Category: Politics

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: G7 Foreign Ministers’ statement marking two years since the beginning of Sudan war
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

G7 Foreign Ministers’ statement marking two years since the beginning of Sudan war

The G7 Foreign Ministers’ have issued a joint statement marking two years since the beginning of the war in Sudan.
We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, unequivocally denounce the ongoing conflict, atrocities and grave human rights violations and abuses in Sudan, as the world marks two years since the beginning of the devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

As a direct result of the actions of the SAF and the RSF, the people of Sudan, especially women and children, are enduring the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crises, and continued atrocities, including widespread conflict-related sexual violence, ethnically motivated attacks and reprisal killings. These must end immediately.

We strongly condemn the RSF attacks carried out in and around El Fasher on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk IDP camps, which have caused numerous casualties, including humanitarian workers. Civilians must be protected and allowed safe passage.

As famine continues to spread across Sudan, G7 members are disturbed by reports of the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and reiterate that such actions are prohibited under international humanitarian law.

We call on the warring parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration, which include the crucial responsibility to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants and between civilian objects and military targets.

We call on all parties to the conflict to lift impediments to effective crossline humanitarian assistance, provide assurances of safety and security for local and international humanitarian actors, and allow humanitarian access through all border crossings into Sudan, including through South Sudan and Chad. We recognize the important role of Emergency Response Rooms in providing for and protecting civilians and call for their protection. We further call on all parties to refrain from attacks on critical infrastructure that civilians rely upon, including dams and telecommunications systems.

We call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and urge both the SAF and the RSF to engage meaningfully in serious, constructive negotiations. All external actors must cease any support that further fuels the conflict, in accordance with the Declaration of Principles adopted at the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighbouring Countries in Paris in 2024 and the United Nations arms embargo on Darfur. We condemn all violations and unlawful attacks by the SAF, the RSF, and their allied militias.

For sustainable peace in Sudan, any resolution to the conflict must be rooted in the voices of Sudanese civilians. Women, youth, and civil society must be meaningfully included in all peace processes.

We reaffirm our support for a democratic transition and express our solidarity with the people of Sudan in their efforts to shape the future of their country that reflects their aspirations for freedom, peace and justice.

The sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Sudan are paramount.

G7 members remain committed to deepening collective diplomatic efforts to bring about an end to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and secure an end to the conflict, including through the London Sudan Conference.

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Published 15 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA News: “Sanctuary” Policies Put Accused Killer Back on the Streets
Source: The White House
So-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions endanger the lives of the Americans who live there.

The latest example comes in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where an illegal immigrant was arrested, charged with murder and assault, then released back onto the streets despite an ICE immigration detainer request — a result of the county’s insane “sanctuary” policies.

Fortunately, ICE eventually arrested the illegal immigrant and he’ll soon be on his way back to Guatemala.

The negligence of leftist politicians is putting lives at risk.
- In 2019, then-Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks — now a U.S. Senator — bragged about “not participating in immigration enforcement” and claimed in 2024 that immigration enforcement “should not be the responsibility of local governments.”
- In 2019, then-Prince George’s County Council Member Deni Taveras — now a member of the Maryland House of Delegates — said “there is an incredible amount of fear” about immigration enforcement.
- Acting Prince George’s County Executive Tara Jackson said: “The Prince George’s County Police Department does not engage in federal immigration enforcement actions … Our focus is on ensuring public safety and building trust with all members of our community, regardless of their immigration status.”
- Maryland State Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George’s) introduced a bill to ban local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with ICE: “People would not feel safe in terms of reporting actual crime that is taking place within their communities.”
- Maryland State Sen. Alonzo Washington (D-Prince George’s) said local law enforcement should not be enforcing immigration laws: “We’re going to build a better relationship with our immigrant community so we know exactly who they are and we can protect them.”
MIL OSI USA News –
April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Energy Secretary Chris Wright Delivers Remarks in Riyadh Following U.S.-Saudi Energy Cooperation MOU Announcement

Source: US Department of Energy

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright delivered remarks at a press conference in Riyadh on Sunday and announced the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at a later date to advance cooperation across key areas of energy. The non-binding agreement outlines a framework for collaboration in both traditional and emerging energy sectors, reinforcing shared strategic priorities without financial or legal commitments.

Secretary Wright’s full remarks from the press conference are below:

I want to start by thanking my fabulous hosts, the Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. They’ve been so welcoming for myself and our delegation from the United States to come talk about our nations, our road to cooperation, our road for mutual beneficial progress going forward. We’ve made very wide-ranging dialogs for a day and a half now, and they’re going to continue.

We’ve talked about energy and all aspects of energy. We’ve talked about mining critical materials. We’ve talked about processing and industry. We’ve talked about climate change. We’ve talked about human lives and what drives their improvement and how best to achieve those ends.

We’ve talked about some of the obstacles that both of our countries have struggled with in the last several years, particularly on energy. You know, we’ve had a growing global movement, including in my country, the United States, that stood in opposition to energy development—somehow thought the road to a better world was less energy, less empowerment of individuals, and therefore less economic prosperity and less freedom.

So, our broader objectives, which we share, are prosperity at home and peace abroad. We’ve also talked about geo-politics. Peace abroad is every bit as critical as prosperity at home, but they’re linked together. They’re linked together.

Our newly elected President Trump was elected very much on a platform of removing barriers in the United States to the prosperity of our citizens. And by making America stronger and our people more prosperous, our relationships with our allies stronger, we can achieve peace abroad.

As the broader agenda— we discussed, we came at the end to an agreement. We’re coming together on a memorandum that’s broad, and I will announce that right now. We will sign it at a later date, but we’ve developed a broad memorandum of so many areas that the two countries will work together in cooperation to better develop energy resources, energy infrastructure, both in the United States and here in the Kingdom—mining cooperation, civilian nuclear technology and energy production.

We’re going to work on that as well. There’s simply so many aligned interests of our two nations. So, I will announce the agreement of a memorandum. There’ll be a separate date where we’ll sign that memorandum and announce more of the specific efforts that are going to be launched based on that.

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senate Democrats Highlight How DOGE Social Security Takeover Hurts Americans

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
April 15, 2025
Democrats mark “Save Social Security Day of Action”
Trump, Musk, DOGE continue to fire staff, close offices, cut vital services
Washington, D.C. – On the “Save Social Security Day of Action,” Senate Democrats are highlighting how Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) takeover of the Social Security Administration is hurting Americans.
Read these stories from communities across the country:
New York Times: ‘Just a Mess’: Staff Cuts, Rushed Changes and Anxiety at Social Security: “‘I didn’t know he was going to pull this,’ said Teresa Boswell, whose vote for Mr. Trump in November helped flip Arizona, but who found herself fuming outside the Social Security office in Glendale last week, unable to sign up for $1,200 in monthly benefits after she retired from her job processing legal papers. ‘This is a joke.’
Virender Kanwal, a biology professor in New Jersey, applied for retirement benefits online at the end of February, a few months before her 70th birthday. She said she knew she would have to provide proof of her citizenship to complete the process but did not want to risk mailing in her passport, so she planned to visit a field office. To do so, she needed an appointment, and those need to be secured over the phone. Ms. Kanwal said she called daily for weeks but never got through…She began calling every few minutes, and said she was eventually placed on hold for six and a half hours before an agent finally answered just before midnight and gave her an appointment. “This is not what we expect from our country,” Ms. Kanwal said.
In Poughkeepsie, N.Y., a 90-year-old man using a walker came to a field office because he thought he had to prove he was still alive. In Clinton, S.C., a woman with one leg fell down in the parking lot after coming into the office to show her identification.
In Southern California, older people with disabilities are spending hours taking public buses to get to Social Security offices only to be turned away, nonprofit groups said.
‘People just don’t know what’s going to happen,’ said Bob Kelley, founder of the San Diego Seniors Foundation. ‘Everything is up in the air, so it’s just confusion right now.’
Bonnie Baum, 68, a resident of the sprawling 55-and-older community Sun City West, decided to stick it out in the hopes of talking to someone. She said her application for $1,800 in monthly retirement benefits had been rejected because she did not file the paperwork on time. She had been unable to reach anyone on the phone, and said she had enough difficulty navigating her smartphone, much less Social Security’s online system. ‘It’s just a mess,” she said.”
Washington Post: Social Security website keeps crashing, as DOGE demands cuts to IT staff: “The [Social Security] website has crashed repeatedly in recent weeks, with outages lasting anywhere from 20 minutes to almost a day, according to six current and former officials with knowledge of the issues. Even when the site is back online, many customers have not been able to sign in to their accounts — or have logged in only to find information missing. For others, access to the system has been slow, requiring repeated tries to get in.
In Upland, California, 72-year-old Kathy Stecher began trying to apply for retirement benefits more than a week ago. One of her first steps was to visit the Social Security website to book a required appointment at her local field office, because she believed she had to authenticate her identity in person first. But over several days stretching from last month through Wednesday, the website wouldn’t let Stecher schedule a visit…When she finally reached someone on the phone, the website’s booking tool wasn’t working, she said. The employee sighed and told her that similar problems have become routine, forcing customers to wait on hold for hours.
In recent weeks, Robert Raniolo, 67, a retired financial analyst in New York, found himself stuck when he tried to update his emergency contact by designating his niece instead of his wife, who has dementia. Since he began receiving retirement benefits five years ago, Raniolo has never missed a payment or had trouble getting online, he said. But this time he got an error message — and kept getting them. ‘Bad Request,’ read one notification, according to a screenshot he provided to The Washington Post. ‘There has been an unexpected system error,’ read another. He was directed to try again during ‘regular service hours’ on the East Coast. So Raniolo kept trying…Nothing worked.’
CBS: Social Security wrongly told disabled people and some seniors their benefits ended, causing alarm: “Chris Hubbard, whose 37-year-old disabled adult son relies on the program to pay for his group home, told CBS MoneyWatch she became aware of the problem on March 31, when people in a Facebook group for mothers of autistic children flagged the problem.
Hubbard, who lives with her husband in Westborough, Massachusetts, said she checked her son’s account and was alarmed to find a similar message, leading her to stay up through the night to keep refreshing the page. She fell asleep at 5 a.m. without seeing a change, she said.
‘I was continuing to be worried because the message was still on the site, saying this beneficiary doesn’t receive payments,’ Hubbard said.
The next morning, however, the correct information was on her son’s page, and the money was deposited on April 1, as scheduled. But she and her husband say they received no outreach from Social Security about the problem, or an explanation of the error. They opted against calling the agency because of the long waits now often required to get someone on the phone.
The Hubbards said they’re worried the glitch could signal more problems with the service, pointing to the potential impact of cuts to SSA’s workforce.”
Washington Post: Long waits, waves of calls, website crashes: Social Security is breaking down: “The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. And the phones keep ringing. And ringing.
The recording that 66-year-old Kathy Martinez heard when she called the toll-free number two weeks ago from the San Francisco Bay Area said her hold time would be more than three hours — she was calling to ask what her retirement benefits would come to if she filed for them now or waited until she turned 70. She hung up and tried again last week at 7 a.m. Pacific time. The wait was more than 120 minutes, but she was offered a callback option, and in two hours she spoke with a ‘phenomenally kind person who called me,’ she said. Martinez said she wants to wait to file for benefits to maximize her check. But ‘I’m kind of thinking, I wonder if I should take it now. When I apply, I will do it over the phone. But will there still be a phone system?’
In one office in central Indiana, the phone lines are jammed by 9 a.m. with hundreds of retirees, further taxing a staff of less than a dozen that is responsible for nearly 70,000 claimants across the state, according to one employee. That worker, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said the questions have become predictable: What is the U.S. DOGE Service doing to Social Security? Will the office close? Will my benefits continue?
In one Philadelphia office, the federal government’s return-to-office edict has left 1,200 staffers competing for about 300 parking spots, according to an employee. Staffers wake up as early as 4:30 a.m. to try to snag a space, and some are buying backup spots for $200 a month nearby. As morale has cratered, some employees have stopped wearing business clothes and now come to work in jeans and a T-shirt because, as they tell colleagues, they no longer take pride in their work, the employee said.
In Baltimore, an employee who works on critical payment systems said nearly a quarter of his team is already gone or will soon be out the door as a result of resignations and retirements. Talented software developers and analysts were quick to secure high-paying jobs in the private sector, he said — and the reduction in highly skilled staff is already having consequences. His office is supposed to complete several software updates and modernization processes required by law within the next few weeks and months, he said. But with the departures, it seems increasingly likely that it will miss those deadlines.”
Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) published an op-ed in Fox News arguing that Trump and Musk gutting Social Security isn’t “efficiency” — it’s a broken promise to the American people.
Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room is a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: April 15, 2025 Rep. Mullin’s Statement on President Trump Failing to Return Abrego Garcia to United States This is a dangerous example of Trump’s sinister approach to immigration and his willingness to defy court orders. Not only is he refusing to return a Maryland man who the DOJ mistakenly sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador,… Read More

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Kevin Mullin California (15th District)

This is a dangerous example of Trump’s sinister approach to immigration and his willingness to defy court orders. Not only is he refusing to return a Maryland man who the DOJ mistakenly sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador, dictator Trump is now threatening to send our own US citizens overseas. He forgets that in America we have fundamental rights and a rule of law.

