inbred counterparts.

Supplementation is key for boosting genetic diversity, improving population health and building resilience.

Action 2: Population control

Doing the opposite – removing individuals – can actually improve outcomes for the population as a whole in some circumstances, by, for instance, reducing competition.

But genetic diversity results varied a lot in studies using population control. So how can this strategy be used effectively?

In one case, conservationists in the United States used population control of coaster brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in a hatchery to prevent any single family from breeding too much. This meant multiple genetic lineages were maintained, increasing genetic diversity.

Action 3: Restoration

Ecosystem restoration can include planting trees, rehabilitating wetlands or restoring natural patterns of fire and water. We found genetic diversity was often maintained over time when ecological restoration was used.

Restoration efforts, alongside supplementation, are important to the survival of the greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), which had lost much habitat. Researchers report restoring and expanding suitable habitat is proving crucial to sustain genetic diversity and achieving long-term recovery.

Found in the US and Canada, greater prairie-chickens are known for their courtship dance.
Danita Delimont/Shutterstock

Action 4: Control of other species

Feral, pest or overabundant species can outcompete, eat, or graze on species under threat. Controlling these species was linked to maintenance of genetic diversity in the studies we analysed overall.

For example, control of red fox numbers helped the Arctic fox(Vulpes lagopu) recover in Sweden. The technique reduced competition over resources such as food while new foxes from Norway were added to the wild population. Inbreeding was reduced, and survival improved.

Action 5: Conservation introductions and reintroductions

Establishing new populations at new sites is known as a conservation introduction, while a reintroduction means restoring populations where they previously existed.

We found mixed results for genetic diversity when these actions were reported. So, what factors contribute to success?

In Western Australia, a large number of golden bandicoots (Isoodon auratus) from a robust island population were reintroduced to three sites. After six generations, genetic diversity at these sites remained similar to the original source population. Success came from careful planning to ensure the new populations had a large gene pool to start from.

Overall, our study revealed many cases of genetic diversity loss. But we also found evidence that conservation action – especially supplementation – can improve the genetic health of a species.

Researchers, conservation managers and volunteers helped grow seedlings and establish new populations of the critically endangered feather-leaved banksia near Albany in Western Australia.
David Coates

What can you do?

Supporting genetic diversity can be done at home.

If you have a garden, you can plant native species to support habitat connectivity.

Growing heirloom vegetables and rare fruit trees, or breeding heritage chooks can maintain genetic diversity in our food system.

Join community or botanic garden groups, or work with conservation groups to improve habitat or bolster numbers of threatened species.

While enjoying nature, avoid accidentally moving plants, seeds, or soil to new areas to reduce the spread of pests and diseases.

These small actions add up, helping to safeguard biodiversity at all levels – including genetic diversity.

Robyn Shaw was supported during the study by funding from the Australian Research Council. The project workshop was sponsored by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology Action ‘Genomic Biodiversity Knowledge for Resilient Ecosystems’. She is a member of the Coalition for Conservation Genetics and the IUCN Conservation Genetics Specialist Group.

Catherine Grueber’s research into the conservation genetics of threatened species receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the University of Sydney (Robinson Fellowship). She is a member of the Coalition for Conservation Genetics, and the IUCN Conservation Genetics Specialist Group.

Katherine Farquharson was supported during the study by funding from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science. She is affiliated with Koala Conservation Australia.

– ref. Gene pools are getting dangerously shallow for many species. We found 5 ways to help – https://theconversation.com/gene-pools-are-getting-dangerously-shallow-for-many-species-we-found-5-ways-to-help-242708

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 30, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Australian democracy is not dead, but needs help to ensure its survival

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Evans, Deputy Vice-chancellor Research, Charles Sturt University

Democracies worldwide are suffering from legitimacy problems. This is reflected in low levels of public trust in key political institutions, the polarisation of politics, and the erosion of public confidence in the capacity of governments to address societal concerns.

According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, only 50% of people worldwide trust their government, and the tally is even lower in many developed countries such as the United States and United Kingdom. A study by the Pew Research Center found only 20% of Americans trust their national government to do what is right “just about always” or “most of the time”.

Citizens almost everywhere view their elected officials and public institutions with suspicion. They believe decisions are made to serve special interests rather than the common good. This culture of discontentment is leading to reduced civic engagement, increased polarisation, the rise of identity politics, and a general sense of disillusionment with the political process. It has also sparked an upsurge in speculation as to whether democracy is dying, in recession or crisis.

So how does Australia compare with this global pattern?

