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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: Work has begun to expand the overpass on the Adler bypass

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Marat Khusnullin: Work has begun to expand the overpass on the Adler bypass

    January 29, 2025

    Marat Khusnullin: Work has begun to expand the overpass on the Adler bypass

    January 29, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Marat Khusnullin: Work has begun to expand the overpass on the Adler bypass

    A developed road network is the most important factor in the sustainable socio-economic growth of the country. In this regard, large-scale infrastructure projects are being implemented, including the construction of the Adler bypass. It will be part of the prospective highway from the federal highway M-4 “Don” to the city of Sochi. Currently, builders have begun to expand the dimensions of the existing overpass at the 6th km of the A-149 Adler – Krasnaya Polyana road, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.

    “The megaproject for the construction of the M-4 Don-Sochi highway will give a powerful impetus to the development of the economy of the southern regions of Russia and will help to significantly improve the transport situation on the Black Sea coast. We will implement it in stages. And among the priority sections is the Adler bypass, about 10 km long. The road will connect the village of Kudepsta and the village of Vysokoye. The construction of the new section will increase the tourist potential of this direction, reduce travel time to the Sochi airport and Krasnaya Polyana, ensure the withdrawal of transit transport from the resort area of Adler and improve the environmental situation of the coastal territory. As part of this project, the overpass at the 6th km of the A-149 Adler-Krasnaya Polyana highway is being reconstructed. By now, work has begun to increase its dimensions. The artificial structure and its approaches will be expanded to two traffic lanes, one in the forward and reverse directions. We plan to put the overpass into operation before the start of the resort season, so that this summer Sochi residents and its guests will have the opportunity to travel along it in both directions, both towards Adler and towards Krasnaya Polyana,” said Marat Khusnullin.

    The reconstruction of the overpass started in November last year. Before its expansion, a large complex of works was completed. In particular, specialists removed the fencing elements, noise protection screens, layers of the bridge deck from the existing bridge structure, dismantled the utility networks and side consoles of the overpass.

    According to the Chairman of the Board of the state company Avtodor, Vyacheslav Petushenko, work at the site is currently being carried out in two shifts.

    “These days, the builders are using powerful jacks to lift the overpass sections by several centimeters and transfer them to temporary supports, the so-called bridge structures, erected earlier. Then, new metal consoles will be mounted on both sides of the overpass to expand the overpass dimensions. In total, 95 people and 15 units of equipment are involved in the work. Upon completion, the builders will be able to begin preparing and assembling tunnel boring machines at the construction site to begin tunneling the Adler bypass,” Vyacheslav Petushenko noted.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Blue Foundry Bancorp Reports Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RUTHERFORD, N.J., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Foundry Bancorp (NASDAQ:BLFY) (the “Company”), the holding company for Blue Foundry Bank (the “Bank”), reported a net loss of $11.9 million, or $0.55 per diluted common share, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to a net loss of $7.4 million, or $0.31 per diluted common share for the year ended December 31, 2023.

    The Company reported a net loss of $2.7 million, or $0.13 per diluted common share, for the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to a net loss of $4.0 million, or $0.19 per diluted common share for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and a net loss of $2.9 million, or $0.13 per diluted common share for the three months ended December 31, 2023.

    James D. Nesci, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are very pleased with both the deposit and loan growth achieved in the fourth quarter and look to carry this positive momentum into 2025.”

    Mr. Nesci also noted, “Credit quality remained strong and we continue to experience very low charge-offs. Our allowance to credit losses to total loans is 83 basis points and covers non-performing loans by over 2.5 times.”

    Highlights for the fourth quarter of 2024:

    • Loans totaled $1.58 billion, an increase of $32.5 million from the prior quarter end.
    • Deposits increased $24.7 million to $1.34 billion compared to the prior quarter.
    • Uninsured deposits to third-party customers totaled approximately 11% of total deposits at December 31, 2024.
    • Interest income for the quarter was $21.8 million, an increase of $253 thousand, or 1.2%, compared to the prior quarter.
    • Interest expense for the quarter was $12.3 million, a decrease of $133 thousand, or 1.1%, compared to the prior quarter.
    • Net interest margin increased seven basis points from the prior quarter to 1.89%.
    • The release of provision for credit losses of $301 thousand was primarily due to the decrease in unused lines of credit and releases of provision for loans of $37 thousand and for securities of $24 thousand.
    • Tangible book value per share was $14.74. See the “Supplemental Information – Non-GAAP Financial Measures” tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measures.
    • 480,851 shares were repurchased under our share repurchase plans at a weighted average share price of $10.49 per share.
    • Credit metrics remained favorable with non-performing loans to total loans of 0.33%.

    Loans

    The Company continues to diversify its lending portfolio by focusing on growing the higher-yielding commercial portfolio. Gross loans increased $22.8 million during 2024 with increases in commercial real estate loans, construction loans, consumer and other loans, commercial and industrial loans and junior liens of $27.1 million, $25.1 million, $7.2 million, $4.5 million and $2.9 million, respectively, offset in part by reductions in the residential portfolio of $32.7 million and multifamily portfolio of $11.4 million.

    The details of the loan portfolio are below:

        December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   June 30,
    2024    		   March 31,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023
        (Unaudited)   (Audited)
        (In thousands)
    Residential   $ 518,243   $ 516,754   $ 526,453   $ 540,427   $ 550,929
    Multifamily     671,116     666,304     671,185     671,011     682,564
    Commercial real estate     259,633     241,711     241,867     244,207     232,505
    Construction and land     85,546     80,081     71,882     63,052     60,414
    Junior liens     25,422     24,174     23,653     22,052     22,503
    Commercial and industrial     16,311     14,228     12,261     13,372     11,768
    Consumer and other     7,211     7,731     83     56     47
    Total loans     1,583,482     1,550,983     1,547,384     1,554,177     1,560,730
    Allowance for credit losses on loans     12,965     13,012     13,027     13,749     14,154
    Loans receivable, net   $ 1,570,517   $ 1,537,971   $ 1,534,357   $ 1,540,428   $ 1,546,576


    Deposits

    At December 31, 2024, total deposits were $1.34 billion, an increase of $98.4 million or 7.91% from December 31, 2023, mostly due to the increases of $110.7 million and $8.4 million in time deposits and NOW and demand accounts, partially offset by decreases in savings and non-interest bearing deposits of $19.0 million and $1.7 million, respectively. The Company’s strategy is to focus on attracting the full banking relationship of small- to medium-sized businesses through an extensive suite of deposit products. While there is strong competition for deposits in the northern New Jersey market, we were able to increase customer deposits by $78.0 million, or 7.0%, during the year. Brokered deposits increased $30.0 million since year end 2023.

    The details of deposits are below:

        December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   June 30,
    2024    		   March 31,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023
        (Unaudited)   (Audited)
        (In thousands)
    Non-interest bearing deposits   $ 26,001   $ 22,254   $ 24,733   $ 25,342   $ 27,739
    NOW and demand accounts     369,554     357,503     368,386     373,172     361,139
    Savings     240,426     237,651     246,559     250,298     259,402
    Core deposits     635,981     617,408     639,678     648,812     648,280
    Time deposits     707,339     701,262     671,478     642,372     596,624
    Total deposits   $ 1,343,320   $ 1,318,670   $ 1,311,156   $ 1,291,184   $ 1,244,904


    Financial Performance Overview:            

    Fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2024

    Net interest income compared to the third quarter of 2024:

    • Net interest income was $9.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to $9.1 million for the third quarter of 2024, an increase of $386 thousand.
    • Net interest margin increased by seven basis points to 1.89%.
    • The yield on average interest-earning assets increased five basis points to 4.37%, while the cost of average interest-bearing liabilities decreased six basis points to 2.97% due to a decrease in rates paid on time deposits.
    • Average interest-earning assets increased by $10.1 million and average interest-bearing liabilities increased by $15.4 million.

    Non-interest income compared to the third quarter of 2024:

    • Non-interest income increased $33 thousand primarily due to increase in fees and service charges.

    Non-interest expense compared to the third quarter of 2024:

    • Non-interest expense decreased $386 thousand primarily driven by decreases of $363 thousand in compensation and benefits expenses, $76 thousand in professional fees and $36 thousand in occupancy and equipment, partially offset by an increase in data processing expense of $102 thousand.

    Income tax expense compared to the third quarter of 2024:

    • The Company did not record a tax benefit for the losses incurred during the third or fourth quarter of 2024 due to the full valuation allowance required on its deferred tax assets.
    • The Company’s current tax position reflects the full valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets. At December 31, 2024, the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets was $25.1 million.

    Fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023

    Net interest income compared to the fourth quarter of 2023:

    • Net interest income was $9.5 million, an increase of $277 thousand.
    • Net interest margin increased five basis point to 1.89%.
    • Yield on average interest-earning assets increased 31 basis points to 4.37%.
    • Cost of average interest-bearing deposits increased 38 basis points to 2.90%, reflecting the competitive rate environment in our primary market.
    • Average loans increased by $7.5 million and average interest-bearing deposits increased by $94.2 million.

    Non-interest income compared to the fourth quarter of 2023:

    • Non-interest income decreased $152 thousand, or 26.57%. The prior year period included gains on sales of loans and securities that were not present in the current period. In addition, there was a decline in fees and service charges from the prior period.

    Non-interest expense compared to the fourth quarter of 2023:

    • Non-interest expense was $12.9 million, an increase of $338 thousand driven by increases in professional services expense, compensation and benefit costs and occupancy and equipment expense of $106 thousand, $56 thousand and $54 thousand, respectively, partially offset by a decrease in advertising expense of $39 thousand. In addition, other expense increased $131 thousand when compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 due in part to increases in business development and postage expenses.

    Income tax expense compared to the fourth quarter of 2023:

    • The Company did not record a tax benefit for the loss incurred during the fourth quarter of 2024 or 2023 due to the full valuation allowance required on its deferred tax assets.
    • The Company’s current tax position reflects the full valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets. At December 31, 2024, the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets was $25.1 million.

    Year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023

    Net interest income compared to the year ended December 31, 2023:

    • Net interest income was $37.6 million, a decrease of $4.4 million.
    • Net interest margin decreased by 19 basis points to 1.90%.
    • Yield on average interest-earning assets increased 38 basis points to 4.32%.
    • Cost of average interest-bearing deposits increased 92 basis points to 2.89%, due to an increase in higher-cost time deposits and the competitive rate environment in our primary market.
    • Average loans decreased by $16.4 million and average interest-bearing deposits increased by $52.6 million.

    Non-interest income compared to the year ended December 31, 2023:

    • Non-interest income decreased $11 thousand, or 0.61%, largely due to the lack of gain on sale of loans and securities, offset in part by a gain on sale of an REO property in 2024.

    Non-interest expense compared to the year ended December 31, 2023:

    • Non-interest expense was $52.6 million, an increase of $1.0 million, primarily driven by increases in compensation and benefits of $994 thousand, occupancy and equipment of $528 thousand and FDIC premiums of $56 thousand, offset in part by decreases in data processing expense and professional services of $471 thousand and $118 thousand, respectively.

    Income tax expense compared to the year ended December 31, 2023:

    • The Company did not record a tax benefit for the loss incurred during 2024 or 2023 due to the full valuation allowance required on its deferred tax assets.
    • The Company’s current tax position reflects the previously established full valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets. At December 31, 2024, the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets was $25.1 million.

    Balance Sheet Summary:

    December 31, 2024 compared to December 31, 2023

    Securities available-for-sale:

    • Securities available-for-sale increased $13.3 million to $297.0 million due to purchases and a $3.3 million improvement in the unrealized loss position on the portfolio, partially offset by amortization, maturities and calls during the year.

    Other investments:

    • Other investments decreased during 2024 by $2.6 million due to a decrease in FHLB stock as a result of a reduction in FHLB borrowings.

    Total loans:

    • Gross loans held for investment increased $22.8 million to $1.58 billion.
    • Commercial real estate loans increased $27.1 million, construction loans increased $25.1 million, consumer and other category increased $7.2 million and commercial and industrial loans increased $4.5 million, while residential and multifamily loans decreased $32.7 million and $11.4 million, respectively.
    • Loan fundings totaled $108.4 million, including fundings of $35.7 million in commercial real estate loans, $33.7 million in construction loans, $12.2 million in multifamily loans and $11.2 million in commercial and industrial loans. In addition, the Company purchased $21.6 million of conforming residential mortgages in New Jersey and participated in a consumer loan participation of $8.0 million during the year.

    Deposits:

    • Deposits totaled $1.34 billion, an increase of $98.4 million since December 31, 2023, largely the result of increases in customer deposits.
    • Core deposits (defined as non-interest bearing checking, NOW and demand accounts and savings accounts) represented 47.3% of total deposits compared to 48.8% at December 31, 2023, as time deposits increased $110.7 million.
    • The increase in time deposits include $30.0 million in brokered deposits, bringing our total brokered deposit balance to $155.0 million at December 31, 2024.
    • Uninsured and uncollateralized deposits to third-party customers were $147.6 million, or 11% of total deposits, at the end of the fourth quarter.

    Borrowings:

    • FHLB borrowings decreased by $58.0 million to $339.5 million as we were able to pay off short-term borrowings with deposit growth that outpaced asset growth.
    • As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $270.6 million of additional borrowing capacity at the FHLB, $107.7 million in secured lines of credit at the Federal Reserve Bank and $30.0 million of other unsecured lines of credit.

    Capital:

    • Shareholders’ equity decreased by $23.4 million to $332.2 million. The decrease was primarily driven by the repurchase of shares at a cost of $19.4 million. Additionally, the year-to-date loss, partially offset by favorable changes in accumulated other comprehensive income, also contributed to the decrease.
    • Tangible equity to tangible assets was 16.11% and 17.37% at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    • Tangible common equity per share outstanding was $14.74 at December 31, 2024 and $14.49 at December 31, 2023.
    • The Bank’s capital ratios remain above the FDIC’s “well capitalized” standards.

    Asset quality:

    • The allowance for credit losses on loans represented 0.83% of total loans at December 31, 2024 compared to 0.91% at December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses on loans was 254.02% of non-performing loans compared to 239.98% at December 31, 2023.
    • The Company recorded a release of provision for credit losses of $301 thousand for the fourth quarter of 2024 and a release of provision for credit losses of $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. For the fourth quarter of 2024, there was a release of provision of $240 thousand, $37 thousand and $24 thousand in the ACL for off-balance-sheet commitments, loans and held-to-maturity securities, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2024, there was a release of $1.1 million in the ACL for loans, $146 thousand in the ACL for off-balance-sheet commitments and $60 thousand in the ACL for held-to-maturity securities. The release was driven by the impact of the economic forecasts for the key drivers of our loan segments as well as a decrease in off-balance-sheet commitments.
    • Non-performing loans totaled $5.1 million, or 0.33% of total loans at December 31, 2024 compared to $5.9 million, or 0.38% of total loans at December 31, 2023.
    • Net charge-offs were $10 thousand and $46 thousand for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively.

    About Blue Foundry

    Blue Foundry Bancorp is the holding company for Blue Foundry Bank, a place where things are made, purpose is formed, and ideas are crafted. Headquartered in Rutherford NJ, with a presence in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties, Blue Foundry Bank is a full-service, innovative bank serving the doers, movers, and shakers in our communities. We offer individuals and businesses alike the tailored products and services they need to build their futures. With a rich history dating back more than 145 years, Blue Foundry Bank has a longstanding commitment to its customers and communities. To learn more about Blue Foundry Bank visit BlueFoundryBank.com or call (888) 931-BLUE. Member FDIC.

    Conference Call Information

    A conference call discussing Blue Foundry’s fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024 financial results will be held today, Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. (EST). To listen to the live call, please dial 1-833-470-1428 (toll free) or +1-404-975-4839 (international) and use access code 168429. Participants are encouraged to preregister to listen via webcast at https://events/q4inc.com/attendee/980680589. The conference call will be recorded and will be available on the Company’s website for one month.

    Contact:

    James D. Nesci
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    jnesci@bluefoundrybank.com
    201-972-8900

    Forward Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained herein are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which are based on certain current assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “plan,” “potential,” “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “target” and similar expressions.

    Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: inflation and changes in the interest rate environment that reduce our margins and yields, the fair value of financial instruments or our level of loan originations, or increase in the level of defaults, losses and prepayments on loans we have made and make; general economic conditions, either nationally or in our market areas, that are worse than expected; changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses; our ability to access cost-effective funding; fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions; demand for loans and deposits in our market area; our ability to implement and change our business strategies; competition among depository and other financial institutions; adverse changes in the securities or secondary mortgage markets; changes in laws or government regulations or policies affecting financial institutions, including changes in regulatory fees, capital requirements and insurance premiums; changes in monetary or fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board; changes in the quality or composition of our loan or investment portfolios; technological changes that may be more difficult or expensive than expected; a failure or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, including cyber-attacks; the inability of third party providers to perform as expected; our ability to manage market risk, credit risk and operational risk in the current economic environment; our ability to enter new markets successfully and capitalize on growth opportunities; our ability to successfully integrate into our operations any assets, liabilities, customers, systems and management personnel we may acquire and our ability to realize related revenue synergies and cost savings within expected time frames and any goodwill charges related there to; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the bank regulatory agencies, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; our ability to retain key employees; the current or anticipated impact of military conflict, terrorism or other geopolitical events; the ability of the U.S. Government to manage federal debt limits; and changes in the financial condition, results of operations or future prospects of issuers of securities that we own.

    Because of these and other uncertainties, our actual future results may be materially different from the results indicated by these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, we do not undertake, and we specifically disclaim any obligation, to release publicly the results of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

    BLUE FOUNDRY BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
     
        December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023
        (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Audited)
        (In thousands)
    ASSETS            
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 42,502   $ 76,109   $ 46,025
    Securities available for sale, at fair value     297,028     290,806     283,766
    Securities held to maturity     33,076     33,119     33,254
    Other investments     17,791     18,203     20,346
    Loans, net     1,570,517     1,537,971     1,546,576
    Real estate owned, net     —     —     593
    Interest and dividends receivable     8,014     8,386     7,595
    Premises and equipment, net     29,486     30,161     32,475
    Right-of-use assets     23,470     24,190     25,172
    Bank owned life insurance     22,519     22,399     22,034
    Other assets     16,280     13,749     27,127
    Total assets   $ 2,060,683   $ 2,055,093   $ 2,044,963
                 
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY            
    Liabilities            
    Deposits   $ 1,343,320   $ 1,318,670   $ 1,244,904
    Advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank     339,500     348,500     397,500
    Advances by borrowers for taxes and insurance     9,356     9,909     8,929
    Lease liabilities     25,168     25,870     26,777
    Other liabilities     11,141     12,845     11,213
    Total liabilities     1,728,485     1,715,794     1,689,323
    Shareholders’ equity     332,198     339,299     355,640
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,060,683   $ 2,055,093   $ 2,044,963
    BLUE FOUNDRY BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (Dollars in thousands except per share data)
     
        Three months ended   Year Ended December 31,
        December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023    		     2024       2023  
        (unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Audited)
    Interest income:                    
    Loans   $ 17,777     $ 17,646     $ 16,907     $ 70,185     $ 65,685  
    Taxable investment income     3,972       3,850       3,327       15,122       12,990  
    Non-taxable investment income     36       36       101       144       430  
    Total interest income     21,785       21,532       20,335       85,451       79,105  
    Interest expense:                    
    Deposits     9,573       9,712       7,755       36,830       24,116  
    Borrowed funds     2,739       2,733       3,384       11,071       13,070  
    Total interest expense     12,312       12,445       11,139       47,901       37,186  
    Net interest income     9,473       9,087       9,196       37,550       41,919  
    (Release of ) provision for credit losses     (301 )     248       156       (1,350 )     (441 )
    Net interest income after (release of ) provision for credit losses     9,774       8,839       9,040       38,900       42,360  
    Non-interest income:                    
    Fees and service charges     306       272       331       1,203       1,164  
    Gain on securities, net     —       —       20       —       20  
    Gain on sale of loans     —       —       72       36       231  
    Other income     114       115       149       555       390  
    Total non-interest income     420       387       572       1,794       1,805  
    Non-interest expense:                    
    Compensation and benefits     6,943       7,306       6,887       29,433       28,439  
    Occupancy and equipment     2,194       2,230       2,140       8,878       8,350  
    Data processing     1,514       1,412       1,510       5,648       6,119  
    Advertising     81       87       120       292       354  
    Professional services     737       813       631       2,903       3,021  
    Federal deposit insurance premiums     226       236       200       855       799  
    Other expense     1,186       1,183       1,055       4,596       4,480  
    Total non-interest expenses     12,881       13,267       12,543       52,605       51,562  
    Loss before income tax expense     (2,687 )     (4,041 )     (2,931 )     (11,911 )     (7,397 )
    Income tax expense     —       —       —       —       —  
    Net loss   $ (2,687 )   $ (4,041 )   $ (2,931 )   $ (11,911 )   $ (7,397 )
    Basic loss per share   $ (0.13 )   $ (0.19 )   $ (0.13 )   $ (0.55 )   $ (0.31 )
    Diluted loss per share   $ (0.13 )   $ (0.19 )   $ (0.13 )   $ (0.55 )   $ (0.31 )
    Weighted average shares outstanding-basic     20,826,845       21,263,482       22,845,252       21,477,429       23,925,724  
    Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted     20,826,845       21,263,482       22,845,252       21,477,429       23,925,724  
    BLUE FOUNDRY BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    Consolidated Financial Highlights
    (Dollars in thousands except for share data) (Unaudited)
     
        Three months ended
        December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   June 30,
    2024    		   March 31,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023
    Performance Ratios (%)                    
    Loss on average assets     (0.52 )     (0.79 )     (0.47 )     (0.56 )     (0.57 )
    Loss on average equity     (3.17 )     (4.68 )     (2.71 )     (3.23 )     (3.25 )
    Interest rate spread (1)     1.40       1.29       1.43       1.40       1.33  
    Net interest margin (2)     1.89       1.82       1.96       1.92       1.84  
    Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) (3)     130.20       140.04       130.73       134.19       128.41  
    Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities     120.84       121.37       122.28       122.50       122.93  
    Tangible equity to tangible assets (4)     16.11       16.50       16.88       17.25       17.37  
    Book value per share (5)   $ 14.75     $ 14.76     $ 14.70     $ 14.61     $ 14.51  
    Tangible book value per share (5)   $ 14.74     $ 14.74     $ 14.69     $ 14.60     $ 14.49  
                         
    Asset Quality                    
    Non-performing loans   $ 5,104     $ 5,146     $ 6,208     $ 6,691     $ 5,898  
    Real estate owned, net     —       —       —       593       593  
    Non-performing assets   $ 5,104     $ 5,146     $ 6,208     $ 7,284     $ 6,491  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans (%)     0.83       0.84       0.84       0.88       0.91  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans to non-performing loans (%)     254.02       252.86       209.84       205.48       239.98  
    Non-performing loans to total loans (%)     0.33       0.33       0.40       0.43       0.38  
    Non-performing assets to total assets (%)     0.25       0.25       0.30       0.36       0.32  
    Net charge-offs to average outstanding loans during the period (%)     —       —       —       —       —  

    (1) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
    (2) Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.
    (3) Efficiency ratio represents adjusted non-interest expense divided by the sum of net interest income plus non-interest income.
    (4) Tangible equity equals $332.0 million, which excludes intangible assets ($244 thousand of capitalized software). Tangible assets equal $2.06 billion and exclude intangible assets.
    (5) Per share metrics are computed using 22,522,626 total shares outstanding.

    BLUE FOUNDRY BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    Analysis of Net Interest Income
    (Unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended
        December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
        Average Balance   Interest   Average
    Yield/Cost    		   Average Balance   Interest   Average
    Yield/Cost    		   Average Balance   Interest   Average
    Yield/Cost
        (Dollars in thousands)
    Assets:                                    
    Loans (1)   $ 1,557,342   $ 17,777   4.57 %   $ 1,548,962   $ 17,646   4.53 %   $ 1,564,800   $ 16,907   4.29 %
    Mortgage-backed securities     185,382     1,254   2.71 %     181,596     1,186   2.60 %     165,471     904   2.17 %
    Other investment securities     164,392     1,573   3.83 %     173,008     1,527   3.51 %     190,507     1,486   3.09 %
    FHLB stock     17,153     411   9.58 %     17,666     406   9.15 %     20,970     477   9.02 %
    Cash and cash equivalents     68,536     770   4.50 %     61,507     767   4.96 %     45,895     561   4.85 %
    Total interest-bearing assets     1,992,805     21,785   4.37 %     1,982,739     21,532   4.32 %     1,987,643     20,335   4.06 %
    Non-interest earning assets     61,586             61,787             54,918        
    Total assets   $ 2,054,391           $ 2,044,526           $ 2,042,561        
    Liabilities and shareholders’ equity:                                    
    NOW, savings, and money market deposits   $ 614,623     1,988   1.29 %   $ 598,048     1,925   1.28 %   $ 634,257     1,989   1.24 %
    Time deposits     698,801     7,585   4.32 %     688,570     7,787   4.50 %     584,977     5,766   3.91 %
    Interest-bearing deposits     1,313,424     9,573   2.90 %     1,286,618     9,712   3.00 %     1,219,234     7,755   2.52 %
    FHLB advances     335,686     2,739   3.26 %     347,076     2,733   3.13 %     397,643     3,384   3.38 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,649,110     12,312   2.97 %     1,633,694     12,445   3.03 %     1,616,877     11,139   2.73 %
    Non-interest bearing deposits     24,945             23,421             26,629        
    Non-interest bearing other     43,016             43,713             41,780        
    Total liabilities     1,717,071             1,700,828             1,685,286        
    Total shareholders’ equity     337,320             343,698             357,275        
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,054,391           $ 2,044,526           $ 2,042,561        
    Net interest income       $ 9,473           $ 9,087           $ 9,196    
    Net interest rate spread (2)           1.40 %           1.29 %           1.33 %
    Net interest margin (3)           1.89 %           1.82 %           1.84 %

    (1) Average loan balances are net of deferred loan fees and costs, and premiums and discounts, and include non-accrual loans.
    (2) Net interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
    (3) Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

    BLUE FOUNDRY BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    Analysis of Net Interest Income continued
    (Unaudited)
     
        Year Ended December 31,
          2024       2023  
        Average Balance   Interest   Average
    Yield/Cost    		   Average Balance   Interest   Average
    Yield/Cost
        (Dollar in thousands)
    Assets:                        
    Loans (1)   $ 1,553,143   $ 70,185   4.52 %   $ 1,569,590   $ 65,685   4.18 %
    Mortgage-backed securities     173,691     4,276   2.46 %     172,405     3,693   2.14 %
    Other investment securities     174,172     6,440   3.70 %     195,754     6,010   3.07 %
    FHLB stock     18,038     1,756   9.73 %     21,249     1,582   7.45 %
    Cash and cash equivalents     58,261     2,794   4.80 %     46,245     2,135   4.62 %
    Total interest-bearing assets     1,977,305     85,451   4.32 %     2,005,243     79,105   3.94 %
    Non-interest earning assets     59,832             56,297        
    Total assets   $ 2,037,137           $ 2,061,540        
    Liabilities and shareholders’ equity:                        
    NOW, savings, and money market deposits   $ 610,172     7,803   1.28 %   $ 722,149     8,339   1.15 %
    Time deposits     665,740     29,027   4.36 %     501,124     15,777   3.15 %
    Interest-bearing deposits     1,275,912     36,830   2.89 %     1,223,273     24,116   1.97 %
    FHLB advances     348,306     11,071   3.18 %     396,265     13,070   3.30 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,624,218     47,901   2.95 %     1,619,538     37,186   2.30 %
    Non-interest bearing deposits     24,980             25,227        
    Non-interest bearing other     42,345             43,868        
    Total liabilities     1,691,543             1,688,633        
    Total shareholders’ equity     345,594             372,907        
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,037,137           $ 2,061,540        
    Net interest income       $ 37,550           $ 41,919    
    Net interest rate spread (2)           1.37 %           1.64 %
    Net interest margin (3)           1.90 %           2.09 %

    (1) Average loan balances are net of deferred loan fees and costs, and premiums and discounts, and include non-accrual loans.
    (2) Net interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
    (3) Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

    BLUE FOUNDRY BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    Adjusted Pre-Provision Net Loss (Non-GAAP)
    (Dollars in thousands except per share data) (Unaudited)

    This press release contains certain supplemental financial information, described in the table below, which has been determined by methods other than U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) that management uses in its analysis of Blue Foundry’s performance. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide information useful to investors in understanding Blue Foundry’s financial results. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered a substitute for GAAP basis measures and results and Blue Foundry strongly encourages investors to review its consolidated financial statements in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure. Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies’ non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names.

    Net loss, as presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, includes the provision for credit losses and income tax expense while pre-provision net loss does not.