Actions like this are why I recently introduced a House resolution affirming the judicial branch as a co-equal branch of government and making clear the Administration must adhere to all court orders.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Continues Efforts to Stop Unlawful Tax Return Preparers
Source: US State of North Dakota

Today, the federal tax filing deadline, the Justice Department’s Tax Division acknowledges the majority of taxpayers and tax return preparers who voluntarily meet their yearly filing obligations. The Tax Division also cautions taxpayers to choose their return preparers carefully and to look out for unscrupulous preparers who make promises of tax reductions not based on legitimate positions and who include errors or false information on tax returns that could leave a taxpayer subject to liability for unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest.

Over the last year, the Tax Division has worked with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country to bring civil and criminal actions against dishonest tax preparers. These actions include criminal indictments and prison sentences when appropriate as well as civil injunctions to stop ongoing fraud, civil penalties, and disgorgement of ill-gotten proceeds when appropriate. The Justice Department’s message has been clear: those who prepare fraudulent returns will face serious and lasting consequences.

Examples of civil injunctions obtained by the Tax Division over the last and current filing seasons include:
- On Oct. 28, 2024, a federal district court in the Southern District of Indiana permanently enjoined Juan Santiago and his tax preparation business, Madison Solutions LLC, from preparing tax returns for others or employing any person acting as a federal tax return preparer. The government’s complaint alleged that Santiago and his business engaged in fraudulent filing schemes by improperly claiming Head of Household filing status, the Child Tax Credit, and business deductions to which their clients were not entitled. The government estimated that these false returns cost the government over $1 million each filing season.
- On Oct. 3, 2024, a federal district court in the Southern District of Florida entered a permanent injunction against George and Luis Brito and their business, Brito and Brito Accounting USA Inc. The injunction prohibits them from preparing tax returns for others. The government’s complaint alleged that since 2019, the Britos had prepared thousands of tax returns annually, and that they prepared returns that understated their clients’ income by claiming false or inflated business expenses and fabricating residential energy credits.
- On March 29, 2024, following a 12-day trial, a federal district court in the Eastern District of Michigan permanently enjoined Annetta Powell and seven of her businesses from preparing tax returns for others. The court found that Powell and her businesses prepared returns that reported fake Schedule C businesses and business expenses, claimed household help income they knew the customers did not qualify for, and claimed head of household filing status without doing the required due diligence. The court also ordered Powell to disgorge $697,797 in ill-gotten profits.
The Tax Division has also sought to strip fraudulent preparers of ill-gotten gains and to hold in contempt those who attempt to flout court-ordered restraints on further fraudulent activity. Over the last year, the division has brought these cases to court, including:
- On Oct. 24, 2024, a federal district court in the Northern District of Texas held that Jennifer Murley violated a previous injunction against returning tax returns for others. The IRS had suspended Murley’s Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN), but she and her tax preparation firm misappropriated EFINs assigned to others. The court ordered Murley to disgorge over $700,000 in ill-gotten gains she received for preparing returns in violation of the previous court order.
- On Oct. 23, 2024, a federal district court in the Southern District of Florida found Gerald Vito and James Eleby in contempt for violating a previous injunction from 2021 that enjoined them from preparing tax returns for others. Vito and Eleby worked with Kwame Thomas to continue to file returns after being barred from doing so, and the court ordered them to disgorge a total of $988,789.56 in ill-gotten and to notify their clients of the injunction or face possible incarceration.
Criminal indictments and convictions against fraudulent preparers obtained by the Tax Division since the 2024 filing season include the following :
- Thierry Musese, who ran a return preparation business from his barbershop located in Auburn, Maine, was charged with preparing false returns and generating fraudulent refunds for clients by including bogus business losses, fuel and residential energy credits. Musese also allegedly defrauded his clients by diverting a portion of their tax refund to himself without their permission. If convicted Musese faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of preparing a false tax return and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud.
- John Borgela, a Florida return preparer, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiring to file hundreds of false tax returns for clients from his business, Empire Tax services. Borgela typically inflated tax withholdings and reported fictitious itemized deductions to reduce his clients’ tax liability or to generate refunds. He concealed his involvement in the fraud by not including his name as the person who prepared the return on his clients’ tax returns.
- Vervia Watts, a return preparer in Illinois, was sentenced to one year and a day in prison for preparing and filing false returns for clients. Watts prepared over 900 fraudulent income tax returns for her clients, reporting false education expenses and business income to obtain larger refunds from the IRS. She caused a tax loss to the United States of approximately $1.3 million.
- On April 17, 2024, Jonathan Barefoot, a Mississippi return preparer, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for preparing false tax returns for clients. Barefoot conspired with others to claim inflated tax refunds for clients by reporting false education credits, itemized deductions, and business losses. He and his co-conspirators caused a loss to the United States of approximately $3.5 million.
The Tax Division reminds taxpayers that the IRS has information, tips, and reminders on its site for choosing a tax preparer carefully (Choosing a Tax Professional and How to Choose a Tax Return Preparer) and has launched a free directory of credentialed federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers taxpayers tips to protect their identities and wallets when filing their taxes.

In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $79,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.

In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained civil injunctions and criminal convictions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

MIL OSI USA News –
April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gambian Man Convicted on Torture Charges

Source: US State of North Dakota

A Colorado jury convicted a Gambian national, Michael Sang Correa, on torture charges for his participation in the torture of numerous victims in The Gambia in 2006, including through beating and flesh burning, because of the victims’ purported involvement in a plot against The Gambia’s then-President, Yahya Jammeh.

“Michael Sang Correa tried to evade responsibility for his crimes in The Gambia by coming to the United States and hiding his past,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “But we found him, we investigated him, and we prosecuted him. The lesson is: if you commit violent crimes—let alone torture or other human rights violations—do not come to the United States. If you do, the Department of Justice, together with its law enforcement partners, will leave no stone unturned to see that your crimes are exposed and justice is served. I thank the jurors for their service and the witnesses for the courage to relive the horror they experienced at Correa’s hands.”

“The torture inflicted by Michael Sang Correa and his co-conspirators is abhorrent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado. “Today’s verdict shows you can’t get away with coming to Colorado to hide from your past crimes. The jurors are to be commended for their service throughout this trial and the witnesses for traveling so far to serve the interests of justice.”

“Correa’s crimes caught up with him today,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Denver, who oversees HSI operations in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. “Correa chose the wrong country to try to escape from justice. HSI actively investigates and apprehends human rights violators who run from their criminal pasts and come here. We have a zero-tolerance policy for human rights violators.”

According to evidence presented at trial, Michael Sang Correa, 46, served in an armed unit known as the “Junglers,” which answered to The Gambia’s then-President, Yahya Jammeh. The jury found that, as a Jungler, Correa conspired with others to commit torture. The jury also found that, together with others, he tortured five victims. The evidence at trial showed that Correa and his co-conspirators targeted these victims based on suspicions that they plotted against Jammeh.

The evidence at trial proved that in March 2006, shortly after a failed coup attempt, Correa and his co-conspirators transported the victims to the main prison of The Gambia, known as “Mile 2 Prison.” For the rest of the month of March and well into April 2006, Correa and his co-conspirators beat, stabbed, burned, and electrocuted the victims. A victim testified that he had his thigh burned by hot, molten plastic; the Junglers also placed the victim in a large bag, suspended him in the air, and dropped him to the ground. Another victim testified that he was suffocated when Correa and his co-conspirators placed a plastic bag over his head; one of Correa’s co-conspirators also put the barrel of a pistol in his mouth. In addition to suffocation from a plastic bag over the head, another victim testified he was electrocuted on his body, including his genitals; hanged upside down and beaten in that position; and stabbed in the shoulder. A fourth victim endured electrocution and was hit in the head with a pistol. A fifth victim’s testimony indicated that he had cigarettes extinguished into his skin and experienced electrocution and was also struck in the face with a hammer. These and other horrific acts of torture and abuse emerged in the testimony of the victims at trial and revealed that Correa played an integral role in inflicting this torture on the victims.

Ten years after these crimes, Correa obtained a visa to enter the United States, arriving in this country in December 2016. Correa escaped apprehension until 2019, and upon his arrest by ICE that year he was placed in removal proceedings. He was charged with torture in 2020. This is the first conviction of a non-U.S. citizen on torture charges in a federal district court.

Correa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the five torture counts and the count of conspiracy to commit torture. He will remain in U.S. custody pending his sentencing at a date to be determined by the Court. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The HSI Denver Field Office investigated the case, with support from HSI agents in Senegal, as well as personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Banjul, The Gambia, and the FBI Legal Attaché in Senegal. The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC) significantly supported the case. Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers.

Acting Principal Deputy Chief Christina Giffin and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Hindman and Laura Cramer-Babycz for the District of Colorado prosecuted the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden.

Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also email HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov or complete its online tip form at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: San Antonio, Texas Woman Indicted for Fraudulently Selling Thousands of Counterfeit Coupons Causing Losses to Retailers Across the United States in Excess of $17 Million

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey returned a six-count indictment against a San Antonio, Texas woman for fraudulently creating and selling over $17 million worth of counterfeit retail coupons used at various retail stores across the United States for the purchase of household items, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Janet Bernal, 48, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. According to the Indictment:

From June 2020 through August 2024, Bernal orchestrated a fraudulent scheme to produce and sell fraudulent, counterfeit coupons for use by purchasers at retail stores throughout the United States, including large pharmacies and grocery stores. In furtherance of her scheme, Bernal offered counterfeit coupons through a monthly fee-based subscription group that was available on a commonly used Internet cloud-based messaging application. Members subscribed to the group, paid the monthly fee, and then had unlimited access to numerous types of counterfeit coupons that Bernal posted for download.

Members paid the monthly fee via mobile cash accounts that Bernal directly controlled. Over the span of the scheme, members downloaded thousands of counterfeit coupons and redeemed them at retail stores throughout New Jersey and elsewhere in the United States. In total, the loss to the retail stores and to the manufacturers whose products were covered by the counterfeit coupons was in excess of $17 million.

The conspiracy and wire fraud counts carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense, per count.

United States Attorney Alina Habba credited postal inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, in Newark, with the investigation leading to the indictment.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel:

Carol Dominguez, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender

MIL Security OSI –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI: Intermap Presenting at the Planet MicroCap Showcase on April 23, 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DENVER, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intermap Technologies (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) (“Intermap” or the “Company”), a global leader in 3D geospatial products and intelligence solutions, today announced that its Chairman and CEO, Patrick A. Blott, will present at the Planet MicroCap Showcase: VEGAS 2025, in partnership with MicroCapClub on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET.

To access Intermap’s Planet MicroCap presentation

Date Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Time 12:30 pm PT / 3:30 pm ET

Webcast Watch here

In addition to his presentation, Mr. Blott will host one-on-one investor meetings on Thursday, April 24, 2025, providing an opportunity to discuss the Company’s strategic initiatives and ongoing performance. Interested parties can watch a pre-conference interview with Mr. Blott.

Intermap is executing on its global strategy following its upsized C$12 million bought deal in February. The Company’s multidimensional partnership with Indonesia continues to expand as demand grows from governments and insurers for its proprietary elevation data. In addition, expanding military collaborations are fueling the development of next-generation technologies, for which Intermap will hold exclusive commercial rights. These strategic initiatives underpin the Company’s 2025 revenue guidance of $30 to $35 million—with 70% growth at the low end—and are expected to boost the adjusted EBITDA margin to approximately 28% compared with 23% in 2024.

“We’ve never been in a stronger position to accelerate growth and create long-term value for our shareholders,” Patrick A. Blott, Intermap Chairman and CEO. “I look forward to updating investors at the Planet MicroCap Showcase on the full potential of Intermap.”

If you are unable to attend the live presentation, all Company webcasts will be available on the conference event platform under the Agenda tab.

To book a meeting with Intermap’s Chairman and CEO Patrick Blott
If you would like to book a one-on-one investor meeting with Intermap and to attend the Planet MicroCap Showcase: VEGAS 2025, in partnership with MicroCapClub, please make sure to register.

One-on-one meetings will be scheduled and conducted in person at the conference venue: Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Intermap Reader Advisory
Certain information provided in this news release, including reference to revenue growth, constitutes forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate”, “expect”, “project”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “will be”, “will consider”, “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermap’s forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things, cash available to fund operations, availability of capital, revenue fluctuations, nature of government contracts, economic conditions, loss of key customers, retention and availability of executive talent, competing technologies, common share price volatility, loss of proprietary information, software functionality, internet and system infrastructure functionality, information technology security, breakdown of strategic alliances, and international and political considerations, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed Intermap’s Annual Information Form and other securities filings. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law.

About Planet MicroCap
Planet MicroCap is a global multimedia financial news, publishing and events company for the MicroCap investing community. We have cultivated an active and engaged audience of folks who are interested in learning about and staying ahead of the curve in the MicroCap space. The Planet MicroCap Showcase: VEGAS 2025 in partnership with MicroCapClub website is available here.

About Intermap Technologies
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermap’s 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the world’s largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Company’s collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermap’s products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation.

For more information, please visit www.intermap.com or contact:
Jennifer Bakken
Executive Vice President and CFO
CFO@intermap.com
+1 (303) 708-0955

Sean Peasgood
Investor Relations
Sean@SophicCapital.com
+1 (647) 260-9266

The MIL Network –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI: Rivalry Announces Application for a Management Cease Trade Order for Late Filing of Annual Filings

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rivalry Corp. (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQB: RVLCF) (“Rivalry” or the “Company”), the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for digital-first players, today announces that it will be late in filing its audited financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2024 and related certifications (the “Annual Filings”).

