MIL-Evening Report: Waiting too long for public dental care? Here’s why the system is struggling – and how to fix it

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Santosh Tadakamadla, Professor and Head of Dentistry and Oral Health, La Trobe University

Just over one-third of Australians are eligible for public dental services, which provide free or low cost dental treatment.

Yet demand for these services continues to exceed supply. As a result, many Australian adults face long waits for access, which can be up to three years in some states.

So what’s going wrong with public dental care in Australia? And how can it be fixed?

Who funds public dental care?

Both the federal government and state and territory governments fund public dental services. These are primarily targeted at low-income Australians, including children, and hard-to-reach populations, known as priority groups.

Individuals and families bear a majority of the costs for dental services. They paid around 81% (A$10.1 billion) of the cost for dental services in 2022–23, either directly through out-of-pocket expenses, or through private health insurance premiums.

The Commonwealth contributed 11% to the cost of dental care, while the states and territories paid the remaining 8% in 2022–23.

Who is eligible for public dental care?

Just under half of Australian children are eligible for the means-tested Child Dental Benefits Schedule. This gives them access to $1,132 of dental benefits over two years.

While children from low-income families tend to benefit from this scheme, critics have raised concerns about the low uptake. Only one-third use the dental program in any given year.

Some children access free or low-cost dental care from state and territory based services, such as the Victorian Smile Squad school dental program or the NSW Health Primary School Mobile Dental Program.

Others use their private health insurance to pay for some of the costs of private dental care.

What if you’re low-income but aren’t eligible?

Some Australians aren’t eligible for public dental services but can’t afford private dental care. In 2022–23, around one in six people (18%) delayed or didn’t see a dental professional when they needed to because of the cost.

Some Australians are accessing their superannuation funds under compassionate grounds for dental treatment. The amount people have accessed has grown eight-fold from 2018–19 to 2023–24, from $66.4 million to $526.4 million.

However, concerns have been raised about the exploitation of this provision. Some people have accessed their super for dental treatment costing more than $20,000. This more than what would typically be required for urgent dental care, impacting their future financial security.

Why are the waits so long in the public dental care system?

The long waits are due to a combination of factors, alongside high levels need:

systemic under-funding by Australian governments. This is exacerbated by federal government funding for public dental services remaining fixed rather than being indexed annually
workforce shortages in rural and remote areas, with dental practitioners concentrated in wealthy, metro areas
poor incentives for the oral health workforce in public dental services
too few public clinics, in part because the initial outlay and ongoing equipment costs are so great.

What is the government planning in the long term?

The federal government is taking action to improve the affordability of dental services through long-term funding reforms only targeting priority populations to bring some dental services into Medicare.

An initial focus is for older Australians and First Nations people.

Cost estimates for a universal dental scheme vary significantly, depending on the population coverage and the number of dental benefits individuals are eligible for, and whether services are capped (as in the case of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule) or uncapped.

The Grattan Institute estimates a capped scheme would cost $5.6 billion annually.

The Australian Parliamentary Budget Office estimates it would cost $45 billion over three years.

When increasing government funding for public dental service, it’s important policymakers ensure the services included are evidence-based and represent value for money.

What needs to be done in the meantime

Meaningful long-term funding reform towards a universal dental scheme requires some foundational policy work.

First, there should be an agreed understanding of what dental services should be government subsidised and provide annual limits for reimbursement to prevent overtreatment. This would avoid some people getting a lot of dental treatment they don’t need, while others could miss out.

Many dental services are routinely offered without any clinical benefit. This includes six-monthly oral health check-ups and cleans for low-risk patients.

Second, resource allocation is best done when we focus on prevention and governments fund cost-effective dental services. Priority-setting is best done using economic evaluation tools.

Third, the federal government should extend its existing decision-making frameworks to include dental services. This would bring dental care in line with medicine and service listings on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), ensuring that safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness inform public funding decisions.

Fourth, the government needs to reform the workforce. This should include funding to support recruitment and training of students from regional, rural and remote areas. These students are more likely to return to their communities to work, balancing the unequal distribution of the workforce.

We also urgently need to attract and retain more people to work in public dental services.

Finally, we need a coordinated national approach to oral health policy and funding. The federal government has an opportunity to do this now as consultations continue through 2025 to develop and implement the National Oral Health Plan 2025–2034.

Santosh Tadakamadla received National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (APP1161659) from 2019-2023. He is Head of Dentistry and Oral Health at La Trobe Rural Health School in Bendigo.

Tan Nguyen receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council (Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme APP1189802). He is affiliated with Deakin University, Monash University, Oral Health Victoria, Public Association of Australia, National Oral Health Alliance and Dental Board of Australia.

– ref. Waiting too long for public dental care? Here’s why the system is struggling – and how to fix it – https://theconversation.com/waiting-too-long-for-public-dental-care-heres-why-the-system-is-struggling-and-how-to-fix-it-261661

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 25, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: Passenger car production in Russia fell by 2 percent in January-June

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Moscow, July 24 (Xinhua) — Russia produced 326,000 passenger cars in the first half of 2025, down 2.1 percent from the same period a year earlier, the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation published on Thursday.

In June, 45 thousand passenger cars were produced in Russia. This is 28.2 percent less than in June 2024.

In the first half of 2025, the country saw a 23.9 percent reduction in truck production. During this period, 68.8 thousand units were produced in Russia. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 25, 2025

MIL-Evening Report: Columbia’s $200M deal with Trump administration sets a precedent for other universities to bend to the government’s will

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Cantwell, Associate Professor of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, Michigan State University

Students at Columbia University in New York City on April 14, 2025. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

Columbia University agreed on July 23, 2025, to pay a US$200 million fine to the federal government and to settle allegations that it did not create a safe environment for Jewish students during Palestinian rights protests in 2024.

The deal will restore the vast majority of the $400 million in federal grants and contracts that Columbia was previously awarded, before the administration withdrew the funding in March 2025.

It marks the first financial and political agreement a university has reached with the Trump administration in its push for more control over higher education – and stands to have significant ripple effects for how other universities and colleges carry out their basic operations.

Amy Lieberman, the education editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Brendan Cantwell, a scholar of higher education at Michigan State University, to understand what’s exactly in this agreement – and the lasting precedent it may set on government intervention in higher education.

Palestinian rights demonstrators march through Columbia University on Oct. 7, 2024, marking one year of the war between Hamas and Israel.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

What’s in the deal Columbia made with the Trump administration?

The agreement requires Columbia to make a $200 million payment to the federal government. Columbia will also pay $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Columbia will need to keep detailed statistics about student applicants – including their race and ethnicity, grades and SAT scores – as well as information about faculty and staff hiring decisions. Columbia will then have to share this data with the federal government.

In exchange, the federal government will release most of the $400 million in frozen grant money previously awarded to Columbia and allow faculty at the university to compete for future federal grants.

How does this deal address antisemitism?

The Trump administration has cited antisemitism against students and faculty on campuses to justify its broad incursion into the business of universities around the country.

Antisemitism is a real and legitimate concern in U.S. society and higher education, including at Columbia.

But the federal complaint the administration made against Columbia was not actually about antisemitism. The administration made a formal accusation of antisemitism at Columbia in May of this year but suspended grants to the university in March. The federal government had initially acknowledged that cutting federal research grants did nothing to address the climate for Jewish students on campus, for example.

When the federal government investigates civil rights violations, it usually conducts site visits and does very thorough investigations. We never saw such a government report about antisemitism at Columbia or other universities.

The settlement that Columbia has entered into with the administration also doesn’t do much about antisemitism.

The agreement includes Columbia redefining antisemitism with a broader definition that is also used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The definition now includes “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” – a description that is also used by the U.S. State Department and several European governments but some critics say conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism.

Instead, the agreement primarily has to do with faculty hiring and admissions decisions. The federal government alleges that Columbia is discriminating against white and Asian applicants, and that this will allow the government to ensure that everybody who is admitted is considered only on the basis of merit.

The administration could argue that changing hiring practices to get faculty who are less hostile to Jewish students could change the campus climate, but the agreement doesn’t really identify ways in which the university contributed to or ignored antisemitic conduct.

Is this a new issue?

There has been a long-running issue that conservatives and members of the Trump administration – dating back to his first term – have with higher education. The Trump administration and other conservatives have said for years that higher education is too liberal.

The protests were the flash point that put Columbia in the administration’s crosshairs, as well as claims that Columbia was creating a hostile environment for Jewish students.

The administration’s complaints aren’t limited to Columbia. Harvard is in a protracted conflict with the administration, and the administration has launched investigations into dozens of other schools around the country. These universities are butting heads with the administration over the same grievance that higher education is too liberal. There are also specific claims about antisemitism on university campuses and the privileges given to nonwhite students in admissions or campus life.

While the administration has a common set of complaints about a range of universities, there is a mix of schools that the administration is taking issue with. Some of them, such as Harvard, are very high profile. The Department of Justice forced out the president at the University of Virginia in January 2025 on the grounds that he had not done enough to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the public university. The University of Virginia may have been a target for the administration because a Republican governor appointed most members of its governance board and agreed with Trump’s complaints.

How could this change the makeup of Columbia’s student population?

The Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that Harvard’s affirmative action program, which considered race in admissions, violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This effectively ended race-based affirmative action for all U.S. colleges and universities.

Now, with the Columbia deal, the government could say that it would expect to see a proportion of students who are white increase and students who are Black and Latino to decrease at Columbia. That’s a legal approach that America First Legal, a conservative legal advocacy group founded by Stephen Miller, a Trump administration official, has already tried.

Back in February 2025, America First Legal alleged in a federal lawsuit that the University of California, Los Angeles, was using illegal admissions criteria, because of the number of Black and Latino students that were admitted by the school. That lawsuit is ongoing.

Claire Shipman, Columbia University’s acting president, speaks during the school’s May 2025 commencement ceremony.
Jeenah Moon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

What does this agreement mean for US higher education as a whole?

It is an enormous, unprecedented shift in how the federal government works with higher education. Since the McCarthy era in the 1940s and ’50s, when professors were blacklisted and fired because of their alleged communism, Americans have not seen the federal government interrogate education.

The federal government does have a role in securing people’s civil rights, including in the context of higher education, but this is very, very different from how the federal government has done civil rights investigations and entered into agreements with universities in the past.

This agreement is very broad and gives the federal government oversight of things that have long been under universities’ control, such as whom they hire to teach and which students they admit.

The federal government is now saying it has the right to look over universities’ shoulders and guide them in this work that has long been considered independent. And the government is willing to be extremely coercive to get universities to comply.

What signal does this agreement send to other universities?

This agreement sets a precedent for the government to direct colleges and universities to comply with its political agenda. This violates the long tradition of academic independence that had helped to make the U.S. higher education system the envy of the world.

Columbia can afford paying $200 million to the federal government. Most universities can’t afford to pay $200 million.

And most campuses cannot survive without federal resources, whether that comes in the form of student financial aid or research grants. This agreement sets a standard for other universities that, if they don’t immediately do what the federal government wants them to do, the government could impose penalties that are so high it could end their ability to operate.

Brendan Cantwell is a Professor in the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University.

– ref. Columbia’s $200M deal with Trump administration sets a precedent for other universities to bend to the government’s will – https://theconversation.com/columbias-200m-deal-with-trump-administration-sets-a-precedent-for-other-universities-to-bend-to-the-governments-will-261902

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 25, 2025

MIL-OSI: MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. Reports Financial Results for the Second Quarter of 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

IOWA CITY, Iowa, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MOFG) (“we,” “our,” or the “Company”) today reported results for the second quarter of 2025.

Second Quarter 2025 Summary¹

Pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue increased 15% to $24.5 million².
- Net interest margin (tax equivalent) was 3.57%²; core net interest margin expanded 13 basis points (“bps”) to 3.49%.²
- Noninterest income was $10.2 million.
- Noninterest expense was $35.8 million.
- Efficiency ratio improved to 56.20%² from 59.38%².
Net income of $10.0 million, or $0.48 per diluted common share, reflected credit loss expense of $11.9 million stemming primarily from a single commercial real estate (“CRE”) office credit.
Criticized loans ratio improved 32 bps to 5.15%.
Allowance for credit losses ratio increased to 1.50%, due primarily to the single CRE office credit.
Annualized loan growth of 7.4%.
Tangible book value per share of $23.92,² an increase of 2.4%.
Common equity tier 1 (“CET1”) capital ratio improved 5 bps to 11.02%.
Provided notice of redemption for all $65.0 million aggregate principal of the Company’s 5.75% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due 2030 set to reprice on July 30^th.

CEO Commentary

Charles (Chip) Reeves, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, “Due to the expertise of our MidWestOne team, we continued to execute well on our 2025 strategic initiatives. Strong loan growth and back book loan re-pricing led to tax equivalent net interest margin expansion of 13 basis points, to 3.57%², and to 5% linked quarter net interest income growth. Investments in our relationship fee income businesses continue to bear fruit with wealth management, Small Business Administration (“SBA”), and residential mortgage revenues up quarter over quarter.

We maintained our expense discipline even as we added significant customer facing talent in Denver and the Twin Cities, as well as invested in our platforms to drive internal efficiencies and improve the customer experience.

Earnings and certain asset quality measures were unfavorably impacted by a single $24 million suburban Twin Cities CRE office credit. The loan was originated in June 2022 and previously classified, but moved to nonaccrual in the second quarter. A receiver is in place, resolution efforts have begun, and a specific reserve was established, which led to an increase in our allowance for credit losses ratio to 1.50%.

Our balance sheet, capital, and underlying earnings strength position us well for the second half of 2025 as we continue to make significant progress in building a high-performing, relationship-driven community bank.”

__________________
¹_{Second Quarter Summary compares to the first quarter of 2025 (the “linked quarter”) unless noted.}
²_{Non-GAAP measure. See the separate Non-GAAP Measures section for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.}

(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts and as noted)	As of or for the quarter ended									Six Months Ended
	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Financial Results
Revenue	$	60,231		$	57,575		$	57,901		$	117,806		$	102,382
Credit loss expense		11,889			1,687			1,267			13,576			5,956
Noninterest expense		35,767			36,293			35,761			72,060			71,326
Net income		9,980			15,138			15,819			25,118			19,088
Pre-tax pre-provision net revenue⁽³⁾		24,464			21,282			22,140			45,746			31,056
Adjusted earnings⁽³⁾		10,176			15,301			8,132			25,479			12,621
Per Common Share
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.48		$	0.73		$	1.00		$	1.20		$	1.21
Adjusted earnings per share⁽³⁾		0.49			0.73			0.52			1.22			0.80
Book value		28.36			27.85			34.44			28.36			34.44
Tangible book value⁽³⁾		23.92			23.36			28.27			23.92			28.27
Balance Sheet & Credit Quality
Loans In millions	$	4,381.2		$	4,304.2		$	4,287.2		$	4,381.2		$	4,287.2
Investment securities In millions		1,235.0			1,305.5			1,824.1			1,235.0			1,824.1
Deposits In millions		5,388.1			5,489.1			5,412.4			5,388.1			5,412.4
Net loan charge-offs In millions		0.2			3.1			0.5			3.3			0.7
Allowance for credit losses ratio		1.50	%		1.25	%		1.26	%		1.50	%		1.26	%
Selected Ratios
Return on average assets		0.65	%		1.00	%		0.95	%		0.82	%		0.58	%
Net interest margin, tax equivalent⁽³⁾		3.57	%		3.44	%		2.41	%		3.51	%		2.37	%
Return on average equity		6.81	%		10.74	%		11.91	%		8.74	%		7.23	%
Return on average tangible equity⁽³⁾		8.84	%		13.75	%		15.74	%		11.24	%		9.98	%
Efficiency ratio⁽³⁾		56.20	%		59.38	%		56.29	%		57.75	%		62.83	%

REVENUE REVIEW

Revenue							Change		Change
Revenue							2Q25 vs		2Q25 vs
(Dollars in thousands)	2Q25		1Q25		2Q24		1Q25		2Q24
Net interest income	$	49,982	$	47,439	$	36,347	5	%	38	%
Noninterest income		10,249		10,136		21,554	1	%	(52)%
Total revenue, net of interest expense	$	60,231	$	57,575	$	57,901	5	%	4	%

Total revenue for the second quarter of 2025 increased $2.7 million from the first quarter of 2025 due to higher net interest income and noninterest income during the quarter. When compared to the second quarter of 2024, total revenue increased $2.3 million due to higher net interest income partially offset by lower noninterest income.

Net interest income of $50.0 million for the second quarter of 2025 increased $2.5 million from the first quarter of 2025 due to higher earning asset volumes and yields and lower funding costs, partially offset by higher funding volumes. When compared to the second quarter of 2024, net interest income increased $13.6 million due to higher earning asset yields and lower funding volumes and costs, partially offset by lower earning asset volumes.

The Company’s tax equivalent net interest margin was 3.57%³ in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.44%³ in the first quarter of 2025, driven by higher earning asset yields and lower interest bearing liability costs. Total earning asset yield increased 12 bps from the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to an increase of 10 bps in loan yield. Interest bearing liability costs during the second quarter of 2025 decreased 2 bps to 2.39%, primarily due to reductions in long-term debt costs and interest bearing deposits of 13 bps and 2 bps, to 6.28% and 2.29%, respectively, from the first quarter of 2025.

The Company’s tax equivalent net interest margin was 3.57%³ in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 2.41%³ in the second quarter of 2024, driven by higher earning asset yields and lower interest bearing liability costs. Total earning assets yield increased 75 bps from the second quarter of 2024, primarily due to increases of 189 bps and 12 bps in total investment securities and loan yields, respectively. Interest bearing liability costs decreased 46 bps to 2.39%, due to long-term debt costs of 6.28% and interest bearing deposit costs of 2.29%, which decreased 67 bps, and 25 bps, respectively, from the second quarter of 2024.