        Three months ended
        December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   June 30,
    2024    		   March 31,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023
    Pre-provision net loss and efficiency ratio, as adjusted:                
    Net interest income   $ 9,473     $ 9,087     $ 9,573     $ 9,417     $ 9,196  
    Other income     420       387       536       451       572  
          9,893       9,474       10,109       9,868       9,768  
    Operating expenses, as reported     12,881       13,267       13,215       13,242       12,543  
    Pre-provision net loss, as adjusted   $ (2,988 )   $ (3,793 )   $ (3,106 )   $ (3,374 )   $ (2,775 )
    Efficiency ratio     130.2 %     140.0 %     130.7 %     134.2 %     128.4 %
                         
    Core deposits:                    
    Total deposits   $ 1,343,320     $ 1,318,670     $ 1,311,156     $ 1,291,184     $ 1,244,904  
    Less: time deposits     707,339       701,262       671,478       642,372       596,624  
    Core deposits   $ 635,981     $ 617,408     $ 639,678     $ 648,812     $ 648,280  
    Core deposits to total deposits     47.3 %     46.8 %     48.8 %     50.2 %     52.1 %
                         
    Total assets   $ 2,060,683     $ 2,055,093     $ 2,045,452     $ 2,027,787     $ 2,044,963  
    Less: intangible assets     244       300       386       473       557  
    Tangible assets   $ 2,060,439     $ 2,054,793     $ 2,045,066     $ 2,027,314     $ 2,044,406  
                         
    Tangible equity:                    
    Shareholders’ equity   $ 332,198     $ 339,299     $ 345,597     $ 350,156     $ 355,640  
    Less: intangible assets     244       300       386       473       557  
    Tangible equity   $ 331,954     $ 338,999     $ 345,211     $ 349,683     $ 355,083  
                         
    Tangible equity to tangible assets     16.11 %     16.50 %     16.88 %     17.25 %     17.37 %
                         
    Tangible book value per share:                    
    Tangible equity   $ 331,954     $ 338,999     $ 345,211     $ 349,683     $ 355,083  
    Shares outstanding     22,522,626       22,990,908       23,505,357       23,958,888       24,509,950  
    Tangible book value per share   $ 14.74     $ 14.74     $ 14.69     $ 14.60     $ 14.49  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Expansion of London Airport ‘a disaster for future generations’

    Source: Scottish Greens

    29 Jan 2025 Climate Transport

    Scottish Greens condemn Heathrow Airport expansion plans

    More in Climate

    The Scottish Greens have slammed the Chancellor’s decision to extend Heathrow airport, with Transport spokesperson Mark Ruskell calling the expansion “a disaster for future generations.”

    Rachel Reeves announced her support for a third runway at Heathrow in a speech in Oxfordshire on Wednesday morning. In it, she pushed the concept of funding economic growth by handing billionaire private companies government funding to increase their profits.

    The expansion has previously been opposed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Secretary of State for Climate Change, Ed Miliband.

    Estimates from Heathrow Airport in 2018 speculated that the cost of a third runway would be over £14bn, with inflation now likely increasing that figure even further.

    Scottish Greens Transport spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP said:

    “This is yet another climate-wrecking decision from a Labour government that is determined to fund so-called ‘economic growth’ by pouring billions of taxpayers money into the pockets of private companies.

    “A third runway will be a disaster for future generations; increasing carbon emissions at this crucial time for our planet’s future is nothing but climate vandalism. Transport emissions across the UK are still far too high; we need to invest in reducing them through cheap and efficient public transport.

    “Instead of forcing an unnecessary new runway, we could connect cities across the UK with cheap and effective high-speed rail, cutting the cost of commutes and our national carbon emissions, whilst also funding regional-rail expansion, restoring rail connectivity to communities across Scotland.

    “Scotland desperately needs investment in new transport initiatives to make commuting cheaper and more efficient. That must come from every level of government, but that won’t happen whilst billions are poured into the pockets of London Airport executives.

    “It’s time for real change in Scotland, not more of the same from Starmer and Reeves.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Teeside Airport Boosted with £173m Government Defence Investment

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A £173 million Ministry of Defence training contract with British business Draken will boost Teesside International Airport and support jobs across Teesside, Bournemouth and the Midlands – delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.

    A £173 million Ministry of Defence training contract with British business Draken will boost Teesside International Airport and support jobs across Teesside, Bournemouth and the Midlands – delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.

    In addition to strengthening our national security, the deal will maintain vital infrastructure in the North East and support more than 200 UK jobs. The new contract will deliver Armed Forces training for responding to a range of threats – including air-to-air combat, electronic warfare and missile attacks.

    Using a fleet of aircraft, Draken will simulate threats for UK personnel, including:

    • Air-to-air combat.
    • Missile attacks.
    • Attacks on ships from aircraft.

    Defence Minister Maria Eagle announced the deal today on a visit to Teesside International Airport. The Minister spoke with staff and apprentices, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to boosting national security and economic growth.

    The project will help deliver the government’s Plan for Change by strengthening national security and supporting the mission to kickstart economic growth. It also follows the launch of the Defence Industrial Strategy, which will ensure the defence sector is an engine for growth in every region and nation of the UK.

    Through live exercises with UK personnel over the North Sea, Draken private pilots will replicate the tactics and techniques of a range of adversaries.

    Using the latest electronic warfare technology, Draken will also train Royal Naval personnel to protect Carrier Strike Group assets from air and missile attacks and train Army personnel to quickly receive reconnaissance and intelligence information on enemy forces from the air.

    Altogether, this training will ensure that our Armed Forces receive demanding and realistic training, meeting NATO standards.

    Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, said:

    This investment will deliver world-class training for our Armed Forces and boost British business, jobs and national security.

    In line with our Plan for Change and upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, this deal with Draken will support 200 UK jobs and ensure the future of Teesside International Airport.

    We are showing defence can be an engine for growth, in every region and nation.

    To deliver the training, Draken will use 14 Dassault Falcon 20, one Diamond DA42 and eight L-159E ‘Honey Badger’ fighter jets based at Teesside and Bournemouth. Draken will enrol a minimum of 12 apprentices at both sites.

    Air Officer Commanding 1 Group, Air Vice Marshal Mark Flewin said:

    Our partnership with Draken is of fundamental importance as we continue to train and prepare all of our front-line forces to meet emerging threats across the globe.

    The training delivered to date, simulating adversary threats while also allowing us to train in a representative and contested electro-magnetic environment, has never been more important to ensure the Royal Air Force is ready and able to support NATO and meet the threats of tomorrow.

    The contract will allow us to continue to evolve the high-end training available for all of our front-line forces, as we look to out-compete our potential adversaries.

    Nic Anderson, CEO at Draken, said:

    We are proud to continue serving the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy and the Army through the Interim Medium Speed Operational Readiness Training Services.

    Our purpose is to provide leading edge operational training to help the warfighter to be ready to fight and win. Through this ground-breaking contract we will continually innovate to improve their training experience. 

    Thank you to the whole Draken team who work relentlessly to support our customers, it is the high performance that the Draken team delivers every day that has enabled this contract win.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune discussed bilateral cooperation

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Patrushev held talks with President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune as part of a working visit. Dmitry Patrushev conveyed best wishes from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the head of state.

    “We highly value the strategic nature of relations between our countries. This is evidenced, among other things, by the closeness of positions on most points of the international and regional agenda. And we are determined to maintain close coordination between our countries,” said Dmitry Patrushev.

    At the meeting, issues of cooperation in the financial and banking sectors, industry, energy and agriculture were discussed.

    As part of the working visit, a meeting of the Mixed Intergovernmental Russian-Algerian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation will also be held.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Myanmar on the brink as conflict fuels hunger

    Source: World Food Programme

    YANGON – Hunger has reached alarming levels in Myanmar with the situation set to worsen in 2025, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today. A staggering 15 million people are expected to face hunger in 2025, up from 13.3 million last year.

    Those living in active conflict areas, particularly in Chin, Kachin and Rakhine states, as well as Sagaing Region, are experiencing the highest levels of food insecurity in the country.  Almost 20 million people – 1 in 3 – will need humanitarian assistance this year, according to the Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.

    “Growing conflict across the country, access restrictions, a crumbling economy and successive weather-related crises are driving record levels of hunger,” said Michael Dunford, WFP’s Representative and Country Director. 

    More than 3.5 million people are displaced in Myanmar due to armed conflict and violence,  a number projected to increase to 4.5 million in 2025 as conflict takes root and spreads to new areas. 

    Food is the biggest need for displaced people but spiraling costs and rapid inflation have made it unaffordable for many. The cost of basic staples – including rice, beans, oil and salt – has increased by 30 percent in the past year. 

    “Food prices in Myanmar continue to rise each and every month. Even if some food is available in local markets, people simply don’t have the resources to buy the basics, which means they are eating less and going hungry,” said Dunford. 

    The rapid escalation in humanitarian and food security needs in Myanmar has been overshadowed by international political turmoil and a surge in global crises, which have drawn public attention away from Myanmar.

    “The world cannot afford to overlook Myanmar’s escalating crisis. Without immediate and increased international support, hundreds of thousands more will be pushed to the brink,” said Dunford. 

    WFP aims to reach at least 1.6 million people in Myanmar with life-saving food, nutrition, and resilience-building support in 2025. WFP is engaging with all parties to the conflict and expanding partnerships with local organizations to ensure its life-saving assistance effectively reaches those who depend on WFP for vital support. 

    #                 #                   #

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media, @wfp_asiapacific

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: WFP and Chad’s meteorological agency partner to modernize weather forecasting and enhance climate response in Chad

    Source: World Food Programme

    N’DJAMENA –The World Meteorological Organization’s Systemic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a five-year project aiming to modernise Chad’s meteorological network, improve weather forecasts, and anticipate the consequences of climate events in Chad.

    The US$ 6.98 million project, led by WFP in collaboration with Chad’s National Meteorological Agency (ANAM) with technical support from GeoSphere Austria, involves installing six new surface stations and four upper-air stations, while renovating 27 existing stations across the country. The project prioritizes national capacity-building to enhance synergies between development programmes and maximize the SOFF project’s impact.

    “Strengthening ANAM’s capacities through the SOFF project aligns perfectly with the government’s vision and policies, providing users with high-quality forecasts to anticipate climate extremes and mitigate disaster risks affecting populations and natural resources” said Fatima Goukouni Weddeye, Minister of Transport, Civil Aviation, and National Meteorology.

    Upgraded meteorological infrastructure will improve the anticipation and management of climate extremes like droughts and floods, while strengthening national capacities through sustainable data management.

    “Collaborating along the meteorological value chain is key to leveraging weather and climate data” said Markus Repnik, Director of the SOFF Secretariat. “Closing Chad’s data gap significantly improves weather and climate forecasts for Chad, Africa, and the world, as forecasts beyond three days require global data, including from Chad. SOFF’s investments support Chad’s objectives of increasing climate resilience, protecting communities, and the agricultural sector”

    Sarah Gordon-Gibson, WFP’s Country Director and Representative in Chad, noted, “The people of Chad are among the hardest hit by the current climate crisis and face some of the highest levels of food insecurity globally. Reliable meteorological data is essential to anticipate, alert, and respond to crises and their impact on people’s food security”.

    The latest Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis indicates that over 2.4 million people in Chad will face food insecurity by 2025, potentially rising to 3.7 million during the June-August lean season. Food insecurity in Chad is primarily driven by conflicts and a decline in agricultural production, particularly due to recent floods in the south, the country’s breadbasket.

    #                 #                   #

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @wfp_media @wfp_wafrica @wfp_chad

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Cousins Sentenced for Pandemic-Related Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ATLANTA – Johnny Narcisse, and his cousin Johnson Dieujuste, have been sentenced to prison for their scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program of more than $2 million. 

    “These defendants brazenly stole funds from programs designed to help individuals and businesses suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for identifying and investigating these individuals which led to their successful prosecution.”

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, Jr., the charges and other information presented in court: In July 2021, federal agents investigating a Florida resident for suspected tax crimes obtained and executed a search warrant for the home, computer and cellular phone of Johnny Narcisse in Georgia. The search of the computer and phone revealed a large volume of evidence showing that Narcisse and his cousin, Johnson Dieujuste, had been engaged in an extensive conspiracy with each other to recruit small business owners and then file fraudulent applications for COVID-19 relief loans, including both PPP and EIDL loans, on their behalf.

    Narcisse and Dieujuste, after obtaining the names, business names, and employer identification numbers from the would-be borrowers, simply invented the rest of the information needed to apply for the fraudulent loans. If the loan was approved, the borrowers kicked back a percentage of the loan proceeds to Narcisse and/or Dieujuste. Dozens of loans were applied for as part of the scheme, with over $2 million dispersed.

    Johnny Narcisse, 46, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross to two years, four months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,000,332. Narcisse was convicted on October 21, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

    Johnson Dieujuste, 37, of Loganville, Georgia, was sentenced by Judge Ross on January 8, 2025, to two years, eight months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,081,559. Dieujuste was convicted on September 24, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

    In addition to their conspiracy to file fraudulent loan applications on behalf of others, the evidence showed that Narcisse and Diejuste each independently filed for fraudulent COVID-19 loans for themselves. Both men were held accountable for those loans as well during the sentencing process, and the losses that resulted from this additional conduct were included in each defendant’s restitution order.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General.

    Assistant U.S Attorney Alana R. Black, and Trial Attorneys Jennifer Bilinkas and David A. Peters of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, prosecuted the case.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ESFA Update: 29 January 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers.

    Applies to England

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    Latest for further education

    Article Title
    Information Roundtables for managing public money

    Latest information for academies

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    Action Academies national non-domestic rates – new claims for 2024 to 2025 by Friday 31 January 2025
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    Information Schools commercial team’s spring webinars
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    Events and webinars Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – mock trial
    Events and webinars Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – property management (including prevention of water damage and vacant buildings)

    Latest information for local authorities

    Article Title
    Information Schools commercial team’s spring webinars
    Information Update to dedicated schools grant allocations for 2024 to 2025
    Events and webinars DfE energy for schools service – simplified buying of gas and electricity
    Events and webinars Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – mock trial
    Events and webinars Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – property management (including prevention of water damage and vacant buildings)

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    Published 29 January 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor vows to go further and faster to kickstart economic growth

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves spoke at Siemens Healthineers in Oxfordshire on 29 January 2025.

    Thank you everyone. 

    It’s fantastic to be here at Siemens at this amazing facility.  

    Today, I want to talk about economic growth. 

    Why it matters.  

    How we achieve it.  

    And what we are going to do further and faster to deliver it. 

    Before we came into office… 

    … the Prime Minister and I have said loud and clear:  

    Economic growth is the number one mission of this government.  

    Without growth, we cannot cut hospital waiting lists or put more police on the streets.  

    Without growth, we cannot meet our climate goals… 

    … or give the next generation the opportunities that they need to thrive. 

    But most of all… 

    … without economic growth… 

    … we cannot improve the lives of ordinary working people.  

    Because growth isn’t simply about lines on a graph. 

    It’s about the pounds in people’s pockets. 

    The vibrancy of our high streets. 

    And the thriving businesses that create wealth, jobs and new opportunities for us, for our children, and grandchildren.  

    We will have succeeded in our mission when working people are better off. 

    I know that the cost of living crisis is still very real for many families across Britain.  

    The sky high inflation and interest rates of the past few years have left a deep mark… 

    … with too many people still making sacrifices to pay the bills and to pay their mortgages.   

    But we have begun to turn this around.  

    Everything I see as I travel around the country gives me more belief in Britain. 

    And more optimism about our future. 

    Because we as a country have huge potential.  

    A country of strong communities, with small and local businesses at their heart.  

    We are at the forefront of some of the most exciting developments in the world… 

    … like artificial intelligence and life sciences…  

    … with great companies like DeepMind, AstraZeneca, Rolls Royce… and of course Siemens…  

    … delivering jobs and investment across Britain. 

    We have fundamental strengths – in our history, in our language, and in our legal system – to compete in a global economy.  

    But for too long, that potential has been held back.  

    For too long, we have accepted low expectations and accepted decline. 

    We no longer have to do that.  

    We can do so much better. 

    Low growth is not our destiny.  

    But growth will not come without a fight.  

    Without a government willing to take the right decisions now to change our country’s future for the better. 

    That’s what our Plan for Change is all about. 

    That is what drives me as Chancellor.  

    In my Mais lecture in March last year, I set out my approach to achieving economic growth… 

    … and identified the fundamental barriers to realising our full potential.  

    The productive capacity of the UK economy has become far too weak.  

    Productivity, the driver of living standards…   

    …has grown more slowly here than in countries like Germany and the US.  

    The supply side of our economy has suffered due to chronic underinvestment… 

    … and stifling and unpredictable regulation…  

    … not helped by the shocks we have faced in recent years. 

    [redacted political content]

    The strategy that I have consistently set out… 

    … is to grow the supply-side of our economy… 

    … recognising that first and foremost… 

    … it is businesses, investors and entrepreneurs who drive economic growth… 

    … a government that systematically removes the barriers that they face – one by one and has their back 

    This strategy has three essential elements: 

    First, stability in our politics, our public finances and our economy – the basic condition for secure economic growth. 

    Second, reform – reform which makes it easier for businesses to trade, to raise finance and to build.  

    And third, investment, the lifeblood of economic growth. 

    Let me explain each of those in turn.  

    Stability – the first line of our manifesto was a promise to bring stability to the public finances.  

    It is the rock upon which everything else is built. 

    And it is the essential foundation of our Plan for Change.  

    Because economic stability is the precondition for economic growth. 

    That’s why the first piece of legislation that we passed as a government was the Budget Responsibility Act… 

    … so never again will we see our independent forecaster sidelined.

    [redacted political content]

    At my first Budget in October… 

    … it was my duty as Chancellor… 

    … to fix the foundations of our economy, and repair the public finances that we inherited. 

    To restore stability and create the conditions for growth and investment.  

    I set out new fiscal rules which are non-negotiable, and will always be met. 

    We began to rebuild our NHS and our schools – the start of a programme of public service reform.  

    I capped the rate of corporation tax – and I extended our generous capital allowances for the duration of this parliament – as the CBI and the BCC have long called for.  

    And I protected working people after a cost of living crisis… 

    … by freezing fuel duty… 

    … and with no increases in their National Insurance, Income Tax or VAT. 

    But taking the right decisions and the responsible decisions does not always mean taking the easy decisions. 

    The increase in Employers’ National Insurance contributions has consequences on business and beyond.   

    I said that up front in my Budget speech. 

    I accept that there are costs to responsibility. 

    But the costs of irresponsibility would have been far higher. 

    Those who oppose my Budget know that too. 

    That is why, since October, I have seen no alternative put forward [redacted political content].

    No alternatives to deal with the challenges we face.  

    No alternatives to restoring economic stability… 

    … and therefore no plan for driving economic growth. 

    Alongside stability, we need to drive forward the reform which makes investment more likely… 

    … by removing the constraints on the supply side of our economy… 

    … making it easier for businesses to trade… 

    … to raise finance… 

    … and to build.  

    Let me first address our approach to trade.  

    We stand at a moment of global change.  

    In that context, we should be guided by one clear principle above all.  

    To act in the national interest… 

    … for our economy… 

    … for our businesses… 

    … and for the British people. 

    That means building on our special relationship with the United States under President Trump. 

    The Prime Minister discussed the vital importance of growth with the President last weekend…  

    … and I look forward to working with the new Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent… 

    … to deepen our economic relationship in the months and the years ahead. 

    Acting in our national interest also means resetting our relationship with the EU – our nearest and our largest trading partner – to drive growth and support business.  

    We are pragmatic about the challenges that we have inherited from the last government’s failed Brexit deal.  

    But we are also ambitious in our goals.  

    [redacted political content]

    … we will prioritise proposals that are consistent with our manifesto commitments… 

    … and which contribute to British growth and British prosperity… 

    … because that is what the national interest demands.  

    Our approach to trade also means building stronger relationships with fast-growing economies all around the world. 

    That is why I led a delegation to China for the first Economic and Financial Dialogue since 2019… 

    … alongside world-leading financial service businesses, including HSBC, Standard Chartered and Schroders…  

    … unlocking £600 million of tangible benefits for the UK economy. 

    And I am pleased to confirm that the Business and Trade Secretary will shortly visit India … 

    … to restart talks on the free trade agreement and bilateral investment treaty [redacted political content].  

    Our businesses can only realise these opportunities if they can recruit the skilled staff that they need. 

    So we are reforming our employment system to create a national jobs and careers service. 

    We have created Skills England to meet the skills of the next decade in sectors like construction and engineering.  

    And we will deliver fundamental reform of our welfare system.  

    That includes looking at areas that have been ducked for too long… 

    … like the rising cost of health and disability benefits… 

    … and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will set out our plans to address this ahead of the Spring Statement.  

    Next, the Immigration White Paper, that will bring forward concrete proposals to bring the overall levels of net migration down. 

    But we know that the UK is in an international competition for talent in vital growth sectors.    

    That is why last week, I set out plans for attracting global talent. 

    We will look at the visa routes for very highly skilled people…  

    … so the best people in the world choose the UK to live, work and create wealth… 

    … bringing jobs and investment to Britain. 

    To help businesses access the finance and support they need to grow…  

    … we have delivered significant reforms to provide greater flexibility for firms and founders to raise finance on UK capital markets, by rewriting the UK’s listing rules.  

    In my Mansion House speech, I announced a series of reforms to our pensions system…  

    … including the creation of larger, consolidated funds… 

    … which have much greater capacity to invest in high growth British companies at the scale that we need them to.  

    The consultation on these reforms is already complete and the final report will be published in the Spring. 

    Yesterday we confirmed that we have plans to go further, whilst always protecting the important role that pension funds play in the gilt market. 

    We will introduce new flexibilities for well-funded Defined Benefit schemes… 

    … to release surplus funds where it is safe to do so… 

    … generating even more investment into some of our fastest growing industries. 

    I know too that businesses are held back by a complex and unpredictable regulatory system… 

    … and that is a drag on investment and innovation. 

    We have already provided new growth-focused remits to our financial services regulators… 

    … we have announced a new interim Chair of the Competition and Markets Authority…  

    … and we have established the Regulatory Innovation Office, with an initial focus on synthetic biology, space, AI, and connected and autonomous vehicles.  

    But we need to go further and we need to go faster.  

    So earlier this month, I met the Heads of some of our largest regulators. 

    They have already provided a range of options to drive growth in their sectors… 

    … and proposals for how they can be more agile and responsive to businesses… 

    … and we will publish that final action plan in March to make regulation work much better for our economy. 

    To get Britain building again… 

    … we have delivered the most significant reforms to our planning system in a generation.  

    I have been genuinely shocked about how slow our planning system is. 

    By how long it takes to get things done.  

    Take the decision to build a solar farm in Cambridgeshire – a decision the Energy Secretary took only a few weeks into the job in July… 

    [redacted political content]

    The Deputy Prime Minister has already driven significant progress across government in addressing these issues.   

    My colleagues have determined 13 major planning decisions in just six months… 

    … including for airports, data centres and major housing developments.   

    We have significantly raised housing targets across our country and made them mandatory, so that we can build one-and-a-half million homes in this parliament.  

    We have reformed decades-old “green belt” policies, making it easier to build on the “grey belt” land around our major cities. 

    And we have opened up our planning system to build new infrastructure – like onshore wind farms or data centres driving the AI revolution. 

    Having listened closely to calls from business groups like the Institute of Directors… 

    … and businesses across our economy about the need to speed up infrastructure delivery… 

    … including Mace, Skanska and Arup who are here today… 

    … and members of our British Infrastructure Taskforce like Lloyds, Blackrock and Phoenix… 

    … we have now set out plans to go even further. 

    Last week we confirmed our priorities for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill … 

    … to rapidly streamline the process for determining applications… 

    … to make the consultation process far less burdensome… 

    … and to fundamentally reform our approach to environmental regulation. 

    The problems in our economy… 

    … the lack of bold reform that we have seen over decades… 

    … can be summed up by a £100 million bat tunnel built for HS2… 

    … the type of decision that has made delivering major infrastructure in our country far too expensive and far too slow. 

    So we are reducing the environmental requirements placed on developers when they pay into the nature restoration fund that we have created… 

    …so they can focus on getting things built, and stop worrying about bats and newts.  

    And to build our new infrastructure like nuclear power plants, trainlines and windfarms more quickly… 

    … we are changing the rules to stop blockers getting in the way of development… 

    … through excessive use of Judicial Review. 

    This Bill, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, is a priority for this government. 

    It will be introduced in the Spring… 

    … and we will work tirelessly in parliament to ensure its smooth, and speedy and rapid delivery.  

    By providing a foundation of economic stability… 

    … and by delivering the reforms needed to make it easier for businesses to succeed and grow… 

    … we will create the right conditions to increase investment in our economy – the final key element of our strategy. 

    Investment and innovation go hand in hand.  

    I want to see the sounds and the sights of the future arriving.    

    Delivered by amazing businesses like Wayve and Oxford Nanopore. 

    They are the future. 

    And Britain should be the best place in the world to be an entrepreneur. 

    That is why we protected funding for research and development… 

    … and it is why one of the first decisions I made as Chancellor… 

    … was to extend the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Venture Capital Trust schemes for a further 10 years… 

    … to get more investment into new companies, driving their innovation and growth.  

    I am determined to make Britain the best place in the world to invest.  

    That was my message in Davos last week.  

    That ambition demands action. 

    The International Investment Summit that we hosted in October delivered £63 billion of investment right across our country… 

    … from Iberdrola doubling its investment in clean energy in places like Suffolk… 

    … Blackstone investing £10 billion in a data centre in Northumberland… 

    … and Eren Holdings investing £1 billion in advanced manufacturing in North Wales.  

    While the lifeblood of growth is business investment, a strategic state has a crucial role to play. 

    That is why we established the National Wealth Fund… 

    … to create that partnership between business, private investors and government to invest in the industries of the future…  

    … like clean energy. 

    Today I can announce two further investments by the National Wealth Fund. 

    First, a £65 million investment for Connected Kerb, to expand their electric vehicle charging network across the UK. 

    And second, a £28 million equity investment in Cornish Metals… 

    … providing the raw materials to be used in solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles… 

    … supporting growth and jobs in the South-West of England.  

    There is no trade-off between economic growth and net zero. 

    Quite the opposite. 

    Net zero is the industrial opportunity of the 21st century, and Britain must lead the way. 

    That is why we will publish a refreshed Carbon Budget Delivery Plan later this year, which alongside the Spending Review, will set out our plans to deliver Carbon Budget 6. 

    Today, I can also announce that we are removing barriers to deliver 16 gigawatts of offshore wind…   

    … by designating new Marine Protected Areas to enable the development of this technology in areas like East Anglia and Yorkshire… 

    … crowding in up to £30 billion of investment in homegrown clean power. 

    And there’s more. 

    Our industrial and manufacturing base, brilliantly represented by Make UK, have been banging their heads against the wall for years at the lack of a proper industrial strategy from government. 

    That is why we have launched our modern industrial strategy… 

    … to drive investment into the industries that will define our success in the years ahead. 

    We have already provided funding to unlock investment in sectors like aerospace, automotives and life sciences… 

    … and we have set out reforms to boost financial services, the AI sector and creative industries. 

    We are not wasting any time, and we will move forward with the next stages of the Industrial Strategy ahead of its publication in the Spring.  

    We will work with the private sector to deliver the infrastructure that our country desperately needs.  

    This includes the Lower Thames Crossing, which will improve connectivity at Port of Tilbury and Dover, London Gateway and Medway… 

    … alleviating severe congestion… 

    … as goods destined for export come from the North, and the Midlands and across the country to markets overseas.   

    To drive growth and deliver value for money for taxpayers, we are exploring options to privately finance this important project.  

    And we have changed course on public investment, too… 

    … with a new Investment Rule to ensure that we don’t just count the costs of investment – we count the benefits too.    

    We are now investing 2.6% of GDP on average over the next five years, compared to 1.9% planned by the previous government..  

    … delivering an additional £100 billion of growth-enhancing capital spending… 

    … which catalyses private sector investment… 

    … in more housing… 

    … better transport links… 

    … and clean energy.  

    These are significant steps in just six months… 

    … and we are seeing some encouraging signs in the British economy. 

    The IMF have upgraded our growth prospects for 2025… 

    … the only G7 country outside the US to see this happen.  

    This gives us the fastest growth of any major European economy this year.  

    And a global survey of CEOs by PWC, has shown Britain is now the second most attractive country in the world for businesses looking to invest.  

    The first time the UK has been in that position for 28 years.  

    This is all welcome news.  

    But there is still more that we can and will do.  

    I am not satisfied with the position we are in. 

    While we have huge amounts of potential, the structural problems in our economy run deep. 

    And the low growth of the last 14 years cannot just be turned around overnight. 

    This has to be our focus for the duration of the parliament.  

    Because the situation demands us to do more. 

    And today I will go further and faster in kickstarting economic growth. 

    Our mission to grow our economy is about raising living standards in every single part of the United Kingdom.  

    Manchester is home to the UK’s fastest growing tech sector.  

    Leeds is one of the largest financial services centres outside of London.  

    These great northern cities have so much potential and promise… 

    …which our brilliant metro mayors, Andy Burnham and Tracy Brabin, are working hard to realise…  

    … just like our other metro mayors are doing to deliver new opportunities in their areas.  

    And there is so much more that government can do to support our city regions.    

    To achieve this requires greater focus on two key areas: infrastructure and investment.  

    If we can improve connectivity between towns and cities across the North of England, we can unlock their true growth potential… 

    … by making it easier for people to live, travel and work across the area.  