In response to the Annual Filings delay, the Company has applied to the Ontario Securities Commission for a management cease trade order (the “MCTO”) under National Policy 12-203 – Management Cease Trade Orders (“NP 12-203”) that will prohibit the management of the Company from trading in the securities of the Company until such time as the Annual Filings are filed. No decision has yet been made by the Ontario Securities Commission on this application. The Ontario Securities Commission may grant the application and issue the MCTO or it may impose an issuer cease trade order if the Annual Filings are not filed in a timely fashion. If the MCTO is granted, such an order would not generally affect the ability of persons who have not been directors, officers or insiders of the Company to trade the securities of the Company pending the filing of the Annual Filings on SEDAR+.

As previously announced, the Company has initiated a review of strategic alternatives to maximize long-term stakeholder value (the “Strategic Review”). The Company has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to utilize its current management resources to advance the Strategic Review, resulting in a delay of completing the Annual Filings by the April 30, 2025 deadline.

The Company is working on the preparation of the Annual Filings and expects to complete the Strategic Review and the Annual Filings by June 30, 2025. Until the Annual Filings are filed, the Company intends to satisfy the provisions of the Alternate Information Guidelines as set out in NP 12-203 for as long as it remains in default, including the issuance of bi-weekly default status reports, each of which will be issued in the form of a news release.

The Company confirms that it is not subject to any insolvency proceeding as of the date hereof. The Company also confirms that there is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed as of the date hereof.

Company Contact:
Steven Salz, Co-founder & CEO
ss@rivalry.com

Investor Contact:
investors@rivalry.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “achieve”, “could”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “objective”, “continuous”, “ongoing”, “estimate”, “outlook”, “expect”, “project” and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Strategic Review, the anticipated filing of the Annual Filings, the application for the MCTO and the granting thereof by the Ontario Securities Commission.

Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management of the Company at the date the statements are made based on information then available to the Company. Various factors and assumptions are applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to and involve a number of known and unknown, variables, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause the Company’s actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations; the ability to obtain and maintain required licenses; the esports and sports betting industry being a heavily regulated industry; the complex and evolving regulatory environment for the online gaming and online gambling industry; the success of esports and other betting products are not guaranteed; changes in public perception of the esports and online gambling industry; negative cash flow from operations and the Company’s ability to operate as a going concern; failure to retain or add customers; the Company having a limited operating history; operational risks; cybersecurity risks; reliance on management; reliance on third parties and third-party networks; exchange rate risks; risks related to cryptocurrency transactions; risk of intellectual property infringement or invalid claims; the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability; competition, including from more established or better financed competitors; and general economic, market and business conditions. For additional risks, please see the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 under the heading “Risk Factors”, and other disclosure documents available on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

No assurance can be given that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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.

The MIL Network –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Barry Moore issues statement on Inspector General Report on U.S. Space Command Headquarters Decision

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Barry Moore

Washington D.C. – U.S. Representative Barry Moore (AL-01) released the following statement today after the release of an Inspector General report concerning the location of U.S. Space Command.

“An objective and rigorous process ranked Huntsville as the top choice for Space Command Headquarters. The Biden Administration’s decision to move U.S. Space Command to Colorado Springs was purely political and not based in merit,” said Moore. “The report from the Inspector General confirms this and proves what we have known all along – that Space Command belongs in Alabama. I will continue working with the other members of the Alabama delegation to ensure that decisions involving our national security will be made based on what is truly best for the nation instead.”

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Barry Moore introduces Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Barry Moore

Washington D.C. – This week, U.S. Representative Barry Moore (AL-01) introduced the Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has clearly been weaponized against the American people and their latest abuse is the use of taxpayer dollars to purchase firearms for agents. This legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Mary Miller (R-IL), and Clay Higgins (R-LA).

Since the start of 2020, the IRS has spent $10 million on weapons, ammo, and combat gear.

This legislation:
- Prohibits the IRS from purchasing, receiving, or storing firearms and ammo.
- Requires the IRS to transfer to the General Services Administration (GSA) any firearms or ammunition under IRS control.
- Compels GSA to initiate the sell and auction of the firearms to licensed dealers and the ammunition to the general public.
- Transfers the IRS Criminal Investigations Division to be folded into the Department of Justice’s jurisdiction.
“The IRS has consistently been weaponized against American citizens, targeted religious organizations, journalists, gun owners, and everyday Americans,” said Moore. “Arming these agents does not make the American public safer. My legislation, the Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act, would disarm these agents, auction off their guns to Federal Firearms License Owners, and sell their ammunition to the public. The only thing IRS agents should be armed with are calculators.”

“It is a shocking fact that the Biden administration spent over $10 million on firearms and ammunitions for IRS employees. This is especially troubling in light of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government’s investigation into the IRS which exposed patterns of political targeting and harassment by agents. I am proud to support Congressman Moore’s bill which rightly strips the IRS of its arsenal and transfers the Criminal Investigations Division to the Department of Justice. The Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act will ensure the agency sticks to its mission of collecting revenue rather than moonlighting as a paramilitary law enforcement agency susceptible to politicization.” said Congresswoman Hageman.

“There is absolutely zero justification for wasting taxpayer dollars to arm a federal agency that was never meant to act as an enforcement arm of the government,” said Congresswoman Mary Miller. “The IRS doesn’t need a stockpile of guns and ammunition — it needs proper transparency, oversight, and accountability. I fully support Rep. Moore’s bill to disarm the IRS and end this dangerous power grab once and for all.”

“The weaponization of the IRS against working Americans is a threat to our Constitutional freedoms,” said Congressman Higgins. “IRS agents should not hit homes and businesses like SWAT teams, and they should not terrorize American families. This legislation disarms the IRS. I thank my colleague Congressman Moore for introducing this important legislation.”

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MIL OSI USA News –
April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Robert Garcia and Congressman Maxwell Frost Demand Oversight CODEL Travel to El Salvadorian Prison Holding Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Garcia California (42nd District)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10) sent a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer requesting authorization for a Congressional Member Delegation (CODEL) to visit Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT). The maximum-security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, is illegally holding Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and resident of Maryland who held legal status. The letter can be found here.

“In a unanimous decision in Noem v. Abrego Garcia, the United States Supreme Court ordered “the government to ‘facilitate’ Mr. Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been, had he not been wrongfully deported.” A Congressional delegation would allow Committee Members to conduct a welfare check on Mr. Abrego Garcia, as well as others held at CECOT, such as Andry José Hernandez—a 30-year-old LGBTQ makeup artist who passed a ‘credible fear’ interview during his legal asylum process before being deported,” wrote the lawmakers.

Congressman Garcia remains committed to reforming our immigration system, creating fair pathways to citizenship, and treating immigrants with respect and dignity. In July 2024, Congressman Garcia introduced the SHIELD Act, which allocated grants through the Attorney General and the Department of Justice to local and state governments to support the recruitment of staff and attorneys to ensure that immigrants receive quality, affordable representation in immigration court. Last Congress, Congressman Garcia led investigations into fundamental integrity and credibility issues within the DHS, including identifying what actions have been taken to address the threat of domestic violent extremism within the DHS. Congressman Garcia has also defended humane immigration procedures and condemned extreme rhetoric on immigration and border security that dehumanizes migrants legally seeking asylum. Congressman Garcia has also investigated the use of inappropriate language and behavior among Border Patrol agents within ICE toward immigrants following reports from the Huffington Post. Congressman Garcia also continues to champion legislation that increases resources and efficiencies for vital government departments and agencies.

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Government Expands Legislation to Target Street Weapons and Illicit Drugs

Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on April 15, 2025

Yesterday, the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan introduced House amendments to The Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act that will expand the Act to include fentanyl, hypodermic needles and methamphetamine.

Including fentanyl, methamphetamine and hypodermic needles as categories of street weapons recognizes the significant risks these items present to public safety. These amendments follow the government’s prior commitment to implement a comprehensive plan to protect communities from illicit fentanyl and methamphetamine production, transportation, trafficking and street use in the province.

The Act is expected to be passed during the spring sitting of the Legislative Assembly and come into force this summer after regulations have been finalized. Once in force, the Act will enable municipalities and First Nations to opt in to new rules to regulate the possession, transportation and storage of items potentially used as street weapons, such as large knives, machetes, hypodermic needles and bear spray.

“We are dedicated to creating safer communities for all Saskatchewan residents,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said. “This legislation represents a pivotal step in ensuring that public spaces remain places of enjoyment and comfort, free from intimidation, violence caused by street weapons and illicit drugs.”

The government recognizes that many items used as street weapons have legitimate, legal purposes. The legislation contains appropriate exemptions to ensure these items can continue to be used for their lawful purposes, such as medical treatment, food preparation and protection from wildlife threats.

These new rules form part of the government’s multi-ministry approach to safer communities and neighbourhoods, which also includes $11.9 million for approximately 100 new municipal police officers, $2.7 million for 14 new Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) personnel to target nuisance properties, $2.5 million for the Saskatchewan Police College over the next three years, and updating The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act to provide additional options to address nuisance properties.

For more information on Saskatchewan’s ongoing work to create safe communities and neighborhoods please visit:

Saskatchewan Announces Measures to Protect Communities Against Fentanyl and Methamphetamine | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan.

Government of Saskatchewan Announces Major Investments in Public Safety | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan.

Government of Saskatchewan Introduces New Bear Spray Regulations | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan.

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For more information, contact:

MIL OSI Canada News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ernst, Stefanik Expose Tax Dollars to China

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

WASHINGTON – As hardworking Americans report and pay taxes on every dollar earned under the threat of an audit, this Tax Day, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) are forcing Washington to live by the same rules when sending tax dollars to China.
After exposing that the Biden administration sent more than $18 million to China for everything from a bakery roadshow to DEI trainings, the lawmakers are introducing a new bill to require every penny sent to foreign adversaries be publicly disclosed.
“Americans should never send a cent to China,” said Ernst. “But you cannot stop what you cannot see. I am exposing every single tax dollar sent overseas to scrutinize and halt all wasteful spending.”
“My legislation will ensure hardworking taxpayer dollars are not funding our adversaries including Communist China as they work against American interests,” said Stefanik. “The days of poor stewardship over American dollars under the Biden Administration are long gone as House Republicans join President Trump in his efforts of rooting out government waste, fraud, and abuse.”
While most of the $18 million sent to China was publicly disclosed, more than $4 million sent by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was not, and a Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit confirmed that not all money being sent to China is being publicly disclosed.
To ensure that the American people know how their money is spent, Ernst and Stefanik are introducing the Tracking Receipts to Adversarial Countries for Knowledge of Spending (TRACKS) Act to require every penny sent to foreign adversaries or entities of particular concern, such as terrorist groups including the Taliban, to be accounted for and disclosed to the public for scrutiny.
Background:
Ernst has long fought to stop tax dollars from being sent overseas for risky research.
An Ernst-requested investigation exposed how EcoHealth sent over $1 million U.S. taxpayer dollars to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for risky experiments on bat coronaviruses. She also secured an audit by the Department of Defense’s Inspector General of risky research in China paid for by the Pentagon and hidden from the public.
She led the charge to permanently debar the Wuhan Institute of Virology and defund EcoHealth Alliance from receiving U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Ernst efforts also led to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defunding EcoHealth and promising to cut off any taxpayer dollars used for research of pandemic potential.
In her $2 trillion blueprint to slash waste in Washington, Ernst pointed to the millions being sent to China for secretive risky research.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Continues Efforts to Stop Unlawful Tax Return Preparers
Source: United States Department of Justice

Today, the federal tax filing deadline, the Justice Department’s Tax Division acknowledges the majority of taxpayers and tax return preparers who voluntarily meet their yearly filing obligations. The Tax Division also cautions taxpayers to choose their return preparers carefully and to look out for unscrupulous preparers who make promises of tax reductions not based on legitimate positions and who include errors or false information on tax returns that could leave a taxpayer subject to liability for unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest.

Over the last year, the Tax Division has worked with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country to bring civil and criminal actions against dishonest tax preparers. These actions include criminal indictments and prison sentences when appropriate as well as civil injunctions to stop ongoing fraud, civil penalties, and disgorgement of ill-gotten proceeds when appropriate. The Justice Department’s message has been clear: those who prepare fraudulent returns will face serious and lasting consequences.