__________________
³_{Non-GAAP measure. See the separate Non-GAAP Measures section for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.}

Noninterest Income									Change		Change
Noninterest Income									2Q25 vs		2Q25 vs
(Dollars in thousands)	2Q25			1Q25			2Q24		1Q25		2Q24
Investment services and trust activities	$	3,705		$	3,544		$	3,504	5	%	6	%
Service charges and fees		2,190			2,131			2,156	3	%	2	%
Card revenue		1,934			1,744			1,907	11	%	1	%
Loan revenue		1,417			1,194			1,525	19	%	(7)%
Bank-owned life insurance		677			1,057			668	(36)%		1	%
Investment securities gains, net		—			33			33	(100)%		(100)%
Other		326			433			11,761	(25)%		(97)%
Total noninterest income	$	10,249		$	10,136		$	21,554	1	%	(52)%

MSR adjustment (included above in Loan revenue)	$	(264	)	$	(213	)	$	129	24	%	(305)%

Noninterest income for the second quarter of 2025 increased $0.1 million from the linked quarter, primarily due to increases of $0.2 million each in loan revenue, card revenue, and investment services and trust activities revenue. The increase in loan revenue was due primarily to a $0.2 million increase in mortgage origination fee revenue, coupled with an increase of $0.2 million in SBA gain on sale revenue. The increase in card revenue was driven primarily by higher interchange fee income. The increase in investment services and trust activities revenue was driven by higher assets under administration. Partially offsetting these increases was a decline of $0.4 million in bank-owned life insurance revenue stemming from the death benefit recognized in the first quarter of 2025.

Noninterest income for the second quarter of 2025 decreased $11.3 million from the second quarter of 2024 primarily due to the decline in other revenue stemming from the $11.1 million gain realized in connection with the sale of our Florida banking operations in the second quarter of 2024. Also contributing to the decline in noninterest income was a $0.4 million unfavorable change in the fair value of our mortgage servicing rights, which is included in loan revenue, and a decline of $0.4 million in swap origination fee income, which is recorded in other revenue. Partially offsetting these declines was an increase of $0.2 million in investment services and trust activities revenue, driven by higher assets under administration.

EXPENSE REVIEW

Noninterest Expense							Change		Change
Noninterest Expense							2Q25 vs		2Q25 vs
(Dollars in thousands)	2Q25		1Q25		2Q24		1Q25		2Q24
Compensation and employee benefits	$	21,011	$	21,212	$	20,985	(1)%		—	%
Occupancy expense of premises, net		2,540		2,588		2,435	(2)%		4	%
Equipment		2,550		2,426		2,530	5	%	1	%
Legal and professional		2,153		2,226		2,253	(3)%		(4)%
Data processing		1,486		1,698		1,645	(12)%		(10)%
Marketing		762		552		636	38	%	20	%
Amortization of intangibles		1,252		1,408		1,593	(11)%		(21)%
FDIC insurance		851		917		1,051	(7)%		(19)%
Communications		161		159		191	1	%	(16)%
Foreclosed assets, net		83		74		138	12	%	(40)%
Other		2,918		3,033		2,304	(4)%		27	%
Total noninterest expense	$	35,767	$	36,293	$	35,761	(1)%		—	%

Merger-related Expenses
Merger-related Expenses
(Dollars in thousands)	2Q25		1Q25		2Q24
Compensation and employee benefits	$	—	$	—	$	73
Equipment		—		—		28
Legal and professional		—		40		462
Data processing		—		—		251
Communications		—		—		8
Other		—		—		32
Total merger-related expenses	$	—	$	40	$	854

Noninterest expense for the second quarter of 2025 decreased $0.5 million from the linked quarter, primarily due to decreases of $0.2 million each in data processing, compensation and employee benefits, and amortization of intangibles. The decrease in data processing was primarily driven by a decrease in core banking system costs. The decrease in compensation and employee benefits reflected the receipt of $1.1 million from Employee Retention Credit claims, which was partially offset by higher wage, equity compensation and employee benefits expense.

Noninterest expense for the second quarter of 2025 compared to the prior year was stable at $35.8 million. The $0.6 million increase in other noninterest expense stemmed primarily from customer deposits costs. Further, excluding merger-related expenses, legal and professional costs increased $0.4 million due primarily to higher litigation-related legal expenses. Those increases were partially offset by lower intangible amortization and FDIC insurance costs, which decreased $0.3 million and $0.2 million, respectively.

The Company’s effective tax rate was 20.6% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 22.7% in the linked quarter. The effective income tax rate for the full year 2025 is expected to be 22-23%.

BALANCE SHEET REVIEW

Total assets were $6.16 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $6.25 billion at March 31, 2025 and $6.58 billion at June 30, 2024. The decrease from March 31, 2025 was primarily due to lower cash and security volumes, partially offset by higher loan volumes. Compared to June 30, 2024, the decrease was primarily driven by lower security volumes, partially offset by higher loan volumes.

Loans Held for Investment (Dollars in thousands)	June 30, 2025				March 31, 2025				June 30, 2024
Loans Held for Investment (Dollars in thousands)	Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total
Commercial and industrial	$	1,226,265	28.0	%	$	1,140,138	26.5	%	$	1,120,983	26.1	%
Agricultural		128,717	2.9			131,409	3.1			107,983	2.5
Commercial real estate
Construction and development		280,918	6.4			293,280	6.8			351,646	8.2
Farmland		186,494	4.3			180,633	4.2			183,641	4.3
Multifamily		438,193	10.0			421,204	9.8			430,054	10.0
Other		1,407,469	32.1			1,425,062	33.0			1,348,515	31.5
Total commercial real estate		2,313,074	52.8			2,320,179	53.8			2,313,856	54.0
Residential real estate
One-to-four family first liens		467,970	10.7			471,688	11.0			492,541	11.5
One-to-four family junior liens		188,671	4.3			182,346	4.2			176,105	4.1
Total residential real estate		656,641	15.0			654,034	15.2			668,646	15.6
Consumer		56,491	1.3			58,424	1.4			75,764	1.8
Loans held for investment, net of unearned income	$	4,381,188	100.0	%	$	4,304,184	100.0	%	$	4,287,232	100.0	%

Total commitments to extend credit	$	1,074,935			$	1,080,300			$	1,200,605

Loans held for investment, net of unearned income at June 30, 2025 were $4.38 billion, increasing $77.0 million, or 1.8%, from $4.30 billion at March 31, 2025 and increasing $94.0 million, or 2.2%, from $4.29 billion at June 30, 2024. The increases across both periods were primarily driven by organic loan growth and higher line of credit usage.

Investment Securities(Dollars in thousands)	June 30, 2025				March 31, 2025				June 30, 2024
Investment Securities(Dollars in thousands)	Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total
Available for sale	$	1,235,045	100.0	%	$	1,305,530	100.0	%	$	771,034	42.3	%
Held to maturity		—	—	%		—	—	%		1,053,080	57.7	%
Total investment securities	$	1,235,045			$	1,305,530			$	1,824,114

Investment securities at June 30, 2025 were $1.24 billion, decreasing $70.5 million from March 31, 2025 and decreasing $589.1 million from June 30, 2024. The decrease from the first quarter of 2025 was primarily due to principal cash flows received from scheduled payments, calls, and maturities. The decrease from the second quarter of 2024 stemmed primarily from the sale of debt securities in connection with a balance sheet repositioning, as well as principal cash flows received from scheduled payments, calls, and maturities.

Deposits	June 30, 2025				March 31, 2025				June 30, 2024
(Dollars in thousands)	Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total
Noninterest bearing deposits	$	910,693	16.9	%	$	903,714	16.5	%	$	882,472	16.3	%
Interest checking deposits		1,206,096	22.5			1,283,328	23.3			1,284,243	23.7
Money market deposits		971,048	18.0			1,002,066	18.3			1,043,376	19.3
Savings deposits		851,636	15.8			877,348	16.0			745,639	13.8
Time deposits of $250 and under		837,302	15.5			818,012	14.9			803,301	14.8
Total core deposits		4,776,775	88.7			4,884,468	89.0			4,759,031	87.9
Brokered time deposits		200,000	3.7			200,000	3.6			196,000	3.6
Time deposits over $250		411,323	7.6			404,674	7.4			457,388	8.5
Total deposits	$	5,388,098	100.0	%	$	5,489,142	100.0	%	$	5,412,419	100.0	%

Total deposits at June 30, 2025 were $5.39 billion, decreasing $101.0 million, or 1.8%, from $5.49 billion at March 31, 2025, and decreasing $24.3 million, or 0.4%, from $5.41 billion at June 30, 2024. Noninterest bearing deposits at June 30, 2025 were $910.7 million, an increase of $7.0 million from March 31, 2025 and an increase of $28.2 million from June 30, 2024.

Borrowed Funds	June 30, 2025				March 31, 2025				June 30, 2024
(Dollars in thousands)	Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total		Balance		% of Total
Short-term borrowings	$	—	—	%	$	1,482	1.3	%	$	414,684	78.3	%
Long-term debt		112,320	100.0	%		111,398	98.7	%		114,839	21.7	%
Total borrowed funds	$	112,320			$	112,880			$	529,523

Borrowed funds were $112.3 million at June 30, 2025, a decrease of $0.6 million from March 31, 2025 and a decrease of $417.2 million from June 30, 2024. The decrease compared to the linked quarter was due primarily to lower securities sold under agreements to repurchase. The decrease compared to June 30, 2024 was primarily due to the pay-off of $405.0 million of BTFP borrowings and scheduled payments on long-term debt.