    At the Budget, I set out funding for the Transpennine Route Upgrade… 

    … a multi-billion-pound programme of improvements that will connect towns and cities from Manchester to York via Stalybridge, Leeds and Huddersfield. 

    We are delivering railway schemes to improve journeys for people across the North… 

    … including upgrades at Bradford Forster Square and by electrifying the Wigan-Bolton line. 

    We have committed to supporting the delivery of a new mass transit system in West Yorkshire.  

    And in Spring, we will publish the Spending Review and a 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy… 

    … which will set out further detail of our plans for infrastructure right across the UK. 

    New transport infrastructure can also act as a catalyst for new housing. 

    We have already seen the benefits that unlocking untapped land around stations can deliver in places like Stockport… 

    … where joint work spearheaded by Andy Burnham and council leaders has delivered new housing and wider commercial opportunities. 

    We will introduce a new approach to planning decisions on land around stations, changing the default answer to yes. 

    We are working with the devolved governments to ensure the benefits of growth can be felt across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland… 

    … including by partnering with them on the Industrial Strategy to support their considerable sectoral strengths. 

    And in December, I met with Metro Mayors from across England.  

    They told me that more opportunities for investment are vital if their local economies are to grow in the years ahead. 

    We are listening closely to them. 

    As the Metro Mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotherham, has called for… 

    … we will review the Green Book and how it is being used to provide objective, transparent advice on public investment across the country, including outside London and the Southeast.  

    This means that investment in all regions is given a fair hearing by the Treasury that I lead. 

    The Office for Investment is going to be working hand in hand with local areas… 

    … to develop a commercially attractive pipeline of investment opportunities for a global audience… 

    … starting with the Liverpool City Region and the North East Combined Authority, led by Kim McGuinness. 

    The National Wealth Fund is establishing strategic partnerships to provide deeper, more focused support for city regions, starting in Glasgow, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, and Greater Manchester. 

    We are supporting key investment opportunities across the UK. 

    The government is backing Andy Burnham’s plans for the redevelopment of Old Trafford, which promises to create new housing and commercial development around a new stadium… 

    … to drive regeneration and growth in the area. 

    We are moving forward with the Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone… 

    … focusing on the area’s strengths in advanced manufacturing… 

    … backed by major businesses like Airbus and JCB… 

    … to leverage £1 billion of private investment in the next ten years… 

    … creating up to 6,000 jobs. 

    [redacted political content]

    So I can announce today that we will work with Doncaster Council and the Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard… 

    … to support their efforts to recreate South Yorkshire Airport City as a thriving regional airport.  

    And finally, I am pleased to announce a partnership between Prologis and Manchester Airport Group in the East Midlands, where the Metro Mayor Claire Ward is doing an excellent job growing the local economy there. 

    Prologis and MAG will work together to build a new advanced manufacturing and logistics park at East Midlands Airport … 

    … unlocking up to £1 billion of investment and 2,000 jobs at the site… 

    … a major investment from a global business into our country… 

    … representing a huge vote of confidence in the East Midlands and in the UK. 

    This is just the start of our work to get more investment into every nation and region of Britain. 

    Next, I want to set out further detail for plans for the area we are in today.  

    Oxford and Cambridge offer huge potential for our nation’s growth prospects. 

    Only 66 miles apart… 

    … these cities are home to two of the best universities in the world… 

    … and the area is a hub for globally renowned science and technology firms. 

    This area has the potential to be Europe’s Silicon Valley.  

    To make that a reality, we need a systematic approach to attract businesses to come here and to grow here. 

    At the moment, it takes over two and a half hours to travel between Oxford and Cambridge by train.  

    There is no way to commute directly by rail from places like Bedford and Milton Keynes to Cambridge. 

    And there is a lack of affordable housing right across the region.  

    In other words, the demand is there… 

    … but there are far too many supply side constraints on economic growth here.  

    We are going to fix that.  

    The Ox Cam arc was initially launched in 2003 – over 20 years ago.  

    [redacted political content]

    We are not prepared to miss out on the opportunities here any longer.  

    So working with the Deputy Prime Minister… 

    … who is already driving forward vital work in the region…  

    … we are going further and faster to unlock the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.   

    First, we are funding the transport links needed to make the Oxford Cambridge growth corridor a success… 

    … including East-West Rail, with new services between Oxford and Milton Keynes starting this year… 

    … and road upgrades to reduce journey times between Milton Keynes and Cambridge. 

    East West Rail will also support vibrant new and expanded communities along the route. 

    We have already received proposals for New Towns along the new railway… 

    … with 18 submissions for sizeable new developments. 

    At Tempsford – the nexus of the East Coast Mainline, the A1 and East West Rail… 

    …we will move quicker to deliver a mainline station, meaning journey times to London of under an hour…  

    … and to Cambridge in under 30 minutes when East West Rail is operational. 

     Second, we are ensuring that the area has the right infrastructure and public services in place to support the growth corridor as it expands. 

    A new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is being prioritised for investment as part of wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme.  

    Water infrastructure has also been a major hindrance to development. 

    So we have now agreed water resources management plans, unlocking £7.9 billion of investment in the next 5 years…  

    …including plans for the new Fens Reservoir serving Cambridge and the South East Strategic Reservoir near Oxford.  

    And I can confirm today that the Environment Agency have now lifted their objections to new development in Cambridge, following this government’s intervention to address water scarcity… 

    … which means 4,500 additional homes, new schools, and new office, retail and laboratory space can be built.  

    Third, I am delighted that Cambridge University have come forward with plans for a new flagship innovation hub at the centre of Cambridge… 

    … to attract global investment and foster a community that catalyses innovation, as other cities around the world like Boston and Paris have done.  

    Just yesterday, Moderna completed the build for their new vaccine production and R&D site in Harwell, right here in Oxfordshire, alongside a commitment to invest a further £1 billion in the UK.  

    And we are creating a new AI Growth Zone in Culham to speed up planning approvals for the rapid build-out of data centres.  

    And finally, to take this project forward at real pace… 

    … and catalyse private sector investment into the region… 

    … I am pleased to announce that the Deputy Prime Minister and I have asked Lord Patrick Vallance to be the champion for the Oxford Cambridge Growth Corridor.  

    Lord Vallance has extensive experience across the sciences, academia, and government. 

    He will work with local leaders and with the Housing and Planning Minister to deliver this exciting project… 

    … including with Peter Freeman, who is already doing excellent work in Cambridge… 

    … and a new Growth Commission for Oxford, which will help to accelerate growth in the city and its surrounding area.   

    This is the government’s modern Industrial Strategy in action. 

    With central government, local leaders and business working together… 

    … the Oxford and Cambridge Growth Corridor could add up to £78 billion to the UK economy by 2035 … 

    … driving investment, innovation and growth. 

    Finally, I come to the decision that perhaps more than any other… 

    … has been delayed… 

    … has been avoided… 

    … has been ducked. 

    The question of whether to give Heathrow … 

    … our only hub airport… 

    … a third runway… 

    … has run on for decades. 

    The last full length runway in Britain was built in the 1940s. 

    No progress in eighty years.  

    Why is this so damaging?  

    It’s because Heathrow is at the heart of the UK’s openness as a country.   

    It connects us to emerging markets all over the world, opening up new opportunities for growth. 

    Around three-quarters of all long-haul flights in the UK go from Heathrow. 

    Over 60% of UK air freight comes through Heathrow. 

    And about 15 million business travellers used Heathrow in 2023. 

    But for decades, its growth has been constrained.  

    Successive studies have shown that this really matters for our economy. 

    According to the most recent study from Frontier Economics, a third runway could increase potential GDP by 0.43% by 2050. 

    Over half – 60% of that boost, would go to areas outside London and the South-East. 

    … increasing trade opportunities for products like Scotch whiskey and Scottish salmon – already two of the biggest British exports out of Heathrow.  

    And a third runway could create over 100,000 jobs. 

    For international investors, persistent delays have cast doubt about our seriousness towards improving our economic prospects. 

    Business groups, like the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Chambers of Commerce right across the UK… 

    …as well trade unions like GMB and Unite are clear… 

    … a third runway is badly needed. 

    In 2018, the previous government steered its Airports National Policy Statement through parliament.  

    But no action was taken. 

    It simply sat on the shelf. 

    We are taking a totally different approach to airport expansion.  

    This Government has already given its support to expansion at City Airport and at Stansted.  

    And there are two live decisions on Luton and Gatwick which will be made by the Transport Secretary shortly.  

    But as our only hub airport, Heathrow is in a unique position – and we cannot duck the decision any longer.   

    I have always been clear that a third runway at Heathrow would unlock further growth… 

    … boost investment… 

    … increase exports… 

    … and make the UK more open and more connected.   

    And now, the case is stronger than ever… 

    … because our reforms to the economy… 

    … like speeding up the planning system… 

    … and our plans for modernised UK airspace…  

    … mean the delivery of this project is set up for success.  

    So I can confirm today that this Government supports a third runway at Heathrow… 

    … and is inviting proposals to be brought forward by the summer.  

    We will then take forward a full assessment through the Airport National Policy Statement. 

    That will ensure that the project is value for money – and our clear expectation is that any associated surface transport costs will be financed through private funding. 

    And it will ensure that a third runway is delivered in line with our legal, environmental and climate obligations.  

    Heathrow themselves are clear that their proposal for expansion will meet strict rules on noise, air quality and carbon emissions. 

    And we are already making great strides in transitioning to cleaner and greener aviation.  

    Sustainable Aviation Fuel reduces CO2 emissions compared to fossil fuel by around 70%. 

    At the start of this month, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel mandate became law.  

    And today I can announce that we are investing £63 million into the Advanced Fuels Fund over the next year… 

    … and we have today set out the details of how we will deliver a Revenue Certainty Mechanism to encourage investment into this growing industry. 

    These measures will encourage more investors to back production in the UK, bringing good, high-skilled jobs to areas like Teesside… 

    … demonstrating that investment in the right technology can help us deliver both our growth and our clean energy missions. 

    Now is the moment to grasp the opportunity in front of us. 

    By backing a third runway at Heathrow, we can make Britain the world’s best connected place to do business. 

    That is what it takes to make bold decisions in the national interest. 

    That is what I mean by going further and faster to kickstart economic growth. 

    The work of change has begun.  

    We have already made great progress.  

    But I am not satisfied.  

    And I know that there is more to be done.  

    We must go further and faster if we are to build a brighter future.  

    The prize on offer is immense.  

    The next generation with more opportunities than the last. 

    An engineer in Teesside, working in some of the most exciting industries of the future – from carbon capture to sustainable aviation fuel. 

    A scientist in Milton Keynes or Bedford, working in our life sciences industry to solve some of the most important medical challenges in the world.  

    A small business owner in Scotland, knowing that they can expand and export to new markets right across the globe.   

    Wealth created, and wealth shared, in every part of Britain.    

    This is a Government on the side of working people. 

    Taking the right decisions to secure their future, to secure our future. 

    Stepping up to the challenges we face. 

    Ending the era of low expectations. 

    Putting Britain on a different path. 

    Delivering for the British people. 

    And I am determined, this Government is determined, to do just that.  

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: CALIFORNIA BANCORP REPORTS NET INCOME OF $16.8 MILLION FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER AND $5.4 MILLION FOR THE FULL YEAR OF 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Diego, Calif., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — California BanCorp (“us,” “we,” “our,” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BCAL), the holding company for California Bank of Commerce, N.A. (the “Bank”) announces its consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024.

    The Company reported net income of $16.8 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to a net loss of $16.5 million, or $0.59 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2024, and net income of $4.4 million, or $0.24 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2023. The Company reported net income of $5.4 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, for the full year of 2024, compared to net income of $25.9 million, or $1.39 per diluted share for the full year of 2023.

    “I’m pleased to report our strong fourth quarter earnings of $16.8 million, the result of a full quarter of combined operations after our July 31, 2024, merger close,” said David Rainer, Executive Chairman of the Company and Bank. “We continue to derisk our consolidated balance sheet and are making significant headway in reducing our exposure in the Sponsor Finance portfolio. Additionally, we are rapidly reducing our reliance on brokered deposits, which despite the reduction of the high-yielding Sponsor Finance product, has allowed us to maintain a consistent, strong net interest margin. We are focused on building tangible book value, which increased to $11.71 in the fourth quarter, up $0.43 from the prior quarter, and up $0.79 in the five months since the merger close. While we are pleased to report these strong financial results, we, along with all our fellow Southern California residents, have been through a very difficult period due to the recent wildfires and we are working with all our constituents to assist them in any way we can.”

    “On behalf of the Company and the Bank, I want to express our condolences to all our neighbors, clients and employees that have been affected by the recent Southern California wildfires,” said Steven Shelton, CEO of the Company and the Bank. “You are in our thoughts and prayers and will remain so as we work to rebuild and recover going forward. Except for the one-day closure of one branch as a precautionary measure for the safety of our employees, I’m pleased to report there were no other disruptions to our operations and all other offices remained open. We are fortunate to report that the fires are expected to have a minimal impact on our loan portfolio, and we continue to focus on providing outstanding service to our combined client base throughout California, and on building shareholder value.”

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Highlights

    • Net income of $16.8 million or $0.51 diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter; adjusted net income (non-GAAP1) was $17.2 million or $0.53 per share for the fourth quarter.
    • Net interest margin of 4.61%, compared with 4.43% in the prior quarter; average total loan yield of 6.84% compared with 6.79% in the prior quarter.
    • Reversal of provision for credit losses of $3.8 million for the fourth quarter, compared with a provision for credit losses of $23.0 million for the prior quarter, of which $21.3 million was due to the day one provision for credit losses on non-purchased credit deteriorated (“non-PCD”) loans and unfunded loan commitments related to the merger with California BanCorp (the “Merger”).
    • Return on average assets of 1.60%, compared with (1.82)% in the prior quarter.
    • Return on average common equity of 13.21%, compared with (15.28)% in the prior quarter.
    • Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP1) of 57.4% compared with 98.9% in the prior quarter; excluding Merger related expenses the efficiency ratio was 55.9%, compared with 60.5% in the prior quarter.
    • Tangible book value per common share (“TBV”) (non-GAAP1) of $11.71 at December 31, 2024, up $0.43 from $11.28 at September 30, 2024.
    • Total assets of $4.03 billion at December 31, 2024, compared with $4.36 billion at September 30, 2024.
    • Total loans, including loans held for sale of $3.16 billion at December 31, 2024, compared with $3.23 billion at September 30, 2024.
    • Nonperforming assets to total assets ratio of 0.76% at December 31, 2024, compared with 0.68% at September 30, 2024.
    • Allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) was 1.71% of total loans held for investment at December 31, 2024; allowance for loan losses (“ALL”) was 1.61% of total loans held for investment at December 31, 2024.
    • Total deposits of $3.40 billion at December 31, 2024, decreased $342.2 million or 9.1% compared with $3.74 billion at September 30, 2024.
    • Noninterest-bearing demand deposits of $1.26 billion at December 31, 2024, a decrease of $111.3 million or 8.1% from September 30, 2024; noninterest bearing deposits represented 37.0% of total deposits, compared with $1.37 billion, or 36.6% of total deposits at September 30, 2024.
    • Total brokered deposits of $121.1 million, a decrease of $101.5 million from September 30, 2024.
    • Cost of deposits was 1.87%, compared with 2.09% in the prior quarter.
    • Cost of funds was 1.99%, compared with 2.19% in the prior quarter.
    • The Company’s preliminary capital exceeds minimums required to be “well-capitalized,” the highest regulatory capital category.

    Full Year 2024 Highlights

    • Merger closed on July 31, 2024, whereby predecessor California BanCorp (“CALB”) merged with and into the Company and California Bank of Commerce merged with and into the Bank. CALB had total loans of $1.43 billion, total assets of $1.91 billion, and total deposits of $1.64 billion. The Merger created a bank holding company with approximately $4.25 billion in assets and 14 branches across California, with approximately 300 employees serving our communities. Total aggregate consideration paid for the Merger was approximately $216.6 million and resulted in approximately $74.7 million of preliminary goodwill, subject to adjustment in accordance with ASC 805.
    • Net income of $5.4 million, down $20.5 million, or 79.0% from the prior year largely due to the after-tax one-time day one provision for credit losses related to non-PCD loans and unfunded loan commitments of $15.0 million and merger related expenses of $12.0 million; adjusted net income (non-GAAP1) was $32.4 million or $1.32 per share for the year.
    • Diluted earnings per share of $0.22, down $1.17, or 84.2% from the prior year.
    • Total loan interest income increased to $160.0 million, up $46.0 million or 40.4% from the prior year largely due to the Merger.
    • Net interest margin of 4.28% for 2024, compared with 4.33% in the prior year; average loan yield was 6.55%, up from 5.94% in the prior year.
    • Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP1) of 76.6%, compared to 61.3% in the prior year; excluding merger related expenses the efficiency ratio was 63.8%, compared with 61.3% in the prior year.
    • Provision for credit losses of $21.7 million, of which $21.3 million was due to the day one provision for credit losses on non-PCD loans and unfunded loan commitments in connection with the Merger, compared to $915 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2023.
    • Total assets of $4.03 billion, up $1.7 billion or 70.8% from December 31, 2023, largely due to the Merger.
    • Total loans, including loans held for sale, increased to $3.16 billion, up $1.2 billion from December 31, 2023, largely due to the Merger, with the fair value of the acquired loans totaling $1.36 billion.
    • Total deposits of $3.40 billion, up $1.46 billion from December 31, 2023, largely due to the $1.64 billion of deposits acquired in the Merger.
    • Noninterest-bearing demand deposits were $1.26 billion, representing 37.0% of total deposits, compared to $675.1 million, or 34.7% of total deposits at December 31, 2023.
    • Cost of deposits was 2.01%, up from 1.37% in the prior year.
    • Tangible book value per common share (“TBV”) (non-GAAP1) of $11.71 at December 31, 2024, down $1.85 from December 31, 2023.

    Fourth Quarter Operating Results

    Net Income

    Net income for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $16.8 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $16.5 million, or a loss of $0.59 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2024. Our third quarter results were negatively impacted by a day one $15.0 million after-tax current expected credit losses (“CECL”)-related provision for credit losses on non-PCD loans and unfunded loan commitments related to the merger, or $0.54 loss per diluted share, and $10.6 million of after-tax merger expenses, or $0.38 loss per diluted share. Pre-tax, pre-provision income (non-GAAP1) for the fourth quarter was $19.4 million, an increase of $19.0 million from the prior quarter. Excluding the merger and related expenses, the adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision income (non-GAAP1) for the fourth quarter was $20.1 million, an increase of $5.0 million from the prior quarter. The net income and diluted earnings per share increases for all of the periods presented were largely driven by the Merger and the operating results since the closing date of the Merger.

    Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

    Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $44.5 million, compared with $36.9 million in the prior quarter. The increase in net interest income was primarily due to an $8.4 million increase in total interest and dividend income, partially offset by an $832 thousand increase in total interest expense in the fourth quarter of 2024, as compared to the prior quarter. During the fourth quarter of 2024, loan interest income increased $7.3 million, of which $6.1 million was related to accretion income from the net purchase accounting discounts on acquired loans, total debt securities income increased $10 thousand, and interest and dividend income from other financial institutions increased $1.2 million. The increase in interest income was mainly due to reporting a full quarter of combined operations for the fourth quarter of 2024 and primarily driven by the mix of interest-earning assets added by the Merger and the impact of the accretion and amortization of fair value interest rate marks. Average total interest-earning assets increased $526.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, the result of a $401.3 million increase in average total loans, a $260.4 million increase in average deposits in other financial institutions and a $5.8 million increase in average restricted stock investments and other bank stock, partially offset by a $1.3 million decrease in average total debt securities and a $139.8 million decrease in average Fed funds sold/resale agreements. The increase in interest expense for the fourth quarter of 2024 was primarily due to a $466 thousand increase in interest expense on interest-bearing deposits, the result of a $217.9 million increase in average interest-bearing deposits, coupled with a $17.2 million increase in average subordinated debt, partially offset by a 22 basis point decrease in average interest-bearing deposit costs, and a $9 thousand decrease in interest expense on Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) borrowings, the result of a $611 thousand decrease in average FHLB borrowings in the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 4.61%, compared with 4.43% in the prior quarter. The increase was primarily related to a 20 basis point decrease in the cost of funds, partially offset by a one basis point decrease in the total interest-earning assets yield. The yield on total average interest-earning assets in the fourth quarter of 2024 was 6.48%, compared with 6.49% in the prior quarter. The yield on average total loans in the fourth quarter of 2024 was 6.84%, an increase of five basis points from 6.79% in the prior quarter. Accretion income from the net purchase accounting discounts on acquired loans was $6.1 million, increasing the yield on average total loans by 76 basis points; the net amortization expense from the purchase accounting discounts on acquired subordinated debt and acquired time deposits premium increased the interest expense by $467 thousand, the combination of which increased the net interest margin by 58 basis points in the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Cost of funds for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 1.99%, a decrease of 20 basis points from 2.19% in the prior quarter. The decrease was primarily driven by a 22 basis point decrease in the cost of average interest-bearing deposits, and an increase in average noninterest-bearing deposits, partially offset by an increase of 26 basis points in the cost of total borrowings, which was driven primarily by the amortization expense of $559 thousand from the purchase accounting discounts on acquired subordinated debt which increased the cost on total borrowing by 320 basis points. Average noninterest-bearing demand deposits increased $251.7 million to $1.28 billion and represented 36.3% of total average deposits for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared with $1.03 billion and 33.6%, respectively, in the prior quarter; average interest-bearing deposits increased $217.9 million to $2.26 billion during the fourth quarter of 2024. The total cost of deposits in the fourth quarter of 2024 was 1.87%, a decrease of 22 basis points from 2.09% in the prior quarter. The cost of total interest-bearing deposits decreased primarily due to the Company’s deposit repricing strategy and the ongoing pay off of high cost brokered deposits and California State certificates of deposit in the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Average total borrowings increased $16.6 million to $69.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, primarily due to an increase of $17.2 million in average subordinated debt acquired in the Merger, partially offset by a decrease of $611 thousand in average FHLB borrowings during the fourth quarter of 2024. The average cost of total borrowings was 7.97% for the fourth quarter of 2024, up from 7.71% in the prior quarter.

    (Reversal of) Provision for Credit Losses

    The Company recorded a reversal of provision for credit losses of $3.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to a provision for credit losses of $23.0 million in the prior quarter. The decrease was largely related to the third quarter provision for credit losses including the effects of the Merger, and the resulting one-time initial provision for credit losses on acquired non-PCD loans of $18.5 million and unfunded loan commitments of $2.7 million. Total net charge-offs were $154.0 thousand in the fourth quarter of 2024, which included $103 thousand from an acquired consumer solar loan portfolio and $51 thousand from a commercial real-estate loan. The provision for credit losses in the fourth quarter of 2024 included a $1.0 million reversal of provision for unfunded loan commitments related to the decrease in unfunded loan commitments during the fourth quarter of 2024, coupled with lower loss rates, offset by higher average funding rates used to estimate the allowance for credit losses on unfunded commitments. Total unfunded loan commitments decreased $108.6 million to $925.3 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $1.03 billion in unfunded loan commitments at September 30, 2024.

    The reversal of provision for credit losses for loans held for investment in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $2.9 million, a decrease of $22.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2024 from a provision for credit losses of $19.7 million in the prior quarter. The decrease was driven primarily by the third quarter amount including the one-time initial provision for credit losses on acquired non-PCD loans and decreases in legacy special mention loans and loans held for investment. Additionally, qualitative factors, coupled with changes in the portfolio mix and in the reasonable and supportable forecast, primarily related to the economic outlook for California, which were partially offset by an increase in legacy substandard accruing loans, were factors related to the decrease in the provision for credit losses. The Company’s management continues to monitor macroeconomic variables related to increasing interest rates, inflation and the concerns of an economic downturn, and believes it has appropriately provisioned for the current environment.

    Noninterest Income

    The Company recorded noninterest income of $1.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, a decrease of $170 thousand compared to $1.2 million in the third quarter of 2024. The Company reported a loss on sale of loans of $1.1 million, related to the sale of certain Sponsor Finance loans, in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to a gain on sale of loans of $8 thousand in the prior quarter. There was no gain on SBA 7A loan sales in the third and fourth quarters of 2024. Bank owned life insurance income of $823 thousand in the fourth quarter of 2024 increased $425 thousand from the prior quarter. Service charges and fees on deposit accounts of $911 thousand in the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased $225 thousand from the prior quarter, related to the one-time waiver of analysis charges for certain deposit accounts in light of the core system conversion. Other charges and fees income increased to $208 thousand in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to a loss of $450 thousand in the prior quarter, primarily related to a $614 thousand valuation allowance on other real estate owned (“OREO”) due to a decline in the fair value of the underlying property in the third quarter of 2024. No comparable valuation allowance on OREO was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Noninterest Expense

    Total noninterest expense for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $26.1 million, a decrease of $11.6 million from total noninterest expense of $37.7 million in the prior quarter, which was largely due to the decrease in merger related expenses.

    Salaries and employee benefits increased $689 thousand during the quarter to $16.1 million. The increase in salaries and employee benefits was primarily related to the growth in headcount due to the Merger, partially offset by the third quarter amount including the one-time costs associated with non-continuing directors, executives and employees of $1.4 million. Merger and related expenses in connection with the Merger decreased $14.0 million during the quarter to $643 thousand. Data processing and communications of $2.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 increased by $424 thousand, due primarily to increases in transaction volume from both organic growth and the Merger. Intangible assets amortization of $1.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 increased by $373 thousand, due primarily to a full quarter of amortization of the core deposit intangible asset acquired in the Merger, compared with only two months of amortization of the asset in the prior quarter. Other expenses of $2.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 increased by $443 thousand, due primarily to higher loan related expenses, customer service related expenses, travel expenses and insurance expenses.

    Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP1) for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 57.4%, compared to 98.9% in the prior quarter. Excluding the merger and related expenses of $643 thousand and $14.6 million, the efficiency ratio (non-GAAP1) for the fourth and third quarters of 2024 would have been 55.9% and 60.5%, respectively.

    Income Tax

    In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company’s income tax expense was $6.5 million, compared with a $6.1 million income tax benefit in the third quarter of 2024. The effective rate was 27.9% for the fourth quarter of 2024 and 26.9% for the third quarter of 2024. The increase in the effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2024 was primarily attributable to the impact of the non-tax deductible portion of the merger expenses and the vesting and exercise of equity awards combined with changes in the Company’s stock price over time, partially offset by the impact of the tax on the excess executive compensation.

    Balance Sheet

    Assets

    Total assets at December 31, 2024 were $4.03 billion, a decrease of $331.1 million or 7.6% from September 30, 2024. The decrease in total assets from the prior quarter was primarily related to a decrease in cash and cash equivalents of $226.3 million and a decrease in loans, including loans held for sale, of $77.1 million as compared to the prior quarter. These decreases primarily relate to the decreases in wholesale funding sources and the Sponsor Finance portfolio from loan sales and payoffs.

    Loans

    Total loans held for investment were $3.14 billion at December 31, 2024, a decrease of $60.5 million, compared to September 30, 2024, primarily the result of Sponsor Finance loans sales and loan payoffs in the amount of $90.8 million. During the fourth quarter of 2024, there were new originations of $128.5 million and net advances of $25.6 million, offset by loan sales and payoffs of $214.5 million, and the partial charge-off of loans in the amount of $154 thousand. Total loans secured by real estate decreased by $5.1 million, construction and land development loans decreased by $20.6 million, commercial real estate and other loans increased by $11.8 million, 1-4 family residential loans increased by $11.9 million and multifamily loans decreased by $8.1 million. Commercial and industrial loans decreased by $54.5 million, and consumer loans decreased by $1.0 million. The Company had $17.2 million in loans held for sale at December 31, 2024, compared to $33.7 million at September 30, 2024.

    Deposits

    Total deposits at December 31, 2024 were $3.40 billion, a decrease of $342.2 million from September 30, 2024. The decrease primarily consisted of $111.3 million noninterest-bearing demand deposits, $73.9 million interest-bearing non-maturity deposits, and $157.0 million time deposits. Noninterest-bearing demand deposits at December 31, 2024, were $1.26 billion, or 37.0% of total deposits, compared with $1.37 billion, or 36.6% of total deposits at September 30, 2024. At December 31, 2024, total interest-bearing deposits were $2.14 billion, compared to $2.37 billion at September 30, 2024. At December 31, 2024, total brokered time deposits were $121.1 million, compared to $222.6 million at September 30, 2024. The Company offers the Insured Cash Sweep (ICS) product, Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS), and Reich & Tang Deposit Solutions (R&T) network, all of which provide reciprocal deposit placement services to fully qualified large customer deposits for FDIC insurance among other participating banks. At December 31, 2024, total reciprocal deposits were $754.4 million, or 22.2% of total deposits at December 31, 2024, compared to $839.7 million , or 22.4% of total deposits at September 30, 2024.

    Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) and Liquidity

    At December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024, the Company had no overnight FHLB borrowings. There were no outstanding Federal Reserve Discount Window borrowings at December 31, 2024 or September 30, 2024.