Examples of civil injunctions obtained by the Tax Division over the last and current filing seasons include:
- On Oct. 28, 2024, a federal district court in the Southern District of Indiana permanently enjoined Juan Santiago and his tax preparation business, Madison Solutions LLC, from preparing tax returns for others or employing any person acting as a federal tax return preparer. The government’s complaint alleged that Santiago and his business engaged in fraudulent filing schemes by improperly claiming Head of Household filing status, the Child Tax Credit, and business deductions to which their clients were not entitled. The government estimated that these false returns cost the government over $1 million each filing season.
- On Oct. 3, 2024, a federal district court in the Southern District of Florida entered a permanent injunction against George and Luis Brito and their business, Brito and Brito Accounting USA Inc. The injunction prohibits them from preparing tax returns for others. The government’s complaint alleged that since 2019, the Britos had prepared thousands of tax returns annually, and that they prepared returns that understated their clients’ income by claiming false or inflated business expenses and fabricating residential energy credits.
- On March 29, 2024, following a 12-day trial, a federal district court in the Eastern District of Michigan permanently enjoined Annetta Powell and seven of her businesses from preparing tax returns for others. The court found that Powell and her businesses prepared returns that reported fake Schedule C businesses and business expenses, claimed household help income they knew the customers did not qualify for, and claimed head of household filing status without doing the required due diligence. The court also ordered Powell to disgorge $697,797 in ill-gotten profits.
The Tax Division has also sought to strip fraudulent preparers of ill-gotten gains and to hold in contempt those who attempt to flout court-ordered restraints on further fraudulent activity. Over the last year, the division has brought these cases to court, including:
- On Oct. 24, 2024, a federal district court in the Northern District of Texas held that Jennifer Murley violated a previous injunction against returning tax returns for others. The IRS had suspended Murley’s Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN), but she and her tax preparation firm misappropriated EFINs assigned to others. The court ordered Murley to disgorge over $700,000 in ill-gotten gains she received for preparing returns in violation of the previous court order.
- On Oct. 23, 2024, a federal district court in the Southern District of Florida found Gerald Vito and James Eleby in contempt for violating a previous injunction from 2021 that enjoined them from preparing tax returns for others. Vito and Eleby worked with Kwame Thomas to continue to file returns after being barred from doing so, and the court ordered them to disgorge a total of $988,789.56 in ill-gotten and to notify their clients of the injunction or face possible incarceration.
Criminal indictments and convictions against fraudulent preparers obtained by the Tax Division since the 2024 filing season include the following :
- Thierry Musese, who ran a return preparation business from his barbershop located in Auburn, Maine, was charged with preparing false returns and generating fraudulent refunds for clients by including bogus business losses, fuel and residential energy credits. Musese also allegedly defrauded his clients by diverting a portion of their tax refund to himself without their permission. If convicted Musese faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of preparing a false tax return and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud.
- John Borgela, a Florida return preparer, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiring to file hundreds of false tax returns for clients from his business, Empire Tax services. Borgela typically inflated tax withholdings and reported fictitious itemized deductions to reduce his clients’ tax liability or to generate refunds. He concealed his involvement in the fraud by not including his name as the person who prepared the return on his clients’ tax returns.
- Vervia Watts, a return preparer in Illinois, was sentenced to one year and a day in prison for preparing and filing false returns for clients. Watts prepared over 900 fraudulent income tax returns for her clients, reporting false education expenses and business income to obtain larger refunds from the IRS. She caused a tax loss to the United States of approximately $1.3 million.
- On April 17, 2024, Jonathan Barefoot, a Mississippi return preparer, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for preparing false tax returns for clients. Barefoot conspired with others to claim inflated tax refunds for clients by reporting false education credits, itemized deductions, and business losses. He and his co-conspirators caused a loss to the United States of approximately $3.5 million.
The Tax Division reminds taxpayers that the IRS has information, tips, and reminders on its site for choosing a tax preparer carefully (Choosing a Tax Professional and How to Choose a Tax Return Preparer) and has launched a free directory of credentialed federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers taxpayers tips to protect their identities and wallets when filing their taxes.

In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $79,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.

In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained civil injunctions and criminal convictions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

MIL Security OSI –
April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Gambian Man Convicted on Torture Charges

Source: United States Department of Justice

A Colorado jury convicted a Gambian national, Michael Sang Correa, on torture charges for his participation in the torture of numerous victims in The Gambia in 2006, including through beating and flesh burning, because of the victims’ purported involvement in a plot against The Gambia’s then-President, Yahya Jammeh.

“Michael Sang Correa tried to evade responsibility for his crimes in The Gambia by coming to the United States and hiding his past,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “But we found him, we investigated him, and we prosecuted him. The lesson is: if you commit violent crimes—let alone torture or other human rights violations—do not come to the United States. If you do, the Department of Justice, together with its law enforcement partners, will leave no stone unturned to see that your crimes are exposed and justice is served. I thank the jurors for their service and the witnesses for the courage to relive the horror they experienced at Correa’s hands.”

“The torture inflicted by Michael Sang Correa and his co-conspirators is abhorrent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado. “Today’s verdict shows you can’t get away with coming to Colorado to hide from your past crimes. The jurors are to be commended for their service throughout this trial and the witnesses for traveling so far to serve the interests of justice.”

“Correa’s crimes caught up with him today,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Denver, who oversees HSI operations in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. “Correa chose the wrong country to try to escape from justice. HSI actively investigates and apprehends human rights violators who run from their criminal pasts and come here. We have a zero-tolerance policy for human rights violators.”

According to evidence presented at trial, Michael Sang Correa, 46, served in an armed unit known as the “Junglers,” which answered to The Gambia’s then-President, Yahya Jammeh. The jury found that, as a Jungler, Correa conspired with others to commit torture. The jury also found that, together with others, he tortured five victims. The evidence at trial showed that Correa and his co-conspirators targeted these victims based on suspicions that they plotted against Jammeh.

The evidence at trial proved that in March 2006, shortly after a failed coup attempt, Correa and his co-conspirators transported the victims to the main prison of The Gambia, known as “Mile 2 Prison.” For the rest of the month of March and well into April 2006, Correa and his co-conspirators beat, stabbed, burned, and electrocuted the victims. A victim testified that he had his thigh burned by hot, molten plastic; the Junglers also placed the victim in a large bag, suspended him in the air, and dropped him to the ground. Another victim testified that he was suffocated when Correa and his co-conspirators placed a plastic bag over his head; one of Correa’s co-conspirators also put the barrel of a pistol in his mouth. In addition to suffocation from a plastic bag over the head, another victim testified he was electrocuted on his body, including his genitals; hanged upside down and beaten in that position; and stabbed in the shoulder. A fourth victim endured electrocution and was hit in the head with a pistol. A fifth victim’s testimony indicated that he had cigarettes extinguished into his skin and experienced electrocution and was also struck in the face with a hammer. These and other horrific acts of torture and abuse emerged in the testimony of the victims at trial and revealed that Correa played an integral role in inflicting this torture on the victims.

Ten years after these crimes, Correa obtained a visa to enter the United States, arriving in this country in December 2016. Correa escaped apprehension until 2019, and upon his arrest by ICE that year he was placed in removal proceedings. He was charged with torture in 2020. This is the first conviction of a non-U.S. citizen on torture charges in a federal district court.

Correa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the five torture counts and the count of conspiracy to commit torture. He will remain in U.S. custody pending his sentencing at a date to be determined by the Court. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The HSI Denver Field Office investigated the case, with support from HSI agents in Senegal, as well as personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Banjul, The Gambia, and the FBI Legal Attaché in Senegal. The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC) significantly supported the case. Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers.

Acting Principal Deputy Chief Christina Giffin and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Hindman and Laura Cramer-Babycz for the District of Colorado prosecuted the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden.

Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also email HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov or complete its online tip form at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.

MIL Security OSI –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Statement from Governor Phil Scott Regarding the Detention of Mohsen Mahdawi

Source: US State of Vermont

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement:

“Yesterday Vermonters witnessed the arrest of Mohsen Mahdawi, a foreign national with legal status to be in the United States of America. That legal status, the Bill of Rights, and Constitution of the United States all grant him, and all people, fundamental rights – including due process.

“Facts matter. If there is evidence that Mahdawi is a threat to the security of our nation, or Vermont, the federal government should make this information known, immediately. Probable cause based on real evidence is the only justification to deny someone their liberty, so if the federal government cannot produce that evidence, Mr. Mahdawi should be released.

“What cannot be justified, is how this action was undertaken. Law enforcement officers in this country should not operate in the shadows or hide behind masks.

“The power of the executive branch of the federal government is immense, but it is not infinite, and it is not absolute. We will remain in contact with the congressional delegation as we all seek further clarification of the facts in this case.”

###

MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Disaster Relief to Virginia Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Power Outage and Boil Water Advisory

Source: United States Small Business Administration

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans for small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations who sustained economic losses caused by the severe storms resulting in power outage and boil water advisory occurring Jan. 5-11. The SBA issued the administrative declaration for an economic injury disaster on April 9.

The declaration covers primary counties of Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, and Richmond City; and the adjacent counties of Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Fluvanna, King William, Louisa, New Kent, Powhatan, and Spotsylvania in Virginia.

SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.

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

The filing deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 9, 2026.

###

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

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

MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Saying Goodbye to Emily Fort, CASC Deputy Senior Administrator

Source: US Geological Survey

“That question of ‘Why does this matter?’ has really been the connecting thread through my circuitous career.”

Building on a background of physics and public policy, Emily found her way into the federal government fairly early in her career. After five years with a private government consulting firm, Emily joined the National Science Foundation in 2004 as a Program Analyst developing data and budget information systems.

“I enjoy working on the challenging, complicated problems the government deals with and trying to help,” she says. “I also find a lot of satisfaction focusing on the good of the American people.”

Loving the work but struggling with the “all day long coding on a computer by myself,” she moved to the Office of Management and Budget and eventually to the brand-new Department of the Interior National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC), which would later become the USGS National CASC.

Emily was thrilled to find a federal position in an applied science agency. But she had a big task in front her in the early days of data management with the CASCs.

“In the beginning, there was no system to track data management plans or to centrally manage and review proposals. Everybody just got everything via email,” she shares. “I was basically like, ‘This is not working for me.’ We needed to create a system that we could all use.”

That was easier said than done. A critical piece of the CASC experiment was partnering closely with host and consortium institutions to fund science and support regional needs. But individual organizations have their own processes and systems, and many didn’t have access to internal USGS file sharing. The fledgling program also did not have the budget for or access to commercial tools for organizing information and engaging with the public.

Undeterred, Emily and her team set about building the technical foundation of the CASC network. They partnered with offices like the USGS Fort Collins Science Center to integrate into existing data systems and build the network’s first website, and found open-source tools to fill gaps as needed.

Emily Fort, along with Shawn Carter and Elda Varela-Minder, received awards in 2024 for their key roles in founding the CASC network and helping it grow over the past 15 years.

The CASCs’ infrastructure and capacity have grown over time, in large part because of Emily’s willingness to invest in creative solutions and staff development.

“It is because of Emily that the CASCs can do what they do,” says Steph McAfee, Regional Administrator of the Southwest CASC. “She has designed and re-designed processes to improve our program and solved problems nimbly and graciously.”

Reflecting on her supervisory umbrella, which has grown from just data management to include project tracking, internal and external communications, budget and admin, and IT, Emily is grateful for the trust she has been given over the years by leadership.

“The great thing and the reason I think I’ve been here so long is that I’ve been granted the flexibility to really grow my position and add on things that I’m interested in,” she says. “It was really rewarding to be on the ground floor of something and be able to envision where you want to go and then how you’re going to piece it together.

“It was a lot of seizing opportunities to learn and not being afraid of not knowing, of not being an ‘expert.’”

MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: State Fire Marshal Announces 2025 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant Awardees

Source: US State of Oregon

small grant with big impact, helping protect Oregonians when it matters most. The Oregon State Fire Marshal is announcing the 2025 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant recipients. Now in its fourth year, this funding helps local fire agencies, many relying on volunteer crews, bring on extra firefighters during wildfire season. These seasonal staff boost emergency response in 200 agencies across the state, from wildfire calls to everyday emergencies.

“The OSFM wildfire season staffing grants have greatly improved our response capabilities and those in neighboring districts,” Coburg Fire District Chief Chad Minter said. “With this funding, we can staff a wildland engine daily during fire season with two additional firefighters who respond to all fires and support five nearby districts. When not on calls, the crew assists with recruitment, training, outreach, and prevention. This staffing makes up 50% of our rapid response and is essential to keeping fires small. These grants are a smart investment.”

Local fire agencies were eligible to apply for up to $35,000 to increase staffing levels during the fire season. Each summer, this grant adds more than 1,500 firefighters across Oregon. The Oregon legislature allocated $6 million to the program this year.

“The Wildfire Season Staffing Grant is one of our most impactful tools to help local fire agencies respond to emergencies faster, protect communities, and support each other through mutual aid,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “We’re thankful to our legislators for continuing to invest in the safety and resilience of our communities.”

Since 2022, the grant has proven to be a vital resource in increasing preparedness, response capabilities, and overall community safety during Oregon’s increasingly challenging wildfire seasons.

To view the list of grant awardees, click here. For more information on the OSFM’s grant programs, click here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace slams Impossible Metals’ deep-sea mining lease bid as desperate move amid industry collapse

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Greenpeace International activists from the Rainbow Warrior attach a flag reading ‘Stop Deep Sea Mining” to the cable holding the prototype robot, Patania II. Part of the ongoing ‘Protect the Oceans’ campaign. © Marten van Dijl / Greenpeace

WASHINGTON, D.C. (APRIL 15, 2025)—Today, Greenpeace USA condemned Impossible Metals’ application for a deep-sea mining lease off the coast of American Samoa, in U.S. federal waters, calling it a reckless and desperate attempt to prop up a speculative and struggling industry by exploiting one of Earth’s most fragile and least understood ecosystems.

Arlo Hemphill, Greenpeace USA Oceans are Life Campaign Lead said: “Opening up the U.S. seabed to deep sea mining runs counter to the long history of leadership in ocean stewardship set by the United States. It’s a destructive act of violence against ocean ecosystems and the Pacific communities whose culture is so closely linked to the deep ocean.”

A Desperate Power Grab by an UnprovenIndustry

Impossible Metals’ application for a deep-sea mining lease in U.S. federal waters is not a sign of industry momentum—it’s a glaring red flag of desperation. The move comes on the heels of a cascade of failures across the deep-sea mining sector that reveal the fundamental instability of the industry.

In February 2025, Impossible Metals itself was forced to postpone its highly publicized 2026 mining test in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, citing that its technology “isn’t ready.” Just weeks later, in March, Loke Marine Minerals, a Norwegian firm once poised to become the world’s largest deep-sea mining operator, filed for bankruptcy—an event that sent shockwaves through investor circles and exposed the financial fragility of the entire sector.