In June 2025, the Company provided notice to the trustee of its intent to redeem all $65.0 million aggregate principal of its 5.75% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due 2030. To complete the redemption, the Company expects to utilize a combination of cash on hand and proceeds from a $50.0 million senior term note. The senior term note is expected to be structured as a 5-year maturity, 7-year amortization facility, and bear interest at a floating rate of 1-month term SOFR plus 1.75%. The financing pursuant to the senior note is expected to close on July 29, 2025, and the redemption is expected to occur on July 30, 2025.

Capital	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2025 ⁽¹⁾				2025			2024
Total shareholders’ equity	$	589,040		$	579,625		$	543,286
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(57,557	)		(63,098	)		(58,135	)
*MidWestOne* Financial Group, Inc. Consolidated**
Tier 1 leverage to average assets ratio		9.62	%		9.50	%		8.29	%
Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		11.02	%		10.97	%		9.56	%
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		11.88	%		11.84	%		10.35	%
Total capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		14.44	%		14.34	%		12.62	%
*MidWestOne* Bank**
Tier 1 leverage to average assets ratio		10.43	%		10.42	%		9.24	%
Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		12.95	%		13.02	%		11.55	%
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		12.95	%		13.02	%		11.55	%
Total capital to risk-weighted assets ratio		14.20	%		14.21	%		12.61	%
⁽¹⁾ Regulatory capital ratios for June 30, 2025 are preliminary

Total shareholders’ equity at June 30, 2025 increased $9.4 million from March 31, 2025, driven primarily by a decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss and an increase in retained earnings, partially offset by an increase in treasury stock. Total shareholders’ equity at June 30, 2025 increased $45.8 million from June 30, 2024, primarily due to increases in common stock and additional paid-in-capital stemming from the common equity capital raise in the third quarter of 2024, and partially offset by a decrease in retained earnings.

On July 22, 2025, the Board of Directors of the Company declared a cash dividend of $0.2425 per common share. The dividend is payable September 16, 2025, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 2, 2025.

The current share repurchase program allows for the repurchase of up to $15.0 million of the Company’s common shares. Under such program, the Company repurchased 63,402 shares of its common stock at an average price of $27.65 per share and a total cost of $1.8 million during the period March 31, 2025 through June 30, 2025. No shares were repurchased during the subsequent period through July 24, 2025. As of June 30, 2025, $13.2 million remained available under this program.

CREDIT QUALITY REVIEW

Credit Quality	As of or For the Three Months Ended
Credit Quality	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024
Credit loss expense related to loans	$	12,089		$	1,787		$	467
Net charge-offs		189			3,087			524
Allowance for credit losses		65,800			53,900			53,900
Pass	$	4,155,385		$	4,068,707		$	3,991,692
Special Mention		98,998			121,494			146,253
Classified		126,805			113,983			149,287
Criticized		225,803			235,477			295,540
Loans greater than 30 days past due and accruing	$	12,161		$	6,119		$	9,358
Nonperforming loans	$	37,192		$	17,470		$	25,128
Nonperforming assets		40,606			20,889			31,181
Net charge-off ratio⁽¹⁾		0.02	%		0.29	%		0.05	%
Classified loans ratio⁽²⁾		2.89	%		2.65	%		3.48	%
Criticized loans ratio⁽³⁾		5.15	%		5.47	%		6.89	%
Nonperforming loans ratio⁽⁴⁾		0.85	%		0.41	%		0.59	%
Nonperforming assets ratio⁽⁵⁾		0.66	%		0.33	%		0.47	%
Allowance for credit losses ratio⁽⁶⁾		1.50	%		1.25	%		1.26	%
Allowance for credit losses to nonaccrual loans ratio⁽⁷⁾		179.19	%		309.47	%		218.26	%
⁽¹⁾ Net charge-off ratio is calculated as annualized net charge-offs divided by the sum of average loans held for investment, net of unearned income and average loans held for sale, during the period.
⁽²⁾ Classified loans ratio is calculated as classified loans divided by loans held for investment, net of unearned income, at the end of the period.
⁽³⁾ Criticized loans ratio is calculated as criticized loans divided by loans held for investment, net of unearned income, at the end of the period.
⁽⁴⁾ Nonperforming loans ratio is calculated as nonperforming loans divided by loans held for investment, net of unearned income, at the end of the period.
⁽⁵⁾ Nonperforming assets ratio is calculated as nonperforming assets divided by total assets at the end of the period.
⁽⁶⁾ Allowance for credit losses ratio is calculated as allowance for credit losses divided by loans held for investment, net of unearned income, at the end of the period.
⁽⁷⁾ Allowance for credit losses to nonaccrual loans ratio is calculated as allowance for credit losses divided by nonaccrual loans at the end of the period.

Compared to the linked quarter, both nonperforming loans and nonperforming assets increased $19.7 million, primarily due to a single $24.0 million CRE office credit, partially offset by the sale of a $3.9 million CRE office credit. Special mention loan balances decreased $22.5 million, or 19%, while classified loan balances increased $12.8 million, or 11%. Compared to the prior year period, nonperforming loans and nonperforming assets increased $12.1 million and $9.4 million, respectively. Special mention loan balances decreased $47.3 million, or 32%, while classified loan balances decreased $22.5 million, or 15%. The net charge-off ratio declined 27 bps from the linked quarter and 3 bps from the same period in the prior year.

As of June 30, 2025, the allowance for credit losses was $65.8 million and the allowance for credit losses ratio was 1.50%, compared with $53.9 million and 1.25%, respectively, at March 31, 2025. Credit loss expense of $11.9 million in the second quarter of 2025 primarily reflected the specific reserve established in connection with the single CRE office credit previously discussed.

Nonperforming Loans Roll Forward (Dollars in thousands)	Nonaccrual			90+ Days Past Due & Still Accruing			Total
Balance at March 31, 2025	$	17,417		$	53		$	17,470
Loans placed on nonaccrual or 90+ days past due & still accruing		25,279			569			25,848
Proceeds related to repayment or sale		(4,973	)		—			(4,973	)
Loans returned to accrual status or no longer past due		(632	)		—			(632	)
Charge-offs		(187	)		(151	)		(338	)
Transfers to foreclosed assets		(183	)		—			(183	)
Balance at June 30, 2025	$	36,721		$	471		$	37,192

CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

The Company will host a conference call for investors at 11:00 a.m. CT on Friday, July 25, 2025. To participate, you may pre-register for this call utilizing the following link: https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=a6070726&confId=80381. After pre-registering for this event you will receive your access details via email. On the day of the call, you are also able to dial 1-833-470-1428 using an access code of 293794 at least fifteen minutes before the call start time. If you are unable to participate on the call, a replay will be available until October 23, 2025 by calling 1-866-813-9403 and using the replay access code of 763204. A transcript of the call will also be available on the Company’s web site (www.midwestonefinancial.com) within three business days of the call.

ABOUT MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa. MidWestOne is the parent company of MidWestOne Bank, which operates banking offices in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado. MidWestOne provides electronic delivery of financial services through its website, MidWestOne.bank. MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MOFG”.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of such term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We and our representatives may, from time to time, make written or oral statements that are “forward-looking” and provide information other than historical information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the factors listed below. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of our management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “plans,” “goals,” “intend,” “project,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “may” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Additionally, we undertake no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events, except as required under federal securities law.

Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Factors that could have an impact on our ability to achieve operating results, growth plan goals and future prospects include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the effects of changes in interest rates, including on our net income and the value of our securities portfolio; (2) fluctuations in the value of our investment securities; (3) effects on the U.S. economy resulting from the implementation of proposed policies and executive orders, including the imposition of tariffs, changes in immigration policy, changes to regulatory or other governmental agencies, DEI and ESG initiative trends, changes in consumer protection policies, changes in foreign policy and tax regulations; (4) volatility of rate-sensitive deposits; (5) asset/liability matching risks and liquidity risks; (6) the ability to successfully manage liquidity risk, which may increase dependence on non-core funding sources such as brokered deposits, and may negatively impact the Company’s cost of funds; (7) the concentration of large deposits from certain clients, including those who have balances above current FDIC insurance limits; (8) credit quality deterioration, pronounced and sustained reduction in real estate market values, or other uncertainties, including the impact of inflationary pressures and future monetary policies of the Federal Reserve in response thereto on economic conditions and our business, resulting in an increase in the allowance for credit losses, an increase in the credit loss expense, and a reduction in net earnings; (9) the sufficiency of the allowance for credit losses to absorb the amount of expected losses inherent in our existing loan portfolio; (10) the failure of assumptions underlying the establishment of allowances for credit losses and estimation of values of collateral and various financial assets and liabilities; (11) credit risks and risks from concentrations (by type of borrower, collateral, geographic area and by industry) within our loan portfolio; (12) changes in the economic environment, competition, or other factors that may affect our ability to acquire loans or influence the anticipated growth rate of loans and deposits and the quality of the loan portfolio and loan and deposit pricing; (13) governmental monetary and fiscal policies; (14) new or revised general economic, political, or industry conditions, nationally, internationally or in the communities in which we conduct business, including the risk of a recession; (15) the imposition of domestic or foreign tariffs or other governmental policies impacting the global supply chain and value of the agricultural or other products of our borrowers; (16) war or terrorist activities, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, widespread disease or pandemic, or other adverse external events, which may cause deterioration in the economy or cause instability in credit markets; (17) legislative and regulatory changes, including changes in banking, securities, trade, and tax laws and regulations and their application by our regulators, and including changes in interpretation or prioritization of such laws and regulations; (18) changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by state and federal regulatory agencies and the Financial Accounting Standards Board; (19) the effects of competition from other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market and other mutual funds, financial technology companies, and other financial institutions operating in our markets or elsewhere or providing similar services; (20) changes in the business and economic conditions generally and in the financial services industry, and the effects of recent developments and events in the financial services industry, including the large-scale deposit withdrawals over a short period of time that resulted in prior bank failures; (21) the occurrence of fraudulent activity, breaches, or failures of our or our third party vendors’ information security controls or cyber-security related incidents, including as a result of sophisticated attacks using artificial intelligence and similar tools or as a result of insider fraud; (22) the ability to attract and retain key executives and employees experienced in banking and financial services; (23) our ability to adapt successfully to technological changes implemented by us and other parties in the financial services industry, including third-party vendors, which may be more difficult to implement or more expensive than anticipated or which may have unforeseen consequence to us and our customers, including the development and implementation of tools incorporating artificial intelligence; (24) operational risks, including data processing system failures and fraud; (25) the costs, effects and outcomes of existing or future litigation or other legal proceedings and regulatory actions; (26) the risks of mergers or branch sales (including the sale of our Florida banking operations and the acquisition of Denver Bankshares, Inc.), including, without limitation, the related time and costs of implementing such transactions, integrating operations as part of these transactions and possible failures to achieve expected gains, revenue growth and/or expense savings from such transactions; (27) the economic impacts on the Company and its customers of climate change, natural disasters and exceptional weather occurrences, such as: tornadoes, floods and blizzards; and (28) other risk factors detailed from time to time in Securities and Exchange Commission filings made by the Company.

MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
FIVE QUARTER CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

	June 30,			March 31,			December 31,			September 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2024			2024
ASSETS
Cash and due from banks	$	78,696		$	68,545		$	71,803		$	72,173		$	66,228
Interest earning deposits in banks		90,749			182,360			133,092			129,695			35,340
Total cash and cash equivalents		169,445			250,905			204,895			201,868			101,568
Debt securities available for sale at fair value		1,235,045			1,305,530			1,328,433			1,623,104			771,034
Held to maturity securities at amortized cost		—			—			—			—			1,053,080
Total securities		1,235,045			1,305,530			1,328,433			1,623,104			1,824,114
Loans held for sale		16,812			13,836			749			3,283			2,850
Gross loans held for investment		4,391,426			4,315,546			4,328,413			4,344,559			4,304,619
Unearned income, net		(10,238	)		(11,362	)		(12,786	)		(15,803	)		(17,387	)
Loans held for investment, net of unearned income		4,381,188			4,304,184			4,315,627			4,328,756			4,287,232
Allowance for credit losses		(65,800	)		(53,900	)		(55,200	)		(54,000	)		(53,900	)
Total loans held for investment, net		4,315,388			4,250,284			4,260,427			4,274,756			4,233,332
Premises and equipment, net		89,910			90,031			90,851			90,750			91,793
Goodwill		69,788			69,788			69,788			69,788			69,388
Other intangible assets, net		22,359			23,611			25,019			26,469			27,939
Foreclosed assets, net		3,414			3,419			3,337			3,583			6,053
Other assets		238,612			246,990			252,830			258,881			224,621
Total assets	$	6,160,773		$	6,254,394		$	6,236,329		$	6,552,482		$	6,581,658
LIABILITIES
Noninterest bearing deposits	$	910,693		$	903,714		$	951,423		$	917,715		$	882,472
Interest bearing deposits		4,477,405			4,585,428			4,526,559			4,451,012			4,529,947
Total deposits		5,388,098			5,489,142			5,477,982			5,368,727			5,412,419
Short-term borrowings		—			1,482			3,186			410,630			414,684
Long-term debt		112,320			111,398			113,376			115,051			114,839
Other liabilities		71,315			72,747			82,089			95,836			96,430
Total liabilities		5,571,733			5,674,769			5,676,633			5,990,244			6,038,372
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Common stock		21,580			21,580			21,580			21,580			16,581
Additional paid-in capital		414,485			414,258			414,987			414,965			300,831
Retained earnings		232,718			227,790			217,776			206,490			306,030
Treasury stock		(22,186	)		(20,905	)		(21,885	)		(21,955	)		(22,021	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(57,557	)		(63,098	)		(72,762	)		(58,842	)		(58,135	)
Total shareholders’ equity		589,040			579,625			559,696			562,238			543,286
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	6,160,773		$	6,254,394		$	6,236,329		$	6,552,482		$	6,581,658

MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
FIVE QUARTER CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

	Three Months Ended											Six Months Ended
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	June 30,		March 31,		December 31,		September 30,			June 30,		June 30,		June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)		2025		2025		2024		2024			2024		2025		2024
Interest income
Loans, including fees	$	62,276	$	59,462	$	62,458	$	62,521		$	61,643	$	121,738	$	119,590
Taxable investment securities		12,928		13,327		11,320		8,779			9,228		26,255		18,688
Tax-exempt investment securities		699		703		728		1,611			1,663		1,402		3,373
Other		1,517		1,247		3,761		785			242		2,764		660
Total interest income		77,420		74,739		78,267		73,696			72,776		152,159		142,311
Interest expense
Deposits		25,665		25,484		27,324		29,117			28,942		51,149		56,668
Short-term borrowings		19		25		115		5,043			5,409		44		10,384
Long-term debt		1,754		1,791		1,890		2,015			2,078		3,545		4,181
Total interest expense		27,438		27,300		29,329		36,175			36,429		54,738		71,233
Net interest income		49,982		47,439		48,938		37,521			36,347		97,421		71,078
Credit loss expense		11,889		1,687		1,291		1,535			1,267		13,576		5,956
Net interest income after credit loss expense		38,093		45,752		47,647		35,986			35,080		83,845		65,122
Noninterest income
Investment services and trust activities		3,705		3,544		3,779		3,410			3,504		7,249		7,007
Service charges and fees		2,190		2,131		2,159		2,170			2,156		4,321		4,300
Card revenue		1,934		1,744		1,833		1,935			1,907		3,678		3,850
Loan revenue		1,417		1,194		1,841		760			1,525		2,611		2,381
Bank-owned life insurance		677		1,057		719		879			668		1,734		1,328
Investment securities gains (losses), net		—		33		161		(140,182	)		33		33		69
Other		326		433		345		640			11,761		759		12,369
Total noninterest income (loss)		10,249		10,136		10,837		(130,388	)		21,554		20,385		31,304
Noninterest expense
Compensation and employee benefits		21,011		21,212		20,684		19,943			20,985		42,223		41,915
Occupancy expense of premises, net		2,540		2,588		2,772		2,443			2,435		5,128		5,248
Equipment		2,550		2,426		2,688		2,486			2,530		4,976		5,130
Legal and professional		2,153		2,226		2,534		2,261			2,253		4,379		4,312
Data processing		1,486		1,698		1,719		1,580			1,645		3,184		3,005
Marketing		762		552		793		619			636		1,314		1,234
Amortization of intangibles		1,252		1,408		1,449		1,470			1,593		2,660		3,230
FDIC insurance		851		917		980		923			1,051		1,768		1,993
Communications		161		159		154		159			191		320		387
Foreclosed assets, net		83		74		56		330			138		157		496
Other		2,918		3,033		3,543		3,584			2,304		5,951		4,376
Total noninterest expense		35,767		36,293		37,372		35,798			35,761		72,060		71,326
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)		12,575		19,595		21,112		(130,200	)		20,873		32,170		25,100
Income tax expense (benefit)		2,595		4,457		4,782		(34,493	)		5,054		7,052		6,012
Net income (loss)	$	9,980	$	15,138	$	16,330	$	(95,707	)	$	15,819	$	25,118	$	19,088

Earnings (loss) per common share
Basic	$	0.48	$	0.73	$	0.79	$	(6.05	)	$	1.00	$	1.21	$	1.21
Diluted	$	0.48	$	0.73	$	0.78	$	(6.05	)	$	1.00	$	1.20	$	1.21
Weighted average basic common shares outstanding		20,816		20,797		20,776		15,829			15,763		20,807		15,743
Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding		20,843		20,849		20,851		15,829			15,781		20,846		15,775
Dividends paid per common share	$	0.2425	$	0.2425	$	0.2425	$	0.2425		$	0.2425	$	0.4850	$	0.4850

MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
FINANCIAL STATISTICS

	As of or for the Three Months Ended									As of or for the Six Months Ended
	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Earnings:
Net interest income	$	49,982		$	47,439		$	36,347		$	97,421		$	71,078
Noninterest income		10,249			10,136			21,554			20,385			31,304
Total revenue, net of interest expense		60,231			57,575			57,901			117,806			102,382
Credit loss expense		11,889			1,687			1,267			13,576			5,956
Noninterest expense		35,767			36,293			35,761			72,060			71,326
Income before income tax expense		12,575			19,595			20,873			32,170			25,100
Income tax expense		2,595			4,457			5,054			7,052			6,012
Net income	$	9,980		$	15,138		$	15,819		$	25,118		$	19,088
Pre-tax pre-provision net revenue⁽¹⁾	$	24,464		$	21,282		$	22,140		$	45,746		$	31,056
Adjusted earnings⁽¹⁾		10,176			15,301			8,132			25,479			12,621
Per Share Data:
Diluted earnings	$	0.48		$	0.73		$	1.00		$	1.20		$	1.21
Adjusted earnings⁽¹⁾		0.49			0.73			0.52			1.22			0.80
Book value		28.36			27.85			34.44			28.36			34.44
Tangible book value⁽¹⁾		23.92			23.36			28.27			23.92			28.27
Ending Balance Sheet:
Total assets	$	6,160,773		$	6,254,394		$	6,581,658		$	6,160,773		$	6,581,658
Loans held for investment, net of unearned income		4,381,188			4,304,184			4,287,232			4,381,188			4,287,232
Total securities		1,235,045			1,305,530			1,824,114			1,235,045			1,824,114
Total deposits		5,388,098			5,489,142			5,412,419			5,388,098			5,412,419
Short-term borrowings		—			1,482			414,684			—			414,684
Long-term debt		112,320			111,398			114,839			112,320			114,839
Total shareholders’ equity		589,040			579,625			543,286			589,040			543,286
Average Balance Sheet:
Average total assets	$	6,172,649		$	6,168,546		$	6,713,573		$	6,170,609		$	6,674,476
Average total loans		4,370,196			4,290,710			4,419,697			4,330,659			4,358,957
Average total deposits		5,398,916			5,398,819			5,514,924			5,398,868			5,498,020
Financial Ratios:
Return on average assets		0.65	%		1.00	%		0.95	%		0.82	%		0.58	%
Return on average equity		6.81	%		10.74	%		11.91	%		8.74	%		7.23	%
Return on average tangible equity⁽¹⁾		8.84	%		13.75	%		15.74	%		11.24	%		9.98	%
Efficiency ratio⁽¹⁾		56.20	%		59.38	%		56.29	%		57.75	%		62.83	%
Net interest margin, tax equivalent⁽¹⁾		3.57	%		3.44	%		2.41	%		3.51	%		2.37	%
Loans to deposits ratio		81.31	%		78.41	%		79.21	%		81.31	%		79.21	%
CET1 Ratio		11.02	%		10.97	%		9.56	%		11.02	%		9.56	%
Common equity ratio		9.56	%		9.27	%		8.25	%		9.56	%		8.25	%
Tangible common equity ratio⁽¹⁾		8.19	%		7.89	%		6.88	%		8.19	%		6.88	%
Credit Risk Profile:
Total nonperforming loans	$	37,192		$	17,470		$	25,128		$	37,192		$	25,128
Nonperforming loans ratio		0.85	%		0.41	%		0.59	%		0.85	%		0.59	%
Total nonperforming assets	$	40,606		$	20,889		$	31,181		$	40,606		$	31,181
Nonperforming assets ratio		0.66	%		0.33	%		0.47	%		0.66	%		0.47	%
Net charge-offs	$	189		$	3,087		$	524		$	3,276		$	713
Net charge-off ratio		0.02	%		0.29	%		0.05	%		0.15	%		0.03	%
Allowance for credit losses	$	65,800		$	53,900		$	53,900		$	65,800		$	53,900
Allowance for credit losses ratio		1.50	%		1.25	%		1.26	%		1.50	%		1.26	%
Allowance for credit losses to nonaccrual ratio		179.19	%		309.47	%		218.26	%		179.19	%		218.26	%

⁽¹⁾ Non-GAAP measure. See the Non-GAAP Measures section for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
AVERAGE BALANCE SHEET AND YIELD ANALYSIS

	Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025						March 31, 2025						June 30, 2024
(Dollars in thousands)	Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Cost
ASSETS
Loans, including fees ^(1)(2)(3)	$	4,370,196	$	63,298	5.81	%	$	4,290,710	$	60,443	5.71	%	$	4,419,697	$	62,581	5.69	%
Taxable investment securities		1,168,048		12,928	4.44	%		1,207,844		13,327	4.47	%		1,520,253		9,228	2.44	%
Tax-exempt investment securities ⁽²⁾⁽⁴⁾		102,792		859	3.35	%		105,563		865	3.32	%		322,092		2,040	2.55	%
Total securities held for investment⁽²⁾		1,270,840		13,787	4.35	%		1,313,407		14,192	4.38	%		1,842,345		11,268	2.46	%
Other		104,628		1,517	5.82	%		124,133		1,247	4.07	%		20,452		242	4.76	%
Total interest earning assets⁽²⁾	$	5,745,664	$	78,602	5.49	%	$	5,728,250	$	75,882	5.37	%	$	6,282,494	$	74,091	4.74	%
Other assets		426,985						440,296						431,079
Total assets	$	6,172,649					$	6,168,546					$	6,713,573
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Interest checking deposits	$	1,221,266	$	2,101	0.69	%	$	1,240,586	$	2,127	0.70	%	$	1,297,356	$	3,145	0.97	%
Money market deposits		986,029		6,057	2.46	%		1,002,743		6,333	2.56	%		1,072,688		7,821	2.93	%
Savings deposits		843,223		3,161	1.50	%		835,731		3,057	1.48	%		738,773		2,673	1.46	%
Time deposits		1,436,301		14,346	4.01	%		1,397,595		13,967	4.05	%		1,470,956		15,303	4.18	%
Total interest bearing deposits		4,486,819		25,665	2.29	%		4,476,655		25,484	2.31	%		4,579,773		28,942	2.54	%
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		896		1	0.45	%		2,705		5	0.75	%		5,300		10	0.76	%
Other short-term borrowings		—		18	—	%		—		20	—	%		442,546		5,399	4.91	%
Total short-term borrowings		896		19	8.51	%		2,705		25	3.75	%		447,846		5,409	4.86	%
Long-term debt		112,035		1,754	6.28	%		113,364		1,791	6.41	%		120,256		2,078	6.95	%
Total borrowed funds		112,931		1,773	6.30	%		116,069		1,816	6.35	%		568,102		7,487	5.30	%
Total interest bearing liabilities	$	4,599,750	$	27,438	2.39	%	$	4,592,724	$	27,300	2.41	%	$	5,147,875	$	36,429	2.85	%
Noninterest bearing deposits		912,097						922,164						935,151
Other liabilities		73,094						82,280						96,553
Shareholders’ equity		587,708						571,378						533,994
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	6,172,649					$	6,168,546					$	6,713,573
Net interest income⁽²⁾			$	51,164					$	48,582					$	37,662
Net interest spread⁽²⁾					3.10	%					2.96	%					1.89	%
Net interest margin⁽²⁾					3.57	%					3.44	%					2.41	%

Total deposits⁽⁵⁾	$	5,398,916	$	25,665	1.91	%	$	5,398,819	$	25,484	1.91	%	$	5,514,924	$	28,942	2.11	%
Cost of funds⁽⁶⁾					2.00	%					2.01	%					2.41	%

(1) Average balance includes nonaccrual loans. (2) Tax equivalent. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (3) Interest income includes net loan fees, loan purchase discount accretion and tax equivalent adjustments. Net loan fees were $272 thousand, $256 thousand, and $337 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, and June 30, 2024, respectively. Loan purchase discount accretion was $1.1 million, $1.2 million, and $1.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, and June 30, 2024, respectively. Tax equivalent adjustments were $1.0 million, $981 thousand, and $938 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, and June 30, 2024, respectively. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (4) Interest income includes tax equivalent adjustments of $160 thousand, $162 thousand, and $377 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, and June 30, 2024, respectively. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (5) Total deposits is the sum of total interest-bearing deposits and noninterest bearing deposits. The cost of total deposits is calculated as annualized interest expense on deposits divided by average total deposits. (6) Cost of funds is calculated as annualized total interest expense divided by the sum of average total deposits and borrowed funds.