    At December 31, 2024, the Company had available borrowing capacity from an FHLB secured line of credit of approximately $753.9 million and available borrowing capacity from the Federal Reserve Discount Window of approximately $318.5 million. The Company also had available borrowing capacity from four unsecured credit lines from correspondent banks of approximately $90.5 million at December 31, 2024, with no outstanding borrowings. Total available borrowing capacity was $1.16 billion at December 31, 2024. Additionally, the Company had unpledged liquid securities at fair value of approximately $129.4 million and cash and cash equivalents of $388.2 million at December 31, 2024.

    Asset Quality

    Total non-performing assets increased slightly to $30.6 million, or 0.76% of total assets at December 31, 2024, compared with $29.8 million, or 0.68% of total assets at September 30, 2024.

    There were no loans downgraded to nonaccrual during the fourth quarter of 2024. Non-performing assets in the fourth quarter of 2024 included OREO, net of valuation allowance, of $4.1 million related to a multifamily building, the same balance as the prior quarter.

    Total non-performing loans increased slightly to $26.5 million, or 0.85% of total loans held for investment at December 31, 2024, compared with $25.7 million, or 0.80% of total loans held for investment at September 30, 2024.

    Special mention loans decreased by $24.1 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 to $69.3 million, including $25.5 million of non-PCD loans and $10.1 million of purchase credit deteriorated (“PCD”) loans, at December 31, 2024. The decrease in the special mention loans was due mostly to a $9.0 million payoff, $24.5 million in downgrades to substandard accruing loans and $8.4 million in upgrades to Pass loans, partially offset by $18.1 million in downgrades from Pass loans. Substandard loans increased by $13.6 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 to $117.9 million, including $11.0 million of non-PCD loans, $55.9 million PCD loans and $14.1 million nonaccrual PCD loans, at December 31, 2024. The increase in the substandard loans was due primarily to $29.8 million in downgrades and $2.9 million in net advances, partially offset by a $17.3 million in payoffs, $1.7 million in upgrades to Pass and $103 thousand in charge-offs.

    The Company had $150 thousand in consumer solar loans that were over 90 days past due and still accruing interest at December 31, 2024, compared to $37 thousand in such delinquencies at September 30, 2024.

    There were $12.2 million in loan delinquencies (30-89 days past due, excluding nonaccrual loans) at December 31, 2024, compared to $19.1 million in such loan delinquencies at September 30, 2024.

    The allowance for credit losses, which is comprised of the allowance for loan losses (“ALL”) and reserve for unfunded loan commitments, totaled $53.6 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $57.6 million at September 30, 2024. The $4.0 million decrease in the allowance for credit losses included a $2.9 million and $968 thousand reversal of provision for credit losses for the loan portfolio and reserve for unfunded loan commitments, respectively, partially offset by total net charge-offs of $145 thousand for the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

    The ALL was $50.5 million, or 1.61% of total loans held for investment at December 31, 2024, compared with $53.6 million, or 1.67% at September 30, 2024.

    Capital

    Tangible book value (non-GAAP1) per common share at December 31, 2024, was $11.71, compared with $11.28 at September 30, 2024. In the fourth quarter of 2024, tangible book value was primarily impacted by net income of $16.8 million for the fourth quarter, stock-based compensation expense, and an increase in net of tax unrealized losses on available-for-sale debt securities. Other comprehensive losses related to unrealized losses, net of taxes, on available-for-sale debt securities increased by $3.8 million to $6.6 million at December 31, 2024, from $2.9 million at September 30, 2024. The increase in the unrealized losses, net of taxes, on available-for-sale debt securities was attributable to non-credit related factors , including an increase in bond prices at the long end of the yield curve, even as the Federal Reserve decreased the Fed funds rate by 25 basis points in December 2024. Tangible common equity (non-GAAP1) as a percentage of total tangible assets (non-GAAP1) at December 31, 2024, increased to 9.69% from 8.58% in the prior quarter, and unrealized losses, net of taxes, on available-for-sale debt securities as a percentage of tangible common equity (non-GAAP1) at December 31, 2024 increased to 1.8% from 0.8% in the prior quarter.

    The Company’s preliminary capital exceeds minimums required to be “well-capitalized” at December 31, 2024.

    ABOUT CALIFORNIA BANCORP

    California BanCorp (NASDAQ: BCAL) is a registered bank holding company headquartered in San Diego, California. California Bank of Commerce, N.A., a national banking association chartered under the laws of the United States (the “Bank”) and regulated by the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, is a wholly owned subsidiary of California BanCorp. Established in 2001 and headquartered in San Diego, California, the Bank offers a range of financial products and services to individuals, professionals, and small to medium-sized businesses through its 14 branch offices and four loan production offices serving Northern and Southern California. The Bank’s solutions-driven, relationship-based approach to banking provides accessibility to decision makers and enhances value through strong partnerships with its clients. Additional information is available at www.bankcbc.com.

    CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    In addition to historical information, this release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and other matters that are not historical facts. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding expectations, plans or objectives for future operations, products or services, loan recoveries, projections, expectations regarding the adequacy of reserves for credit losses and statements about the benefits of the Merger, as well as forecasts relating to financial and operating results or other measures of economic performance. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current view about future events and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ from those expressed in the forward-looking statement or historical results. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and often include the words or phrases such as “aim,” “can,” “may,” “could,” “predict,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “hope,” “intend,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “will likely result,” “continue,” “seek,” “shall,” “possible,” “projection,” “optimistic,” and “outlook,” and variations of these words and similar expressions.

    Factors that could cause or contribute to results differing from those in or implied in the forward-looking statements include but are not limited to risk related to the Merger, including the risks that costs may be greater than anticipated, cost savings may be less than anticipated, and difficulties in retaining senior management, employees or customers, the impact of bank failures or other adverse developments at other banks on general investor sentiment regarding the stability and liquidity of banks, changes in real estate markets and valuations; the impact on financial markets from geopolitical conflicts; inflation, interest rate, market and monetary fluctuations and general economic conditions, either nationally or locally in the areas in which the Company conducts business; increases in competitive pressures among financial institutions and businesses offering similar products and services; general credit risks related to lending, including changes in the value of real estate or other collateral, the financial condition of borrowers, the effectiveness of our underwriting practices and the risk of fraud; higher than anticipated defaults in the Company’s loan portfolio; changes in management’s estimate of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses or the factors the Company uses to determine the allowance for credit losses; changes in demand for loans and other products and services offered by the Company; the
    costs and outcomes of litigation; legislative or regulatory changes or changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines and other risk factors discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and other documents the Company may file with the SEC from time to time.

    Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties to which our business and future financial performance are subject is contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and other documents the Company files with the SEC from time to time.

    Any forward-looking statement made in this release is based only on information currently available to management and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to conform such forward-looking statements to actual results or to changes in its opinions or expectations, except as required by law.

    California BanCorp and Subsidiary
    Financial Highlights (Unaudited)

        At or for the
    Three Months Ended    		     At or for the
    Year Ended    		  
        December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		     December 31,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		  
        ($ in thousands except share and per share data)  
    EARNINGS      
    Net interest income   $ 44,541     $ 36,942     $ 22,559     $ 122,984     $ 94,138  
    (Reversal of) provision for credit losses   $ (3,835 )   $ 22,963     $ 824     $ 21,690     $ 915  
    Noninterest income (expense)   $ 1,004     $ 1,174     $ (102 )   $ 4,760     $ 3,379  
    Noninterest expense   $ 26,125     $ 37,680     $ 15,339     $ 97,791     $ 59,746  
    Income tax expense (benefit)   $ 6,483     $ (6,063 )   $ 1,882     $ 2,830     $ 10,946  
    Net income (loss)   $ 16,772     $ (16,464 )   $ 4,412     $ 5,433     $ 25,910  
    Pre-tax pre-provision income (1)   $ 19,420     $ 436     $ 7,118     $ 29,953     $ 37,771  
    Adjusted pre-tax pre-provision income (1)   $ 20,063     $ 15,041     $ 7,118     $ 46,241     $ 37,771  
    Diluted earnings (loss) per share   $ 0.51     $ (0.59 )   $ 0.24     $ 0.22     $ 1.39  
    Shares outstanding at period end     32,265,935       32,142,427       18,369,115       32,265,935       18,369,115  
                                             
    PERFORMANCE RATIOS                                        
    Return on average assets     1.60 %     (1.82 )%     0.75 %     0.18 %     1.12 %
    Adjusted return on average assets (1)     1.64 %     1.01 %     0.75 %     1.05 %     1.12 %
    Return on average common equity     13.21 %     (15.28 )%     6.21 %     1.43 %     9.48 %
    Adjusted return on average common equity (1)     13.57 %     8.44 %     6.21 %     8.53 %     9.48 %
    Yield on total loans     6.84 %     6.79 %     6.08 %     6.55 %     5.94 %
    Yield on interest earning assets     6.48 %     6.49 %     5.85 %     6.26 %     5.69 %
    Cost of deposits     1.87 %     2.09 %     1.81 %     2.01 %     1.37 %
    Cost of funds     1.99 %     2.19 %     1.95 %     2.12 %     1.46 %
    Net interest margin     4.61 %     4.43 %     4.05 %     4.28 %     4.33 %
    Efficiency ratio (1)     57.36 %     98.86 %     68.30 %     76.55 %     61.27 %
    Adjusted efficiency ratio (1)     55.95 %     60.54 %     68.30 %     63.80 %     61.27 %
        As of  
        December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		  
        ($ in thousands except share and per share data)  
    CAPITAL      
    Tangible equity to tangible assets (1)     9.69 %     8.58 %     10.73 %
    Book value (BV) per common share   $ 15.86     $ 15.50     $ 15.69  
    Tangible BV per common share (1)   $ 11.71     $ 11.28     $ 13.56  
                             
    ASSET QUALITY                        
    Allowance for loan losses (ALL)   $ 50,540     $ 53,552     $ 22,569  
    Reserve for unfunded loan commitments   $ 3,103     $ 4,071     $ 933  
    Allowance for credit losses (ACL)   $ 53,643     $ 57,623     $ 23,502  
    Allowance for loan losses to nonperforming loans     1.90 x     2.08 x     1.74 x
    ALL to total loans held for investment     1.61 %     1.67 %     1.15 %
    ACL to total loans held for investment     1.71 %     1.80 %     1.20 %
    30-89 days past due, excluding nonaccrual loans   $ 12,232     $ 19,110     $ 19  
    Over 90 days past due, excluding nonaccrual loans   $ 150     $ 37     $ —  
    Special mention loans   $ 69,339     $ 93,448     $ 2,996  
    Special mention loans to total loans held for investment     2.21 %     2.92 %     0.15 %
    Substandard loans   $ 117,926     $ 104,298     $ 19,502  
    Substandard loans to total loans held for investment     3.76 %     3.26 %     1.00 %
    Nonperforming loans   $ 26,536     $ 25,698     $ 13,004  
    Nonperforming loans to total loans held for investment     0.85 %     0.80 %     0.66 %
    Other real estate owned, net   $ 4,083     $ 4,083     $ —  
    Nonperforming assets   $ 30,619     $ 29,781     $ 13,004  
    Nonperforming assets to total assets     0.76 %     0.68 %     0.55 %
                             
    END OF PERIOD BALANCES                        
    Total loans, including loans held for sale   $ 3,156,345     $ 3,233,418     $ 1,964,791  
    Total assets   $ 4,031,654     $ 4,362,767     $ 2,360,252  
    Deposits   $ 3,398,760     $ 3,740,915     $ 1,943,556  
    Loans to deposits     92.9 %     86.4 %     101.1 %
    Shareholders’ equity   $ 511,836     $ 498,064     $ 288,152  
    (1 ) Non-GAAP measure. See – GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliation.

    California BanCorp and Subsidiary
    Financial Highlights (Unaudited)

        At or for the
    Three Months Ended    		     At or for the
    Year Ended    		  
    ALLOWANCE for CREDIT LOSSES   December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		     December 31,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		  
        ($ in thousands)  
    Allowance for loan losses                                        
    Balance at beginning of period   $ 53,552     $ 23,788     $ 22,705     $ 22,569     $ 17,099  
    Adoption of ASU 2016-13 (1)     —       —       —       —       5,027  
    Initial Allowance for PCD loans     —       11,216       —       11,216       —  
    (Reversal of) provision for credit losses (2)     (2,867 )     19,711       1,131       19,520       1,731  
    Charge-offs     (154 )     (1,163 )     (1,267 )     (2,774 )     (1,303 )
    Recoveries     9       —       —       9       15  
    Net charge-offs     (145 )     (1,163 )     (1,267 )     (2,765 )     (1,288 )
    Balance, end of period   $ 50,540     $ 53,552     $ 22,569     $ 50,540     $ 22,569  
    Reserve for unfunded loan commitments (3)                                        
    Balance, beginning of period   $ 4,071     $ 819     $ 1,240     $ 933     $ 1,310  
    Adoption of ASU 2016-13 (1)     —       —       —       —       439  
    (Reversal of) provision for credit losses (4)     (968 )     3,252       (307 )     2,170       (816 )
    Balance, end of period     3,103       4,071       933       3,103       933  
    Allowance for credit losses   $ 53,643     $ 57,623     $ 23,502     $ 53,643     $ 23,502  
                                             
    ALL to total loans held for investment     1.61 %     1.67 %     1.15 %     1.61 %     1.15 %
    ACL to total loans held for investment     1.71 %     1.80 %     1.20 %     1.71 %     1.20 %
    Net charge-offs to average total loans     (0.02 )%     (0.17 )%     (0.26 )%     (0.11 )%     (0.07 )%
    (1 ) Represents the impact of adopting ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses on January 1, 2023. As a result of adopting ASU 2016-13, our methodology to compute our allowance for credit losses is based on a current expected credit loss methodology, rather than the previously applied incurred loss methodology.
    (2 ) Includes $18.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and year ended December 31, 2024 related to the initial provision for credit losses for non-PCD loans acquired in the Merger.
    (3 ) Included in “Accrued interest and other liabilities” on the consolidated balance sheet.
    (4 ) Includes $2.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and year ended December 31, 2024 related to the initial provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments acquired in the Merger.

    California BanCorp and Subsidiary
    Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

        December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		  
        ($ in thousands)  
    ASSETS                  
    Cash and due from banks   $ 60,471     $ 115,165     $ 33,008  
    Federal funds sold & interest-bearing balances     327,691       499,258       53,785  
    Total cash and cash equivalents     388,162       614,423       86,793  
                             
    Debt securities available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $151,429, $163,384 and $136,366 at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023)     142,001       159,330       130,035  
    Debt securities held-to-maturity, at cost (fair value of $47,823, $49,487 and $50,432 at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023)     53,280       53,364       53,616  
    Loans held for sale     17,180       33,704       7,349  
    Loans held for investment:                        
    Construction & land development     227,325       247,934       243,521  
    1-4 family residential     164,401       152,540       143,903  
    Multifamily     243,993       252,134       221,247  
    Other commercial real estate     1,767,727       1,755,908       1,024,243  
    Commercial & industrial     710,970       765,472       320,142  
    Other consumer     24,749       25,726       4,386  
    Total loans held for investment     3,139,165       3,199,714       1,957,442  
    Allowance for credit losses – loans     (50,540 )     (53,552 )     (22,569 )
    Total loans held for investment, net     3,088,625       3,146,162       1,934,873  
                             
    Restricted stock at cost     30,829       27,394       16,055  
    Premises and equipment     13,595       13,996       13,270  
    Right of use asset     14,350       15,310       9,291  
    Other real estate owned, net     4,083       4,083       —  
    Goodwill     111,787       112,515       37,803  
    Intangible assets     22,271       23,031       1,195  
    Bank owned life insurance     66,636       66,180       38,918  
    Deferred taxes, net     43,127       45,644       11,137  
    Accrued interest and other assets     35,728       47,631       19,917  
    Total assets   $ 4,031,654     $ 4,362,767     $ 2,360,252  
                             
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                        
    Deposits:                        
    Noninterest-bearing demand   $ 1,257,007     $ 1,368,303     $ 675,098  
    Interest-bearing NOW accounts     673,589       781,125       381,943  
    Money market and savings accounts     1,182,927       1,149,268       636,685  
    Time deposits     285,237       442,219       249,830  
    Total deposits     3,398,760       3,740,915       1,943,556  
                             
    Borrowings     69,725       69,142       102,865  
    Operating lease liability     18,310       19,211       12,117  
    Accrued interest and other liabilities     33,023       35,435       13,562  
    Total liabilities     3,519,818       3,864,703       2,072,100  
                             
    Shareholders’ Equity:                        
    Common stock – 50,000,000 shares authorized, no par value; issued and outstanding 32,265,935, 32,142,427 and 18,369,115 at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023)     442,469       441,684       222,036  
    Retained earnings     76,008       59,236       70,575  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss – net of taxes     (6,641 )     (2,856 )     (4,459 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     511,836       498,064       288,152  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 4,031,654     $ 4,362,767     $ 2,360,252  

    California BanCorp and Subsidiary
    Income Statements – Quarterly and Year-to-Date (Unaudited)

        Three Months Ended     Year Ended  
        December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		     December 31,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		  
        ($ in thousands except share and per share data)  
    INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME                                        
    Interest and fees on loans   $ 54,791     $ 47,528     $ 29,968     $ 159,960     $ 113,951  
    Interest on debt securities     1,698       1,687       991       5,827       3,497  
    Interest on tax-exempted debt securities     305       306       353       1,223       1,655  
    Interest and dividends from other institutions     5,764       4,606       1,257       12,788       4,419  
    Total interest and dividend income     62,558       54,127       32,569       179,798       123,522  
                                             
    INTEREST EXPENSE                                        
    Interest on NOW, savings, and money market accounts     12,447       11,073       6,606       37,329       20,161  
    Interest on time deposits     4,179       5,087       2,331       15,432       6,704  
    Interest on borrowings     1,391       1,025       1,073       4,053       2,519  
    Total interest expense     18,017       17,185       10,010       56,814       29,384  
    Net interest income     44,541       36,942       22,559       122,984       94,138  
                                             
    (Reversal of) provisions for credit losses (1)     (3,835 )     22,963       824       21,690       915  
    Net interest income after (reversal of) provision for credit losses     48,376       13,979       21,735       101,294       93,223  
                                             
    NONINTEREST INCOME                                        
    Service charges and fees on deposit accounts     911       1,136       507       3,140       1,946  
    (Loss) gain on sale of loans     (1,095 )     8       —       (672 )     831  
    Bank owned life insurance income     823       398       253       1,748       946  
    Servicing and related income on loans     157       82       17       307       240  
    Loss on sale of debt securities     —       —       (1,008 )     —       (974 )
    Loss on sale of building and related fixed assets     —       —       —       (19 )     —  
    Other charges and fees     208       (450 )     129       256       390  
    Total noninterest income (expense)     1,004       1,174       (102 )     4,760       3,379  
                                             
    NONINTEREST EXPENSE                                        
    Salaries and employee benefits     16,074       15,385       9,598       49,845       39,249  
    Occupancy and equipment expenses     2,314       2,031       1,678       7,242       6,231  
    Data processing     1,960       1,536       1,158       5,832       4,534  
    Legal, audit and professional     817       669       1,161       2,559       3,211  
    Regulatory assessments     436       544       320       1,714       1,508  
    Director and shareholder expenses     458       520       207       1,410       849  
    Merger and related expenses     643       14,605       —       16,288       —  
    Intangible assets amortization     1,060       687       80       1,877       389  
    Other real estate owned expense     220       3       —       5,246       —  
    Other expense     2,143       1,700       1,137       5,778       3,775  
    Total noninterest expense     26,125       37,680       15,339       97,791       59,746  
    Income (loss) before income taxes     23,255       (22,527 )     6,294       8,263       36,856  
    Income tax expense (benefit)     6,483       (6,063 )     1,882       2,830       10,946  
    Net income (loss)   $ 16,772     $ (16,464 )   $ 4,412     $ 5,433     $ 25,910  
                                             
    Net income (loss) per share – basic   $ 0.52     $ (0.59 )   $ 0.24     $ 0.22     $ 1.42  
    Net income (loss) per share – diluted   $ 0.51     $ (0.59 )   $ 0.24     $ 0.22     $ 1.39  
    Weighted average common shares-diluted     32,698,714       27,705,844       18,727,519       24,623,397       18,656,742  
    Pre-tax, pre-provision income (2)   $ 19,420     $ 436     $ 7,118     $ 29,953     $ 37,771  
    (1 ) Included (reversal of) provision for unfunded loan commitments of $(1.0) million, $3.3 million and $(307) thousand for the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, and $2.2 million and $(816) thousand for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively
    (2 ) Non-GAAP measure. See – GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliation.

    California BanCorp and Subsidiary
    Average Balance Sheets and Yield Analysis
    (Unaudited)

        Three Months Ended  
        December 31, 2024     September 30, 2024     December 31, 2023  
        Average Balance     Income/
    Expense    		     Yield/
    Cost    		     Average Balance     Income/
    Expense    		     Yield/
    Cost    		     Average Balance     Income/
    Expense    		     Yield/
    Cost    		  
        ($ in thousands)  
    Assets                                                      
    Interest-earning assets:                                                                        
    Total loans   $ 3,184,918     $ 54,791       6.84   %   $ 2,783,581     $ 47,528       6.79 %   $ 1,954,396     $ 29,968       6.08 %
    Taxable debt securities     147,895       1,698       4.57   %     149,080       1,687       4.50 %     113,375       991       3.47 %
    Tax-exempt debt securities (1)     53,607       305       2.87   %     53,682       306       2.87 %     58,644       353       3.02 %
    Deposits in other financial institutions     422,032       5,123       4.83   %     161,616       2,215       5.45 %     56,313       759       5.35 %
    Fed funds sold/resale agreements     3,353       38       4.51   %     143,140       1,886       5.24 %     9,008       125       5.51 %
    Restricted stock investments and other bank stock     30,341       603       7.91   %     24,587       505       8.17 %     16,394       373       9.03 %
    Total interest-earning assets     3,842,146       62,558       6.48   %     3,315,686       54,127       6.49 %     2,208,130       32,569       5.85 %
    Total noninterest-earning assets     326,601                       277,471                       137,193                  
    Total assets   $ 4,168,747                     $ 3,593,157                     $ 2,345,323                  
                                                                             
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                                                                        
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                                                        
    Interest-bearing NOW accounts   $ 704,017     $ 3,784       2.14   %   $ 617,373     $ 2,681       1.73 %   $ 362,579     $ 1,860       2.04 %
    Money market and savings accounts     1,192,692       8,663       2.89   %     999,322       8,392       3.34 %     669,391       4,746       2.81 %
    Time deposits     359,111       4,179       4.63   %     421,241       5,087       4.80 %     208,700       2,331       4.43 %
    Total interest-bearing deposits     2,255,820       16,626       2.93   %     2,037,936       16,160       3.15 %     1,240,670       8,937       2.86 %
    Borrowings:                                                                        
    FHLB advances     —       —       — %       611       9       5.86 %     56,380       802       5.64 %
    Subordinated debt     69,420       1,391       7.97   %     52,246       1,016       7.74 %     17,854       271       6.02 %
    Total borrowings     69,420       1,391       7.97   %     52,857       1,025       7.71 %     74,234       1,073       5.73 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     2,325,240       18,017       3.08   %     2,090,793       17,185       3.27 %     1,314,904       10,010       3.02 %
                                                                             
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities:                                                                        
    Noninterest-bearing deposits (2)     1,283,591                       1,031,844                       721,169                  
    Other liabilities     55,007                       41,962                       27,178                  
    Shareholders’ equity     504,909                       428,558                       282,072                  
    Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity   $ 4,168,747                     $ 3,593,157                     $ 2,345,323                  
                                                                             
    Net interest spread                     3.40   %                     3.22 %                     2.83 %
    Net interest income and margin           $ 44,541       4.61   %           $ 36,942       4.43 %           $ 22,559       4.05 %
    Cost of deposits   $ 3,539,411     $ 16,626       1.87   %   $ 3,069,780     $ 16,160       2.09 %   $ 1,961,839     $ 8,937       1.81 %
    Cost of funds   $ 3,608,831     $ 18,017       1.99   %   $ 3,122,637     $ 17,185       2.19 %   $ 2,036,073     $ 10,010       1.95 %
    (1 ) Tax-exempt debt securities yields are presented on a tax equivalent basis using a 21% tax rate.
    (2 ) Average noninterest-bearing deposits represent 36.27%, 33.61% and 36.76% of average total deposits for the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

    California BanCorp and Subsidiary
    Average Balance Sheets and Yield Analysis
    (Unaudited)

        Year Ended  
        December 31, 2024     December 31, 2023  
        Average Balance     Income/
    Expense    		     Yield/
    Cost    		     Average Balance     Income/
    Expense    		     Yield/
    Cost    		  
        ($ in thousands)  
    Assets                                    
    Interest-earning assets:                                                
    Total loans   $ 2,443,127     $ 159,960       6.55 %   $ 1,918,443     $ 113,951       5.94 %
    Taxable debt securities     136,984       5,827       4.25 %     107,021       3,497       3.27 %
    Tax-exempt debt securities (1)     53,721       1,223       2.88 %     65,674       1,655       3.19 %
    Deposits in other financial institutions     171,939       8,692       5.06 %     46,826       2,434       5.20 %
    Fed funds sold/resale agreements     43,990       2,319       5.27 %     18,114       923       5.10 %
    Restricted stock investments and other bank stock     22,137       1,777       8.03 %     15,930       1,062       6.67 %
    Total interest-earning assets     2,871,898       179,798       6.26 %     2,172,008       123,522       5.69 %
    Total noninterest-earning assets     224,018                       134,225                  
    Total assets   $ 3,095,916                     $ 2,306,233                  
                                                     
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                                                
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                                
    Interest-bearing NOW accounts   $ 511,425     $ 10,644       2.08 %   $ 308,537     $ 5,161       1.67 %
    Money market and savings accounts     911,684       26,685       2.93 %     673,176       15,000       2.23 %
    Time deposits     324,249       15,432       4.76 %     180,219       6,704       3.72 %
    Total interest-bearing deposits     1,747,358       52,761       3.02 %     1,161,932       26,865       2.31 %
    Borrowings:                                                
    FHLB advances     19,543       1,103       5.64 %     26,390       1,434       5.43 %
    Subordinated debt     39,479       2,950       7.47 %     17,818       1,085       6.09 %
    Total borrowings     59,022       4,053       6.87 %     44,208       2,519       5.70 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,806,380       56,814       3.15 %     1,206,140       29,384       2.44 %
                                                     
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities:                                                
    Noninterest-bearing deposits (2)     873,043                       801,882                  
    Other liabilities     36,677                       24,865                  
    Shareholders’ equity     379,816                       273,346                  
    Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity   $ 3,095,916                     $ 2,306,233                  
                                                     
    Net interest spread                     3.11 %                     3.25 %
    Net interest income and margin           $ 122,984       4.28 %           $ 94,138       4.33 %
    Cost of deposits   $ 2,620,401     $ 52,761       2.01 %   $ 1,963,814     $ 26,865       1.37 %
    Cost of funds   $ 2,679,423     $ 56,814       2.12 %   $ 2,008,022     $ 29,384       1.46 %
    (1 ) Tax-exempt debt securities yields are presented on a tax equivalent basis using a 21% tax rate.
    (2 ) Average noninterest-bearing deposits represent 33.32%, and 40.83% of average total deposits for the year ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

    California BanCorp and Subsidiary
    GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation
    (Unaudited)

    The following tables present a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP measures for: (1) adjusted net income (loss), (2) efficiency ratio, (3) adjusted efficiency ratio, (4) pre-tax pre-provision income, (5) adjusted pre-tax pre-provision income, (6) average tangible common equity, (7) adjusted return on average assets, (8) adjusted return on average equity, (9) return on average tangible common equity, (10) adjusted return on average tangible common equity, (11) tangible common equity, (12) tangible assets, (13) tangible common equity to tangible asset ratio, and (14) tangible book value per share. We believe the presentation of certain non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to assess our consolidated financial condition and consolidated results of operations and to assist investors in evaluating our financial results relative to our peers. These non-GAAP financial measures complement our GAAP reporting and are presented below to provide investors and others with information that we use to manage the business each period. Because not all companies use identical calculations, the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies. These non-GAAP measures should be taken together with the corresponding GAAP measures and should not be considered a substitute of the GAAP measures.