That same month, The Metals Company (TMC) stunned international observers by announcing it would sidestep the United Nations’ regulatory process—governed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA)—and seek a U.S. mining license under the little-known and long-dormant Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA). The announcement raised serious concerns about regulatory breakdowns and attempts to fast-track exploitation while global safeguards remain unresolved.

Adding to the pressure, in July 2024, American Samoa became the first U.S. territory to enact a moratorium on deep-sea mining, citing threats to marine life, cultural heritage, and the territory’s tuna fishery—the cornerstone of its economy. Greenpeace USA applauded this historic decision, calling it a bold act of ocean stewardship and a model for U.S. policy. That Impossible Metals would now seek a lease in federal waters adjacent to a territory that has explicitly rejected deep-sea mining is not only tone-deaf, but a profound sign of disrespect to Pacific communities and their right to self-determination.

In this context, Impossible Metals’ federal lease bid is less a step forward and more a scramble for relevance—an attempt to salvage investor confidence and secure regulatory footholds while public scrutiny and scientific warnings grow louder.

Solomon Kaho’Ohalahala, Hawaiian elder with the Maui Nui Makai Network said: “In July of last year, American Samoa decided that deep sea mining is not in their territorial interests—including the potential to impact tuna fisheries, currently their territory’s primary economic driver.

The Pacific has spoken clearly: our ocean is not a sacrifice zone. American Samoa’s moratorium reflects a deep cultural, ecological, and economic understanding of what’s at stake. For Impossible Metals to pursue a mining license just beyond those protected waters is not only reckless—it’s a betrayal of the values and sovereignty of Pacific Peoples. We as people of the Pacific do not recognize lines in the ocean drawn by Western governments. The fish can’t see those lines, we don’t see those lines. All of the Pacific is sacred. The U.S. government must respect the sovereignty and autonomy of Pacific Peoples and let them make decisions for their own waters, and reject any application that threatens our ocean and our way of life.”

No Science, No Safeguards, No Justification

The scientific community remains united: we lack the knowledge to mine the deep sea safely. Over 90% of species in areas like the Clarion-Clipperton Zone remain undescribed. Ecological processes, such as nutrient cycling and newly discovered phenomena like “dark oxygen” production, are only beginning to be understood. There is no adequate environmental baseline, no long-term impact data, and no way to manage what we don’t yet comprehend.

Furthermore, most current “research” is industry-led and profit-driven, not the result of independent, precautionary science. This push for premature mining risks sacrificing biodiversity for short-term speculative gains.

Call for a Moratorium

Greenpeace stands with the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Indigenous communities, scientists, and governments around the world calling for an immediate moratorium on deep-sea mining. Given the irreversible risks and profound scientific uncertainty, deep-sea mining must not move forward. The deep ocean should remain off-limits to mining—now and for the foreseeable future—until and unless independent science, robust global governance, and clear social consent can truly demonstrate that it can be done without harm.

Contact: Gujari Singh, Greenpeace USA Campaign Communication Manager, [email protected], 631-404-9977

Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

MIL OSI NGO –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Grassley to Zuckerberg: Stop the Secrecy, End the War on Whistleblowers
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is demanding answers from Meta Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the company’s reported efforts to silence whistleblower and former employee Sarah Wynn-Williams, who alleges Meta developed concerning and potentially unlawful ties with the Chinese Communist Party and targeted teenagers for financial gain. Meta was formerly known as Facebook.

Grassley is scrutinizing Meta’s severance agreement with Wynn-Williams, which may violate the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) regulations by restricting her ability to claim monetary rewards for reporting illegal conduct.

“For over a decade, I’ve sounded the alarm about restrictive severance agreements and nondisclosure agreements (NDA) that hinder congressional oversight and improperly silence whistleblowers from making disclosures to Congress and regulatory bodies … It appears that attempts to silence whistleblowers are not just prevalent in the AI sector, but in the tech industry more broadly,” Grassley wrote.

“The SEC whistleblower program was established by Congress to incentivize whistleblowers to report federal securities laws violations. The program is an important tool to expose fraud, waste, and abuse in our government and publicly traded companies,” Grassley continued.

Grassley emphasized Meta must ensure its employees can make protected disclosures to federal authorities or Congress without illegal restrictions and bullying. According to Wynn-Williams, Meta has sought to silence her by seeking to collect $50,000 for every disparaging statement made against the company.

“The tactics used by Meta are clearly aimed at silencing Ms. Wynn-Williams, a brave whistleblower who courageously testified in the face of Meta’s threats at the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism,” Grassley concluded.

Text of Grassley’s letter to Zuckerberg follows:

April 14, 2025

VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION

Mr. Mark Zuckerberg

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Meta Platforms, Inc.

Dear Mr. Zuckerberg:

For over a decade, I’ve sounded the alarm about restrictive severance agreements and nondisclosure agreements (NDA) that hinder congressional oversight and improperly silence whistleblowers from making disclosures to Congress and regulatory bodies.   On August 1, 2024, given my deep concern on this issue, I wrote to OpenAI regarding its use of restrictive employment, severance, non-disparagement, and nondisclosure agreements.   It appears that attempts to silence whistleblowers are not just prevalent in the AI sector, but in the tech industry more broadly.

Recently, Ms. Sarah Wynn-Williams approached my office with whistleblower allegations against Meta. Her allegations raised concerns about Meta’s severance agreement, as well as the company’s ties with China, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, practices targeting vulnerable teenagers, sexual harassment, and misrepresentations made to Congress and the company’s shareholders.   Ms. Wynn-Williams has specifically alleged that her severance agreement violated SEC regulation 17 C.F.R. § 240 21F-17 by restricting her from claiming any monetary reward for reporting illegal conduct to the SEC.   The SEC whistleblower program was established by Congress to incentivize whistleblowers to report federal securities laws violations.   The program is an important tool to expose fraud, waste, and abuse in our government and publicly traded companies.

According to Ms. Wynn-Williams’ disclosures, Meta has sought to silence her by seeking to collect $50,000 per disparaging statement against the company.   The tactics used by Meta are clearly aimed at silencing Ms. Wynn-Williams, a brave whistleblower who courageously testified in the face of Meta’s threats at the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism on April 9, 2025.

It’s crucial that Meta ensures its employees can provide protected disclosures without illegal restrictions and bullying. So that Congress may conduct objective and independent oversight of Meta’s efforts to silence whistleblowers, as well as the allegations raised by Ms. Wynn-Williams, please provide answers to the following no later than April 28, 2025:
1. Regarding Meta’s severance, non-disparagement, and other employment agreements, has Meta made changes to the language of the agreements to remove restrictive provisions? If so, provide a copy of the updated version(s) along with the dates the changes were made.
1. From 2015 to the date of this letter, how many requests did Meta or its subsidiaries receive from employees to disclose information to federal authorities or Congress? For each request, provide all records, including the relevant federal authorities, the nature of the information to be disclosed, and whether Meta or its subsidiaries permitted the disclosure.
1. From 2015 to the date of this letter, how many SEC investigations has Meta or its subsidiaries been subject to? For each SEC investigation, provide the basis and outcome.
Thank you for your prompt review and response. If you have any questions, please contact Tucker Akin with my Committee staff at (202) 224-5225.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley

Chairman

Committee on the Judiciary

-30-
MIL OSI USA News –
April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI: Diginex Limited and AIKYA Announce Strategic Alliance to Launch diginexESG in Malaysia, Advancing ESG Reporting and Sustainable Finance

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LONDON, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diginex Limited (“Diginex”) (NASDAQ: DGNX), a leading impact technology company specializing in environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) solutions, today announced a strategic alliance with AIKYA, a leading AI & big data technology company with around 2.5 million users, to launch its award-winning ESG reporting platform, diginexESG, in Malaysia that was signed on March 18, 2025 with upfront license fee tranche due to Diginex completed today. This collaboration aims to empower Malaysian businesses to enhance ESG transparency, streamline compliance, and drive sustainable finance initiatives in alignment with Malaysia’s sustainability goals.

The alliance combines Diginex’s cutting-edge technology, including blockchain and AI-driven data analytics, with AIKYA’s deep expertise in technology deployment. Together, they will deliver diginexESG to Malaysian companies of all sizes, enabling them to meet global ESG standards, such as the Global Reporting Initiative or “GRI”, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board or “SASB”, and the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosure or “TCFD,” while addressing local frameworks like Bursa Malaysia’s Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The platform offers intuitive tools for data collection, materiality assessments, and report generation, helping businesses unlock the commercial benefits of sustainability.

“This strategic relationship with AIKYA marks a significant milestone in expanding our presence in Southeast Asia,” said Mark Blick, CEO of Diginex. “Malaysia is a dynamic market with a strong commitment to sustainable development. By combining diginexESG with AIKYA’s product expertise, we aim to empower businesses to lead in ESG reporting and access sustainable finance opportunities, contributing to Malaysia’s Vision 2030 and net-zero ambitions.”

AIKYA, known for its expertise in large financial inclusion projects with major government organisations, sees the alliance as a transformative step for Malaysian enterprises. “Our collaboration with Diginex brings world-class ESG technology to Malaysia, enabling companies to navigate complex reporting requirements and attract ESG-focused investments,” said Ramesh CR, Director of AIKYA. “We will support businesses from our Malayia operations in integrating sustainability into their core strategies, fostering resilience and long-term growth.”

The launch of diginexESG in Malaysia comes at a pivotal time, as sustainable finance grows rapidly, with Malaysia’s green bond and sukuk market gaining traction. The platform’s ESG Ratings Support Service will help companies secure scores from agencies like CDP and Sustainalytics, enhancing their appeal to global investors. This initiative aligns with Malaysia’s leadership in ASEAN’s sustainable finance ecosystem, where green bonds issuance reached USD 4.8 billion in 2023, see ASEAN Sustainable Finance Report.

About Diginex Limited

Diginex Limited (Nasdaq: DGNX; ISIN KYG286871044), headquartered in London, is a sustainable RegTech business that empowers businesses and governments to streamline ESG, climate, and supply chain data collection and reporting. The Company utilizes blockchain, AI, machine learning and data analysis technology to lead change and increase transparency in corporate regulatory reporting and sustainable finance. Diginex’s products and services solutions enable companies to collect, evaluate and share sustainability data through easy-to-use software.

The award-winning diginexESG platform supports 17 global frameworks, including GRI (the “Global Reporting Initiative”), SASB (the “Sustainability Accounting Standards Board”), and TCFD (the “Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures”). Clients benefit from end-to-end support, ranging from materiality assessments and data management to stakeholder engagement, report generation and an ESG Ratings Support Service.

For more information, please visit the Company’s website: https://www.diginex.com/.

About AIKYA

AIKYA Business Solution Private Limited (AIKYA) is a dynamic and innovative company headquartered in Bangalore, India, with operations in Malaysia. Specializing in providing comprehensive business solutions, AIKYA leverages cutting-edge technology and deep industry expertise to empower organizations across various sectors. With a focus on streamlining operations and enhancing productivity, AIKYA offers a wide range of services, including digital transformation, software development, and consulting.

AIKYA’s mission is to foster growth and efficiency for its clients by delivering tailored solutions that meet their unique requirements. AIKYA is committed to building long-term partnerships with customers, ensuring they achieve their strategic objectives through effective and sustainable business practices. With a team of skilled professionals dedicated to excellence, AIKYA stands out as a trusted partner in navigating the complexities of the modern business landscape.

For more information about their services and approach, you can visit their website at (https://aikya.net).

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results disclosed in the Company’s filings with the SEC.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Diginex
Investor Relations
Email: ir@diginex.com

IR Contact – Europe
Anna Höffken
Phone: +49.40.609186.0
Email: diginex@kirchhoff.de

IR Contact – US
Jackson Lin
Lambert by LLYC
Phone: +1 (646) 717-4593
Email: jian.lin@llyc.global

IR Contact – Asia
Shelly Cheng
Strategic Public Relations Group Ltd.
Phone: +852 2864 4857
Email: sprg_diginex@sprg.com.hk

AIKYA Contact
Ramesh CR
Email: Ramesh.cr@aikya.net

The MIL Network –

April 16, 2025

MIL-OSI: LanzaTech Announces Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2024 Financial Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHICAGO, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LanzaTech Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNZA) (“LanzaTech” or the “Company”), a carbon management solutions company, today filed its annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 (the “Form 10-K”).

Key Takeaways:

Reported total revenue of $12.0 million for fourth-quarter 2024 as compared to $20.5 million for fourth-quarter 2023. The decrease was driven primarily by fourth-quarter 2023 benefiting from engineering services performed across several projects which were subsequently completed. Fourth-quarter 2024 revenue was within the forecasted range of potential outcomes previously provided, albeit at the low end of the range due to continued timing delays with several large biorefining projects that remain underway.
Reported revenue of $49.6 million for full-year 2024 as compared to $62.6 million for full-year 2023. The year-over-year decrease was primarily driven by 2023 results benefiting from projects that have since reached the completion of their current development phase, coupled with timing delays related to several large biorefining projects experienced throughout 2024.
Shifting the Company’s core operational focus from research and development to global deployment LanzaTech’s commercially proven technology is underway, with actions being taken to sharpen the business focus and improve the Company’s cost structure.
Evaluating liquidity enhancing initiatives, including capital raising, partnership or asset-related opportunities, and other strategic options. Management has concluded that these initiatives and cost reduction plans do not alleviate substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, per applicable GAAP requirements.

Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2024 Financial Results

The table below outlines key reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 results ($ millions, unless noted):

	Three Months Ended December 31,						Years Ended December 31,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Revenue	$	12.0		$	20.5		$	49.6		$	62.6
Cost of revenue		5.6			12.0			26.0			45.0
Gross Profit		6.5			8.5			23.6			17.7
Operating expenses		33.5			27.1			132.6			124.0
Net loss		(27.0	)		(18.7	)		(137.7	)		(134.1	)
Adjusted EBITDA loss ⁽¹⁾	$	(21.2	)	$	(19.6	)	$	(88.2	)	$	(80.1	)

(1) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliations of GAAP Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA” sections herein for an explanation and reconciliations of non-GAAP measures used throughout this release.

Revenue

Reported total revenue of $12.0 million and $49.6 million for fourth-quarter and full-year 2024, respectively, as compared to total revenue of $20.5 million and $62.6 million for fourth-quarter and full-year 2023, respectively. The decrease during both periods was driven primarily by 2023 results benefiting from engineering and other services contracts with existing customers and government entities whose projects have since reached completion of their current development phase. Additionally, several large projects experienced timing delays during 2024, which impacted their transferring to the phase where revenue is recognized. Fourth-quarter 2024 revenues were within the forecasted range of potential outcomes previously provided, albeit at the low end of the range due to the aforementioned project delays. Two key projects that did not transfer to a third party, the phase in which revenues are recognized for these projects, were Project Drake in the European Union, and LanzaTech’s site under development in Norway. In addition, LanzaTech continues to expect additional LanzaJet shares to be issued with sublicensing events of LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet technology. These projects remain underway during 2025. Fourth-quarter 2024 results include revenue attributable to Project SECURE, which, in December of 2024, was awarded Department of Energy funding for the initiation of phase one of the project. Project SECURE is led by Technip Energies, in partnership with LanzaTech.
Joint Development Agreement (“JDA”) & Contract Research revenue for fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 was $1.7 million and $10.6 million, respectively, as compared to $4.2 million and $14.6 million for fourth-quarter and full-year 2023, respectively. The year-over-year decline in both cases was attributable to certain government projects being completed, compounded by a period of downtime prior to new projects commencing, primarily during the second half of 2024.
CarbonSmart™ revenue for fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 was $3.9 million and $7.9 million, respectively, as compared to $2.1 million and $5.3 million for fourth-quarter and full-year 2023, respectively. Fourth-quarter 2024 revenues increased by 88 percent as compared to fourth-quarter 2023 due to incremental direct fuel sales as a result of establishing licensing arrangements, partners, and supply chain infrastructure during third-quarter 2024.

Cost of Revenue

Fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 cost of revenue was $5.6 million and $26.0 million, respectively, as compared to $12.0 million and $45.0 million for fourth-quarter and full-year 2023, respectively. Cost of revenue for fourth-quarter 2024 was largely comprised of the cost of the CarbonSmart product sold and headcount allocations related to the delivery of biorefining services and JDA work. Gross margin for fourth-quarter 2024 was 54 percent largely as a function of revenue mix, including additional lower-margin CarbonSmart sales.

Operating Expenses

Fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 operating expenses were $33.5 million and $132.6 million, respectively, as compared to $27.1 million and $124.0 million for fourth-quarter and full-year 2023. The increase year-over-year was driven primarily by project-related expenses, like those incurred for Project Drake and LanzaTech’s project in Norway, that are expected to be recovered once the projects advance to Final Investment Decision (“FID”).

Net Loss

Fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 net losses were $27.0 million and $137.7 million, respectively, as compared to fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 net losses of $18.7 million and $134.1 million, respectively. The increase was attributable to a non-cash expense on financial instruments, as well as the same factors that drove the reduction in revenue as compared to prior periods.

Adjusted EBITDA Loss

Fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 adjusted EBITDA losses were $21.2 million and $88.2 million, respectively, as compared to adjusted EBITDA losses of $19.6 million and $80.1 million for fourth-quarter and full-year 2023, respectively. The increases in losses year-over-year are mainly attributable to the same factors that drove the reduction in revenue for the comparative periods.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

As of December 31, 2024, LanzaTech had $58.1 million in total cash, restricted cash, and investments, compared to total cash of $89.1 million at the end of third-quarter 2024.

About LanzaTech

LanzaTech Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNZA) is the carbon recycling company transforming waste carbon into sustainable fuels, chemicals, materials, and protein. Using its biorecycling technology, LanzaTech captures carbon generated by energy-intensive industries at the source, preventing it from being emitted into the air. LanzaTech then gives that captured carbon a new life as a clean replacement for virgin fossil carbon in everything from household cleaners and clothing fibers to packaging and fuels. For more information about LanzaTech, please visit https://lanzatech.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, the plans, strategies and prospects, both business and financial, of LanzaTech. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of LanzaTech’s management. Although LanzaTech believes that its plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, LanzaTech cannot assure you that it will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Generally, statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events or results of operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “anticipates,” “intends” or similar expressions. The forward-looking statements are based on projections prepared by, and are the responsibility of, LanzaTech’s management. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside LanzaTech’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, including the Company’s ability to continue to operate as a going concern. LanzaTech may be adversely affected by other economic, business, or competitive factors, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described under the header “Risk Factors” in its Form 10-K and in future SEC filings. New risk factors that may affect actual results or outcomes emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all such risk factors, nor can LanzaTech assess the impact of all such risk factors on its business, or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. You should not put undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements attributable to LanzaTech or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. LanzaTech undertakes no obligations to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our financial statements presented in accordance with US GAAP and to provide investors with additional information regarding our financial results, we have presented adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA is not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by US GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

We define adjusted EBITDA as our net loss, excluding the impact of depreciation, interest income, net, stock-based compensation, change in fair value of warrant liabilities, change in fair value of SAFE liabilities, change in fair value of the FPA Put Option liability and Fixed Maturity Consideration, change in fair value of our outstanding convertible note, transaction costs on issuance of Forward Purchase Agreement, (loss) gain from equity method investees and other one-time costs related to the Business Combination and securities registration on Form S-4 and our registration statement on Form S-1. We monitor adjusted EBITDA because it is a key measure used by our management and Board of Directors to understand and evaluate our operating performance, to establish budgets, and to develop operational goals for managing our business. We believe adjusted EBITDA helps identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of certain expenses that we include in net loss. Accordingly, we believe adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors, analysts, and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results and enhancing the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects.

Adjusted EBITDA is not prepared in accordance with US GAAP and should not be considered in isolation of, or as an alternative to, measures prepared in accordance with US GAAP. There are a number of limitations related to the use of adjusted EBITDA rather than net loss, which is the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with US GAAP. For example, adjusted EBITDA: (i) excludes stock-based compensation expense because it is a significant non-cash expense that is not directly related to our operating performance; (ii) excludes depreciation expense and, although this is a non-cash expense, the assets being depreciated and amortized may have to be replaced in the future; (iii) excludes gain or losses on equity method investee; and (iv) excludes certain income or expense items that do not provide a comparable measure of our business performance. In addition, the expenses and other items that we exclude in our calculations of adjusted EBITDA may differ from the expenses and other items, if any, that other companies may exclude from adjusted EBITDA when they report their operating results. In addition, other companies may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures as tools for comparison.

LANZATECH GLOBAL INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except share and per share data)
	December 31,
		2024			2023
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	43,499		$	75,585
Held-to-maturity investment securities		12,374			45,159
Trade and other receivables, net of allowance		9,456			11,157
Contract assets		18,975			28,238
Other current assets		15,030			12,561
Total current assets		99,334			172,700
Property, plant and equipment, net		22,333			22,823
Right-of-use assets		26,790			18,309
Equity method investment		4,363			7,066
Equity security investment		14,990			14,990
Other non-current assets		6,873			5,736
Total assets	$	174,683		$	241,624
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	5,289		$	4,060
Other accrued liabilities		8,876			7,316
Warrants		3,531			7,614
Fixed Maturity Consideration and current FPA Put Option liability		4,123			—
Contract liabilities		6,168			3,198
Accrued salaries and wages		2,302			5,468
Current lease liabilities		158			126
Total current liabilities		30,447			27,782
Non-current lease liabilities		30,619			19,816
Non-current contract liabilities		5,233			8,233
Fixed Maturity Consideration		—			7,228
FPA Put Option liability		30,015			37,523
Brookfield SAFE liability		13,223			25,150
Convertible Note		51,112			—
Other long-term liabilities		587			1,421
Total liabilities		161,236			127,153

Shareholders’ Equity
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 600,000,000 and 400,000,000 shares authorized; 194,915,711 and 196,642,451 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively		19			19
Additional paid-in capital		981,638			943,960
Accumulated other comprehensive income		1,393			2,364
Accumulated deficit		(969,603	)		(831,872	)
Total shareholders’ equity	$	13,447		$	114,471
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	174,683		$	241,624

LANZATECH GLOBAL INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except share and per share data)
	Three Months Ended December 31,						Years Ended December 31,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Revenues:
Contracts with customers and grants	$	5,311		$	13,834		$	22,995		$	45,953
CarbonSmart product sales		3,933			2,072			7,943			5,337
Collaborative arrangements		1,104			2,413			5,573			5,529
Related party transactions		1,682			2,144			13,081			5,812
Total revenues		12,030			20,463			49,592			62,631
Costs and operating expenses:
Contracts with customers and grants⁽¹⁾		985			8,818			15,341			37,653
CarbonSmart product sales⁽¹⁾		3,894			2,390			7,543			4,889
Collaborative arrangements⁽¹⁾		532			761			2,566			2,265
Related party transactions⁽¹⁾		157			22			520			172
Research and development expense		16,459			16,303			77,007			68,142
Depreciation expense		1,278			1,471			5,567			5,452
Selling, general and administrative expense		15,745			9,343			49,981			50,438
Total cost and operating expenses		39,050			39,108			158,525			169,011
Loss from operations		(27,020	)		(18,645	)		(108,933	)		(106,380	)
Other income (expense):
Interest income, net		710			1,408			3,162			4,572
Other expense, net		5,616			524			(17,726	)		(29,388	)
Total other expense, net		6,326			1,932			(14,564	)		(24,816	)
Loss before income taxes		(20,694	)		(16,713	)		(123,497	)		(131,196	)
Income tax expense		—			—			—			—
Loss from equity method investees, net		(6,299	)		(1,961	)		(14,234	)		(2,902	)
Net loss	$	(26,993	)	$	(18,674	)	$	(137,731	)	$	(134,098	)

Other comprehensive loss:
Changes in credit risk of fair value instruments		(1,096	)		—			(1,096	)		—
Foreign currency translation adjustments		322			578			124			(376	)
Comprehensive loss	$	(27,767	)	$	(18,096	)	$	(138,703	)	$	(134,474	)

Unpaid cumulative dividends on preferred stock		—			—			—			(4,117	)
Net loss allocated to common shareholders	$	(26,993	)	$	(18,674	)	$	(137,731	)	$	(138,215	)

Net loss per common share – basic and diluted	$	(0.14	)	$	(0.10	)	$	(0.70	)	$	(0.79	)
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding – basic and diluted		197,789,128			196,227,601			197,579,945			176,023,219

(1) exclusive of depreciation

LANZATECH GLOBAL INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands)
	Years Ended December 31,
		2024			2023
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net loss	$	(137,731	)	$	(134,098	)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Share-based compensation expense		13,208			15,199
Gain on change in fair value of SAFE and warrant liabilities		(17,887	)		(14,471	)
Loss on change in fair value of the FPA Put Option and the Fixed Maturity Consideration liabilities		23,510			44,300
Loss on change in fair value of Convertible Note		11,894			—
Provisions for losses on trade and other receivables, net of recoveries		961			700
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment		5,592			5,452
Amortization of discount on debt security investment		(854	)		(1,301	)
Non-cash lease expense		1,713			1,526
Non-cash recognition of licensing revenue		(11,532	)		(1,805	)
Loss from equity method investees, net		14,234			2,902
Gain from disposal of PPE		(25	)		—
Unrealized (Gain)/loss on net foreign exchange		(284	)		182
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net		557			104
Contract assets		9,162			(10,049	)
Accrued interest on debt investment		183			(266	)
Other assets		(2,066	)		(2,658	)
Accounts payable and accrued salaries and wages		(1,790	)		(4,991	)
Contract liabilities		311			95
Operating lease liabilities		641			(337	)
Other liabilities		1,143			2,220
Net cash used in operating activities		(89,060	)		(97,296	)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Purchase of property, plant and equipment		(5,312	)		(8,553	)
Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment		25			—
Purchase of debt securities		(27,083	)		(93,858	)
Proceeds from maturity of debt securities		60,722			50,000
Purchase of additional interest in equity method investment		—			(288	)
Origination of related party loan		—			(5,212	)
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities		28,352			(57,911	)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Proceeds from the Business Combination and PIPE, net of transaction expenses (Note 3)		—			213,381
FPA prepayment		—			(60,096	)
Proceeds from exercise of options		300			2,550
Repurchase of equity instruments of the Company		(48	)		(7,650	)
Settlement of FPA		(10,039	)		—
Proceeds from issuance of Convertible Note, net		40,000			—
Net cash provided by financing activities		30,213			148,185
Effects of currency translation on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(52	)		(404	)
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(30,547	)		(7,426	)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period		76,284			83,710
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$	45,737		$	76,284

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment under accounts payable	$	132		$	279
Right-of-use asset additions		10,194			12,866
Non-cash partial reversal of FPA upon settlement		24,084			—
Third-party issuance costs for the Convertible Note		3,169			—
Reclassification of capitalized costs related to the business combination to equity		—			1,514
Cashless conversion of warrants on preferred shares		—			5,890
Recognition of public and private warrant liabilities in the Business Combination		—			4,624
Reclassification of AM SAFE warrant to equity		—			1,800
Conversion of AM SAFE liability into common stock		—			29,730
Conversion of Legacy LanzaTech NZ, Inc. preferred stock and in-kind dividend into common stock		—			722,160
Reclassification of FPA Warrants to equity	$	—		$	3,063


Reconciliation of GAAP Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA (In thousands) Unaudited
			Three Months Ended December 31,						Years Ended December 31,
				2024			2023			2024			2023
Net Loss			$	(26,993	)	$	(18,674	)	$	(137,731	)	$	(134,098	)
Depreciation				1,278			(1,471	)		5,567			5,452
Interest income, net				(710	)		(1,408	)		(3,162	)		(4,572	)
Stock-based compensation expense and change in fair value of SAFE and warrant liabilities ⁽¹⁾				6,191			—			(4,679	)		728
Change in fair value of the FPA Put Option and Fixed Maturity Consideration liabilities (net of interest accretion reversal)				—			—			23,283			44,300
Change in fair value of Convertible Note and related transaction costs				(7,296	)		—			14,276			—
Transaction costs on issuance of FPA				—			—			—			451
Loss from equity method investees, net				6,299			1,961			14,234			2,902
One-time costs related to the Business Combination, initial securities registration and non-recurring regulatory matters⁽²⁾				—			—			—			4,693
Adjusted EBITDA			$	(21,231	)	$	(19,592	)	$	(88,212	)	$	(80,144	)

(1	)	Stock-based compensation expense represents expense related to equity compensation plans.

