NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Introduces New Trade Measures to Support Steel Sector

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK Introduces New Trade Measures to Support Steel Sector

    UK strengthens steel safeguard measures

    • UK steel producers to benefit from stronger trade safeguards that better protect against surges in cheap imports.  

    • These changes will adjust how much steel countries around the world can send to the UK, protecting British jobs while making sure the UK still has a reliable supply.   

    • Reinforces the Government’s commitment as part of the Plan for Change to rebuild Britain’s industrial strength and reversing decades of decline.  

    Steel producers across the UK will benefit from stronger trade measures from 1 July, as the government moves to better protect domestic industry from unforeseen surges in foreign imports as part of the Plan for Change.   

    Following a recommendation from the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), the Business Secretary has confirmed the final decision on the current steel safeguard, taking decisive action in the national interest to strengthen existing protections against spikes in foreign imports- delivering on the Government’s commitment to rebuild Britain’s industrial strength.

    The changes to the steel safeguard will make the measure more effective by slowing future increases, capping certain import levels and tightening country-specific limits- ensuring UK steel producers won’t be undercut while still making sure the UK has a steady and reliable supply. 

    They will also strike the right balance between maintaining open trade and ensuring long-term viability for the UK’s steel sector which remains critical to the economy and to communities across the country.

    This decision builds on the Trade Strategy published last week, which set out how the UK Government will strengthen its trade defences to protect key industries like steel, ensuring a fairer and more secure trading environment.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:   

    This Government is unapologetic in our support for the UK steel sector-it underpins Britain’s industrial strength, our national security, and our status as a global power.   

    These measures back our producers and the thousands of families and communities who rely on steel production in the UK.   

    We’ve taken decisive action to protect the UK market and level the playing field, and we’ll go further with our new Steel Strategy to build a stronger, more competitive future for British steel making central to our Plan for Change.

    Today’s announcement delivers immediate protection and builds on the Industrial and Trade Strategies announced last week, reinforcing the government’s commitment to protecting jobs and securing the long-term success of domestic industry.   

    This decision sits alongside a call for stakeholder views to shape the UK’s future trade approach to steel after June 2026. Yet another example of the UK’s commitment to strengthened trade defences.   

    Notes to editors:  

    • The steel safeguard Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) review assessed whether the UK should make changes to its steel safeguard measure to ensure more effective protection for producers from unforeseen import surges whilst balancing security of supply. 

    • The Business and Trade Secretary’s decision on the Steel Safeguard TRQ  was informed by stakeholder engagement, legal analysis, and broader strategic considerations.  

    • The UK steel industry employs thousands of people in key manufacturing regions and supports critical supply chains in construction, automotive, and defence.  

    • The UK Government is committed to taking effective action to support a level playing field for domestic industry and will publish a comprehensive Steel Strategy later this year.  

    • The current UK steel safeguard measure ends in June 2026 and cannot be extended. The Call for Evidence launched on 26 June invites industry views to help shape new, future-ready trade measures that will protect UK businesses and jobs nationwide.  

    • A letter outlining the government’s intended decision was issued to the TRA on 24 June to enable WTO engagement.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Youth Justice Roadmap launched to build a safer, fairer future for all children30 June 2025 The Youth Justice Roadmap, ‘Reimagining Youth Justice: A Child First Roadmap for Jersey’ (2025-2030) has been released by the Government of Jersey. This bold child-centred plan has been designed… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    30 June 2025

    The Youth Justice Roadmap, ‘Reimagining Youth Justice: A Child First Roadmap for Jersey’ (2025-2030) has been released by the Government of Jersey. 

    This bold child-centred plan has been designed to ensure all children – including those who have come into contact with the youth justice system – are supported to lead safe, successful, and fulfilling lives. 

    The Roadmap is part of the Building A Safer Community, BASC, Framework, which brings together government departments, the emergency services, courts, community services, charities and families to work in partnership to prevent crime, respond effectively when it occurs, and support young people to thrive. 

    At the heart of the Roadmap is a vision for a youth justice system that puts children first – one that helps them build positive identities, break the cycle of offending by addressing their needs, and become resilient Islanders who contribute meaningfully to their communities. 

    Assistant Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Connétable Richard Vibert said: “Youth justice extends far beyond statistics; it touches lives, shapes futures, and defines the fabric of our island life. A child diverted from crime is not just a reduction in offending; it is a family strengthened, a victim restored, and a safer island. 

    “This is about putting children’s rights at the centre of how we build a safer, more supportive Jersey. It’s not just about reducing crime – it’s about creating opportunities, restoring trust, and making sure every child has the chance to succeed, no matter what has happened in their past.” 

    An outcomes-based approach has been adopted to align with the BASC framework and the Children’s, Young People and Families Plan 2024-2027. This will enable the measurement of success in delivering key actions aligned to the outcomes below. 

    The Youth Justice Roadmap sets out four clear outcomes to guide services and professionals working with children, which are: 

    Outcome 1: The youth justice system will enable a partnership approach to support a wider systemic approach to engage children in law-abiding and positive behaviours

    Outcome 2: Children are diverted away from the formal criminal justice system at the earliest point with appropriate support 

    Outcome 3: Children who are engaged in serious or persistent conflict with the law go on to achieve positive outcomes 

    Outcome 4: Children, families, witnesses and community victims recover and move on beyond the impact of the harm they have experienced.

    The roadmap is rooted in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNCRC, affirming every child’s right to safety, support, and a voice – regardless of their circumstances. 

    Services and the community across Jersey – including the States of Jersey Police, Royal and Youth Courts, Children Young People Education and Skills, Honorary Police, Justice and Home Affairs, Jersey Youth Service, Parish Halls, Health and Care Jersey, and Social Services – will work together to ensure children and families receive timely, co-ordinated, and trauma-informed support. 

    Progress will be closely monitored through feedback from children and families, data on community safety, and oversight from the Youth Justice Partnership and BASC Co-ordinator. 

    The Youth Justice Roadmap has been developed over several years and involved input from a wide range of stakeholders. Alongside this input a wide range of evidence and existing pieces of work were drawn upon to inform the roadmap. 

    A child-friendly version of the Youth Justice Roadmap​ has been produced and will be shared with young people through their schools.​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Building Financial Resilience: Arab States Participate in DRR Financing Training

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    As part of its continued commitment to strengthening disaster resilience in the Arab region, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Regional Office for Arab States (UNDRR ROAS) hosted a half-day online training on financing disaster risk reduction (DRR), gathering national DRR focal points, government officials, and technical experts from across the region.

    The training aimed to enhance capacity in assessing disaster costs, resilience benefits, and investment needs, while building awareness on how to mobilize financing for DRR and climate adaptation through public, private, and international sources.

    Strengthening Capacity to Finance Resilience

    Opening the session, Ms. Nora Achkar, Chief of UNDRR ROAS, emphasized the importance of integrating DRR into economic planning and investment decisions. “Investing in disaster risk reduction is not just a moral obligation – it is a smart financial decision that safeguards development gains and builds resilience against future shocks,” Ms. Achkar stated.

    The training built on UNDRR’s innovative five-step approach to DRR financing, which is being rolled out globally to help countries:

    • Understand the financial consequences of disasters
    • Track climate adaptation and DRR financing flows
    • Identify investment needs
    • Match needs with financing options
    • Develop a DRR financing strategy

    Expert Insights and Regional Perspectives

    Participants benefited from a rich agenda featuring expert-led modules on understanding the financial consequences of disasters, tracking financing flows, assessing financial landscapes, identifying investment needs, and developing DRR financing strategies. The training also included insights on linking DRR financing to global processes such as G20 outcomes and international financing for development frameworks, as well as regional case studies showcasing innovative funding mechanisms to build national resilience.

    Mohammed Jarefa, Head of Planning and Cooperation at Morocco’s Ministry of Interior, presented Morocco’s journey in DRR financing, highlighting innovative funding mechanisms to build national resilience.

    The Urgency of Financing DRR

    The training contextualized DRR financing within rising global disaster costs, with 2023 disaster losses estimated at over $250 billion, surpassing total official development assistance for that year. Participants discussed how current financing only meets 10–25% of DRR and climate adaptation investment needs in most countries, underlining the urgency to shift from reactive post-disaster spending to proactive risk reduction investments.

    Key Outcomes and the Way Forward

    The training concluded with an engaging discussion on:

    • Barriers preventing increased DRR financing, including institutional challenges and limited policy incentives.
    • Opportunities to optimize existing resources, integrate DRR into economic policy, and engage the private sector and capital markets in financing resilience solutions.
    • The five-step approach in the national contexts and strengthening collaboration with UNDRR to bridge financing gaps for DRR and climate adaptation, ensuring a safer and more resilient Arab region.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Over 50 participants from Arab states enhanced their understanding of DRR financing strategies.
    • The training built capacity to assess disaster costs and mobilize resources for resilience investments.
    • Regional case studies, including Morocco’s financing journey, provided practical insights for implementation.

    UNDRR ROAS will continue to support Arab states in developing integrated national financing frameworks that prioritize DRR, climate adaptation, and resilient infrastructure to protect lives and development gains in an era of increasing risk.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Arab States Endorse Priority Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR): A Step Toward a More Resilient Future

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Geneva, Switzerland – June 2, 2025

    In a significant step toward enhancing disaster risk reduction across the Arab region, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction for Arab States (UNDRR ROAS) hosted a consultative meeting on the Priority Action Plan for DRR 2025–2027 during the 9th session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025) in Geneva. The event brought together key stakeholders from Arab governments, international partners, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) experts to discuss and endorse the plan, which aims to transform commitments into tangible actions for disaster resilience.

    The consultation marked a pivotal moment in the region’s disaster risk reduction efforts. With strong representation from Arab states, the event also provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss the outcomes of the 6th Arab Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Forum held earlier in Kuwait, as well as the next steps toward achieving the Sendai Framework’s goals.

    A Unified Vision for Disaster Risk Reduction

    The meeting commenced with opening remarks from Ms. Nora Achkar, Chief of the UNDRR Regional Office for Arab States, who welcomed participants and stressed the importance of the meeting in shaping the future of DRR in the Arab region.

    “This plan represents more than just a roadmap; it is a collective expression of our regional ambition to move from commitment to action. Together, we can pave the way toward a more resilient Arab region,” said Ms. Nora Achkar.

    Ms. Achkar highlighted the key priorities in the plan, which focus on understanding disaster risks, strengthening governance, investing in DRR for prevention and resilience, and enhancing preparedness for effective response and recovery. She thanked the Arab states and partners for their valuable contributions and insights in shaping the plan, emphasizing that its success depends on collaboration and shared commitment.

    In his remarks, Dr. Mustafa Saadi of the League of Arab States (LAS) also underscored the importance of a united regional approach to DRR. As the head of the Arab Coordination Mechanism for Disaster Risk Reduction at the LAS, Dr. Saadi emphasized the collective responsibility of Arab countries to implement the priorities of the Sendai Framework and address the challenges posed by disasters and climate change.

    “The League of Arab States is fully committed to supporting the implementation of this plan, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders to build a more resilient and sustainable future for the Arab region,” Dr. Saadi stated.

    Reflections on the Kuwait Declaration

    Major General Talal Al-Roumi, Chief of the Kuwait Fire Force (KFF), shared reflections on the outcomes of the 6th Arab Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Forum hosted by Kuwait earlier this year. He emphasized Kuwait’s continued commitment to regional disaster risk reduction efforts and the importance of translating declarations into action.

    “The Kuwait Declaration reaffirmed our region’s commitment to resilience. We now look forward to seeing the Priority Action Plan implemented to protect lives and livelihoods across the Arab world,” Major General Al-Roumi stated.

    Key Outcomes from the Working Groups

    Following the opening session, participants were divided into thematic working groups to focus on the four priority areas of the Priority Action Plan 2025–2027:

    • Understanding Disaster Risks
    • Strengthening DRR Governance
    • Investing in DRR Financing for Prevention and Resilience
    • Enhancing Preparedness for Effective Response and Recovery

    Each group reviewed feedback from member states and stakeholders, proposed joint initiatives, and worked toward building consensus on the activities under each priority. These discussions were critical in ensuring that the action plan reflected the diverse needs and priorities of Arab countries while aligning with global DRR commitments.

    Endorsement of the Action Plan

    The consultation concluded with a strong endorsement of the Priority Action Plan 2025–2027, as all parties expressed their commitment to its implementation.

    “The success of this plan depends on all of us,” Ms. Achkar remarked. “This is not just a technical meeting—it’s a platform for regional solidarity, cooperation, and leadership. Today’s discussions bring us one step closer to achieving a more resilient Arab region.”

    Looking Ahead: Collaborative Action for a Resilient Future

    The Priority Action Plan 2025–2027 lays a clear pathway for strengthening disaster risk management across the Arab region. With strong commitment from both Arab states and international partners, the plan is poised to drive transformative change, making the region better prepared for future disasters and building resilience in the face of climate change.

    As countries begin to implement the prioritized actions, the consultative meeting served as a reminder of the power of collaboration in overcoming challenges and ensuring the safety and well-being of communities across the Arab world.

    Key Takeaways from the Consultation:

    The Priority Action Plan 2025–2027 was endorsed by all stakeholders, marking a key milestone in the region’s disaster risk reduction efforts.

    The four priority areas—understanding disaster risks, strengthening governance, investing in DRR financing, and enhancing preparedness—were thoroughly discussed and refined.

    Member states committed to leading joint initiatives in partnership with UNDRR and other stakeholders, ensuring a collective approach to disaster risk reduction.

    With the endorsement of the plan, the Arab region is taking significant steps toward a safer, more resilient future.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI releases the Financial Stability Report, June 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Today, the Reserve Bank released the June 2025 issue of the Financial Stability Report (FSR), which reflects the collective assessment of the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) on the resilience of the Indian financial system and risks to financial stability.

    Highlights:

    • Elevated economic and trade policy uncertainties are testing the resilience of the global economy and the financial system.

    • Financial markets remain volatile, especially core government bond markets, driven by shifting policy and geopolitical environment. Alongside, existing vulnerabilities such as soaring public debt levels and elevated asset valuations have the potential to amplify fresh shocks.

    • Despite an uncertain and challenging global economic backdrop, the Indian economy remains a key driver of global growth, underpinned by sound macroeconomic fundamentals and prudent macroeconomic policies.

    • The domestic financial system is exhibiting resilience fortified by healthy balance sheets of banks and non-banks. Financial conditions have eased supported by accommodative monetary policy and low volatility in financial markets. The strength of the corporate balance sheets also lends support to overall macroeconomic stability.

    • The soundness and resilience of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) are bolstered by robust capital buffers, multi-decadal low non-performing loans ratio and strong earnings.

    • Results of macro stress tests affirm that most SCBs have adequate capital buffers relative to the regulatory minimum even under adverse stress scenarios. Stress tests also validate the resilience of mutual funds and clearing corporations.

    • Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) remain healthy with sizable capital buffers, robust earnings and improving asset quality.

    • The consolidated solvency ratio of the insurance sector also remains above the minimum threshold limit.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/624

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: W&T Announces Positive Court Finding Regarding Remaining Surety Provider Claims

    Source: W & T Offshore Inc

    Headline: W&T Announces Positive Court Finding Regarding Remaining Surety Provider Claims

    HOUSTON, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (“W&T” or the “Company”) today announced that U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo recommended denying two surety companies motions for preliminary injunction, through which they collectively asked for full monetization of over $100 million dollars. The Court found, in relevant part, the sureties failed to demonstrate they would suffer irreparable harm if their cash collateral demands were not granted.

    Key highlights relating to the ruling include:

    • Sureties’ motion for preliminary injunction, which would have required W&T to immediately post collateral, was categorically recommended to be denied;
    • Sureties failed to carry a clear burden of proof to establish irreparable harm necessary to obtain a preliminary injunction;
    • Ruling results in all current collateral requests by sureties being effectively nullified;
    • The Company will not be required to post collateral (if at all) until a determination on the merits of the pending lawsuit with the remaining surety providers;
    • The previously-announced settlement agreement, together with this favorable Court ruling, represent significant positive outcomes for W&T.

    Tracy W. Krohn, W&T’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, “We are very pleased with the Magistrate Judge’s recommendation that the Sureties’ preliminary injunction motions be denied. This vindicates W&T’s decision to aggressively defend against unlawful predatory business practices. W&T looks forward to a day when independent operators can once again operate in the Gulf of America unhampered by collusion and unlawful pressures exerted by sureties’ unfettered market power. We could not be more pleased with the Court’s decision preventing unnecessary and unjustified collateral demands by abusive surety providers.”  

    Mr. Krohn added, “surety providers have, for far too long, abused the ability to demand collateral. The Magistrate Judge’s recommendation, assuming it is upheld by the District Court, helps put an end to these blackmail business practices. Never again should any oil and gas producer have to cave to unjustified collateral demands. It admittedly takes courage and calculated risk to resist collective ultimatums from surety providers, but we hope the Court’s decision inspires others to follow suit in standing up to bullying tactics. The sureties’ collusive behavior has caused W&T’s (and other independent operators’) stockholders incalculable harm and it is about time that sureties are held accountable.”