The Australian context

The findings of the New Democratic Audit of Australia have just been published. They provide a timely and comprehensive evaluation of the current state of Australian democratic life.

The audit promises to bridge significant gaps in our understanding of Australia’s democracy.

A team of leading academics from universities in every state and territory deploys an audit approach to assess the democratic performance of federal, state and territory-level political institutions. It then examines how they have enabled or undermined Australian political life.

For instance, the monopoly of Australian governance by Coalition and Labor parties has only just begun to adjust to growing disillusionment with the two-party system.

To date, Australia has successfully avoided both rancorous populist politics (as in the US) and serious governance decline (as in the UK). However, the Voice to Parliament referendum and continued pandering to regressive immigration policies suggests populism could well be on the rise.

So what did the New Democratic Audit find?

Democracy under stress

1. Declining public trust in government. Trust in Australian political institutions is in decline. Only 30% of Australians report trust in government officials, according to the Australian Election Study.

The main concerns driving the decline in trust are lack of transparency in decision-making, perceptions of public sector inefficiency, political corruption, and the disconnection between politicians and citizens. Australians also express concerns about poor communication of policies. Furthermore, they believe governments have failed to deliver solutions to pressing issues such as the cost of living, wage stagnation and climate action.

A significant proportion of the population believes the country has become more divided. Major sources of division are the perception of the rich and powerful as a major dividing force (72%), followed by hostile foreign governments (69%), journalists (51%), and government leaders (49%).

2. Strong public satisfaction with democracy. Despite low trust in government, the 2024 World Values Survey shows that support for democratic values in Australia — such as free and fair elections, the rule of law, and representative democracy — remains strong. There is also a growing emphasis post-pandemic on the need for governments to address long-term challenges such as climate change and income inequality.

3. Australia is viewed internationally as a leading liberal democracy. Despite the challenges, Australia is assessed in most global rankings as one of the leading liberal democracies, with continuous economic growth, a strong federal system, and competitive elections. Its institutions have generally performed well, even in the face of global challenges such as the COVID pandemic. Australia is classed as one of only 24 “full democracies”.

4. The “protective power of democracy” is under pressure. The audit emphasises economist Amartya Sen’s concept of the “protective power of democracy as critical to achieving high quality democratic governance”. This relies on four components: electoral integrity, participatory opportunities, liberal values and good democratic governance.

5. Electoral integrity. Australia’s elections are free and fair, thanks to an independent election commission. However, concerns about government advertising and political donations undermine the fairness of elections, giving incumbent governments an advantage.

6. Public participation. Australia performs poorly in facilitating citizen participation beyond voting. Opportunities for civil society engagement, through localism, citizen juries or assemblies, are limited. Parliaments at various levels are not adequately representative in terms of gender and ethnicity, and regional policy concerns are often ignored.

7. Liberal values. Australia has made improvements in protecting civil rights, especially concerning LGBTQ+ issues and gender equality. But there remain significant gaps in protecting the rights of the most vulnerable groups, including Indigenous communities, differently abled people, and refugees. Australia lacks a comprehensive charter of human rights, and there are ongoing issues with the erosion of civil liberties.

8. Good democratic governance. This component refers to the instrumental importance of governments being responsible and accountable, responsive to the needs of the citizenry in service terms, and free from corruption. This is where the performance or supply of government matters most.

The audit finds Australia’s institutions are generally effective and adaptive, as seen in responses to the bushfires and the COVID pandemic. However, the federal government wields disproportionate power, which undermines traditional checks and balances. Public perception of corruption in politics and the public sector is also a growing public concern.

Reimagining Australian democracy

The audit concludes that Australia remains a full democracy, but faces critical challenges that require reflection and reinvention.

To renew its democracy, Australia must make its system of government more representative, accountable and responsive to the needs of citizens. There is a need for a stronger focus on integrity in politics, ensuring governments act transparently, empathetically and in ways that deliver tangible outcomes for the public. Public dissatisfaction with political corruption, inefficiency and a lack of responsiveness must be addressed to restore trust in political institutions.

While Australia continues to be a leading democracy, it faces pressing challenges that could undermine the sustainability of its democratic institutions if not addressed. The audit calls for a period of democratic reinvention, with an emphasis on improving governance to better serve citizens and maintain public trust in democracy.

The New Democratic Audit is free for download at: https://press.lse.ac.uk/site/books/e/10.31389/lsepress.ada/

Mark Evans has received funding and in-kind support to complete democratic audits in the United Kingdom (Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust) and Australia (Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra).