(2	)	Represents costs incurred related to the Business Combination that do not meet the direct and incremental criteria per SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 5.A to be charged against the gross proceeds of the transaction, but are not expected to recur in the future, as well as costs incurred subsequent to deal close related to our securities registration on Form S-4 and our registration statement on Form S-1. Regulatory matters includes fees related to non-recurring items during the year ended December 31, 2023.

Investor Relations Contact

Kate Walsh

VP, Investor Relations & Tax

Investor.Relations@lanzatech.com

The MIL Network –

April 16, 2025

MIL-OSI: Texas Capital President & Chief Executive Officer Rob C. Holmes Now Serves as Chairman of the Board

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DALLAS, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: TCBI), the parent company of Texas Capital, today announced that President & Chief Executive Officer Rob C. Holmes was confirmed as Chairman of the Board of Directors at the conclusion of TCBI’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Holmes, who has served as President & Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Board since 2021, was unanimously elected to this position by the Board of Directors in January 2025.

Bob Stallings, who served as Chairman since 2023, has officially transitioned into the role of Lead Independent Director.

“I want to thank outgoing Chairman Bob Stallings for his dedication and significant contributions to Texas Capital over the past two years,” said Holmes. “I do not take the responsibilities of this position lightly; it is a distinct honor to serve in this capacity for Texas Capital, and I look forward to building on the firm’s many successes along with our employees. With our highly differentiated platform, industry-leading capital and liquidity, and a clear vision for the future, Texas Capital is well-positioned to serve our clients through all economic conditions and to deliver on our objectives for 2025 and beyond.”

About Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc.
Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ®: TCBI), a member of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P MidCap 400®, is the parent company of Texas Capital Bank (“TCB”). Texas Capital is the collective brand name for TCB and its separate, non-bank affiliates and wholly owned subsidiaries. Texas Capital is a full-service financial services firm that delivers customized solutions to businesses, entrepreneurs and individual customers. Founded in 1998, the institution is headquartered in Dallas with offices in Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth, and has built a network of clients across the country. With the ability to service clients through their entire lifecycles, Texas Capital has established commercial banking, consumer banking, investment banking and wealth management capabilities. All services are subject to applicable laws, regulations, and service terms. Deposit and lending products and services are offered by TCB. For deposit products, member FDIC. For more information, please visit www.texascapital.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of and pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, TCBI’s financial condition, results of operations, business plans and future performance. These statements are not historical in nature and may often be identified by the use of words such as “believes,” “projects,” “expects,” “may,” “estimates,” “should,” “plans,” “targets,” “intends” “could,” “would,” “anticipates,” “potential,” “confident,” “optimistic” or the negative thereof, or other variations thereon, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, objectives, estimates, trends, guidance, expectations and future plans.

Because forward-looking statements relate to future results and occurrences, they are subject to inherent and various uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict, may change over time, are based on management’s expectations and assumptions at the time the statements are made and are not guarantees of future results. Numerous risks and other factors, many of which are beyond management’s control, could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. While there can be no assurance that any list of risks is complete, important risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: economic or business conditions in Texas, the United States or globally that impact TCBI or its customers; negative credit quality developments arising from the foregoing or other factors; increased or expanded competition from banks and other financial service providers in TCBI’s markets; TCBI’s ability to effectively manage its liquidity and maintain adequate regulatory capital to support its businesses; TCBI’s ability to pursue and execute upon growth plans, whether as a function of capital, liquidity or other limitations; TCBI’s ability to successfully execute its business strategy, including its strategic plan and developing and executing new lines of business and new products and services and potential strategic acquisitions; the extensive regulations to which TCBI is subject and its ability to comply with applicable governmental regulations, including legislative and regulatory changes; TCBI’s ability to effectively manage information technology systems, including third party vendors, cyber or data privacy incidents or other failures, disruptions or security breaches; TCBI’s ability to use technology to provide products and services to its customers; risks related to the development and use of artificial intelligence; changes in interest rates, including the impact of interest rates on TCBI’s securities portfolio and funding costs, as well as related balance sheet implications stemming from the fair value of our assets and liabilities; the effectiveness of TCBI’s risk management processes strategies and monitoring; fluctuations in commercial and residential real estate values, especially as they relate to the value of collateral supporting TCBI’s loans; the failure to identify, attract and retain key personnel and other employees; adverse developments in the banking industry and the potential impact of such developments on customer confidence, liquidity and regulatory responses to these developments, including in the context of regulatory examinations and related findings and actions; negative press and social media attention with respect to the banking industry or TCBI, in particular; claims, litigation or regulatory investigations and actions that TCBI may become subject to; severe weather, natural disasters, climate change, acts of war, terrorism, global conflict (including those already reported by the media, as well as others that may arise), or other external events, as well as related legislative and regulatory initiatives; and the risks and factors more fully described in TCBI’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents and filings with the SEC. The information contained in this communication speaks only as of its date. Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, we disclaim any obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements included herein to reflect future events or developments.

The MIL Network –

April 16, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Allowing forests to regrow and regenerate is a great way to restore habitat

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Thomas, PhD candidate in Environmental Policy, The University of Queensland

Cynthia A Jackson, Shutterstock

Queensland is widely known as the land clearing capital of Australia. But what’s not so well known is many of the cleared trees can grow back naturally.

The latest state government figures show regrowth across more than 7.6 million hectares in Queensland in 2020-21. These trees, though young, still provide valuable habitat for many threatened species – as long as they’re not bulldozed again.

Our new research explored the benefits of regrowth for 30 threatened animal species in Queensland. We found regrown forests and woodlands provided valuable habitat and food for species after an average of 15 years. Some species were likely to benefit from trees as young as three years.

This presents an opportunity for governments to support landowners and encourage them to retain more regrowing forest and woodland, especially where it can provide much-needed habitat for wildlife. But it’s a challenge because there is strong pressure to clear regrowth, largely to maintain pasture.

Clearing of regrowth woodlands in Queensland.
Martin Taylor

When do young forests and woodlands become valuable habitat?

We focused on threatened animal species that depend on forests and woodlands, and occur in regions with substantial regrowth.

We wanted to find out which species use regrowth, and how old the trees need to be. But there’s not much survey data available on threatened species living in naturally regenerated forest and woodlands.

To elicit this information we asked almost 50 experts to complete a detailed questionnaire and attend a workshop.

We found 15 years was the average minimum age at which regrowth became useful to threatened species. But the full range was 3-68 years, depending on factors such as what a species eats, how it moves through the landscape and whether it needs tree hollows for shelter or breeding.

For example, one threatened bird (the squatter pigeon) could use woodlands as young as three years old. Koalas benefited from regrowth as young as nine years old.

Some species, such as the greater glider, need much older forests. This is because they require large tree hollows to shelter in during the day, and large trees to feed on and move between at night.

So young forests shouldn’t be seen as an alternative to protecting old forests. We need both.

The squatter pigeon could benefit from just three years of regrowth.
Imogen Warren, Shutterstock

Understanding the extent of habitat loss

We also estimated the proportion of each species’ current habitat that comprises regrowth, using satellite data and publicly available data.

For some species, we found regrowth made up almost a third of their potential habitat in Queensland. On average, it was 18%.

However, nearly three-quarters of the habitat lost in Queensland since 2018 was regrowth forests and woodlands. So while the loss of older, “remnant” vegetation is more damaging per unit area, the regrowth habitat is being lost on a bigger scale.

Our research suggests retaining more regrowth could be an easy and cost-effective way to help save threatened species.

In contrast, tree planting is time-consuming and expensive. What’s more, only 10% of our native plants are readily available as seeds for sale. This, combined with more extreme weather such as prolonged droughts, often causes restoration projects to fail.

Encouraging landholders to retain regrowth

The fact that habitat can regrow naturally in parts of Queensland is a huge bonus. But farmers also need to maintain productivity, which can decrease if there’s too much regrowth.

So, how do we help these landowners retain more regrowth?

One way is to provide incentives. For example, government-funded biodiversity stewardship schemes provide payments to cover the costs of managing the vegetation – such as fencing off habitat and managing weeds – as well as compensation for loss of agricultural production. Targeting areas of regrowth with high habitat values could be a way for such schemes to benefit wildlife.

Alternatively, market-based schemes allow landowners to generate biodiversity or carbon “credits” by keeping more trees on their property. Then, businesses (or governments) buy these credits. For example, some big emitters in Australia have to purchase carbon credits to “offset” their own emissions.

However, Australia’s carbon market has been accused of issuing “low integrity” carbon credits. This means the carbon credits were paid for projects that may not have captured and stored the amount of carbon they were supposed to. To make sure these markets work, robust methods are needed – and until now, there hasn’t been one that worked to retain regrowth.

Trees are good for the land, air and sea

In February, the Queensland government released a method by which landholders could generate carbon credits by agreeing not to clear their regrowing woodlands and forests.

The new carbon method provides a promising opportunity to allow landowners to diversify their farm income.

In addition, tree cover brings direct, on-farm benefits such as more shade and shelter for livestock, natural pest control and better soil health.

At a landscape level, greater tree cover can improve local climate regulation, reduce sediment run-off to the Great Barrier Reef and reduce Australia’s carbon emissions.

Ideally, Australia’s carbon and biodiversity markets would work alongside sufficient government funding for nature recovery, which needs to increase to at least 1% (currently it’s around 0.1%).

Meanwhile, our research has shown embracing natural regeneration potential in Queensland will have benefits for a range of threatened species too.

We acknowledge our research coauthors, Jeremy Simmonds (2rog Consulting), Michelle Ward (Griffith University) and Teresa Eyre (Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation).

Hannah Thomas received an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship with a $10,000 top-up from WWF-Australia. She is an early-career leader with the Biodiversity Council.

Martine Maron has received funding from various sources including the Australian Research Council, the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, and the federal government’s National Environmental Science Program, and has advised both state and federal government on conservation policy. She is a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, a director of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, a councillor with the Biodiversity Council, and leads the IUCN’s thematic group on Impact Mitigation and Ecological Compensation under the Commission on Ecosystem Management. She currently sits on the Protect and Enhance advisory panel to the NSW Natural Resources Commission.

– ref. Allowing forests to regrow and regenerate is a great way to restore habitat – https://theconversation.com/allowing-forests-to-regrow-and-regenerate-is-a-great-way-to-restore-habitat-254325

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 16, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Safe seat syndrome? Why some hospitals get upgrades and others miss out
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anam Bilgrami, Senior Research Fellow, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University

On his campaign trail, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged A$200 million to upgrade St John of God Midland Public Hospital in Perth. He promised more beds and operating theatres, and a redesigned obstetrics and neonatal unit.

It followed other recent election promises from the Labor government, including $120 million for new birthing facilities at Sydney’s planned Rouse Hill Hospital and $150 million to build a health centre in southern Adelaide.

New and expanded health facilities are welcome in fast-growing communities. But are hospital funding pledges in election campaigns based on health-care or political needs?

Does pork-barrelling drive health funding decisions?

Labor and the Coalition have faced allegations of pork-barrelling this election campaign.

Pork-barrelling means using public funds to target specific electorates to win votes, rather than allocating resources based on need. Four in five Australians consider pork-barrelling to be corrupt.

Former New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian suggested pork-barrelling was “business as usual” in her government.

It also seems to occur at the federal level. The Australian National Audit Office found a $1.25 billion Community Health and Hospitals Program implemented by the former Morrison government “fell short of ethical requirements” and deliberately breached Commonwealth grant guidelines.

Of the 63 major projects funded, only two were rated “highly suitable” – the usual benchmark for shortlisting. In fact, most approved projects were picked by the government outside of the established expression of interest processes.

Who funds and manages public hospitals?

The National Health Reform Agreement makes states and territories responsible for managing public hospitals. States and territories contribute around 58% of hospital funding. They also oversee planning and infrastructure.

Local hospital networks help plan and implement capital projects such as new hospitals and facility upgrades.