    W&T Offshore’s legal team is led by its General Counsel, George J. Hittner, as well as Deputy General Counsels, Steven Lackey and Ted Imperato. W&T’s trial team is led by Yasser A. Madriz, the Managing Partner of the Houston Office of McGuireWoods, LLP along with members of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Section, Jason Huebinger, Megan Lewis, and Miles Indest.

    About W&T Offshore

    W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of America and has grown through acquisitions, exploration and development. As of March 31, 2025, the Company had working interests in 52 fields in federal and state waters (which include 45 fields in federal waters and seven in state waters). The Company has under lease approximately 634,700 gross acres (496,900 net acres) spanning across the outer continental shelf off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, with approximately 487,200 gross acres on the conventional shelf, approximately 141,900 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. For more information on W&T, please visit the Company’s website at www.wtoffshore.com.

    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, including those regarding the potential outcome of the litigation, the impact of the litigation on the Company or the industry more broadly, and the Company’s future operations 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 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, NGLs and natural gas, 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 Sameer Parasnis
      Investor Relations Coordinator Executive VP and CFO
      investorrelations@wtoffshore.com sparasnis@wtoffshore.com
      713-297-8024 713-513-8654

    Source: W&T Offshore, Inc.

    Released June 30, 2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: W&T Announces Positive Court Finding Regarding Remaining Surety Provider Claims

    Source: W & T Offshore Inc

    Headline: W&T Announces Positive Court Finding Regarding Remaining Surety Provider Claims

    HOUSTON, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (“W&T” or the “Company”) today announced that U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo recommended denying two surety companies motions for preliminary injunction, through which they collectively asked for full monetization of over $100 million dollars. The Court found, in relevant part, the sureties failed to demonstrate they would suffer irreparable harm if their cash collateral demands were not granted.

    Key highlights relating to the ruling include:

    • Sureties’ motion for preliminary injunction, which would have required W&T to immediately post collateral, was categorically recommended to be denied;
    • Sureties failed to carry a clear burden of proof to establish irreparable harm necessary to obtain a preliminary injunction;
    • Ruling results in all current collateral requests by sureties being effectively nullified;
    • The Company will not be required to post collateral (if at all) until a determination on the merits of the pending lawsuit with the remaining surety providers;
    • The previously-announced settlement agreement, together with this favorable Court ruling, represent significant positive outcomes for W&T.

    Tracy W. Krohn, W&T’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, “We are very pleased with the Magistrate Judge’s recommendation that the Sureties’ preliminary injunction motions be denied. This vindicates W&T’s decision to aggressively defend against unlawful predatory business practices. W&T looks forward to a day when independent operators can once again operate in the Gulf of America unhampered by collusion and unlawful pressures exerted by sureties’ unfettered market power. We could not be more pleased with the Court’s decision preventing unnecessary and unjustified collateral demands by abusive surety providers.”  

    Mr. Krohn added, “surety providers have, for far too long, abused the ability to demand collateral. The Magistrate Judge’s recommendation, assuming it is upheld by the District Court, helps put an end to these blackmail business practices. Never again should any oil and gas producer have to cave to unjustified collateral demands. It admittedly takes courage and calculated risk to resist collective ultimatums from surety providers, but we hope the Court’s decision inspires others to follow suit in standing up to bullying tactics. The sureties’ collusive behavior has caused W&T’s (and other independent operators’) stockholders incalculable harm and it is about time that sureties are held accountable.”

    W&T Offshore’s legal team is led by its General Counsel, George J. Hittner, as well as Deputy General Counsels, Steven Lackey and Ted Imperato. W&T’s trial team is led by Yasser A. Madriz, the Managing Partner of the Houston Office of McGuireWoods, LLP along with members of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Section, Jason Huebinger, Megan Lewis, and Miles Indest.

    About W&T Offshore

    W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of America and has grown through acquisitions, exploration and development. As of March 31, 2025, the Company had working interests in 52 fields in federal and state waters (which include 45 fields in federal waters and seven in state waters). The Company has under lease approximately 634,700 gross acres (496,900 net acres) spanning across the outer continental shelf off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, with approximately 487,200 gross acres on the conventional shelf, approximately 141,900 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. For more information on W&T, please visit the Company’s website at www.wtoffshore.com.

    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, including those regarding the potential outcome of the litigation, the impact of the litigation on the Company or the industry more broadly, and the Company’s future operations 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 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, NGLs and natural gas, 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 Sameer Parasnis
      Investor Relations Coordinator Executive VP and CFO
      investorrelations@wtoffshore.com sparasnis@wtoffshore.com
      713-297-8024 713-513-8654

    Source: W&T Offshore, Inc.

    Released June 30, 2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Major boost to cut agricultural pollution

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Major boost to cut agricultural pollution

    Funding for Environment Agency farm inspections is doubling as part of a wider drive to help farmers slash agricultural pollution.

    Farmers are to receive more advice and support to help them meet high environmental standards with Environment Agency (EA) farm inspections increasing by around 50%.

    The boost in funding will help the EA offer more guidance to farmers, strengthen links with supply chains and farm networks, make better use of technology like remote sensing, and take stronger action against serious or ongoing pollution.

    It will see the expected number of inspections reach a record 6,000 a year by 2029, supported by more investment in advice-led regulation.

    The EA’s approach sees officers visiting farms to check compliance with environmental law. If rules are broken, farmers are told what to fix and given a deadline in writing as part of the enforcement process. This helps more farms follow the rules that protect rivers, air, and wildlife, while also supporting sustainable food production.

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:

    Farmers are key partners in protecting our rivers, lakes, and seas – and through our Plan for Change we’re backing them to do just that.

    By doubling funding for inspections, we’re ensuring that farmers receive better advice to help them reduce pollution and clean up our water ways for good

    This builds on EA’s current work with farmers that is having a real impact. In 2024/25, 6,242 actions were completed, such as improving fertiliser use, slurry storage, and soil testing. These changes help the environment and save farmers money. The 4,545 farm inspections last year are expected to bring even more benefits.

    Inspections are prioritised at farms that present the highest risk to water quality – particularly in areas where rivers or groundwater have already been affected by agricultural activity, or where large volumes of slurry and waste are handled, such as dairy farms in protected catchments.

    Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy said:

    Our role is to protect people and the environment which is why we are tackling all sources of water pollution, whether it’s from agriculture, the water industry or road-runoff.

    Many farmers share our desire for cleaner waterways and are already taking significant steps to reduce pollution and improve their environmental standards, and this increased support will help even more to do the same.

    Our approach means farmers receive clear advice and practical steps, but where necessary we can and will take enforcement action.

    The announcement comes after a meeting on 18 June 2025, led by Farming Minister Zeichner and Water Minister Emma Hardy. They met with various groups to start a new programme aimed at making farming rules clearer and better to help reduce and prevent pollution from farms.

    This builds on our record £11.8 billion investment in sustainable farming—the largest in history—alongside action to protect pollinators, including banning bee-harming pesticides and publishing the first Pesticides National Action Plan in a decade.

    This is all part of the Government’s Plan for Change, backing farmers and driving nature recovery across the countryside.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Homeowners could save hundreds on energy bills from solar drive

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    Homeowners could save hundreds on energy bills from solar drive

    Homeowners could save around £500 from the government’s drive for solar power on rooftops.

    • Homeowners could save around £500 from the government’s rooftop revolution 
    • rooftop solar could help bring bills down for British families through the Plan for Change 
    • government launches ‘roadmap’ to maximise the potential of solar on warehouses, homes and car parks 

    Families and businesses could benefit from cheaper bills and greater energy security through plans to drastically increase the deployment of rooftop solar across the country.  

    The government has today (Monday 30 June) launched a pathway for the UK to rapidly accelerate the roll out of solar, helping drive down bills, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and powering economic growth with clean energy. 

    Families could save around £500 a year on their energy bills by installing rooftop solar panels as part of the government’s rooftop revolution – making working people better off through the Plan for Change.  

    The Solar Roadmap sets out the steps needed for the government and industry to deliver 45-47 GW of solar by 2030 – which will support up to 35,000 jobs and use less than half a percent of total UK land.  

    This includes:  

    • increasing solar deployment on new build homes through the Future Homes Standard to save households money on bills
    • launching a call for evidence to understand how to harness the untapped potential of solar in car parks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland  
    • plans to launch a safety review to unlock portable plug-in solar panels, making it easier and cheaper for people living in rented accommodation and apartments to install solar on their balconies and rooftops
    • stronger engagement with industry and trade bodies to identify skills gaps in the solar sector to support more people into well-paid clean energy jobs

    Research suggests 88% of the British public are in favour of solar energy. Since July, the government has taken action to deploy the technology at scale, approving nearly 3 GW of nationally significant solar – more than the last 14 years combined. This is the equivalent of powering more than 500,000 homes with clean, homegrown power. 

    Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: 

    Families have been paying the price for the fossil fuel rollercoaster for years. 

    Our Plan for Change means delivering more homegrown energy that we control to boost the UK’s energy security and save money on your bills. 

    Through solar, we are rolling out the quickest to build and one of the cheapest forms of energy for families to start saving hundreds on their energy bills, all whilst helping tackle the climate crisis.

    The roadmap outlines practical actions for industry and government to overcome the challenges to delivering this ambition within the next five years and boost the UK’s energy security. This includes providing a new blueprint for industry to overcome barriers in planning, electricity networks, supply chain and innovation and workforce and skills challenges. 

    There are already over 1.5 million homes in the UK with rooftop solar panels installed. According to MCS, the body responsible for certifying renewable energy installers, 15,496 solar installations took place in January 2025 on existing homes, a 16.5% increase on the previous year.

    To help households with the finances of installing rooftop solar, the government is working with the Green Finance Institute, the finance sector, consumer bodies and the solar sector itself to provide financial solutions for households and businesses.  

    The government has also made rooftop solar more accessible, having recently announced all new build homes will have solar panels by default to help bring down bills for families, through the Future Homes Standard. This will also see new homes benefit from low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps and high levels for energy efficiency.    
     
    This means recipients of new build homes will save money on their energy bills through government support, tackling the cost of living crisis for aspirational young families and new house buyers. 

    Rooftop solar not only adds value through lowering bills but it can also increase the financial value of the property. The government wants homeowners to cash in on this and is working with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to ensure that the value of solar homes is assessed properly. 

    Renters and those living in apartments could also be set to experience the benefits of solar as the government sets out the steps required to make ‘plug-in’ solar available in the UK. Plug-in solar works in the same way as rooftop solar panels, except it is portable and is connected directly into plug sockets – ideal for apartments with balconies. 

    Plug-in solar is currently unavailable in the UK due to longstanding regulations. But in Germany, around 435,000 balconies had plug-in solar installed in 2024 alone, saving residents in apartments money on their electricity bills.  

    Last month, Great British Energy announced an initial £200 million investment in rooftop solar for hundreds of schools and hospitals, with savings around £200,000 a month for some hospitals. 

    Solar Energy UK Chief Executive and Co-Chair of the Solar Taskforce, Chris Hewett said:  

    Today marks the dawn of a transformative era for how the UK powers itself.  

    The Solar Roadmap highlights dozens of practical measures needed to expand solar generation, boost the supply of cheaper and more secure power, foster new industries, create skilled jobs, boost biodiversity and slash our greenhouse gas emissions.  

    The sector is already growing fast, with around 700 small-scale rooftop installations being completed each day, but needs to grow faster. 

    Garry Felgate, Chief Executive of The MCS Foundation said: 

    The UK is experiencing a solar boom, with record numbers of subsidy-free solar panels being installed on rooftops across the country.    

    We welcome the Solar Roadmap which sets out the many ways in which we can maximise British potential for clean, cheap electricity.   

    Following on from the announcement that the vast majority of new homes will be required to have solar panels under the Future Homes Standard, the Solar Roadmap clearly demonstrates this government’s commitment to home-grown renewable power.

    Matthew Boulton, Director of Solar, Storage and Private Wire at EDF Renewables UK, and member of the Solar Taskforce said:  

    EDF Renewables UK is proud to have contributed to the UK government’s Solar Taskforce and welcomes the publication of the Roadmap.   

    We are at a pivotal moment for the solar sector, and we fully support the clear, coordinated action set out in the Roadmap that will help unlock the UK’s full solar potential.  

    We look forward to continuing our collaboration with government and industry to turn this vision into reality.

    Alexandra Desouza, EMEA General Counsel, Lightsource bp and member of the Solar Taskforce said: 

    The publication of the solar roadmap comes at a big moment for the UK energy sector — and especially for solar. Solar is key to the UK’s future energy mix and has a critical role to play in delivering secure, low-cost power.  

    The deployment of more solar and battery storage helps keep energy costs competitive for UK businesses, boosting economic growth and making companies more resilient. 

    As per the solar roadmap’s aims and ambitions, the focus is to shift to delivery for Clean Power 2030. This is a real opportunity for the UK to align behind a shared goal — bringing communities together, supporting farmers, and accelerating the transition to renewable and domestic generation.

    Kamal Rajput, Tata Steel UK’s Strategic Business Development Lead, and Co-Chair of the Solar Energy UK, UK Supply Chain Steering Group said:  

    We very much welcome the publication of the Solar Roadmap, highlighting the vital role that UK manufacturers such as Tata Steel will play in helping government achieve its clean energy targets.  

    With our product innovations such as the recently launched Catnic SolarSeam roofing system, and our MagiZinc products used extensively in utility scale racking systems, Tata Steel is well-placed to play a significant role in the growing solar energy sector.

    Case studies

    Case study 1

    Phil lives in North Leeds with his wife and son. They installed 14 solar panels and battery storage on their detached 3 bed property in November 2022.   

    The installation cost approximately £20,000 in total – £8,000 for solar panels, £8,000 for the battery and the rest contributed towards and Electric Vehicle Charging port. 

    Phil says:

    I wanted solar because we had an electric car and the prospect of charging it from the sun was quite attractive. Over the last 90 days, our electric bill was minus £18.60 – in other words, we’ve cooked, cleaned, tumble-dried, showered, watched copious amounts of TV, ran the car for 2,000 miles and we are owed £18.60!

    With retirement looming, we wanted to invest in the house to make it as cheap to run as possible. Our monthly direct debit is less than half what it was before the install.

    Case study 2

    Tim is a retired teacher living south of King’s Lynn. He had 12 solar panels and a battery storage unit installed on his 3-bed property in March 2024. 

    His home is a new-build property with an EPC rating B+ that also includes an air source heat pump that is powered entirely through clean power supplied by the solar panels. He’s also installed an Electric Vehicle Charging point on his drive. 

    Since installing the rooftop solar panels, Tim’s electricity bill has gone from £1,200 a year to £150 a year – saving of over £1,000 a year. 

    Tim says:

    I’ve been delighted with the results so far. Before I put the panels up, I used 3 MWh of electricity. Over the past 12 months the solar panels alone have generated over double that amount – meaning I am technically my own electricity supplier selling back to the grid!

    The panels will pay for themselves in 12 years but will last for more like 25 years whilst adding value to my house, should I decide to sell it.  

    I used the lump sum from my pension to pay for the panels. I see it as an investment for the future – an investment in the planet, but also my own financial security as my bills are now so low.

    It is great to be part of the green energy revolution! In a world of global warming and climate change, at least the house is now self-sufficient in power. The advantages of solar are so great that my father, aged 90, has also had them installed recently on his house near Nottingham.

    Case study 3

    Stourton Park and Ride in Leeds is the UK’s first fully solar-powered park and ride, featuring a 1.2 MW system of solar panels, battery storage, and 26 Electric Vehicle charging points.   

    The Solar PV system is estimated to generate 852,000 kWh a year and offset 471 tonnes of carbon in its first year – the equivalent of removing over 200 cars from the road.  

    Notes to editors  

    The Bundesnetzagentur (Germany’s Federal Network Agency) registered about 435,000 new plug-in balcony solar panel installations in its core energy market data register in 2024. 

    View the full Solar Roadmap.

    Read the data on public support for solar: DESNZ Public Attitudes Tracker: Spring 2024.

    Contact details to the case studies can be made available on request.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNESCO promotes community resilience in Trinidad, Cuba, through sustainable tourism and the safeguarding of living heritage

    Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

    First capacity-building workshop held as part of the Communities for Heritage project in Cuba.

    As part of the regional project “Latin America and the Caribbean: Strengthening capacities for resilient communities through sustainable tourism and heritage safeguarding,” UNESCO held the workshop “Communities for Heritage: Heritage Safeguarding and Sustainable Tourism” in the historic center of Trinidad, a Cuban city recognized as a World Heritage Site along with the Valley de los Ingenios since 1988.