MIDWESTONE FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
AVERAGE BALANCE SHEET AND YIELD ANALYSIS

	Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2025						June 30, 2024
(Dollars in thousands)	Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Cost		Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Cost
ASSETS
Loans, including fees ^(1)(2)(3)	$	4,330,659	$	123,741	5.76	%	$	4,358,957	$	121,448	5.60	%
Taxable investment securities		1,187,836		26,255	4.46	%		1,538,928		18,688	2.44	%
Tax-exempt investment securities ⁽²⁾⁽⁴⁾		104,170		1,724	3.34	%		325,414		4,137	2.56	%
Total securities held for investment⁽²⁾		1,292,006		27,979	4.37	%		1,864,342		22,825	2.46	%
Other		114,327		2,764	4.88	%		25,529		660	5.20	%
Total interest earning assets⁽²⁾	$	5,736,992	$	154,484	5.43	%	$	6,248,828	$	144,933	4.66	%
Other assets		433,617						425,648
Total assets	$	6,170,609					$	6,674,476
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Interest checking deposits	$	1,230,873	$	4,228	0.69	%	$	1,299,413	$	6,035	0.93	%
Money market deposits		994,340		12,390	2.51	%		1,087,616		15,886	2.94	%
Savings deposits		839,498		6,218	1.49	%		716,458		4,720	1.32	%
Time deposits		1,417,054		28,313	4.03	%		1,458,969		30,027	4.14	%
Total interest bearing deposits		4,481,765		51,149	2.30	%		4,562,456		56,668	2.50	%
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		1,795		6	0.67	%		5,315		21	0.79	%
Other short-term borrowings		—		38	—	%		426,036		10,363	4.89	%
Total short-term borrowings		1,795		44	4.94	%		431,351		10,384	4.84	%
Long-term debt		112,696		3,545	6.34	%		121,761		4,181	6.91	%
Total borrowed funds		114,491		3,589	6.32	%		553,112		14,565	5.30	%
Total interest bearing liabilities	$	4,596,256	$	54,738	2.40	%	$	5,115,568	$	71,233	2.80	%
Noninterest bearing deposits		917,103						935,564
Other liabilities		77,662						92,581
Shareholders’ equity		579,588						530,763
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	6,170,609					$	6,674,476
Net interest income⁽²⁾			$	99,746					$	73,700
Net interest spread⁽²⁾					3.03	%					1.86	%
Net interest margin⁽²⁾					3.51	%					2.37	%

Total deposits⁽⁵⁾	$	5,398,868	$	51,149	1.91	%	$	5,498,020	$	56,668	2.07	%
Cost of funds⁽⁶⁾					2.00	%					2.37	%

(1) Average balance includes nonaccrual loans. (2) Tax equivalent. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (3) Interest income includes net loan fees, loan purchase discount accretion and tax equivalent adjustments. Net loan fees were $528 thousand and $574 thousand for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively. Loan purchase discount accretion was $2.3 million and $2.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively. Tax equivalent adjustments were $2.0 million and $1.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (4) Interest income includes tax equivalent adjustments of $0.3 million and $0.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively. The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (5) Total deposits is the sum of total interest-bearing deposits and noninterest bearing deposits. The cost of total deposits is calculated as annualized interest expense on deposits divided by average total deposits. (6) Cost of funds is calculated as annualized total interest expense divided by the sum of average total deposits and borrowed funds.

Non-GAAP Measures

This earnings release contains non-GAAP measures for tangible common equity, tangible book value per share, tangible common equity ratio, return on average tangible equity, net interest margin (tax equivalent), core net interest margin, loan yield (tax equivalent), core yield on loans, efficiency ratio, adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share, and pre-tax pre-provision net revenue. Management believes these measures provide investors with useful information regarding the Company’s profitability, financial condition and capital adequacy, consistent with how management evaluates the Company’s financial performance. The following tables provide a reconciliation of each non-GAAP measure to the most comparable GAAP measure.

Tangible Common Equity/Tangible Book Value
per Share/Tangible Common Equity Ratio	June 30,			March 31,			December 31,			September 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)		2025			2025			2024			2024			2024
Total shareholders’ equity	$	589,040		$	579,625		$	559,696		$	562,238		$	543,286
Intangible assets, net		(92,147	)		(93,399	)		(94,807	)		(96,257	)		(97,327	)
Tangible common equity	$	496,893		$	486,226		$	464,889		$	465,981		$	445,959

Total assets	$	6,160,773		$	6,254,394		$	6,236,329		$	6,552,482		$	6,581,658
Intangible assets, net		(92,147	)		(93,399	)		(94,807	)		(96,257	)		(97,327	)
Tangible assets	$	6,068,626		$	6,160,995		$	6,141,522		$	6,456,225		$	6,484,331

Book value per share	$	28.36		$	27.85		$	26.94		$	27.06		$	34.44
Tangible book value per share⁽¹⁾	$	23.92		$	23.36		$	22.37		$	22.43		$	28.27
Shares outstanding		20,769,577			20,815,715			20,777,485			20,774,919			15,773,468

Common equity ratio		9.56	%		9.27	%		8.97	%		8.58	%		8.25	%
Tangible common equity ratio⁽²⁾		8.19	%		7.89	%		7.57	%		7.22	%		6.88	%

(1) Tangible common equity divided by shares outstanding. (2) Tangible common equity divided by tangible assets.

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
Return on Average Tangible Equity	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Net income	$	9,980		$	15,138		$	15,819		$	25,118		$	19,088
Intangible amortization, net of tax⁽¹⁾		931			1,047			1,195			1,978			2,423
Tangible net income	$	10,911		$	16,185		$	17,014		$	27,096		$	21,511

Average shareholders’ equity	$	587,708		$	571,378		$	533,994		$	579,588		$	530,763
Average intangible assets, net		(92,733	)		(94,169	)		(99,309	)		(93,447	)		(97,302	)
Average tangible equity	$	494,975		$	477,209		$	434,685		$	486,141		$	433,461

Return on average equity		6.81	%		10.74	%		11.91	%		8.74	%		7.23	%
Return on average tangible equity⁽²⁾		8.84	%		13.75	%		15.74	%		11.24	%		9.98	%

(1) The income tax rate utilized was the blended marginal tax rate. (2) Annualized tangible net income divided by average tangible equity.

Net Interest Margin, Tax Equivalent/ Core Net Interest Margin	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Net interest income	$	49,982		$	47,439		$	36,347		$	97,421		$	71,078
Tax equivalent adjustments:
Loans⁽¹⁾		1,022			981			938			2,003			1,858
Securities⁽¹⁾		160			162			377			322			764
Net interest income, tax equivalent	$	51,164		$	48,582		$	37,662		$	99,746		$	73,700
Loan purchase discount accretion		(1,142	)		(1,166	)		(1,261	)		(2,308	)		(2,413	)
Core net interest income	$	50,022		$	47,416		$	36,401		$	97,438		$	71,287

Net interest margin		3.49	%		3.36	%		2.33	%		3.42	%		2.29	%
Net interest margin, tax equivalent⁽²⁾		3.57	%		3.44	%		2.41	%		3.51	%		2.37	%
Core net interest margin⁽³⁾		3.49	%		3.36	%		2.33	%		3.42	%		2.29	%
Average interest earning assets	$	5,745,664		$	5,728,250		$	6,282,494		$	5,736,992		$	6,248,828

(1) The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (2) Annualized tax equivalent net interest income divided by average interest earning assets. (3) Annualized core net interest income divided by average interest earning assets.

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
Loan Yield, Tax Equivalent / Core Yield on Loans	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Loan interest income, including fees	$	62,276		$	59,462		$	61,643		$	121,738		$	119,590
Tax equivalent adjustment⁽¹⁾		1,022			981			938			2,003			1,858
Tax equivalent loan interest income	$	63,298		$	60,443		$	62,581		$	123,741		$	121,448
Loan purchase discount accretion		(1,142	)		(1,166	)		(1,261	)		(2,308	)		(2,413	)
Core loan interest income	$	62,156		$	59,277		$	61,320		$	121,433		$	119,035

Yield on loans		5.72	%		5.62	%		5.61	%		5.67	%		5.52	%
Yield on loans, tax equivalent⁽²⁾		5.81	%		5.71	%		5.69	%		5.76	%		5.60	%
Core yield on loans⁽³⁾		5.70	%		5.60	%		5.58	%		5.65	%		5.49	%
Average loans	$	4,370,196		$	4,290,710		$	4,419,697		$	4,330,659		$	4,358,957

(1) The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (2) Annualized tax equivalent loan interest income divided by average loans. (3) Annualized core loan interest income divided by average loans.

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
Efficiency Ratio	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Total noninterest expense	$	35,767		$	36,293		$	35,761		$	72,060		$	71,326
Amortization of intangibles		(1,252	)		(1,408	)		(1,593	)		(2,660	)		(3,230	)
Merger-related expenses		—			(40	)		(854	)		(40	)		(2,168	)
Noninterest expense used for efficiency ratio	$	34,515		$	34,845		$	33,314		$	69,360		$	65,928

Net interest income, tax equivalent⁽¹⁾	$	51,164		$	48,582		$	37,662		$	99,746		$	73,700
Plus: Noninterest income		10,249			10,136			21,554			20,385			31,304
Less: Investment securities gains, net		—			33			33			33			69
Net revenues used for efficiency ratio	$	61,413		$	58,685		$	59,183		$	120,098		$	104,935

Efficiency ratio ⁽²⁾		56.20	%		59.38	%		56.29	%		57.75	%		62.83	%

(1) The federal statutory tax rate utilized was 21%. (2) Noninterest expense adjusted for amortization of intangibles and merger-related expenses divided by the sum of tax equivalent net interest income, noninterest income and net investment securities gains.