Under the National Health Reform Agreement, the Commonwealth government also contributes public hospital funding through:
- activity-based funding. This is tied to the number and type of patients treated
- block funding for smaller regional and rural hospitals
- public health funding for initiatives such as vaccination programs.
The reform agreement outlines the Commonwealth’s responsibility for supporting public hospital services. But it doesn’t restrict the Commonwealth from making hospital infrastructure promises.

The Commonwealth often pledges direct hospital funding through supplementary agreements or ad hoc initiatives. Earlier this year, it announced an additional one-off $1.7 billion payment to ease pressure on public hospitals.

State planning vs federal politics: who decides?

States use formal planning frameworks to plan and prioritise health infrastructure projects. NSW Health, for example, applies a structured Facility Planning Process for projects over $10 million. This considers local population needs, health and community benefits, costs and workforce capacity.

These types of frameworks help ensure health capital investment decisions are transparent and evidence-based.

What is less transparent is how the Commonwealth decides which specific hospitals to pledge money to, particularly during election campaigns.

While some federal funding announcements may align with state priorities, picking one hospital over another comes with an “opportunity cost”. For every community that benefits from a new or upgraded hospital, another potentially higher-need community may miss out.

To prevent Commonwealth funding decisions being swayed by political priorities, more transparent processes for setting priorities and making decisions are needed.

What would a better system look like?

The way funds are allocated to medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) provides the federal government with an exemplary approach to good health-care investment decisions.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) provides independent advice to the Minister for Health on whether the government should allocate millions to new medicines. The PBAC uses rigorous, transparent processes to make listing recommendations based on patient need and cost-effectiveness.

Federal government hospital infrastructure funding decisions should also follow open, competitive, merit-based processes.

Prioritising evidence and having transparent decision-making guidelines would mean funding is more likely to be allocated based on the greatest population need rather than electoral considerations.

Other ways to improve federal government hospital funding decisions may include:
- incorporating nationally agreed principles for hospital capital funding in future National Health Reform Agreements
- increasing transparency. This could be achieved through a national public register of hospital development proposals, ranked by urgency and need
- strengthening safeguards on election-period pledges. This could improve disclosures and ensure hospital funding decisions align with independent needs assessments.
More hospitals or better prevention?

Former St Vincent’s Health CEO Toby Hall put it bluntly:

If Australia is to make the most of its healthcare future, it will likely need fewer hospitals, not more.

He pointed to Denmark, which cut its number of hospitals by 67% over 1999–2019. This was achieved by shifting as many services as possible from hospitals to other types of health care including primary care, health centres and outpatient clinics.

While more hospitals in Australia may be inevitable as the population ages, health policy should also focus on keeping people out of hospital in the first place. That means investing in prevention, early intervention and technology to support care at home.

Australia lags behind other wealthy nations in this space, ranking 20th out of 33 OECD countries in per capita spending on prevention. It ranks 27th when measured as a share of total health expenditure.

Some local health districts are showing what’s possible. This includes using home monitoring to help people manage chronic conditions. These kinds of innovations can improve health and reduce pressure on hospital infrastructure.

While new hospitals and wards make for compelling election promises, a better health system will come not just from “bricks and mortar”. It will come from smarter investments in prevention, early intervention and innovative care that keeps people healthier and out of hospital.

Henry Cutler was a member of an Expert Advisory Panel where he received remuneration from the Department of Health and Aged Care for this role. Henry has also previously received funding from NT Health.

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

– ref. Safe seat syndrome? Why some hospitals get upgrades and others miss out – https://theconversation.com/safe-seat-syndrome-why-some-hospitals-get-upgrades-and-others-miss-out-253750
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 16, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Half way through the campaign, how are the major party leaders faring?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Mills, Honorary Senior Lecturer, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney

More than two weeks in, we know one thing for sure. This time, the election campaign does matter.

In decades past, when voters were more loyally rusted on to the major parties, news cycles more sedate, policy platforms fixed and “safe” seats truly safe, it was arguable that election outcomes were largely determined before the campaigns began.

But in 2025, the campaign period has witnessed a dramatic shift in voting intentions, as measured by public opinion polls.

Before the campaign, Labor trailed. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seemed flat-footed, burdened by a poor track record in the 2022 elections and the 2023 Voice referendum.

But even as Cyclone Alfred blew itself out, parliament returned, and the budget was brought down, Labor’s poll numbers were improving. This trend continued through the first weeks of the campaign, such that Labor now seems the likely winner, either in minority or perhaps majority.

Why? Election campaigns can reveal how leaders and their teams behave under pressure. They also require trust and lock-step coordination between the leader and the party’s team of campaign professionals.

Unflashy incrementalism

Albanese has performed solidly and been relentlessly on-message and on-brand. His campaign has rolled out a well-prepared procession of announcements on Medicare urgent care clinics, pharmaceuticals, childcare and TAFE, each with local funding attached.

Albanese does not campaign with Hawke-like charisma, Keating-like oratory or Whitlam-like policy. His one truly visionary change commitment – the Voice – collapsed in a heap.

Instead, as he has shown over the last two weeks, his true identity is as a (Chifley-like?) incrementalist. He boasts a strong grasp of systems – health, roads, renewables – and his campaign is all about fixing, improving and expanding those systems within practical fiscal constraints.

His vision of the future is the present that just works better for more people.

Fattening the policy pig

By contrast, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton seemed ready to shoot the lights out, as an uncompromising conviction politician exploiting voter grievances about cost-of-living issues.

But he wasted a large part of his first week recovering from an off-strategy indulgence about living in Kirribilli House (“we love the harbour”), and much of the second week explaining his backflip on public service working conditions.

The first was a campaign blunder, pure and simple. But the second spoke to a deeper malaise within the Coalition about policy development. The Coalition appeared unprepared for the cut and thrust of the campaign.

Combined with blithe me-tooing of Labor promises on health and roads, and incomplete announcements on cutting foreign student numbers and reserving natural gas for domestic use, the backflip suggested Coalition policy-making has become a bit random: a series of tactical choices, not a strategic plan for government.

Contrary to long-standing Liberal Party campaign wisdom that “you can’t fatten a pig on market day”, this time the Liberals are trying to force-feed their policy pig en route to the market.

Dutton has been much more effective pitching his fuel excise promise. The decision to eschew Labor’s budgeted tax cuts for an immediate reduction at the bowser was bold, instinctive and entirely consistent with the Coalition’s outer-metropolitan electoral strategy.

It took until the second week, but the daily scenes of Dutton pumping petrol into cars – “and utes” as he always adds – is steadily reinforcing his message, however wearying it has become for the travelling press party.

The comfort of incumbents

The first leaders’ debate highlighted this difference. Both leaders remained poised and polished (especially creditable by Dutton given he learned of his father’s heart attack immediately beforehand).

But Albanese simply had more to talk about, more first-term achievements and more commitments on his future shopping list. Dutton articulated grievances without providing many policy solutions.

The contest on the economy was a draw: Dutton conjures up Albanese’s non-delivered pledge on power prices, while Albanese points to high employment and downward trends on inflation and interest rates.

All this has played out against the backdrop of the Donald Trump tariff wars. Like previous mid-campaign crises – Tampa in 2001 and, for those with very long memories, the Kennedy assassination in 1963 – global uncertainty reinforces an Australian incumbent. Albanese’s measured response struck the right note.

Dutton has repeatedly tried to insert himself into the tariff story – difficult for an opposition – but had to take risks to do so. His assertion that AUKUS and ANZUS should be somehow involved was left hanging once Liberal icon John Howard made clear he disagreed.

With policy speeches delivered, and rival policies on housing finally released, the campaign is in its final week, interrupted by Easter, before early voting starts.

The challenge for Albanese will be to maintain his momentum, in all his unflashy, incrementalist style. Labor is likely to ramp up its Dutton-Trump comparison. Dutton will need to put further flesh on the bones of putting Australia “back on track”.

Stephen Mills was a staff member (1986-91) for Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke and since 2015 has volunteered for local Labor election campaigns.

– ref. Half way through the campaign, how are the major party leaders faring? – https://theconversation.com/half-way-through-the-campaign-how-are-the-major-party-leaders-faring-254387

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 16, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: More bulk billing is fine. But what the health system really needs this election is genuine reform
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne

Worrying signs are emerging about aspects of Australia’s health system, which will require the attention of whoever wins the May election.

Despite big money pledged for Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), only limited attention has been paid by the major parties to key reform priorities.

Any fresh reform agenda will be starting from a position of relative strength. Australia has a good health system that consistently ranks well compared with other wealthy nations, including on life expectancy, which is on the high side.

Medicare remains the right infrastructure for funding primary care. But it is now more than 40 years old and needs to be updated and improved.

Policy action is necessary on five fronts:
- financial barriers to care
- managing chronic conditions
- mental health and dental care
- public hospitals
- workforce
Priced out of care

Despite Medicare’s promise of universality, around one in ten people defer seeing a doctor because of the cost.

And despite the provision of subsidised drugs via the PBS, people also report missing out on filling prescriptions.

Health Minister Mark Butler has said that Medicare is in its ‘worst shape’ in its 40 year history.
Robyn Mackenzie/Shutterstock

Labor has announced big-ticket measures to improve bulk-billing rates and cap PBS prices at A$25 a prescription. Given cost-of-living pressures are central to the election, it’s unsurprising the Coalition has pledged to match both policies.

But, critically, neither party has announced anything to improve access to other medical specialists. The gap continues to grow between what specialists charge and what Medicare will cover. This means some patients are delaying or avoiding necessary care altogether.

Complex chronic conditions

The health system has not adapted to the rising prevalence of chronic disease in the Australian community. In 2023–24, 18% of the population saw three or more health professionals. But for 28% of those people, no single provider coordinated their care.

Medicare was designed in a different age and needs to be refurbished to respond to this new reality of more patients who are suffering multiple health conditions.

The Strengthening Medicare Task Force and the GP Incentives Review have proposed new systems to fund general practices to facilitate multidisciplinary care.

Work needs to continue in this direction, regardless of who forms the next government.

Forgotten care

Dental and mental health are largely the forgotten sectors of health care. The number of people delaying access to oral health services because of affordability issues is more than twice the 10% who are missing out in other areas of the health system.

Seeing a dentist is very much dependant on income. More than a quarter of Australians living in the most disadvantaged areas defer getting their teeth fixed because of the cost involved. Uncapped access to dental care, as proposed by the Greens, is not the answer. What is needed is a more sophisticated route towards universal access.

By contrast, the pattern for mental health care is different, with people in both poor and rich areas facing access problems.

The Coalition has promised to restore the maximum number of Medicare-subsidised fee-for-service mental health sessions to 20, despite it being regarded as an inequitable policy.

More fee-for-service mental health care is not the right approach. By contrast, Labor is making a $1 billion commitment to expanding services which are free to the consumer. This includes Medicare Mental Health Services and headspace clinics, which generally employ salaried professionals.

Both parties should support another initiative already underway: the universal program for people with low-to-moderate mental health needs, which doesn’t require either a referral or a co-payment. Labor announced the plan in the last budget, scheduled to start in January 2026.

Inadequate hospital funding

The Commonwealth share of public hospital funding has been trending down for the last few years, reversing the growth in its share over much of the last decade.

A deal has been reached to lift the Commonwealth share of hospital funding to 45%.
Rose Marinelli/Shutterstock

Some states have fared worse than others, which means some hospitals have become squeezed and waiting times have blown out.

In late 2023, National Cabinet reached a new funding deal which would lift the Commonwealth share to 45% by 2035–36.

But subsequent negotiations have become bogged down in a quagmire of claims and counter-claims. The Albanese government has responded with an interim one-year funding down payment. But both major parties need to address this issue and commit to implementing the full 45% in the agreed time frame.

No doctor in the house

In 2014, the Abbott government abolished Health Workforce Australia, the national agency responsible for health workforce planning. Ten years later, it’s no surprise we are in the middle of a critical shortage of doctors and nurses.

The Albanese government has implemented changes to speed up the recruitment of internationally trained health professionals. It is also offering incentives to encourage more clinicians to work in rural and remote Australia.

But these are just more of the same, similar to the plethora of policies which have left us in the mess we are in. Ensuring we have the right workforce mix to address rural health needs requires a fresh approach. That includes revised funding models – as proposed in the GP incentives review – and allowing all health professionals to work to their full scope of practice.

Reform hard slog

Although health often ranks in the top three issues people say are important to them in elections, cost of living is the main focus of media and political commentary.

The promise to increase bulk billing will help lower primary care costs.

But genuine health care reform does not attract much media attention, which means it doesn’t get the profile necessary to prompt the right political promises.

The hard slog of change takes years, and involves much more than a few carrots thrown to voters in an election. It takes careful negotiation with stakeholders and getting the infrastructure right.

Given the initiatives listed above, Health Minister Mark Butler has done well on reform this term. Unfortunately, voters don’t see that, and appear not to value systematic and coherent reform strategies.

It is hoped that whoever is health minister after the election will continue on the reform path to a more sustainable and affordable health system.

This is the eighth article in our special series, Australia’s Policy Challenges. You can read the other articles here.

Stephen Duckett was a member of the Strengthening Medicare Task Force, the Review of General Prcatice Incentives, the Mental Health Reform Advisory Group, and the Expert Panel on the National Early Intervention Service

– ref. More bulk billing is fine. But what the health system really needs this election is genuine reform – https://theconversation.com/more-bulk-billing-is-fine-but-what-the-health-system-really-needs-this-election-is-genuine-reform-250644
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 16, 2025

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Category: Politics

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