    The event, which was supported by the Cuban National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba, the government of Trinidad, the Office of the Conservator of Trinidad, the National Council for Cultural Heritage, and the Network of Offices of the Historian and Conservator of Heritage Cities of Cuba, represented a key milestone in the implementation of the project in this emblematic heritage site.

    “This workshop is an opportunity to think about the future. A future where heritage is not only preserved, but also inspires new ways of living in our cities, telling our stories, and building more resilient, creative, and sustainable communities.”

    “The protection of cultural heritage is not only a matter of preserving buildings, it is also a way of ensuring that local communities benefit from their legacy and can use it as a source of development”.

    Over several days, the workshop brought together local heritage and tourism stakeholders, including community members, cultural associations, urban planning officials, tour guides, students from the Trinidad School of Tourism, and authorities. The objective was clear: to strengthen collaboration between the culture and tourism sectors to promote community-centered sustainable development.

    The program addressed two main themes:

    1. Promoting sustainable tourism and community participation, exploring responsible practices, regulatory frameworks, and strategies for integrating local identity into tourism experiences. Participants designed sustainable itineraries that reflect the cultural values and assets of Trinidad and the Valley of the Sugar Mills.
    2. Integrating the safeguarding of living heritage into urban planning, with training sessions for local actors to incorporate intangible heritage into urban development processes. At the end of the workshop, concrete actions were proposed to advance this integration.

    Communities are at the heart of heritage management and safeguarding policies and approaches, as they are the ones who create, maintain, and transmit intangible cultural heritage from generation to generation. They also play a key role in the management and supervision of World Heritage properties, contributing significantly to improving the visitor experience.

    In this context, the project supports strategies and mechanisms that recognize and promote community participation in two key areas: visitor management at World Heritage sites and the identification and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in urban contexts.

    This project is part of UNESCO’s Culture and Digital Technologies Program, with the generous support of the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: Zscaler Announces Proposed Offering of $1.5 Billion of Convertible Senior Notes Due 2028

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zscaler, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZS) today announced that it intends to offer $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of its convertible senior notes due 2028 (the “notes”) in a private offering to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Zscaler also intends to grant the initial purchasers of the notes a 13-day option to purchase up to an additional $225 million aggregate principal amount of notes. The offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.

    The notes will be senior unsecured obligations of Zscaler and will accrue interest payable semiannually in arrears. The notes will mature on July 15, 2028, unless earlier converted or repurchased and will be convertible under certain circumstances into cash, shares of Zscaler’s common stock or a combination of cash and shares of Zscaler’s common stock, at Zscaler’s election. The interest rate, initial conversion rate, repurchase rights and other terms of the notes will be determined at the time of pricing of the offering.

    Zscaler intends to use a portion of the net proceeds from the offering to pay the cost of the capped call transactions described below. Zscaler intends to use the remainder of the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, capital expenditures, and potential acquisitions and strategic transactions.

    Further, in connection with the pricing of the notes, Zscaler expects to enter into privately negotiated capped call transactions with one or more of the initial purchasers and/or their respective affiliates and/or other financial institutions (the “option counterparties”). The capped call transactions are expected to cover, subject to anti-dilution adjustments substantially similar to those applicable to the notes, the number of shares of Zscaler’s common stock that will initially underlie the notes. The capped call transactions are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to Zscaler’s common stock upon any conversion of notes and/or offset any cash payments Zscaler is required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted notes, as the case may be, with such reduction and/or offset subject to a cap. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, Zscaler expects to enter into additional capped call transactions with the option counterparties.

    Zscaler has been advised that, in connection with establishing their initial hedges of the capped call transactions, the option counterparties or their respective affiliates may purchase shares of Zscaler’s common stock and/or enter into various derivative transactions with respect to Zscaler’s common stock concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes. This activity could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Zscaler’s common stock or the notes at that time.

    In addition, Zscaler has been advised that the option counterparties and/or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to Zscaler’s common stock and/or purchasing or selling Zscaler’s common stock or other securities of Zscaler in secondary market transactions following the pricing of the notes and prior to the maturity of the notes (and are likely to do so during the observation period related to a conversion of the notes, in connection with any fundamental change repurchase of the notes, and to the extent Zscaler unwinds a corresponding portion of the capped call transactions, following any other repurchase of the notes). This activity could also cause or avoid an increase or a decrease in the market price of Zscaler’s common stock or the notes, which could affect the ability of noteholders to convert the notes, and, to the extent the activity occurs during any observation period related to a conversion of notes, it could affect the number of shares and value of the consideration that a noteholder will receive upon conversion of its notes.

    The notes will be offered to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act. Neither the notes, nor any shares of Zscaler’s common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes, have been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and other applicable securities laws.

    This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall it constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

    Forward-Looking 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. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “potentially,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” or “expect,” or the negative of these words, or other similar terms or expressions that concern Zscaler’s expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the proposed terms of the notes, capped call transactions and repurchase or early conversion of the notes, exercise of the purchasers option to purchase additional notes, and the anticipated use of proceeds from the offering.

    Zscaler’s expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results in future periods are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in Zscaler’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Zscaler’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 29, 2025. The forward-looking statements in this release are based on information available to Zscaler as of the date hereof, and Zscaler disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Ashwin Kesireddy
    Vice President, Investor Relations & Strategic Finance
    ir@zscaler.com

    Media Contact:

    Nick Gonzalez, Sr. Manager, Media Relations
    press@zscaler.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Lantronix Enters Into Cooperation Agreement With Investor Group Led by Chain of Lakes Investment Fund LLC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IRVINE, Calif., June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lantronix Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRX) (the “Company”), a global leader in compute and connectivity IoT solutions enabling Edge AI intelligence, today announced that it has entered into a cooperation agreement with Lantronix stockholders Chain of Lakes Investment Fund LLC (“Chain of Lakes”), Haluk L. Bayraktar and Emre Aciksoz. Under the terms of the agreement, James (Jim) C. Auker will be appointed to the Lantronix Board of Directors (the “Board”) and will be nominated for election at the Company’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The date of the Annual Meeting has not yet been announced.

    “Lantronix is committed to maximizing value for all Lantronix shareholders,” said Saleel Awsare, CEO and president of Lantronix. “We appreciate the constructive discussions with Chain of Lakes and are pleased to welcome Jim Auker to our Board. His perspective and experience will be valuable as we continue to execute on our strategic priorities.”

    “We value the collaborative approach taken by Saleel and the Lantronix Board to reach a positive outcome for the benefit of all Lantronix shareholders,” said Tim O’Connell, chief investment officer of Chain of Lakes. “We believe Jim Auker will be a strong addition to the Board and are confident his contributions will help guide Lantronix in its efforts to explore opportunities to enhance shareholder value.”

    Pursuant to their agreement with the Company, Chain of Lakes, Mr. Bayraktar and Mr. Aciksoz have agreed to customary standstill and voting commitments, among other provisions. The full agreement and required information in connection with the election of Mr. Auker to the Board will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

    About Lantronix

    Lantronix Inc. is a global leader in compute and connectivity IoT solutions that target high-growth industries, including Smart Cities, Automotive and Enterprise. Lantronix’s products and services empower companies to achieve success in the growing IoT markets by delivering customizable solutions that address each layer of the IoT Stack. Lantronix’s leading-edge solutions include Intelligent Substations infrastructure, Infotainment systems and Video Surveillance, supplemented with advanced Out-of-Band Management (OOB) for Cloud and Edge Computing.

    For more information, visit the Lantronix website.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements concerning management’s expectations about the future benefits of our entry into the cooperation agreement and the election of Mr. Auker to our Board. These forward-looking statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We have based our forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about trends affecting our business and industry and other future events. Although we do not make forward-looking statements unless we believe we have a reasonable basis for doing so, we cannot guarantee their accuracy. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our results or experiences, or future business, financial condition, results of operations or performance, to differ materially from our historical results or those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement contained in this news release. Other factors which could have a material adverse effect on our operations and future prospects or which could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include, but are not limited to: the effects of negative or worsening regional and worldwide economic conditions or market instability on our business, including effects on purchasing decisions by our customers; our ability to mitigate any disruption in our and our suppliers’ and vendors’ supply chains due to a pandemic or similar outbreak, wars and recent conflicts in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, hostilities in the Red Sea, or other causes; our ability to successfully convert our backlog and current demand;  the impact of a pandemic or similar outbreak on our business, employees, customers, supply and distribution chains and the global economy; our ability to successfully implement our acquisition strategy or integrate acquired companies; uncertainty as to the future profitability of acquired businesses, and delays in the realization of, or the failure to realize, any accretion from acquisition transactions; acquiring, managing and integrating new operations, businesses or assets, and the associated diversion of management attention or other related costs or difficulties; our ability to continue to generate revenue from products sold into mature markets; our ability to develop, market, and sell new products; our ability to succeed with our new software offerings; our use of AI may result in reputational, competitive or financial harm and liability; fluctuations in our revenue due to the project-based timing of orders from certain customers; unpredictable timing of our revenues due to the lengthy sales cycle for our products and services and potential delays in customer completion of projects; our ability to accurately forecast future demand for our products; delays in qualifying revisions of existing products; constraints or delays in the supply of, or quality control issues with, certain materials or components; difficulties associated with the delivery, quality or cost of our products from our contract manufacturers or suppliers; risks related to the outsourcing of manufacturing and international operations; difficulties associated with our distributors or resellers; intense competition in our industry and resultant downward price pressure; rises in inventory levels and inventory obsolescence; undetected software or hardware errors or defects in our products; cybersecurity risks; our ability to obtain appropriate industry certifications or approvals from governmental regulatory bodies; changes in applicable U.S. and foreign government laws, regulations, and tariffs; our ability to protect patents and other proprietary rights and avoid infringement of others’ proprietary technology rights; issues relating to the stability of our financial and banking institutions and relationships; the level of our indebtedness, our ability to service our indebtedness and the restrictions in our debt agreements; the impact of rising interest rates; our ability to attract and retain qualified management; and any additional factors included in our Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on Sept. 9, 2024, including in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part I of that report; in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on May 9, 2025, including in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part II of such report; and in our other public filings with the SEC. In addition, actual results may differ as a result of additional risks and uncertainties of which we are currently unaware or which we do not currently view as material to our business. For these reasons, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements we make speak only as of the date on which they are made. We expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof to conform such statements to actual results or to changes in our opinions or expectations, except as required by applicable law or the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. If we do update or correct any forward-looking statements, investors should not conclude that we will make additional updates or corrections.

    Important Additional Information Regarding Proxy Solicitation

    We intend to file a proxy statement and proxy card with the SEC in connection with the solicitation of proxies for our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Proxy Statement” and such meeting, the “2025 Annual Meeting”). The Company, our directors and certain of our executive officers are participants in the solicitation. Information regarding such participants, including their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be included in the Proxy Statement and other relevant documents to be filed with the SEC.

    Additional information regarding the participants and their respective interests in the Company by security holdings or otherwise is set forth under the captions “Corporate Governance and Board Matters,” “Executive Compensation” and “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters” in our proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, filed with the SEC on Sept.30, 2024 (the “2024 Proxy Statement”) and available at sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1114925/000114036124042340/ny20032265x1_def14a.htm.

    To the extent holdings of such participants in our securities have changed since the amounts described in the 2024 Proxy Statement, such changes have been reflected on Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership on Form 3 or Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Details concerning the nominees of our Board of Directors for election at the 2025 Annual Meeting will be included in the Proxy Statement. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC, INCLUDING THE COMPANY’S DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY CARD AND ANY AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. These documents, including the definitive Proxy Statement (and any amendments or supplements thereto) and other documents filed by us with the SEC, are available for no charge at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and at our investor relations website at https://www.lantronix.com/investor-relations/sec-filings.

    © 2025 Lantronix, Inc. All rights reserved. Lantronix is a registered trademark. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

    Lantronix Media Contact:        
    Gail Kathryn Miller
    Corporate Marketing &
    Communications Manager
    media@lantronix.com
    949-212-0960

    Lantronix Analyst and Investor Contact:        
    investors@lantronix.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: POET Technologies Provides Results of 2025 Annual General and Special Meeting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), the designer and developer of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), light sources and optical modules for the AI and data center markets today reported the voting results of its Annual General and Special Meeting (the ”Meeting” or “AGSM”), which was held virtually on Friday, June 27, 2025.

    The Company’s VP Finance and Administration, Kevin Barnes, delivered customary introductions and the call to order, and POET’s Chairman of the Compensation Committee, Glen Riley, conducted the formal business of the Meeting, which included the approval of all proposals outlined in the Company’s management information circular and voting material as previously distributed to shareholders.

    Following the completion of the formal business portion of the Meeting, the Company presented a video highlighting the transformation of its operations—from product development through to manufacturing. This was followed by a presentation from Chief Executive Officer Dr. Suresh Venkatesan, who provided an overview of the Company’s 2024 activities and outlined near-term opportunities. A brief Q&A session concluded the presentations.

    The video presentation can be accessed from the Company’s website at: https://poet-technologies.com/videos.

    AGSM Voting Results Summary
    A detailed Report on Voting Results of the AGSM follows. In summary, the shareholders of the Company approved the following proposals:

    • Re-election of Suresh Venkatesan, Jean-Louis Malinge, Theresa Lan Ende, Glen Riley and Robert “Bob” Tirva as directors, with no director receiving less than 94% of the votes cast;
    • Appointment of Davidson & Company LLP as the Company’s auditors by 96% of the votes cast;
    • Approval of the Corporation’s Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan by 84% of the votes cast, which included an increase in the number of awards available to 17,007,771, representing 20% of the 85,022,787 common shares issued at the time of the meeting.

    Detailed Report of AGSM Voting Results
    In accordance with section 11.3 of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations, this report briefly describes the matters voted upon and the outcome of the votes at the annual general and special meeting of shareholders of POET Technologies Inc. (the “Company“) held virtually via the MEETNOW.GlOBAL platform on June 27, 2025 (the “Meeting“). Each of the matters is described in greater detail in the Company’s management information circular dated May 1, 2025 (the “Circular“)

    1.      Election of Directors.

    Each of the nominees set for in the Circular were elected as directors to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders, or until their respective successors are elected or appointed. The following table sets forth the vote of the shareholders at the Meeting with respect to the election of directors:

    Nominee For Withheld
    Number of Votes Percentage of Votes Number of Votes Percentage of Votes
    Glen Riley 6,475,012 94.43% 382,060 5.57%
    Jean-Louis Malinge 6,573,485 95.86% 283,586 4.14%
    Robert “Bob” Tirva 6,557,820 95.64% 299,251 4.36%
    Suresh Venkatesan 6,645,609 96.92% 211,462 3.08%
    Theresa Lan Ende 6,541,010 95.39% 316,061 4.61%
             

    2.      Appointment of Davidson & Company LLP.

    The Company’s shareholders approved the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP as auditors of the Company to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Company at such remuneration as may be fixed by the directors of the Company. The following table sets forth the vote of the shareholders at the Meeting with respect to the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP:

    For Withheld
    Number of Votes Percentage of Votes Number of Votes Percentage of Votes
    20,178,708 95.67% 914,338 4.33%
           

    3.      Amendment to Omnibus Plan

    The Company’s shareholders approved by an ordinary resolution an amendment to the Company’s omnibus equity incentive plan (the “Omnibus Plan”). The following table sets forth the vote of the shareholders at the Meeting with respect to the Omnibus Plan:

    For Against
    Number of Votes Percentage of Votes Number of Votes Percentage of Votes
    5,786,541 84.39% 1,070,529 15.61%
           

    The Company had 85,022,787 issued and outstanding shares at the time of the meeting. The awards issuable under the Omnibus Plan has been amended to 17,007,771.

    Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”)
    Following the AGSM, the POET Board of Directors met to elect officers and to determine RSU grants for directors. For their service on the Board of Directors until the next Annual General Meeting, the directors were granted a total of 72,340 RSUs which will vest on the first anniversary of the grant. Should a director resign prior to the first anniversary of the grant, the RSUs will be vested pro-rata based on the time served as a director from the date of grant to the date of resignation. The number of RSUs granted was based on the allocation of total compensation to equity, using a per share price of CAD$7.23, being the closing price of the Company’s shares on June 27, 2025. The cash portion of each director’s compensation is paid over four quarters. Both are paid in accordance with an established formula for director compensation. The RSUs were granted subject to provisions of the Company’s 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan and are subject to the TSX Venture Exchange policies and applicable securities laws. For further details on the Company’s share capital, refer to the Company’s Financial Statements and MD&A for the three-months ended March 31, 2025, which may be found on SEDAR+ and EDGAR.

    About POET Technologies Inc.
    POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical modules, optical engines and light source products to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers.  POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET’s Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems.  POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges in 5G networks, machine-to-machine communication, self-contained “Edge” computing applications and sensing applications, such as LIDAR systems for autonomous vehicles.  POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Shenzhen, China, Penang, Malaysia and Singapore.  More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com.