	Three Months Ended								Six Months Ended
Adjusted Earnings	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,		June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)		2025			2025			2024		2025			2024
Net income	$	9,980		$	15,138		$	15,819	$	25,118		$	19,088
Less: Investment securities gains, net of tax⁽¹⁾		—			25			24		24			51
Less: Mortgage servicing rights (loss) gain, net of tax⁽¹⁾		(196	)		(158	)		96		(355	)		(177	)
Plus: Merger-related expenses, net of tax⁽¹⁾		—			30			634		30			1,608
Less: Gain on branch sale, net of tax⁽¹⁾		—			—			8,201		—			8,201
Adjusted earnings	$	10,176		$	15,301		$	8,132	$	25,479		$	12,621

Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding		20,843			20,849			15,781		20,846			15,775

Earnings per common share – diluted	$	0.48		$	0.73		$	1.00	$	1.20		$	1.21
Adjusted earnings per common share⁽²⁾	$	0.49		$	0.73		$	0.52	$	1.22		$	0.80

(1) The income tax rate utilized was the blended marginal tax rate. (2) Adjusted earnings divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding.

	For the Three Months Ended									Year Ended
Pre-tax Pre-provision Net Revenue	June 30,			March 31,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
(Dollars in thousands)		2025			2025			2024			2025			2024
Net interest income	$	49,982		$	47,439		$	36,347		$	97,421		$	71,078
Noninterest income		10,249			10,136			21,554			20,385			31,304
Noninterest expense		(35,767	)		(36,293	)		(35,761	)		(72,060	)		(71,326	)
Pre-tax Pre-provision Net Revenue	$	24,464		$	21,282		$	22,140		$	45,746		$	31,056

Category: Earnings
This news release may be downloaded from Corporate Profile | MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc.

Source: MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc.

Industry: Banks

Contacts:
Charles N. Reeves	Barry S. Ray
Chief Executive Officer	Chief Financial Officer
319.356.5800	319.356.5800

The MIL Network –

July 25, 2025

MIL-OSI Canada: Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2024: Minister Ellis

“I am pleased to see Statistics Canada’s 2024 police-reported crime statistics show significant improvement in Alberta. Our province achieved a nine per cent decrease in both crime severity and overall crime rate – more than double the national decline of four per cent. These strong results show that Alberta is on the right track.

“While there is still more work to do to keep Albertans and their property safe, these results reflect the outstanding efforts of law enforcement officers across the province. I want to thank all the police services operating across Alberta for their commitment to protecting our communities. Their work, combined with strategic provincial investments in public safety, community engagement and crime prevention is delivering clear, measurable results for Albertans.

“For instance, Statistics Canada reports that property crime and vehicle theft in Alberta dropped by eight and nine per cent respectively in 2024, continuing a broader downward trend.

“Our year-over-year figures are encouraging and so are those illustrating long-term trends. Alberta has seen a significantly lower increase in crime severity compared to the rest of the country and recorded the lowest increase in crime rate among all provinces – six times lower than the national average.

“While these short- and long-term trends are cause for optimism, Alberta’s government remains firmly committed to improving the safety and security of our communities through comprehensive action. While police services across the province are working hard to serve their communities, specialized units within the Alberta Sheriffs continue to augment and support their work, closing drug houses, apprehending fugitives and bolstering surveillance and officer presence in rural areas.

“The province’s strong support for the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams is also helping disrupt organized and serious crime across the province. It’s clear that officer presence matters, and investments in front-line policing are helping address social disorder and improve public safety in our urban centres.

“However, these local successes stand in stark contrast to the ongoing inaction from the federal government whose policies have broken the bail system, allowing violent repeat offenders back on our streets, contributing to a national increase in crime. Alberta continues to call on Ottawa to reverse its harmful policy decisions that have made it harder for police to do their jobs and easier for offenders to reoffend.

“I look forward to continuing our productive partnerships with police services across the province to maintain these positive provincial trends. People deserve communities in which they can live, work and raise a family in peace and security. While this recent data shows that things are moving in the right direction, we won’t take our eye off the ball. Alberta’s government will continue to do whatever it takes to improve public safety, reduce crime and foster safer streets and neighbourhoods for all Albertans.”

Related news

New chief, next step for municipal policing option (July 2, 2025)
Expanding municipal police service options (April 7, 2025)
Tackling catalytic converter and scrap metal theft (April 7, 2025)
Helping rural municipalities with policing costs (Nov. 6, 2024)
Alberta Sheriffs help bring fugitives to justice (Sept. 17, 2024)
More boots on the ground to fight rural crime (July 18, 2024)
More boots on the ground in Calgary and Edmonton (Apr. 11, 2024)

MIL OSI Canada News –

July 25, 2025

MIL-OSI Analysis: High-profile sex assault cases — and their verdicts — have consequences for survivors seeking help

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Lisa Boucher, Assistant Professor, Gender & Social Justice, Trent University

Five former Canada world junior hockey players have been acquitted of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room in 2018 after Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia said the Crown failed to prove its case and that the victim’s evidence was neither credible nor reliable.

The shocking outcome highlights the inadequacies and harms of the legal system and formal institutions in responding to sexual assault that advocates, researchers and victim/survivors have long pointed to.

If we truly want to address sexual violence, then challenging rape myths — in the courts, in the media and elsewhere — is an essential part of this work.

Sexual violence — a type of gender-based violence — is a persistent problem in Canada and across the globe, with high rates of sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence. Statistics Canada has found that approximately 4.7 million women in Canada have been sexually assaulted since the age of 15. Reporting remains low, however, and victims/survivors face a multitude of barriers to care and justice.

Barriers to reporting and seeking help include factors like service gaps, not knowing where to go for help, inaccessibility and shame and stigma. Attitudes surrounding sexual violence can also impact survivors’ decisions to disclose. They can also influence the responses survivors receive when they reach out for support.

Supportive vs. unsupportive reactions

The majority of victims/survivors never report or seek help through formal channels. Instead, they’re more likely to disclose to informal support systems, like friends and family.

When a disclosure of violence is met with a supportive reaction, victim/survivors can experience improved well-being. Positive reactions can also lead to additional help-seeking by affirming the victims/survivors’ need for care, and offering information about services and resources.

In contrast, unsupportive responses can hinder a victim/survivor’s recovery. Such responses might involve blaming the victim, taking control of decision-making or priorizing the well-being of the person or entity receiving the information over the victim/survivor’s.

Negative reactions can silence the victim/survivor, encourage self-blame and deter them from seeking help. And when victims/survivors anticipate negative reactions to a disclosure of violence, they are less likely to talk about it, alert authorities or seek help.

Additionally, while most victims/survivors seek help through informal channels, most people are unprepared to hear about it. High levels of misinformation about sexual violence — or rape myths — also increase the likelihood that victims/survivors will receive unsupportive responses.

The persistence of rape myths

Rape myths are pervasive false beliefs about sexual assault. They minimize the seriousness of sexual violence and shift blame from individual perpetrators and root causes onto victims or survivors.

Common rape myths include ideas that rape is rare and committed by strangers, that victims/survivors lie, that certain clothing or behaviour invites sexual assault and that it is only rape if it involves physical force and active resistance.

Despite decades of research refuting rape myths, they persist. And they continue to influence perceptions of sexual violence, victims and perpetrators.

Rape myth acceptance is linked to higher rates of sexual assault and lower reporting and conviction rates. Because rape myths are often internalized, they also decrease the likelihood that victims/survivors will identify their experience as violence.

Rape myths and media

One powerful way that rape myths circulate is through media. This includes traditional forms of media and social media. The pervasiveness of media in our lives makes it difficult to avoid exposure to false and harmful ideas about sexual violence.

High-profile cases in the media — like the Jian Ghomeshi, Harvey Weinstein and Hockey Canada trials — expose the public to details and discourses about sexual violence. The intensity of coverage can have harmful effects on victims/survivors.

For instance, in a study about experiences with seeking help and reporting sexual assault, researchers found interview participants were negatively affected by rape myths circulating during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings for a position on the United States Supreme Court.

Interviewees reported an increase in victim-blaming reactions from friends, family and professionals. They also described intense feelings like grief and anger, and reflected on barriers to reporting sexual violence.

Sexual assault centres in Ontario have reported spikes in calls to their crisis/support lines in response to the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial.

This is further evidence that coverage of sexual violence can be stressful and retraumatizing for victims/survivors. Service providers have noted that some of the calls include concerns about the hurdles and attitudes sexual assault victims face when they report.

Challenging rape myths, victim-blaming

There are signs of growing awareness of sexual violence, spurred in large part by survivor-led movements like the #MeToo movement. Nonetheless, rape myths continue to influence understandings of, and responses to, this type of violence.

Challenging rape myths is therefore a critical anti-violence strategy. This requires ongoing education, for the public and for professionals.

It also requires commitments from institutions, like the courts and media, to take an active role in stopping the spread of misinformation about sexual violence, and challenging it whenever possible.

Lisa Boucher has previously received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Women and Gender Equality Canada.

– ref. High-profile sex assault cases — and their verdicts — have consequences for survivors seeking help – https://theconversation.com/high-profile-sex-assault-cases-and-their-verdicts-have-consequences-for-survivors-seeking-help-260668

MIL OSI Analysis –

July 25, 2025

MIL-OSI Submissions: Columbia’s $200M deal with Trump administration sets a precedent for other universities to bend to the government’s will

Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brendan Cantwell, Associate Professor of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, Michigan State University