– ref. Australian democracy is not dead, but needs help to ensure its survival – https://theconversation.com/australian-democracy-is-not-dead-but-needs-help-to-ensure-its-survival-235638

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Welch Votes Against Advancing Pam Bondi’s Nomination to be the Next Attorney General of the United States

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the Senate Judiciary Committee today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) voted against advancing Pamela Bondi’s nomination to be the next Attorney General of the United States. In remarks following his vote, Senator Welch cited Ms. Bondi’s evasion on questions about the 2020 presidential election and concerns about her willingness to stand up against the President to preserve an independent Department of Justice. He called on his colleagues in the United States Senate to fulfill their role in serving as a check and balance to President Trump’s illegal power grabs.
“I would like to think that Pam Bondi would have the ability to stand up because she is qualified, she is engaging, but I was very disturbed on the question from Senator Hirono: ’Who won the election?’ And she couldn’t answer it. It was the Trump-permissible answer: that President Biden is the President, but could not say that he won the election. That bodes poorly,” said Senator Welch. “That is the reason for my no vote. But this raises a question that I think we as the United States Senate have to ask ourselves in view of the nine days of the reckless conduct and the illegal conduct of the President. Will we fulfill our Constitutional role as a separate and independent branch of government to maintain the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances? Our founders knew that would be needed. What they didn’t know is whether those who served in this position as United States Senators would meet the challenge when the check and balance was needed.”
Watch video of his remarks below:
Read his remarks in the Senate Judiciary Committee below:
“Pam Bondi is qualified. She has done outstanding work as an Attorney General, both as a County Prosecutor and as the Florida Attorney General, and I actually quite admire the grit that she had to take on a challenging statewide campaign to become Attorney General.
“Number two, she had very good testimony from Republicans and Democrats about her managerial style, and when I met with her, she was very engaging and responsive to the concerns I have about criminal justice. She is qualified. 
“The question that we face as a Senate is: What kind of Department of Justice will we have? There has been a bipartisan recognition of the importance of independence at the Department of Justice. Will we have a Department of Justice that is independent, or will we have a Department of Justice that, in the words of President Trump, is ‘my’ Department of Justice, where I have the right to do anything I want to do.
“There is no question about where President Trump is going. Nine days into the President’s administration, he is on a rampage — a rampage of reckless conduct and illegal conduct. The reckless conduct, of course, are these horrible pardons. People who grabbed the shields that police were using to defend themselves and then started battering police with them, stomping them, kicking them, spitting on them, and then these folks who are pardoned, they get out and they say they want to come back here, and they want those who certified the election of the president to be hanged. We have people who are pardoned, who are wanted for soliciting sex with a minor. Those pardons are so disrespectful to the men and women of law enforcement. It is absolutely despicable in my view.
“But then the illegal conduct: The President says that he can do what he wants to do, regardless of the law. 
“One of the laws that I am so proud of is something, Mr. Chairman, you authored and it’s the Inspector Generals. And he fired them all, despite the specific provision in the law that you wisely included, that there be a 30-day notice. Illegal. Clearly illegal. He did the same thing at the National Labor Relations Board. 
“There are specific statutory, legislative responsibilities if you want to remove a person. Just blew by it. Illegal. Then, of course, the shocking announcement about impoundment. Absolutely illegal, interfering with the Constitutional right of the Article I branch of Congress to be the appropriator of funds. And what he is doing is illegal. 
“Then TikTok—we passed a law in Congress—bipartisan—that it has to comply or be sold. The president picks and chooses and says, ‘No, we are not applying the law.’ Illegal. 
“At the Justice Department, before the new AG is even there, the President has installed his personal lawyers. His personal lawyers. And they started doing dirty work, firing career prosecutors.
“There is no mystery here about what the president is going to insist upon. It’s that the DOJ will be ‘my’ law firm. That’s what it is. And there is no question because, if past is prologue, goodbye to Attorney General Barr, goodbye to Attorney General Sessions when they didn’t comply with the demands of an overbearing president. 
“Now, I would like to think that Pam Bondi would have the ability to stand up because she is qualified, she is engaging, but I was very disturbed on the question from Senator Hirono: ’Who won the election?’ And she couldn’t answer it. 
“It was the Trump-permissible answer that ‘President Biden is the President,’ but could not say that he won the election. That bodes poorly. 
“That is the reason for my no vote. But this raises a question I think we as the United States Senate have to ask ourselves – in view of the nine days of the reckless conduct and the illegal conduct of the President: Will we fulfill our constitutional role as a separate and independent branch of government to maintain the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances? Our founders knew that would be needed. What they didn’t know is whether those who served in this position as United States Senators would meet the challenge when the check and balance was needed.”
Watch Senator Welch’s questioning of Ms. Bondi during her confirmation hearing, as well as legal and ethics experts and former colleagues.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: A High-Level Committee (HLC), under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah approves Rs. 3027.86 crore for disaster mitigation for various states