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
    120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2- Tel: 416-368-9411 – Fax: 416-322-5075

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Green Enacts Legislation to Uphold Agricultural and Biosecurity Resilience and Support Local Innovation

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Governor Green Enacts Legislation to Uphold Agricultural and Biosecurity Resilience and Support Local Innovation

    Posted on Jun 27, 2025 in Main

    From the Office of the Governor

    June 27, 2025

    HONOLULU – Governor Josh Green, M.D., signed five bills into law today, affirming the commitment to strengthening Hawai‘i’s agricultural and economic sectors for the benefit of the ‘āina, its people, and local businesses.

    “The health and resiliency of our agricultural lands and producers are not just vital — they are the very foundation of Hawai‘i’s well-being and future,” said Governor Green. “It is our kuleana to protect the ‘āina that nourishes our people and to uplift those who represent Hawai‘i through their unwavering dedication and hard work. The bills signed today mark our state’s continual support of those responsibilities.”

    “These are all about striving toward food, self-reliance and food security. Our state legislature is taking a firm stance to support agriculture and our local industries and food production,” said Senator Tim Richards, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment.

    SB 1249: RELATING TO AGRICULTURE
    Agricultural crimes undermine the stability of our state’s agricultural industry and infringe upon the rights of landowners. Senate Bill 1249 (Act 235) seeks to protect farmers and ranchers by establishing a temporary Agricultural Enforcement Pilot Program within the Department of Law Enforcement operating on the islands of O‘ahu and Hawai‘i. This pilot program will allow for swift and effective responses to agricultural crimes and provide critical data to the state to better understand this nuanced crisis. The data gathered and the report provided will aid in the possible expansion of the program in the future.

    To further deter agricultural crimes, SB 1249 clarifies existing laws, creates new offenses, and strengthens penalties against violators. These enhancements include administrative enforcements and stricter consequences for habitual agricultural offenders, as well as increased penalty classes and fines. Additional deterrents address cattle branding violations, the illegal transportation of livestock, unauthorized hunting, theft, and trespassing on private property.

    By establishing clear enforcement measures, this bill emphasizes Hawai‘i’s commitment to protecting and respecting agricultural lands and communities.

    “SB 1249 is about protecting our farmers and ranchers while honoring the memory of Duke Pia,” said Senator Richards (Senate District 4 – North Hilo, Hāmākua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, North Kona). “Duke was a young rancher who was tragically shot and killed while confronting trespassers on his land. This law strengthens enforcement, increases penalties, and gives us the tools to fight rural crime. It’s about justice, safety, and preserving the future of agriculture in Hawai‘i.”

    HB 427: RELATING TO BIOSECURITY
    House Bill 427 (Act 236) institutes the renaming of the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the Board of Agriculture as the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. The renaming, in addition to the amendments to the duties within the department, better strengthens the state’s resilience against biosecurity threats by reinforcing the need to protect against invasive species, pests, and diseases.

    The measure establishes a position of Deputy Chairperson for biosecurity to oversee all biosecurity initiatives within the department who will serve under the chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Under HB 427, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in conjunction with the Governor’s approval, may declare a biosecurity emergency in response to the outbreak of a pest or resistant organism that poses an economic or environmental threat.

    Hawai‘i’s unique geographical characteristics underscore the importance of closely monitoring biosecurity risks entering the state. While isolation presents challenges, it also affords a strategic advantage by limiting the modes of transportation through which goods are received. To mitigate the spread of infections, pests, and outbreaks of harmful organisms, HB 427 establishes regulations for the creation of the state’s first transitional facilities. The transitional facilities require items entering through piers, airports, or other ports to be assessed and certified by a trained Biosecurity Compliance Auditor.

    Due to the fragility of our ecosystem, HB 427 increases penalties for illegally transporting plants, animals, and microorganisms to safeguard our state’s economy, native landscape, and people.

    To keep the public informed, a pest dashboard is to be established with regularly updated treatment data with which departments, agencies, political subdivisions, or contracted parties that fail to provide information to the dashboard will be subject to the withholding of funds or denial of fund expenditures.

    Lastly, HB 427 transfers the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

    The administration remains dedicated to providing strong, ongoing support for biosecurity initiatives. The state budget reflects this commitment by allocating the highest level of funding ever for biosecurity — $26.6 million appropriated for the fiscal biennium to support positions and related expenses.

    “With the increasing frequency of natural disasters and growing biosecurity threats, safeguarding our resources and environment is a top priority for my administration,” said Governor Green. “Prevention and forethought will fortify our state, and by signing HB 427, we are keeping top of mind the ways in which we can stay in the driver’s seat — actively leading the effort to protect our agriculture and our islands.”

    HB 774: RELATING TO VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS
    To further expand and support to Hawai‘i’s local businesses, House Bill 774 (Act 237) establishes a food and product innovation network within the Agribusiness Development Corporation. The network will provide small businesses and entrepreneurs with access to facilities, equipment, expertise, and certification resources.

    The development of this network will facilitate the responsible use of labels such as “Hawai‘i made,” “Made in Hawai‘i,” “Produced in Hawai‘i” and “Processed in Hawai‘i,” aiding businesses scale and promote their products locally and internationally.

    HB 774 strengthens the state’s economic resiliency in sectors such as agriculture, sustainability, and culinary innovation, and promotes growth with the spirit of aloha at its core.

    “HB 774 is transformative for Hawaiʻi’s farmers and food entrepreneurs — empowering them to innovate, grow and proudly share their unique products with the world,” said Representative Kirstin Kahaloa, introducer of the legislation. “By establishing a Food and Product Innovation Network, we not only support local agriculture but also boost food security, fuel our state’s economic growth, and build a more resilient and sustainable Hawaiʻi. This initiative supports a stronger, thriving future for our communities and ʻāina,” she said.

    The complete list of bills signed includes the following. Click the link to see full details of the bill enacted into law.

    HB 534 (ACT 238) RELATING TO LABELING REQUIREMENTS
    HB 496 (ACT 242) RELATING TO MĀMAKI TEA

    Video of the bill signing can be seen here.
    Photos of the bill signing ceremony, courtesy Office of the Governor, will be uploaded here.
    The slide deck presented at today’s bill signing can be found here.

     # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor – News Release – Gov. Green Enacts Legislation to Uphold Agricultural and Biosecurity Resilience and Support Local Innovation

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    HONOLULU – Governor Josh Green, M.D., signed five bills into law today, affirming the commitment to strengthening Hawai‘i’s agricultural and economic sectors for the benefit of the ‘āina, its people, and local businesses.

    “The health and resiliency of our agricultural lands and producers are not just vital — they are the very foundation of Hawai‘i’s well-being and future,” said Governor Green. “It is our kuleana to protect the ‘āina that nourishes our people and to uplift those who represent Hawai‘i through their unwavering dedication and hard work. The bills signed today mark our state’s continual support of those responsibilities.”

    “These are all about striving toward food, self-reliance and food security. Our state legislature is taking a firm stance to support agriculture and our local industries and food production,” said Senator Tim Richards, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment.

    SB 1249: RELATING TO AGRICULTURE
    Agricultural crimes undermine the stability of our state’s agricultural industry and infringe upon the rights of landowners. Senate Bill 1249 (Act 235) seeks to protect farmers and ranchers by establishing a temporary Agricultural Enforcement Pilot Program within the Department of Law Enforcement operating on the islands of O‘ahu and Hawai‘i. This pilot program will allow for swift and effective responses to agricultural crimes and provide critical data to the state to better understand this nuanced crisis. The data gathered and the report provided will aid in the possible expansion of the program in the future.

    To further deter agricultural crimes, SB 1249 clarifies existing laws, creates new offenses, and strengthens penalties against violators. These enhancements include administrative enforcements and stricter consequences for habitual agricultural offenders, as well as increased penalty classes and fines. Additional deterrents address cattle branding violations, the illegal transportation of livestock, unauthorized hunting, theft, and trespassing on private property.

    By establishing clear enforcement measures, this bill emphasizes Hawai‘i’s commitment to protecting and respecting agricultural lands and communities.

    “SB 1249 is about protecting our farmers and ranchers while honoring the memory of Duke Pia,” said Senator Richards (Senate District 4 – North Hilo, Hāmākua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, North Kona). “Duke was a young rancher who was tragically shot and killed while confronting trespassers on his land. This law strengthens enforcement, increases penalties, and gives us the tools to fight rural crime. It’s about justice, safety, and preserving the future of agriculture in Hawai‘i.”

    HB 427: RELATING TO BIOSECURITY
    House Bill 427 (Act 236) institutes the renaming of the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the Board of Agriculture as the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. The renaming, in addition to the amendments to the duties within the department, better strengthens the state’s resilience against biosecurity threats by reinforcing the need to protect against invasive species, pests, and diseases.

    The measure establishes a position of Deputy Chairperson for biosecurity to oversee all biosecurity initiatives within the department who will serve under the chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Under HB 427, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in conjunction with the Governor’s approval, may declare a biosecurity emergency in response to the outbreak of a pest or resistant organism that poses an economic or environmental threat.

    Hawai‘i’s unique geographical characteristics underscore the importance of closely monitoring biosecurity risks entering the state. While isolation presents challenges, it also affords a strategic advantage by limiting the modes of transportation through which goods are received. To mitigate the spread of infections, pests, and outbreaks of harmful organisms, HB 427 establishes regulations for the creation of the state’s first transitional facilities. The transitional facilities require items entering through piers, airports, or other ports to be assessed and certified by a trained Biosecurity Compliance Auditor.

    Due to the fragility of our ecosystem, HB 427 increases penalties for illegally transporting plants, animals, and microorganisms to safeguard our state’s economy, native landscape, and people.

    To keep the public informed, a pest dashboard is to be established with regularly updated treatment data with which departments, agencies, political subdivisions, or contracted parties that fail to provide information to the dashboard will be subject to the withholding of funds or denial of fund expenditures.

    Lastly, HB 427 transfers the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

    The administration remains dedicated to providing strong, ongoing support for biosecurity initiatives. The state budget reflects this commitment by allocating the highest level of funding ever for biosecurity — $26.6 million appropriated for the fiscal biennium to support positions and related expenses.

    “With the increasing frequency of natural disasters and growing biosecurity threats, safeguarding our resources and environment is a top priority for my administration,” said Governor Green. “Prevention and forethought will fortify our state, and by signing HB 427, we are keeping top of mind the ways in which we can stay in the driver’s seat — actively leading the effort to protect our agriculture and our islands.”

    HB 774: RELATING TO VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS
    To further expand and support to Hawai‘i’s local businesses, House Bill 774 (Act 237) establishes a food and product innovation network within the Agribusiness Development Corporation. The network will provide small businesses and entrepreneurs with access to facilities, equipment, expertise, and certification resources.

    The development of this network will facilitate the responsible use of labels such as “Hawai‘i made,” “Made in Hawai‘i,” “Produced in Hawai‘i” and “Processed in Hawai‘i,” aiding businesses scale and promote their products locally and internationally.

    HB 774 strengthens the state’s economic resiliency in sectors such as agriculture, sustainability, and culinary innovation, and promotes growth with the spirit of aloha at its core.

    “HB 774 is transformative for Hawaiʻi’s farmers and food entrepreneurs — empowering them to innovate, grow and proudly share their unique products with the world,” said Representative Kirstin Kahaloa, introducer of the legislation. “By establishing a Food and Product Innovation Network, we not only support local agriculture but also boost food security, fuel our state’s economic growth, and build a more resilient and sustainable Hawaiʻi. This initiative supports a stronger, thriving future for our communities and ʻāina,” she said.

    The complete list of bills signed includes the following. Click the link to see full details of the bill enacted into law.

    HB 534 (ACT 238) RELATING TO LABELING REQUIREMENTS
    HB 496 (ACT 242) RELATING TO MĀMAKI TEA

    Video of the bill signing can be seen here.
    Photos of the bill signing ceremony, courtesy Office of the Governor, will be uploaded here.
    The slide deck presented at today’s bill signing can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom slams Trump over bill that would cut millions in health coverage, food assistance for California

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 27, 2025

    What you need to know: The federal Republicans’ “Big, Beautiful bill” would eliminate health coverage for up to 3.4 million Californians, cut at least $28.4 billion in federal Medicaid funding, and put food assistance at risk for the hundreds of thousands of Californians who rely on it. 

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today slammed federal Republicans over their proposed cuts to the federal Medicaid program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in their “Big, Beautiful bill.” The proposed Medicaid changes and proposed federal rules regarding health care taxes would put an estimated over $28 billion dollars of federal funding at risk for California and could result in a loss of coverage for up to 3.4 million Californians. 

    Taken together, these changes will lead to hospital and clinic closures, increase uncompensated care costs, and roll back the progress California has made in reducing its uninsured rate to a recent historical low of 6.4%, threatening the state’s status as a national leader in expanding access to care.

    The bill would also cut federal funding for SNAP in California to $2.8 to $5.4 billion annually. Hundreds of thousands of Californians who need food assistance will be at risk of losing it, and it will punish working people by ending their eligibility.

    “The so-called ‘Big, Beautiful bill’ is not cost-saving. It is not smart. It is cruel, costly, and a significant encroachment on states’ rights – the opposite of what Republican leadership claims to stand for. Big government is getting bigger under Trump and Speaker Johnson, as they attempt to dictate every move states make and micromanage Americans through even greater bureaucracy. It’s dangerous, and anyone with common sense should oppose it.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Impact of Medicaid cuts on California 

    Beginning January 2027, states would be required to conduct eligibility determinations for Affordable Care Act expansion adults every six months instead of every twelve months, leading to an estimated loss of $2.4 Billion in federal funds and approximately 400,000 enrollees in California. The bill would also require states to implement work requirements beginning in 2027, which would result in an estimated loss of up to $22.3 billion in federal funds and up to 3 million California enrollees. Additional federal fund losses and health care safety net impacts would occur from restrictions on provider fees and local government payments that draw down federal funds to support local health systems.

    According to Planned Parenthood, provisions in the bill would also put nearly 200 Planned Parenthood health centers at risk of closing, block 1.1 million patients from essential care like birth control and cancer screenings, and decimate abortion care access in all 50 states. 
    Taken together, these changes will lead to hospital and clinic closures, increase uncompensated care costs, and roll back the progress California has made in reducing its uninsured rate to a recent historical low of 6.4%, threatening the state’s status as a national leader in expanding access to care.

    Risks to SNAP

    The billions of dollars in SNAP cuts in California are composed of a reduction of at least $1.25 billion in federal funds due to changes in eligibility rules and the loss of an additional at least $178 million in nutrition education grants. Cost shifts in the range of $1.35 billion to $4 billion annually to the State and counties. This cost shift is due to a mandatory shift of 5 percent of food benefits cost to the state, and a mandatory 25 percent shift in program administrative costs to the state and county effective immediately. At least 735,000 recipients would be at risk of losing their CalFresh — as SNAP is known in California — benefits.

    Footage of today’s press conference with California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Johnson and California Department of Health Care Services Director Michelle Baass can be found HERE. Slides from the presentation can be found HERE.

    Recent news

    Jun 27, 2025

    News What you need to know: Continuing Governor Newsom’s build more, faster agenda, the state is awarding nearly $5 billion today to infrastructure projects that improve roads, expand transportation, bus and rail options while improving public health and safety….

    Jun 27, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement today after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its ruling on Trump v. CASA, Trump v. Washington, and Trump v. New Jersey: In a challenge to the Trump Administration’s blatantly…

    Jun 26, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Kira Younger, of Fair Oaks, has been appointed Chief Financial Officer and Director of the Finance and Accounting Division at the California Department of Social Services. Younger has…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom signs balanced state budget that cuts taxes for vets, fully funds free school meals, builds more housing, & creates jobs

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 27, 2025

    ✅ FUNDED: Tax cut for military retirees

    ✅ FUNDED: Universal pre-kindergarten for all 

    ✅ FUNDED: Expanded before school, after school, & summer school

    ✅ FUNDED: Free school meals for all kids 

    ✅ FUNDED: Game-changing literacy & reading investments

    ✅ FUNDED: Building more housing, ASAP

    ✅ FUNDED: Lowering drug costs

    ✅ FUNDED: Expanding medication abortion access with CalRx

    ✅ FUNDED: Historic firefighting & public safety investments

    ✅ FUNDED: Protecting California’s iconic film industry

    Signing of landmark package to cut red tape, fast-track housing, and infrastructure forthcoming  

    SACRAMENTO – Amid Donald Trump’s economic assault on California, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed the 2025 state budget bill advanced in partnership with Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire and Speaker Robert Rivas. Together, the Governor and Legislature are enacting a responsible, balanced spending plan that safeguards California’s values while maintaining long-term fiscal health. This budget and forthcoming trailer bills include new, landmark policies that will accelerate housing production and boost affordability in communities across the state — addressing California’s most urgent challenges.