        Three Months Ended     Year Ended  
        December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		     December 31,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		  
        ($ in thousands)  
    Adjusted net income                                        
    Net income (loss)   $ 16,772     $ (16,464 )   $ 4,412     $ 5,433     $ 25,910  
    Add: After-tax Day1 provision for non PCD loans and unfunded loan commitments (1)     —       14,978       —       14,978       —  
    Add: After-tax merger and related expenses (1)     453       10,576       —       11,988       —  
    Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)   $ 17,225     $ 9,090     $ 4,412     $ 32,399     $ 25,910  
                                             
    Efficiency Ratio                                        
    Noninterest expense   $ 26,125     $ 37,680     $ 15,339     $ 97,791     $ 59,746  
    Deduct: Merger and related expenses     643       14,605       —       16,288       —  
    Adjusted noninterest expense     25,482       23,075       15,339       81,503       59,746  
                                             
    Net interest income     44,541       36,942       22,559       122,984       94,138  
    Noninterest income (expense)     1,004       1,174       (102 )     4,760       3,379  
    Total net interest income and noninterest income   $ 45,545     $ 38,116     $ 22,457     $ 127,744     $ 97,517  
    Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP)     57.4 %     98.9 %     68.3 %     76.6 %     61.3 %
    Adjusted efficiency ratio (non-GAAP)     55.9 %     60.5 %     68.3 %     63.8 %     61.3 %
                                             
    Pre-tax pre-provision income                                        
    Net interest income   $ 44,541     $ 36,942     $ 22,559     $ 122,984     $ 94,138  
    Noninterest income (expense)     1,004       1,174       (102 )     4,760       3,379  
    Total net interest income and noninterest income     45,545       38,116       22,457       127,744       97,517  
    Less: Noninterest expense     26,125       37,680       15,339       97,791       59,746  
    Pre-tax pre-provision income (non-GAAP)     19,420       436       7,118       29,953       37,771  
    Add: Merger and related expenses     643       14,605       —       16,288       —  
    Adjusted pre-tax pre-provision income (non-GAAP)   $ 20,063     $ 15,041     $ 7,118     $ 46,241     $ 37,771  
    (1 ) After-tax Day 1 provision for non-PCD loans and unfunded commitments and merger and related expenses are presented using a 29.56% tax rate.
        Three Months Ended     Year Ended  
        December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		     December 31,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		  
        ($ in thousands)  
    Return on Average Assets, Equity, and Tangible Equity                              
    Net income (loss)   $ 16,772     $ (16,464 )   $ 4,412     $ 5,433     $ 25,910  
    Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)   $ 17,225     $ 9,090     $ 4,412     $ 32,399     $ 25,910  
                                             
    Average assets   $ 4,168,747     $ 3,593,157     $ 2,345,323     $ 3,095,916     $ 2,306,233  
    Average shareholders’ equity     504,909       428,558       282,072       379,816       273,346  
    Less: Average intangible assets     135,073       104,409       39,035       79,366       39,195  
    Average tangible common equity (non-GAAP)   $ 369,836     $ 324,149     $ 243,037     $ 300,450     $ 234,151  
                                             
    Return on average assets     1.60 %     (1.82 %)     0.75 %     0.18 %     1.12 %
    Adjusted return on average assets (non-GAAP)     1.64 %     1.01 %     0.75 %     1.05 %     1.12 %
    Return on average equity     13.21 %     (15.28 %)     6.21 %     1.43 %     9.48 %
    Adjusted return on average equity (non-GAAP)     13.57 %     8.44 %     6.21 %     8.53 %     9.48 %
    Return on average tangible common equity (non-GAAP)     18.04 %     (20.21 %)     7.20 %     1.81 %     11.07 %
    Adjusted return on average tangible common equity (non-GAAP)     18.53 %     11.16 %     7.20 %     10.78 %     11.07 %
        December 31,
    2024    		     December 31,
    2023    		  
        ($ in thousands except share and per share data)  
    Tangible Common Equity Ratio/Tangible Book Value Per Share                
    Shareholders’ equity   $ 511,836     $ 288,152  
    Less: Intangible assets     134,058       38,998  
    Tangible common equity (non-GAAP)   $ 377,778     $ 249,154  
                     
    Total assets   $ 4,031,654     $ 2,360,252  
    Less: Intangible assets     134,058       38,998  
    Tangible assets (non-GAAP)   $ 3,897,596     $ 2,321,254  
                     
    Equity to asset ratio     12.70 %     12.21 %
    Tangible common equity to tangible asset ratio (non-GAAP)     9.69 %     10.73 %
    Book value per share   $ 15.86     $ 15.69  
    Tangible book value per share (non-GAAP)   $ 11.71     $ 13.56  
    Shares outstanding     32,265,935       18,369,115  

    INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT
    Kevin Mc Cabe
    California Bank of Commerce, N.A.
    kmccabe@bankcbc.com
    818.637.7065

    1 Reconciliations of non–U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) measures are set forth at the end of this press release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Kama Capital Secures SCA Category 1 License: A Major Step in Expanding Innovation and Reach

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) of the United Arab Emirates has awarded Kama Capital the prestigious Category 1 licence. This achievement positions Kama Capital as a key player in the trading industry, providing it with the regulatory framework to expand its presence, scale its operations, and fulfill its mission to create advanced, high-tech, AI-driven online trading solutions. 

    What the SCA License Means for Us
    This isn’t merely a licence—it’s a gateway to opportunity. Here’s how it empowers Kama Capital to advance its business to the next level level:

    1.     Expanded Services and Product Offering
    The SCA Category 1 licence allows Kama Capital to offer a broader range of financial services, including direct market access for clients and advanced trading tools. This means we can cater to institutional investors, liquidity providers, and professional traders in the region with solutions tailored to their needs — all underpinned by robust regulation oversight.

    2.    Enhanced Trust and Credibility
    Being licensed by the SCA, one of the most respected regulators in the region, reinforces Kama Capital’s commitment to transparency, security, and compliance. Clients seek assurance that their trading partner operates within strict legal frameworks, and this licence provides precisely that. For technology-driven firms like ours, this trust forms the foundation for our bold innovation.

    3.    A Foundation for Technological Growth
    Regulation isn’t a barrier for us — it’s an enabler. The SCA provides clear, tech-forward guidelines for fintech companies to innovate responsibly. With this licence, Kama Capital can scale its AI-driven trading platform while ensuring that all technology and data management practices meet regulatory expectations. The balance between innovation and oversight enables us to develop faster, smarter trading tools for our clients.

    Why Dubai Is the Perfect HQ for Kama Capital
    Establishing our headquarters in Dubai was a deliberate choice. The city is not only an economic hub but a global centre for entrepreneurship and technology. Here’s why it matters:

    1.     A Fintech-Friendly Ecosystem
    Dubai has established itself as the region’s leader in financial technology. From its thriving startup scene to government-backed accelerators, the city actively supports innovation. This infrastructure allows Kama Capital to stay at the cutting edge of trading technology while benefiting from proximity to like-minded tech innovators.

    2.    Access to World-Class Talent
    The UAE attracts some of the brightest minds in finance and technology. By based in Dubai, we have access to a diverse talent pool with expertise in AI, machine learning, and algorithmic trading. This talent is the engine behind our next-generation trading solutions.

    3.    A Visionary Regulatory Environment
    The SCA and other UAE regulatory bodies are not just gatekeepers but partners in fostering innovation. Their frameworks enable companies like Kama Capital to operate confidently, knowing that technological advancements and client protection go hand in hand.

    Quotes from Leadership

    Razan Assaf, Deputy CEO of Kama Capital: “Securing the SCA Category 1 license for Kama Capital Securites Broker LLC is a major milestone for Kama Capital Group’s expansion. It allows us to broaden our presence in the UAE and across the GCC, giving traders access to a highly regulated, technology-first brokerage that prioritizes performance and security. The UAE continues to set the gold standard for financial innovation, and we are proud to be part of this ecosystem, driving forward the next generation of trading.” Mohammed Omayer, Head of Compliance at Kama Capital: “Regulatory integrity is at the core of everything we do. The SCA Category 1 license confirms that Kama Capital operates under the most rigorous financial, compliance, and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) standards. As trading technology evolves, so do the risks associated with financial crime, and we remain committed to ensuring that every aspect of our operations meets and exceeds global regulatory expectations. This license strengthens our ability to enforce strict AML policies, investor protection measures, and financial security protocols, ensuring a safe and transparent trading environment for all our clients.”

    About Kama Capital

    Kama Capital was founded in 2021 to lead a new breed of traders powered by cutting-edge AI and technology to redefine the future of trading. Headquartered in Dubai, the company leverages advanced machine learning, algorithmic trading, Expert Advisors, data analytics, and next-generation trading tools to provide traders with the technology, intelligence, and control needed to transform their trading practices. Kama Capital has received industry recognition for its innovative approach, earning awards such as “Fintech of the Year” from Entrepreneur Magazine, forming strategic partnerships with Tech Crunch, Finance Magnates, Acuity, and FutureTech Con, and now operates under the prestigious SCA Category 1 licence, further solidifying its position as a leader in the financial trading sector.

    For more information about Kama Capital, users can visit https://kamacapital.ae/

    Contact

    Head of Digital & Partnerships
    Karthik R. Arumugam
    Kama Capital
    k.arumugam@kama-capital.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/95c11624-3979-4f38-84b2-648cf3ebceaf

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Winter in Moscow”: Northern Lights Appear Over Manezhnaya Square

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The northern lights can now be seen over Manezhnaya Square in Moscow. This light show was prepared as part of the project “Winter in Moscow” and is timed to coincide with the start of the Chinese New Year celebrations in the capital. It can be seen every evening until February 9. Admission is free, no pre-registration required.

    There is a sign in China: seeing the northern lights in the sky means good luck. This natural phenomenon attracts many tourists from the Celestial Empire to Russia. Residents and guests of the capital are offered to catch luck by the tail without crossing the Arctic Circle. It is enough to come to Manezhnaya Square in the evening.

    A themed light show as part of the Chinese New Year in Moscow festival was also organized on Bolotnaya Square. It can be seen for free during skating sessions on the rink. This site opened here for the first time. Visitors can see an imitation of a pond with koi carp that “swim” after them under the ice. The show starts daily at 18:00 and will run until February 9.

    The Chinese New Year in Moscow festival is held from January 28 to February 9 as part of the cross-cultural years of Russia and China. City residents and tourists can look forward to events on Manezhnaya, Tverskaya and Bolotnaya squares, VDNKh, the Moscow Zoo and other popular places. In total, the festival unites two dozen venues and more than 400 events. Guests will see performances by Chinese theaters and drum shows, themed ice shows, and attend creative workshops, lectures and tea ceremonies.

    A special gastronomic program has been prepared for the festival. Traditional Chinese dishes can be tried in stylized chalets on Manezhnaya Square, in the food court on Bolotnaya Square and in more than 100 restaurants in the capital.

    Project “Winter in Moscow”— the main event of the season, which until February 28 unites various events of the capital. Citizens and tourists are invited to remember traditions and history, warm up with tea and hot buns, go skating, skiing and tubing, watch ice shows, give gifts to people who find themselves in a difficult life situation, show care for those who need it.

    Muscovites and guests of the capital are offered a huge selection of events in the open air and in cultural and sports institutions. The atmosphere of winter traditions has engulfed the entire city – more than 1.9 thousand sites are open. The largest festivals of the capital are organically woven into the project: “Moscow Estates”, “Moscow Tea Party”, “City of Light” and many others. All information about the project and the events of the winter season can be found in a special mos.ru section.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149470073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor — News Release — Governor Green Signs Executive Order to Promote and Expedite Renewable Energy, Reducing Energy Costs

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Office of the Governor — News Release — Governor Green Signs Executive Order to Promote and Expedite Renewable Energy, Reducing Energy Costs

    Posted on Jan 28, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI 
    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI 
     
    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
    GOVERNOR
    KE KIAʻĀINA 
     

    GOVERNOR GREEN SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO PROMOTE AND EXPEDITE RENEWABLE ENERGY, REDUCING ENERGY COSTS
     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    January 28, 2025

    HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green, M.D., today unveiled an executive order to promote and expedite the development of renewable energy in the state of Hawaiʻi.

    In the face of federal uncertainty regarding renewable energy and concerns over grid stability across the state, the Governor is committed to expanding and accelerating Hawaiʻi’s renewable resource development, and has outlined priorities to reduce energy costs, prevent blackouts, and slash emissions for Hawaiʻi residents and businesses.

    The executive order, developed with the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office and the input of various energy stakeholders across the state over the last year, outlines new policy objectives and directives for the state of Hawaiʻi, including accelerating renewable development for neighbor island communities to hit 100% renewable portfolio standards from 2045 to 2035, setting a statewide goal of 50,000 distributed renewable energy installations (such as rooftop solar and battery systems) by 2030, and directing state departments to streamline and accelerate the permitting of renewable developments to reduce energy costs and project development timelines.

    In addition, the order calls upon the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission and Hawaiian Electric Company for support in reducing redundancies and inefficiencies in energy permitting and to prioritize reduced energy costs and energy stability for Hawaiʻi’s people.

    “Hawaiʻi needs to take some drastic steps to reduce energy costs, which have continued to rise and have contributed to the high cost of living for our people,” said Governor Green. “We know that high energy costs in Hawaiʻi are due to our reliance on burning oil for electricity and old infrastructure, which is really unacceptable. We can and must do more to get this under control.”

    Despite the federal administration signaling a turn away from renewables, Governor Green is doubling-down on a diversified, renewable-centered approach to cut costs and emissions.

    “This EO represents the start of real action to lower costs, support a stable energy system, and reduce emissions,” said Chip Fletcher, the Governor’s climate advisor and interim dean of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. “Governor Green is cutting the red tape to realize our shared energy goals, including the first-ever push to get neighbor island communities to energy independence a decade sooner.”

    “The goal of 50,000 distributed renewable energy installations before 2030 demonstrates the state of Hawaiʻi’s commitment to ensuring more affordable and resilient energy for Hawaiʻi’s people,” said Rocky Mould, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Solar Energy Association. “We are excited to aggressively expand opportunities for rooftop solar and energy storage and unleash its power and promise for the clean/decarbonized grid of the future under Governor Green’s leadership.”

    Energy costs have risen starkly in Hawaiʻi, which has the highest average residential energy rate of any state in the U.S.

    High electricity and utility costs impact households, are a drag on Hawaiʻi’s economy, and add additional tax burdens by increasing government operating expenses. Energy cost increases have represented a $15M recurring increase in the Governor’s latest biennium budget for the Department of Education’s operations alone.

    A copy of the executed executive order can be found here.

    # # # 

    Media Contacts:   
    Erika Engle
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
    Phone: 808-586-0120
    Email: [email protected]

    Makana McClellan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
    Cell: 808-265-0083
    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom meets with leaders of Kehillat Israel, Palisades synagogue that still stands after fire

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jan 28, 2025

    What you need to know: Governor Newsom met today with leaders of the Pacific Palisades synagogue Kehillat Israel, which still stands after the fire.

    Los Angeles, California – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom met with clergy, staff, and board members of Kehillat Israel, the largest synagogue in Pacific Palisades, which still stands after the Palisades Fire wiped out the neighborhood. Kehillat Israel is home to almost one thousand Jewish families, a third of whom lost their homes in the fires.

    “It was an honor to see the resilience of the Kehillat Israel community. To know their place of worship still standing is nothing short of a miracle, and watching the clergy and congregants coming together to pray, learn, and support each other is inspiring. Pacific Palisades will build back stronger than ever, and KI will continue to be a leader in that recovery.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Founded in Pacific Palisades in 1950, Kehillat Israel has been in its current building since October 26, 1997. It is a center of the community for Jews of all faiths across West Los Angeles, and includes a parenting center, Early Childhood Center (pre-school and TK), and K-12 and senior programming.

    Today’s convening took place at Beth Shir Shalom, a synagogue in Santa Monica where some of Kehillat Israel’s programming is currently being held.

    Support for the Palisades

    Governor Newsom was on the ground in Pacific Palisades 50 minutes after the Palisades Fire first broke out in the Palisades Highlands. He has since toured the Palisades Village with first responders several times, visited the destroyed homes of Palisadians, and volunteered with Project Angel Food to assist survivors. He continues to meet with survivors, leaders, and local officials to ensure that the Palisades has all it needs to recover and rebuild. 

    Get help today

    Californians can go to CA.gov/LAfires – a hub for information and resources from state, local and federal government.

    Individuals and business owners who sustained losses from wildfires in Los Angeles County can apply for disaster assistance:

    If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Jan 28, 2025

    News Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, Mark Walter Family Foundation, and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation will provide an initial commitment of up to $100 million   LA Rises will support city and county efforts to help accelerate recovery LOS ANGELES — In the wake of one…

    Jan 27, 2025

    News LOS ANGELES — Scientists, water managers, state leaders, and experts throughout the state are calling out the federal administration’s ongoing misinformation campaign on water management in California. Here is a snapshot of what water leaders and media are saying…

    Jan 25, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Bret Ladine, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director of the Financial Information System for California (FI$Cal). Ladine has been General Counsel at the California State…

    Jan 28, 2025

    What you need to know: The passage of Proposition 1 by California voters adds rocket fuel to Governor Gavin Newsom’s transformational overhaul of the state’s behavioral health system. These reforms refocus existing funds to prioritize Californians with the most serious mental health and substance use issues, who are too often experiencing homelessness. They also fund more than 11,150 new behavioral health beds and supportive housing units and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots.

    Los Angeles, California – California took a major step forward in correcting the damage from 50 years of neglect to the state’s mental health system with the passage of Proposition 1. This historic measure — a signature priority of Governor Gavin Newsom — adds rocket fuel to California’s overhaul of the state’s behavioral health systems. It provides a full range of mental health and substance abuse care, with new accountability metrics to ensure local governments deliver for their communities.

    This is the biggest reform of the California mental health system in decades and will finally equip partners to deliver the results all Californians need and deserve. Treatment centers will prioritize mental health and substance use support in the community like never before. Now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and begin implementing this critical reform – working closely with city and county leaders to ensure we see results.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

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    What they’re saying: 

    • Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, original author of the Mental Health Services Act: “Twenty years ago, I never could have dreamed that we would have the strong leadership we have today, committing billions and making courageous policy changes that question the conventional wisdom on mental health. Now, with the passage of Proposition 1. California is delivering on decades old promises to help people living with brain-based illnesses, to live better lives, to live independently and to live with dignity in our communities. This is a historic moment and the hard work is ahead of us.“
    • Senator Susan Eggman (D-Stockton), author of Senate Bill 326: “Today marks a day of hope for thousands of Californians who are struggling with mental illness – many of whom are living unhoused. I am tremendously grateful to my fellow Californian’s for passing this important measure.  And I am very appreciative of this Governor’s leadership to transform our behavioral health care system!”
    • Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), author of Assembly Bill 531: “This started as an audacious proposal to address the root cause of homelessness and today, Californians can be proud to know that they did the right thing by passing Proposition 1. Now, it’s time for all of us to get to work, and make sure these reforms are implemented and that we see results.”

    Bigger picture: Transforming the Mental Health Services Act into the Behavioral Health Services Act and building more community mental health treatment sites and supportive housing is the last main pillar of Governor Newsom’s Mental Health Movement – pulling together significant recent reforms like 988 crisis line, CalHOPE, CARE Court, conservatorship reform, CalAIM behavioral health expansion (including mobile crisis care and telehealth), Medi-Cal expansion to all low-income Californians, Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (including expanding services in schools and on-line), Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative, Veterans Mental Health Initiative, Behavioral Health Community Infrastructure Program, Behavioral Health Bridge Housing, Health Care Workforce for All and more.

    More details on next step here

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Jan 28, 2025

    News Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, Mark Walter Family Foundation, and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation will provide an initial commitment of up to $100 million   LA Rises will support city and county efforts to help accelerate recovery LOS ANGELES — In the wake of one…

    Jan 27, 2025

    News LOS ANGELES — Scientists, water managers, state leaders, and experts throughout the state are calling out the federal administration’s ongoing misinformation campaign on water management in California. Here is a snapshot of what water leaders and media are saying…

    Jan 25, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Bret Ladine, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director of the Financial Information System for California (FI$Cal). Ladine has been General Counsel at the California State…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-09 STATE OF HAWAIʻI JOINS 21 STATES AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TO STOP TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM WITHHOLDING ESSENTIAL FEDERAL FUNDING

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2025-09 STATE OF HAWAIʻI JOINS 21 STATES AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TO STOP TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM WITHHOLDING ESSENTIAL FEDERAL FUNDING

    Posted on Jan 28, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI JOINS 21 STATES AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TO STOP TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM WITHHOLDING ESSENTIAL FEDERAL FUNDING

     

    New Trump Administration Policy Would Block Trillions in Funding for Health, Education, Law Enforcement, Disaster Relief, and Other Essential State Programs

     

    News Release 2025-09

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    January 28, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez today joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general suing to stop the implementation of a new Trump administration policy that orders the withholding of trillions of dollars in funding that every state in the country relies on to provide essential services to millions of Americans.

    The new policy, issued by the President’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), puts an indefinite pause on the majority of federal assistance to states. The policy would immediately jeopardize state programs that provide critical health and childcare services to families in need, deliver support to public schools, combat hate crimes and violence against women, provide life saving disaster relief to states, and more.

     

    Attorney General Lopez and the coalition of attorneys general are seeking a court order to immediately stop the enforcement of the OMB policy and preserve essential funding.

     

    “We are aware of U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan’s ruling which blocks the federal grant and loan freeze until Monday,” said Attorney General Lopez. “It is imperative that we continue with our court filing to make sure that the enforcement of the OMB policy is halted.”

     

    Attorney General Lopez continued: “The people of Hawaiʻi pay the federal government millions upon millions of dollars in taxes every year, and the people of this state are entitled to receive a broad array of federal funds to pay for law enforcement and other crucial programs in accordance with federal law. And the impacts of this policy withholding federal funds have already been realized in our state. Neither the President of the United States nor an acting federal budget official can unilaterally upend federal law and cause such mass uncertainty in the Hawaiʻi and our sister states by withholding federal funds authorized by law. The Department of the Attorney General will stand up for the rule of law in this nation.”

    The OMB policy, issued late on January 27, directs all federal agencies to indefinitely pause the majority of federal assistance funding and loans to states and other entities beginning at 5:00 pm today, January 28. As Attorney General Lopez and the coalition note in their lawsuit, OMB’s policy has caused immediate chaos and uncertainty for millions of Americans who rely on state programs that receive these federal funds. Essential community health centers, addiction and mental health treatment programs, services for people with disabilities, and other critical health services are jeopardized by OMB’s policy.

     

    Attorney General Lopez and the coalition also argue that jeopardizing state funds will put Americans in danger by depriving law enforcement of much-needed resources. OMB’s policy would pause support for U.S. Department of Justice initiatives to combat hate crimes and violence against women, stop drug interdiction, support community policing, and provide services to victims of crimes. In addition, Attorney General Lopez and the coalition of attorneys general note that the OMB policy would halt essential disaster relief funds to places like California and North Carolina, where tens of thousands of residents are relying on FEMA grants to rebuild their lives after devastating wildfires and floods.

     

    While the administration has attempted to clarify the scope and meaning of the OMB policy, states have already reported that funds have been frozen. As part of their lawsuit, Attorney General Lopez and the coalition of attorneys general argue that OMB’s policy violates the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act by imposing a government-wide stop to spending without any regard for the laws and regulations that govern each source of federal funding. The attorneys general argue that the president cannot decide to unilaterally override laws governing federal spending, and that OMB’s policy unconstitutionally overrides Congress’ power to decide how federal funds are spent.

     

    Joining Attorney General Lopez in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

     

    The Complaint can be found here.

     

    # # #

     

    Media contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]        

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office: 808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
    Email:     [email protected] 

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor — News Release — Governor Green Applauds Federal Judge for Halting Funding Freeze

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Office of the Governor — News Release — Governor Green Applauds Federal Judge for Halting Funding Freeze

    Posted on Jan 28, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI 
    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI 
     
    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
    GOVERNOR
    KE KIAʻĀINA 
     

    GOVERNOR GREEN APPLAUDS FEDERAL JUDGE FOR HALTING FUNDING FREEZE
     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    January 28, 2025

    HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green, M.D., applauds the ruling by a federal court judge today, blocking the order by President Trump to freeze federal funding for crucial programs serving Americans. The Governor stands in strong opposition to President Trump’s executive order pausing federal disbursements, which has caused a great deal of chaos, confusion and uncertainty.

    “The presidential order seeks to prevent the people of Hawai‘i from receiving crucial services funded by the millions of dollars they pay to the federal government each year. This cannot stand,” said Governor Green. “My administration is currently assessing the impact of this pause on essential state programs and services, including education, health care, social services, and wildfire recovery. For those programs that are found to be impacted, the state of Hawai‘i will work to develop alternate plans to ensure that key services for local residents are continued. The state Attorney General has joined other states in initiating legal action to challenge the federal administration’s actions, as Hawai‘i has already encountered impacts of this threatened funding freeze.”

    The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum on January 27, 2025, which requires federal agencies to complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects and activities that may be impacted by any of the president’s executive orders. During this review period, the obligation and disbursement of federal funds were to be paused effective January 28, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.

    “The OMB has since issued clarification guidance indicating that any program that provides direct benefits to individuals is not subject to the pause, such as Medicaid, SNAP or Social Security benefits, among others,” said state Department of Budget and Finance Director Luis Salaveria.

    “The Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) has several divisions or attached agencies that would be affected,” said state Comptroller Keith Regan. “The main impact would be to our public arts initiatives in the State Foundation of Culture and the Arts. Indirectly, it is possible the Archives may need to halt projects funded by its federal grants and our State Procurement Office’s Surplus Property Program may be affected by the pause in funding.”

    The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation is working with the Trump Administration on clarifications to the OMB memo, including its impacts on obligated formula projects and discretionary funds.

    The state Department of Law Enforcement welcomed the OMB’s clarification memo, but is still seeking final determination of impacts from federal partners.

    “The Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) is deeply concerned about the temporary pause on federal financial assistance and its potential impacts on our ability to deliver essential services,” said DLIR Director Jade T. Butay. “A significant portion of our operations, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, job training and workplace safety through our Occupational Safety and Health division, is supported by federal funds. Any disruption to these critical programs could affect workers, employers and communities statewide. We are actively monitoring the situation and are awaiting further guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor to understand the full scope of the impacts and next steps. We remain committed to serving the people of Hawaiʻi and ensuring the continuity of essential programs.”

    The State of Hawaiʻi Department of Defense (HIDOD) (comprising the Hawaiʻi National Guard, Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, Office of Veterans’ Services and Civilian Military Programs) evaluated potential impacts to its core mission to enable a safe, secure, and thriving state of Hawaiʻi. HIDOD relies on approximately $88M in federal funding for its annual operating budget; about $350M to administer its Hazardous Mitigation Program Grant; close to $25M for its Emergency Management Program Grant, and anticipates approximately $56M in FEMA reimbursement for the recent Maui Wildfires disaster response and recovery. It also receives federal grant funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to synergize its counter-narcotics efforts with federal, state and county law enforcement agencies.

    “While these federal programs are being reviewed by OMB, there’s no immediate impact to operate, retain qualified personnel, and continue to protect the citizens of the state of Hawaiʻi,”, said Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, State Adjutant General.

    The Hawaiʻi State Public Library System (HSPLS) receives about $1.5M in Library Services and Technology Act funding that ensures that all local residents have access to library materials, technology in the library to connect to the Internet, and online databases that provide equal access to information and learning opportunities no matter where they live. The suspension of this funding will cause our communities to face limited access to information that supports their health, business, education and ability to connect to the world. Specifically, students will not have free access to test preparation and families will not have easy access to legal forms to support their needs.

    HSPLS also is a recipient and partner for two digital equity projects. One provides basic digital literacy classes in all of our communities through May of this year. The second is part of the Federal Broadband Equity Access Deployment (BEAD) funding received by the University of Hawaiʻi. The funding supports Digital Literacy Navigators in all public libraries to ensure our patrons have access to learning the digital literacy skills they need to be successful.

    Governor Green and his administration will continue to work to support the people of Hawai‘i, prioritizing affordability, housing, reducing homelessness, increasing food security and more, to allow the residents of the islands to live and thrive in the place they love and call home.