Source: Government of India

A High-Level Committee (HLC), under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah approves Rs. 3027.86 crore for disaster mitigation for various states

To fulfil Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of disaster resilient India, Ministry of Home Affairs, under the guidance of Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, has taken several initiatives to ensure effective management of disasters in the country

HLC approves project for catalytic assistance to 12 most drought prone states at a total outlay of Rs. 2022.16 crore

Committee also approves the Mitigation Project on Lightning Safety in 10 states at a total cost of Rs. 186.78 crore

Union Home Minister also approves the Mitigation Scheme for Forest Fire Risk Management for implementation in 144 high-priority districts in 19 states at a total outlay of Rs. 818.92 crore

Modi government has taken a number of steps to prevent any extensive loss to life and property during disasters by strengthening disaster risk reduction system in India

More than Rs. 24,981 crore has already been released to the states during the current financial year

Posted On: 29 JAN 2025 8:21PM by PIB Delhi

A High-Level Committee (HLC), under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah has approved Rs. 3027.86 crore for disaster mitigation projects for various states. The committee, comprising of Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister and Vice Chairman NITI Aayog as members considered proposals of Mitigation Project on Lightning Safety to mitigate lightning Risk in 50 heavy lightning prone districts in 10 states and catalytic assistance to 49 districts of 12 most drought prone states for funding from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).

The High-Level Committee has approved project for catalytic assistance to 12 most drought prone states at a total outlay of Rs. 2022.16 crore, out of which, Central share will be Rs. 1200 crore. These 12 states are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.

The Committee has also approved the Mitigation Project on Lightning Safety in 10 states at a total outlay of Rs. 186.78 crore for Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Union Home Minister has also approved the Mitigation Scheme for Forest Fire Risk Management for implementation in 144 high-priority districts in 19 states at a total outlay of Rs. 818.92 crores, out of which central share from NDMF & NDRF will be Rs. 690.63 Crore. The primary objective of the scheme will be to implement a mitigation project for transforming the forest fire management approach in the country so as to strengthen and support vital forest fire prevention and mitigation activities . The states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttarakhand will submit their respective proposals undertaking necessary activities for mitigation of forest fires, preparedness for forest fire response as well as for post-fire assessment and recovery.

To fulfil Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of disaster resilient India, the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the guidance of Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, has taken several initiatives to ensure effective management of disasters in the country. The Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi has taken a number of steps to prevent any extensive loss of life and property during disasters by strengthening the disaster risk reduction system in India.

Prior to these proposals, the HLC had approved financial assistance from NDMF for other projects viz. Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Projects in seven major cities at a total outlay of Rs 3075.65 crore, GLOF Risk Management in 4 states at a total outlay of Rs. 150 crore and Landslide Risk Mitigation in 15 states at a total outlay of Rs. 1000 Crore.

Further, more than Rs. 24,981 crore has already been released to the states during the current financial year. This includes Rs.17479.60 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to 27 states, Rs.4808.30 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to 18 states, Rs.1973.55 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 13 states and Rs. 719.72 crore from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to 08 states.

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Raj Kumar / Vivek / Ashutosh / Priyabhanshu / Pankaj

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Read this release in: Hindi

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Debates – Wednesday, 29 January 2025 – Brussels – Revised edition

Source: European Parliament

Corrie Hermann. – Dear President of the European Parliament, dear Roberta Metsola, dear Presidents, dear Members, Commissioners, excellencies, distinguished guests, this story about one Holocaust victim is dedicated to every one of the 6 million victims whom we deplore today.

My father, Hermann Pál, was born on 27 March 1902 in Budapest, in a well-to-do family. At the time, Budapest was still the second capital of the Habsburg Empire – the era which Stefan Zweig depicts in Die Welt von Gestern. The Jewish citizenry had become gradually an integral part of the community, and joined intensively in the professional, cultural and financial life.