    As we confront Donald Trump’s economic sabotage, this budget agreement proves California won’t just hold the line — we’ll go even further. It’s balanced, it maintains substantial reserves, and it’s focused on supporting Californians — slashing red tape and catapulting housing and infrastructure development, preserving essential healthcare services, funds universal pre-K, and cuts taxes for veterans.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Pro Tem Mike McGuire says: “The State is delivering a responsible on-time budget in a challenging year focused on fiscal restraint and investing in the people and programs that make this State great. This budget prioritizes record funding for our kids and public schools, protects access to health care for millions of the most vulnerable, and will create more housing at a scale not seen in years. Thanks to this budget agreement, the state will help get more folks off the streets and into permanent shelter, and we’ll expand the ranks of CalFire, deploying hundreds of additional full-time CalFire firefighters, which will save lives and make us all more wildfire safe. And this agreement helps prepare our state for the ongoing chaos and massive uncertainty caused by the Trump administration. Thank you to our Senate Budget Chair Scott Wiener, Speaker Rivas and Governor Newsom and their staffs for their hard work for the people of California.”

    Speaker Robert Rivas says: “This is an incredibly difficult time for Californians. Trump is undermining our economy with reckless tariffs, harsh cuts, and ICE agents terrorizing our communities. At a moment when so many are already struggling, he’s adding fear and instability. In contrast, Democrats have delivered a budget that protects California. It cuts red tape to build more housing faster — because housing is the foundation of affordability and opportunity. It preserves critical investments in health care, women’s health, education, and public safety. And it honors our commitment not to raise taxes on families, workers, or small businesses. In unprecedented times, under painful circumstances, Democrats are delivering for Californians.”

    Tax cuts for vets, smaller class sizes, free school meals

    The budget reflects a shared commitment to protect opportunity and improve affordability in California, in the face of targeted attacks by the Trump administration. The budget makes historic investments in public education — from universal transitional kindergarten and free school meals to expanded before and after-school programs, summer school, smaller class sizes, and strengthened career training and higher education. The budget demonstrates the state’s commitment to honoring veterans by creating tax cuts for military retirees, recognizing their service and supporting their financial security. 

    Lowering prescription drug costs, protecting reproductive care, and safety nets 

    The budget preserves key health care programs for Californians targeted by Republicans. It preserves vital safety net programs, including in-home supportive services and women’s reproductive health. As part of the budget, the Governor is also expected to sign legislation protecting access to health care, license and regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers for the first time, increasing transparency and accountability in the pharmacy supply chain. The legislation also expands CalRx’s authority to procure brand-name drugs and respond to politically motivated supply disruptions, helping shield access to critical medications like mifepristone.

    Lights, camera, JOBS

    The budget protects California’s position as the 4th largest economy in the world – supporting business and continued economic growth, including California’s iconic film industry. Next week, the Governor is expected to sign additional legislation as part of the expansion of the film and TV tax credit program — further catapulting the program’s impact to $750 million a year.

    Trump’s economic assault

    The balanced budget comes as California continues to confront significant fiscal pressures fueled by the Trump administration’s reckless economic and immigration policies. According to the California Department of Finance, Trump’s tariff regime is projected to cost the state an estimated $16 billion in lost General Fund revenue through the next fiscal year. And a new study released June 17 by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, in collaboration with UC Merced, found that Trump’s mass deportations could slash $275 billion from California’s economy, eliminate $23 billion in annual tax revenue, and severely disrupt key industries such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality. 

    In the face of these mounting challenges, the Governor issued a proclamation to access state reserves. This responsible and balanced budget protects Californians, creates more housing, preserves core programs, reinforces fiscal discipline, and invests in the state’s long-term economic strength.

    The Governor today announced signing the following bills:

    • AB 102 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) – Budget Act of 2025.
    • AB 118 by the Committee on Budget – Human services.
    • AB 121 by the Committee on Budget – Education finance: education omnibus budget trailer bill.
    • AB 123 by the Committee on Budget – Higher education budget trailer bill.
    • AB 134 by the Committee on Budget – Public Safety.
    • AB 136 by the Committee on Budget – Courts.
    • AB 143 by the Committee on Budget – Developmental services.
    • SB 101 by the Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Budget Act of 2025.
    • SB 103 by the Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Budget Acts of 2022, 2023, and 2024.
    • SB 120 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Early childhood education and childcare.
    • SB 124 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Public resources trailer bill.
    • SB 127 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Climate change.
    • SB 128 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Transportation.
    • SB 132 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Taxation.
    • SB 141 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – California Cannabis Tax Fund: Department of Cannabis Control: Board of State and Community Corrections grants.
    • SB 142 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program.

    The Governor’s signature on the state budget is contingent on the enactment of either AB 131 or SB 131 on Monday, June 30th.

    Para leer este comunicado en español, haga clic aquí.

    Recent news

    Jun 27, 2025

    News ✅ CUMPLIDO: Reducción de impuestos para jubilados militares ✅ CUMPLIDO: Pre-kinder universal para todos ✅ CUMPLIDO: Ampliación de programas antes y después de clases y cursos de verano ✅ CUMPLIDO: Alimentación escolar gratuita para todos los niños ✅ CUMPLIDO:…

    Jun 27, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments: Neal Payton, of Santa Monica, has been appointed to the State Historical Resources Commission. Payton has been Senior Principal at Torti Gallas + Partners since 1996. He was Associate…

    Jun 27, 2025

    News What you need to know: The federal Republicans’ “Big, Beautiful bill” would eliminate health coverage for up to 3.4 million Californians, cut at least $28.4 billion in federal Medicaid funding, and put food assistance at risk for the hundreds of thousands of…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom signs balanced state budget that cuts taxes for vets, fully funds free school meals, builds more housing, & creates jobs

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 27, 2025

    ✅ FUNDED: Tax cut for military retirees

    ✅ FUNDED: Universal pre-kindergarten for all 

    ✅ FUNDED: Expanded before school, after school, & summer school

    ✅ FUNDED: Free school meals for all kids 

    ✅ FUNDED: Game-changing literacy & reading investments

    ✅ FUNDED: Building more housing, ASAP

    ✅ FUNDED: Lowering drug costs

    ✅ FUNDED: Expanding medication abortion access with CalRx

    ✅ FUNDED: Historic firefighting & public safety investments

    ✅ FUNDED: Protecting California’s iconic film industry

    Signing of landmark package to cut red tape, fast-track housing, and infrastructure forthcoming  

    SACRAMENTO – Amid Donald Trump’s economic assault on California, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed the 2025 state budget bill advanced in partnership with Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire and Speaker Robert Rivas. Together, the Governor and Legislature are enacting a responsible, balanced spending plan that safeguards California’s values while maintaining long-term fiscal health. This budget and forthcoming trailer bills include new, landmark policies that will accelerate housing production and boost affordability in communities across the state — addressing California’s most urgent challenges.

    As we confront Donald Trump’s economic sabotage, this budget agreement proves California won’t just hold the line — we’ll go even further. It’s balanced, it maintains substantial reserves, and it’s focused on supporting Californians — slashing red tape and catapulting housing and infrastructure development, preserving essential healthcare services, funds universal pre-K, and cuts taxes for veterans.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Pro Tem Mike McGuire says: “The State is delivering a responsible on-time budget in a challenging year focused on fiscal restraint and investing in the people and programs that make this State great. This budget prioritizes record funding for our kids and public schools, protects access to health care for millions of the most vulnerable, and will create more housing at a scale not seen in years. Thanks to this budget agreement, the state will help get more folks off the streets and into permanent shelter, and we’ll expand the ranks of CalFire, deploying hundreds of additional full-time CalFire firefighters, which will save lives and make us all more wildfire safe. And this agreement helps prepare our state for the ongoing chaos and massive uncertainty caused by the Trump administration. Thank you to our Senate Budget Chair Scott Wiener, Speaker Rivas and Governor Newsom and their staffs for their hard work for the people of California.”

    Speaker Robert Rivas says: “This is an incredibly difficult time for Californians. Trump is undermining our economy with reckless tariffs, harsh cuts, and ICE agents terrorizing our communities. At a moment when so many are already struggling, he’s adding fear and instability. In contrast, Democrats have delivered a budget that protects California. It cuts red tape to build more housing faster — because housing is the foundation of affordability and opportunity. It preserves critical investments in health care, women’s health, education, and public safety. And it honors our commitment not to raise taxes on families, workers, or small businesses. In unprecedented times, under painful circumstances, Democrats are delivering for Californians.”

    Tax cuts for vets, smaller class sizes, free school meals

    The budget reflects a shared commitment to protect opportunity and improve affordability in California, in the face of targeted attacks by the Trump administration. The budget makes historic investments in public education — from universal transitional kindergarten and free school meals to expanded before and after-school programs, summer school, smaller class sizes, and strengthened career training and higher education. The budget demonstrates the state’s commitment to honoring veterans by creating tax cuts for military retirees, recognizing their service and supporting their financial security. 

    Lowering prescription drug costs, protecting reproductive care, and safety nets 

    The budget preserves key health care programs for Californians targeted by Republicans. It preserves vital safety net programs, including in-home supportive services and women’s reproductive health. As part of the budget, the Governor is also expected to sign legislation protecting access to health care, license and regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers for the first time, increasing transparency and accountability in the pharmacy supply chain. The legislation also expands CalRx’s authority to procure brand-name drugs and respond to politically motivated supply disruptions, helping shield access to critical medications like mifepristone.

    Lights, camera, JOBS

    The budget protects California’s position as the 4th largest economy in the world – supporting business and continued economic growth, including California’s iconic film industry. Next week, the Governor is expected to sign additional legislation as part of the expansion of the film and TV tax credit program — further catapulting the program’s impact to $750 million a year.

    Trump’s economic assault

    The balanced budget comes as California continues to confront significant fiscal pressures fueled by the Trump administration’s reckless economic and immigration policies. According to the California Department of Finance, Trump’s tariff regime is projected to cost the state an estimated $16 billion in lost General Fund revenue through the next fiscal year. And a new study released June 17 by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, in collaboration with UC Merced, found that Trump’s mass deportations could slash $275 billion from California’s economy, eliminate $23 billion in annual tax revenue, and severely disrupt key industries such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality. 

    In the face of these mounting challenges, the Governor issued a proclamation to access state reserves. This responsible and balanced budget protects Californians, creates more housing, preserves core programs, reinforces fiscal discipline, and invests in the state’s long-term economic strength.

    The Governor today announced signing the following bills:

    • AB 102 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) – Budget Act of 2025.
    • AB 118 by the Committee on Budget – Human services.
    • AB 121 by the Committee on Budget – Education finance: education omnibus budget trailer bill.
    • AB 123 by the Committee on Budget – Higher education budget trailer bill.
    • AB 134 by the Committee on Budget – Public Safety.
    • AB 136 by the Committee on Budget – Courts.
    • AB 143 by the Committee on Budget – Developmental services.
    • SB 101 by the Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Budget Act of 2025.
    • SB 103 by the Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Budget Acts of 2022, 2023, and 2024.
    • SB 120 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Early childhood education and childcare.
    • SB 124 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Public resources trailer bill.
    • SB 127 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Climate change.
    • SB 128 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Transportation.
    • SB 132 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Taxation.
    • SB 141 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – California Cannabis Tax Fund: Department of Cannabis Control: Board of State and Community Corrections grants.
    • SB 142 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program.

    The Governor’s signature on the state budget is contingent on the enactment of either AB 131 or SB 131 on Monday, June 30th.

    Para leer este comunicado en español, haga clic aquí.

    Recent news

    Jun 27, 2025

    News ✅ CUMPLIDO: Reducción de impuestos para jubilados militares ✅ CUMPLIDO: Pre-kinder universal para todos ✅ CUMPLIDO: Ampliación de programas antes y después de clases y cursos de verano ✅ CUMPLIDO: Alimentación escolar gratuita para todos los niños ✅ CUMPLIDO:…

    Jun 27, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments: Neal Payton, of Santa Monica, has been appointed to the State Historical Resources Commission. Payton has been Senior Principal at Torti Gallas + Partners since 1996. He was Associate…

    Jun 27, 2025

    News What you need to know: The federal Republicans’ “Big, Beautiful bill” would eliminate health coverage for up to 3.4 million Californians, cut at least $28.4 billion in federal Medicaid funding, and put food assistance at risk for the hundreds of thousands of…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kosmos Energy and Partners Achieve Commercial Operations at Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project

    The project partners on the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG development – situated on the maritime border of Senegal and Mauritania – have started commercial operations. The Gimi FLNG vessel – owned by maritime infrastructure company Golar LNG and situated at the project site – reached its Commercial Operating Date (COD) in June 2025, signaling the start of a 20-year Lease and Operating Agreement.

    Spearheaded by energy majors Kosmos Energy and bp (operator), alongside Petrosen and Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures – the respective national oil companies of Senegal and Mauritania – the GTA project represents one of the lowest-cost greenfield projects in the world. The project achieved first LNG production in February 2025, with the maiden LNG cargo lifted in April 2025. According to Kosmos Energy, COD comes as the partners currently load a fourth cargo, with plans to export a fifth at the start of Q3. Kosmos Energy is a Diamond Sponsor of African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies, taking place September 29 to October 3, 2025, in Cape Town.

    AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit http://www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

    The first major offshore LNG project in the broader MSGBC region, GTA is expected to unlock more than 15 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas resources. The project reached a final investment decision (FID) in 2018, with the respective governments of Senegal and Mauritania declaring that the project is of “strategic national importance” in 2021. To date, the project partners have ramped up production volumes to a level equivalent to the annual contracted volumes of approximately 2.4 million tons per annum (mtpa). This represents 90% of the nameplate capacity of 2.7 mtpa. A second phase is also planned, which seeks to double production capacity to over 5 mtpa. Focus has now shifted to phase two FID, which will largely depend on continued cross-border cooperation, regulatory alignment and additional investment.

    Beyond GTA, Kosmos Energy holds a strong presence across Africa. The company is engaged in upstream oil exploration, production and development, with a focus on unlocking the continent’s deepwater assets. In Equatorial Guinea, the company is working towards increasing oil production through well work and drilling. Alongside its project partners, Kosmos Energy recently completed an infill drilling program on the Ceiba and Okume fields and is now working to reprocess existing seismic data with modern technology to high-grade future infill drilling potential. In Ghana, the company has pledged $2 billion in upstream operations. The funding is expected to be allocated to expanding exploration, improving infrastructure and driving technology development to boost efficiency in the upstream sector. Kosmos Energy currently holds stakes in the country’s Jubilee and TEN fields.

    Looking ahead, these developments are expected to unlock significant benefits for the countries in which Kosmos Energy operates. By unlocking greater value from Africa’s deepwater oil and gas basins, the company is enhancing revenue generation, job creation and broader economic growth in Africa. Kosmos Energy’s AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 sponsorship reflects its commitment to monetizing Africa’s deepwater resources. As the largest event of its kind on the continent, AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 takes place under a mandate to make energy poverty history. The event convenes stakeholders – from global investors and project developers to technologies providers and service firms – to engage in dialogue and sign deals.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Gauteng government to pay second e-tolls debt instalment

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) is expected to today pay some R3.3 billion to service the outstanding e-tolls debt.

    This was announced by Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, during a media briefing on Sunday.

    E-tolls were scrapped last year following years of discontent from road users in an agreement between the provincial government and National Treasury.

    The GPG committed to paying some 30% of the historic debt.

    “… The Gauteng Provincial Government will honour the province’s obligation by paying the second instalment towards the e-tolls debt, as disclosed in the 2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework. 

    “The amount due… based on the Memorandum of Agreement, is R3.3 billion in terms of the historic debt. This is the amount that we will be paying to National Treasury as part of our 30% contribution,” Maile said.

    This will be the provincial government’s second instalment.

    “On the 30th of September 2024, the Gauteng government made the first instalment amounting to R3.8 billion. This instalment consisted of R3.2 billion historic debt and the maintenance portion of R546 million,” Maile said.

    According to the MEC, the 30% allocated to the provincial government for payment amounts to at least R12 billion, “with interest of R3.3 billion, bringing the total amount payable to R15.9 billion”.

    “This contribution will be made over five equal annual [payments] at government five-year interest rate.

    “In addition… the Gauteng Provincial Government also made a commitment to contribute towards the rehabilitation of nine projects that the [South African National Roads Agency] is undertaking. These projects, which are part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project 1, are aimed at the amelioration of the Gauteng freeway network and will cost the provincial government a total of R4.1 billion.

    “Congruent to this… the Gauteng Provincial Government announced that as part of the province’s arrangement to service the debt, a provision for honouring this commitment will be pencilled into the 2024 fiscal framework. 