    # # # 

    Media Contacts:   
    Erika Engle
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
    Phone: 808-586-0120
    Email: [email protected]

    Makana McClellan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
    Cell: 808-265-0083
    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/INDIA – Bishop of Manipur: “The situation is polarized: we need peacemakers”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Imphal (Agenzia Fides) – “There is less violence in Manipur today than a year ago, thanks to the massive presence of the Indian armed forces: more than 70,000 soldiers are deployed in all the buffer zones that separate the two conflicting communities. But the situation remains tense and very polarized. An official ceasefire and concrete mediation measures for pacification are needed. We need peacemakers”, explains to Fides Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal, capital of the Indian state of Manipur, describing the situation in this state in northeastern India, where an inter-ethnic conflict broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-zo communities in May 2023. To avoid clashes, the temporary solution found by the local government was to separate the belligerents into isolated territories. Constructive steps towards peace are lacking today. Manipur Finance Minister N. Biren Singh said on Sunday that “the government is working for the development of the state” and that it intends to work “for a new Manipur, where peace and love for the past will reign.”Bishop Neli says he is encouraged by this prospect, which, he stresses, must necessarily start from listening to the two conflicting communities: “The two communities,” he notes, “cannot cross into each other’s territory because of the 24-hour surveillance by armed men. In the Meitei community, Christians present report a climate of repression. The Kuki Zo, for their part, are fighting fiercely for a separate administration, which goes against the wishes of the Meitei majority. The Meitei are for the territorial integrity of Manipur and are demanding the status of “recognized tribe,” which has been the cause of intercommunal violence. Today, he says, in this situation, “there is no spontaneous political solution in sight until the state government and the central government work on it.”At the social level, worrying phenomena are manifesting themselves: “The increase in drug trafficking, armed militancy by people who procure weapons, increasing cases of extortion: in other words, crime thrives on the difficulties of the state and the central government in ensuring security,” says the bishop, who notes that “society is highly polarized.” “Only members of neutral communities or other ethnic groups such as the Nagas are allowed to cross the border between the strictly closed areas of the Meitei and the Kuki,” reports Bishop Neli. “The local Church,” he says, “with its religious priests and lay people, continues to provide humanitarian assistance: we are engaged in building houses, providing livelihoods, education, psychosocial support. In addition, he reports, Christians are active and involved in an interfaith forum that is constantly trying to bring the parties to dialogue and peace. We are now calling for a formal truce and a pact, so that civilians can move safely on national roads and have free access to the airport and medical facilities,” he hopes.The Catholic faithful of Manipur, who are part of both the Kuki and the Meitei, are facing the same difficulties and are unable to move, which is impacting the celebrations and activities of the Church: “On the occasion of the Jubilee,” he says, “we celebrated the solemn opening Eucharist in the cathedral, which is in Meitei territory. The Archbishop Emeritus opened another holy door in another church for the Kuki Zo who cannot come here, in the city cathedral. We therefore allow everyone to pray and benefit from the plenary indulgence. We have set the theme of hope for 2025 and a nine-year programme that will lead us to the Jubilee of 2033. We really hope that it will be a journey marked by peace and reconciliation.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 29/1/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Holocaust Remembrance Day: a story dedicated to its six million victims

    Source: European Parliament 3

    On Wednesday, Corrie Hermann, daughter of cellist and Holocaust victim Pál Hermann, addressed MEPs in a plenary session marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day

    President Roberta Metsola opened the ceremony, which also marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on 27 January.

    “We can never forget, and we must act. Ours is the last generation to have the privilege of knowing Holocaust survivors, and hearing their stories first-hand. Their voices, their courage, their memories are a bridge to a past that must never be forgotten. Because even after the horrors of the Holocaust, antisemitism did not disappear. It persisted. It evolved.

    Memory is a duty. A responsibility to ensure that “never again” is not an empty promise.

    This European Parliament will always remember. And we will always speak up – just as our first woman President Simone Veil, herself a survivor, taught us to do. Her legacy reminds us that neutrality helps only the oppressor, never the victim. This Parliament will always stand for dignity. For hope. For humanity”, she said. President Metsola’s speech was followed by a musical performance featuring Hermann’s original Gagliano cello.

    In her address Corrie Hermann shared the story of how her father, Hungarian composer and cellist Pál Hermann, considered as one of the finest cellists of his time, was murdered by the Nazis in 1944. “This story about one Holocaust victim is dedicated to every one of the six million victims whom we deplore today”, she said.

    Ms Hermann recounted her father’s life as a musician, from his education at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest to performing on Europe’s most prestigious stages. After fleeing to Belgium and France, he was arrested in Toulouse in a street raid in April 1944, and transported to Drancy the camp near Paris from where the transports for the concentration camps departed. From there he was deported to the Kaunas concentration camp in Lithuania. While the train was waiting at the station, he managed to throw a note from the train, asking for his Gagliano cello to be saved. The note was found and sent to his brother-in-law, who replaced the Gagliano with a lesser instrument and escaped with the cello strapped to his back. “We don’t know what happened next, but only a handful of the 900 prisoners returned after the war,” she recalled.

    Despite his tragic fate, Hermann’s music continues to inspire people across the world. Over 80 years after his death, his Gagliano cello was rediscovered and his compositions have been performed by renowned international artists. “Hitler burned books, destroyed paintings, and murdered millions; but music is invincible,” Corrie Hermann said.

    Following the speech, MEPs observed a minute’s silence. The ceremony ended with a musical performance of “Kaddish” by Maurice Ravel.

    Watch the ceremony here.

    About Pál and Corrie Hermann

    Pál Hermann, born on 27 March 1902 in Budapest, was a renowned Hungarian cellist and composer. During the 1920s, he moved to Berlin and performed across Europe on his Gagliano cello. In 1933, Hermann fled to Belgium and later to France. Arrested by the Nazis in Toulouse in 1944, Hermann was then murdered by the Nazis in Lithuania months later.

    Corrie (Cornelia) Hermann, born in Amersfoort (The Netherlands) on 4 August 1932, is a retired doctor and former politician. In 1996, she founded the Paul Hermann Fund to support young professional cellists.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Carbon Streaming Announces Project Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Carbon Streaming Corporation (Cboe CA: NETZ) (OTCQB: OFSTF) (FSE: M2Q) (“Carbon Streaming” or the “Company”) today provided a project update with respect to the Purchase and Sale Agreement dated as of May 9, 2023, as amended pursuant to that First Amending Agreement, dated as of February 7, 2024 (the “Sheep Creek Stream”), among Carbon Streaming, Mast Reforestation SPV I, LLC (“Mast”) and its parent company DroneSeed Co., d/b/a Mast Reforestation (“Mast Parent Co”).

    Carbon Streaming has received a Notice of Adverse Impact from Mast and Mast Parent Co under the Sheep Creek Stream Agreement pursuant to which, among other things, Mast advised Carbon Streaming that the Sheep Creek project has experienced significantly higher than expected mortality rates and that the surviving seedlings had exhibited slower than expected growth rates. As a result, Mast indicated to Carbon Streaming that it no longer expects to deliver the agreed-upon 286,229 forecast mitigation units to Carbon Streaming under the Sheep Creek Stream, as Mast no longer considers the existing Sheep Creek project plan and budget to be viable. Carbon Streaming has formally responded to the Notice of Adverse Impact and requested that Mast respond to Carbon Streaming’s significant concerns regarding, among other things, the timing of the delivery of the Notice of Adverse Impact, and the characterization of the cause of the adverse impact. The Company is continuing to evaluate all legal avenues available under the Sheep Creek Agreement.

    The Company had entered into a project pipeline streaming agreement (the “Pipeline Agreement”) for up to US$15 million with Mast and Mast Parent Co, to advance its pipeline of post-wildfire reforestation projects in the Western USA. Carbon Streaming also invested US$2 million into Mast Parent Co through a convertible note (the “Convertible Note”). In October 2023, the Convertible Note was converted into preferred shares of Mast Parent Co upon the execution of a qualifying financing event, resulting in 1.3 million preferred shares of Mast Parent Co (the “Preferred Shares”) being issued to the Company at a fair value of $2.6 million. The Company expects that the facts described above will materially decrease the fair value of the Sheep Creek Stream and the Preferred Shares on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

    About Carbon Streaming

    The Company’s focus is on projects that generate high-quality carbon credits and have a positive impact on the environment, local communities, and biodiversity, in addition to their carbon reduction or removal potential. This approach aligns our strategic interests with those of project partners to create long-term relationships built on a shared commitment to sustainability and accountability and positions us as a trusted source for buyers seeking high-quality carbon credits.

    ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY:
    Marin Katusa, Chief Executive Officer
    Tel: 365.607.6095
    info@carbonstreaming.com
    www.carbonstreaming.com

    Investor Relations
    investors@carbonstreaming.com

    Media
    media@carbonstreaming.com

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking information, including, without limitation: statements regarding the feasibility of the project under the Sheep Creek Stream and the implications to the Company’s financial statements; statements regarding the fair value of the Sheep Creek Streaming and the Preferred Shares; and statements regarding the Company’s evaluation of legal avenues under the Sheep Creek Stream.

    When used in this news release, words such as “estimates”, “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “will”, “believes”, “intends” “should”, “could”, “may” and other similar terminology are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. This forward-looking information is based on the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. They should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be an accurate indication of whether or not such results will be achieved. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: future engagement with Mast after the date hereof in respect of the Sheep Creek Stream and matters related thereto and arising therefrom; general economic, market and business conditions and global financial conditions, including fluctuations in interest rates, foreign exchange rates and stock market volatility; volatility in prices of carbon credits and demand for carbon credits; change in social or political views towards climate change, carbon credits and ESG initiatives and subsequent changes in corporate or government policies or regulations and associated changes in demand for carbon credits; limited operating history for the Company’s current strategy; risks arising from competition and future acquisition activities; concentration risk; inaccurate estimates of growth strategy; dependence upon key management; impact of corporate restructurings; reputational risk; failure or timing delays for projects to be registered, validated and ultimately developed and for emission reductions or removals to be verified and carbon credits issued (and other risks associated with carbon credits standards and registries); foreign operations and political risks including actions by governmental authorities, including changes in or to government regulation, taxation and carbon pricing initiatives; uncertainties and ongoing market developments surrounding the validation and verification requirements of the voluntary and/or compliance markets; due diligence risks, including failure of third parties’ reviews, reports and projections to be accurate; dependence on project partners, operators and owners, including failure by such counterparties to make payments or perform their operational or other obligations to the Company in compliance with the terms of contractual arrangements between the Company and such counterparties; failure of projects to generate carbon credits, or natural disasters such as flood or fire which could have a material adverse effect on the ability of any project to generate carbon credits; volatility in the market price of the Company’s common shares or warrants; the effect that the issuance of additional securities by the Company could have on the market price of the Company’s common shares or warrants; global health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics; and the other risks disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s Annual Information Form dated as of March 27, 2024 filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date of this news release. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Hanover Bancorp, Inc. Reports 2024 Full Year And Fourth Quarter Results Highlighted by Fourth Quarter Robust Margin Expansion and Record Non-interest Income

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Fourth Quarter Performance Highlights

    • Net Income: Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 totaled $3.9 million or $0.52 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares).
    • Record Non-interest Income: The Company reported record non-interest income of $4.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $0.2 million or 5.89% from the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and $0.9 million or 28.67% from the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
    • Net Interest Income: Net interest income was $13.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $0.7 million or 5.39% from the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and $1.1 million, or 9.08% from the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
    • Net Interest Margin: The Company’s net interest margin during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 increased to 2.53% from 2.37% in the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and 2.40% in the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
    • Strong Liquidity Position: At December 31, 2024, undrawn liquidity sources, which include cash and unencumbered securities and secured and unsecured funding capacity, totaled $713.1 million, or approximately 283% of uninsured deposit balances.
    • Deposit Activity: Core deposits, consisting of Demand, NOW, Savings and Money Market, increased $3.1 million or 0.84% annualized from September 30, 2024 and $74.1 million or 5.36% from December 31, 2023. Demand deposits increased $5.3 million or 10.33% annualized from September 30, 2024 and $3.9 million or 1.86% from December 31, 2023. Total deposits increased $49.7 million or 2.61% from December 31, 2023. Insured and collateralized deposits, which include municipal deposits, accounted for approximately 87% of total deposits at December 31, 2024.
    • Loan Diversification Strategy: The continued success in loan diversification resulted in C&I loans increasing by $61.0 million, or 56.52%, year over year, increasing to 8.51% of total loans at December 31, 2024. In addition, the commercial real estate concentration ratio improved, declining from 432% of capital at December 31, 2023 to 385% of capital at December 31, 2024. The Company continues to focus loan growth primarily in residential loan products originated for sale to specific buyers in the secondary market, C&I and SBA loans, which strategically enhances our management of liquidity and capital while producing additional non-interest income.
    • Asset Quality: At December 31, 2024, the Bank’s asset quality remained solid with non-performing loans totaling $16.4 million, representing 0.82% of the total loan portfolio, while the allowance for credit losses was 1.15% of total loans. Loans secured by office space accounted for 2.45% of the total loan portfolio with a total balance of $48.7 million, of which less than 1% is located in Manhattan.
    • Banking Initiatives: At December 31, 2024, the Company’s banking initiatives reflected continuing momentum:
      • SBA & USDA Banking: Gains on sale of SBA loans totaled $2.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, representing a 9.76% increase over the comparable 2023 quarter. Total SBA loans sold were $30.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, representing a 3.98% increase over the comparable 2023 quarter. Premiums earned on the sale of SBA loans increased to 9.06% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from 8.26% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
      • C&I Banking/Hauppauge Business Banking Center: The C&I Banking Team and the Hauppauge Business Banking Center increased deposits to $96.4 million as of December 31, 2024 from $44.9 million at December 31, 2023. This growth has continued since year end, with these deposits reaching $104 million at January 27, 2025. Loan originations tied to this office were $33.5 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 and $88.4 million for the full year. Momentum continues to build with deposit and C&I loan pipelines related to this office of $43 million and $112 million, respectively.
      • Residential Lending: The Bank continues to originate loans for its portfolio and for sale in the secondary market under its recently developed flow origination program. Of the $26.1 million in closed loans originated in the quarter ended December 31, 2024, $11.7 million were originated for the Bank’s portfolio and reflected a weighted average yield of 6.88% before origination and other fees, which average 50-100 bps per loan, and a weighted average LTV of 62%. The remaining $14.4 million of closed loans were originated for sale in the secondary market. Under this program, the Bank produced total gains of $0.5 million and a resulting premium of 2.42% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
    • Technology: The Company expects to complete a core processing system conversion from its existing provider to FIS Horizon on or about February 15, 2025. This conversion is expected to deliver immediate and tangible benefits to the Bank’s operations and customers, offering material improvements in user interfaces, functionality and efficiency that will better support our commitment to a digital forward future on better financial terms.
    • Tangible Book Value Per Share: Tangible book value per share (including Series A preferred shares) was $23.86 at December 31, 2024, an increase of 9.97% annualized from $23.28 at September 30, 2024 and 6.00% from $22.51 at December 31, 2023.
    • Quarterly Cash Dividend: The Company’s Board of Directors approved a $0.10 per share cash dividend on both common and Series A preferred shares payable on February 19, 2025 to stockholders of record on February 12, 2025.

    MINEOLA, N.Y., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hanover Bancorp, Inc. (“Hanover” or “the Company” – NASDAQ: HNVR), the holding company for Hanover Community Bank (“the Bank”), today reported results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024 and the declaration of a $0.10 per share cash dividend on both common and Series A preferred shares payable on February 19, 2025 to stockholders of record on February 12, 2025.

    Earnings Summary for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2024

    The Company reported net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 of $3.9 million or $0.52 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares), versus $3.8 million or $0.51 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares) in the quarter ended December 31, 2023. Returns on average assets, average stockholders’ equity and average tangible equity were 0.70%, 7.98% and 8.87%, respectively, for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, versus 0.69%, 8.10% and 9.06%, respectively, for the comparable quarter of 2023.

    While net interest income and non-interest income increased during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2023, these gains were partially offset by an increase in non-interest expenses, particularly compensation and benefits. The increase in non-interest income is primarily related to the increases in the gain on sale of loans held-for-sale and loan servicing and fee income. This increase is reflective of the strengthening of secondary market premiums in connection with sales of SBA loans and the gains on the recently developed residential loan flow program. The increase in compensation and benefits expense in the fourth quarter of 2024 versus the comparable 2023 quarter was primarily related to lower deferred loan origination costs that were offset by lower incentive compensation expense resulting from reduced lending activity.

    Net interest income was $13.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $1.1 million, or 9.08%, versus the comparable 2023 quarter due to improvement of the Company’s net interest margin to 2.53% in the 2024 quarter from 2.40% in the comparable 2023 quarter. The yield on interest earning assets increased to 6.06% in the 2024 quarter from 5.91% in the comparable 2023 quarter, an increase of 15 basis points that was partially offset by a 5 basis point increase in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities to 4.24% in 2024 from 4.19% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The increase in the net interest margin was a result of the recent reductions in the Fed Funds effective rate and the liability sensitive nature of the Bank’s balance sheet.

    Earnings Summary for the Year Ended December 31, 2024

    For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company reported net income of $12.3 million or $1.66 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares), versus $13.6 million or $1.84 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares) a year ago.

    The decrease in net income recorded for the year ended December 31, 2024 from the comparable 2023 period resulted from an increase in the provision for credit losses and an increase in non-interest expense, which were partially offset by an increase in non-interest income. The year-over-year increase in the provision for credit losses was primarily related to the recording of a $4.0 million provision for credit losses in the June 2024 quarter that was mainly attributable to an ACL on an individually evaluated loan of $2.5 million and $1.1 million related to ongoing enhancements to the CECL model. The increase in non-interest income is primarily related to the increases in the gain on sale of loans held-for-sale and loan servicing and fee income which were partially offset by a decrease in other operating income. In September 2023, the Company settled ongoing litigation and received a settlement payment of $975 thousand which was recorded in other operating income. The increase in non-interest expense was primarily attributed to additional staff for the SBA, C&I Banking and Operations teams. The Company’s effective tax rate decreased to 24.62% for the year ended December 31, 2024 from 25.85% in the comparable 2023 period.

    Net interest income was $53.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $1.2 million, or 2.32% from the comparable 2023 period. The Company’s net interest margin was 2.44% in 2024 and 2.59% in 2023. The yield on interest earning assets increased to 6.12% in 2024 from 5.67% in 2023, an increase of 45 basis points that was offset by a 72 basis point increase in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities to 4.40% in 2024 from 3.68% in 2023 due to the rapid and significant rise in market interest rates.

    Our imminent core system conversion is expected to position us to compete more effectively across all lines of business, as customers expect greater convenience and technological capabilities, and will enable the Bank to realize operational efficiencies while maximizing our customer appeal. The substantial improvement in features and functionality expected with the conversion will be achieved on better financial terms than under our current system, enabling us to realize a material gain in performance with no adverse impact to operating expenses.

    Michael P. Puorro, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the Company’s quarterly results: “We are pleased with fourth-quarter results. Notable increases in net interest margin, tangible book value, returns on average assets and average tangible equity complemented further improvement in our CRE concentration ratio and sound credit quality, bringing 2024 to a well-rounded conclusion. Building on this momentum, we enter 2025 with strong loan and deposit pipelines across our critical verticals, including C&I, SBA and Residential Banking and the benefit of diversified income streams. Ongoing performance will be enhanced by our pending core system conversion, which will deliver tangible operational efficiencies and customer benefits, and could be positively impacted by further Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) rate decreases, an improved yield curve, a favorable banking environment and potential qualification for the Russell 2000, which would increase institutional ownership and enhance the liquidity of our stock. We continue to focus on scaling our key verticals while maintaining prudent expense management, which we believe will increase shareholder value through enhanced performance.”

    Balance Sheet Highlights

    Total assets at December 31, 2024 were $2.31 billion versus $2.27 billion at December 31, 2023. Total securities available for sale at December 31, 2024 were $83.8 million, an increase of $22.3 million from December 31, 2023, primarily driven by growth in U.S. Treasury securities, corporate bonds and mortgage-backed securities.

    Total deposits at December 31, 2024 were $1.95 billion, an increase of $49.7 million or 2.61%, compared to $1.90 billion at December 31, 2023. Our loan to deposit ratio was 102% at December 31, 2024 and 103% at December 31, 2023.

    The Company had $509.3 million in total municipal deposits at December 31, 2024, at a weighted average rate of 3.72% versus $528.1 million at a weighted average rate of 4.62% at December 31, 2023. The Company’s municipal deposit program is built on long-standing relationships developed in the local marketplace. This core deposit business will continue to provide a stable source of funding for the Company’s lending products at costs lower than those of consumer deposits and market-based borrowings. The Company continues to broaden its municipal deposit base and currently services 39 customer relationships.

    Total borrowings at December 31, 2024 were $107.8 million, with a weighted average rate and term of 4.11% and 23 months, respectively. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had $107.8 million and $126.7 million, respectively, of term FHLB advances outstanding. The Company had no FHLB overnight borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023. At December 31, 2024 the Company had no borrowings outstanding from the Federal Reserve’s Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (“PPPLF”), while at December 31, 2023 the Company had $2.3 million in borrowings from the PPPLF. The Company had no borrowings outstanding under lines of credit with correspondent banks at December 31, 2024 and 2023.

    Stockholders’ equity was $196.6 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $184.8 million at December 31, 2023. The $11.8 million increase was primarily due to an increase of $9.4 million in retained earnings and a decrease of $1.1 million in accumulated other comprehensive loss. The increase in retained earnings was due primarily to net income of $12.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, which was offset by $2.9 million of dividends declared. The accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2024 was 0.68% of total equity and was comprised of a $1.0 million after tax net unrealized loss on the investment portfolio and a $0.3 million after tax net unrealized loss on derivatives.

    Loan Portfolio

    For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Bank’s loan portfolio grew to $1.99 billion, an increase of $28.3 million or 1.45%. Growth was concentrated primarily in residential, SBA and C&I loans. At December 31, 2024, the Company’s residential loan portfolio (including home equity) amounted to $729.3 million, with an average loan balance of $483 thousand and a weighted average loan-to-value ratio of 57%. Commercial real estate and multifamily loans totaled $1.09 billion at December 31, 2024, with an average loan balance of $1.5 million and a weighted average loan-to-value ratio of 59%. As will be discussed below, approximately 37% of the multifamily portfolio is subject to rent regulation. The Company’s commercial real estate concentration ratio continued to improve, decreasing to 385% of capital at December 31, 2024 from 432% of capital at December 31, 2023, with loans secured by office space accounting for 2.45% of the total loan portfolio and totaling $48.7 million. The Company’s loan pipeline with executed term sheets at December 31, 2024 is approximately $237 million, with approximately 89% being niche-residential, conventional C&I and SBA & USDA lending opportunities.

    The Bank’s investments in diversification continue to deliver results, with the volume of SBA & USDA loans originated for sale and the volume of residential loans originated for sale sustaining momentum. During the quarter ended December 31, 2024, the Company sold $19.1 million of residential loans under this program and recorded gains on sale of loans held-for-sale of $0.5 million. During the quarters ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company sold approximately $30.9 million and $29.7 million, respectively, in the government guaranteed portion of SBA loans and recorded gains on sale of loans held-for-sale of $2.5 million and $2.3 million, respectively. We expect the volume of activity to increase in 2025. Because we continue to prioritize the management of liquidity and capital, new business development with respect to residential and SBA & USDA lending is largely focused on originations for sale over portfolio growth. Conversely, portfolio growth is the primary focus of our C&I Banking initiative, which continues to drive deposit and loan growth at our Hauppauge Business Banking Center and will expand with the pending launch of our Port Jefferson branch.

    Commercial Real Estate Statistics

    A significant portion of the Bank’s commercial real estate portfolio consists of loans secured by Multi-Family and CRE-Investor owned real estate that are predominantly subject to fixed interest rates for an initial period of 5 years. The Bank’s exposure to Land/Construction loans is minor at $13.5 million, all at floating interest rates, and CRE-owner occupied loans have a mix of floating rates. As shown below, 23% of the loan balances in these combined portfolios will mature in 2025 and 2026, with another 55% maturing in 2027.

    Multi-Family Market Rent Portfolio Fixed Rate Reset/Maturity Schedule   Multi-Family Stabilized Rent Portfolio Fixed Rate Reset/Maturity Schedule
    Calendar Period   # Loans   Total O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg Interest Rate   Calendar Period   # Loans   Total O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg Interest Rate
                                                     
    2025   10   $ 16,416   $ 1,642   4.30 %   2025   14   $ 19,527   $ 1,395   4.82 %
    2026   36     118,503     3,292   3.66 %   2026   20     42,901     2,145   3.67 %
    2027   71     176,490     2,486   4.30 %   2027   53     124,773     2,354   4.22 %
    2028   18     29,858     1,659   6.15 %   2028   12     10,221     852   7.14 %
    2029   6     4,957     826   7.70 %   2029   4     4,346     1,087   6.38 %
    2030+   2     639     320   4.47 %   2030+   4     1,169     292   5.41 %
    Fixed Rate   143     346,863     2,426   4.29 %   Fixed Rate   107     202,937     1,897   4.36 %
    Floating Rate   3     716     239   9.22 %   Floating Rate   —     —     —   — %
    Total   146   $ 347,579   $ 2,381   4.30 %   Total   107   $ 202,937   $ 1,897   4.36 %
    CRE Investor Portfolio Fixed Rate Reset/Maturity Schedule
    Calendar Period   # Loans   Total O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg Interest Rate
                           
    2025   30   $ 23,439   $ 781   6.12 %
    2026   33     44,679     1,354   4.87 %
    2027   90     163,358     1,815   5.03 %
    2028   30     31,803     1,060   6.63 %
    2029   4     2,378     595   7.03 %
    2030+   12     5,745     479   6.24 %
    Fixed Rate   199     271,402     1,364   5.33 %
    Floating Rate   10     27,103     2,710   8.95 %
    Total CRE-Inv.   209   $ 298,505   $ 1,428   5.66 %


    Rental breakdown of Multi-Family portfolio

    The table below segments our portfolio of loans secured by Multi-Family properties based on rental terms and location. As shown below, 63% of the combined portfolio is secured by properties subject to free market rental terms, which is the dominant tenant type. Both the Market Rent and Stabilized Rent segments of our portfolio present very similar average borrower profiles. The portfolio is primarily located in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.

    Multi-Family Loan Portfolio – Loans by Rent Type
    Rent Type   # of Notes   Outstanding Loan Balance   % of Total Multi-Family   Avg Loan Size   LTV   Current DSCR   Avg # of Units
            ($000’s omitted)         ($000’s omitted)              
                                         
    Market   146   $ 347,579   63 %   $ 2,381   61.6 %   1.39   11
    Location                                    
    Manhattan   7   $ 17,840   3 %   $ 2,549   51.9 %   1.62   15
    Other NYC   93   $ 244,408   44 %   $ 2,628   61.2 %   1.38   10
    Outside NYC   46   $ 85,331   16 %   $ 1,855   64.8 %   1.39   13
                                         
    Stabilized   107   $ 202,937   37 %   $ 1,897   62.4 %   1.39   12
    Location                                    
    Manhattan   6   $ 9,035   2 %   $ 1,506   44.7 %   1.59   17
    Other NYC   89   $ 174,888   32 %   $ 1,965   63.2 %   1.38   11
    Outside NYC   12   $ 19,014   3 %   $ 1,584   64.4 %   1.40   16

    Office Property Exposure

    The Bank’s exposure to the Office market is minor at $49 million. The pool has a 1.28x weighted average DSCR, a 53% weighted average LTV and less than $400,000 of exposure in Manhattan.

    Asset Quality and Allowance for Credit Losses

    At December 31, 2024, the Bank’s asset quality remained solid with non-performing loans totaling $16.4 million which represented 0.82% of total loans outstanding. Non-performing loans were $14.5 million at December 31, 2023 and $15.4 million at September 30, 2024.

    During the fourth quarter of 2024, the Bank recorded a provision for credit losses expense of $0.4 million. The December 31, 2024, allowance for credit losses balance was $22.8 million versus $19.7 million at December 31, 2023 and $23.4 million at September 30, 2024. The allowance for credit losses as a percent of total loans was 1.15% at December 31, 2024 and 1.17% at September 30, 2024, inclusive of a $3.2 million allowance on individually analyzed loans, versus 1.00% at December 31, 2023, which does not include the aforementioned $3.2 million allowance.

    Net Interest Margin

    The Bank’s net interest margin increased to 2.53% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2.37% in the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and 2.40% in the quarter ended December 31, 2023 due to the recent reductions in the Fed Funds effective rate and the liability sensitive nature of the Bank’s balance sheet.

    About Hanover Community Bank and Hanover Bancorp, Inc.

    Hanover Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: HNVR), is the bank holding company for Hanover Community Bank, a community commercial bank focusing on highly personalized and efficient services and products responsive to client needs. Management and the Board of Directors are comprised of a select group of successful local businesspeople who are committed to the success of the Bank by knowing and understanding the metro-New York area’s financial needs and opportunities. Backed by state-of-the-art technology, Hanover offers a full range of financial services. Hanover offers a complete suite of consumer, commercial, and municipal banking products and services, including multi-family and commercial mortgages, residential loans, business loans and lines of credit. Hanover also offers its customers access to 24-hour ATM service with no fees attached, free checking with interest, telephone banking, advanced technologies in mobile and internet banking for our consumer and business customers, safe deposit boxes and much more. The Company’s corporate administrative office is located in Mineola, New York where it also operates a full-service branch office along with additional branch locations in Garden City Park, Hauppauge, Forest Hills, Flushing, Sunset Park, Rockefeller Center and Chinatown, New York, and Freehold, New Jersey, with a new branch opening in Port Jefferson, New York in the first quarter of 2025.

    Hanover Community Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and is an Equal Housing/Equal Opportunity Lender. For further information, call (516) 548-8500 or visit the Bank’s website at www.hanoverbank.com.

    Non-GAAP Disclosure

    This discussion includes non-GAAP financial measures, including the Company’s tangible common equity (“TCE”) ratio, TCE, tangible assets, tangible book value per share, return on average tangible equity and efficiency ratio. A non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of historical or future performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes or includes amounts that are required to be disclosed in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The Company’s management believes that the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures provides both management and investors with a greater understanding of the Company’s operating results and trends in addition to the results measured in accordance with GAAP, and provides greater comparability across time periods. While management uses non-GAAP financial measures in its analysis of the Company’s performance, this information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the numbers prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP or considered to be more important than financial results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other financial institutions.

    With respect to the calculations of and reconciliations of TCE, tangible assets, TCE ratio and tangible book value per share, reconciliations to the most comparable U.S. GAAP measures are provided in the tables that follow.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and may be identified by the use of such words as “may,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “plan,” “estimate,” “predict,” “continue,” and “potential” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, estimates with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Hanover Bancorp, Inc. Any or all of the forward-looking statements in this release and in any other public statements made by Hanover Bancorp, Inc. may turn out to be incorrect. They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions that Hanover Bancorp, Inc. might make or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K under Item 1A – Risk Factors, as updated by our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Further, the adverse effect of health emergencies or natural disasters on the Company, its customers, and the communities where it operates may adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition for an indefinite period of time. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Hanover Bancorp, Inc. does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this release or to conform these statements to actual events.

    Investor and Press Contact:
    Lance P. Burke
    Chief Financial Officer
    (516) 548-8500

    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.            
    STATEMENTS OF CONDITION (unaudited)            
    (dollars in thousands)            
                   
                   
        December 31,   September 30,   December 31,  
          2024       2024       2023    
    Assets              
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 162,857     $ 141,231     $ 177,207    
    Securities-available for sale, at fair value   83,755       98,359       61,419    
    Investments-held to maturity   3,758       3,828       4,041    
    Loans held for sale   12,404       16,721       8,904    
                   
    Loans, net of deferred loan fees and costs   1,985,524       2,005,813       1,957,199    
    Less: allowance for credit losses   (22,779 )     (23,406 )     (19,658 )  
    Loans, net   1,962,745       1,982,407       1,937,541    
                   
    Goodwill     19,168       19,168       19,168    
    Premises & fixed assets   15,337       16,373       15,886    
    Operating lease assets   8,337       8,776       9,754    
    Other assets   43,749       40,951       36,140    
      Assets $ 2,312,110     $ 2,327,814     $ 2,270,060    
                   
    Liabilities and stockholders’ equity            
    Core deposits $ 1,456,513     $ 1,453,444     $ 1,382,397    
    Time deposits   497,770       504,100       522,198    
    Total deposits   1,954,283       1,957,544       1,904,595    
                   
    Borrowings   107,805       125,805       128,953    
    Subordinated debentures   24,689       24,675       24,635    
    Operating lease liabilities   9,025       9,472       10,459    
    Other liabilities   19,670       17,979       16,588    
      Liabilities   2,115,472       2,135,475       2,085,230    
                   
    Stockholders’ equity   196,638       192,339       184,830    
      Liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 2,312,110     $ 2,327,814     $ 2,270,060    
                   
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (unaudited)              
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)                
                       
        Three Months Ended   Year Ended  
        12/31/2024   12/31/2023   12/31/2024   12/31/2023  
                       
    Interest income $ 33,057   $ 31,155   $ 133,022   $ 113,626  
    Interest expense   19,249     18,496     79,930     61,739  
      Net interest income   13,808     12,659     53,092     51,887  
    Provision for credit losses   400     200     4,940     2,132  
      Net interest income after provision for credit losses   13,408     12,459     48,152     49,755  
                       
    Loan servicing and fee income   981     778     3,690     2,809  
    Service charges on deposit accounts   136     85     469     297  
    Gain on sale of loans held-for-sale   3,014     2,326     10,940     5,841  
    Gain on sale of investments   27     –     31     –  
    Other operating income   29     65     209     1,744  
      Non-interest income   4,187     3,254     15,339     10,691  
                       
    Compensation and benefits   6,699     5,242     25,600     21,562  
    Occupancy and equipment   1,810     1,746     7,222     6,628  
    Data processing   536     530     2,096     2,063  
    Professional fees   782     729     3,079     3,191  
    Federal deposit insurance premiums   375     375     1,418     1,476  
    Other operating expenses   2,198     2,048     7,697     7,200  
      Non-interest expense   12,400     10,670     47,112     42,120  
                       
      Income before income taxes   5,195     5,043     16,379     18,326  
    Income tax expense   1,293     1,280     4,033     4,737  
                       
      Net income $ 3,902   $ 3,763   $ 12,346   $ 13,589  
                       
    Earnings per share (“EPS”):(1)                
    Basic $ 0.53   $ 0.51   $ 1.67   $ 1.85  
    Diluted $ 0.52   $ 0.51   $ 1.66   $ 1.84  
                       
    Average shares outstanding for basic EPS (1)(2)   7,427,583     7,324,133     7,403,758     7,326,903  
    Average shares outstanding for diluted EPS (1)(2)   7,456,471     7,383,529     7,432,741     7,386,299  
                       
    (1) Calculation includes common stock and Series A preferred stock.              
    (2) Average shares outstanding before subtracting participating securities.              
                       
    Note: Prior period information has been adjusted to conform to current period presentation.          
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                    
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (unaudited)                  
    QUARTERLY TREND                    
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)                    
                           
        Three Months Ended  
        12/31/2024   9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023  
                           
    Interest income $ 33,057   $ 34,113   $ 33,420   $ 32,432   $ 31,155  
    Interest expense   19,249     21,011     20,173     19,497     18,496  
      Net interest income   13,808     13,102     13,247     12,935     12,659  
    Provision for credit losses   400     200     4,040     300     200  
      Net interest income after provision for credit losses   13,408     12,902     9,207     12,635     12,459  
                           
    Loan servicing and fee income   981     960     836     913     778  
    Service charges on deposit accounts   136     123     114     96     85  
    Gain on sale of loans held-for-sale   3,014     2,834     2,586     2,506     2,326  
    Gain on sale of investments   27     –     4     –     –  
    Other operating income   29     37     82     61     65  
      Non-interest income   4,187     3,954     3,622     3,576     3,254  
                           
    Compensation and benefits   6,699     6,840     6,499     5,562     5,242  
    Occupancy and equipment   1,810     1,799     1,843     1,770     1,746  
    Data processing   536     547     495     518     530  
    Professional fees   782     762     717     818     729  
    Federal deposit insurance premiums   375     360     365     318     375  
    Other operating expenses   2,198     1,930     1,751     1,818     2,048  
      Non-interest expense   12,400     12,238     11,670     10,804     10,670  
                           
      Income before income taxes   5,195     4,618     1,159     5,407     5,043  
    Income tax expense   1,293     1,079     315     1,346     1,280  
                           
      Net income $ 3,902   $ 3,539   $ 844   $ 4,061   $ 3,763  
                           
    Earnings per share (“EPS”):(1)                    
    Basic $ 0.53   $ 0.48   $ 0.11   $ 0.55   $ 0.51  
    Diluted $ 0.52   $ 0.48   $ 0.11   $ 0.55   $ 0.51  
                           
    Average shares outstanding for basic EPS (1)(2)   7,427,583     7,411,064     7,399,816     7,376,227     7,324,133  
    Average shares outstanding for diluted EPS (1)(2)   7,456,471     7,436,068     7,449,110     7,420,926     7,383,529  
                           
    (1) Calculation includes common stock and Series A preferred stock.                  
    (2) Average shares outstanding before subtracting participating securities.                  
                           
    Note: Prior period information has been adjusted to conform to current period presentation.              
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                
    SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA (unaudited)              
    (dollars in thousands)                
                     
                     
      Three Months Ended   Year Ended  
      12/31/2024   12/31/2023   12/31/2024   12/31/2023  
    Profitability:                
    Return on average assets   0.70 %     0.69 %     0.55 %     0.66 %  
    Return on average equity (1)   7.98 %     8.10 %     6.45 %     7.44 %  
    Return on average tangible equity (1)   8.87 %     9.06 %     7.18 %     8.33 %  
    Pre-provision net revenue to average assets   1.00 %     0.97 %     0.95 %     0.99 %  
    Yield on average interest-earning assets   6.06 %     5.91 %     6.12 %     5.67 %  
    Cost of average interest-bearing liabilities   4.24 %     4.19 %     4.40 %     3.68 %  
    Net interest rate spread (2)   1.82 %     1.72 %     1.72 %     1.99 %  
    Net interest margin (3)   2.53 %     2.40 %     2.44 %     2.59 %  
    Non-interest expense to average assets   2.21 %     1.97 %     2.11 %     2.04 %  
    Operating efficiency ratio (4)   69.01 %     67.05 %     68.88 %     67.31 %  
                     
    Average balances:                
    Interest-earning assets $ 2,169,595     $ 2,090,839     $ 2,174,000     $ 2,004,634    
    Interest-bearing liabilities   1,804,700       1,751,330       1,818,110       1,678,464    
    Loans   2,003,686       1,910,409       2,005,524       1,829,586    
    Deposits   1,853,828       1,767,753       1,840,378       1,675,913    
    Borrowings   153,126       170,793       174,327       182,307    
                     
                     
    (1) Includes common stock and Series A preferred stock.              
    (2) Represents the difference between the yield on average interest-earning assets and the cost of average interest-bearing liabilities.
    (3) Represents net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.          
    (4) Represents non-interest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income excluding gain on sale of securities available for sale.
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                
    SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA (unaudited)                
    (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)              
                     
      At or For the Three Months Ended  
      12/31/2024   9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024  
    Asset quality:                
    Provision for credit losses – loans (1) $ 400     $ 200     $ 3,850     $ 300    
    Net (charge-offs)/recoveries   (1,027 )     (438 )     (79 )     (85 )  
    Allowance for credit losses   22,779       23,406       23,644       19,873    
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans (2)   1.15 %     1.17 %     1.17 %     0.99 %  
    Non-performing loans $ 16,368     $ 15,365     $ 15,828     $ 14,878    
    Non-performing loans/total loans   0.82 %     0.77 %     0.79 %     0.74 %  
    Non-performing loans/total assets   0.71 %     0.66 %     0.68 %     0.64 %  
    Allowance for credit losses/non-performing loans   139.17 %     152.33 %     149.38 %     133.57 %  
                     
    Capital (Bank only):                
    Tier 1 Capital $ 201,744     $ 198,196     $ 195,703     $ 195,889    
    Tier 1 leverage ratio   9.13 %     8.85 %     8.89 %     8.90 %  
    Common equity tier 1 capital ratio   13.32 %     12.99 %     12.78 %     12.99 %  
    Tier 1 risk based capital ratio   13.32 %     12.99 %     12.78 %     12.99 %  
    Total risk based capital ratio   14.58 %     14.24 %     14.21 %     14.19 %  
                     
    Equity data:                
    Shares outstanding (3)   7,427,127       7,428,366       7,402,163       7,392,412    
    Stockholders’ equity $ 196,638     $ 192,339     $ 190,072     $ 189,543    
    Book value per share (3)   26.48       25.89       25.68       25.64    
    Tangible common equity (3)   177,220       172,906       170,625       170,080    
    Tangible book value per share (3)   23.86       23.28       23.05       23.01    
    Tangible common equity (“TCE”) ratio (3)   7.73 %     7.49 %     7.38 %     7.43 %  
                     
    (1) Excludes $0, $0, $190 thousand and $0 provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments for the quarters ended 12/31/24,
    9/30/24, 6/30/24 and 3/31/24, respectively.                
    (2) Calculation excludes loans held for sale.                
    (3) Includes common stock and Series A preferred stock.                
                     
    Note: Prior period information has been adjusted to conform to current period presentation.          
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                
    STATISTICAL SUMMARY                
    QUARTERLY TREND                
    (unaudited, dollars in thousands, except share data)              
                       
        12/31/2024   9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024  
                       
    Loan distribution (1):                
    Residential mortgages $ 702,832     $ 719,037     $ 733,040     $ 730,017    
    Multifamily     550,570       557,634       562,503       568,043    
    Commercial real estate   536,288       529,948       549,725       556,708    
    Commercial & industrial   168,909       171,899       139,209       123,419    
    Home equity   26,422       26,825       27,992       26,879    
    Consumer     503       470       485       449    
                       
    Total loans $ 1,985,524     $ 2,005,813 $ 2,012,954     $ 2,005,515    
                       
    Sequential quarter growth rate   -1.01 %     -0.35 %     0.37 %     2.47 %  
                       
    CRE concentration ratio   385 %     397 %     403 %     416 %  
                       
    Loans sold during the quarter $ 53,499     $ 43,537     $ 35,302     $ 26,735    
                       
    Funding distribution:                
    Demand   $ 211,656     $ 206,327     $ 199,835     $ 202,934    
    N.O.W.     692,890       621,880       661,998       708,897    
    Savings     48,885       53,024       44,821       48,081    
    Money market   503,082       572,213       571,170       493,123    
    Total core deposits   1,456,513       1,453,444       1,477,824       1,453,035    
    Time     497,770       504,100       464,105       464,227    
    Total deposits   1,954,283       1,957,544       1,941,929       1,917,262    
    Borrowings   107,805       125,805       148,953       148,953    
    Subordinated debentures   24,689       24,675       24,662       24,648    
                       
    Total funding sources $ 2,086,777     $ 2,108,024 $ 2,115,544     $ 2,090,863    
                       
    Sequential quarter growth rate – total deposits   -0.17 %     0.80 %     1.29 %     0.67 %  
                       
    Period-end core deposits/total deposits ratio   74.53 %     74.25 %     76.10 %     75.79 %  
                       
    Period-end demand deposits/total deposits ratio   10.83 %     10.54 %     10.29 %     10.58 %  
                       
    (1) Excluding loans held for sale                
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                    
    RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (1)(unaudited)          
    (dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)              
                         
                         
      12/31/2024   9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023  
    Tangible common equity                    
    Total equity (2) $ 196,638     $ 192,339     $ 190,072     $ 189,543     $ 184,830    
    Less: goodwill   (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )  
    Less: core deposit intangible   (250 )     (265 )     (279 )     (295 )     (311 )  
    Tangible common equity (2) $ 177,220     $ 172,906     $ 170,625     $ 170,080     $ 165,351    
                         
    Tangible common equity (“TCE”) ratio                  
    Tangible common equity (2) $ 177,220     $ 172,906     $ 170,625     $ 170,080     $ 165,351    
    Total assets   2,312,110       2,327,814       2,331,098       2,307,508       2,270,060    
    Less: goodwill   (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )  
    Less: core deposit intangible   (250 )     (265 )     (279 )     (295 )     (311 )  
    Tangible assets $ 2,292,692     $ 2,308,381     $ 2,311,651     $ 2,288,045     $ 2,250,581    
    TCE ratio (2)   7.73 %     7.49 %     7.38 %     7.43 %     7.35 %  
                         
    Tangible book value per share                    
    Tangible equity (2) $ 177,220     $ 172,906     $ 170,625     $ 170,080     $ 165,351    
    Shares outstanding (2)   7,427,127       7,428,366       7,402,163       7,392,412       7,345,012    
    Tangible book value per share (2) $ 23.86     $ 23.28     $ 23.05     $ 23.01     $ 22.51    
                         
    (1) A non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes or includes amounts that are required to be disclosed in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The Company’s management believes the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with a greater understanding of the Company’s operating results in addition to the results measured in accordance with U.S. GAAP. While management uses non-GAAP measures in its analysis of the Company’s performance, this information should not be viewed as a substitute for financial results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP or considered to be more important than financial results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP.  
                         
    (2) Includes common stock and Series A preferred stock.  
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                      
    NET INTEREST INCOME ANALYSIS                      
    For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023                    
    (unaudited, dollars in thousands)                      
                           
                           
        2024       2023  
      Average       Average   Average       Average
      Balance   Interest   Yield/Cost Balance   Interest   Yield/Cost
                           
    Assets:                      
    Interest-earning assets:                      
    Loans $ 2,003,686   $ 30,753   6.11 %   $ 1,910,409   $ 28,394   5.90 %
    Investment securities   94,886     1,381   5.79 %     56,834     940   6.56 %
    Interest-earning cash   62,850     747   4.73 %     114,033     1,570   5.46 %
    FHLB stock and other investments   8,173     176   8.57 %     9,563     251   10.41 %
    Total interest-earning assets   2,169,595     33,057   6.06 %     2,090,839     31,155   5.91 %
    Non interest-earning assets:                      
    Cash and due from banks   8,973             7,429        
    Other assets   50,068             50,677        
    Total assets $ 2,228,636           $ 2,148,945        
                           
    Liabilities and stockholders’ equity:                      
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                      
    Savings, N.O.W. and money market deposits $ 1,152,755   $ 11,916   4.11 %   $ 1,039,062   $ 11,547   4.41 %
    Time deposits   498,819     5,642   4.50 %     541,475     5,231   3.83 %
    Total savings and time deposits   1,651,574     17,558   4.23 %     1,580,537     16,778   4.21 %
    Borrowings   128,446     1,365   4.23 %     146,167     1,392   3.78 %
    Subordinated debentures   24,680     326   5.25 %     24,626     326   5.25 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   1,804,700     19,249   4.24 %     1,751,330     18,496   4.19 %
    Demand deposits   202,254             187,216        
    Other liabilities   27,168             26,031        
    Total liabilities   2,034,122             1,964,577        
    Stockholders’ equity   194,514             184,368        
    Total liabilities & stockholders’ equity $ 2,228,636           $ 2,148,945        
    Net interest rate spread         1.82 %           1.72 %
    Net interest income/margin     $ 13,808   2.53 %       $ 12,659   2.40 %
                           
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                      
    NET INTEREST INCOME ANALYSIS                      
    For the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023                    
    (unaudited, dollars in thousands)                      
                           
                           
        2024       2023  
      Average       Average   Average       Average
      Balance   Interest   Yield/Cost Balance   Interest   Yield/Cost
                           
    Assets:                      
    Interest-earning assets:                      
    Loans $ 2,005,524   $ 122,970 6.13 %   $ 1,829,586   $ 103,975 5.68 %
    Investment securities   98,238     5,992   6.10 %     26,171     1,534   5.86 %
    Interest-earning cash   60,868     3,191   5.24 %     139,006     7,243   5.21 %
    FHLB stock and other investments   9,370     869   9.27 %     9,871     874   8.85 %
    Total interest-earning assets   2,174,000     133,022   6.12 %     2,004,634     113,626   5.67 %
    Non interest-earning assets:                      
    Cash and due from banks   8,567             8,034        
    Other assets   50,461             52,953        
    Total assets $ 2,233,028           $ 2,065,621        
                           
    Liabilities and stockholders’ equity:                      
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                      
    Savings, N.O.W. and money market deposits $ 1,160,115   $ 51,457   4.44 %   $ 1,029,415   $ 39,430   3.83 %
    Time deposits   483,668     21,060   4.35 %     466,742     14,888   3.19 %
    Total savings and time deposits   1,643,783     72,517   4.41 %     1,496,157     54,318   3.63 %
    Borrowings   149,667     6,109   4.08 %     157,701     6,124   3.88 %
    Subordinated debentures   24,660     1,304   5.29 %     24,606     1,297   5.27 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   1,818,110     79,930   4.40 %     1,678,464     61,739   3.68 %
    Demand deposits   196,595             179,756        
    Other liabilities   27,000             24,701        
    Total liabilities   2,041,705             1,882,921        
    Stockholders’ equity   191,323             182,700        
    Total liabilities & stockholders’ equity $ 2,233,028           $ 2,065,621        
    Net interest rate spread         1.72 %           1.99 %
    Net interest income/margin     $ 53,092   2.44 %       $ 51,887   2.59 %
                           

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: USA: States throughout the Americas must not play a part in President Trump’s harmful policies against people seeking safety

    Source: Amnesty International –

    In response to the executive actions announced by US President Trump, including calling for mass deportations, declaring a national emergency and an invasion, militarizing the US-Mexico border, reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols (better known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy), ending asylum at the border, and shutting down the CBP One mobile application, Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, said the following:

    The executive actions adopted by President Trump severely impact the rights of people seeking safety and place countless lives at risk, fabricating non-existing threats to expand militarization, externalization of borders, generalized use of immigration detention, expedited removals and criminalization of migrant rights defenders

    -Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International

    “The executive actions adopted by President Trump severely impact the rights of people seeking safety and place countless lives at risk, fabricating non-existing threats to expand militarization, externalization of borders, generalized use of immigration detention, expedited removals and criminalization of migrant rights defenders. These policies make it near impossible for individuals to seek asylum in the United States and will result in thousands of people being forcibly returned to places where their lives or safety are at risk. President Trump is also calling for the use of criminal prosecutions for people crossing irregularly into the United States, a policy that resulted in the mass separations of families during Trump’s first term. To this day, there are families – mostly from Central America – who have still not been reunited from the first iteration of this cruel policy.

    The United States is also pressuring countries to accept deportation flights with individuals that are not nationals of those countries and threatening sanctions on those countries that refuse. All these policies have implications for countries throughout the Americas, continuing the troubling trend of the United States entering into bilateral agreements aimed at deterring migration.

    As the United States becomes increasingly unsafe for asylum seekers, the Canadian government must withdraw from the agreement immediately

    -Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International

    The Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between Canada and the United States bars most people crossing into Canada via the United States from seeking refugee protection in Canada, and vice versa. The agreement has forced individuals to attempt dangerous border crossings and has pushed people underground in order to seek safety. As the United States becomes increasingly unsafe for asylum seekers, the Canadian government must withdraw from the agreement immediately

    The United States and Mexico jointly implemented the Migrant Protection Protocols – known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy – that trapped asylum seekers in camps along the US-Mexico border where they were at serious risk of human rights violations, with thousands of reports of people being assaulted, raped, kidnapped, and extorted. Amnesty International is calling on Mexico not to participate in any reiteration of the “Remain in Mexico” policy.

    The Mexican government must urgently adopt measures to ensure the safety and security of those who had been waiting in Mexico for CPB One appointments, including allowing them to apply for international protection in Mexico and travel freely throughout the country

    -Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International

    “The shutdown of the CBP One application has created an insurmountable barrier for approximately 270,000 vulnerable individuals attempting to seek safety in the United States. They are now stranded in Mexico with no clear pathway to protection. Following the termination of CBP One, the Mexican government must urgently adopt measures to ensure the safety and security of those who had been waiting in Mexico for CPB One appointments, including allowing them to apply for international protection in Mexico and travel freely throughout the country”.

    The United States must instead respond to this moment of global displacement with funding and policies of welcome, to respond to the crisis with policies that are humane rather than those that hurt.

    Amnesty International calls on the governments of the region to refrain from participating in policies that undermine the rights and dignity of those seeking safety

    -Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International

    President Trump will only be able to implement his harmful policies if countries in the Americas agree to play along. As the members states of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) meet urgently this Thursday to discuss migration, Amnesty International calls on the governments of the region to refrain from participating in policies that undermine the rights and dignity of those seeking safety.”

    For more information or to schedule an interview, contact [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: JSO mass-hearing a ‘critical opportunity to rethink the crackdown on peaceful protest’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Two-day hearing will see 16 Just Stop Oil activists seek to challenge historically draconian sentences for peaceful protest 

    Activists were sentenced for up to five years imprisonment, for a range of peaceful protests 

    ‘Now is the time for the courts to step back from the anger and irritation aimed at protesters – for calmer heads to prevail, and for reason to return to sentencing for protest offences’- Kerry Moscogiuri 

    Ahead of a major legal test over the right to protest which is due to begin at the Court of Appeal today (Wednesday 29 January) in which 16 Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists will challenge jail terms of unprecedented length related to peaceful protest, Kerry Moscogiuri, Campaigns and Communications Director at Amnesty International UK, said: 

    “This week’s hearing is a critical opportunity for the courts to rethink the increasingly harsh approach being taken against the right to peacefully protest.  

    “In recent years, UK politicians have instigated a severe crackdown on peaceful protesters, often cheered on by sections of the media. Police powers to interfere with peaceful protests have been expanded, a raft of new criminal offences have been created and maximum sentences for protest offences are now dramatically increased.

    “It is the duty of the independent courts to protect fundamental rights, regardless of whether governments and newspaper like the actions of peaceful protesters or not. Sadly, the courts have increasingly bowed to this political pressure and have abandoned their historic approach of treating conscientious protesters with leniency.  

    “The result has been catastrophic for those caught up in the crackdown and for the free exercise of protest rights in this country. 

    “Peaceful protest is a fundamental human right that everyone must always be able to enjoy – it helped forge the society we live in today and should continue to play a crucial role in the world of tomorrow.  

    “Protest can be irritating and antagonising for other people, but it is precisely this form of protest that must be protected. Choosing only to allow protest that doesn’t disturb or inconvenience anyone else renders all protest protections meaningless.  

    “Now is the time for the courts to step back from the anger and irritation aimed at protesters, for calmer heads to prevail, and for reason to return to sentencing for protest offences.” 

    An injustice of historic proportions 

    This week’s hearing involves 16 JSO activists from four separate cases. The decision by the court to conduct the hearing as a single, mass two-day event highlights the significance of this case – it is rare for so many different appeals to be combined.  

    The appeal is being supported by environmental justice organisations Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace UK. Last month, the two groups were granted permission to intervene specifically on the appeal brought by Daniel Shaw, Louise Lancaster, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, Cressida Gethin and Roger Hallam, all of whom were sentenced in July last year at Southwark Crown Court for their participation in a Zoom call to organise a planned M25 protest. However, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace UK’s submissions have been written to assist those involved in the other linked appeals too. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pharmacies sell some products that have little or no evidence of working – so why do they do it?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colin Davidson, Professor of Neuropharmacology, University of Central Lancashire

    Under the UK’s Pharmacy First initiative, people are encouraged to see their pharmacist before consulting their GP – especially for minor ailments. It’s a tough four-year course to become a pharmacist in the UK, so you’re in good hands if you seek their advice.

    However, on stepping in to any community pharmacy, you might be surprised by the welter of products on sale – from decongestant drugs to homeopathic remedies – that have little or no evidence to support their effectiveness.

    For example, oral phenylephrine has been shown to be ineffective as a nasal decongestant. Following a review of the evidence, late last year, the US Food and Drug Administration advised that oral versions of the drug (pills, soluble powders and syrups) should no longer be sold as a treatment for a blocked nose.

    Phenylephrine is the main decongestant ingredient in many over-the-counter cold remedies.

    Meanwhile, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency’s chief safety officer, Alison Cave, said there are “no safety concerns” over phenylephrine products and “people can continue to use as directed”. Although safety is not what’s in question. Effectiveness is.

    The flu drug oseltamivir also has little evidence of effectiveness – at least in otherwise healthy people. The UK government, however, still recommends its use in seasonal flu outbreaks.

    A recent meta-analysis of 33 clinical trials, with a combined 19,000 patients, showed that oseltamivir, and similar antivirals, might be useful if given to patients who are at a high risk of severe disease. However, they only worked if given within 48 hours of exposure to the flu virus. These drugs had little or no effect on most people who are at low risk or who look for treatments after the 48-hour window.

    In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) downgraded the status of oseltamivir from “essential” to “complementary”.

    The WHO strongly advises against giving oseltamivir to people with “suspected or confirmed non-severe seasonal influenza virus infection”. The drug doesn’t seem to help people at low risk of severe flu and can have unpleasant side-effects.

    What about supplements and other non-medicines?

    Of course, pharmacies don’t just sell drugs. They also sell supplements, such as vitamins and minerals, herbal medicines and homeopathic remedies.

    Although more than half the UK population takes a multivitamin or dietary supplement, scientists still debate their benefits. A recent large study found that taking a daily multivitamin doesn’t appear to be associated with a mortality benefit.

    On the other hand, taking a vitamin D supplement is recommended for those with a deficiency – especially during the dark winter months. Studies have shown that it may reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in older people. And people with periods can benefit from vitamin C as it helps with iron absorption.

    Medicines in the UK must demonstrate safety, quality and efficacy – but these criteria don’t apply to supplements, herbal medicines and homeopathic products. These products only have to demonstrate safety and quality.

    The Royal Pharmaceutical Society states that there is “no evidence from randomised controlled trials for the efficacy of homoeopathy over placebo, and no scientific basis for homoeopathy”. However, it was only as recently as 2017 that the NHS agreed to cease providing homeopathic treatments.

    If the evidence says that they don’t work, why do people take these products?

    Placebo effects may be part of the reason. The person may believe that the treatment will work and this may lead to them thinking that they feel better. Most of these products are sold for self-limiting conditions and are aimed at helping people feel better while they recover.

    Many of these products are sold for self-limiting conditions.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Pharmacies have always sold complementary therapies, although these products have changed with the times. You won’t find tonic wine anymore, and there’s much less call for malt extract with cod liver oil.

    So why do UK pharmacies sell products with little or no evidence of effectiveness?

    Data from Community Pharmacy England suggests that 90% of the income of the average pharmacy comes from the NHS. But, over the last ten years, that funding has seen a 30% real-term cut, even in the face of new services, such as Pharmacy First.

    Is it any wonder then that community pharmacies are moving into private services, such as weight loss, and expanding the range of lifestyle products they sell?

    Also, many pharmacists work for larger companies and these companies might value profit over evidence-based treatments. Their shops can be crammed with dubious products with high profitability.

    This conflict between pharmacies making a profit and providing the best treatment options and advice is not new and is something that Australia struggled with quite recently, leading to calls for pharmacies to drop products that lack evidence.

    As long as pharmacies face NHS spending cuts and have to rely on the sale of products that have little or no evidence for their efficacy to remain afloat, the situation is unlikely to change. In the meantime, ask questions about anything you are considering buying. You can be reassured that if a product isn’t right for your condition, your pharmacist will tell you.

    The Conversation offered the Royal Pharmaceutical Society the right of reply and Elen Jones, the society’s director for England and Wales wrote:

    “Community pharmacies are the ideal place for open conversations with patients to ensure they make informed decisions about their health, including discussing any questions about the evidence of a product’s clinical effectiveness …

    “In the case of homeopathy, the RPS is clear that it has no scientific evidence to support its clinical efficacy beyond a placebo effect and does not endorse it as a form of treatment. Pharmacists should advise people considering homeopathic products about their lack of efficacy beyond placebo and also advise that individuals do not stop taking their prescribed medicines when considering using a homeopathic product.

    “Offering a variety of products can be an opportunity for patients to access the pharmacy as a ‘gateway to healthcare,’ encouraging them to seek advice for conditions because they trust their pharmacist. Pharmacists play a crucial role in providing evidence-based care daily, guiding patients towards treatments that are safe and clinically effective, with patient care and safety always as the highest priority.”

    Colin Davidson has previously received funding from the NIH (USA) and the European Community for projects related to drug abuse. He is currently a consultant on novel psychoactive substances for the UK Defence Science Technology Labs and is a member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (UK). He was Head of School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire from 2017-2023.

    Cathryn Brown is a pharmacist and a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. She is currently a member of the Labour party, and regularly donates to Sense about Science.

    – ref. Pharmacies sell some products that have little or no evidence of working – so why do they do it? – https://theconversation.com/pharmacies-sell-some-products-that-have-little-or-no-evidence-of-working-so-why-do-they-do-it-246847

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI could help overcome the hurdles to making nuclear fusion a practical energy source

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tan Sui, Associate Professor (Reader), University of Surrey

    Efman / Shutterstock

    The pursuit of nuclear fusion as a clean, sustainable energy source represents one of the most challenging scientific and engineering goals of our time. Fusion promises nearly limitless energy without carbon emissions or long-living radioactive waste.

    However, achieving practical fusion energy requires overcoming significant challenges. These come from the heat generated by the fusion process, the radiation produced, the progressive damage to materials used in fusion devices and other engineering hurdles. Fusion systems operate under extreme physical conditions, generating data at scales that surpass the ability of humans to analyse.

    Nuclear fusion is the form of energy that powers the Sun. Existing nuclear energy relies on a process called fission, where a heavy chemical element is split to produce lighter ones. Fusion works by combining two light elements to make a heavier one.

    While physicists are able to initiate and sustain fusion for variable periods of time, getting more energy out of the process than the energy supplied to power the fusion device has been a challenge. This has so far prevented the commercialisation of this hugely promising energy source.

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful and essential tool for managing the inherent challenges in fusion research. It holds promise for handling the complex data and convoluted relationships between different aspects of the fusion process. This not only enhances our understanding of fusion but also accelerates the development of new reactor designs.

    By addressing these hurdles, AI offers the potential to significantly compress timelines for the development of fusion devices, paving the way for the commercialisation of this form of energy.

    AI is reshaping fusion research across academic, government and commercial sectors, driving innovation and progress toward a sustainable energy future. For example, it can play a transformative role in addressing the challenges of developing materials for fusion reactors, which must withstand extreme thermal and neutron environments while maintaining structural integrity and functionality.

    By connecting datasets from different experiments, simulations and manufacturing processes, AI-driven models can generate reliable predictions and insights that can be acted on. A form of AI called machine learning can significantly accelerate the evaluation and optimisation of materials that could be used in fusion devices.

    These include the doughnut-shaped vessels called tokamaks used in magnetic confinement fusion (where magnetic coils are used to guide and control hot plasma – a state of matter – allowing fusion reactions to occur). The superheated plasma can damage the materials used in the interior walls of the tokamak, as well as irradiating them (making them radioactive).

    Machine learning involves the use of algorithms (a set of mathematical rules) that can learn from data and apply those lessons to unseen problems. Insights from this form of AI are critical for guiding the selection and validation of materials capable of enduring the harsh conditions within fusion devices. AI allows scientists to develop detailed simulations that enable the rapid evaluation of materials performance and their configurations within a fusion device. This helps ensure long-term reliability and cost efficiency.

    AI tools can help narrow the range of candidate materials for testing, characterise them based on their properties and perform real-time monitoring of those installed in fusion reactors. These capabilities enable the rapid screening and development of radiation-tolerant materials, reducing reliance on traditional, time-intensive approaches.

    Controlling plasma

    AI also offers a way to better control the plasma in fusion reactors. As discussed, a key challenge in magnetic confinement fusion is to shape and maintain the high-temperature plasma within the fusion device, often a tokamak vessel.

    However, the plasmas in these machines are inherently unstable. For example, a control system needs to coordinate the tokamak’s many magnets, adjust their voltage thousands of times per second to ensure the plasma never touches the walls of the vessel. This could lead to the loss of heat and potentially damage the materials inside the tokamak.

    Researchers from the UK-based company Google DeepMind have used a form of AI called deep reinforcement learning to keep the plasma steady and be used to accurately sculpt it into different shapes. This allows scientists to understand how the plasma reacts under different conditions.

    Meanwhile, a team at Princeton University in the US also used deep reinforcement learning to forecast disturbances in fusion plasma known as “tearing mode instabilities”, up to 300 milliseconds before they appear. Tearing instabilities are a leading form of disruption that can occur, stopping the fusion process. They happen when the magnetic field lines within a plasma break and create an opportunity for that plasma to escape the control system in a fusion device.

    My own collaboration with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) addresses critical challenges in materials performance and structural integrity by integrating a variety of techniques, including machine learning models, for evaluating what’s known as the residual stress of materials. Residual stress is a measure of performance that’s locked into materials during manufacturing or operation. It can significantly affect the reliability and safety of fusion reactor components under extreme conditions.

    A key outcome of this collaboration is the development of a way of working that integrates data from experiments with a machine learning-powered predictive model to evaluate residual stress in fusion joints and components.

    This framework has been validated through collaborations with leading institutions, including the National Physical Laboratory and UKAEA’s materials research facility. These advancements provide efficient and accurate assessments of materials performance and have redefined the evaluation of residual stress, unlocking new possibilities for assessing the structural integrity of components used in fusion devices.

    This research directly supports the European Demonstration Power Plant (EU-DEMO)
    and the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) project, which aim to deliver a demonstration fusion power plant and prototype fusion power plant, respectively, to scale. Their success depends on ensuring the structural integrity of critical components under extreme conditions.

    By using many AI-based approaches in a coordinated way, researchers can ensure that fusion systems are physically robust and economically viable, accelerating the path to commercialisation. AI can be used to develop simulations of fusion devices that integrate insights from plasma physics, materials science, engineering and other aspects of the process. By simulating fusion systems within these virtual environments, researchers can optimise reactor design and operational strategies.

    Tan Sui would like to acknowledge funding from the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering under the Industrial Fellowships programme.

    – ref. AI could help overcome the hurdles to making nuclear fusion a practical energy source – https://theconversation.com/ai-could-help-overcome-the-hurdles-to-making-nuclear-fusion-a-practical-energy-source-247608

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Pakistani media misses stories about solutions during smog season

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rabia Qusien, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Alliance for a Sustainable Future, George Washington University, George Washington University

    It isn’t just hazy — it’s suffocating. During smog season in Lahore, Pakistan, something as simple as breathing can become a major health risk. People keep their windows shut to protect themselves, yet they can smell smoke even indoors.

    When we speak to family and colleagues in Pakistan by phone, they often have to break off, unable to speak because they are coughing and gasping due to the smog and particulate-laden air.

    This is normal for residents of many major cities in Pakistan. The smog has worsened in recent years. Fine particulate air pollution known as PM2.5 increased by 25% in 2024 compared to 2023.

    Smog started engulfing all major cities in Punjab, bringing life to a halt in major metropolitans. In November 2024, 129,229 patients visited hospitals due to respiratory diseases.

    Pakistan is the fourth most polluted country in the world, thanks mostly to the smog that descends on cities such as Lahore and Sheikhupura every winter. Conditions are so bad that life expectancy in these cities is seven years shorter than when World Health Organization’s air quality guideline are met.

    Our research into media representations of climate issues shows that the media has an important role in informing the public about the dangers and causes of smog. But often, the reporting leaves out the human toll and ignores the impacts on health and lifestyle.

    Clouded narratives

    We analysed 356 news stories related to smog in Pakistan during 2017 and 2019, which appeared in six newspapers. We found that the public health implications of smog were discussed in only 15% of stories – that includes any mention of precautionary measures such as wearing masks, moisturising skin (to build a barrier effect against environmental substance), eating a balanced diet (to maintain a healthy immune system), and reducing time spent outdoors when smog is heavy.

    Our research highlights how Pakistani media treats smog as a seasonal inconvenience, rather than a major public health emergency requiring urgent and sustainable attention.

    As we collected data, we found that news articles related to smog started appearing after the issue intensified in both English and Urdu newspapers. Most news editors, especially in Urdu newspapers, only seemed interested in smog-related stories during smog season which is from October to February, though haze hangs in the sky throughout the year.

    Pakistani media tended to attribute smog to local factors, including urbanisation, industrialisation, vehicle emissions, and the burning of waste or crops. The media remained critical of government efforts to reduce smog impacts but did not mention many sustainable policy options.

    There are other regional issues at play here, too. Given the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict, the Pakistani media blames smoke from stubble burning on the Indian side of the border for smog outbreaks, irrespective of the direction of prevailing winds.

    The media often covers the disastrous effects of smog, such as the strain on the economy, closure of schools, transport delays and utility supply disruptions. More than 20% of news reports in each newspaper were about such effects.

    However, the media published far fewer stories about the knock-on effects on human health and about communities that were vulnerable to smog, such as daily wage labourers working outdoors and inhaling toxic air.

    Smog through a solutions lens

    By adopting a more human-centred and solutions-journalism approach (rigorous reporting that’s focused on responses to particular social and environmental challenges), the media landscape in Pakistan could become much more comprehensive.

    Solutions-focused reporting of smogs should ideally cover environmental justice by showcasing how vulnerable communities are more affected by smog. With more human-centred story angles, the media can explain the health implications of smog.

    Linking routine actions, such as burning fossil fuels, crops and waste, to major health issues, such as respiratory disease is essential. Powerful storytelling can emphasise how mitigating those effects can benefit human health.

    Burning of crops to clear stubble after the harvest contributes to air pollution.
    Haani Pasha/Shutterstock

    Media coverage of sustainable solutions could be increased. Currently, the media focuses mainly on stories about short-term policy actions. That includes emphasising the ban on outdoor activities and holidays in schools or publishing stories about the number of registered cases against farmers burning crops. Stories might also cover tickets issued to smoke-emitting vehicles, industrial units sealed during smog season and the temporary pause to development projects to control smog.

    The 2019 media coverage we analysed highlighted sustainable solutions in just 12 instances. That included stories about tree planting, rooftop gardening and urban forestry. Although people mostly read and understand Urdu, the number of stories based on solutions journalism in Urdu newspapers is lower than in English newspapers.

    Solution-focused journalism can help demonstrate how stern policy action reduces environmental challenges and creates opportunities. For example, using crop stubble for cement production and knowing which trees are best for reducing air pollution.

    The road to improving public understanding of smog starts with increasing the scientific and environmental literacy of journalists in Pakistan. Once reporters and editors are more comfortable with the science, they will feel better equipped to craft solutions-focused narratives that engage their audiences in powerful stories about what is happening to air quality in Pakistan and other developing countries.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Rabia Qusien receives funding from Dublin City University.

    David Robbins is affiliated with the Green Party of Ireland/Comhaontas Glas.

    – ref. How Pakistani media misses stories about solutions during smog season – https://theconversation.com/how-pakistani-media-misses-stories-about-solutions-during-smog-season-246084

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Brics: growth of China-led bloc raises questions about a rapidly shifting world order

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gabriel Silva Huland, Teaching Fellow, School of International Studies, University of Nottingham

    Brics has emerged as a significant international force since 2009 when it was established at a summit in Russia. What began as a five-member group encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is now expanding with the integration of five new members and eight new partner countries. Even more countries may be joining in the next few years.

    This growth raises essential questions about whether Brics will challenge the leadership of traditional powers such as the US, UK and the European Union.

    But analysts are also questioning how united the bloc really is and whether a perceived lack of unity constitutes an obstacle to the bloc’s expansion. Brics is undoubtedly diverse. Iran and Saudi Arabia compete as regional powers in the Middle East, Egypt and Ethiopia have had different conflicts around the Nile’s governance, and the skirmishes between China and India are well known.

    Yet, the bloc’s strength may reside in its capacity to integrate this diverse array of countries that are not fully aligned. Building loose international organisations might be the key to navigating international politics in these times of increasing polarisation.

    The rise of Brics must be contextualised within the ongoing competition between the US and China. The rivalry between the world’s two largest economies is likely to intensify in the coming years, shaping the contemporary global order. China’s announcement of a record US$1 trillion (£804 billion) trade surplus for 2024 and its solid 5% economic growth have bolstered the narrative that its development model represents an alternative to the US-sponsored neoliberal policies that have dominated much of the world in the past four decades.

    Political leaders and economic elites worldwide are closely observing the US-China competition – and most countries strive to maintain an equidistant approach. Countries traditionally within the US sphere of influence, including Brazil and Peru, have been cautiously moving towards China, attracted by the economic opportunities the Asian giant offers. Others previously in China’s orbit, like Vietnam, are working to maintain or expand their ties with the US.

    Brics countries represent 45% of the world’s population and about 35% of global GDP.
    Sunflowerr/Shutterstock

    China is unquestionably the driving force that holds Brics together. Without China, it wouldn’t have come into existence. All Brics countries share two key characteristics. They are global south countries that do not belong to the traditional group of hegemonic powers. And they have significant economic ties with China, especially through trade relations.

    Belt and road

    The official Brics narrative emphasises multilateralism, cooperation and fair global development. But in fact the group serves primarily as an instrument for China to project its power and influence. China achieves this through a combination of rhetoric and by using the bloc as a special trade platform linked to the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI).

    Brics seeks to position itself as an alternative to US hegemony, promoting free trade and multilateralism. In times of political turbulence and the growth of illiberal forces, this narrative serves as a powerful legitimising tool for the group globally. But the group’s diversity also poses significant challenges to its rise as an alternative to the US-led global order. It is unlikely that Brics will evolve into a unified military alliance like Nato or a free trade area like Asean or the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA – formerly Nafta). The group’s diversity prevents it from acquiring these characteristics.

    Aware of this, China strategically uses Brics to increase its business opportunities and international influence. It maintains a fine balance between a loose bloc and a more solidified military or economic alliance. Contrary to the Cold War era, when the two superpowers, the US and the Soviet Union, had well-defined spheres of influence, the current world order appears to be shaped by loose, interconnected international blocs.

    Many of Brics member states are also partners with China in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
    Net Vector/Shutterstock

    China’s prominence within Brics is clear and unlikely to change. It accounts for two-thirds of both the group’s GDP and intra-Brics trade. The country is the primary trade partner for Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iran. China also holds significant investments in these nations. Russia is the largest recipient of Chinese foreign direct investment within the Brics with an accumulated stock of more than USU$10 billion.

    Most Brics member states are also directly or indirectly involved in BRI. While the major BRI projects may not be located within Brics countries – they are primarily in central, south and southeast Asia – Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Iran also host BRI initiatives. Though not an official BRI member, Brazil has become a key partner due to its role as a central food supplier to China.

    These figures highlight that expanding Brics is one of China’s foreign policy priorities. The country uses the group to project both economic and ideological influence. Donald Trump’s plans to impose trade tariffs on several countries, including China, is likely to prompt China to intensify this policy. It is a distinct possibility that the recent episode with Colombia, where the US president reportedly threatened to impose tariffs if Colombia continued to push back against deportation flights, could encourage more countries to seek closer trading relationships with China.

    Strategic friendships

    Some analysts correctly claim that Brics is divided between anti-western states and those that prefer to remain nonaligned. While the anti-western group, led by Russia, advocates for a confrontational stance towards the US, the nonaligned countries – including India and Brazil – favour a more nuanced approach.

    Analysts argue that the US should try to develop closer relations with non-aligned countries to influence internal Brics debates. But this overlooks the fact that China is not only the de-facto leader of Brics but also has an unequivocal strategy of favouring a nuanced approach towards the west, based on multilateralism and free trade. So, despite what Russia may want, it’s unlikely that Brics will assume a confrontational stance towards the west.

    China knows that a non-confrontational approach is the best way to attract more countries and solidify the Brics as a loose bloc that advocates for more democratic global governance.

    So far, this strategy appears to be working.

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

    – ref. Brics: growth of China-led bloc raises questions about a rapidly shifting world order – https://theconversation.com/brics-growth-of-china-led-bloc-raises-questions-about-a-rapidly-shifting-world-order-248075

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Victorian melodrama turned the sweet music of gothic into something dark and sinister

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emma McEvoy, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, University of Westminster

    In 1764, Horace Walpole published the first gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, set in a labyrinthine castle surrounded by woods. The novel features the supernatural, with a dark secret from the past at its core. Today, 260 years later, gothic is still with us in the form of “contemporary gothic” plays, fiction, films, music and computer games.

    Central to the popularity of gothic is the way it affects its audiences. It is supposed to unsettle, to make the flesh creep and provoke feelings of claustrophobia. Soundtracks for gothic films are integral to creating such effects, building suspense and unease while amplifying the visceral impact of sudden jump scares.

    Alejandro Amenábar’s soundtrack for The Others (2001), for example, weirds its listeners out. The hollow but reverberant timbre of brushed piano strings evokes the spaces of the house, conjuring up the old-fashioned alienness of the place. Action, set and music sympathetically resonate.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    The soundtrack for The Substance (2024) shrieks with the strings and sudden dissonances of The Nightmare and Dawn (taken from Bernard Herrmann’s score for Hitchcock’s 1958 masterpiece, Vertigo). Then, it deepens the sense of disquiet with the sinister incantations and medieval-sounding harmonies of Swedish composer Anna von Hausswolff‘s Ugly and Vengeful.

    Both soundtracks impressively succeed in doing what we expect gothic music to do: provoke unease, create suspense and drive home the horror elements.

    But has the music of the gothic always been called upon to unsettle and scare? Has it always sounded so, well, gothic? These are questions I explore in my new book The Music of the Gothic 1789–1820.

    Over the last few years, I’ve been rummaging through archives in London, Oxford and Dublin searching for settings of songs from novels and music associated with gothic plays such as The Mysteries of the Castle (1795). I uncovered many treasures, some of which probably haven’t been performed for a couple of centuries.

    Thanks to a grant from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust, I was able to bring some of this music to audiences once more with the help of a group of wonderful musicians, headed by Seb Gillot, who performed the tracks you can hear in this article. You can see them performing live below.

    The gothic novels and plays of the 1790s were populated by sweet-singing heroines and heroes. Among the music I encountered was a song by the composer and singer Harriet Abrams (c. 1758-1821), in which a woman imprisoned in a madhouse sweetly pleads with her cold-hearted jailer.

    I also found music for gothic plays by the Northumbrian William Shield (1748-1829) and the Irish tenor Michael Kelly (1762-1826), who wrote songs about jolly mariners , comic poachers_ and young peasant girls on their way back from market.

    None of this material sounded remotely what we would now describe as gothic. Even the music accompanying the entrance of a blood-covered ghost in The Castle Spectre (1798) was warm and stately – and singularly unterrifying.

    I realised that none of the music from the 1790s – a period when gothic was phenomenally popular – was intended to scare. On the contrary, it was called upon to provide relief from the scare. In late 18th-century gothic plays such as The Italian Monk (1797), music was associated with romance, comedy and sublime religious experience, but not horror or terror.

    At what point then did the kind of gothic music we know today come into being? The evidence can be found in books such as Remick Folio of Moving Picture Music (1914) which contains music for silent film accompanists. With names like Mysterioso, or Forboding and Wind Storm, or Hurry, they were evidently designed for scenes of suspense and mystery.

    Such music is indebted to the music of Victorian melodrama, but what I wanted to know was when melodrama acquired its distinctive gothic sounds.

    Digging into the past of gothic

    Very often in research you discover that things happen gradually. There is trial and experiment, a series of influences, a slow accumulation of examples, and then a tipping point. But when it comes to gothic music, that is not the case. There is a definite date when a specific kind of music erupted onto the entertainment scene. The date was 1802, and the occasion a new dramatic production – a “melo-drame” or musical drama called A Tale of Mystery with music by Thomas Busby.

    Busby’s music was conceptualised very differently to the music of the 1790s. For a start it was intended to add to, not to provide relief from, the gothic elements of the play.

    Most crucially, it was not part of the imagined world of the drama. The fictional characters did not sing it – they did not even “hear” it: Busby’s music was directed at the audience. Instrumental music calculated to disturb, it was chaotic and unnerving, with lots of fast, disjointed short phrases, disturbing chords and cliffhanger endings.

    Instantly recognised as new and revolutionary, it caused a sensation. After audiences had a taste of the new gothic in A Tale of Mystery, music on the page and on the stage soon became something darker and more troubling.

    The older kind of music didn’t disappear overnight, of course, but melodrama took hold and the music of gothic was transformed. Not just on stage but also on the page. Gothic music was no longer uplifting but sinister.

    As seen in The Woman in Black (2012), there’s nothing like a music box in a deserted house to terrify audiences. And who doesn’t thrill to the sound of the diabolically thundering organ in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera?

    Emma McEvoy received a research grant from the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust for the project “The Music of Gothic Literature and Theatre 1790-1820”.

    – ref. How Victorian melodrama turned the sweet music of gothic into something dark and sinister – https://theconversation.com/how-victorian-melodrama-turned-the-sweet-music-of-gothic-into-something-dark-and-sinister-246797

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin: Hero of the Soviet Union awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Moscow

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Great Patriotic War veteran Boris Kravtsov was awarded the title of honorary citizen of the city of Moscow. This in his blog Sergei Sobyanin said.

    On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward an initiative to award the titles of honorary citizens of regions, cities and municipalities to front-line soldiers who participated in the Great Patriotic War.

    “In response to this initiative of the head of state, I submitted to the Moscow City Duma a proposal to award the title of honorary citizen of the city of Moscow to war participant Boris Vasilyevich Kravtsov. Today, the deputies supported my proposals,” the Mayor of Moscow noted.

    He specified that in the coming days he would send proposals to municipal councils of deputies to award the title of “Honorary Resident of the Municipality” to all Muscovites who participated in the Great Patriotic War.

    Boris Kravtsov was born on December 28, 1922 in Moscow. In June 1941, he was mobilized into the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. As a lieutenant, he fought on the Southwestern, Stalingrad and Don fronts. He participated in the Battle of Kharkov, the Battle of Stalingrad, then fought for Donbass, liberated the cities of Pavlograd and Zaporozhye.

    On October 24, 1943, Guards Senior Lieutenant Boris Kravtsov and a reconnaissance group crossed the Dnieper River to Khortitsa Island near Zaporozhye. From there, he transmitted targeting information to the artillery via radio, ensuring the suppression of enemy firing points. When enemy soldiers surrounded the scouts’ dugout, Boris Kravtsov called in Soviet artillery fire on his position, which allowed it to be cleared of the enemy. The Red Army soldiers themselves survived the shelling. On December 31, 1943, he received a severe shrapnel wound to the thigh.

    By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 19, 1944, for the heroic feat demonstrated in the performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the German invaders, Boris Kravtsov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. In June 1944, after a long treatment, with the rank of captain, he was discharged from the army due to injury.

    After the war, Boris Vasilyevich graduated from the Law Institute, and then worked his entire life in the justice and prosecutor’s offices, rising from a judge to the Minister of Justice of the USSR.

    After retirement, Boris Kravtsov became an active participant in the veterans’ movement. In 2022, Vladimir Putin awarded him the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st degree.

    “Boris Vasilyevich recently turned 102 years old. He is the only living Hero of the Soviet Union in the country, awarded this title for his exploits during the Great Patriotic War,” added Sergei Sobyanin.

    On behalf of the residents of the capital, he congratulated Boris Kravtsov on being awarded the title of “Honorary Citizen of the City of Moscow” and thanked him for his heroic deeds and selfless service to the Motherland and the city.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12323050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: W&T Offshore Announces Closing of $350 Million Senior Second Lien Notes Offering And Additional Strengthening of Balance Sheet

    Source: W & T Offshore Inc

    Headline: W&T Offshore Announces Closing of $350 Million Senior Second Lien Notes Offering And Additional Strengthening of Balance Sheet

    HOUSTON, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (“W&T Offshore” or the “Company”) today announced the closing, on January 28, 2025, of its previously announced offering of $350 million in aggregate principal amount of 10.750% Senior Second Lien Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) at par in a private offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and receipt of proceeds from a previously-announced insurance settlement. In conjunction with the issuance of the Notes, the Company entered into a credit agreement with certain lenders and other parties which provides the Company a revolving credit facility of $50 million.

    • Closed $350 million of Notes;
      • Lowered the interest rate from the previous 11.750% Senior Second Lien Notes due 2026 (the “2026 Senior Second Lien Notes”) by one hundred basis points;
      • Repaid $114.2 million outstanding under the term loan provided by Munich Re Risk Financing, Inc., as lender (the “MRE Term Loan”);
    • Entered into a new credit agreement for a $50 million revolving credit facility through July 2028 that is undrawn and replaces the previous credit facility provided by Calculus Lending, LLC; and
    • Received in cash $58.2 million of the previously announced $58.5 million insurance settlement related to the Mobile Bay 78-1 well, with the remainder expected shortly, which further bolsters W&T’s balance sheet.

    Tracy W. Krohn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We have begun 2025 with several positive events that improve W&T’s financial position. Over the past month, we have strengthened the balance sheet by closing the new senior second lien notes offering, entering into a new revolving credit facility and collecting our insurance settlement. I would like to thank our banks for running such a smooth process. The new senior second lien notes, which received improved credit ratings from S&P and Moody’s, had a broad distribution. This included international investors and was significantly oversubscribed, further demonstrating the investment community’s confidence in W&T’s underlying asset base. We are likewise pleased to now have access to the bank revolver market again. With pathways in place to bring additional fields back online and our successful actions to enhance our balance sheet, we are well-positioned for success moving forward.”

    The Company has used a portion of the proceeds from the Notes offering, along with cash on hand to, (i) purchase for cash pursuant to a tender offer, such of the Company’s outstanding 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes that were validly tendered pursuant to the terms thereof (the “Tender Offer”), (ii) repay outstanding amounts under the MRE Term Loan, (iii) fund the full redemption amount for an August 1, 2025 redemption of the remaining 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes not validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the Tender Offer and (iv) pay premiums, fees and expenses related to the offering of Notes, the Tender Offer, the redemption of the remaining 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes, the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture governing the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes and the repayment of the MRE Term Loan. On the closing date of the offering of the Notes, the Company completed all actions necessary to satisfy and discharge the indenture governing the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes.

    On January 28, 2025, in conjunction with the issuance of the Notes, the Company entered into a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”), by and among the Company, as borrower, Texas Capital Bank, as Administrative Agent, lender and L/C Issuer, TCBI Securities, Inc., doing business as Texas Capital Securities, as Lead Arranger and Bookrunner, the other lenders named therein and other parties thereto which provides the Company a revolving credit and letter of credit facility (the “Credit Facility”), with initial lending commitments of $50 million with a letter of credit sublimit of $10 million. The Credit Facility matures on July 28, 2028.

    The Credit Facility is guaranteed by each of the Company’s wholly owned direct and indirect subsidiaries (the “Guarantors”) and is secured by a first-priority lien on substantially all of the natural gas and oil properties and personal property assets of the Company and the Guarantors, other than the Company’s membership interest in its Unrestricted Subsidiaries (as defined in the Credit Agreement) and minority ownership in certain joint venture entities. Certain future-formed or acquired majority-owned domestic subsidiaries of the Company may also be required to guarantee the Credit Facility and grant a security interest in substantially all of their natural gas and oil properties and personal property assets to secure the obligations under the Credit Facility.

    This press release is being issued for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes, and it does not constitute a notice of redemption of the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes.

    The Notes and the related guarantees have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any other securities laws, and the Notes and the related guarantees may not be offered or sold except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any other applicable securities laws. The Notes and the related guarantees are being offered only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in the United States under Rule 144A and to non-U.S. investors outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S.

    This press release is being issued for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a sale of the Notes, the related guarantees, or any other securities, nor does it constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy or a sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful.

    ABOUT W&T OFFSHORE

    W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and has grown through acquisitions, exploration and development. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had working interests in 53 fields in federal and state waters (which include 46 fields in federal waters and 7 in state waters). The Company has under lease approximately 673,100 gross acres (515,400 net acres) spanning across the outer continental shelf off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, with approximately 514,000 gross acres on the conventional shelf, approximately 153,500 gross acres in the deepwater and 5,600 gross acres in Alabama state waters. A majority of the Company’s daily production is derived from wells it operates.

    FORWARD-LOOKING AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS

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

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

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

    CONTACT:

    Al Petrie
    Investor Relations Coordinator
    investorrelations@wtoffshore.com
    713-297-8024

    Sameer Parasnis
    Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
    sparasnis@wtoffshore.com
    713-513-8654

    Source: W&T Offshore, Inc.

    Source: W&T Offshore, Inc.

    Released January 29, 2025

    MIL OSI Economics –