Hermann Pál was intelligent and musical, and was admitted, at the age of 15, as a cello student at the famous Franz Liszt Academy, established in 1875 – the cradle of many generations of top musicians from Hungary. His best friend became the violinist Székely Zoltán, who would become a worldwide-known soloist and the first violinist of the New Hungarian String Quartet. Pál developed not only as a cellist but also as a composer. His teachers were Kodály and Bartók.

Even before the formal completion of his training, he reaped his first success in a private concert at the house of Arnold Schönberg with the ‘Sonata for Cello Solo’, which Kodály had composed a few years earlier. A performance of this sonata at a concert in Switzerland, which was organised by the International Society of Contemporary Music, was the first step in his international career.

But in the meantime, the First World War had raged in Europe. The Habsburg Empire was no more. Hungary’s wings had been clipped by the Trianon Treaty, and the new leader, Admiral Horthy, was the first one to introduce antisemitic laws. The young cellist went to Berlin and changed his name from the Hungarian Hermann Pál to Paul Hermann.

In Berlin, musical life was blooming. Paul took lessons at the Staatliche Academische Hochschule für Musik. To earn a living, he became a teacher at the progressive Volksmusikschule Berlin-Neukölln and he played in all kinds of ensembles: Baroque music, the great classics – Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven – and contemporary compositions by Hindemith, Ernst Toch and, of course, Kodály and Bartók.

The tie with Zoltán Székely was to endure all his life. Zoltán had settled in the Netherlands. Together they gave concerts which were favourably reviewed in the Netherlands, Germany and England. In London they stayed often at the house of a Dutch couple, Jacob de Graaff and Louise Bachiene. De Graaff was a wealthy businessman. He and his wife were lovers of art and music, and liked to entertain young artists. They admired the two musicians so much that in 1927 they bought a Stradivarius violin for Zoltán and, in 1928, a Gagliano cello for Paul. That cello has a leading part in this story.

Louise de Graaff corresponded frequently with relations in the Netherlands, and when Paul Hermann was scheduled to play in Amsterdam, she urged her young niece, Ada Weevers, to go to the concert and meet the artist. This meeting was such a success that they became engaged and married in 1931. They settled in an apartment in a new Berlin quarter, Charlottenburg. I was born in 1932 and there are pictures of my father holding me on the balcony.

But in 1933 came bad luck. On 30 January, Hitler became Reichskanzler in Germany and a threatening atmosphere for Jewish people becomes immediately acute. Jews are fired from public functions. Paul Hermann loses his job. The little family seeks refuge with Ada’s parents in the Netherlands. In the summer holiday, they stay near the seaside and, when swimming, Ada gets caught in a vortex in the waves and nearly drowns. She inhales water, it leads to pneumonia and she dies a few months later.

Paul Hermann joins Hungarian colleagues in Brussels. Together they perform as the Gertler Quartet. They tour Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary. He has left me with my maternal grandparents; a younger sister of my mother takes loving care of me. Every time my father visits is delightful. The whole family adores him.

After a few years in Brussels, Paul Hermann moves to Paris and continues his international career. On 4 August 1939, I turned seven. I remember him coming, always with his cello. Only recently, I found a letter my father wrote to a friend telling me about all the difficulties he had to get permission from the French authorities to cross the border to Holland. Foreign Jews are already under suspicion.

But I only know it’s my birthday, a party. As a present, my father gives me the new French book, ‘Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant‘, and he teaches me my first French words: ‘Babar entre dans l’ascenseur, il monte dix fois en haut et descend dix fois en bas mais le garçon lui dit “ce n’est pas un joujou, monsieur l’éléphant”‘.

But again, the atmosphere is threatening. War breaks out at the end of August. Borders are closing. All foreign visitors return hastily. That winter, Western Europe is mobilised, but the fighting is in the east. We can still correspond. But in the spring, Hitler looks toward France. The French army is preparing the defence. Paul Hermann joins a régiment de marche de volontaires étrangers to assist the French army. In June, the Germans are in Paris. Northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands are occupied and under German rule. As a schoolchild, I remember the little boards everywhere: ‘Verboden voor Joden‘.

In France, the southern region is at first not occupied. People feel relatively safe there. Hermann and his cello stay first with the de Graaff couple, who have moved from London to the region south of Bordeaux, but then he moves to a room in Toulouse. He has some pupils and can give a few recitals. Censorship makes corresponding very difficult. We get only very few letters.

Sometimes he can visit Ada’s brother, Jan Weevers, who has an agricultural business in a village about 150 km from Toulouse. This brother-in-law supports him as much as he can. But in 1942, all France is occupied. The terror of the Gestapo reigns also in Toulouse. In Budapest, Berlin, Paris, Paul Hermann has been able to flee from antisemitism. Now this is not possible anymore. He takes false papers, names himself de Cotigny and hopes for the best.

But on 21 April 1944, he is arrested in a street raid, taken to the Toulouse prison and transported to Drancy, the assembling camp near Paris, from where the transports for the concentration camps departed.

In May 1944, he is put in a wagon with 60 other men as a part of transport number 73 from Drancy. While the train is waiting at the station, he manages to write a note to his brother-in-law and throws it out of the train. A kind passenger, who probably realises this could be a last message, posts it. Miraculously, it reaches Jan Weevers. It reads:

«On nous a dit que nous allions travailler à l’Organisation Todt. Nous sommes pleins d’espoir malgré tout. Quant à mes instruments, je te prie de sauver ce que tu peux.»

There is hardly any transportation, but Jan Weevers manages to go to Toulouse, where Paul’s rooms have been sealed by the Gestapo. Spoils of war. He forces a window and exchanges the precious Gagliano cello for a cheap student’s instrument. He takes it home. Paul’s cello is saved.

Transport 73 is not put to work for the organisation Todt. It is sent all through Europe to Kaunas in Lithuania. We don’t know what happened, but only a handful of the 900 prisoners who arrived in Kaunas will return after the war.

In the Netherlands, 1944-1945 is the hardest year of the war. There is no food, no heating. The infrastructure is heavily destructed. In May 1945, the Canadians entered the city where we lived. The Nazi regime capitulates, and it is immense joy.

Only weeks later, we hear what has happened in France. Investigations by Jan Weevers have been in vain. Will Paul Hermann return? In Tony Judt’s standard book Postwar, we read about the chaos in Middle Europe: many millions of displaced persons roam in deplorable conditions through what is left of Germany. Some returned home after months or years. Many don’t. Gradually we realise Paul will never come back.

Surrounded by a beloved extended family, I grow up, go to the university to study medicine, marry, have a family. As a doctor, I work mainly in public health. And at the end of my career, I am elected in the Netherlands Parliament for the Green Party. After retirement, I am reminded of a pile of handwritten music scores which have been laying around for more than 60 years. They are old compositions of my father. He played music with his colleagues in all kinds of combinations.

The Dutch foundation Forbidden Music Regained, which focuses on the work of composers who were persecuted by the Nazis, is interested. They are greatly impressed by the quality of the music, and organise concerts and recordings. My son Paul, named after his grandfather, develops into the coordinator of this legacy and makes it accessible to musicians all over the world.

When he’s visiting cousins in Los Angeles, they introduce him to the Recovered Voices project of the Los Angeles Colburn School of Music, which is also aimed at persecuted composers. Top cellist Clive Greensmith is enthusiastic about Hermann’s music, especially about a draft for a piece for cello and orchestra. Paul has a friend, an Italian composer, Fabio Conti, who makes the draft into a complete piece for cello and orchestra using themes from other Hermann compositions. Greensmith plays the premiere in 2018, in Lviv, Ukraine.

But another staff member in Los Angeles, Carla Shapreau, says: ‘Yes, this is the music. But where is that Gagliano cello?’ In 1953, Jan Weevers took the cello to the Netherlands. It has been sold to finance my studies, but we don’t know who bought it.

Carla enlists the help of Oxford-based biography writer Kate Kennedy, who is working on a book about the duality of cellists and their cellos. Kate also gets under the spell of the Hermann story, and she looks for the cello literally all over the world – asking cellists, luthiers, instrument dealers, music schools, browsing through auction catalogues. Who knows the whereabouts of a Gagliano cello made in 1730 with the text ‘Ego sum anima musicae’ – I am the soul of music – on the side? But Kate does not find it. The publication date of her book nears; she feels defeated.

The book Cello is published. Cellists everywhere read it. And then Kate gets a mail from a Chinese cello professor, Jian Wang, acting as jury member for the Concours Reine Elisabeth here in Brussels in 2022. He has noticed a cello. It is in the possession of the Robert Schumann Musik Hochschule in Düsseldorf, and only their best students are permitted to play it. At a presentation of Kate’s book Cello in the Wigmore Hall in London, where my father performed 100 years ago, Australian Sam Lucas plays, on Paul Hermann’s cello, one of his compositions.

Between 1920 and 1940, Paul Hermann played the same cello in all Western and Central Europe. Searching for this icon of European culture has connected people from all over the world: from Europe to Los Angeles to China to Australia. And its amazing story has captured interest everywhere.

For me, this is a reunion in spirit with the father whom I have missed for 85 years.

Hitler has burned books, destroyed paintings and buildings, murdered millions of people. But music is invincible.

Ego sum anima musicae. Freude, schöner Götterfunken. Alle Menschen werden Brüder.

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Tennessee Man Sentenced to 270 Months for Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEW ORLEANS – CHARLES CUNIGAN (“CUNIGAN”), a resident of Tennessee, was sentenced on January 14, 2025, for conspiring to commit sex trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1594(c).

According to court documents, CUNIGAN, age 31, and his girlfriend Latesha Gardner, age 31, forced a seventeen-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex acts in New Orleans for three months to generate money so CUNIGAN could purchase a vehicle. The defendants advertised the minor victim for commercial sex on the internet and used physical abuse and other means to force her to comply. CUNIGAN carried a firearm and pistol whipped the minor victim on one occasion. CUNIGAN kept all of the money the minor victim made from commercial sex transactions and required her to meet a minimum daily dollar threshold from these sex acts. He conditioned the victim’s ability to eat on whether she earned enough money. CUNIGAN also tracked the geolocation data on the victim’s phone and threatened to kill her if she left.

U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced CUNIGAN to 270 months’ imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. CUNIGAN was ordered to pay $48,750 in restitution to the minor victim and to participate in the sex offender registration and notification program. In addition, Judge Zainey imposed a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. In September 2024, CUNIGAN’s co-defendant, Gardner, was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment for her role in this conspiracy.

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

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, made the announcement.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orlando, Florida Metropolitan Bureau of Investigations. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni and Trial Attorney Melissa E. Bücher of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Palestine: Hope that the ceasefire will hold – UNRWA Briefing | United Nations

Source: United Nations (Video News)

Briefing by Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

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The Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini told the Security Council that if full implementation the Knesset legislation begins as expected on Thursday, operations in the occupied Palestinian territory “would be crippled,” and it will “sabotage Gaza’s recovery and political transition.”

At stake, Lazzarini said, “is the fate of millions of Palestinians, the ceasefire and the prospect for a political solution that brings lasting peace and security.”

The UNRWA Commissioner-General said, “tens of thousands of people are now returning to the decimated north to search for the living and to bury the dead. Across the Gaza Strip, Palestinians are turning to UNRWA, the agency they have known all their lives for support.”

Contradicting claims by the government of Israel claims about UNRWA’s role in providing humanitarian assistance, he said, “in fact UNRWA constitute half the emergency response, with all other entities delivering the other half. Since October 2023, we have delivered two third of all food assistance, provided shelter to over a million displaced persons and vaccinated a quarter of million of children against polio.”

Lazzarini told the Council that “the relentless assault on UNRWA is harming the lives and future of Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territory. It is eroding the trust in the international community, jeopardizing prospects for peace and security.”

He said, “the political attacks on the agency are motivated by the desire to strip Palestinians of the refugee statute, thereby unilaterally changing the long-established parameter for a political solution. The objective is to deny Palestinian refugees the right to self-determination and erase their history and identity.”

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

MIL OSI Video –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Supporting Jasper’s recovery
Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)
Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring Jasper residents, businesses and not-for-profits are supported as the community recovers from last summer’s wildfire. Since the beginning of the wildfire, more than $170 million has been provided from across the provincial government to support Jasper residents and businesses as the community recovers and rebuilds.

The donation-matching initiative with the Canadian Red Cross is just one part of the Alberta government’s commitment to help Jasper and its residents recover. To support Jasper’s recovery, the province has provided more than $12 million through a donation-matching initiative with the Canadian Red Cross into the Canadian Red Cross’s 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal to support the families and residents most affected by the wildfires.

“Alberta has worked tirelessly with the Canadian Red Cross to help Jasper and Jasperites recover from last year’s wildfire. Initiatives we have collaborated on, such as the small business supports program, have already provided support to over 270 Jasper businesses by using more than $12 million in matching funds from the Government of Alberta. We continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Jasper as they, and their municipality, recover.

Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs

Through the Canadian Red Cross’s 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal, every $1 donation made was matched with a $1 donation from Alberta’s government over the span of 30 days. The contribution from the province through this donation-matching initiative has helped fundraise more than $40 million to provide affected families, residents, businesses and not-for-profits of Jasper with a variety of supports. These supports include financial assistance, navigation supports and the small business supports program.

The province’s total assistance package of more than $170 million during and after the wildfire includes:
- Up to $149 million in Disaster Recovery Program funding.
- $7.5 million in emergency evacuation payments to more than 6,500 Jasperites.
- More than $12 million in matching funds to support the Canadian Red Cross in providing support to residents and business owners in Jasper.
- $18 million in funding to rebuild a seniors lodge for displaced senior residents of the Pine Grove Manor.
- $2.5 million in tourism support.
- $121,400 in food, financial and operating support to the Jasper Food Bank.
In addition to the assistance already provided, Alberta’s government remains ready to build $112 million worth of homes for displaced Jasperites, but the province cannot do that without land. If the federal government decides to step up and make land available, the province is ready to build the homes. Work with partners will continue to ensure that Jasper families and residents continue to have access to the supports and services they need during the community’s recovery.
MIL OSI Canada News –
January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Public Service Unions File Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration Efforts to Politicize the Civil Service

Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

WASHINGTON – Today, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), represented by Democracy Forward and Bredhoff and Kaiser PLLC, filed suit against the Trump administration challenging efforts to politicize the civil service through illegal executive orders.

The lawsuit asserts that President Trump illegally exceeded his authority in attempting to unilaterally roll back a regulation that protects the rights of civil servants. The suit also names the Office of Personnel Management for its role in failing to adhere to the Administrative Procedure Act in its attempts to roll back this same regulation.

“AFGE is filing suit with our partner union today to protect the integrity of the American people’s government,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley. “Together, we can stop the efforts to fire hundreds of thousands of experienced, hard-working Americans who have dedicated their careers to serving their country and prevent these career civil servants from being replaced with unqualified political flunkies loyal to the president, but not the law or Constitution.”

“Schedule F is a shameless attempt to politicize the federal workforce by replacing thousands of dedicated, qualified civil servants with political cronies,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “Our union was born in the fight for a professional, non-partisan civil service, and our communities will pay the price if these anti-union extremists are allowed to undo decades of progress by stripping these workers of their freedoms. Together, we are fighting back.”

“In just the nine days since Trump took office, his administration has repeatedly demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law in service of its political objectives. Its efforts to politicize the non-partisan, independent federal employees who protect our national and domestic security, ensure our food and medications are safe, deliver essential services to people and communities everywhere, and much more is simply and clearly illegal,” said Democracy Forward President & CEO Skye Perryman. “Democracy Forward will continue to meet the Trump administration with legal challenges when it chooses to break the law and harm people and communities.”

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The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 800,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Michigan City Man Sentenced to 58 Months in Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SOUTH BEND – Andre Anderson-Dawson, 41 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

Anderson-Dawson was sentenced to 58 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to case documents, in December 2019, Anderson-Dawson violated a protective order while armed with a stolen firearm. Police recovered the 9-millimeter firearm. Anderson-Dawson, previously convicted of a felony, was prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case. He pled guilty to the federal charge in October 2023, but while on releasee pending sentencing, was allegedly involved in conduct resulting in 3 state court felony domestic battery charges.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Michigan City Police Department and the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.

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

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Plum Resident with More Than a Dozen Felony Convictions Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Multitude of Drugs and Possessing Firearm

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Plum, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to violations of federal drug trafficking and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Solomon Givens, 55, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture of para-fluorofentanyl and fentanyl, 100 grams or more of para-fluorofentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine. Givens also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on October 12, 2021, members of the DEA and Allegheny County District Attorney Narcotics Enforcement Team (DANET) executed a search warrant on an apartment used by Givens, who has 13 prior felony convictions. During the search, investigators recovered 1.5 kilograms of a mixture of para-fluorofentanyl and fentanyl, 399 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, 770 grams of methamphetamine, 746 grams of cocaine, 71 grams of crack cocaine, and drug packaging materials. Investigators also recovered eight firearms from the residence. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the court ordered that the defendant remain in custody.

Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Allegheny County DANET unit conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Givens.

MIL Security OSI –

January 30, 2025

Category: Natural Disasters

Scaling up essential services

Danger underfoot

Rubble removal

Deteriorating situation in West Bank

Sustained humanitarian access

In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin listed the critical programs—VAWA funding, veterans’ support, early education programs—that were thrown into chaos by the OMB memo that put ahold on federal funding

What is genetic diversity and why does it matter?

Action 1: Adding individuals

Action 2: Population control

Action 3: Restoration

Action 4: Control of other species

Action 5: Conservation introductions and reintroductions

What can you do?

The Australian context

Democracy under stress

Reimagining Australian democracy