    “Since making this announcement… we have maintained the necessary fiscal discipline to ensure adherence to this commitment,” Maile said.  – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: Hut 8 Energizes Vega Data Center

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    205 MW facility will support up to ~15 EH/s of next-generation rack-based ASIC compute with direct-to-chip liquid cooling

    Believed to be the largest single-building Bitcoin mining facility by nameplate hashrate

    MIAMI, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hut 8 Corp. (Nasdaq | TSX: HUT) (“Hut 8” or the “Company”), an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing, today announced the initial energization of Vega. Based on publicly available information, we believe Vega to be the largest single-building Bitcoin mining facility by nameplate hashrate. Spanning the equivalent of five football fields and covering 162,000 square feet, Vega is powered by 205 megawatts (“MW”) of nameplate energy capacity and at full energization will support up to ~15 exahash per second (“EH/s”) of BITMAIN U3S21EXPH servers for Bitcoin mining ASIC compute, or nearly 2.0% of current global Bitcoin network hashrate.

    Vega debuts a new Tier I data center form factor that narrows the gap between legacy air-cooled ASIC infrastructure and liquid-cooled GPU infrastructure. Unlike traditional mining facilities that rely on forced-air cooling and shelving systems that constrain compute density, Vega features a proprietary, rack-based, direct-to-chip liquid cooling system designed in-house by Hut 8. The architecture supports ASIC deployments at densities of up to 180 kilowatts (“kW”) per rack.

    The system’s modular architecture—including pump skids, fluid distribution networks, server racks, switchboards, and smart power distribution units—was designed by Hut 8’s in-house development organization to optimize thermal efficiency, miner stability, and operational reliability. The result is materially higher compute density, greater thermal control, and improved uptime in high-ambient environments like Texas. Initial customer discussions support the potential viability of this architecture for future iterations of high-density, direct-to-chip liquid cooled infrastructure to support emerging HPC workloads and customer needs.

    “Vega exemplifies our innovation-driven approach to digital infrastructure design,” said Asher Genoot, CEO of Hut 8. “We built it for where we believe the market is going, using modular architecture and adaptive thermal systems designed to scale and evolve as workload requirements grow more complex. Over the past several weeks, as we’ve brought the site online, it has become clear how well this architecture performs under real-world conditions.”

    “Vega’s design is particularly relevant for AI training and other non-customer-facing HPC workloads, where we believe speed, density, and cost efficiency will increasingly take precedence over traditional redundancy standards,” said Jake Palmer, Senior Vice President of Development at Hut 8. “The project represents a design philosophy we intend to scale, refine, and deploy as we continue to bridge the gap between high-cost, high-redundancy builds and lower-cost, application-optimized infrastructure.”

    BITMAIN is the client for the full ~15 EH/s deployment at Vega under an ASIC colocation agreement. Based on ERCOT forward energy prices, the agreement is expected to generate between $110 million and $120 million in annualized revenue upon full energization, subject to factors including ERCOT energy pricing and facility uptime. The agreement also includes a purchase option that allows Hut 8 to acquire all or part of the hosted fleet in up to three tranches at a fixed price, exercisable within six months of each tranche’s energization. This structure gives Hut 8 the ability to convert the deployment into self-mining capacity for its Bitcoin mining subsidiary, American Bitcoin Corp., supporting growth in its scale from 10 EH/s to 25 EH/s.

    “We are proud to have partnered with Hut 8 to successfully develop and commercialize the next generation of ASIC compute technology,” said Irene Gao, Vice President of Mining at BITMAIN. “Vega demonstrates what is possible when two industry leaders with deep technical expertise come together to push the boundaries of performance, efficiency, and design. We believe this collaboration has set a new benchmark for the industry, and we look forward to expanding on this success in the coming years.”

    Project Highlights

    • Industrial scale: 205 MW of nameplate capacity with a power usage effectiveness (“PUE”) of 1.06, powered behind-the-meter by a wind farm and front-of-the-meter by the ERCOT grid
    • Rack-based architecture: Proprietary rack-based architecture supports 180 kilowatts per rack, 50% higher than the 120-kW requirement of NVIDIA Blackwell HGX GPUs
    • Next-generation ASIC compute technology: Site will host up to 17,280 BITMAIN U3S21EXPH servers (at full energization), the first ASIC miner mass-commercialized by BITMAIN with direct liquid-to-chip cooling within a U form factor, each delivering up to 860 terahash per second (“TH/s”) at 13 joules per terahash (“J/TH”)
    • Direct-to-chip liquid cooling: 96 custom-designed cooling modules circulate 120,000 gallons of glycol-water solution through a closed-loop, reverse return system designed to reduce water consumption versus conventional high-density cooling systems
    • Capital efficiency: Estimated all-in cost of approximately $430,000 to $450,000 per MW of nameplate capacity
    • Time to market: From site acquisition in July 2024 to initial energization in June 2025, Vega was brought online in under a year, demonstrating Hut 8’s ability to use Bitcoin mining infrastructure development to rapidly monetize power assets
    • Commercialization through ASIC Colocation: BITMAIN will consume the full ~15 EH/s deployment at full energization pursuant to a colocation agreement that will generate revenue for Hut 8’s Digital Infrastructure segment and includes a purchase option that, if exercised, would enable American Bitcoin to scale its self-mining capacity from 10 to ~25 EH/s

    About Hut 8 

    Hut 8 Corp. is an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing. We take a power-first, innovation-driven approach to developing, commercializing, and operating the critical infrastructure that underpins the breakthrough technologies of today and tomorrow. Our platform spans 1,020 megawatts of energy capacity under management across 15 sites in the United States and Canada: five Bitcoin mining, hosting, and Managed Services sites in Alberta, New York, and Texas, five high performance computing data centers in British Columbia and Ontario, four power generation assets in Ontario, and one non-operational site in Alberta. For more information, visit www.hut8.com and follow us on X at @Hut8Corp.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward–Looking Information

    This press release includes “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and United States securities laws, respectively (collectively, “forward-looking information”). All information, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that Hut 8 expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including statements relating to the ability of the Vega facility to support up to ~15 EH/s of next-generation rack-based ASIC compute with direct-to-chip liquid cooling, the ability of Vega’s new Tier I data center form factor to narrow the gap between legacy air-cooled ASIC infrastructure and liquid-cooled GPU infrastructure, the ability of the infrastructure at the Vega facility to support ASIC deployments at densities of up to 180 kW per rack, the ability of the facility’s modular infrastructure to scale and evolve as workload requirements grow more complex, the performance of the infrastructure deployed at the Vega facility under real-world conditions, the relevance of the Vega design to AI training and other non-customer-facing HPC workloads, Hut 8’s intention to scale, refine, and deploy its design philosophy to bridge the gap between high-cost, high-redundancy builds and lower-cost, application-optimized infrastructure, the estimated revenues from the Bitmain colocation agreement and the factors impacting such revenues, the potential exercise of the ASIC purchase option and the benefits thereof to Hut 8 and American Bitcoin Corp., the total all-in cost to develop the Vega facility, and other such matters is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “allow”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “predict”, “can”, “might”, “potential”, “predict”, “is designed to”, “likely,” or similar expressions.

    Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts, but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events based on certain material factors and assumptions at the time the statement was made. While considered reasonable by Hut 8 as of the date of this press release, such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, but not limited to, failure of critical systems; geopolitical, social, economic, and other events and circumstances; competition from current and future competitors; risks related to power requirements; cybersecurity threats and breaches; hazards and operational risks; changes in leasing arrangements; Internet-related disruptions; dependence on key personnel; having a limited operating history; attracting and retaining customers; entering into new offerings or lines of business; price fluctuations and rapidly changing technologies; construction of new data centers, data center expansions, or data center redevelopment; predicting facility requirements; strategic alliances or joint ventures; operating and expanding internationally; failing to grow hashrate; purchasing miners; relying on third-party mining pool service providers; uncertainty in the development and acceptance of the Bitcoin network; Bitcoin halving events; competition from other methods of investing in Bitcoin; concentration of Bitcoin holdings; hedging transactions; potential liquidity constraints; legal, regulatory, governmental, and technological uncertainties; physical risks related to climate change; involvement in legal proceedings; trading volatility; and other risks described from time to time in Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see the Company’s recent and upcoming annual and quarterly reports and other continuous disclosure documents, which are available under the Company’s EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov and SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Hut 8 Corp. Investor Relations
    Sue Ennis
    ir@hut8.com

    Hut 8 Corp. Public Relations
    Gautier Lemyze-Young
    media@hut8.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99a463ce-e274-4ee7-a8e4-e134abc19825

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/30d0ece1-8f33-4444-b754-a4c5f49538e5

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33bbd349-a468-455f-b11a-8cbaaad40232

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Hut 8 Energizes Vega Data Center

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    205 MW facility will support up to ~15 EH/s of next-generation rack-based ASIC compute with direct-to-chip liquid cooling

    Believed to be the largest single-building Bitcoin mining facility by nameplate hashrate

    MIAMI, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hut 8 Corp. (Nasdaq | TSX: HUT) (“Hut 8” or the “Company”), an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing, today announced the initial energization of Vega. Based on publicly available information, we believe Vega to be the largest single-building Bitcoin mining facility by nameplate hashrate. Spanning the equivalent of five football fields and covering 162,000 square feet, Vega is powered by 205 megawatts (“MW”) of nameplate energy capacity and at full energization will support up to ~15 exahash per second (“EH/s”) of BITMAIN U3S21EXPH servers for Bitcoin mining ASIC compute, or nearly 2.0% of current global Bitcoin network hashrate.

    Vega debuts a new Tier I data center form factor that narrows the gap between legacy air-cooled ASIC infrastructure and liquid-cooled GPU infrastructure. Unlike traditional mining facilities that rely on forced-air cooling and shelving systems that constrain compute density, Vega features a proprietary, rack-based, direct-to-chip liquid cooling system designed in-house by Hut 8. The architecture supports ASIC deployments at densities of up to 180 kilowatts (“kW”) per rack.

    The system’s modular architecture—including pump skids, fluid distribution networks, server racks, switchboards, and smart power distribution units—was designed by Hut 8’s in-house development organization to optimize thermal efficiency, miner stability, and operational reliability. The result is materially higher compute density, greater thermal control, and improved uptime in high-ambient environments like Texas. Initial customer discussions support the potential viability of this architecture for future iterations of high-density, direct-to-chip liquid cooled infrastructure to support emerging HPC workloads and customer needs.

    “Vega exemplifies our innovation-driven approach to digital infrastructure design,” said Asher Genoot, CEO of Hut 8. “We built it for where we believe the market is going, using modular architecture and adaptive thermal systems designed to scale and evolve as workload requirements grow more complex. Over the past several weeks, as we’ve brought the site online, it has become clear how well this architecture performs under real-world conditions.”

    “Vega’s design is particularly relevant for AI training and other non-customer-facing HPC workloads, where we believe speed, density, and cost efficiency will increasingly take precedence over traditional redundancy standards,” said Jake Palmer, Senior Vice President of Development at Hut 8. “The project represents a design philosophy we intend to scale, refine, and deploy as we continue to bridge the gap between high-cost, high-redundancy builds and lower-cost, application-optimized infrastructure.”

    BITMAIN is the client for the full ~15 EH/s deployment at Vega under an ASIC colocation agreement. Based on ERCOT forward energy prices, the agreement is expected to generate between $110 million and $120 million in annualized revenue upon full energization, subject to factors including ERCOT energy pricing and facility uptime. The agreement also includes a purchase option that allows Hut 8 to acquire all or part of the hosted fleet in up to three tranches at a fixed price, exercisable within six months of each tranche’s energization. This structure gives Hut 8 the ability to convert the deployment into self-mining capacity for its Bitcoin mining subsidiary, American Bitcoin Corp., supporting growth in its scale from 10 EH/s to 25 EH/s.

    “We are proud to have partnered with Hut 8 to successfully develop and commercialize the next generation of ASIC compute technology,” said Irene Gao, Vice President of Mining at BITMAIN. “Vega demonstrates what is possible when two industry leaders with deep technical expertise come together to push the boundaries of performance, efficiency, and design. We believe this collaboration has set a new benchmark for the industry, and we look forward to expanding on this success in the coming years.”

    Project Highlights

    • Industrial scale: 205 MW of nameplate capacity with a power usage effectiveness (“PUE”) of 1.06, powered behind-the-meter by a wind farm and front-of-the-meter by the ERCOT grid
    • Rack-based architecture: Proprietary rack-based architecture supports 180 kilowatts per rack, 50% higher than the 120-kW requirement of NVIDIA Blackwell HGX GPUs
    • Next-generation ASIC compute technology: Site will host up to 17,280 BITMAIN U3S21EXPH servers (at full energization), the first ASIC miner mass-commercialized by BITMAIN with direct liquid-to-chip cooling within a U form factor, each delivering up to 860 terahash per second (“TH/s”) at 13 joules per terahash (“J/TH”)
    • Direct-to-chip liquid cooling: 96 custom-designed cooling modules circulate 120,000 gallons of glycol-water solution through a closed-loop, reverse return system designed to reduce water consumption versus conventional high-density cooling systems
    • Capital efficiency: Estimated all-in cost of approximately $430,000 to $450,000 per MW of nameplate capacity
    • Time to market: From site acquisition in July 2024 to initial energization in June 2025, Vega was brought online in under a year, demonstrating Hut 8’s ability to use Bitcoin mining infrastructure development to rapidly monetize power assets
    • Commercialization through ASIC Colocation: BITMAIN will consume the full ~15 EH/s deployment at full energization pursuant to a colocation agreement that will generate revenue for Hut 8’s Digital Infrastructure segment and includes a purchase option that, if exercised, would enable American Bitcoin to scale its self-mining capacity from 10 to ~25 EH/s

    About Hut 8 

    Hut 8 Corp. is an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing. We take a power-first, innovation-driven approach to developing, commercializing, and operating the critical infrastructure that underpins the breakthrough technologies of today and tomorrow. Our platform spans 1,020 megawatts of energy capacity under management across 15 sites in the United States and Canada: five Bitcoin mining, hosting, and Managed Services sites in Alberta, New York, and Texas, five high performance computing data centers in British Columbia and Ontario, four power generation assets in Ontario, and one non-operational site in Alberta. For more information, visit www.hut8.com and follow us on X at @Hut8Corp.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward–Looking Information

    This press release includes “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and United States securities laws, respectively (collectively, “forward-looking information”). All information, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that Hut 8 expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including statements relating to the ability of the Vega facility to support up to ~15 EH/s of next-generation rack-based ASIC compute with direct-to-chip liquid cooling, the ability of Vega’s new Tier I data center form factor to narrow the gap between legacy air-cooled ASIC infrastructure and liquid-cooled GPU infrastructure, the ability of the infrastructure at the Vega facility to support ASIC deployments at densities of up to 180 kW per rack, the ability of the facility’s modular infrastructure to scale and evolve as workload requirements grow more complex, the performance of the infrastructure deployed at the Vega facility under real-world conditions, the relevance of the Vega design to AI training and other non-customer-facing HPC workloads, Hut 8’s intention to scale, refine, and deploy its design philosophy to bridge the gap between high-cost, high-redundancy builds and lower-cost, application-optimized infrastructure, the estimated revenues from the Bitmain colocation agreement and the factors impacting such revenues, the potential exercise of the ASIC purchase option and the benefits thereof to Hut 8 and American Bitcoin Corp., the total all-in cost to develop the Vega facility, and other such matters is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “allow”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “predict”, “can”, “might”, “potential”, “predict”, “is designed to”, “likely,” or similar expressions.

    Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts, but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events based on certain material factors and assumptions at the time the statement was made. While considered reasonable by Hut 8 as of the date of this press release, such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, but not limited to, failure of critical systems; geopolitical, social, economic, and other events and circumstances; competition from current and future competitors; risks related to power requirements; cybersecurity threats and breaches; hazards and operational risks; changes in leasing arrangements; Internet-related disruptions; dependence on key personnel; having a limited operating history; attracting and retaining customers; entering into new offerings or lines of business; price fluctuations and rapidly changing technologies; construction of new data centers, data center expansions, or data center redevelopment; predicting facility requirements; strategic alliances or joint ventures; operating and expanding internationally; failing to grow hashrate; purchasing miners; relying on third-party mining pool service providers; uncertainty in the development and acceptance of the Bitcoin network; Bitcoin halving events; competition from other methods of investing in Bitcoin; concentration of Bitcoin holdings; hedging transactions; potential liquidity constraints; legal, regulatory, governmental, and technological uncertainties; physical risks related to climate change; involvement in legal proceedings; trading volatility; and other risks described from time to time in Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see the Company’s recent and upcoming annual and quarterly reports and other continuous disclosure documents, which are available under the Company’s EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov and SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Hut 8 Corp. Investor Relations
    Sue Ennis
    ir@hut8.com

    Hut 8 Corp. Public Relations
    Gautier Lemyze-Young
    media@hut8.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99a463ce-e274-4ee7-a8e4-e134abc19825

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/30d0ece1-8f33-4444-b754-a4c5f49538e5

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33bbd349-a468-455f-b11a-8cbaaad40232

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 2025 Incentive Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sintana Energy Inc. (TSX-V: SEI, OTCQX: SEUSF) (“Sintana” or the “Company”) reports that its Board of Directors has approved grants of a total of 4.3 million equity incentive awards comprised of 100,000 common stock options and 4.2 million restricted share units to several directors and officers of the Company. The options have an exercise price of CA $0.73, vest in three equal tranches over the next 24 months and will expire on June 27, 2035.

    ABOUT SINTANA ENERGY:

    The Company is engaged in petroleum and natural gas exploration and development activities on six large, highly prospective, onshore and offshore petroleum exploration licenses in Namibia, an onshore joint venture in Angola and a project in Colombia’s Magdalena Basin.

    On behalf of Sintana Energy Inc.,
    “Robert Bose”
    Chief Executive Officer

    For additional information or to sign-up to receive periodic updates about Sintana’s projects, and corporate activities, please visit the Company’s website at www.sintanaenergy.com

    Corporate Contacts:   Investor Relations Advisor:
    Robert Bose Sean Austin  Jonathan Paterson
    Chief Executive Officer Vice-President Founder & Managing Partner
    212-201-4125 713-825-9591 Harbor Access
        475-477-9401
         

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain information in this release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intensions for the future, and include, but not limited to, statements with respect to potential future farmout agreements on PEL 83 and/or PEL 87, and proposed future exploration and development activities on PEL 83 and/or PEL 90 and neighbouring properties, as well as the prospective nature of the Company’s property interests. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including, but not limited to risks relating to the receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals, results of exploration and development activities, the ability to source joint venture partners and fund exploration, permitting and government approvals, and other risks identified in the Company’s public disclosure documents from time to time. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update such information, except as may be required by law.

    NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Monetary developments in the euro area: May 2025

    Source: European Central Bank

    30 June 2025

    Components of the broad monetary aggregate M3

    The annual growth rate of the broad monetary aggregate M3 stood at 3.9% in May 2025, unchanged from the previous month, averaging 3.8% in the three months up to May. The components of M3 showed the following developments. The annual growth rate of the narrower aggregate M1, which comprises currency in circulation and overnight deposits, increased to 5.1% in May from 4.7% in April. The annual growth rate of short-term deposits other than overnight deposits (M2-M1) decreased to -0.1% in May from 0.6% in April. The annual growth rate of marketable instruments (M3-M2) increased to 11.2% in May from 10.7% in April.

    Chart 1

    Monetary aggregates

    (annual growth rates)

    Data for monetary aggregates

    Looking at the components’ contributions to the annual growth rate of M3, the narrower aggregate M1 contributed 3.2 percentage points (up from 3.0 percentage points in April), short-term deposits other than overnight deposits (M2-M1) contributed 0.0 percentage points (down from 0.2 percentage points) and marketable instruments (M3-M2) contributed 0.7 percentage points (as in the previous month).

    Among the holding sectors of deposits in M3, the annual growth rate of deposits placed by households stood at 3.5% in May, compared with 3.4% in April, while the annual growth rate of deposits placed by non-financial corporations stood at 2.7% in May, compared with 2.6% in April. Finally, the annual growth rate of deposits placed by investment funds other than money market funds decreased to 15.4% in May from 21.2% in April.

    Counterparts of the broad monetary aggregate M3

    The annual growth rate of M3 in May 2025, as a reflection of changes in the items on the monetary financial institution (MFI) consolidated balance sheet other than M3 (counterparts of M3), can be broken down as follows: net external assets contributed 2.6 percentage points (up from 2.5 percentage points in April), claims on the private sector contributed 2.4 percentage points (up from 2.3 percentage points), claims on general government contributed 0.2 percentage points (as in the previous month), longer-term liabilities contributed -1.2 percentage points (down from -1.1 percentage points), and the remaining counterparts of M3 contributed -0.1 percentage points (as in the previous month).

    Chart 2

    Contribution of the M3 counterparts to the annual growth rate of M3

    (percentage points)

    Data for contribution of the M3 counterparts to the annual growth rate of M3

    Claims on euro area residents

    The annual growth rate of total claims on euro area residents stood at 2.0% in May 2025, compared with 1.9% in the previous month. The annual growth rate of claims on general government stood at 0.6% in May, compared with 0.5% in April, while the annual growth rate of claims on the private sector stood at 2.5% in May, compared with 2.4% in April.

    The annual growth rate of adjusted loans to the private sector (i.e. adjusted for loan transfers and notional cash pooling) stood at 2.8% in May, unchanged from the previous month. Among the borrowing sectors, the annual growth rate of adjusted loans to households stood at 2.0% in May, compared with 1.9% in April, while the annual growth rate of adjusted loans to non-financial corporations stood at 2.5% in May, compared with 2.6% in April.

    Chart 3

    Adjusted loans to the private sector

    (annual growth rates)

    Data for adjusted loans to the private sector

    Notes:

    • Data in this press release are adjusted for seasonal and end-of-month calendar effects, unless stated otherwise.
    • “Private sector” refers to euro area non-MFIs excluding general government.
    • Hyperlinks lead to data that may change with subsequent releases as a result of revisions. Figures shown in annex tables are a snapshot of the data as at the time of the current release.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ECB’s Governing Council updates its monetary policy strategy

    Source: European Central Bank

    30 June 2025

    • Governing Council confirms symmetric 2% inflation target over the medium term
    • Symmetry requires appropriately forceful or persistent policy response to large, sustained deviations of inflation from target in either direction
    • All tools remain in toolkit and their choice, design and implementation will enable an agile response to new shocks
    • Structural shifts such as geopolitical and economic fragmentation and increasing use of artificial intelligence make the inflation environment more uncertain

    The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) today published the results of its strategy assessment, which are set out in an updated monetary policy strategy statement.

    Following the strategy review carried out in 2020-21, the Governing Council announced that it would periodically assess the appropriateness of its monetary policy strategy. The assessment published today meets this commitment, ensuring that our framework, toolkit and approach remain fit for purpose.

    The monetary policy strategy enables the Governing Council to respond effectively to major changes in the inflation environment. This is especially important as ongoing structural shifts, such as geopolitical and economic fragmentation, increasing use of artificial intelligence, demographic change and the threat to environmental sustainability, suggest that the inflation environment will remain uncertain and potentially more volatile, with larger deviations from the symmetric 2% inflation target.

    To maintain the symmetry of the target, appropriately forceful or persistent monetary policy action in response to large, sustained deviations of inflation from the target in either direction is important. This will help to avoid inflation expectations becoming de-anchored and inflation deviations from the target becoming entrenched.

    “I am happy to announce that the Governing Council during its latest meeting approved the ECB’s updated monetary policy strategy”, said ECB President Christine Lagarde. “This assessment was a valuable opportunity to challenge our thinking, check our policy toolkit and fine-tune our strategy. It provides us with an even stronger basis to conduct monetary policy and fulfil our mandate of price stability in an increasingly uncertain environment.”

    All monetary policy tools currently available to the Governing Council will remain in its toolkit. Their use at any time will continue to be subject to a comprehensive proportionality assessment. Their choice, design and implementation will be sufficiently flexible to enable an agile response to changes in the inflation environment.

    In monetary policy decisions the Governing Council takes into account not only the most likely path for inflation and the economy but also surrounding risks and uncertainty, including through the appropriate use of scenarios and sensitivity analyses.

    The first regular monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council applying the updated strategy will be held on 23-24 July 2025. The Governing Council intends to assess periodically the appropriateness of its monetary policy strategy, with the next assessment expected in 2030.

    For media queries, please contact Stefan Ruhkamp, tel.: +49 69 1344 5057.

    Notes

    • Prior to the 2025 strategy assessment, the Governing Council concluded strategy reviews in 2003 and 2021.
    • Over the last 12 months the Governing Council has held seminars, presentations, discussions and meetings dedicated to the strategy assessment.
    • The strategy assessment is the result of a significant collaborative effort over this period. It involved staff of the ECB and national central banks across the euro area and was organised into two separate workstreams.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: Public sends clear message that ‘PIP cuts are cruel’ and unjust – new poll

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Polling suggests a staggering 75% of the UK believe the Government’s plan to take   PIP away from people who need it is cruel  

    69% of respondents prefer the UK government to tax the super-rich rather than cut social security  

    ‘The message from the public is clear: poverty is a political choice, and this Government is dangerously close to choosing poverty and party politics over people’s rights’ – Jen Clark 

    New polling reveals that the vast majority of the UK public opposes the UK government’s plans to cut disability benefits, as Amnesty International UK warns the proposed changes to PIP are discriminatory and fundamentally out of step with public opinion. 

    Polling by Savanta, commissioned by Amnesty, reveals that 75% agree that taking PIP away from people who may need help is cruel – a view held consistently across all political, gender and age groups. 

    The findings come as Parliament considers a Bill that Amnesty says would entrench poverty, discriminate against disabled people, and fail to meet basic human rights standards. 

    Other key polling findings: 

    • 94% of people living with a disability say cutting PIP is cruel. 
    • 69% of respondents would prefer it if the UK government raised money through wealth taxes on the super-rich compared tocuts to social security. 
    • 59% believe that cutting PIP will not help more people get into work – undermining one of the UK government’s stated goals. 
    • 54% of UK adults say they do not support the UK government’s changes to PIP eligibility. 

    Jen Clark, Amnesty International UK’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Lead, said: 

    “The message from the public is clear: poverty is a political choice, and this Government is dangerously close to choosing poverty and party politics over people’s rights. 

    “Across every age group, background, and political belief, people agree that cutting PIP is cruel and they can see these proposals for what they are – unfair, unnecessary, and unjust.  

    “Disabled people are being targeted with harmful, ill-conceived changes that the majority of the public do not support. Taking vital support away from those who need it isn’t reform – it’s cruelty by policy. 

    “We’ve said it before: poverty is a visible sign of a failing social security system. When the Government knowingly pursues policies that make poverty worse, it is deliberately violating people’s basic human rights. The Government is steering us even further away   from being a society that support those most in need.   

    “Parliament must stand firm and refuse to back a Bill that risks rolling back disabled people’s rights and driving more people into poverty.” 

    Despite some proposed changes limiting the cuts to new claimants, Amnesty is calling on all MPs to stand firm and reject the current version of the Bill and demand a full human rights impact assessment, meaningful consultation with disabled people, and genuine reforms that reduce poverty rather than deepen it. 

    Amnesty’s key concerns with the Bill are: 

    • Cuts and freezes will push people into poverty, especially disabled people and those on low incomes. 
    • The Bill creates a two-tier system of support that deepens generational and economic inequality. 
    • The Government has failed to consult with disabled people and has not published a human rights impact assessment. 
    • PIP assessments remain discriminatory and unfit for purpose, with no guarantee that the upcoming review will address the reality. 

    ‘Consciously cruel’ – UK’s social security system  

    Amnesty’s recent report took a deep dive into the murky and divisive world of the UK’s social security system from the perspective of people’s human rights. The unique research examines violations of people’s basic rights to housing, food, education, healthcare and social security.   

    The report ‘Social Insecurity’ was a collaboration with over 700 benefit claimants and advisors to provide a platform for the people most gravely affected and show how politicians are playing with people’s lives and ignoring our most basic rights.  

    Regional polling results 

    Across the UK, people agree that taking PIP away from those who need it is cruel (the regions are polled as subsets within the wider poll): 

    • The North-West had the highest percentage of people in agreement, with a staggering 82% believing that PIP cuts are cruel.  
    • This was closely followed by 80% of people in the South-East.  
    • Of those polled in both Scotland and Wales, 77% believed that taking payments away from those who needed it is cruel and in Northern Ireland, the statistic was 74%.  
    • Other results included 76% in Yorkshire & Humber and in the East, 75% in West Midlands, 72% in East Midlands, 71% in London and 67% in both the North-East and South-West.  

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Hong Kong: National Security Law analysis shows vast majority unjustly arrested

    Source: Amnesty International –

    More than 80% of people convicted under Hong Kong’s National Security Law (NSL) have been wrongly criminalized and should never have been charged in the first place, according to new research by Amnesty International published on the fifth anniversary of the law being enacted.

    The organization’s analysis of 255 individuals targeted under national security legislation in Hong Kong since 30 June 2020 also showed that bail was denied in almost 90% of cases where charges were brought, and that those denied bail were forced to spend an average of 11 months in detention before facing trial.

    “Five years after the enactment of the National Security Law, our alarming findings show that the fears we raised about this law in 2020 have been realized. The Hong Kong government must stop using the pretext of ‘national security’ to punish legitimate expression,” Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks said.

    “This draconian law, and the other national security legislation it spawned, has corroded key legal safeguards that once formed the foundation for protecting human rights and the rule of law in Hong Kong. The result has been a devastation of Hongkongers’ ability to express themselves without fear of arrest.”

    Amnesty’s briefing paper analyses patterns in arrests, bail decisions and prosecutions under the NSL and other national security legislation. In particular, the research highlights three major concerns: the criminalization of the legitimate exercise of the human right to freedom of expression, the low bail grant rates in these cases, and the de facto long-term incarceration of most accused.

    The analysis found that of the 78 concluded cases under the NSL at least 66 (84.6%) involved legitimate expression that should not have been criminalized according to international standards, with no evidence of violent conduct or incitement.

    When concluded cases under Article 23 and pre-Article 23 “sedition” offences are also counted, at least 108 out of a total of 127 cases (85%) involved similarly legitimate forms of expression which were unjustly prosecuted. These cases fall well short of the high threshold required for criminalization under international standards.

    Meanwhile, according to Amnesty’s data, the courts denied bail in 129 national security cases, or 89% of those in which individuals were charged.

    Among the 129 cases where bail was denied, the average length of detention was 328 days. Fifty-two cases (40.3%) involved detentions lasting one year or more before trial or a guilty plea.

    “In five years, the National Security Law has transformed Hong Kong from a city of tolerance and open debate into a city of repression and self-censorship. Our analysis shows that Hong Kong’s national security framework is not just a flagrant violation of international human rights standards on paper but that authorities misuse it to target opposition voices and foster an environment of fear,” Sarah Brooks said.

    “This research demonstrates that the vast majority of those charged with national security offences have acted entirely within their rights. Meanwhile, prosecutors have continued to bring cases under this flawed national security architecture and appealed the rare acquittals awarded by courts. Other governments should step up and use their influence to urgently press the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to repeal the law.

    “In the interim, the Hong Kong government should stop applying national security legislation immediately. At the very least they need to reinstate the presumption of bail in favour of release pending trial. No one should be made to languish in jail simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Hong Kong: 80% of people convicted under ‘draconian’ national security law should never have been charged – new research

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Five years since National Security Law enacted, new research reveals its ‘alarming’ impact

    Nearly 90% of people charged were denied bail

    UK and other governments need to step up and press for the law to be scrapped

    ‘This unjust law reaches far beyond Hong Kong’s borders, threatening Hong Kong activists and students in the UK and throughout the world’ – Sacha Deshmukh  

    More than 80% of people convicted under Hong Kong’s National Security Law have been wrongly criminalised and should never have been charged in the first place, according to new research by Amnesty International published today – five years since the law was enacted.

    Amnesty’s analysis of 255 people targeted under the draconian law in Hong Kong since 30 June 2020 also showed that bail was denied in almost 90% of cases where charges were brought, and that those denied bail were forced to spend an average of 11 months in detention before facing trial.

    The briefing paper analyses patterns in arrests, bail decisions and prosecutions under the National Security Law and other national security legislation, highlighting three major concerns: the criminalisation of the legitimate exercise of the human right to freedom of expression; the low bail grant rates in these cases; and the de facto long-term imprisonment of most accused.

    The analysis found that of the 78 concluded cases under the National Security Law, at least 66 (84.6%) involved legitimate expression where there was no evidence of violent conduct or incitement and should not have been criminalised according to international standards.

    When concluded cases under Article 23 and pre-Article 23 “sedition” offences are included, at least 108 out of a total of 127 cases (85%) involved similarly legitimate forms of expression which were unjustly prosecuted. These cases fall well short of the high threshold required for criminalisation under international standards.

    The courts denied bail in 129 national security cases, or 89% of those in which individuals were charged, according to Amnesty’s data.

    Among the 129 cases where bail was denied, the average length of detention was 328 days. Fifty-two cases (40.3%) involved detentions lasting one year or more before trial or a guilty plea.

    Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s China Director, said:

    “Five years after the enactment of the National Security Law, our alarming findings show that the fears we raised about this law in 2020 have been realised. The Hong Kong government must stop using the pretext of ‘national security’ to punish legitimate expression.

    “This draconian law, and the other national security legislation it spawned, has corroded key legal safeguards that once formed the foundation for protecting human rights and the rule of law in Hong Kong. The result has been a devastation of Hongkongers’ ability to express themselves without fear of arrest.

    “The National Security Law has transformed Hong Kong from a city of tolerance and open debate into a city of repression and self-censorship. Our analysis shows that Hong Kong’s national security framework is not just a flagrant violation of international human rights standards on paper but that authorities misuse it to target opposition voices and foster an environment of fear.

    “This research demonstrates that the vast majority of those charged with national security offences have acted entirely within their rights. Other governments should step up and use their influence to urgently press the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to repeal the law.

    “In the interim, the Hong Kong government should stop applying national security legislation immediately. At the very least they need to reinstate the presumption of bail in favour of release pending trial. No one should be made to languish in jail simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression.”

    Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:

    “This unjust law reaches far beyond Hong Kong’s borders, threatening Hong Kong activists and students in the UK and throughout the world. 

    “The UK Government’s insistence following its China audit that the National Security Law must be scrapped is welcome, but it must be clearer to these communities in the UK how it will protect their right to freedom of expression and protest and keep them safe from the long reach of Hong Kong and China, including monitoring cases of transnational repression and improving the ways they can be reported.

    “It is vital the Government continues to pressure Hong Kong to scrap this brutal law and immediately release UK national Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong lawyer-activist Chow Hang-tung and all others being unjustly imprisoned under it.

    “The pursuit of trade and business interests must not stop frank conversations on human rights, which need to be central to any diplomatic engagement.”

    A city of repression

    Human rights in Hong Kong have deteriorated at an alarming pace since the National Security Law was imposed. Civil society has been effectively dismantled, while long-standing rights — including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association — have been severely curtailed.

    Amnesty’s analysis covered the cases of 255 individuals who, between 30 June 2020 and 31 May 2025, were arrested for and/or charged with any offences under the Law; parts 1 and 2 of the city’s Crimes Ordinance that define the colonial-era offence of “sedition”; and the Article 23 law (also known as the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance), which replaced parts 1 and 2 of the Crimes Ordinance when it entered into force on 23 March 2024.

    Amnesty sent the briefing to the Hong Kong government, which dismissed the findings as a “distortion of the reality” and said the National Security Law “has restored the enjoyment of rights and freedoms” in Hong Kong.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: “The Character of the Country is on the Line” Warnock Calls for GOP to Protect 16 Million Americans Who Risk Losing Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    “The Character of the Country is on the Line” Warnock Calls for GOP to Protect 16 Million Americans Who Risk Losing Health Care

    Watch the full floor speech  HERE
     Senator Reverend Warnock: “Your health care is about to go up. Your hospital might close because they’re cutting these clean energy tax cuts, your utility bills are about to go up. And so I have a question tonight, who voted for that?”
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) went to the floor of the United States Senate to call on his GOP colleagues to reject the GOP tax bill that will kick over 16 million Americans off their health care. Full video is available  HERE.
    “And in some ways, this is the same bill eight years later, just worse,” said Senator Reverend Warnock, comparing this moment to the 2017 tax bill. “Like most horror movies, the sequel tends to be worse. We were here eight years ago. Washington politicians were trying their best to gut the Affordable Care Act. Remember that? They were trying to gut Obamacare out of political motives. Millions of Americans were spared. But tonight is the sequel to that horror movie. They are back to their own political tricks, trying to dismantle the ACA again, with this legislation. It’s the same fight, just worse this time.”
    “If they enact these deep cuts to Medicaid, as they are positioned not to extend these tax credits, they are raising the cost of health care for all of us,” continued Senator Reverend Warnock. “Even if you are on private insurance, you are not safe. Your health care is about to go up. Your hospital might close because they’re cutting these clean energy tax cuts, your utility bills are about to go up. And so I have a question tonight, who voted for that?…Who voted for everybody’s health care premiums to go up and their hospitals to be closed? Here’s what I know. Folks back in Georgia didn’t vote for that. They voted for me, and they voted for Donald Trump, but they didn’t vote for that.”
    “This is symptomatic of the ways in which the people’s voices have been squeezed out of their democracy,” continued Senator Reverend Warnock. “This is not just a health care fight, it is that. It is not just a fight for food security, for SNAP, it is that. But in a real sense, it is a fight for our democracy. Whose voice gets to be heard in this chamber? That’s what this is about—the character of the country.”
    Now, let me be clear, I’m all for tax cuts. I believe working families deserve a tax cut, and I certainly don’t want to see them face a tax hike this year,” continued Senator Reverend Warnock. “That’s why I want to nearly double the child tax credit. I believe in tax cuts for hard-working families, for middle-class people, for working-class families. But instead of doing that, instead of helping working-class families who are struggling now against a 10% tax on everything, rising costs, we’re now burdening our children by adding $3 trillion to the debt. We’re taking away health care from kids and then burdening them with the debt.
    “When the people hear about what’s in this Big Ugly Bill, they don’t like it…” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “The American people do not want to rob our children of food and health care, and then burn them with trillions in debt to give billionaires and wealthy corporations another tax cut….And so if the people do not want this bill, if they are trying to pass it. Here’s the question you got to ask yourselves at home, you have to ask yourselves, well, who are they working for? Who are they fighting for? Who do they think matters? Do you think they are working for you?”
    The Senator’s speech comes a day after he held a vigil with a multi-faith coalition of clergy to pray that GOP lawmakers have the courage to stand up for their constituents and vote against the GOP tax bill. The Senator was arrested in 2017, before he was elected to the Senate, along with a coalition of multi-faith leaders, while protesting the GOP tax bill during the first Trump Administration. 
    A full and unofficial transcript is availabe below. Watch the full speech  HERE.
    Madam President, I rise tonight in a moral moment in our nation. As we debate this bill, so much is on the line. The health care of over 16 million Americans, 750,000 of them Georgians, is on the line. Food for hungry children in a wealthy nation where one in five children are already food insecure—they don’t know where the next meal is coming from—their livelihood, their welfare, is on the line. The well-being of seniors in nursing homes and the disabled who rely on Medicaid and those who care for them is on the line. The state of rural hospitals in Georgia, in Alaska, in Louisiana, in little towns all over this nation that are right now barely hanging on is on the line, and the scraps that they are throwing them while cutting them will not save them.
    My friends on the other side of the aisle know it. They know that these scraps that they’re throwing at rural hospitals will not save them. And so in a very real sense, lives are on the line.
    We are in a moral moment because something else is on the line. I submit that the character of the country is on the line.
    In a real sense, the question tonight is, who are we? Not who we tell ourselves we are, but who are we really? What and who do we care about? What kind of nation are we? What kind of people do we want to be? Who matters and who doesn’t? What do we think is dispensable?
    In no place is the answer to that question clearer than in a nation’s budget. I submit that a budget is not just a fiscal document, a budget is a moral document. Show me your budget, and I’ll show you who you think matters and who doesn’t.
    If this awful budget were an EKG, it would suggest that our nation has a heart problem and is in need of moral certainty.
    And so I’m clear tonight. I understand the nature of what we are engaged in. This is a political process, it is, but it is also a moral exercise, not only for the nation, but for each of us, individually, and especially for the mere 100 of us out of a nation of 300 million who get to vote, perhaps in a matter of hours.
    We have the rare privilege of standing up for the people who have entrusted with us the covenant of centering their families. It’s a real privilege for the people of your state to say that since we can’t all go to Washington, we’re going to trust you in rules of power to be thinking about our children, to be thinking about our parents as they deal with the blessings and the burdens of growing old.
    So the question for me tonight is, how will we show up in this moment?
    That’s why yesterday, I gathered in the Russell Rotunda with a multi-faith coalition of clergy to pray that lawmakers might have the courage to stand up to their party, stand up to the special interests and protect seniors in nursing homes and pregnant mothers on Medicaid and children who risk going to school hungry every single day in this country. One in five children in the wealthiest nation on the planet already food insecure, and with these SNAP cuts, this body is about to make it worse.
    And so, surrounded by clergy of many faith traditions, yesterday, I prayed that we would have the courage, prayed that we would have the grace to stand as voices for the voiceless. And as I stood there, I could not help but feel a sense of deja vu. This is not the first time I’ve been in our nation’s Capitol speaking out against these policies that betray hard-working families. It was eight years ago, almost to the day in 2017 when Washington Republicans were trying to pass a tax bill that favored wealthy Americans over working families, that I came to this building, not as a senator, but as a pastor. I had no idea that eight years later I would be serving in this body. I had no notion that I would even run for the Senate. I came as a citizen, standing with a multi-faith coalition. We were praying for our nation’s leaders. We were gathered in the rotunda of the Russell building, and as we were singing and praying, the Capitol Police said, “I’m sorry, pastors, you can’t sing and pray in the rotunda. If you do not disperse, we will have to arrest you.”
    And let me say that the Capitol Police did not mishandle us that day. They were first-rate professionals. They said that if you don’t disperse, we will have to arrest you. What they didn’t understand is that I had already been arrested. My conscience had been arrested, my heart and my imagination, my moral imagination, had been arrested by this idea that we as a country are better than this.
    I come from a tradition where you don’t just pray with your lips, you pray with your legs, put your body in the struggle for other struggling bodies. So here I am tonight, eight years later, having transformed my agitation into legislation, I was arrested that day, but I have transformed my protest into public policy.
    Eight years ago, I was on the outside. Tonight, I’m on the inside, but it’s the same fight. Some of us fight on the inside, some of us fight on the outside. Some of us get to serve in the Senate or in the House. Others are just watching at home tonight, but be really clear that we are in the same fight—whether we are on the streets or in the suites, same fight.
    And in some ways, this is the same bill eight years later, just worse. Like most horror movies, the sequel tends to be worse. We were here eight years ago. Washington politicians were trying their best to gut the Affordable Care Act. Remember that? They were trying to gut Obamacare out of political motives. Millions of Americans were spared. But tonight is the sequel to that horror movie. They are back to their own political tricks, trying to dismantle the ACA again, with this legislation. It’s the same fight, just worse this time.
    Instead of extending tax credits that would lower health insurance costs for the middle class, my friends on the other side are giving billionaires and the richest of the rich a tax cut. They are working real hard tonight to help billionaires, because God knows that they are having a hard time, apparently.
    What that means is that 1.2 million Georgians and nearly 20 million Americans are going to see their health care premiums rise. That’s what’s at stake tonight.
    If they enact these deep cuts to Medicaid, as they are positioned not to extend these tax credits, they are raising the cost of health care for all of us. Even if you are on private insurance, you are not safe. Your health care is about to go up. Your hospital might close because they’re cutting these clean energy tax cuts, your utility bills are about to go up. And so I have a question tonight, who voted for that?
    Some of us are Democrats, some of us are Republicans, some of us are independent. Some voted for one party, some voted for the other party. I get it, but who voted for that? Who voted for everybody’s health care premiums to go up and their hospitals to be closed?
    Here’s what I know. Folks back in Georgia didn’t vote for that. They voted for me, and they voted for Donald Trump, but they didn’t vote for that.
    Ordinary folks don’t want this. There’s ordinary, everyday people who who barely pay attention to politics. They don’t want this. Even a Fox News poll, and you won’t often hear me say that, but even a Fox News poll from this month found that Americans don’t support this Big Ugly Bill.
    This is symptomatic of the ways in which the people’s voices have been squeezed out of their democracy. This is not just a health care fight, it is that. It is not just a fight for food security, for SNAP, it is that. But in a real sense, it is a fight for our democracy. Whose voice gets to be heard in this chamber? That’s what this is about—the character of the country.
    Ordinary Americans don’t want to do this to our children. That’s why they need to know that 71% of all Medicaid enrollees in Georgia are children. 71%. Taking away health care from kids to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.
    Now, let me be clear, I’m all for tax cuts. I believe working families deserve a tax cut, and I certainly don’t want to see them face a tax hike this year. That’s why I want to nearly double the child tax credit. I believe in tax cuts for hard-working families, for middle class people, for working-class families.
    But instead of doing that, instead of helping working class families who are struggling now against a 10% tax on everything, rising costs, we’re now burdening our children by adding $3 trillion to the debt. We’re taking away health care from kids and then burdening them with the debt. We are engaged in Robin Hood in reverse, this body, of stealing from the poor in order to give to the rich. This massive transfer of wealth from the bottom to the to the top. This is socialism for the rich.
    When the people hear about it, guess what? They don’t like it, Democrats and Republicans and Independents. When the people hear about what’s in this Big Ugly Bill, they don’t like it. That’s why the folks on the other side are trying their best to fast-track it. That’s why they’re trying to pass it and they haven’t even finished writing it—twisting themselves in knots, making their members walk the plank under the threat of a primary to pass this Big Ugly Bill.
    The American people do not want to rob our children of food and health care, and then burn them with trillions in debt to give billionaires and wealthy corporations another tax cut. The people do not want this bill.
    And so if the people do not want this bill, if they are trying to pass it. Here’s the question you got to ask yourselves at home, you have to ask yourselves, well, who are they working for? Who are they fighting for? Who do they think matters? Do you think they are working for you?
    This is a moral moment and a budget is a moral document. We have been summoned to this moment, people of faith and people of moral courage who claim no particular faith at all. Maybe because I was here yesterday and eight years ago for a similar fight with faith leaders. Maybe because I’m a preacher, and it’s Sunday, and I’ve been here instead of church, I have especially been thinking about those of us who are people of faith. People whose lives are informed by scripture, people of the book. And maybe those of us who have different politics but read from the same book ought to spend some time together reading the book, because I do sometimes wonder, and I say this with all humility, none of us owns the truth. But if I’m honest, there are days when I have to ask people of my faith tradition as a Christian, are we reading the same book?
    The book I know says, I was hungry and you fed me. I was sick, I was in prison, and you visited me. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. In as much as you’ve done it to the least of these, you’ve done it also unto me. The book that I love says, learn to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow, speak out for those who cannot. Speak for the rights of the destitute. Speak out. Judge righteously. Defend the rights of the poor and the needy. My book says whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and will be repaid in full. The prophet Amos condemns those who buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. They sell the poor out and working class people for cheap.
    For those of us who have a vote in this moment, my colleagues, who are swinging on a moral dilemma, I hear the prophet Micah say he has already told you what is good. What does the Lord require that you do justice, love, kindness, walk humbly with your God.
    May God be with our nation and grant us grace, wisdom and courage for this moment.
    Madam President, I yield the floor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited, Prax Storage Lindsey Limited and Prax Terminals Killingholme Limited in Liquidation: information for customers, suppliers, creditors and sub-contractors

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited, Prax Storage Lindsey Limited and Prax Terminals Killingholme Limited in Liquidation: information for customers, suppliers, creditors and sub-contractors

    On 30 June 2025, a winding-up order was made against Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited, Prax Storage Lindsey Limited, and Prax Terminals Killingholme Limited. The court appointed the Official Receiver, Gareth Jonathan Allen, as Liquidator.

    Following an application made by the Official Receiver, the court has also appointed Matthew Callaghan, Andrew Johnson, Joanne Hewitt-Schembri and Samuel Ballinger of FTI Consulting LLP as Special Managers of the companies. The Special Managers have been appointed to assist the Official Receiver with the liquidations. 

    The Official Receiver will wind-up the companies in accordance with his statutory duties. He also has a duty to investigate the cause of the companies’ failure and conduct of current and former directors.  

    Information for customers and suppliers 

    If you are a customer of Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited, Prax Storage Lindsey Limited, and Prax Terminals Killingholme Limited please contact the Special Managers via email:  PLOR.customers@fticonsulting.com.  

    If you are a supplier of Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited, Prax Storage Lindsey Limited, or Prax Terminals Killingholme Limited, please contact the Special Managers via email:  PLOR.suppliers@fticonsulting.com 

    Information for creditors  

    You will need to register as a creditor in the liquidation Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited, Prax Storage Lindsey Limited, and Prax Terminals Killingholme Limited if: 

    • you have not been paid for goods or services you’ve supplied 
    • you have paid the company for goods or services that you have not received.  

    To register as a creditor, you will need to complete a Proof of Debt, clearly identifying which company owes you money. A Proof of Debt form can be downloaded at GOV.UK 

    Please return the form, together with all supporting documentation, to the Liquidator at PLOR.Creditor@Insolvency.gov.uk 

    Once you have registered and the Official Receiver receives your Proof of Debt he will add you to the list of creditors and include you on future correspondence about the liquidation. 

    Information for sub-contractors 

    If you are a sub-contractor of Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited, Prax Storage Lindsey Limited, or Prax Terminals Killingholme Limited and are owed money, then you should register as a creditor and will need to complete a Proof of Debt. This can be downloaded at GOV.UK

    Please return the form, together with all supporting documentation, to the Liquidator at PLOR.Creditor@Insolvency.gov.uk.   

    If you were a sub-contractor of any other company in the State Oil group, you should contact that company if you have any concerns.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –